when men hadnât been staring at her body. And tonightâ¦well, tonight she wanted Nate to see her and to want her. She knew she was an okay-looking woman most of the time, but when she dancedâ¦she was beautiful.
âIâm not an athlete, T.J., so you will have to tell me, does baseball have its own cadence?â
He nodded. âIt might, maâam, but all I hear is the sound of the bat hitting the ball.â
She nodded, trying to think of another way to reach him. How was she going to make this work for him?
âDo you mind if I touch you?â
âNot at all,â he said with a grin.
She smiled back at him. Walking around behind him, she put her hands on his hips. âJust stay loose and let my hands move you.â
He nodded and she counted the beat of the music under her breath. And then she started to move his hips. He tried to move his feet but stumbled. âJust stay still and learn the beats.â
âI donât think that method is working, Ms. Miller,â Nate said. âLet me show him how itâs done.â
She looked at her boss and then put her hands up and stepped back.
But instead of going to T.J., Nate came to her. He put his hands on her hips. âMove so I can feel the rhythm.â
His low tone was meant only for her ears and she responded to it. She counted the beat so heâd hear it as loudly as she did inside of her head and then she started to move.
Nate, unlike T.J., moved with an innate grace and natural ability that made dancing with himâ¦well, not work. He put his hands in the proper position for the dance. One hand on her hips and the other holding her hand, his eyes met hers and the other people in the room faded away. In that one moment, Nate wasnât her boss or some local celebrity.
He was her partner, her man, and she let the dance take over. Their gazes met and held as they danced. Nate understood sensuality, and in his arms she realized that she was more than the dance instructor.
The salsa was about heat and sex. It was a seduction, a promise of the evening to come. She felt the barriers sheâd been trying to put into place to keep him back start to shake and then fall.
This man wasnât going to let her keep him away if he wanted to be closer. And as the music faded and they stopped moving, she knew he did want to be near to her, or at least she knew that she wanted to be near to him. She wanted to feel his hands on her hips again. To feel his big hand holding hers and watch his dark obsidian eyes as they moved together to the music.
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Nate didnât know why he felt so possessive toward Jen. She was nothing more than a pretty face and an employee but when sheâd touched T.J., heâd seen red. And he didnât like that.
Once he held her in his arms, he knew what the problem was. He wanted her. And wanting her was complicating his rather simple plans for an enjoyable evening. But dancing together had also shown him that she was interested in him, too. She watched him, her gaze heated under his as they moved and when the music stopped, he started to pull her to a corner of the room.
But the applause stopped him and Jen bit her lower lip as she stepped back.
âThat is what we need to see from everyone,â she said. âIâm going to observe you all dancing and then we will be ready for our big debut.â
âI donât think Iâm going to look like that,â T.J. said.
âDonât worry about it,â Nate said. âIâll take your place. Unless you have an objection, Ms. Miller.â
Jen flushed and shook her head. âYou are a very good partner, Mr. Stern.â
âCall me Nate,â he said.
She nodded. She turned her attention back to the class.
âWhy didnât you tell me you had something going with her?â T.J. asked.
âI donât. That was just a dance.â
âThat was sex on a cracker, man. That was so much more than