CHAPTER TWO
DIRTY DANCING
“I’m not going to kiss you!” Ava’s heart pounded in her chest as if she’d just consumed a triple espresso. She had the urge to reach back and grip the barre for support, but she didn’t want to show weakness. After a quick intake of breath, she decided to stand her ground.
Barely.
“And I don’t have anything to prove.” She lifted her chin a notch, hoping her pants didn’t catch on fire, because she dearly wanted to shove her fingers through that sexy, shaggy mane of sun-streaked hair and tug his head toward hers so she could kiss him senseless. And she wouldn’t mind having his tanned, toned, surfer body wrapped around her. And her feminine intuition told her that he was drawn to her as well. Chemistry? Um, they had it in spades. Jesse Heart oozed sweet charm and hot sex and she just knew that dancing the tango or salsa with him would curl her toes.
And that was another reason why she needed to chase him the hell out of her studio! She shot him a glare, but he stood there with a look of challenge on his gorgeous face.
“Are you sure?” Jesse asked.
“Positive.” After having her heart sliced to ribbons by her cheating ex-fiancé, she’d sworn off men . . . and Jesse was, well, all man. “I don’t have anything to prove—or disprove, for that matter.”
“Why not go ahead and kiss me? You’re the one questioning my lack of passion.” He stood up straighter and folded his arms across his broad chest. “Aren’t you just a little bit curious to test that theory?”
“No! Not one bit.” Dear God, what was she getting herself into? At five foot nine, Ava was tall, and yet she had to look up to meet Jesse’s piercing, sky-blue eyes . . . which she finally did, with supreme reluctance. “I said I don’t feel any chemistry between us.” She pointed to him and then at herself. “I didn’t say you had a lack of passion. How would I know?”
“Chemistry, passion—there’s only one way to find out.”
“Stop coming at me with all that boy-band swagger,” Ava said hotly, hoping it would piss him off. She wanted to needle him. Send him on his damned handsome, sexy way, but dammit, he stood his ground, holding firm and looking good enough to eat. “I’m not about to kiss you, so give it up.”
“I don’t give up. It’s not in my nature.” Jesse angled his head toward the door. “Or I’d already be outta here.”
Ava closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. “No, seriously, why are you still here?”
“To prove you wrong.”
Ava opened her eyes and gave him a deadpan stare. “About what?”
“Everything.”
Ava decided to try another tactic. “I’ll work you to death. You’ll be sore and miserable. You should run like the wind while you can still run and not limp.” She pointed to the door.
“I don’t run away from hard work.” Jesse fixed his gaze firmly on Ava’s. “If I can survive Heartbeat’s choreographer, Arabella York, I can handle anything you throw at me. Trust me.”
Ah, trust. After everything that had happened with her ex, Ava didn’t know if she could ever trust again. “You say that now,” she said lightly, unprepared for the power of his smile. Straight, white teeth and . . . damn, a dimple. While her ex-fiancé, Anthony, had been handsome in a swarthy, dark, Italian way, golden Jesse, with his sparkling blue eyes and winning smile, felt like a sunny breath of fresh air.
“Just think of how much fun you’ll have torturing me.”
Ava gritted her teeth in an effort not to smile, telling herself to keep her resting bitch face in place. She knew if she showed even one little crack in her armor, he’d turn up the charm and she’d be a goner. “The first good point you’ve made today.”
“I have my moments, you’ll see.” Jesse laughed, and in spite of herself, Ava liked the deep, rich sound of it. Apparently, he didn’t scare easily. Damn. She’d have to carefully tiptoe around the land mines of his charm.
Ava never wanted to feel the kind of pain that Anthony had caused her ever again, either personally or professionally. She’d moved to Sea Breeze to get as far away from him as possible. The quaint seaside town, so removed from the harshness of the city, felt like a balm to her soul.
“Ava?” Jesse asked, bringing her back from her musing.
“Oh . . . sorry.” While her mind had wandered, he’d taken a step closer. The woodsy spice of his cologne drifted her way and she swallowed hard. She’d thought she preferred clean-shaven men, but his sexy stubble had her changing her mind. Unwanted desire settled in her chest and spread through her veins like sweet, warm honey. “You’re invading my personal space,” Ava said tartly, but he only grinned.
