Diamonds and Nicotine

Noir felt a heavy weight hit her in the gut and she fought the urge to look around to locate the guards that were supposedly watching them, to see proof that they were actually there and not a lie Ace had made up to throw her off. But she knew; he was telling the truth.
“What do you mean, convince you?” she questioned.

“I just mean try to enjoy the passionate tango, not just go through the motion like you have been.” he said, leading her to step back and rotating. “The Argentine Tango is meant to be felt, not stepped through.”

As if to prove a point, Ace took Noir’s right hand and held it right over his heart.

“They say tango is addiction.” he continued. “Every nerve ending should feel as if they’re live wires. That constant sensitivity in your body should be enough to send you over the edge and crave for more.”
Noir stiffened as she felt a flare of recognition of thirst in his husky tone. She let him guide her hand from his chest to his face, holding her palm there so her hand cradled his jaw.
“I’m the lead to guide you but you have to feel and command my attention.” he said, leaning his face ever so slightly into her palm. “You have to draw me in, make me need. Connect.”

“And if I convince you, then what? What could I possibly have that a well-known mercenary would want?” Noir asked. She pulled away slightly and Ace lifted her right arm over her head, pulling her into a simple twirl before rejoining in a close embrace, her back pressed into his chest.
“What’s keeping you from calling the guards over right now?”

Ace chuckled, his nose skimming the nook of her neck as his arms curled around her waist.
“Ah…you catch on fairly quickly.” he mused. “You’re right, there is something I want. But…”

He slid his left hand up, tracing the curves of her hip and side before coming to a rest at the base of the throat.
“Priorities, Mademoiselle Noir. Remember, you have a dance partner to impress.”
His fingers curled around her throat, the tips of his thumb and index finger brushing against her jawbone.
“Or perhaps maybe the tango was a bit too aggressive for our thief of shadows…”

A snarling reply threatened to erupt from Noir’s lips but she bit it back. Instead she redirected her response by reaching up over her shoulder with her left hand and slowly trailing the back of her knuckles up the side of his face. She felt her nail skim his temple before she straightened her fingers and gently touched her hand to his cheek. She felt him react; he inhaled sharply and seemed to wait. Noir pulled a smirk on her lips and she pressed the side of her forehead into the side of his jaw. She almost wished she could see his expression.
“How about my partner shuts up and leads.” she murmured lowly. “Then we can discuss who was more impressed.”

The hand around her throat twitched slightly against the delicate skin and Noir wondered if Ace was contemplating ending things now and then. But then his hand pulled away from her throat only to turn her face to her left. Noir found herself staring straight into the mercenary’s eyes, his lips hovered just over hers. She could smell hints of nicotine on his breath laced with mint. He said nothing but the look in his eyes was clear: he was stating dominance.

Then abruptly, he pulled away, spinning her out to the right. Noir seamlessly followed his lead, letting her body turn. She had only turned one and a half times around before she felt a solid body meet her side and she was captured in a close abrazo cerrado embrace. He stepped wide around her, and she flicked her leg back between his legs in a swift and sharp gacho, which he returned. A few more swift kicks were exchanged in a fast-paced footwork, neither losing timing nor balance in the battle.
Ace lead his partner forward and Noir kept up with his increasingly difficult steps, not once breaking focus. He glided back across the floor and she stepped after him, her movements pressed forward and commanding closeness from her partner. Their thighs brushed together as they overlapped with each steps, almost tangled in a heated mess. Ace rotated sharply, pivoting Noir on her toes and now they were side to side, hip to hip. He guided her back, his hand wrapped around her lower back and her hand was anchored around the back of his neck. There was little space between the two combating bodies, reading each movement from one another, seamlessly connecting every maneuver and steps.

The pair maneuvered through a series of grapevine footwork before Ace made his next move. Swiftly without so much of a warning, he shifted his weight and leaned his weight onto his right leg while pulling Noir off balance. As she tilted, he scooped her up by the waist set her down in a sentada lift on his thigh.

