I stood back to examine how I looked in the vertical mirror on the back of my closet door.

I wore a royal blue dress with black netting along the top and bottom edges. I wore black heels and my hair in a bun at the center back of my head. I wore more eye make-up than usual.

I tilted my head to the side. I couldn't remember the last time I had gotten this dressed up for a date. Actually, I couldn't even remember the last time I had gone on a date. I was always so busy with school and work and meetings. I never had time for a personal life. Denise was my only friend. I hadn't had a boyfriend since my undergraduate studies. It had been a while. It was time I got out there. And what better way to do that than with an extremely handsome and ambitious lawyer?

I heard the doorbell ring. I glanced at my watch. 6:30. Right on time.

I turned the light off in my closet and walked out to the front door. I opened it and to reveal a grinning Brandon standing attractively in a simple light blue shirt and black pants. He held red roses in his hands. I smiled at him.

"Hi," I said a little breathlessly.

"I'm debating on whether I should give you these or not," he said, indicating the roses. I raised my eyebrows at him. "It's not fair to the flowers how incredibly beautiful you are," he added, an amused glint in his eye. I laughed.

"Clever. I like that," I said, stepping aside so he could come in.

"You can expect nothing less," he replied, handing me the roses. I took them and breathed in their flowery scent. The smell of roses was my favorite.

"Thanks for the roses," I told him. He smiled at me and kissed my cheek. "I'll get a vase for them," I said, walking into the kitchen.

I picked up the empty vase that was sitting on the corner of the counter and filled it up with water. I brought it into the family room and placed the roses in it. The red of the roses contrasted sharply and romantically with the white of the room.

"Ready to go?" he asked, coming up behind me and placing his hand lightly on my waist.

"Yes. Give me one second. I have to get my bag," I replied. I went to my room and got my clutch bag and checked my face and hair in the mirror once more before walking back out. "Ready," I said.

"Great. Let's go," he said, opening the door.

He drove us to a restaraunt that was about 20 minutes from my apartment. When we pulled into the lot, I read the name, not recognizing it.

"What is this place?" I asked. He came around and opened my door for me, offering his hand as I got out of the car.

"It's a Spanish restaraunt. It's amazing and the food is delicious," he answered, closing the door behind me. We began walking towards the entrance. I could hear the sound of a beautiful Spanish guitar playing from inside.

"I used to come here with my parents when I was younger. My sister had her engagement dinner here, too. It's a really big part of my family," he explained, opening the door for me. I smiled at him. Who said chivalry was dead?

"Hola. Reservations for Dougherty," he said to the host.

"Right this way," the man said, nodding at us. We followed him to a table by the windows. The cloth of the table was white and gold and the seats matched. Brandon pulled my chair out for me and I sat down, thanking him and smiling. He was being so gentlemanly. He sat in his chair across from me.

"So why this place?" I asked after we had ordered our drinks.

"It's amazing," he replied, leaning forward a little. "They don't serve cheap Mexican food like other places. They serve really rich Spanish food from all the regions of Spain. The whole atmosphere makes you feel like you're in Spain. The music they play is from the different regions, they'll greet you in Spanish. And after dinner, they always have dancing. It's really fantastic," Brandon told me.

"Aww, that sounds like fun," I replied. He nodded, taking a sip of his wine.

"It is. Trust me," he said.

"Are you part Spanish?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Even though I don't look like it at all. My mother's from Spain and my dad is American. Everyone says that I'm the exact replica of my father, which is unfortunate, because I kind of wish I looked Spanish," he told me. I laughed.

"What about your sister?" I asked.

"She looks just like my mother. She's got dark brown hair, olive skin, and dark eyes. It's crazy how different we are. You would never know that we're related," he told me.

"Did she already get married?" I asked.

"No, not yet. The wedding is in a few months. They had to put it off for a bit because the groom's grandmother passed away," he answered.

"Oh! That's so sad," I said. He nodded.

