SEALing Fate

Excerpt

The scent of the flowers climbing the trellis behind her back wafted in the warm air, and occasionally a light breeze caressed Kat's hot skin. There was nothing like a summer night in St. Louis. Oh sure, there were times when the humidity could make her feel like she was breathing soup, but tonight was actually quite pleasant. It was mid-September and an oppressive heat wave had sent temperatures skyrocketing above one hundred degrees for the last two weeks. When she woke up this morning, the air coming through her open bedroom window felt fresh, not stagnant as it had been. The change was being celebrated all over the city.

She listened to the music blaring from the speakers on the dance floor, a hypnotic rhythm calling to the soul. Her eyes were having trouble tracking people in the colored and strobe lights winking on and off, the effect causing people to catch only glimpses of their dance partners and making the atmosphere seductive and anonymous. The dancers on the patio moved with a seductive grace, their bodies a blur of motion; Kat felt a pang of longing, wishing she possessed such confidence and freedom of movement, the rhythmic beat of the music a captivating pulse in the evening. Fantasies of powerful arms around her, swaying to the pulsing beat of the music, filled her thoughts. Too bad all she'd ever have were the fleeting images in her mind, tantalizing yet out of reach.

Through the swarm of dancers, she spied her best friend Amy with her fiancé and smiled. Seeing their happiness warmed a place in her heart, but it could not fulfill the longing to feel that closeness with another person. Kat didn't see that happening for her soon, if at all. Allowing someone that close left a person defenseless. Kat had known vulnerability and complacency from a very young age and refused to allow those weaknesses to control her again. She deemed the occasional twinge of loneliness an acceptable after effect for securing herself from susceptibility.

Kat saw a couple on the dance floor so wrapped up in each other that it looked as if they had created their own little world. They were an attractive couple. The solid-built man stood tall behind his dance partner, whose height complemented him. She leaned into the man's chest with her head resting on his shoulder as he circled her stomach with his arms and leaned down to kiss her nape and shoulder, where perspiration glistened. Although they were barely moving, the dance—a gentle sway back and forth and a grind of the hips—made it easy to envision them standing just like that and slowly making love. Kat became lost in the fantasy for several minutes.

“Enjoying the show?” a husky voice whispered into her ear.

She turned to examine the owner of the sexy voice. In the darkness, all that was visible were a strong face and sensual lips. She coyly smiled at him. “I always enjoy an excellent performance.”

A playful smile shaped his lips. Kat couldn’t help but stare.

I wonder what they feel like? Are they soft, and does the touch linger or do they command surrender? Do they bring pleasure or spew venomous pain?

Returning her attention to the conversation, she heard him say, “Ahh, so you’re a voyeur?”

Kat considered her response before answering. She didn't want to encourage some deranged stalker by answering with a suggestive remark.

“Isn't everyone to a certain extent? How else do you explain the obsession with physical appearance or rubbernecking motorists trying to catch a glimpse of fatalities on the freeway?”

“I never thought about voyeurism in those contexts, but it certainly makes sense. It is the human response to innate curiosity. I’m Jace Hudson.” He said, offering his hand.

“Kat Martin.” His hand enclosed her in a warm, firm grip. She felt rough calluses as their hands separated, giving a clue to his rugged nature. Whatever this man did, it was not behind a pampered desk. That realization only enhanced Kat’s interest.

Jace looked at the woman sitting in front of him. In the darkness, he could barely identify any distinguishing features but he felt drawn to her in a way he could not explain. Jace watched as the lights from the dance floor flashed across her face and caught the aloofness in her eyes. The detached demeanor was one he knew well, one he often saw in himself.

The nature of his work required a degree of separation from others. One could not serve in his capacity and maintain close relationships. He wondered what had caused the isolation in this beautiful woman's eyes as she sat watching the exhibitionist couple. She managed to portray a heady combination of both loneliness and arousal.

The dim lighting made it difficult to tell the exact shade of his dark hair, which could have been anywhere from rich sable brown to inky black silk. Powerful muscles filled out his t-shirt, but not so much that Kat feared she's bruise from bumping up against him. His scent—an enticing blend of earthy spices, with a darker hint of male musk that instantly made her blood heat. His voice hit her like warm Kentucky bourbon, soft and seductive.

His face wasn't what would be called classically handsome, but very intriguing with deep-set eyes, a slightly crooked nose, and firm lips. When she'd turned around to look at him, a flash of the lights left her momentarily stunned by a glimpse of the most incredible gray eyes she'd ever seen.

“Kat suits you. Is your name because of your eyes? They're somewhere between emerald and sea green, with brown flecks at the center, just like a feline.”

Kat chuckled. “No, actually my name is Katherina, but nobody except my mother called me that.”

Jace said nothing more, and Kat didn't know if that was because he'd caught sight of a better offer, she'd said something wrong, or he just got board. She was never any good at picking up the more subtle social cues of flirting. Was this flirting? She desperately wanted to hug herself and duck away from the suddenly awkward interaction, but didn't want to appear rude. Instead, she closed her eyes and swayed to the music thumping through the speakers surrounding the dance floor.

“Kat, would you like to dance?”

Gasping, she responded with, “Oh, gosh, no… I… don’t dance.”

Jace looked around the club with a valid expression of confusion. "Your body seems to have other ideas. But I'll grant you that brains and bodies don't always operate on the same frequency. Do you not like to dance?”

“Oh, I love to dance, but only in my socks, in the kitchen late at night.”

He smiled. “Why is that?”

Kat looked straight into his smoky-gray eyes. “Let's just say I don't enjoy being judged based upon my lack of dancing skills.”

“And who do you think would be judging you?”

His eyes and speech had me thinking he's intelligent, but maybe the poor guy is more of a simpleton. Too bad.

“Everyone.”

“So, why come to a dance club?”

“Well, I let my friends think they were dragging me out, but actually I love to come and listen to the music. I love letting the beat move through my body. There's something about feeling the rhythms as they blast through the air that can never be matched with my earbuds. It's very stimulating.”

Did that sound seductive? She didn't mean for it to, but Jace's gaze turned smokey and he cleared his throat. He shuffled a step closer.

“Okay, I have a solution for you. Come dance with me in the corner over there. We can feel the music together, but nobody will be able to see you.”

Kat nibbled on her lower lip and glanced around the crowded club for several seconds. She wrung her hands and shifted on her heels.

A seriously hot, great smelling man is asking you to get jiggy with it, Kat! What are the chances somebody will recognize her in the dark? She could hear Amy's voice in her head yelling at her to grow a pair.

She squared her shoulders. “Okay.”