The Dance Off

He held up a bag of sugared almonds, before tossing one in his mouth. “Best in town.”

Nadia tried not to stare as his tongue darted out to swipe the sugar dusting his lips, tried not to remember the other skills that mouth could boast without boasting at all. “They’d need to be if you braved this multitude for them.”

A smile darted across his eyes, her tummy rolled over on itself, and she looked determinedly dead ahead. “So how’s life been since you bolted Tuesday night?”

There, take that.

“Busy.” The look he shot her was cryptic to say the least. Unfortunately it wasn’t accompanied with anything like an explanation.

And that was as far as Nadia intended to go. “Ryder, I want you to know I asked my boss to assign your classes to someone else.”

The guy actually looked surprised. His next step faltered, leaving him a beat behind. He covered it well though, as she expected he would. Blinded by all that simmering heat, it had taken her a while to see it; Ryder Fitzgerald was one cool customer. With a staggering ability to disengage himself, and his emotions, from one second to the next.

She’d known people in her life with that level of detachment. Had spent so long trying to get through that wall it had near crippled her. She could only be thankful she’d come out the other end. At least with the sense to know when to stick up for herself. And when to walk away.

Having reached the wine stall, Nadia lined up and kept her eyes dead ahead, but from the corner of her eye saw Ryder lean against the divider between the elevated stalls.

He said, “Am I to expect someone new to grumble over my feet on Tuesday night?”

“Turns out none of her other staff are stupid enough to agree to see a strange man at ten o’clock at night.”

She shuffled forward a step.

“So it’s still you and me?”

Nadia breathed out long and slow. Truth was she’d floated the idea with Amelia about shuffling Ryder’s class to another teacher, but when Amelia had struggled to find a replacement she’d told her not to worry, despite the saga so far.

Kiss and run once, shame on him. Kiss and run twice, shame on her. There would not be a third time.

In a nice moment of helpful timing, she hit the front of the line before she could give Ryder his answer. Ignoring the man leaning moodily against the wall beside her, she chatted to her favourite stand owner—a dashing sommelier with the most charming French accent. The man was a total darling—in his eighties he could flirt with the best of them. Charming, innocent, simple. Oh that all men could be so.

Nadia bought her wine, and, still smiling, she turned to find Ryder watching her. There was nothing innocent, nothing simple about the way he looked over her with those dark eyes. From the muscle ticcing at his jaw to the bunched muscles of his crossed arms, he was a mass of coiled energy. And heaven help her if she didn’t want to be right there with him when he uncoiled.

Wondering just how much she was going to regret it, she waited till his wandering eyes met hers, then said, “This isn’t fun and games for me. It’s my work. My life. I’ll teach you on one condition. When we’re in class I need you to behave and do as I say.”

“Okay.” Ryder didn’t even hesitate. As if he really meant it.

Her success was short-lived as Ryder’s eyes slid to her lips and stayed there, staring, glaring, as if he remembered exactly how she tasted and wished he could buy it by the ounce.

With a groan, she eased around the back of the queue and walked away.

“Where’s your car?” he asked, on her heels again.

“I’m taking the train.”

“Fair walk with those bags.”

“Don’t have a choice,” she said, picking up her pace and shifting the weight of her bags. “I don’t drive.”

“Why on earth not?”

“I’ve lived in cities my whole life. Never needed to.” Grimacing, Nadia went to shuffle the bags again, only to find herself relieved as Ryder reached out and slid them from her fingers.

“Thanks, but I can carry them.”

Ryder glanced pointedly at her red hands, which curled into themselves in relief. He moved the bags easily to one hand, using the other to herd her, protect her from the crowd. “My turn to put in a proviso.”

Of course. “What would that be?”

“That was rough, last week. I could barely bend over at work the next day.”

Nadia let out a laugh, and when their eyes connected a gleam lit Ryder’s eyes.

Nadia looked straight ahead. “And what kind of work would that be, needing for you to do so much bending over?”

“On a construction site.”

“You’re a builder?” Huh. “So what’s with the slick suits, Ace?”