Author's note:

I'm so happy you liked the chapter! And what intrigues me even more that you want longer chapters, which is quite surprising for me but it flatters me like nothing else. Really, you have no idea. I promise I will kill you with long chapters, then. :D

This chapter is shorter than the previous ones, I know. But I can promise to you that the next one is another longer one. I thought about not splitting this up, but to give you chapter around 13,000 words seemed insane to me and you know, this little cliffhanger that just screamed at me and didn't want to leave me alone – I just couldn't resist. So, don't kill me, please. ;)

Thank you for your contribution all three Guests reviewers – how Ziva will react is subject of this chapter, so go read. Thank you also for the opinion whether you want longer or shorter chapters. As for the Palmer's wedding – that is, of course, the subject of this story, so by the end of it, you'll see it.

As always, thousands of thanks to you Debbie – I will need this luck. And of course, Gibbs is ever-knowing, he knows everything. ;)

Celine, your intuition is exquisite, then. :) And thank you for the kind words, you truly made me happy with them. I'm glad you like my style of writing. Enjoy this chapter.

And dear Marlen, it's always a pleasure to have another reader from Germany, because you, guys, are awesome. I mean I have so many faithful and amazing German readers that it's almost unbelievable. I am so happy you have such a love for this story, that you like the way I write it and that you love the idea itself. Thank you for all the praise, the kind words and all, you rock! As for your English, don't worry about it, I am not native speaker as well. I live just next to you, in the neighbouring country, in the Czech Republic. So, I have no right to correct your English in any way. I, myself, am grateful for my dear Beta Laitie to correct the mistakes that I make, because I don't have English in school anymore, and I don't keep up with the grammar as I used to. Thanks a lot and enjoy this chapter. :)

Thank you ALL for the ongoing support, it really means a lot. Especially because I am putting those two through emotional hell and you are still here with me, enjoying it. I love you all. :)

Disclaimer:

I do not own NCIS or the characters.

Towel – Chapter 17

When Tony entered the hall where the rehearsal dinner was taking place, his eyes quickly searched the room for Ziva. To his surprise, she didn't run away or anything. She mannerly sat at their table, balancing the glass of wine in her hands while staring at the dancing couples absent-mindedly. He gave out a sigh of relief, because after her 'escape', he had thought she could have hid herself in her room.

Luckily for him, she didn't leave. This gave him a chance to stop playing some games and, once and for all, resolve the relationship between them. He sensed she had some second thoughts, without a doubt concerning their partnership and work. And he knew that he needed to make her talk about it. They owed that to each other, and it was also needed to make their relationship an official matter.

But he had also known her long enough to be sure that to fall into conversation with her wasn't the easiest thing. Especially if she was supposed to be sincere and admit feelings she had never admitted to him before. And she had to do it completely intentionally, of course, because subconsciously she had done that already. But he didn't want to use that unless he really had to. This conversation just needed to be handled with care.

He headed towards the table, sitting down in his chair, but purposely moving it so he was still next to her but also behind her back. It didn't seem suspicious or anything, he just wanted to have a better view of the dance floor so he could watch the dancing couples from a better angle. He smirked when he noticed McGee and Abby dancing together, trying to find something with which he could tease his surrogate brother afterwards.

Ziva's nervousness, however, was disturbing his attention. She was really fidgety, raking her hair one second, crossing one leg over the other the next, chewing on her thumb and drinking her wine quite rapidly. The adrenaline was boiling inside her, both from the excitement he had caused inside her by the kiss and from the fear she felt because she couldn't stop thinking about one particular 'what if'. What if it had been Gibbs, and not Dr. Ryan, who had interrupted them in the hallway? What would he have done? What would have happened?

In an attempt to soothe her and make her feel better, he put his hand on her shoulder and lightly caressed her arm with his fingers. It didn't have the desired effect, though. She flinched, raking her hair immediately, by which she got rid of his hand on her shoulder and rubbed her arms apprehensively. It wasn't that she didn't like his touch, but it made her feel something she wanted to suppress at the moment.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her carefully, knowing he had to think before speaking, because it could cost him his relationship with her. So no space for teasing remarks right now.

