Not Your Match (19 page)

A woman leapt up from the desk and rushed Andi. She was tall and slender, with a heart-shaped face and pretty brown eyes. She wore a tailored suit with heels, her dark hair pulled back in some sort of clip. The woman let out a squeal and hugged Andi. “You’re here.”

“Of course I’m here.” Andi wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulders and steered her toward Ben. “Elle, this is Ben. We danced together on the high school ballroom team.”

Elle reached out a dainty hand, and Ben shook it. “You have no idea how grateful I am,” Elle said. “The kids would’ve been so disappointed if we had to cancel.”

“We’re happy to help,” Ben said.

“I can’t wait to see you two together,” Elle said. “In college, Andi complained that none of her partners were as good as you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Had Andi really said that, or was Elle being nice?

Andi winked at Ben. “I didn’t exaggerate a thing, I promise.”

He imagined Andi grumbling about those other men, and smiled.

“Let me show you around. Sarah, man the front desk for a while,” Elle said, and the woman nodded. Elle chose the door to the right of the desk and swiped her badge over a reader to unlock it.

“What’s through there?” Andi asked, pointing to the other door.

“Our administrative offices,” Elle said. “We have them separated so the kids can roam freely.” She held the door open and motioned the two of them inside. “You can’t get past the front lobby without an employee badging you in. I’ll make sure Sarah adds you to the list of teachers today. Whoever is manning the front desk will ask you to provide photo ID until they recognize you by sight. A lot of the kids come from volatile situations, and we want to make sure they feel safe here. We have a security guard on staff twenty-four hours a day, and ten other employees whose only purpose is to keep an eye on the children and make sure they’re safe and protected.”

“It’s so great you’re doing this,” Andi said. “I read up on the charity today and I’m thoroughly impressed.”

“Thank you. We’ve worked very hard to turn it into something we’re proud of. Right now our biggest hurdle is letting people know we’re here.”

“You’ll get there,” Andi said.

They walked down a short hallway that opened into a large common room. Ben looked around, impressed at the use of space. A few teenagers sat on a couch around a television, watching a movie. Two played foosball in the corner, and a ping-pong table stood empty. In another seating area, a young girl lounged as she read a book.

“This building is amazing,” Ben said. He noticed a security camera near the ceiling. The room was spacious and open, but still managed to feel cozy.

“Thank you,” Elle said. “We’ve had it about three years. Grant money paid for most of it, and donors helped with the rest.”

They left the sitting area and entered a hallway lined with windowed doors. Ben glanced inside as they walked past and realized they were all studios. Elle stopped in front of the door at the far end. The studio was larger than Ben expected, but fairly basic—laminate flooring, the front wall lined with mirrors, a sound system in one corner.

“This is where you’ll be teaching,” Elle said. “You can hook up your phone or iPod to the sound system, or use the CD player. Sixteen signed up for the class, but they’re not the most reliable at showing up, and sometimes we have walk-ins. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

“We’ll be fine. Thanks, Elle.” Andi gave her friend another hug.

“No, thank
you
.” Elle’s eyes glistened with tears. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Elle left, and Andi gave Ben a grin. “This feels familiar, doesn’t it?”

If she meant the way his stomach dropped to his feet every time she smiled, then yes. He’d spent the first three months they danced together trying to form a sentence that didn’t make him sound like an idiot. She’d always completely undone him with a simple glance.

Andi sunk to the floor and pulled out her ballroom shoes. Ben sat down next to her and did the same. The shoes were tighter than he remembered, but they’d work.

“Oh no.” Andi leaned down, peering at one shoe. Ben looked away, trying not to stare at her long legs in those tight pants. “I forgot that the strap on this shoe’s almost broken. Guess I’ll have to buy a new pair if we keep doing this.”

“It’s a cool charity,” Ben said. He stood and held a hand out to Andi, helping her up. He didn’t let go of her hand when she was on her feet, and he heard her intake of breath. He was close enough to smell her coconut lip gloss. He wondered if it tasted as good as it smelled. “I wouldn’t mind making this a regular occurrence,” Ben whispered.

Andi nodded, her green eyes gazing into his. He dropped her hand and she stepped back, running a shaking hand through her hair. Excitement raced through Ben at the show of nerves.

He’d never affected her this way in high school. Could she possibly feel the same way he did?

“I thought we’d start with the waltz,” Andi said, her words unsteady. “It’s pretty easy, and I found some fun, upbeat pop music that works. I’ve got the whole lesson planned, so all you have to do is follow my lead, and help me make sure everyone’s form is correct.” She pulled an iPod out of her bag and walked over to the sound system.

“Easy enough,” Ben said.

The door opened, and a girl walked into the studio. “Is this ballroom dance?” she asked. Her hair was dyed a dark black and hung around her face in greasy strands. She wore yoga pants that left little to the imagination and a tight T-shirt that had Ben looking away uncomfortably.

“You’re in the right place.” Andi strode across the room, hand outstretched. “I’m Andi. I’ll be your teacher.”

Over the next few minutes, people trickled into the studio until there were five girls and three boys. Andi’s eyes flicked to the wall clock, and Ben checked the time as well. Three minutes past the start of class.

“I guess we’ll start,” Andi said, looking at Ben. He shrugged.

