Heaven On Earth

by Constance O'Day-Flannery

  "Are you cold?" Luke asked as he bent his head to whisper in her ear.

  Great! Now she really had shivers! Something, some instinct, made her turn her head slightly and whisper right back in his ear, "And if I was? What would you do?"

  She saw him stare straight ahead as though startled by her words, and then a slow grin spread over his lips. Without looking at her, he straightened and said, "Why, I would be a gentleman, señorita, and offer you my jacket."

  Casey smiled and turned her attention back to the dancers. "Refuse no sincere offers, I say," she answered with a chuckle. "Especially if you're a time traveler. Ya never know when or where you'll get another."

  He had to hide his chuckle, but she saw his shoulders shake and she knew she had scored a connection. Yeah… she thought, watching the couples wind down the dance…he's the one who had taught her about electricity. Maybe she didn't remember everything perfectly, but she did remember that for a circuit to exist, it must have three things. A source. Her. An output device. Him. And a connection between the source and the device. The laughter. It had worked! His entire mood had changed because hers had too. No longer was she nervous and afraid, worrying that he might not want her. Suddenly she remembered, she had promised herself to be herself without any plans!

  How could she have forgotten already? She wanted to throw back her head and laugh at her silliness. In fact, the urge was so strong that she had to put Luke's handkerchief to her mouth to cover her giggles. It was worse than being in church because then you could hide behind someone else. Here she just had to get a good view and put herself right in front of everyone! Thankful that the vals was over, Casey clapped so hard she was glad the hankie was still in her hand. She couldn't even look at Luke or she'd start laughing again. He was so right about laughter being a circuit breaker too.

  She really had a new appreciation for the gift of laughter, and vowed to use it more often just as he had said. Obviously it made a good connection between them.

  The applause lessened while the floor cleared, as glasses of wine were served to the guests and Casey wondered what the next tradition would be. She noticed Rosalinda saying something to her father and then she looked around her at all the nice people having such a good time. Feeling very happy, she turned her attention back to the dance floor as Don Felipe walked to the center, carrying his own long-stemmed wineglass. What a great party, she thought, glancing at the moon and really liking this magic!

  "Un brindis, a toast," Luke informed her.

  She nodded happily as she held her glass of wine in anticipation.

  Don Felipe cleared his throat and looked back once to his beautiful daughter with an endearing smile before turning to the crowd. "Damas y caballeros, Bishop Lamy, honored guests. Tonight I toast my daughter Rosalinda, a young woman possessed of a great heart. Before I fulfill this honor, Rosalinda has made a request, an addition to her court of honor to complete her presentation. She has requested that two of our fine guests honor her by dancing… un fandango."

  Don Felipe was actually looking straight at Casey!

  Casey immediately felt her soaring, bright mood begin a nosedive, and no matter how hard she pulled back on it, her good spirits threatened to crash.

  He couldn't mean her! And Luke?

  She felt Luke touch her arm and she immediately pulled back. "I can't do this," she muttered between a tightly clenched smile. "No!"

  "Do you not realize what an honor this is?" he whispered, leaning down to her as applause began. There were murmurings amid the applause. "This is a very rare occasion, Casey."

  "No!"

  Don Felipe raised his glass in their direction and smiled with warmth, as though he were including her and Luke in his family. Casey felt her heart drop. She simply could not dance in front of all these people!

  The man turned back to his daughter, and Casey looked at Rosa. The girl was holding the clover pendant up for Casey to see. Rosa smiled with such love that Casey felt tears come into her eyes as her new young sister touched the pendant to her chest for just a moment before turning her attention to her father.

  Hope. Faith. Love. Destiny. The words she had whispered to Rosa earlier in the day came back to haunt her. Casey found herself swallowing down the lump in her throat as she listened to Don Felipe begin his toast.

