Taming the Tango Champion

by Cait O'Sullivan

  Unknowingly, she walked past her gym, only to stop and turn on her heel, staring in at the welcome warmth. A swim, a nice short-term answer. Her gear was in her locker. She could tire her body out in hopes of bringing rest to her exhausted mind.

  After quickly changing, she was soon in the cool water. Lap after lap her mind continued to swirl.

  Okay Ava, time to face the facts. You have a toddler by a man who is committed to another woman and has another child. If worse comes to worst, you lose custody of Bella to the man you love, and his partner. Thereby losing both loves in your life. You’ll have to get over it. Don’t think about it, just get on with it.

  Chapter 12

  The following morning she stood at the reception desk, waiting for Dawn to finish a call so she could page Matthias. Outwardly Ava maintained equanimity until her fingers started drumming on the counter of their own accord.

  The outer door to reception shushed open, and her brain registered Spanish words. Not one voice either, but two, male and female. She froze. Oh my God, is it them? Turn around. You’re going to have to face her sometimes. Just do it!

  As though in slow motion, she twisted to face the newcomers. Her low gaze clocked impossibly high black dancing shoes that graced beautiful legs, and her heart hit her boots. Yet, with a lightening of her heart, she knew it wasn’t Matthias standing with the woman. Perhaps it was because her body remained quiet. Or maybe the air lacked his dark amber smell. The same feeling, at the start of the show that had told her Matthias de Romero was in the room now made her aware that he wasn’t.

  She looked directly at the dancer for confirmation. An Argentine man, but not the same dark charisma as Matthias.

  Hope tiptoed back. Could it have been these two she heard last night? She cast her mind to the evening before, the voice she had heard talking was low with music in the background, effectively drowning it out. She had assumed it was Matthias—after all, it was his apartment.

  Yet her hope waxed and curiosity got the better of her. Who were these two? She stepped back to allow them access to Dawn. The man graced her with a smile and an inclination of his head, while the girl stared imperiously.

  “Yes, can I help you?” Dawn smiled at them both and placed the phone in its cradle.

  “Yes please. I am Santino Vidal, the reigning Argentine Tango Champion.” He arched an eyebrow, apparently waiting for some awe his way. Dawn smiled politely.

  Her senses were proving so unreliable these days, she didn’t want to acknowledge what was being screamed in her. It was this man’s voice she had heard last night. It was, it was!

  Dawn broke the silence. “And?”

  “Has Edwina McNeil not told you? I am here to fill in for Matthias de Romero while he is in Argentina on family business. A wedding, I believe.”

  If he were here to fill in for Matthias, then it stood to reason he was staying at Matthias’s apartment, surely. Her heart still refused to budge. Come on, give me a break, I’m tired of this. Let me stay in my dark corner. But— who is getting married?

  Ava inwardly shrieked at Dawn to ask, but instead the receptionist smiled and greeted them. Her heart shrank but conversely gained in weight. At least she knew he wouldn’t appear in their studio and surely, he wouldn’t be back by Saturday night.

  She left the reception via the stairs and ran to the studio where Luca was already practicing. Bursting through the door and throwing her coat over a chair, she pushed her sleeves past her elbows.

  “Right Luca, we were good last week. I want to be great this week and fantastic the next. We’re going to win this competition, even if it kills me.” Luca took three long strides and picked her up to swing her around.

  “Ava, bella, Ava, it’s good to have you back! I was worried when you weren’t quite yourself yesterday, but I’m glad to see you’ve come back stronger than ever.”

  The next two weeks flew by. Every time Ava’s mind went off its well-worn route to worrying about Matthias and Bella, she hauled her thoughts back to concentrate on the dance steps she was learning.

