Egg Nog didn't usually turn Gibbs on. Normally it was an over-rich drink that he chose to avoid. That was under normal circumstances. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't be at the office Christmas party wondering what it would taste like to lick said egg-nog off Ziva's stomach. Who needed body shots? Watching her lick the sweet liquid from her lips was almost his undoing, almost. The real problem was the red dress she was wearing was equally distracting. It was deceptively simple; a full skirted red dress with cap sleeves.. It was the buttons causing him fits. Buttons that ran the entire length of the front of the dress. His hands clenched tightly around the beer he'd been nursing the better part of an hour. The real problem was trying not to think about undoing those buttons. It was only a long swallow of lukewarm beer that kept him from marching her out of the room and doing just that.

She caught his gaze and smiled at him, cocked her head when it took him just a hair too long to respond in turn. He did smile but it was forced and Ziva was far too good at reading people not to notice. He should have tried for something more real but he knew if he just waited she would wonder. As if on cue she casually ended the conversation she'd been having with a colleague and made her way across the room. Without drawing attention to himself Gibbs glanced around to see if anyone was watching them. All he noticed was a few people playing….pictionary, a few others stealthily moving to some mistletoe and still others congregating around the buffet.

Ziva leaned against the wall next to Gibbs, trying to pretend she didn't enjoy the way he'd been looking at her. "Fun party, mostly."

Gibbs looked at his now empty beer with frustration. Still he didn't put it down. 22 buttons on the dress, what the hell possessed a designer to put 22 buttons on a dress? "Mostly?"

"I do not usually like crowds. But Tony was far too certain I would not come. I felt the need to prove him wrong." Ziva watched the corner of Gibbs' mouth kick up. Her pulse picked up as it always did so she sipped her egg-nog again.

Gibbs glance over to the man in question as he flirted shamelessly with a blond translator. He too was working toward the mistletoe. Gibbs actually glanced up briefly to make sure he hadn't accidentally landed under some of the weed himself. His sigh of relief was audible when only ceiling tiles greeted him. Twenty-two buttons, egg nog and mistletoe would have been just a bit much even for his self-control. "He likes to bait you Ziva."

He heard her laugh, felt it wash over him like bubbling champagne and couldn't stop the chuckle that followed.

"That he does, but I suppose he is right and it has done me some good to get out." He turned to her and cocked his head forcing her to blush. Simple words and yet they'd revealed that she stayed home far more than she let on. Rolling her eyes she looked to where McGee and Abby were vocally pronouncing their Pictionary win.

Gibbs watched the smile curve her lips, saw her focus had shifted and still he couldn't let her words slide. "Don't get out much?"

Ziva gave him an annoyed grimace, then stared into her glass, frowning when she found it empty. When the hell had that happened? "I work a lot as you know. Also it seems that many men do not like to date a woman with my career, and then my track record has not been…stellar. Really do you know anyone who would want to date someone like me?"

Gibbs had to stop staring at those twenty-two buttons or he was seriously going to embarrass himself. Her words snapped him to attention though. This time he laughed out loud, so loud apparently that the other members of their team looked over curious smiles on their faces.

"You find my lack of social life funny?" Ziva lifted a brow and turned so her hip bumped the wall rather than her back.

Gibbs sobered deciding the twenty two buttons were driving him to insanity. "Not funny at all Ziva." leaning in close he reached for her glass. "Want some?" he watched her dark eyes grow wide and grinned.

The scent of sawdust enveloped her pushing aside anything but Gibbs being mere inches from her. What the hell had happened to Gibbs? If she didn't know better she'd have thought he was flirting with her. "Want some…what?"

Gibbs stepped back holding her glass, he spun it around in his hand enjoying her slightly shocked expression just a little too much. "Egg-nog Ziva."

Ziva licked her lips, smoothed a hand down the side of her dress and almost said no. Looking at him and remembering the lonely night ahead she decided liquid courage was exactly what she needed. "Yes…I definitely want some." his eyes flared propane hot for the briefest second before he nodded and walked off. She huffed out a breath almost needing to fan herself. When had the room gotten so hot?

Gibbs took a long deep breath when he reached into the bucket of ice and beer. He actually stuck his hand a bit deeper than necessary needing the sweating cubes to cool him off. He felt Tony come to stand next to him and casually pulled a beer out of the ice along with his hand. Grabbing Ziva's refilled glass he faced Tony.

"Looks like you're having a good time boss, Ziva too." Tony chose his words carefully keeping his tone casual.

Gibbs bit back the defensive remark he wanted to throw at the younger man. Instead he nodded. "Yeah people watching. Watching you as a matter of fact…why do you think we were laughing."

Tony watched Gibbs walk away smirking and rubbed a hand across his hair "Hey….wait what's so funny about that?"

Gibbs saw Ziva had moved away from the wall and moved to the jukebox that had been rented for the occasion. She was biting her lip running a finger along the bubble of glass, finally it seemed she found what she wanted. She smiled pushed some buttons then leaned back against the machine. He moved in next to her handing her drink and joined her in watching those that had dared to step onto the dance floor.

"I am surprised that NCIS has parties. The powers that be seem too…buttoned up to have this much fun." She smiled as Vance danced with his wife far more relaxed than she was used to seeing him.

Gibbs hung his head biting back the urge to head slap himself. Buttoned-up? She'd had to choose those words, and he'd almost rid himself of the image of twenty two buttons hitting his fine wood floors. "Even us stuffed shirts can have a good time, you'd be amazed the things we enjoy."

Ziva turned her head sharply to him saw he was watching Vance and his wife without commenting she chose to go back to doing the same.

"Like dancing; good exercise, fun and ladies seem to enjoy it." He watched her mouth open slightly in shock then close again.

Ziva took a hearty sip of her egg nog. "I would not have thought you a dancer Gibbs."

"My mother insisted I know how. I even taught private lessons one summer." Gibbs smiled at the memory "One of the best summers of my life, money was good too."

Ziva shook her head and laughed. "You Gibbs are full of surprises." Ziva pretended not to notice the way McGee and Abby were watching them.

"We should probably mingle….." Gibbs sipped his drink trying to force his feet to move.

"I like where I am at right now, no reason to move." Ziva took a sip of egg-nog and gave Abby a small wave.

Gibbs saw the curious looks he was getting from the team and even Vance's wife who was sipping a glass of champagne. "People will talk."

Ziva let her brown eyes trail the full length of him then back up to his far too serious blue eyes. "I sure hope so." it was her turn to have the satisfaction of watching his mouth open on a curse. The word was whispered but crude and harshly bit out. Satisfied she'd made her point she swallowed the last of her egg nog. Offering her hand she heard the song she'd chosen began. "Care to dance..Jethro?"

Gibbs heard the challenge in her words, the song mde him bite his lip. A statement of intent that was very much Ziva, simply dancing to this song would cause raised eyebrows, he was thinking that was just what she had in mind.

"Wanting to give people something to talk about Ziva?"

Ziva laughed and offered her hand. "Always Jethro." He ignored the fact they were being watched for just a moment and took her up on her offer. As he led her to the dance floor hand at her waist his finger brushed those infuriating buttons, leading her into the dance he decided this might be a Merry Christmas after all.