BURDEN OF
AUTHORITY
BY: DANI
Between a Rock
Closing his eyes he let his imagination wander. It was good to
unfocus every now and again to maintain concentration. Sure, it
was a paradox, but it was true... too much concentration led to
lapses in focus, so he put his pen down, leaned back in his
chair, and tried to think of other things. It was hard, given the
seriousness of the situation that needed his attention, but he
soon found the one thing that could always sway his thoughts...
she was untouchable, he knew that; a subordinate... a woman
under his command... it would be a sure court-martial... but it
was nice to think about it. She was, by far, the most attractive
woman he had ever laid his eyes on and it was becoming
increasingly more difficult to conceal his attraction to her. Part of
the problem was that along with her striking beauty, she was
exotically intelligent... the faint Gaelic lilt that adorned her
speech, undoubtedly picked up during her studies in Dublin, her
incredible command of languages... she was an invaluable
asset to the team to say the least, but the more he worked with
her, the more he got to see the woman behind the beautiful
features and job skills... she was perfect. He never thought he'd
ever find a woman so well-rounded and suited to his personal
tastes... and damned if she wasn't entirely out of his reach and
nothing he could do would change that... ever... he was just
going to have to learn to live with it.
*KNOCK KNOCK*
The rapping on his office door jarred him out of his thoughts...
"It's open," he nonchalantly replied as he began to refocus on
his tasks.
"Hello, Flint," the seductive voice seeped into his ears like the
sweetest syrup and he knew who it was without even having to
look up. He tried to take a moment to gather his faculties
because just hearing her voice had sent his emotions reeling.
"Lady Jaye," he managed to sound as uninterested as possible,
but as he raised his eyes to meet hers, the evidence was clear
and it was all he could do to gasp, "How can I help you?"
He noticed a small smirk cross her face and it just made her
look all the more entrancing. He had a feeling she knew he
found her attractive... her confidence with him and expressions
of friendly comfort clued him in. God! She looked fantastic! She
must have just finished maneuvers and was en route back to
her quarters. Her clothes were dirty, giving evidence of her toil,
her hair was slightly unkempt, and a bit of dirt smudged her face,
but it was just all the more seductive. And the thought that she
was probably on her way to the shower conjured up even more
appealing images.
Lithely she approached his desk and leaned on the corner.
"Actually, I was thinking there might be something I could do to
help you," she grinned sensuously.
Was she insinuating what he thought she was insinuating?
There was no way! He tried to pawn it off as if he didn't have a
clue what she might be referring to. He looked at her with his
best poker face and said, "Hm?" as innocently as he could. Of
course, he usually lost at poker.
It must have been innocent enough because she chuckled at his
response. "Hawk mentioned that you had thought he might have
inundated you with a bit too much work lately. I've taken it upon
myself to help alleviate some of your stress."
"Have you?" he replied sarcastically but with a slight waver in
his voice. What exactly did she have in mind?
"Mmm Hmm." She leaned over and closed the folders on his
desk. Her breasts were suspended right in front of him and he
found himself totally engrossed. She must have noticed his
focused attention because she remained in that position much
longer that she needed. When she finally pulled away, her
breasts swept across his arm... he could feel them... firm yet
supple... it was just about more than he could take. He was
beginning to want her more than anything, but he closed his
eyes as a reality check set in What the hell was he thinking?!
He'd lose his job, his rank, his career... over a woman? No way!
He'd worked too hard, sacrificed too much to get here...
"Lady Jaye, I really need to get this work done..."
"It can wait," she interrupted.
"Really, I'm.. a.. flattered that you'd like to ease my workload,
but..."
"But!?!" Flint, you looked so flustered a minute ago it's hard to
believe you could maintain any kind of focus. Now if it's not your
workload that's got you so edgy, what could it be?"
He was unsure how to read her emotions and tone on this one...
was she serious? Or was she mocking him? Either way he
needed to think of a response and he was at a total loss. She
didn't wait for him to respond. "I'm not going to ask twice, Flint...
meet me at my place in about an hour if you're interested." Flint
thought he noticed an almost seductive sparkle in her eyes as
she turned to leave. Interested? Of course he was interested.
But practicality was certainly not on the positive side of this one.
He was totally caught between opposing desires keep his job
or land the woman of his dreams?
"Lady Jaye..." he called as she was walking out his door.
"One hour, Flint..." she responded melodically without even
pausing to look back. And for what seemed like an eternity he
just stared at his empty doorway. If her goal was to take his
mind off his work, she had certainly done a bang-up job.
