BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (79 page)

"Don't cry - okay - okay - if that's what you want - that's what I'll deliver. We have a contest to win right?" He leaned down and lifted her face by the chin, his other hand lifted, with delicate fingers to smooth away the tracks of her tears. She nodded, sniffed, couldn't speak yet. Crystal didn't understand it, she wasn't a crier. Not really, so for the life of her she couldn't understand why being with Ben made her feel so, fragile, when she swore that she wasn't. So feminine, when she'd always been tough. So emotional, when she was determined to be in control. She needed to get a grip and couldn't look at him yet. He sighed, "What in the hell have I gotten myself into?" He asked himself out loud. "Look at you, do you know what you're doing to me?"

She looked up then, "I can't help it Ben - I can't help myself. I don't mean to make this - hard for either of us. Besides, you brought me here."

The force of his burst of laughter threw his head and shoulders back, exposing his incredible thick neck. He laughed like Shawn; making Crystal smile. He laughed because she sounded like a little girl who knew they were in trouble and so, needed someone to blame, and blamed him.

"It's true," She went on grinning now, "My papah-Shawn expects you to take care of me - which means, making sure I'm having a good time. So, come on big brother-..."

That sucked the laughter right back down his throat, "Ach!
That
is cruel! If I'm your big brother, be warned, I've got incest on my mind!"

It was Crystal's turn to laugh now as she backed out of his arms. Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been flipped. The tears were gone, so was the sadness to be replaced by a saucy, bold and spoiled enchantress. She swished her long skirt behind her, plunked her hands on her hips, stomped her foot, lifted her nose in the air with one hand snapping her fingers and demanded, "Benjamin! Teach me to tango! And you will teach me - so that - we win!"

Sobering him, was the fact that right then, Ben fell again.

Right there, on the spot, he fell once more deeper in love with her. She was moving in on him, shoving her way into his system in such a way that it made his gut ache as he felt it happening. Taking a long and deep breath, he realized that he may never be given anything more, than that night. Resolved to that fact, he would sure as hell make the most of it.

"Teach you to tango huh? Thought you were a dancer? Surely you know the tango?"

"I believe I know, but with what you'll add, I'll know better. When I was much younger, I played around with my mother and brother, having fun, we did the tango, so I know the basis of it."

"I see; I suppose that's a start. However, the tango that you and I will do tonight, will have a totally different uh - how can I say it? Feeling, intensity, fire. We will do it, the way that it was meant to be done - are you sure you don't want to back out now?"

"No - way." Her eyes said it all, she wanted him to make the most of it. "You tell me what to do, I will do it. I want to win!"

Ben smiled, she was so full of fire and he loved it. It glowed from her as if a fire within her burned all it's own.

"Very well, listen carefully. As you know, dance is about what you feel. And to tango as it is meant - you must feel at the same time that you must fight - what you feel." He immediately took on the persona, stretching his tall frame, squaring his shoulders, removing all expression from his features, narrowing his eyes, he took slow measured steps in his stride towards her.

Crystal felt a jump in her heart, he reminded her of a bull fighter, or of a great conquistador.

He went on to explain their strategy for the tango. "You, unlike some other's I've danced with, have all the ingredients, to do this, and do it well. You have, rhythm ... fire ... attitude." He began, now right upon her, he began circling her as he spoke. Crystal went to follow him with her eyes, "Ah! Keep still ... look only as though your eyes follow me, nothing else. Spread your legs and stiffen your spine with disdain, attitude ... you see ... you ... are too good for me. I am ... a lowly peasant ... how dare I! Move into the role Crystal, square your shoulders, I want you on the verge, of snarling at me ... but don't, stretch your neck, tilt your head - just so ... that's it ... now, hold that position, get into the role, I know you can. This should be easy for you. You are ... Spanish royalty ... and I ... I have dared to step into your world ... look down your nose at me... yeah, like that." Ben spoke in a low, raspy pitch and tone and then adding to it, he effected a very authentic Latin accent as he wrapped them within the spell of the dance.

"You, senora - you must trust me ... trust me to - handle you - and handle you, I will." He went on, slowly circling her. "You will let me handle you, yes - and then, when you realize this - you will resist me. Because you see, I am wanting you ... and you know this ... that I want you ... but sadly, you do not want me. Ah, yes ... but - you see, I thrill you ... I - heat your blood - to burn as it has never ... burned ... before. Yes... I ... this lowly servant, peasant ... does this for you." Ben stopped before her, gazing down at her.

Crystal felt on fire. As he instructed, she maintained her stand not daring to move, no matter how close he was; now if she could just get control of her breathing. But her heart wouldn't stop slamming hard and heavy in her chest, making her breasts expand and withdraw with every breath that she took.

With his height, standing as he did, Ben felt the effects as well, watching her deep breathing, her lovely breasts within the low cut of the gown she wore.

Unable to stand as she was much longer, she slowly brought her eyes up to his hazel blues. Something went through her then, something akin to deep awareness. She knew him,
really
knew
him
then. Her eyes took in all of his features, and aside from his hazel/blues, the rest of him looked the part of the role he played. Tall, strong ethnic features, full wide mouth, especially his lips; olive skin, darker than usual since being in California - he was actually tanning towards a brownish hue - yes, he could easily pass for Latino. Crystal knew, that something other than white flowed through his veins, and as she stood there, closely gazing over his features, she felt a kinship, a connection with him that she could not explain.

"Are you still with me?" He asked softly.

She gave the slightest sardonic smile, reflecting the attitude she needed to carry this role he'd given her, to show it, she lifted a brow, as if to say,
'You dare, question me?'
.

