Someone to Watch Over Me - Chapter 4
Title: Someone to Watch Over Me (4/?)
Pairing(s)/Characters: Jack/Ianto, Tosh/Owen and OCs.
Rating: NC17 (overall)
Warnings: smarm, sap and crack - of the mills & boon type (seriously), m/m pairing
Disclaimer: Torchwood and its associated characters, and events are property of the BBC and Russell T. Davies but shamelessly borrowed for some fun.
A/N 1: I decided to go all Mills & Boon on you. But no swooning allowed.
Summary: Jack Harkness, a close family, and owner of a prestigious security firm is asked to take on the task of protecting Ianto Jones when he starts receiving death threats
Four
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The next week was a blur for Ianto. Jack had finished seeing to the security measures at the house, and he and Jack had settled into a regular routine. Each morning, no matter how early, he made it to the front door only to discover Jack was already waiting for him, car keys in hand. If he didn’t call Jack by the end of the day, he’d phone him and ask when he needed to pick him up at the office.
He tried to dodge him on Wednesday, but Jack just showed up at his office anyway and waited for him to finish working. He’d felt like a prat, no matter how much he told himself Jack deserved it for barging in on his life and his house.
Yet, despite doing his best to treat him as if he were no more than a speck of dust on the wall, the two of them continued to rub up against each other, and not in a good way. Jack’s papers and computers were set up in a corner of his study and his personal belongings were in the guest room, the lounge, kitchen... He was everywhere.
But what really got to him, only admitting this to himself, was the intimacy of the living arrangements. He’d been trying to make a point to his mother when he’d used the words sexually awkward, but the truth wasn’t far afield.
On Thursday morning, as he was getting ready for work, he’d realised the shirt for the suit he was putting on was hanging in the hall closet. Knowing Jack was showering, he’d walked out into the hall clad only in his trousers, open at the clasp.
He’d just turned to head back to his bedroom when the bathroom door had unexpectedly opened and his gaze collided with Jack’s.
His only covering was a towel riding low on his hips. Half-naked, he paradoxically loomed even bigger and more imposing than he usually did.
Ianto’s gaze moved downward, taking in lean but sculptured muscles and a line of hair that disappeared from view at the top of the towel.
When his gaze connected with Jack’s again, he felt himself flush. But whether it was from embarrassment at being caught staring and ultimately thinking what the man looked like without the towel, or from Jack’s hot look at his own state of partial undress, or both, he wasn’t sure.
Ianto finally managed to tear his gaze away and marched past Jack, slamming his bedroom door shut behind him without turning around.
By Friday night, when Jack had picked him up at work and brought him back to the house, the tension between them was so thick, he felt like a boiling pot with a shaking lid.
After changing out of his suit into some jeans and a T-shirt, he headed downstairs to fix something simple for dinner and then maybe relax with a drink and go over some paperwork.
Unfortunately, Jack was downstairs in the front hall when he got there. He was loosening his tie and obviously heading upstairs to change out of his own suit he still wore. Somehow Jack managed to look rough around the edges even in conservative business attire.
He stopped when he saw Ianto and his gaze raked over him, settling on the files in his hand. ‘What? No plans on a Friday night?’
‘I have work to do,’ he said, then added, ‘Otherwise I’d have had plans.’
‘Since when does work mean giving up a Friday nights?’
‘Sometimes it does.’ He shrugged. ‘Besides, I’m not in the mood to head out tonight.’ That was partly true. He also wasn’t involved with anyone at the moment.
Normally, he’d be heading out, but-and he’d rather eat dirt than admit this to Jack-the truth was the death threats had eaten at his self-confidence. So, spending Friday night cocooned at home-even with someone as annoying as Jack-was more appealing than hitting the social scene.
Jack arched a brow. ‘Maybe you’d feel differently about staying at home if the people you dated were more interesting.’
Ianto’s chin came up. ‘Back off, Harkness.’ As if he knew much more about his love life these days than what could be gleaned from the occasional mention about him in the society pages. He set his files down on the hall table, where he could grab them from later.
