Zorro
Lucien interlaced his fingers with hers, drawing her closer with a hand on her lower back.
Keeping himself positioned firmly between the other patrons, not allowing anyone to bump into her.
Kate raised her own hand, awkwardly placing it over his shoulder, feeling her muscles stiffen and hampering the flow of their dance.
She glanced over his shoulder, watching how the couples danced together, their eyes focused only on the person in front of them.
She clenched her teeth together, jaw clicking.
Why can’t I be like them? So free in their movements.
Lucien bent down to her, murmuring, “Why so nervous?”
Kate settled for the easier answer of the two. “I’ve never danced before.”
He nodded, as if it made sense. “You know,” his hand started drawing circles on her lower back. Tingles sparked to life everywhere he touched. “Dancing is like fighting, seeing as fighting comes so naturally to you…”
“Ohh, what are you insinuating here? That I… should be good at dancing?”
He sent her a wink, eyes glittering. “Ohh, I wouldn’t dream of the suggestion.”
She lifted her hand to smack him across the ribs, right where she’d elbowed him when they first met.
He winced. “Attacking someone, especially while dancing is a punishable offense.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead asking, “But you were saying before?” At the raise of his eyebrow, she added, “Zorro.”
“Hmmm, let’s see… my next move was rescuing some chickens, I may or may not have brought them to a sanctuary. With a bike.”
“A bike?” Disbelief colored her expression.
“Yes, Katherine, a bike. I didn’t have my driver’s license at thirteen you know. They sat huddled together in the basket up front, clucking at each other.”
A snort escaped her. “You’re an enigma, you know that?” She shook her head. Fully engrossed in the details. “Chickens in a bike basket, I would have loved to see it.”
He went on. “That one got me into quite some trouble.” He flashed a soft smile, a tad rueful. Like it had cost him something. “It made me realize animals never hurt you. Not without a reason, anyhow.”
Lucien had kept her distracted. By now they’d fallen into an easy rhythm, song after song passed in a blur, hands still entangled.
He’d been right, the flow now came easily to her.
But perhaps that was because it was him guiding her, with unfaltering steps, a steady hand when she stumbled, always there to support her.
It shouldn’t matter as much as it did.
Before she could double-check her decision she moved closer to her dancing partner, leaning in to rest her head against his chest, he stiffened for a second. Their flow interrupted, like a heart skipping a beat.
Much like had happened in the car he recovered quickly, feet moving again before anyone had noticed they’d halted.
I shouldn’t have done that.
Her cheeks flamed, but just as the thought announced itself Lucien’s chin lowered, resting lightly on her hair. He let go of her hand, trailing it over her shoulder to end at her neck and cup her gently. “Happy?”
The word nearly went lost in the strokes of the piano.
His pounding heartbeat thrummed underneath her ear. “Yes.” She admitted, desperately trying to hide the tremble in her voice.
“Good.” How just that one word could betray the smile in it.
“Everybody, your food is ready!” Marianne shouted over the shuffling feet of the slow dancing couples, her voice easily dwarfed the music and tripped up the musician as he skipped a note at the sudden intro of the hostess.
Kate jumped in place again. Laughing against Lucien as she said. “Gods, that woman has a way of doing things.”
“Hmmhmm.”
She lifted her head, moving to break away from their closeness. But his hold lingered on her, unwilling to let go. Kate slyly tilted her head, raising her eyebrow toward the people reaching for their chairs. “The music has stopped you know.”
Lucien regarded her, a knowing glint in his eye as he sighed, letting his hand fall away from her. “I know.”
Dread pooled in the depths of her stomach, unable to shake the feeling that she was missing something. She was about to ask when Marianne passed them by, their plates balanced in her arms.
Too late.
Lucien broke away, making his way back to their table that was chock-full of dishes. Pinto bean steak, hummus, bruschetta’s, a brightly colored salad.
Taking a bite of the pinto bean steak she couldn’t help but blurt out. “Yours is better.” While she waved a hand in front of her mouth, desperately trying to cool the food. What is it with me and burning myself?
Lucien in turn nearly choked on his food, swallowing once before asking. “Did you really just say that? I’ve been trying to perfect it for months.”
“Well, it is sweeter.” Kate returned him a teasing wink.
He sighed dramatically. “You wound me, here I was thinking you were serious.”
“I mean it though! Your cooking skills far outweigh my own.”
At that the bastard dared to laugh, eyes glittering as she saw the words written.That isn’t hard to beat.
She barked out a “What?!” Daring him to say it out loud.
“Your spaghetti is masterful.”
Her heel dug into his shins, knocking his knee against the table with a vicious smile as he winced. Twirling the glass of wine between her fingers she took a delicate sip. “Glad to know you do feel pain.” She raised her eyebrow in jest, raising her glass in mock celebration. “How far we have come.”
“Especially the knife tasted good.” He tried and failed miserably at keeping a straight face.
