Britney_Safe space

This was a terrible idea and I knew it, but I kept walking towards the restaurant where Will and I met anyway. Too emotionally drained to make excuses, even to myself, I accepted that I had cabin fever. Well that and maybe some small, teeny tiny part of me wanted to see Will, if for no other reason than to apologize for my outburst last time. "May I?" he asked, sneaking up on me from behind and claiming my hand before I had the chance to respond. "It appears you may," I responded bluntly, a trait I've come to associate with being in his presence. Still I allowed him to hold onto my hand and escort me into the room. Ill at ease with all the attention we were drawing, I found myself holding a hand up to my chest. "Who knew 100 people were so many," I proclaimed, now squeezing the hand that held mine. "Surely it's nothing to the great Britney O'Prey," he said, moving to let go of my hand. A switch flipped inside me and I held on tighter, both to his hand and my chest. Will paused, waiting on me, a quizzical look in his eye. "Of course not, nothing at all," I said with a hasty smile. His facial expression went from curious to does it say I'm with stupid on my face. If I weren't trying so hard to keep my breathing regular, I'd have giggled at the sight. The man was too self assured and comfortable for his own good. Too much the opposite of me. What on earth was I thinking coming here? He moved with purpose, cautiously wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I watched as he and Harmon exchanged looks across the room. Will shook his head no, which set Harmon into action. I watched as the secretary cut off another man, who had presumably been en route to Will. "Come," he said, rushing me back out the way we'd entered. My defenses went up instinctively and I moved to push him away. "I'm fine," I choked out. I couldn't very well tell him the truth. This kind of thing hadn't happened to me in years. Why now? In the end what I did or didn't say was of no consequence, because Will didn't budge. "Just come, you stubborn woman," he commanded. He ushered me out of the restaurant, through the lobby, eventually presenting me to his private elevator. Once we were inside and the lift was moving, he flipped the emergency stop switch and the lift shut down. "See one too many NCIS episodes?" I asked, feeling I had humored this near stranger long enough. My dry humor got me a short laugh as he leaned against the wall and sat down on the floor with his legs crossed, motioning for me to do the same. I looked down at the dress I had picked out for the night. It was black, strapless with a mid-thigh slit. I almost didn't know which was worse — sitting or standing. "Don't trust you enough," I concluded. "Or at all really." "Must everything be an argument with you?" he asked, reaching for my hand and pulling me down to the floor. We stayed like this for what felt like an age. Will took his jacket off, offering it to me. I declined, but as my anxiety was beginning to subside, so too did my will to keep standing. As my butt hit the floor, I heard the dress rip. My hands instinctively covered my bosom. "Wrong body part," he said with a smirk. I followed his line of sight. The slit had widened, splitting the dress all the way up to my belly. He leaned in and asked, "All in black tonight?" His eyes drifted down to my cleavage. I grabbed my dress and scooted away from him, scrambling to cover up the panties he'd so blatantly stared at moments before. My whole head burst into flames from the embarrassment. "That's none of your business!" I snapped. "There, now that's better," he said, licking his lips in amusement. "Much better when it's just you and I, right?" I stopped fussing as it dawned on me that he hadn't brought me here to take me back to his and make passionate love to me. Of course he hadn't. Of the 50 women on the island that he could have, why would he pick the one that's constantly yelling at him about something or other? "An odd place to take someone who is having a panic attack, don't you think? All confined and small as this tin can is," I noted. "Well, that depends. If you were feeling claustrophobic, then perhaps. If, however, it was the people making you anxious, then this is the perfect place to go. Always works for me. This is my safe space," he answered with a shrug. And it was working, exactly as he intended. The alarm was blaring loudly all around us, but there he and I sat, on the ground, perfectly at ease. His shoulders relaxed and for the first time in a week, without realizing it, mine did too. It was only when I caught myself smiling at him that I felt it. A feeling of vulnerability and openness came over me, followed directly by nausea at the recognition of the same. Remembering my inappropriate state of dress, I gathered up my dress and bundled it up, covering myself as best I could while rising. I flipped the switch and pushed the button for the ground floor. Over and over I pushed it, but still up we went. The ride back down brought my anxiety levels right back up. Will, ever the gentleman, rose to his full height. "You've made it perfectly clear that you won't come up with me, but you can't step out there like this," he said, throwing the jacket over my shoulders. His eyes met mine and my mouth went dry. I couldn't take him being so nice to me right now. I felt weak, malleable, like putty in his hands. My body needed to be away from his, but damn it, he smelled so good. I remembered just how soft those lips were under my fingers as I looked down to them. As I wracked my brain for how to respond, the elevator doors dinged open and a flash of light drew our attention. The source of said light was a phone and by the time we knew what was happening, the owner had caught up with us. "Ms O'Prey, Ryan Summers from Universal Gazette. Are you and Mr Hunter dating?" the man asked. "Give me that!" Will snapped, snatching the phone out of Ryan's hand. "I know you," I said, trying to recall from where. "Mr Hunter, can you explain the ripped dress and why you're sneaking Ms O'Prey out of your suite if you're not dating?" When I remembered where it was that I knew Ryan from, my glare went from him to Will. "So, no phones on your island, huh?" I roared, as Will continued trying to unlock Ryan's phone. At my words, Will froze. "Now hold on a second," he said, studying my face, anger and alarm spreading through his. I wasn't about to comply of course. As Will turned to me, I slapped him, shoved my heel into his foot for good measure and then stomped off