* * * * * * * *
59 Minutes Later…
Flint stood in front of Lady Jaye's door in a daze. What the hell
was he doing? Attired in a pair of Dockers, shirt, jacket, and his
favorite tie, he looked like he was ready for a hot date, but that
wasn't the reason he was here, was it? He had come strictly to
gauge Lady Jaye's emotional state. If he was considering
including her on the current mission, he needed to be sure there
were no personality issues at work that would complicate her
performance. This was purely a business visit... nothing more.
He took a deep breath and knocked.
He waited in front of the door for what seemed like an eternity
before he heard the sound of footsteps; his heart began to beat
in rhythm with their approach. As he listened to the sound of the
door being unlatched, he took another deep breath in an attempt
to gain his composure. As the door swung open, he saw a
figure slightly shadowed as if bathed from behind by a warmth
beyond compare. She was wearing a silk dressing gown, but
the light struck it in such a way as to illuminate the incomparable
form beneath. Flint felt himself staring and it took most of his
strength to bring his eyes to hers. He was absolutely
speechless.
"I'm glad you made it," she smiled, never breaking from his
gaze. She opened the door a bit further to allow him to enter. "I'll
just be a minute..." Flint felt his eyes dance across her figure as
she sauntered back into the bedroom, presumably to continue
dressing. He felt an incredible urge to follow her, but
suppressed it, allowing himself, instead, to survey his
surroundings. He had never been in her apartment before. It
was small, but nicely appointed... very warm and comfortable...
He noticed a bookcase in the corner and decided to glance at
the titles while he waited. You could tell a lot about a person by
the books on their shelves.
Wuthering Heights
A Collection of One-Act Plays
The Riverside Shakespeare
The Great Gatsby
Advanced Techniques in Acting
Japanese for Beginners
Lady Chatterley's Lover
A Farewell to Arms
Brave New World
Advanced Studies in Business Administration
Swahili-English Dictionary
Roget's Thesaurus
A Book of Chinese Proverbs
German Colloquial Dictionary
Death of A Salesman
The Scarlet Letter
Norton's Anthology of Poetry
An Anthology of World Literature
Introduction to Psychology
Comparative Politics
The Complete Idiots Guide to Terrorism
The Awakening
Invisible Man
...
"See anything you like..." Flint jumped as he realized Lady Jaye
was standing right behind him. He turned and for a moment
couldn't find words. Not only because he had been startled by
her sudden presence, but mostly because he was dumbstruck
by her appearance. She was wearing a slinky red dress that
accentuated every curve of her body. There was certainly no
mistaking her intentions now, was there?
"I was just admiring your... a... collection," Flint countered.
"Impressive."
Lady Jaye smiled, blushing faintly at the suggestiveness of his
remark. Flint diverted his eyes and glanced back at the
bookcase. Thumbing through the titles, he grabbed the copy of
Lady Chatterley. "This one's a bit of a surprise." He commented
glancing to see her reaction.
"It's actually one of my favorites," Lady Jaye began as she slid
the book from his hands, "probably one of the most sensual
books I've ever read. `Individual regeneration through sexual
love'" she quoted from the dust jacket, "what could be better than
that?"
Flint couldn't help but smile at the thought. "I'd love to discuss
your... a... analysis of this novel sometime."
"I wouldn't have pegged you as a man who enjoyed literature,"
Lady Jaye mentioned as she placed the novel back on the shelf.
"It's more of a passion, actually..." Flint trailed off as he watched
her return the book. It's place was on the bottom shelf, so Lady
Jaye had to bend over to replace it. It was almost as if she knew
he was watching, for she seemed to bend over a bit farther than
was really required. Flint found that he was getting incredibly
aroused just looking at her. It wasn't until she was standing
again that he realized he had been standing there in silence.
"You were saying something about passion," Lady Jaye intoned
as she caught his eyes surveying her body.
"Hm?" Flint had to forcibly bring himself back to his senses.
"Oh, yes... well, it was my major in college... English Literature."
"Really? I should have guessed. You're so articulate." She
smiled and Flint knew she was playing with him. Normally he
was incredibly articulate... it was one of the things that helped
him to advance in the ranks so rapidly, but he knew (and it
appeared Lady Jaye did as well) that when he was around her, it
was a struggle to put a coherent sentence together. He smiled
at her in return, befuddled by the situation and the surroundings.
