"Are you ready to go?" Nikita whirled around with these soft words spoken just over her shoulder. How does he does that? Only Michael could walk up behind her without making one sound. The first indication she had of his presence had been the funny buzzing along her nerves that always seemed to indicate Michael's proximity.

Nikita took a moment to compose herself after Michael's startling of her and she looked him over from head to toe. She loved his suits in black. She had never told him this out loud, but he wore black better than any man she had ever known. His suit coat and pants fit him to perfection, faithfully following the contours of the body that she now knew so well. A familiar burning began low in Nikita's midsection. From the small chiding glint she saw in Michael's eyes, she knew that he had caught the drift of her thoughts. Nikita smiled ruefully and lifted her shoulders in helplessness. Can I help it if you turn me on like this? Michael composed his face and waited for her answer to the question he had asked when he had first walked up to her. What was it again? Nikita had to gather her scattered thoughts away from examining the way his belt buckled.

"Oh.... yes, I'm done here." More communicating was done with their eyes. Nikita's wide blue eyes gave her thoughts away to Michael, even though she tried to compose herself and appear nonchalant. His intense stare and slightly possessive look spoke volumes to Nikita.

At his station, Birkoff had to smirk. Did these two think they were really fooling anyone? For one thing, they had stood motionless for minutes now, just staring at each other. Even though their words were casual and their body language was relaxed, Birkoff could feel the vibes humming between the two of them from his position ten feet away. It was actually uncomfortable being in their presence when they started communicating in their unique way. Both men and women picked up on the sexual tension vibrating in the air. Birkoff looked around and noticed that he wasn't the only one watching the couple. Other operatives and technicians were standing still in their locations and watching with fascination. Was Nikita beginning to breath faster? Was Michael moving his fingers together? Birkoff swallowed, broke himself out of his own temporary daze and decided to help his comrades out.

He cleared his throat. Nikita was startled from her contemplation of Michael's hair and how soft she remembered it was and Michael glanced over at Birkoff with a cool and composed air. Nikita appeared slightly flustered and started to open the coat in her arms in preparation for putting it on. Inside, she was mentally kicking herself. Hadn't I promised Michael that I would keep our Section and private lives separate? I guess my only excuse is how new our relationship is. And we were leaving for the night.

Michael reached out and took Nikita's coat from her fingers. He held it out in front of him and Nikita slid her arms into the sleeves. She murmured a quick thank you, all that she could manage out of her mouth right now. She felt, rather than heard Michael's movements as he put on his own overcoat. He appeared next to her. Without a word, they walked in unison for Section's exit. Nikita allowed herself one quick look backwards to thank Birkoff with her eyes and a small nod. Birkoff smiled ruefully and shook his head slightly in rebuke. Nikita's last look indicated her understanding of his meaning.

Nikita walked besides Michael and felt the silk lining of her dress sliding against the silk stockings she had worn. Nikita had started to wear more provocative clothing since their intimate relationship had started. It was an outward sign of her increased feelings of femininity. This evening she had donned a simple watered silk blue sheath, stunning in its simplicity with its high neckline and cap sleeves. The dress lovingly caressed her body as it followed her curves down to the knee length hem. Nikita sensed Michael's approval of her new clothing, when he would allow himself an extra sweeping caress when they danced or when he would slowly peel the layers away from her body. Nikita didn't limit her sensual choices to her outer clothing. Michael would frequently be treated to silky undergarments... chemises, teddies, tap pants and, of course, garter belts.

The couple walked in silence and without looking at each other all the way to Michael's car. He seated her in the passenger seat and took his place behind the wheel. Michael spoke as his hand was poised, ready to turn the key in the ignition. "Do you want to stop for dinner?" His voice was low and quiet and he didn't look at her as he asked the question. Nikita gave him a quick glance and looked away. She tried to speak, failed, cleared her throat and answered simply, "No." Michael turned the key in the ignition and drove in silence towards her apartment.

Neither one of them attempted to converse with the other. Michael concentrated on his driving and never looked in Nikita's direction during the silent ride, only making the movement necessary to maneuver the vehicle. Nikita didn't speak, but she wasn't motionless. With the arousal she could still feel burning low in her body, she squirmed slightly in her seat and crossed and recrossed her legs in an effort to alleviate the itching. She looked out the window and estimated that they were still about ten to twelve minutes from her apartment. Damn. I wish I didn't have to wait. And she marveled about how Michael could do this to her without touching her and with just a searing look. Michael spoke without looking away from the road, "Raise your skirt up." Nikita looked over at him in amazement. Did she hear what she thought she just heard? Her heart leaped in her chest and she felt a stab of excitement in her loins. She hesitantly placed her hands on her legs and gathering her dress in her fingers, she started to raise it up higher on her thighs. She watched Michael's face to figure out his intentions. Nikita paused when her dress was just above the garters fastened to her stockings.

"Higher." Nikita blinked in amazement. She hadn't seen his eyes flicker in her direction. She obeyed his command, squirming her body to move the material trapped under her buttocks, and the dress moved higher until the silk was bunched up just below her panties. She stopped again.

Obviously, it was enough for Michael. His hand, the one on her side, left the steering wheel and he placed it high on her thigh, just below her panties. Nikita's breath stopped in her chest and her sexual tension doubled, then tripled in seconds. Her head fell back against the seat's head rest and she started to drag deep breaths into her lungs, waiting in agony for whatever he intended to do to her. She turned her head to watch his face. He drove competently and with the same blank look on his face as always.

His hand smoothed upwards in a path towards her panties and he moved it under her bunched up dress, then over her panties. Nikita felt his fingers lifting the waistband of her bikini underwear. Nikita sighed brokenly and her legs fell apart slightly. Michael's hand moved into her pubic hair and cupped her. His devilishly clever fingers began their stroking magic. Nikita forced her eyes to watch Michael's face as he fondled and teased Nikita's willing flesh. It was incredibly erotic seeing his beautiful face staying so calm and serene as he was driving her out of her mind with his fingers.

The car was silent except for Nikita's sighs and broken words, "Oh Michael.... So good.... Ahhh..... Harder..." She had been so close before he started that it didn't take long for his fingers to bring her to completion. Nikita's right hand grabbed for a molded car door handle and her left hand grabbed Michael's thigh as she moaned and arched her back as the tension burst into a shattering orgasm. Nikita's eyes had closed and they stayed closed as she came down from the incredible release she had experienced. Michael left his now motionless hand in her crotch as she recovered her composure.

When Nikita finally opened her eyes, she noticed that they were now parked in front of her apartment. She looked over at Michael, still in a daze. He slowly removed his hand and waited for her reaction.

Nikita grabbed his hand as it was removed from her panties. She kissed his fingers and spoke huskily, "Thank you."

Michael's eyes were assessing the picture she made with her dress at her hips and her garters and stockings showing. His voice, when he finally spoke, was still even and calm, although it was husky, "You're welcome."

He removed his hand from her grasp, placed the car transmission in park, and turned off the engine. He opened his door and exited smoothly, coming around to her side and helping her to rise from her door. Nikita pulled her skirt back down to her knees. She was unaccountably worried about his lack of reaction. She had just burned up in flames with an incredible orgasm and he looked as calm and unruffled as always. They walked silently to her apartment and Michael opened her door with his key.

Inside the closed door, Nikita stood with her back to Michael as he removed her coat and his and hung them up in the closet. Her body was still humming with the arousal he produced in her so easily, but her mind was now occupied with her thoughts about Michael's lack of passion. She was unprepared for what happened next.

