The Price of Mason (Forbidden Men 10)
She started down the list of names. When she got to, “Nia,” and looked my way, I smiled and waved. “Here,” she answered for me, gaining the attention of her brother as he sent me a considering glance. A warm tingle spread through my belly as I wondered if that look meant he was maybe, possibly just as interested in me as I was in him.
“Julia?” Skylar called, making me frown and scan the row of girls in front of me, because there wasn’t a student named Julia, and none of them looked new.
“Julia?” she repeated quizzically, finally turning her attention to her brother. “Julia Ryan?”
He merely narrowed his eyes.
Skylar snickered. “Oh, sorry,” she said, over emphasizing her fake apology as she looked back down at the sheet of paper in her hand. “I didn’t see the N there. I guess it says Julian.”
Hmm. So the hot-brother-of-Skylar was named Julian, huh? I liked that.
As all the five-year-olds giggled over Skylar’s deliberate mistake, Julian muttered, “Funny,” and he flipped her off.
“Ummm…” one of the girls sang, pointing his way. “That’s a bad sign. My mom told me so. It means I hate you and never want to see you again.”
Julian arched a brow at Sky. “D’you hear what that means, sis? Don’t make it true.”
She rolled her eyes and blew him a kiss before returning her attention to her younger students. “Okay, what I need you guys here in these first two rows to do is buddy up and practice your positions together, alright? I’m just going to hop over and talk to these two real quick.”
These two?
Why was she glancing toward her brother and me as she said that? Julian and I shared a suspicious glance before we simultaneously turned back to Skylar as she jogged our way.
“Hey,” she greeted us, her grin overly bright. “So, okay, I was thinking, since you two are my only nontraditional students with pretty specific goals to reach, you guys could practice together but separately from the rest of the class, not the ballet technique everyone else is working on today but the steps to the dance Nia wants to have with her mom. That will help her with that, and Julian with his balance. You guys are about at the same level with each other, meaning you can work at your pace this way.” Grinning, she clasped her hands together. “I think it’s a brilliant idea.”
Julian and I shared another uncertain glance. Then he turned to his sister and muttered, “Yeah, until I step on her feet so much she loses all sensation in them and ends up being unable to ever walk again.”
Skylar rolled her eyes and backhanded his arm. “Don’t be dramatic,” she charged. “That’s my job.”
“Look, Sky.” He stepped in toward his sister and lowered his voice, even though I could still hear him clearly. “This is ridiculous. Why can’t you just show me all this bullshit at home? In private. Why do I have to come all the way out here and take a damn class?”
“Because having witnesses around will force you to take it seriously and actually try.”
I winced when she repeated the very thing I’d said to her when she’d offered to teach me privately a few weeks ago.
Sky glanced my way and winked. “Besides, Nia needs a partner to practice with. This will work perfectly for both of you.”
Julian glanced warily my way. “You really, truly suck at dancing?” he asked, measuring me up and down. “You’re not just pulling my leg? I don’t want to start this and end up looking like a damn fool because you’re talented after all, and I still can’t keep a simple rhythm.”
“Trust me,” Skylar said, patting his arm in reassurance. “She’s honestly as bad at this as you are.” When Julian sliced her an incredulous glance, her face turned bright red. She whirled to me, her eyes wide as she slapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean… I was just trying to—”
I lifted a hand, forgiving her. “It’s fine.”
She nodded but still cringed as she lowered her hands. Glancing worriedly between me and her brother, she asked, “So… What do you guys think?”
My gaze slid toward Julian’s just as his moved my way. After a moment, he shrugged. “I’m game if you are.”
On any other day, I’d never agree to humiliate myself in front of such a beautiful boy. But after his sister reassured us we were equally bad, I found myself shrugging too. “Looks like you just got yourself a new suck buddy.”
As Skylar blurted out a laugh, Julian lifted an eyebrow, and it suddenly occurred to me just how suggestive and close to another term that had sounded.
“Oh, Lord,” I moaned, closing my eyes and slapping a hand to my forehead. “You know what I meant.”
Chapter Three
Julian
So I guess I had myself a suck buddy. Still grinning over the term Nia had created, I glanced at my curvy petite new dance partner. She was a cute thing with massive breasts and braided extensions that were twisted up in a big bun on the top of her head. One strand that had beads woven in it had fallen loose and dangled hypnotically by her ear that hosted about half a dozen rings. My favorite was actually the silver hook in her nose, though.