Page 15 of Take the Lead
Frustration made his voice come out sharper than he intended. “I come from a survival background. In the grand scheme of things, dancing has ranked low in priority. I’m doing the best I can.”
Gina was unfazed. “Aren’t you lucky you don’t have to hunt and chop wood in LA? Now dancing can be your number-one priority. Do better.”
Before Stone could come up with a reply, someone knocked on the door. Stone ripped open the protein bar and took a big bite.
A blond woman with deeply bronzed skin poked her head into the room. “Hey there,” she said. “Who’s first?”
“Ah, the spray tan magicians are here.” Jordy turned to Stone. “Time to strip.”
Stone choked. “What, here?”
The woman entered the room with a team of young, attractive assistants and began constructing something that looked like half of a black nylon tent with a large, egg-shaped opening.
No longer hungry, Stone tossed the rest of the bar in the trash. “I thought we’d do this somewhere more… private.”
A list of instructions had awaited Stone when he moved into his hotel room the day before. Exfoliation techniques, tips on spray tan maintenance, and instructions to wear dark underwear and use the dark sheets and towels they provided. What the list hadnotmentioned was that he’d be doing this with an audience. The room was full of people. Jordy and Aaliyah conferred over a laptop, while the spray tanner and her assistants checked their equipment.
And then there was Gina. She sat on the stairs leading up to the low stage. Leaning back on one hand, she chewed on her own protein bar and eyed him thoughtfully.
“Don’t be modest.” She waved a hand in dismissal. “I’ve already seen most of what there is to see, and I’ll see the rest before we’re through.”
Her words—and flippant attitude—didn’t comfort him. Sure, she’d already seen him naked from the waist up, but that didn’t mean he was ready to drop trou on their second meeting. Or in front of the others.
Stone put his hands on his hips. “Is this really necessary?”
Gina shrugged. “Fact of life around here. You’ll get used to it.”
She was still fully dressed and didn’t seem in a hurry to be sprayed. Her skin already had a beautiful golden hue, so maybe she was exempt from this fresh form of torture. He tried another tactic.
“I’m already tanned.”Living Wildmade him use a self-tanning lotion since he was so often shirtless, but he would never admit that out loud.
The spray tan lady sputtered out a laugh. “Not tan enough. Get in here.” She switched on the tanning gun with a low buzz.
Stone cursed his tendency to blush as his cheeks grew warm. Gina’s accusation nagged at him. The need to prove his commitment shoved him into action. He toed off his shoes and grabbed the back of his T-shirt, yanking it over his head. From the corner of his eye, he caught the way Gina’s lips parted, the slight widening of her eyes.
A hot rush of satisfaction swept through him. So, she wasn’t completely immune to him. At least there was that.
No longer annoyed at having to strip, he bent at the waist to tug off his socks. When he straightened to his full height, he flexed his abs and dropped his hands to the waistband of his shorts. Gina’s eyes followed his movements. Even with everyone else in the room, the moment was just for her. He kept his attention on her as he drew the shorts down his legs and stepped out of them. Standing in the middle of the rehearsal space in nothing but a pair of navy blue briefs, he met her gaze head on.
Her eyes narrowed, then she raised an eyebrow and mouthed, “touché.” Then she looked away. Satisfied, Stone strode over to the egg and stepped inside.
He lost track of Gina when the spray tan lady stepped in front of him.
“I’m Martina. Have you ever been spray tanned before?”
Stone shook his head.
Martina explained the procedure as she worked, coating him in layers of tanning solution. Apparently spray tans made everyone’s bodies look more idealized on stage, adding definition and shine. OnThe Dance Off,the tanner, the better.
The entire process went faster than Stone expected. Each layer took about five minutes, and he was given four layers.
“You’ve got some great definition in your muscles,” Martina told him as she lined his pecs. “The tan will add to that and make you look even more amazing.”
Stone ducked his head, muttering his thanks. He turned to face the inside of the egg-shaped tent while she outlined his back muscles. When he turned around again, the door opened and Gina walked in wearing nothing but a strapless purple bikini.
Stone nearly swallowed his tongue.
When he’d entered the rehearsal space that morning, the Gina who’d awaited him might as well have been a completely different person than the one he’d met in the woods. Teacher Gina wore her hair up in a high ponytail and her face free of makeup. Her eyes still sparkled. Her smile still drew him in. But she looked more approachable, more touchable. More real.
