Nick put down his mug and let his eyes stray to Belle, who was curled up in her usual corner of the lab, book in hand. A satisfied smile crossed his face at the sight of her wearing his brown waistcoat over her full blue skirt and cream-colored top. The addition changed her look from 'librarian' to 'cowgirl' but it wasn't unattractive. She'd swiped it for the first time two weeks ago, teasing that she was trying to spare him the trouble of chewing a hole in her neck every other day.

It was a fair compromise. He still preferred the sight of her clad in nothing at all with his love bites decorating her throat, announcing his claim on her, but the sight of her in his clothing was pleasing in its own right. Since he wasn't willing to let anyone else see his preferred version of Belle, her wearing his waistcoat would have to do. Short of wrapping her in barbed wire, he couldn't think of a better way to warn off any other man who might be sniffing around her.

He was spending considerably more time in bed now that Belle was in it too. This week was proving to be the exception however, and his eyes were burning; he'd lost his knack for pulling forty hour days. Belle had tried to coax him to bed hours ago, but there was simply too much to do. His cock twitched at the thought of what he was going to do with her once he got done with this, and he glared at his console. If he kept thinking along those lines, he'd never finish.

Six minutes later, he took another swig of coffee and glanced at Belle, frowning when he saw she was no longer wearing his waistcoat. Instead, it was folded neatly beside her on the floor. Otherwise, she didn't seem to have moved, her attention still riveted to her book. Perhaps she'd been warm. Nick shrugged it off. They were alone, so it hardly mattered that she wasn't broadcasting his possession of her. Still, he preferred her with it on.

He got back to work, and the next time he looked up, Belle had changed again. This time her chestnut curls were loose around her face instead of being constrained in the messy bun she'd been wearing earlier. Her face was peaceful as she read, and his body stirred at the thought of burying his hands in those curls while he attacked her mouth.

Mentally shaking himself, he went back to his console, forcing himself not to look away again. Belle wasn't doing a thing, but he was still distracted, barely able to keep his attention on his work, and if he kept going at this rate, he'd be here for another forty hours.

His resolve didn't last long; soon enough Nick found himself sneaking another look at his girl, and he nearly choked on a swallow of coffee. The waistcoat and the hair had been one thing, but this was quite another. Belle's top had joined his waistcoat on the floor, and although she was still gazing placidly at her book, she couldn't quite hide the smirk trying to spread across her face.

Nick exhaled slowly as his traitorous body came to attention, far more interested in the half-naked Belle in the corner than his work, and it took physical effort to take his eyes off of her soft curves so beautifully displayed by her lacy bra. If Belle wanted to play, he'd just have to prove that Nick Rush was made of sterner stuff. It would take more than a glimpse of flesh to break him.

Staring at the console as if his life depended on it, Nick found himself straining his ears for any hint of motion or rustle of cloth, and the silence was almost more torturous than the sound of her stripping. He ground his teeth, his body twitching with the need to look at her. He heard the faintest sigh coming from her corner and jerked his head so fast he nearly snapped his neck to see Belle engrossed in her book, her fingers absently stroking along the edge of her bra.

She was trying to kill him. It was the only possible explanation.

Breathing sharply in through his teeth, he looked away, nothing on the console making the slightest bit of sense when Belle was in the same room and touching herself. Nick rubbed his thumb and fingers together, almost able to feel her softness for himself, and this wasn't fucking fair.

The next time he looked her skirt was gone. She was curled up in just her bra and knickers, reading innocently and apparently oblivious to the fact that he was breathing like he'd run a race. He'd been intent on finishing this before he hauled her back to their quarters, but by that point, Nick couldn't even remember what he'd been working on, most of his blood having strayed considerably lower, and their quarters were too far away.

Inexorably drawn to her, he abandoned his station to kneel at her side, running his eyes hungrily over her, not sure where to touch first. He settled for touching the same skin she'd touched to start all this, reaching out to trail one finger along the edge of her bra.

Belle swatted his hand away.

He sat back, surprised, then grinned wolfishly. If she wanted to play, they'd play. He threaded his fingers through her curls, drawing her hair back so he could nibble the shell of her ear just the way she liked. "Nick, stop! Let me finish this chapter."

That wasn't her playful, teasing voice. That was her 'you're getting on my nerves' voice. She was serious about this. She wasn't pretending disinterest; at some point she'd actually decided that her book was more interesting than seducing him.

Nick bit back a growl at the thought, wanting nothing more than to pluck the book from her fingers, toss it aside, and remind her what he had to offer that printed pages didn't. Of course if he did that, she'd tell him off for mistreating the book and probably insist on petting it in apology for his rough treatment, the inanimate object getting the attention she should be giving him.

He was jealous of a fucking book. He had problems.

He also had work to do, an erection that was showing no signs of going away, and Belle oblivious to his discomfort. Steps needed to be taken.

Stealing a page out of her playbook, he removed his shoes and socks, placing them neatly beside hers. When Belle didn't so much as glance his way, he yanked his shirts off over his head, taking the time to fold them when he still didn't get a reaction.

He sprawled out beside her, trapping her in her corner with his body, although she didn't seem to notice, and if anyone walked in, this was going to look fucking odd. It was time to raise the stakes. He let one hand roam over his chest, following the paths Belle liked to take- over his pectoral muscles, down his side with just the slightest scratch of nails, then a brush of fingertips over his stomach and around his navel. The touch made him grunt a little in surprised pleasure, his skin prickling. When seeing to himself he rarely bothered with this, going straight to the main event in interest of efficiency, but this felt... nice.

