Glass Heart

When Scarlett finally opened her eyes again her head was pounding and she felt dizzy and woozy. She guessed it was an after effect to whatever drug she’d been injected with in combination with the blow to her head and wondered how long she’d been asleep. Her body ached in a way that let her know it’d been quite awhile. What had transpired after she’d been drugged was a blurry haze of memories but she could recall the important parts if nothing else. Turning onto her side and closing her eyes as the room spun around her, Scarlett wondered again how long she’d been unconscious. It was true that she hadn’t been sleeping properly since she’d arrived at the Stark mansion and had likely needed the rest, but felt unsettled that she was so groggy nonetheless.

The floor to ceiling glass windows that lined the perimeter of the room lit up when Jarvis realized she was awake, revealing the breathtaking scenery off the coast of Malibu. The dark waters were crashing below as high tide rolled in and the sun was setting on the horizon, filling the sky with a purplish orange color. Smiling at the beautiful view, it was so distracting that it took Scarlett a good few moments to realize that she wasn’t in her room at the mansion. The view was much nicer in this room than it was in the guest room. Sitting up suddenly, she held her head in misery when it continued to spin and ache at her reactions.

“I highly recommend that you take it slowly until you’ve adjusted, Miss Damien.” Jarvis warned overhead.

“I’m okay, Jarvis.” Scarlett cleared her throat when she realized her voice sounded weak and frail from too much sleep. “I could use a glass of water though.”

“Right away.”

Once Scarlett’s head had stopped spinning and started adjusting to being conscious she glanced around the room and realized quickly that she was in Tony’s luxurious master bedroom, sleeping in his beautiful and incredibly comfortable king sized bed. She hadn’t gotten to enjoy the room so much the last time she’d been in it, but now she got the chance to really admire her surroundings. Glancing down at herself, she checked to make sure she had clothes on. She definitely didn’t remember getting into Tony’s bed but perhaps that hadn’t seemed important before she’d finally passed out. To be honest, she was surprised she’d fought unconsciousness as long as she had considering the circumstances. Thankfully, she was still wearing the same clothing that she’d gone off to the bar in and hadn’t made any poor decisions while she’d been drugged.

If she did anything else with Tony, she wanted to remember it as something she did without any other influence than her own desire. Their confusing relationship had been filled with too much deceit and hidden motives from the both of them. It was time for a fresh start, if she would be allowed to have one. Scarlett considered this.

She’d never had a fresh start on anything before.

Granted, she still had to deal with MedCo and the mess she’d made, but for some reason that felt less important given the circumstances. For the first time since she’d woken up in Tony’s lab that fateful day that seemed so long ago, she wasn’t riddled with guilt or upset to be where she was. She was sure that a storm was brewing in her mind that would reveal itself later nonetheless. Things were never this easy.

Slowly moving her legs off of the side of the bed, Scarlett was stopped when Jarvis spoke cautiously.

“Please remain where you are, Miss Damien, your heart rate is still rather high.”

“It’s just the drugs wearing off I’m sure, Jarvis.” Scarlett glanced upward at the sound of a mechanical click. A tray came from the ceiling with a glass of sparkling water, the bottle opened it’d come from placed next to it in case she wanted more, and slices of lemon and lime on a plate next to them both.

“We cannot know that for sure. If you move too quickly you may end up putting yourself in unnecessary danger.”

“Does this mean you forgive me?” Scarlett ignored the water for the time being and continued to glance up at the computer. She’d decided that up was the designated place to look for communication with Jarvis.

“I am not programmed to be angry.” Jarvis responded simply. Scarlett smiled and took the serving platter off of the tray that quickly moved back into the ceiling out of her way. She set it down on the nightstand, her limbs trembling with weakness from carrying even the light bottle of water. Her head was still swimming, but getting better with every moment that passed by.

“How long was I asleep?” Scarlett quickly pulled her ponytail out of her hair and set it aside, trying to make sense of the knotted mess she’d created while sleeping.

“About two days.” Tony walked into the room, looking down at his phone as he did. He was wearing a pale blue suit and was loosening his dark colored tie. It looked like he’d just returned from a meeting and Scarlett realized it was likely that he had. She often forgot that Tony was the CEO of a very successful company, given the extended time she’d spent with him. “I wanted to take a blood sample to make sure that whatever you were drugged with wouldn’t hurt you, but Pepper convinced me that it’d be wrong to run tests on you without your consent. Despite how many times I told her that you wouldn’t know, she told Jarvis not to let me near you with any needles.”

“She was right about that.” Scarlett scoffed and shook her head, but only momentarily considering it was still swimming. “I would’ve known.” Silence fell between them and Scarlett wondered if she should apologize again. Had he really believed her when she had been drugged or had he thought that it was the medicine talking for her? After realizing she’d been staring awkwardly at Tony for too long she offered a small smile before turning to look out the window. She felt the bed weighing down next to her as Tony sat at her side but kept looking out the window. The silence wasn’t awkward, but more comfortable than anything else. The painful tension she’d sensed when she’d told him the truth in the jail cell was gone. Scarlet considered that she’d been unconscious for two days. Sometimes when she lost long periods of time like that, it was hard to cope with.

“You know, you’re the first woman to spend the night in my bed with clothes on.” Tony began, that same confidence in his voice that he’d had when they first met. “Well, and without sex. Sometimes all the clothes don’t come off… Technicality but…” Tony smirked, leaning his hand behind him to support his weight.

“I know what you mean. I’ll admit, the first thing I did was check to see if my clothes were on.” Scarlett turned to look at him at last. “Why am I in your room? Wouldn’t the guest room have served the same purpose?”

“I wanted to keep a close eye on you.” Tony shrugged. “And more than just through Jarvis’ cameras.”

“About that actually, I sorta found all those pictures and videos you kept of me. You know, when I was digging through your stuff…” Scarlett turned to look out the window again, a playful smile on her lips. Tony’s eyebrows shot up to the top of his brow and he stared at her for a very long moment while he considered his response carefully.

“I was doing… research.” Tony choked out when he couldn’t think of a better response, making a face up at Jarvis to express his inability to come up with an excuse for what he’d kept stored in his hard drive.

“Sure you were. Researching my smile were you? Or how I slept?” Scarlett leaned back against the bed, flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling, her feet still hanging over the side. She glanced sideways at Tony and pursed her lips in a smile. “You like me, I think.”

“Hey, what are you, twelve?” Tony laughed, looking out the window still though he’d felt Scarlett’s changes in movement.

