[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

Ha – Nate was someone “interesting”. Alice spoke in thinly veiled codes. From what he could tell – having spent a mere handful of minutes with the guy – Stephen had rather been hoping that he could be that someone interesting for Alice. He felt kind of bad for the guy, although maybe less so considering the evils Stephen had been sending his way throughout their interactions together. Alice was a grown woman who could make her own decisions, and it was crystal clear which choice she was making tonight.

“The magic of New York,” Nate said, smiling softly. “Or is it the magic of San Franciscans?”

As soon as they reached Alice’s floor, she turned and led him out of the lift by the arm. Any excuse for physical contact.

It was the kind of hotel room Nate’s parents usually opted for – maybe even on a higher budget, considering the hotel’s exclusivity. It was clearly stylish because Nate recognised a few of the interior design tips that his mother had been begging him to consider, and it was clearly extremely well-looked after. From the way Alice entered the room, spinning back to face him with her arms wide, he could tell this was not the kind of luxury to which she was accustomed herself.

“This is awesome,” he said, visibly delighted himself. After all, it was much nicer than his own hotel room, and the view was just as impressive as he’d been anticipating. Nate crossed the spacious room to gaze out upon the city, turning back to her with a grin. “The Hero Program are generous with their favourite superhero, huh?”

He crossed back over, looking out for the mini bar.

“Did you still want to change out of that suit? I can take a look at the drink selection. Now,” he said, tongue poking out a little in jest, “I can’t promise there’ll be any more enormous cocktails but I can probably find some damn good spirits if you wanna keep the party going.”

Alice Morrow

334 words

ψ

[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

Alice smiled back, returning Nate's gentle signal with one of her own. "I don't know, I feel like we would never have met in San Francisco, but it's not like this was likely either." Alice had no idea how much this was costing, in truth, but she knew it was probably more than her month's rent. Still, it wasn't like she was footing the bill. "Not even the Hero Program, it’s the PR firm that's running most of the marketing for the Fashion week apparently. My agent isn't their biggest fan so he made them really work to get me here." She looked momentarily guilty, but not as guilty as she would have felt had the Hero Program actually been paying for this luxury. Still, she was going to enjoy it while she could, and raiding the minibar seemed like a good way to start. "Sure, I'll change, might be nice to be in something a bit more comfortable." She grabbed a few things and disappeared into the bathroom. It might seem strange, considering what she hoped might happen later, but she didn't want to seem so desperate as to simply strip off in front of him right there and then. A few minutes later she emerged with her suit now on a hanger, stretching and with a relieved look on her face. She had dressed simply this time, a relaxed T-Shirt dress. If she'd been going out after this then she might have tried a bit harder, but right now she didn't want to look like she was trying too hard. Plus her suit really helped her out in the chest area, more than any of her push-up bras did, so she didn't want to wear something too tight and draw too much attention to that are if she could help it. "OK, you've had plenty of time to set up a bar in here, what drink are you going to treat me to this time?" She played with the hem of her dress as she felt suddenly, inexplicably nervous. After all, what if he changed his mind. It was irrational of course, he'd come back to her hotel room, and was now lining up small bottles of booze on the minibar. It wasn't as if he was going to reject her now. But maybe he would now she wasn't wearing the suit… She pushed it away and walked over to him, standing a lot closer now, enjoying the electricity that seemed to fill the air between them. "Surprise me!" She closed her eyes and held out a hand.

© seadra of gs

[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

Knowing Nate’s mother, she was bound to have orchestrated some way for herself to rub shoulders with Paladin the San Franciscan superstar eventually, but Nate had to admit that it wasn’t likely that the two of them would have met regardless. He didn’t attend every social event Carol Havelock gathered invitations for. A trip out to New York had been a pretty persuasive factor in his presence at Fashion Week. The Paladin encounter – a lucky happenstance.

“Duh, of course, you said that earlier.” He shook his head. “My bad. And your agent sounds like a fun dude – you better put a word in for me if I ever get famous!”

Nate wasn’t sure what to expect from Alice’s costume change. He’d deliberately averted his eyes as she grabbed some items from around the room, not wanting to spoil the surprise, and proceeded to busy himself with a perusal of the well-stocked mini bar. It contained a selection of small bottles – some brands he had heard of, some he hadn’t – and he pulled the most interesting-looking of these out to display on the top of it.

As Alice spoke, Nate whipped around to set eyes on her. He let out a low whistle of approval – strangely drawn to the sweetness of the attire and definitely appreciating the opportunity to admire her legs. They were bare from the hem of her dress all the way to the bright socks on her feet. He smiled suddenly, amused.

“You look great. Especially the socks.”

You can keep those on, his train of thought supplied.

He searched eagerly for the most appropriate drink, opting for a honey liqueur mix that he’d never come across in his life but had a pretty bottle and a devilishly enticing description on the label. He decided against pouring it into a glass.

“Okay, open your mouth then,” he said in a low voice, his thumb brushing against her lower lip. Then he tilted the open bottle gently against it, slowly pouring a quick taster into Alice’s mouth. He sat back, watching her intently. “How is it?”

Alice Morrow

347 words

ψ

[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

She raised her hand a little in surprise as she felt the gentle brush of skin against hers, her lips opening a little in response. She dropped her hand, letting the fingers brush lightly against his forearm as she did. Obediently she opened her mouth a little wider to allow him to pour the drink he had selected into her mouth. The glass neck of the bottle cold from the fridge. The drink was strangely sweet, with a heavy, honeyed flavour edged by the harsher taste of alcohol. She swallowed the small amount that had passed between her lips, her breath catching once she had done so. For a moment longer Alice stood with her eyes closed, knowing that Nate was still close by. Slowly, she licked her lips, opening her eyes to meet his. "It's pretty good." He was half kneeling before the drinks, and though normally he was taller than her, he wasn't so tall that he could remain so while on his knees. She was looking down at him, her eyes on his. She didn't need to take in his form again, though a part of her dearly wanted to run her eyes over his wide shoulders and muscular arms. Another part, a more powerful part kept her eyes fixed on his, and pushed her forward. With only a fractional uncertainty she moved forward, bending her head so that her lips could meet his. Then the hesitation vanished, she pressed her body against his. Her chest pressed against his while her arms draped over his broad shoulders, one hand coming up slightly to rest against the back of his neck as she pressed her lips to hungrily to his.

© seadra of gs

[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

Nate set the bottle on the floor slowly, his eyes fixed on Alice’s. She’d licked her lips but a trace of the honey liquor still remained, glinting enticingly in the low light of the hotel room. There was a brief, half-second of a moment that seemed to stretch on into eternity as she continued to hold his gaze. Her bright blue eyes looked almost clear and they were utterly mesmerising. The look in them was hard to describe – not blazing with confidence, but laced with a certain self-assurance that swallowed Nate whole.

He was on his knees but she still wasn’t that much taller than him really, as he’d risen up on them to prompt her appraisal of the drink. There was still enough of a height difference now for her to look down on him – then the gap started to close and before he knew it his lips were parted in anticipation, and then pressed hard against hers.

Nate ran his hands up, his fingers brushing over the loose fabric of her dress and slipping under. He pulled away from the kiss for a second, a little breathless as he quipped,

“You taste like honey.”

Then he got to his feet and pulled her close, their lips meeting once more.

Alice Morrow

211 words

ψ