Warming the IcePrincess Pt. 03

"Oooo...," I said hugging her tighter, "I wonder how things are going with Liz and him tonight."

She stood still holding my hand nodding toward the bedroom and answered, "I just hope she will make him as happy as I am."

I added confidently while following her to the bedroom, "If anyone can Liz would be the gal to do it, don't you worry babe."

Chapter 13

(Unexpected Allies)

Waking before the sun or the alarm clock was nothing new to me, but opening my eyes to find Claire snuggled tightly against me was something I don't think I'll ever used to. Just feeling my arms around her as I spooned against her smooth firm body sent thrills through me the instant I woke up. It felt so right, as if I was somehow completed by being with her. Sleeping together on the enormous king-size bed still seemed a bit ludicrous to me as I glanced across the expanse of unruffled sheets. I smiled against her shoulder thinking how the two of us only ever occupied about six square feet while sleeping. The balance of that empty space was only useful while our eyes (and thighs) were open. I hated to slip away from her warmth even though my bladder was screaming for immediate relief. I answered natures call reluctantly, and once finished with that and the bare bones of my morning routine, I headed into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast hoping to give her a few more precious minutes of sleep. I got the coffee going and started rummaging quietly through the cupboards searching for something suitable for breakfast when a pair of hands slipped smoothly around my waist pulling me back against a warm curvy body.

"Good morning beautiful," I heard over my shoulder as a pair of soft lips pressed against the base of my neck and began sucking lightly.

I turned into her embrace the lips landing somewhat higher now but still sucking, what an incredible way to start the day. Her kisses were gentle but foretold of an eagerness lurking just beneath the surface that I knew could quickly get out of hand.

Breaking away I said, "Baby I know it really sucks but we don't have the time right now, we need to get to the office this morning like everyone else and I want to get into work before everyone gets swallowed up into the daily routine."

She whimpered cutely and said, "But after today it'll be four whole days before I get to touch you again like this." Her hands roamed over my body one hand cupping my mound with a fingertip teasing the opening.

I answered her, "I am sorry babe, I guess you'll have to pack a vibrator or twelve to tide you over on the trip, honey."

She brightened and said, "O.K. I'll call you and we can do it together."

She released me turning for the living room she soon disappeared through the open glass doors, walking back inside she said, "I'm bringing this big fucker with me you'll have to find something else."

I cracked up at the wild look in her eyes as she cradled the blue monster using both hands heading for the bedroom where her empty luggage was stacked.

I hated having to break the news to her but when she got back to the kitchen, I couldn't help chuckling overtop my coffee mug while I told her, "Claire honey Beijing is fourteen hours ahead of us here so when you're in your room for the night I'll still be at the office."

Her forlorn look had me laughing even harder and she slapped me playfully on the arm before saying, "Well I guess you'll just have a good excuse to test the damn lock on your office door."

"We'll see," I said sipping the hot brew peering over the rim into the eyes of my even hotter lover.

Trying to redirect the conversation away from sex, I suggested to her, "Maybe you should give your dad a call and see if he wants to go with you, he seemed really concerned about this deal going down just right."

"You know that's a great idea babe, it'll take his mind off the trouble back here and keep him out of your hair while you dig into it and find out what's really been going on," she said smiling thoughtfully across the table at me.

"Gosh I hope the sudden change doesn't delay your departure time," I teased, "I mean what would you do with all the extra time?"

She answered that question by circling the table and sitting and in my lap facing me. She had two hands full of my boobs before her buns were resting on my knees. I had to balance my coffee mug with one hand trying not to spill it on her as she groped me, but managed to set it down on the table before slapping at her hands with a giggle.

She wouldn't stop so I told her, "Its gonna be kinda hard to dial the phone with both your hands full of my boobs lady, now get going and call your dad."

With a mischievous grin of my own I said, "That is if he can tear himself away from Liz to take your call. God I'm dying to know how that went, hurry up go call him."