Jack look displeased. ‘You know what your problem is?’
Ianto affected a bored tone. ‘I’m sure you are about to enlighten me.’
‘Damn straight, I’m going to ‘enlighten’ you. Your problem is you can’t deal with a guy that has a brain in his head.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘I’ve watched you, Button. I’ve seen the all the Tom, Dick and Harrys that have gone trooping in and out of your life.’
Ianto scoffed. ‘I’ve never dated a Tom, a Dick-that’s with a capital D-or a Harry.’
Jack’s lips twisted. ‘Of course, I knew I didn’t have a chance unless I surgically removed part of my brain.’
‘That’s a charming image. Anyway, it’s not true. The guys I date are not dumb.’
‘What about the guy who accidently bonded his fingers together with glue?’
Ianto sighed impatiently. ‘Why does everyone bring that up? That was high school and I still can’t live that one down.’
‘In your book, the guys have to look and talk tough but be as thick as a plank,’ Jack persisted. ‘Your problem is you’ve never had a real man.’
‘Like you, you mean?’
Jack smiled slowly, wolfishly. ‘I haven’t had any complaints.’
‘You wouldn’t. That criticism-proof hovel your ego lives in doesn’t let you hear any.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘Maybe there aren’t any to be heard. I didn’t hear any complaints from you about our kiss. In fact, you seemed to enjoy it.’
Ianto flushed. ‘I’ve had better.’
Jack’s lips curved into a humourless smile, his jaw hardening. He moved closer. ‘Really?’ he asked, his voice low and silky.
Ianto scowled. ‘Yes, really. And, for the record, I didn’t enjoy the kiss.’
‘Hmm.’ Jack reached out and clasped his arms with his hands, drawing Ianto closer, his hands moving up and down in a slow caress. ‘Are you sure?’ he murmured.
‘Quite.’
‘Because I could have sworn you were enjoying it.’
‘Then you were wrong.’ Was that husky voice his?
Jack’s gaze dropped to his mouth and he murmured, ‘Then I must have been imagining those lips trying to eat mine.’ Jack bent his head and drew in a breath, turning his head to whisper in Ianto’s ear.
Ianto’s body was heating up and his legs were beginning to feel like jelly as Jack continued to whisper in his ear.
Jack drew him flush up against his body, his head bending in to nuzzle his neck. ‘I must have fantasised that hard body pressed up against me...’
Ianto knew he should be pulling back from Jack-reminding him of the promise he’d extracted about no more kissing-but his low voice and the soothing caress of his hands were having an odd effect in him.
‘Admit it,’ Jack said softly against his temple. ‘You liked the kiss.’ His hands continued to stroke him, coax him.
It was hard to issue a denial...and hard to remember why it was so important that he do so. Jack’s hands moved up to knead his shoulder blades and his eyes nearly closed.
He could feel the magnetism practically radiating from Jack who lifted his head and looked him straight in the eyes. His eyes shone with desire and Ianto felt prickles of awareness all over his skin, his jeans tightening around his crotch.
‘You find me irresistible, don’t you, Button?’ he said, in a low voice. ‘I’m arrogant and heavy-handed, but you like it.’
Yes. Ianto should say it out loud and put an end to this. He focused on his mouth. If Ianto said yes, Jack would probably kiss him again. He bent toward him-
-and Jack stepped back, his arms dropping to his sides and the fire in his eyes disappearing. ‘Lucky for us then I can resist you.’
It took Ianto a second, but comprehension finally hit and, with it, a cold fury.
Jack had been toying with him! Of all the arrogant, smug...
He was tempted to rear back and punch him. Jack found him resistible, did he? Jack had enjoyed their kiss just as much as he had.
And with that thought, he knew how to wipe the smug look off his lips. He grabbed his lapels and yanked Jack down to him.
In the instant before his eyes closed, Ianto noted the surprise in Jack’s eyes followed by wanton desire.