He smiled, ego placated.
Their instructor was apparently the slim, dark-haired man--long hair pulled back in a ponytail--that was fiddling with the sound system. He was dressed in black from head to toe. When he turned around, Jaina blinked.
The man was stunning. His face was almost feminine, dominated by large, lushly lashed black eyes. His skin was pale, his lips full. It was just wrong that a guy could look that amazing.
She judged his age in the late twenties, and if he hadn't obviously been male--face might have been effeminate, but the rest of him was not--she would have thought him female. But when he spoke... his voice was surprisingly deep and smooth. She knew that many, many women would succumb to that voice.
"Welcome to the introduction ballroom course. Are you all in the right place?"
All heads bobbed in unison.
"Good." He smiled and it was dazzling. His teeth were white, straight, shiny.
Colin ran his tongue over his own teeth, feeling the gap in the front. Beside him, Jaina placed her hand on his arm and said, "Quit worrying. I like you better."
"I am your instructor, Gregory Wilder. I have studied ballroom here in Auckland, in London, and in New York. For the last four years, I have competed on the international level, once winning silver, once winning bronze."
Jaina yawned.
Colin nudged her. She smacked him lightly in the side with the back of her hand.
"I am assuming everyone here has a dance partner?" Gregory inquired. Every head nodded. "Good. Now, has anyone here had previous ballroom experience?"
Jaina was the only one who raised her hand. She felt self-conscious when everyone looked at her.
Pointing to her, Gregory asked, "How much experience?"
She had to think. "Eight years?"
"Would you be so kind as to assist me?"
With a mental sigh, Jaina walked over to Gregory.
When she got there, he asked, "What is your dance experience?"
"Well, eight years of ballroom, but I also do bellydancing."
The smug expression that flickered on his face made her want to gouge his eyes out with a pencil. Why was it that all the ballroom people did that when they heard she bellydanced?
He led her through a few steps, without telling her what they were other than the dance itself, and was clearly surprised when she followed without a misstep. He gave her an ironic smile, acknowledging his error in judgment.
♥♥♥
Halfway through the class, he split them into two groups, one of men and one of women. Jaina was given the task of teaching the women. Eventually, Gregory let her go back to Colin.
Despite his proclaimed deficiency at dancing, Colin was a quick learner. Near the end of the class, he had the first three steps of the cha-cha down.
"You're doing great," Jaina murmured.
Colin was looking over her shoulder, a scowl on his face.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"The instructor has been staring at you all night."
Feeling pleased that he was jealous, she glanced over her shoulder at Gregory. As Colin had said, he was looking in their direction. But when he saw her looking at him, he turned away, his expression darkening.
Jaina looked back at Colin, smiling to herself.
"What?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing."
Gregory stopped the music. "All right! Split up! Men left, women right! We're going to learn the next step."
She sighed. Reluctantly, she parted with Colin, knowing Gregory would want her to help instruct. She didn't mind the instruction. She minded Gregory's attitude towards her.
She managed to not let her irritation show until she got back to Colin, with time enough to run through the step once before class was over.
"Prissy git," she muttered as she shrugged into her coat.
Colin snickered. He was slipping into his own coat when Gregory came up to Jaina.
"I really appreciated your help tonight. Would it be all right if I asked you to help again?"
She was surprised, and his words managed to smooth her ruffled feathers. "Yeah, sure," she said, with a smile.
"Good." Then he turned to Colin. "You're doing well. Good form."
Then the dark eyes swept over him and Gregory said, "Let me know if you're interested in," and the slightest of pauses, "any private lessons."
He walked over to talk to a different couple. Colin was standing frozen, with his coat half on, a blank look on his face. Jaina's lips twitched.
"Looks like it wasn't me," she said, and burst into a fit of giggles.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"Would you please stop cackling?" Colin asked as they walked into the house.
The indignation in Colin's voice made Jaina laugh harder. Fortunately, she'd waited until they got to the car to succumb to the majority of her amusement. She'd laughed the whole way home.
