14 Months 09-10: Valentine's Day

14 months 09: Valentine's Day Part 1.

Sophie sighed as she walked to the centre of the dancefloor. She looked around the darkened club, the red-tinged lights making the dark and shadowy interior even more so. The small group of dancers in dark red or black outfits followed her and spread out in an arch leaving a meter of space around her. Her caramel coloured hair glowed with red highlights under the lighting, and the sequins of the dress she had worn to the gala glittered and shone with the same sparking hues. This was the easy part, Sophie reminded herself. They had already dangled her from a crane ten meters in the air and made her walk through the derelict warehouse and red-light districts in the dark early hours of the morning. This should be a piece of cake.

The heavy beat of the introduction to the Three Days Grace song began, and she closed her eyes to block out all of the people watching her and began to sway to the music, singing softly along with the lyrics to "Fallen Angel". The heavy dark enamelled halo weighed her head down and made her feel off balance. She felt rather than saw the large body of a man press against her back and join in her swaying movements. Her hands went to her hips making the movements hotter and dirty somehow. She lifted her arms letting the wings spread up and out as she reached for the face she knew towered above her. Only this time it felt wrong and she spun a small frown of confusion creasing her brow as she took in Asher who grabbed her hand and pulled her close forcing her into slow sensual rhumba type moves as her eyes widened.

"Just go with it," he murmured close to her ear and was spun from him into the arms of Zander.

Zander let out a low growl over her shoulder and dipped her back making her press her pelvis into his as he slowly brought her back up and held her close, then he turned her from Asher, and continued to dance. The cameras whirred and moved around them and Jack murmured instructions into a headpiece. Confused and disorientated Sophie was pushed and pulled between the two men in the strange unchoreographed dance. When the song finally ended, Sophie looked up at Asher who had her pinned to his body with a questioning look. He, in turn, tilted his head at Jack.

"A little warning might have been nice, Jack!" Sophie snarked and untangled herself and her wings from Asher's arms.

"What? Ash is the better dancer. You two looked amazing together on tape. Besides, it adds to the whole light versus dark vibe we were going for. Trust me. You are going to want to tell a story. The best music clips have a storyline it even works for commercials. So, trust me you will love the finished clip. I promise or I will redo it from scratch from the first dance scene we filmed," Jack spoke quickly not wanting the vision he had for her in his head to unravel now.

"Just warn me next time," Sophie sighed. There was no way she wanted to film this thing from scratch again.

"But then we wouldn't have captured your reaction so perfectly as each of the guys came in to seduce you," he chuckled and waggled his eyebrows. "Before you ask, we couldn't have used Darius, I'm good, but even I couldn't hide that great hulking wound on his neck well enough to pass muster and he won't want to show anyone that he is weak in any way."

"Fine, are we done here?" Sophie asked.

"Not even close, one maybe two more times with a slightly different scenario. Take a break while we rig it up for you," Jack directed, holding his clipboard and checking it before calling out one of his assistant's names and walking off.

"Rig what up?" Sophie called after him, but he was gone into the small crowd of people here for the shooting of the clip. "We're just selling the dress you realise, not me!"

The Valentine's day auction to sell each of their dresses within a public art gallery where each would be given space to create a display around the costume had been changed to a private art gallery with an invitation-only guest list but a public online auction would run simultaneously within the gallery's website. This meant combining the digital medium with the tactile and visual impact of an installation. While Sophie felt creative enough to have input into ideas floating around their meetings, she was glad that it seemed that Jack had officially joined their team. His amazing creativity and the availability of his studio staff meant that any idea someone had could be pushed to extremes.

Jack's brainchild for the whole installation and online clip was how she had found herself dangling by thick wires from a crane, crashing through plywood sets onto soft mats and dancing in a club decorated to look like the caverns of hell. He seemed driven and had handed off the other brothers and their girl's installations and clips to trusted members of his staff rather than divide his attention amongst three projects at once.

Sophie appreciated his determination to make the best short film and art installation for her and tried on several occasions to talk to him directly about it, but he seemed to avoid any one on one time with her completely. If she didn't know better, she would think that Jack appeared almost scared of her by the way he always made sure there were at least two other people with them whenever they were in the same room.

