Before Glen, Nat tried hooking me up with her friends and acquaintances. She thought it was a crime to stay single, always going from one relationship to another. But I didn’t care because I didn’t get all that hype. I never fell hard for anyone before Glen, who was the first to awaken something deep within me.
But now there was Carlos, and I couldn’t deny that I wanted that body of his close to mine. Damn, if he was all honed by muscle, I couldn’t even imagine what he packed inside his pants.
I slumped down on the couch and flipped through the TV channels, unable to find anything interesting that would keep my thoughts away from that latino god and his irresistible looks.
I had vowed to stay away from men, but there was something about Carlos that drew me in, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. After all, countless gorgeous women passed through the door of his studio, and I would bet my life savings he was exquisitely charming with all of them.
A nagging feeling spread through my chest. If there was something I hated, that was a womanizer, but was Carlos one? Was he the type who changed girls as frequently as he changed his underwear?
A commercial about a new dance show popped up on the screen, and it showed a guy who resembled Carlos dancing with a beautiful girl with mocha skin and long black hair. They smiled at each other, spinning and gliding around like there was no tomorrow, and once more, I wanted to experience it. I wanted to experience something like that brunette in Carlos’s arms earlier, but this wasn’t only about dancing.
This was also about Carlos. I had to be honest with myself and admit that I was impatient to see him again.
Because a part of me told me that anything could happen.
I reached for my phone and called Nat to tell her the great news about my hip, planning to go out with her and celebrate it with a few glasses of wine. It was long overdue.
The week flew by. I was really busy these days as work demanded I stay longer than usual to resolve some new issues. I was an assistant in a PR firm, and we had a lot of high-profile clients. It was too bad that some of those clients tended to make a mess in public, so we had to do damage control more often than not.
Work could be exhausting and stressful from time to time, but it paid well, and I had great colleagues. I’d missed working a lot during the first weeks of my recovery, and I’d been desperate to come back if only so I could take my mind off Glen.
On Friday night, I went to my first class, after taking forever deciding what to wear. I paid extra attention to my makeup, hoping I wasn’t too obvious.
When I arrived at the studio, there were already six women inside. Two of them were in their forties, and the rest of them were my age or younger. I didn’t miss how they looked at Carlos, who was currently talking to a redhead who could have easily been a model. She looked that good, and she stood a fraction too close to Carlos. Something that could only be described as jealousy twirled in my belly, and I dragged my gaze away from him.
“Hi,” I said to the group of girls and waved at them. “I’m Lindsey.”
“Hello, Lindsey,” they said in unison. I left my gym bag in the corner where the rest of the girls had left their stuff and went to join them.
“Are you feeling nervous?” a blonde, who was my age, asked me, looking a bit out of place.
Now that I thought about it… “Yes. I always wanted to dance, but I suffered a serious injury a couple of months ago, and it feels like I might easily mess something up. How about you? Are you nervous?”
“Absolutely. I have two left feet, and I have to learn salsa in a short time for the shoot I’m doing in two months. I’m an actress, but not much of a dancer.”
“Wow. That’s so cool.”
She shrugged her shoulders, smiling sheepishly at me. “I’m Amanda, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Amanda.”
She rubbed her tanned upper arm. “Nice to meet you too. I have to let you in on a secret.” She leaned closer to me. “I think I’ll embarrass the hell out of myself in this class. I’m that terrible of a dancer.”
“No one is a terrible dancer,” Carlos said, stopping next to us, and threw me a smile that paralyzed me for a second. He was so beautiful. “All it takes is practice and more practice,” he said to her, but he was looking at me. “Hello, Lindsey.” I shivered at my name on his lips, hardly resisting the urge to check him out.
Today, he wore gray sweatpants and a white tank top. His hair was messy, and I wanted to run my fingers through those silky waves. “Hey, Carlos.”
His smile bordered on seductive, and I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. His dark, dark eyes looked right into my soul. “I’m glad you decided to come here tonight.”
“I’m glad I was able to make it.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the confused look on Amanda’s face as she looked between Carlos and me. We didn’t look away from each other, the prolonged silence between us speaking more than any words could, and I could feel my whole body heating up.
“We’re waiting for three more girls, but when they arrive, we’ll start with a warm-up. Okay?” He was addressing all of us, but he had yet to look away from me, and I had to remind myself how to breathe.
“Sure,” a few girls replied, and Carlos went across the room to the music player.
“What was that?” Amanda whispered into my ear.
“What was what?” I played dumb.
“Let me tell you this. If a guy looked at me like that, I would jump into bed with him right away.”
Were my cheeks red earlier? Well, now they were burning. “I can’t deny that he’s hot.”
“Hot? He’s a stud! And it’s obvious that he’s into you.”
I scratched my neck, not believing her for a second. “Carlos? No way.”
“Yes, way. I mean, he eye-fucked you!” I glanced around us to see if anyone heard her loud whisper, but no one was even paying attention to us.
The last three girls arrived shortly after, and Carlos stopped in front of the mirrors, his glance sweeping over us, but I could swear it lingered a bit longer on me. I met Amanda’s gaze that said: “What did I tell you?”
