She knew about the Starks, of course, but there was no way in hell she'd ever divulge the fact that she knew. It wasn't any of her business, for one, and she'd never willingly cause the man at the opposite end of the couch any more guilt than she knew he already carried. Which was why she'd more or less kept those little details on the down-low, at least until he asked.
But the Winter Soldier's past missions were abruptly shunted aside when Barnes asked if he could peel out of that damp undershirt, and Natasha watched with an unconcerned façade, but in truth her hooded gaze was mapping every single defined line of that magnificent torso, gleaming with dewy sweat in the brief flashes of light from the storm outside. And heaven help her, but she could still recall how it felt beneath her fingertips - heated velvet over corded steel.
Another freezing cold shower loomed in her future, she knew.
Well, James' idea wasn't a bad one, and after a moment's thought, the redhead uncoiled from the sofa and made her quiet way into the bedroom, emerging a few minutes later in just her plain black bikini top with a cold wet washcloth around her neck, long curls swept up into an artfully messy twist, leaving her neck and shoulders bare. She'd kept her soft cotton gym shorts, but nothing beneath - satin stuck when one was sweaty.
She plopped down in her former place, absently tossing a second cold cloth towards her companion, the cool wet rag landing right in the middle of that perfect abdomen. "Here," came her husky drawl out of the interrupted darkness. "See if that helps."
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But the Winter Soldier's past missions were abruptly shunted aside when Barnes asked if he could peel out of that damp undershirt, and Natasha watched with an unconcerned façade, but in truth her hooded gaze was mapping every single defined line of that magnificent torso, gleaming with dewy sweat in the brief flashes of light from the storm outside. And heaven help her, but she could still recall how it felt beneath her fingertips - heated velvet over corded steel.
Another freezing cold shower loomed in her future, she knew.
Well, James' idea wasn't a bad one, and after a moment's thought, the redhead uncoiled from the sofa and made her quiet way into the bedroom, emerging a few minutes later in just her plain black bikini top with a cold wet washcloth around her neck, long curls swept up into an artfully messy twist, leaving her neck and shoulders bare. She'd kept her soft cotton gym shorts, but nothing beneath - satin stuck when one was sweaty.
She plopped down in her former place, absently tossing a second cold cloth towards her companion, the cool wet rag landing right in the middle of that perfect abdomen. "Here," came her husky drawl out of the interrupted darkness. "See if that helps."