A Dangerous Affair

Stephanie was sat with her head slightly lowered, an amused smile on her face. Her eyes were flitting sideways at Tom who had his mouth by her ear, whispering an amusing story to her about Brick. Her face had a flushed look about it, her eyes flashing to Tom and away again when their gazes collided.

She was so funny. She wouldn’t look at him for more than two seconds. Never mind, it gave him the opportunity to appreciate the soft blush that was creeping across her cheek, her long eyelashes that fluttered with the nervous movements of her eyes and the way that her hair was tucked behind her ear. He’d developed quite an attachment to her ear. It was sweet and he had the insane urge to kiss it or take her earlobe in his mouth, graze it with his teeth, move his lips lower to her neck and…

“Phillips!” Brick’s sudden harsh voice cut into Tom’s daydream and ruined the moment when Stephanie sprung guiltily away from him. Damn!

“Boss?” He looked back towards Brick’s office and Brick who was stood at the door.

“A word in my office, now,” came Brick’s abrupt reply.

Stephanie turned in surprise at the tone of Brick’s voice. What had Tom done wrong? Tom threw Brick a questioning look and Brick nodded his head. Tom’s eyes widened and his smile slipped very rapidly from his face. Stephanie observed the silent interaction between the two men with bewilderment. What the hell was going on? Tom moved suddenly and disappeared into Brick’s office, closing the door behind him.

Stephanie sat for a while staring into space, her mind distracted. Then with a sharp shake of her head she turned her attention back to her work.

It was some time before Tom remerged from Brick’s office at which point Stephanie had had enough of research for one day. She was impatient to get to work on finding Hugh Carlton. She felt a growing annoyance for allowing herself to become distracted from her work and irrationally, the fact that Tom and Brick were having some mysterious conversation in there that she didn’t know anything about had irritated her.

Tom sat back at her desk and picked up a newspaper. He stared at the front page with a scowl on his face. She could feel the tension in him even from the other side of the desk.

“What’s wrong?” she asked casually, “Brick giving you a hard time?”

He threw the paper down on the desk. “I’m getting some fresh air.” With that he got up and was gone in seconds.

Wait just a minute; what was that all about? They had a job to do and now he’d just disappeared without so much as an explanation. She wasn’t standing for that!

Stephanie found Tom leaning against a brick wall in the car park. She was surprised to see that he was smoking a cigarette.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” she said, eyeing the cigarette in his hand.

He shrugged but didn’t reply.

“Are you going to tell me what went on in there with Brick or not?” His attitude was really starting to get on her nerves.

“Not,” he said simply, turning his head away and taking another drag of the cigarette.

“Well at least have the decency to tell me if it concerns me. Is it anything to do with this story…or us?”

She thought that perhaps Brick had disapproved of the way they worked together. Or more precisely that he’d seen them…god, she didn’t like to admit to the word…flirting.

Tom looked at her blankly for a moment. “No, don’t worry we weren’t talking about you.”

She bristled at his cutting reply. “I meant,” she emphasised the word angrily, “that I was concerned Brick was having second thoughts about this story!”

“Well don’t worry your pretty little head about it, your precious story is safe,” he came back.

She stared at him speechlessly. He was bloody Jeckle and Hide!

“What the bloody hell is wrong with you, you arrogant bastard!” she shouted. He actually looked a little taken aback then as her words echoed out across the car park. Perhaps she’d been a bit harsh.

“Calm down sweetheart, what’s eating you?” He made her feel as though she’d completely over reacted.

“Wouldn’t it be more relevant for me to ask you that question?”

He rolled his eyes and glanced away again.

“Is this what it’s going to be like? One minute you’re so wonderful to work with and I really…” She took in a deep breath as she felt her emotions threaten to overwhelm her. She couldn’t finish that sentence. He stared at her intensly with an expression she couldn't read.. “And then this. You know today I thought…I was beginning to think…oh damn it! I’m going after Carlton. You can go to hell!” she finished angrily, storming across the car park. He threw his cigarette away and went after her.

“I’m coming with you!” he shouted from behind.

“No you’re not! I can’t work with you anymore Tom!” she shouted back over her shoulder.

“Well you’re going to have to. It’s not safe for you to go after Carlton on your own!”

“I’m not bloody well working with you!” she repeated, approaching her car.

“Yes you bloody well are!” he growled, running to catch her before she got into her car and left without him. He reached her quickly and moved in front of her, blocking her access to the car.

“Listen. You’re not putting yourself in danger just because of this,” he said firmly. She moved to walk around him but he blocked her way again.

“I’m going! Get out of my way!” she ordered.

“Listen to me Stephanie,” he repeated, trying to sound reasonable and fighting his frustration with her.

“This conversation is finished. As are any future conversations between us!” she said with finality, nudging him aside and striding up to her car. Her action suddenly incensed him and he turned, catching both of her arms in a fierce grip, swinging her around to face him and trapping her against the closed car door.

“You’re going to listen to me damn it!”

She glared at him with fury in her eyes and they both stood there for a while panting for breath. Their eyes bore into each other’s, transmitting an intense energy from one to the other. In that moment suddenly both of them had lost track of what they were arguing about. Then their breathing gradually slowed and the atmosphere abruptly changed. His eyes involuntary moved to her lips and she opened them slightly as a look of shock briefly crossed her face. He could feel her legs and torso pressed tightly against his, he was acutely aware of it. He anticipated her moving away but she simply stood there staring at him. He couldn’t move his eyes away from her, in fact he couldn’t move away from her at all. It was if they were frozen in time only frozen wasn’t a good way to describe it. Heat was building between them, growing steadily in its intensity. He could feel her body now moulded against his submissively and this sent a wave of excitement through him. Was she feeling it too? Dare he? No, it was the wrong situation. Then why wasn't she saying something? Oh god, the heat was getting unbearable. He had to move or do something.

Stephanie fought to find something to say but her thoughts had become somehow clouded. The silence stretched on and she could feel a rising panic in herself. If she didn’t move soon she was going to do something stupid but she seemed to have lost any control over her legs…her legs that were entangled with Tom’s.

The sudden sound of a car horn beeping startled them both and he finally released her arms, taking a step backwards and looking at her awkwardly.

“Sorry, err…let’s just get in the car and go or Brick will stop the story altogether.”

She nodded and busied herself with finding her keys in her bag, allowing her time to regain her composure.