"Well, I'll say this for Savage, he knows how to throw a party," Sara murmured, coming up beside Leonard where he stood in the doorway. Leonard turned to look at her and for a moment felt as if all the air had been pulled from his lungs.
She was beautiful. Her golden hair was pulled up in an elegant twist that had taken Kendra eons to accomplish, leaving her face and neck tantalizingly bare. Leonard ran his eyes down the long column of her throat, licking his lips unconsciously. The brilliantly blue dress was clasp only on one shoulder, leaving the other bare for his hungry gaze. The satiny fabric clung to her in all the ways her Canary suit did and more. The gown fell all the way to the floor, but a slit ran up the right side all the way to mid-thigh, flashing tantalizing peaks of creamy skin (and possibly a thigh sheath) whenever she moved.
"Earth to Leonard." Sara's voice jerked him back from his contemplation of her… weaponry. He blinked, raising his eyes up to meet hers, mentally kicking himself for losing concentration.
"See something you like?" Sara asked teasingly, smirking at him, though Leonard could see the faint hint of a blush coloring her cheeks.
"Yes," he replied, unrepentant, letting his eyes sweep over her again. "You look beautiful… Sara." Sara blushed fully this time, reaching up as if to touch her hair, but stopping the motion halfway, remembering Kendra's dire warnings about fussing with it.
"Thanks," she said, grinning at him. "You don't look so bad yourself."
It was true. Leonard's black suit fit him perfectly, hugging the trim waist and accentuating his slim, graceful frame. His shirt was buttoned all the way to the throat, but Stein had lost the argument for a tie. He looked handsome and elegant, like he belonged here among all these powerful people. And he did, in a way. Leonard may not have been a business tycoon or a political leader, but in his world he was a king, and held himself like one.
"So," Sara said, breaking away from her thoughts, fighting the heat coloring her cheeks as she turned her attention to the glittering, bejeweled world leaders moving around the room in front of them. "Do you see Diraga?"
"Not yet," Leonard replied, also turning his attention to the room, though there was a small smile tucked into the corner of his lips. "And I can't see the spear either. They must be holding it in another room before the unveiling."
"It would be perfect if we could get it before Savage presented it. Then not only would it be lost, but he'd look like an idiot too," Sara said, studying the room, trying to see where a door might be concealed.
"I like the way you think, Lance," Leonard replied, grinning at Sara, a sparkle in his eye. "Find the room where he's keeping the spear, get in, steal it, get out, swipe Diraga's keycard if we get the chance…"
"Sounds like a plan," Sara agreed, nodding. "Now we just have to find the room without blowing our cover." At that moment the band struck up a new song and people began to move towards the dance floor. Leonard watched them for a moment, then grinned, turning to his companion.
"You want to dance, Sara?" he asked, echoing the words she had said to him in a bar not so long ago. He offered her his hand, half-bowing, but never taking his eyes off her, raising an eyebrow when she looked at him in confusion. Sara bit her lip, glancing at the dance floor with some trepidation, but then nodded, laying her hand in Leonard's, marveling at how warm his skin was.
Immediately Leonard swept her onto the dance floor. Her right hand was in his left and her left hand rested on his firm, muscled shoulder. Leonard's right hand was placed gently on her back as they stood in perfect waltz position in the middle of the floor.
"Ready?" Leonard asked quietly, looking at Sara. She bit her lip, then took a deep breath and nodded.
Leonard began to move, following the tempo of the music. Sara stumbled, half from the lack of muscle memory and half from nerves. She didn't want to look like a bad dancer, not in front of Leonard. With Rip it hadn't mattered, she hadn't cared, but now…
"Relax," Leonard murmured, squeezing Sara's hand gently, drawing her attention back to him. "Just follow my lead."
Sara took a deep breath, then looked up, meeting Leonard's blue eyes with her own. She let her body relax, melting into the man before her, feeling his hand strong on her back, guiding her, the other hand supporting her as they moved into a smooth, graceful waltz.
"I thought you didn't like to dance," Sara murmured, more for something to say than anything else, trying to distract herself from the way Leonard's shoulder felt under her hand, warm and strong, and the way she could feel his breath on her cheek. He was so close to her, the lapels of his jacket brushing against her chest, his blue eyes staring down at her, a soft, unfamiliar smile on his lips.
"I like have a partner," Leonard replied, lifting his arm to spin her in a delicate twirl, then gently gathering her back in again, hands warm and sure. "And this music. It's all numbers and counts and structure and planning. I like that. It's like if breaking into a vault was music, only the treasure isn't diamonds. The notes are the lasers: Step, step, turn, spin, step, twirl…" Sara laughed, feeling giddy as he spun her again. This time when they came together they were chest to chest, bodies pressed together.
Sara felt a moment of terror, of too much, too close, must get free, must get away, kill him, hurt him, break him… Then Leonard squeezed her hand, her name a whisper on his lips, and the voices stopped. She sighed, relaxing into him once more. Looking up into those stunning blue eyes, Sara wondered…
Movement caught her eye. It was Diraga, their mark. He had just come out of what appeared to be solid wall, but doubtless led to where Savage was keeping the spear.
"Well," Leonard said, sounding genuinely disappointed, having seen Diraga at the same time she had. "Guess the fun's over now." Sara looked up at him, biting her lip.
"Fuck it," she muttered, throwing caution to the wind and surging forward, catching Leonard in a hot, searing kiss, her hands fisting in the lapels of his jacket as she pulled him to her, uncaring that they were still in the middle of the dance floor and that everyone, including their team, could see them.
"Fun's only over for now," she said, pulling back and grinning as Leonard. He regarded her for a moment, then grinned back, his whole face lighting up with a fierce kind of joy.
"I'll hold you to that, Canary," he replied quietly, tilting her head up and kissing her again, a slow, hot drag of lips that left Sara panting and longing for more. "Now, let's go get the bastard."