A gentle touch woke you up. You slowly open your eyes and feel that you are still laying on Ghost. You look up at him and see that sometime in the middle of the night, he put his mask back on. He stares at you with soft eyes, but still holds onto you. Butterflies filled your stomach and your face flushed. You removed yourself off him and got out of bed.
His eyes watched you as you bent down to grab your shorts. His eyes undressed you as you continued to put on more clothing. Your face heated up even more when you lifted your shirt to pull your shorts up and he seen a full view of your ass. His breathing became heavier and the warmth between your legs made itself known.
You didn't look back in his direction, feeling that there was already too much tension in the room. Your stomach growled killing the silence between you two. A part of you could thank yourself because that gave you a reason to leave the bedroom without making it any more awkward than it already was.
You leave without looking at him and make your way downstairs. The smell of bacon filled your nostrils and the pit in your stomach became more aggressive. You step into the kitchen glancing at Soap as he puts bacon into the sizzling pan.
"Do you always do the cooking?" Humor in your voice as you walk to the fridge to get you a glass of orange juice.
"Majority of the time, but I enjoy it" he replies with a smile.
"I couldn't tell." Your sarcasm caused him to snicker. You walk over to the plate where some of the bacon was already cooked and steal a few pieces. A mouse like scream escaped your lips when he swatted your hand with the pair of tongs he was using to flip the bacon.
"Alright Gentleman" Price said from the table. He stopped and looked at you, "Lady." You snorted and continued eating your bacon, "Wheels up in two hours. I'll give the details once we board the plane."
You look around and see everyone in the kitchen except for Ghost. You turn around to head up and tell him, but as you turn, your body was met with what felt like a brick wall.
"Sorr-"you go to say as you look up and see him. He doesn't say anything and just stares down at you. His eyes weren't as soft as a while ago, but they weren't as harsh as they had been.
"Want any eggs LT?" Soap asks him.
"No." Just a flat no. He breaks his eye contact and walks by you and towards Price. Mumbled chatter filled your ears from them, but you couldn't make out what they were talking about. You turn and head back upstairs to get ready. It took almost an hour to shower, fix your hair into two Dutch braids again, brush your teeth, get into your gear, pack your back and head downstairs.
Everyone was downstairs getting their weapons and anything else they might need. You head downstairs, grab your guns and a few knives.
"No big bang this time Reaper?" Gaz jokes with you.
"Not this time Gaz. Maybe next time" you reply with a wink.
Everyone finishes up and loads up in the Jeep. Ghost rode shotgun and you were stuck in the back with Soap and Gaz. Thoughts of last night replayed on repeat in your mind on the way to the airport – how gentle he was with you. How he held you and made you feel safe. How he held your face, and you didn't want to pull away, but rather pull him more towards you.
The thoughts quickly left your mind as the Jeep came to a stop by the plane. You all get out, grab your bags, and load up. You look up to realize that this wasn't the normal plane that was taken before. This was a jet.
"Flying in style Captain?" Soap teases.
Price lit a cigar and let out a puff of smoke, "Its not everyday we get to go to Paris."
Soap shakes his head and chuckles. The jet was first class. A pillow top couch, several leather reclining chairs, a bar, food and glossed wood grain accents. The pilots helped load up your bags at the bottom of the plane for storage. Soap and Gaz immediately went to the food and poured them something to drink. You shake your head at the thought of them. Boys. You take a spot in one of the chairs towards the back of the plane – in front of where the food and drinks were, by a window.
Price and Ghost load up. You felt something cold touch your arm and look up; Gaz had fixed you a whiskey on the rocks.
"My favorite. How did you know?" you ask in a joking way.
"Lucky guess" he throws back with a laugh.
Ghost takes the chair in front of you. Price takes the one beside the couch while Soap and Gaz take the couch. The chairs swiveled so that way everyone could see each other.
The pilot comes on board, shuts the door and without saying anything, heads to the cockpit and shuts the door.
"Hand me a bottle of whisky and a glass will you Harley?" Price asks you. You swivel in your chair, set your drink down and grab a bottle of Whiskey and two glasses. You hand them to Price, and he looks at you confused.
"Didn't know if he wanted any" you tell him as you nod your head in the direction of Ghost. You pick your glass back up and turn towards everyone.
The takeoff was smooth – like a sharp knife cutting through warm butter. Once in the sky, Price started, "Once we land, we will check into the hotel."
"Hotel?" Gaz asked confused.
"This isn't going to be our regular running and gunning mission." Everyone is looking at each other confused. Price continues, "Theres a Gala that Michael will be at. High members only and I was able to snag one ticket." The plane falls silent, and everyone is looking around at each other wondering who is going on this undercover mission. Everyone but Ghost. His eyes move back from yours to Price.
"Harley, you're going to recon." All eyes fixated on you and your eyes scanned over everyone else. Price's words hadn't registered to you yet until you heard Ghost speak.
"Price"
Anxiety coursed through you and the weight of the world rested on your chest. "I-I'm sorry, what?! Me?!"
"You're the perfect person for this." Price tried to reassure you, but in your mind, this was the worst idea ever.