Noir inhaled sharply as Ace checked his shoulders roughly, discretely trapping her on his lap. He had her right hand pulled away from her to the right in a classic square hold that pulled them chest to chest. Her eyes narrowed when she felt the hand on her waist slide down to her rear and saw him smirk.
“Classy,” she scoffed. “And what could I have possibly packed down there that you would need to check for?”

“Nothing harmful, I can see how the dress fits.” he replied, making her raise an eyebrow. “But there is no harm in being careful.”

“Ha, careful. Right.” Noir retorted. Ace was still smirking when he straightened his knee and pulled her out of the lift. As her right foot found ground, he discretely swiped out the back of her knee with his leg, making her lose her footing. Noir let her body sink, pulling her other leg back behind her and arching her back. But he too sank down to his knee so the pair faced each other in a low extended lunge.

“Now that was impressive, Noir.” Ace chuckled. “I was sure you were going to hit the ground.”

Noir brought both hand up to cradle his face, slowly bringing her own face close to his to where they were almost touching.
“Like I said, I can read you.” she said, her lips barely moving. “So shut up and lead.”

Ace kept both hands on her waist as the pair slowly came up to a stand. Noir kept her hand curled around his jaw, and slowly slid them down his neck and down his broad shoulders. Her fingers slipped across the smooth texture of the silk suit, the expensive fabric void of a crease and sharp. The only other color he wore was his tie, blood red in color and tied in a complex knot.
Noir hated to admit it, but the man knew how to dress, and he looked good.
She tried not to think about it as she trailed her hand trailed down his chest and down his torso, keeping the motion slow. He was wearing a matching black silk vest but she could tell he was not wearing a Kevlar underneath. But in exchange, she could tell that he was in an incredible shape. She could feel the lean muscles that were well enough defined to be felt through the vest, rippling and tensing with every efficient movement.
He’s also unarmed. she thought to herself.

Ace did nothing to stop her as she continued her sweep of her partner. She did pull her face away from him, and settled to rest her cheek against his shoulder. She tried, discretely to pick out the guards Ace had spoken of earlier. It didn’t take long to pick up on the suited men standing in the distance, spread in random patterns along the outer walls of the courtyard. From the angle they were at, she only made out three; she was going to need to turn to see the others.
Noir felt Ace loosen his hold from her lower back and she took the chance. She took a defiant step back away from him, pushing against his chest with both hands. She gave him a single look before she wheeled around and took three steps. She didn’t get too far before she felt a grip on her left wrist and was pulled back. But she was ready.
The moment she was twisted back around, she took one step before jumping. The momentum of her jump and the pull shot her right into Ace, who caught her effortlessly. Noir felt her left shin settle on Ace’s hip as she extended her right leg straight and pointed behind him. Her right arm draped across his shoulders and her hand curled around the back of his neck, her left hand grabbing his face as if to be demanding his eyes to be on her. This time Ace gave her the look.

“Now who led you to do that?” he asked, slight amusement in his tone.

“I’m just being sensitive and connecting.” she returned smartly. “Nice catch.”

She pulled her right leg back, bending it so her knees brushed against Ace’s spine. When she only felt muscle and bone she realized he was not carrying anything.

Ace lifted her off his hip and set her on the floor before him, keeping very little space between the two in an intimate hold. Noir inhaled deeply and slid her hands from his neck and down to his chest.
“Seven.” she said.

Ace didn’t say anything, but looked down at her with a curious look. Noir discretely leaned her forehead into his shoulder, and took another discrete breath in. After all that excitement, she was feeling drained and faint again.
“There are seven guards on the floor.” she continued. “Four spread out evenly around the edge of the courtyard, and three just at the edge of the dance floor.”
She exhaled, forcing herself to settle.
“That and the three sharpshooters on the high balconies, North, East and West.”

Noir felt Ace let out a quiet laugh.
“Now that is a catch.” he said. “Consider me impressed.”
He pulled back a bit and took her hands from his chest, only to resume the classic dance hold. He pulled her close so they were dancing cheek to cheek once again.
“You may have guessed this already, but I was hired by Tristan LeBlanc for his personal protection.” he revealed. “Seems that his level of paranoia truly is of high-class.”