  "Congratulations, Rosalinda mía. I raise my glass to the future of this beautiful young person, who is an example to many families and graces mine. You are the pride of my life. I pray to God, to your guardian angel, and your grandfather Francisco, that they guide you with steady hands all through your life and assist in making all your dreams come true. I congratulate your mother, your friends and teachers, everyone who wishes blessings upon you, for you have blessed us all by being on this earth. We are all so very proud of you, no one more than your mother and I. May you always be blessed with life's sweetness, the way you have brought sweetness to our lives. Salud!"

  Casey kept swallowing and blinking to hold back the tears. Everyone shouted, "Salud!" She threw back her head and swallowed the entire glass of wine in one huge gulp, as though it might drown the encroaching tears.

  "Casey, now is the time. You cannot refuse the honor Rosa has requested of us!" Luke rasped in her ear as he applauded with the rest of the guests.

  Watching Rosalinda sip her wine, Casey knew she couldn't either. "This is crazy," she muttered. "How can I do this?"

  She watched as Manuel joined the band and she saw Juana standing on the sidelines. The older woman nodded to her and touched her pouch. Sheesh… ! Casey needed some big kind of magic right now to pull this off, and she wasn't sure Juana's little ditty bag contained it!

  A servant took their wineglasses.

  "Shall we dance?" Luke held out his hand to her, and she couldn't move as he lowered his lips closer to her ear and said in a sexy voice, "I got some good advice earlier. Refuse no sincere offers."

  He was throwing her words back at her!

  "Is this a challenge, señor?"

  If possible, his smile became sexier. "This is an opportunity for a man and a woman to dance… with passion. Do you accept?"

  Oh, he was good.

  Suddenly she laughed. She couldn't help it, and the tension left her body as she placed her hand in his. Glancing at Rosalinda, she shook her head, as if to tell the imp that she, too, was good. Rosa had promised they would dance and she wasn't kidding! Walking to the center of the cleared dance floor, Casey kept taking deep breaths, telling herself that all she had to do was forget there were more than a hundred people about to watch as she took on Luke d'Séraphin publicly.

  The band began playing slowly as they reached the center of the floor.

  "Shall I take my handkerchief?" Luke offered.

  "You'll need it later," she whispered with a grin of her own as confidence started to build in her body. She had danced fairly well with him before. There was nothing to fear except what she would think of herself when it was over. She began shutting out the crowd, concentrating on the man, and dropped the white cloth as the damas had done earlier. Just like the young men, Luke knelt down on one knee and picked it up. He gently kissed her hand and slowly rose while stuffing the handkerchief into his breast pocket. The edges stood out in sharp contrast to his dark jacket. He then held out his hand to her. She took it and was pulled into his arms.

  There had to be some Spanish in her blood, she thought again while remembering Luke telling of all the Spaniards who had been shipwrecked on Ireland… 'cause this just felt so natural to her, to be held like this, with a man staring into her eyes, demanding her attention. Maybe it was just this man who brought it out…

  "Trust me?" Luke whispered.

  "Yes." She took a deep breath. "With a passion."

  His eyes lit with something that Casey would have sworn was passion itself. His smile reappeared and he whispered, "Good," right before holding her firmly in his arms and taking the stance to alert her he was ready.

  Never shifting her gaze from his
, she straightened her spine and lifted her chin.

  He turned her as the music slowly built in tempo, beginning with Manuel's guitar. It was comfortable and familiar and the other musicians stomped their heels to the rhythmic beat. Casey followed easily, focusing all her attention on Luke's eyes. She allowed her feet to automatically move with his. He twisted her at the waist as the other musicians joined in and the tempo increased. Castanets were suddenly added to the already sensual music.

  She swore there must be some gypsy in her and for a moment she wondered what everyone was thinking… a blonde woman dancing like this. Almost missing a move and a step, she was glad for the full skirt to cover it.

