3.

 

Ash

 

I don’t dance.

Not at weddings or birthday parties, clubs, or after one too many martinis. Let everyone else make a fool of themselves stumbling over their feet—or worse still, bobbing around waving fake disco moves like they don’t look ridiculous. I prefer to keep my head cool and my dignity intact, so I make it a rule: I don’t dance.

But as this mysterious woman beckons me onto the dance floor with an alluring smile, my feet do the unthinkable.

They follow her.

Before I can think twice, she leads me to an empty spot in the middle of the crowd, and then turns back to me. It feels the most natural thing in the world to slide one hand around her waist, take her hand with my other, and find the music.

Her eyes widen in surprise. “You waltz?”

I smile at her surprise, steering her through the throngs in perfect time to the music. “A man needs some skills.”

She laughs. “Let me guess, you learned just to impress the ladies at moments like these.”

“Why, are you impressed?” I pull her imperceptibly closer, so the silk of her dress is crushed against my chest. I can see her cheeks flush below her feathered mask—it’s just like when I held her outside in the street. Except this time, instead of reeling from the chemistry, I feel in perfect control.

Just the way it should be.

“We’ll see how you hold up after a couple of dances,” the woman teases. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I’m Noelle, by the way,” she adds.

“Noelle…” I like the way it feels on my lips. Not as good as she did, but close. “A pleasure to meet you. I’m Ash.”

I spin her out, then pull her back in, relaxing into the rhythm of the music and the hot sway of her body against mine.

“Look at you,” she laughs. “When did you learn to dance like this?”

“My mom taught me,” I confess. “For my first middle school dance.”

“Aww, cute,” Noelle smiles. “Well, tell her thanks from me, and all the other girls you’ve saved from crushed toes and broken ankles.”

“I will.”

A lump rises in my throat. The memory hits me hard. Me, a gangly kid awkwardly stumbling around the living room as Mom led me through the steps. We worked all afternoon; I was so determined to get it right, but no matter how frustrated I got, Mom calmly walked me through the routine until I was perfect. She was always the patient one, warm and understanding—urging me to do good.

What would she think of you now?

I misstep, landing clumsily.

“Are you OK?” Noelle asks, dragging me back to reality.

“Just fine.” Quickly, I cover by increasing our pace, whirling through the crowd. I pull her in tighter against me and breathe in the intoxicating scent of her perfume. The world finds its balance again. My dark past melts away under the heat of Noelle’s touch, and the teasing sparkle in her eyes, until there’s nothing in the room but the two of us.

She smiles up at me, sliding her hand up my arm. “We could have used a few guys like you for my high school dances.”

“What? I bet they were lining up around the block to partner with you,” I tease.

She snorts. “Sure. Joe Feingold couldn’t wait to grope me by the punch bowl, and Marty Wassersein just loved humping my leg during that Rhianna slow jam.”

I laugh. “Poor guys. That was probably the highlight of their whole lives.”

“For them, maybe.” Noelle smirks. “All those people who say high school is the best time of your life are crazy. You couldn’t pay me to go back there.”

“What about your reunion?” I fall back in the easy rhythm of the dance.

“Skipped it,” she says cheerfully.

“You didn’t want to go back and show everyone how beautiful and successful you are now?” I turn on the charm, expecting smiles and blushing, but instead, she gives me an arch look.

“First, you have no idea how successful I am.”

“And second?” I prompt, enjoying this. I’m not used to a woman who talks back like this: not bitchy and dismissive, but playful. A challenge.

I didn’t get where I am in the world without loving a challenge.

“No second reason,” she decides after a beat. “I’ll allow you the ‘beautiful’ compliment. But just so you know, you only get three, and you’ve already used one up now.”

“Only three compliments? What kind of rule is that?” I protest, laughing.

“A good one.” Noelle gives a playful smile. “Charm is fine in small doses, but guys like you are too smooth. You think flattery means you don’t have to have an actual conversation with anyone.”

I open my mouth to protest, but then stop. She’s right. I’ve gotten in the habit of using compliments like currency, slipping them into the conversation to disarm and placate my dates. I don’t think twice about it anymore—and maybe that’s the problem.

“So, two left,” I say instead. “I guess I better make them count.”

She grins, then looks past me over my shoulder. Her face changes. “No!” She groans. “Quick, hide me!”

Noelle ducks down out of sight. I turn.

“Don’t look!” she yelps.

“What am I not looking at?” I scan the crowd, confused.

Noelle peeks back up. “The guy over by the bar. Pinstripes. Massive chip on his shoulder.”

I find the guy she’s talking about. He looks like your typical stuffed shirt corporate ass, and he’s scanning the room, looking pissed.

“Your nemesis?” I ask, amused.

“Worse,” she sighs. “My date.”

I look again, more interested this time. “That guy?” I can’t keep the surprise from my voice. He’s definitely not who I would picture her with.

