Art of Seduction

Rated: (M)

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be. Damn.

Notes: So, while working on the next chapter for "Educating Oliver," this demanded to be written. It's a derivative of a story I've done for other fandoms, and figured it was time I try it out for Olicity. It's romantic, smexy fun, with a tinge of angst because well, it's Oliver and Felicity. Much love and appreciation to both sarahberah1121 and Marty for the beta and ideas!

Felicity sighed as she finished gathering all the information she'd been able to collect on the latest drug syndicate in the Glades. A particularly nasty derivative of Vertigo called Club X was the latest drug of choice, although she was pretty sure the Count wasn't involved with this drug ring. Still, after several young women had died from overdoses of Club X, Oliver wanted the dealers and drug off the street. So, Felicity had spent her Friday doing what she did best, gathering information.

Despite her initial adversity to her new position, she had to admit, Oliver was right about the fact that it was nice not to have 18 flights between them when she wanted to update him on something breaking. Not to mention he had upgraded her computers to nearly what they were in the Foundry. And, she did have to admit, the bright, well-lit office was a nice change from her small cubicle.

And somehow, along the way, she and Oliver had worked out how to work together in this new dynamic. She still didn't bring him coffee unless it was a really, really bad day. In fact, he brought her coffee most mornings on his way in. It was a little gesture but she knew he was trying and for that, she was grateful. In addition, she only booked meetings and lunches for Oliver if he wasn't around to do it himself. Surprisingly, he'd become quite good at juggling his own schedule, although he did make a point to ask, not demand, if he needed advice or help. Again, it was a small detail but she knew he was doing what he could. Now if they could just come up with a better secret identity for Digg, Team Arrow would be okay.

Queen Consolidated, not so much. She rubbed her forehead as she thought about the real problems Oliver was facing. While she refused to do secretarial work on principle, she did take him up on his offer to help him figure out how to get QC back on track. If she were honest, she had to admit that she enjoyed digging into the company's investors and shareholders to figure out who stood where and what needed to be done to get QC back to its former glory. In fact, Oliver had told her recently that he thought the two of them, along with Digg's ability to plot and plan strategy, with no formal business backgrounds among them, made one pretty good business person. She'd smiled for what felt like days after that. It even made the usual gossip and rumors about just how she got her position more bearable, although she did tend to avoid the cafeteria now.

But today, she'd finished her QC and Arrow work, and would take it home with her in case she needed to pay a visit to the Foundry later tonight. She didn't expect to, since first off, it wasn't urgent, and second, Oliver had given them all the evening off. Apparently, even the Arrow needed a break. So, Digg was going out with some military friends of his that were in town for the weekend and she planned to put a dent in the programs piled up on her DVR. She was pretty sure, however, that Oliver would spend the evening working out. It was how he usually spent his nights if he wasn't out keeping watch over the city.

For a moment, her mind flashed to the image of her boss, bare-chested, sweat glistening on his pectorals as he moved up the salmon ladder. The image suddenly changed to him descending from the ladder as she walked towards him, carrying a towel and bottle of water. As she reached him, she found herself rubbing the towel across his chest, allowing her fingers to slip from the thin material to trace the lines of his collarbone. She felt a tremor rip through her body as she imagined how Oliver's skin would feel against hers.

"Felicity?"

She jumped at the deep voice she knew all too well. Somehow, during her contemplation, the object of her latest fantasy had appeared beside her desk. Gathering her wits together, she turned to look at him and noted an unreadable look in his eyes. From his tone, however, she could tell he'd been standing there for a while. She was tempted to say something about knocking, but realized they'd already had that conversation. So she settled for the mundane.

"Oliver? What's up? Everything all right?" It was nearly five o'clock, but he'd been on the phone for the past hour, dealing with upset investors and the fact that half of Starling City was out for his, and his family's, blood. She hadn't interrupted him, the look on his face telling her to leave him be even though she felt for him. She also had made it her personal vendetta to dig something up on Blood. No one drug Oliver's name through the mud, not if she could help it.

"Everything's fine," he said although he looked tired. "I think I managed to convince the London investors to not give up on me yet, but it was like pulling teeth." He sighed. "I don't know how Walter or my mother did this for a living."