“Sometimes people come late,” one of the girls said. “We usually start without them.”

Andi nodded. “Okay then.” She clasped her hands together and looked out over the room. “My name is Andi. I danced competitively for eight years.” She gave Ben a dazzling smile, and he thought his heart would explode. “Ben was my dance partner for a year of that. Let’s do some stretches to warm up, and then we’ll get started.”

Andi flipped on her iPod and started some simple stretches he remembered from high school. Ben tried to focus on the students, but his eyes kept wandering back to Andi. She raised her arms into the air, letting her head drop back and displaying the soft white flesh of her neck. He wondered what it would feel like to run his lips over that curve and down to her collarbone.

He gulped and forced his gaze forward. A few seconds later, though, his eyes had wandered back. Andi leaned forward and touched her toes. Her shirt rode up, exposing a sliver of her back.

He’d forgotten how crazy she drove him while dancing.

The song ended, and Andi walked over to the sound system and switched it to something else.

“The waltz is pretty simple,” Andi said. “It has a one-two-three beat that’s easy to follow, which is why we’re starting with it. Ben and I will show you the basic steps in closed position. Watch closely.” She held out her arms, her lips turned up in a smile.

He was drowning, and he didn’t even care.

Ben stepped forward, struggling to control his breathing. He slowly reached out and took Andi’s soft hand in his, resting his other on the curve of her waist. Heat sparked where their hands touched, shooting fire everywhere. Her cheeks pinked prettily, nearly undoing his careful composure.

She felt it too. He knew she did.

That was definitely new since high school.

Andi looked away, focusing on the class. She was taller than she’d been in high school, and though it was subtle, her waist held more of a curve. But the feelings she created in him hadn’t changed, only intensified.

“Watch our feet closely,” Andi said. She bit her lip, and her eyes asked Ben a silent question—
ready?

He’d been ready for seven years.

Ben pressed his palm against hers and guided her backward with the beat of the music. His hand cupped her delicate waist and urged her forward. One-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three. Her leg brushed against his and nearly drove him mad.

He’d always felt fire when they danced, but for the first time, it wasn’t one way. He was certain they’d never connected this much in high school. She let him lead—something she’d always struggled with—and followed his pushes and tugs effortlessly.

This
was real. More real than anything he’d felt in a long time.

He wasn’t about to let it slip through his grasp.

Andi stared into Ben’s eyes, her heart galloping. He held her gaze, not letting go, as the pressure of his hands guided her in the waltz. She felt herself melting, melting, melting under his intense stare.

Andi abruptly pulled her hand out of Ben’s grasp, her breathing labored.

It was too much, too soon. She could feel her heart slipping away, no longer her own. And it terrified her.

Andi faced the class, focusing on the interested looks of the now ten students in the room. “And that’s the basic waltz,” Andi said. “Once we learn those steps, I’ll teach you the choreography for a dance and we’ll incorporate underarm turns and reverse steps.”

“Can you show us?” a girl near the back asked.

She could feel Ben’s eyes searing into her back, making her skin prickle. “At the end of class,” she said. “Partner up, and let’s get started.”

For the next hour, she and Ben worked with the students, correcting their form and helping them with the steps. Andi was impressed with quite a few of them. For beginners, they were picking up on the dance quickly.

“One more time from the top,” Andi said.

“If we do it correctly this time, can you show us how to do some of the cool moves like on that celebrity dance show?” one of the girls asked.

Andi swallowed, avoiding Ben’s eyes. “Sure,” she said. “On my count. Four, five, six.”

She watched the dancers, looking for any imperfection that might indicate they weren’t yet ready to advance. A couple in the back stumbled, but recovered well, and everyone else hit the steps easily enough.

“We nailed that,” one of the boys said. “Now show us something challenging.”

Andi slowly turned, meeting Ben’s gaze for the first time since they’d danced.

“Do you remember the waltz we did for the Christmas assembly?” Ben asked quietly.

Andi nodded. She looked through her iPod and found the song
My Favorite Things
from
The Sound of Music
and pushed play. She slowly took a step toward Ben, her heels clicking on the laminate flooring. He gently cupped her face between his hands, resting his forehead against hers. She gulped and placed her hands on his waist while he gazed into her eyes.

The beginning of this dance had never affected her more.

The song began and Ben ran his hands down her face, his touch teasing until she ached. He pulled her to him, then spun her out with a strength and precision that left her breathless. His eyes never left hers as he drew her in, and she was tumbling deeper and deeper into these crazy emotions, and she didn’t want to stop.

His hands caressed her hips, stroked her face, wrapped her close as the song played on. It had been years since Andi had even thought of this dance, but the steps came flooding back, and neither she nor Ben missed so much as a step. The music crescendoed to a close and Andi stood, her back pressed against Ben as his arms held her close. She could feel his body heat, hear his labored breathing as tiny puffs of air tickled her neck, and her entire body trembled.

Ben slowly dropped his arms, releasing her, and the cool air of the studio rushed in to chill all the places he’d warmed moments before.

Andi looked up and saw ten sets of eyes staring at them with slack jaws. One of the boys clapped, and the others quickly followed.

“That was awesome,” the boy who’d started clapping said. “You guys are really good.”