Running from Fate

by Connelly, Rose

  The oblique reference to Jonathan wasn’t lost on Mira, but far from angering her she found his obvious jealousy a good sign. The slur on her character, however, couldn’t be ignored, but before she could come up with a suitably acerbic reply they came to a smooth stop in front of a glittering hotel.

  After handing their keys to one attendant and their outerwear to another, they walked through a pair of imposing oak doors and entered a large ballroom teeming with people. The women flitted around like exotic birds arrayed in silks and satins and decorated with brightly colored jewels. In contrast, most of the men wore some type of suit or a tuxedo. Some of them, she noticed, looked vaguely uncomfortable, as if they felt more at home in jeans and a hardhat and presiding over a job site. She surreptitiously glanced at her partner. Despite the fact that she knew he had spent plenty of time wearing jeans and a t-shirt, right now he looked like he had been born to wear expensive clothes.

  Had James been thinking clearly he might also have noticed how at home Mira seemed in the glittering throng but, after her wrap was removed, all he could think about was the smooth expanse of skin revealed by the gown. He noticed that other men were also looking and, under the pretext of guiding her into the brightly lit room, he placed a hand proprietarily against her back. If possible her skin was even softer and silkier than he thought it would be and he had to resist an overwhelming urge to smooth his hand down her spine. He wasn’t able to completely restrain himself, however, and his thumb circled in a gently caressing motion.

  Mira suppressed a shiver and wondered how she was ever going to maintain any distance when all she wanted to do was sink into his touch. She glanced around for something to distract herself with and noticed a long, fully laden buffet table set up on the right side of the room. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that it had been hours since she had last eaten. “I’m starving,” she said a little desperately. “Let’s get something to eat.”

  “That sounds like an excellent idea.” He didn’t take his eyes off her smooth skin. “I find that I’m quite famished.” He was certain that he had felt a response from her earlier and, testing, he shifted his hand. She shivered. No, he thought with a smile that was distinctly predatory, she was definitely not immune to him.

  Halfway to the buffet table he spotted Kimberly Richards, the one person that he did not want to see. She was standing next to an elaborately molded column and clinging to the arm of a tall, muscular man. The man was staring down at her breasts, which almost spilled over the top of a tight red, sequined sheath dress. In an effort to avoid a possibly nasty confrontation he quickly changed course, pushing between two elegantly dressed couples, but it was too late. Kim had spotted them. He pulled Mira to a halt and waited.

  When they came to a stop Mira glanced around trying to discover what had caught James’ attention. She stood on tiptoe, attempting to see over people’s heads, and finally saw Kimberly. The tall, blond woman was weaving among groups of gaily dressed people, slowly making her way toward them. She dragged a tall, sandy haired man behind her. Mira glanced up at James to gauge his reaction. His eyes were locked on his former girlfriend. Suddenly cold, she straightened her back and stepped out of reach, effectively forcing him to lower his hand.

  “Hello Kim,” James said with cold indifference when the couple reached them. “I didn’t think that this type of party was you’re style. As I recall, you’re more the heavy drinking, hard partying type of person, aren’t you?”

  “I can be persuaded to change amusements if the company is worth it.” She widened her blue eyes and gazed in seeming adoration at her partner before turning her eyes to Mira. “It’s Mira, isn’t it?” she asked cattily. “I see that James has decided to take pity on someone less fortunate.” She ran her dark-lashed gaze over Mira’s dress. “Where did you get that quaint little outfit? And a sweetheart bodice, how cute.” She leaned forward as if in conspiracy and whispered loudly. “I can give you the name of a place that sells,” she paused as if thinking, “more ‘mature’ clothes if you’d like.”

  “I did try,” Mira sighed dramatically. “But one just has to make do with what they have.” She stepped forward slightly and performed a slow pirouette, stopping directly in front of the other woman. “I’m afraid that I’m not quite—how do I put this—developed enough to wear a dress like yours.” She eyed Kim’s chest critically. “It looks like you could use a more ‘mature’ dress yourself. Yours looks about three sizes too small. Aren’t you worried that you might just ‘pop’ out of it?” She widened her eyes innocently. “I have a wrap that you can borrow if you like.”

  “Well I never. My daddy will hear about this.” Kim clutched her escort’s arm and flounced away.

  If she had been anywhere else, Mira was sure she would have been convulsed with laughter at this point, but this was not the place for it. She allowed herself a wide grin instead.

  “You did that very well.” James’ voice was laced with admiration. “I’ve never seen Kim left speechless.”

  “I spent three years at a private all-girl’s school in upper New York,” Mira said absently before heading unerringly for the buffet. “Come on. Acting catty always works up an appetite. I’m starving.”

  Twenty Minutes later they were sitting on chairs against the back wall. It was late enough that the tables had been moved to accommodate anyone wanting to dance. A band had already set up on a raised platform at the front of the room.

  “You weren’t kidding were you?” James looked at Mira with something approaching amazement. She had just consumed what probably amounted to a pound of food. He held up a sauce soaked prawn. “It’s my last one. Would you like it?”

