Page 10 of Loup Garou

“She was probably giving the stud by the stereo a private showing,” Susan said, laughing softly.

My eyes widened. All I wanted to do was pretend the “stud by the stereo” wasn’t in the room with us. “Susan, you have to be the most sexually charged woman I know. You’ve got me beat. That’s for sure. And no, I was not giving Exavier a private show. I didn’t sleep right. Once we get going here, I’ll be fine.”

“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured.

“Places, everyone,” I said, the second the music began. It was a hip-hop blend with a dark metal vibe to it. The group it came from was one of my favorites. Too bad I didn’t bother to catch their name. Thankfully, I had Gina to keep track of musical details for me. She was a walking book of useless song information.

“We’ll start with some side-stepping. Okay?”

They nodded and stepped back and forth, touching one foot to the other. We kept going, speeding the process. “Let’s move up to tap-step add a clap and increase with the beat. All right, ladies, let’s go into it.”

I rocked my hips before stepping to the side and running my hand over my breast and down my side. Watching the class in the mirror, I made sure they were keeping up. We moved seductively as we covered our fake stage area. Reaching down, I began to work my sweatshirt off slowly, only slightly mindful Exavier was still present.

“Woohoo,” Dorothy called out. “You can’t tell me that isn’t empowering.”

Laughing, I began to weave my arms carefully, making sure the motions were sexy, fitting to the beat. “Rib cage rolls.” I leaned back slowly and worked my stomach muscles, causing them to ripple. Some of the class grunted. Some moaned and some just laughed as we did it. “Come on, ladies. Move it. Own your body. Use it as the sexual weapon it is.”

“Lindsay darling, if we’re talking bodies as weapons, then yours is a nuclear warhead and mine’s a fly swatter,” Diane yelled out.

Shaking my head, I did a full body roll. “Diane, you are beautiful. I see the way Mike watches you when he comes in to workout. You’ve been married how long?”

“Seventeen years next month.”

I whistled. “Well damn, find me a fly like that. I’ll swat the hell out of it. I can’t get a guy to stick with me longer than a few months, tops. Apparently, the word’s out. I really am nuclear.”

They all laughed. They didn’t realize how very much I’d craved being a wife and mother at one point in my life. Now, I simply craved a quiet, uneventful life. Somehow, I doubted I’d get it.

“Okay, I’ll do one twist on the pole today. Next week, you’ll all be up here doing it. Roger is supposed to install a row of these for us in the next couple of days.”

“Honey, we’ll break our necks. Roger may be a hell of a handyman but even he can’t rig up something safe enough for all of us. We’ve got two left feet so we’re likely to hurt ourselves.”

Laughing, I shook my head as I continued to belly dance with the rest of them. “No way. I’m way more accident prone than any of you. I was in a hurry the other day. Gina and I were running through routines in here. I turned and walked right into the pole. My head hurt for the rest of the morning. If I can survive the pole, anyone can.” My gaze flickered to Exavier and I found him biting back a smile.

Susan’s eyes widened as the mix CD played on, the first portion winding down. “Here comes the spot we lose her in!”

“You don’t lose me. I just like the guy’s voice. No harm in that.”

Diane tipped her head. “Mr. Hunky at the door should invest in this then because if you move like that when you like someone’s voice, he’ll want it on twenty-four hours a day.”

I laughed. “He has his own music. And I’m sure his voice is amazing as well.” Glancing at Exavier, I offered a small smile. He seemed to have a way about him. One that let him fade into the background and helped me feel comfortable. “Now, we are focusing onthe second half of the routine. Not Mr. Hunky at the door. Don’t forget to keep your elbows in a bit when we get to the head-thrashing portion. If you keep them even with your body, you look like you’re throwing your breasts out into everyone’s faces. As great as that sounds, it looks better, sexier, if you don’t.”

I took my spot. “Okay, prepare to strip.”

The song morphed into another, this one had a metal, gritty edge with a fantastic beat that not only lent itself to dancing, but seemed to demand it. Not only that, but the singer’s voice seemed to move through me. It was a sound I never tired of.

Bending down, I seized hold of my breakaway running pants and yanked them off, leaving me in boy-cut camouflage shorts. Tossing them aside I took hold of the pole nearest me and let myself get lost in the song. Swinging around it once, I held tight, put my legs out wide and thumped against it several times.

Wrapping my right leg around the pole, I slid around it slowly, sinking lower and lower until I touched the floor. I rolled seductively onto my stomach. I quickly went to all fours only to begin to crawl across the floor, dropping my shoulders down low and moving my head in an animalistic manner. My shoulder decided to pick then to act up as a spasm moved through it. Considering the injuries I’d sustained in it, I was damn happy to be able to move it at all so I didn’t complain. I simply bit my lower lip and went on with the show.

I went to my knees, closed my eyes and thrust my head back and forth, careful to keep my elbows in a bit. The music ran through me and the deep voice that accompanied it pulled at me, seemingly drawing me to it. It was something that always happened when I heard anything by the group. The man’s voice seemed to command me, order me to submit and I, unable to resist, did. I gave it my all, moving, dancing, thumping my body. The beat consumed me. It was as though he sang to me and no one else. Like he was sending a summons out over millions of people but meant it for me and me alone. It was a foolish thought but one I couldn’t shake. I didn’t even want to shake it. No. I loved my version of reality.

Before moving quickly to my feet again, I pretended to strip my bikini top off and continued on with the routine. The belly-dancing portion returned and I glanced up to find all the women moving along with me, some slower than others and some completely off beat but all having fun. Since that was all that mattered, I kept going.

Grinning, I made my way through them, helping to straighten everyone out. Taking hold of Susan’s hips, I led her on the hip-rotating portion she kept beating herself up over. “Mmm-hmm, that’s it, push, push, swing, circle.”

“I can’t get this.”

Rubbing her shoulders, I shook her slightly. “This is easy. Come on, horny lil’ bunny, move like you do while riding your hubby.” Taking hold of her hips again, I helped to guide her. “Are you a left, right or head-on gal?”

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