Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it ain't mine.
Title: I Feel You
Rating: NC-17 for language and adult situations.
Fandom: Riddick
Summary: Just a little deleted scene from my WIP 'Nothing to Lose.' Takes place on the three day trip to Fuistis.
Jack was messing around on her computer in her room and trying not to think about Riddick being in her shower. It wasn’t working.
It was the end of their first day together on her ship, and things had gone surprisingly smoothly. They’d both pretty much kept to themselves and were having to re-learn living with each other, but it wasn’t as awkward as she’d expected.
The smell of her soap trickled from her bathroom and tormented her senses. Jack stared at her computer screen completely unfocused as she kept seeing Riddick in her mind. In her shower, using her soap, the rich lather covering his well-sculpted body…Oh gods! What if he’s using my sponge? Jack absent-mindedly licked her lips at the thought. If he is, I’ve never wanted to be a sponge so badly in my life!
Ever since she’d woken up in his arms that morning, she’d been in an almost constant state of arousal. Her ship had never seemed so small. She’d managed to avoid him for most of the day (his bringing up Lajjun was one hell of a mood killer). But the casual touches they couldn’t help but share when they were in the same room together were slowly driving Jack out of her mind.
How long has he been in there anyways? Jack looked over at her bedside clock and let out a small gasp of disbelief. Five minutes! He’s only been in there for five minutes? She let out an impatient growl and shut down her computer. What I need is a distraction. And I know just the one…
…(line)…
Riddick came out of the shower to find Jack lounging on the couch (his temporary bed) watching a movie. He resisted the urge to order her off his bed so he could get some sleep. The kid’s had a rough couple of days. Cut her some slack. He took a seat on the opposite end of the couch from her and started to watch the movie.
Jack didn’t look away from the screen as he sat down next to her. She’d noticed that he still kept a good ten inches distance between them, and was relieved and hurt all at the same time. She stretched out her arm and offered him some popcorn from the bowl in her lap. At first it looked like he was going to decline, but then he changed his mind and roughly grabbed a handful of the buttery goodness.
Ten minutes into the movie, Riddick’s voice broke her concentration. “So, what exactly are we watching?”
“It’s an old Earth action movie, xXx.”
“You’re watching porn Jack?” If he’d had a visible hairline, his eyebrows would’ve retreated into it.
“No! That’s just the name of the movie you moron. You know, like ‘three strikes you’re out’.”
He still looked like he didn’t believe her, but nodded his head anyways. “So this asshole with all the ink, he’s the main character?”
“Yep.”
More silence ensued as Jack was so caught up in the movie. But Riddick didn’t care for it, and he wanted his bed back. It looked like he had to chase her off. He hoped she was one of those people who didn’t like to talk during the movie. “What’s this movie about?”
“Don’t know.”
“You ever seen it before?”
“Yep.”
“So what do you mean you don’t know what the movie is about?”
Jack finished her mouthful of popcorn before she answered. “Well, the movie as a whole is pretty weak, and there’s not really a plot. I just watch it for the man candy.” She turned to face Riddick with and evil grin on her face. “The Mandy.”
“What, you like this asshole?”
Jack nodded her head enthusiastically and turned her head towards him. “Oh yeah,” she pointed to the screen. “What’s not to love? Just look at him.”
It was dark enough in the ship that he didn’t need his glasses, and she saw him roll his eyes. “What Riddick?” she asked as he reached into the bowl for some more popcorn. “You don’t like him?” She laughed as a scowl formed on his face. “Well why not? He’s only the most gorgeous man who ever lived.”
Riddick couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with her. “Are you serious Jack? I mean, look at all the tattoos the guy has. Is he that ugly that he has to cover up sixty percent of his body with them?”
“Hey,” she threw a piece of popcorn at him. “I happen to love his tattoos and I think they’re beautiful. It’s like wearing a piece of yourself on the outside so everyone can see it, but you’re the only one who knows what it is. Not to mention they make him look positively edible.”
Riddick picked up the piece of popcorn she’d thrown at him and popped it in his mouth. “Okay fine, you like his body art. But what about that coat he’s wearing. It looks like it has fleas.”
“Alright, I’ll give you the coat. It is hideous.”
But Riddick was on a roll. “And what’s with all the crazy stunts? Who’s he tryin’ to prove somethin’ to? And if he’s such a badass, why’d he let himself get roped in by the government. Hell, if it was me, I’d get sent to the slam and be out again in a week. This Xander guy’s a fuckin’ pussy.”
Jack launched another kernel at him. “You know Riddick, the you kinda look like him. So if you’re sayin’ he’s ugly, then you’re sayin’ you’re ugly.”
“Well, you know buttercup, you said that he was the most gorgeous man who ever lived,” Riddick threw his arm on the back of the couch and sidled closer to her. “So if you think he’s-what word did you use, oh yeah ‘edible’, then what does that make me?”
Close, too close! Her mind was screaming at her. Shrug it off girl. Don’t let him know he’s getting to you. Jack very slowly, and very deliberately popped a singe piece of popcorn in her mouth, and smiled in satisfaction as she saw his eyes dart down to her lips. Good. You’re not the only one who can play this game Riddick. And I haven’t lost yet.