Colin tried to glare at her, but had to admit he could see how it was funny. He allowed himself a half-smile.
Wandering over to the answering machine, he saw it was blinking. The message was from his agent.
"I still don't like her," Jaina remarked as he picked up the phone.
He shrugged. "Not many options around here."
Colin took the phone upstairs, where his computer was, so he could call Karen back. Jaina looked through the fridge, contemplating a snack. Frowning at the choices, she sighed and closed the door.
She couldn't explain it, but she felt restless, and kind of tense. After several moments, she realized it was because of Gregory and his pass at Colin.
Only two things she could think of to help with her tension. Unfortunately, Option Number One was upstairs and currently occupied. Jaina moved to the CD player and selected a disc from the stack next to it. She found herself swaying with the music and let herself relax.
Colin wandered into the kitchen to put down the phone, having been unsuccessful in reaching Karen, which wasn't much of a surprise. He stopped at the sight of Jaina. One corner of his mouth lifted.
Setting the phone on the counter, he went to her. Sliding an arm around her, his hand on her stomach, Colin pulled her against him, her back to his chest.
Jaina reached behind her and ran her hands over his hips and down his thighs. Sweeping them up her own body, she brought her hands up to cup the back of his neck as he nipped at her earlobe, sending a shiver through her.
Colin gripped her hips, rocking with her. Jaina turned her face to his and he captured her lips.
He leaned her back against the table. Her leg lifted, muscular calf and pump-clad foot hooking around his hip.
Sighing, Jaina let her head fall back as he kissed her throat. He'd picked up the beat of the music, rolling his pelvis against hers.
He reached past her and hit the "stop" on the player. Jaina's eyes opened as he pulled away, the CD in his hand.
She made as if to question, but it died on her lips. He raised an eyebrow, shot her a smile, and extended a hand.
She put her hand in his and followed.
♥♥♥
Upstairs, he'd barely put the CD on to play when Jaina pounced on him. Dragging Colin to the bed, she shoved him over and climbed over him, straddling his hips. Pressing him down on the covers, she kissed him hungrily.
His hands slid up the backs of her thighs and under her skirt. He paused only momentarily when he encountered only skin. His fingers played over her buttocks. Jaina made a small noise and squirmed against him.
If she wanted to be in charge, that was fine with Colin. He already couldn't think straight, the blood having rushed from his brain as quickly as it had.
Jaina made swift work of the buttons on his shirt. There was no need for words; the strangled noise he made as she ran her tongue over his chest was enough.
He opened his azure eyes as the mattress dipped under her weight. Jaina moved over him, knees to either sides of his hips. Then she enveloped him in a slick warmth.
Jaina paused, a
djusting to this new position. She exhaled softly.
Colin sat up and she pushed his shirt off his shoulders. Her fingers gripped his upper arms. She hadn't said anything, but the message her body conveyed was clear: Mine!
She moved, hesitantly at first, then with increasing confidence. Her hips rose and fell a few leisurely times. His hands settled at her waist to steady her. Finding her balance, Jaina moved faster, her breath coming in little gasps. His blood was like thunder in his ears, but he was still aware as her breathing quickened. Colin reached between them. He was nearing the brink and didn't want to leave her incomplete. For one thing, she'd probably hurt him. She threw her head back and screamed, body arcing in one fierce spasm. His own release pulsed within her.
All of the tension leaked out of her. Colin suspected she would have fallen over if he hadn't been holding her.
He studied her face. Her full, swollen lips were parted softly, her green eyes closed. He could see the pulse in her throat; it reminded him somehow of a hummingbird's wings.
After a while, Jaina straightened. She smiled beatifically, tucking a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear. She looked dazed.
Colin smiled back.
"Maybe," he said, "if this is your response, I should let people hit on me more often."
She laughed weakly. "Yeah. Right."
