Una Noche

Valentine's Night

Bonnie smoothed down the knee length black dress she was wearing for this occasion her small but efficient pocketbook slung over her shoulder. She had twisted her hair into an intricate up-do, small wisps of soft feminine hair escaping. The one thing that had people staring was the fact that her heels seemed to be in one hand, her bare feet padding over the marble floors as her eyes rose over the heads of those present to examine the chandeliers. What kind of family had the money to host in such a place?

Swaying to the tune of the classical music, the girl weaved through the crowd, toward the snack table. The refreshments were better than most full course meals, and so she planned to stay there for a particularly long point of time. She had also decided to be Italian that day, and a redhead. Her eyes were a most entrancing shade of green, and her name would be Lydia.

It was just that much funner that way.

Rubbing her hands up and down her arms a few times, she reached over and picked up a small cupcake, taking a measured bite and closing her eyes against the taste. It was heavenly.

She wondered who, exactly, had planned this party, and why the free food was so good, but honestly, free food was taking up most of her attentions.

Having suppressed a groan, Caius had obediently made his rounds about the room, politely greeting people - most of whom seemed to be eligible women between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five or people related to them. It seemed that his mother was redoubling her efforts to get him and his brother married off in a rather elaborate fashion. Where was Silas, anyway? Off in the washroom, ravishing a vapid dame, he had no doubt. The brothers had always been different in that regard.

Caius had had difficulty excusing himself from the company of one particularly hopeful young brunette. Merlin, weren't any of these girls at least a little interesting? Save minute differences, it seemed to Caius that they could each be carbon copies of one another. With a sigh, he wove his way towards the refreshment table, stopping beside a redhead standing there.

"Hello," he said politely, giving her a brief smile before turning his attention to selecting an appetizer. Pausing, he canted his head, gaze moving back to her. The corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly. "Quite the party, isn't it?"

Bonnie paused in her treat consumption to glance over at the boy beside her, something fluttering restlessly in her gut before she dwelled it with an easy grin. "Hello." She returned, her Italian accent thick as butter as she twined a lock of strawberry blond hair around a finger in a vaguely vapid fashion. "And what are you doing at a snack table at such a party?" She looked over at him, bright green eyes flashing as they swept him. "Shouldn't you be crusading through the girlies here or somethin'?"

Caius gave a quiet laugh, ducking his head a bit before he let his gaze move out over the party-goers. "Crusading through females is more my brother's territory," he replied. "It's his party, too, after all. Not that he's anywhere to be seen.

"And how are you enjoying the refreshments? Nothing like a nice open table and bar, though," Cai leaned closer to her, tone lowering a bit, "I would advise against... borrowing from anyone here. Rather strongly, actually."

Keeping her focus directed at the snack table rather than the boy beside her, Bonnie contemplated treats, and though it would seem she was brainless, he had her full attention. "Perhaps I should give your brother a visit, yes? Wouldn't want him missing out on any of the festivities." There was something about the way that sounded, once it was completely Italian accented and hanging in the air between them. Rather than dwell on it, she simply reached over the table and picked up a chocolate chip cookie. Taking a bite, she gave a small moan of satisfaction, swallowing slowly and licking her lips even slower.

"The food is-" She paused as he leaned closer, leaning closer as well. Lydia-the-Italian was quite a bit shorter than Bonnie herself was, so to rise on her tiptoes and barely reach his ear with her lips was most perculiar. "I haven't borrowed anything from anyone. Don't you see? They're all borrowing from each other. I'm staying out of it." Something mischievous snuck into her tone, something not quite innocent glinting through the emerald of her eyes. It was actually quite the game, once one got into the swing of playing it. She was sure a party-goer would notice eventually.

Then the real fun would begin.

"Perhaps you should," Cai responded agreeably. "He hates missing out on any fun. I'm sure he'd enjoy your company." He watched as she made a show of picking out a cookie and bringing it to her mouth. Her moan... did things to him and he inexplicably found that he was swallowing as well, gaze riveted as her tongue danced across her lips.

He gave himself a small shake.

Caius gave a bemused huff. "Why am I not surprised?" he murmured. "You're liable to start a feud." The man studied her thoughtfully.

"I prefer the blond," he opined. "I also don't know what I should call you."

