A few more awards were handed out before the podium was cleared away. The black curtains peeled apart and a group of young people, all students of the center, took the stage and performed a short skit. When they were through, a band came out and started to play.
The two of them stayed for another hour, talking and dancing, forgetting the outside world as they relaxed and enjoyed themselves. As the last song of the evening was announced, Mark once again pulled her onto the dance floor, holding her close as they swayed to the slow rhythm being played by the band. The night was ending way too soon in his opinion. He tried to memorize the moment, etch into his brain the way she looked and how she felt in his arms, something he could refer to later with fondness, like a picture in a photo album.
"You made my evening by coming here with me tonight," he whispered in her ear. She tilted back in his arms to look at him, likely trying to read his sincerity. He couldn't say he blamed her—he was a difficult man to trust.
"Thank you for inviting me. I don't often get to dress up anymore, and it was interesting learning a few more things about you."
It would be so easy to tell you everything. "Like what?"
"Like the fact that, even though you think you are this big tough guy, you have a huge sensitive side, and a great respect for your employer. And you look amazing in a tuxedo." She tweaked his bowtie. "But I already knew that one." A grin took over her face.
God, she was beautiful . . . and dangerous. Not dangerous in a threatening way, although given her career choice, he knew she could be. No, the danger lay in the hold she had over him, how often he thought of her. She was becoming important. Too important.
Jesus, he thought to himself as he drank in the view, I'm in trouble.
It wasn't long before they were pulling into her driveway, stopping behind her parents' car. Mark made no comment as he got out of the limo and turned to reach for her hand. He placed his arm across her shoulders as they walked up to the door, enjoying the feel of her pressing into his side.
Dave Sullivan was sitting in the living room, watching television.
"Hi, Dad," she said as they walked in together.
Her father looked up from the show he was engrossed in. "Oh, hi, honey." Noticing Mark behind her, Dave stood up. "Mr. Spinelli, nice to see you again."
"Nice to see you too, sir." Mark shook his extended hand.
"Dave."
"Okay, Dave, but you have to call me Mark."
"Deal." Dave nodded and smiled before turning back to his daughter. "Your mom is asleep in the guest room. We didn't want to be driving too late. I hope that's okay?"
"That's great, Dad. Thanks for covering with Janine."
"No problem, honey. I'm glad you got to go out for an evening. You look lovely by the way." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll give you guys some privacy." He walked off toward the bedrooms.
Virginia motioned for Mark to follow as she headed into the kitchen. After turning on the lights, she glanced over her shoulder. "Welcome to my version of privacy," she said in a hushed voice. "Can I get you something? Coffee?"
He shook his head as he stepped in close to her. "They seem like wonderful people. It's probably just as well they're here."
Virginia tilted her head. It was a cute little lean she did whenever she was curious.
Getting to know her habits, Spinelli? Isn't that just a little too familiar? Ignoring his own internal goading, he added, "The way you look in that dress, I may not have left otherwise."
She wasn't surprised by his comment. Instead, she looked confused and a little saddened by it. He sighed as he reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb, trying to find the appropriate words to say to her that wouldn't come across as a line, that expressed what she made him feel, that might ease some of the turmoil she had to be feeling, going out with a man like—
She made the first move, almost knocking him over when she threw herself into his arms, her lips fusing to his, her tongue pushing its way into his mouth. He groaned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, kissing her hard, his hands sliding up and down her back as he immersed himself in the sensation. God, he wanted her. He wanted her underneath him, panting, squirming, begging for more.
And he'd give it to her.
Not happening. Mark stilled his wandering hands. After buying her that dress, he didn't want her feeling obligated in any way, cheapening an already fragile bond.
She shifted in his arms, moving closer. Shit, the way she was pressing up against him—
It definitely was a good thing her parents were there.
She pulled away, breaking the kiss. "Sorry," she said softly, her eyes trying to read his reaction.
He smiled at her attempt to look apologetic. "No you're not."
"You're right, I'm not . . . You owed me that."
"How so?"
"For not telling me exactly what I was getting into tonight."
He threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing from deep in his chest. When he looked back at her, his eyes slid down to her lips as the humor took a backseat to desire. "Remind me to keep you in the dark more often." He drew her back into his embrace, claiming her mouth again.
The ringing of his cell phone broke the spell. As he pulled away, his face must have reflected his frustration, given the smirk that appeared on hers. Retrieving it from his pocket, he spoke into it with a gruff, "Yeah."
A tendril of her hair hung down from the soft style it was up in, an escaped curl just begging to be touched. Mark reached up to play with it as Louis's voice came through the phone asking, "You want me to go and come back later?"
Virginia stood stock-still as his fingers traced the long ringlet all the way down to where it rested on the swell of her breast above the neckline of her dress. He lingered there, fingertips lightly caressing soft skin, smiling when she drew in a deep breath and dropped her eyes.
"Or tomorrow?" Louis offered into the silence.
"I'll be out in a minute." Mark shut off the phone and put it away before pulling her back into the circle of his arms. Lifting her chin to look up at him again, he kissed her softly. "I have to go," he whispered, more to himself than her.
Knowing this had been a night stolen from otherwise impossible circumstances, unlikely to be repeated, he backed up a few steps and took a long appreciative look at her before forcing out a, "Goodnight, Ginny."
) l (
He turned for the kitchen door. He was leaving. Part of her wanted him to stay, but the other part knew that was unrealistic. At least say something, Virginia said to herself.
Spinelli's hand was on the knob when she finally found her voice. "Wait."
He glanced over his shoulder and she pointed to her neck. "I don't want to get arrested."
He smiled and pivoted back to her. She twisted to give him access to the clasp while she took off the earrings. Turning back, she placed them in his palm.
He all but tossed the diamonds into his pants' pocket, as if they were trinkets. "Next time we will have to try emeralds to match those eyes."
His lips brushed against hers once more, and then she was staring at that broad back again while he made his way to the door. "Goodnight," she said quietly when he reached it.
Spinelli stopped and gave her a knowing smile before stepping out, leaving her with a sense-filled mental picture of him: the blue of his eyes set off by the black and white elegance of the tuxedo, the scent of his cologne lingering on her skin, and the promise of "next time" repeating in her ears.
Once Virginia had washed up and changed, she crawled into bed and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling with that parting picture of him carved in her mind. She let out a long sigh and voiced his exact thoughts, word for word, as she whispered into the quiet stillness of her sleeping household, "Jesus, I'm in trouble."
END OF CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
How did you like their date? There is something about a man in a tuxedo, am I right?
I want to send out a big thank you to all my readers. In the past week I began to get noticed, mainly due to your votes, comments, and adds to your reading list! Thank you for spreading the word on Mark's and Virginia's story! You've been a huge help.