Enchanting Melody (7 page)

He turned off the music. “Class, let me have leaders on the left, followers on the right. We're going to practice everything we've learned over the past six weeks, rotating partners.”

He smiled to himself knowing that Melody not only hated rotating, but it would force her to dance with him when the time came.

“We're going to start with a fox-trot,” he said, turning on the music. He crossed the room to join an older woman in the corner, knowing he'd go through three partners before he got to Melody. The rest of the men fell in line.

Will stifled a grin as he saw Joey, Mel's
favorite
dance partner, line up across from her. This was going to be fun.

He danced his partner toward the center of the room, which, as the instructor, wasn't unusual, but in this case, it allowed him a better view of Melody.

“I'm not putting up with any of your tricks tonight, you got that?” Joey said, pulling her tightly into frame.

“What I've
got
are a couple of broken fingers. If you don't loosen up, I'm going to introduce you to my knee.”

“Forget this,” he said, dropping her hands and backing up. “There's no way I'm dancing with you.” And through the chorus of the song, Melody and Joey marked the steps without touching. Instead, they traded dirty looks and mumbled insults.

“Switch,” Will called and moved to his next partner. The sooner he got over to Melody, the better. A glance over his partner's shoulder revealed that Melody was now matched up with Scott. The boy was a pushover and would no doubt let Melody lead. At least there would be no threat of violence during this stretch.

At the next rotation, Will was now directly beside Melody's partner and could look right into her face. She was ignoring him, a task made easier by the fact that her new partner was George. He was older and a very skilled dancer. The two chatted politely as she gracefully fell into step with him.

“Switch,” Will called again, this time with some hope. She'd had time to cool off and might be more willing to cooperate with him.

He reached out to bring her into his arms and immediately discovered that he'd been mistaken. “Not so much resistance, Melody. Loosen up.”

Glaring at him, she let her arms become wet noodles. “That's too loose,” he snapped, pulling her tighter.

She reacted to his mild show of temper. “Teacher, teacher, are you this impatient with all your students? I thought you said
anyone
could learn to dance. Here we are at the last class, and I'm afraid you may have failed miserably.”

Will refused to take the bait. “Oh, Miss Rush, a man needs a willing partner to do his best work.”

The snap of her gaze told him his double entendre wasn't lost on her. But he didn't wait long for her retort. “I guess it just takes a
real
man to make
me
willing.”

A snicker from beside him brought Will back to his senses. A crowded classroom wasn't the right place to finish this. “Switch!”

 

As Will wrapped up the class, he couldn't help feeling as though he'd let Melody get the best of him. If the rest of the class hadn't been aware of the storm brewing between Melody and himself before, they certainly were now. In addition to the furtive glances they'd noticed during the remainder of class, a few of the men had dared to offer advice as they said their final goodbyes.

After thanking Will for the lessons, George had wrapped a fatherly arm around his shoulder as they walked to the door. “My Gretchen was a real spitfire when we first met. It took a lot of courting to get her attention, but it was well worth it.” George pointed to Melody. “Don't let that one get away.”

“Thanks, George,” he said, clapping the man on the back, genuinely pleased for the support.

But when Joey made his way toward him it was a different story. “Hey, thanks, man.” Joey took Will's hand in a firm grip then leaned into his ear. “You two…get a room. I've seen that type before. All they need is one good—” he performed a violent pelvic thrust “—and they fall right in line.”

Thankfully, Will noted Melody engrossed in conversation with Scott and his fiancée, so she had missed that last exchange. He watched her try to slip through the door as the couple paused to say goodbye.

Will smiled politely and then excused himself to reach around them and grab Melody's arm. The young couple took the hint and dashed out of the room waving with knowing grins.

Still holding her arm, Will closed the studio door. “Aren't we past playing these games, Melody?”

Clearly she wasn't. “I don't know what you're talking about, teacher. I don't need any extra lessons today.”

Releasing her, he folded his arms across his chest. “Really? After that dismal display you gave in class, I'd have to disagree. In fact, you've proven that we might have to go all the way back to square one.”

“No. I'm sorry, teacher. There will be
no
going back.” And her meaning was clear.