  Her days fell into a routine. Bella’s chattering and singing woke her each morning. Ava would pick her up, dress her and get breakfast. Once her mum arrived, Ava headed to the studios to arrive at eight in the morning, and left even more promptly at five that evening. Every minute counted with Bella now the future was uncertain. Maybe next year she’d thank her lucky stars she had made the most of this time. She ensured they did special things together, committing to memory every smile, giggle and new word from Bella. Ava’s camera accompanied her everywhere they went, and she solicitously captured the day-to-day images of Bella feeding the ducks, eating breakfast, giggling uproariously. The things her heart would miss when her little girl was no longer there.

  But she couldn’t get an image of the special smile Bella reserved especially for her. The peaceful, loving smile that said all was right in her world now that her mummy was by her side. It was indescribable and Ava doubted she’d ever capture it. But it was held, under lock and key, in her heart.

  The distraction that the second live show provided gave her temporary relief from her worry. From start to finish, her feet didn’t hit the ground and she flew through the Cha-Cha. Reluctant to hang around to celebrate once she found out they had been voted to stay in, she kissed Luca on the cheek and grabbed her coat to get back home again.

  Her world became stuck in a sepia time warp. The only time details stood out was when her love for Bella threatened to overcome her, or nerves for the live show overtook her. The mornings, the cusp of waking, were the hardest. For it was there her imagination soared in glee, flashing up images of Matthias: on his black stallion, bending down to kiss her, laughing with her, smiling at her. Here in her Never-Never land, her love for him and his for her was the only thing in the world, mad though it was, making sense.

  At times, Bella would make an appearance and her little family was complete. At others, Matthias led Bella firmly by the hand away from her. Similar to the effect of someone upending a bucket of cold water over her, she would wake with a jerk, heart pounding, sure Matthias already had custody of Bella.

  Then during the second week of Matthias’s departure, the news that the next live show was to be broadcast from Blackpool, the home of Ballroom on the west coast of England, had the dancers working hard and late, determined to do their best. Private cars were taking the professional dancers and some of the amateurs, while others were flying their private jets. However they got there, they had to be in time for a dress rehearsal and the dancers traveling by car had to be prepared to stay the night.

  Ava smiled at the excitement, feeling very removed. It would be a night away from Bella, and would eat into her much-loved Sunday with her daughter. Perhaps she could come back after the show on Saturday night after she performed the Rumba.

  On Saturday, Ava checked in at the Hilton. With Edwina at her side, she overheard her on the phone. When she wrapped her call up with “See you later tonight, Matthias”, Ava’s carefully constructed calm started to disintegrate. God, Matthias will be here tonight. A newly married Matthias? Dare she ask Edwina? No. She needed a drink. She needed a smoke, heck she needed a valium.

  Instead, she called Luca.

  “Luca honey, get your butt down to the Tower Ballroom. I’ll be ten minutes and then we’ll run through the routine.”

  “Ava, I’m here already warming up. Be quick.”

  Ava quickly dumped her bag in her room and headed to the ballroom. When Luca saw her, he jogged over and swept her onto the dance floor. “Have you heard the news?” He murmured in her ear as they started slowly moving together.

  “Yep.” Ava feigned disinterest. Surely if she kept practicing, it would become the norm for her where Matthias was concerned.

  “If I am right about him having even the tiniest crush on you, then you dancing the Rumba will kill him.”

  “Mmm.” Not to mention what it was going to do to her. The Rumba—nerves started her laughing—ha
ppened to be the most provocative of the Latin dances. The woman teases and flirts with her partner, only to withdraw while he gradually becomes more and more enamored with her charms. Far too close for comfort.

  Heck, it could have been written for Ava and Matthias. And Vidal Santino had made sure that Ava knew the Rumba like the back of her hand. For some reason, Luca and she had received special treatment and he and his beautiful partner, Penelope, had spent the previous morning with them. They now both proudly claimed Ava and Luca danced the Rumba as though they were born to it.

  Once they had run through their routine a couple of times with no mistakes, Ava rushed over to hair and makeup, followed by a visit to wardrobe to get dressed.

  When Emily had brought the slip of a dress out, Ava laughed aloud. How was she going to manage to get it over her head let alone her hips?