When we arrived at the office, I made a stop at purchasing to drop off our furniture requisitions while Claire went upstairs to see her father who told her he would be waiting for her. From purchasing I went directly to my old office on nineteen and began to organize those few things I wanted to move into my new office upstairs. As I stood looking around the desolate little space for what would likely be the last time, I actually started thinking that I was going to miss it. I sighed sadly and went to the door to look for a box to clean my desk into, when I stepped outside, I was confronted with nine smiling faces.

Initially stunned I scanned the faces of my team as they stood grinning at me and each other unsure of what to do next. Allison stepped forward during the awkward silence and hugged me warmly.

She looked up a few seconds later and said, "Congratulations Jane we just heard the news this morning."

I thanked her surprised at the affection I felt in the embrace.

Steve elbowed his way forward saying, "Way to go boss lady!" as he threw his arms clumsily around me. His awkward embrace was also warm and genuine.

Kim had tears in her eyes when she told me she hated to see me go. Jack the group's elder statesman shook my hand saying, "You keep them honest up there Jane."

Even the usually abrasive Walter shook my hand warmly and said, "Finally somebody with some brains will be working upstairs. Straighten 'em out for us Jane."

Sue was the last one waiting as the rest of the group melted back toward their desks and got back to work. Her eyes were moist and she hugged me tightly after a moment's indecision. She told me she was going to miss me so much and then whispered something in my ear that both warmed my heart and nearly stopped it at the same time.

"Congratulations with the Ice princess too, I hope you guys will be happy together."

I stiffened in shock and quickly turned back through my office door pulling her by the hand inside with me.

With the door closed I wheeled on her and said, "Sue don't mention that to anyone inside this building, ever, please."

Shaking her head side to side she smiled back at me and saying, "Relax Jane I would never, ever, do that to you. You're the best boss I've ever had, anytime, anywhere. Besides I couldn't live with myself after doing something so shitty to someone I've always thought of as a friend."

Tearing up as I reached out to grab a hold of her, "Thanks so much Sue, I always knew you were someone I could count on."

We embraced in silence as I tried to get a hold of my emotions. I never noticed how slim and fit she was but as I held onto her, I discovered there was a strong sleek body in my arms. Her ill-fitting grunge wardrobe never revealed the unmistakably curvy feminine body I felt in my arms. She was considerably smaller than I was but I detected no lack of strength in her tight embrace. Nor were her other feminine charms lacking in any way as I felt my body responding to the close almost intimate contact.

Letting go of her I leaned back against the desk crossing my arms over my chest trying to conceal my embarrassingly stiff nipples. I looked into her eyes as my brain processed what she had just told me. When she averted her eyes to look around the room, it gave me a chance to look at how pretty she really was. It was strange but we had worked together for years but I felt as though I was noticing her beauty for the first time. She wore her dark brunette hair in a shorter pageboy style with wisps of longer hair streaming out of the bottom edge along the nape of her neck. It really emphasized her long slender neck and her slightly rounded face. Her pert little nose was a slightly crooked suggesting a less than gentle upbringing among her five brothers. Its flawed trajectory in no way detracted from her overall beauty. Her lips might have been thinner than she liked, but her mouth was delightfully shaped and was sexy even with the pewter colored ring lancing her lower lip right near one corner. Her most arresting feature was by far her large, very dark almond shaped eyes. Despite the shrapnel, protruding through various parts of her face her genetic gifts absolutely screamed cute! I wondered to myself why the she wanted to mess it all up with the metal rings and posts. I decided to keep those comments to myself, thinking "to each her own" and kept my mouth shut.

Breaking out of my trance, I asked her unsteadily, "Sue Please, you gotta tell me, how you knew... about Claire and...me? Where did we fuck up?"

She answered me smiling mischievously, "Oh don't worry too much about it boss I've know for months that you've had your knickers in a knot over her," she paused as though searching through her memory.

"I have just been adding some things up lately. The way you stop everything you're doing to watch her walk through the department. I've noticed your eye's lighting up when she talks to you in staff meetings. I've even caught you licking your lips while yours eyes tracked her ass like a laser guided missile. Stuff like that," she said still smiling at my very uneasy expression.

