by Karen Deen
Zara is the first person to really catch my attention and she isn’t even chasing me. Instead, I want to get to know her. Who am I kidding? She has more than caught my attention. She’s consumed my every thought since the first time she opened her mouth. Those fiery red lips serve up a mouthful of sass to me. I wonder how they would feel and taste. Last night she was in my dreams and the things she did with those perfect lips were sinful. God, they felt good though.
Lunch became hole-in-the-wall Mexican that has the most sensational burritos. I order my usual, beef with plenty of beans. While placing my order, I wonder to myself what Zara’s food habits would be like. Would she be one of those women who only ate ‘munch and crunch’ as I called it? A bowl full of salad with every variety but nothing of any taste or flavor. Or would she be a woman who knew a good meal? Who loved a great steak full of flavor with sauce running over the sides. Perhaps red meat isn’t her thing but maybe she loves a creamy vegetarian pasta.
Geesus, I’m just ordering lunch and still Zara’s consuming my thoughts.
Without second guessing, I order a second burrito with chicken. Maybe Zara’s at the studio. If I walk in with lunch, she’ll have no excuse to say no to eat with me. I could eat either burrito, so Zara even has a choice. I’m just hoping it’s a foot in the door just to see her.
Even if she isn’t in the studio, I’ll just take lunch back to the office. Luke is like a seagull when it comes to food. He will polish it off in no time. The question will be asked why I have it, but I’ll simply ignore him. This is not something I need to share with my family.
The door to the studio pushes open easily as my mind goes back to last night. Being a woman on her own in the downtown studio at that time of night, it’s ridiculous to leave the door unlocked. I can feel the hairs on my neck raise just thinking about Zara’s safety.
Climbing the staircase, my head’s in a jumble as to what I’m going to say. I co-ordinate business meetings with high-powered business people, I head the family meetings. However, right at this moment, I feel myself spiraling. This makes me uneasy.
Standing at the studio entrance, taking in a deep breath, I pull my shoulders back, trying to steady my thoughts.
Game on, I tell myself, and walk confidently through the door. The studio’s empty. No students or parents are around so Zara must be on a break. She must be here, otherwise the studio would be locked. I stand around wondering where she is. Hearing noises from the door in the corner, I realize she’s in the bathroom. I can hear running water from a shower. Leaning against the bar, I patiently wait, hoping not to startle her when she exits the bathroom. It’s not like I can warn her I’m here. That’ll just be awkward and weird to knock on the door. I’ll just wait.
Zara
The relief from the needling warm water is both soothing and blissful after a hard dance workout. A small, simple pleasure in life, but one I love.
I stand for a moment, letting my muscles relax, wishing I could stand here longer, but I know I need to get prepared for the afternoon classes. Of course, there’s always administration paperwork also needing to be done.
White fluffy towels are the best after a soothing shower. Some would say I’m a little OCD with my life. I like what I like. I’m more settled when my life is in order and things are as I want them.
Xavier and Natalie are always laughing at me for it, but that is how I function. Chaos, I cannot handle. It stresses me. I can handle any pressure except for being disorganized. It sounds strange, but I work better under stress, as long as it is organized stress, if there’s such a thing. Sometimes, that’s what’s needed to stop the chaos, just plain hard work. Not many people understand that. Mark certainly never got it.
Securing the towel around me, I turn to grab my duffle bag. Oh, shit! I forgot to grab it from the office on my way in. Lucky the studio is locked so it won’t matter if I walk around naked. There’s was no way I’m putting sweaty clothes back on. I swear, most days I go through two to three sets of dance clothes. It is not a great look to be teaching with sweaty, smelly leotards on and expect my students to turn up appropriately dressed.
Opening the bathroom door, I kick my toe on its corner. “Fuck!” I cry and lean down to make sure there’s no damage. A broken toe at this crucial time in the audition process could be the difference between a call back or not. It’s throbbing but looks okay, thank God. Just at that moment, I hear a muffled sniggering from across the room. My heart stops. How the hell did someone get in? Or more importantly, who helped themselves in? Clutching my towel, I slowly rise.