Without warning, she felt Michael's body slamming up against her and his hands slipping around to her breasts and fondling them urgently and roughly. Yes, she thought, yes, I want to know that you are as out of control as I feel when we are together and alone like this. Her head fell back against Michael's shoulder as his hands continued their frenzied fondling of her breasts and now her thighs. Michael was now pressing his hardness to her buttocks and Nikita was fast losing any rational thought in her brain. She pressed and writhed her body back against his and her hands came up to cover his fingers as he was pinching her nipples through her dress. She reveled in his primitive and almost savage compulsion to mate with his woman. They both were shuddering and trying to drag enough oxygen into their lungs with their deep breaths.

Michael shoved Nikita into the wall near the door, still standing close behind her. His groping hands slid down her thighs and grabbed the material of her skirt and roughly pulled the silk upwards. With a guttural whisper, his hot breath in her ear ordered her, "Spread your legs." Nikita obeyed instantly and shivered wildly when she felt his hand grasp her underwear and rip it away in one motion. Nikita felt his other hand moving on his own clothing as he roughly tore open his pants and released his hardness. Nikita froze and waited in anticipation for the first hard thrust into her body.

She didn't have to wait long. With one hand clutching her hip and the other guiding himself home, Michael easily found the moist entrance to Nikita's body and pressed forward. He was so thick and so hard that Nikita felt almost bruised by his advance into her body. Nikita bent over slightly, placed her hands against the wall at her shoulder level and pushed back with her hips. Both of them groaned simultaneously at the intense sensations produced as their bodies joined, inch by incredible inch.

When he was seated in her to the hilt and holding still, savoring their union, Nikita furiously wanted Michael's wildness to return. She shuddered convulsively and her internal milking motions snapped what little control he had gained. With rapid, deep, and hard thrusts, while holding her tightly around her waist with both his hands, Michael brought them both to a shattering and intense orgasm. Just before he exploded, Michael dropped his head, wildly placed his teeth over Nikita's dress and bit the sensitive cords of Nikita's shoulder just below her neck. It was a primitive movement, evoking a mental picture of a stallion covering a mare. Nikita's orgasm climbed to an even higher level with the bite and she clamped down hard and rode out her aftershocks with Michael.

In the sudden calm after a cataclysmic storm and with Michael pressed up against her and still firm inside her body, Nikita regained some measure of consciousness. Her cheek was pressed against the wall and her hands started sliding down with her growing exhaustion from that earth shaking conclusion. With her first rational thoughts, as she was still dragging deep breaths into her lungs, she smiled slightly. Well, I wanted him to feel as wild and out of control as I do. I got my wish.

Without a word, Michael slowly pulled himself free from Nikita's body. His exiting of Nikita's body caused tingling sensations that made Nikita sigh and clench inside, trying to hold onto him. Nikita knew him well enough to not expect a lot of words to pass between them. She turned around to face him and received a tender kiss with his hands cupping her face. Michael refastened his pants and gently pulled her dress back down. Taking her hand, he quietly led her to the bedroom and then into the bathroom, where they both undressed in silence and walked into the shower. With still no words spoken between them, they washed each other with soapy cloths and then with their hands. And all during this time and when they lay next to each other under the sheets in Nikita's bed, they both were occupied with contemplating the uncontrollable passion that flared so powerfully between the two of them. Eventually, they turned to each other and began again their seemingly insatiable dance.

************

"Possible scenarios are being examined now. The most promising one for success is to insert Nikita as the man's mistress. Inside his mansion's security, Nikita could gain access to his computer system and download his files to Birkoff. Michael, start working out the details. Nikita, you're on close quarter standby. We'll need to move quickly."

Nikita sat and stared at Operations. Mistress.... mistress. The word kept repeating itself in her brain. This was the first time that she had been definitely ordered to sleep with a man for a mission. With Alex Chandler, she had come close. If she had gone with him that weekend, she would have slept with him. She had understood that then. But since that mission, she hadn't come close to another possible sexual encounter. Flirtations....seductions without consummation. But, this time was different. Michael had warned her that they would face this scenario. Nikita sat in a stunned manner, trying to sort out her confused thoughts.

Michael had left the briefing room. Nikita barely noticed his departure. Operations gave a significant look at Madeline and then, he too left the room. Madeline quietly told Nikita, "Come to my office. We need to talk." Nikita rose from her chair and numbly followed Madeline to her office.

*****

Nikita sat down in the chair facing Madeline's desk. Madeline seated herself and leaned forward on her forearms, staring intently at Nikita. Nikita didn't look back, but instead focused on the space over Madeline's head. She seemed lost in contemplation and Madeline waited quietly for her first words. Madeline didn't look forward to this conversation, but it was a necessary one. The absolute truth was going to be told and Nikita would understand exactly where she and Michael stood when she finally left this office.

Minutes went by. Madeline watched questions and thoughts come and go on Nikita's face. She wondered what Nikita's first question would be. Nikita looked into Madeline's face. Here it comes.

"You know about Michael and I." Ahh, Madeline thought, she finally understood that there were no real secrets kept about operatives' lives. Nikita had spoken the words as facts. Madeline just nodded.

Nikita rubbed her forehead with her fingers in a frustrated gesture. She dropped her hands to her lap and clasped her hands. "You haven't asked me to definitely...." Nikita searched for the right word, "sleep with somebody for a mission, before now."

Madeline didn't need to be a mind reader to see how much this disturbed Nikita. Madeline didn't react to Nikita's statement. She just calmly sat and waited for more. Nikita seemed to be searching for the right question to ask. Come on, Nikita, you're on the right track.

"I'm thinking that this mission and the fact that Michael and I are now....intimate have something to do with each other." Nikita looked up to study Madeline's face. Madeline nodded again.

Nikita burst out, "Isn't there another way to handle this mission? Do I have to sleep with this guy or can't we find another way?" Madeline finally spoke.

"We examine all possible scenarios. We choose the one that has the best chance for success. You will have to trust us when we ask you to perform for us in this manner." Madeline spoke reasonably. When she had used the term ‘trust us,' Nikita had grimaced slightly.

Nikita was intelligent. Madeline had seen her test scores. Nikita was clever and logical. She had already made the connection between the timing of this mission and her new relationship with Michael. Would she make the final deduction?

Nikita didn't disappoint her. "I am thinking that my new ‘duties' are the price I need to pay for Section to allow this relationship between Michael and I to continue." Nikita was working very diligently to control her emotions, Madeline noted, but she was exhibiting her distress in her furrowed brow and fidgeting. "Am I correct?"

Madeline laid Section's cards on the table. "Yes. We are bending the rules about operatives becoming involved with each other, so we expect some additional effort from you to compensate us for our leniency." Nikita rubbed her mouth nervously and absorbed this statement.

Nikita expelled a deep breath, "Don't you have nymphomaniacs who would love to make this part of their duties?" Nikita raised pleading eyes to Madeline.

"Unfortunately, no. A highly trained cold operative with your skill levels is very rare. If you could perform in an intimate way for missions, you would become an invaluable tool for us." Madeline wasn't unaware of how difficult this would be for Nikita. She even wondered if it would be impossible for Nikita to reconcile her emotions on this. Madeline tried to help her.

"I once told you that you couldn't have two lives with one of them being Section. At that time, this statement was true and still is, if the other life involves a non-Section individual. But, because the second life would involve Michael, you may be able to have a romantic affair with him, yet still act as a cold op for Section when called upon to do so." Nikita seemed to be listening intently. "To be honest," Nikita eyes flickered, "we are not sure if this is wise to let you continue with Michael. But, because we have wanted to increase your usefulness, we will go forward on a trial basis."

Nikita spoke somewhat bitterly, "In other words, you have a lever to use against me now, that will ensure my cooperation."

Madeline answered, "If you want to be with Michael, you have to increase your repertoire of skills. That's the bottom line. Are you ready to agree to this?"

Nikita laid her head back. She thought of Michael's face when he allowed himself to show his emotions. He loved her. She knew this with certainty, even though he hadn't used that word yet. And he needed her. Nikita knew this, too. Well, you have started on this path. The rewards are great. Are you ready to pay the price? Nikita closed her eyes and nodded, knowing that Madeline was watching her face intently.

