Dancing with the Best Man, page 17
His gut told him he should stay away from Jade, yet here he was signing on for more time with her. Not that she wasn’t the exact person he wanted for the dance routine; he hadn’t made that up. And he reluctantly acknowledged it wasn’t the perfectionist in him that asked her to do it. He wanted her to be his dance partner on stage more than he ever wanted anyone or anything. Which should’ve been reason enough for him to run like a mad man in the opposite direction. There were plenty of other people who could get the job done. He frowned again and took another big swallow of the fine wine, doing it an injustice in the process.
Had a woman ever dominated his thoughts the way she did? No, unless it was related to dance. And if the woman had nothing to do with dancing, then thoughts of her never interfered with his work. Why was it so different with Jade?
He snorted in disgust, set his glass next to the wine bottle and slipped under the water for a moment in an effort to wash her out of his head. Sitting back up, he brushed his hair back out of his eyes and ran his hands down his face to wipe away the water. He finished off the wine in his glass and decided to stop there. He’d polish off the bottle when he wasn’t under the influence of the hot tub.
He laid his head back and closed his eyes. What he needed was to take her to bed for a week straight. Get her out of his system so he could focus again. That was really the root of the problem. It was the first time he’d ached so much for a woman and not acted on it. And it was exactly why he made sure he never went within a mile of a woman he suspected required more than something physical. It complicated things and he loathed complications. He’d had more than his fair share and had made an art of avoiding all things complicated.
Which settled the unease of his obsession with Jade but led him to dwelling on what getting physical with her off the dance floor would be like. No less disturbing than the emotional mess she’d brought on him, but easier to deal with. As soon as the wedding was over, he was going to pursue her in a whole different way. To hell with the fact she wasn’t his usual type. He needed her out of his system once and for all, and it was the only way he knew to do it.
****
“No, no, no!” The Devil of the Dance Floor barked at her for the millionth time. And this was definitely The Devil of the Dance Floor. Han had vanished five minutes after they entered the dance studio.
“That’s not going to make me get it right. No matter how many times you say it.”
He prowled across the room, picked up a towel and ran it over his face and down his bare chest, before slinging it around his neck. It had her thinking of an exotic black panther again, all glowing yellow eyes and rippling muscles. But actually, his glorious, half-dressed physique wasn’t what her problem was. Well, mostly. The problem was she couldn’t turn off her head. She knew the routine by heart but kept second-guessing every step she made. It was no secret it was driving Han crazy, but it made her nuts, too.
“You have got to turn off your head and feel the dance.”
“Really, Han? That’s the secret? Because I didn’t realize that from the hundred other times you’ve told me today. Or yesterday, or the day before that. Looks like you’ve found a hole in your teaching skills.” He muttered something in Spanish and she wished he said it a little louder so she knew what it was. Then she looked at his face and decided not to ask him to speak up. She was better off not knowing. Still, she couldn't stop the words that came out of her mouth, though it had to be the worst time ever to say them. “Be careful, Han; I speak fluent Spanish.”
His startled gaze went to her face; then his expression froze. “Would’ve been nice to know that sooner.” He ripped the towel off his neck, turned his back towards her, and pitched it at the laundry bin. She braced herself for what came next. “What you need is some tequila to turn off that analytical brain of yours. I realize dancing uses a lot of counting, but you’re obsessing over it.”
She relaxed. If he was going to ignore her revelation, then she would too. They had more important things to take care of, but Han’s suggestion was not the answer. “I need tequila to cope with my teacher. And I never thought I’d say this, but I am so close to being thoroughly sick of that song. And it was one of my favorites.”
He walked back across the room with a towel for her, stopping just short of entering her personal space. Though at this point, there was no such thing as personal space around him. He gave her the towel, and she wiped herself down with it.
“What other music makes you want to move?” he asked in Spanish.
Her mouth opened involuntarily, and she closed it quickly when she realized it. So he didn’t believe she knew Spanish. Her gaze darted to his face, wondering what kind of idea had popped in his head. She told him in Spanish some of her favorite artists. “I don’t see how changing the music will turn off my brain.”
Was that admiration that flashed in his eyes? He cleared his throat and smoothed a strand of hair off her face. “That’s one sexy accent you’ve got…”
If it wasn’t for the shiver that streaked down her spine at the contact, she wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Hopefully, after all this, anyone could touch her, and she wouldn’t have a meltdown. If that turned out to be the case, then everything Han was putting her through would be worth it.
He reverted to English. “I want to give it a try. I know a couple of songs that work with the routine.” He walked over to the sound system and got the music ready. “Here’s hoping.” He stepped up to her and held out his hand. She took it. “Ready?”
“To throw in the towel? Yes. To dance? Do I have a choice?”
“No.” He narrowed his eyes for a moment. “I want you to feel the music and the beat. Concentrate on the words if it helps.”
“Yes. I know. You said that already. Repeatedly.”
