Chapter Five

It felt so good to finally close her front door behind her. With a gusty sigh she leaned against it, then mentally cursed her sister. Two months of that man in her life? After less than twenty-four hours, she was physically and emotionally exhausted. And her desire for him to kiss her again made her even more angry. At herself.

He had the gall to suggest she burn her black dress. She ground her teeth when she thought of something else to add to his list of sins. She’d given him a great view down the front of her dress. Now he knew she liked frivolous underwear. Even worse, why did remembering the look in his eyes when he blatantly stared down her dress make her want to strip for him? If this was what she’d missed by avoiding men, then she wasn’t missing much. She squeezed her eyes shut and all the sensations of that kiss in the elevator flooded her, almost as intensely as when it happened. Maybe she was missing out on something great.

She pushed herself away from the door, hung her purse on the coat rack and headed down the hall, unzipping her dress as she went and shimmying out of it when she reached the bedroom. He hadn’t liked it, but was it really that bad? It was just a black dress for crying out loud…Viciously she kicked at it, sending it flying across the hardwood floor to disappear under the bed. Why did she even care what he thought? She removed her black stilettos, walked over to the closet, and placed them neatly back in their box.

If circumstances hadn’t forced them together, he never would’ve looked twice at her, and she better remember that. She discarded her underwear and put it in the dirty-clothes basket, pulled out some fresh ones, randomly grabbed a t-shirt and yoga pants and headed to the bathroom. She was not uptight. She was not prim and proper. She was not anal. She was standing here naked, wasn’t she? She stopped in the doorway, sighed in defeat and leaned a shoulder against the jam. Okay, maybe she was. But not being able to leave her dress in a heap under the bed was a good thing. What was wrong with cleaning up after yourself and making sure everything was done right the first time? Having your shoes organized was a good thing too.

Turning around, she went over to the bed, set her clothes down on it, and retrieved the dress. She shook it out in front of her. Damn him…Damn him! It was hideous.

Even if it wasn’t, because of him she’d never wear it again. Balling it up, she threw it in the trash. It was time for a new one anyway. She needed something for the rehearsal dinner; she could use it for her standby, need-to-wear-something-dressy type dress. Which was rarely for her, so no big deal.

Now, a shower, then maybe she’d do some number puzzles. She was not going to watch that recording on her DVR of the dance competition program, Celebrity Dance, starring Alejandro Rivera. She’d be deleting that. Maybe…Maybe? Definitely!

After she watched it one more time. She heaved a sigh in defeat.

****

It was pretty bad when a number puzzle didn’t clear her head. She threw her pen down on the table in disgust and propped her head on her hands. If this was her state after spending time with Alejandro Rivera, what would she be like after a dance lesson? She shuddered. But oh, the thought of letting her sister down on her wedding day…That was worth a shudder, too.

Lexi. She’d left early last night due to a migraine. Until now, it hadn’t occurred to Jade to call and make sure she was okay. If she didn’t get her medication soon enough, she would be in bad shape and might need help. She picked up her cell phone.

“Hey, kid, how you doing?”

“Much better. Beck took great care of me; I got my medicine in time and can cope with life today. Sorry I abandoned you to Han last night. I hope it wasn’t too awkward.”

Awkward didn’t come close. And though she longed to talk to someone about the emotional roller coaster ride she’d been on during the last twelve hours, she wasn’t about to burden her sister. She didn’t want to mess up the wedding plans. Plus, worrying about if she and Han were getting along was something Lexi didn’t need to be doing. Still, there was a pause that lasted a bit too long as she figured out what to say.

“It was fine. The dessert you ordered was heavenly and well worth being alone with Han. Besides, his car is to die for.”

Lexi laughed, a sound Jade was always happy to hear because it meant she was doing things right. “I thought that might make up for things. As if Han isn’t enough for you to drool over, though I bet you got more of a thrill from his car than from him. You’re just that crazy.”

