Page 10 of Until

"How about we go somewhere a little more private?” I whisper into her ear.

Her breath catches, and I feel the warmth of her cheeks as they reddened again. She doesn’t say a word, only nods.

Taking her hand, I carve our way through the crowd towards a sweeping staircase at the furthest end of the ballroom. I consider bringing her to the balcony where I had been seated earlier, but I want more privacy. I need to be alone with her.

Her mask is exquisite with its diamond accents, drawing the eye away from the person underneath. It covers enough of her face that I can’t tell if we have ever met before. I doubt it though. Masked or not, this is a woman I wouldn’t forget.

As we reach the top of the stairs, she licks her full ruby-colored lips. Like a siren song, I’m called into them. I already miss their softness. I pull her to me and my lips softly touch hers. I need more.

She tilts her head and I press her full body against mine as my tongue meets hers. My hand locks behind her head, my fingers in her silky hair. Her hands clutch onto me. I pull away, both of us breathless and suddenly very aware of everyone around us.

Without a word, with her hand in mine, we continue down the hall, past the entrances to the balconies. At the end of the hall is another doorway, one that I had never taken anyone through before.

The doorway leads to a hall with numbered doors like a hotel, but no one is sleeping. The sounds of the party below dim. Moans, grunts, and the occasional laugh come from the doors as we walk past. Her hand tightens around mine.

“Don’t worry,” I say. “We’re not going into any of those rooms.”

A double door with a digital lock is at the end of the hall.

“I’m the only person who knows this code,” I say as I enter the number on the keypad.

“So you do this so often they gave you your own room?”

“No.” I pause realizing I’ve said too much. I don’t want to tell her too much about who I am just in case. “It’s just my room, but I’ve never used it before.”

“So you’re saying I’m special?” The mischievous look from earlier appears on her face again.

“You have no idea how special you are.”

I kiss her forehead and then swing open the door. The lights come on as we enter. Music from the party streams softly into the room.

At the center of the room is a modern gray couch and a coffee table. The walls are dark, almost black, the same color as the plush carpeting beneath our feet. In one corner is a bar. The far wall is glass and looks out at the ballroom below.

“Special, huh? I bet you say that to all the girls.”

She walks to the glass wall, then turns to me, her eyes bright, and a big smile spreads across her face.

"This is amazing," she says. “I can see everything.”

“I thought you’d like it. But I also thought it would be a nice place to talk and get to know each other better. It’s too loud down there for that."

I walk to the bar, leaving her to admire the view.

"Do you want something to drink? There’s a full bar.”

"Yes, that would be great. I could really use some water. I was so nervous coming here that I didn’t drink much all day.”

I set a couple of glasses on the bar, and drop a few ice cubes into each before pouring a bottle of water into each glass.

She took a sip of water as soon as I handed it to her and almost choked as she laughed to herself.

"What's so funny?”

“No, I can’t tell you. You’ll think it’s stupid.”

“Try me.”

She eyes me suspiciously, then nods to herself.

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