Madeline spoke briskly, "Okay, let's talk frankly about physical intimacy on missions."

****

An hour later, Nikita felt wrung out and emotionally exhausted. She and Madeline had spoken graphically about what was involved in having sexual relations with other men during the performance of a mission. Madeline had told her, "Some of the men will be very sophisticated and knowledgeable about women. You may need to become more than just a body to be penetrated. You may have to become aroused to be believable." Nikita's face had reflected her consternation at that thought. Madeline had continued, "You may have to fantasize to produce the proper reactions." Nikita had understood where Madeline was going. She looked helplessly up at Madeline. "Depending on the situation, lubricants or artificial aids could be employed." Nikita had groaned and slumped down in her seat.

Madeline told her, "You need to become the world's greatest actress. Not that most men aren't very easy to fool, but you can't take the chance that your mark will be oblivious to your sincerity." They had talked about different sex acts. ‘Natural' and ‘unnatural' ones. Nikita had shuddered inwardly at the thought of some of them.

Madeline had told her, "Of course, we will make every effort to inform you of the possible sexual preferences of your assignment." Gee, thanks, Nikita had thought to herself sarcastically.

When Madeline felt that Nikita had endured enough of the extremely embarrassing details of her new duties, she asked Nikita if she would like to be dismissed and take a break for a few hours to digest all that they had discussed. Nikita nodded her head gratefully. She had just one more question though, before she left Madeline's office.

"Did you perform this way when you were an operative?" Madeline had looked directly at Nikita and answered honestly and without pause.

"Yes, I did." And Madeline grew slightly angry when she saw the next question in Nikita's eyes. She allowed some of the emotion to color her voice, "And no, I was not ever ashamed of it..... Nikita, you know that what we accomplish here is critical to saving the lives of innocents. You feel very deeply about this also, even though you struggle against the methods we use to achieve our ends." Madeline was speaking passionately and saw that she had Nikita's complete attention. "You have to delegate this into just another method used to finish the mission. Don't emotionalize it by thinking of it as ‘whoring' for Section or even equate it to the act of ‘making love.' It is neither. You are using whatever it takes, whatever you've got, to bring down the criminals of this world." Madeline paused for breath and composed herself. Nikita spoke quietly,

"I think I can do this, but...." Nikita dropped her head and closed her eyes. Madeline continued for her,

"But you wonder if Michael will still want you physically after you have given yourself willingly to another man, even if it was in performance of a mission." Nikita nodded, still with her eyes closed.

Madeline now spoke gently and kindly to the younger woman, "I wish I could positively tell you that it won't make any difference to Michael. I personally don't think it will. Michael cares very deeply for you. He knows exactly what you are being asked to do. He may wish it could be different, that he could spare you the difficulties you face ahead. But, I believe that he will be able to separate the lovemaking and emotional intimacy from the playacting that you may be called upon to do for missions. That's also what you will have to accomplish in your own mind." Nikita opened her eyes and looked at Madeline. "Go now, Nikita. Think over everything we have discussed and come back in a few hours." Nikita rose and left Madeline's office.

************

Nikita needed the release that only extreme physical activity would provide, so she went to the gym to work out. After leaving the locker room, dressed in spandex shorts and a crop top, she moved from exercise machine to machine, doing reps, and making the circuit of the room four times before she finally felt her muscles start to quiver from over use. Her mind wanted her to do more. Her body protested.

Nikita loved to hang upside down. When she saw the chin up bar, she moved towards it. Her muscles were starting to really kink up. With the last bit of strength she had, Nikita grabbed the bar, hoisted her body up, and hooked her legs over the bar. Letting her upper body hang loosely towards the floor, Nikita looked like a circus trapeze performer waiting for somebody to catch. She let her arms hang limply and her fingers relaxed. She felt the blood rush to her head and she savored the slight rush it produced.

For half an hour, Nikita hung from that bar. She heard and felt other operatives moving around her. She could even imagine their thoughts as they stopped and tried to figure out what she was doing. They didn't matter. Nikita let her mind go blank, as she grabbed the last few moments of peace that she may have coming for a long time.

A buzzing feeling started skittering along her nerves. A now familiar sensation that she identified as Michael. She knew that when she opened her eyes, he would be within a radius of, oh let's guess, about fifteen to twenty feet. Nikita didn't open her eyes. The feeling intensified. He's coming closer.

Nikita couldn't smell or hear Michael. How typical. He exemplified the meaning of operatives being thought of as shadows. He wouldn't use any cologne or aftershave to mark himself. He must have practiced for years to perfect that absolutely noiseless stride. Michael even had seemed to master his breathing, so that you wouldn't be able to hear even the whisper of his breath moving in and out of his lungs. But Nikita knew, with every fiber of her being, that Michael now stood within five feet of her position. She opened her eyes.

"Michael." He was exactly where she had thought. Nikita's eyes were at his thigh level and since she didn't want her mind to start going in that direction, she closed her eyes again and waited, forcing him to speak or stand there all day.

Michael spoke quietly and concisely, with no verbal clues in his voice to give Nikita an idea of his thoughts, "Your PDA is ready. Come to my office and we will go over the mission parameters."

Nikita answered, with her eyes still closed, "I'll be there after I shower and change. Okay?" Getting no verbal answer, but feeling the buzzing receding, Nikita had her answer. Waiting until she knew he was more than likely back in his office, Nikita then sighed, reached up with her hands, pulled her legs from the bar, and swung herself down to the ground. Deliberately pushing her mind into a mission mode, she walked towards the showers, each step strengthening her resolve to act like the cold operative that she had been trained to be.

*****

"Luis Santestevan," Michael told her. Nikita stared at the man's image on the monitor screen in Michael's office. An extremely attractive man in his mid-thirties stared back at her. Nikita thought he looked like Antonio Banderas. Only more sensual looking, more intensely masculine. And all this in a photograph, Nikita mused. The man must be absolutely drop-dead gorgeous in person.

"A multi-millionaire who owns what appears to be a legitimate import/export company with corporate headquarters in New York City. It has long been suspected that his company has been supplying chemical weapons to anyone with the correct purchase price. We have already cracked his corporate computer network and haven't discovered any records that would substantiate our beliefs." Nikita sat in Michael's chair as he leaned over her shoulder to point out pertinent facts from the files.

Birkoff chimed in, from his position in front of the desk, "Yeah, it was too easy to get inside his system. He didn't care if anybody looked around in there. He must have another set of records. With the incredible scope of his chemical weapons business, he would have to track and monitor it somewhere. I think I know where he is keeping his records." Nikita gave Birkoff her full attention to divert herself from the feeling of Michael standing behind her back.

"They must be in his mansion. He has a satellite uplink dish and the Internet traffic emanating from his terminal is way too busy to justify a home system. I can't hack into these transmissions. He must have bought the best encryption software on the market. We need to be on site and uplink directly to our own computers." Birkoff's eyes shown at the prospect of receiving all this computer data.

Nikita asked both him and Michael, "Why don't we just send a team in to infiltrate and access his terminal?" She was missing something and Michael supplied the missing part. He spoke over her shoulder.

"His security is extremely tight. It could possibly be done, but we don't want Santestevan to know that we have his files. With the kind of Intel we are expecting to receive, we could, over time, bring down many levels above him. We need to make the downloads and then withdraw, without his knowledge that we have done so. The only way to accomplish this is to insert an agent inside the mansion. Unfortunately, hiring procedures for staff are extremely comprehensive and it would take months to get our operative inside. Even if we were to remove one of his staff, he would fill the position from inside his organization with a very clean individual."