Jade laughed, hoping it didn’t come across as strained as it felt. The thrill Han gave her was so far beyond the excitement of driving her dream car. “Well, now I know saving every last penny to get one is worth the sacrifice. But back to you. You’re sure you’re okay? You don’t need me to get anything for you? My day is blessedly free and clear, so I’m available if you need something. I could come by and give you my top-notch, migraine-relieving massage.”

The silence that came at the question was rather unnerving. Was something wrong that Lexi didn’t want her to know about? Was she sicker than she’d let on? Or had she lied about the headache?

“Jade, please don’t take this the wrong way, I love you to bits and am so thankful I had you to take care of me when Mom died. And your massages really are top notch. But you don’t need to worry about me so much. I have Beck for that now. Besides, it’s time you focused on you now and indulged yourself instead of me.”

Pain arced through her heart at the thought Lexi didn’t need her anymore. It was bound to happen at some point, she just hadn’t thought about when it happened. It suddenly felt as though she’d lost her purpose in life. Which was absolutely stupid. Her world didn’t revolve around Lexi any more than Lexi’s revolved around her. Still, it was hard to think of her sister as an adult who could take care of herself, even though she’d been one for years. She swallowed a lump in her throat and blinked away tears. Why wasn’t she better prepared for this step? Had she buried her head in the sand because she didn’t want to think about a future without Lexi to care for?

“I know. You’re right. Old habits are hard to break, you know? I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Thanks, Jay-Jay,” she said softly, then cleared her throat. “With all the drama last night, I forgot to tell you your dress is in. I have to call them on Monday to set up fittings for both of us. I need to know what works for you.”

“I’ll have a look at my schedule and text you what works. I can let you know by tomorrow night. Is that okay?”

“Sounds good. Love you more than chocolate and kitties.”

“Love you more than number puzzles and cheesecake. Talk to you soon.”

The text alert on her phone went off immediately after she ended the call with Lexi. She jumped at the unexpected noise and looked at the message—and fought the urge to throw the phone on the table. How did he get her cell number? Lexi. It had to be.

*Chica need ur help with my business accounts. B there in 1 hour.Sí? *

Squeezing her eyes shut, she pinched the bridge of her nose and blew out a frustrated breath. Like he would really listen to her if she told him ‘no’. What were the odds looking at his books would get her mind away from the man who owned them? It depended on where he was when she did it. What were the odds he would give the info to her and leave? Slim to none, probably, considering the way things were going for her lately. Still…Maybe confronting her demons would help her move on, and at the moment, he was one of her biggest ones.

She responded: *OMG. R u stalking me?*

*LOL! No. I m humiliating myself in front of u again. So?*

*C u soon.*

Right after she hit send, she realized she had absolutely no desire to confront her demons. She wanted to run screaming away from them. The thought of taking dance lessons made her stomach churn. And the fact Han was a celebrity had nothing to do with it. They were going to be up close and personal for a lot longer than when they’d kissed.

Would she enjoy it, or would it be too much?

Would it bring up all those feelings she’d worked hard to overcome? Still, she was excited at the thought of seeing him again. Oddly enough the desire to primp jumped into the mix. Even though she had no idea where to start. She hadn’t primped for a guy since high school; even then, it hadn’t been something she developed a knack for.

Not happening, Jade.

A T-shirt and yoga pants were what she’d be wearing for her dance lessons. He might as well see her like that now. And the French braid, too. It was comfortable and kept her hair out of her face. Perfect for work, perfect for dancing. Problem solved.

So what the hell was she supposed to do until he got here? She had difficulty concentrating before the text came in. No way she could manage it now.

Cheesecake. It would keep her hands and head busy. There was enough time for it, and when she was done doing whatever it was he needed her to, it would be cooled and ready to enjoy.

****

Not an excuse. Not. An. Excuse.

Han figured if he told himself that often enough, it would be true. And it was. Mostly. He knew something wasn’t right with the books for Let’s Dance, his dance studio for under-privileged children. The studio came as part of the deal when he bought Seriously Dance and was the chief motivator for the purchase. His math skills were definitely rusty, but had he the desire, he knew he could decipher the problem. It bothered him that he couldn’t easily figure it out. He was smarter than that.

Face it, Rivera; it’s an excuse.

