~*~
Seifer buttoned up his black-silk shirt and tucked it into his slacks.
Janine came up behind and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Incredible, sir. As always."
Chuckling, Seifer adjusted his black-silk tie. "I'll have to remember to catch you every time after a sparring session with Sally." He turned in her arms. "Or spar with you myself."
Janine lightly scratched at his scalp. "Bring it."
He kissed her mouth. "Don't tempt me, Larabie."
She returned the kiss with more tongue and insistence before pushing back. "Don't forget to tell Sal gal you're taking me to the party this weekend. You've put it off long enough, coward."
Seifer opened his mouth to protest.
Janine raised a finger to his lips. "Seifer. You're going."
He smirked and bit down lightly on her finger. "Yes, ma'am."
She ran her finger down his scar before placing another kiss on his lips. "See you tonight, babe. Forbidden Area or Training Center?"
Seifer smoothed his hands down her back to her butt and drew her closer. "Come to my office after hours and we'll discuss it."
Janine's smirk widened, and she pushed his arms away with hands on wrists. "Yes, sir." Then she leaned in and nibbled at his lower lip. "Go to work, big guy."
He kissed her mouth with a whispered "Damn" and then turned away to open and close the door behind him.
Shaking her head, Janine adjusted her uniform jacket and straightened her skirt, amazed again at how many wrinkles and twists could come to a person's uniform with wandering hands, and the rush of pushing it to the edge was just as addicting as it had been when she'd first met him. Days, weeks, a month? What did she know about time with a man like Seifer Almasy? Each day was different. Each day and night of kissing that mouth and feeling those hands staying just out of reach--it was damned awesome. Thrills, rushes, arguments, make-ups, secrets.
"Damn."
Janine smiled as she pinched and crunched at her hair, spiking it in those areas needing a bit of help. 'Damn'? Like hell. Seifer moved past 'damn' a long time ago. Why else had she fallen in love with him? And the fact he hadn't said 'love' to her didn't matter. For the first time in her life, it didn't matter at all.
Giving her reflection a wink, she stepped outside and down the side-hall to the main corridor. Janine smiled when she saw Sally heading down the main corridor toward the cafeteria.
"Hey, Sally."
Sally looked up and smiled, her brown eyes twinkling with it. Janine chuckled. Sally Regal had to be the cutest shy-girl in Garden. "Good morning again, Janine," Sally greeted cheerfully. "Thanks for working out with me so early."
Janine waved it aside. "Sal, it was a pleasure. Sorry I couldn't stay the entire two hours." She smirked. "Appointments, you know."
Sally nodded. "I wouldn't want you to miss anything important on my account. Did it go okay?"
Janine restrained a laugh. "The appointment?"
"Uh-huh," she repeated with another nod. "It was a good one, right?"
Janine gave a slight nod as she remembered the withheld passion and the whispers and the... Damn.... "Most definitely. Every time."
"Oh." Sally's innocent expression was adorably true. "Tutoring someone before class?"
Janine chuckled. "Something like that." Although she didn't know who was learning more.
Sally smiled. "You're so nice." And then her smile faded to annoyance. "Most Instructors just tell the candidates to go study on their own in the library, or find a study partner. It doesn't really help if your study partner doesn't know how to find the answers either." She stretched her hands toward Janine. "I mean, how would I have known the quarterstaff was all wrong for me if Zell hadn't offered to help?"
Janine suddenly started laughing.
Sally blinked. "What?"
Janine shook her head as she waved it aside, desperately trying to hold back the laughter. "Nothing," she struggled out. "I just realized that you've never--" And she broke off with another fit of laughter.
"Never what?"
Janine took in a deep breath and let it out slow. "Nothing. Never mind. You're fine." She motioned down the corridor. "I better git. I'll try and show up tomorrow morning, but I don't guarantee anything."
Sally nodded. "It's okay. I understand about how important the tutoring can be. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had the time with Zell before my Fire Cavern exam."
Janine smirked. "I'm glad he was there for you, Sal gal. Now I better scoot. See you 'round."
Janine stepped past, her smirk widening. Tutoring. The smirk blossomed to a chuckle. Tutoring? That was one way of looking at it. Janine burst into another fit of laughter.
~*~
Janine chuckled. "Sal gal, if you don't stop bouncing up and down, I'm going to bop you."
Selphie nodded and giggled. "No doubt. Calm down. The boys will think you're high."
Sally's eyes twinkled as her smile outshone the lights of the parking structure where the trio waited for the boys to pick them up and take them to Sally's 20th birthday party. "I don't care," she cried in an excited tone. "I am! It's my birthday and I'm going to a birthday party and all my friends and family are going to be there." She bounced over to Janine and Selphie and pulled them into a hug.
