THE LADY AND THE JOE
BY: CROSS-COUNTRY'S GIRL

The Dance

This story was written for the sole purpose of entertainment. No copyright infringement or harm is intended.
Thank you,
Toby Keith, for the inspiration of my favorite song

"Look."

At the one word, all eyes at the table followed the indication of the nod towards the dance floor.

The couple visually, were well matched. She dressed in a dark green, almost black, dress that hugged her shape to her hips then flared gently to barely brush the floor. A Peach scarf was draped around her bare shoulders as a shawl, and her reddish-blonde curls, held loosely with a ribbon, tumbled across her shoulders and down her back. He was hansome in his suit, a black traditional cut with the classic white shirt beneath, except for the rounded collar with one black button instead of a tie.

Together they swayed to the music, a popular slow song. His hands resting lightly on her hips, her arms circling his waist. While others on the dance floor danced properly to the music, the two were off to the side, out of the main crowd, oblivious to anything but each other.

It had been a perfect day, he thought to himself as his blue eyes studied her face. Waking with her still asleep in his arms, feeling the warmth of her body against his. Being able to see her in a completely relaxed state, no worries, no agitations marring her features. He had woke her gently with a whisper soft kiss across her lips, and rejoiced as those lips had curved into a lazy smile.

She hadn't pulled away, hadn't run from the physical affection he offered. He felt like he had taken down nest of Cobras by himself.

They had breakfast together, then he had some things to take care of at Headquarters. He reported for duty, and as soon as that was completed they met for lunch at one of the outdoor cafés in the city. Their afternoon consisted of a slow walk back to her apartment, and lot of nothing except watching an old movie on the TV, cuddled together on the couch.

Now, as they danced to the music, her eyes closed and a smile on her lips, he leaned down to kiss her. The surge of warmth and skip in his heart that resulted from such a gentle caress took him off guard, and he stiffened slightly.

Her eyes opened, a question within. "What?"

"I've got a funny feeling," he replied, setting his chin on the top of her head. "The moment that your lips touched mine."

She laid her head against his chest. "Like what?" she whispered.

"Something shot right through me, my heart skipped a beat in time."

She pulled back to look at him, a slightly amused look on her face, but didn't speak.

He smiled down at her, and pulled her close. "There's a different feel about you tonight."

"I feel different. I can't explain it. Maybe it's the wine I had."

"Well, it's got me thinking lots of crazy things," he admitted. "I even think I saw a flash of light, it felt like... electricity."

A smug expression came across her face and her eyes sparkled mischievously. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the small fear that was trying to crop up. Take a chance, she told herself, take a chance...

Her hands slid from his waist and reached up to link behind his neck. She tipped her face upwards to his and slowly pulled his head down to her. Whispering against his lips, she murmured, "I love you," and kissed him.

It wasn't an innocent kiss like they had shared many times before. His eyes widened in surprise then snapped shut as her lips parted to allow her tongue to sweep over his lips in invocation. He opened his mouth, tentatively touching his tongue to hers for the first sweet taste. His arms tightened, pulling her against his body as he deepened the kiss. His hand slid up her spine, caressing the bare skin of her back. He felt her become rigid for the barest of seconds, then slacken against him in surrender as a groan issued from the back of her throat. She broke away then, a hint of panic in her eyes.

He kept her close, running his fingers through the thick curls as he tried to catch his breath. She also was breathing hard, trying to decipher exactly what she was feeling. For the first time she didn't feel the need to bolt for the door.

"You shouldn't kiss me like this," he said raggedly, his cheek against her forehead. "Unless you mean it like that."

"Why?" she breathed.

"Because," he began, then paused. "Because I'll just close my eyes, and I won't know where I'm at."

She was a bit shocked at the effect she had over him. She was always the one that was cold, could never pleasure a man. Wasn't that what she had been told? But there was no disappointment, no smoldering anger in his tone. "Really?"

He nodded, and then chuckled. "And we'll get lost on this dance floor, spinning around." He took them into a slow spin for emphasis. "And around and around and around."