  Mira licked the last drop of sauce from her lips and looked at James. His blue eyes were bright and full of humor. It was a few seconds before she realized what had him so amused. She could feel her face heating up. “I’m done,” she mumbled. “You go ahead.”

  She led a very active lifestyle and enjoyed ‘healthy’ food so she could get away with eating a lot more than other people without gaining weight, which surprised her after her issues as a youth. It had been a running joke among her friends that she could out eat a football player, but she had always been careful to tone it down around new people. They either tended to get jealous or found it kind of disgusting.

  She glanced back at James. He seemed more amused than anything else. “I run every day,” she said in response to his unasked question. “And I have a very high metabolism.”

  “I didn’t say anything,” James responded. He looked out at the dance floor that was starting to fill up with people. The band was currently playing a lively jazz number. He stood up, put both of their plates on his empty seat, and held out his hand. “Since you seem to be finished, however, would you like to dance?”

  She looked at his outstretched hand and considered his offer. The thought of being that close to him was inviting, but it was also dangerous. She worried that if she got that close to him for a long period of time she would turn into a puddle of hormones at his feet.

  If she was considering having an affair with him that wouldn’t be a problem, but she wanted more than that in a relationship and she wasn’t sure that this James was even capable of giving her that. In addition to that her situation was precarious. She wasn’t sure what would happen when he found out who she was, but it wasn’t likely to be pretty. It would be better for all concerned if she stayed away from him.

  “Come on,” he said persuasively. “It’s not as if it’s a big decision. Unless you don’t know how that is. Then I would understand.”

  On the other hand, Mira thought, it was only a dance and the one just starting looked pretty lively so there wouldn’t be that much close contact. She shrugged. “Why not.” Grabbing his hand she levered herself up.

  James held on to her and maneuvered his way around the exuberant dancers until he found a clear space. There were a few older couples who were moving with well-timed and coordinated steps, as if remembering the danc
es of another era, but most of the people just seemed to be inventing the steps as they went along, brains well-lubricated with lots of alcohol. Many of those people, he thought derisively, would be going home tonight with someone who wasn’t their wife or girlfriend. He knew it was often an accepted part of the world he inhabited, but it was not something he had ever felt compelled to participate in. Mentally shrugging his shoulders, he stopped and turned, pulling Mira into his arms.

  For a moment James’ expression was so fierce and forbidding that Mira shivered and tried to pull away.

  “Oh no you don’t.” James frown disappeared, replaced by a beguiling smile. “I just got you out here.” He grabbed her other hand and looked at her in challenge. “I hope that you can keep up with me.”

  The dance was pretty fast paced, involving some fancy footwork and a lot of twists, turns, and dips. Mira laughed with delight as James spun her out and gracefully reeled her back in. It had been a long time since she had done this kind of dancing and she had forgotten how much she loved it. The parties that Lily managed to drag her to usually involved a lot of hip grinding, loud music, and flashing strobe lights.

  “You seem to be enjoying yourself,” James said as they twirled around the room.

  “I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed this. It’s been awhile since I had a chance to dance this way.”

  “Is dancing something that you did with your husband?” he asked with ill-concealed curiosity.

  “Kevin? No.” Mira smiled in remembrance. “My husband had two left feet when it came to dancing. I had to physically drag him onto the dance floor when we got married. It was my mother who insisted that a proper lady know how to dance. She couldn’t find a good teacher so she dragooned my father into partnering me while she directed from the sidelines.” Her face fell at the memory. Despite the years that had passed she still missed them.

  “Why does the memory make you so sad darlin’?” James asked softly, forgetting his usual cynicism. “Does your da no dance with you anymore?”

  She suppressed a shiver as his soft brogue rolled over her. It wasn’t so much the sound that got to her, but the tantalizing thought of what it could mean. When he had come to America he had fought hard to hide the accent that made him so different from the other boys. As far as she knew it only leaked through when he was drunk or, as she had noticed when he was young, when he was feeling intense emotion. He wasn’t drunk.

  “My parents died when I was a teenager,” she finally admitted, “but Pat still danced with me when I could drag him onto the floor. He’s actually pretty good.” She smiled and pulled out of his arms as the song ended. “He always says that he was a dancer in a past life.” She cleared her throat and mentally took a step back. The conversation was straying into dangerous territory, at least if she wanted to keep her identity a secret. She would have to be more careful.

  The band started up again and this time it was a slow, soft melody. James decided that he wasn’t ready to relinquish her yet. He grabbed her hand and, with a swift, practiced move, spun her out and pulled her back onto the floor.

  “Shouldn’t we be mingling,” she asked a little desperately. She could already feel her bones starting to melt.

  “In a minute,” he murmured. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him.

  Any protest that Mira might have made was immediately silenced as she came in vibrant contact with James’ muscular body from chest to thighs. Giving into the feeling she wrapped her arms around his neck snuggled her head into his chest. He was too tall for her to put her head on his shoulder but, this way, she could hear the soft, steady beat of his heart. It felt right.