“Um, I think me invading your personal space is a given when ballroom dancing.”
“We’re not dancing.”
“No, we’re not,” Jesse agreed. He raised his eyebrows. “Yet.”
“Not ever. This simply isn’t going to work.” There, she’d said it.
“Uh, sorry, you haven’t scared me off. Now, are we going to kiss or not?” When Jesse’s gaze dropped to her mouth and lingered, Ava’s body responded with a hot, slow-moving tingle. If he dipped his head and kissed her, Ava knew she might be powerless to resist, and so when he closed the small gap between them she pressed her palms to his solid chest and shoved.
Hard.
When Jesse stumbled backward, Ava felt instant regret. “Oh!” She fisted her hands in his shirt in a misguided effort to hold him upright, but instead she body-slammed against him, causing him to backpedal faster. Horrified, Ava tugged roughly at his shirt, trying to halt his momentum, and she succeeded, but then found herself falling backward instead.
This wasn’t going to end well.
Ava cringed, preparing for the impact of Jesse’s body as he crashed on top of her, but he wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her toward him instead.
Ava hit his hard, muscled body, but he must have been ready this time, because they didn’t go anywhere.
A bit stunned, Ava stood still and remained clinging to Jesse when she should have taken a giant step away from him. She could feel the seductive heat of his skin beneath the soft cotton of his shirt. His chest rose and fell, as if he were also surprised by the quick turn of events. His hands, firm and strong, remained around her waist. Good thing, too, because the reliability of her legs felt a bit suspect.
Ava closed her eyes, mortified. She’d behaved badly, unprofessionally, to a man who was here to do a good deed for his town. She lowered her gaze, unable to even look at him. An involuntary tremble shook her body . . . and when he wrapped his arms around her, Ava nearly sobbed with humiliation. She inhaled a shaky breath but for a glorious moment allowed herself to be held, comforted. She could feel the steady, strong beat of his heart beneath her cheek and she closed her eyes.
Jesse started to sway, and Ava moved with him, instinctively following his lead. Wow, the man could move.
“Wait, what are you doing?” Ava asked gruffly.
“Showing you I can dance.” He spun her around and then reined her back against his body.
Ava didn’t let him see her smile.
“Am I impressing you yet?” Jesse asked softly. He moved with agility and masculine grace and yes, she was thoroughly impressed.
“Mmmm . . .” Ava meant her reaction to sound unconvinced, but she sounded like she was purring. She cleared her throat. “Maybe a little,” she said with slow reluctance.
“Really?” Jesse asked, sounding so hopeful that she nearly giggled. And Ava rarely giggled.
“Of course you have rhythm. How could you not?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady, but being in his arms was throwing her off-kilter. She’d seen him dance before this. She’d been a big Heartbeat fan in her youth—not that she’d let him know it. If she was being honest with herself, she’d felt a bit of a thrill after getting the call letting her know that he was going to be her partner, but she’d quickly tamped it down. And she’d done some googling. Okay, lots of googling, and she’d viewed tons of old Heartbeat videos as a result.
“I can take direction, Ava. I know you might not take hip-hop seriously, but it does take some skill and a lot of practice. Just give me a chance, okay?” He tilted his head back and looked at her.
When Ava remained stubbornly silent, she suddenly felt her feet leave the floor. A moment later, Jesse lifted her above his head. When Ava instinctively kicked her legs back and spread her arms out for balance—à la the classic Dirty Dancing move—Jesse spun her around with ease before lowering her feet to the wood floor.
“What was that all about? I wasn’t ready for a lift! That could have ended in disaster!” Ava sputtered, not sure whether to be angry or impressed.
“You seemed to doubt my strength.” Jesse shrugged, still gripping her around the waist.
While Ava knew she should walk away, she really longed to thread her fingers through that shaggy hair and— No! She gritted her teeth, then realized that wasn’t an attractive look on her part. With an effort, she inhaled a short breath and dug deep for a calm expression. “That’s the kind of adolescent behavior I won’t stand for.”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “I was totally in control, or I wouldn’t have lifted you.”
