by Laura Conway
“Sure. Take your time,” Spencer said.
“Help yourself,” Delaney said, motioning towards the kitchen. “There’s champagne, or if you want to get glasses for the wine...”
Delaney left them in the living room and padded down the hall to her master bedroom, standing in front of her closet, wondering what would be comfortable to dance in that she’d also look good in.
She tried on a dress and took it off before she even zipped it up. Too dressy. She put on yoga pants and a white off the shoulder top. It would be great for dancing in, but it was too casual. Delaney didn’t know if it was the champagne, but she wanted to impress Spencer tonight, both with her dancing, and well, her.
She changed into jeans, but kept the top on, the soft white cotton falling away from her right shoulder, revealing her bra strap. Delaney second guessed herself as she stood in front of the mirror, but it would have to do. She went into her bathroom to touch up her makeup and went back out into the living room where Matt and Spencer were having an animated conversation about the Yankees.
Spencer had poured herself a glass of Shiraz, and an empty glass was waiting for her beside the bottle. Matt finished his champagne, his hands on his knees, looking like he was ready to go.
“Well, enjoy your dance practice,” Matt said as he stood up. “It’s safe to say that you won’t have to worry about any competition from me and Jay. We’re nowhere near your level, but we’ll be rooting for you two.”
“I don’t know about that... Night,” Spencer said, giving him a wave from the couch as Delaney walked him to the door.
“Cute top,” Matt said when Delaney opened the door for him.
“Really or...?”
“Yes, really,” he said, his eyebrow arching. “Ohhh. You’re nervous. About tonight. Is this a date?” he asked in just above a whisper.
Delaney gently pushed him into the hallway. “No. It’s not. Goodnight.”
It definitely wasn’t, but then why was she so nervous?
Matt had kept her distracted for the last two hours, but now that it was just the two of them, Delaney had no idea how she was going to concentrate on salsa and her footwork.
“So, you know Matt from work?” Spencer asked when Delaney sat down beside her and poured herself a much-needed glass of wine.
“Yeah, and thanks for this,” Delaney said as she took a sip. “You didn’t need to bring anything, but yes, we’ve both been on this show from the first season. So, I’ve known him for about five or six years now. He’s great.”
“He is, well, from the little I know him, you know, from Club Pink.” Spencer cleared her throat as she crossed one leg over the other.
“He vouched for you,” Delaney said, thinking out loud. “On that first Tuesday, when he saw that we were dancing together. He said you were mature and hard-working. That you’d been at Club Pink for years... That you just turned thirty?”
Spencer nodded. “A few weeks ago. Yeah.”
“He’s not one for gossiping. I think he was just... I don’t know. I think I must have given him the impression that I was worried about dancing with someone so much younger than me,” Delaney said, almost stumbling over her words when she’d realized the direction she was taking this conversation.
The only reason Matt had brought up Spencer and her maturity was because Jay was encouraging Delaney to ask her out. None of that had anything to do with salsa or dancing together.
“Anyway,” Delaney said as she set her glass down on a coaster. “He was right. So,” she said as she stood up. “Shall we?”
“Yes,” Spencer said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a portable speaker. “Bluetooth speaker,” she said as she tapped on her phone. “I didn’t know what you’d have in terms of music.”
“Yeah, no... That’s perfect. I was just going to put something on my laptop.” Delaney picked up the two glasses and brought them into the kitchen along with the bottle of wine. “Do you mind helping me with the coffee table?” she asked Spencer when she came back into the living room.
They each took an end and carried it over to the far wall, giving them enough space to dance freely without worrying about kicking the table or bumping into the couch.
Spencer turned on the speaker and left it on the coffee table, Latin beats pumping out of the tiny gadget.
“Okay,” Spencer said as she stood in front of Delaney. “Do you want to go through some of the basic moves first? Then we can work our way up to a routine hopefully.”
“Yeah.” Delaney silently cursed. Why couldn’t she say something more than a ‘yeah?’