I didn’t dare think that way. It was dangerous. Besides, he was obviously a female magnet. Almost everyone had stars in their eyes as they followed Carlos with their gazes, and if Carlos was to pick any of us, he could find much prettier and more interesting girls in this group than me.
This fact, however, didn’t prevent my heart from beating faster as I waited for him to start with the instructions, my thoughts going haywire.
He said something about the proper way to warm up, but I had a hard time paying attention to it, since Amanda’s words played in my mind repeatedly, and just for a short moment, I allowed myself to fantasize about him next to me.
“Okay, ladies. let’s stretch first. There won’t be any music as we practice our steps, but we’ll include it later.”
After a couple of stretches, Carlos introduced us to the basic steps.
“Let’s start with our left leg. One.” He made a step forward with his left leg and raised the heel of his right foot. “Two. And three.” He brought his left leg back to the neutral position. “We don’t count four. So, five.” He stepped back with his right leg. “Six. Seven.” He was back to his neutral position. “Do you follow me? Okay, so I’ll repeat this a few more times.”
I watched him move, admiring his fluid moves.
“Now, you try it.” I repeated his steps, looking at my sneakers. “Bien. Muy bien. Very good. Now, let’s do it a few more times, and let’s move a little faster each time.”
We followed him all together, repeating the steps faster and faster. I grinned at Amanda, who was biting her lip nervously, her expression telling me she expected to trip any moment. I stifled my laugh and looked at Carlos. His gaze was already on me, and I almost misstepped, my heart fluttering in my chest.
“Careful,” he told me and winked at me, and as if he pressed a button, my che
eks warmed.
“Okay, then. Now we’re going to do a right turn.”
Once more, he counted while showing us the steps, and we followed. I couldn’t look away from him as he taught us the beginner moves, my pulse picking up every time he stepped closer to me.
He was a good instructor. He was patient and he explained things well, and even Amanda, who claimed she was the world’s most terrible dancer, was becoming more relaxed as the class progressed. After half an hour, Carlos turned on the music, and I buzzed with energy when the rhythm of the salsa song started.
Carlos danced with each of the girls, starting out slowly and then faster, and I felt like I could watch him like this the whole day. Our eyes often met in the mirrors, and my stomach flipped in response each time. Calm down, girl. Just chill out.
He led the others so well, adjusting to their tempo and making it seem like salsa was easier than it looked in the beginning. Amanda managed to do all the steps without a mistake, laughing in triumph when they finished and he raised his thumbs up at her.
“Muy bien. Keep it up like this, and you’ll be a pro in no time,” he told her.
“I hope. It’s that or die trying!”
“Lindsey,” he said and stepped in front of me, and my skin tingled. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I can be.” I placed my left hand on his shoulder and intertwined my other hand with his left one, while he palmed me underneath my shoulder. I couldn’t stop the shiver that rocked me, and I hoped he wasn’t aware of how much his nearness affected me.
“Let’s start slowly. If you feel uncomfortable or in pain let me know, and we’ll stop.”
“Sure.”
The tension between us became almost tangible as we danced to the rhythm of the song, his eyes fixed on me, but I pretended not to notice it, watching the work of my feet. Or maybe I was just imagining it. Maybe he was looking at me like he looked at every woman, and I was seeing things that weren’t there.
“Careful, there,” he told me when I made a wrong step, holding me like I was made of glass and could break any moment. “Does anything hurt?” he asked.
“No. I’m fine. Thanks.”
He winked at me, and that was almost my undoing. His masculine scent created a whirlwind of sensations in the pit of my belly, and when we separated and he headed to the girl next to me, his gaze remained on me, silently conveying something I was afraid to admit.
Because it was impossible for him to like me. He was a player. Right? I certainly wasn’t the first.
Yes. That was it. If I kept repeating to myself how dangerous it was to consider him anything else than just my instructor, maybe my body would get the message, and I’d be able to be next to him without feeling like I needed his touch more than I needed my next breath.
4
“I’m in trouble,” I said to Nat over the phone, on my way to my second salsa class.
“What? Why?”
“No, scratch that. I’m in huge trouble.”
She sighed. “Okay. I get it. Now cut to the chase. What’s going on?”
“I’m losing my mind here, Nat. And that’s not good at all.”
“Lindsey,” she warned me.
I chuckled. “Fine. Fine. It’s my salsa instructor, Carlos.”
“Oh. That smokin’ hot instructor you mentioned? What about him?”
“I had my first class the day before yesterday, and it was amazing. Like, he’s so tender and careful, but at the same time super super sexy…” I sighed. I actually sighed like a school girl. Carlos had gotten to me real good.
“Sounds like a winning combination.”
“It is. Seriously, he’s charming and attracts me like no one has before. Not even Glen affected me that much, which says something.”
“What’s the problem then?”
“The problem is that he’s my salsa instructor. And the breakup with Glen is still fresh.”
