FOUR

EVENING. 5:28PM

Customers were leaving early today, Celeste helped with the menu collecting asking for their orders while Nathan did the meals. It was so nice helping out, she wondered how he managed all by himself without a waiter or volunteer. After all the customers exit, Celeste walked to the kitchen, Nathan was washing the dishes. She stood at the door, admiring his posture.

His eyes were on the dishes concentrating, he seems to love his cooking art job a lot unlike being a marine. As she tried to move closer to the kitchen. She slipped on the soapy water that littered the floor. Just in time, Nathan caught her.

His broad arm around her, his legs closer to hers, his gaze locked with hers showing how interested he is in her. He lowered his head to hers. Expecting a kiss from him. He just chuckled and mumbled.

“Be careful, next time I may not be lucky to catch you, and you could have tripped.”

“Thank you”

“You’re expecting something from me?” Nathan chuckled as he releases her.

“No… definitely not, why do… Nonsense” she frowned

“Why don’t we sit and chart a little before we head home”

Nathan suggested and they sat, the conversation began.

“Who taught you how to cook?”

“My mom, since when I was 6 years”

“Wow, your name in full?” she smiled.

“It’s Nathaniel Bernard”

“best color?” she sat comfortably

“blue, I love the sea”

“All boy loves blue”

“Food”

“Any food but I love Chinese noodles.”

“Mmm…” she nods “It seems you ate Chinese noodles a lot in the navy.”

“Of course, my turn.” He smiled “Best color”

“Green, I love nature.”

“Food”

“Spaghetti with sauce and don’t forget chicken” they laughed.

She loved moment like this. Free and comfy. She seems to get used to Nathan Now. He isn’t as bad as she thought.

“You’re a very attractive woman, Celeste,” Nathan said as they broke into silence. “And I’m finding it so hard to resist you” he said huskily.

The electricity seems to lighten once more; she was nervous now she looked at those eyes sinking into hers in a sensual intimate way. She can’t deny he’s been giving her sleepless nights lately.

“Uhm… I think we should get going home now.”

She stood.

Knowing she was avoiding the topic, he smiled keeping mute and home they drove to.

DAYS LATER…

Carly wasn’t back from Jack’s, there was going to be a festival. A couple days festival, the town was going to be very busy in the evening preparing and arranging things. Even if… when nothing happened between the yesterday she couldn’t stop tingling all day, remembering the look in his eyes. She had taken her father to meet an old friend in town, he would return with his friend and they would meet at the festival.

The couple-day festival usually take place at the town hall, couples: married, yet to be married, single would dance and perform other activities just to cherish moments. Celeste has never participated in the festival even when she was married she had left town that day immediately after the wedding. She didn’t want to go now. But it wouldn’t work her father urged her, her sister would scold her and her impossible son wouldn’t hear “NO” for an answer.

She would go just to watch, it’s not a must to be a couple so she would sit and watch with others. It’s no big deal but she couldn’t afford to see him the one causing effects on her. Definitely not, she sighed heavily.

The ceremony (festival) had begun, couples of different kinds were present, Celeste sat beside her father, Neil sat opposite next to her, looking out for Nathan who wasn’t present yet. Celeste wore a chic silk dress. High necked with long sleeves and a full skirt that swirled elegantly round her legs.

“When… is Nathan coming? the dance will soon start” Mr. Trevor asked Neil’

“I don’t know; he didn’t seem interested when I told him about the festival” Neil replied weakly.

Celeste was suspicious of her father, why would he and Neil be so interested in Nathan coming to the festival she wasn’t happy he didn’t come but at the same time she wants him to come. Such a mix feeling.

“Maybe, he’s busy with something” she suggested

“But he didn’t…” Neil hesitated, he kept mute as the activities went on.

Few minutes later, the mayor announced the dance would begin soon.

“Couple please get on the floor, please” the mayor instructed, he dropped the microphone in his hands as he sat on the high table for the judges.