“If you feel the need to say that, then it means you weren’t.” Ava put her hands on his chest yet again, contemplating another shove, but when she gazed into his eyes, time suddenly seemed suspended. Their mouths were so close.
Ava swallowed hard and her heart raced. She should take a step backward and put some distance between them. Oh, but it had been so long since she’d been kissed, and he gazed at her as if he had kissing her on his mind. No—what the hell was she thinking? Ava opened her mouth to say something, anything, but the shrill bell for the change of classes rang, making her jump, and to her horror, her mouth brushed against his . . .
And suddenly, they were kissing.
The second Jesse’s mouth hit hers, Ava’s brain screamed, Shove him away! But her body had other ideas. God, his warm mouth and firm lips had her melting against her better judgment. He kissed her gently, coaxing her lips apart, and when his tongue tangled with hers, Ava felt a sharp sizzle of desire. Unable to resist, she threaded her fingers through his hair, and when he deepened the kiss, she nearly groaned. Sensual by nature, Ava moved against him, pressing her breasts to his chest. God, the man could kiss.
While she’d been drawn to Jesse the moment she’d first laid eyes on him, she hadn’t been prepared for this kind of primal reaction. It had been so long since she’d given herself a moment to linger and enjoy a steamy, all-consuming, knee-weakening . . . kiss.
And then all of her senses suddenly came flooding back to her. He was her dance partner. For a charity competition. What was she thinking? She pulled her mouth from his. “What the hell was that?”
“A kiss.” But instead of releasing her, Jesse’s hands remained around her waist, light and yet firm. Good, because she wasn’t ready to step back and look at him just yet. With her eyes still closed, she rested her forehead against his chin, trying to quell the rapid beat of her heart.
“You shouldn’t have kissed me,” Ava said, but her accusatory tone came out a bit breathless.
“Uh, you kissed me.”
Ava sucked in a breath and took a step back. “I most certainly did not!” She felt warmth in her cheeks, but she stood her ground.
“When you press your lips to someone else’s lips, it’s generally called a kiss.”
“I brushed against your mouth by accident!” She pressed her lips together.
Jesse arched an eyebrow. “Okay, we’ll go with an accidental kiss.” He nodded his head slowly and then had the nerve to smile!
Ava felt anger flood through her veins. “I was startled by the bell! And if you hadn’t been invading my personal space it wouldn’t have happened. You took full advantage of the situation.”
“I did,” Jesse admitted, taking a bit of the wind out of her billowing, angry sails. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, should we begin rehearsal? You have to admit that the, uh, accidental kiss completely dispelled any concern that we don’t have chemistry.”
“My part was accidental,” Ava said firmly, but she still swallowed hard. Denying the chemistry between them would be laughable after her reaction. And she couldn’t really reprimand him for kissing her, since she’d kissed him back and then some. But the hot desire she felt for him only made her want to push him out the door even more.
And then again . . . not.
“Ava?” Jesse asked softly, the gentle concern in his voice nearly her undoing.
“You had no right to do that.” She tried to sound firm but had to look away so Jesse couldn’t see the desire in her eyes.
“Everything,” she sputtered, not able to voice the word. “You seem to enjoy baiting me.”
“You make it pretty easy.”
“You’re insufferable.” She sighed, and then felt like a stuffy schoolmarm.
“I’ve been called worse.”
“I’m not surprised.” She took a few steps away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. “And . . . you’re reckless! That’s not how this works. I mean . . . how dare you!” she sputtered, not wanting to give specifics. Namely, the kiss.
“I tend to be impulsive,” he admitted. “But I felt compelled to prove a point.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, looking so damned cute that Ava wouldn’t have minded if he’d wanted to prove his point all over again.
Still. The kiss would not leave the room.
Ava squared her shoulders. “Just so you know, my reaction stemmed from surprise. You caught me off guard.”
“Maybe you need to leave your guard off,” Jesse suggested. “Ever think of that?”
“My guard is firmly back in place, where it will stay.” Ava drew an imaginary circle around her face.
“Too bad.”