“You’re infatuated… It’s moved far beyond like.” Scarlett closed her eyes and continued to tease him. Her dizziness was finally at bay, but she couldn’t shake the fog in her mind. “Watching me sleep… come on now, Stark…” It was nice to joke with Tony and for things to feel the way that they had once been between them but without the gnawing deceit and guilt in the back of her mind.

“And what if I am?” Scarlett opened her eyes to find that Tony had laid next to her on his side, leaning on his elbow, and using his other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. “No matter how many times I fix that it always seems to fall back down.”

“Maybe that’s a sign you should stop trying to fix it.” Scarlett felt her hair immediately escape from where Tony had tucked it and fall over her cheek again.

“No,” Tony shook his head adamantly as he fixed her hair again and held it in place, “I honestly don't think that I can stop.” It was clear that he wasn’t talking about her unruly hair anymore. Scarlett didn’t have a sassy retort for him that time. She honestly wasn’t sure what to say to him and it wasn’t often that she was at a loss for words. They were diving into uncharted waters without life preservers now and it scared her more than it should have. Hell, she was a spy and a damn good one at that, why couldn’t she handled a little crush on a guy?

Granted, he wasn’t your typical guy. He was Tony Stark, one of the richest men in the world, and the most brilliant mind to date. Despite that, Scarlett was sure that wasn’t what intimidated her. It was out of her comfort zone, sure, but it shouldn’t have been that hard for her to deal with. In her mind it seemed perfectly obvious and simple, but something unspoken made it incredibly complicated. Maybe it was because she hadn’t felt this way since her youth and was afraid to lose it but at the same time wasn’t sure how to proceed with it. It wasn’t another job, another mission; this was just her life and it scared her to make that big change.

“Now, uh, speaking hypothetically here, you know from one engineer to another.” Tony continued to watch her as he spoke, pulling his hand away from her hair. “If I wanted you to stay here, which I mean, I could be okay with that outside of a hypothetical situation too…” Clearing his throat, he continued. “Would you be open to that given all that’s transpired? You initially got close to me for your… well, your cause and now that it’s out of the equation I’m not sure where you stand on the matter.”

“I signed paperwork to finish the energy project with you. Most of what happened between was genuine.” Scarlett nodded, speaking without hesitation. “I think that gives me cause enough to stay in the general area if nothing else. I’m not so sure about staying here considering the amount of disdain Pepper still has for me and how complicated things are between us. Plus, I don’t want to take advantage of your money. I have plenty of my own I just was never one for extravagance or comforting homes or home in general.”

“I meant more than just for the work we’ll continue. Stay for more than just a business partnership. I know it’s forward but well, considering everything that’s transpired in the past two weeks, maybe it’s not too forward to assume that this thing we’re dancing around is more than business.” Tony took her words to heart. What did she mean she wasn’t one for having a home, nonetheless a comforting one? It was a quick reminder that outside of their short time together, he didn’t know much about Scarlett’s life.

Scarlett leaned up on her elbows and turned to look at him curiously. Was he really asking what she thought he was asking? For someone who was trying to be forward, he was being incredibly vague.

“I know that you were using the sex with me to get a chance at Jarvis but, really… I think it was more than that from the beginning and as a scientist I need to um, explore every avenue of possibility and I was hoping that it would play to your curious mind like it’s playing to mine and we could, you know, experiment with the possibility that this is more than just minor attraction. Well, not minor that’s the wrong word… More like explosive and uh… mind blowing if I do say so myself. And I do. Rather frequently.”

“Tony,” Scarlett started but was interrupted as he kept on talking.

“I mean think about it, truly. If we didn’t explore this possibility of… a relationship, if that’s the term we want to use. Yeah I think that’s the right word.”

“A relationship?” Scarlett couldn’t help but smile at how ridiculous this was becoming. She’d seen Tony ramble before, but never quite like a nervous school boy.

“Yes, a relationship. It took some practice but I can form the word, thank you very much. Now who’s getting who off topic? As I was saying, if we didn’t explore the possibility of a relationship, then it would be irresponsible of us.”

“Irresponsible, hmm?” At this point, Scarlett couldn’t hide the amusement on her face. Her head had finally stopped swimming and she could fully enjoy the antics of the man at her side.

“Yeah, I mean… we owe it the world to um, you know, explore the bond that we’ve created the platform for. I mean aside the scientific possibilities of the two of us teaming up on more than just a business level, there are the social aspects of things that we can really carve a niche into.”

“Wait, we owe it to the world?” Scarlett held a hand up to interrupt him.

“You wouldn’t make humanity suffer simply because we hit a bumpy road, right?” Tony was smiling from ear to ear now. Scarlett was trying very hard not to laugh at Tony’s argument.

“Stark, are you asking me out? Or at least trying to ask me out?”

“Asking you out? Weren’t you just listening to me? Think of the scientific and social implications, Scarlett! Besides, I’m not sixteen… I don’t ask girls out anymore. I just…”

“You just, what?” Scarlett cocked an eyebrow in amusement. Tony apparently didn’t have a response to that so he just furrowed his brow in thought, looked toward the headboard of the bed then turned his gaze back to Scarlett.

“Point taken.” Tony smirked and nodded his head. “I guess I am asking you out but it seems… silly to put it that way. I’m asking you to form a partnership of a more romantic aspect. Oh, here we go, here we go, I like this better: you can be my lover!”

“You would go with that term instead of girlfriend, wouldn’t you?” Scarlett rolled onto her side so she could face him properly, adjusting her arm to support her weight.

“You can’t really be surprised.”

“I’m not. Now, Stark…”

“Tony, don’t do that again. I literally cannot do that again. You called me Stark so many times that I started to feel like it might be my first name. If you keep doing it I might have to change my name or go to therapy!” Tony exaggerated with a pout.

“It was force of habit, sorry. I tried really hard not to use your first name for a long time. It was a pathetic attempt to prevent myself from liking you any more than I already did. You see how well that worked out. It’s going to take awhile to get used to calling you Tony.”

“It didn’t seem so hard last time we were laying here.” Tony patted the spot on the bed in between them, lost in his memories.

“You see, those were my hormones talking and well, they’re a lot more vocal about what your name is than I am.” Scarlett turned her gaze away from him, biting her bottom lip in a smile.

“Oh, I like that…” Tony smirked and wiggled his eyebrows comically. “Couldn’t help but get all primal and call out my name.”

“Don’t start.” Scarlett pointed an accusing finger, not planning on admitting what truth there was to his jest. “As I was saying, you do realize, Tony that being a part of a romantic relationship means devotion and monogamy right? You looked up the definition of those words before you marched in here and started asking me out, I hope.”

