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When Tony Stark walked into Bemelmans Bar seven minutes, thirty-eight seconds ago the last thing he expected was to be stalked.
Again.
He tugged on the hoodie he had thrown over his Black Sabbath T-Shirt, blatantly ignoring the bar’s dress code and the women behind him who sort of milled around for a moment, then scooted off in a jumble of harried whispers.
People didn’t need to spruce themselves up with expensive clothing and frilly panties all the time to be important.
Didn’t all these dolled-up women get tired of putting makeup on their two faces every morning?
By the stealthy glances thrown his way, he knew he looked like a sprinkle of grey on a rainbow cupcake.
The thought brought a grin.
Let them look. There was nothing they could do.
He was Anthony Stark, the richest man in God’s green earth. He didn’t need a Rolex to make a statement.
Needless to say, he could always ignore them so hard they would forget they existed.
It was a talent he had developed through the years he had to spend dealing with stupid people. Unlike him, their parents didn’t seem to realize before it was too late that two wrongs didn’t make a right.
His luck had it that he had to meet them. He tried to convince himself that they were not stupid.
They just had bad luck when thinking.
It was among the reasons—no, the main reason and not his eccentricity—he preferred the privacy of his lab.
He had his bots, he had JARVIS, Rhodey visited occasionally and Obadiah Stane was more than qualified to take care of the annoying board meetings.
The bartender finished mixing his drink. “Thank you, Jake,” he smiled and took a generous swallow.
It burned in a good way.
“I needed this,” he tapped his fingers over the sleek wood.
He was about to lift the glass for a second round when the hair on his arms stood up.
“Tony! Where have you been? Were you ignoring my calls?” A deceptively sweet voice demanded.
The volume of her voice had steadily risen to the point where it could be heard by everyone, even over the music and chattering.
It seemed it would be a cold day in hell before Amber Heardle surrendered.
The woman should really come with a warning label.
When he spent a drunken night with her three months ago; a night he couldn’t remember a damn thing about; he didn’t expect she would stalk him.
Literally.
It was his fault for forgetting the most important law in physics: light travelled faster than sound which might explain why she seemed bright in his hazy memory until she opened her mouth and spoke. Or rather made her intentions known.
It appeared that Miss Heardle couldn't do a good research.
Tony Stark didn’t do commitment. He never returned a commitment to anyone. Hell, he didn’t have the first clue how.
Analyzing data was easy; handling the awkwardness of one-on-one dates was hard. He hadn’t been on a date since, well, ever.
All he knew was how to get a good time and forget about it not twenty-four hours later.
Maybe it was a curse. But no woman could fill the hollowness inside his chest.
He never felt that instantaneous spark and visceral connection poets and men on their honeymoon sang about.
All he felt at that moment was…regret for not running away before it was too late.
“Good story but in what chapter would you leave?” he mumbled. The Bartender snorted but Amber didn’t seem to get it.
“Very funny,” she ran a razor-sharp, red nail over his shoulder making him shudder. “Can we leave now?” she fluttered her fake eyelashes, giving him a suggestive wink.
“You can leave, I don't mind. Earth is full. I would suggest somewhere else,” he said in an offhanded way.
Her eyes widened with interest. “Are you building spaceships? I’d like to see one up close. Pretty please?”
Jake couldn’t hold his chuckle anymore.
Tony gave him an exasperated look. “Buddy, you’re as useful as a screen door on a submarine. I need a hand here.”
The bartender lifted his arms. “Sorry Mr Stark. This sounds like a you problem.”
With a cheeky grin, he left.
Traitor.
Well, it wouldn’t be hard to try again. “Amber. What you’re doing is wrong and starting to freak me out. I mean, should I tell my therapist about you?”
Amber pouted and started playing with his fingers. “Why is that? I felt the connection that night, Tony. You probably do not remember a thing because you were wasted but it was always there. We’re meant for each other.”
Oh boy!
“Please, try to understand. There was never an Us. You’re my favorite person…besides every other person I’ve ever met. In fact, I envy people who have never met you. I don’t want things to get ugly so stop stalking me.”
Amber sucked in a breath and drew his head lower. “You said it! I knew it! I’m your favorite person. With time, you’ll come to love me.”
Wasn’t there a bullet somewhere he could be jumping in front of?
“Are you for real? Everyone is entitled to act stupid once in a while, but you’re abusing that privilege.” A soft feminine voice with a British accent muttered next to him.
His head swivelled to the left. The kick of anticipation in his bones wasn’t lost on him.
He could never ignore the thrill of a battle of wits and all the snarky comebacks that came with it.
Call it his second hobby after working on Arc Reactors.
Tony tried not to stare, but it was a lost battle.
The woman was dressed in black leather from head to toe.
Her luscious black hair was arranged in intricate braids, Viking-style.
But what stole his breath was the pair of amused emerald-green eyes volleying between him and Amber.
His unconcealed ogling didn’t seem to bother her. She lifted her Coke to her lips and he noticed the strange tattoo on the inside of her wrist. It was a vertical line and circle enclosed by a triangle.
Pretty neat.
He considered his options and decided to jump on the opportunity.
“Stupidity isn’t a crime. Yet. It explains why stupid people are roaming free,” he smirked.
The woman tilted her head back and laughed.