“Well, then maybe you just need to learn something new to revive your interest.” He walked over to the stereo and inserted a new CD.

Melody stood defiantly, her voice growing angrier. “Trust me, it took me five weeks to figure out that you haven't taught me
anything
that I didn't already know.”

Will weathered that blow, knowing that it was coming. She was jealous of Valencia. In her mind, he'd led her on. He wanted nothing more than to disabuse her of that notion, but he had to knock the chip off her shoulder first.

Until he did that, anything he said would go in one ear and out the other. He turned on the stereo and a slow sultry tango filled the room.

Will moved over to her. “The tango. You've got to try new things. You never know when you'll find something you really like.”

“The tango,” Melody said flatly. “I saw it performed on TV once. The woman was smacking the crap out of the man.”

“That isn't the one I'm going to teach you.” He pulled her into his arms and began whispering instructions.

“It figures. Coward.” Despite her harsh words, Melody allowed him to instruct her. That was all the opening he needed.

“Ah, so you like it rough, then?” He let his hands linger at her waist.

“Huh? Oh, you'll never find out.”

“You're right, I won't. I definitely like it soft, and hot…and sweet. Not rough at all.”

He watched her throat bob as she swallowed hard. No quick retort to that one. “Okay, now slide your knee in between mine and lean back with your arm over your head.”

“Very nice,” he said as she followed his instruction. With her back arched and her breasts taking center stage, Will traced a line from her waist, up her side, to the gentle mound on the side of her breast.

Melody jerked away. “What the hell are you doing? Are you seriously going to tell me that's part of the dance?”

He straightened. “In some versions.”

“Wow, you have got some major mojo working because I don't even need to learn the tango for my sister's wedding.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “So, just how many students get the extra-special private dance lessons? Is that how you met your girlfriend?”

“Okay, now we're getting to it. If you're referring to the woman I was out with Saturday, she's not my girlfriend.”

“Oh, please don't try to tell me she's your sister, or your cousin or even a business associate.”

“No, she was my date,” he said, tempted to tell Melody that she was sexy when she was angry. Especially with her black bra straps drooping around her arms under two layers of tank tops.

“Aha!”

“And it didn't work out. She wasn't my type.”

“No? She sure looked like your type. She looked rich and shallow and boring.”

He shrugged. “Exactly. That's not my type.”

“And your type is?”

He walked toward her. “Tall. Slender. Very, very
long
hair.” He was close enough now to wrap one of her braids around his fist. He gently tugged her toward him. “And really, incredibly…
undeniably…
”

Melody's eyes were wide as she waited with bated breath, lips slightly parted, for his next word.

“Mean.”

She gasped in outrage. “I am not mean.”

He laughed, eliminating any remaining space between them. “I had to make sure you knew I was referring to you.”

With that, Will did what his body had been aching to do since their very first class. He covered her full, soft lips with his own.

A
ll
of the pent-up anger that Mel had been feeling flowed from her body as she returned the kiss. Will's lips were surprisingly soft as they moved over hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pushed her tongue into his mouth, not ready to be completely submissive in the embrace.

His hands slid from her waist, cupping her hips to pull her closer, and she could feel him harden. Mel smiled inside. Now she would get the upper hand back.

The kiss seemed endless as she explored aggressively with her tongue while caressing his neck and the soft spot behind his ear with her fingers.

Will pulled his head away as if coming up for air. His expression was both eager and satisfied. “You're aggressive, aren't you?”

Mel gripped his neck hard. “Now you know, I do like it rough.”

He leaned forward, taking her face between both hands. “But I told you I like it gentle.”

He kissed her softly, nibbling at first and then deepening the kiss with sweet long sips. He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb.

Melody suddenly felt overwhelmed by his tenderness. She'd never known a man's lips could be so soft, that a kiss could be so loving and sweet. With most men, once she let them in, it was a race to the finish line. Lips, teeth, hands, nails. Raw. Passionate. The way she'd always wanted it.

But this was new. And it was…nice. Still cupping her face with one hand, Will moved his other hand from her cheek down her neck in a light stroke. His lips softly followed.

