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His wink earned another laugh and her hands moved to settle at those moving hips for a few beats of the music as she took one step closer. When he got silly and playful, she could only react with more teasing and encouragement. His smile lit up everything, she thought.

Abruptly, she lifted her hands from his hips and slid them up his chest, barely touching until she planted them both firmly on his shoulders. She half-lidded her eyes in concentration and flickered a smile up at him before pursing her lips and blowing a kiss, never stopping her dance. Then she lifted one hand away from him and again used him as an anchor for a dangerous dip.

Brian's hand did not throw Misha in the slightest nor did his sudden and complete presence in her personal bubble. He was Brian and he was very welcome. Giving him a sly smile, she shifted the hand at his neck to tease a finger in a wobbly line along the nape of his neck, following his hairline. Her gloves abandoned somewhere in the gym, it was skin to skin. She giggled.

Just as she was sliding into another hip-dislocating grind, the song ended and she froze in place. Her head cocked to one side, listening. That's right, she thought. She had demanded both a fast and a slow dance from Brian. Having danced with him now, she wanted more and made a fuzzy mental note to corner him again at some point. Two dances was not nearly enough.

Not by a long shot.

As the next song queued up and started, Misha sighed softly and turned her face up to his with the offer of a smile. "Slow song now," she whispered. "Pretty please and thank you." Then she reached up with both arms to loop them around Brian's neck loosely and leaned into the solid warmth of his body.

The movement of his chest beneath her cheek resulted in a barely audible noise of happiness from Misha, caught between a sigh and a laugh. She shifted slightly to one side before resting her cheek against him again; the zipper of his hooded jacket had been pressing oddly. Her loose hold around his neck, though, never shifted. She didn't want it to. She fully planned on spending the entire three plus minutes of this song close and comfortable.

Why would she want to leave the circle of Brian's arms?

If Misha placed any importance on or noticed other people paying attention to them, she gave no sign as she moved in easy sync with Brian. In all honesty, she did not care if the others watched. There was nothing wrong in dancing with a dear friend. Not even one as very dear as her Brian. Tilting her head just so, Misha looked up at Brian from beneath sooty eyelashes. "You're a very good dancer," she murmured.

They were pressed close enough in their dance that he more than likely felt the tiny shiver that race through Misha's body at the thick weight of his accented voice settling over her. Their dance moved absently to the music, swaying in time, their bodies just as much in sync as they had been during the faster song. She lifted her chin a bit more and studied his face. Ah, there was that particular smile. She liked that one.

"Hey, Tex, you better be careful with that drawl or else," she teased - gently, though, and low and sweet.

"Is it a threat if you'd like it?" Misha licked her lips absently. watching his laugh. The drawl was potent; it did things to a girl, she mused. The words triggered a memory in her head and she giggled. She had said those same sort of words to him on the beach that night! Burying her laughter in his chest, her arms tightened around his neck and she leaned her slight weight further against his warmth.

Letting her eyes drift shut and all but melting into his hold, Misha imagined she could hear Brian's heart beating, strong and steady, beneath the plainative song. She really had not had that much to drink or she didn't think she had but something in the back of her mind whispered warnings. She hushed them. There was nothing being done that was out of line or leading. She couldn't help it if Brian made her feel so content and safe.

She giggled again softly, almost to herself, and shrugged minutely. There was no danger here. She needed more dances with Brian. He was wonderful. It was that simple.

The song was over. The next one was starting. The dance was done.

When she felt Brian draw back, Misha reluctantly loosened her arms from behind his neck to allow him more freedom. Her hands settled on his shoulders, though, and she met his smile with one of her own, just as luminous and happy. "Thank you so much, Brian," she murmured, just for his ears. "Don't be surprised if I come around and beg for more. A guy like you who can move like that? Be still my heart."

Then, with no warning, she rocked forward and upward to press her lips to his. She tasted the punch and the vodka and him and she smiled more into the moment. A few heartbeats passed and she pulled away with a lopsided grin. Then she lifted a hand to cover her heart ala pledge of allegiance, moved it up and down in quick succession to mimic a fluttering heartbeat, and mouthed "thank you." Her other hand caught his for a quick, affectionate squeeze and it released him with lingering reluctance as she took steps backwards. "It's my turn to hunt you down next," she cautioned. "I mean it, Handsome. Be ready."

With that, she winked and turned to slip back into the mingling groups of the party.