  When she did, she was silenced. A very sexy siren stood before her in the mirror, legs going on forever in sheer nude stockings. The deceptively see-through, lace front had a high collar which almost appeared prudish, but the necklace which spanned her neck to the top of the bodice gave a clue as to the sheerness of the dress. When she turned around, the dress revealed itself with its ingenuity. With the exception of the thin choker clasped at the back of her neck, it appeared backless until the red lace started down on her lower back, a scant inch above her buttocks. Emily gave a low whistle, her eyes sparkled in appreciation.

  Hair woven high off her face in intricate curls, Ava was statuesque and sexy as hell. Confidence was the final accessory—a shrinking violet couldn’t pull off the look. She eschewed dinner, something she was glad of when she and Luca stood, waiting to go on, to the right of the stage. They were first to open the show, an honor that made her constantly fiddle at the necklace sewn into the bodice of her red dress.

  Now, waiting to hear their names called, her confidence trembled in front of the task ahead of her. The cameras flashed onto them whilst on the big screen behind her, her biography started, along with footage of their week in training.

  “I can’t see him.” Luca craned his neck to see the judges. There were the four of them, including Penelope with an empty seat beside her. Relief slid through Ava, a cool change to her flustered nerves. He wasn’t coming.

  They sallied out. This was the third time Ava had done this, and although still nerve-wracking, it became easier each time.

  With a click of her heels, Ava moved away from Luca to her side of the dance floor. There was the obligatory pause. A rustle to her right caught her eye, and without moving her head, she flicked a glance to the shadows.

  Matthias de Romero is in the house.

  Her world exploded into techno color. The disco ball above them spun, shooting rays of rainbow lights and magic onto the dance floor, thickening the air and slowing time. Nobody or nothing existed for her except the man who was caressing every inch of skin on display with a velvet sensuous gaze. Dark, brooding eyes above high proud cheekbones dominated the rest of his features, which were cast in shadows until the spinning light fell upon his face, throwing it into stark relief. Desire clearly etched upon it unfurled a feeling deep within her, sending vines of awareness tingling through her, exploding from her heart and reaching back toward him. The stress of the last few weeks uncoiled and fell from her, stretching and transforming her into a mass of energy, a mass that embraced his in celebration.

  She sashayed across the dance floor to the sound of Aerosmith’s raspy tones singing “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” and immediately went into an under arm twirl, resulting in her back firmly against Luca. He lowered his head to her shoulder and her eyes opened to catch Matthias watching. A jolt of lightning quickened through her, filling her with optimism for the future, love for the universe. They could be together. They could overcome whatever life threw at them. With Matthias by her side, love would be everlasting.

  He wanted her, he did, so dammit she was going to show him how much she wanted him. The man in her arms was a prop on her stage to show Matthias de Romero exactly how she felt about him.

  After all, it was safe here, she could express herself exactly how she wanted.

  * * * *

  Matthias gave an internal shake of his head in a vain effort to collect his thoughts before the camera zoomed onto him. How on earth was a red blooded male supposed to function calmly after watching Ava dance the Rumba, sensuous, serious and unattainable? He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, aware by his aching lungs that he had been holding his breath. She writhed around the dance floor, and he would lay a bet that each and every man in the audience was dreaming of her in their bed. It nearly killed him when Luca run his hands over Ava’s shapely derriere and at the same time lowered his lips to her neck, her head bent back in a graceful arch. She should be dancing with only him.

  Two weeks of not seeing Ava, then seeing her perform resulted in such an overload on his senses that rationale couldn’t see its way through. But time was not on his side because the cameras focused on him when Ava finished her dance. Really? It was a misnomer. More like seduction on the dance floor.

  James said a few words into the camera to welcome Matthias back to the show. The applause dwindled quickly, a few of the regular attendees hadn’t forgiven him for his previous remarks about Ava.