  Stop thinking about them, she admonished herself. Focus on Luke. This is between the two of you, and everyone else is merely a witness now. Somehow it was the only way she was going to get through this, she thought as he twirled her out and then back again to wrap his arm across the front of her waist. With her back to his chest, she could feel his heartbeat against her bare skin. His breath in her ear. It sent chills racing across her skin.

  "Ginger would be proud of you," he whispered into her hair.

  She grinned widely as all tension left her body. She felt fluid, moving along with him, her steps sure as he abruptly twirled her and then turned her until she was back in his arms, staring into his eyes again.

  The crowd cheered and Casey suddenly realized she didn't really care what anyone thought. She was having a great time!

  She allowed herself to go limp in his strong arms as he dipped and swirled her out and right back in to him. Recalling the theatrical, pointed gestures, she moved with rhythmic confidence as she felt them becoming one with the music. She stomped her foot at the appropriate beat of the moment. He put his chin to his chest, looked her square in the eyes, and stomped back, displaying his acceptance to her challenge. She felt the dew of her own sensuality rise through her pores as he grasped her waist once more and pulled her firmly to his erect body. Oh, this was passion, all right… passion with a fever boiling between them.

  She trusted him completely, accepting his lead without fear or hesitation, and it was magnificent. Never before in her life had she been this reliant on another human being without trying to take some control. Now it was Luke who guided her across the floor with an expertise that was remarkable. If possible, he was pulling out all stops and she was matching him step by step, move by move. The next time she was twirled out, she dropped his hand and stared at him, daring him to take it higher. She slowly lowered her hand to her skirt and lifted the edge of it up to rest her fist on her hip. In one swift move, she stamped out another staccato of deeper invitation.

  The side of Luke's mouth lifted in a sexy grin, as the men and women around her shouted out their approval.

  He slowly brought his hands up to his hips and answered her movement with a stunning one of his own. Knowing she wasn't practiced enough to match it, Casey lifted her chin, raised her skirt a bit higher, and repeated her staccato… with attitude this time.

  The women's cheers were even louder than the men's, and Casey almost laughed at Luke's expression. He looked as though he not only wanted her… he wanted to have her. Bless Rosa's impetuous heart!

  He held his hand out to her and she slowly closed the distance between them.

  As he pulled her back into his arms, they again resumed the beginning dance steps. She seemed to be floating above the ground as she effortlessly followed him, all the while staring into his incredible soft brown eyes. Yes, there was magic.

  It was called love.

  When the dance ended abruptly, Casey was so stunned that she could only continue to stare at Luke, gulping for breath and feeling dizzy at the sudden stop.

  "Well done, Casey O'Reilly," he breathed into her mouth.

  "You weren't bad yourself, Señor Luke d'Séraphin," she said, adding with a grin, "at least we were far enough away from the walls…" She figured he would understand her joke.

  He chuckled and spun her out of his arms. When she saw he was presenting her to Rosa, Casey grinned at the teenager and slowly curtsied as Rosalinda stood up and cheered along with the crowd.

  Luke turned her around and they slowly bowed to the crowd. Rising, he led her off the floor and back toward the house. Everyone kept applauding, and Doña Isabela seemed to have tears in her eyes. Casey felt a blush cover her skin… from the heat of her body now that she'd stopped dancing, and from all the attention. She wasn't used to it, and it was a pretty heady thing for an accountant to experience. Her job felt like a lifetime away.

  Don Felipe patted Luke's back as they passed, and the man's smile was full of approval. Casey couldn't remember a time in her life when she'd felt so alive, and as a servant offered her a glass of water, she gratefully accepted and decided staying in the moment was the only way to go, time-traveling or not.

  "You were wonderful, Casey," Luke said, accepting his own glass of water. He sipped a few times and Casey could see beads of sweat popping out on his forehead.

  Grinning, she pulled the white cloth from his pocket and said, "Why, thank you. Your handkerchief, señor?"