They shared an almost erotic silence for a few moments, the
kind of silence where you can almost read each other's thoughts
and intentions, or at least fantasize about them. So many
images and thoughts were running through Flint's mind that he
was starting to worry that he might lose control of the situation,
so he attempted to bring things back into focus. "So... what
exactly did you have in mind to try to "alleviate my stress", as you
so eloquently put it earlier?"
"Well... you want to get right down to business, don't you?" Her
sensuous lips smoothed into a grin that made Flint's heart
flutter. Business. Yes. It's business. Remember that. But it
was hard to keep business on the brain when he was looking at
her in that dress. His thoughts kept creeping elsewhere.
"Come on," she caressed his arm, pulling him towards the door,
"I'm starving."
* * * * * * * *
The look on Flint's face as he studied the menu was one of
confusion and inadequacy. Defeated, he closed the menu and
put it on the table before him. When he looked up, he realized
Lady Jaye was watching him with a smug grin.
"Care to put aside some of that masculine bravado for an
evening and let a woman take some control?" She grinned.
"I let you drive, didn't I?" was his feeble attempt to regain a small
shred of his testosterone fired dignity. But he knew what she
was getting at. "Considering I don't want to make you translate
the entire menu for me, I'll put my trust in you," he chuckled. He
was feeling a little more comfortable with her now that they were
in a more public venue. Besides, he certainly was enjoying her
company; he just had to make sure to remember his place. He
was her commanding officer. End of story. Feelings and
emotions aside, she was still untouchable. But that didn't mean
they couldn't share a nice dinner together... as friends.
"Well, that's a step in the right direction." She motioned for the
waiter and ordered for both of them. Flint loved to hear her
speak French. It wasn't called the language of love for nothing,
and she spoke it with an eloquence and naturalness that was
incredibly exotic. He couldn't deny that he had feelings for her,
and the desire to act on those feelings was becoming almost
unbearable. But he simply smiled his lop-sided grin as she
spoke to the waiter, absorbing the sensuousness of her voice,
the movement of her lips, the sparkle in her eyes, they way her
breasts heaved as she spoke... God she looked fantastic
tonight... it's like that dress was made for her...
"Lady Jaye," he nervously began when she was done ordering,
"I don't think I've mentioned it tonight, but you look..." He paused,
trying to find the right word; complementary yet platonic. He
didn't want to go too far, just be polite. "Stunning."
Her whole face lit up as she realized for the first time that Flint
was actually willing to comment on her appearance. It was
certainly obvious that he was pleased with her choice of
ensemble, but she was a bit shocked that he was admitting it to
her. She knew he found her attractive; that's why she invited him
to dinner. She found him incredibly attractive as well, but knew
he was hindered by his rank. She hoped she could help him get
over that.
"Thank you, Flint." She beamed. "You're looking very dapper
tonight... there's something about a man in a tie," she sighed as
she gazed into his eyes, "something... irresistible."
Irresistible? If he'd known that he'd have worn a tie with his
uniform! "I'm glad you like it... I was at a bit of a loss as to what
to wear tonight," he continued, "you didn't give me much
information... or notice for that matter."
"I figured if I gave you too much time to think about it you would
have found a way to talk yourself out of it," she laughed
seriously.
Boy, did she know him well. He laughed the comment off
nervously, knowing the truth of the statement, but unsure how to
take it. He'd been thinking that all night... that he should have
talked himself out of this. But instead he had talked himself into
it under the guise of business... what a fool. Now he was really
treading on thin ice.
* * * * * * * *
As the waiter placed his meal in front of him, Flint was torn
between disgust and interest. "This is escargot, isn't it?" he
shot Lady Jaye an accusatory yet comical glance.
"It's a delicacy," she shot back, "you said you put your trust in
me." She was grinning now, pleased with herself.
"And I see you've stretched that trust to the limit," he grinned
back. He looked back down at the snails on his plate, at a bit of
a loss as to what to do.
"You know, Flint," Lady Jaye observed as she began to devour
her own meal, "it might just do you some good to be a little
adventurous... try something new... break the rules..."
Rules? What rules was she referring to? Somehow he had a
feeling that this discussion was going beyond escargot. So,
he'd play along. "But what if I'm not... satisfied... what if it's not
what I expected? Then what?" He waited.
"And what if it's everything you imagined and more? What if it's
the best meal you've ever had? What if after eating it you never
wanted to eat anything else?" She looked longingly into his
eyes. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her... she
was willing to take the risk. "There's only one way you'll ever
know..."