“Yeah,” Tony nodded his head and then shrugged his shoulders, “I’m as surprised as you are, actually, but I’m not freaked out by the idea of it or anything. I mean, I’m a little nervous because this is relatively a new experience for me. It’s not like I haven’t dated but the monogamy bit always struck me as… boring. But, I… not this time. I’m actually having a really hard time figuring out why but I’m not going to argue with it. Pepper says I shouldn’t argue with it at least. She doesn’t approve of this thing between us but, I’m a grown man and I don’t need Pepper to tell me who I can and can’t be with.” Tony laughed, recalling how Pepper had reminded him over and over how much trouble Scarlett had caused since her arrival. “You realize that this thing goes both ways, right? Monogamy, commitment… those things apply to you as much as they do to me.” Tony looked at her seriously, but his stomach was churning with guilt. He hadn’t told her about Scott like he’d sworn he was going to. Instead he’d avoided it altogether and decided not to tell her entirely.

“I do realize that and I agree. Honestly the monogamy bit was no fun before but I can be okay with this.” Scarlett glanced down at the bed, playing nervously with the soft fabric of his comforter. She wasn’t going to say it but it was hard to imagine being with anyone else after all was said and done. Besides, it sounded too corny to say out loud. It wasn’t like her to be this way. “But if you understand what the implications of me staying here for awhile and you’re willing to put up with me while I try to figure out this mess in my head… then I want to stay. At least in the area. I might keep my own place just to have my privacy.”

“And?”

“I want this.” Scarlett furrowed her brow. “I tried very hard to manipulate our attraction to my advantage and I don’t want to do that anymore. And I’ve realized since I came here that I don’t know what to do without a cause. When I’m not doing something for someone else or for a paycheck… I generally feel lost. But this… this I’m sure I want. I know that much even if I don’t understand the reasons behind it so… I’m not going to argue. There’s no reason for me not to stay.” Scarlett smiled when Tony’s hand brushed over hers on the bed and stopped her from playing with the comforter.

“Good, good… Very good actually. I mean… really good.” Tony smirked and then started contemplating the possibilities. “We should do something to celebrate once you’re better. We can uh… go to a party, actually we could throw a party. You know, really show the world what we’re doing together. Tony Stark dating the mysterious brunette from the charity event? That’s… That’s pretty big news in social media. I mean since you wouldn’t let me do it at the charity event and had to go and make a big stink about not being my date.” Tony pouted as he let his fingers brush slowly over her wrist and forearm. It was nice just to be touching, even if it led to nothing more.

“That’s because we weren’t dating then.”

“Oh, we were on our way there and you know it. Even with all that revenge crap in your head, you wanted to screw my brains out.” Tony smirked playfully. “I saw it in your eyes when you danced with me. I couldn’t figure out what that was at first, but you were panicking.”

“I am pleading the fifth on that one. That was a tough night for the two of us.” Scarlett laughed and swatted at his hand that was creeping ever higher up her arm. “Can I make a request? Before you go all crazy with the media.”

“That depends. I’m not really into wearing women’s underwear if that’s what it is. If it’s what level of kink I’m comfortable with, let’s develop a safe word right now because…”

“No,” Scarlett interrupted him with a scoff and wiped her hand over her forehead nervously. “Look, I know that you’re used to being in the limelight but I’ve gone out of my way to stay out of it. I was hoping that we could… avoid that social nonsense for a little while. If we’re making this official then it’d be nice if we could do it without flashing cameras watching us while we’re still trying to figure it out.”

“Why?” Tony furrowed his brow. The guilt stirred in his stomach again. Was she already doubting him and his ability to stay in a relationship? Did she want to test him out first? Tony didn’t like tests. He was ready to be faithful and he would prove it through the span of their relationship. What if she was still getting over Scott and was afraid to say it? If she knew he was alive, would she leave him? “I don’t have anything to hide from them.”

“No, it’s not like that.” Scarlett held her hand up defensively. “I’m not emotionally equipped to handle your paparazzi yet. So much has transpired over the last three days that… I’m still really overwhelmed. I’m not saying it’s going into hiding forever, Tony… Just until I’m comfortable in my own skin here. I don’t want some asshole reporter coming up to me and asking me how it feels to just be another piece of candy on your arm when I’m a really brilliant engineer and scientist and could probably kick his ass before he got his apology out. I think I need to handle one emotional hurdle at a time. Rushing into decisions and to conclusions has gotten me in too much trouble in the last few weeks.” Tony nodded his head in understanding but the underlying doubt was still running rampant through his mind.

“You’re not just another piece of candy on my arm, you know.”

“I do know that, Tony. You’ve already proved that to me.” Scarlett nodded quickly. She didn’t want to upset him by saying that but even thinking about being in a relationship was scary for her. Not to mention, every time she’d gone out in public since she’d escaped from MedCo she’d been pursued by them and had put his friends in harm’s way. There were many things Scarlett had to consider and she wanted to figure them out before she tried handling Tony’s press. “You make me happy, Tony.” Tony was lost in his thoughts and doubts but was brought back to life by her statement. Just like that, the doubt he felt was gone. He’d done the right thing by not telling her about Scott. This was clearly what the two of them needed.

“I thought I was a huge pain your ass to be honest.”

“No, in spite of your sometimes asinine behavior and my need to hate you, I still find myself smiling and laughing when I’m with you.” Scarlett sat back up and ran her fingers nervously through her hair before glancing back out the window. “I’ve never had that before with anyone.” Tony watched her in amazement. The sun had set over the horizon and Jarvis was dimming the windows for the night. He was surprised how much time had passed while they sat and talked.

Getting to his knees, Tony moved on the bed so that he was sitting behind her, and pushed her hair over her shoulder. She glanced back at him and offered him a small smile before she looked back out the window and at the waves crashing below in the darkness.

“I’ve never had that before either.” Tony kissed the back of her shoulder and closed his eyes, slipping an arm around her middle as he did. “But now it seems like we both do.” The guilt reminded Tony, once again, that he should let Scarlett know that Scott was still alive. It wouldn’t be real until she knew. He would keep thinking that she would abandon him for her ex-lover if she had the chance. But at that particular moment, Tony had far more important things on his mind.

Slowly he brushed his lips over her shoulder, and up the side of her neck. Visibly she shivered and goose bumps broke out across her skin. When he kissed beneath her ear and back down her neck, she closed her eyes to concentrate on his touch. Scooting even closer to her on the bed, Tony slipped his legs on either side of her and pulled her so that her back was against his chest. Turning her head to the side to look at him, he silenced whatever she had to say with his lips and kissed her tenderly. It was a strain on her neck, but one that was well worth it. Her lips fumbled and managed to grace his chin, which resulted in a surprisingly low moan from Tony.