He hated that his gut churned with excitement at the thought of seeing Jade again. Being with a woman, whether working or relaxing, was always fun but never—He absolutely refused to use the word emotional. He didn’t do emotion. His childhood cured him of that. And if it hadn’t, Marguerite’s death certainly would have.

By the time he pulled up at her house—for the second time that day—he was thoroughly disgusted with himself. He growled, threw open the car door, giving it a good slam once he climbed out, and headed up the stairs to her apartment. Two sharp raps on her door that were probably harder than they needed to be, and there she was.

Tall and skinny, taller than he usually felt comfortable with, but she had a figure all right and it was amazing. As was the smell that wafted out the door. Cheesecake…From that day forward, a smell that would have him thinking about things that had nothing to do with cheesecake. Now it was one with the hottest body he’d ever seen. He clenched his jaw. Since when had yoga pants and a tight, wash-worn t-shirt with a math equation on it he was too fuddled to decipher become sexy? When they showed off a tiny waist which highlighted a chest his hands itched to caress, that’s when. Hell…

He cleared a suddenly tight throat and gave his head a slight shake. “I wanted to go straight to the dance studio; everything’s on the computer there, but suddenly I’m feeling the need for a piece of cheesecake.”

She grabbed her purse from a hook by the door and told him, “Get over it. It’s too hot to eat right now.”

“My taste buds are saying they don’t care, but I know it will be much better for the wait.” No double entendre there…At this point he felt desperate enough to slam his injured wrist against something hard to take his mind off her. “So what are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

She gave him an exasperated look and the light bulb came on. Too close. He, on the other hand, was fighting the overwhelming desire to get closer. Cheesecake, Han, all the better for the wait. He stepped back and swept his hand out. “After you, chica.”

****

She was way too white for this part of town and though safely ensconced in Han’s office, scrolling through his accounts on the computer, she was glad he was there with her. Actually, she was amazed she could comprehend anything with him hanging over her shoulder, his breath warm on her neck—something she was loathe to admit she enjoyed.

He was right. Something was definitely hinky here. The building needed some serious repairs—at the very least Han’s office could use a serious cleaning, much less furniture that wasn’t thirty years old—yet according to the books, there wasn’t a cash flow problem. Granted, fund raising had been neglected since Han took over and cash was running low, but still…

She squeezed her eyes shut, pinched the bridge of her nose and ground her teeth. He smelled as good today as he had in the elevator. As comforting as his presence was, she couldn't get a handle on his books while he hovered. She dropped her hand and opened her eyes.

“What? Did you find something already?”

“No. You’re going to have to back off. My brain shuts down when someone gets too close.”

She clamped her mouth shut before anything too revealing fell out of it. He knew she liked a big personal space bubble, so he shouldn’t question her request. Hoping it would distract him from her revelation, she continued talking. “Though I can tell something’s not right.”

“What is it with you? I know there’s fire under that ice-princess exterior.” He muttered something in Spanish, blew out a breath that screamed frustration, and she suppressed a shiver of delight as it skittered over her skin. He straightened. “Right. Sorry. I’ll go say ‘hi’ to the kids in the practice room and take care of a few things. I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Thanks.”

****

“Who the hell are you?”

So focused on the numbers in front of her, Jade barely suppressed a scream at the unexpected voice. More, she bit back the desire to yell for Han. The girl who stood in the doorway was a fright. Long, dark dreadlocks, questionable tattoos, piercings on her face and ears. A ratty, cut-off t-shirt exposed a belly-button ring that sported a skull. Camo pants were tucked into army boots. Things had taken a decided turn for the worse.

“I’m going over the accounts for Mr. Rivera.” Slowly pulling her hands away from the keyboard, Jade hid them in her lap so they wouldn’t give away her emotional state.

“Ah, a math whiz,” the intruder sneered. “You certainly look the part.” She walked in the room and flung herself down in a chair across the desk from her.

Never more grateful to have a desk between her and another person, Jade stiffened and raised one brow. “Did you need something?”

The girl shrugged carelessly, leaned back in her chair and propped her booted feet on the desk. “Señor Alejandro lets me hang here on Saturdays. Is he around?”