"Here," Zander held out a bottle of water to Sophie as he found her still standing where she was looking at the spot where jack disappeared into the small crowd of staff. "What are you looking at?"

"Do I smell funny?" she asked curiously.

"No," Zander scowled. "Who told you that?"

"No one I just wondered," she shook her head and gave a small smile. "Have you seen any of the shots?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Not yet but I trust Jack, he's pretty good and has your best interests in mind," Zander said without any doubt that Jack was the best man for the job.

"I don't think he likes me very much," Sophie mused, looking back the way he had gone after avoiding talking with her again.

"I know for a fact you are wrong about that," Zander chuckled. "Why would you even think that?"

"Watch how he acts around me. Even when other people are around, I can't get close enough to him to talk to him and apologise for yelling at him and Tom before the Gala," she sighed. "He doesn't seem to want to be around me in any way. I have no idea why he even volunteered to do the filming for us when he obviously can't stand to be near me," she knew she sounded whiney but it truly bothered her.

"You don't think you're exaggerating that a little bit?" Zander cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't know. Maybe," Sophie shook her head. "It is what it is," she shrugged and chugged some of her water.

"Grr, we spoke about that," Zander said in a warning tone and watched as she jumped and bit her lip.

"It's a bad habit. I'm trying to stop, honestly," Sophie said softly and averted her eyes. "I know I am not the same girl that Darius brought into the game anymore," she reassured him of the second lesson he had given her recently. Over the last week since their night in the hotel room, Zander had been asserting his dominance more and more and making her face her fears and bad habits little by little. Rather than fighting his claim of possessing her body and soul, Sophie found she liked knowing she could trust him to care for her as more than just a mere pawn in the fucked-up game their Alliance played.

Darius was a different matter. Although he made the same claims on her as Zander, he appeared to enjoy treating her as his personal whore and would quite often use somewhat derogatory names when dirty talking her at the height of their sexual encounters. She felt the ownership and passion Darius had always held for her, but with Zander, she felt the care and control over her inner well-being as well as that of the outer shell. That care and control he kept over her had turned into an aphrodisiac to her and she found herself tuning into Zanders moods now and trying to guess what he needed from her before he pointed it out.

"Alright, let's get you rigged up," One of the assistants came to claim Sophie's attention saving her from continuing the conversation with Zander.

The afternoon wore on as she was hoisted up as if flying within the club and she felt amused as Zander was also rigged up to fly. It became even funnier as there was a tug of war between Asher and Zander using her like a rope. Each time she laughed the scene would have to be reset so the day grew late by the time Jack seemed to grudgingly admit he had all the footage he would need to create a masterpiece. Finally, able to get changed from the heavy wings Sophie breathed a sigh of relief and went into the back office which had been temporarily reappropriated as her makeup and change room because it had a small bathroom attached.

"Sorry I took so long," Sophie apologised when she came out dressed casually in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt still playing with her ponytail and smiled at the men waiting for her. They each had changed into more casual clothes and leaned comfortably on the night club bar. "It's a shame the club's not open yet I'm starving," Sophie admitted walking directly towards Jack hoping that with his brothers there he would finally stand still and talk to her.

"I can grab you a drink though," Jack moved before she could get to him and put the bar between them. He noted the way Sophie looked at Zander with a furrowed brow and deflated a bit that he had caused that line on her forehead.

"It's okay I can wait until we can stop for burgers or something on the way to the airport," Sophie shrugged. "We all ready to go?" she looked inquiringly at Asher and Zander.

"Yeah but no. Give me soda water," Zander said. "You want something Ash?"

"Sure, I'll have a coke, and if we're staying you might as well get one for Cookie," Asher grinned and pulled Sophie closer to his side before Zander could. "What are you hungry for Cookie?"

"Why do you keep calling her Cookie?" Jack grumbled as he grabbed the bottles of coke and soda water from the fridge.

"Well, she's a smart cookie, a clever cookie, a sweet cookie, what sort of cookie did you claim you were again? Smart arse Cookie?" Asher teased Sophie.