"It's life, though. I mean, it happens," he said. I nodded, understanding.

"What about you?" he questioned. "Do you have any siblings?"

"No. I would have had an older brother, but my mother had a miscarriage," I replied.

"That stinks," he commented. I nodded. "So you're an only child?" he asked.

"Yep," I replied.

"Spoiled?" he asked.

"Incredibly. And I feel awful about it all the time," I answered. He raised his eyebrows, a slight smile on his face.

"Really? Why?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Sometimes I look at my attitude and I'm like, what is wrong with me? I can't help it sometimes. I blame my parents because it's how they raised me," I answered.

"So even though you feel bad, you still act like you're spoiled?" he questioned.

"If you say it like that, it makes me sound dumb," I told him. He chuckled and pulled out the menu.

"We should probably figure out what we're going to order," he suggested.

"Good plan," I agreed, pulling my menu out, too. I scanned the food and realized quickly that I had completely forgotten all the Spanish I had ever learned in my life.

"I have no idea what any of this is," I muttered. He laughed.

"How about I give you some suggestions?" he offered. I nodded. "The Gambas Ajillo are prawns with garlic sauce. Really good. The paella is delicious. I think you should get that. It's something you would like," he told me.

"I think I've heard of paella," I commented.

"Then order it. The one they make here is amazing," he told me.

"I'll take your word for it. But if it's absolutely disgusting, then I'm blaming you," I joked.

"Trust me, it's delicious," he said.

We ordered our food when the waiter came back. Although I wouldn't admit it, I was a little pleased that the waiter was a middle-aged man rather than a slutty Spanish babe.

"So back to what we were saying before, my parents are pretty uptight," I said, resuming our conversation.

"How so?" he asked.

"Have you ever heard of the Sparks empire?" I asked. He nodded, sipping his wine.

"We've had to help them out of some sticky situations a couple times," he answered.

"Yeah, well, that would be my parents' business," I said. He gaped at me.

"You're kidding," he said incredulously.

"Totally serious," I replied.

"You're the heir to the Sparks empire?!" he exclaimed a little loudly. People from surrounding tables glared at us.

"I don't know about heir. But yes, I am the off-spring of Victor and Virginia Sparks," I answered.

"Is it a coincidence that all of your names start with 'V'?" he asked off-handedly. I laughed.

"They did it on purpose," I told him.

"Wow, so you're going to inherit that huge empire," he said, sitting back, his blue eyes wide with disbelief. "Somehow I think you're not too thrilled about that," he noted.

"I'm not," I said.

"Get outta here," he said. I felt my lips twitch up in the corners.

"I want to make an empire of my own and prove to them that I don't need to inherit their business and that I can make a successful one of my own," I told him.

"But if you've got such respected parents and a successful company to inherit, then why not just take it? Why go through all the effort to make one from scratch? Sparks Empire is huge," he said. The waiter came back and served us our food. We thanked and he walked away.

"It's just not how I want to do things," I told him, taking a drink of my own wine. The food smelled delicioius. I took a bite of the paella and it felt like an orgasm on my tongue.

"Oh my goodness! This is really good!" I exclaimed.

"Told you!" he said, smiling. After eating for a few moments, we continued our conversation.

"Well, if you just want to prove something to them, why not just do something amazing with the Sparks Empire? Go in a different direction. Expand a little more. Do something right with the company instead of letting it go to some random person," he said.

"It's not only that, though. I don't even think my parents want me to take over the company," I admitted.

"That's a load of b/s, if you ask me. Why would your parents want to hand over the empire that they worked so hard to build up to some random guy on the streets?" he responded.

"You don't know my parents. They love the company more than they love me. They'll do anything for it. And they don't think I can handle that big an empire by myself," I explained. He shook his head.

"That's so stupid. You seem like you have a lot of potential," he said.