Spencer didn’t notice. She’d gotten closer, waiting for Delaney to put out her hand.
Delaney did just that as Spencer placed her warm hand on her bare shoulder, and Delaney swallowed as Spencer moved her hand slightly. Did touching her bare shoulder bother her?
Delaney didn’t know what Spencer was thinking, but she’d wished she’d changed her shirt. Spencer’s hand practically burned her skin, and Delaney couldn’t seem to focus on anything else.
Spencer had started moving, assuming Delaney would join in with her, but she’d been too preoccupied to follow the beat of the music.
“Sorry,” Delaney mumbled. “Ready this time.”
Delaney’s hand delicately rested in the middle of Spencer’s back, and tonight, for some reason, this felt so much different than it had on a Tuesday night, and it wasn’t just that they were on their own in Delaney’s apartment instead of in a bar full of people.
Touching Spencer was different. As they tried their first turn, Delaney let herself go with the music, not as self-conscious now that they were on their own. Spencer’s back pressed into her front, only for a second, before Delaney turned her again, and they were back to their starting position.
Spencer’s eyes flashed with something that Delaney couldn’t decipher. It might have been excitement. It could have been desire.
“That was pretty good,” Spencer said with a smile as she ran a hand through her hair before resuming their position.
“It was. Jay’s been teasing me about our chemistry,” Delaney said with a shrug, “But maybe he was right. We do dance well together.”
“Do you want to try the newest turn?”
“Let’s do it,” Delaney said, holding her gaze while they waited for the music and then she stepped forward, and Spencer moved backwards, their bodies inches apart as they tried the turn they’d learned on Tuesday.
Delaney must have remembered it wrong, because Spencer turned before she was expecting her to, her elbow catching Delaney in the jaw, sending her staggering towards the couch.
Delaney put out a hand to break her fall, and Spencer’s momentum must have brought her with her, or Delaney had kept a hold of her even as she was going down, because somehow the two of them were on the couch.
Spencer’s arm was around Delaney’s waist, turning her, her eyes wide, her mouth open as she looked down at her. “I’m so sorry,” Spencer breathed, her hand on Delaney’s cheek, her fingers gently moving across her skin until Delaney flinched. “Shit.”
“I’m fine,” Delaney said, pushing herself up into a seated position, her hand moving to her jaw as she tried to move it. “It’ll be fine in a second.”
“Do you have ice?”
“Yes, but-”
“Kitchen’s this way?” Spencer said as she got up, pointing behind her, and Delaney just nodded. Maybe ice was a good idea.
How had she made such a mess of that turn? They’d clearly been on completely different pages, maybe doing two totally different moves. Delaney thought that was the one from last week, but maybe it was one of the one’s she’d seen online and tried to imagine them doing.
“Here,” Spencer said as she sat down again, holding onto a zip-lock bag with a handful of ice it. “I’m so sorry,” she said as she brought the bag up to Delaney’s jaw.
She bit her lip as Spencer brought the bag up to her jaw and gently pressed it against her skin, the
cold stinging her skin before it began to numb it. Delaney reached up to take hold of the bag, her hand covering Spencer’s for a second, their eyes meeting, but Spencer looked away as she tousled her hair.
“Well,” Spencer said with a sigh. “That was a short practice.” She slid her phone out of her jeans to pause the music. “I can’t believe I-”
“It was my fault.” Delaney removed the ice to flex her jaw. “Don’t worry about it, and we don’t have to call this off. It feels better already.”
“Are you sure?”
Delaney got up and left the bag of ice in the kitchen sink, bringing their glasses of wine back with her. Spencer was standing beside the coffee table, the music back on, but at a lower volume this time.
“Here you go,” she said, handing Spencer her glass.
“Thank you,” Spencer said, their fingers brushing as she took the glass.
Delaney took a drink. She was in two minds. She wanted tonight to continue, but she knew where her mind was. She was falling for Spencer and being around her was torture, because she knew what she wanted to do. She was just too afraid to actually do anything about it.