"I don't even remember anymore but probably a clever one. I'm not exactly smart, but I can pull off clever now and then," Sophie laughed lightly and took the bottle of coke from Jack before he could place it on the bar in front of her and winced as he snatched his hand away before they could accidentally brush fingers almost toppling the bottle over. "Still think I'm exaggerating?" she muttered under her breath to Zander. Louder she said, "I need some fresh air I'm going to go check on Bear, you know how whiney he gets when we leave him alone for too long," she laughed again and went to walk outside but Zander caught her arm and pulled her back to stand her between his legs as he sat on a barstool.

"She thinks you don't like her," Zander said directly to Jack who flinched as if Zander had slapped him. "I thought she was imagining things when she asked if she smelled bad and told me that she felt you were avoiding her. I have to admit though that the lengths you go to so that you are never within arm's length of her is quite astounding and creative," he tapped the bar meaningfully. "Care to explain?"

"Sophie, that could be further from the truth. Why would I do all this otherwise?" he smiled widely and indicated the club they stood in. I get wrapped up in the work. My focus can be very narrow. I apologise if I made you feel that way. The last thing I would ever want is to hurt you," he said his tone pleading for her to believe him.

"I can see that," Sophie nodded twisting the bottle in her hands. "I really do want some fresh air and to check on bear though. So if you gentlemen don't mind, I'm going to go and stand in the last of the afternoon sun for a little while."

"I'll go with you," Asher offered, pulling Sophie from Zander and walking her out leaving Zander to find out what the hell was going on with Jack. Asher would have thought the man would have been all over her once he met her. Sophie was grateful for Asher's buoyant personality as she walked from the club to let Zander talk to Jack. She knew she was being a coward about it, but she didn't understand what was going on with him.

"He swears he was just being single-minded about the project," Zander said five minutes later when he exited the club and shrugged. They piled into the car talking about grabbing burgers for the flight home. Jack hadn't come to say goodbye to them or at least to her, Sophie noted.

*****

Darius walked through the house, seeking out Sophie knowing he would find her in the music room as usual. He stood in the doorway watching her for a few moments. She was so sweet and perfect and it was so easy to forget where he had rescued her from and believe she was the Angel he called her. He was looking forward to tonight and finally seeing the film clip Jack had put together for her art installation and online auction.

Knowing he would have to share her attention tonight Darius had come home from work early to spend some alone time with her. His eyes grazed over her again as she concentrated on the piece she was playing. It had a familiar tune, but he couldn't place it immediately and he wished she was singing or at least humming along to the piece so he had a better idea of what she was playing. As if sensing him, she looked up and smiled her fingers tinkling to a stop.

"You're home early," she said, tilting her head curiously.

"I am because we have plans for tonight. This way, I still get to spend a little quality time with you before we have to leave," he smiled.

"Oh? Where are we going?" Sophie asked.

"Out," he said with a mysterious smile, "With Zander and Jack."

"Jack? Why would he be going anywhere with us?" she frowned convinced that the man barely tolerated her presence despite his denials.

"Why wouldn't he?" Darius scowled.

"I don't know. I'm sure Jack wants to hang with you and Zander," she said back peddling a little and trying to remember it wasn't all about her all the time.

"You don't think he wants to see you?" Darius's scowl turned into a truly perplexed frown.

"It's just a vibe I get from him. Since the day we filmed the clip at the nightclub," Sophie admitted.

"Trust me; Jack wants to see you. He calls all the time to check on you," Darius said comfortingly and pulled her up and into his arms.

Sophie didn't bother replying. She knew how he acted around her and Zander had seen it happen, so she knew it wasn't all in her head, but she didn't want to be the Yoko of their boy band so she knew she had to let it go and do her own thing when he avoided her as he had been doing the last few times she had seen him. She tilted her head up to Darius and went up on her toes initiating a kiss to end the conversation.

Darius picked her up in his arms and took her upstairs to clean up and change. Not that she was dirty yet, but she would have to clean up after he had done some very dirty things to her. He grinned to himself as he strode with purposeful steps towards the bedroom. Placing her on her feet, he kept her close and bent his head to kiss her. Keeping her close, he stepped back until his legs hit the bed, never breaking the kiss. He sat leaving her standing and their heights, with her bare feet, were closer than ever as he deepened the kiss.

