The Only Way is Up

Part Eighteen

A/N Sorry at the delay, this chapter was really hard to get right. Still not overly happy, but need to move on, story eating away at me as usual!

Hope you enjoy, Mz

Chapter Eighteen

"You owe me."

Nicole suddenly felt nervous, Maxim had been the perfect gentleman as they ate their meal, then the speeches played out, now the formalities were over and the night was theirs to do whatever they wanted and his demand both scared and thrilled her. He wasn't disappointing her, he was being the perfect, attentive companion, she knew that no one in the room was suspicious of their relationship. It was exactly as he'd promised; he was the greatest actor, the greatest romantic.

She fought a smile then leaned forward and picked up the envelope on the table that contained printed 'Bank Dollars', "you want to bet the night away?" There was a casino set up next door where the patrons of the ball could play roulette, blackjack or poker against the house.

Amused, he shook his head, eyes watching her lazily, "nah, not feeling that at the moment." He quite obviously turned his head to the dance floor, sparsely populated by a few couples swaying to the band who were playing some swing tune, then back to her deliberately. "You lost the bet."

She shook her head, "it's too early to dance."

Leaning forward, he smiled, "never too early, and I love this song." As he watched her he sang the words to the song in a husky voice in time with the band's singer. "What a day this has been! What a rare mood I'm in! Why, it's almost like being in love..."

She shivered...literally and figuratively at the suggestion of his words and actions.

"You owe me..." he offered again, then held out a hand to her.

Nicole stared at it for a long time, then with a nod slid her hand into his. She ignored the heat emanating from his hand, despite the closeness between them over the last two months, he hadn't touched her, not like this, in fact it had been a very long time since anyone had touched her like this.

On the dance floor he stopped still, then tugged her hand, which catapulted her into his hard body. By the time she focussed, lifted her eyes to his, he had wrapped his right arm around her and secured her right hand in his left. She was still staggering a little when he started to move, initially just forward and backward, but as she relaxed and followed his lead, he spun her around, catching her breathlessly against his chest.

She giggled as he led them at a sway through the other couples, then expertly swung her around again. Humming he lowered his head until his lips were next to her ear as he let the melody control their movement around the dance floor.

After a few moments, she pulled back, staring up into his eyes, "you can dance?" He chuckled at that and she added, "no, I mean really dance. I didn't expect that." Vincent had two left feet, though she didn't vocalise that fact and she'd hated dancing with him, not that they'd had to very much. It felt almost surreal to be in a man's arms and to be danced with so expertly.

He sighed, "my mother insisted that I have lessons as a child. I told you, she was an English lady...she said that you weren't a man if you couldn't waltz a lady."

Nicole wanted to swoon, her knees threatened to weaken, this was the Devil, this man who had terrified her when she first met her, sweeping her around the dance floor like an expert. Her heart was racing, he smelled amazing, and the proximity was driving her hormones insane. When his chin rubbed against her forehead, the smoothness surprised her, so much so that she leaned back and ran her finger tips over his chin.