"Instead of dreaming, I sleep walk. Cause I lost you..." Tessa swayed back and forth in a trance as she sung to herself while the memory of his touch lingered on her.

The muggy night air of a Savannah Autumn offered little reprieve for Tessa as she stood in the corner of the balcony and tried to collect herself. Rafik held her hostage in his strong arms for three entire songs and as Tessa took a drag of one of her father's cigarettes, her hands still shook like a leaf. No one had ever knocked her off balance the way he did as his body was pressed close against hers.

A familiar raspy Norwegian voice came to her ears as he snatched the cigarette from her fingers. "Those things will kill you, Tess." 

The ancient handsome blonde man took a puff from her cigarette then handed it back to her as he blew out smoke rings into the air from the side of his mouth. 

Tessa took another drag and rolled her eyes. "You first, you old bastard." Glancing back over at him, she cackled to herself as her eyes took in the full spectacle. "You clean up well, Haldir. You should wear a tux more often. Even I'm a little weak in the knees right now, and I can't stand your ugly face."

Tugging at his collar, Haldir stretched out his neck. "Shut up you spoiled fucking brat. I always look good." 

Holding his hand back out, Tessa gave him the cigarette. As he puffed on it, he squinted his eyes and looked down at her. "Why are you hiding out here anyway? That doesn't seem like something you would do. You love to show your ass off to everyone. You're a natural born, grade A drama queen."

"It's a fucking meat market in there, Haldir. I've been backed into every corner of the ballroom by every parent with an available son that they want to pawn off. These people should be ashamed of themselves for selling out their children like that for a little bit of power." Tessa took the cigarette back and sucked back the last drag before dropping it on the floor and twisting it under her shoe.

Chuckling through his nose, Haldir shook his head as he looked out across the park. "Someday, you're going to love all these men falling at your feet, Tessa." As he noticed someone approach from the corner of his eye, Haldir stood up from the wall he was leaning on and smiled. "Well, looky here. There's the head of your fan club right now. I guess hogging you to himself on the dance floor all night just wasn't enough."

Tessa glanced over and saw Rafik waiting for her to finish her conversation with his hands stuffed in his pockets by the glass doors. She trilled her lips and shook her head. "Stalker is more like it. If I end up dead on the side of the road somewhere, you know who did it. He's already got our kids names picked out I wager."

Haldir leaned over and kissed the top of Tessa's head. "Enjoy it while it lasts, child. That first taste of love is always the best. You'll chase it all your life, but it will never be that sweet ever again. Are we still playing cards tomorrow night?"

Crossing her arms and kicking at a brick as she smiled, Tessa nodded. "Why? Are you in a hurry to lose a whole bunch more of your money to me? You could save yourself a lot of trouble and just hand it over to me now."

Haldir put his hand in his pocket. "Sure, just a second. Wait, I got something even better, " he said as he suddenly pulled it back out and flipped her his middle finger. "See you at dinner tomorrow you little vixen."

Tessa smiled and nodded. "Later you dirty old Viking."

Walking past the tall young man, Haldir patted his shoulder. "She's all yours, son."

As Rafik took his hands from his pockets, he crossed his arms and walked to Tessa. "Have you been out here this whole time? I've been looking for you everywhere."

Tessa licked her lips as she tried to act unaffected by his presence, but the sound of his voice was like the Pied Piper leading her further and further away from whatever child-like innocence that remained in her. "Why?"

As she tried to avoid looking at him, Rafik moved in front of her and made sure she could look nowhere else. "I wanted to dance with you again."

Tessa grabbed the pearls in her fingers and twisted them. "I don't much feel like dancing anymore if you don't mind."

Rafik glanced around the balcony and then back to her face. "Alright then, can we just sit down and talk?"

Tessa took a deep breath and shook her head. "You don't have to play this game with me."

Rafik leaned against the half wall behind him. "What do you mean?"

The words coming from her felt like a knife stabbing her all the way up her throat. She hoped that he would do his best to prove every word of what she's about to say wrong. "I know why everyone's here tonight, it's not really a secret, but I'm not interested. Your family will just have to figure out some other way to climb up the social ladder here."

Looking down at his feet, Rafik's heart sank in his chest as Tessa rejected him. "I didn't come here for that, I assure you, but when I saw you..." Rafik looked up to her with teary eyes and put his hand over his heart. "I had to touch you. To hear your voice just once, rohi." As he inched forward to her, Rafik took her hand and rubbed his fingers over them. "But now, I just want more."

As her shoulders heaved up and down and she lost focus of the world around her, Tessa looked into his eyes. "What is this? Are you using some kind of spell on me?"

His body hovered against hers as he looked down at her lips and shook his head. "I'm your mate." 

His fingertips caressed the delicate curve of her cheek as he licked his lips. Since the moment he saw her gliding across the ballroom floor when she entered with her family, Rafik knew without a doubt that she belonged to him. Every cell in his body called out for Tessa to be at his side.

As his fingertips swept across her lips, Tessa closed her eyes. "You can't be." 

Rafik edged closer to her face and his nose grazed her cheek as he savored the calm before the storm. "Why not?"