He pulled her down on the bed, holding her lightly. It was as he was reaching for the covers that they realized she still had her shoes on.
Chuckling, he threw them across the room and reached for the light.
♥♥♥
When the alarm went off at six in the morning, Jaina groaned and burrowed deeper under the covers. Morning had come way too early for her taste. And it was cold outside, even if the snow had gone away. She was warm, the bed was soft, and it smelled of Colin. Smiling, eyes still closed, she hugged his pillow.
She knew there was a reason why she should be entitled to sleep in, but couldn't think of it. It was Monday, and she knew she had work in an hour, but there was a reason...
The sound and scent of breakfast downstairs finally roused her. She lay for a moment, without moving, musing that this was the second or third time in a row that Colin had got up before her to make breakfast.
She lifted her hand to rub at her nose, which itched, and felt something cold against her skin.
With a startled yelp, Jaina sat up, blinking stupidly at the silver bracelet on her arm, made up of small circles with Celtic knots in them. They looked like four little hearts linked together.
Jaina was still staring at it, knowing she hadn't been wearing it when she'd gone to bed and wondering where it had come from when Colin came in with a tray and food.
He saw her confused look. Grinning, he said, "I put that on while you were asleep. And now you get breakfast in bed. Oh... Happy birthday!"
Still not feeling quite conscious, Jaina smiled back, scooting so she was leaning against the wall. "Hi. Uh."
Colin kissed her forehead as he set the tray on the bed. "I know, I know, you're not a morning person."
"Thank you," she murmured.
Breakfast was sausage, French toast, orange juice, and a mug of hot chocolate. Jaina felt self-conscious about eating it, until he brought up a tray of his own.
They ate in companionable silence, and then, as Colin was clearing up, she took her shower. She was braiding her wet hair when the phone rang. It was her mother, calling to say happy birthday.
Jaina regretfully had to cut the call short, since she had to get to work. She dressed quickly in a long brown skirt with rose-colored flowers on it, calf-high brown boots, and a rose sweater. She never wore pink. Well, not usually.
"I really appreciate breakfast," she said as she was shrugging into her parka. "But I wish it had been on the weekend."
Colin gave her a lopsided smile. "Well, we spent all day yesterday in bed..."
"Still, it's my birthday. I shouldn't have to go to work."
♥♥♥
It was raining, which Jaina sarcastically said made her day unbelievably perfect. She lugged her giant case of makeup--it seemed to get bigger every week--out to Colin's car, since neither of them saw a need to take two cars, as their destinations in either direction were the same.
"Careful," she'd joked. "People are going to start thinking we're going out."
She put the case in the trunk and adjusted the hook of her waterproof parka. "I hate rain," she said with feeling.
"Y'know... Auckland isn't supposed to be a place of extreme weather," Colin said.
"Didn't you know? Bad weather follows me wherever I go." Jaina went around to her side. Then she stopped. "Do you hear that?"
Colin, who obviously didn't hear it, asked, "Hear what?"
She looked around. "It sounds like-"
There, huddled under a nearby bush, was a tiny, grey, bedraggled thing, with huge blue eyes. She let out an "Ooohhh!" and scooped up the soaked kitten.
It was tiny, not even old enough to be away from its mother. It cried pitifully as Jaina cuddled it.
Colin came around the car, curious to see what she'd picked up. "What is it?"
"It's a kitten," she said. "I don't know what it's doing out here, it's way too young to be alone."
He looked at Jaina, then at the kitten, and back to Jaina. She looked at him with big, pleading green eyes. He sighed.
"All right, you can keep it. Might as well take it with us."
♥♥♥
In the car, Jaina used several of the paper napkins they kept in the car to dry off the kitten. It was a puffball of fur, with ears that seemed much too large for its tiny head and body. It blinked at her, confused and frightened.
Colin glanced over, surprised to see Jaina cooing to the furball.
"Uh, Jay? What do you plan to do with that?"
