Chapter 8

"If your life is a rough bed, of brambles and nails,

And your spirit's a slave, to man's whips and man's Jails"

Sam slowly opened her eyes again as Jack held a hand out to her and cautiously, she took it. He slowly and deliberately interlaced his fingers with hers and walked them confidently towards the middle of the dance floor. He stopped, turned towards her, opened his arms and winked.

"C'mere, Sam."

She snaked her hand around his broad shoulders and felt the hard muscles underneath his dress shirt. Jack held her right hand gently in his, but instead of holding it out away from their bodies, as the other couples were, he held both of them over his heart. He wrapped his arm around her back slowly, allowing his fingers to splay out on her bare flash. She gasped as he suddenly pulled her as close as he possibly could and slowly started to rock from side to side.

They stood swaying and looking straight into each other's eyes, closer perhaps, as the tips of their noses were almost touching. Jack leaned in and placed his cheek against hers so his lips leaned gently against her ear and hers his. He could hear her humming in time with the music and he gently and quietly started to sing along.

"Follow me through the dark, let me take you past our satellites, you can see the world you've brought to life…"

He felt her smile against his ear and whispered, " I told you, I know you Sam, I know what you like."

She felt his hand move up around her back and pull her against him for the next line, "Touch me like you do, touch touch touch me like you do…"

She sang quietly into his ear. "What are you waiting for?" And felt him grin.

"I think we've waited long enough, don't you," he whispered into her ear.

Sam closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in the song. Jack spun around with her in his arms, never allowing their contact to be broken and she was sure if she opened her eyes, she would see people staring at them so she didn't dare.

"Every inch of your skin, is a holy grail I've gotta find, only you can set my heart on fire…"

They continued to sway gently as she listened to him sing into her ear. In between lines, she felt him run his fingers lightly up her spine and back down again, coming to rest on her lower back, only just before the point of indecency, apparently as lost in the moment as she was.

"Jack," she sighed.

He stilled for a nanosecond and squeezed the skin on her back, holding her tightly against him.

"Say that again," he growled into her ear.

"Mmmmmmm, Jack," she said turning her head into his neck and smiling.

"I never thought I would enjoy hearing my own name that much," he whispered.

"I'll let you set the pace, 'Cause I'm not thinking straight,

My head's spinning around I can't see clear no more, what are you waiting for?"

She allowed her fingers to travel upward and tangle into the straight edged hairline on his neck and felt his heartbeatquicken under her hand, which was still clasped in his. She held his face to hers while they moved in time to the music.

The music wound down, and he lifted his head from hers to look at her. She tilted her head and licked her dry lips.

"Maybe later, Sir," she quipped, as his gaze went from her eyes to her lips and hung there for a long moment.

"I'll remember that," Jack mused, as he led her away from the dance floor...