This time he rolled his eyes, and she realized she wasn’t the only one stressed out about how hard it was for her. So when the music started, she made the attempt again. And it actually worked. Somewhat. The change of song helped because she wasn’t so accustomed to the music she no longer heard it. Unfortunately, it was in spurts. Her head would turn off for a few measures and then before she realized it, she was counting the beats, thinking about the next step, where her hands should be, what she looked like when she was shaking her bootie.
“Progress,” he conceded when the song ended, but didn’t look pleased with it. He put his hands on her shoulders, then absently ran them up and down her arms. “Let’s try something else. You like those modern remakes of vintage music the best?”
She looked at him, conflicted. She wanted to do the dance right, was willing to do what she had to do to make it perfect. But she was loathe to admit how much she enjoyed that kind of music. It was so…Corny. And very un-hip.
“Sí? Lexi says this is so.”
She blew out a breath in exasperation. “Yes. I know, it’s lame.”
“Como? I think it fits you. There’s some great dance music and I enjoy it too. Any particular ones you like better than the others?”
She shrugged. “Not really.”
“I’ll queue up a few. We are going to simply dance. Like at the club. No routine, no particular dance style. Just moving to the music. You following my lead. Sí?”
“I’ll try anything at this point. I probably want this perfect more than you do.”
“Hard to say. We’re both still here at eight o’clock at night, no dinner and no intention of leaving any time soon.”
The music started, he pulled her close and that was when she knew she was in big trouble. She didn’t think about her feet and where they should go next; she didn’t think about her frame; she didn’t think about the count. She could only feel, and her mind was stuck on the sensations. How his touch felt so incredibly right. Like it had when they danced at The Conga Room. So it wasn’t the tequila. It was him. And she knew she should be worried about that, but she wasn’t. Not when she was feeling so…Much.
The music throbbed around them, around her. Through them, through her, and became a living thing that took her control. Control she surrendered willingly. Because not having it felt so…right.
She wasn’t exactly sure when the dancing turned into outright foreplay. It was before she realized how turned on Han was. Before he started running his hands along her back. And long before he bent his head, captured her mouth and devoured it like he’d been celibate for years. She had no idea when they stopped moving to the music or when he backed her against the wall. Her brain was off with no intention of coming back on any time soon. And it didn’t frighten her—it freed her. The bubble was gone, obliterated by the avalanche of sensations aroused by Han’s…everything. Because of him she’d done a one-eighty; from cringing at a touch to dreading its absence. And tequila had nothing to do with it this time.
He pressed her into the wall, still moving rhythmically to the music and as his hands cradled her head, she wished her hair was loose so he could thread his fingers through it. He unleashed a maelstrom inside her, making her desperate for more, never wanting him to stop touching her. His hands left her head to caress her neck, then down her arms and back up. How could she have ever dreaded something so heavenly?
Her brain came back on with a vengeance and she froze for a moment before struggling frantically to be free; kicking and hitting in an effort to regain her personal space, to make it all go away. Han let her go like she burned and moved away to lean against the wall next to her, his breathing audible, hands clenched at his sides.
“Damn, chica.”
His voice was thick and rough and even in her panic, made her melt inside. Brought her back to where she was and who she was with.
“I am so sorry. I swear, I never meant things to go so far. I would never, ever force you to do anything. But you are one hot mama made for loving.” He cleared his throat. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. He wasn’t the one who should be sorry, and she couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes and look at him. Instinctively her fingers went to her neck, wanting to grab her locket. It wasn’t there. She’d given up wearing it during her lessons long ago and hadn’t needed it until now. She’d been happy about that. Until now.
She had to swallow before she could speak. “There’s absolutely no need for you to apologize, Han. I’m the one in the wrong. For teasing you. It’s my fault we can’t finish what we started.” She opened her eyes, ran a shaky hand over the top of her head and down along her braid, bit the inside of her lip. “I—thanks for respecting my wishes.” She covered her face with her hands. “You have no idea how much I wish things were different.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I do. I don’t think I’ve wanted anything more than I want you right now.”
She dropped her hands to her side, pressed them into the wall and turned her head to look at him. His fisted hands pressed into his thighs. Her gaze traveled upwards to a well-muscled abdomen that moved rapidly with his deep breaths, then moved quickly on, over his chest and came to a stop at his face. Looking at his physique had her wanting things she knew she wouldn’t be able to follow through on. His jaw was clenched, a sheen of sweat covered his brow and upper lip, and his eyes were twin flames that threatened to devour her, to drag her back where she didn’t dare go. She was not a tease, and she wasn’t going to experiment with him to see how far they could go before she panicked again.
“I think it’s time we called it quits. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow, which should give us time to cool down enough to practice dancing.”
“Oh no you don’t. We’ve made some significant progress, and there’s no way I’m letting you leave and give you time to revert back. I just need a minute to cool down. And now that I know you’re not freaked out by how much you turn me on, we can dance without my having to be careful you don’t notice it.”
“Oh my God…So the trouble we’ve been having getting this right isn’t just my fault after all.”
