Chapter Eight

“You want me to what?”

They were waist-deep in the ocean that was Han’s backyard when he announced he wanted to try a lift. Why didn’t he say anything before she put on a swimsuit and waded into the water?

“You’re going to put a lift in our routine? This isn’t a dance competition, Han, it’s a wedding, for crying out loud. There’s no need for theatrics.”

He chuckled and gave her a wicked smile. “It’s a trust exercise, chica; there will be no lifts in the dance. Unless you want to do it…”

“Good lord, no.” She wiped a stray lock of hair off her face and shook her head. “I trust you. I simply don’t see the need to jump in your arms and be lifted over your head to prove it.”

His expression changed to serious. “This is where you’re wrong. Now, back up a little more, come at me and jump. I will catch you and lift you up. If it goes awry, the worst that can happen is we fall in the water.”

“Yeah, well, this water is really cold. Is there a nice warm pool we can do this in?”

“Take my word for it, the cold water is in your best interests.”

She shrugged a shoulder and blew out a breath. He was right. Somewhat. If she didn’t do it properly, they’d fall in the water, no worse for wear. But it didn’t feel like falling was the worst that could happen. Reluctantly she nodded her head and backed away from him a bit, silently chanting, for Lexi, for Lexi. She would be moving with the waves, so it helped her momentum, but that meant Han had to brace himself against the water coming at him, as well as the impact of her, and she wasn’t too sure he could do it. And the last thing she wanted to do was injure his wrist right after it’d healed.

“Han, I’m not a small person; I’m almost as tall as you and by no means a lightweight like you’re used to dancing with. Are you sure you can do this?”

He chuckled. “Chica, do you doubt my strength? It seems this exercise is exactly what you need. It’s a matter of timing and balance. When I position you at the right angle and hold you in the right spot, the effort it takes is minimized. The trick is getting that right and, like you say, I’m not used to doing it with someone built like you. Also, you have not done this sort of thing before, so you need to learn the procedure, and the water makes it easier. Are you afraid of falling in and getting your head wet?”

She snorted derisively. “Of course not. I’ve been playing in the ocean most of my life. If you think you can handle me, then let’s do this.”

Just in case, she mentally prepared herself to end up in the water. It was stupid. If this was no big thing, why was her heart pounding so hard? Han was her teacher and she was learning a dance move. Granted, it was a lift and he would be holding her up in the air, but still…She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and didn’t open them until after she started moving.

Her timing was way off, and she misjudged how hard it would be to jump out of the water, so she didn’t get near high enough. Her hands latched onto his shoulders as she slammed against him. The water splashed around them, landing on her face and arms. He grabbed her by the hips to lift her but ended up merely steadying her. He didn’t come close to losing his balance in the water, though he did suck in a breath between his teeth. Other than that, the impact on him was minimal. It reminded her of his reaction when the elevator came to a jarring halt.

It gave her some confidence in his ability to hold up his end of the lift. However, the feel of his slick, wet, naked flesh under her hands and along the length of her body was altogether a different story. She’d been scared of feeling a man’s skin touching hers—afraid she might freak out like when she felt her stepfather’s bare skin. Worse, afraid she would never enjoy it the way most women did.

Therefore, she wasn’t prepared for how good it felt. Or that she wouldn’t want to end to it. She resisted the urge to run her hands down his biceps, to press her lips to his and taste the salt of the ocean

How many times on his TV show had she watched the professionals practicing this very move with their students? As if it was part of an exercise routine, a maneuver they repeated until they got it right, with nothing remotely sexual about it. She hoped none of what was going through her head showed on her face as she removed her hands and stepped back a pace. Only when she wasn’t pressed against him did she think about how her barreling into him may have affected him.

“Did I hurt you?”

He let out a throaty laugh. “It takes more than that to knock me off my feet, chica. It’ll take a few tries for you to get a sense of how to do it in the water. Go again.”

“That sounds like a challenge.”

****

The cold water had him fantasizing about, and looking at, parts of her he shouldn’t be thinking about. At all. Was he ever wrong thinking the coldness would keep his body from responding to her proximity. And those legs. Ai ai ai! Wrapping around him in an effort to keep them from falling over. Tangling with his when they toppled into the water. He found himself touching them way more often than he should for his own peace of mind. And, she didn’t flinch at his touch once. Although, the way he felt right now, he wished her issues would surface so she’d call a halt to this torture. She bounced into him and slid down him more often than not.

