Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing. Rated M for later chapters.
Description: Slightly A/U (and maybe OOC) story of another way Steph and Ranger meet. What happens when you can't see the face of the one person that totally captivates your heart, body and soul.
In Dreams
Chapter 2
We arrived at the club a little while later. We pulled right up front to valet. Before we got out we put on our masks for the night. We got out of the car with assistance of two very handsome guys. Both guys were smiling like school boys as they escorted us out of Mare's car.
"Take good care of her boys." Mare said with a sexy smile as she tossed the keys to a the speechless valet that had helped her. She gave me a wink and we turned towards the entrance. I let out a low groan at the sight of the long line that appeared wrap around the corner of the building. "So much for getting her early." I grumbled towards Mare. At that very moment I felt a hand touch my shoulder and I turned around. It was my Valet.
"Miss, if I may, beautiful ladies such as yourselves get priority access." he paused for a moment looking at me and then continued softly, "Front of the line." he said with a heartbreaking smile as he offered his arm to me. I turned to gap at Mare as I saw her Valet offering his arm to he as well. At that, we both giggled and accepted our escorts assistance.
"I could get used to this." I whispered so that only Mare could hear me.
"Definitely." she replied as we were escorted to the main entrance and walked inside.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the low lights. The music was blaring some song that had a really sexy beat to it. Putting a little dance into my step, I looked at Mare and nodded towards the bar. She shook her head in agreement and walked over to the bar on the left. Once we reached the bar, my escort took my hand, kissed the back of it and wished me a good evening. I blushed looking over at Mare to see see her guy taking a bow before leaving us to the night.
We ordered our drinks and turned around to he face the rest of the club. I looked around with better sight now and took in all that was The Palace. It was huge. There was a bar that line each side of the room on the left and the right of the entrance. In the very back was a stage with the DJ booth just to the left of it. The dance floor sprawled out in front of it taking up almost the rest of the space between the two bars. To the right and left of the entrance was like a seating area. Along the back (or front wall, depending on how you look at it) was lined with plush leather couches and arm chairs with small tables in between them. In front of that was small dining tables surrounded by chairs. In the section to the left, where there was couches on the right were plush looking circular booths and the same dining tables in front. Lights were bouncing everywhere to the beat of the music.
The bartender served us our drinks, a margarita for me and a sex on the beach for Mare, and I noticed that the club was starting to fill up. We stood there for a little while, sipping our drinks, dancing in place, watching the club fill up with people.
Mare had finished her first drink and was starting on another when she squealed, and I looked over to see what had caught her attention. About ten feet in front of us stood who I could only guess was Lenny. He was bedecked in a black suit with a deep blue shirt on underneath, a equally dark blue mask with black designs on it in place on his face. He was standing there with a grin on his face and holding a red rose. He walked over towards us and bowed in front Mare.
"Ma'am, would do me the honor of joining me for this dance.?" He questioned her still in a half bow. Mare held out her hand and her squeal turned into an ear to ear grin as Lenny led her off to the dance floor.
I continued to sit there sipping my drinking and just taking in the atmosphere. All of a sudden all the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I felt what I could only describe as an electric shock run down my spine. I looked around the room slowly. I looked to my right over towards the booths in the seating area. I felt the same electric shock again as if it were telling me that the cause of it laid there in that area. I scanned the area a little more slowly, trying to look through the people congregated there.
It was if the groups of people parted like the Red Sea to open my view to the booth in the back corner. There sat a rather large man, his deep chocolate brown eyes staring back at me, as our gaze on each other held I saw his eyes turn from there melting brown to a deep onyx and I heard my breath catch. After a brief moment I was finally able to tear my gaze away from him. I closed my eyes and finished off my drink in one long drawl. All I could see was him. It seem as though when I was looking at him the first time, all I saw were his eyes. Now with my eyes closed, I could see the whole scene more clearly. His brown eyes turning black beneath his mask. His mask....it was identical to mine, only his looked like it fit him perfectly, like a second skin. And oh his skin. It was a comforting yet sexy shade of mocha latte. His lips were almost perfectly even with the exception of the small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. From him sitting down I couldn't see very well what he was wearing but it looked like a well pressed tuxedo. His jacket seemed to fit him just right across his broad shoulers and muscular arms. He was wearing a red silk shirt underneath that matched the red of my dress. The top two buttons were undone revealing just enough of a totally ripped chest.
I felt the tingle again and my eyes popped open. I had to blink a few times because it seems as if I hadn't even opened my eyes. I must be hallucinating because I saw him standing right there in front of me. I put the straw to my drink in my mouth, holding the straw where it met my lips, secretly checking for drool.
