Loving The Temperamental Adonis
Chapter 169: Dance

Chapter 169: Dance

When Mia got to the room, she was suddenly determined to take her time to dress up and dazzle Neil with as much glamour as she could, and she spent more than an hour getting ready. Her hair was one asset she possessed in abundance, and since Neil evidently gave it a special notice by always complimenting how much he liked her hair, she took her time to wash it and blew it dry, then she styled the heavy mass so that it framed her face, falling into casual waves and curls from a side part and spilling over her back.

Satisfied that she had done the best she could with her hair, she pulled off her bathing robe and stepped into the dress she had picked from the lady’s closet in Neil’s room. It was a soft knit dress in a vibrant shade of orange that, in the closet, it had looked rather like a floor-length sweater with a loosely fitted skirt, blousy bodice, and full sleeves with white satin cuffs and sparkling orange crystal buttons. Not until Mia reached behind her back to fasten it did she realize there was no zipper and the dress was opened at the back.

Although the dress had a wide collar at the front, the collar draped over the shoulders and left a deep oval of bare skin exposed at the back. The simplicity of the dress design, combined with the modest front and dramatic back, was irresistibly beautiful, and it made her feel beautiful, but Mia stepped back from the mirror, hesitant to wear it after noticing how good it looked and feels despite it’s bare back.

But on the other hand, she knew she didn’t have many alternatives. She needed something long and thick to wear because she wasn’t going to wear a coat. Apart from this dress, everything else in the closet were ankle length or else it was pants.

She decided not to change. She turned to the shoes sections and reached out to pick the first shoes that caught her eyes__a pair of dark orange short heels that were a half size too large, but perfectly comfortable. Satisfied that she had done the absolute best she could with what she had to work with, she fluffed her hair and took a last glance in the mirror.

She had spent more time getting ready for their date tonight than she had many times she was about to step before the camera at work, but it was worth it. She was proud of her simple makeup tonight. They were far softer and more subtle than all the once done to her before the set. The eyeshadows and mascara flattered her eyes, even though it looked strange to her, and the touch of blush at her cheeks made her cheekbones seem more prominent, but it was the prospect of seeing Neil and spending the evening with him that made her eyes sparkle and her skin glow.

All in all, she thought, she had never looked nearly as nice as this before. Leaning forward, she applied some of her own lipstick, then she stepped back, smiled at her reflection, and headed for the bedroom door.

The candles were already lit on the coffee table when she walked down into the living room, the fire was burning brightly on the grate, and Neil was standing at the counter, opening a bottle of champagne. Her breath caught short in her throat at the sight of how handsome he looked in his dark grey suit that clung to his wide shoulders and contrasted beautifully with his snowy white shirt and his dark tie.

Mia was about to say something when she suddenly remembered that she’d seen him dressed up in suits before many times, only then he wasn’t a fugitive, and she felt a sharp pang of sorrow for what he’d lost. The last she’d seen him wearing suit, was on the live event.

He’d been wearing a black tuxedo that night with a white pleated shirt and black tie, and she remembered thinking how gorgeously, elegantly male he was, so tall and sophisticated, standing before her in the dressing room with bags of clothes he’d gotten for her. He’d been the first man to make her feel like a princess, he’d made her feel so special then. But the fact that he was now relegated to hiding like a hunted animal made her feel like crying.

Even while she thought about it, she realized that he had never complained and he wouldn’t welcome either her sympathy or her pity. Since this was supposed to be a festive, lighthearted evening, Mia resolved to make certain it was and not spoil it by bringing up his case or ways to clear his name as quickly as possible. After all they still had a lot of time to discuss about that again.

Feeling a little shy and self-conscious, Mia held her hands in front of her and stepped forward. "Hi," she said with a bright smile.

Neil, who was already pouring the champagne looked up, his eyes riveting on her, and the champagne he was pouring began to spill over the side of the glass. "My Lord," he said in an awed, husky whisper, his gaze moving slowly down her face and hair and body.

"Eres la mujer más hermosa que he visto." He whispered in deep smooth voice. Then as if realizing she didn’t understand Spanish, he repeated in English, his eyes never leaving hers. "You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen."

