The Beast of Napa

20 - Dances

And as if she had magically appeared, Griffin's eyes were flooded with brown eyes and delicate skin wrapped in an off-shoulder wine gown, trimmed with white and gold fabric panels in the long skirt. Catriona batted her eyelashes innocently as she gave Griffin a rosy smile, the glow of her face accented by her dark hair curled around her shoulders.

And for a moment, he forgot to breathe.

My, you look fantastic, Catriona," Rose said. "I can't believe you made that yourself in such a short amount of time."

"She has quite the skill, doesn't she?" Patrick agreed. "I'm determined to support her seamstress business."

"With skills like this, I might be the first customer," Rose added.

But neither Griffin nor Catriona had looked away from each other as Patrick and Rose gushed. Catriona's eyes stayed fixed on Griffin, and all he could was stare back, trying to find words in his head that would express his thoughts.

"Lovely," was all he could think to say.

Somehow, it was enough.

Catriona's eyes sparkled as she smiled, and he forgot anyone else was even there until Mrs. Greene came with sparkling fruit punch.

"Such a lovely turn out!" she gushed, holding out a tray. "And the live orchestra is quite the touch."

"Friends of mine from my college days," Patrick said, taking a glass and raising it in a cheer. "It wasn't a problem at all. It reminds me of the good old days."

Mrs. Greene looked around and inhaled so deeply that she might have floated away. "Ah, it makes me so happy to see so many people in this house again. I was beginning to think this place would stay haunted. I do hope to see you dance as you once did, Mr. Griffin. You wouldn't cheat an old lady out of such a joy, would you?"

"Would you like to be my first dance?" Griffin teased.

"Heavens no!" she replied with a laugh. "But there are a few young women in the room that would love your company, I have no doubt. Don't deny them the pleasure."

Griffin smiled, shaking his head in amusement. "In that case, shall we, Rose?"

"I'd love to," she replied.

Patrick offered the same to Catriona. Both couples took to the dance floor, and Griffin tried not to look over his shoulder at Patrick as he taught Catriona the waltz. Regardless, Griffin was half distracted through the entire dance, thinking of the way Catriona had continuously gone to Patrick despite his warning not to. There was a strange anger that consumed him from it. Patrick was obviously a man not to be trusted, and to see Catriona continuously trust him made him think of a younger, more naive version of himself with the foolish idea to do the same.

He hated to see himself in Catriona.

And he hated that he could only see Catriona.

"Even lost in your own thoughts, you haven't lost your ability to dance professionally," Rose commented.

Griffin came back to the present, looking at her, but not replying. Her smile was warm, but there was something hollow in it.

"It's a terrible curse to always know what you're thinking, Nathaniel," she said.

There were a few rounds of dancing before Griffin and Catriona bumped into each other on the dance floor, and with an awkward silent invitation, Griffin held out a hand for her to take. She blinked a few times before slipping her smooth warm hand into his.

"I'm not good at it," she said, as Griffin pulled her into a dance stance.

He swallowed. "There's a lot of things I'm not good at either, Catriona."

Her scent was calming and her body heat was warm and consoling, like a warm fireplace on a winter's day. He found himself attracted to this warmth over and over again, the feeling foreign and distant to him.

Part of him wanted to make sure that Patrick couldn't take it from him.

"Mr. Griffin...?"

He hummed in response, more like a low growl.

"I think we're dancing too close," she whispered.

His eyes wandered between them. He hadn't realized he had pulled her in so near.

"And?" he asked, feeling abnormally competitive. "Does that make you nervous?"

"No," she replied, "but won't Miss Rose feel uncomfortable about this?"

His eyes wandered around Catriona's face, processing her words slower than he should have. He pressed his lips together, then adjusted his hand in hers.

"Stand next to me a bit longer," he whispered. "I need this warmth... before I forget what it feels like."

There was a breath before she answered. "Are you cold... standing in your tower for so long?"

"...Only because the walls are closing in."

Her hand settled heavily on his arm, inviting him in. He took the invitation, ignoring the warning in his mind as they danced.

That is, until a new couple entered his home.

Then everything stopped, including his feet.