Shadows in the Concrete Jungle Book One: The Grey

Chapter Four

Kendra was bone tired by the time she got back upstairs. Noah had peeled off at the entrance to the building, only saying he was meeting someone.

Fair enough. Kendra was exhausted. She didn't care what morning trysts he had going on, it was his prerogative. But she wanted to crash in her bed and sleep for a solid twelve hours before she had to be awake again. She didn't even need to shower, thanks to the magic Nicholas had used on her.

Kendra got to her room as quickly as possible, left in disarray from the night before. She groaned. She couldn't leave her room in this state, even if it was just to sleep. Begrudgingly, Kendra picked up her room, all the while thinking about meeting Nicholas and the one they called Jolly.

All three of them were unconventionally good looking, with Jolly and Noah both being tall, and Nichals a bit shorter. They all had an effortless grace about them, and they seemed more than comfortable with each other, making small talk as they processed the area, Jolly and Nicholas wandering off to do their own mysterious work with any looky loos. She imagined she would have more interactions with them, at some point.

But for now, she was only focused on fixing up her room, and then getting to sleep.

Twenty minutes later, Kendra had slipped into the fresh white sheets of her bed in the room, naked, since she didn't have the energy to search through her bags to find pajamas, when the air kicked on and rustled the curtains of her room. Light danced through the curtains, and shined onto the mirror at the front of the bedroom.

The light glanced right in Kendra's eyes. She tried to cover eyes against it, but every adjustment she made, the covers slipped off her face. Already overtired and irritated, she got up and marched over to the mirror, adjusting it away from her, towards the door and the darkness there.She didn't waste any time before she dove right back into bed, satisfied.

The tired agent was just on the edges of sleep a few minutes later, when there was a knock on the door.

"Fucking hell," she muttered, her body curled up in the sheets, her eyes squeezed shut. Maybe if she just ignored the interrupter...

Another knock.

Kendra gnashed her teeth and kicked off the covers, and marched to her door. Peeking through the peephole-

God damn it.

Kendra unlocked the door and cracked it open. Noah stood there with a bag, and drink.

"Can I help you?" She ground out, making sure her naked body was covered by the door. Noah's eyes shifted into her room, dark, but for the entry light she flicked on. He met her eyes, a playful grin now on his face.

"Someone's a little testy," he said, arching up an eyebrow, a smug smile spreading across his lips.

Kendra sighed, and scrubbed a hand down her face, then back up again to pinch the bridge of her nose. She could feel a migraine coming on.

"I'm tired, Sebastian," she said, counting each throb of her temple.

"That's why I brought you coffee."

Kendra's eyes popped open. Coffee... for her?

Noah took a step closer to the door still covering her body, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Why don't I come in and set it down for you?" He said lowly.

Kendra's mouth dried up. Noah's sultry tone caught her off guard and her eyes widened just a bit.

"Uh, n-no," she stammered. What the fuck? A stammer?! "I'm in my pajamas."

Noah's eyes flicked to behind the door again, his head canted to the side, the playful smile broadening.

"What did I tell you about lying to your partner, Kendra?"

Oh God, that was so hot. "I'm not lying." She absolutely was lying, and somehow, he knew it.

"Suit yourself then, I'm sure we would have had a great time with your pajamas," he said, passing the coffee cup and bag in through the door. "Cold brew with half and half with sugar free vanilla, and bacon, egg and cheese on a croissant."

Kendra took each item, said a terse "thanks" then closed the door in his face, shutting out the smug grin he wore. Noah Sebastian was insufferable.

But sweet.

Still insufferable.

Kendra turned her back to the door and nearly dropped the breakfast he had brought her.

The stupid mirror, that she had just angled perfectly to face the darkness. Her whole naked self was perfectly in line with the mirror. Noah had seen her naked body, from her heels all the way up past her naked ass, to the loose hair hanging down her back.

"Mother fuck!" She snarled.

And from just the other side of the door behind her, a sweet, musical laughter floated to her.

†††

Holy fuck, Noah thought to himself. He turned to his own door, badged in, and the it open, and let it slam behind him as he entered. In three strides he was at his closet door, flinging that open, re-energized, his mind racing. One more step and he was through the portal Nicholas had made ages ago, and between one breath and the next, he was miles and miles away from the door to Kendra's room.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he said, running his hands through his hair. He had just seen Kendra naked.

"What are you worrying about now?" called Nicholas from the living room. Noah followed his voice into the open space, the dark hardwood creaking under his boots. He collapsed onto the couch, his neck bent against the back cushion.

"I saw Kendra naked," Noah said, immediately. Nicholas's mug of tea paused at his lips, his eyes opening up and locking with Noah's.

"And...?" Nicholas urged.

"And nothing. I gave her that breakfast I ordered. She opened the door naked."

Nicholas nodded sagely, then took a sip of his green tea, a bowl of oatmeal with sliced bananas sitting on the coffee table before him, partially eaten. "And does she know you saw her?"

"Definitely," Noah groaned, running his own hands down his face again. "I flirted with her. And then I laughed at it."

Nicholas winced, his eyes squeezing shut. "Dude," he groaned.

"Not at her! The situation!"

Nicholas lowered his tea to his lap. Noah watched him, the sudden energy he felt gone, leaving him tired.

"I'm going to bed," he said, and Nicholas's lips turned up in a smirk.

"Sure you are," he said, but waved him off.

Noah stood, and made his way up to his bedroom, where he shuffled off his clothes, and slid into the silken sheets. He stared at the ceiling for a while, the room dark from the shut curtains, no light creeping in from anywhere. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Kendra's ass, and the curve of where it met her thighs.

It was a perfect place, he decided, to grab onto. He slipped over onto his stomach, and slid into a deep sleep, where his only dream was of his new partner's face.