Interesting. Did the Devil of the Dance Floor have more than a mere philanthropic interest in these kids? “He’s in one of the dance studios, I believe. Feel free to go look for him.”

She flicked some hair over a shoulder. “Naw. I think I’ll just wait here.”

So much for concentrating, though she’d figured out the problem. “Don’t you want to go practice dancing or something? Isn’t that what this place is for?”

She snorted in disgust. “Who said I’m here to dance? I just hang out, stay out of trouble, blah, blah, blah…”

“Okaay…So you just sit in here?”

“Not always. Señor Alejandro’s a nice eyeful. I watch him work.” The girl’s hard, dark eyes gave Jade the once over. “Right now I’m enjoying torturing you. Looks to me like you’re out of your comfort zone. Do I scare you?”

“You make me nervous for a lot of reasons I don’t want to go into. I’ll ignore it if you will.”

She laughed and it sounded genuine. “I like you. What’s your name?”

Jade wasn’t sure if she felt better about that or not, though some of the tension eased from her shoulders. “Jade. Are you going to tell me yours?”

“Not as prissy as you appear.” She dropped her feet to the floor with a loud thump and leaned forward, placing her arms on the desk.

Jade’s personal space alarms went wild and trying not to be obvious, she leaned back in her chair, rolling it back several inches in the process. It took everything she had not to wince at the loud squeak the wheels made when she did so.

“I’m not making you jumpy, am I?”

“Now why would you think I’m jumpy? I’ve been leaning over a computer screen for too long. I need to get some kinks out of my back.”

She nodded her head once but didn’t look like she was buying it. “Cat.”

“What did you call me?”

She laughed and the hardness left her eyes. “No, nerd. My name is Cat.”

“Ah…That explains one of your tatts then.”

“Yes. Evil looking, isn’t it?” She held out her arm and looked at the tattoo. “Would you like to know what the other ones are about?”

“No thanks. I have a good imagination. It’s enough.”

“Let me guess. You have a small heart tattooed somewhere—private.”

Jade burst out laughing. Now that she had some space and her brain was functioning normally, she was beginning to enjoy the girl. She had a feeling she was more bark than bite. “I like you too, Cat.”

“What? Too embarrassed to admit it? It is rather lame.”

“I’d have no problem admitting such a thing, if I’d done it. Just not into tattoos.”

“Wow. I’ll bet you and Señor Alejandro are the only people in L.A. who don’t have a tattoo.”

The information gave her a weird feeling. She wasn’t sure if it was a good-weird or a bad-weird. That was two things they had in common. No tattoos and not attached to their cell phones. “Now that’s a surprise. I would’ve expected him to have several.” Though now she thought about it, she saw him in nothing but his skivvies and hadn’t noticed any. Well, she had been stressed at the time.

“Me, too. Said his body was his temple, and he wasn’t going to defame it. What’s your excuse? Afraid of needles?”

Jade laughed and held out her arms. “If you had beautiful, milky-white skin like this, would you want to ink it up?”

“Oh, spare me! Seriously? You’re just chicken.”

“Afraid of you taking a punch at me maybe.”

Cat made a chicken noise and sat up. “People get worked up by the way I look all the time. What makes you think I even care about your opinion?”

“True. I’m just some white girl from a world completely foreign to you.” Jade gave a careless shrug and answered Cat’s question. “I don’t like them.”

“Órale pues. Fair enough.” She stood. “This conversation is getting boring. I’m going to find Señor Alejandro.”

Jade logged off the computer and stood as well, resisting the urge to cringe when someone outside the window started yelling in Spanish. She didn’t like being so jumpy, and the last thing she wanted was for Cat to notice. “Actually, I’ll come with you if you don’t mind. I’m not sure where to go, and I need to talk to him.”

She followed Cat down the hall, past the reception area where a large, muscular, rather intimidating man sat, looking more like a security guard than a receptionist, and down another short hall where the faint sound of music and a heavy beat could be heard. The volume of the music increased significantly when Cat opened one of the three doors, but the Latin music that was playing wasn’t so loud you couldn’t speak. They entered a large room with black Marley flooring and a wall made entirely of mirrors. It reflected a group of about twenty teenagers, mostly girls, practicing a variety of moves while Han prowled around giving pointers.