"Well, in all fairness, they were trained for it," Felicity offered gently. "Besides, I doubt they had your night job making it even harder to balance things." She was glad when his shoulders seemed to relax a bit, and had to force her heart to calm as he suddenly gave her the smile she knew he reserved for her.

"You know, even though I have a very nice view of your office from mine," he paused a moment and she felt something flutter in her chest at the look in his eyes, "I like what you've done with your desk, it's very…Felicity."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment, but thanks for noticing," she offered, not quite sure what to say, feeling like there was something else on his mind. Not to mention she was trying hard not to stare too long at his chest. Even clothed, it brought to mind her recent fantasy of running her fingers, then her lips across his collarbone, hearing his deep growl at her touch…

"See something you like, Felicity?" The amusement in his tone wrenched her out of her fantasy again, and she fought back a blush at being caught staring at him. His eyes were dark however, and she found herself fascinated by the way the light coming from behind him seemed to give him a dangerous, more mysterious air, even more so than when he was hooded. It also had an erotic quality that was making the hairs on her arms stand on end and her breathing shallow.

Not that this was unusual. Oliver Queen had made her heart palpitate from the moment he'd walked into her first office, carrying a bullet ridden laptop and with a completely unbelievable story. She'd been infatuated with him ever since, even though she knew she was far from his type. She'd seen most of his exes, Helena, McKenna, and of course Laurel. She was pretty sure they were as different from her as night and day.

"Felicity?"

She couldn't hold back the blush as she realized she'd been staring at him, again, in silence. "Sorry, just had a lot on my mind and you're very distracting." The blush deepened as she saw his mouth turn up at the corners as he registered her words. "I meant that in a totally good way. I don't mind being distracted when it's you. Actually, you're a pretty nice distraction-"

She stopped as she realized she was rambling. "Sorry, I'm stopping now," she managed cursing her tendency to let him fluster her. The fact that he enjoyed doing so made her even more flustered.

"I'm flattered that my presence distracts you." His voice was a bit lower than before and she could have sworn his eyes had darkened even more. "I thought it was only when I was shirtless, working out, that you couldn't keep your eyes off me," he teased, and she felt the blush heat her cheeks again.

She wasn't quite sure what to say to that. His tone was light, but his eyes were filled with something dark and deep, something heated and dangerous. Whatever that something was, it kept her silent, mesmerized, her gaze locked with his as she watched the various expressions slide across his face.

She'd always thought Oliver hid his emotions well. It was rare he smiled, although she knew she was one of a few people that could get him to and she liked to think she was getting better at reading his closed off expressions. But right now, there was a fire in his eyes that sent a spark down her spine. She bit her lip, swallowing hard, wondering if it was truly desire she read there.

Her heart began to pound as her gaze remained locked with his. She felt tingles running through her body and her breathing grew shallow as he moved around the desk until he was most definitely invading her personal space. Her lips suddenly felt too dry, and she unconsciously licked them, her breath catching as something seemed to snap in him.

Before she could do more than gasp, she found herself pulled from her chair and wrapped tightly in his strong arms, her lips crushed against his. The feeling was like nothing she'd ever felt before, bolts of fire and ice coursing through her body as she opened her mouth to meet his probing tongue. She couldn't help the low moan in the back of her throat as she felt the rough yet sensual fingers she'd admired from afar, usually stroking a bow or arrow, run up and down her spine, pulling her body closer, pressing her tightly to his chest.

Somehow, the need for air ceased to exist as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him tighter to her, deepening the kiss as she felt his heart pounding against hers. She lost all awareness of the room around them, of time itself, even the worry of what her colleagues might say if they walked in to find her kissing the boss. Nothing mattered but the man in her arms, kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

She moaned low in her throat again as she felt those talented hands run up and down her back. She instinctively arched into him at the sensation of his touch. She whimpered as his lips moved down her neck and over her collarbone, his hands slipping around her waist to hold her to him.