It would feel better if it was Belle's hand on him, and he closed his eyes, imagining her putting her book aside in favor of stroking him. She liked his nipples; no doubt she'd go for them next, pinching them until they were hard for her and making him groan as she started to suck at them. "Belle..."

"Nick- Oh!" He opened his eyes, catching her startled glance as she saw him spread out before her. She licked her lips and swallowed hard, the sheer lust on her face making him harden further until he was straining against the front of his jeans. Thoughtlessly, he pinched tighter, hissing as his flesh swelled. "You started without me," she said huskily.

"You gave up on me," he complained, his voice dark. What he was doing to the tight bud bordered on torture, but he couldn't seem to stop.

"You weren't paying attention, and then the book got interesting," she explained, carefully placing the book aside and reaching behind her to unfasten her bra. She grinned as she straddled him, grinding herself down against him, and he jerked his hips helplessly, straining to be closer. "Guess you were more distracted than I thought."

She batted his hand away, leaning down to scrape her teeth over his nipple, and he cried out, his hands plunging into her hair to hold her in place. They weren't usually that sensitive; most of the pleasure he got out of this was in seeing how much Belle liked it, but his rough treatment had changed that. If anything they were oversensitive now- hot and tight- and when Belle ran her tongue over one, the sensation went straight to his cock.

He bucked wildly beneath her, the constriction of his jeans bordering on painful. "Belle, please." He grabbed her hips, helping her grind down on him, and if she didn't let him inside soon, he was going to die.

"I should make you wait," she teased, her mouth moving to torture his other nipple. "You were ignoring me."

"Saw everything you did," he swore, "Everything. Didn't get anything done after you took your shirt off." She nipped at him, and he grunted. If she kept this up he was going to come in his pants and leave both of them unsatisfied, but she caught his wrists when he tried to reach for her breasts, pinning his hands to the floor.

"Then why were you pretending to work?" Her teeth caught his nipple and pulled, and Nick slammed the back of his head against the floor to keep himself together. Belle had missed her calling; she would have made an excellent interrogator.

"I didn't want you to win," he confessed, not caring how childish it made him sound. He would have told her anything if only she'd put him out of his misery.

"But I think I did win," she said innocently, pinching his other nipple hard, and he growled in despair. "Did I win, Nick?"

"Yes!" he gasped, jerking his hips frantically. "You win."

He couldn't suppress his moan of protest when she lifted herself off of him, but she was gone for only the seconds it took to divest herself of her knickers and get him out of his jeans before she was lowering herself onto him, her heat soothing the agony of his desire.

Bracing his hands behind him he sat up and buried his face between her breasts, eager to pay her back in kind as she started to ride him. He'd learned the spots that drove her wild and ruthlessly exploited the knowledge, licking and nibbling at her soft skin until she was moving against him in a frenzy. Her fingers clutched at his hair, and she yanked his head back to claim his mouth in a kiss that stole his breath and the remainder of his sanity.

He thrust up to meet her every downward movement, desperate to drive himself deeper into his Belle- deeper than anyone else had ever been- and claim her for his own. Clutching at her hips, he pulled her down harder, unable to do anything intensely enough. She tore her mouth from his with a cry, her head falling back on her shoulders as she rose and fell above him, her face tight with passion as she neared her climax. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and Nick blessed the pain that served as enough of a distraction to ward off his own for a few more moments. He moved his hand around, pressing his thumb just above the place where their bodies were joined, and Belle yelled his name like he was killing her. "Nick!"

If anyone was passing by, they'd come running to her rescue; Belle sounded like she was in agony. The thought of being caught like this didn't bother him in the slightest. Let them catch them together. Belle was his, and he'd claim her in front of everyone if she'd let him. He'd never let her go, never let anyone take her away from him. Growling, he sunk his teeth into the side of her neck, and Belle screamed again as he left his mark on her, her inner walls fluttering around him, dragging him over the edge with her even as he struggled to hold on.

Jerking his hips frantically, he rode out his own climax, feeling like his entire body had been bathed in fire. Nick clutched her against him and thrust himself deep, trying to bind them so tightly together they'd never have to be separated as he shouted his own pleasure.

They held each other for long moments afterward, Belle kissing his hair as he rested his head against her breasts, feeling totally drained. "I was just trying to get you to go to bed," she admitted with a soft laugh, "You looked exhausted."

"I am now," he mumbled, suddenly too tired to even open his eyes. Bed sounded like heaven, but bed also involved letting go of Belle and putting their clothes back on. It wasn't going to happen. Instead, Nick reached back for their pile of clothes, using their shirts as a pillow as he lay back down on the metal floor, Belle using him as a mattress. He fumbled for her skirt, shaking it out and covering her with it to protect her modesty in case anyone wandered in looking for them. "That's better."

"Nick!" Belle's giggle sounded scandalized, her breath tickling his bare chest. "Someone's going to catch us."

He wrapped his arms around her just in case she decided to make a break for it. "I hope it's Brody."

"You're terrible," she snorted.

He used a yawn to cover his smug grin at the thought of Brody catching them in this position. "That's what you like about me."

"Too true." She snuggled into him, and all was still.