6. A Place to Twirl #2
Yes, it’s a simple move that most first and second-year students master. But for the girl who lost her way, this is a reclamation.
A huge grin stretches across Braden’s face as he shakes his head in disbelief. “Wow. That was gorgeous. You are effortless.”
“It’s a simple move, but I haven’t done it in years.”
“Looks like you never missed a day. Spectacular.”
Maybe it’s the awe in his eyes that makes me brave.
Or maybe I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines, waiting for someone else to lead me into my life.
Dashing across the room, I throw myself into Braden’s arms and bury my head against his neck. “You’re the spectacular one. I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I’m so grateful to you.”
“You deserve it because you’re one of a kind.” Braden gently nudges my face from the crook of his neck, tipping my chin up to meet his gaze. “There’s no one quite like you, Mina.”
Time slows as he slides his hands along my jaw, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiles. I inch closer, a soft moan escaping my throat when he presses his mouth to mine.
He has the softest lips, which so contradicts his steely exterior, and as they move gently over mine, I fall into the kiss.
And into him.
Our first kiss was awkward and stilted. But this… this is the kind of kiss that brands itself on your soul.
I twine my fingers around his neck, feeling the desperate desire claw at my insides, and when he groans low in his chest, I realize he feels it, too.
It’s one of those moments. The kind you want to stretch out and live inside forever.
Everything else falls away—every worry, every fear, every regret.
It’s just the two of us, our breath mingling, skin tingling as we explore one another.
“Braden, man, where the hell are you—shit. Sorry.” Zane bursts into the room, shattering the magic.
“Perfect timing, as always,” Braden mutters, irritation lining his features.
Let me tell you, I’m thrilled he’s pissed off about it, too.
Zane holds his hand up in apology. “Totally unintentional.” He steps into my new dance area, his eyes widening. “Damn, when did this happen?”
“He built it over the last few nights.”
Zane releases a low whistle of appreciation. “Nice job. I didn’t realize you were this kind of dancer, Mina.”
My brow furrows at his statement. “What kind of dancer did you think I was?”
Zane shrugs and snorts back a laugh. “I don’t know. Exotic? ”
I plant my hands on my hips, floored by his assumption. “You thought I was a stripper?”
“Jesus, Zane,” Braden hisses. “He didn’t mean it like that.”
But I’m too busy laughing at the ridiculousness of it. Not because there’s anything wrong with exotic dancers, but because I lack even the most minuscule amount of feminine wiles.
Zane takes a sip of his beer, grinning. “See? She’s taking it well.”
I shake my head and bite back another laugh. “Trust me, men. I am not well-schooled in that area.”
I realize one second too late, what I’ve said. Judging by the strange expressions decorating both their faces, they caught it, too.
Time to switch the subject, and fast.
“I didn’t know you were coming over, Zane.”
Zane jerks his chin toward the door. “After the week we had, no way in hell was I missing this party. See you two out there.”
I watch Zane disappear down the hall before pivoting back to Braden.
“What party?” I ask, the uncertainty crawling into my voice.
See, I’m a friendly person, but my closest relationships, outside of my parents, were with my ballet slippers and dance barre. To say I’m socially stunted is an understatement, especially around Zane and Braden’s crowd.
I don’t know them personally, but the ones I’ve seen—women, mostly—are eroticism encased in leather and attitude. They’re always nice enough in passing, but I feel like a frumpy teenager next to them—completely out of my element.
Braden shoots me a sheepish smile as he grabs his shirt off the floor and pulls it over his head. “It’s not a party. Just a few friends getting together. A chill night. Sorry, I thought I had mentioned it. ”
“You don’t have to clear it with me. It’s your house.” I laugh, but it’s tinged with nerves now. “Besides, I love spending time with Ori.”
“Ash and Ori aren’t coming tonight. They have some baby stuff to take care of. You know, couple shit.”
A sinking feeling descends into my stomach as I realize I won’t know a soul at this get together. The last time that happened, I begged off after thirty minutes.
Braden senses my discomfort. He walks over, gliding a finger along my jaw. “Hey, they’re cool people, I promise. It’ll be fun—some good booze, good food, maybe even a game of poker later.”
I fiddle with the hem of my shirt, trying desperately to will my anxiety back into its cage. “My mom taught me how to play Texas Hold ‘Em. I’m pretty good.”
A grin breaks across Braden’s face. “I bet you’re more than good. Did you know your mom taught me how to play, too?”
“When?”
“She watched Ash and me one weekend when we were kids. Small world, right?”
Incredibly tiny, actually.
Braden forces my face up with his hands. “They’re good people, Mina,” he says, as if reading my apprehension. “I promise I wouldn’t say that if it weren’t true. And I’d like you to get to know them. They’re important to me. You’re important to me, too. But if you don’t want to go?—”
When he says it like that, how can I possibly say no?
“I’ll be there,” I reply, trying to exude a confidence I don’t feel. “I’ll get changed and be down in a bit.”
“Thank you. I’m going to jump in the shower and let Zane do the heavy lifting.” He pauses at the doorway, his hand resting on the frame. “I’m glad you like this room. I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right. Never know if online videos are correct or total garbage.”
“You did it perfectly. ”
“I loved watching you dance.” He bites his lip and clears his throat, a hint of color climbing his cheeks. “You’re so elegant and effortless.”
“Not really. I’ve tripped over air more than once.”
He’s stalling. What does that mean? What am I supposed to do?
Rush over and kiss him again? Offer to join him in the shower? Not that I’d know what to do once I got in there—aside from gawking at him.
Why do I have to be so damn inexperienced?
“Well,” he taps the doorframe. “I better go.”
“Braden,” I call out before my insecurities kick in.
“Yeah?”
“I owe you. Anything you want. Just let me know.”
His eyes widen, his tongue licking across his lower lip as a nervous chuckle rises from his chest. “I hope you don’t offer that up to every guy.”
My cheeks flame at his intimation. “What? No. Never, actually. I’m… Christ, I didn’t mean…”
Braden walks over, pulling me into a hug, and I breathe in his masculine scent. Never knew sweat could smell so appealing. “What I mean is that I’m becoming pretty protective of you, and the idea of another guy?—”
“There is no other guy. Just you. It’s only ever been you.”
Holy shit. I said it. Out loud.
Do I dial it back or just leave it hanging there?
Fuckity fuck.
Braden pauses and then nods, dropping a kiss to my forehead. “Okay.” He holds my gaze a few seconds more before pressing his lips gently to mine. “Okay.”
Then he walks out of the room, leaving me a helpless, besotted mess.
Catching my reflection in the mirror, I walk toward it, pressing my fingers against the glass. “I love him,” I whisper. “I’m so in love with him. ”
And I am.
For months, it was a pipe dream, but over this past week—hell, this last hour, something shifted.
When Braden kissed me and looked at me like I was everything, I believed it. This is more than a fake engagement for my aunt’s benefit.
I glance around the room and hug myself. He built me a dance studio just to watch me twirl. There is no way he would do that if he didn’t care about me.
And tonight, I’m going to ensure he knows exactly how I feel.