  He laughed and grabbed it from her hand amid the chuckles of those surrounding them. "Touché," he said, blotting his forehead, then added, "I believe I have met my match in you, Casey O'Reilly."

  It was her turn to laugh.

  Eureka! The connection was made and the circuit complete. They had power.

  In that moment she glanced up at the moon and felt the magic of being a woman. She was now fully prepared for the next lesson.

  Magnetism…

  Fifteen

  "Your dance was magic."

  Casey spun around and grinned when she saw Juana beaming up at her. "Oh, thank you so much for everything, Juana. It was your magic that worked."

  "It was your magic, señorita. Oh, look…" Juana pointed to a young man about twenty-five years old who was walking toward the house. "There is Tomás Sandoval."

  Still breathing heavily, Casey looked at the handsome man who seemed to have his gaze fixed on Rosalinda.

  "That's him?"

  "Si," Juana answered. "Señorita Rosa has not met him yet. I see his parents following him. It must be time."

  "Time for what?" Luke asked, replacing his glass of water with one of wine.

  Casey grinned. "Tomás Sandoval. He is the son of Don Felipe's business partner in Spain. Rosa is about to meet him."

  They all watched as the man and his parents approached Don Felipe. Their host greeted his friends warmly and then introduced them to Doña Isabela. Casey held her breath as Don Felipe brought them around the chair to meet Rosalinda.

  She watched Rosa's eyes light up and sparkle with interest. The young woman clutched the clover pendant briefly before extending her hand to Tomás. The young man bowed very slowly over Rosa's fingers and, before releasing her hand, he said something that made Rosa's smile widen with pleasure.

  Well, how about this? Casey thought in awe. What if Rosalinda was right about meeting her one true love tonight? And what if it really was Tomás?

  The musicians began to play again and the atmosphere was expectant as Rosalinda stood up and once more extended her hand to Tomás. The man seemed very pleased as he gracefully led her to the center of the dance floor.

  "Now Rosa dances with a man who is not her relative, signifying she is a woman of marriageable age and fully presented to society." Luke grinned as he watched the couple begin a waltz. "Looks like she has picked your Tomás fellow to be the first."

  "And maybe the last," Casey murmured, seeing Rosa blush prettily and shyly in Tomás's arms. Casey turned to Juana. "What do you think?"

  "I think," the older woman said with a satisfied sigh, "that this night is full of magic and anything is possible."

  Nodding, Casey turned her attention back to Rosa. Halfway through the dance, Don Felipe and Doña Isabela joined their daughter. Soon other relatives began dancing and the dance floor became crowded as all were inv
ited to join.

  "I must find my man and make sure he doesn't play his guitar all night with these hombres and then desert me," Juana proclaimed. "I, too, wish to dance."

  Casey smiled at the kind woman as she walked away. Standing next to Luke, she had turned her attention to the dancers, trying to find Rosa, when she heard a male voice behind her.

  "Would you honor me by joining me in this dance, Señorita O'Reilly?"

  She turned around and saw Don Miguel, smiling into her eyes with what he clearly intended to be an invitation. Feeling awkward with Luke at her side, she was about to turn the man down when Luke suddenly spoke up.

  "Gracias, señor." He looked at Casey and added, "Perdóname señorita. I must step away briefly. Thank you for the honor of our dance. Perhaps, before this night is over, we might share another, but now I must beg your leave."

  Stunned, she could only stare at Luke. What the hell was he doing? Leaving her to Don Miguel? And what did he have to do that was so important he had to be excused?

  "Señorita?" Don Miguel held out his hand.

  Casey nearly glared at Luke before placing her palm in Don Miguel's. "Thank you, señor," she said as politely as possible. "It would be my pleasure."

  The man led her into the circle of dancers, and she was grateful the waltz had already begun as she didn't know how long she could hold up. She still wasn't cooled off, especially now that Luke seemed so eager to dump her. What was that about? She smiled again at her dance partner and then tried to look into the crowd with every turn. Where was he?