“Maybe now you’ll listen to me about locking that goddamn door,” Grant quips.
I feel his heated stare travelling the length of my near-naked body. Of course, it has to be him. The man who wouldn’t leave my dreams and thoughts last night, is now in front of me devouring my body with his greedy eyes. We both stand motionless for a moment until I snap my brain into gear.
“What are you doing here, Grant? How did you get in?” I mumble, nervously gripping the top of my towel like it’s my lifeline.
“Through the door, Zara. The one I keep telling you to lock.” He has that father look again. The one that usually comes before the sentence “if I have to tell you a third time there will be trouble, young lady.” My father’s voice rings clear in my head.
“It was locked,” I snap back. “I asked one of the parents to lock it on her way out after class.” I drop my hands to my hips to let Grant know he better back down with the attitude.
“Well, I’m sorry, Zara, I walked straight in and the door definitely was unlocked.” Finally, his eyes fix on my face and for once his voice is more assertive rather than yelling.
“Damn, I never would have got in the shower if I’d known the studio was open. I’m not that stupid, Grant. That’s just putting myself in danger.”
“Thank God you see it that way. Although, I’m not complaining with the view I have right now, you standing before me in just a fluffy towel. I’m not sure you understand how hard it is to not rip that towel away. You’re a very attractive woman, Zara.” Grant’s voice is low and gruff, one that makes parts of me stand up and take notice.
“I ahh…um…should get my clothes…” I stumble over my words like an idiot.
“That’s a very good idea, Zara. I’m not sure how long I can stay on this side of the room. Don’t suppose you need help?” A grin slides up his face. This is a side of Grant I haven’t seen. His smile is cute and softens his face considerably. The only time I have seen him drop his hard-assed façade is with little Sophia.
“Pretty sure I’ve been dressing myself for quite a while now. Anyway, shouldn’t it be the other way around where you should be undressing me?” With that, I’m amused by the look on Grant’s face as I head to my office. Grabbing my bag, I turn to find Grant right behind me.
“Be careful with your throwaway lines, Zara,” Grant warns. He’s so close to me now, he leans forward to whisper in my ear. My nerves go off like firecrackers. “I might just take you up on that offer. At least I know your mind is in the same place mine is. Just know this…when the time finally comes, and it will, you won’t need to be telling me to take your clothes off.”
I can hear myself pant and there’s was not a thing I can do to stop it. I’m on fire. At the rate this is going I’ll need another shower. “I’ll wait over here for you, baby. Now go and cover that hot ass.”
He turns and stalks across the studio to the windows that face the street.
I remain stunned, watching his perfect body from behind.
As soon as he comes near me, I lose all control and strength. I’m not one to be lost for words or take a step backwards. But every time, Grant has made me a babbling mess. I need to be stronger around him.
I run across the room to the bathroom, lock myself in and I lean my back against the door. I breathe deeply trying to get my brain some oxygen. I need to walk back out there with my sassy personality otherwise I fear before today is over, that
I will somehow be in Grant’s bed, losing my mind with pleasure.
That’s not a bad thing.
In fact, I’m sure it would be awesome. But I can’t let that happen. I need to keep my focus on the audition, not on some hot, sexy man and dreaming about how amazing the sex would be. I have a feeling it’d be out of this world.
After all, in my dreams last night, it was the best sex I’d ever had.
Chapter Eight
Zara
Fully dressed and hair secured in a bun on the top of my head, I check myself in the mirror before opening the door. I want to make sure I look my best. Not for Grant, of course, but for my students when they arrive.
Who am I kidding, of course I want to look good for Grant. My heart wants to hear him talk about my body again.
Slowly, I open the bathroom door and see Grant still looking out onto the street. Taking a moment to admire the view, I stand leaning against the doorframe.