Ben chuckled, speaking in a rich, sultry Spanish accent, "You are ... sooo sexy, fetching ... Senora Crystal Bella ... untouchable ... yes." Taking a deep breath, Ben stepped away from her, breaking the spell so it seemed; it was time to get down to business, he dropped the accent. "We don't have much time left, so know this, I - am in command. I will lead, you will follow. When I signal, you will reject me, burn me with your eyes ... and then, once more, I will reel you back in, understand?"

Crystal nodded quietly, feeling she would do anything for him, almost ... anything.

"We will keep the routine simple. At all times, you will maintain an aloofness about you, even when you feel the need to give in to me, it will always be just enough to tease, and tantalize. You want me to want you, but ... I cannot have you, simple as that." He walked back to her and placed his hand on her back, forcefully pressing her against him, "Feel my hand?" He asked.

She nodded.

"When I place my hand down here on your back, you will fold back over it. I will bring you back up; always keep your face turned away from me, as if you cannot bear to look at me, aloof. When my hand is here and I move it side to side, this way, gracefully lift your leg for me to caress while you rotate and shimmy your hips against me as if telling me what I want, but will not get. That's when you'll look at me, again... down your nose at me."

Crystal sucked in, blushing.

Ben smiled, "As I said, this dance will come easy for you, because it's all about us, isn't it? Me wanting you ... knowing I will - never have you."

Crystal gasped.

Ben ignored it, "Now, as I was saying, hand down here, fold back, hand here going side to side, lift your leg and shimmy and when I place my hand under your arm and pull, think of rotating doors, you will spin away from me into the direction I pull you, into three turns like this." He demonstrated it for her to see it, "And you will stop here, back into that stance, swishing your skirt back behind you - everything with a snap, stomp, with impact, with passion!" He walked up to her, put her before him, took her one hand and placed his at her back and then across it beneath her lifted arm and turned her out. Crystal twirled away from him snatching her skirt back as if it might touch him and gave him the look of disdain he wanted. "Like that?"

Ben felt his lower appendage stirring, "Yeah... like that. Remember, tango is a slow, teasing walk, a play of seduction, it's about me, grabbing you, handling you, taking you. It's about you, denying me, rejecting me, teasing me, taunting ... me."

Once more, Crystal nodded, feeling beaten up by this dance.

They took a few more moments as Ben set it up how they would begin the dance, how she was to step within and around his legs as he would hers. He did what he said he would, he handled her. With strong, sure moves, he put them through the paces of it. This dance, was in him. She could tell that he truly felt it. He went on to explain, snapping at her once because she dazed out on him, "Pay attention! Stop daydreaming!" Her lip poked out, a bit hurt, but pay attention she did. There would be only two dips, and the final dip of her backward, she would come up, push him away and as he would spin her off away from him, toss her gown behind with a stomp and thrust of her body. Because of the weight and length of her gown, they needed to make a brief amendment.

"I need you to dance with that gown gathered up mid thigh, can you do that?" He asked, taking Crystal by surprise. She looked down at it. Then setting one leg forward, she gathered it up her shapely legs to mid-thigh, shifted the length of it to one side and around her body once to one hand where she put it over and under her forearm and wrist into her hand. Looking up, she got herself into position, "Like this? Think this will work?" She asked once more.

She was wearing black fishnet stockings with a seem up the back center and incredible black open toe sandals and three inch heels, as if chosen just for this occasion. Her legs looked incredible; sexy as hell in them and for a moment, all Ben could do was stare.

"Ben?" She asked again.

He tore his eyes away, "Yeah, that'll work."

The dinner hour...

Crystal was a bit on the nervous side for many reasons, one of them was, that while she'd danced within the tight fittings and crowd of a club, she'd never danced to be observed by so many people. The typical fears started to haunt her as she went over their quick routine in her mind, like - what if she tripped? What if she tripped him? What if she made a stupid move? What if she made herself look like an idiot? Made them both look like idiots? The place was filled with people, lots of people. High society rich people, snobs and then ordinary people too. She couldn't help wonder how many would come to see the dance off? They found out that only six couples had signed up for the contest. They would dance as they'd sighed up, which meant that she and Ben would dance last. She wanted to go first and get it over with, that however wasn't to be. Walking back from the patio area, Ben was suddenly quiet, she couldn't miss it. That made her even more nervous. The moment one of the waiters passed them with drinks, Crystal reached out and took one, she needed it to calm her nerves a bit.

As they gathered in the dinning room for the sumptuous meal that was being served, sure enough, Corey and Vanessa was looking for them. And of course, the moment they were spotted, Vanessa waved to help them see where they stood about to be seated.

Ben groaned, "Oh no, now what?" He murmured finally, brought out of silence by the prospect of sitting with Vanessa.

"It's either them, or, the Wherrington's?" Crystal reminded him, sipping her drink.

"I'm afraid, it's going to have to be the Wherrington's."

"Ben! We cannot be like that! Now come on, suck it up - take her like a man and just grin and bear it, I'm not too keen on sitting with the Wherrington's either!"

Ben whimpered, "Okay, but I'm not gonna like it, not one bit." He mumbled out the side of his mouth near her ear to be heard over the hum of many voices and music around them.

"You'll live, and be nice!" She ordered just as they were approaching the other couple.

"I will, I will, but don't you dare exchange numbers, email addresses or our real address." He demanded.

Crystal only grinned.

As they spoke with the couple, looking over the long table sections trying to decide where to sit, they were approached from behind, "Okay you two, you'll be sitting at the other table with us, remember?" Georgiana reminded them. She'd been looking everywhere for them, or mainly, Ben and was relieved to see them getting ready to settle in for dinner as the first speaker went to the erected podium to discuss the evenings events while everyone took their seats.

They turned stunned to see her there, immediately Crystal spoke up, "We'll be joining some friends of ours here, but thank-..."