Michael didn't need to fill her in on the rest. If Santestevan were to take Nikita to his mansion as his mistress, she would be there much quicker than any other possible placement. Michael continued,

"Santestevan is currently in New York at his corporate offices. We have worked out a scenario for you two to meet. Madeline is waiting for you to give you his psychological profile. One other thing, you won't be able to wear a com-unit or receiver. Like I said, his security is very tight. Routine sweeps are done. You will be observed, but will be basically on your own, through the duration of the mission." Nikita absorbed this, then nodded. She hadn't looked into Michael's face since early that morning, when they had first arrived in Section. She wondered if he had been trying to make any eye contact with her. Not that she wanted to look up and see.

"Are we through?" She asked him, without turning around.

"Yes." Nikita rose and smoothly left Michael's office and proceeded to Madeline's.

****

"Luis Santestevan is a man who has been adored and chased by women since the day of his birth. As you can see, he is an extremely handsome man who travels to the most sophisticated cities of the world. But, for all his wealth and success, he is basically a family man, intensely protective of those he considers part of his inner circle. He had a loving upbringing within a traditional family unit... his parents are dead, but he has two sisters and two brothers that he employs or supports." Nikita listened intently. Madeline continued,

"He's never been married. His mistresses and lovers have said that he is an exciting and inventive lover. Nothing kinky or unusual to report. He seems to choose women who are weaker, in need of his protection. For this reason, I think that you need to approach him with what I call the ‘wounded bird' scenario. Here's how to play it...." And Madeline outlined the manner in which Nikita should present herself to Santestevan.

****

Nikita stood and watched the large glass doors that led to the high rise housing Santestevan's import corporation. She was dressed in a knee length business skirt with a small slit up one knee and a white, silky dress blouse with a pretty bow tied at her neck. Discreet and delicate gold jewelry...a thin chain necklace, a dainty gold watch, and small gold studs in her ears completed the look. Nikita looked like a beautiful young girl, gentle and innocent. She saw a long black limousine pull up to the curb. The driver opened the door and Luis Santestevan stepped out onto the curb. Dressed in a classic dark grey tailored business suit, he was as handsome as his picture had promised. He strode confidently towards the front doors. Nikita made her move.

Reaching the doors at the same time as Santestevan, Nikita maneuvered herself close to him and opened her purse, pretending to be looking for something in her bag, while, at the same time, she tried to enter the open door that Santestevan held for himself. They collided and Nikita looked up apologetically.

With a young, panicked look on her face, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going." Nikita acted very flustered and pulled away sharply when Santestevan reached and held her elbow to steady her. She looked up into his face and gave him her most wide-eyed vulnerable look. Santestevan spoke gently to Nikita,

"Are you hurt?" His voice was deep and sensuous and faintly accented. Nikita just shook her head, giving the impression that she was feeling some unwilling attraction to the tall, handsome man who still held her elbow. She seemed to come to her senses and she grew flustered.

In a breathy whisper, "Oh no, I'm going to be late and I really need this job. Again, I'm very sorry for not watching where I was going." She held his gaze as she backed out of his grip. Santestevan was intently studying her face and seemed spellbound for the moment. He asked her gently,

"You are going to try to get a job in this building?" Nikita was occupied with closing her bag and smoothing her skirt, drawing his attention to her hands stroking the fabric of her skirt. She adopted a worried expression.

"Yes, I am. If you would excuse me....and I apologize again for being so careless." Nikita turned and gracefully walked away towards the direction of the personnel department located on the first floor. Santestevan motioned to his assistant and quietly told him,

"Make sure she gets a job here, on the executive floors." He was still watching her delicate figure as she read the sign on the door and entered the personnel office. His assistant followed her inside the room. Luis Santestevan turned and made his way to the bank of elevators where he boarded the express elevator to the top floors.

************

Nikita was surprised how quickly she had been offered a job, especially considering that they hadn't checked her background or references. She surmised that Santestevan must have ordered her hiring. Their plan to get his attention fixated on Nikita seemed to be working. Nikita was told by personnel to report to the 45th floor and to see a Ms. Robinson, who would outline her duties. She would be starting immediately, the next morning. Nikita walked out of the building and caught a bus to the apartment that had been leased for her.

The apartment was in a shabbier neighborhood and it was something that a young woman could afford, even with a low paying job. Nikita's apartment was on the third floor, facing the street. Nikita walked up the stairs, rather than taking the elevator, which looked like it had seen a lot of better days than today. It was the old fashioned type where you pulled the wire grate across the opening yourself. Nikita heard it screeching and rumbling its way through its shaft.

Nikita had slept in the apartment overnight, having arrived the previous evening. She knew that Section had leased the rooms on either side of her. This way, if questioned, the operatives turned new tenants, could supply the necessary details about their new neighbor: when had she moved in, what kind of people did she associate with, etc. Her apartment was filled with an interesting mix of old furniture and homey touches, like green plants, colorful pillows and throws, small knicknacks. Everything to substantiate Nikita's claim of being a young delicate woman, adrift in the big city for the first time.

Nikita reached down and removed a com-unit that had been fastened underneath one of the tables flanking the overstuffed floral sofa. Nikita's apartment had also been wired, as it had been decided that Santestevan wouldn't be as concerned about her apartment and its security. Receivers were located in the apartments on either side of Nikita and back in Section headquarters. Nikita inserted the unit into her ear and spoke directly to Birkoff.

"Birkoff, are you receiving me?" Birkoff replied in the affirmative. Nikita told him, "I now have a job at Santestevan's company. I start tomorrow morning. That's all I have to report. I'll check in tomorrow night." Nikita waited for Birkoff's brief reply and she removed the com-unit and place it back in position under the table. She felt restless, so she changed into jeans, sneakers, and a casual sweater and, grabbing her bag, left the apartment to investigate the neighborhood and buy some groceries for her kitchen. Later, she planned to get to bed early and get plenty of sleep for her first day at work.

*****

That was her plan. But, when she lay in bed that night and tried her hardest to get to sleep, her brain kept working and darting from thought to thought.

She missed Michael. Missed his arms around her when they lay spoon fashion in her bed. Their bodies seemed to have been fashioned for each other. His knees fit perfectly to hers, his hand would rest comfortably around her waist and curve up to hold her breast. Michael would tuck her hair comfortably to her back and then he would nestle his face into curve where her shoulder met her neck. Softly, he would kiss that spot and he would murmur into her ear, "Bon nuit, ma chere," knowing that when he did, she would smile, enjoying the sounds of the French words spoken for her ears alone. Nikita slept better, deeper and more restfully, when Michael was beside her in bed. In such a short time, she had grown accustomed to his lovemaking and his warm body in the darkness afterward.

But, she may miss Michael, but she didn't want him here in this apartment. Tomorrow, she had to pursue another man, with the intention of sharing this man's bed. Delicious though this man was, even though she was forced to do so, Nikita still couldn't shake the feeling that somehow this mission was going to change forever the way Michael felt about her and the way she felt about herself.

Nikita felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff. Question was, would Michael be there at the bottom to catch her when she jumped?

*****

Two days later, Nikita wondered if she was making progress. Her new job was as an assistant to Santestevan's private secretary. Nikita privately thought of it as a ‘gofer' position. She was always on the move, bringing coffee, collecting files, carrying messages. She barely had time to sit down.

Santestevan had been on a short business trip for these two days, so Nikita had not seen the man. But, he was due back later today and his secretary was extremely busy getting ready documents for his signature and reports from his vice presidents for his perusal. Ms. Robinson had left her desk momentarily and Nikita had just returned from the printer with all the reports in her hands, about eighty pages worth, when she rounded the corner and slammed full tilt into Luis Santestevan as he was walking toward his office.

Papers went flying in a comical arch up into the air. Nikita had the fleeting thought that she couldn't have planned such an occurrence if she had tried. Both of them looked up into the air and watched the papers fan apart right under an air conditioning vent. Nikita and Santestevan looked at each other as the sheets of paper rained over them and settled to the carpet in a circle around them. Nikita's eyes grew stricken at the accident.

