“Are you enjoying yourself?” I smiled at her, wanting to put her at ease.
“I guess so.” She hesitated and then added, “But honestly, going out and getting wasted really isn’t my thing. Maybe once upon a time, but not anymore.”
Her feelings matched mine exactly, which gave me the perfect opening. “How about we get out of here? Are you up to a nice, quiet walk back to the theater instead? I have my car there and well…”
Shit, am I acting too forward?
My pulse rate skyrocketed as I glanced down at her, waiting for her to answer.
She looked over at the others, who were getting louder by the minute, and nodded. “Sounds like a great idea. I would love to.”
I set the tray down and then took her arm. I wasn’t sure if anyone saw us leaving or not, but I didn’t really give a damn. Clara was worth whatever it took, even if that meant I had to put up with Yuri pouting for months.
“Wow,” Clara said as we stepped into the empty theater fifteen minutes later. “It’s so quiet, but there’s still an energy in the atmosphere.” Turning, she smiled. “I know that sounds silly, but I swear I can almost see the musical notes swirling all around us. Do you stay here when it’s empty a lot?”
“Not always,” I said. “Whenever I’m behind on bills and paperwork, I guess. But usually this place stays pretty active. And I don’t think you sounded silly. This has always been my happy place. It’s where I feel most comfortable in the whole world.” I didn’t really know why I was telling her that, but I couldn’t seem to stop the truth from spilling past my lips.
“So,” Clara said as she shot me a killer smile, “do you know how to dance? Have you ever been on the stage yourself?”
I smirked. “I could give you a run for your money.”
She laughed and, when I only quirked my brow, she shook her head. “Really? You’re that good?”
“I learned by watching the best.”
“Did you ever go pro?” Clara asked.
“No. I never felt the need. My father was always training someone else, and my mother was the true star. I didn’t really mind. I was incredibly proud of her and never felt the need to join her… at least not professionally.” I paused remembering the times we’d dance together in a darkened, empty theater like this one.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up sad memories,” Clara said softly.
“You didn’t,” I assured her. “They are memories I’ll cherish until the day I die. I really loved the business side of running a company. I always knew I’d take over the family business one day and looked forward to the possibility of discovering someone with the talent, the fire, and the love for the ballet my mother had.” Looking down at her again, I smiled. “Someone exactly like you.”
Without a word, Clara kicked off her shoes and ran up the stairs leading to the stage. Moving to the center, she bent down to offer me her hand. “Why don’t you join me and show me what you got. Dance rings around me, or are you all bark and no bite?”
She gave what I supposed was meant to be a dog’s growl but came out sounding far more like a giggle. It was enough to have me grinning and kicking off my own shoes. Ignoring her hand as my weight would assure I’d pull her right off the stage, I planted my palms beside her bare feet and lifted myself up onto the stage. Only when I was standing did I take her hand, my fingers completely engulfing hers as I lifted it to my lips.
“Believe me, little girl, I can bite.”
She pulled away, turning back to give me a smile that had my heart skipping a beat and the glimmer in her eyes distracted me for a mere second, but that was enough to miss my cue. One moment she was standing before me, the next she slammed into me hard enough to send me stumbling backward.
“What the fuck!” I shouted as my feet tangled and sent me tumbling to the floor where I landed on my shoulder. I groaned as Clara raced over to me.
“Oh shit, I’m so sorry! I expected you to catch me. I thought you said you knew how to dance, and I leapt and figured you’d… never mind. It was a stupid thing to do. Are you okay? I’m so sorry,” she apologized profusely. “I was trying to be playful, and instead, I knocked you down! I swear, I really didn’t mean to…”
Kneeling down beside me, she reached for my arm, but the moment she was close enough, I grabbed her and pulled her in for a kiss. Sure, the fact this tiny woman had the strength to knock me on my ass stung a bit, but I was faking the shoulder injury for the most part to get her the hell over here with her lips inches from mine. If I hadn’t been thinking about those lips, I could easily have caught her and lifted her over my head much as her partner had done earlier, but I didn’t care. This was so much more fun. I’d been wanting to kiss her again for a very long time now, and despite everything that should be warning me off her, I couldn’t seem to help myself, nor did I have any inclination to even try.