In the Blood [ON HOLD]

"Are You Crazy"

Remi sat back slightly as she stared at him. Her dangerously red lips parted, and he could practically see the thoughts whirring through her mind. 

At first she'd been amused, glancing at the envelope, then at him with a half-smile that vaguely annoyed him. His irritation grew as she continued to just look at him.

But he held his tongue. 

After all, she didn't know who he was or what he did. She couldn't possibly know that he was very used to only one kind of answer.

Her gaze dropped down to the envelope which held several documents outlining his proposition, her responsibilities and what would happen if she were to violate any agreement they might come to tonight. He had doubts that they would hold up in a court, but Leon had assured him that they were all in order and included a clause that would make sure she didn't say a word against him if it came down to that.

His attention was caught when she touched her tongue to her upper lip. He let himself look at her mouth for a second. Her lower lip was slightly fuller than her upper lip. She wore blood red lipstick that seemed like some kind of challenge aimed directly at him. 

"Are you crazy?" she suddenly burst out, taking him by surprise.

His eyes slowly made their way up to meet hers, and he found her glaring at him, blue eyes snapping with anger. She stood up, giving him full view of how her dress hugged her, accentuating curves he knew were even more tantalizing when uncovered. 

She shook her head, auburn hair whipping around her face. The bruises around her throat bothered him. 

He looked up at her when she hissed, "What do you mean work for you? Work for you doing what?" Now she scoffed and crossed her arms, which enhanced a part of her anatomy that didn't do wonders for his concentration. "What do you even do? What the hell kind of job could you offer me before I even have a license?"

He had the brief thought that maybe this hadn't been such a brilliant idea.

But he couldn't help it. He'd taken her to his hotel room last night because he'd liked the color of her eyes and the way her hips flared out from her waist. He hadn't expected to be quite so taken with anything other than her body.

When they'd worn themselves out physically, she'd talked to him about being a doctor, about the magnificent workings of the human body. She'd hovered over him, drawing lines on his stomach and chest with her fingers as she told him about a recent physiology class she'd taken.

He really couldn't have repeated half the words she'd used, but laying there listening to her talk, he'd been struck by just how brilliant she was, even half drunk. Then, she'd sat back on her heels, looking troubled, biting her lower lip, which he had already bruised.

Bitterly, she'd said, "It's not the classes that are the problem. I've always been a good student. It's the money. It's the fact that everything is too freaking expensive. Classes, boarding... turns out it all costs money."

She'd said the last word with contempt and longing, which told him everything he needed to know. 

She'd flopped down onto the mattress, and rolled to her side, facing away from him. Golden streetlight and tentative silver moonlight from the open windows had chased over the curve of her shoulder, down her back, making him roll toward her and kiss up the same path the light had taken until he'd reached her ear.

"I told you I could help," he'd whispered, and she'd shivered before turning back over and kissing him feverishly. 

Now she was standing in front of him, the expression on her face halfway between livid and terribly curious. Harshly, she said, "I don't know who the hell you think you are, buddy, but I'm not for sale. You need someone who can take care of people? Why don't you hire a damn nanny."