“You sure you’re okay?” Spencer asked, her eyes full of concern.
“Positive.” And that was true, about her jaw anyway. She didn’t know whether the rest of her was okay.
Chapter 11
Spencer rested her left hand on Delaney’s bare shoulder, sliding it over her skin and underneath her silky blond hair as they got ready to try this again. She still felt like her cheeks were on fire, but Delaney seemed okay. Her jaw would probably be bruised though.
Spencer stifled a sigh. She could be clumsy sometimes, but she’d never done anything like that on a Tuesday night. She still didn’t know how it had happened. Somehow, she’d turned the wrong way. It didn’t matter now. Spencer tried not to worry about it happening again.
She’d adjusted the volume on her phone, turning the music back up as they got ready to pick up where they left off. Delaney’s hand moved to the middle of her back, her other hand holding on to Spencer’s as they quickly fell back into that easy rhythm they always seemed to have on a Tuesday night.
Delaney named each turn before they attempted it, and so far, that was working. After a few minutes, they were both out of breath, and Spencer stopped the music.
“So,” Spencer said after she took a deep breath. “How do we go from doing these turns and spins to having a routine?”
“I think, as the lead, I dictate what comes next... Maybe, we could try free styling it? Just go with the music.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Spencer asked with a smile. “Apparently, I’m a dangerous dance partner.”
Delaney smiled. “That was my fault, and we both had a particular turn in our heads that time. I’m talking about just going with it. Trusting me.”
“Alright. It couldn’t really go any worse this time, could it?”
Delaney laughed. “No. Not really.”
“You’re not out for revenge?” Spencer asked as they got back into position, her hand brushing Delaney’s hair away from her shoulder, and Spencer could have sworn that Delaney shivered under her touch.
“No,” she said with a smirk. “I promise.”
Spencer swallowed. Delaney’s voice had a husky edge to it. What was going on with them tonight? The air was practically crackling with electricity.
Spencer tried her best to let go and follow Delaney’s lead. They danced on the spot for a few seconds, both getting comfortable with the rhythm before Delaney turned her for the first time, using one of the simplest moves.
She found herself forgetting about her feet and just listening to the music. Spencer wasn’t worried about what was coming next. She trusted Delaney, and she was doing an amazing job of leading Spencer into each turn.
The song finished with Delaney’s arms wrapped around her. Spencer’s back was pressed against Delaney’s chest, and she closed her eyes as she caught breath, savoring the feeling of having Delaney’s arms around her. Delaney’s breath was on her neck, and Spencer couldn’t resist the urge to lean into her when she knew she should be stepping away.
Spencer turned in her arms instead of moving away. Her eyes locked onto Delaney’s, and what Spencer saw in those crystal blue eyes gave her the courage to reach up and cup her cheek, her thumb gently caressing her skin where Spencer had elbowed her.
She didn’t know how many seconds had passed. In some ways, it felt like minutes had gone by, that time had stopped. They gravitated towards one another, their lips hovering, until Delaney’s lips brushed across hers in a tender kiss that had Spencer melting into her, a tingling sensation sweeping through her body.
Spencer sighed into the kiss as she parted her lips against Delaney’s. She’d never allowed herself to dream about this moment. She didn’t think about it when she was a teenager. She knew she was attracted to Delaney, but she never fantasized about kissing her, and when Delaney walked into Club Pink just a few weeks ago, she definitely didn’t allow herself to think about anything like this happening. Dancing was supposed to have been enough.
Delaney’s hand slid up Spencer’s side, over her shoulder, and rested on Spencer’s neck as she deepened the kiss, and Spencer felt the ground underneath her shift.
How was this happening?
Spencer came here tonight with every intention of letting Delaney know how she felt. She didn’t have a plan. She didn’t know if she wanted to tell her or show her, but this wasn’t what she’d pictured. She’d thought the whole thing was off after she’d elbowed Delaney in the face. How could anything happen between them tonight when she’d sent her flying?