"Really boss, don't worry I've never uttered a word to anyone about what I suspected," her smile widened and eye's danced as she went on, "Until I saw you two at that reception the other night I've never seen either of you doing anything you needed to be worried about."

"You were there?" I asked her trying to remember if I had seen her that night.

She answered her smile beaming as she said, "Yep, I got there just behind you and McAllister. I fact I had to stop and wait for you two to quit fiddling around in the doorway."

I had to think hard back to Monday night to remember what she might be talking about to and then it dawned on me, " shit, oops," was all I could think of to say.

She giggled and said, "I saw you two driving up together in her Merc and tried to hurry and catch up to you. You both looked very yummy by the way."

I smiled and said "Thank you" for once, the rational side of my brain let my mouth close without saying anything stupid.

"When you two stopped in the doorway and I saw her messing with your dress I stopped and waited peeking around the corner. It seemed such a private moment between you," she started to chuckle, "But when you reached around to pinch her ass, I kind of put two and two together and came up with...well...lovers."

I started laughing with her and sniped, "Damned accountants never stop doing the math."

"Occupational hazard I guess," She said and then her voice lowered, "But I want you both to know you can count on my discretion. I'm no blabbermouth."

"Thanks for that Sue, really," I said to her nodding with relief. "Actually I'd like to test your powers of discretion a little bit right now if you don't mind," I asked her.

She raised her eyebrows and smirked at me saying, "Sure thing boss."

I looked around the room for a second to collect my thoughts and then began, "If they let me in on the decision, I do plan to recommend someone from my team to fill this empty office."

She nodded in understanding so I went on, "It doesn't come with much of a raise, but I plan to fix that too, as much as they let me. The job does come with this palatial office generously furnished as you see it now of course."

Mocking my tone she chirped, "Oh of course."

Getting a little more serious, I looked into her eyes and said, "Over the past few weeks, hell the last few months, I had been giving quite a bit thought to who could best handle this position when I decided to leave. It would have to be someone with the maturity, professionalism, and dedication that the job requires. I'll be honest and tell you that only one person ever came to mind, and that was you. If the folks upstairs allow it, I plan to push hard to put you behind this desk."

Her eyes widened in surprised appreciation and I told her, "My biggest concern now is do you want the job if I can offer it to you?"

She nodded halfheartedly that she would accept but the shock of hearing me say it seemed to be keeping her lips sealed.

"Excellent," I said a little relieved before adding, "Please keep that to yourself for now."

She still had a puzzled expression on her face so I decided to lighten the mood telling her, "Don't look so damn surprised Sue. Hell I thought you where the obvious choice for the job the last time, to tell the truth I was really kinda shocked when they offered it to me instead."

I started ticking off points on my fingers supporting what I just told to her, "You've got the education, you're respected by everyone in the department myself included, and your work is outstanding, attendance flawless. I also happen to think there is a lot more to Susan McKenzie than she lets too many people see."

She didn't seem to know how to respond but her grin told me I wasn't too far off the mark with anything I was saying. I hated to do anything that would bring her down but I had to. It was something that she would have to decide for herself. Pleasant or not I felt now was the time to open her eyes to the truth.

I struggled for a moment trying to think of a way to say it without sounding like a scolding parent. "Sue, please don't misunderstand what I'm going to say, I'm not trying to lay any pressure on you, really. I'm just facing reality as I know it, alright?"

She nodded and I think she had a fair idea where I was heading next. "Everyone who works with you realizes you're not some pasty skinned, black nailed full fledged Goth girl. Hell down hear in the trenches nobody much notices how anyone looks or make any fuss about it, so long as the work gets done. But the folks up on 40, well they wouldn't know the difference. Personally I think anyone that looks a little different scares them and that little bit of fear will make it harder for them to take you seriously. To them you certainly look to be within spitting distance of something they just don't understand."

I smiled at her trying to soften the discomfort I saw on her face by saying, "No matter how brilliant I tell them you really are they are gonna fixate on what they see on the outside and miss out on the fantastic person standing right in front of them."

She still seemed unconvinced so I fired my last bullet hoping she understood I was trying to be helpful and not judgmental, "Hell Sue one of the things I was gonna miss most about moving upstairs was not hearing you come jingling through the office every morning."

