Against The Current

Chapter 35

"Not you Swan. We need to have a chat."

"Go ahead without me," Emma practically whispered to David. He gave her a quick nod of his head and was striding out of the office door.

Killian closed the door with a soft click and turned around to lean his back on it. Emma kept her back straight, her feet glued to the ground and her gaze straight ahead. She had been wishing for months now that she could have an honest conversation with Killian. Be able to gaze at him and have him read her mind like he had always seemed to do inexplicably. Have him see that not everything had been a deception.

She wanted to explain herself. Explain the mission. Explain her feelings.

Emma felt rather then heard Killian move behind her. His body hovered just a whisper from her own and the promise of contact heightened her senses. She felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck and the goosebumps flushed both her arms and down her legs.

"You betrayed me!" Killian growled into her neck. His nose brushing against the sensitive skin, causing a shiver of pleasure to shoot through her and straight to the pit of her stomach.

"Why?"

"You know why.....We couldn't trust anyone." Emma breathed. Finding it hard to even put the words together as his hands skimmed her sides.

He knew it all made sense now. The way she could handle herself in a fight. The unique skills she had. The dots all aligned perfectly. He had been just too blind to see it or hadn't wanted too. Killian knew that Emma was not the enemy but god that did nothing to stem the feelings of betrayal.

His reaction to her was insane, maddening even. Killian had this anger at her bubbling inside of him...just wanting a chance to be released and find answers. He wanted to yell and scream and even stomp his feet. Yet, that instant and overwhelming connection he had with Emma just wanted to draw him back in. Damn, if it didn't feel good being this close to her again.

Killian had spent a week preparing himself for this face to face contact. David had given him fair warning that he wanted Emma to continue being involved. He argued that she knew the case inside and out. Killian agreed. It was a smart move but the first thought he'd had was a niggling doubt that he could deal with seeing her again. He'd come to the conclusion that their interactions needed to be minimal and that he needed to keep her at arms length.

Finish the case and cut her loose.

Killian had told himself a thousand times over the past week that was what needed to happen. However, as he nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck, relishing in the little sounds he made and the hitch in her breathing. He found himself easily forgetting those pledges he'd made to himself.

"Are you trying to punish me?" Emma's strangled whisper had him flinching back.

"Punish you? I'm not even sure I know who you bloody well are!"

Emma turned slowly to face him and he watched as her eyes became guarded.

"I need answers Emma..."

"I'm sure David provided you with the case details?" Emma's matter-of-fact question had Killian's blood boiling.

"I understand the damn case...What I don't understand is you! How could you?" Killian's emotions caused his questions to come out half arsed.

He cleared his throat and tried again, "What we shared...It was more. It was real. You knew that I wasn't the bad guy and yet you continued to toy with my emotions. What were you going to do? Were you just going to disappear when you got the information you needed?"

Emma felt tears begin to track down her face but she held her stance and continued to watch him. That was exactly what she had been trained to do. What she always did.

"You were." Killian's words were just a whisper but they cut through Emma like a sharp blade.

Emma cleared her throat, "We are trained to infiltrate, acquire and disappear."

"So do you sleep with all of the men in your cases?" Killian's accusation cut deep. Not once had she ever allowed herself to become entangled with a man involved in one of her cases. She might toy with them, use her sexuality to get information but she never crossed the line.

Anger raged through her and she quickly lifted her hand. The cracking of her palm against his cheek resounded through out the room. Pain arched through her wrist but god it had been worth it.

"How dare you!" Emma hissed at him. "It was never meant to happen."

Startled, Killian narrowed his eyes at her as the pain began to blossom in his cheek. "You think it is that easy? To just turn your emotions off?"

"I never said it was easy." Emma sighed, the anger at him just draining out of her.

"I would have found you." Killian stated as he moved away from her and towards bar he had set up at the side of the room. Reaching for a decanter he steadily poured two decent portions of rum into the waiting crystal glasses. Killian quickly downed one, relishing in the burning that tracked down the back of his throat. He topped his glass back up before picking both up and turning to face Emma. She had not said a single word since his declaration.

"I.....You....."

Killian felt the first honest smile since he'd woken up in the hospital grace his face. It wasn't every day that you caught Emma Swan speechless.

"I'd go to the ends of the Earth to find you." Killian confessed as he handed her the glass of rum.

"Drink up. I think you need it!"

Emma stared at the glass for a brief moment before quickly downing the contents. His words shouldn't have this effect on her and she wasn't sure what was causing the warmth to spread through her. She was sure it wasn't the liquor.

"I wanted to tell you so many times...." Her words were honest and she could tell Killian knew that by the softening of his eyes.

"I just...."

The door to Killian's office opened and both David and Robin casually walked in. If either of them noticed the tension in the room, they pretended nothing was amiss.  

"Killian, We could really do with your help. You know the systems better than anyone."

Robin could easily have handled the situation until his boss decided to join them but he had no idea how this meeting was going to go. He'd had a frank conversation with David and was surprised how intuitive Emma's boss really was. Both of them had decided to just linger on the Executive floor in order to intervene if things got out of hand. It had been eerily quiet and both men had simply looked at each other, silently agreeing to walk into the lion's den.

"We'll finish this later," Killian told Emma emphatically before leading David out of the office. Robin was quick to corner Emma before she had a chance to follow.

"You need to finish this up and leave him be." There was an edge to his tone and Emma was a little taken back. Robin had only ever been kind to her before.

"I'm just doing my job." Emma told him.

"You really did a number on him. He has a company to protect. People who love him. Just get your work done and get out of his life. It's for the best."

"And what about me?" Emma whispered.

"I'm warning you Emma, you need to keep your distance and when this is all over get out of his life." Robin's tone was now stern and Emma was seeing another side to him. The protective friend.

"You will be the thing to destroy him."

TBC