Sarah sat on the ledge on the back of the ambulance as a paramedic gently dabbed away the congealed blood from her forehead and face. Sarah stared at the backs of her hands. She shivered as a cold wind whipped around her. She could not feel the dull throb from her wounds. What she felt instead was pure boiling rage that their killer had managed to flee. The sounds of stones crunching under boots attracted her attention away from her hands. Her bleary eyes followed the scuffed leather boots, up the black dress trouser legs, the navy button down shirt to Luke’s rugged features. His eyebrows were raised in concern. Sarah set her jaw and pursed her lips as she stared back at the ground.
“How badly were you hurt?” asked Luke as he slid his blazer from his shoulders and draped it around Sarah. Her thin frame was lost under the heavy fabric of the jacket. Sarah poked her hands out from under the jacket and pulled it tighter around herself.
“Mild concussion. I’ll live. Can’t say the same for our suspect though when I get my hands on him again.” Luke let out a deflated sigh and rubbed his brow with the pads of his fingertips. The flashing red lights from the ambulance merged with the blue lights from the surrounding police vehicles lit up the otherwise dark buildings around them.
“We’ll check nearby emergency rooms for anyone matching the description you gave. You managed to get a shot in so he’s wounded.” Sarah laughed darkly, her eyes transfixed on a single stone on the road. Luke folded his arms across his chest, his skin bristling with the cold and tapped his foot in annoyance. Sarah’s eyes traced across the road to the bobbing boot. A gust of wind blew some of her hair into eyes, black strands clinging to her eyelashes.
“Snap out of it!” yelled Luke in frustration, his usually serene brown eyes blazing with anger. Sarah noted the way he clenched his jaw. It was a side of Luke she had never witnessed and she was not sure how she felt about it. For the first time since their failed attempt at taking down their suspect, Sarah stared into Luke’s eyes. There was indeed anger there, though there was also disappointment. She knew deep down that Luke had been right- she was not in the best of health for undercover operations, and they would be more likely to find their suspect given that he would be sure to attend an emergency room with a gunshot wound to his left shoulder but her ego got the better of her. Sarah sighed. She hated being wrong and hated admitting it even more so. Her features softened.
“I’m sorry. You were right, Luke.” Luke’s foot immediately stopped tapping. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth gaped. It was as though his world had just flipped over. Luke’s arms dropped to his sides. He curled his left arm around Sarah’s shivering shoulders, drawing her closer to his hip. Sarah nestled into the touch.
“Come on. Let’s take you home.” Sarah nodded softly as she allowed Luke to ease her into a standing position. His blazer almost reached her knees.
The pair drove in silence. Sarah gazed out of the passenger side window at the trees and buildings zipping past. Their surroundings blurred into a multitude of colors. Periodically, Luke would glance over at her. He had muted the police radio in the center console to allow Sarah some peace and quiet. As they reached the parking lot of Sarah’s apartment complex, she turned her head to face Luke. The nearby street lamp cast an eerie orange glow across the side of her face.
“Luke?” Luke turned to face the small voice next to him, his hands still gripping the steering wheel.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” Luke raised an eyebrow.
“For what?”
“Everything.” Luke swallowed thickly. He quickly pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine.
“Let me walk you up.” Luke exited the car first, then opened the passenger side door. He extended his hand for Sarah to grab onto. He assisted her out of the car and draped his arm around her shoulders once again to guide her into the complex and up to her apartment. Sarah moved sluggishly, her eyes downcast. At her apartment door, Sarah dropped the cold steel of her door key in Luke’s clammy palm. Luke pursed his lips and slid the key into the lock of the door, turning it with a soft click. He guided her gently into the hallway and closed the door behind him, streaks of orange lighting casting a shadow against the back of the front door. The street lamps highlighted the shadows around Luke’s eyes and under his sharp cheekbones.
Sarah’s hand reached up, her fingertips gently tracing around Luke’s eye and over his cheek. Luke’s breath hitched in his throat, his brown eyes fixed on Sarah’s shadowed form. Her hands came to rest on Luke’s chest. Luke felt his heart beating a hole into his ribs. He did not anticipate Sarah forcing him back against the front door. His spine collided with the wood which caused him to grunt in surprise. Sarah wrapped her hands around the back of Luke’s neck and entwined her fingers in his hair. He took note of her perfume- it was sweet, yet musky. Sarah pressed herself into Luke’s body. He could feel her breasts pressing into his chest. Luke gulped as Sarah dragged Luke’s head down so that his lips brushed against hers. His hair tickled her skin. Sarah pulled back slightly, staring intently into Luke’s terrified eyes.
“Sarah? I-I-”
“Just shh and kiss me.”