She'd never been much for that girly foreplay. It was a waste of time. But now, every place Will's lips or tongue grazed, from her chin to her shoulder, tingled with pleasure. Every stroke sent echoing vibrations to her center.

She grabbed his shoulders and leaned into him as her knees weakened. Now his hands were back at her waist tugging her double layer of tank tops out of her shorts. His hands drove under the material, circling on the bare skin of her back.

Looking over his shoulder, Mel could see their intertwined bodies in the mirror behind them. There were mirrors on every wall. A wicked thought entered her head. What would it be like to make love to him in this room surrounded by mirrors?

“Are there any more classes in here tonight?” she asked him.

He lifted his head. “No. My class is the last one in this room on Monday nights.”

“Good,” she said meeting his eyes. Her un-spoken message was clear.

Will gently picked her up, allowing her to encircle his waist with her legs. Without saying a word, he began to move backward until he could sit on the bench against the wall behind him.

Cradling her in his lap, he kissed her again. His fingers pushed up the material of her layered tops until he'd revealed her lacy black bra. “Mmm, now this is a surprise.”

Mel straightened. “Why? Didn't you ever take biology? Girls are different from boys because—”

“No,
this
,” he said, plucking the clasp of her bra. “It's…very…girly.” He smiled in fascination.

“What were you expecting? Camouflage?”

He finally raised his eyes back to her face. “Yeah, maybe.”

She framed his face with both her hands. “Don't be disappointed. I have one of those, too.” Then she leaned in to kiss him, intent on setting his mind back to the business at hand.

While she weakened him with openmouthed kisses, he freed her breasts from the delicate bra. Just as she was leaning back for him to pull her tops over her shoulders, they were startled by the sound of the door.

“Is anybody still—oops, I'm sorry!” And the door closed abruptly.

“Who was that?” Melody had buried her face in the crook of Will's neck.

“I'm sorry,” Will said, hugging her close. “That was the night janitor. I forgot he might be here.”

Melody straightened, untangling herself from Will to fix her clothes. So much for her mirror fantasy.

Will continued sitting on the bench, watching her. “Are you still…? My apartment isn't, um…If you want, we can still…”

Laughing, Mel decided to put him out of his misery. “How far is your apartment?”

He stood, smiling. “A fifteen-minute cab ride.”

“Let's go.”

 

Mel had hoped to compose herself on the way over to Will's apartment, but she never got the chance. With Will's leg pressed against hers for twelve blocks, and his hand doing tantalizing things to the back of her neck, she was never able to clear her head of the fog clouding her senses.

Without ever letting her go, Will paid the cab driver, punched in his security code and directed her toward the elevator. “I've always wondered if they had security cameras hidden on these things,” he said, leaning over to press a hot kiss on her lips as the doors closed them in.

“Well, if they do, we should give them a show.” Melody wrapped her arms around his neck and hooked one leg around his hip. Then, what had started out as a joke became all too real as he caught her leg and pulled her in. She now had full access to his arousal, and the feel of it stole her breath.

The elevator dinged, signaling that they'd reached their floor. Mel almost stumbled trying to right herself before the doors opened. Suave and smooth as ever, Will gently settled her on her feet and then steered her out of the doors with a warm hand on her back.

Mel furiously sucked in air, unaccustomed to this feeling of being out of control.
Get it together
, she ordered herself as Will let her into his apartment.

The room was cavernous and suited him well. It was furnished with sofas and chairs with square cushions and boxy wooden frames and dark rectangular tables, smooth, clean and modern in hues of cream, tan and coffee-brown.

Her perusal was cut short as Will pulled her back into his arms. “Would you like something to drink?”

She looked into his eyes and shook her head.

“Hungry?”

“Nope.”

“Good.” His lips covered hers and heat immediately began rising within her. She felt like a hot, steamy mess and Will still seemed cool and in control.

And that bothered her.

Wanting to see him mussed and reckless, she growled and began pulling and tugging at the shirt neatly tucked in his waistband.

He caught her rapidly moving hands in his own. “Still want to play rough, huh? Okay, maybe just this once.”