She puffed in frustration, because she was still very confused about her own actions from before. At first, she had been jealous, then she had kissed him and in the end she had wrapped herself around him like poison ivy that even an herbicide wouldn't make her let go of him. No wonder he'd thought she had been giving him mixed signals. But it'd been his fault, he'd caused her to not behave like her usual self.

"No, nothing. It's just not very entertaining to sit here all the time and not do anything." She complained because she wished for some kind of action to pump a new wave of adrenaline into her body that would have nothing to do with her libido. She wouldn't mind if a killer would appear among the guests, so she could solve a case and distract herself.

Tony wasn't sure whether it was a plea that should make him to do something to entertain her or if she just wished for this dinner to end. Either way, he definitely decided to cheer her up, because it was one of his favourite things to do, after all. He saw as she wistfully watched the couples on the dance floor that she would like to be one of them. He slowly smiled because he certainly didn't have anything against dancing with her.

He put his left hand on her left shoulder again, sensing her to gasp. But she didn't flinch this time. Slowly, he rubbed her arm down to her elbow where he stopped for a little while to tickle the sensitive skin in that particular place. He didn't see her face, but he would bet that she had closed her eyes as she whimpered in delight. Then, he finished the trail to the back of her hand, lacing their fingers together in her lap.

"Shall we dance, Miss David?" He asked her sweetly, watching as she eyed their joined hands with adorable fondness.

Ziva pondered the offer seriously. She had always loved to dance, but the chances to do so had been very rare so far. She had danced with Tony on a few occasions on their 'non-dates', but since a certain moment that had almost led to a kiss, she had always found some excuse as to why they couldn't dance. Particularly because she had started to choose those restaurants where there wasn't any dancing involved at all.

But now she had the chance, if not the duty, to dance. The music was delightful, the dance floor was perfect and the man who was asking her was the one she actually wanted to dance with. He was a marvellous dancer and they always seemed to find the right rhythm. It was such a magical moment whenever she danced with him and it was everything she focused on every time.

However, no matter how pleasant the dance with him was and how much she enjoyed it, she couldn't go dancing now. Certainly not in this very moment and with this very man. Just the image itself, seeing them together dancing slowly to a slow jazz song with bodies pressed together, so not even a bit of air could get through, was just too arousing for her. And she, rather, didn't dare to envision some quicker, sensual dance that would make them to rub their bodies alongside each other.

There would be just too much passion in it. She was certain it would make her lose her mind completely. They would be too close, her nostrils would be invaded by his smell and if she looked up at him, she would find him smiling at her in his typical, dazzling way while his affectionate eyes would study her as they always did. She wasn't made of stone and her feelings for him were too strong to hide. She would do something stupid, that was for sure.

"No, thank you." She replied sadly as she untangled her hand from his, reaching for the glass of wine to sweeten the bitter rejection. If the night continued like that, she would be drunk very soon. She just hoped that the alcohol wouldn't be needed anymore.

Tony didn't have to guess to know that she regretted the rejection. The sadness in her voice and the constant looks she cast towards their friends on the dance floor, showed that she wanted to go dancing more than anything else. But he understood why she was afraid to dance in front of so many people, because the passion between them would certainly reveal the sudden change in their relationship that had occurred few hours ago.

So, he decided to use it to their advantage. To be honest, he was bored and some after party with Jimmy, as much as it sounded entertaining, didn't interest him enough. He wanted to be alone with her, talk to her about their situation, resolve every problem to disperse any doubts and finally make their relationship official. He was in love and all he wanted was to be with the woman for whom his heart was beating. He bet that both Jimmy and Breena would understand why they sneaked away from the dinner and didn't show up later on. Especially when nobody was paying attention to them at the moment.