“Sarah-” Luke was quickly silenced as Sarah forced her lips against his. His lips were softer than she had expected. Luke squeezed his eyes shut as Sarah’s fingers tightened around his hair, her other hand cupping his jaw. Luke tasted of coffee and he smelled strongly of cologne. Sarah tasted of cigarettes and whisky. Luke pulled back, losing himself in Sarah’s piercing stare. His chest heaved with each breath. He curled his arms around Sarah’s waist, drawing her in close and tilting his head to move in for another kiss. He leaned into the kiss, his mouth slightly parted as Sarah tickled his tongue with hers. A large, rough palm brought Sarah’s head in closer, fingers gently caressing her dyed black locks. Sarah dragged her nails over his chiseled jaw, leaving red, bleeding scratches in their wake. With her fingers still tightly gripping Luke’s shaggy hair, she tore his head away from hers. Her hand fingers let go of his hair and slid down his chest to his black silk tie. She tightened her hand around his tie and dragged him towards her bedroom, a coy smile dancing on her lips. Sarah twirled Luke around and pushed him down onto the bed, the mattress and bed frame creaking with his weight. Sarah cast his blazer off her shoulders and climbed up onto the bed. She lifted her knee and over Luke so that she was straddling his hips. She unraveled his tie and tugged it free of his shirt collar.
“Sarah-”
“Just be quiet, Agent Morrison.” She stuffed his tie into his gaping maw and reached around his belt for his handcuffs. Sarah bit her lip seductively as she fastened the cold metal around one of his wrists, hooking them around a metal spoke in her head board and clicking the other around his other wrist so that his wrists were held above his head. Sarah leaned down and kissed down Luke’s face and neck, her fingers unfastening his buttons and opening his shirt to reveal his toned torso. Luke’s moans were lost in the fabric of his tie. Sarah continued to kiss down over his collarbone to his nipple. She bit down on his nipple, making him grunt in surprise and pain.
“Oh, Agent. You have no idea what I’m about to do to you.” Luke’s eyes widened as he lifted his head as far as he was able to see Sarah reaching for his belt and unbuckling it.
Luke was the first to awaken the following morning by the sound of his phone ringing. His face and chest were stinging, yet he was not entirely sure how. He went to reach for his phone to find that his wrists were still chained above his head. Sarah was curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest. Her back gently rose and fell as she slept, her hand pressed against the center of his abdomen. Each exhale danced coolly across his skin. The shrill ringing of his phone was relentless, piercing into his head. He tugged against the cuffs, hoping that the sound of scraping metal would wake Sarah. When it did not, Luke bucked his hips. The ringing was getting louder.
“Sarah? Sarah! I need to answer my phone.” Sarah stirred, her eyelids fluttering. She lifted her eyes up from his torso, to his face and his cuffed hands. Sarah pushed herself up to her hands and knees and reached up to free his wrists. Luke gasped as he brought his hands down, sensation and circulation returning to his fingertips. He quickly picked up his phone to answer it.
“ SA Luke Morrison?”
“Sir, we’ve got a hit of a man presenting at the emergency room at St Andrew’s Hospital with a probable GSW to his left shoulder,” came a frantic voice. Luke glanced at Sarah who had sat up straight and was listening intently.
“I’ll be right there.”
“Sir, one more thing. I haven’t been able to get hold of SSA Carver.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll catch her up.” Luke’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he hung up the call and turned to look at Sarah, “I need to freshen up,” said Luke quickly as he darted off the bed for the bathroom. Luke stared into his reflection in the bathroom mirror above the basin. Four crimson scratches tracked down over his jaw and neck. Teeth marks were embedded into the skin around his nipple. He glanced down at his wrists which had red rings around them. He swallowed thickly. Things had taken a turn that he had not anticipated, but he had to admit, he had wanted it so much. He turned on the hot water faucet and cupped his hands underneath the stream of water, then splashed it against his face. A bead of water rolled down his nose into the basin. He could hear Sarah clattering in the next room, undoubtedly changing her uncharacteristic clothing from the night before. Luke quickly dried his face with the towel on the rail, then buttoned up his shirt, tucking the tail into his trousers and buckling his belt. He ran his still damp hands through his hair to detangle his curls. When he exited the bathroom, Sarah was in the process of pulling on a pair of black dress trousers from her closet over her hips. She had changed into a purple v-neck top. Sarah’s eyes fell upon the man in her bathroom doorway, the seductive glint still remaining. Once dressed, Sarah grabbed her credentials, ID lanyard and firearm.
“Let’s get to the hospital and catch this son of a bitch,” instructed Sarah firmly, hooking her firearm on her belt and her lanyard around her neck. Luke nodded and followed her.