Julian laughed, and watched as Ethan led Elizabeth to the center of the dance floor.
No one else was dancing, but everyone was watching their bosses glide together effortlessly.
Ethan held her close to his body, his mouth by her ear as he whispered all the things he missed about her the past week. When he was finished, she laid her head on his shoulder and just closed her eyes, allowing him to lead her in the very slow dance.
There was no doubt in her mind that she loved Ethan so very much.
Julian took it as a sign that they shouldn’t be dancing alone. “Tori, come dance with me,” he said, holding out his hand, and was surprised when she actually took it.
“Okay, Julian,” she went with him.
Out on the dance floor, he held her against his body, and she fit perfectly. “Thank you for not making me drag you out here,” he laughed.
“I’m well aware that you would have done just that and in heels, you might have actually won that one. I know when to pick my battles.”
“You smell really great tonight, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear, and then ran his lips along her throat and to her shoulder.
Tori shuddered at the intimate touch of lips to her flesh. “Julian, what are you doing?” she asked, her voice catching in her throat.
“I’m trying to seduce the most beautiful woman in the world,” he whispered, tugging on her ear with his teeth. “Is it working?” he asked, holding her pressed to his body.
“I think so,” she said, feeling dizzy. When she regained her senses, Tori looked into his eyes. “But going back to my place and falling into my bed would be a big mistake.”
The hurt was there, that she was still pushing hard against his efforts. “Okay Tori. I promise tonight we won’t fall into your bed.”
She relaxed and ran her fingers over his cheek. “Thank you, Julian,” she said, kissing him.
This was complete and total torture. What the hell was he thinking making that promise to her, when he knew he had no plans of keeping it? Damn it!
When the song ended, he kissed her on the lips. “Why don’t you grab us a couple of drinks, I need to do something,” he said, reluctantly, letting her free from his body.
“Okay,” she watched him hurry away. Tori felt like she did something horribly wrong, and her face must have shown it.
“Come to the ladies room with me?” inquired Elizabeth, as she touched her arm.
Tori just nodded and let Elizabeth slip her arm through hers, as they walked there together.
When Ethan arrived back at the table, he took a seat beside Callen, who had a new beer for him.
“Where’s she going?” he asked, clinking his bottle against his brother’s.
“The place all women go to talk about men in a place like this,” he said, snickering. “Where we have no hope of eavesdropping on the conversation.”
Blackhawk laughed. “Is there something going on between Julian and Tori?” he asked softly, keeping his voice down.
Callen nodded. “It’s been rocky.”
“Then my guess is she spotted something not working and is about to fix it. You know how Elizabeth has to fix the things that are broken.” Both men were proof of that. Ethan was once a compulsive workaholic with no hope of a future or love life, and Callen’s heart was ripped into tatters.
“She’ll probably figure it out.”
Blackhawk had no doubt. “Yeah, she will.”
Elizabeth sat in the lounge of the ladies room on one of the luxurious chairs. Her agent sat across from her, looking as nervous as hell, and she wanted to help calm her down.
“Spill it,” she said, keeping her voice low.
Tori didn’t know if she should or not. This woman was her boss, and she was pretty sure she had enough issues in her own life to worry about. Why would she want to carry a complete stranger’s problems too?
“I like you, Tori and I’m very fond of Julian. So just get it off your chest, I’ll help you work through it and you’ll be okay.”
She sighed. “I told you. In Cypress Grove we stared sleeping together, and it was great. Then I came home and Julian pursued it, and I did everything in my power to push him away.”
“Obviously that’s not working,” said Elizabeth. “The man went out and got a suit, is sitting at your company party, and trying to get through to you that he’s very interested.”
“What about when this is over? I’m not emotionally stable.” There she put it out there and now her boss knew. “I think I need help, Elizabeth.”
“The dreams?”
“I don’t want to lose my job, but I have to be honest.”
Elizabeth had a few options at that point. “Then I guess it’s a very good thing that I don’t see your boss anywhere tonight. All I see is a person that wants to help you.”
Letting out a deep breath, Tori went for it. “The dreams are bad and they suck me in, controlling me at times. I sometimes think I hear gunfire, and I feel like running. I can’t stand to be around big groups of people. It makes me panicky.”
“You don’t look freaked out now, and there are a hell of a lot of people here,” Elizabeth offered.
“Yeah, except I see these people daily, and you know half of them are packing their side arms.”
She had a valid point. “Are you blacking out and doing things you can’t control,” she asked, warily. Now suddenly the boss was trying to find her way back to the surface.
“No. Not yet, but I know that when this is over, I need a leave of absence. I need to get some help.”
Elizabeth leaned forward and took her hand. “We’ll help you get into any facility you want, when you’re ready. As of now, it’s not affecting your work. Just the fact you know you need help means you can beat this Tori. We support you.”
“If I start something with Julian, then what? He lives three hours away, and I’m going into the nut bin.”
Elizabeth punched her arm. “Hey, you knock it off. You’re not crazy or nuts. What you are is a soldier that fought for our country. You came home scarred and need to be patched back up. Maybe if you just relax a little, Julian will understand. Did you try being honest with him?”