“I’d say that makes you a cheap knock-off Riddick. ‘Cause he was here first.” She walked her fingers up his arm behind her. “One of the reasons I like him so much is his tattoos. You don’t have any Riddick. So what do you have that can possibly make up for that?”
He locked eyes with her and grinned. He’d never lost this game, either. “My sparkling personality.”
He said that with such conviction, Jack burst out laughing, spilling popcorn on him. “Sorry,” she said once her laughing was under control. Then an idea hit her. I wonder just how far I can push him? She reached over with her free hand and picked up the few errant pieces of popcorn off his lap. Her touch was feather light and she fought to keep a smile off her face as she felt him still under her hands.
After she’d picked up all the pieces, she gave him what she hoped was an innocent smile and leaned back against his arm. They were sitting closer now, but there were still a few inches between them. And he didn’t move away. Jack smiled as she passed the bowl to him. Point one to Jack.
Day Two
“I’m picking out the movie tonight,” he told her as the two of them made their way into the den.
“Aw, c’mon Riddick. The movie wasn’t so bad last night. And it least it had some hot girls in there for you.” She sank down on the couch and clutched a pillow to her chest. “See, I was trying to be fair.”
“Good, then you can be fair by letting me pick out the movie tonight.”
Jack let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. Tonight is Riddick’s choice.” She pointed to a large cabinet to the right of the screen. “All the vid discs are in there.”
With a nod of his head, Riddick turned and opened the designated cabinet. “Holy Hell, Jack! Just how many you got?”
She shrugged. “Well what else am I supposed to do when I’m stuck space and I can’t sleep?”
He spoke as he eyed her collection. “You not sleep often?”
“Yeah, but I’ve gotten used to it and I learned how to work around it.”
“Damn Jack. It looks like you have every movie ever made.” Riddick smiled as he saw an old horror movie that was one of his favorites. He turned to face her. “Found one.”
Jack looked at the vid jacket and laughed. “Figures you’d go after the one where the guy has a homemade glove with knives for fingers.”
He popped the disc and the player and sat next to her on the couch, a little closer this time. Jack smiled to herself. Baby steps.
Day Three
Jack was watching Riddick work out in her small gym. Till now, the two of them had made sure to use it at separate times. Jack because a shirtless Riddick was enough to strike her deaf and dumb, and she could only guess Riddick’s reasons. But she imagined they weren’t so very different from her own.
She’d shown him how to access her music from the comm unit, and he was listening to one of her rap playlists, dodging and throwing punches at his imaginary opponent. Jack couldn’t take her eyes off him. He moved with a fluid grace, and he was radiating power and dripping with sweat. She had the sudden urge to lick one of the wayward drops from his back. It’s not fair! He has to know what kind of an effect he has on women.
She toyed with the idea of coming back for her workout later, but decided against it. If I have to suffer, then so should he. Jack quietly slipped into the gym, her bare feet not making any noise as she approached her target.
He hadn’t seemed to notice her just yet. He was still battling his non-existent opponent, throwing punches in time with the music. Jack was almost on him and was about unleash a right hook, when he turned around and swept her feet out from under her, and grinned as she stared up at him from the floor.
Jack was quickly back on her feet and the two of them started circling each other. “Just what made you think you could sneak up on me, Jack?”
She studied his body and his movements carefully, looking for that telltale twitch to let her know the next attack was coming. “’Cause I’m a ninja, that’s why. The ninja of death.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s you alright, the Pink Ninja of Death.” He knew she didn’t like the color pink and hoped to get a rise out of her. “C’mon Jackie, let’s see what you got.”
The two of them started out slow enough. A few punches here, some kicks there, Riddick even had some moves Jack had never seen before.
Four songs into the bout, Riddick realized something was off. They both pulled their punches, but barely. He blocked another jab from Jack and studied her more closely. Bad idea. Her face was flushed, her breathing was heavy, and she smelled like sex to Riddick. All that adrenaline and sweat mixing with her own unique scent.
She lunged at him and he quickly stepped to the side, grabbing her wrist and pulling him against her. He realized what seemed off about the fight and whispered in her ear, “You’re holding back on me Jackie.”
She quickly went limp in his arms, dropping out of their grasp and started to circle him again.
The beast in Riddick snarled as Jack escaped him. He could still smell her on him, and was not in the least bit happy that his prey had gotten away.
When Riddick struck he was faster than lightning. One moment Jack was watching his shoulders for any sign of movement, the next she was pinned against the gym’s wall. Her hands held captive by her sides and Riddick’s knee between her legs, barely lifting her off the ground. But it was enough pressure to send jolts of excitement and fear from her loins to the rest of her body. She was truly at his mercy.
Riddick breathed her in as his face came to rest beside hers. Her ragged breathing on the exposed flesh of his neck made him shudder and his inner beast roar. “That’s okay, Jack, ‘cause I’m holding back too.”
As soon as an involuntary moan escaped her lips he released her and escaped into the safety of the galley. At first, Jack was livid. But then she thought about it, and realized she was very lucky that it stopped when it did. She was supposed to be the one who pushed him to his breaking point. Not the other way around. She let out a deep shaggy breath and made her way to the bathroom. I’ll just have to step my game up is all.
Chapter 16