She rubbed the fur between its ears. "I'm going to get this poor baby warm and dry and feed-" Jaina lifted the kitten's tail "-her. She must be starving, poor wittoo thing."
He couldn't believe his ears. Did she just call it wittoo? "Feed her with what?" he had to ask.
"Um. Milk, I'm assuming. Jasa will know. I'll call him from the studio."
"Why would Jason know? What does your brother do, anyway?"
"Oh, he's a vet." She looked at him. "Are you really okay with this?"
Colin looked at the kitten, which, now that it was drier, looked like a fist-sized ball of fur with eyes. He had to admit, it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen. "Yeah, sure. I'm not heartless."
Jaina grinned and stuck the kitten in her sweater, to keep it warm.
"I envy it," he said wryly.
"Oh, hush."
♥♥♥
Jaina set the kitten on the counter in the makeup trailer, on a bed made of her scarf. The kitten hadn't learned to purr yet, but it squeezed its eyes shut as it kneaded the green chenille.
She set out her supplies as she rang up her brother. "Hi, Jase? It's Jaya. I was wondering if you knew what to feed a kitten that's about a month old."
Jason's voice, groggy at first, replied, "A kitten? What?"
"I found a kitten. It's a dinky little thing, maybe four weeks old. What should I feed it?"
There was silence for several moments, then Jason said, "It's four weeks old? Are you sure?"
Jaina bent to examine the kitten. Its eyes crossed as it tried to look at her. "Yeah, it's about four, maybe five weeks. It's small enough to sit in my hand."
He sighed. "Isn't it a little soon to be adopting?"
Jaina stuck her tongue out at the phone.
"If it's that little... probably kitten food and maybe kitten formula. We've got some at the office. If you want to send Colin in, since I know you can't leave, I can give you a discount, since you're family."
"Thanks. You're the best brother ever."
"Yeah, yeah. Uh, what are you going to do with it until then? We don't open until nine."
"Would warmed milk be okay?"
"A tiny bit should be okay, bu
t not too much."
"Great." Jaina waved at Robert as the door opened and he came in. The Australian eyed the kitten with great interest. "I gotta go, Jase, I'll talk to you in a bit."
"Happy birthday, Jay," he said.
"Thanks."
Jaina hung up and turned to Robert, who had extended a finger for the kitten to sniff. "Sorry about that, I had to consult my veterinarian brother on what to feed this little thing."
"Where'd you find it?"
"On the way to work." Okay, so that wasn't very specific. Jaina wasn't about to tell Robert she was living at Colin's. "Sit down and I'll get you ready to go."
♥♥♥
Jaina wasn't able to go in search of anything to feed the kitten--and tried to ignore its yowls--before Colin was able to take off with the noisy grey thing and deliver it to Jason's office. She was, in her opinion, insanely busy, and waiting nervously for some mysterious guest star that was supposed to be coming in.
In the exam room of the veterinary clinic, Jason looked down at the ball of fur. Colin stood on the other side, also looking down at it.
Jason looked up at Colin. "She named it what?!"
"Cupcake," Colin repeated. "Temporarily. At least, I hope it's temporary. I don't want a cat named Cupcake running around my house."
Jaina's brother shook his head. "That doesn't seem very Jaina. Naming it Cupcake, I mean. Yoda, or something, yeah. But cutesy? No way."
Colin shared in that incredulity. "You wouldn't believe how... mushy she's become since we picked up this kitten. Instant mutation."
The younger man picked up the tiny cat and began examining it. "Okay, she's right, definitely a girl."
Colin frowned. "How can you tell on something that little?"
Delighted to have an up on his sister's boyfriend, Jason explained. By the time he finished, Colin was glassy-eyed.
"I'm assuming you want shots?" Jason asked.
Colin nodded. "Jay said she wanted, and I quote, 'everything but spaying because my poor little sweetie doesn't need that nasty operation'."
The vet snickered. "I don't envy you."
Love's Dance Page 18