Acting on Impulse by Diana Vega Page B

didn’t make for an enticing package. She decided that she would nail a smile on her face and dance and at least make the attempt to have a good time.
     
    Michael felt like he should apologize to his sister for not being cool enough to warrant early admission to the club. She had to use all of her flirting tactics and charm to get them to the head of the line. Once there, she slithered up to the man at the gate in a way that was both embarrassing and impressive. He was relieved when they were both safely in the door. The relief soon wore off when he heard the loud pulsing music and was elbowed by a gyrating woman. He turned to find a quiet corner to catch his balance and his breath.
     
    ***
     
    Dancing wasn’t really Jane’s thing, but she was enjoying the cocktails that kept coming for her constantly moving friends. Soon she wasn’t at all bothered that she was doing little more than hold purses and observe the mating rituals of her peers. She was enjoying herself and began to sway a bit to the music. She danced her way into a corner where she stepped on what she thought was a coat rack. It turned out to be the foot of a very tall man.
     
    She swirled around to apologize but wound up splashing the drink all over him. She wanted to offer to clean him up but she didn’t have the balance to reach for napkins and hold her drink at the same time. She just flailed around helplessly until she was falling off of her shoes. The man reached out to steady her. His arms slipped around her waist and she struggled to stand. He was so tall that all she really saw of him was the base of his throat. She felt the urge to lick him and rest her tongue in the hollow, trailing kisses along his collarbone. She imagined that he would taste slightly salty and she inhaled. His scent was intoxicating.
     
    For a brief fleeting moment, she forgot how lonely she was and how disillusioning the whole week had been. She didn’t think about anything but the nearness of this man and his slightly spicy, slightly sweet smell. She exhaled and stood on her own two feet. She took a step back and looked at him. He had a strong jaw and he had missed a small spot when he had shaved. She wanted to rest her finger in this bare patch. Her head was spinning as she thought of all the things she might want to do with this man.
     
    ***
     
    Michael did not know what to do when this woman literally threw herself at him. Well, technically she threw a drink at him and then stumbled into his arms. She looked vaguely familiar but he couldn’t place her. She was nice looking in a very different way than any of the other women in the place. For one thing, she wasn’t grinding and thrusting on any and every available man. She was actually wearing a shirt with sleeves and her skirt was a decent length. He found her conservative appearance enticing.
     
    When she looked up at him he saw that she had lovely eyes. Her lips were pink and inviting. He went from shocked to pleasantly surprised. He hesitated for just a moment. He shouldn’t have taken the time. She had stepped away before he could kiss her or even say anything.
     
    ***
     
    Jane wasn’t sure what was going on. One minute she was enjoying more than a few cocktails, the next minute she was stumbling into the arms of a handsome man. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a moment there when they could have kissed. She tried to shrug it off; she had a history of misinterpreting things like that. She didn’t have long to think about it; her friends had discovered her.
     
    They grabbed Jane by the hand and shouted that she needed to get on the dance floor. She could barely hear them over the noise. She thought she heard them say, “Bring your friend, too.” In a confusing blur of sound and movement she was in a sea of gyrating arms and legs and the tall man was standing next to her, looking even more confused than she. It didn’t matter. She started moving to the music. Somehow this made her feel better. The