I smiled at that thought and said, "Your individuality always got you noticed Sue but sometimes not in the best way. I'd hate to see your potential wasted just because you look a little different. I promise that I will try to get the folks upstairs to see past the surface but I can't change their attitudes overnight, I might need a little help from you."

Her face fell and she nodded her understanding as I said, "I'd like to see you get somewhere around here but...If you really want to be considered for advancement I'd recommend losing some of the piercings."

She smiled up at me and asked, "All of them?"

I caught an odd note in her outwardly innocent query. Glancing over at her, I counted, nose, lip, eyebrow twice, and the ears, too many to count at a glance. I answered her chuckling, "Well how about the ones I can see when you smile, and... leave the tongue just don't do any talking while you're here at work."

She laughed at that last suggestion saying with a wicked grin, "Alright, but there are some I'm not giving up under any circumstances."

Now I was wondering where else she may have rings or posts that I couldn't see and decided this conversation was leading my imagination to places it shouldn't be going.

Looking her over again with my manager's eye in "critical mode" I told her, "It's a decision that you have to make Sue and a personal one, but if you're gonna go that far you might want to ratchet up the wardrobe a notch or two as well. I don't mean you have to go all girly or anything. Maybe just ditch a few of the chains, combat boots, the really baggy cargos and your "I'm with stupid" T-shirts."

I got the impression she'd heard all of this before and laughed admitting, "Christ I sound like my mother."

"Yeah," She laughed adding, "and mine."

"Oh hell Sue just its just a nickels worth of free advice Sue, one friend to another."

She turned and sat next to me on the corner of the desk and me asking, "Is that all "friend" or do I have to start wearing underwear every day too?"

We were both laughing when it struck me how nice it was to be able to talk with someone and not be scared to death of letting the wrong thing slip out.

She stood to leave and I thanked her for being so understanding. She stopped for a second inside the door then turned back to me saying, "I really am happy for you boss, both of you, you make an awesome looking couple." She bit at the ring in the corner of her lip nervously and asked, "Would this a good time to tell you how jealous I am?"

I sighed, and answered her with a relaxed happy smile, "She is incredible isn't she."

Then she stunned me into open-mouthed silence, "Her...Psssh... You can have her. No boss I'm just jealous that it was her ass you were pinching... and not mine." With that statement still hanging in midair, she stepped through the door swinging it closed behind her.

I stared at the back of the door my brain reeling and I hopped off the desk and sitting heavily in my chair behind it. I wondered how in hell I could have missed it. Had I been so fixated for so long on Claire that I never even noticed when somebody else might be interested in me? Sue it seemed had an "Ice Princess" problem of her own. I sure couldn't help her with it, because she was me. "Oh damn it all!" I muttered to myself, I didn't need a complication like this, not now! I wondered how I was going to tell Claire about this. I wasn't looking forward to that conversation one little bit but knew I couldn't ignore the problem hoping it would go away. Sue was going to be part of my life professionally anyway. I just didn't have any friggin idea how to sort it out on a personal level. I could hardly think and I certainly couldn't deal with clearing out of my office anymore. The muscles tensing along my temples already were foretelling of a nasty headache that was just starting to bloom. It wasn't even nine thirty yet and already I wanted to run back home and hide under the covers.

I finally decided to try making a phone call to see if I could handle that without screwing my day up any worse. Pulling his card from my pocket, I dialed agent Gibbon's number and waited for him to answer.

"Special Agent Gibbons? Jane De Marco over at Continental how are you this morning, Good glad to hear that. I think you and I need to have a little talk."

I spent a few minutes apologizing for any trouble I had caused him by giving his boss such a rough time. He told me I hadn't done anything that anyone who met the egotistical Deputy Director didn't fantasize doing five minutes after meeting him. I found chatting with the intelligent young Agent both pleasant and enlightening. Keith, I finally learned was his name had been working the case from the beginning. He told me "confidentially please," that he viewed the Deputy Director's involvement as nothing but an obstacle from the moment he stepped off the plane from Washington.