“And what did you approach me for?” Noir asked.

“Nothing overly complex.” he said. “I just had something I need you to take care of.”

He led her through the basic steps of the tango, keeping them moving to avoid suspicion.
“LeBlanc has converted the castle into his own fortress, with new security programs and systems installed and placed throughout the property. This includes digital and man powered protection measures.” he murmured, his voice low in her ear. “What I need you to do is disable the security systems for thirty minutes, right at midnight.”

Noir frowned.
“I thought you were hired for his protection.” she said. “How is cutting the alarms going to help your job?”

“Let just say I have my own agenda to take care of.” he said. “I know you were hired by Madame Valerio for her business so I assume this job would also help in your endeavor.”

“You don’t know my job description.” Noir said.

“That I don’t; why don’t you enlighten me?” Ace returned.

Noir pulled back and leveled a serious look right back at him.
“What if I told you I was here to put an end to LeBlanc, would you still be asking me to do this?” she questioned.

But Ace chuckled.
“She hired a cat burglar for a hit? Now that’s interesting.” he said. “But by all means, go straight ahead. I already have his money; I have nothing to lose with his death.”

Noir frowned at the news, immediately sensing a flaw. LeBlanc was always paranoid---he travels with his large containment of his stones and valuables and stores it in a large custom-made portable vault around the world. He by nature was one that never trusted anyone’s word or honor, especially those that could kill him.
A man like LeBlanc wouldn’t pay a shady bodyguard in advance for his services.
Noir kept that thought silent as she continued to follow the mercenaries lead.

“I’m glad to have your blessing,” she replied sarcastically.

“So, what do you say? Will you take this job?” Ace asked.

Noir scoffed.
“It’s not a job if there’s no money.” she said. “This is a charity.”

She got a hum in response. Suddenly, he stopped, bringing the pair to a standstill.
“Then maybe this will persuade you.” Ace said.

He was staring straight into Noir’s eyes when he let out shrill and loud whistling sound that broke through the music and the crowd. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the men at the edge of the dance floor come to life, stepping into the crowd of dancing bodies. She didn’t have to turn to know that they were coming for her.

“I’ll say they will get here in about fifty seconds.” Ace said. “After all, I’m pretty sure they are all fans of your work.”

Noir scowled, all too aware of the fast pace of the approaching men.
“You’re threatening me?” she demanded with a hiss.

“Forty-two seconds,” Ace told her. “The choice is yours.”

Noir tried to pull away, but his arms around her waist were now in a vice grip.

“Please, do take your time.” he said. “Thirty-eight seconds…they seem really eager to meet you, Mademoiselle Noir. In a sort of brutal murderous way.”

“Alright, I’ll do it,” Noir spat in a hushed tone. “Now just get me out of here.”

But Ace tsked-tsked, a look of amusement glinting in his eyes.
“Now what fun would that be? You got yourself in this situation, so get yourself out of it.” he said. “Twenty seconds.”

Noir clung to the front of Ace’s suit with trembling fingers, and she felt her head spin. The tango served to be too taxing for her ailing health, and she was starting to succumb to the consequences.
“Dammit!” she snarled under her breath, forehead against his chest.
She could not lose control now, not like this…

“Eighteen seconds,” Ace murmured in her ear.

Noir inhaled sharply and jumped on the first plan that came to the surface of the mind. It wasn't a plan she liked, but what other course did she have?
Ace was still counting down when Noir abruptly pulled back, just enough to give him a look.

“If you want my help, then fine.” she said quietly, but with venom. “Now it’s your turn to follow my lead.”

She didn’t wait for a response as she stopped fighting the inevitable. A weak breath escaped her lips and her knees buckled, her weight limply falling forward against Ace’s chest. She felt his arms come around her body again and catch her fall and he stumbled back slightly, startled.

The last thing she heard was alarmed gasping around her and heavy footfalls on the dance floor before she blacked out.