He slipped his arms tighter around her, his hands on her stomach, slowly gripping at the cloth of her shirt. Scarlett urged her hand on top of his left wrist, and brushed her fingertips down over the back of his hand and over his fingers. Suddenly her heart was pounding in her chest, harder than she could remember it pounding in such a situation. It would’ve plagued her mind if she weren’t so distracted by his lips, and how hard it was to stay against them in this particular position. Her lips kept brushing over his chin and the scruff surrounding his mouth.

Tony didn’t seem to mind, in fact, it seemed to only convince him to take things further along. Her lips found his bottom one and sucked on it playfully, giving it a nip and going with the natural flow of things considering the way her lips had gotten there in the first place had been an accident. In return, Tony groaned, the chills moving down his back and making his pants fit uncomfortably. He shifted and adjusted his grip on her, his hand slipping against the fabric of her shirt he was gripping onto and slipping accidentally over her breast. Once his fingers had done so, he couldn’t stop himself from moving further. He groped and massaged her breast through her shirt, leaning harder against her now and urging her body to hunch forward just a little with the weight of him.

Scarlett tensed and urged her hand over his that was on her breast, not to discourage him but to slow him down or at least hinder him a bit. It was in her nature to make things harder on him. Tony’s lips pulled on her lower one just as she had done to him, a playful growl escaping his mouth as he did so. As far as he was concerned, he knew exactly where they were headed. Feeling as though her lungs weren’t getting enough air quickly enough, Scarlett breathed a bit faster, urging her hand away from Tony’s once she realized he was more than determined to keep it where it was. Even through the cloth of her shirt his touch excited her.

His fingers were surprisingly cold as they crept beneath the lining of her shirt and slipped upward over her skin, giving her goose bumps and the chills simultaneously. Leaning her head back against his shoulder, she urged him to keep kissing at her sloppily. His lips were addicting. Their kisses quickly became a messy clash of chins and noses which was perfectly fine with them. Scarlett’s lips brushed over the scruff on Tony’s jaw and it made her shiver to feel the stubble over her skin. Giving his chin a playful nibble she felt him respond in a way she didn’t quite expect. He bucked his hips against her backside and groaned loudly. Apparently his chin was a bit of a hot button for him.

“Do that again…” Tony looked as surprised as she felt, but there was a playful sparkle behind his eyes filled with intrigue. She complied and brushed her lips against his chin again but hesitated when his hands pulled her shirt above her breasts and left it there. He let both his hands touch over her chest, caressing her breasts through her bra, squeezing them and playing with them. She gasped and cooed at the sensation, arching her back and nearly forgetting all about what he wanted her to do in the first place. When his fingers started to creep beneath the fabric of her bra she snapped into action and leaned close to bite his chin.

The reaction was far more extensive than she’d expected it to be. Tony kissed her passionately, like an animal in heat. Her lips were quickly becoming swollen from the action, considering they’d had time to heal since the last night they’d done this. Scarlett urged her hand to his cheek and kissed him deeply in return, managing to keep up with his fevered motions while she felt him starting to rock his hips against her backside. The moan from Tony’s lips made her shiver, his voice giving her the chills all the way down her spine. Readjusting her position, Scarlett’s butt touched properly against Tony and she could feel just how drastic the reaction had been. He’d grown visibly excited and she couldn’t help but smirk in reaction to what she’d done. Just as she had been the last time, she was excited to know what she’d built up in him. Tony saw the recognition in her eyes, couldn’t help but flash a cocky grin, and then started to kiss at her neck again.

Deciding to play the tease, she rocked her backside slowly into him, feeling the way that he only grew harder with each motion she made. Nipping at her neck with that same animalistic fervor that had been instilled after the bite on his chin, Tony growled against her skin and kissed up to her ear. He left her shirt where he’d maneuvered it and braced her with one hand on her stomach, while the other started to creep down her leg and beneath the hem of her skirt.

His hand faltered when she adjusted her butt against his and rotated her hips back into him, surprised to find her own voice escaping her lips in a quiet moan. Encouraged, Tony gripped her stomach and continued to pull her skirt up, until his hand slid safely beneath it without tugging awkwardly. Scarlett reached down and urged the backside of her skirt from beneath her and pressed her butt once again against Tony’s hips, feeling the heat from the excitement she’d worked up in him rubbing against her even through his pants.

Closing her eyes to concentrate on the sensation of him against her, she was only partially surprised when she felt his hand slip between her thighs and brush against her panties. Crying out softly in excitement, she looked at him accusingly over her shoulder. He smirked, cocked his eyebrow in amusement then leaned to kiss her before she could vocally object to what he was doing. Maneuvering her panties to the side, he brushed his fingers against the more sensitive area of her body and felt her tense up, and could also feel that she was nearly as worked up as he had become. Brushing his thumb against her stomach he urged her to relax into him.

Still she rocked her hips back against his, her toes pushing against the floor to give her proper leverage against him. A groan against Scarlett’s lips as he sent goose bumps over her flesh once more. Tony urged his thumb to rub against that sensitive area between her legs and then after being sure she was okay with it, he pushed one of his fingers inside of her. Scarlett stifled a soft cry and instead exhaled desperately and held her breath afterward, letting her mouth hang open. Looking at Tony skeptically for a moment of consideration she let her eyes flutter closed, gripped onto Tony’s shoulder and just urged her body with the motion of his hand that was now working its way within her, mimicking the motion of what he was obviously ready to do with her.

Unable to concentrate on continuing to egg him on when he slipped a second finger within her and moved them a bit faster inside of her, while rubbing his thumb against her, she felt her toes starting to go numb. She was practically panting now with excitement, gripping at his knee with one hand, the other in her hair to hold it out of her face so it wouldn’t stick to her skin as it gathered sweat.

“Oh, oh… Tony…” Scarlett bit her lip to stifle any further exclamations of his name and instead moaned as the tension started to build up in an entirely different way than she had experienced with him before. It had been a long time since she’d allowed anyone to play with her quite like that. The tension continued to build and Scarlett hunched forward, hair in her face after giving up on holding it out of her way, her hips aching with the would be pleasure Tony wanted to give her. Watching her in amazement, Tony continued on, urging his fingers to curl as he moved them and licking his lips hungrily. The more he watched her reactions, the more he needed her.

