Thump. Da-dum. Thump. Da-dum.
Asahel's stuttering heart drowned out all noise and music around him as he watched Max take graceful, purposeful steps in those stiletto heels, coming his way. He unintentionally gulped, taking her in from head to toe and appreciating the lengthy view of her toned legs. Her skin looked soft, and he let himself imagine for only a second what it would feel like to caress those legs she had so shamelessly on display. He flexed his palms, starting to feel warm and now grateful that he wore his gray button-down shirt without a jacket and had the sleeves already rolled up.
He'd never seen anyone so flawlessly beautiful. Max was like a porcelain doll that might shatter if someone bumped into her and knocked her over. Rick walked right beside her, careful not to brush his arm against hers. His face wearing that ever familiar satisfied smirk and Asahel knew how dumbfounded he must've looked. He tried straightening up, even rolling his eyes and forced his lungs to breathe shallow, calm breaths. His body acted as though he'd plunged himself into cold water, even though his temperature was steadily rising.
"Thank you for the dance, Max." Rick said coolly, and she nodded a thanks before he smirked wickedly at Asahel and then walked away casually. Asahel was grateful he didn't stick around and hang on their shoulders only to make some stupid comment about them being together.
The silence among the brothers made Max study each of them with concern, "is something wrong?" She asked nervously, slightly turning to look behind her, revealing the stringy straps across her bare back.
A raging hot chill electrified down Asahel's spine, and he locked his knees to keep himself from falling to the floor. Her skin was so flawless, bare, and vulnerable. Her white curls dancing across her skin, and shoulders; enticing him to touch her, twirl her hair around his fingers, reveal the back of her neck and kiss her skin.
He swallowed before tightly clenching his jaw, willing his body to remain under control. This was neither the time nor place to get so worked up. There were way too many people around, including women and girls who were always watching him. The thought of them helped him settle before his body could make a fool out of him.
"Um..." Francis closed his mouth and shook his head vigorously. He had to turn away to keep himself from saying anything. Wade and Crow looked away as well, pretending they were just scanning the crowd for someone suspicious.
She'd left them all speechless. Asahel included. He realized he hadn't said anything. Concern was slowly turning into embarrassment, darkening her blue eyes.
"Oquirrh said it would be a formal affair." Max looked around. Her fingertips nervously grazed the hem of her short dress, and for a moment Asahel wondered just how soft that silk would feel against his own fingers. Was there something just as soft beneath that thin fabric?
He pursed his lips, blinking to break out of his trance. He finally took in a much-needed deep breath, hoping oxygen would get back to his brain and he could start thinking clearly again. "You look perfect." He couldn't even fake a smile or hide it if he tried. He was too entranced.
Max blushed with relief, bringing a rosy glow to her cheeks. Asahel had to rip his gaze from her to stop feeling anything. He had to remember why they were there in the first place, even though he did ask her to go to the banquet for him. Now, he couldn't believe he'd made such a request.
He cleared his dry throat, "you would recognize Sean if you saw him, right?" He looked back at her, hoping she'd heard him but not the straining of his voice as he tried to hang onto his composure. Every second felt like he was mentally whipping himself to stay focused.
"Yeah, he has kind of long black hair and bit of a pointy face. I've never seen him with facial hair. I doubt he'd be wearing his uniform if he were here..." Max looked around now, slightly dropping her shoulders. "There's a lot of people here." That was an understatement. "We might have to move around to really find him." She studied the strangers around her.
Before she could feel overwhelmed with all the warm bodies, she noticed Oquirrh walking back toward them with Randy. The grin on her face told Max she had just had a great time dancing. Then, her childish grin changed into a sassy little smirk when Oquirrh noticed Max next to Asahel and the brothers.
"You look so good Max." She purred, "I'm glad we got that dress."
Max smiled nervously, "oh yeah, me too." She bit her lip, all too aware of how naked her legs felt. She looked down just as an upbeat song replaced the quiet waltz that had just ended.
Oquirrh whipped her head in Asahel's direction. Her big eyes begging for a dance. He knew it was coming, she didn't even need to ask. "Oh, thank you!" She cheered, taking Asahel's hand, and following him out to the dance floor. With her energy, she would've dragged him out there if he hadn't been holding her back.