"Fueds are fun to watch." She murmured, finishing with her snacks and dropping her heels to the floor. Stepping past him, she reached up and caressed his cheek, letting her hand trace down his jawline as she moved past him and toward the dancefloor. "Besides, less competition that way." She looked over her shoulder and winked, swaying her hips to the beat of the now jazzy number flitting through the air on the wings of soundwaves.

"Name's Lydia." She called, even as her feet began to glide with the music. She did a small turn, dress lifting elegantly around her until she was facing forward again, her spin complete.

He turned as she passed, incidentally prolonging the contact of her hand against his face. "They are significantly less fun to dissolve," Caius remarked. "Or have part in." The man watched her move onto the dance floor, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Less competition for what?" he asked smoothly, moving into place before her as she completed her spin.

"In general." She said, with a wave of her hand around to the girls around them. Most of them had seemed to notice them, and didn't look too happy. "You know-"

She was cut off by a feminine cry of outrage, even as the woman who'd made it dug through her purse. "where is my ring? Its been in my family for-"

From across the room, someone else cried out, the necklace they'd been showing around having disappeared without her notice.

Then came the rest of them checking and coming up with each others things. Everything was getting very heated very fast. As if afraid, Bonnie slipped behind Cai, peeking out around him even as her fingers tangled into the fabric of his shirt.

"I want to go swimming." She announced to him, looking up at him. "Let's go-"

Then she was walking, searching her purse and pockets as if having lost something as well. No one paid her any mind, not even when she slipped out of the ballroom and into the hallway. Now, she was sure somewhere as upscale as this would have a-

She followed the signs to the spa, ignoring the 'closed' and 'do not enter' signs and stopping with her toes curled over the edge of the heated pool. Her hair was fading back to blond now, the temporary color change charm on both that and her eyes getting weaker. The emerald color flashed grey blue, and then she was her again, all charms and tricks broken.

Swimming seemed a marvelous idea.

Caius turned towards the initial cries with resignation rather than surprise. The feeling of her fingers tangling in the fabric of his shirt nearly made a shiver shudder down his spine. He somehow managed to quell it.

With an amused huff, he backed away from the burgeoning outrage as well, pivoting smoothly to follow after her. As they wended their way towards the spa, it seemed apparent that she really did intend to go swimming.

"Why am I not surprised that you seemed entirely unphased by the 'closed' and 'do not enter' signs?" he said, a small smirk pulling at his lips.

The man watched as her appearance returned to normal. "There she is," he said, warmth in his tone. "Do you make a habit of swimming in off-limits pools?"

"How boring would life be if I heeded to every 'keep out' sign?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder, more than a little pleased he had followed her. She reached over her shoulder, trying to snag the zipper of her dress, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

The change of emotion in his voice when she was back to normal caused a blush to flare over her cheeks, though it could be counted as a byproduct of the steam rising off the pools. "Do you make a habit of following red headed Italians you've just met to forbidden pools?" She teased, glancing over at him again. Her eyes sparkled impishly, then she cocked her head toward the pool.

"Come unzip me. I can't reach."

"Following all the rules does get rather tedious," Caius agreed. "I suppose that's why we're in our respective professions."

He grinned. "Well, considering that this whole party is in the hopes I might hit it off with someone, my following anyone could be considered a success on my mother's part," he remarked. "Might be difficult to explain the girl I went after was neither Italian nor red-haired, however..." He trailed off, clearly joking; he had no intention of breaking her cover.

Caius found that he suddenly had to swallow. Hesitating momentarily, he moved over to her. With one hand, he held the top of the zipper, acutely aware that some of his fingers were touching her. Gripping the tab gently, he slowly tugged it downward, exposing the bare skin of her back.

For a moment, he let the back of his fingers trail against that smooth flesh. Then, giving himself a mental shake, he promptly moved again, turning to fix his gaze on the door. The room suddenly felt uncomfortably hot.

"I will leave you to your swim, then," Caius said a bit hurriedly. "It was... so good to see you. Again. To see you, again."

Shivering slightly at his touch, she shrugged out of her dress, revealing a matching set of dark turquoise undergarments, each lacy by design and shaped to her body almost perfectly. "Hey." He hand wrapped around his, tugging him to a stop unless he planned on dragging her. "Where are you going in such a hurry? I thought dissolving fueds was one of your least favorite things to do."

