Page 2 of Protecting Jess

Her friends had fallen all over themselves to get close to him and his friends.

Finn had asked her to dance and, on the crowded dance floor, they’d shared a kiss.

A heat of the moment, totally unexpected kiss.

A kiss that still curled her toes when she thought about it—which she tried not to. Especially before a big performance—like tonight.

A kiss that was still the best kiss she’d ever had.

“You ready, Jessica?” Madame Baxter, the director of the dance company, stared her down, as if she’d read Jess’s mind and discovered she wasn’t focused on her routines or her performance.

“Oui, madame.” Jess bobbed her head.

Geraldine Baxter wasn’t French, but insisted that everyone call her madame and use French wherever possible in their responses.

“Good. Make sure you keep your posture straight during your solo. You slouched during practice today.”

“Oui, madame.” Jess blew out a breath when the director left to go berate another dancer.

There were so many things she loved about dancing with the Baxter Dance Company, particularly the variety of dance genres they performed, but sometimes, Madame Baxter made life unbearable.

Maybe she should take some time off after the tour was over, before she accepted another contract—if she got one.

Maybe she should spend some time with her family in San Antonio. Although after being independent and living by herself for years, it’d be hard to go back to live with her parents and have to explain where she was going.

Why she got up in the middle of the night, to check the locks on the doors for the fiftieth time. Keeping what she’d gone through the previous year from her parents had been tough, but she hadn’t wanted them to worry. In the end, it’d all worked out and now the threat was gone.

Again, she pushed the thoughts of Bartholomew away and focused on getting her mind fully on the upcoming performance. Jess always gave everything she had to make sure the patrons that turned up left inspired and happy.

Petty Officer Third Class Finn ‘Hive’ Spelling straightened his jacket and waited out in front of the theatre for his date. He had no idea what she looked like, only that she’d be wearing a green dress.

His teammate Brennan ‘Oak’ Oakley had convinced him to join him and his current girlfriend, Sylvia, on this date. Oak didn’t want to have to sit through a dance show by himself.

Finn always tried to avoid anything to do with dance. It brought back memories of Jess, and the way she’d always danced around him when he was a kid. He firmly buried the memory of how she’d felt in his arms and the way her body moved against his, the one and only time they’d danced together in a crowded New York bar.

“Fuck,” he muttered, as his body flared to life. Great, he was going to greet his date with a hard-on. One in no way intended for her. “Way to make a first impression.”

“Who you talking to?” Oak slapped his shoulder.

“No one. Where’s Sylvia?” He looked around for Oak’s date.

“She got a call. She’ll be here any second.” His buddy shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “Sylvia said Marian is nice. You should have a good time tonight.”

Finn stared in disbelief at the words spouting from his friend. “Right. That remains to be seen.”

Sylvia appeared, shifting from foot to foot, as if uncomfortable in her fancy shoes. “I’m so sorry, but Marian can’t make it. She...um”—she looked away, red bursts blooming in her cheeks—“She got back together with her boyfriend.”

Had he heard her correctly?

Have I just been stood up?

Why the hell had he agreed to a blind date?

How many blind dates turned into forever?

None.

How many blind dates ended in disaster? Just about every one, and tonight was no exception.

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