Sophie moaned into the kiss, her hands reaching up to smooth over his chest and shoulders. Her arms circled around his neck allowing him to pull her even closer between his legs. Her breathing was becoming harder and matched his as their chests pressed together and he lowered his face to her neck kissing and nibbling up to her ear. She moaned softly again at the feel of his rough afternoon shadowed face as it grazed over her sensitive skin and she breathed in the faded scent of his spicy cologne enjoying the familiar scent of him. She felt one of his hands exploring her ass, caressing and squeezing the firm curves before dragging one hand back up her spine to her nape and kissing her again.

Darius slowly lifted her shirt, tugging it off and tossing it aside. He lowered his face to kiss the tops of her breast as he expertly clicked open the clasp of her bra freeing the soft mounds that fit almost perfectly in his hands as he cupped them squeezing light and enjoying her moan. Resuming his kiss he made short work of her skirt and underwear before standing, picking her up with a hand under her ass and the other curling into the back of her hair he turned and placed her on the bed.

Sophie watched Darius with hooded eyes. Her gaze rolled over every new millimetre of exposed skin as he undressed before her. His look was intense as he climbed onto the bed and straddled her using a massaging movement to explore the front of her body completely. Drawing gasps and moans from her, his hands squeezed her breasts before moving down over her abdomen and out around her rib cage before settling a hand between her legs and leaning down to kiss her. She moaned and squirmed with heat and need as he played his hands over her body.

Darius felt her hot and wet for him and so perfect as his fingers rolled around her clit several times before delving inside her. She was perfect, his perfect angel. The soft moans and whimpered noises she made pulled at his self-restraint, but he wanted her wetter and her tight little body ready for him. He continued to play the body he knew so well now until she arched up beneath him, crying out her release. Unable to wait a moment longer to be inside her, he pulled his fingers from her, lifting them to her lips as he settled between her legs.

"Fuck! Yes," Darius groaned deeply as he pushed his fingers into her mouth and his cock into her pulsing pussy trying to ease his way into her but feeling like she was sucking him in with the spasms and pulses she still emitted in waves.

"Oh, fuck," Sophie groaned her breathing, becoming ragged as her mind focused on the way he stretched her and filled her impossibly full. She felt his hands slide beneath her ass, tilting her hips ups to angle his cock against the rough spot deep within her that would send her over the edge again and again while he fucked her. His mouth and rough stubbled grazed over her neck adding to the sensations she was feeling as his mouth lowered to her shoulder, biting her hard. Marking her she knew. She cursed, knowing he did this purposely because they were going out tonight. She groaned deeply, the pain and eroticism of the act sending her over the edge into an earth-shattering orgasm that shook her whole body.

Darius didn't bother holding back. He knew Zander wouldn't be far behind him in coming home to check on Sophie and the arrangements for tonight. He felt her body shudder and shake below him a moment before her tight pussy gripped and pulsed around his cock and he slammed into her driving himself over the edge into bliss with her.

Sophie let her legs relax and wrapped her arms around Darius's heaving shoulders as he came back down to earth with her. His fingers twined into her hair, and he rolled, pulling her with him to lay on his chest and abdomen. His hands went to her hips, and he lifted his knees behind her forcing her legs alongside his hips as she straddled him. She looked at him in surprise as she realised, he was still completely hard within her. Pushing her to a sitting position, he kept one hand on her hip, guiding her to a gentle rocking movement as the other lifted to cup a breast and roll the nipple between thumb and forefinger. She gasped and leaned forward to brace her hands on his chest, and she wobbled as her oversensitive body trembled under his hands.

Darius groaned and revelled in the noises Sophie made in counterpoint to his deep bass. The hand he had held her hip with skirted around her thigh, seeking out her clit again as he saw her eyes glaze over with the imminent orgasm. He drew her hands from his chest to the mattress on either side of his head essentially putting her on all fours and keeping room for his hand to continue working her clit as she rocked back and forth onto his cock. The tips of her hard nipples grazed over his chest with her movements, and he growled deep and low in his need for more, for harder, faster strokes, for her to come for him again.