Janine laughed and pushed back. "Please. Watch the hair. It took me an entire fifteen minutes to get it like this."
Selphie giggled. "Janine, I wish my hair took only fifteen. I had to wrestle it into these curls for three hours!"
Janine scoffed. "I woulda shaved myself bald before spending that much time on hair. It took me nearly that much time to get into this dress. Damn thing's like a second skin!"
Janine looked down at her dress as she spoke. Well, if it could be called that. It was an absolutely skin-tight black leather dress with long sleeves, a low neckline, and a zipper that went all the way down. Well, to mid-thigh anyway, because that's as far as the dress went. She looked damn good.
Sally giggled and Janine looked up. The doll had dressed in pale orchid. Silk, like Selphie's dress, it had short sleeves and went down to her knees. It also had a slit on the left side that Sally hadn't been all that excited about, but Janine insisted and Sally caved. Her hair was down, making her look even more like a dress-up doll from Janine's childhood, and little pearldrops had been twisted into her hair.
Zell would drop dead the minute he saw her.
"I think I hear it coming," Selphie squealed.
Janine looked over at the girl, dressed in pale yellow silk, and grimaced. "About damn time. I couldn't believe it when Seifer told me he was dragging me to this thing in a damn--"
"There they are," Sally squealed.
And three white carriages drawn each by a pair of white horses pulled up into the parking structure. Sally and Selphie squealed. Janine just smirked and crossed her arms while raising a single eyebrow. Sally hopped and bounced until Zell came up to her in a black tux with a matching bow-tie and presented her with a white flower as he bowed. Sally took the flower with another squeal and threw herself into his arms with a giggle and an "Oh Zell you look gorgeous I love the matching bow-tie and the carriage" and "Is it the same one you rented before I hope so that would be so romantic Did you see Selphie Isn't she pretty" all the while that he laughed and tried to answer Sally's questions as he led her to the carriage and helped her up.
Janine chuckled, shaking her head as she turned away--"Damn."
Seifer leaned against the carriage in a white tux as he watched Janine with a smirk and an all-too-recognizable glint in his emerald gaze. "Larabie."
Janine stepped up to him, wrapping her fingers around the lapels of the tux coat. "Damn you look good," she said in a low tone.
"So do you." Seifer drew her closer, and then his eyes were drawn to Zell and Sally when she giggled. "Shit. Better move this somewhere else."
Janine chuckled. "Fine by me."
Seifer lifted Janine into the carriage with hands under a
rms. Then he stepped in after her, following her into the corner of the carriage and drawing him against her as lips caressed against neck and throat.
She chuckled. "That tickles..."
Seifer's breath tickled against her throat as well. Then he raised his head. "You're not wearing them," he said, and his expression held surprise.
Janine's eyes twinkled. She raised a hand to his face to caress the scar and his lips. "Nope. Like watching that damned sexy mouth."
The smirk returned. "And how the hell are you supposed to hear what I'm saying when I'm doing this..." He nuzzled her neck.
"Just don't . . . say any--oh Hyne." And Janine's eyes fluttered as he hummed her name against that sensitive area behind her ear.
He chuckled and nipped at her ear before slowly pulling back and sitting close beside her, arm draped around her shoulders and fingers caressing her skin.
Janine slugged him in the ribs. He laughed. "Damn tease. Don't kiss me like that and then pull back."
Seifer turned toward her, a hand venturing to the zipper and easing it slowly down. "You want me to keep going, Larabie?"
Janine smirked. "Yes and no, sir. I don't think Sally would appreciate it."
He laughed, a finger caressing the skin between her breasts before leaving the zipper and lightly touching her jawline. "True. She has definite ideas about things like that."
Chuckling, Janine snuggled in against him while still watching his mouth. "Just imagine how shocked she will be on their honeymoon--If he actually asks her."
"Oh he'll ask. Why the hell do you think he's been driving me damned insane about Winhill and the council decision on the contract for the security office."
"Speaking of that--" Janine snaked a finger to the zipper of his slacks and gave a teasing tug. His eyes spoke the dare. "Have they approved the recent contract submission? Seems to me they need some ass-chewing by either you, Commander Squall, or President Laguna."
"No word yet, but Squall already informed them that if they didn't approve this contract, they'd be considered reluctant allies with all Gardens."
Janine chuckled. "That'll make them damned nervous, especially after the shit Ahndra and Marshal discovered with that black-market arms trafficking."
"That's what we're hoping."