Just what she needs “Prefect timing”, Nathan walked in the event, Celeste pretended to watch the segment as it was about to begin. He was not conventionally good-looking. It was an interesting face, dominated by a strong beak of a nose. A full sensual mouth and a firm chin that more hinted at arrogance. Jet dark hair brushed ruthlessly back from a high intelligent forehead. And there were just blank faces to her, whereas this man stood out from the crowd as clearly as if she had been seeking him out.

He walked to meet her. There was a sudden wicked light in his eyes as he glanced down at her. Before she utters a word, the lights dimmed and the band that had been assembling at the far end of the room burst in to the opening bars of a popular tune as couples took the floor amidst loud applause to start the dancing.

“Dance with me, Celeste.” He requested.

It was a request not a command, but it seemed more like a request it felt as if he was ordering her to dance with him. Instead she stood and let him sweep her on the floor with other couples. They danced apart and then, as the catch beat of the first couple of number was succeeded by a slower rhythm, he pulled her into his arms and held her closer to him.

She was tense at first, holding rigidly in check as she moved against him, scared of what might happen if she let herself go.

“Loosen up,” he muttered in her ear, pulling her still closer

“Neil won’t be happy if we lose the dance, don’t you think.”

She was being foolish-after all, she didn’t have feeling for him and he couldn’t make love to her on the dance floor. She abandoned herself to the music, the fluid movements of her body matching themselves exactly to his, and then discovered her mistake as she felt the now familiar response that only his physical presence seemed to stir in her.

It was what she wanted if she was honest enough to admit it to herself. It was what she had been wanting all week while Nathan had dinner at their place, yet she’s been adamant. As she abandoned herself to the sensual pleasure of him moving against her she knew it was madness, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered except the tide of feeling that carried her along, dimly in the background, she was aware of the music, responding automatically to the beat, but other things over shadowed it: the burning touch of his hand through the flimsy material of her dress, the strong, steady beat of his heart against her breast, the slight roughness of his cheek as it brushed against hers.

Nathan didn’t release her when the music stopped briefly and there was a general change of partners all around them. Celeste stood in the circle of his arms, incapable of movement, while Nathan looked down at her with faint amusement. He knew exactly what effect he was having on her and he was relishing it, she thought, trying to rearrange her dazed features into a semblance of normality.

After the dance, they were announced as they came in second place, in the dancing segment. Neil had slept off watching, Mr. Trevor told Celeste to wait with Nathan to receive the prize when she insisted to go home with them. They left with his friend who would drop them at home, while she stayed behind with Nathan to receive the prize.

* * *

There was a firm silence, she didn’t speak since she thanked him after collecting the prizes they won for the contest. She got down from his jeep and took the parcel with her.

“Here, we both danced so we get to share the prizes” she offered him s box. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

“It’s not my thing, I want you to keep it” he said.

“But we aren’t couple,” she hesitated and felt nervous suddenly, felling hot all over.

He appeared to think about that for a moment. Then as his gaze settled on her mouth, Celeste drew in a breath.

“Then we will become one.”

“What’s that?” Once again, the atmosphere between them had become intensely changed. Celeste imagined she could feel the electricity humming beneath her skin.

From the way he was still looking at her, like a man looks at a woman he wants, she suspected it was not his first choice either, when she felt herself responding to that hot sparkling gaze, like a woman responds to a man she wants to want her, Celeste tried to remind herself that giving into these feelings would not be at all wise.

“Well.” She said tying to excuse herself, “I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow. Then.”

“I suppose so.”

When she would have dropped his own share of the prizes. Nathan curled his fingers around her shoulders and turned her back towards him, “No, Not yet.” He skimmed a thumb around her uplifted jaw.

Unable to help herself, Celeste shuddered in response.

“You shivered.”

“I did not.”

“Liar.” Without taking his eyes from hers, he slipped hi hand softly caressing her neck, splaying his fingers on flesh that felt as if it was burning up “You did it again.”

“If I did, it’s only because I’m cold” she lied again.

“Perhaps we can do something about that.”

“Nathan…” she found herself leaning toward him, felt her lips part in anticipation. She couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Before Celeste could remind herself, yet again, that this was not a good idea, Nathan lowered his mouth to hers and the prize fell from her hands on the floor and she held his arms closer.