Max lifted her gaze from the high hem of her dress to find Asahel and Oquirrh moving back and forth in rhythm on the floor. "What in the world are they doing?" she asked out loud with awe.
Oquirrh and Asahel moved with the beat, sliding across the dance floor with ease. Asahel kept a lose hold on her hip as he led her back and forth, before releasing her into a spin. Regaining control, his other hand pushed back as their feet stepped with the beat, back and forth and back and forth.
"West coast swing." Francis was suddenly standing next to Max, who couldn't stop staring at the performance in the middle of the other dancers.
"What?" She blinked and looked at him.
"That's what they're doing. Wanna learn?"
"What!" Her stomach dropped. She hadn't ever danced like that before, she, she, "Oh...I don't know." She fidgeted nervously now.
"Come on," He gestured for her to follow him as if he were taking her out on an adventure.
"In front of everyone?" Her head looked from side to side as she stepped out into the crowd of dancers.
"You'll be fine." Francis held out both of his hands. "Just follow my lead." He pulled her with every step, before pushing her back with one hand. "Good, very good." Just as he said that she missed a step and nearly tripped. He kept her standing. "It's okay, keep going." He encouraged.
"Okay," she sighed with embarrassment. She wanted to, and within a few more seconds, she had it. Not every step was perfect, but she moved with the music, her fingers curled securely around Francis' so she wouldn't spin out of control into the crowd. When the song ended, she was smiling and laughing with Francis. She had fun, but she was more than relieved for it all to be over.
"We could teach you to dance if you want. If you're going to be sticking around the group, you might want to learn. They do these banquets monthly." He told her.
Max didn't want to think about what his comment meant. She was so lost in the present and wanted to enjoy it. "That would be nice." She admitted.
Francis and Max looked up as Oquirrh and Asahel came off the floor. Before they could reach them, a tall brunette girl cut them off. She eased her little body draped in a tight blue dress, in between Oquirrh and Asahel. Oquirrh looked back before rolling her green eyes and joining Max and Francis.
"Who's that?" Max didn't mean to ask, but she really wanted to know who that girl was and why she was able to get Asahel to dance with her.
"She's nothing but trouble." Oquirrh didn't sound pleased.
"She's one of the girls that's been chasing Asahel for years now. They're all bat crazy." Francis added, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Especially that one." Wade chimed in, watching the display of dancers.
"Really?" Max's heart sank slowly until each breath became slow and heavy, weighing her down. It shouldn't have shocked her or hit her like a freight train, but her heart didn't want to beat anymore. Her brain betrayed her by wondering just how many girls were waiting for Asahel to sweep them off their feet. Of course, he had a line of girls waiting for him.
"You have nothing to worry about," Crow stepped forward, joining them.
"What do you mean?" Max looked at him.
"If Asahel had any interest in her, or any of the girls at all, he'd be married... a long time ago." He said confidently.
Max furrowed her brows and looked his way, "why are you telling me this?" She could feel them staring as she asked the question. This made her look at each of them until she finally settled on Oquirrh's eyes. No one knew how to respond, and for once in her life, Max was actually glad to hear Elliot's voice as it boomed over their silence, grabbing all of their attention and surprisingly, easing the tension.
"What took you so long man?" Francis and Crow gave Elliot one of those man hugs.
"Got held up." Elliot shook his head.
His striking resemblance to Asahel was uncanny. If his dark brown hair had been black and his lean body a little broader, they would look like identical twins. As she sized him up, his eyes landed on her and they slightly widened with surprise.
He stiffened for a second but recovered quickly with swagger. "Well, what do we have here?" His brows raised over curious hazel eyes before he looked at his brothers. Then he noticed someone missing. "Where's Asahel?" He looked back at Max, as if she knew.
"Clair." Oquirrh pouted with arms folded.
Elliot's eyes moved to the dance floor as Asahel walked Clair back toward them. He smirked wickedly before stepping forward, to cause trouble no doubt. Max and everyone turned to watch. All anxious to see what he would do.
"Why you dancing with him, doll face?" Elliot asked menacingly.
"Shove it, Elliot." She responded, trying to shoo him away. "Quit bothering everyone."