He has that perfect muscular and robust shape of a very fit man, one of my weaknesses. Broad shoulders fill his suit jacket perfectly. Grant carries a strength about him, his stance one of power. I consider how he’d be as a dance partner, to have those arms wrapped around me, hoisting me into the air. He would never drop me. He could be someone to put my trust into, and someone who could protect my dreams.
As I straighten, I make the slightest noise, loud enough for Grant to turn and look over his shoulder.
His gaze is smoldering, and our eyes lock for a moment. It feels like he’s looking straight down into the depths of my soul. I study him back and want to know what makes this stunning man tick. There’s more to the gruffness I encountered last night, I’m sure of it. I really wish to explore it more, but I know I can’t. I have to keep my eye on the goal.
“What are you doing here, Grant? I thought after last night and our verbal sparring, you would have run far away from this studio.” I walk towards him, his gaze firmly on me. His smile softens his features.
“I was out of the office and grabbing lunch when I realized I wasn’t far from you. I need to apologize for last night, Zara. Both times. I was stressed about Emily. Making sure her, and the baby were going to be okay. Of course, I was also concerned for Zach. He’s had a bad time before, he’s very vulnerable. But that doesn’t excuse my behavior. I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did. So, I brought a peace offering as an apology.” He holds a bag from the great Mexican restaurant down the road and my mouth starts to water. I’m starved after my workout.
What happened to the Grant from last night? The hot, sexy Grant who likes to dominate. Not that I don’t like this version. The sweet, melt-my-panties Grant.
“That’s very kind of you, Grant, but totally unnecessary. I wasn’t exactly sweet as honey to you last night either. I understand the panic you were feeling. From a few comments mentioned last night and today, I am guessing there’s more to the story. So, I’m glad Thomas is here healthy, and everything is perfect for them all.”
He’s still eyeing me up and down. He might be all sweet at the moment, but I can tell there’s some very naughty thoughts going through his mind.
“I must say, I am starving and the smell coming from that bag is amazing. What did you bring for me?” I motion for him to take a seat on one of the chairs we have lined along the wall for the parents to sit on.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d prefer so I’ve got a beef and bean burrito or a chicken. I eat both, so you can take your pick.” Grant stood next to me while holding out the bag for me to make a choice. While I take it from his hands our fingers brush, that instant tingle racing up my arm. This man is doing things to my body I have no control over. It’s annoying but arousing at the same time. I hate I can’t control my hormones around Grant.
While I open the bag, Grant slips out of his suit jacket. This gets my heart pounding. His white shirt fits tightly across his muscled chest, and boy do I want to run my hands over them. I have a thing for men with strong arms and shoulders. I don’t know what it is, but it makes me sweaty just thinking what those arms would feel like with my fingers wrapped around them. He slowly un-cuffs and rolls the sleeves until they sit just below his elbows.
“Are you okay, Zara? You’ve been staring into that bag for quite a while. Please don’t tell me you are a vegetarian or one of those munch-and-crunch girls?” Grant’s low strong voice snaps me out of my daydream.
“Sorry, what did you say?” I mumble, feeling the embarrassment showing on my cheeks.
“I said, I hope you aren’t a vegetarian or one of those munch-and-crunch girls.”
“What the hell is a munch-and-crunch girl? You have me intrigued.”
“You know, one of those women who only eats raw salad and vegetables. Nothing with any flavor. They’re scared to put their fork near a piece of meat. All because they’re worried about weight.”
“Oh God, Grant! You can’t say things like that. What if I am one of those? You would have just insulted me and the apology you came here with would be totally wasted.”
He smiles and laughs at me.
“Zara, by the way your eyes opened up when you saw the bag and the smile when you smelt it, there’s no way you would be one of those girls. You love a good meal full of meat, and all the good stuff that goes with it, don’t you?”
Why am I thinking dirty thoughts when we’re talking about food?