Janine persuaded another several ticks to the zipper. His muscles tensed and twitched as his lips curved upward. "And if they don't take the hint?"
Seifer chuckled "Janine . . ." and grabbed her wrist just before her fingers could claim victory. "Squall and I will have a meeting if it comes to that."
She curled a lug up and over his, pressing herself closer. "I volunteer for presenting the ultimatum to the council. Damned exciting."
"Submit a request and I'll talk it over with Squall."
"Yes, sir."
"But I'm not sure I'll approve it." His hand stroked a blissful line from back to ass.
"And why's that?"
"I haven't finished training you on all matters of security," and any other conversation consisted of mouth, tongue, and well-placed hands.
~*~
Seifer watched Janine with a slight smirk as she laughed and teased Regal and Dincht off in the distant section of the Hotel in Balamb. But when he heard the words again--'I love you' His smirk faded, and his hold on his club soda tightened. The thrill had changed. Everything about their secrets changed by those words.
Janine laughed before sending him a seductive glance the same moment the tip of her tongue flicked out to lick her lips. Then she lifted her beer slightly toward him and winked. His smirk returned, and he lifted his glass in a return, all the while asking Why do I keep after her? Seifer Almasy doesn't need anyone. He had Garden. He had his job. Garden was his life. So why did he--
People like them didn't fall in love. They just didn't. 'I love you'
Seifer lowered his gaze to his glass, lifting it when the scent of her lifted the hairs on his entire body as she drew close and kissed his neck. "Hey, big guy," her tone practically purred. "You've been hiding here in this dark corner almost all night. No play?"
Looking down into her damned sexy brown eyes, he kept thinking how Garden was his life, but he ventured as close to hell as ever when she hated him. "Not in the mood," he murmured, and his voice sounded a mix between gruff and harsh. He wanted her, but it was more than that. And as she once more caressed his neck with her lips and whispered his name, for the first time in his life, he wondered if he--"Shit." he hissed, drawing her closer.
Janine chuckled, her breath tickling his skin. "I bet you say that to all the girls, you big romantic, you." Then she pulled slightly back, half-closed eyes meeting his. "Having fun watching and being cynical?"
Seifer smirked, teasing the zipper down and then up and then down a bit more. "Trying to figure how you got into this damned thing."
Chuckling again, she took hold of the lapels of his tuxedo. "What a coincidence. I was trying to figure out how to get out."
He teased her lips with his. "I could help with that, Larabie." His lips migrated down her jaw and to the area just below her assists. He never wanted anyone to keep coming back before. Never wanted another life to be responsible for. Now he fought to keep her where she was.
Janine pushed back to take another firm hold of his lapels and guide him after her seductive backwards stalk. "I spy another dark corner requiring investigation," she purred.
And he couldn't move fast enough to the balcony behind the Hotel, not caring about the somewhat hazardous climb downward. Her low laugh had him by the throat, and desire wouldn't let him hold her at arm's length for another moment longer. Seifer grunted as he followed Janine up and over the balcony railing to drop to the ground those several feet below. She was actually giggling, and damn was all he could think as he ducked under the support beams after her. It was the sexiest sound he'd heard yet.
She tugged him to the furthest corner, drawing him down onto a blanket as hands and mouth resumed their seeking. She didn't ask him for a return of those three words. Her mouth and body simply responded to a like desire. To be free with passions. She loved him, though he was a bastard. An asshole. A button-pushing dickhead.
She moaned his name and those hellish three words which shuddered clear to his soul. He never had it to say before. Never gave it a second passing thought. Larabie freed his jacket and shirt from his back, racking her fingernails across it before digging at his belt and zipper the same as he did with her.
Again, his name and those three words, breath fanning his skin with fire.
He never thought he would want it. But he couldn't pretend. As his hands freed her of the black leather and the thrill and passion near swallowed them whole, he knew he couldn't lie to either one of them anymore. "I love you, god-damn sexy bitch."
And that sultry laugh plummeted him the rest of the way into glorious oblivion where hands, mouth and the caress of sweaty skin was all they knew.
The End
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Other Bookworms & Booya Saga Books Referenced in this Installment:
Bookworms and . . . Booya!--book 1 of the series
Few Words--of Fujin & Marshal's mission to Winhill
In Theory, by Nona Mae King & J.Seay--Quistis's mission to Deling Garden
About the Author | Nona Mae King
Writing has been my passion since I was a child when I began creating skits and songs. My life would be empty without this call. There would be no purpose. No ending to guide my daily struggle. No story toward which to strive. Each day something beckons, and that--I know--is the waiting tale. One last happy ending.
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/writersprite
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