Falling For The Enemy

Chapter Three

'I can't'

Daniel reached out and let his fingers trail across her cheek as he wiped away her falling tears before lightly grasping her delicately sculpted chin and softly but firmly forced her head up so her eye's would meet with his.

"Look at me" he commanded quietly with authority although it sounded almost like a desperate plea rather than a demanding order, a plea Emily clearly could not resist as she did as he asked and met his fierce intense gaze.

"Don't touch me" she protested weakly as his hand released her chin only to then delve within the soft silky tresses of her hair cascading in honeyed tones over her shoulder till he gently thumbed the ends that met the generous under swelling of her right breast.

He heard her sharp intake of breath though almost barely audible, and it sent his blood racing knowing that despite her words she couldn't hide her reaction to his caress.

"Don't hide from me" Daniel urged her as his other hand came up to grasp her waist just above her hips, when she didn't slap it away he closed in the distance and pressed his mouth against the side of her neck and inhaled deeply as if taking in her sweet scent, "I want you" he admitted roughly as he began kissing a trail up her jawline slowly, "You, not Emily, but Amanda" he revealed before pulling away just before reaching her lips to look in her eyes once more.

When Emily finally opened her eyes to see him staring at her she heard the voice inside her head telling her to run now, to escape from him before it was too late, "We shouldn't" she gasped finally grabbing his upper arms intending to push him away, any second she would push him away.

Instead she could only gather shaky breaths while shivering all over, if only she could believe her tremors were the result of just feeling cold, but the heat that flared within her everywhere he'd left behind with the warmth of his touch left her feeling no better than a shameful wanton; knowing he had awakened a long denied desperate desire.

"Deny it till you die that you ever loved me" he whispered harshly as he caught her face and cradled it in his firm hands, "But don't deny us this" he groaned as if in agony before swooping in and kissing her with a fierce impatient hunger.

Emily's mind went up in smoke as her lips opened in wordless invitation and she met his tongue with her own.

With no secret's between them as a barrier it felt as if she were free to be herself without fear, able to lose complete control.

Emily yanked his head back as they sunk to the carpet in a tangled mess of limbs, though Daniel flinched slightly at the painful throb her grip caused he was ready to hear her inevitable order for him to stop and get off of her, he knew what was coming as she finally spoke.

"Don't..." she growled as she glared up at him defiantly, "Don't...stop".

It took Daniel a moment to register with her last word before realizing she was demanding he keep going, he grinned down at her and laughed roughly before letting his hands resume their roaming along every valley and crevice of her body, "Never" he promised as she finally loosened her grasp to instead stroke the hair she'd just abused.

They both lay on the carpet somewhat covered by a satin throw Daniel had yanked off a nearby chair, still trying to calm their gasping breaths and stretch life into their heavy satisfied, exhausted limbs.

"I know that look" Daniel broke the silence, "Already something's troubling you" he accused softly rolling onto his side and resting his head on his hand as he peered over at her.

Emily refused to shy away and hide from his scrutiny and frowned back at him, "Because you know me so well" she murmured sarcastically rolling her eyes in a show of disbelief.

"Don't I?" he hit back at her softly as if so sure of himself.

"You think it's regret that we had sex" she stated with a shake of her head.

"Would I be wrong?" he asked almost hesitantly, he didn't want her to know how concerned he was at the though of her answer.

Emily sighed rolling onto her back to look at the ceiling instead of him, "Yes, you would" she finally admitted not having the heart to tease him on that subject, "I don't regret this".

Daniel released the breath he hadn't known he was holding and sighed deeply with relief, "Then what is it?" he demanded with needling frustration.

"I thought having you think of me as Amanda and hearing you say my real name would feel right, but I still felt like a fraud" she admitted woodenly.

"I only became Emily as a means of clearing my father's name, but now she's no longer needed I can't return to the Amanda I was before all this, it's like I don't have an identity anymore" Emily whispered with confusion.

Daniel listened quietly and pondered her situation, "You will always be Emily to me, I only called you Amanda because I thought that was what you wanted but it felt wrong to me as well" he admitted, "You became Emily when you left behind Amanda and she's still there, it's just that what you were fighting for you finally succeeded with, now you have to find something new to fight for".

"Maybe you're right" she replied before sitting up and holding the throw to her chest to give some semblance of modesty as she started collecting each piece of her discarded clothing to where it had been abandoned, "But just because we had sex and this little aftermath counseling session it doesn't mean I'm going to start to like or trust you".

Daniel didn't take her words to heart or feel offended, instead he laughed as he watched her redress herself before discarding the little throw he had covering him and standing up before her in all his naked glory. "You body likes me well enough and that's good enough for me" he smirked.

"I trust you can see yourself out" Emily told him choosing to not comment on what her body did or did not like.

As she walked away from him in the direction of her bedroom she heard him call out with confidence and satisfaction in his voice, "Goodnight, Emily Thorne".