He used the hand that was still in her lap, lifting it and taking her by her elbow gently. Leaning his head closer to her ear, he nuzzled her neck briefly, making her to curl her hands into fists for a thousandth time this evening. "Or would you prefer some different, rather intimate, kind of dance?" He whispered huskily in his sultry voice, so she wouldn't have to question his motives.

She breathed out shakily, trying to keep it together. But his provocative behaviour wasn't making it any easier. All he said or did always brought very vivid sexual fantasies into her head, as if they had never left. At first, with his teasing before their meals had arrived, then he had tortured her while they had been eating, making her lose it and kiss him senseless in some hallway few minutes later, and now the whole thing with dancing.

She should have known that once she gave in, it would all become about sex. Well, that wasn't exactly the truth, because their relationship was also about love but... There was the 'but'. The 'but' that represented all of her doubts of balancing their relationship with work, all of her fears over losing him because she was unable to maintain a relationship with a man, and all of the problems that were around it.

She wouldn't mind if their relationship would be only of a sexual nature for the time being, because it would give her everything she wished for. She would have him and she would have enough time to decide what to do. However, she was aware that it was impossible. He had confessed his love for her and she, even though she wasn't that sure if she had said anything, had done it too. If she hadn't said it in words, then she had done so in actions, at least.

And it was abundantly clear that he wasn't going to give up and let it go. Everything he had done tonight only proved to her that he was serious about them and he wanted her to be his. Unconditionally. So if she accepted the invitation for 'some different, rather intimate, kind of dance', it would involve going back to her or his room, and completely giving in and admitting their feelings for each other.

But, despite any doubt she had, despite all of those reasons why she thought they couldn't be together, her greatest wish right now was to leave this rehearsal dinner and go with him to wherever he intended. She had listened to her heart more than she had listened to her brain today, already, and it hadn't ended up badly. So, why not do it again? Does she have anything to lose?

She turned her head aside to look at him. The answer was written all over her face. He didn't need anything else to be sure she wanted to get lost just as much as he did. Tugging at her elbow that he still held in his hand, he brought their heads closer so they were just inches apart. He wanted to kiss her, right here and now, because the desirous eyes that were looking at him, were toying with his sanity, but he managed to control himself.

And mainly because of what happened. Because, as always, fate decided to mock him and thwart his plans before he even had the chance to carry them out. Their little intimate moment was interrupted by some young lad, something over twenty years, who seemed to be very nervous but very eager in the same time. His intrusion didn't seem to be intentional, though. He had probably been struggling with himself to gather the courage and head in their direction.

He cleared his throat to get Ziva's attention. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to ask you if you want to dance. W-with me, I-I mean." He blurted out, stammering at the end of his question.

Ziva looked up at him in puzzlement while Tony looked him up and down in mistrust. He had to do his best not to start laughing aloud and keep it all inside. Because, honestly, he found it hilarious that such a baby boy wanted to dance with his Ziva, and actually thought that he could win. He was one hundred percent sure that she was going to reject this young man. After all, she had rejected his offer.

Deciding that he would meet his liabilities and be the protector she had asked him to be, he spoke decisively. "The lady is not interested. She's here with me, so..." He wanted to continue and tell the boy to get out and leave them be, but Ziva suddenly surprised him.

"I gladly accept." She answered, cutting off Tony and smiling at the young man whose face lit up like a Christmas tree.

She had thought it over and over and realized that this was an amazing chance to escape from Tony. Sure, she wanted to go with him back into her room or into his (it really didn't matter where), but every time her heart had won the battle, her brain hadn't given up. And she didn't have Tony's kisses to suppress her mind, so it was just natural that she had chosen the first escape route that had come her way.

Even if it mean dancing with this boy who was apparently mesmerized by her, and judging by the astounded looks of few guys who were standing a short way off their table, it was probably just a bet for him. Besides, it was also a chance for a payback, because she had no doubt that Tony's possessiveness would bring up his jealous side. And if she wanted something, then it was some good, cold shower for him. He had been driving her insane with his self-confidence and she so much wanted to cool him down.