Not until that moment did Mia realize that was exactly why she’d wanted to dress up and put on makeup and fix her hair: She’d been silently trying to compete with the glamorous women he’d known, like Davina for a start. Mia had never seen a woman as elegant and beautiful as she. But seeing the look in Neil’s eyes, she knew she’d done well taking her time to dress up.

"You’re spilling the champagne," she said softly, so pleased she hardly knew how to behave in front of him.

He swore under his breath, jerked the bottle upright, and reached for a dish towel to mop it up.

"Neil?"

"Hmm?" he hummed ruefully over his shoulder, picking up the filled glasses.

"How could you possibly look so good for a thirty-two year old man?"

The glamour of his sudden white smile made it clear he was as pleased by her compliment as she was by his.

"I honestly don’t know," he joked with a chuckle.

Neil held out his arm for her to take as he was holding the glasses of champagne with both his hands. She took it and he led her to the dining table, where the room was dimly lit with flickering candles casting a warm glow. The table was adorned with a simple yet elegant arrangement with delicious aroma filling the air. Mia’s eyes widened in surprise as she took in the romantic setup, not expecting he’d have cooked in all the time it took for her to dress up.

Her lips parted in amazement as she turned to Neil, "Did you make all of this tonight?"

He nodded, a playful grin dancing on his lips as he pulled out a chair for her, "It’s the easiest and fastest thing to cook in less than an hour."

Mia couldn’t help but smile. She settled into her seat, watching him with admiration as he took his own place at the table and sat down opposite her.

****

"Which song did you choose?" Mia teased after their candlelit dinner as he typed down something into the house device. "Because if you picked out a boring one, I’m not going to dance with you."

"Yes, you will." He laughed.

"What makes you so sure?"

"You like dancing with me." He breathed.

Despite the playful exchange, Mia was well aware that his mood had been breaking during their meal. Although he had specifically asked her to treat the evening as a festive occasion, there was an indefinable tension and a grimness in his features that were becoming more pronounced as the evening wore on. She told herself it was their discussion of the murder that had caused his strange mood, because the only other explanation that came to her mind was that he was thinking about sending her away, and that she could not bear to consider.

Despite her desire to stay with him, she knew perfectly well that the final decision was not going to be hers to make. And even though she was in love with him, she had no idea how he really felt about her, except that he very much liked having her around. She couldn’t bear the thought of being sent away, she might die of longing and missing him.

Not long, behind her in the house device, Emily Hackett’s song Take My Hand began to play. The song lifted effortlessly in the room with it’s romantic sound, and Mia tried again to shake off her foreboding as Neil opened his arms to her.

"That’s definitely not boring," he pointed out. "Will you dance with me?"

Mia nodded, smiling with pleasure. "Yes, I like the song. It used to be one of my favorites since the day I heard it in a wedding ceremony."

"Good. Then I picked the right one," Neil slid his arm around her waist, moving her closer to him.

"If I had a voice like the singer," Mia said, talking to keep her worries at bay, "I’d sing just to hear myself. I’d sing when I answered the door and sing when I speak on the phone."

"You have the voice," Neil said. "You sing better than any singer I’ve heard. Your voice is... unique, incomparable."

Mia suddenly realized his hand was roving slowly up her bare back; she saw the banked fires in his gray eyes kindling slowly into flame, and deep within her, she felt the answering stirrings of longing begin again—a longing for the tormenting sweetness of his touch, for the stormy insistence of his kiss, and the shattering joy of his body possessing hers.

How thrilling it was to know she was going to have all that before the night ended and to be able to savor and prolong the moment, just as she sensed Neil also wanted to do. But was she going to have all this tomorrow night and the night after, she wondered, struggling to hold down her panic over what her instinct was telling her was behind his somber mood.

"Don’t flatter me, Mr. Wayner. My singing is average." she chuckled to hide her nervousness.

"There is nothing average about you, Mi amor." He whispered softly.

She felt her heart tremble and her restraint almost broke. Not until this moment did she realize the reason she loved Neil, and how different he was to Owen in many ways. For years, Owen, despite being her best friend would never fail to remind her of how average she was in everything, from looks to talents, while Neil on other hand was a complete opposite. He didn’t express himself much but the little things he said would make her feel like the most special, and beautiful woman in the world.