Her own hands weren't idle. She clutched onto his shoulders in surprise at first, but as their embrace grew more heated, she slipped her hands inside his suit jacket and let her palms run over the chest she had spent more hours than she cared to admit fantasizing about. She heard his groan as she moved her hands up and over his collarbone, slipping inside the collar of his shirt to stroke bare skin, just as she'd imagined earlier. His growl was quite probably the sexiest thing she'd ever heard.

She suddenly needed his lips back on hers more than she needed breath. Using her hands, she grabbed his head and pulled him back up to her eager lips. Their tongues dueled as he pushed her back onto her desk, her skirt hiked to her waist as he pressed himself between her parted legs.

She gasped as she felt him hard against her and instinctively wrapped one leg around his thigh as she pulled him closer to her aching center. She whimpered as he thrust up against her, the feeling far better than her dreams. Her eyes closed at the sensations running through her body and with a moan, she pushed back against him, matching him move for move, barely hampered by the skirt, delighting in the harsh groan that tore from his throat. She felt an immense satisfaction at the sound, amazed that she, Felicity Smoak, had been able to bring this formidable man to such a state. She managed to open her eyes, wanting desperately to see what he looked like in the throes of passion…

Only to find herself jerking awake, panting, heart racing, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom, her body twisted in her sheets, aroused to a level that was nearly unbearable. She felt an immediate, aching sense of loss, her body teetering on the familiar edge she'd found herself on far too many nights of late. Breathing hard, feeling the desire still pooling between her thighs, she managed to slip from the bed, padding over to the window, pressing her forehead against the cool glass, allowing the slight breeze to flow over her as she tried to calm her body down.

It had only been a dream.

Only one of the most erotic dreams she'd ever had. And she'd had quite a few over the past few years. Most involving Oliver Queen or his hooded alter-ego. More recently, quite a few involving her desk, or his, or anywhere in and around their glassed in offices. And they'd only grown stronger over the past few months. Having to see him not only at night, but during the day, working closely with him to rebuild their city, she'd felt her attraction to him grow.

She knew he'd been burned by his past relationships, especially since Laurel had decided it was better they remain friends. She'd thought he'd have taken that harder, but apparently, he was doing just fine. He'd been out to several business functions and fundraisers with Isabel, but even though it was obvious the ruthless, yet beautiful, businesswoman was attracted to Oliver, he seemed oblivious.

More often than not, he brought her to these functions, as she could double as arm candy, as well as his executive assistant. People already talked enough about them, she'd just gotten used to ignoring it and doing what she could to make sure Oliver and QC emerged in good standing after these events. And if she could avoid Isabel and Laurel as much as possible, so much the better. Although, in fairness, since Laurel had started dating the DA, she'd been more cordial to her when they met, while Isabel just ignored her. Thankfully, Oliver seemed to be taking it all in stride, which surprised her as she was still waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. But so far, so good.

And she had to admit, unless she really was going crazy, she'd noticed that he'd been flirting with her more, had been giving her longer looks when he thought she wouldn't notice. And he'd begun touching her again.

Little brushes of his hand against her back, or across her neck in reassurance as he passed her at the computers. The way he stood just a little bit closer to her than was polite whenever they talked, or the hand he'd rest lightly on her back or waist during business meetings or events when they were talking to people. She was pretty sure she wasn't imagining all this as she'd caught numerous QC employees giving them side glances and looks, and she knew full well what the gossip mill was saying about her and Oliver, and how she'd gotten her promotion. It bothered her, but she'd learned to ignore it, knowing Oliver valued her for a lot more than her looks.

But when even Diggle started giving them amused looks, her suspicions grew.

But Oliver had yet to make a move. Not that she was even sure he wanted to…after all, he could just be so comfortable with her now, that he didn't even realize what he was doing. She liked to think it was more than that, but with Oliver, and the specter of his past loves, she wasn't sure of anything. Or even the fact that her imagination might be blowing all of this way out of proportion.

The questions kept pounding through her brain, making her dizzy. Sighing, she pressed her palm against the windowpane, glad again for the coolness against her heated skin. Taking a deep breath, she tried analyze things from a different standpoint.

