“Oh no.” His eyes widened with fear. “I don’t dance.”
“Really? Aren’t you the ring leader of the club scene?”
“Have you been cyber stalking me?” He eyed me.
I pinched my fingers together. “Maybe a little bit.”
“That doesn’t mean I dance. It means I party. There’s a difference.”
I wasn’t giving up that easily. The adrenaline was flowing through me. “Dance with me, Sam. Not ballet. But hold me. Dance with me.”
I could see the defeat as his shoulders sagged. “There are no cameras in this studio, are there?”
“No, of course not.”
I placed my hands around his neck as he slipped his palms to the small of my back.
“See? Not so bad.” I ran my hand over his shoulder and the width of his bicep, pulling his grip on my hip so that we were holding hands. I clutched our joined palms at my breast.
The steps were small and the movements were easy, but we moved together with as much perfection as we did in bed. He didn’t give himself credit for how athletic he was. He wouldn’t be able to dive and avoid tackles without agility and the skill of staying light on his toes. I wasn’t going to present it to him like that, but he had his own style of grace.
I pressed up into another relevé, adding several inches to my height. I didn’t say a word as he lifted me from the ground and brought my lips to his as he continued to elevate me into the air. His arms flexed and I looked down into his eyes.
He lowered me slowly, dragging my body over his. I closed my eyes, taking in the solidness of him as I slid to the floor.
“Natalia, come back with me,” he whispered.
The moment felt magical and enchanted. Almost as if we were rehearsing a lovers scene for the stage.
“Can I think about it?” I asked. “Please.”
He pressed his forehead to mine and I heard the vinyl crackle in between songs.
“Don’t wait too long to answer.”
“I won’t.”
He kissed me gently and walked out of the room. “I have to get back to San Antonio.”
There was a giant hollowness in my chest. I didn’t want him to leave, but I didn’t think I was the kind of girl who could go.
Twenty-Five
Sam
I had just enough time to make it back for the afternoon team meeting. I would drive straight to the stadium. I turned up the radio, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted her. I wanted her with me all the time. Not just for quick nights here and there.
She had to understand that if I needed her in San Antonio, she had to be there.
Ninety minutes later, I parked in my spot underneath the stadium and took the elevator to the strategy floor. I could hear the low murmur of the other guys. I took a seat mid-way down the aisle in one of the auditorium-style seats.
Coach Howell was going through plays with the offensive and defensive coordinators. They weren’t ready to start the meeting yet. I yawned, but jumped when I felt my phone vibrate. It was a text from Natalia.
Call me when you can.
Starting pre-game meeting. It will be a couple of hours.
Ok.