The Asset

Chapter 10

They rode until the outskirts of town, rode until the sky was streaked with red and orange and purple. Behind him on the motorcycle, Natasha tightened her grip, leaning close to shout into his ear.

"Turn here!"

James complied, banking onto an empty side street that cut through a block of warehouses.

"Here."

He turned again, guided by the gentle pressure of her hands against his stomach, her knees gripping tight to either side of him as they leaned into the curve. Their destination was a windowless building with shuttered cargo bay doors, hulking and abandoned like all the rest.

James cut the engine and ran a hand through his hair. "This is it?"

She nodded, stepping smoothly off the bike. "I've arranged transport for the morning. This is a safe house."

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s?"

"One of mine."

He smirked. "You brought me back to your place?"

"Just a place. Somewhere to spend the night."

"Right. For the mission."

She stepped away but he grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him. He grinned as she slipped a leg back over the bike and sat facing him, his hands resting lightly on her hips.

"So what's the plan?" He buried the question in her hair, his lips trailing down her neck.

"Not here."

He took it as a challenge, one hand slipping behind her to pull her closer, the other sliding her jacket from her shoulder as his lips traced her collar bone. Natasha let her eyes fall closed, toying with the collar of his shirt, uncertain whether she was pushing him away or pulling him closer. His lips found hers, one hand sweeping the hair from her face while he lifted her into his lap. The bike rocked beneath them, but he kept it steady, her legs wrapping round his waist.

With some difficulty, she pulled away, trailing breathless kisses along his jaw. "It's only a safe house if you go inside."

"Mm hm." He held her hips as she leaned back against the handlebars, his eyes roaming along the length of her, savoring the view. Bending low, he lay a teasing kiss on her belly. "Inside?"

"Inside."

She slid off of the bike and located the hidden DNA scanner beside the garage door. The door rattled upward and James wheeled the bike inside, never taking his eyes from her.

"We secure?"

"As good as we're going to get."

He swung himself off the bike and shrugged out of his jacket, draping it over the seat. The last of the light glinted off his arm as the door slid closed, the garage falling into darkness as he stalked toward her.

She wet her lips. "Just you and me now."

"Good." He closed the distance between them, pressing her back against the wall as the shadows closed in. But he didn't kiss her, barely touched her. His hands slid lightly down her arms, sending shivers up her spine. Then he chuckled. "So. Wanna give me the tour?"

He was teasing her. She'd tensed without realizing it, holding her breath. With a ragged sigh, she grabbed his hand and steered him toward the inner door. "Eblan."

"That's not nice."

The apartment was small, furnished with only a couch and coffee table, a narrow kitchenette and a bed pushed into the corner. Stepping inside, James dropped her hand and moved wide-eyed toward the rear wall.