It could be that she was simply horny. She would be the first to admit it had been a while since she'd had a relationship, much less slept with a guy. Her last intimate relationship had been this past summer, while Oliver was doing his second exile on his island. She'd been so tired and frustrated with everything that she'd packed it up and gone to see her cousin in Central City. While there, she'd met Brad at a club and to her surprise, the chemistry had been instant. They'd had several weeks of hot, steamy sex, and she'd learned quite a bit about pleasing a man, and pleasing herself in the process. She hadn't been inexperienced when it came to sex, but there was a lot she had to learn and Brad had turned out to be the best teacher she could have asked for. It helped that he was trying to get over an ex-girlfriend as well, so neither of them had wanted anything permanent. It had been a perfect two week fling and she figured none of her friends, or anyone that knew her, would suspect her of some of the darker pleasures she'd been introduced to in those magical weeks.

But, despite her enjoyment, something was missing. It was why it had made it easier to part after those few weeks with no strings, just good memories. She wasn't sure what had been missing as she'd thoroughly enjoyed her experimental period (as she'd taken to calling it) but something wasn't quite right.

And it wasn't as if she hadn't dated anyone. There had been several relationships in the past few years, although all had fallen to the inevitable problem of honesty. She couldn't tell the men in her life why she was always on call for Oliver, much less how she spent a lot of her free time—instead of on dates with them. Needless to say, she hadn't even made it to a point where sex was an option before they'd informed her things "weren't working out" or the old "it's not you, it's me." If she were honest, Barry had made her heart flutter when they'd dated, but she'd always felt that something, again, was missing. She was simply glad that she and Barry had been able to remain friends.

She was pretty sure nothing would be missing if she ever managed to get Oliver into her bed. She didn't know how she knew, she just did. However, she'd pushed most of those feelings down for the past few years, knowing that he didn't feel that way, as he'd always had someone else in his life and that he'd always considered her just a 'good friend.'

Still, the craving for Oliver had not abated, only grown stronger each day they worked together, especially after his second return from the island. And when she'd started working nights with Team Arrow, it had gotten even worse. While she was pretty sure she'd done a good job of hiding it, many nights, alone in her bed, especially after he'd done a workout featuring the salmon ladder, she found herself using her fingers to bring relief, whimpering and imagining that it was Oliver's hands, Oliver's lips, Oliver's tongue making her writhe and moan.

Those fantasies had only gotten stronger as he'd flirted more with her in the past months, or looked at her with those deep, desire filled eyes she knew he probably wasn't even aware of, or as he'd opened up more and more about his time on the island and about his life to her. The past few months had been a near torturous game of cat and mouse that she was pretty sure he was willing to play, but just too chicken to finish.

Not that she could blame him. There were many, many reasons the two of them should not start anything physical. They worked together for one. She wasn't his type and he'd most certainly get bored of her for two. It would completely complicate both their lives and most likely distract them from their missions for three. And she could come up with countless more reasons if asked. It just wasn't a good idea.

But then why couldn't she stop having these erotic dreams? Why did she find herself trying to rationalize how they could make this work, if they wanted to? Why didn't she take the needed step to find out as it was pretty clear Oliver wouldn't?

The thought brought her up short. Could she really do that? Take the first step and see where it led? Risk rejection if he laughed at her for reading the situation wrong? Or find out that he wanted her just as much as she did him?

The thought sent a thrill down her spine and her eyes glossed over. She imagined what he would do if she suddenly appeared in the Foundry and attempted to seduce him. To make him feel half of what she'd been feeling for months. The ache in her body grew stronger at the thought, her center becoming wet again at the image of Oliver, helpless against her seduction, driving him to lose control, simply with a touch here and a lick there. The image of him moving above her, his breathing harsh, his velvety voice whispering erotic words in her ear.

She groaned, realizing that she couldn't afford to not take the chance, not when her body was crying out desperately for a release that could only come by his hands, his mouth, his body. She also had to admit, the thrill of trying to seduce him had woven its own spell over her. She could only imagine what it would take to bring Oliver to his knees. And thanks to her experimental summer…she had a pretty vivid imagination.

