On Fire

"What do you mean?"She asked before her face morphed into having a complex expression.

'So it really was too good to be true." Claire thought to herself as her eyes glazed over with a mixture of sentiments that Aiden recognized immediately. Sadness. Disappointment. But worse than all, the look of being used to whatever was going on in her head.

He was about to answer her when she leaned back in her chair making it difficult for him to reach her. His hand turned into a tight fist. The distance between them felt enormous thanks to the distant and guarded stance she was taking. Something he didn't like it at all.

He didn't like not being able to at least casually touch her. Aiden was a patient man, a trait that had helped him achieve most things in life, but he wasn't one to sit idly by when the things he wanted were in his reach. Looking at how Claire had backed away, was everything that was needed to make his mood waver from it's previously pleasant one.

Without saying a single word he stood up and quickly crossed over to her side of the table pulling her out of her seat.

"What are-" Claire's interrupted question was answered when he took her seat and placed her on his lap.

"We need to do something about your overthinking." Aiden started to say as he placed both of her legs to one side and held her waist in place to keep her from falling.

From what he had noticed, it was easier for her to understand him when they were close to each other. He didn't understand why, but nonetheless he made a mental note of it.

"My overthinking? You just said that-" Aiden shushed her by giving her a kiss. He held the back of her head with his free hand and pressed his lips against hers.

She tried to resist at first by placing her hands on his chest to try and push him away, but his iron grip wasn't going to loosen anytime soon. After a few short seconds she quickly gave up.

Claire wasn't really a stubborn person and she knew that he wanted to explain himself. Her initial reaction was just that, a reaction to what he had said. It saddened her to think that he wasn't serious about them.

Leaving all other thoughts aside, she simply let herself enjoy his tender attempt at soothing her. An attempt that was very much working.

They kissed for a long minute before Aiden slowly pulled away. He didn't do so until he felt she had relaxed. It wasn't the type of kiss that made her mind go blank, but it was enough to stop her head from going into overdrive before he could talk. Without removing his hand from the back of her head, he gently caressed her while he began to speak.

"I have no intention of sneaking around with you Angel. You're not some side chick I'm trying to hide from the world." Claire blushed at his words. She hadn't realized that in actuality, that's what they would look like.

"If what you need is more time to straighten things out then that's fine. I'll even help without you having to ask. But haven't you noticed? In regards to how freely you can roam around, it's already started to change sweetheart."

Claire stared at him with uncertainty written all over her face making Aiden grin.

"You're really hard to convince do you know that?" He said with a low chuckle.

His husky voice, soothing touch and how comfortable she felt in his lap, it all made her feel less stressed by the possibility he was presenting her. It would without a doubt help her, and especially benefit her little flower's life, but she didn't feel completely okay with the sensation of going through such a "perfect" situation.

"I'm sorry. It's just....you seem too good to be true." Claire mumbled as she played with the collar of his shirt. Her gaze wandered on the fabric as she did.

Aiden felt his heart squeeze. She was acting so cute that it made it hard for him to control the urge of throwing her over his shoulder and disappearing with her for weeks to come. Hearing her describe him like that was surely the highlight of his day.

He lifted her chin for her to face him properly and pecked her soft lips. "I'm real. And I'll keep reassuring you I am until you can wrap your head around it."

Claire simply nodded in response.

Just as she did, she noticed him gesture with his hand towards nobody in particular. A few seconds later the man who took their order before came into her view and started to place the food on the table. Resisting the urge to frown due to how their nice moment was cut short, she started to get off of his lap. Before her foot graced the ground, Aiden lifted her up and gently placed her in the chair next to him. The same man had moved it at his Boss's silent command.

"You really don't care for personal space do you?" She said while she smiled. Claire didn't mind at all. The closer to him, the better.

"Why would I?" He winked at her while pulling her chair as close as it could be to his own. "Now, let's talk business. What are these awesome resources you're willing to share with me?"

"Well for starters, how does partial access to my data base sound?" She offered while eyeballing the delicious looking food on her plate. It was filled to the brim with mouth watering pasta accompanied by shrimp sauteed in garlic, butter and herbs. Her dish went perfectly with her white whine.

"Only partial?" He asked while cutting through his juicy stake. It was medium rare, just how he liked it.

"Trust me. It has more than you can dream of. As long as the fact that I'm your intelligence source doesn't get leaked, you will have in your possession some of the most unattainable information in the country." She almost moaned when she took a bite. The flavors burst in her mouth wonderfully.

"Are we talking military grade or local?" Aiden was intrigued by how she could so easily multitask between talking about such an important and sensitive topic, and practically drool over the food she was eating at the same time. He made another mental note about how she seemed to be a major sucker for Italian cuisine.

"Military, local, governmental, international. You can take your pick." She said in a nonchalant manner.

"And in return?" Saying he was baffled was an understatement. Confidently admitting having such confidential information while talking as if it were a matter of picking a shirt for him to wear, it was unheard of. Even for him.

Hearing him ask for what she wanted in return made Claire stop eating. She met his gaze and thought about how he would react to what she was about to say. It wasn't something he would likely be willing to share.

"How about your Cassowaries?" She asked making Aiden's jaw clenched at the mention of the name. He stopped cutting his stake to turn and look at her.

His eyes were as cold as ice. The temperature around them didn't drop below zero like other times, but it was obvious that the energy surrounding him wasn't as tranquil as it was before.

'This woman.....' He thought to himself as he stared into her dangerously engulfing eyes. 'This woman will set my life on fire won't she?'