Page 27 of Take the Lead
Dimitri and Gina dominated the dance floor. Whereas Kevin had been equally quick and masterful, there was a difference to the way Dimitri danced with Gina. Every eye was on them as Dimitri swirled her around, his arms trailing along hers, his hand resting on her back. And touching, constantly touching her—her shoulder, her arm, her back.
He wasleading.
So, this was what it looked like when a man led in the dance. When Gina danced with him, and with Jackson, she had to lead, because she was the teacher. Stone finally understood how hard her job was. Not only did she have to teach him the dance, she had to make it look like he was leading, when in reality, she was the one in charge. Even when she danced with Kevin, they were so evenly matched, it seemed more like an equal partnership. But with Dimitri? Dimitri was clearly in charge, every step of the way.
Maybe Stone was on his way to getting drunk, because the idea didn’t sit well with him. He was supposed to lead? Then damn it, he would lead.
As if she’d heard his thoughts, Natasha snuck up beside him and nudged him toward the dance floor. “I think it’s time you learned how to salsa, guapo.”
Eight
The next time Dimitri spun Gina out, she came face-to-face with Natasha and Stone.
“Dimitri, I need Gina back.” Natasha cut in and grabbed Gina’s arm. “Go dance with Lauren.”
Dimitri gave Tasha a long look, then shrugged and headed to the bar.
“Stone, are you going to dance?” Gina’s thoughts were fuzzy and confused. Shit, how many shots had she sucked down? Three? Four? She couldn’t remember.
“We’re going to teach him to salsa,” Natasha said. “Come on, you be his partner, and I’ll maneuver him.”
“Good luck.” Gina moved closer so Natasha could put Stone’s right hand on her back. “He weighs a ton.”
“I can hear you,” he said with that delicious growl. She shivered, then mentally slapped herself when she realized her shiver was visible.
Yup. She was drunk.
No matter. She was a professional, and she was Puerto Rican. She could teach salsa in her sleep.
Her thoughts turned to Stone in bed, and she shook her head to clear them.
“Hey, are you okay?” He leaned down so she’d hear him over the music.
Too close. He was way too close. And handsome. And delicious-smelling.
“I’m fine.” She had to hold it together. She put her left hand on his shoulder and gripped his left hand with her right. “Listen to the percussion. Stone, you’re going to step forward on two, the second beat of the music.”
“This is closed position,” Natasha said from behind Stone, kicking his feet to get him to step where she wanted him. “You do this when you’re dancing close, facing each other, like in the New York style.”
“New York style?” he repeated. “I didn’t know there was more than one.”
Natasha gripped his hips to shift his weight while Gina tugged on him with her hands. Natasha explained, “In salsa clubs, unless you’re really trying to show off—like Dimitri always is—New York style is the way to go. The dancers use their momentum to create elegant movement. It’s all about precision and control.”
“And the man leads,” Stone said, Natasha’s words seeming to resonate with him. His gaze cleared, and he nodded. Gina stopped pulling on him, and he used his hands to direct her movements.
Natasha kept up a running commentary, helping Stone learn the footwork, while Gina gave herself over to the dance. Dancing in the arms of someone who could lead was thrilling and sensual. She could turn off her mind and justmove.To be in the moment like that, fully inhabiting her body, filled her with a sense of beauty and excitement.
Stone released her back, trailing his big, hard hand down her bare arm to grip her fingers. His hands dwarfed hers, and she followed his guidance into a spin.
It was unbelievably sexy.
Gina lost herself in the music, in the movement, in the heat of Stone’s body and the warming of her own muscles from physical exertion. She kept her eyes trained on his, the clear blue reflectingthe purple of the club’s lighting. He trapped her with his gaze, with the simmering, banked heat that made her heart thump erratically in her chest. The now-familiar scent of Stone’s Alaskan freshness lulled her into forgetting everyone else around them, and it was a while before she realized Natasha had disappeared.
They danced, his hands strong but gentle. His rhythm and footwork weren’t perfect, but his masculinity and dominance in the dance were really doing it for her. She edged closer as she followed the steps she knew by heart, and felt the tightening of his hold in response.
This. This was what she adored about dance. To dance like this with a man as handsome and compelling as Stone, to be this close and intimate without words, to let their bodies do the talking… it was the most perfect thing in the world.
Time lost its meaning. The beat changed, and she used her own body to communicate the shift to him. After a week of dancing in hold together, he figured it out without her having to say it.