Gripping suddenly at his wrist, she pulled him to a stop, forcing him to remain still and stop taunting her. Tony complied, not the type to move too far if the person he was involved with wasn’t sure. Blinking his eyes tight, he tried to concentrate on a way to pull back his excitement but knew he was way too far gone.

“What’s wrong?” Tony slipped his hand away from her but made no effort to right her skirt. His breath was obviously heavy and he was struggling to regain his composure. Scarlett wasn’t used to the lack of control in sexual situations and wasn’t one to give it up so easily. In fact, it made her nervous to reach that level of trust that she’d have to share to give Tony what he’d been aiming for. On some level it scared her that if she hadn’t stopped him she would’ve hit orgasm and that was something that hadn’t been achieved in such a way by anyone else for a long time.

Instead of giving him a response, Scarlett turned in his grasp and kissed him passionately, slipping both her arms around her shoulders, despite her now awkwardly fitting clothing. Tony scooted further onto the bed so they’d be allotted more room and Scarlett climbed up to follow him, her skirt sliding back into its proper position as she did. He moved to lay her down on the bed but instead she climbed into his lap and kept him sitting upright. Not once did she pull her lips away from his. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, he intensified the kiss, holding his breath to only heighten the rush of adrenaline they were sharing. It was easy to get lost in the time spent kissing, and neither was sure if mere minutes passed by or if an hour disappeared while they were lost in each other’s touches.

Pulling her arms from around his shoulders, Scarlett tugged off Tony’s jacket, which he helped her shake away then tossed it off the side of the bed. Still not willing to part with his lips, despite her lungs objecting from the limited oxygen she was taking in, she started to work at his tie. Her fingers fumbled, but only for a second before she got it free and left it hanging underneath his collar. Instead of pulling it away, she started to work on the buttons of his shirt. She found it grossly unfair that he was less naked than she felt. Kisses were now accompanied by groans and whimpers of excitement and the growing need they were building for each other.

Pulling finally away from his lips, Scarlett gasped for breath, her cheeks red from lack of oxygen in combination with the heat they built up together. Reaching for the bottom of her shirt that was still awkwardly positioned above her breasts, she pulled it up and over her head and tossed it to the side. Tony watched her hungrily and moved to kiss over her neck but was stopped once again as Scarlett placed her hand against his lips. He nipped at her fingers and then couldn’t help but laugh quietly as she pulled his tie free of his collar and wrapped it around her neck, tying it in a loose knot.

“I could make quite a few dirty references right now.”

“Good luck getting laid if you do.” Scarlett smirked and watched as Tony leaned back on his hands, his eyes following the flow of the tie from her neck, down between her breasts and against her stomach.

“I’m just going to enjoy this here for just a second…” Tony grinned from ear to ear and then leaned close to her again. “You know what would make this even better?”

“What?” Scarlett tilted her head to the side as she leaned closer to him, making like she was going to kiss him but not actually doing so and instead leaving her lips slightly parted and close to his. She let her tongue moisten her lips provocatively and watched as Tony sat, fixated on her lips before snapping back into reality.

“If you lost this…” Tony started to tug at the straps of her bra but was swatted promptly away. He pouted in response but then kissed her hungrily again, his arm instantly around her waist, groaning low and renewing his playful growling as he did. “I like when you make me work for it.”

“I like that you’re willing to work for it… Oh…” Scarlett gasped as he pulled her hips right up against his, so she could feel him throbbing beneath the cloth of his pants. If it hadn’t been for their clothing they would’ve been well along their way already.

“Surprised, are we? Haven’t we done this before? Am I really that astounding?”

“Are you really complaining?” Scarlett cooed and curled her toes on the bed, then slowly started to rock her hips against his, mimicking the motions of sex and making her stomach muscles do most of the work in the process. Tony took to kissing over her neck and shoulders, nuzzling the tie out of the way with his nose and kissing between her breasts, letting his scruff brush against the sensitive skin that met him there.

“Me? Complain? Not about this…” Tony kissed up to the strap of Scarlett’s bra and took it between his teeth, moving it off of her shoulder before kissing his way to the other shoulder and working on the other one while Scarlett continued to move her body against him in such a suggestive manner. She swore that if she continued like this, she’d be at her end before he even started. Something about him flipped a switch in her that filled her with excitement in ways no one else ever had.

Scarlett grabbed at the middle of his shirt and continued to pull the buttons free until finally his shirt was hanging off of him, warm from the heat they’d created. Distracted by Scarlett tugging on his shirt in an attempt to get it off of him, Tony helped her and threw it to the side where he’d discarded his coat earlier. Then before she could even try to get at it, he pulled his undershirt off and over his head. The arc reactor lit up the room and the lights overhead dimmed around them but didn’t completely turn off to set the mood. Scarlett brushed her fingers against his stomach and then back up over his chest, letting her nails slowly graze over his skin and the curvature of his muscles.

Tony couldn’t avoid the shivers and wiggled his chest in an attempt to shake them off to no avail. Scarlett brushed her fingers over his chest and the circular shape of his reactor, still treating it like a part of him, which for some reason filled Tony with pride. Returning his lips to her chest, Tony kissed and sucked on her skin until he felt something brush against his lip that he didn’t remember from the last time they were together. Nuzzling his nose against it just to make sure he hadn’t mistaken it for something else, he found it again; a patch of rough skin brushed against him. Pulling back he glanced down at her chest and strained his eyes to see the faintest scar tissue in the shape of his arc reactor in the center of her chest.

Scarlett was paying him no mind, brushing her fingers through his hair and kissing over his neck, returning the many nips and nibbles that he’d given her with his exploration. Her fingers wandered down his back, feeling the scars and muscles there and tracing them with her fingertips. Slipping his arms lower behind her, Tony grabbed her by her ass and pulled her closer against him, urging her to push her hips harder against his as she had done earlier. Something about finding the mark excited him further. It was touching that she had it, in some odd way. In his mind, he thought it had meant they’d become one in spite of themselves the last time they’d been together. He bucked his hips up against hers to further excite her, startling Scarlett away from the kisses she was leaving on his neck.

“Oh god…” Scarlett gasped, her face red and her stomach muscles tightening in anticipation of what they were on their way to doing. Glancing down at him, she realized what he’d found and how it had set him off and considered making a remark about how sentimental he could be at times.