She shrugged. “I told him that I’m not sleeping with him again.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Honestly, sex usually solves most of our problems. Maybe you should rethink that, unless you don’t enjoy the sex with Julian.”
Tori shook her head. “It was amazing.”
Elizabeth stood. “You're no crazier than the rest of us; you’re just overly focused on it. Take your mind off the obvious, and you’ll see the improbable.”
“Wow, that was pretty deep,” she said, laughing. “Cornell?”
Elizabeth laughed. “Nah, my daddy. It was his favorite saying,” she said, linking her arm back through Tori’s. “Now, let’s go get us some sexy Native arm candy, and dance the night away.”
Suddenly that was appealing. “Sounds good to me.”
Julian rushed back to the table, looking for Tori. When he couldn’t find her, he thought he scared her away. “Well shit,” he muttered, looking at the two men sitting there. “Did she leave?” he asked, getting angry.
“No, your woman and ours are having a confab in the ladies room. Grab a drink and get comfortable. Once women start yapping, it can take ages,” said Blackhawk.
“Is that so, Ethan Jackson Blackhawk?” asked his wife, standing behind him, arms crossed. “Yapping is it? Takes ages, does it?”
Callen started laughing uproariously. “God, you have the worst sense of timing when it comes to her. It’s so damn funny every time she catches you.”
“Oh, you think it’s entertaining, Callen? Have you forgotten something?” she asked, winking at Tori, and getting her to laugh.
“Um, probably,” he paused. “Can you give me a hint?”
“How about ,‘do you want to dance with me, Lyzee’?” Elizabeth saw his body tense, “or not.” Her stomach dropped.
Callen wa
sn’t sure if he could pull it off. The whole idea that everyone they worked with would judge Ethan and Elizabeth still bothered him. If he escorted her out there, he’d kiss her and God only knew what else.
“I’ll dance with you,” Ethan stood, and held out his hand. It was evident that she was hurt by Callen’s dismissal. The tears began filling her eyes, and he plunged in to rescue them both and be the buffer.
“Sure, Ethan,” Elizabeth replied, taking his hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor. Before getting there, she looked back at Callen and right into his eyes to share the anguish he caused.
“Shit,” said Callen rubbing his face in his hands.
“What’s the issue, man? A beautiful woman just asked you to dance, and you turned her down. Are you loco?” asked Julian. “Seriously, you just declined a dance with Elizabeth. Ninety percent of the men in this place have been following her around like she was a big juicy steak, and you declined being the hero to them all.”
Tori observed the interaction and was fascinated.
“When a gorgeous woman says dance, you dance.” Julian linked fingers with Tori. “You don’t like to dance?”
“I love to dance,” he offered.
Julian took a sip of his beer. “Then why aren’t you out there with her, holding Elizabeth in your arms?”
“I don’t want them to ruin their careers, because we have a threesome,” he said, lowering his voice.
Tori shook her head. “If you don’t mind me saying, but no one is repulsed by it. If anything it’s a curiosity for the men, and the women are just really jealous. You aren’t ruining their career. You make them stand out and give them that little added special that makes them shine. Everyone knows who they are, because you made them unique.”
Callen looked up, surprised because he never thought about it that way. “Really?”
“How many FBI directors are going to be remembered for the fact they had balls enough to step outside the box and lived their lives their way. You make them different, and that’s a good thing.”
He thought about it.
“Look around, Callen. I bet by the end of the night, no one even notices that you’re dancing with her. Half the room is shitfaced already.”
“You're both right,” he said, standing. “Excuse me, I need to go cut in and get equal floor time with my girl.”
They watched him walk away. “That was really awesome, Tori,” Julian admitted.
“I was just returning the favor. Now, how about we get fall down drunk with the rest of the group?”
Julian laughed, patting his pocket. He already procured them a hotel room, and the night was full of possibilities. The one leading the list was to get Tori drunk and tumble into a hotel bed with her for the rest of the night. She never outlawed a bed upstairs, only hers.
There was his technicality, and he was running with it.
Ethan consoled his wife, whispering words of reassurance in her ear, as he held her in his arms. He completely understood what his wife was feeling, and at the same time what Callen was living too. Once again, he was trapped in the middle.
“I just figured he was over all this, Ethan,” she whispered, trying desperately to not cry in front of the entire FBI West.
“Maybe he wasn’t ready to come out yet, and just because we were that doesn’t mean he is. Callen was pretty emotionally beat down before you knocked him off his feet.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I guess.”
Ethan felt the tap.
“Can I cut in?” asked his brother.
Ethan grinned, knowing that the man would eventually come around. “Absolutely, bro.”
Callen took Elizabeth in his arms and looked deep into her eyes. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. I wasn’t doing it because I’m ashamed of us, but more to protect you.”
“Callen, we’re directors. We can’t be fired because I’m involved with another man. I’m not cheating on my husband. He’s more than aware. Our sex life is exclusive of how we do our jobs.”
He completely understood that. “I get that now, and I’m letting it go,” Callen whispered, enjoying his woman snuggly pressed to the front of his body.
“I love you, Elizabeth.” That word didn’t even come close to the way he felt about her. What emotion was past love? Adoration? Worship?
