Title: Twenty Kisses
Author: Tearsofamiko
Rating: K
Disclaimer: See first chapter
Spoilers: Nah
Summary: A series of twenty one-shots in which a kiss – metaphorically or literally – features.
A/N: Man, I loved Paula....
The music curled around them, a pulsing beat that begged for movement. She didn't understand the words, but he did and the way he murmured them against the skin of her neck set her body on fire. It was hot in the bar, the crush of the crowd and sweltering weather outside driving the temperature up. She lost herself in the rhythm and the feel, loving every minute of it.
Ever since that first dance in Gitmo, she'd wanted this, had craved it for ages. That one dance stolen in the middle of a case hadn't been near enough, had only given her a taste of what his body felt like, a glimpse of his passionate personality. She'd wondered about him in the following months, remembered the intensity of the moment and wondered if he'd felt it, too.
A change in the music's tempo brought her back the present. His emerald eyes smoldered at her as she raised her gaze to meet his and a stomach-clenching swirl of desire seized her, lit a fire that ran in sparks and runnels of heat underneath her skin. As he pulled her closer and they swayed with the slower cadences of the music, she let the incredible pull of their mutual attraction draw her in.
The melody continued, the lyrics achingly romantic despite the language barrier and, as his closeness built the fire within her higher, she vaguely wondered why Spanish wasn't considered the language of love. She leant her head against him, smiling into his shoulder as she felt him lean to rest his forehead against her neck. His warm breath against her overheated skin sent shivers through her and she felt him grin before laying soft, hot, open-mouthed kisses up the column of her neck. Inhaling on a gasp, she tugged on his shoulders until he straightened, then pulled him down to meet his mouth with hers.
The increase in musical tempo barely registered in her head over her pounding heart and the rush of tactile sensation and she pulled away, feeling the sudden change in the energy within the club like a siren's song. One glance in his curious, smoldering eyes and she span away from him, practically running for the door of the small Latin club to hail a cab, a mischievous smile lighting her face. His hands grasped her hips and pulled her back against him, telling her exactly where their evening was headed, and only the arrival of the cab kept her from succumbing right then. Eagerness surged through her as they climbed into the cool darkness of the cab and began the ride to her apartment, the duration a blessing and a curse as it drew out her anticipation.
Safe in the darkness of her apartment, their passion exploded as they began a dance entirely of their own, moving to the tempos of need and desire.