Ava would have been offended by his audacity but the expression on his face seemed sincere. She lifted her chin. “Please, try to curb your impulses. I’ll be ready next time, so you might not like my reaction.”
“Should I wear a cup?”
“Never mind. Got it. Well, I guess we should get started.”
“Oh, um . . .” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’m afraid we’re just about out of time.”
“Huh?” Jesse shook his head and Ava felt heat creep into her cheeks. “We haven’t even started dancing.”
Ava lifted one shoulder. “I have a class beginning pretty soon. I, uh, didn’t think you’d stay very long,” Ava admitted.
“Are you serious or just trying to get rid of me?”
Ava gave him another little shrug but winced. Everything about this first meeting was going horribly wrong—namely, the fact that he was still standing there looking put off but sexy as hell. She wondered if he’d be angry at her for having wasted his time; in truth, he had the right to be seriously pissed.
“I’m guessing both.”
“I’m . . . sorry.” Ava nibbled on her bottom lip. She watched Jesse tilt his head to the side as if considering how to respond. Her stomach did a funny little drop and she reluctantly acknowledged that if he did decide to quit, she’d be relieved on some levels but disappointed on others, and that spelled danger.
Jesse finally sighed. “You don’t have to apologize, Ava. I get that you were sort of forced into having a hip-hop dancer rather than a seasoned ballroom dancer for this, and that’s not really fair to you either. Obviously, it’s going to take a lot more instruction for you to teach the dance steps to me rather than to someone else who’s been professionally trained.”
Ava shrugged, wondering how much of her personal life he knew about. “No, this is all my fault. I didn’t behave very professionally. I want you to know that’s not like me at all.” She wondered how she could explain that the main reason she’d wanted him gone was not because of his lack of ballroom experience, but because she was insanely attracted to him. Just having him say her name sent a little thrill down her spine.
“Look, don’t take this the wrong way . . .”
“In my experience, whenever someone says that, I pretty much know something I won’t like is coming.” Ava sighed.
“Instead of being so stressed about this event, why don’t you just kick back and have fun with it? I mean, I know we’re being judged, but because I’m not a ballroom dancer, it kinda takes some of the pressure off, right? This is for charity, after all.”
Ava frowned, not knowing how to respond. He made a good point, but she wasn’t ready to give in.
“And I might not be able to do a perfect tango, but I know how to memorize a routine.” Jesse bestowed that smile on her again. “I’ve done it more than a couple of times.”
“I know you have.” Ava inhaled a deep breath, wondering if she should address the kiss again, but she just couldn’t muster up the courage.
“So then, are you still determined to run me off?” He took a step closer and her heart thudded.
“I . . . guess not quite as determined.”
“Not exactly what I was hoping for.”
Ava glanced at the clock. She really didn’t want him to be here when her students arrived.
“But I guess I’ll take it,” Jesse added.
Ava gave him a small smile. Although she wasn’t famous in the way that Jesse Heart was, she was well-known in the world of professional ballroom dancing. Her new position teaching at a rather small school in a quaint seaside town was well worth the loss of her usual city salary for the added privacy, although she knew that even here she was fodder for gossip. She understood that people knew her fiancé had dumped her for another woman who happened to be a rival dancer back in Chicago, adding insult to injury in a public and painful way. Dancing with a famous boy-band heartthrob wasn’t the best way to keep her life on the down low.
“So?”
“Okay then, we can begin again tomorrow morning,” Ava finally said. “The most important thing is raising money for the school, and I realize having you onboard will help a lot. It’s just that it’ll take a lot more work, since you don’t have formal ballroom dance training.”
“I know.”
“You have to be serious.”
“Ah, I struggle with that one.”
“So I’ve heard.” Ava knew the personalities of Jesse and his brothers, or at least what they presented to the public.
Jesse shrugged but then shot her a grin. “It’s part of my charm.”
Ava had a difficult time not smiling back. “And one more thing.”
Jesse raised his eyebrows.
Ava cleared her throat. “About the kiss?”
“Yeah?”
“It can’t happen again, understood? I need your word on that.”