They unbalanced several times as he tried to lift her. It was a long time since he’d lifted someone as tall as she was, and falling backwards into the ocean with her landing on top of him, the odds were increasing she’d realize her effect on him. One step forward and two steps back was not the purpose of the exercise. His normal male reaction to her was something she didn’t have a normal experience with, and the thought of engendering feelings in her remotely like the ones her stepfather had, made him cringe.

He started this escapade hoping for one good lift to show her how far she could trust him. That he could hold her over his head and she was safe. Doing it at his private section of the beach rather than a public pool gave them the privacy they needed. He also hoped it would make her more comfortable with his nearness. He decided she’d made good progress with the comfortable aspect, it was time to give up on the lift aspect before he undid the good he’d already accomplished. At the moment, he could barely think past his desire to haul her into his house so she could wrap those legs around him in a way that would be exquisitely satisfying. For both of them. The heat of the morning sun on his back was nothing compared to the inferno raging inside him.

He grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet, then slicked his wet hair back off his forehead with his hand. “Okay, we’re done. I don’t need to trash my wrist right after it’s healed…”

His voice petered away as he looked into her eyes, and it wasn’t fear he saw. Was she as affected as him from their tangling in the surf? He stepped closer, resting his hands on her bare shoulders. Just a kiss. They’d already kissed and she hadn’t freaked out. Hell, he’d pressed her up against the wall of the elevator and kissed her like he never wanted to stop, and she kissed him right back. His blood throbbed through his veins at the thought, the need to press himself against her increasing. The cool ocean breeze across his wet skin didn’t cool him a bit. His voice was hoarse when he spoke. “Jade?”

He slid an arm down across her back and pulled her close. Wrapping his other hand around the back of her neck, he tipped her face towards him with a thumb under her jaw. He lowered his head and softly rubbed his lips against hers, taking it slow for fear she might bolt. Or punch him or kick him. Or bite him. He suppressed a groan at the thought.

She relaxed into him, moving her mouth against his, and his heart pounded like a jackhammer trying to tear its way through his chest. He ached to pull her tightly into his arms, to rub himself against her, to immerse himself in her. Something he dare not do. For his sake even more than hers. How stupid of him to think one kiss would solve anything. So he ended it, easing away from her to place his hands on her shoulders for a moment before he let her go and stepped back.

“That was totally out of line.” He cleared his throat. “As much as we both enjoyed it, it’s not a good idea to get involved sexually while we’re working on the dance for the wedding. I said I wouldn’t get physical with you, so I apologize.”

He paused, eyes searching hers. There was no fear, which made his heart take wing for a moment before it pounded hard at the regret he saw there. “From here on out, I’m thinking it’s a good idea to stay away from the water and keep our clothes on.” He shook his head at himself. “This was an epically bad idea. I don’t know why I thought it would work. Your legs are lethal weapons, and not only seeing the length of them in that swimming suit but having them wrapping around me and tangling with mine in the water is—a bit distracting. I pride myself on my self-control.” He ran a hand around the back of his neck, massaging the tight muscles for a moment. At least it had kicked in before he picked her up and took her to his bedroom. He sighed. “Let’s get dressed. Time to try something different.”

She shuffled a foot in the sand for a moment, watching it like it was the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen. “You really like my legs?” she said softly, then cleared her throat. “Something different?”

She raised smoldering green eyes to his, and a hot flame of desire hit him in the gut before quickly spreading outward. He was thrilled with the fact he was the one to awaken a desire for physical contact in her. And it wasn’t the usual thrill he got when he set out to capture the interest of a woman he was attracted to. It was more than sexual. He put the brakes on that train of thought. He didn’t want to know what else it meant. He was giving a dance lesson. Not the sort he usually gave, but a lesson regardless. He needed to get his head where it belonged.

“We’re going to do the rest of our lesson at Let’s Dance.”

“Whoa. I’m not taking my car into East L.A. by myself, much less parking it. There’ll be nothing left of it come time for me to leave. Unless I can park it in your Fort Knox of a garage.”

He lifted a brow. “No kidding. I’ll follow you to your house and we’ll drop off your car, then you can ride with me.”

****

Han followed her to her house in an old pick-up, but as Jade climbed in, she couldn’t relax and enjoy the ride. The thought of dancing in a class full of people tied her up in knots. Tighter than the ones she got when she thought about dancing at the wedding.

As he pulled away from the curb, she looked over at him. “How many cars do you own? And why a beat up old truck?”

“Three. You’ve seen them all now. It’s always handy to have a truck and this is the first vehicle I ever owned. But besides the sentimental value, it makes me feel like a show-off taking a fancy car to Let’s Dance. I want the kids to relate to me, not to feel like they’re less-than. That I’m some god-like person living a life they can never have. But for chance, their life would’ve been mine.”

She swallowed. How could you not admire a celebrity who didn’t forget where he came from, much less one who wanted to do what he could to help others get where he was? Or at least have a better life? Still, it didn’t mean she was any more comfortable with having her dance lesson around other people.

“It makes no sense to me how this latest escapade is going to help with my dancing. Or is it that you have to be at Let’s Dance, so you’re killing two birds with one stone?”

He gave her a mischievous smile, then turned his attention back to the road. Her heart acknowledged it with a vicious thump. Had she ever seen a better looking man? Stupid question. This was L.A. Of course she’d seen better looking men. She had an actor-wannabe as a client who was seriously swoon-worthy. She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to block the thought that suddenly popped in her head. Was it other things, things she’d learned about him since spending time with him, things about the man inside that made him more attractive? No. She wasn’t that stupid. Getting emotionally involved with a celebrity was absolutely idiotic.

“I have a class to teach in half an hour, so, the two birds thing.”

Yeah. Definitely not the man making him more attractive. Right now, she could happily strangle him. If he wasn’t driving the car she was riding in, that was. “Maybe you should turn around and take me home. I don’t think I’m up for making a fool of myself in front of a group of teenagers. Never mind underprivileged ones with issues.”

He didn’t slow down the car and he didn’t look at her, but his jaw clenched. Worse than that? She’d not only irritated him but said something she wished she hadn’t as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Yet still her fingers itched to push a stray lock of hair off his forehead. A desire which freaked her out more than the puzzle of his attraction. She was suppressing the urge to touch someone, not the urge to back away. The feelings she’d had in the elevator weren’t a fluke due to their unusual circumstance. Suddenly she felt as though she couldn’t breathe. It was absolutely the worst time to realize the extent of his power over her, because the fact Han was taking her to have a lesson with a group of people was more than enough to make her feel like she was suffocating.

“I can see I’m helping you with another kind of trust as well. You need to trust my judgment. And be careful, your prejudice is showing.”

For the first time since she’d heard it, the sound of his voice didn’t make her want to melt; it chilled her to the bone.

“Han—”

“No, Jade, I do not want to hear it.”

His accent was thicker and as he viciously shifted gears, she fought the sudden urge to throw up. Prudently she kept her mouth shut. Because he was right. And she didn’t want to be that person. She wasn’t that person. She was, however, seriously freaked out about what he wanted her to do. Which meant she had no choice but to trust his judgment. Although she really didn’t get how making her take part in the class was going to help. Private lessons were hard enough. If her dance partner was anyone other than him, she wouldn’t be the only one thinking this was a bad idea.

She watched the city go by in silence, refusing to look anywhere but out her window and tried to think about anything but Han and dancing.

“Did I really just see a building shaped like a green tamale?”

He cracked a smile and Jade mentally sighed with relief. “You did. It’s a beauty salon now, but it was a tamale place back in the day.”

She chuckled. “Classic. Love that about L.A.”

“The dance studio used to be a tortilla factory. Take a good look at the reception desk. It’s an old tortilla-making machine. I had a granite top put on it so it could function as a desk. I found the machine in a room where the previous owner stashed a bunch of junk. Most everything else got thrown away, but I kept the tortilla maker as a tribute to the history of the building.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice before. I love how you did that.”

“It’s a little reminder for the kids of their heritage.”

She swallowed a lump in her throat and prayed her voice sounded normal. “You’re just what those kids need. The money you’re spending on them and the time you’re giving them. This isn’t merely a tax write-off for you.”

He gave a slight shake to his head and his hand tightened on the gear shift, but he didn’t look at her. Did he not want to look at her now? “There’s the pay-it-forward aspect of it, but it’s more than that. I know how hopeless these kids feel.”

“And they can relate to you because of it, I bet. Do kids show up just to hang out with a celebrity?”

“It’s happened, but generally I’m there when the studio is only open to kids who are serious about dancing. Not necessarily good at it but have a real desire to do it. I have security guards to keep things under control, and I’m usually not there when it’s open to whoever wants to show up.”

He darted a glance at her, his eyes cold and hard as topaz. She suppressed a shiver and fondled her locket for a moment. She’d touched a nerve and had no idea what to say or do to make up for it. He was sensitive and protective about the kids at Let’s Dance. Which, in reality, made her admire him even more. She kicked herself for her inadvertent criticism, and she hated that it made him withdraw from her. She also hated how much she hated it. She wasn’t sure what to do about it all either. Why did relationships with people have to be so complicated? Things were much easier when she spent most of her time living as a hermit playing with numbers.

“The class we’re joining is a special one I’ve started. It’s only open to those who put forth the effort to try out for it and qualified with both skill and talent. I have no idea what you did, but you got through to Cat, and she wanted to be part of this. I really appreciate it.”

And still, he didn’t look at her. His hand had a death-grip on the gear shift and his voice lacked warmth. Not that she doubted the sincerity of what he told her.

“I was happy to do it, though I’m not sure what it was I did. I’m glad she’s joined in.” She looked down at her lap. Fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt. How was she going to handle joining a group of strangers without his moral support? “Han, I’m genuinely sorry about what I said. I didn’t mean it to come across the way it did. I’m freaking out about doing this.”

He nodded his head, his eyes on the road as he maneuvered the car into the garage at Let’s Dance. “You’ll be fine.”

She didn’t think so, but it didn’t make much difference at this point, and all too soon for her peace of mind she was standing in a dance studio filled with about twenty teenagers. Surprisingly, the girls only outnumbered the boys by two. Which wasn’t a problem as two other professional dance teachers were there, volunteering their time so everyone was able to pair up.

Dancing with an angry Han had her shaking in her shoes as she stood at the side of the room—probably more like cowered—not far from the door. She fought an urge to bolt through it and lock herself in his office. Especially when he announced they were going to be dancing the cha-cha-chá. As he explained what the class was about, she wondered why he wanted her there.

“I’m happy to see so many of you who not only have the talent but are willing to do the hard work necessary to pursue it. Before we begin, there’s some things you need to know. First, though, I’d like you to meet my friend Jade. She’s one of my students at Seriously Dance, but for reasons I won’t go into, she’s joining us for her lesson today. Be gentle with her, por favor.”

There were a few chuckles and a couple of guys whistled. Not what she needed to get over her nerves, but it did make her feel accepted.

He clapped his hands together several times to restore order. “Now, the reason for this special class.” He paused dramatically and everyone in the room was intently focused on him. Including her. “I’m putting on a dance program as a fundraiser, and I want this group to do a routine for it. People need to see the kind of talent we have here. What their money will be supporting. There will be performances by professionals from my dance show, as well as a dance number performed by my students at Seriously Dance.”

This elicited cheers, groans and complaints, and he had to clap his hands again to get them to quiet down. When he started speaking, it was in Spanish. “I know this is rather overwhelming for some of you, as well as frightening, but I want all of you to give it a chance before you decide whether you want to take part or not. Then, if you don’t feel up to it, you can quit. But you have to give it a try first. So, everyone is committed to doing this for a week. The fact you were willing to try out to be here in the first place tells me you’re serious about your dancing. Don’t let fear control you. Think instead of the possibilities open to you, the future you could have, which seemed unattainable not so long ago. There will be a number of high-powered entertainment people in attendance. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so don’t let fear keep you from grabbing it with both hands.”

He switched back to English. “I know we usually do our classes in Spanish, but from now on we only use English. Making a career of dancing in L.A. involves more than just memorizing routines and dance steps. I don’t think this will pose much of a problem for most of you, but this is also part of your training.”

Everyone was silent as they absorbed what he said and waited for him to continue. Jade was in awe of the respect he received, respect that went beyond the fact he was a celebrity. And what he was doing for these kids said volumes about him. As a man. As a person.

“Now the cha-cha. I am assigning who you’re partnered with and you will be performing with them at the fundraiser. You’re with this person because I feel it’s the best match as far as talent, skill, personality and size. I put time and effort into this, so there will be no switching things around. Do not even go there. Since we have two extra girls, they will be paired with an instructor until I can find students to do it. Now, I’m going to put on some music, pair you up, and you can practice your cha-cha as well as get used to your new partner. While you’re doing this, I’m going to show Jade the basics as it’s all new to her.”

Jade relaxed somewhat at the informality of it. Everyone was going to be busy with their own partners and, most likely, wouldn’t be watching her stumble around. Still, she’d just as soon be home watching Celebrity Dance rather than having a dance lesson with one of its stars.

Han held his hand out to her as though it was a direct order. She placed hers in it and tried to concentrate on what he said. The dance started on the two with a count of eight. That was more of a foreign language to her than Spanish. She held up her free hand.

“Hang on a minute, there. I don’t know dance lingo, and this is the first time we’ve used music in our lesson. Remember who you’re working with here, Han.”

He cracked a slight smile. “Sí. Sorry.”

Cat yelled out, “I heard Spanish coming out of your mouth, Señor Alejandro!”

“Mind your own business, Cat. Do as I say, not as I do.”

She flipped him off before doing as he ordered. Jade chuckled. It was nice to see the only thing about Cat that changed was her attitude about dancing. Watching her for a moment as she went back to doing the cha-cha, Jade realized she had some serious talent and hoped Han could help her to use it to better her life.

Han snapped his fingers in her face. “Focus Jade. Ignore the music. Watch me do the basic step, then mimic me. You start with your right foot, keep your knees soft—that means slightly bent—feet close to the ground. Foot stays in place for the first beat, then goes back on the second.”

She really did try, but having her lesson here was a bad idea. In front of people. Doing the cha-cha. Watching Alejandro Rivera do the cha-cha. His fluid movements. The hip action. His long legs. A Latin dancing a Latin dance. Plus, he was so damn hot. Focus, coordination, relaxing into it. Impossible. As was trying to ignore the music. Disapproval emanated off him in waves that slapped at her, tossed her around and left her completely disoriented.

She wanted to go home. Now. Which was impossible. The icing on the cake? Han repeatedly barking out, No, on the two or Concentrate or Feet close to the ground. She didn’t know if she wanted to cry or have a temper tantrum—or both. Her. Cool, calm, uptight, always-in-control Jade was on the verge of losing it.

There was a brief moment of relief when Han left her to have a conversation with one of the other instructors. Until said instructor came over to her when Han began to dance with his student. He held out a hand. “Hi, I’m Tristan.”

She took it in a brief, strong handshake. Handshakes were part of her job. She could do those. As long as the person on the other end of it stayed outside her personal space bubble. “Jade.”

His blue eyes twinkled at her and he struck her as a nice guy. How could he not? He was volunteering his time to help underprivileged children. “Lovely name. Goes with your eyes. Since Han needs to work with my student for a minute, I figured I’d help his. And since you seem to be having a hard time of it, I was thinking a change of partners might do the trick.”

Before she realized his intention, he took her in dance hold and pulled her against him. “I know it probably feels weird, dancing with someone you don’t know, but try to relax if you can. I’m not going to judge you; I’m here to help.”

She stiffened instantly. Her heart pounded so hard, the blood started singing in her ears. She tried desperately to employ the relaxation techniques she’d perfected over the years. Was it like Tristan said, because she didn’t know him and he was so close? It had been years since she’d felt this panicked. Realizing she wouldn’t be able to conquer her reactions this time, she gulped in a breath and struggled free. At the perplexed look on Tristan’s face she managed to form a few words. “No! I can’t. I’m sorry.”

She fled the studio, raced down the hall to Han’s office and slammed the door behind her. She leaned against it and covered her face with her hands, her breath coming in gasps. She hated herself in that moment. Why couldn’t she be like everyone else? Why did having a man hold her send her into a panic?

Much, much worse, The Devil of the Dance Floor, Alejandro Rivera, didn’t produce the same reaction. She grabbed her locket in her fist and held on for dear life.

She’d made a complete fool of herself in front of a room full of teenagers. Much less Tristan, who’d done nothing wrong. Han was right. She could say no to Lexi. It wasn’t the end of the world. There was a lot more to a marriage than having the perfect wedding day. Lexi would understand. She was still getting the perfect dance with Beck. It was enough.

She bit back a scream when the door started to move against her.