She accepted the young man's hand and stood up, being sure to give Tony a great view on her side to show him what he was losing. She couldn't help but acting sassy, even though he wasn't to blame for the loss. However, Tony didn't seem to be offended or disappointed at all. He just sat there with an unreadable expression on his face, completely calm.

"I thought you didn't want to dance." He uttered in neutral tone, looking straight into her eyes, avoiding appreciating her divine body in any way.

She swallowed hard because she didn't like his 'you-will-regret-this-very-soon' look that was only adding to his cocksureness even more. She was actually very confused with his reaction, because she expected him to be hurt or dejected or something. But on the contrary, he seemed very serene, almost indifferent. It all just boosted her desire her to make him jealous like never before.

"Maybe I just don't want to dance with you." She snapped and dragged the boy on the dance floor, leaving Tony there.

Tony just chuckled silently, poking his tongue into his cheek in amusement and watching the pair. He wasn't feigning his calmness, because he didn't feel jealous at all. He suspected that she had accepted the offer just to help the poor kid to win the bet, because he had noticed the gang of guys who were staring at Ziva and the boy incredulously. And also, because she want to get the payback. However, he had the feeling that she would regret this decision in the end.

And he wasn't mistaken. The kid had some basics in dancing but his skills couldn't match Ziva's in any way. He was constantly stepping on her foot as he tried to do his best to keep up with the melody of the song with its waltz elements, while he couldn't take eyes off the beauty he held in his arms. It was quite difficult for him to focus on so many tasks at the same time.

Ziva had patience with him, though. Her desire to make Tony jealous and to rob him of his self-confidence was stronger than her desire to kill the boy for his total incompetence to dance properly. She tried to encourage him and tell him where he was supposed to put his feet. Not that it was helping, but her pride was too great to give up and leave the dance floor, giving Tony the satisfaction he was waiting for.

Every time she made a spin, her eyes found Tony as she locked her gaze with him, looking at him mockingly. However, she had a hard time keep a straight face since her foot already hurt from the constant stepping on it. They were more staggering than actual dancing, but she was determined to stand it. Even though her anger rose and she started to redden, she kept dancing.

Tony watched them emotionlessly, sipping his wine. He didn't have any reason to be worried, because he knew very well every detail of her body language. Although she tried to hide it marvellously, he could notice the anger boiling inside her. Not to mention her face hardened with every step she made. So, she actually provided very good entertainment for him.

The song was endless in Ziva's opinion. She wanted so much for this song to come to an end and she could walk away from the dance floor with grace. Her plan didn't work. Tony sat at their table without any sign of jealousy. She spun around energetically, almost knocking down her dance partner, fixing her gaze on the table where Tony was supposed to occupy his chair.

She almost dropped down once she didn't see him there. It was as if he had vanished off the face of Earth. Panic seized her for a little while as she confusedly looked around, but she couldn't find him. She even ignored that the young man had stepped on her foot at least three times over the last few seconds. Her plan was more and more falling into pieces.

Suddenly, out of thin air, Tony appeared next to the pair, tapping the young lad on his shoulder. "Now, I'm the one who is sorry to interrupt. But can I have a dance with the lady, here?" He asked him, politely showing him that he should stop with his attempts to dance and leave it to someone who was more experienced in this field.

Ziva just rolled her eyes at him. If she really didn't need something right now, it was feeling like a damsel in distress who needed a knight in the shining armour to save her. She still didn't want to dance with Tony, because she knew very well what effect the physical contact with him would have on her. And to show it off in the public, in front of their friends and their boss, really wasn't something she longed for. Especially after what had happened between them in the hallway.