"Yeah, well, you should tell that to my parents, because they don't think so," I replied, looking down at my half-eaten plate of paella. I was feeling a bit depressed now. He seemed to have noted this, as he reached over and tapped my chin.

"Cheer up. Let's talk about something else," he said.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like, how was Italy?" he asked.

"It was so beautiful! You could see the sea from everywhere. The weather was gorgeous. The beaches were spectacular. And there's so much rich history there. I loved it," I replied.  He nodded.

"Yeah, I don't think I've met anyone that's been to Italy and didn't love it," he said.

"There's so much to love about it. It's amazing," I agreed.

"And how's the new job going?" he asked. I shrugged.

"It's all right. I'm getting along better with Duke, so at least that's a plus," I replied.

"Yeah?"

"I think we established an understanding. We both know where we're coming from, so there's not that annoying tension there anymore. We still argue a lot, but that's just for fun mostly. He still gets really angry at me sometimes, though. I guess it's mostly my fault. I didn't want to read his instruction manual," I said.

"Instruction manual?" he asked, a smile creeping onto his lips.

"Yeah! He had this huge binder that lists everything about him. It's ridiculous," I said.

"Oh really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, suddenly extremely interested. I nodded. "What kind of stuff is in there?" he asked.

"Lots of things. His family history, his career history, his likes and dislikes. Pretty much everything you need to know about him is in there," I replied.

He ran his finger over the little stubble on his face, thinking.

"But I didn't read any of it. I figured I'd learn as I go. Sometimes it works out for me and sometimes it doesn't," I continued. He nodded slowly, his expression contemplating. "What are you thinking?" I asked. He blinked and seemed to come out of his little reverie. He smirked at me.

"I was wondering how much longer you're going to take with that paella. I want to eat dessert before the dancers come out," he said.

"I can't eat anymore. I'm full," I said.

"You didn't even finish it!" he exclaimed.

"I know. I'm full," I said, glancing down at my half-eaten plate. "Do they give to-go boxes here?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I've always finished my food here. I'll ask, though," he said. When the waiter came around, he asked him for a to-go box and ordered flan.

"You're going to have to share with me. Flan is way too sweet for me to eat alone," he said, dipping his fork into the caramelized dessert. I winced at it.

"I'm not really a dessert kind of person..." I mumbled.

"Just have a few bites," he urged. I frowned and he looked at me.

"Fine," I said, giving in. I picked up my fork and took a bite. I closed my eyes at the sweet taste.

"Oh my gosh. It's really good, but I can't eat this. It's way too much sugar," I said, pushing the plate towards him. He laughed.

"Wimp," he said. I rolled my eyes. I heard the sound of clapping and looked over to the center of the restaurant, which had been cleared of tables to reveal a wooden dance floor. Girls in brightly colored dresses came out, holding black sea-shell type things in their hands. It seemed like the black instruments in their hands were making the clapping sound.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Fandangos," Brandon replied, his eyes bright as he watched the dancers. "They're doing flamenco," he explained. I watched in awe as the dancers twirled around and moved their arms in a swirl of bright colors. I felt like I was immersed in a completely different culture. The Spanish guitar sounded beautiful in the background, tying the whole scene together. After a few minutes the dance was over. They began to play some tango music.

"Want to dance?" Brandon asked me, standing up. I looked around me as couples stood with their partners, making their way to the dance floor.

"I-uh-I-" I stammered, feeling nervous all of a sudden. I didn't really like dancing in front of others.

"Come on. It'll be fun," he said, holding his hand out. I reluctantly took it and he led me to the dance floor. He placed one hand on my lower back and the other held my hand. I placed my other hand on his shoulder. As the music began, he stepped back and I stepped forward.

"Good. See, you know how to dance," he said. I smiled at him nervously. I wasn't 100% sure of what I was doing; I was just letting the music speak to me.

