Taken into the Unknown (Complete)

The Cascade Suite

            “I really can’t stay,” I sung.

            “But baby its cold outside,” Damon sung, surprising me by chiming in.

            “I’ve got to go away.”

            “But baby its cold outside.”

            “This evening has been, so very nice.”

            Neither of us had voices suitable for a choir, even so there was something so magical about that moment it left a warm feeling of pure happiness within me.  I closed my eyes and immersed myself in the sound of our voices. As we sung the last notes of the song, not wanting to lose the magic of the moment I quickly asked Damon for his phone. He reluctantly complied and handed me his phone. I pulled up ‘Sincerely’ by the Moonglows on my phone and hooked it up to the aux cord on the stereo in the room.

            “Sir, may I have this dance?” I asked with one hand behind my back and the other hand extended towards Damon.

            He chuckled and smirked at me in a way that sent shivers through my entire body. “Why thank you, but only if I get to lead. I don’t do a very good job of following,” he remarked as he took my extended hand, pulled it tenderly to his chest, and simultaneously wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me to his body.  We were so close to each other that I could feel the rise and fall of his chest with every breath and each heartbeat against my own body.  Unable to support myself on my legs anymore, I automatically leaned into him. I took a deep breath, intoxicated by the smell of his cologne.

            I stared up into Damon’s eyes. I wanted to pull my gaze away from his, but something about his eyes kept mine locked on his. He led us around the living room, all the while neither of our gazes faltered. A light smile played on our lips as we swayed to the music. The only thing I could think about was just how good it felt to be in Damon’s arms this way and how much I longed to be in his arms many more times after this.

            As the music ended, I wished that I had played a song that was longer than 3 minutes…maybe 3 hours would have sufficed.  We remained in each other’s arms though the silence. I basked in Damon’s warmth and the sheer comfort of being pressed against his body.  My gaze dropped to his soft lips. I moved my arm from his shoulder and draped it around his neck. Even in heels I had to get up on my tippy toes to be level with his face.  I tilted my face to the side and slightly up. I could feel his muscles begin to tighten. My eyes drooped as I nervously moved in closer. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my lips as the smell of peppermint filled my nostrils.

            Just when I was about to press my lips to his, he took a step backwards, breaking our embrace and my reverie. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Did I do something wrong? Did my breath smell funny or something?

“You always do these things to me, making me forget everything I intended to do,” he half-chuckled and shook his head, “You never answered my question Alaure. What are you doing here?” he asked very seriously. The tenderness that his eyes held just moments earlier had completely disappeared. 

“Can’t that wait?” I muttered, a little embarrassed that I had tried to kiss Damon and been rejected.

“It can’t,” he replied firmly.

 “I came here to find you and chew you out for refusing to talk to me, but also because I need to warn you about Garrett.”

            “You shouldn’t be here. Jones already warned me about Garrett.”