The young man nodded in agreement, sensing that the impression he had made wasn't the best one, so he retreated and gave Tony the chance. "Sure, mate." He said and smiled nervously at Ziva, leaving them together on the dance floor. After all, he had won the bet, proven his courage to ask her and got to dance with one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

Tony reached his hands towards Ziva who stepped in his embrace, taking up the dance position. She didn't even glance at him, though, ignoring him as he sneaked his left hand around her waist, taking her left hand into his right one. He waited for the new song to begin (which appeared to be some Frank Sinatra medley, completely perfect for the two of them). When it did, he pressed her body closer to his, proving once again that their bodies existed for each other.

Ziva couldn't help but tremble, because being so close to him brought up everything she had thought of earlier. His smell was intoxicating. She could feel his eyes on her but she refused to meet his gaze, because she knew it would be her undoing. The passion inside her gained new intensity but her rational side was still winning this never-ending battle. She always managed to suppress it and turn it into anger.

"I didn't need to be saved." She remarked annoyed that he had thwarted her plan to make him jealous. Besides, she couldn't not to notice how easy it was to dance with him, and it irritated her for no reason. They were natural, moving on the dance floor with a lightness that everybody could envy them for.

Tony looked at her pensively, realizing that she would rather observe her surroundings than give him at least a fleeting glance. He didn't understand why she behaved like that, but that was Ziva. He could only go with the flow. "Sure, you didn't." He agreed, swaying her in his arms gently, watching her face intently "But the poor kid did. You were going to kill him if he stepped on your foot one more time." He wasn't able to hide his amusement over the whole situation, because he was right. She had regretted her decision it the end.

She looked at him sharply, feeling annoyed even more upon hearing that he had been having fun with it. "So, you saved him from me, then? And put yourself in the danger?" She asked him, her eyes challenging him to a friendly banter. Seeing his eyes made her feel dizzy, but at least she was sure that he had been having green-eyed thoughts.

He smiled at her sweetly, glad that she finally looked at him, so he could hypnotize her with his gaze. "Nah, I'm not in danger." He commented, his hand momentarily leaving her waist to play with her curls gently.

She raised her eyebrow in question, trying to get an explanation from him. He knew very well how dangerous a woman she was. He was in danger of grievous bodily harm every day. However, she couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine when his fingers weaved through her hair. She couldn't take her eyes off his sparkling ones, as they were shining with love for her.

"Because unlike him, I can actually dance, you know." He particularized his thought, making a sharp spin with her to show her his dancing abilities and prove her how wonderful a pair they made.

Her reaction was natural as she clung onto him, tightening the grip of her embrace around him to keep up with the new tempo. She didn't manage to let out a word out of her mouth to counter his claim. What he had said was the truth, after all. He was magnificent dancer and she always felt flattered to join him on the dance floor. But it didn't used to have such an effect on her like it did now.

She could feel his heart beating in his chest as her bosom pressed against it, because of the tight embrace they were in. With their eyes locked in an endless stare, she had to persuade herself to shift her eyes elsewhere to break the magic spell he had cast upon her. His aura had the ability to turn her into a mush every time she allowed it to engulf her, and it was damn hard to get out of it.

She noticed the young man with whom she had danced with and smiled upon seeing his happiness. He had gained a great portion of confidence, despite the fact that his dancing abilities were disastrous. "Well, at least he tried. His endeavour was really adorable." She stated, appreciating the effort the kid had put into it. Others in his place would have probably given up a lot sooner.

Tony gave out a chuckle, because she couldn't deny the murderous thoughts she'd had because of his stepping on her foot. But the kid probably had something in him if she had stood it for so long. "Ah, let me guess. He let you to lead." He remarked, putting an emphasis on the last word to stress her need to be in control all the time.

Not even waiting for her answer, he hurled her into an abrupt twirl, showing her that he was the one who was leading at the moment. To his surprise, she obediently went along with it, spinning around twice and making a side step, rocking with her hips seductively and stepping away from him a bit to make a show. Then, she waited for him to pull her back into his arms, still moving into the rhythm of the jazz song.

