Chapter 4
James’s mission took longer to complete than anticipated. There were days of endless observations when he was forced to do nothing but wait, knowing that it was very likely that he was being watched as well and that death could be looming behind every corner. In fact, he was almost killed twice, the second time leaving him with a deep wound in his left side that he probably only survived because he was an enhanced super soldier.
In the end, however, all of his targets were eliminated and he was free to return to the facility.
Almost two months had passed since he left it and as always his first way led him to Schulz to hand in his mission report.
Seated in a big comfortable chair Schulz listened to the Winter Soldier’s report while his assistant typed down everything on a rather old type-writer. All the time James paced the room, unable to stand still, still pumped from the adrenalin of his recent kills.
When he had finished, Schulz nodded contentedly. “Well done, soldier. I knew we could count on you. It took longer than we thought but in the end all that matters is the result. You can take the rest of the day off. And let Doctor Zola check on your wound. We don’t want you to get blood poisoning or something.”
James nodded and opened the door to leave the office almost bumping into Natalia who was just about to knock. They both flinched, trying to hide their surprise and delight to see the other.
“Agent.”
“Soldier.”
They nodded shortly and then pushed past each other; Natalia’s hand lightly brushing James’s, making it look like an accident in case any of the others should notice.
Walking down the corridor to Doctor Zola’s office James tried to calm his mind and his rapidly beating heart. Over the past weeks he had tried to forget Natalia. He had told himself that he had been temporarily mentally incompetent and whatever had happened in the gym that day was a folly that was never going to repeat itself. He had almost hoped that she would be assigned to a mission when he returned, so he wouldn’t have to face her and the feelings he was so desperate to suppress.
Doctor Zola told him that his wound was healing perfectly and much faster than with ordinary humans proving once more how extraordinarily well their enhancement had worked. James hardly listened to him.
He spent the rest of the day locked up in his room, lifting weights, doing push-ups and trying his best not to think about Natalia.
It was past midnight and he had just lain down to sleep when a soft knock on the door startled him. He turned on the small light hanging above his bed and went over to the door barefooted. He opened it a crack and saw Natalia standing there. His heart made a terrified leap and he hastily pulled her inside throwing an anxious look up and down the dark and deserted corridor.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in a hushed voice. “You can’t be here. What if somebody saw you?”
“Nobody saw me,” she replied just as quietly. “I know how to move unseen. I learned from the best.”
“Flattering won’t help you,” James replied angrily. “Whatever you came here for, I am sure it can wait till tomorrow when we meet in the gym.”
Natalia looked at him with those big green eyes of hers and took a step closer to him. “No, it can’t.”
Her smell was dizzying, he could almost feel the heat radiating from her body, and it took all his willpower to not give in to his primal instincts.
“You have to go,” he heard himself saying. “Go or I will report you for being out of your room after curfew. If you are here because of the kiss, then let me tell you that it didn’t mean anything. It was foolish and it never should have happened in the first place. Go.”
“You are a terrible liar when it comes to yourself, James,” Natalia smiled softly taking another step towards him. She was now only inches away and his heart was beating so fast that he was convinced that she could hear it. Her eyes left his face and wandered across his bare chest down to the barely healed wound on his side. “Does it hurt?” she asked, carefully trailing its outline with her fingertips.
James closed his eyes and managed to turn the moan forming inside of him into a pressed “No”.
“I was worried about you,” Natalia said starting to plant kisses on his chest. “You said you’d be gone for a month and you didn’t return and we didn’t hear from you for so long.”
“Natalia…” His voice was hardly more than a hoarse whisper. “Please … don’t …”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up to him. “Do you really want me to go?”
A moment of silence, then, with a single swift movement he lifted her up and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down and settled himself over her. “You never should have come here,” he said kissing her hungrily. “You have no idea what they will do to us if they ever find out.”
“I don’t care.”
Natalia pulled him close, pressing against him, soft moans escaping her as his mouth started to explore every inch of her body. Her t-shirt was quickly removed exposing her bare breasts and sensitive skin. “This is so wrong,” James said continuing his journey down to her centre. “So, so wrong.” He freed her of her pants and panties, then stripped naked himself. For a moment they just looked at each other, taking in each other’s beauty. Then he came back and, kissing her deeply, settled into her.
James couldn’t remember when he had ever felt so free, so alive. Natalia made him feel human again. She let the Winter Soldier vanish and made him realise that he was more than a soldier, more than a killing machine. She saw something in him that he himself had long forgotten. She saw James.
Their movements became faster, their kisses more desperate. Like castaways about to drown they clung to each other, moaning the other’s name, trying to be as close as possible. A breath-taking release made their bodies shudder and breathing heavily James rolled down from her turning off the light with a quick movement of his metal hand.
Without saying a word he pulled her close to him, wrapping both his arms around her while she settled her head on his chest. Morning would come way too soon and she would have to sneak back to her own room long before sunrise but for now he was not going to let her go.