He scoffed, stepping in front of her as Asahel continued walking back. "Girl, you get me started and you'll regret it."
"What, is that a threat?" She planted herself and folded her arms, glaring up into his smirking face.
He got dangerously close, "no sweetheart. It's a promise." He winked, nodding his head, and moving back. "Yeah, so you watch your back girly." He pointed, before turning and walking away.
She laughed, "Asahel really is the better brother, isn't he?" She smiled viciously, as if she'd said something that could actually hurt Elliot. When she looked past him and her eyes found Max, her smile fell, pulling her face down into a frown. "Who's that?" she demanded, following Elliot.
"What? You afraid of a little competish?" Elliot blared, making Max's stomach twist and turn. The brothers looked at Max now, making her feel even more uncomfortable.
Palming her face with one hand and wrapping her other hand around her stomach, Max wanted nothing more than to disappear, knowing all of their eyes were on her. A touch on her arm made her flinch and she quickly looked to see who'd touched her. Asahel's fingers gripped loosely around her elbow as he pulled her to him. Her insides fluttered and her attention was his. He didn't need to speak. His possessive brown eyes told her what he wanted. She gave him a shallow nod, and he released her as she followed him without a word.
On the dance floor, Asahel placed one hand on her hip, grazing her hip bone with his thumb. His other hand wrapped around hers as she placed one hand on his broad shoulder. She noticed their height differences. Even in her three-inch heels she was still looking up just to see him. Max swallowed nervously, trying to focus on dancing now. She was glad the song had a reasonable beat. She knew she couldn't dance like Oquirrh, but according to Francis, she was a good follower. So, that's what she did. They were silent for a moment, looking at their surroundings; until the familiar, faint scent of Asahel's fierce cologne tickled her nose and brought Max's attention back to him.
"Clair is probably having a fit." She said without thinking.
He didn't respond. Just a glance, before reverting his attention back to their surroundings. Max sighed, doing the same. Why had he asked her to go there for him if he knew there were other women wanting his attention? Was he trying to make her jealous? Or maybe he was showing her that he wasn't going to be an easy catch. Whatever the reason-
"See anyone you know?" He finally asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"Not yet." She answered before eyeing the high balconies. "I wonder if I'd get a better look up there."
He looked down at her face before following her gaze, and she could see him consider it. With that, he seemed to give his attention back to her. His hand loosened around hers and she could feel the tension leave him, but only a little.
"You're getting a lot of looks." He stated roughly.
"Yeah..." Max clenched her eyes shut in embarrassment, not wanting to see all the heads turning. "I noticed when I walked in. I couldn't take three steps without someone asking me to dance." She opened her eyes and looked at her dress, "Is it because of this dress?" She slightly looked over her shoulder at her bare back. "I feel like I'm showing a lot of skin."
"You are."
His response made her quiver and tense, "Oh great..." she sighed, leaning her head on his broad chest. The moment they made contact, she pulled herself away, remembering the muscular body beneath the fabric. She was getting way too comfortable with him, which made her emotions spin out of control. She cleared her throat before apologizing.
"It's okay," He tilted his head. "I like how you look."
She looked at him playfully suspicious. "I guess that's a good thing." She said smiling.
His brown eyes softened, "thank you for coming tonight."
He sounded sincere. Too sincere. Max gulped, "I had to. Remember?"
Asahel was mastering his control with each dance step. Every inch of him wanted to be vulnerable to the goddess in front of him. He demanded control, but even that couldn't stop his right thumb grazing across the silk dress where her hipbone tempted him. His body wanted to be closer to hers, as close as it could be, and he pretended not to notice when he pulled her toward him. As long as there was still space between their bodies then he would remain in control.
"You're very beautiful." He complimented, trying to keep his mind busy from his distracting, craving thoughts. "Even an idiot can see that." He added when he saw the shock on her face.
She smiled a little more playfully now, "are you the idiot?" She teased.
He gave a hopeless smile and knew his eyes told too much, so he quickly looked away. He was an idiot and a fool to ignore this goddess any longer.
His silence affected Max more than she thought it would. She felt the insides of her chest and stomach tighten. She almost didn't notice when the song ended. It was the hands releasing her that made her realize their dance was over.