“Oh come on, Linnie. You can’t let Glen have such a strong influence on you even after your breakup. And so what if this guy is your salsa instructor? That’s hot! If I were you, I wouldn’t even hesitate to make a move.”
But that was the thing. She wasn’t me. I loved Natalie and all, but sometimes she just couldn’t understand how deep my scars went. She didn’t go through hell with Glen. She didn’t experience moments when it seemed like the suffering and misery would never end.
“It’s not that easy, Nat. I don’t know him, and I think he’s a player.”
“A player?”
“Yes. If you could only see how the girls look at him… He’s irresistible. Now, tell me. When you have a dozen beautiful women in your studio every day, how can you not switch from one to the other? Only a saint would be able to stay immune to that.”
“I think you’re reading too much into it. It’s quite possible to work with hot people every day and not get attracted to every single one of them. I think this is just your insecurities speaking. You should relax and give him a chance if you already feel this way about him.”
“But I still don’t know if I want anything to happen. What if he’s looking only for something casual? I’m not sure I want that.”
“I get how you feel, but maybe you should stop overthinking for once and go with the flow. If something happens, it happens.”
I scratched my jaw. “I doubt anything will happen because I’m not sure he’s into me at all. I mean, yes, our eyes met a lot more than is deemed usual and once, I caught him checking me out, but that doesn’t have to mean anything. Maybe he’s just enjoying the view.”
“And maybe you’re overthinking it again. Linnie, relax. Take a deep breath. If he can’t take his eyes off of you, that means something. I’d go for him if I were you, but if you’re not sure, wait a little and see how it unfolds.”
I reached the alley that led to his studio, and my heart rate accelerated almost immediately. There was no denying it—I couldn’t wait to see Carlos again.
“I have to go. I’m near the salsa studio.”
“Say hi from me to him.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right. Do you want me, maybe, to sign you up for his classes too?”
She squealed excitedly. “Now, I would love that! I never cared about dancing, but boy, I’d be a pro if I had someone like Carlos. Maybe I can hook up with him if you don’t want him.”
I rolled my eyes again. “Bye, Nat.”
“Bye, sweets. Behave yourself, you hear?”
Laughing, I ended the call and climbed the stairs that led to Carlos’s studio. I could feel the music blasting through the walls, and a smile crept onto my face. I just loved the atmosphere of this place.
Carlos was dancing with a woman who wasn’t in our group, their moves much more complex than the basic ones we did on Friday night. She wore a red dress and high-heel sandals, and she looked dazzling. Everyone watched them in awe just like me, but that terrifying voice within told me his hand was positioned too low on her back and they were standing too close to each other.
I shook my head, willing that horrible voice away.
A round of applause filled the room when they ended their dance, and they made a bow to us. Carlos raised his head and immediately found my gaze, his lips curling into a smile when we made eye contact. Man, that smile did something to me.
“I want to thank Rebecca for joining us today. Rebecca won gold twice in a row on the state salsa championship, and I’m pleased to have her with us today.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Carlos. Thank you for having me.”
“Alright,” he said to us. “So that was our mini-demonstration, and if there’s anyone who wasn’t sure about learning salsa, I hope now your fears are dispelled,” he joked. “Now, let’s get started.”
Rebecca picked up her things and left the gym. Amanda let out a sigh. “If only I could dance like that.”
“You will. Just be patient,” I told her.
“Okay, girls,” Carlos said and clapped his hands together. “Today, there w
ill be more partner dancing involved. We’re going to practice spins and turns.” He pointed at me. “Lindsey, you’re going to be my partner for this class.” My heart pumped faster. Did he pick me?
“The rest of you, choose your partners and follow Lindsey and me.”
I tried my best to hide my excitement as I got closer to him. Of all these beautiful women, he picked me. Maybe I was reading too much into this. Maybe.
We faced each other, his sparkling eyes studying me a few seconds longer, and I swore I could see lust in them. His smirk was barely visible, but it had a powerful impact on me nevertheless, and I bit on my lip.
“Nervous?” he said quietly so only I could hear him.
I was definitely nervous, but not because of salsa. No, not at all. “A little.”
“Relájate. Relax. You can do this.”
How? His body was now so close to mine, and all I could think about was how I wanted his hands on my waist and...
“Let’s start with crossed holds. Lindsey and I will demonstrate the moves, and then you’ll try them out,” he said to everyone but looking at me. “Extend your arms and cross them.” I did what I was told, and he took me by my hands. A shiver ran up my spine. His skin was so warm against mine, his hold firm and confident.
Time passed quickly as he demonstrated the moves, and I could fully relax next to him. He turned on the music and we danced, moving in rhythm together. It felt like the rest of the world didn’t exist, a connection unlike anything I felt before forming between us. It was like in movies but ten times better.
“You’re a natural,” he told me with a smile when he spun me around.
“You think?”
“Absolutely.” He pressed my back against his chest, and we swayed together. I got an urge to lean even further into him, warmth growing between my legs.
“Okay, ladies,” he said to the group. “A few more minutes, and we’re done for today. Let’s practice those spins some more.”
Carlos Page 2
