Moonlight Kiss
This story goes with the Moonlight Kiss picture
Story to go with Moonlight Kiss picture:
Today was Pardus' birthday and his friends decided that a weekend at a San Diego beach resort would be a perfect way to celebrate. He had asked Ranna to come along and she agreed. There were in separate rooms of course and he made sure that they didn't spend too much time by themselves. It wasn't because he didn't want to spend time with her but whenever they were together the same situation would occur. Pardus would tease Ranna. Ranna would get flustered and growl. He enjoyed teasing Ranna although sometimes he did feel a bit guilty. Ranna was a lot of fun to tease because to be honest she didn't have a funny bone. Her intensity never really let up and it was hard for her to lighten up. Even when she tried the words never seem to come out quite right. Pardus' best friend Cerotes often chided Pardus to put Ranna out of her misery and just "give in" to the tension that was evident between the two of them. He didn't know why he didn't want to end the back and forth, it was fun and it keeps the relationship between them fresh. Even Ranna commented that the cat and mouse game, while difficult, kept her on her toes. She did however hint more often that she would like to take their relationship to a more physical level.
Cerotes' girlfriend Nagga had made plans for the group to have a formal dinner by the beach. Everyone agreed to wear cocktail attire. Pardus chose to wear a charcoal grey suit with a royal purple tie. He had the suit tailored made so that it fit him to perfection. As he looked at himself in the mirror he smiled and thought "Not bad". He headed out to the lobby as everyone was to meet at the bar for pre-dinner cocktails. When he arrived he was greeted heartily by all his friends. He scanned the room looking for Ranna. "Not here yet" said Cerotes. Pardus then caught the scent of plumeria in the air. It was one of Ranna's scents and his favorite. He turned to see her walking from the elevators toward the group. She was beautiful. She wore a strapless short cocktail dress in royal purple. She accented the dress with silver accessories and shoes. When she reached him he noticed that she was a bit taller. He leaned into her and said "What is the heel height tonight" "Four and a quarter "she replied. "Sure you are not going to tip over?" "Probably. Give you a reason to catch me." "Always" Ranna looked at him and with a flirty smile said "Careful Pardus we seemed to be having an intimate conversation." Smiling back he said "Everyone slips now and then." As if on cue Nagga sailed up to them both and looked them over. "If I wasn't so certain that the two of you were NOT a couple. I would say that you two coordinated the outfits." "Believe me it was truly an accident." Ranna said "Now where are the drinks I am thinking martinis tonight." "Right this way beautiful" said Cerotes as he grabbed Ranna's hand and led her to the bar; leaving Pardus to escort Nagga to their waiting group of friends.
Dinner was a wonderful event. Everyone agreed that dressing up and sitting by the beach was an excellent idea. The party never stopped as everyone joked, laughed and reminisced about Pardus and his many adventures. While Pardus was not seated next to Ranna he did noticed her longing looks at the beach and understood her fascination with the water. Both of them being a cross of aquatic species loved the water and the sea especially had a magical effect. Pardus felt the pull of both her and the sea. He got up from his place and walked over to her extending his hand. "Lets take a walk" Without saying a word Ranna finished her drink and let him pull her out of her chair and lead her to the promenade that paralleled the beach.
When they got to the promenade, Pardus shrugged off his jacket and offered it to her. "It is a bit chilly." "Thanks" she replied as she slipped it on. Pardus took a moment to pull her hair out the back enjoying its softness. Ranna for her part took a moment to inhale Pardus' scent. Then they set out walking side by side not touching at all. They didn't talk as they both enjoyed the sound of the sea waves crashing onto the beach. As they walked they passed another party and heard the notes of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Pardus grabbed Ranna's hand and turned her toward him. He began to dance in time to the music twirling her down the promenade and as the music stopped so did he. They were both breathing a little heavy from the dance and as he looked into her eyes he knew that they were both lost. He leaned in and kissed her, meaning for it to be a light peck, but once his lips touched hers it became more. They stood there for sometime leaned into each other kissing and letting the magic of the night do its work. When they finally broke apart Ranna rested her head on his shoulder. She was trembling and so was he. They held each other for a bit longer before turning back to the hotel. This time they held hands on the way back.