Grasp Heart

Chapter 13: Panic! Attack

"Ack!" I startled at the gigantic hand that dwarfed the crown of my head, ruffling my ponytailed hair, "Leo!"

"You ready to dance it up?" he asked, ignoring my protests.

"Yes," I rolled my eyes, attempting to smooth the top of my head back down, "If you step on my toes, I'll..."

He raised his eyebrows expectantly and his black-curly hair fell into his face as he leaned down to examine my expression. Like the rest of the students in class, he wore regular, daily attire; an allowance Coach Carter had made for the entirety of the ballroom-dance section. The ladies were even permitted to bring in heels if they so desired. An opportunity I took up eagerly. My own second-hand dancer's heels peeked out from the hem of my slightly-long denim jeans.

"You'll what?" he prompted.

"I'll tell Anne that you complimented my dancing," I folded my arms over my chest.

"Oof," he flinched like he took a physical hit to the chest but casually recollected, averting his eyes to a newcomer approaching, "Hey there, Locke."

"Warde," Trevor's icy tone wholly contrasted Leo's casual cadence. Too wary to turn his back on the vampire, he turned toward me. "Sara, I was wondering if you'd like to pair up for ballroom dance."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Leo already asked me."

Trevor's next words were preceded by a slight pause, "Does Mason know?"

"Yes, Trevor," I chimed, with an off-key chuckle.

"Aniya looks like she needs a partner," Leo suggested, his own tone a little razored.

After Trevor retreated a good distance, Leo met my eyes.

"Can't take a hint, can he?"

"Apparently not."

"Let me know if he keeps bothering you."

"No. I've got one more thing to try before intimidation."

"You've done a lot already," he pointed out, his voice dropping to a whisper as Coach Carter began instructing. He'd already taken up the leading position, dominant hand up and forward. "Mason's even getting irritated with the kid."

I eyed Leo's posture. My stomach overturned and acid began to creep up the back of my throat. No doubt my heartbeat skipped faster and faster with adrenaline. Leo watched with measured patience. I shook out my hands, feeling the sweat already sheeting across my palms.

I swallowed hard on the discomfort and reached.

"Bring your hand down," I instructed, raising an eyebrow.

His tongue clicked in disappointment. He'd been robbed of watching me struggle to reach all the way up by his tall shoulder. "And I haven't tried everything just yet; I'll be denying him in no uncertain terms next..."

"I feel like your body language and tone said it all just then," he noted skeptically, his voice rumbling and ominous. Once again, I'm struck by the familiarity of his features. Or was it the brotherly over-protectiveness that struck a chord just then? Whatever it was, I found I could tolerably place my hand in his. "And the way in which you said you were already spoken for is, in fact, a denial to his face."

"He's just a kid, he'll learn eventually," I said as Coach Carter instructed the class to step up to our partners. I tried not to think too hard on the fact that Leo had to touch my waist, but he left his hand to only hover like a ghost's instead, "But I will have to tease Mason for getting jealous."

"What, like you're not a kid yourself?"

His narrowed eyes focused on me and, though there was a smirk on his lips, he was trying to catch me in a slipup. I gritted my teeth, covering the fact that he nearly had.