Page 14 of Desire

“Come on, Miss Izzy.” Elise stands and drags a reluctant daughter off to the ladies’ room.

“Do you have any children?” I continue a conversation with Natalie.

“Yes, two. There’s Issac, who Izzy mentioned, my son. He’s twelve. And Maya who’s five. I’m sure they’ll come to the next show. My husband is looking after them tonight. I wasn’t too sure what would happen, so I wanted to devote my attention to Izzy and Elise.”

“You’re a good friend to Elise?” It’s a statement and question.

“I’ve not known her long, but I adore her, and I’m so glad she’s doing this.”

“You knew her husband?”

Natalie chuckles.

“I’m not going to answer that. It’s a conversation you and Elise need to have together. I could see your mind working when you met Izzy. Just don’t hurt Elise. She’s been through enough.”

Natalie’s a shrewd woman. She knows exactly what I was trying to find out, and I appreciate her honesty.

“It’s the farthest thing from my mind. I lost contact with her once. I won’t make the same mistake again.”

“Good.”

Elise and Izzy return, and all three of the ladies stand.

“I’ll pay the bill, and then we must get going,” Elise says. “It’s late. Izzy needs to get to bed, and I have to be up early to work with my demanding taskmaster. I think he’s already brought out the competitive spirit in me. I want to win this show, Leo, so you better get all your teaching sessions prepared.”

“Don’t worry. I’m ready to crack the whip,” I reply with a wink, and both the women suppress mischievous laughs. “You ladies, go ahead and get home safely. This is my treat.”

“Thank you.” Natalie takes Izzy’s hand, and with a wave goodbye, they both start walking out of the restaurant.

Elise remains behind.

“Thank you, Leo. I mean it. I want us to do really well. I’ll work as hard as you can push me.”

I get to my feet and tentatively reach out and take her hand.

“We had good chemistry before, and I’ve already felt some of it returning as we’ve been dancing. I’ve got no worries. Go get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Leo.” Elise leans forward and presses a tender kiss to my cheek.

I inhale her scent and relish the feel of her lips on my suddenly overly sensitive skin.

“Good night, Elise.”

Chapter 7

Elise

“Ithink I’m going to be sick.”

My stomach’s churning repeatedly.

“You’ll be absolutely fine, Elise. Relax. You know the steps by heart, and you look amazing.”

“I’m going to mess it up and fall flat on my face. They won’t even bother to vote on it. They’ll send us straight home.”

I place my hand over my mouth, worrying that I may be about to see my lunch again.

“Elise, look at me.” Leo tilts my face with his hand, so I have no choice but to look directly into his dreamy eyes. My body heats in all the right places, and I feel nausea for a different reason. I know spending so much time with Leo is dangerous. I’ve been reminded of all the things I liked about him as a teenager. “You’ll be fine. Trust my lead and lose yourself in the music.”

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