Instead she chose to reach down for his belt and started fumbling with it. Before she could get it undone, Tony started kissing fervently over her chest once more, nipping at the scarred skin he’d found. He traced the outline of the reactor on her chest with his tongue, groaning against her skin. Scarlett leaned her head back, finding the air between the two stifling hot with passion and needing to breathe. Finding the agility in her fingers that she’d momentarily lost, she unbuckled his belt and then tugged it out of the loops of his pants and threw it off the side of the bed with the rest of his clothing. Things were heating up very quickly. Tony brushed his hands over the skirt that had fallen back into place and started pulling it back up and over her backside, unzipping it enough to get it up and around her waist and out of his way.

Hastily he tugged at her panties and started to try and get them off. Scarlett nearly jumped from his touch so close to a sensitive area and then grabbed him by his shoulders and pushed him backwards onto the bed and hard. They landed with a slight bounce and before he got the chance to retaliate, Scarlett kissed him deeply, pushing him harder into the mattress. Her hips were hovering dangerously over his, tauntingly. Sooner or later, she knew she’d have to give over the control that Tony was so obviously asking for but it didn’t mean she couldn’t stall the process. She was curious to see how far he’d go to get what he desired or if he’d give up and let her take the reins as men often did in those situations. Either way, they were both getting what they wanted.

Tony immediately urged his hands to her hips and started again at her panties. He wasn’t going to let her distract him so easily from the task at hand. When it came to what he wanted, Tony wasn’t the type to give up. Scarlett swatted at his hands but wasn’t quick enough to stop him. Before she’d gotten to him he’d tugged them down as far as he could to just above her knees. Breathing heavily, she pulled from his lips and was about to make a comment when he grabbed the tie around her neck.

Swiftly he grabbed her shoulder, the other hand still on the tie and pushed her onto her back. Climbing off of her, he urged her onto her stomach and she yelped in surprise. Heart in her throat, she hadn’t expected Tony to make such a bold move and attempted to sit up to get back at him. Tony was quick about his next movements. He unbuttoned, unzipped and discarded his pants along with his boxers in one swift motion. Scarlett could’ve sworn he hit a speed record in the process. Instead of letting her sit up as she intended, he urged her back onto her stomach.

Straddling her, Tony leaned to kiss over her back, slowly down her spine, over her bra clasp and down to where the skirt was still around her waist. Placing her elbows on the bed, Scarlett looked over her shoulder skeptically at Tony, though her heart was racing a mile a minute. She’d never had anyone push her that far to take that kind of control and the more she thought about it the more excited she became. And since Tony had shed his pants in the turn, she could see just what she’d done to him. Tony noticed her glance and then leaned back to press his hips down against hers, letting the length of him brush against her inner thigh with a groan. If she was that curious, he’d give her just what she desired.

Scarlett quivered beneath his touch and made a move to get back up so she could take action. Instead, Tony urged her onto her hands and knees and pressed his hips against hers again. After a poor attempt to stop herself from making a noise of pleasure from the contact with him, Scarlett turned her head to the side to look at him.

“What?” Tony groaned, leaning to kiss over her back again, brushing his scruff over her skin which made her shiver. He was smirking confidently but continued to pepper her warm flesh with kisses nonetheless. She considered telling him it was out of the question, but even his kisses were sending her writhing so she shook her head and narrowed her eyes at him playfully.

“If you mark up my back like you did to my chest, you will be so sorry Tony…” Scarlett’s voice was as out of breath and haggard as Tony’s was and this only further excited him.

“I make no promises.” Tony nibbled at the skin of her back and groaned as she urged her hips to rock back against his, the friction between them intensifying tenfold. Kissing up her back, Tony brushed his lips just underneath the clasp of her bra before grabbing it with his teeth and artfully unhooking it. Instantly the bra fell away thanks to the assistance of gravity and the strap that had already been pushed off of her shoulder.

Scarlett pulled the bra off from where it was hanging awkwardly and tossed it aside, not caring if it actually made it off of the bed or not and just wanting it out of the way. Tony was way ahead of her and was sitting upright on his knees now. Scarlett arched her back provocatively and continued to rock her hips in a rotating motion against his. She could feel him throbbing against her and couldn’t help but gasp and groan.

Without giving Scarlett any warning Tony adjusted himself against her and pushed inside of her. The sound of her cry and quivering of her hips set him off. With another push he moved until his hips met against her butt. Grabbing onto either side of her hips, he pulled her and held her close against him so she couldn’t move if she tried.

Crying out and hunching her head forward and closer to the bed, Scarlett bit her lip so hard in her attempt to quiet down that it nearly bled. A string of frantic curses escaped her lips while her body attempted to adjust to this particular position and sensation. It was weirdly like being new again.

“Don’t…” Tony groaned, objecting to the way she was trying to limit her voice. He wanted to hear her but was having a hard time finding his voice. His hands still on her hips he slid away and pushed into her again as hard as he had before. This time Scarlett gripped the comforter so hard her knuckles turned white and she cried out, her voice cracking.

“Oh damnit… oh, Tony… oh… fuck.” Cursing under her breath, Scarlett couldn’t help herself as she continued. Once she’d let go of her attempts to keep herself quiet, she couldn’t seem to regain them. Every move he made felt completely different this way. Tony let his mouth hang open as he watched her, the visual stimulation almost too much for him. He wanted more. Hands still on her hips he started to urge himself within her at a slow rhythm at first before moving faster to watch the way that her body naturally reacted to him.

Scarlett bent her elbows and leaned down closer to the bed. The amount of vulnerability she felt in that position ultimately astounded her. Every sensation they built up together was enough to make her cry out and groan. She tried to urge her hips back against his as much as she could but found that she was very much out of control with him behind her. All she could really do was up the visual stimulation of what she was doing to participate. She’d spent so much time fighting Tony to stay in control and finally offered up her complete trust to him.

The tension was already building up rapidly inside of her. Her hips were starting to twitch and spasm in ways she couldn’t control as Tony relentlessly rocked his hips into hers.

“Oh, oh Tony…” Scarlett shook her head in desperation and pushed her hair back and out of her face.

“Scarlett, you’re so good…” Tony grunted as he continued to push his way inside of her, taking particular pleasure in the little involuntary sounds she made with each push of him within her.

Leaning down so her head was close to the comforter, her butt still in the air against his, she nearly jumped a mile when Tony’s hand came down to give her a playful spank. Shrieking in surprise, her hips jutted backwards against his and she quivered and cooed in the added pleasure, nearly writhing beneath him. Her movements had only further intensified things.

“That’s my girl…” Tony growled, watching her reactions to him only serving to further excite him. Rubbing his hand against the now pink spot on her butt he’d created when he’d spanked her, Tony watched in amazement as her tough exterior melted away for the first time since they’d met.