"Oh no, Ms. Robinson is going to be so upset with me! Mr. Santestevan is going to be back any minute and all the pages are scrambled." Nikita started gathering the papers quickly and darted a glance at the amused man squatting next to her, as he held out a few of the pages that he had retrieved.

"You!" Nikita smiled ruefully. "I seem to be making a habit of running you down." Santestevan was captivated by her sweet smile and stunning face and he noted that the young lady didn't seem to know who he was; that she, in fact, had just run full tilt into the president and owner of this company. He spoke gently and with a heart melting Spanish accent,

"Ms. Robinson is not the ogre that you seem to think she is." And then in a gallant, dashing tone, "And if she is inclined to be upset with you, little one, then I shall have to explain to her that it was entirely my fault." This man didn't need his money or power to make a woman's heart beat faster, Nikita thought. His bedroom eyes were intently focused on Nikita and, in spite of herself, she felt an answering quiver inside.

They were still crouched down, facing each other and holding their stacks of papers. Nikita adopted a worried air, "No, please, I wouldn't want you to get into trouble on my account. Maybe if I hurry, I can put these all back in order and no harm will have been done. Thank you though." She smiled charmingly and continued, "You are a gentleman of the first order." Santestevan lost his smile and his face grew serious. He was deciding if he should pursue a relationship with her, Nikita knew. She reached for more papers and her blouse pulled tight across her breasts. A small piece of her carefully styled chignon escaped the pins and lay against her cheek.

Santestevan made his decision. "My name is Luis. What is yours, lovely lady?" He managed to keep his gaze intently on Nikita's face as he picked up papers and handed them into her keeping.

"Katherine." Nikita darted a quick, shy smile in his direction. "I'm pleased to meet you." They had finished gathering up the papers and now stood facing each other. Nikita backed away from Santestevan in preparation for a turn to retreat into Ms. Robinson's workroom located directly behind her desk. She knew that her shy and retiring manner would attract Santestevan, as it had seemed to do so already. "I want to thank you again for helping me to pick up these papers."

Santestevan held out his hand in a plea for her to stop her withdrawal. Nikita stopped and looked up at him with an inquisitive look on her face. He spoke her name in his accented voice, the ‘th' sound becoming harder like a ‘t,' "Katherine, I don't wish to appear forward, but would you consider joining me for dinner tonight? I promise to continue my gentlemanly behavior." He put on a rogue expression and his eyes twinkled.

Nikita nodded and with an uncertain, but yearning expression on her face, spoke in a hush, "I think I would like to have dinner with you." Santestevan's eyes narrowed and burned for a second.

"Luis. My name is Luis." He wanted to hear his name in this lovely woman's voice and see it on her lips.

Nikita looked down shyly and looked back up into his face. In a whisper, "Luis." Then she turned and fled into the work room. As she entered the room with her stack of papers, she heard him say after her, "I will be here in this spot at six o'clock to take you to dinner." The frosted glass door of the office closed behind Nikita and she sat down to allow her heartbeat to return to normal. For some reason, it was racing wildly.

************

Nikita had dinner with Luis that first night and every night for the next three nights. He was charming, sophisticated, had a great sense of humor, was sexy, and very attentive to Nikita. In fact, if her heart wasn't already lost to Michael, she would have seriously had a hard time resisting Luis. Nikita enjoyed each and every moment spent with him. She saw no sign of his illegal activity. This was confusing. He seemed to have very high moral standards.

Nikita remembered one of Madeline's lessons of life on one of her first missions. She had worked with Michael to recover Perry Bauer's nerve gas. When Nikita had learned that Bauer had not been canceled or even put in prison, but had actually been welcomed as some kind of friend by Ops, Madeline had made the observation that, in this world, there was no black or white, only shades of gray. One moment an enemy, the next, a friend. Luis must have a darker side to him that Nikita hadn't seen yet.

When they had left the building that first night, Luis had escorted her gently with his hand on her elbow. Gallantly, he had opened and held doors for her. When she saw the limousine parked at the curb, Nikita had stopped dead in her tracks and turned to him with a timid question in her eyes.

"I am Luis Santestevan, little Katharine. And I would be honored if you would join me for dinner." Nikita had allowed herself to be seated in the limo. They had gone to a very expensive, yet understated and discreet restaurant for dinner. Nikita had played her innocent girl act to the hilt. But, she still let some of her personality show through with her quick wit and easy smiles. Luis was alternately charmed and challenged. He seemed to be developing a deeper, faster infatuation for Nikita than she had anticipated. Madeline had pegged him right, it seemed.

When they had been dancing on the small dance floor adjacent to the table seatings, Nikita had nestled comfortably in his arms. Luis was an excellent dancer, leading her gracefully. Nikita remembered many dances in Michael's arms and her face grew momentarily wistful. Luis caught her expression.

"Katharine, where do you go in your mind when you look so lost? Can you trust me with your secrets? If I could help you, I would." He was so sincere and charming. Nikita, or Katharine, as she thought of herself at this point, hesitated and seemed to be considering her next words.

Calling herself Katharine had been Madeline's idea and Nikita was grateful for her suggestion. It seemed easier to adopt a different persona if you weren't constantly hearing your real name. In part of Nikita's mind, she was really Katharine and this made it so much easier to disassociate herself from her actions.

Nikita finally spoke, "I really shouldn't be with you, Luis." She allowed a haunted expression to enter her eyes. His own grew concerned.

"Why, little one?" Nikita smiled briefly at his endearment. With her height, she wasn't usually referred to in this manner, but Luis was very tall and he looked down into her eyes.

Nikita spoke in a near whisper. This was a gamble, but this story could help her out later. "There's this man...." She trailed off.

Luis finished, "that you love. This man is the luckiest man in this world. To be loved by such a beautiful woman. Then, what is the problem?" He peered intently into her teary blue eyes.

"He doesn't love me, Luis. I gave myself to him, but he couldn't say he loved me." Nikita hung her head, like she was ashamed to have made love with a man who used her so callously. Luis still danced her gently around the floor, his arms were more tender around her and he bent his head to whisper in her ear.

"Then this man is the world's biggest fool, for if you were mine, I would treasure you for the rest of your life." Nikita smiled slightly at this, imagining anybody calling Michael the world's biggest fool.

"I moved away and I haven't spoken to him since. I feel like such a fool." Nikita finished this last sentence in a tone of agony and reproach. She waited to see if Luis would detach himself from a woman who still loved another man or if he would try to heal her broken heart and win her love for himself. He chose the latter.

"Come, my Katharine," Already acting possessive, Nikita noticed, "come and enjoy your dessert, which I see has been delivered to our table. I think you are a woman who would enjoy a little sweetness after her dinner. I shall have my coffee and enjoy the sweetness of your presence."

What a smooth line, Nikita thought. It should sound false and practiced, but in Luis' deeply accented voice, it sounded gracious and endearing. Nikita smiled and Luis led her back to their table.

*****

That evening set the pattern for the ones following. Luis would take Nikita to a different restaurant every night, they would dance or watch an entertaining floor show, he would escort her back to her apartment. Each night, he would deepen their intimacy afterwards. The first night, he had allowed himself a small kiss on her check before sending her into her apartment. The next night, he had kissed her lips lightly. The third, Luis had seemed to lose some control over his libido and had tightly embraced her and kissed her deeply, using his tongue with devastating thoroughness. He had exerted a superhuman control over himself and had released her with a small apology for overstepping his bounds. The fourth night, he had come into her apartment and had sat down with her on her sofa. His wild kiss had been accompanied by his hands fondling her breasts and plunging into her hair to hold her head still for deeper and deeper kisses that mimicked the sex act. Nikita had been surprised to find herself responding. He was such a skilled lover. But, he had stopped again and excused himself and left soon afterward.

