I heard his clothes rustle once more and felt a slight rise in the temperature to my left. Before I could hesitate again, I turned to face him while still leaning against the column. My breath caught in my throat when my eyes trailed upwards to finally land upon his face, now close enough that I could reach out and touch him. Oddly enough, I had to stop myself from doing just that. He was fully facing me, his right shoulder and head leaning against the column. His hands were casually tucked into his pants pockets. His suit jacket and pants were a deep, rich blue with black and silver accents along his lapel. He wore a black tie and crisp white button-down. Everything had to have been tailored to fit him so well. The deep royal blue of his suit complemented his tanned, olive-toned skin. But what stood out the most were his lazy grin, large frame, luxurious dark hair, and eyes that were a piercing shade of blue. The color of his eyes transfixed me. They could be described as nearly blue-gray, like the sky before a storm. His hair was voluminous and curly, almost brushing the top of his shoulders. It was the color of rich, bitter dark chocolate, slicked back from his face with the upper half secured in a messy bun except for a few rebellious curly strands that spilled onto his forehead. Even with him leaning against the column, he appeared to be towering over me. I was not a short woman, by any means. I, being 5’8”, felt small in comparison. He had to be at least 6’8” or 6’9”. His shoulders were broad, and I suspected he hid lean muscles underneath his suit. He was practically a giant!

“I’m glad that I finally caught your eye, Juniper. Sorry if I startled you; you just spoke so softly, and I didn’t want to miss a thing you said.” Theory’s pale blue eyes looked down into mine. I was shocked, not by his movements, but by him. As I continued to stare at him with wide eyes, his smile began to dim. Noticing his eyes searching my face nervously, and his body preparing to move away from me, I finally regained my senses. My hand darted out to pinch the sleeve of his suit jacket before he could take a step backwards. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Theory. I’m alright, I was just… You’re so… Massive.” My words came out like a flood, rushed and disorganized. By the time I realized that I had called him ‘massive’ instead of tall, dark, and handsome, it was too late. His face contorted momentarily before he burst into laughter, having failed to hold it in. Theory’s broad shoulders shook as one of his hands covered his mouth, and the other he used to brace himself against the column. His laugh rang out briefly before he could rein it in, then devolved into a stifled chuckle that I could feel in my bones. It was so infectious that a genuine smile spread across my face, and a soft giggle escaped my lips without me realizing it. It truly felt like we were all there was in that moment.

As we settled, he wiped a tear from his eye, and our gazes met. He grinned lazily and said, “Massive, huh? You describe me in the most intriguing ways.”

“Well, I… I was flustered, alright… There were other words I thought to say, but that’s just how it came out.” I crinkled my nose and went to cover my burning face with my hands.

“Now I’m curious about the other words, Juniper. Would you care to share?” Theory gently guided my hands away from my face and continued, “There’s no need to feel embarrassed. I enjoy discovering the way you see me. I’m ready and willing to listen to it all.”

When I opened my eyes, the smile on his face was so gentle and genuine. I then realized that he was still cradling my hands with his. Looking down, I noticed how much bigger his hands were than mine. I blinked, then blinked once more. Theory released my hands slowly. Only when his warmth left me did my brain figure out what was nagging me. Sounds that I had ignored began to register with me once more; the sound of hushed whispers was among them. We were not alone.

I leaned back against the column, tucked my hair behind my ear, then met Theory’s eyes with a small, stiff smile before letting my eyes drift out toward the crowded hall. Even though my movements were rehearsed and unhurried to make it appear as though I was calm, my heart beat painfully hard as I surveyed those closest to us, searching for judgmental glares or peering eyes. When I noticed that most people’s attention was focused on the main entrance, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Juniper? Are you okay?” Theory’s eyes scanned my face as I glanced up when he called my name.

“I’m sorry… You asked me a question earlier, but then I realized that I’d let my guard down with so many eyes and ears around… I just got a bit anxious and forgot what we were talking about.” My gaze returned to the hall. I fiddled with my hands restlessly.

“Ah, I understand. An unclaimed woman like yourself being too chummy with a man she just met at this stuffy event… I can see why you’d feel that way…” Theory’s voice drifted off as he also turned to face the hall and glanced around. 

“I would like to continue our conversation… I was just so shocked because I haven’t ever forgotten where I was like that before-”

“Forgotten where you were? Did you drink too much? Do you need water?” Theory interrupted. Although he spoke his questions in a joking tone, his eyes seemed to be filled with worry, snapping to me. 

I smiled softly up at his handsome face and his furrowed brow, “No, I can drink much more than that without issue. I meant I forgot that we weren’t the only ones here.”