Scarlett pulled at the comforter, and turned her head to the side so she could watch Tony out of the corner of her eye as he moved. She brought her fingers to her lips and bit the ends of them, her body trembling with excitement and the anticipation of pleasure. As he continued his motions and started to speed up his rhythm, he gave her another playful spank before urging his hands to caress over her now sensitive thighs. She whimpered and gasped for breath as she started to lose control of the tension that was building up within her.

Tony leaned down to kiss over her back above the skirt caught between them, feeling the sweat dripping down his skin and seeing it on hers. Letting his tongue brush over the salty liquid on her skin he bit playfully at her flesh before kissing up to her shoulder. He was careful not to let his chest touch against her back, wanting to keep from marking her there as she’d requested. Just as it had been the last time, his reactor was unnaturally warm. He’d done a check up on it after the chaos of what she’d done after their last experience had passed and nothing seemed to be malfunctioning.

Reaching around beneath her, he grabbed onto her breasts to stop them from bouncing with their natural movements and continued to push his hips inside of her, but in a completely different motion since the leverage he had from on top of her is different than what he had before. His fingers caressed her breasts, brushing against them and squeezing them playfully as he continued.

“Oh, god I… oh…” Scarlett muttered, trying desperately to fight the tension building up inside of her but it was too much to handle. Finally she hit her breaking point, the pleasure flooding through her like a dam breaking. Her hips were unnaturally warm and moving more erratically with Tony’s motions. Tony groaned low and kept his hips going at the pace he’d built her up to. The sensation of her around him was enough to send him over the edge but he held his breath and concentrated so he could hold out longer.

“Come on, Scarlett…” Tony groaned, urging her hips harder against his, watching her body move at his command, considering she was too busy writhing in pleasure in front of him to continue doing so. “Say my name, baby… come on… say it.” Letting his hand trace down her back he gave her another playful spank which sent her jolting forward. Scarlett cried out again as the pleasure tore through her, crashing in waves over her and leaving her drowning.

“Damnit, Tony… oh…” Letting her arm stretch out in front of her she grabbed hard onto the comforters and urged her body to continue moving the best she could, her chest now against the bed as she moved. “Oh god… Tony… Tony…”

“Keep going, Scarlett…” Tony continued to move within her, pushing his hips harder against hers, though his body was in overdrive. He needed to give in and soon. Every sensation he felt was like lightning through his body, electrocuting every part of him and making him tingle. His touch was like fire on her skin, sending her continuously reeling with pleasure, every touch like a scorch.

“Tony…” She continued to whisper his name between passionate breaths, her pleasure seemingly lasting forever as the warmth simply continued to spread through her over and over again. The more Tony moved, the more it sent her reeling. It had never been like that before, not for either of them. Tony watched her crumbling beneath him into a mess of pleasure and excitement in wonder. Giving up on trying not to mark her back with his reactor, Tony leaned against her again and placed his hand on her stomach to help her tense up again.

He applied pressure there and urged his other hand to find hers where it was gripping the bed so tightly. Moaning against her skin, Tony let his lips brush over the side of her neck before peppering soft kisses over her sweaty skin. Slowing his hips down but rocking them in an upward motion instead, he continued on. Nuzzling his nose just beneath her ear he whispered against her.

“Oh, Scarlett… One more time.” Reaching his hand away from her stomach he tilted her head and kissed the corner of her mouth before starting to push his hips faster against hers. His hand was gripping onto hers, protectively, and she found herself making an attempt to lace her fingers with his. It was odd that something so incredibly naughty could turn out to be something completely romantic.

Before she could make any attempt to respond or even return his kisses, Scarlett was crying out with passion as her orgasm hit her a second time like a ton of bricks. The pressure had built up so quickly and broken just as fast that it overwhelmed her entirely. Her hips collapsed on the bed and Tony quickly fell with her, careful not to move away. He gripped hard onto her hand and then with another buck of his hips into hers, was blinded by the pleasure that moved through him like a shot.

His body was caught in a spasm of pleasure and passion as he rocked against her. Their bodies tangled in passion and orgasm, they moved together flat on the bed, barely able to breathe from how palpable and hot the air was around them. Whispering her name as he started to slow down once the wave of pleasure he felt began to slowly fade, he kissed down her neck and lifted his chest away from her back in hopes he didn’t mark her. Tony was still holding her hand and tightly at that. Scarlett had felt the hot metal of the arc reactor when he’d fallen against her but honestly wouldn’t have cared at that moment. Every bit of her felt too good to complain. Her toes were tingling and numbed, her thighs were shaking and trembling with every push and every breath they took.

The sound of him whispering her name over and over in her ear was just as sexy as she could have possibly imagined. He sounded exhausted, but satisfied, which summed up how she was feeling too. Finally, the two of them rocked their hips to a stop together. Lying still for a moment together on the bed, Tony brushed his thumb over the side of her hand before letting it go. He ran his fingers all the way up her arm to her shoulder. Tony caressed his hand over her back before slowly pulling his body away from hers. Scarlett lay still, breathing heavily and trying to collect herself. Slowly she released her death grip on the comforter.

Carefully Tony brushed his fingers over her thighs then tugged the skirt that had been trapped around her waist away and threw it with the rest of the clothing that they’d discarded in the process of their lovemaking.

Scarlett didn’t bother to roll onto her back and simply leaned up on her elbows so she could pull away the tie that she’d wrapped around her neck. Her fingers were tingling and shaking so it took her several tries. Pushing her hair out of her face she turned to look at Tony over her shoulder. He was smiling, but looked exhausted. She was sure that the days prior were just as stressful for him as they had been for her.

But now that they’d finished up, Scarlett wasn’t sure what she should do. Tony tugged down the sheets of the bed and climbed beneath them, lazily covering up his lower half. Scarlett watched him, laying her head on its side and pouting as she rubbed her sore backside. It was definitely the first time a man had spanked her and gotten away with it so easily. Maybe Scarlett had just wanted to show Tony that he was worthy of her trust after the chaos she’d created for them both or maybe she really did trust him and it wasn’t an act. Either way, the end result couldn’t be argued with.

“Come here…” Tony patted the spot next to him, signaling to her that it was okay for her to spend the rest of the night with him. Scarlett slowly got to her knees and crawled toward him on the bed. Stopping partway through she leaned against the bed and rubbed her tingling thighs. It felt unnatural to move after what they’d done. Yawning quietly, she covered her mouth and slipped beneath the covers next to him. It wasn’t in her nature to cuddle or snuggle after sex and never had been. Usually she laid down and went to sleep on the opposite side of the bed from the person she’d been with or got up and went on her way after the deed had been done. Sex had always been a means to an end, and had always nearly been destructive for her. But with Tony it was something completely different. It had never been destructive, even when she’d been trying to make it so.