“I love you, Cal,” she answered back. Her hand slid into the ponytail at his neck and Elizabeth waited for him to make the next move. Elizabeth didn’t want to rush him into anything that made him uncomfortable. This was a room full of people, and she didn’t want him to hurt.
Whitefox let out the breath he was holding, and just went with his heart like his grandfather instructed him. Kissing Elizabeth seemed right at that moment, and Callen was going to let the rest fall away. Her lips moved beneath his, and met him at first in a sweet gently mating of mouths. Then her hand tightened in his hair, and need swelled. Everything disappeared but the woman in his arms.
Everything was forgotten, with the exception of the most important thing; love for his woman.
It wasn’t the wildest kiss they shared, but it was the biggest public display of affection. It heated his body and made him feel free. Thank God she was pressed against the front of his aroused body.
The music changed and they remained locked at the lips, pressed together and standing in the middle of a dance floor. Everyone around them continued to dance, gyrate and move on with the moment.
Elizabeth was completely and totally in love with the man that held her in his arms. She knew how hard that moment was for him, and she appreciated every second of his bravery.
Slowly they pulled away from the heated embrace, and everything around them began crashing back and filling their senses. Once they’re lips finally parted, the room flashed in colors and sound, and yet none of it was as amazing as the moment they both shared.
“That was some kiss, Callen,” she whispered, her mouth now beside his ear. “My love, that was truly spectacular and quite possibly the best kiss in my entire life.”
Whitefox couldn’t breathe at her words, and he no longer had the ability to string together a complete sentence at that point. The best he could do was lead her back to their table and pray his body wasn’t screaming ‘horny out of control teenager’.
Approaching the table, Ethan, Tori and Julian all held up their cocktail napkins. Each one had a number on it, rating what they just witnessed. Tori gave him an eleven and then proceeded to fan herself with it. Julian gave him a ten and then two thumbs up. Ethan gave him an eight, and under the number had written ‘You're still not up to your brother’s skill level’. Now Callen started laughing, because they caught him completely off guard, easing the tension.
Elizabeth leaned into his ear and whispered, “I give you a one hundred. That kiss was very hot, Mr. Whitefox.” When she patted his ass, Callen laughed even more.
Ethan pulled her down into his lap and ran his lips across her jaw and throat.
“If you’ll excuse us,” stated Julian. “I have something to show my date.” He pulled her up and led her to the bar. “We need some beers for where we’re going,” he said, grinning.
“What are you up to?” she questioned.
Julian ignored her, waiting for the bartender’s attention. “Six bottles, unopened please,” he tipped him well, and handed three to Tori.
“Julian,” she started to protest, and then he kissed her to shut her up. It worked, because the heat rose from her feet all the way to the top of her head. When he finally pulled away, she stared at him. “Okay, I’ll shut up.”
He laughed, because technically she was still talking. Julian handed the coat check girl their tickets, taking their coats and dropping them over his arm.
“Where are we going?” she inquired, and then shut up again when he lunged for her mouth. Fortunately, for her, Tori evaded, but got the hint.
“Just follow me,” he answered, leading her to the elevators. “Hit number eight.”
“We’re going up
stairs?” she asked, and found his mouth and tongue tangling with hers in a really steamy lip lock in the elevator. When the door opened, another couple stepped in, Tori was mortified, but couldn’t escape him.
At the next ding of the elevator bell, Julian finally let her free, dragging her out into the hall. Taking the key from his pocket, Julian led her down the hallway and towards a door. Once the electronic key was accepted, he pushed the door open and pulled her inside with him.
“Can I talk now?” she asked, taking her chance.
Julian wasn’t giving her an opportunity to turn him down. He had fully intended to spend the night with the woman, and this was the last option other than kidnapping her and taking Tori three hours away to his home.
“No,” he muttered, dropping all their things on the floor and grabbing her roughly. His mouth crashed down on hers, and he tried desperately to convince her to stay with him tonight. When Tori conceded and kissed him back, only then did he slowly pull away, giving her the choice.
“Julian,” she whispered.
“Stay with me tonight.” It was all he could say, as he prayed she’d not turn him down and run away for another three months.
War was raging inside her brain. God, she wanted to crawl all over the man and have crazy, mad sex. He took her to the Christmas party, bought a suit, and now rented a really great room. How did a woman say no to that? Clarification- how did a sane woman say no to that?”
“Victoria, I need you, but this has to be your choice.” All the while he was praying she’d make the right one, or it was going to be a really long lonely night not touching her.
Throwing caution to the wind, she went for it. Tori attacked, moving quickly at him, knocking him backwards onto the bed, as she controlled the situation for a change. The kiss was all Tori, and it was spectacular. Hands roamed, and buttons were undone from his dress shirt.
Someone moaned and Julian was pretty sure it was him. The woman was wild, reckless, and free. It was amazing to feel and be victim to this wild, heated, out of control spiral. He held on while she drove the urgency, just praying that he’d survive it in the end. Her hands were everywhere, and she was taking what she wanted from his body.
Fire Burns Hot ((An FBI/ Romance Thriller~ (Book 5))) Page 23