Stepping around him, she raised an eyebrow, placing both hands on her hips. "You're just gonna up and leave me? What if I drown? One should never swim alone, you know. Safety reasons." Ignoring the fact that she was nearly naked - it was just like wearing a bakini, honestly - she continued to gaze up at him, deigning to ignore anywhere his eyes wandered - even though they probably stayed on the floor.

"I-" Cai began as her hand wrapped around his, pulling him to a halt. "I just... thought you might like some... p-privacy, is all." His gaze fixed steadfastly over her shoulder as he kneaded the back of his neck, a blush steadily darkening across his face.

"Well... I guess... I hadn't considered that. That would be bad." Caius' eyes moved to meet hers, though they desperately wanted to wander lower. "I-I'll stay. Maybe sit on the bench. Keep my eyes to myself." Somehow, he added in silent desperation.

"Honestly Cai, would you be here if I wanted privacy? Although..." Something indecent twisted into her smile, and her sentance remained discontinued, even as she took a careful step toward him, raising her hand to caress his cheek. "Drowning would be even worse on this end of it, believe it or not." She teased lightly. She eyed his blush almost hungrily, though that was hidden almost instantly as she sauntered back toward the pool, hips swaying.

"You can look, you know." She mused lightly, her tone still teasing. "That's what they're there for. Other than tasting that is. Besides, how would you know I drowned if you aren't watching?" Diving into the heated pool, she slid under the water with barely a ripple, resurfacing with a breathy sigh and grin. Swimming to the edge, she folded her arms over the ground, treading water idly as she gazed at him.

"This is much less fun than originally thought." She sighed, as if perturbed. "Come help me out." The ladder seemed to have been taken out, and the small underwater shelf used for sitting was completely invisable from the surface. Slowly, she extended a hand toward him, ignoring the way it dripped.

"I - don't know." Caius tugged at his collar uncomfortably. He leaned into the touch, the action automatic. "What do you mean?"

Drawing in a centering breath, Cai reasoned out her logic. It would be nearly impossible to tell she was facing difficulty unless she was thrashing in the water. Therefore, he would have to look, though, having permission to look didn't really alleviate his discomfort with the situation. He had never seen a woman so sparsely clad before.

Caius turned as she dove into the water. He watched her, jaw just a bit slack. She was beautiful.

"That was brief," Cai noted with an amused smile. Moving to the edge of the pool, he took her hand in his own.

"Nothing." Bonnie murmured, amusement clear in her voice. "Nothing at all."

She watched him approach, something mischevious flashing in her eyes before her hand in his tightened, and then she was tugging him downward. She dodged into the pool to get out of the way, resurfacing beside him with an easy grin. "Why hello there." She greeted cheerfully. His feet would easily touch the bottom, coming to about his jugular, but she was treading water, trying to stay afloat. "Nice of you to join me in my swim, Cai." Diving beneath the surface again, she resurfaced just in front of his chest, gazing up at him. "Nice night for a swim, in my opinion, anyway."

Caius flailed in surprise as he was dragged forward and off-balanced right into the water. He reemerged, sputtering and thoroughly soaked, feet resting on the bottom.

"I ought to have seen that coming," he said wryly. He looked back at her, feeling his heart pick up pace in his chest. It was difficult to swallow, again. "Yes, well - I should have liked to have had my swim trunks on, instead."

Gaze flitting momentarily over her form, he moved towards the edge of the pool. Tugging off his tie, he set it on the side, then took off both shoes, dumping the water out and setting them with the necktie.

Facing the side of the pool, he braced his hands against the tile, prepared to hoist himself out.

Grinning, Bonnie beamed. "Well, its good to know I can still surprise you." Gazing up at him, she watched him as he wandered away, swimming over to where he was taking off his shoes. When it became appearant he planned to get out, she slipped under the water again, sliding between his body and the tile and resurfacing in front of him. She wound her arms around his shoulders to keep herself upright, before he could move away from her.