Scarlett got comfortable next to him and watched him with sleepy eyes. Through the confusion and passion of lovemaking, she’d forgotten all about the fog in her head and it renewed its stinging. Reaching up to touch the sore spot from where she’d hit it after falling on the stairs she winced.

“Let me take a look at that.” Tony nodded. Scarlett lazily readjusted herself and slid closer to Tony beneath the sheets. He guided her so that her arm was draped over his chest, and her head was close to his shoulder and in the perfect place to lay it down. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve guessed that Tony had pulled her there as an excuse to snuggle with her. Tony touched the sore looking spot and lifted her hair away from the wound. It wasn’t bleeding but it looked sore and irritated.

“Almost forgot that happened for a few minutes there.” Scarlett smiled softly before furrowing her brow at his touch on the sore spot, leaning away from his fingers.

“Well, you were drugged at the time.” Tony smirked and then let her hair fall back down, pushing it behind her ear as he often did. “I took the dressing off of it yesterday because it stopped bleeding. It seems to still be okay. Is it bothering you much?”

“I’m sure you did a fine job with it. To tell the truth I felt pretty sick when I first woke up. But it faded before we… ya know. It’s just coming back now. Probably the blood returning back to where it belongs.” Scarlett yawned and moved to scoot away but Tony had slipped his arm on her waist and urged her to stay put.

“If it keeps hurting, maybe we’ll call the doctor back to take a look at it.”

“I’m fine.” Scarlett assured him. Tony watched her, seeing the content look on her face. It felt odd to be so comfortable with someone in the silence, so Tony felt compelled to speak.

“So…”

“So, what?” Scarlett smiled slightly and leaned her chin down on his chest. She was never one for pillow talk, but it seemed like it could be almost fun with Tony. If they both tried hard enough and learned to adjust, maybe they could learn to be sweet, even.

“You’re going to be my girlfriend now, right?” Scarlett pretended to think about Tony’s offer. Girlfriend really did seem like a juvenile term for adults their age, but she didn’t care. It was what she wanted and she had decided that getting revenge for the dead wasn’t worth throwing away her potential happiness with Tony.

“Yeah, I think I could do that. You’re going to have to deal with being my arm candy though. I’d prepare yourself if I were you.” Scarlett pursed her lips.

“Just like that, huh?”

“What can I say? The double orgasm convinced me. Made me rather pliable.” Laughing she leaned her head down on his shoulder and felt her body growing heavier. “Why am I so tired? All I did was sleep for the last two days.”

“Yeah, after being arrested, drugged, and nearly kidnapped remember?” Tony scoffed, watching her as her eyelids became too heavy to resist closing. “That’s enough to make anyone tired, even you, Miss Bond.”

“I suppose. It still seems unnatural.”

“Did you say I was going to be your arm candy?” Tony laughed after a moment of silence. She nodded her head tiredly.

“You’re just going to have to deal with that.” Scarlett opened her eyes halfway and smiled at him tiredly. “And don’t think I’m not going to get back at you for turning my ass red, you better watch yourself… I’m coming for you.”

“Well, you did, twice I believe. And don’t worry, I welcome the challenge.” Tony smirked and then gently brushed his fingers over her arm while she continued to get comfortable against him. It was an odd sensation to have a woman curled up against him and so perfectly at that. If he didn’t know better he would’ve thought that the spot there in the crook of his neck was made for her to rest her head upon.

“Did you call me baby when we were…?”

“I might have.” Tony shrugged the shoulder she wasn’t laying on and watched her. He felt strangely fulfilled with her there in his arms. Even if he screwed everything up by not telling her about Scott, that moment between them was perfect and he’d have that forever.

“I thought so.”

“Is that a problem, baby?”

“Oh, keep that up and I’m going to start calling you ridiculous pet names.”

“Bring it on sweet cheeks.” Tony smirked and brushed his fingers over her side. Scarlett was growing heavier against him, her breathing slowing drastically as the veil of sleep started to pass over her. “Get some sleep Scarlett.”

“I promise I won’t leave you alone in the morning this time.” Scarlett whispered before giving into the haze clouding her mind. For once she wasn’t worried about nightmares or guilt ravaging her in her dreams. At least temporarily, she could celebrate that a day had gone exceptionally well and she had nothing to hide from Tony; well not anything that would affect him in any way. Most of their lives were still a mystery to the other.

Tony laid awake, watching Scarlett while she slept peacefully against him. Now that the passion and excitement of lovemaking had worn off, Tony was having a hard time putting his mind at ease. Minutes wondering turned into hours agonizing over how he would break the truth to her. Every time he closed his eyes he saw scenarios where Scott would come back and find her and Scarlett would never be able to forgive him for lying to her after lies had been what caused so much trouble between them in the first place.

But could Tony really risk losing what he’d managed to gain in the last few hours? It stung to think that she could possibly leave him for a man who she presumed was dead, but he didn’t think he could live with himself if he didn’t tell her the truth. He’d never had anyone he trusted romantically the way he was starting to trust Scarlett. The void that he’d felt ever since he’d returned from his time in captivity had started to fill and the idea of losing one of the bigger steps he’d taken toward a better life scared the hell out of him.

Then again, Tony had no idea how to share the truth with her without admitting that he’d lied because he didn’t trust her to stay with him. Every way he considered telling her involved some amount of deceit being revealed. He was terrified she’d leave before he got the chance to really confess what he was feeling. On top of that, the things he was feeling were extreme and he was afraid he was jumping in far too quickly. Mind still reeling and feeling restless, he decided he’d get out of bed and give up on sleep for the night. He was exhausted but knew rest wouldn’t find him until he’d righted his wrong.

Doubt, guilt and lack of sleep did funny things to Tony. Being destructive had always been in his nature but he hadn’t done anything deliberately in a long time. Slipping on some clean clothes, he left the room in shambles from their lovemaking and went down to his lab, planning on working into the night. Instead, when he got down there he picked up the phone and got in touch with the same reporters who had questioned him the night of the charity.

Boy did he have some juicy gossip about the new woman in Tony Stark’s life. Tony had always had a way with words and he’d make every woman before Scarlett jealous via the press. He wasn’t sure what compelled him to do it but chalked it up to nerves and guilt. If Scarlett was going to reject him for another man, he’d give her ample reason to first.