Kate allowed a note of darkness to enter her tone, muttering lowly. “You nearly tasted it.”
Lucien snorted, face a mask of disbelief. “Uhu.” He leaned in over the table matching her tone. “As I recall it clattered to the counter.” He sat back. “Your next move, the hip thing as you call it, definitely brought me off balance though.”
She rolled her eyes. “What hasn’t yet happened, can still take place you know.”
Lucien’s glass clinked against hers, the colorless water in his sloshing, nearly spraying over the edge. “How far we’ve come indeed. However… I would dial down the cockiness.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“You’ll be driving back. And before you make up all sorts of excuses about your shoes, I’ve got your sneakers waiting in the car.”
Indeed, the arrogance that had reared its head now flattened down, leaving a gap for ensuing panic to take hold. “But it’s dark out and it’s snowing and—”
He raised a hand, stopping her flow of buts. “The Volvo will hold its own, you just steer, tremble in your seat and bring us home… hopefully.”
***
The door to Lucien’s place fell shut behind them. As much as she had thoroughly enjoyed the evening, she was beat. Limbs dragging she kicked off her sneakers, bending down to pick them up with a pitiful groan.
The ones he had taken along so he could force her to drive.
Unbelievable.
Lucien’s voice rumbled up behind her. “That sounds like it’s time for bed.
” He locked the door behind him, the click echoing out through the silent house.
The sound that would have sent her into a panic before, now made her sigh in relief, knowing that she’d gotten them both safely home.
She had steered his black ride up the mountain, had trembled in her seat with fear yes, but…
her initial panic had switched to a calm confidence, seeing as she left the trees in peace, and the car forged its way up with ease.
She mumbled a quiet “Yes.” Greeting Ghost with a gentle hand on his head before dropping onto the armrest of the couch, covering her deep yawn.
“I should really stay away from drugs and alcohol though.” Even though it had just been one glass of wine.
It must have been the adrenaline spiking through her veins that left her aching to get to bed.
Lucien laughed, leaning against the door as he took her in, splayed across the couch.
“Need help getting up there?” He jerked his chin up to the stairs.
She followed his gaze, legs growing tired at the sight.
But tonight, the dancing, the closeness they had shared.
She needed space to clear her head, before she would let go of all her rational thoughts and that tiny voice inside of her that kept warning her of what he was and was able to do.
Even if it made her angry with herself for not following her heart, just this once.
So she shook her head, covering another yawn. “No, I got it.” She pushed off the couch, ignoring the amused raise of his eyebrows when she stumbled against the small coffee table.
“So I see.”
She waved his concern away, stumbling once more on her trek to the stairs, this time over well…
nothing she could see. Wood creaked as Lucien popped up beside her, one arm already lifted behind her.
“Just in case—” He sent her a shit-eating grin.
“You decide to meet the floor. A gentleman can’t let that happen, now can he? ”
With the fatigue bearing down on her, she had no fight left to answer his provocations.
“Whatever makes you happy, gentleman.”
And to be honest, I kinda do feel like falling. If that happens to land me in his arms, well can’t do much about that, can I?
It took a painful and good long minute before her feet stepped onto the first floor, but she did it.
Aiming straight for her room, she noticed that Lucien had stayed in his spot beside the stairs, leaning on the railing where he rested his hand on his chin, while his eyes followed her to the bedroom door.
Opening it, her nostrils flared wide to take in the soothing smell of the mint scented linens.
She glared at the bed, faintly wishing she didn’t need to use the toilet before dropping down on the mattress. And how to get out of the dress?
This will be a challenge still.
“Kate?”
She turned, popping her head around the doorframe. “Yes?” He was still next to the stairs, smiling softly at her.
“Did you have a good time?”
This time she didn’t have to think before answering. “I loved every second.”
His shoulders slumped. “Glad to hear it.” With a final smile, he turned to go back downstairs.
“Wait.” She called out, just before he stepped down the third step. “Did you?” Her lip protested the way she bit into it, no doubt leaving behind the marks of her teeth.
“One hundred percent.”
“Lucien?” Again she kept him from striding down the stairs, wanting to linger in the moment a little while longer.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
The nickname didn’t set her jaws grinding over each other, no somehow it carried a difference in tone. Less mocking and more… something she couldn’t figure out tonight.
She turned around to show her back. “Could you help me with the zipper?”
Nothing but the creaking stairs answered her question, until the familiar sandalwood smell drifted over her and warm fingers trailed over her back with the answer. “Gladly.”
She swallowed, heard the same heavy swallow being repeated behind her.
It felt as if minutes passed by before she felt him step back, the cold grazing the spots where his fingers had been. “There you go.”
She slyly turned to lean against the frame, about to say something, anything when she saw his pupils take over the green of his eyes, darkening them to near black. Before she could say another word, he whirled around and strode down the stairs, vanishing from sight.