Before Mel could figure out what was happening, Will had scooped her up into his arms and was carrying her—thanks to Mel's height, something that rarely had been attempted and was always regretted.

Then she was falling. She bounced lightly as her back hit the soft mattress underneath her. Will came down on top of her and she was forced to stop thinking.

The heady scent of his masculine cologne filled her nostrils. Her boots were already gone. He raked her shorts and tights down her legs and she kicked her feet free of them. Her hands slid inside his shirt to find the soft smooth skin of Will's bare chest.

With a desperate groan, he unfastened his pants and shoved them down just far enough to free himself. Then he was inside her, and she couldn't have been more ready for him.

 

Will woke thirty minutes before his alarm the next morning. Reaching out, careful not to wake Melody, he flicked the tab that turned off the buzzer.

He shook his head as his chest instantly filled with regret. They'd barely even gotten their clothes off last night. He'd wanted so badly to make love to Melody properly. Romantically.

She didn't seem to require romance, but Will's heart told him that she needed it.

Instead he'd given in to some primitive instinct for immediate gratification. He'd hoped to fit in a second time, but they'd barely gotten the rest of their clothes off before they'd fallen asleep. She'd made him lose control. But, to his surprise, he'd really liked it.

Over the past several weeks, he'd fallen into a dry routine, but being with Melody had made him feel alive again. She reminded him of what it had been like just to hang out and be himself with his family and his boys from the old neighborhood.

In this new world he was living in, he had to live in the right neighborhood, drive the right car and know the right people. He'd gone to great pains to fit in. He was always on point, saying and doing all the right things.

But last night, he'd been able to let go, able to release himself and just be free. It was a feeling he'd tried to hold on to in his life by continuing to dance, but he'd reached a new understanding of freedom in Melody's arms.

Still, he had regrets. He hadn't wanted last night to be all about him. He'd planned to take his time, show her tenderness, maximize her pleasure by making sure she was completely ready.

At least, she hadn't complained. On the contrary, she'd very noisily assured him of her satisfaction. He'd never gone in for wild bedroom hijinks, but Will had to admit, it had done wonders for his ego to know he could make Melody scream. She'd held nothing back.

Will stared at the clock. He had to get ready to go to work, but he didn't want to leave her. Part of him was afraid that once she left his sight, he'd never see her again. They no longer had dance classes together, and Melody was so unpredictable. For all he knew, this was a one-night stand for her.

 

Melody came awake with a start. Someone was shaking her shoulders. “Huh, what? I'm awake.”

Blinking rapidly, she finally brought Will's face into focus. And then the rest of him. He was fully dressed in shirt and tie with his coat folded over his arm.

She sat up. The sheet covering her slid down, leaving her naked to the waist, but she barely noticed. “What's up?”

“Melody, I have to go to work now, but I want you to stay. Will you be here when I get back?”

Sucking in a deep breath, Mel tried to pump oxygen to her brain. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. She instantly remembered that she and Will had slept together last night. She smiled.

“Um, will I be here?” She scratched her head. She was not a morning person. Her brain didn't usually kick in until after nine and the giant numbers on Will's digital clock read 6:47.

Will was sitting on the edge of the bed and he leaned toward her, speaking more slowly. “There's fresh coffee in the kitchen if you'd like some, but you don't have to get up now. I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving, and find out if you had plans—anywhere you had to be today—because I was hoping you'd stay. I'd really like to see you when I get home tonight.”

Melody tried to think, but her mind was blissfully blank. Issue number sixty-three of Delilah was on schedule, so she was probably free. “Yeah, I guess I don't have anywhere to be.”

Even through her bleary eyes and sleep-hazed state, Mel could not miss the effect her statement had on Will. His face broke into a huge smile of happiness and…relief?

“Huuh-hmmm,” she yawned. “Did I see a big-screen TV in your living room?”

“Yes, and I have satellite TV with more than five hundred channels.”

“Yeah, I'll be here,” she said, letting her head fall back onto the pillows. Will kissed her goodbye, telling her he'd be back by five, but she barely heard him as she drifted back to sleep.