"Oh..." Max moaned under her breath, disappointed that it had ended. It was only now that she realized how close they were and that she didn't want it to end.
She followed him back to the brothers and to her dismay, Clair was still there. The brunette stared with daggers in her eyes. The look was all too familiar, reminding her of Gwen. The thought made her unintentionally frown at Clair, who turned to Elliot and Oquirrh before barking some words of jealousy. They seemed to be standing their ground. She turned to Asahel and Max as they rejoined the brothers and Oquirrh.
"You haven't introduced me to your friend." Clair said tightly, with snake eyes.
That's because we're not friends Max stared with disinterest. Slightly grumbling, she looked up at Asahel, who looked at Clair with the same disinterest.
"I already danced with you. Go bother someone else, Clair." Asahel said calmly.
"You realize I could still have you, even if you marry this little wretch." She snapped, throwing her arm toward Max.
"No one said anything about marriage. Your mind is playing tricks on you again." He said casually. "Now leave, or I'll escort you out." Asahel narrowed his eyes on her, "you don't want that, do you?"
"I dare you." Clair stepped forward.
Ugh Max rolled her eyes. Clair was probably just trying to find any reason to have him touch her. The thought made Max cringe.
"Elliot," Asahel suddenly grabbed Clair's arm with a tight grip. She almost cried out with surprise. Then panic surged through her eyes as Elliot grabbed her other arm. They dragged her to the nearest exit with her kicking and screaming the whole way.
"Are they allowed to do that?" Max asked, still staring even after they disappeared. She wasn't the only one staring. Other members had turned their heads at the commotion, but then looked away once they saw where it was coming from. As if it were a regular thing.
"They're just taking her to her dad." Francis laughed loudly, earning objective looks from the surrounding members.
"Oh..." Max let her eyes wander back up to the balcony. "Hey, I'm going to go up there." She pointed.
"What for?" Francis asked.
"To get a better look."
He nodded with understanding. "Take Wade with you so you don't get lost." Wade stepped forward at the sound of his name. When they went to the stairs, Oquirrh looked back at Francis curiously.
"Better look at what?" She asked.
He gave her a confused look, "the dance floor, what do you think?" He sneered. "Come on," He grabbed her hand. "You owe me a dance."
***
Standing next to Wade on the second level balcony, Max leaned over the rail. Her eyes searched the floor below, taking her breath away at how many people filled the building. There were children and adults of all ages. She spotted the cluster of brothers near the spot they left them. She wondered if any of them actually had anyone to dance with-besides Oquirrh-like so many of the other guests that her eyes scanned over.
She noticed a stream of men and boys making their way around the room. It was funny how they all went in the same direction. Some of them were asking girls to dance. Some of them kept walking with nowhere to go and some joined other clusters of boys to hang out with. She watched a particular cluster of men who stopped at a refreshment table and her stomach sank sickly.
Sean was there. He was drinking from a clear plastic cup. One hand in his pants pocket as he turned around to scan the crowd. What girls did he ask to dance with? Was that really him?
He pulled the cup away from his face, revealing his familiar features. Her stomach twisted some more. "I see him." She said dryly.
If Max could go up on her toes more, she would have. She almost pointed when Wade turned around. Not wanting to draw too much attention, she spoke low. Even as she described him to Wade, she couldn't stop the nausea rising inside. Why was he there? It all seemed wrong.
"I see him," Wade confirmed before eyeing his brothers. They were standing across the dance floor, too far away from Sean. "Stay here," he ordered.
"Bu-" She turned toward him, but he was already leaving. Max sighed, looking below at Sean. The sight of him made her sick. All these years she assumed he was nothing more than a cop. He's been sitting on this secret his whole life no doubt, and she didn't blame him. Still, something didn't feel right.
Max went back to the balcony to survey the scene. The brothers moved quickly, apprehending Sean. He was quick to cooperate as to not cause a scene, and it made her wonder if he knew anything about rank. Was he also part of it? From where she was, she couldn't see his face clearly, but his rigid limbs and quick paced steps showed slight tension and nervousness. Who was more scared of who? Sean was a cop after all. What did Wade say to make him follow? Or was it Elliot's pushy presence? Or the fact that three brothers closed in on him with not so friendly faces?
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