Jesse gave her a level look and nibbled on his lip. He opened his mouth as if to answer, but the door burst open and several laughing, chattering students rushed into the room, pulling up short when they spotted Jesse. Mouths dropped open and a couple of squeals penetrated the sudden silence. Although this group of students would have been grade-school age when Heartbeat was popular, they clearly knew Jesse’s identity. Cell phones appeared, aimed and ready for pictures. Great.
Ava decided to just roll with it. “Ladies, I want you to meet Jesse Heart. He’s graciously agreed to be my dance partner for the upcoming dance competition aimed at raising funds for the center.” Ava swept a hand in Jesse’s direction and he gave the girls his killer smile.
“Can we take some selfies?” Courtney, always outgoing, asked.
Ava glanced at Jesse.
“Ladies, I don’t want to disrupt your class,” Jesse said, and smiling faces fell.
Ava barely avoided doing an eye roll. “Look, we can take one group photo with Jesse and I’ll send it in a group message. That will have to do.” Although there was a collective group grumble, they nodded, vying for front-row positions when Jesse walked over to join them. He was a good sport, posing for several shots before giving them a wave. “Happy dancing,” he said, giving the girls a charming smile.
Jesse looked Ava’s way when he reached the door. “See you tomorrow.” He gave her a little salute.
Ava nodded and then turned back to her class.
“You’re so lucky,” hair-twirling Jenny gushed. “Jesse Heart is super hot.” All the girls nodded in agreement.
“It’s a professional thing,” Ava said, wanting to make it clear that there wasn’t anything between her and the sexy Heart brother. “Okay.” She briskly changed the subject. “Let’s stretch.” Although she excelled in ballroom dancing, Ava also taught freestyle interpretive dancing. She loved the creative process and the freedom that was so different from the strict rules of ballroom dancing. But today, because her mind kept drifting to Jesse, the class seemed to last forever.
Once the girls were gone, Ava dabbed at the sheen of sweat on her face. She unpacked her light lunch and then settled in at her desk in her small office to work on the choreography for the three dances she would be performing with Jesse. She tried to concentrate, but her traitorous thoughts kept going back to the kiss. She told herself that her intense reaction stemmed from the lack of romance in her life. Seriously, how long had it been since she’d been kissed?
Way too long, she thought, unable to stop the idea from bouncing around her brain. Maybe it was time to stop allowing the pain inflicted upon her by Anthony to rule her life. Why should he have that power?
The answer was simple: he shouldn’t.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have insisted that the kiss from Jesse couldn’t be repeated. “No,” Ava whispered aloud, reminding herself that she should remain professional. The last thing she needed was more gossip about her love life. But maybe she should be grateful that Jesse had reawakened her desire for a man’s touch. After all, she was by nature a sensual person—that was one of the reasons she adored ballroom dancing. The passion, the tug-of-war between the sexes, and the story that a dance told were what had drawn her to dancing in the first place.
And oh, how she missed making love.
Ava closed her eyes and groaned. After a moment of reliving her kiss with Jesse, she tapped her spoon on the side of the yogurt carton she was holding and let her mind go where she knew it shouldn’t. Ava pursed her lips. She’d thought she’d been good in bed when she was with her fiancé. She enjoyed sex and had rarely turned Anthony down, so he hadn’t had any reason to complain or look elsewhere.
Or had he?
Ava’s heart started to pound and she placed a hand to her chest. Wait, maybe she only thought she was a good lover. Dear God, was she boring in the sack? She absentmindedly took a bite of her yogurt. But then her eyes widened and she had difficulty swallowing the bits of strawberry. She and Anthony had been together for five years and she’d never strayed, so maybe she sucked and didn’t know it. Ava squinted while she thought back to her love life before Anthony, but because she’d been consumed with her dance career, she hadn’t dated much before him.
Frowning, Ava squeezed the plastic carton hard, angry with herself for wasting her time on self-pity. She’d analyzed their relationship too many times already, often wondering if he’d cheated the entire time. She’d suspected, but Anthony was a smooth talker, and Ava tended to believe in people.
Still deep in thought, Ava polished off the rest of the yogurt and then licked the spoon.