“You’re right, Grant. I do love a good meaty feed. It’s been a while since meat has been past my lips.” I look for Grant’s reaction. I can tell he took the naughty road to my comment. It takes him back a bit. He didn’t expect a dirty comment from me. Well, two can play at this game, Grant. I’m not the shy wallflower you think I am.
“Well, we will have to remedy your meat problem then, won’t we, Zara? I will make it my personal mission to make sure before we get too far, you have a big, round, long, firm piece of meat slide through those amazing red lips of yours. A taste that you will savor the memory of and it will be an experience like none you have ever had before.”
Once again, Grant trumps me with his dirty mouth and leaves me speechless. This really starts to piss me off. I’m not this weak little girl that seems to turn up every time Grant is around. Put your boots on, Zara, and stomp your feet to declare your ground.
“That is very presumptuous of you, Grant. What makes you think your meat would be the best I’ve had?” This brings a grin to my face. We’re at it again. It seems every time we’re together, verbal sparring is a must. It was starting softly but building quickly.
“I am trying really hard to be a gentleman today, Zara, after my efforts from our last two meetings. But you are really making it difficult. First the towel and now that sassy mouth of yours. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving that sassy mouth but let me assure you, my meat and your mouth, that will be an experience we both won’t forget.” We’re now both looking flustered.
I sit here contemplating how I could ever have any sort of relationship with this man. We can’t even get through ten minutes together without sparring.
We’re both caught in our wicked thoughts.
God, what am I going to do?
I can’t pursue this but with all my soul, I want to.
Pull yourself together, Zara, and explain to Grant what is going on. Don’t lead him on, only to cut him off.
I might be sassy, but I am far from being a bitch.
Chapter Nine
Grant
I can’t take my eyes off her. Zara has totally taken control of my world and I don’t know how to stop it.
This does not happen to me.
Counting to ten, I take a breath and close the space between us, then I reach down and pull Zara from her seat. She gasps at my touch, and there’s surprise in her eyes. I’m not stopping. This is me, taking her. I can’t stand here and resist her anymore. This woman I only met yesterday, has totally consumed my world and I want her. I want her like I have never wanted another woman before.
I run my finger down
her cheek and cup her chin, tilting her head so she looks at me. There’s pure lust and want in her eyes. I know she wants this. I can see it, and I can feel the electricity. Looking into her eyes I lean forward until she’s a breath away. And just as I’m about to kiss her lips, Zara jerks backwards.
What the fuck happened? I know I didn’t misjudge this. I would never take a woman unless I was totally sure we were on the same page.
“Zara,” I speak with my low growl, “you can’t deny you want this too. What happened?” My words come across harsh and direct. I’m teetering on the edge. I just want to make her mine. I damn well knew she is meant for me. How can I convince her?
“Grant,” she whispers, putting distance between us. “I can’t do this. I need you to know from the start, I can’t do this.” Her cheeks blush. I can see her chest rising rapidly just like mine. I’m hearing her, but I don’t want to listen to the words.
“Don’t get me wrong, it took all my strength to pull away. I’ve known you for less than twenty-four hours and yet, I can’t stop thinking about you. You make me tingle in places that haven’t tingled in a very long time.” Zara hesitates.
Without realizing it, I hear a low growl come from me.
“I feel it too, Grant. Although you’re an arrogant, cocky man, I still feel that pull. But I can’t be in any sort of relationship at the moment. I’ve worked my ass off to get to this point. I can’t fall now.”
Zara looks at me with those fiercely determined eyes. I have no idea what she’s talking about but there’s no way I’m walking out of here today without a full explanation. I can tell her now, it won’t be a strong enough one to stop me.
When I want something this strongly, I fight with all that I have.
“Zara, I know what I want, I know you want that too. However, I’m a man who’ll always respect a woman. I’ll never push you, but I need to know more.” I can feel my control peaking as I speak. I’m fighting the urge to take her in my arms and show her how easy this could be.