He did so without thinking, bringing their heated bodies back together as he embraced her tightly. Until now, he hadn't realized how his body craved her, upon seeing the way her hips moved in the cyan blue material. Her lips were so dangerously close, it was messing with his head. He almost didn't even register that they moved to give him the reply she thought he was waiting for.

"Precisely." She whispered across his lips, almost breathlessly, as if she struggled with inhaling the fresh air.

Lacing their fingers, he returned to their previous, sensually slow tempo as they rubbed their bodies against each other, looking into each other's eyes. "Oh, come on. Just admit it. The only reason why you accepted the offer from the kid was that you wanted to make me jealous and get your payback." He informed her in a knowing and teasing tone.

They had been about to get lost from this dinner when she had gotten a chance to take revenge for the woman who had showed an open interest in him. It was as clear as a day. That was why he hadn't minded that she had rather chosen an escape from him and had gone dancing with another man. Because the young lad hadn't been a threat to him in any way. As for their postponed plans, Tony certainly planned this night to end with making love to Ziva.

Her genuinely offended face made him smile even wider. He'd hit the right spot with the remark, but she was too snooty to admit the truth. "I most certainly did not. All I wanted to do was to wipe that smug smile off your face." She retorted, squeezing his hand hard. But he didn't flinch. Her voice was steady and noticeably annoyed, because she didn't want him to know about her desire to make him jealous.

The hand on the small of her back shifted up to her neck, holding her head in place to keep the barely millimetre distance that separated their lips. "Why not wipe it off with a kiss, then?" He asked her sweetly, making her completely forget about everything and just to focus on his lips. His delicious, not at all swollen lips she had been kissing with such a craving feeling earlier, wanting to taste only more and more.

Her reverie was interrupted, though. He released her hand he was holding in his, sliding it down across her back, and ending on her backside. Before she even knew it, he squeezed her ass in front of everyone in the room, even though she wasn't sure whether anybody had noticed. But the action made her think about it, and she realized that this really wasn't a proper time or place to do such things.

"Move your hand. Now!" She ordered to him, hoping that anyone who might had noticed would take it as an inappropriate touching she would deal with by herself. All in silence, of course, without making a scene that would involve death threats.

"I thought I could touch what was mine, couldn't I?" He asked her, adding another squeeze cheekily, hoping it would finally lead them out of this damn dinner and straight into the room with a bed. His or hers, he didn't care where.

Ziva paused in surprise as her arousal disappeared without a trace. Although, she liked when he treated her as his lawful girlfriend, she didn't like the word he had used now. Mine. It got her back to reality to the necessary talk they had to carry out. To those reasons why they couldn't be together and to the fact that he apparently thought they made a couple. He was having false hopes about the future of their relationship and it was breaking her heart.

They had to talk and it had to be now. He had to realize that, yes, she loved him and she knew he loved her back. That they had slept together, actually, had made love more than had had sex. That they had given in to the attraction that had existed between them since the first day they had met. But they weren't a couple and, sadly, they would never be one. No matter how much they both wanted it.

She looked around to be sure that nobody was watching them, took his hand and turning around, dragged him out of the room. Since they were close to the big French windows, she quickly found the right one that was actually a door to the terrace outside. She shoved him there and slipped behind him, hoping that nobody had seen them. Just to be sure, she closed the door as quietly as she could.

The End of Chapter 17

You won't kill me, right? Right? ;) As I mentioned above, next chapter is another long one, so you have a lot to look forward to. I know this is sort of a cliffhanger but the conversation between them really got a bit out of my hands, so I split it up.

But what are you saying on this, hm? Just imagine those two dancing together while Frank Sinatra sings whatever song he wants because his voice is amazing (The Way You Look Tonight would be probably the best one, it's my favourite). Ah, I can't... Too much feels...

Anyway, have a nice week everyone, the next chapter will be up again in 14 days, so Monday April 27th. See you, guys, then!