  James felt Mira’s body relax into him and he subtly pulled her closer, letting his hands rest on the silky skin at the base of her spine. They moved slowly around the room, locked in a private bubble that contained only the two of them. He felt his body start to heat and his thoughts turned fuzzy. He was sure that Mira could feel his burgeoning desire for her and he knew that he was probably moving too quickly and he didn’t want to scare her off, but he couldn’t make himself move back. Instead, he pulled her even closer.

  As they swept around the floor Mira’s body started to tingle and her thoughts clouded. The other dancers became nothing but vague shadows until it was only the two of them in the glittering room. She felt an almost overwhelming urge to rub against him like a cat, but she knew that there was a reason why she shouldn’t. In an effort to break the spell that seemed to be drawing them closer together, she tried to think of something to say. “Beautiful party isn’t it?” she finally forced out.

  “Mmm.” He rubbed his cheek against her hair and tightened his arms.

  She shivered from head to foot and gave in, snuggling closer and shutting her eyes.

  When the song finished several minutes later they continued to stand together swaying to some unheard music. If it hadn’t been for some tipsy partier bumping into them they might have stayed that way all night. Instead, they jumped apart like guilty teenagers.

  James quickly put some space between them and tried to tug his jacket down. He had no idea what had just happened, but he desperately needed to clear his head. With Mira’s smell still surrounding him that was impossible. He needed air. Without a word, he turned and headed toward the door that opened onto a moonlit patio.

  Mira stood in the middle of the floor and watched him walk off. She had known that she was very attracted to James, but this had been something different. She needed time to clear her head and sort out what it all meant. After a somewhat forlorn sigh, she headed toward the ladies room.

  The gleaming white room featured the requisite row of stalls and sinks, but it also had several vanities complete with lighted mirrors, padded benches and even a blow dryer. The place was empty except for one woman who sat at one of the vanities re-applying her bright red lipstick. Of course it had to be Kimberly Richards, the last person Mira wanted to see, but she refused to be chased out of the bathroom.

  She straightened her shoulders and marched by to take a seat at the final vanity and critically studied her face in the mirror. Besides a slight flush to her cheeks she didn’t look any different and, despite the dancing, her makeup was fine. She pretended to study her face for several more minutes, hoping that the other woman would leave and she could have a few moments alone.

  Kimberly finally stood up, but instead of leaving she headed toward Mira.

  “This is far from over,” the blond woman growled from behind her. In the mirror, Mira could see the woman’s eyes narrow menacingly. “If you think you can get away with taking James from me, you’re dead wrong.”

  Mira thought that the warning was a bit much, but she wasn’t going to let some blond bimbo intimidate her. Despite the fact that she wasn’t even positive that she truly wanted him for her own she looked up and locked eyes with Kimberly through the mirror. “Just watch me,” she said. She stood up, pushed Kim out of the way and walked away, trying to put the woman and the incident from her mind, and ignoring the enraged screeching that came from behind her. She still had James to deal with.

  When she re-entered the room though, he had turned back into a distant, icy man. For the rest of the night he walked around with her, introducing her to area businessmen and women, but he seemed determined to keep as much space as possible between them. When the party was over they drove home in silence and he left her at her door with a polite goodbye.

  Chapter 17

  Mira wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when she got to work Monday morning. She didn’t know what had happened on Friday, but James had barely talked to her after that last dance. Considering his reaction, she expected him to avoid her completely. She tried not to feel let down and reminded herself that she had already decided to stay away from him so she would just have to do her best to put him out of her mind.

  Amy, apparently, had other ideas. She cornered Mira as she was getting a cup of coffee and pulled her away from the usual crowd of zombies com
peting for a caffeine fix. “Spill,” she said as she pushed Mira down on a sofa and sat next to her. “Was he totally floored by the dress or what?”

  Mira smiled, looked at her friend, and tried to inject some drama into the telling. It was the least Amy deserved after she gave up her night to help. “His eyes literally glazed over when he first saw the back of the dress.” And his hands had been warm and knowing when he had run them over her exposed skin. She suppressed a shiver and tried not to think about it.

  “I knew it,” Amy said. She leaned closer. “So what did you talk about? Did you dance together? What happened when he brought you home? Anything exiting?”

  Mira laughed at her enthusiasm and tried to think of something more titillating to tell her without giving her the wrong impression about their relationship. Finally, she just decided to tell the truth. “It was a business engagement so most of the talk was about architecture, but the hotel was beautiful.” Amy looked disappointed and she searched for something else to say. Finally it hit her. “I did see the gorgeous Kimberly. She came with arm candy, a young muscular man.”

  Amy’s voice lowered in conspiracy. “Did she say anything to you?”

  “We had a nice little verbal fight in the women’s bathroom.” Mira fluffed her hair. “I left Kim speechless, however, so I believe that I won our skirmish. She threw a couple of badly worded threats at me, but I got in the last word.”

  “Really,” Amy said. “What did she say?”

  “Oh just the usual. You haven’t heard the last of me and things like that. It was actually pretty amusing.”

  “You don’t think that she would actually try something, do you?”

  “Like what?” Mira laughed. “Steal my clothes. Don’t worry about it. It was just an empty threat.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”