Giggles erupted. "Stop... you'll make me dizzier than I am from kissing you!" she admonished.

He stopped, a grin on his face, but it died as he caught a glance at the group of his team mates and their companions at the table just off the dance floor. "They're all watchin' us now."

She snuggled against his chest. "Are they?"

"They think we're falling in love. They'd never believe we're just friends."

She bit her lip in uncertainty, her eyes glancing off to the crowd, then meeting with his. "Isn't that what's happened?" she asked slowly, not sure of the meaning of his words.

His eyes held hers, a look in them she couldn't describe. Was it confusion? Was it hope? A moment passed before he murmured, "When you kiss me like this... I think you mean it like that."

"What if I do?"

"If you do," he whispered haltingly, "Lady, kiss me again."

He expected her to pull away, to leave him on the floor alone and walk out of the dining hall that was hosting the party. They stopped dancing, and she stood very still in his arms. He slackened them, so she did not feel that she was being detained, but still holding her. She didn't move, just stood there. He could read the struggle she was having within herself, fighting against her natural inclination to run.

"Everybody swears we make the perfect pair," he murmured, trying to encourage her. "But dancing is as far as it goes."

She glanced away, chewing on her bottom lip, but did not budge. Her eyes came back to search his for some sort of reassurance.

His next words were almost a plea. "Girl, you never moved me, quite the way you've moved me tonight. I just wanted you to know." He moved his hands to her shoulders and squeezed, then dropped them to his sides. "I just wanted you to know."

"I... I want you to help me," she whispered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her hands flat on his chest. "Help me break this wall down that I can't do on my own. Because, because, I, I really want you..." Her mouth crushed to his.

His arms wrapped around her tightly and held her to his body. He vaguely heard, through the roaring in his ears, the cheering of his friends. Liquid heat flashed through him from the top of his head to his toes and then pooled low in his belly. Now, more than ever, he wanted this woman to be completely his, in body and soul. He wanted to be hers in the same way. He prayed that maybe, just maybe, tonight would be the night they would start down the road to completing each other.

She felt as if she was melting, the only thing keeping her upright was the hold he had on her. A strange phenomenon came over her as they kissed with frantic abandonment: the joy of realizing he wanted her for her, nothing else. This was pure, sweet, unconditional love, something she had never experienced before.

He tore away from her mouth, knowing he had better keep in check the need that was coursing through his body, the party was not the place to act out his desires. He squeezed his eyes shut and rested his head a top of hers as he fought for control.

Her own heart pounding in her chest, and embarrassed by the display of public affection, she gripped his jacket tightly and hid her face in his chest. Wishing desperately that they were alone back at her apartment, while she had the emotional high to ride through any doubts that may try and creep up.

"You shouldn't kiss me like this, unless you mean it like that," he said to just make sure of what he thought was transpiring between them.

"Tell me again why," she replied, muffled, but a smile forming on her lips. She looked up at him.

He laughed out loud. "Because I'll just close my eyes and I won't know where I'm at, we'll get lost on this dance floor, spinning around, and around and around and around." He picked her up and spun her around for emphasis. Her laughter rang out through the hall as she held on. Setting her down, he jerked his head towards the tables. "They're all watchin' us now-"

"Let them."

"-They think we're falling in love-"

"We have."

"-They'd never believe we're just friends."

"I don't want them to believe that anyway!"

He stopped dancing with her to look into her eyes. He finally saw what he hoped for so long to see: complete belief that his intentions were true. Rubbing a thumb down the side of her face to her jaw, continuing down her neck and across the top of the neckline of her dress above her breasts, he said slowly, "When you kiss me like this, I think you mean it like that. If you do, Lady, kiss me again."

Her blue eyes intense, she stared into his.

"Kiss me again."

She looked away, then back. Her eyelids fluttering shut, she stretched up on tiptoe, placed her hands on his shoulders.

And kissed him.

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To Be Continued
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