Nikita was amazed that he had decided to treat her with some kind of respect. But, he was very attracted to her and his arousal pressed against her had shown her that he found her desirable. Nikita estimated that he wouldn't be holding himself back much longer. He was growing more desperate to have her in his arms and bed.

It might even be tonight, Nikita thought as she let herself into her apartment after work. She only had an hour to prepare herself for her dinner with Luis. What should she wear? The cream colored silk with the long sleeves? The matching skirt and blouse in light blue? With her mind occupied with mentally matching accessories to those outfits, she was unprepared for the sight of the man who sat on her sofa waiting for her arrival.

"Michael!"

************

Michael was sitting on her couch and he didn't rise at her exclamation of his name. He stared at her with his piercing gaze and Nikita froze by the open door for a few moments. Finally, she broke her eyes away from his and moved into the apartment, closing her front door and locking it. Nikita removed her coat and hung it in the front closet close to the door. She didn't speak and avoided looking at Michael. She moved into the kitchen to start water boiling for tea, in an effort to keep busy and avoid dealing with Michael. Her emotions were suddenly in shreds with his presence. Her nerve endings were drawn tight and she wished she didn't have to talk to him now. Finally, after filling the kettle and setting it on the burner of the stove and turning on the gas, placing a tea bag in a cup, and placing the cup on the counter, she stood motionless staring at the kettle and spoke to Michael over her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Nikita wished her voice didn't sound so breathless, an indication that she was emotionally disturbed. "I have checked in every night with Birkoff."

Michael finally spoke, his voice heavily accented. If Nikita had allowed herself to remember, she would know that his accent was always stronger with his own intense emotions. It was a slip of his control over his speech that illustrated how diligently he was trying to deal with his feelings, be they anger, fear, or even passion.

"I've seen your reports. They seem to indicate that you are very close to infiltrating Santestevan's home." Nikita frowned inwardly. In other words, she thought, the reports indicated how close she was to having sex with Luis. Michael continued, "I have the schematics of his mansion, maps of the grounds, and the most successful plan for your egress." Nikita wished desperately that he would leave. She cleared her throat and told him harshly,

"Just leave them there. I'll study them." She pleaded with Michael in her mind, please, oh please just leave. I can do this if I don't have to see you. When you are here, I am Nikita. Without you, I can pretend that I am Katharine.

Nikita felt rather than saw Michael rise from the sofa. He was coming closer. He came into the kitchen area and she saw his hand lay a PDA on the counter near to her cup. He was only about two feet away from her and Nikita felt his stare. She didn't meet his eyes. She started breathing faster. Nikita glared at the kettle and prayed that the water would boil. Her fingers started to rub together, a fine tremor quivered through her body. She felt wound so tight that she wondered if it was possible for a person to shatter into a thousand pieces with the tension running through their veins. Leave, Michael, leave.

All he did next was reach out a hand towards Nikita. She saw it in her peripheral vision. What happened next was strictly a primal instinct. Michael murmured, "Nikita," in his slow and husky voice and she violently moved away out of his reach. As if his hand were a snake that was going to strike her, Nikita backed away in a convulsive jerk and hissed,

"Don't touch me!!"

Michael instantly reacted and dropped his hand. Nikita never looked up in to his eyes. If she had, she would have seen the intense pain move across his face. She would have seen reproach, deep anger, and extreme sadness in his eyes, if only she hadn't closed her eyes with her words. If she had seen those strong emotions, she would have also realized that his anger and reproach were all self-directed. Michael was suffering in his own private hell of seeing his woman in such pain and knowing what she was enduring for their sake. Michael swung around to leave the apartment, not in his usual smooth way, but with an unsteady movement.

Nikita knew when Michael had left the apartment because she immediately felt the relief of her nerve endings noticing his absence. She stood motionless with her eyes closed and, in her mind, talked herself back to calmness. She spoke to herself as Katharine and she drew deep breaths into her lungs as her resolve to finish this mission became strong again. A high pitched whistle filled the air. Nikita opened her eyes. The water was boiling. I don't have time for tea, she thought. I have to get dressed. Luis will be here very soon.

*****

Luis was especially attentive tonight. When he came to the door of her apartment, Nikita saw how his eyes became darker and flared opened slightly at her appearance. She had chosen a demure two piece outfit in light blue; the short jacket-blouse buttoned with tiny pearls and embroidered with delicate flowers along the opening The matching skirt was just above her knee and fully lined, freeing Nikita from having to wear a slip. Underneath her clothing, she had worn a matching light blue chemise and panties. A lacy garter belt held up silk stockings and her feet were covered by dainty high heel shoes that consisted of straps crossing the tops of her feet. The whole effect was intensely feminine and pretty. Nikita had drawn her hair up on her head in a loose knot, the kind that enticed a man to remove the few pins to see her silky strands fall around her face. Luis looked very handsome and appealing tonight also. He had worn a double breasted dark grey suit that fit his tall athletic form to perfection. Nikita, fully wrapped in her mind as Katharine, felt a surge of desire for this striking man. Luis led her out the door and they began their evening together.

*****

Later, after picking at a meal that she couldn't even remember ordering, Nikita danced with Luis on the restaurant's dance floor. The music was soft and sultry, a saxophone played a sensual ballad that enhanced the mood that Nikita and Luis found themselves in. Luis held Nikita in a possessive grip, his body felt tighter than usual. As they danced, they were silent, and both felt the sexual tension building between them. The air felt supercharged and more difficult to breath. Luis stroked his fingers on Nikita's waist and his hand clenched hers firmly. He nuzzled her neck and breathed into her ear,

"Katharine....sweet Katharine. I don't want to leave you tonight." Nikita raised her head to look into his eyes. She saw the intense desire he had for her. An answering surge of feeling in her lower body responded to him. I can do this, she thought. Katharine would make love with this man. Then, Nikita will finish her mission.

Nikita spoke in a whisper for Luis' ears only. "I don't want you to leave me tonight. I.....I need to be with you, too."

Luis stopped on the dance floor and pulled Nikita to his body, so that every inch of his thighs to his chest contacted her body. Nikita felt the hardness of his arousal as he pressed it seductively against her.

Luis whispered urgently in her ear, "Shall we go back to your apartment? Would you feel more comfortable there?" Always a gentleman, Nikita thought. Then she fully comprehended the meaning of his words. No, her mind shouted. For many reasons, not the least of which was that Michael would be listening in at her apartment and she would spare him that above all, Nikita needed to go with Luis to his home.

Nikita shook her head. Luis spoke again, "No? Then would you come with me to my home outside the city? We can be there in less than an hour. I would love to greet the dawn with you in my arms." Nikita answered Luis by wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him tighter into her body. Luis shuddered in understanding and, moving his body away from Nikita and taking her hand, he led her off the dance floor and towards the exit of the restaurant. His men, seeing his movements toward the exit, had his limousine waiting at the curb. Luis seated Nikita inside his luxury vehicle, the doors were closed, and they were on their way to Luis' mansion. With the privacy screen up between the driver and their compartment, Luis pulled Nikita over onto his lap and probed her mouth with deep passionate kisses that increased in intensity with every passing mile.

Neither of them saw the black van parked across the street, nor did they see the man in the black suit who watched their departure with his expressionless eyes. Michael waited until they were out of sight, then he entered the van and told the driver, "Go."

************

Luis was driving Nikita out of her mind. As they sped through the night in his limo, Luis had stopped kissing Nikita's mouth in favor of moving to her breasts. Leaning Nikita back in his arm, Luis, slowly and with great deliberation, slipped the pearl buttons free of their holes. One by one they were freed, until Luis could pull back the two sides of Nikita's jacket. His eyes gleamed as he beheld the lace edging of Nikita's silk chemise. His finger traced the top edge of her lingerie and Nikita felt the sensation clear to her toes. Her eyes widened in astonishment at how his touch affected her. His eyes noticed this and her next reaction. Pain. Emotional bewilderment.