We kept going. He stepped back, I stepped forwards. I stepped back, he stepped forwards. We spun around, we moved our legs fast, but also to the beat of the lovely music. As the song continued, I felt the music fill me and we moved more smoothly. He smirked down at me, seeing the sudden confidence in my moves.

"You're a fast learner," he breathed, his lips close to mine.

"I have a good teacher," I replied, smirking at him. He raised an eyebrow cockily and then the dance ended. The flamenco dancers came back onto the floor and everyone joined in on the fandango-flamenco mix dance.

                                                         ~~~~~~~~~

"Ahhh, my feet hurt," I moaned, rubbing my feet when we got back to my apartment.

"Must be hard dancing in heels. I'm glad I don't have that problem," Brandon replied. I rolled my eyes at him and he grinned at me. I pulled my hair out of its elegant bun and shook it out. Then I pulled it up into a messy bun.

"Do you want something to drink?" I asked him. He sat down on the leather couch and looked up at me.

"No. I want you to sit here with me," he replied, reaching up and pulling me towards him by the waist. I laughed and leaned against him. He caressed my arms with his thumb.

"Thanks for dinner. It really was amazing," I told him.

"It was my pleasure," he answered. I pushed away from him slightly so I could look at him. He reached out and tucked the stray strands of hair behind my ears. He gazed at me with somber blue eyes, his expression longing.

"Has anyone ever told you how absolutely beautiful you are?" he asked me. I felt color rise to my cheeks. He ran his finger along my cheeks, to my jaw, and then down my neck.

"So beautiful..." he whispered, as he leaned in a bit. I felt my heart race a bit, but leaned in as well, meeting his lips half-way.

I felt a small spark in my stomach ignite and felt my whole body feel warm all of a sudden, despite the air-conditioning in my apartment. His lips were soft against mine, as they moved slowly together. He licked my lower lip, asking for permission and I opened wider, letting him in. After a few moments, his lips left mine and began moving down my jawline, and then down to my neck. I moaned as he sucked on the skin of my neck softly.

He pulled back slightly and I saw a hunger in his eyes that was no doubt reflected in my own. His lips connected once more with mine, as he pushed me against the side of the couch, the weight of his body pressed against mine. I felt him fumbling with the zip to my dress and I caught his hands.

"Not here," I whispered in his ear breathlessly. His eyes widened with electricity. With one sweeping motion, he picked me up bridal style, our lips connecting once more and took me to my bedroom. With amazing grace and ease, he shut the door with his foot and set me lightly on the bed. I still held my arms around his neck and he leaned down over me, planting kisses down my neck once more.

He went for the zip on my dress again and then slipped me out of it, tossing it to the floor. I was now lying on my bed in my lacey black and red bra and underwear. His eyes gleamed in a manic passion and I began unbuttoning the buttons to his shirt as he kissed my lips. Once I had successfully gotten his shirt and pants off, he began moving his lips down my body, sending tremors of pleasure all throughout my body.

His lips moved along my neck, down to my chest, into the little 'V' of my cleavage. Then they moved slowly down my stomach, past my navel, and down to my panty line. I pulled his face back up to mine, kissing him full on the mouth. I ran my hands over his perfectly sculpted abs, as he pressed his hips into mine.

We moved faster now, a longing in both of our kisses. He stripped me of the little clothing I had left and I did the same to him.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered in my ear, his breath hot against my sweating neck. He kissed the side of my head in the seconds it took me to respond with a nod. He slid his hands gently on my waist, resting them against my hip bone. I moaned as my body peaked with pleasure.

And then it was over. He collapsed next to me, breathing as hard as I was. I turned to face him and he reached out, brushing my hair out of my face.

"So beautiful," he whispered again his blue eyes electric. Then he closes his eyes and his breathing steadied. My heart took a bit longer to calm down, but when it did, I sank into a deep sleep, curled up next to Brandon, naked in my own bed. 

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A/N: STEAMYYYY scene. Hahahaha

I posted this week!!! Yay for meee!!

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