“Glad I’m not the only one…” Theory mumbled. He spoke up quickly after, saying, “Oh, yeah! What were the other words you were going to use to describe me?”

“I thought you were tall and handsome… And I liked your eyes,” I looked up into his eyes and stated the truth. This time, I didn’t recoil in embarrassment because these answers were far better than calling him massive.

“Is that so?” His crooked grin was radiant. I swallowed hard and quickly turned back to my surveillance, more as a distraction than anything else.

“I said what I said, take it or leave it, Theory.” I decided that it might be time for me to pay more attention to the party, rather than to continue staring at that mesmerizing face of his. It was all too tempting. The hall was filled with many more people than I had taken note of before Theory popped up. I wondered how long we had been speaking, but it felt as if only twenty minutes had passed.

“Juniper… Has anyone asked for your first dance?” I could feel his eyes on me as he asked. My brain stalled for a second before I understood. Maybe he wants to be forewarned, in case another man were to approach us… He may not actually want to ask me to dance… But why do I want him to?

“No, no one has asked me yet. But as you noticed, I haven’t exactly been mingling,” I laughed awkwardly and rubbed my neck.

“Good. Then, when it is time, could I have your first dance, Juniper?” His deep, melodic voice carried the hint of a smile. My eyes were drawn to him instantly. I inhaled sharply at the sight of him formally bowing with his piercing gaze and alluring smile directed solely at me. On the inside, I wanted to squeal, wiggle, and pump my fist in delight. 

Outwardly, my reactions were limited to the untamable blush that rose to my face, a genuine smile, a demure nod, and an elegant curtsy in response to his bow. “Of course, Theory. I would love nothing more than to dance with you.”

His grin widened, showcasing his dimpled cheeks and pearly teeth in all their glory. I stood still, dazedly taking in the details of his face. Sure, his pale blue eyes, dark chocolate hair, and slight lopsided grin had initially captivated most of my attention when I first saw him. Those were all eye-catching. Theory’s eyes, while I had only seen them glimmering with amusement and excitement, seemed to exude an air of mischief, resilience, and self-confidence. Other than those and his breathtaking smile, I began to take note of other endearing features, like his deep dimples, strong nose, supple lips, and chiseled jaw.

“You see something you like?” His eyes glimmered with amusement as my lips parted helplessly before I scrunched my nose. 

Even though I’d been caught staring yet again, I couldn't bring myself to look away… Am I drunk? There’s no way; college life with humans left me with a doctorate in drinking. How many glasses of wine did I have? 1… 2… 3… I only had THREE glasses of wine. I don’t feel drunk, only slightly tipsy if anything. I narrowed my eyes at Theory as I processed my unusual behaviors. Is he using some ability or charm on me?

“Are you an Incubus?” I pondered aloud, still squinting at him.

Theory bit the corner of his bottom lip and then the pad of his thumb as if he were physically biting back laughter. “Hm, just what is going on in that head of yours to make you think up something like that?” 

“You didn’t answer my question,” I pushed, wondering whether I’d guessed correctly or not.

“We agreed not to discuss our affiliations. And you didn’t answer mine either,” he smirked as he turned to put his back against the column, glancing at me sidelong. 

“If you can’t say that you aren’t, then I’ll have to assume that you are. Saying you AREN’T something isn’t the same as saying you ARE something. As for what’s going on in my noggin, I find it suspicious that I’m behaving unusually around you. I only had three glasses of wine, which is not enough to phase me after college life. I wondered if you were charming me or if you had some supernatural ability to draw people in.” I argued, feeling reasonably confident in my assessment of the situation.

As he listened, Theory put his fist to his mouth, breathily chuckled, and gnawed at his knuckle. After taking a few steadying breaths, he dipped his head until I could feel his body heat and his breath tickling my ear. “Sorry, but I’m not an Incubus… Guess again.”

His proximity, breaths, body heat, and low, rumbling whispers culminated in a fierce blush staining my cheeks, chest, ears, and the back of my neck. It felt as if my entire being was burning from the inside out. My breathing became shallow, and my head became woozy, like I might actually faint on the spot. Maybe Renaissance ladies weren’t being dramatic when they swooned over someone, especially if that someone was anything like the man in front of me. Is he really not an Incubus? He’s not a witch, I can tell that much, so he can’t have put me under a spell. I placed my hand against the column to steady myself as he pulled away to examine my reaction.

“I… I need… Air-GASP- I need air.” The color drained from Theory’s face as he noticed my flushed appearance and uneven breathing.