Page 10 of King of Temptation

I give a small nod. “That’s the idea.”

He gives me a long stare…one that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up again. “Is it? Leaving Vegas is the goal?”

“Being a ballet dancer is the goal.”

His thumb is stroking over my cheek. “But you’ll be in Vegas for a week? A month before you leave?”

I shake my head. “My last final is in two days. The moment it’s done, I can leave for New York if the ballet wants me.”

“Hmmm.” I can hear some disapproval in his tone, and I cock my head, attempting to figure it out.

His hand slides over my butt, giving it a squeeze before he kisses me again. “But we were just getting to know each other.” It’s strange. My top is still down, my legs around his waist, but some odd fear has made my pulse hitch. His voice is laced with the danger I can always feel just under the surface with him.

“You don’t mean that,” I shake my head, untangling my arms and pulling as far back as I can with the wall behind me. “I know what this is.”

“What is it?”

“A one-time thing. A wedding hook-up.” I look at him but we’re in the shadows and his eyes are dark and unreadable.

“Call me when you get back. Let me know how the audition goes?”

It wasn’t what we agreed. I know that. Just like I know I’m one girl in a long line of them. But maybe this is his way of making goodbye easier? “Sure.”

Slowly, we untangle and he’s gentleman enough to straighten my gown pulling down the skirt of my dress and sliding my little spaghetti straps back up my arms. The last is done with a soft kiss that has me forgetting the weirdness before.

Then, he grabs my matching pale green clutch from where I left it on the rail and hands it to me.

I swallow down a lump, not sure what to say. “That was really great,” I whisper, feeling the awkwardness color my cheeks.

“It was better than great.” He walks me to my room, his hand strong and sure on the small of my back. Boy, does he know how to do a one-night stand right, giving me one more slow kiss goodbye. It’s enough to make it easier to part ways, close the door. I’m not calling, he doesn’t want me to.

This was not some beginning. This was a beautiful mistake, one I’ll likely spend years feeling bad about.

When I’m not secretly dreaming about Leo Kincaid’s touch.

CHAPTER FOUR

Kim

My foot taps with impatience as I watch the flight board at LaGuardia Airport. My flight has been delayed…again.

It’s a terrible ending to a terrible day.

Or has it been two days? It feels like a lifetime ago since Leo had me pressed against that wall, though I’m still sore between the legs.

I’d gone back to my room and put myself back together for bed, realizing that he’d never given me his number. It really had all been a line. Nothing more.

Fine. It was better.

We’d agreed it was a single night. But I hadn’t been able to sleep. I’d barely managed a few hours before I had to get up and take the car to the airport.

The flight had been hellishly long, and the traffic in New York worse.

I’d barely arrived in time for my four o’clock call time, though it hadn’t mattered. Dozens of dancers had yet to be seen and the tryouts had begun at eight in the morning. There must have been a hundred dancers at the audition, at least. All of them, the best of the best.

This was their open call and everyone who had dreams of being a professional ballet dancer was there.

I finally was seen at seven, and I could say this. I’d given my absolute best.

---