"Do I dare to eat a peach..." Flint mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?" Lady Jaye asked inquisitively.
"I was just quoting T.S. Eliot," Flint explained. "The Love Song of
J. Alfred Prufrock. It's one of my favorites." He grinned, mirroring
her earlier comments about Chatterley.
Picking up the cue, she replied, "I'd love to listen to your...
analysis of it sometime."
He flashed her a acknowledging grin as he placed one of the
escargot in his mouth.
* * * * * * *
Flint sat on his couch staring blankly into space. What the hell
was he doing? He'd reconciled himself to the dinner... that was
just friends... but this was beyond purely professional. He
reflected on the conversation they had had over dinner. Maybe
he should take a chance. He'd never know unless he tried, but
was it worth the risk... to his rank, his reputation, his entire
career?
"So, what was it you asked me up here for?" Lady Jaye inquired
as she emerged from the bathroom.
Flint was wondering about that himself. He noticed Lady Jaye's
anticipation and was fairly sure what she was hoping for. During
the course of the evening it had become pretty obvious that she
was attracted to him and he was dumbstruck by it. She
deserved so much better than a man of his stature. But she was
willing to risk her own career to be here with him... he found that
so incredibly arousing that he had almost totally forgotten his
own reservations.
"To be completely honest, Lady Jaye," Flint began after a deep
breath, "I'm sort of mystified by my actions tonight. It was
incredibly inappropriate for me to ask you here and I'm not really
sure why I did..." He trailed off as she slid beside him on the
couch. She had positioned herself so that their hips were
touching. It was probably the closest he had ever been to her
and it was intoxicating. He could feel the warmth of her body, the
sensuousness of her presence; he absorbed the scent of her
perfume as it mixed with her own individual aroma and he was
completely stricken. He turned to look her in the eyes in the
hopes that he would have the strength to politely ask her to
leave. This was going too far.
She leaned towards him so she could whisper seductively, "I
was a bit surprised." Her voice resounded like a symphony,
building towards its inevitable climax. "But I'm so glad you did."
She maneuvered herself so her head was level with his. Their
lips were only inches apart as she spoke, gazing intently into his
eyes.
He was possessed with an urge to kiss her. He knew it was
what she wanted and was surprised to admit to himself that he
was equally aroused and desired her more than anything. All
other thoughts had vanished; all that remained was the image of
beckoning lips... soft, moist, full, lush, provocatively split in
anticipation. He raised his arm and ran his fingers across her
cheek as he moved towards her. Placing his hand around the
back of her neck, he pulled her to him. Their eyes began to
close and their lips were infinitesimally close...
*RING RING*
Flint jumped at the sound of the phone like a child that had just
been caught misbehaving. He quickly pulled away from Lady
Jaye and rose to answer it. "Uh, excuse me for a second," he
nervously uttered as he tried to regain his composure. He was a
bit flustered and was having difficulty focusing. He looked
around for the phone, unable to remember exactly where it was
in his own apartment.
"Hello?" Flint asked still in a bit of a daze.
"Hawk! Sir!" The voice on the other end had cured his
demeanor; Flint was intently focused on the conversation now.
"Of course, sir... I haven't quite finished that up yet... Yes, sir... It =
will be on your desk within the hour." Flint hung up the phone
and turned. He was almost startled to see Lady Jaye there.
Hawk's accusatory tone had made him refocus on his duty and
he had momentarily forgotten his lovely guest.
"Lady Jaye... I..." He tried to explain, but he really didn't know
where to begin. So much had happened in the last few
moments that he was having a bit of a time assimilating it all.
"It's Ok, Flint," She rose and headed for the door. "Duty First."
As her hand reached for the doorknob, Flint stopped her. "Can I
walk you back to your quarters?" he asked hopefully as he
placed his hand on hers.
She paused, holding his hand for just a microsecond that
seemed like a millennium, then pulled away. "No... thank you...
you need to get back to work..." She turned to leave, but caught
herself. Turning back to face him, she looked him in the eyes
and smiled. Stretching to reach him, she gave him a quick peck
on the cheek, thanking him for a wonderful evening, and started
out the door.
A bit stricken by her gesture, Flint called to her as he watched
her walk away, "Lady Jaye..." She turned. "Thank You." His
sincerity of tone and expression filled her with warmth and she
cocked her head and smiled in return before heading off alone.
______________________________________________________
Continued in Part
Two
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