Cat boldly entered and crossed the room to sit against a wall. Jade closed the door behind her and leaned against it, feeling like an intruder. As she watched Han, she was surprised at how comfortable he was among dancers of any level—even with the impediment of his injured wrist—and by how good he was with the kids. Under-privileged, neglected teenagers who loved to dance, some of them with undeniable talent and others who simply enjoyed the chance to learn. Where did Cat belong in all this?

The side of dance-instructor Han was completely different from the one she’d seen on television. He wasn’t barking orders, demanding perfection and forcing the students to position their bodies exactly the way he deemed necessary. His words were encouraging, his body relaxed, his expression…

Wow. So much emotion on that face. Friendliness, concern, sympathy, a desire to help in any way he could. This was not the man from television, nor the one of the last twenty-four hours. This man gave his soul to these kids, anxious for them to succeed. Her heart opened a bit and an unfamiliar emotion seeped in. A warmth swirled through her entire being. She clenched her teeth and hardened her heart. She would not let herself feel such things about a man, any man.

Entirely absorbed in the whole scenario, Jade had no idea how long she stood there before Han walked over. He placed himself between her and the rest of the room, respecting her need for distance, but making it impossible for her to look at anything but him.

“You’re welcome to join in. No experience necessary. It might even give you a head start on our lessons.”

Shaking her head, she gave him a half-smile. “I don’t think so. I’m out of place enough as it is.”

He shrugged. “You underestimate yourself, I think. I see you’ve met Cat.”

“Yes. Now there’s an experience. Apparently she’s here for the eye candy.”

“Como?”

“Nothing. She said you let her hang out here and watch. She’s not interested in dancing.”

He blew out a breath that screamed frustration. “Oh, she’s interested. She just has huge barriers up right now. I’m trying to breach them.”

He brushed his hair back off his forehead, and a desire to be the one running her fingers through his hair caught her by surprise. She focused on the beat of the music and muted chatter of the students instead, looking at his chin rather than in his eyes.

“Did you find anything in the accounts?”

“Yes, I figured out the problem, though it’s going to take a little work to get it straightened out. I’d like to load everything on a flash drive and work on it at my office. If you’re interested in hiring me to fix it that is. Otherwise, I can show you what’s going on, and you can take care of it yourself.”

He nodded. “Si. I will take a look and then decide how I want to handle it.” He looked over at Cat who was watching them. “You know, if you get out on the floor and learn some dance moves, Cat might give it a try. Her mother is an exotic dancer, and I think that might be what’s put her off the concept. My gut tells me she’s got some real talent. I’m running out of ways to try and get her to do more than watch.”

“That sounds like a challenge. Let me see what I can do. I learned some tricks with Lexi.”

The look of relief that crossed his face at her offer made her warm to him even more. He sincerely cared about helping Cat. His gesture of letting her hang out in the studio was rooted in more than a humanitarian need to share some of his wealth with the less fortunate. Until he squashed it all with one fast comment.

“Better than joining me on the dance floor and having me touch you, isn’t it?”

“Go to hell, Han.” She marched across the room to Cat, collapsed on the floor next to her and called him a few foul names under her breath.

“I certainly hope you’re not talking to me,” the girl said. “Generally, I bash a person’s face in after that kind of comment.”

“Alejandro Rivera.”

“That’s almost as bad. Señor Alejandro’s amazing.”

“To you maybe. He wants me to join the class and learn a few dance moves. The last thing I need is to make a fool of myself in front of a bunch of teenagers. He lets you hang out here and do nothing. I don’t know why he has to hassle me to get out there. I’m just here to fix his accounting problem.”

“Knew you were a chicken.”