As she softly panted against his mouth, Tessa said, "I don't believe in that."

Sliding his hand around her cheek, Rafik put his thumb under her chin and tilted her face to his. As his lips grazed hers, Rafik asked, "Have you ever been kissed before?"

Tessa shook her head no and Rafik smiled. "You were waiting for me. Weren't you?" 

Her whole body began to shiver against him as she said, "Yes."

Looking over the Fates masterpiece that he held in his hand, Rafik licked his lips then pressed them onto hers for just a moment. But that was all Tessa needed to ignite the fire inside her veins.

As he pulled away, Tessa's knees buckled underneath her. Rafik caught her in his arms and pulled her close to his body. "Are you alright, rohi?"

Tessa's eyes fluttered open as a tear escaped them. A drunken smile curled up on her lips as she nodded and .her smooth Southern drawl fell from her tongue. "Oh, won't you please do it again?"

"Anything you wish is yours." Rafik licked his lips and slid his hand to the back of her head then sucked her bottom lip between his. While he took his sweet time moving against her lips, Tessa whimpered into his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. 

Hot cocoa had nothing on Rafik's lips, Tessa thought. They weren't even close. It was like chocolate and candy canes and birthday cake and every other pleasant thing she'd ever tasted. 

When the sounds of giggles and feet hitting the balcony reached her ears, Tessa pulled away from Rafik and wiped the last traces of him off her lips. 

Reluctantly, Rafik let Tessa free from his embrace as he glanced over to the couple making out on the other side of the balcony.  When she tried to walk away from him, Rafik grabbed her wrist. "Please don't leave, rohi."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Tessa asked as he held tight to her arm.

Placing his fingertips in the center of his chest, Rafik said, "It means soulmate. I feel you here. Can't you feel it?"

Her bottom lip quivered as she nodded her head yes. While Tessa's shaking legs tried to decide which direction to take her in, she said, "I don't want this. I'm too young to find you."

Pulling her back to him, Rafik backed her to the wall. Tessa breathed into his chest, refusing to look into his face. "It doesn't matter what you want. It just is Tessa. This is as providence decrees." 

Rafik's arms swallowed Tessa up into them and she wrapped hers tightly around his waist. He curled her hair around his fingers and breathed in the gentle smell of summer strawberries as he brought them to his nose. 

They clung to each other in silence on the dark corner of the balcony until Tessa's heavy green eyes began to betray her. The warm spicy smell of cloves and cinnamon that dripped from his pores rocked her to sleep as she rose and fell against his chest. 

Rafik leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead. "Do you think your father would allow me to walk you home?"

Tessa rubbed her forehead with her fingertips as she grinned embarrassedly. "Probably not. He never lets me go anywhere."

"Oh," said Rafik quietly as he slid his hand back into hers. "May I kiss you again then before you go?"

Tessa licked her lips and nodded. As he leaned down to her face, he softly pressed his lips to hers and slid his hand up her cheek. "Good night, rohi. I will relive this night in my dreams until you are in my arms again."

Following Rafik back to the ballroom, Tessa took back her hand and tucked her hair behind her ear as she walked back to her family's table. As she slid into her seat among the loud adults, Teddy raised his brow from across the table and asked in his mind, 'And just where have you been all evening?'

Tessa clenched her jaw and rolled her eyes. 'None of your goddamn business. Can we leave now? I can't keep my eyes open anymore.'

Teddy nodded and looked at his father. "Is it alright if Tessa and I are excused for this evening?"

Jasper glanced back and forth between his children. "Go straight home. I mean it."

Approaching the Idrissi's table, Tessa's eyes snapped to Rafik. He touched the middle of his forehead and then placed his hand over his heart making her look away bashfully before she slid her hand to her chest in reply.

When they got to the sidewalk, Teddy grabbed Tessa's arm and they disappeared into a black mist. As the mist reappeared inside the foyer of their home, Teddy let Tessa go then said, "You know, his parents are already planning your wedding to that boy, Tessa?"

Tessa looked in the hall mirror and glanced up to his reflection. "Stop!"

Teddy grinned a devious smile and leaned against the hall table as he watched her look herself over. "What in the Sam Hill are you doing?"

"Do you think I look any different?" Tessa twisted her lips to the side and sighed as she scanned her image.

Teddy raised his brows and chuckled to himself. "Yeah, you look a lot dumber. Did that fool suck out all your brains when he kissed you?"

Tessa crossed her arms and turned on her heel as she walked up the stairs. "Kiss my ass, loser. I'm going to bed."

The magic of her first romance made Tessa feel like she was walking on air as she dragged her fingertips along the textured wallpaper and smiled to herself. "Tessa Idrissi."

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Tessa brushed her teeth as she replayed the night in her head. The weakness in her knees returned as she rubbed her fingers over her lips, remembering how soft his touch was. 

Laying in bed that night, Tessa looked out at the full moon as she listened to the radio. When her eyes finally knitted shut, Sleep Walk began to play over the speaker and she smiled to herself as Rafik's words echoed in her ears. "Goodnight rohi."