But here they were. Spencer was standing in Delaney Meyer’s living room with one hand on her waist, the other lost in her hair, her body humming with desire.
Delaney broke the kiss, and Spencer’s eyes found hers, searching them for any sign that she wanted to stop, that this had been a mistake, but the only thing Spencer saw was lust. Delaney’s eyes had darkened, her hands on Spencer’s waist now.
Spencer reached for Delaney’s hand, leading her over to the couch and gently easing her onto it. She was going to sit down beside her, but Delaney tugged her hand, pulling Spencer onto her lap, Delaney’s lips searching for hers.
Spencer straddled her waist, moaning as Delaney’s tongue skimmed across hers. Spencer parted her lips, giving her greater access, their breasts pressed together as Spencer’s hand moved to Delaney’s neck.
This was escalating fast, and Spencer didn’t know where they would draw the line. She wasn’t one for relationships, but she didn’t do one-night stands either, despite what people might think, and she didn’t know what Delaney wanted, what this was for her.
Delaney must have sensed her uneasiness. Her lips moved to Spencer’s neck, placing soft kisses against her skin until she reached her collarbone. Her hands were on Spencer’s waist, easing her back until their eyes met.
Spencer ran a hand through her hair, her pulse pounding in her ears as Delaney looked up at her.
“What do you want?” Delaney asked in just above a whisper.
Her question threw Spencer. Was this where she confessed that she’d been attracted to Delaney for years? That she wanted this to happen from the moment she walked into Club Pink?
“You,” Spencer said instead, a smile tugging at her lips.
“I know you’re...”
“I’m what?” Spencer asked, trying to figure out what Delaney was getting at and wondering if she should get off her.
“Well, you seem to be a bit of a... A player,” Delaney finally said. “Which is fine. I’m just-”
“I’m not a player,” Spencer said, the moment lost.
It was her own fault. She knew that she gave people that impression. Yes, she flirted with customers. Yes, she had no problem approaching women, but she rarely acted on it.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Delaney said in a rush, leaning her head back against th
e cushions. “I’m just... I’m wondering what this is for you. That’s all.”
Spencer cleared her throat as she swung her leg over Delaney and flopped onto the couch beside her, reaching for her hand, interlacing their fingers.
“I know that’s what people think,” Spencer said softly. “But it’s not me. I’m even pickier than you are,” she said with a smile, and that earned her a playful push.
“I am picky, aren’t I?”
“Well, I wouldn’t have walked out on that woman,” Spencer said with a laugh. “Self-centered or not.”
“Hmmm. See, I was already intrigued by this other woman, so...”
“Oh yeah?”
Delaney nodded. “Yeah, but I didn’t really think she was interested in me.”
“Why not?”
“She’s younger than me.”
“And?”
Delaney smiled. “And... I didn’t think I had much of a chance with her.”
Spencer couldn’t keep herself from laughing. That was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. Delaney Meyers didn’t think she had a chance with her.
“I don’t see how that’s funny,” Delaney said as she withdrew her hand.
“I’ll tell you some other time,” Spencer said, leaning in to brush a lock of Delaney’s hair away from her eyes. “Right now, I just want to kiss you.”
Spencer parted her lips against Delaney’s, her tongue finding Delaney’s as she deepened the kiss. Her hand slid up Delaney’s neck, her thumb lightly tracing her jaw before raking her fingers through Delaney’s glossy hair.
She kissed Delaney fully and intensely, knowing that Delaney wanted this too, maybe even as much as she did. Spencer doubted they’d make it to Delaney’s bedroom tonight. As much as she wanted to, this was too important to jump into. At least that was how Spencer felt, but if Delaney suggested it, she didn’t think she could say no.
Chapter 12
Tuesday came around even faster this week, but then again, she’d only seen Spencer a few days ago. Matt looked over his shoulder at her, dropping Jay’s hand to get through the busy sidewalk traffic.