Jade shrugged carelessly. “I’ll own it. When it comes to dancing, I’m a chicken. The last thing I ever want to do is dance in front of people. At least I’m not pretending I’m only here to enjoy the Latin eye-candy.” She leaned back on her elbows and stretched her legs out in front of her, then pretended she was ogling Han as he demonstrated a dance move, while a nearby couple gave them a hard time. “I think you’re the one that’s chicken. Too afraid of what people might think if you enjoyed it. Or maybe you really suck at it, and you’re too scared to let everyone know it.”

Cat snorted in disgust. “You are so lame. Do I look like I’d be afraid of anything?”

“I think you want people to think you’re not afraid when you really are.”

“Well, nerd,” Cat sneered and started unlacing her boots, “Let me show you how unafraid I am. I can make these wannabes look like they have no idea what they’re doing.”

Jade smothered a laugh when she saw the shocked expression on Han’s face as Cat approached with the demand he dance with her.

She thoroughly enjoyed the show—as per usual whenever she watched Alejandro Rivera dance—for several minutes before quietly letting herself out of the room and heading back to the office for another look at the accounts. With Cat finally joining the class, it might be a while before Han was ready to leave. Hopefully it would distract her from the warm, fuzzy feeling she got when he mouthed ‘Thank you’ to her over Cat’s shoulder. And do a better job of it than the number puzzles had earlier. If she could focus and finish the job, she wouldn’t have to worry about taking the work back to her office. The last thing she needed was another reason to spend time with a man she couldn’t want.

****

With a sigh of relief, Jade clicked print, then raised both hands over her head and stretched. She’d done it. Standing up, she bent forward, back and then side to side with her hands braced in the small of her back. It felt really good to solve the puzzle of Han’s accounts, but not so good to straighten up from bending forward and look directly into a pair of topaz eyes, gleaming with appreciation. She hated when men looked at her like that.

Didn’t she?

“You look pretty satisfied with yourself. Did you solve my problem?”

“Printing it off right now. It looks like the previous owner of your company was a tax evader. I hope he didn’t rip you off too, when he sold you the place.”

“I minored in business, remember?”

She raised her brows in question. “All right then.”

He scowled. “What’s the problem?”

She took the stack of papers from the printer, then sat back down at the desk. Motioning Han into the seat on the other side, she turned the pages so they were right side up for him. “Clever bit of work, but not too hard to figure out or fix, if you’re looking for it. This is a copy of your accounts. Notice how every month there’s a donation, always the same amount?”

“Sí, but that is nothing. The previous owner said he donated from the profits of Seriously Dance every month because it helped Let’s Dance stay open and worked as a tax write off for him. Also, it didn’t hurt Seriously Dance because the studio was doing so well, and it always operated in the black.”

“Yes, I guessed as much. However, look at how much comes out in expenses for Let’s Dance over the next two weeks.”

“Hmmm…” The room was quiet for a moment as he went over the figures. “It is the exact same amount that went in.”

“Yes. Every month it goes in and goes back out under the guise of expenses. Rather vague, don’t you think? And just looking at this place, I’d say that much money is not being spent here every month. Things would be a lot nicer if they were.”

“No kidding.”

“You want to know where the ‘expense’ money went?”

“Let me guess, the owner’s bank account.”

She chuckled. “Not quite as obvious as that. I looked through the bills, and there are several every month to Seriously Dance for supplies with nothing itemized, so there’s no way to tell what was purchased from the other studio. I’d like to have a look at Seriously Dance’s books to see how they covered up that end of it. I have no idea what they’d be purchasing from the other studio, but you could check inventory to see if anything corresponds there.”

He swore under his breath. “What a mess. I’d love you to look over all of it. I will pay you, of course.” He ran a hand around the back of his neck and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. “The absolute last thing I want is to screw around with the IRS. Whatever you need to do to straighten out this mess, do it.” He slapped his good hand on the table and stood. “Shall we head over to Seriously Dance now, and you can check out those accounts?”

“Since it involves working, I’d just as soon load it all on a flash drive and take a look at it in my office on Monday. It’s Saturday, Han. I don’t work on weekends.”

“Sorry. I’ve worked weekends for so long, I forget most people don’t.” He gathered up the papers she’d printed for him, put them in a file cabinet and locked it. “Shall we go?”