Jordan, Olivia - Carly's Two-Stepping Temptations [Studio Seductions 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read Free

away.”
    Jared shrugged. “It’s not as though I’m competing right now. I think this will be a great opportunity for me. And I’m glad to be a part of the show. It wouldn’t have been much fun sitting out on the action. I feel like I’ve been spent too much time on the sidelines lately.”
    “Then consider yourself back in the game. You’ll start rehearsing with her tomorrow.”
    Jared stood up and shook Taletha’s hand. “Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to it.”
    Stepping out of Taletha’s office, Jared saw a flushed-looking Heath leaving the studio. Gathering up his courage, he approached Carly as she finished up at the drinking fountain.
    “That looks like it wasn’t very much fun.”
    Carly shrugged and wiped her mouth. “It wasn’t great. He started off with a bad attitude. I think I set him straight, though. Still, he and I have a lot of work ahead of us.”
    “Let me know if you have any pointers. Apparently, I start rehearsing with the mayor tomorrow.”
    Carly grinned. “That should be fun. I’ve heard that the mayor is actually a pretty nice person.” She glanced at the clock. “My next lesson isn’t for ten minutes. Want to dance?”
    Jared couldn’t believe his ears. “What—dance with me?”
    She winked at him. “That’s what you’re paid to do here, isn’t it?”
    Jared tried to steady his hands as he took a spot on the studio floor. Carly turned on a lively two-step and settled herself in his arms. Taking a deep breath, Jared began to dance, throwing out his best moves as he escorted her around the floor. Halfway through the song, he realized that he was grinning uncontrollably. Carly wasn’t just a perfect dancer—she was also stunning. He never thought he’d have her in his arms, even for one song, and now he didn’t want to let her go.
    However, the song came to its inevitable end, and Carly stepped away. Jared thought he felt her hand linger on his, but he couldn’t quite be sure.
    “You’re a great dancer,” she said. “I can’t believe we’ve never been paired up before.”
    “Competitions are always hectic. It’s not surprising that we’ve missed each other.”
    Carly’s smile faded a bit. “I do miss the hustle and bustle of the scene.”
    Jared steeled his courage and placed a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t back away. “You could always come back, you know. There are people who would kill to be your dance partner.”
    Carly looked up at the clock. “Would you look at the time? Sorry, I need to go freshen up before my student gets here.” She hurried off the floor, and Jared was certain that he could see her brushing a tear from her eye as she walked away.

Chapter Two

    Heath didn’t understand what had happened. He’d walked into the studio that afternoon completely confident about everything that Carly had taught him the day before. He’d practiced the patterns she’d taught him at home and was sure he’d absorbed all of her wisdom about proper dance technique. When he sauntered through the glass doors, he’d been sure that he was going to amaze her with his hard work.
    Yet after going through the warm-up, Carly had put on some music and started criticizing him from the first step.
    “It’s a heel lead, remember? Try it again.”
    “What?”
    “You led with your toe rather than your heel.”
    “But I worked on this so hard last night. How on earth am I doing it wrong today?”
    “Because you learned it just twenty-four hours ago, and you need more time than that to get everything settled in your body. Believe it or not, dancers spend years honing the basics. They don’t just expect to be perfect after their first day of lessons.”
    “Well, I do.”
    “Then you need to adjust your expectations.”
    There it was again—her attitude, the one that nobody else dared to take with him. The critical stance that simultaneously frustrated and attracted him.
    “Well? Why are you just standing there? Come on, start over, and this