He pushed himself away from the wall and barked out a laugh as he walked across the room and grabbed his water bottle. After taking a long swallow he said, “Though my tension in that regard may have communicated itself to you, it still all goes back to your issues, Sweetheart. You are not pinning any of this on me.” He set the water bottle down, started the music and held a hand out to her. “No more worrying about—er—inappropriate contact. We are not leaving tonight until you get it right.”
Chapter Twelve
A tight grip on the strap of her purse, Jade knocked on Lexi’s door. She didn’t usually drop in out of the blue, not since her sister began seeing Beck, but she hadn’t told her about the fundraiser and if she left it any longer, Lexi would be pissed.
Why hadn’t she told her right away? She normally didn’t keep secrets from her. As she waited for her to answer the door, Jade wished she hadn’t given in to the impulse to drop by on her way home. She should’ve just called.
“Jade! What are you doing here?” Lexi shook her head at herself. “Not that I’m not happy to see you. Come in.” She moved back and opened the door all the way.
Jade stepped inside and made her way to the living room, picking her way through a variety of shoes, as Lexi closed the door and followed her.
“Geez, Lex, how can you live in such a mess? You know it’s little things like bad housekeeping that can drive a man away. Does Beck know you don’t like cleaning?”
Lexi rolled her eyes. “Talk about archaic thinking, and you can stop being my mother, Jade. I’ve been an adult for quite some time now, and I don’t need you acting like one anymore.” She blew out a breath. “Of course, Beck knows. I don’t keep secrets from him. Besides, he’s rich, remember? He has a housekeeper whom we’re keeping on after we’re married.”
The reality of the situation hit her, and Jade’s heart ached for a moment. Lexi didn’t need her anymore, and Jade could no longer ignore it. It wasn’t just the two of them now. She had Beck, and he was the center of her universe. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and her eyes burned. Soon she’d be all alone.
“Right, sorry. Old habits.”
Lexi shook her head at herself. “I didn’t mean to snap at you; I’m just starting to feel a bit swamped by everything I have to do in the next few weeks. The thought of packing up my entire apartment is overwhelming.”
“I can imagine. And I’d say I’m here to do whatever you need me to, however…” Her voice petered away, and she cleared her throat, unsure how to tell her about the fundraiser.
“What? What’s going on? Are you okay?”
She walked over to the couch, pushed aside a magazine and sat down. “Han asked me to do a dance routine with him at a fundraiser in a couple weeks.”
“What? And you’re just now telling me? God, are you ever going to stop treating me like a child? I’m your sister, Jade. You can tell me stuff like this. I had no idea you could dance well enough Han would want you to perform with him.”
“You’ve got enough going on right now, and I didn’t want to bother you with my junk.”
“And that is exactly what I mean by your treating me like a child. Sisters bother each other with their junk. They have each other’s backs. It’s not a one way street. You deserve someone to talk to, too. Did it ever occur to you that I want to be there for you in the same way you are for me? But you never let me, and you’ve got it so together, most of the time I feel like I have nothing to offer anyway.”
“Lexi, I never knew…”
“Probably because you’re so busy taking care of me, you never thought I’d like to take care of you, too. Don’t get me wrong, you’ve done an amazing job stepping in after Mom was gone. I don’t think I can ever repay you, but did you ever think about the fact I lost a sister when it happened? I miss having a big sister, Jade.” She dropped down on the couch next to her and took her hand. “God, I’m so glad I got that off my chest. I’ve been wanting to say it for so long.”
Jade squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe I never thought of it like that. Now that you’ve brought it to my attention, though, I rather miss having a sister, too. Although I’m not sure I know how to be one after all this time.”
“Easy peasy. First of all, tell me all about this performance you’re doing and how that happened. When is it? There’s no way I’m missing it, no matter what I have to cancel. My God, Jade, you’re dancing with Alejandro Rivera on stage! Is he as sexy to dance with as it looks on TV?”
Jade laughed. She may not be ready to talk with her sister about how sexy Han was, but she was definitely going to like this sister thing.
****
Her mind was completely blank and her heart pounded so hard she was sure everyone around her heard it. She thought the costume—a red dress with a floaty, shimmery skirt and a tight sequin-covered bodice—made her look horribly skinny. Everyone else, including Han, said it made her look sexy. No matter who was right, it wasn’t a look she wanted to put on display for a theater full of people. Mostly it compounded the dread she felt at going on stage in a real theater where thousands of eyes would be watching her. The fact her mind had gone blank helped in that regard, but it posed a problem for doing the dance routine.
Han’s hands descended on her shoulders and turned her to face him as they waited in the wings for their cue. He moved his hands to either side of her neck and tilted her head up with his thumbs under her chin.
“Jade, you’re going to do fine. Just keep your eyes on mine. I will guide you, and if you mess up, I can fix it. Stop worrying about them.” He tilted his head towards the audience. “Remember what this is for. You’re helping Cat. As well as the many other kids who could use a break. Who just need someone to give them a chance. Focus on that.”
She nodded her head slightly, then his lips were on hers and gone before she had a chance to respond. Absently she wiped the red lipstick off his lips with her thumb. “How can you be so calm? Aren’t you nervous at all?”
