lesson, and now theyâd danced themselves into a crowded jumble in one corner of the room.
âIâm sorry, class, this is my fault. Let me have three couples on the right side of the room and four on the left.â Will left Melody to practice a few steps on her own as he made his rounds to the other couples. Then he led Melody to the center of the room once again.
âHow are you doing? Think youâve got it now?â He pulled her into position before she could respond. âGood, now letâs try the patterns all together. Slow, slow, side stepâ¦slow, slowâdonât step back so far, Melody, youâre going toââ
Will tried to catch her, but it was too late. Melodyâs rubber-soled boots stopped short, but her body kept going and she slipped through his grasp. With a pathetic thud, she landed on her backside at his feet.
âThank you, class. That will be all for today.â
Chapter 2
T he dance instructor offered a hand to help Melody to her feet, but she pushed him away and dragged herself up. âIâve got it.â
She spun around, making a beeline for the exit. Stephanie had wasted her money. Walking on hot coals carrying an anvil was time well spent compared to this.
âHold on! Melody, wait.â Will caught up with her and halted her with a hand on her shoulder. âAre you okay? Did you injure yourself?â
When she didnât immediately turn, he held her shoulder firmly and spun her around. The bold, masculine move surprised her, and his touch shot through her like an electrical jolt. Heat rushed to her cheeks so quickly, they tingled. Melody jerked out of his grasp, annoyed at Will for having the nerve to reduce her to mushâand at herself for complying.
This wasnât right. She didnât get all gooey inside every time an attractive man looked her way. On the contrary, she was the one to turn men into jiggling mounds of jelly. They found her intimidatingâas well they should.
She lifted her chin. âIâm fine. Iâm perfectly fine.â
âPlease accept my apology. That spill you just took was entirely my fault.â
âDamn, youâre smooth,â she whispered.
âWhat?â
Dear Lord, had she really just said that out loud? Just when she thought things couldnât possibly get worseâ¦âI mean, how could my clumsiness be your fault? Itâs obvious that I donât belong here.â
âNonsense, itâs my job to maintain the frame. I got distracted and let it go slack. Thatâs why you fell.â
Melody opened and closed her mouth. Was this guy for real? Nobody had that much class.
Sheâd grown up surrounded by the wealthy upper crust, and they were some of the most entitled, unapologetic types sheâd known. But this guy was nothing like themâdespite the fact that everything about him screamed money, from his diamond-studded watch to his designer slacks and silk crew-neck shirt.
Maybe he hadnât been born wealthy. That would explain it. On his hands, as well-manicured as they were, sheâd felt a few masculine ridges that hinted at physical labor.
Nevertheless, he wasnât her type at all. Way too clean-cut. She was so over neatly-cropped hair and a clean shave. But when he smiled, his straight white teeth made a striking contrast against his deep brown skin. And his chocolate-brown eyes were filled with kindness. Her heart jumped in her chest.
This was getting too weird. Time to cut and run. âLook, this isnât working out, so Iâm not going to waste any more of your time or mine.â
His brow wrinkled. âDonât tell me youâre not coming back.â
She scoffed. âOh, Iâm telling you before you tell me .â
âYou canât give up. You just need to relax a little.â
Mel rolled her eyes. âNo, I was awful.â
âItâs only natural that youâd feel tense standing before the