An Apology

Lina stared at Sharon with surprise and disbelief, even though she knew her reactions were unnecessary.

Sharon was a reckless and venturesome soul by nature, and a response like that, even though on her behalf, wasn't something beyond Sharon's capabilities.

Lina looked away from Sharon and quickly retracted her hand from the one her's had been placed in, preventing his long, slender fingers from wrapping around it. She'd tend to Sharon later, but for now...

She raised her gaze to his silvery eyes, staring at her with a gleam she couldn't quite label. It suddenly had her uneasy and weirdly made her self-conscious, but she had herself utterly composed.

"I'm sorry, but I don't dance," Lina said as politely as she could with hopes in her heart that he'd walk away, but that didn't seem to be his intention, as his eyes gazed at her more intensely but she could see the amusement that thrived in them.

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" He said, his eyes claiming to tell he knew better and daring her to lie to him one more time and Lina wanted to — she wanted to pick up that gauntlet he was throwing at her, but he stopped her when his eyes made a quick trail to her legs and back to her face.

"Legs like yours are explicitly made for dancing. They'd make any dance look gracious." He said, and Lina almost rolled her eyes, not at all impressed with his flirtations as that was indeed what he was doing.

Although Lina deemed his words annoying and unnecessary, she still felt a quick flush on her cheeks, but she was quick to place a leash on it.

She wasn't a girl who could be swooned by such fantasy words, and she'd never be.

She had seen the way he looked at her legs, though she deemed it inappropriate; his eyes hadn't been lecherous, rather they had looked at her with appraisal, again evoking that self-conscious feeling in her, which she was beginning to dislike.

Lina dimmed her eyes and narrowed them at him. "If this is about last night, I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for my reckless actions. I shouldn't have done that." Lina sincerely apologized, knowing she needed to do that and hoping an apology would put an end to whatever this was and that he'd walk away like the gentleman he seemed to be in that perfectly tailored suit of his.

Lina watched his lips curve into a smile that made his all-muscular face soften and relaxed his thick, angled brows. "Only on one condition." He said, holding out his palm in wait for her acceptance. "Dance with me."

Lina lowered her gaze to his hand and then to his eyes. They were calm and somewhat compulsive, but there was a streak of confidence brimming in them, and she wondered why it was. But what she most desperately pondered about, was why she was suddenly considering his invitation.

Why was she thinking about gliding across the dancefloor with him?

Because you owe him? An inner voice whispered in her head, but she refused to accept that, finding it incredibly lame.

She owed him nothing but an apology, and even that she has done.

And didn't guys do such to ladies? They'd kiss and walk away, so why was he collecting when most of the ladies in the world had been robbed of a kiss or two, and there had been no restitution?

And last night had been a game, one she had been coerced to play.

'But he doesn't know that.' The voice in her head spoke up again. 'And a dance isn't really much of a deal. It's just a dance, something that's meant to be fun.'

But having fun wasn't Lina's forte. She wasn't one to indulge in any form of frivolities because life had taught her better. She had never allowed herself, at least not in the last couple of years.

But maybe...maybe she could indulge. Another voice whispered in her head, and she stole a furtive glance at him.

Just maybe she could let herself have a feel of that high the occasional bit of fun could provide; after all, it was the steady diet of it that proved a threat.

Lina glanced towards Sharon, who was gearing her on with her eyes, barely able to keep herself still.

Lina looked away from her and stealthily heaved a sigh as she glanced back at him. "Just an apology." She said, meeting his eyes that glimmered as the smile that curled his thin lips touched them.

"Just an apology." He muttered, but Lina could tell he was only humoring her by agreeing not to call it the other name she didn't want to — A dance.

Hesitantly, Lina slipped her hand into his and rose to her feet. She surreptitiously scowled at Sharon, who was failing to stifle the giggles pushing through her teeth.

Sharon cut her a wink as he steered her towards the dance floor, and she followed like he had suddenly become a pivotal magnet.

He stopped when they reached the heart of the dance floor and turned to her. His eyes made a deep stare into hers as he placed her hands on his shoulders and with slow deliberation, slid his hand around her waist that Lina felt electric tingles running across her spine.

With his eyes still not shifting and keenly fixed on hers, he gently pulled her close, safely holding her body against his, but close enough for her to feel the warmth coming from him and his hard rock muscles that showed hours of relentless dedication at a gym.

"Now we dance." He said with a voice sizzling with sexuality. "Let's see how much of this dance can make up for that kiss."