She rolls her eyes. “It’s a set-up. Trust me, I would never choose to spend three hours in a confined space with him of my own free will.”

I chuckle, dancing her smoothly behind a gaggle of people. “Bad breath?” I ask.

“Try bad soul,” she corrects me. “He’s a heartless lawyer.”

“Is there any other kind?” I quip.

“Hey!” She lightly hits my shoulder. “I’m a lawyer too!”

“You are?” I stop, looking down at her in surprise. “I would never have guessed.”

“Why, because I haven’t billed you for the dance—yet?”

I laugh again. This girl is funny. “No, because you’re… I don’t know, nothing like any of the lawyers I know.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she announces.

“Don’t,” I grin. “That means I’ve only got one left.”

Noelle laughs. “I’ll give you a pass, this time.”

“So generous,” I tease. “See, that’s why people don’t clock you as a lawyer.”

Noelle glances over my shoulder again. “Damn, I think he’s spotted me. Come on!”

Before I can object, she grabs my hand and yanks me into the crowd.

“Wait a second—” I laugh.

“Look, he’s coming!” Noelle drags me off the dance floor, then cuts a left down a long hallway. “Hurry!” she hisses. Her shoes clatter on the marble floors as we race away, people turning to stare as we charge past.

“In here,” I say, spotting a doorway leading outside. I pull her through to the dark courtyard and hustle her into a corner of the shrubbery. I peer back towards to the door. “Did we lose him?”

“I don’t know.” Noelle’s voice is breathy.

I turn. She’s backed up against the wall, so close I can feel her heart racing in her chest. The torches nearby cast a soft glow across her face, her eyes shining in the dim light.

Damn, she’s beautiful.

I watch, transfixed as she takes a shaky breath. Her eyes drift to my mouth, and she unconsciously bites her plump lower lip.

Suddenly, I couldn’t care less about this blind date we’re running from. Let him find us, right here, my hands sliding around her waist, her head tilting back invitingly.

Nothing in the world could stop me from kissing her again.

This time, I take it slow. I don’t want the raging heat from before; that was too dangerous. An unstable reaction. Now, I carefully draw her closer and close the distance between her inviting mouth and mine.

She melts against me, arching up to meet my kiss. I ease her lips open, licking into her mouth as I slowly explore her sweet depths.

This, I can handle. This lets me keep control. But too soon, she’s pulling me closer, biting gently down on my lip as her hands run through my hair.

I groan, feeling the heat spiral. Wildfire, burning hot and fast. I push her back against the wall, crushing her warm curves in my arms as my kiss turns demanding; devouring.

Noelle makes a noise of pleasure that’s like a shot of adrenaline, straight to my system.

Gasoline on the fire.

I grip her hips tightly, molding her body into mine as my tongue plunges to claim her mouth. But she meets me, every moment, every stroke; gripping handfuls of my shirt to tug me closer, arching her body invitingly to press against the hardness already grinding into her.

Fuck.

I want her. I want to unravel her, see her come undone. Turn that teasing smile to a gasp of pleasure; see what that spark of challenge looks like when she’s naked and writhing under my grasp.

I’m almost ready to take her right here in the darkness when a door slams down the hallway; laughter rings out as people pass us by, just a few feet away.

I wrench back, too close to losing control. Dammit. I swore I wouldn’t let her get to me, so what the hell am I doing?

Noelle blinks, and a hurt look skitters across her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I answer shortly. “I just… I’m sorry I let that get out of hand.” I rake my fingers through my hair and try to ignore the fire still burning in my bloodstream. But Noelle makes it hard: she’s leaning back against the wall, her cheeks flushed, and her lips parted, swollen from my kisses. Everything about her screams wild, frenzied sin.

One taste of her could make a man forget himself. Forget the world, all his responsibilities.

As if reading my mind, her lips curl in a smile. She reaches out, and takes hold of my tie. “How about you and I make a deal?” she says, her eyes blazing with a wild spark of rebellion. “Just for tonight, the real world doesn’t exist. It’s just me and you, and whatever happens next.”

My heart pounds in my ears. It sounds like a deal from the devil, too good to be true.

“One night,” I echo slowly, as my mind runs riot. The things I could do. The pleasure I would show her…

“One night.”

Noelle slowly tugs my tie, pulling me closer, back to that tempting mouth. I try to resist, to think clearly of all the reasons why this is a very bad idea, but I can’t help swaying towards her and the magnetic force of that smile.

Closer, closer. Her breath is hot on my lips. Her curves arch invitingly, and fuck, there’s no use pretending anymore. I was done for the moment I laid eyes on her outside the party; every second resisting is just a futile game.

As the distance between us closes, I can feel my sense and logic finally shatter into dust. A weight lifts from my shoulders. A freedom surging, hot in my veins.

I kiss her hard, a taste of what’s to come. Glittering heat and chaos. All the things I’ve kept at a safe distance.

Until now.

I grab her hand and take a leap into the unknown.

“Let’s get out of here.”