Fifty

Amalia's intrusive behaviour doesn't detract from the playfulness of the moment.

" I shall expect a proper apology, later on, this evening," I smirk up at him, he smirks back, clicking his tongue and smacking his lips. The room vanishes around us, me becoming his sole focal point, and him mine.

Eyes sparkling with mischief, " As you already know I am very good at apologies. I'll make sure that you'll remember it for the rest of your life," He gives me a small smile, leaning in just a few inches into my space.

" I should hope so," I say under my breath, heart thumping loudly in my chest at the mere prospect of his suggestive words.

The corner of his lips tilts up ever so slightly, " I'm not sure what you enjoy more, the fact that I kneel before you or my face between your legs," He softly croons, his eyes roving over my face for a brief moment before settling on mine.

" Both," I shrug, and take a small step back, putting some space between us. The crowd surrounding us seems to be drawn to our conversation even more so. Even with the music playing softly in the background, it is hard to tell who might be listening. None or everyone.

He chuckles silently and mirrors my stance, tilting his head to the side, " You're being mighty brave, Miss Abernathy. I sure hope that the bravery won't melt away in the face of a challenge," He purrs seductively, and smirks. With my heart in my throat, I muster a feeble smile back. His words hold so much promise. A promise that I know he will make good on it, albeit a little darker. An earlier version of Mason. A Mason that climbed into my bed and took pleasure from me and gave me pleasure, unapologetically.

With a dip of his head, he steps back, and then turns around and fades into the crowd. Once again the entire room comes into focus. The chatter, people laughing, waiters bustling in and out of the room, and a few couples swaying gently in the middle of the dance floor to the lazy notes of blues.

And just like that his magic, disperses leaving me in solitude.

" You two have a very interesting rapport," Timeea says making me jump. Where did she come from?

" We've lived together for a very long time. We've had a lot of practice, " I say trying to keep the defensive note out of my voice. She regards me warily for a second, and hums, " You're a big girl. I hope you know what you're doing," She takes a sip of the concoction in her glass surveying the crowd in front of us. Do I? I'd like to think so.

" I think I do," I reply honestly, because at this point whoever saw us interact and missed the magnetism between us, needs to have their eyes checked.

" On a different note. I would like to see that library now, " Just as I finished my thoughts, a man with dark wavy hair slips in front of us, wearing a dazzling smile. And I know a thing or two about dazzling smiles. Mason has them in spades. Ruggedly handsome, his eyes an interesting blend of grey with streaks of hazel sectioning his irises. Timeea wistfully sighs at my side, leaning in just a tad, so our shoulders brush against one another.

" Good evening ladies," He begins smiling wide, but what catches my attention is the rasp of his voice. The is no depth to it, just raspy.

Timeea and I greet him with the required pleasantries, and I introduce myself before he does.

"Enchanted to make your acquaintance Miss Abernathy," He takes my hand and brings it to his mouth, to brush his lips on my knuckles. He doesn't fully press his lips on them, just a whisper of a touch.

" I'm Baron Andrew Gesinger," He introduces himself and once again Timeea sighs at my side. She is either really bored or she likes this man. I say the usually required litany when comes to these types of affairs, and all the while his eyes survey and examine every inch of me, very subtly.

" I would be extremely gratified if you could spare ten minutes of your time," What for? I had plans.

" Of course she would," Timmea plants a wide palm on my back and pushes me into his arms, " She would love to," She adds with levity in her tone, while the man in front of me wraps his arms around my waist to steady me. So close to falling. Crisis averted.

Even with the high heels, he still has a few inches on me and I'm forced to slightly tilt my head back to look into his eyes. My nose brushes against his chin, while his hands bring me closer to him so that we are pressed against each other. Not good.

Up close he is even more handsome. I take in the little wrinkles around his eyes, the smile lines around his mouth, and the scruff of his beard closely trimmed to his skin. The straight nose, that flares ever so slightly at the base, the big eyes framed by thick dark lashes, and the thick dark hair that resembles a lion's mane. A wavy, unruly mass of hair that seems untamable, but I don't think he's tried. I let my eyes study him appreciatively, while he does exactly the same.

A new song begins, and he slowly begins to move over the floor guiding my feet at a slow pace. He seems very patient with me, he smiles every so often, but it lacks the warmth of his first smile.

" Why did you want to dance with me," There were plenty of beautiful women in the ballroom that he could have danced with, so why me?

" No reason," He says lazily, almost bored. Where has all that enthusiasm gone? Or maybe wasn't directed at me.

" Alright, " I relent, and decide to leave at that, it's not like I wanted to dance with him. Timeea quite literally shoved me into his arms.

" You're not from here, " He hums pensively about halfway through the song.

" No. I'm from Morston," I reply dryly. I was expecting...Well, not this. I like a good mystery just as much as the next girl but I'm in no mood to start digging graves in search of hidden clues. I guess I'm too tired.

" I see," He hums, " You seem very young, but you look like someone I've met a long time ago," And just like that he breathes new life into my flaccid love for mystery.

I tilt my head back to catch his eye when I say " You knew Anika," I say full of hope. He watches me for a long minute, his expression blank, before he dips his head in a wordless answer. Of course, he is much older than I am. I'd place him somewhere in his mid-thirties, maybe his early forties.

Hard to tell, since everyone I've met so far, has had a fairly privileged life. Hardships have a tendency of sucking the life out of you, and I don't think any of these people have ever truly experienced the uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring.