Chapter 10

 

Hutch

The studio was all shiny hardwood floors and a wall of mirrors with a balance bar. I took the box she carried out from the changing room. Lilly wore black leggings and an oversized sweater. Wrapped around her legs were tall purple boots. They’d been taunting me all day. Around her neck was an orange knit scarf, one her grandmother’s creations. My fingers twitched with a desperate urge to free her long hair from its tight secured knot. She spun around the room slowly, taking a deep breath.

“I practically lived here. This was one of my favorite places.”

I put the box down in a corner. “Then take your time saying goodbye.”

She walked over to the balance beam and ran her hand over it. It was clear that this place meant a great deal to her. She fished the small digital camera from her purse and snapped a few pictures of the studio. She turned the camera to me.

I made a goofy face. “Not my best angle.”

She shook her head and gestured toward me. “You’re here in my studio. My worlds are colliding.”

I leaned against the wall. “I can see you in this room, practicing and working.”

“Joseph and I choreographed our routine here.”

“As much as I enjoyed it I’ve never been so jealous in my life.”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah, I thought there might be something going on between you two. There was chemistry.”

She laughed, patting my chest. “An integral part of dancing is acting. The reality is Joseph would probably rather tango with you than me.”

“I see.” I grinned with equal parts relief and surprise. I took off her jacket and her scarf. I hung them on the hook near the entry. I did the same with my coat. “Did you always want to be a dancer?”

“No.” Her answer surprised me. “My mom owned a dance studio. I took classes, but she never forced me. I was good…really good with the potential for great, but I just didn’t practice enough.”

“What changed?”

“After my parents died, I decided I wanted to be great, you know? I spent hours at it. It became my life. In some ways, it kept me sane. I could act out my emotions without falling apart.” She stared down at her feet. “Does this even make any sense?”

“It does to me.”

She looked at my image through the mirror. I placed my hands on her hips, leading her to the center of the room.

“Will you dance for me, Lilly?”

She tilted her head back, biting her lower lip. I quickly freed it with my teeth. She moaned as I tasted her mouth, my erection growing against her lower back. Her touch and taste had become an addiction for me. Like any good addict, I planned to overdose.

“I won’t dance for you, James. But I will dance with you.”

“In case you forgot, I’m not a great dancer.”

“I can’t think of a better partner than you.”

I refused to read into her statement. I’d sworn to enjoy the moments we spent together and accept them for the great gifts they were. “Is that your professional opinion?”

“It’s my opinion as your girlfriend who loves it when you hold me in your arms.” She giggled nervously, crossing her arms. “I don’t know why I said girlfriend. It’s dumb…overstepping.”

“I love that you said it.”

I really shouldn’t be this excited, since everything we were doing was going to lead to an eventual end, but my mind didn’t want to go there. I didn’t want to be plagued by the past or think about the bleak future. Just let me drown in the present of Lilly Franklin.

She exhaled a breath. “In that case, pick a song for us.”

She scrolled through her phone. I leaned my chin over her shoulder at the possible selections. As it turned out, Lilly and I shared similar taste in music. She was into Indie bands and classic stuff. She paused on one, tilting her head toward me for confirmation.

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“I’ll admit, I never got what that guy was singing about, but I think I have a better idea now.” I tapped the screen. “In fact, this one…this one reminds me of you.”

She walked to the opposite side of the room. I watched as she made a nice show of unlacing her boots and taking off her socks all the while giving me the best view of her ass. “I can’t dance with these on.”

“You can’t?”

“Not the way I want. Besides, they’ll leave marks on the floor.” The boots turned me on, but they were no match for her bare feet, complete with pink-painted toenails.

She took off her sweater, revealing a white tank top beneath.

“Are you teasing me, Lilly?”

“I have no idea what you mean.” The mock innocence in her voice would have caused a laugh if I weren’t so turned on. She took the knot out of hair last. The shiny ebony strands spilled against her back.

The sounds of Vance Joy’s Georgia permeated the room. I’d say she walked toward me, but floated was a more appropriate word. She danced around me, her rich vanilla scent lingered in the air. She placed her hands on my shoulders. I grasped her hips, pulling her toward me. She arched her back, giving me access to her neck. Her leg swung around my hip. I took her cue, sliding my hand against her thigh. I lifted her high and spun her around. I didn’t have any of her grace, but hell if that was going to stop me. When I set her down gently, we swayed together, the emotional energy between us raw, spilling out with every movement. She pulled away from me. I grasped her wrist, spinning her back until my arms encircled her once more. I stared into her eyes, our bodies locked, and our breath uneven. I would never forget this memory.

Lilly, if we are in a fairy tale, then you, my beautiful dancing girl, have successfully broken one hex, only to cast another.