"I don't see how!" anger builds in your voice, "He knows what I look like, and he could pick me in a room of people a mile away!"
The whistle of the turbos in the jets engine made the silence not so silent. "Harley, look at me" Price tells you. You hesitate and lock eyes with him, "You will be okay. We wont let anything happen to you. This is a masked Gala."
The whiskey in your hand soon vanished as you tossed your head back to finish it – hoping this would ease your body.
"So, what am I supposed to be doing?" The million-dollar question that you felt would either make or break this mission.
Hesitation came over Price and worry came over the anxiety. "We need you to put a tracker on his phone" he says in a low tone and breaking eye contact with you.
"How the fuck do you expect me to do that?!"
Soap speaks, breaking the tension in the room, "You're a woman, use your imagination."
You scoff and notice Ghost's hands tighten the arm rest of the chair he's sitting in, "I'm not fucking him!"
"Didn't say you had to lass." There was a brief pause before the pilot came over the plane. "Landing in two hours." You felt like you were going to throw up. You had two hours until you landed and not a thought in mind. You swivel the chair, so your back is facing everyone. You prop your feet on the wood grain and lean back.
Thoughts invaded your mind of how you could do this. Each thought failed. A part of you felt that this was a test that they did intentionally, but how the fuck could you look at Michael and him not recognize you. Nothing made sense. You desperately wanted revenge and deep down, you knew that you had to find something to make it work.
Two hours later, the jet landed, and you waited until everyone exited out of the jet before you stood up and proceeded. A black SUV waited for you all by the jet. The pilot helped Price put everyone's bags in the back of the SUV.
Gaz held to door behind the driver open for you. You seen Soap was up front, Price drove – as always and Ghost sitting behind Soap. You get in and sit in the middle seat – in-between Gaz and Ghost. Your mind was in a daze still thinking of how you were going to do this.
The ride to the hotel was sightful. Seeing the streets of Paris and the way people dressed helped ease your mind. It wasn't until you passed by the Eifel Tower that your thoughts were completely washed away. You turn to your right and climb over Ghost to get close to the window. His eyes pierced into the side of your face.
"The movies don't give it any justice" you say out loud. Not speaking to anyone in general. The SUV comes to a stop shortly after climbing over Ghost and you realized that the hotel has the perfect view of the Eifel Tower. You waste no time getting out, practically sitting in Ghosts lap and your face going into complete awe.
Price and Soap chuckle at your reaction. "Never been to Paris Reaper?" Soap asks you.
"No, but always wanted to go."
Reality sets back in whenever Price hands you your bag. Everyone walks inside the immaculate hotel. 'America could never' you thought. Marble floors ran throughout the hotel. Marble and gold columns held the building in place. Cathedral ceilings with gold trim lined provided the roof over your head. The furniture was elegant and sleek. Gaudy, but just enough. It complimented the hotel. The atmosphere was pure with no sense of darkness. It was truly peaceful.
Your attention was quickly interrupted when you noticed everyone heading towards the elevators.
"Oh shit! I need to check in and get my room card" you tell them.
A startled gasp escaped your lips when you heard a deep raspy voice in your ear, "You're with me." That warm feeling made itself known again between your legs. The bag you were holding slipped from your grasp as Ghost grabbed it. He goes to take a step, stops, and looks at you with dark eyes. Green eyes met with amber and in that moment, the world stopped. You heard nothing. Everything around you became amber.
"Harley" His voice snapped you out of your trance. You shake your head and proceed to walk towards the elevators. Price and the rest of the guys left you two, so when the elevator opened, it was just for you and Ghost.
You both step in and he hits the button for the twelfth floor. Butterflies flew in your stomach when the elevator came to life and jolted up. You couldn't help but feel his eyes on you and you would glance at him out the corner of your eyes.
The elevator slowed down, and the doors opened. Ghost steps out before you, looking both ways down the hallway. You follow behind him running your eyes over his tall masculine figure. You watched how his wide thick shoulders swayed when he walked, how he stood straight up and handled himself with confidence – not arrogance. How his footsteps were quiet and smooth. His hands and arms and how his veins would pop out when any sort of force was brought to them.
He stopped at a door towards the end of the right hall. He takes the key card and places it against the black box on the door. The light changes from red to green and you hear the lock click. He pulls the handle to the door down and walks into the room. You took note that he checked the room and thought about paranoia, but then again, if you had to experience the things he's been through, you would too.
The room was just as beautiful as the lobby of the hotel. It was a suite with a bedroom, huge bathroom with a marble walk-in shower and glass doors. Your mind thought of the things he could do to you in that shower. You swallow hard. You noticed drapes that hung to the floor and two handles hiding behind the heavy fabric.
Ghost turns and watches you. You place your hands on the handles and push. French doors open to a balcony. You push the drapes to the side and in front of you is the Eifel Tower.
"I figured you'd like that" His voice broke the silence as he walked towards you.
A confused look crept upon your face as you turn around to face him, "You did this for me?"
His eyes stared into yours, then to the Eifel Tower and back at you. He never answered. He walked away leaving you there with one question. Why?