"You're thinking of that other man, aren't you?" Luis didn't sound angry, he almost seemed vaguely interested in her reply, as he let his finger dip under the silk top and touch the tops of her breasts.

Nikita nodded and Luis noted the movement, even though his eyes were fastened on the hardened tips of her breasts. His fingers crept even lower and brushed over her aroused nipples. She cried softly aloud at the arrow of sensation that shot down her torso.

"You think it is some kind of betrayal of him that your body should respond to mine." Nikita closed her eyes and nodded again as his fingers swept her nipples again and again. She shivered in his arms and felt his hard shaft under her bottom. Luis continued in his conversational tone, "You still love him."

Nikita drew deep breaths into her lungs and her head fell back against his shoulder. She looked helplessly into his face.

"Yes. I shouldn't feel...." Luis cupped her breast in his hand and his fingers pinched her left nipple. Nikita shuddered and her hand that was around his shoulder clenched in his hair at the back of his neck. Her other hand came up to cover his fingers as they rolled her nipple between them.

Luis' expression grew more primitive and he seduced Nikita even further with his smoldering eyes. "I need you, Katharine and I think you need me tonight. Give in to me. I can make you forget this other man."

Oh God, Nikita thought. That's what I'm afraid of.

*****

The limousine reached the private road that branched off from the highway. The limo smoothly made the turn and continued though the dense woods down the well-maintained road. The Section van stopped at the top of the private road and pulled into the shadows of the trees where they were almost entirely invisible.

Birkoff looked over at Michael and privately thought that this was a man who looked like he was in hell. Even though he was wearing the same expressionless face as always, his eyes gave him away. They looked....tortured. Birkoff knew what Nikita was expected to do and he wondered how any man could be expected to stand there and let his woman have sex with another man. Hell, Michael had been instrumental in planning this mission. He just didn't stand back. Birkoff looked down at his monitor. Heat sensors and motion detectors showed that nothing was moving in the woods up to the inner walls of the grounds. He kept his gaze on his displays. It was too uncomfortable looking at Michael.

"All quiet." He told Michael. Birkoff heard no reply.

*****

When they passed through the gates and guard house at the inner walls, Luis started to put Nikita's clothes back in order. A very possessive man, he didn't want his people to see any part of her luscious skin. He gently moved her back into the other side of the seat. A finger tipped up her chin and tried to get her to look back at him.

"Are you all right? We don't have to do this, if it would hurt you too much." Nikita sighed inwardly. Yes, Luis, I have to do this. Nikita looked into Luis' face and managed a small smile.

"I'm fine. And yes, Luis, I still want to lay in your arms and greet the dawn with you." The words almost stuck in Nikita's throat because she knew that she wouldn't be there for the dawn. Luis' eyes grew tender and he opened the door handle, where it was promptly opened all the way by the chauffeur standing outside. Luis effortlessly got out of the limo and extended his hand back to Nikita. She placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her from the car. With their hands still clasped, they walked to the front door, where another employee was waiting to open that door. Luis drew Nikita into the foyer and dismissed his men with a slight lift of his eyebrows. In a heartbeat, they were now alone.

Nikita looked around the spacious foyer. Stained glass panels surrounded the front door and the lights from the outside cast beautiful patterns on the furnishings, walls, and floors of the dimly lit entry. Luis had stood still and seemed to be waiting for something, a word or gesture from Nikita to indicate her willingness to proceed to their lovemaking. Nikita turned fatalistically towards Luis and touched his lips with her fingertips. That was enough for him. With a rough sound, he swept Nikita up into his arms and carried her up the steps to his master bedroom.

*****

"Champagne, my sweet?" Luis had already started to strip the foil from the top of the bottle. Nikita sat on the edge of the bed where Luis had placed her when he came into the bedroom.

"Yes, please." Nikita rose and came to his side. Luis was occupied with removing the cork, so Nikita turned and reached for the two glasses that were sitting on the tray next to the ice bucket that had contained the champagne. Without Luis seeing her hand movements, Nikita turned the ring on her finger around to the inside of her hand and, with her thumb, pressed a small button on the setting, as she held her hand over one of the glasses. An extremely tiny amount of clear liquid dropped into the bottom of the glass. Nikita turned her ring around without missing a beat and picked up both glasses, one in each hand. Turning around to face Luis, she was just in time to hear the pop of the champagne bottle as Luis removed the cork with a flourish.

Luis poured the sparkling golden liquid into the glasses that Nikita held out to him. He then placed the bottle back into the bucket. Nikita handed a glass to Luis and gazed into his eyes. Luis touched his glass lightly to hers.

With the glass still ringing with the tap, he murmured, "To you, my lovely Katharine. And to an unforgettable night." Oh yes, Nikita thought, I will never be able to forget this night. Both of them drank deeply and, in unison, set their glasses back onto the tray. Luis drew Nikita close to his body and began, again, to unbutton the tiny pearls of her jacket. When her jacket was unbuttoned, he drew it off her shoulders and threw it over onto a chair. Her shoes, skirt, stockings, garter belt, and panties were all drawn off with the same concentration he had shown to her jacket.

Nikita now wore only the short chemise. Luis motioned to the bed and she knelt on its surface waiting for him. He had not allowed her to remove any of his clothing. Nikita watched as Luis stripped to his silk boxers and turned to face her. She drew in a deep breath. This man had a magnificent body. Silky black hair lightly covered his broad chest and narrowed down in a thin line to disappear into the waistband of his only covering. With the impressive bulge pushing out the front of his underwear, Nikita knew he was impressive everywhere. She knew that he had everything it took; tenderness, intense masculinity, and impressive body, to make a woman extremely happy between the sheets.

But, something strange had happened to Nikita on her way upstairs.

Her desire for Luis, what small amount there had been, had totally disappeared. Nikita put, what she hoped was, a yearning expression on her face and waited for Luis to join her on the wide bed. He joined her in the middle of the bed, and, molding her body to his as they were kneeling, he took her mouth in a wild and deeply passionate kiss, his firm lips and tongue making his intentions very clear. Tearing his mouth away, he reached for the hem of Nikita's chemise and pulled it over her head. Pushing her down onto the bed, Luis removed his boxers and fulfilled the promise of his searing kisses.

************

Nikita lay next to a sleeping Luis, who was on his side facing her as she lay on her back. Her eyes were wide open and she was listening to the sounds of his breaths to gauge how deeply he had fallen asleep. When she was sure he was asleep enough for her to move from his side, she carefully lifted the arm that he had laid across her waist and slid from the bed in one smooth movement.

Nikita made her way over to her discarded clothing. The small sedative she had put into his champagne would be just enough to deepen his sleep and keep him from waking for a few hours. When he woke up, he wouldn't suspect that he had been drugged because the dose had been kept deliberately low. Nikita moved very quietly and pulled on her clothing without making an unnecessary sound. Looking through a small desk in the room, Nikita found paper and a pen. Quickly, she wrote a small note to Luis.

Dearest Luis,

With all my heart, I thank you for trying to make me forget the man that I was running from. You are an exciting man that will make some lucky woman very happy someday. In part of me, I am sad because that woman won't be me. But, tonight, I realized how much I love someone else. I can't stay and continue this relationship with you. Please forgive me. Please don't try to find me. I am going to return to my home and try to work things out with Michael.

With deepest affection,

Katharine

That should do it. Two suitcases and her clothing in the apartment had already been removed, making it look like she had returned to the rooms and packed and left. If Luis checked her application on file in personnel, he would not find her paperwork. Other forms would be missing, making it appear that many of them had been misplaced or lost. But, Nikita didn't think that Luis would look for her. His heart had not been committed to her. And his masculine pride would forbid him from chasing a woman who clearly loved another man and had returned to him.