His ravenous eyes pursued her swan-like neck and elegant cheekbones. “Too bad we can’t Photoshop personalities. Yet,” she threw back.
Tony couldn’t stop his surprised laughter. She had caught him off guard. A rare occurrence. He liked it.
A hell of a lot.
She couldn’t be a stranger for long. Not if he could help it.
He raised his hands dramatically. “Well, it’s more disappointing than an unsalted pretzel. All we can do is wait and pray.”
As she straightened to retrieve some nuts, she turned to face him. Looking him straight in the eye, she sunk her teeth into it.
Combined with his definite noticing of her physical attributes and he was entering dangerous territory. While being stalked by a crazy woman.
A brow quirked when Amber glared at her. “Who the hell are you?” She sounded outrageous and a bit scary.
A flicker passed through her eyes before it disappeared. She lifted her head elegantly. “Don’t worry about me. Worry about your dignity.”
“What!” Amber shouted.
The woman tsked and shook her head in fake disappointment. “If ignorance is a bliss, you must be the happiest person on the planet. Don’t you realize you’ve been harassing this man? It's a crime. And for the record, I’m not insulting you. I’m describing you.”
Tony blew out a breath.
God. Damn.
He felt as though he’d been dealt a knockout blow. For the first time in at least a decade, he’d been rendered completely speechless.
She was good. More than good.
“Mind your business. I’m talking to my boyfriend,” Amber coiled a greedy arm around his shoulder and he groaned, stealing himself not to succumb to the urge to physically threw her away.
“I don’t see it that way,” the woman retorted good-naturally, the jovial smile never leaving her plump lips.
“That’s it,” Amber growled and tried to jump on her.
“Hey, hey, stop,” Tony snapped. “Leave. Now.”
“But…” Misty blue eyes he so wanted to forget rounded with surprise.
“She’s hopeless,” the stranger sighed. “Miss Amber, don’t get bitter. Try to get better.”
Tony lifted a questioning brow and pasted on what he hoped was a friendly smile. Which meant it was fake because he felt nothing friendly toward the gorgeous woman defending him.
His beautiful savior.
Her eyes twinkled with mirth as if telling him to go with it if he dared.
Determinedly, he bobbed his head once, his fingers stretching and curling in his hand.
One thought and one thought only raced through his mind. He liked this stranger more than any woman he had ever met and needed her closer.
Her knowing smirk urged him on. She didn’t think he was brave enough to continue. Her arrogance excited him and made him want her more.
Unable to take the distance anymore, he dragged her sideways onto his lap. She went without protest, tucking her head underneath his chin. The weight of her in his lap caused his eyelids to drop.
“Tony!” Amber screamed.
He cringed having downright forgotten about her existence.
“Amber, this is my girlfriend. Leave us be and let’s not make a scene. If your aim was to appear in the tabloids, I can assure you that you had succeeded.” He spat the last word, and closed his eyes, praying for patience.
A way to make this end faster. End period.
He still couldn’t believe it was happening.
“You’ll bring everyone so much joy when you leave,” the woman added, her hands playing with his hair. He reveled in the sensation, his eyes glazed as he looked at her profile.
Amber screamed then stomped toward the door.
“Good riddance,” he swallowed when she laughed again. The sound tickled his nerve ends in a very pleasant way.
“The people who tolerate her on a daily basis are real heroes,” she shrugged.
He was surprised to find his fingertips trailing up and down her back, his chin dropping on top of her head.
Minutes ticked by as they remained in companionable silence. Seeming at odds with himself, he wrapped an arm around the small of her back, tugging her closer to the warmth of his chest.
“A few minutes won’t hurt,” he muttered, seemingly to himself.
She nuzzled into his chest but he heard the smile in her voice when she spoke. “Would that be all, Mr Stark?”
Tony almost fell off the stool. His chest was crowded by warring feelings. Contrary to his first impression, she knew him. For a moment, she made him feel normal. He blew out a breath. He deserved that for ignoring the mental warning to stop flirting with her.
One hand came to frame his jaw gently. “You’re startled. It should be a rare occurrence,” she sounded pleased with herself.
His eyes dropped to her mouth and he dipped his head lower. “I’m at a disadvantage here, my lady.” He chalked it up to his nature. He couldn’t help but deal with….everything with his usual sarcasm.
“We can’t have that, can we now?” she countered with a glint in her eye.
Something knotted up in his throat when her breath caressed his skin.
“I’m Agent Hollis Potter from SHIELD. And before you ask, no, Fury didn’t send me. I came here especially for you.”
Before he could respond, she stood gracefully, leaned closer; her lips grazing his jaw until they reached his mouth then stole a kiss, taking full ownership and fusing her lips with his.
Instinctively, he grasped her hips but it was over before he could savour the hottest kiss of his life.
Story might as well he had never been kissed before.
Breath whooshed from his lungs, excitement weaving up his spine when she smiled. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this. How much I’ve looked for you. We’ll meet again soon. Until then, goodnight Tony.”
He remained still, watching her disappear through the crowd.
“Your life is crazy, Mr Stark. I don’t envy you,” the bartender whistled.
Tony shrugged and pointed toward the door Agent Hollis Potter just closed. “I don't like plans. I like it when life surprises me."
A voice in his head clearly said. 'You're fooling no one, buddy. You can't wait to make long-term plans with her.'