She whimpered, pushing herself off the window seat, as her arousal rose when her thighs rubbed together. Almost without thinking, she wandered to her dresser and rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a dark green teddy she'd bought several months ago. She smiled, pulling on a thong and foregoing a bra before slipping the shimmering silk over her body. Still wondering what she was about to do, much less if she were in her right mind, she slipped on a pair of ballet flats and a long black dress coat that covered her legs nearly to her ankles.

Still unable to believe she was actually contemplating going through with any of this, she grabbed a pair of dark green heels and slipped them, along with her car keys, into her purse and headed for the front door. Before she could talk herself out of it, she was getting in her car, and seconds later, headed for Verdant. She was 99% positive he'd be there—but if he wasn't, she'd take it as a sign this was a truly stupid idea.

With each mile, her fear increased as she wondered, if he were there, how he would react, just as her desire in turn, gained intensity. On the bright side, if she were a total failure, and Oliver turned her down, she could always take that job that Bruce Wayne had been offering at Wayne Industries for the past few months. On the darker side, she'd hate leaving Oliver and Team Arrow, but it was the only alternative she could see if this went wrong. She really didn't think she could face Oliver each day, especially if he rejected her.

But she couldn't go on like this. All signs seemed to be pointing in a positive direction and she'd had just about enough of these frustrated, sleepless nights. Her sanity was on the line. She needed to do this, to get it out there once and for all, to see if finally, after all this time, there could actually be an Oliver and Felicity that were more than just 'good friends.'

Several twists and turns later she found herself parking in her spot behind the club. As it was a Friday night, she knew the club would be packed and she was glad to be able to slip in the back before anyone noticed her. She really didn't relish explaining her outfit to Thea. Or Roy for that matter.

A few minutes later, she was slipping through the basement door, making sure it shut and locked behind her. She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves as she looked around to see if the object of her thoughts was actually there. Her breath caught in her throat as she heard a grunt, followed by the familiar clang of the bar on the salmon ladder.

Her mouth went dry as she walked down the steps, trying to be as silent as possible. Usually, he'd be aware the second someone entered his space, but he was obviously distracted by his workout, and not expecting anyone as he hadn't given any sign he'd seen her. Taking a deep breath, she slipped her flats off, pushing them under the desk, slipping on the green heels instead.

She was really going to do this, wasn't she? Every nerve in her body was on fire as she turned her gaze to his figure, watching as his abs flexed and released as he pulled himself up the ladder, sweat glistening on his body in the low light. Deciding it was now or never, she walked across the floor, heels clicking on the concrete, eyes locked on him.

She knew the second he became aware of her, as his body tensed, froze for a moment, before his head turned to gaze down on her. She felt her heart leap as she could have sworn, even from a distance, that his eyes darkened as they focused on her.

"Felicity? What are you doing here?" His voice was strained, most likely, she thought, from the fact he was still hanging in mid-air, staring at her. But she could hope it was also in part because of the picture she knew she made standing below him.

She shrugged, turning on as much bravado as she could. She was pretty sure he'd see right through her but now that she was here, she wasn't backing out.

"I know you gave me the night off, but I got lonely." She shrugged, trying to keep her voice relaxed. "Besides, I had all that information on Club X and wanted to leave it here. Plus," she smiled at him, "I figured you'd be here, and, as we've already established," she gave him a long look, "I like spending my nights with you." She waited for a moment as she saw his muscles tense and his eyes flash. "In the Foundry, of course," she tacked on, aware her voice was several octaves lower than normal.

"Really?" His voice was even as he dropped to the floor. "Interesting choice in outfits for dropping off papers," he offered as he straightened up and moved directly in front of her.

She was suddenly the one struggling for breath as his eyes ran over her body, starting at the tip of her head and moving down to her heel-clad feet, where his gaze lingered for a moment before rising to meet hers again. She swallowed hard as she saw that familiar darkness in his eyes that sent a bolt of desire straight to her core.

"What are you really doing here, Felicity?" His voice was deep and dark and he was moving closer, even as he asked the question.

She knew it was now or never. No guts, no glory as her best friend would have said. Taking a deep breath, she gathered all her courage and met his gaze head on.

"Seducing you," she replied in a breathy voice, watching as his eyes went dark.

More Notes: So, Oliver's thoughts are up next. What are your thoughts? Feedback is loved!