With one last look at Luis, she quietly opened his bedroom door and slipped out into the hallway, closing the door soundlessly behind her. Having already memorized the layout of the house, she made her way downstairs and slipped into his study. With the confidence of many such missions behind her, Nikita turned on his computer and quickly established a modem connection to Birkoff, waiting in the van nearby. Following his written instructions on the screen, she initiated a download of all files stored on the hard drive. Looking through the desk, she found additional disks and she laid them on the desk, waiting for the hard drive to finish uploading to Birkoff. While she was waiting, her mind returned to the last hour. Luis had been a wild and passionate lover. With devastating thoroughness, he had led Nikita through foreplay and onto the final act. Nikita had responded to Luis with all the ardor she thought was appropriate and she was sure that he didn't suspect that inside she was unaffected and not being aroused by his techniques. With the moisture she had from his lovemaking in the limousine, Luis had slipped inside her easily. He hadn't been concerned at her inability to produce more lubrication. Instead the friction had driven him to greater heights of his own excitement and he had spent himself in a wild fury. Nikita had faked the corresponding orgasm on her part and he had seemed happy to have satisfied her. Cuddling afterwards, he had been complimentary and loving, but, under the influence of the mild sedative, he had drifted off to sleep easily.

Birkoff had typed his question twice. Nikita shook herself out of her daze and responded to his query about other sources of files. Placing the disks in the reader, she was occupied with removing and replacing disks as they were read. Finally, she inserted the last one, watched it download, and, removing it, replaced all the disks back in their original location. Birkoff then told her that he was going to send a virus into Luis' computer that would erase any trace of their tampering with his files. When it was done, Nikita was told to turn off the computer and leave the house. The mission was over. All she had left to do was leave quietly and without being detected.

Nikita moved out of the study and approached the front door. While all the doors and windows had electronic sensors to report their opening and closings, the front door had been electronically disabled that day by Section. Under the guise of a delivery, an electronic scrambler had been passed near the sensor and had caused a malfunction. Luis' security team was going to replace the unit in the morning because a replacement unit had to be flown in. This was all planned by Section to give Nikita a unreported exit from the house. Nikita opened the door cautiously and slipped out to the front veranda. She silently pulled the door shut. Leaving the front porch quickly and making her way to the shadows, Nikita stealthily glided into the concealing cover of the trees that surrounded the house. She already knew the basic layout of the grounds and, even in the inky darkness of the night, she made her way swiftly and surely towards the front gate. She avoided the driveway, where she knew security cameras were located. Nikita knew that her exit could have been made by a desperate young woman, trying to remain inconspicuous. Her leave taking would not look professional, but merely a possibility existed that she could have circumvented the security features unknowingly.

When Nikita reached the vicinity of the front gate, she slowed and stopped, watching the guard's movements as he intently watched the gate and lit areas immediately adjacent to the gate. At random times, he would be expected to leave his post and quickly check the other side of the gate. One person, timing it correctly, could sneak behind his back and through the guard house. A silent alarm would be tripped when the panic bar inside the guards house was pushed open, a light would appear on the guard's indicator panel in the hut, under normal conditions. But, this night, the small light had been disabled, a blown bulb had been switched with the good one and, by the time the house security team would be down to check it out, a person on foot could have reached the highway and flagged down a car.

The guard was leaving the small hut. Nikita crept closer and silently, almost within touching distance of the guard, moved behind his back and entered the open door of the shack. She crouched down for a few seconds and then pushed open the panic bar of the door. Still moving smoothly and silently, she crept out of the guard house and disappeared into the darkness beyond the lights of the gate. An operative would be waiting about 10 yards straight ahead to guide her to the vehicle waiting by the highway. When she figured she was close to his position, a strange buzzing started to tickle her nerve endings. That felt like....

Michael. He materialized in front of her. Dressed in his black suit, he was almost invisible, except for his face and his beautiful gray-green eyes. Nikita stopped in her tracks. They were so close, that either could reach out a few inches and touch the other. Nikita was afraid to look in his face, but she was tired of being a coward, so she stiffened her back and met his gaze. Would she see revulsion? Pity? Anger? Or god help her, would his face be an expressionless mask? She feared that most of all. She would rather know what he was thinking than being clueless to his feelings about her and her mission.

She only had a few seconds to absorb his expression before he roughly cupped his hand over the back of her head and fastened his mouth to hers. His face had held something...what was it? Then, her thoughts were occupied in enjoying the sweetest kiss she had ever received from Michael. Even with the alarm being posted in the main house and their time being limited, he seemed to be in no hurry. He savored her mouth. Michael nipped her bottom lip, then soothed it with his tongue. Oh, that wonderful tongue. He licked her lips and swept her mouth with that sensuous strokes. It was the most erotic kiss that Nikita had ever experienced. He encouraged her tongue into his mouth and he played with it briefly before he wanted to put his back into her mouth and teasingly and lovingly sip and dart inside her mouth and without. Nikita felt treasured. She felt cherished. The words to describe his love play with his mouth were of the most tender and romantic variety. Tears formed in her eyes at all the feeling he was putting into his kiss. Kissing Michael was better than having sex with any other man. In his kiss and tender touch, Nikita heard these words.

I was never upset with you.

I have the highest respect for you.

You are the most important person in my life, don't you know that?

I will never think less of you for what Section has asked you to do.

Please, please, give the same to me when it is my time.

I will love you until the day I die and beyond, if it is possible.

Michael finished by kissing each of her eyes and taking the moisture of her tears onto his lips. He leaned back, slid his hands to her shoulders and saw her expression and read it correctly.

Michael, I love you.

I will love you forever.

Thank you for not being upset with me.

I had to do this. I had to.

Michael seemed to sigh and he closed his eyes in relief.

Relief? Nikita was stunned until she realized that he had been worried that she would be angry at him for what she had been forced to do. She smiled tenderly at him when his eyes opened again, and his eyes relaxed. Her smiles always had the ability to reassure him. She wouldn't smile if she didn't mean it. Michael seemed to suddenly remember their precarious situation and he looked around to scan the area and make sure that they were clear to move before they continued onto the van. He took her hand in his and led her through the darkness to the Section van. They boarded silently, Nikita sitting on the bench seat next to Michael, her hand still in his, their eyes still linked and communicating silently.

******

Madeline was watching the monitor on her desk when Operations entered her office. She quickly switched off the screen, but not before Operations got a glimpse of what looked like an apartment bedroom. He only had gotten a rough impression of two people lying on the bed when the screen had been deactivated.

Stopping in front of Madeline's desk, he allowed a small triumphant smile to curve his lips.

"I just read the reports from the mission to download Santestevan's computer files. The preliminary reports of the information from his computer are very encouraging. We will be able to do quite a bit of housecleaning with his records. The mission was accomplished cleanly, no traces of our activities was left to alert him." Madeline just looked up at him and nodded absently.

Ops continued, "Nikita performed satisfactorily in her role as his lover. It certainly will increase her usability for Section." Madeline looked up at Operations and he was stunned to see some small amount of anger in her eyes.

"We will use Nikita in this capacity if, and only if, there is no better alternative." While the anger was in her eyes, Madeline's voice was calm, but firm.

Ops answered her, in his most reasonable tone, "Of course. I trust your guidance on these matters." Madeline nodded and seemed disinclined to talk further. Operations moved on to another matter that he wanted to discuss with her.

"The Highland Corporation mission. I would like Michael to start on the profiles first thing in the morning." Madeline had already started shaking her head as he spoke.

"No. Michael and Nikita had earned some down time. Assign Stuart to do the planning. He's ready to assume this responsibility."

Operations stared in a penetrating way at Madeline, but, in the end, simply nodded and quietly left her office.

Madeline sat for a long time, staring at the empty video screen in front of her face. It reflected back her own image.

The End

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