I gave him he best smile I could muster as I checked out the rest of him as he stood before me now. He was towering at around 6'. His hair, now that I could see, was long and held back into a pony tail. I was right, his tux fit him perfectly, as if it had been custom tailored just for him alone. His jacket was just as I remembered it, and his slacks fit just as good. Contouring themselves to him in all the right places. I must've licked my lips because when I looked up I was on the receiving end of a full 1000 watt smile. I sipped at my straw again and brought my full attention back to his eyes. They were a deep brown now. I flashed him another sweet smile and they instantly turned black again.
"May I?" he asked in a husky voice as he held out his hand to me. I paused for a moment, setting my now empty glass on the bar and went for my clutch to pull out money to pay for it. "Let me," he stated softly as he nodded towards the bartender. All I could do was stare at him as I offered him my hand.
"Babe. What I want to do with you is no secret." he paused and I continued stare at him. "And I want to do it bad." he finished and I couldn't help but to smile at him.
It was as if we glided to the dance floor instead of walked. He walked backwards, leading me, his eyes never leaving mine. We stopped on the dance floor, where exactly I couldn't tell you and he put his one hand on my waist, his other taking my hand. He pulled me flush up against him as Latin music came over the speakers. We stilled for a moment and I took in a deep breath, breathing in his sent. It was intoxicating. When I pulled my mind back to reality, I paid more attention to the music. Great Salsa music, I thought to myself as he started to lead in that exact dance. The entire time we danced, our gaze never broke, we never spoke a word. Just let the music flow through us as we danced. It was the most exotic thing I've ever been apart of. It was amazing. As the music finished and he pulled me up to face him, he looked me in the eyes and said only one word that would change my life forever. (Though at the time I didn't know it.)
"Babe..." I think I turned into a puddle on the floor at that, but I just held his gaze, breathing deeply, taking in scent again.
The music changed to a slower song. We never pulled apart from our closeness to each other. We continued to dance slowly. I let my arms snake up around his neck as his hands fell to my waist. As I looked into eyes, it felt as if I'd known him forever even though we just met. I could almost read the emotions in just his eyes. I could see happiness, pleasure, lust, and for a brief moment.... regret, pain, and sadness, but as quickly as it flashed it was gone and the happiness reappeared but only faintly this time. All the while his secret smile tugging at his lips. It felt like he was looking into my soul as we danced. I had this overwhelming feeling of completeness wash over me.
Before I realized what happened, he leaned into me and laid a soft kiss to my lips. I sighed silently and leaned further into him and his tender kiss. After a moment the kiss deepened and his arms wrapped around my body, hold me to him. I felt his tongue graze my bottom lip begging for entrance. My body responded accordingly, giving him he access he had silently request. Our tongues danced, as we did, in a slow dance inside of our mouths.
We continued to kiss, and all the while, I felt this compelling feeling to want this man. My heart beat loudly inside of my chest, and all I wanted was this man. To know him, to feel him, to be apart him, his life. Our kiss broke and we were both breathing heavily.
"Babe," was all he said as he gazed at me deeply. I was about to reply, not really sure what I was going to say, when a guy that looked equally as large as he was walked up to him and whispered something in his ear. He nodded slightly and the guy walked away. He turned to look back at me. He grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it softly.
"Thank you." he said with a smile.
"Thank you" I said softly, still in a daze over our kiss. He flashed me his 1000 watt smiled and leaned in and drop a light kiss on my lips. He then turned and walked away. I stood there for a few heartbeats, touching my fingers to my lips where he had kissed me. Then next thing I knew Mare was rushing at me at almost full speed, breaking me out of my haze.
"Omigod Steph, who the hell was that? Girl, you two were practically glued together for the last hour! And that kiss, holy shit!" She kept talking a mile a minute, but I barely heard the rest of it as I watched my Man of Mystery disappear out the door.
"Steph! Earth to Stephanie!!!" Mare was practically screaming at me now, waving her hand in front of my fast with one hand and the other shaking my shoulder. She finally got my attention back.
"Huh? OH! I'm sorry Mare, what were you saying?" I asked giving her my full attention as we walked off the dance floor
"I was asking you who that guy was that you were with! I know it wasn't Dickie because Dickie isn't as big as that guy was! You two were like one the whole time, it was like there was no air separating you two!"
I sighed and smile to myself thinking back to the dancing and kissing. After a moment in blissful memories that I would never forget, I answered her.
"I don't know. I have no idea who he is." I said with a happy sigh, still lost in the memory of his eyes.
Chapter 2 word count: 2213
