Stole A Kiss

Lina felt uncomfortable and sentient at the feel of his arm around her. Hard, thick muscles holding and pressing her against him, and his firm muscular thighs pushing her legs into matching his every step with pliancy.

He was so close Lina could feel the tangy scent of his cologne — an irresistible scent wrapped in notes of vanilla and musk. It was a timeless scent, one that was quickly etching into her brain.

The intimate proximity they shared aroused a sensitive awareness, one she hadn't felt in a long time and would like to put away quickly.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" He suddenly asked, his deep, rich voice snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?" Lina blinked and raised her gaze to him, an effort she instantly regretted when she met the intense and perusing stare of his gray eyes.

"You're stiff, but I can tell you can do more." He commented and spun her away and twirled her back into his arms, her body barely making a soft landing against his.

Lina flinched at the impact, completely taken unaware by his move, and without giving her a second to catch her breath, he continued with the dance as the music segued.

An almost invisible smile played at the edge of his lips as her dark eyes shot up at him.

"Relax." He leaned and softly spoke into her ears, but amusement was still in his eyes. One that made her feel like he could see what was in her mind, but she was sure he couldn't.

Her lips itched to say something, but she kept mute, and again his lips twitched as if he had guessed her hesitation. Lina couldn't guess what it was about him, but he was unsettling her in an unfamiliar way.

Pete held back a smile as he observed her calculative and defensive eyes. Her dark brown eyes were beautiful. They were silent and secretive, but he could tell there was a myriad of emotions somewhere in them that were being shuttered away.

She was a careful person, and her eyes were screaming it at him. But how careful could she be? He mused amusedly.

Lina tried not to pucker her brows when she observed his intent peer into her eyes.

She was about to say something when he spoke up first.

"So, about what we're apologizing for, do you care to tell me why you did it?" He asked as he executed brilliant series of turns that made vicious use of the front slit of her gown, and she pliantly moved with him.

The deft maneuver had her slightly breathless, and it wasn't just because of his strong bare fingers pressing against the pit of her back or the heat from his body that was seeping into hers, but instead because it's been a while since she let herself dance.

Lina took note of his use of 'we,' and she guessed he was humoring her once again.

"I didn't know explaining myself would be a part of the apology." She indifferently answered, and he effected a side shrug with his hand on her back.

"I guess I need to know. After all, it's my lips you stole a kiss from, and I must say, I've not had a kiss stolen from me before. Or would you rather let me believe you steal kisses from any random stranger you find appealing?"

Appealing? Lina raised her lashes and glanced at his face before lowering her eyes. She was beginning to realize how wrong it was to meet his eyes. His eyes seemed to always be in wait for hers, and there was a soul-searching feeling about them that made her feel he was trying to assess her, to see through her thoughts.

Lina turned to the side and fixed her eyes just above his shoulder. "You can believe whatever you choose to." She casually replied, and Pete nodded at her words, completely agreeing with her.

"True, but I'd rather believe what you'll tell me. Anything you tell me." He said, and Lina briefly towards him, unsure why, but she did.

She softly sighed as she shifted her gaze away from him again. She hadn't bargained for a conversation or an explanation as to why she had kissed him, especially since she was already paying the price for it — a price for a stupid moment of recklessness and overindulgence.

Lina wondered if giving him an answer was a wise decision, as it could lead to more questions and a conversation she would not be interested in. Nevertheless, Lina found herself answering him. "It was a dare."

"I see." He simply muttered.

Lina raised her gaze to him when he said nothing else, and she wondered if that was all he had to say. She wasn't sure she wanted him to say something else, but his response, she didn't know what to make of it.

Had he been expecting a different answer? She mused.

Air gathered in her throat when he bore his gaze onto hers. "Do you stare at every man like that?"

"Stare like how?" Lina questioned.

"Like the way you're doing now," Pete answered, piercing his gaze even deeper, silently daring her not to look away from him.

"I don't know what you mean." She tried to look away, but he twirled her and leaned her backward in an unexpected dip that had Lina tightly grasping his shoulder.

His hand was on her back, firmly holding her up, and his face hovered just above hers, leaving her no choice but to look at him. His eyes stared at her with the same intensity they had done all night, but differently.

The amusement was gone, and he was looking at her in a way that heightened her awareness of their intimate position.

He pulled her back to her feet, and Lina couldn't help but notice how tightly he pressed her against him, letting her feel all the firmness of his chest and abs against her stomach.

Lina's heart quickly began a rhythm as his well-built physique inspired a fleeting moment of lustful speculation. Lina was yet to push that thought away when she felt the faint trail of his hand across her back, and her stomach zinged.

Lina didn't know what was suddenly happening to her, but she was feeling different — different in a way she hadn't felt in a very long time. She felt muddled, and deciding a good dose of air would do some good, she took a deep breath, but the result was his sharp, musky scent tinkled her nostrils, and she felt a tremulous wave in her stomach.

"Come with me." She heard him say, his voice low and husked, and before Lina could give a response, he was already steering her across the dancefloor and towards the balcony, her legs following willy-nilly.