"Where are you going? Maybe I want to swim again." She ran her fingers through his hair, giving a soft laugh to the way it sprung back into place and made the water into a fine mist. Her legs found their way around him next, as it was much easier to use both hands when she was attached to him this way. One side effect was that she was more out of the water now, her upper body almost completely to the open air. She hummed thoughtfully, fingers playing with the now-wet fabric of his shirt. "You'd probably be more comfortable without this, you know."

"You're about the only person who really surprises me," Cai informed her. He backed from the side of the pool as she came up in front of him, but not far enough to prevent her body from rubbing against his.

Talking seemed impractical. He wasn't entirely certain he was remembering the proper way in which to breathe. His hands came to rest on her hips, initially to just have them somewhere, though the new contact was doing nothing to help matters. Never had he felt so-

"Bonnie," her name parted her lips in something between a gasp and a moan. "What are- I... D-do you really think that my removing clothes would prove a good idea? Because I'm - That is..."

She leaned forward, fingers working on unbuttoning his shirt as her mouth hovered by his ear. "I think it's a great idea." She breathed, one hand slipping underneath his shirt to feel the toned muscle hidden there. She gave a small chuckle, the sound vibrating through her body as her lips found the skin just below his ear. Her hips moved beneath his touch, a slight shiver richocheting through her body before she unwrapped and rewrapped her legs around him, having successfully unbuttoned his shirt.

The feel of skin on skin along with the heated bath water was going to her head, darkening her gaze as she pulled back to look at him, bringing them nose to nose. "It's only swimming." She murmured, her eyes on his lips before they flashed up to meet his. One of her hands slid up his chest and over his shoulder, tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Caius shivered as her hand moved over the planes of his chest. "I can..." he stammered, "I can tell." As she unfastened the last of the buttons keeping his shirt in place, the man moved deftly to shrug it off, letting it drift off into the water.

By this point, it felt like he was practically thrumming with need, the effect of her proximity and caresses across his skin. And the way she said the word 'swimming' of all things... His arms wound around her, pulling her closer. Almost timidly, he brought his lips to her own, the initial contact soft and chaste.

As she deepened the kiss, Cai let her lead, trying to keep up. He could only hope that what he sorely lacked in experience, he somehow made up for in fervor and willingness.

"Bonnie," Caius breathed again, pulling back. "Bonnie, I want - I..." He swallowed hard, trying to articulate what he wanted to express. "I've never been... never. With anyone." Was he even making sense?

Pressing herself against him, she did indeed deepen the kiss, battling for his oxygen with tongue and lips, panting as he pulled away. There was something in the darkness behind her eyes as she gazed at him, something possessive and animalistic. "Shhh..." she soothed, one hand kneading the back of his neck as the other traced down his chest, going further and further south.

"Its okay." She breathed, though her breathing itself was eratic, her voice was smooth, almost saccharine. Grabbing for the edge with one hand, she guided him backward, even as her other hand slipped below his belt. "Relax." She traced her lips along his jawline, up to his ear, layering open mouthed kisses to his sensative skin.

Despite the look in her eyes, her tone did sooth him, in a way. Or maybe it only mesmerized her further. Whatever the case, it didn't stop his breath from hitching or his eyes from closing when her lips found his jawline.

Her hands were talented as well, the nimble manner in which they moved. One had made its clever way beneath his waistband and-

"B-Bonnie!" Caius gasped, eyes flying open as a hand went to wrap around her wrist. "Wait. Bonnie, I-" An involuntary shudder shimmied up his spine.

He swallowed hard, slowly - part of him, reluctantly - extracting her hand from his pants and resting it against his chest. "Just... Not that I don't-" With a bemused laugh, he gave up, he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm.

"I should probably be getting back." He sounded rather reluctant. Pulling away, he dove after his shirt.

A small sound, undefinable, flew from her lips, but then she was contemplating him, a slow smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Congratulations, You've passed." She hummed thoughtfully, easily slipping under the water and to the edge, hoisting herself out with ease. Shins still in the water, she flipped her hair back, running her fingers through it to make sure it wasn't tangled.

Her eyes searched the ground around her before she frowned, placing her hands on the walm tile and narrowing her eyes. "Accio shirt." It flew out of Cai's reach and settled on her lap, quite soaked and rumpled. Wringing it out, she slid both arms into it, buttoning it up with ease.

"So, how would you like to show your guests the party was a success?" She asked conversationally.