  Standing in front of him, she was beautiful. Her chest rose and fell rapidly after the effort of the dance. She crooked a hand on her hip, showing off her slim waist, and the desire to run his hands over her body neared the danger zone. Fitter and leaner than she had been two weeks ago, and without losing her sensuous curves. How incredible would she look at the end? He attempted to construct a comprehensible answer. She had been fantastic.

  “Ava and Luca, you were superb. The story of your dance was illustrated perfectly. It was a very sensuous dance, intensely performed and muy provicativo.” The crowd erupted, signaling their pleasure at his answer. “Just what the Rumba asks. Excellently done.”

  Matthias settled in his seat, absentmindedly raking his hair back from his forehead. Ava had been very provocative and sensuous. Watching her, he had been glad for the desk to hide behind and cold water to sip.

  Of course, what wasn’t helping was the fact he had decided to seduce her tonight. Stage one of his revenge and he had planned it to a T. The last two weeks had been fun at home, to a degree, but it was with increasing resentment he had observed his brother with his new baby. Roberto was infatuated with the tiny Allegra and the little girl had her daddy firmly wrapped around her finger. The picture of familial love should have been him with Bella. But because Ava had not deemed him worthy to be a father, he had missed out.

  But right here, right now? All he could think about was Ava, and he still felt the weight of responsibility for smashing her hopeful expression. The crazy idea that she danced for him and him only had drifted through his mind while watching her prowl around the dance floor, the hunter and the hunted at the same time. Crazy, definitely.

  The rest of the show slid by in a haze. Matthias’s fingers drummed on the desk, his foot constantly tapping to the music.

  Come on, come on, let’s get this show over with.

  When, eventually, James announced the result, Ava and Luca were at the top of the leader board—no surprise there. He rose to his feet quickly and made his way backstage with the other judges, where the dancers were celebrating.

  “What would you like to drink?” Vidal had to lean into Matthias to make himself heard over the racket of the bar.

  “Nothing for me, thanks. I have to be going.” He scoured the room. Where was she? He saw Luca talking to Helen.

  “Excuse me.” He absentmindedly patted Vidal’s arm and pushed his way through the crowds.

  “Luca?”

  Luca swung around and a smile lit his face. “Matthias!”

  He put his hand out to shake Luca’s.

  “Thanks for the great comments tonight. They meant a lot to us.”

  “You’re welcome. Where is Ava?” Matthias knew he
was being rude, but hell, who cared?

  “She’s gone. Said she had to rush back for something. Can I get you a drink?”

  Irritation rushed through him. “Gone? Back to London?”

  “Yeah.”

  Matthias excused himself and headed for the nearest Exit sign. There was no way she could have changed by now, so his best bet would be to stand at the doors and wait for her. Activating his phone, he called his limousine driver and told him to be waiting out front.

  Reception was now eerily quiet. The press and the hangers-on had gone around to the Tower Bar in the hope of talking to the dancers. From the faint light emanating onto the steps, he saw her standing tall.

  He quickened his pace and burst through the doors, calling her name. Azure eyes widened in surprise which turned to something deeper. Shame she had changed out of that dress, wearing instead her skinny blue jeans and ballet pumps. A warm gold tweed jacket skimmed her slim thighs, collar turned up against the night and belted, showing off her shapely waist.

  “Ava.” He saw by the way her chest rose that she had taken a deep breath. There was an expression in her eyes he couldn’t quite figure out, a combination of resignation and nerves.

  “Matthias, hello.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going back to London, waiting for a car to take me.” Her voice shook, and she kept her eyes on the road below. His limousine purred to a halt.

  “Come with me, instead.”

  “Where?”

  “Out of here. Come.” He held a hand out and saw her eyes flare, in what? Desire? Annoyance? Her jaw jutted, and she drew her shoulders back to stand tall. Matthias was sure she was going to say no.

  “Okay then.” She glanced sideways, eyes glistening. Matthias felt pride race through his veins. She was some woman, Ava. He guided her down the steps to his car, feeling his groin tighten whenever he thought of what might happen tonight.

  Chapter 13