And then . . . a small, naughty voice in her head whispered: Maybe having a steamy love affair with Jesse Heart is just what you need to get over Anthony Grecco for good. She licked her bottom lip, considering the possibility before giving herself a mental shake. No, she needed to stick to no guys, no romance, no sex, until she felt completely healed. She wouldn’t shed any more tears over someone who didn’t deserve it.
Proud of her decision, she opened her laptop and started making notes for the dance competition. But as she imagined performing a sensual tango, thoughts of a certain boy-band hottie kept interrupting her concentration. “Jesse Heart.” Ava sighed. She sat back in her chair and tapped her fingernails on the desktop. Maybe she should give in to her desire for him? Jesse sure seemed willing . . . no . . . yes . . . damn! “Ugh.”
Ava disliked indecision. Up until Anthony had broken her heart, she’d lived her life with confidence, rarely questioning her instincts. But then Ava shook her head and let out a mirthless chuckle. Instincts? Who was she kidding? She’d been horribly wrong about Anthony, even though she’d trusted him completely.
Pinching her fingers to the bridge of her nose, she then glanced at her cell phone. The urge to call her mother had her fingers inching toward her phone, but then she pulled back. Her mother had disliked Anthony from the beginning, warning Ava that she simply couldn’t trust him. “There’s something in his eyes,” her mother had said in her thick Italian accent. “He’s too slick, too smooth, Ava Concetta.” She tapped her chest. “I feel it here,” she’d added, looking to Ava’s father for support. “Thomas, back me up on this! It’s your daughter’s life we’re talking about!”
“Sophia, it’s not our place to decide who our Ava marries,” her father had responded simply, but looking back on it, Ava could tell that her father wasn’t sold on Anthony Grecco either.
Unfortunately, Ava had taken her mother’s dire warning with a grain of salt—perhaps because she’d wanted to prove her wrong. She glanced at her cell phone again and sighed, but her damned pride got in the way of picking it up.
After analyzing what had gone wrong, Ava had wondered if her relationship with Anthony was based more on dancing than on love from the very beginning. After all, they’d been paired together at a dance class, praised by the instructor for being sheer perfection together. Dating had seemed like a natural progression after they’d started traveling from competition to competition.
With a groan, Ava leaned her elbows on the desk and held her head in her hands. Anthony had complained that their passion didn’t carry over from the dance floor to the bedroom and had gone so far as to video them making love to prove his point. Ava had been horrified that he’d made the video without her approval, and she’d demanded that he delete it. Even if their love life was somehow lacking, that didn’t give Anthony the right to cheat, to humiliate her. So, after years of countless hours of practice, Ava had made the choice to leave the world of competitive ballroom dancing and simply teach.
The round clock on the wall indicated that her lunch hour was nearly over. Her next class was a low-impact fitness dance class for senior citizens that she thoroughly enjoyed. Most of them showed up in old-school leotards and leggings and were full of wisecracks and laughter— they were worse than teenagers. Ava would give up on discipline during the class and allow herself an hour of fun.
After tossing her trash into the garbage bin, Ava pushed back from her desk. And just like that, an image of Jesse Heart popped into her brain. She thought again of their toe-curling kiss and nearly groaned . . . and then she sat up straight when a thought hit her so hard that she sucked in a breath. Kissing Anthony Grecco had never curled her toes.
Ava shook her head, trying to dislodge the interesting yet disturbing thought about Anthony verses Jesse. Wait, no, her toe-curling reaction had to stem from the fact that she hadn’t been kissed in forever. Pent-up passion had to be the culprit, along with her tainted memory of Anthony. One of the most difficult parts of her breakup with Anthony had been where to put the memories that had been happy—or so they had been before his cheating had ruined them forever.
And yet . . . curiosity bumped around in her brain. Of course, Jesse Heart was incredibly sexy, she reasoned, so melting into the kiss was a normal response. Yeah, that had to be it . . . a purely physical reaction, nothing more, and certainly not to be repeated. Ever. Any passion between them would be left on the dance floor.
Ava dusted her hands together. There, now that she had that decision out of the way, she could have fun with her next dance class.