The Dating Tutor: Alec's Story (8 page)

Her eyes dropped to her nearly empty bowl. “The salad was very delicious. It was a good call on your part to go for the crab.”

“Just goes to show how well I know your taste buds.” He threw his cloth napkin down to the table. “Now let’s go do some dancing.”

“Dancing?” Ellie squeaked in horror. Her eyes had widened to large, sparkling pools of emerald. “I don’t know, Alec,” she said slowly.

“Better to fall on your face now in front of me than in front of Jake. Come on.” Climbing to his feet, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her chair.

“I could just not dance,” she suggested with a hopeful lilt to her voice.

He guided her out on the dance floor, ignoring her protests. He wanted to stretch his legs, and no doubt Jake would at some point during their date. There was no way she was getting out of this. “If you refuse to dance, he’ll think you don’t like him. Forget it.” He gave a tug on her elbow, and suddenly she was in his arms. “You’re dancing.”

Though visibly reluctant, she gave in and placed her hands lightly on his shoulders.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “This is really very simple, El. It’s slow dancing. It’s hard to mess up. Just don’t step on my feet. If you can manage that, you’re fine.”

She bobbed her head distractedly. “Mmm-hmm.” She managed a few steps without any issue, but then she moved in the same instance as him, and somehow her heel came down on his toes.

Alec jumped as pain suddenly coursed through his foot. Why did she keep hurting him? This was twice already she’d done him bodily harm! “Ow! I said
don’t
step on my foot. Why are you trying to lead? Just let your body sway in time to mine.”

“Lead?” she asked in confusion. Then her expression became despondent. “We should forget this. I’m never going to be—”

“Shut up and dance.” He tightened his grip on her waist when she made a feeble attempt to move away. “Just follow what I’m doing. Let my body lead yours.”

She was completely tense, but as he started to sway to the soft music, he felt her body relaxing. Her shoulders eased and she melted against him, becoming pliant in his arms. He’d hoped this was a good sign of her ability to follow a few simple steps on the dance floor, but no sooner had he guided her a few paces when she crushed his toes again.

He tried his best to ignore it as he tightened his grip on her waist in an attempt to keep her from going so off course. Unfortunately, this failed as well, and she stepped on him a third time. “Ellie! That is the third time you’ve trampled my toes. It’s like you’re not even trying.” He scowled. “If you can’t lift your feet without hurting me, then you need to shuffle from side to side. At least Jake won’t lose a toe that way.”

She gaped up at him with a look full of bewilderment and worry. That look made him hesitate, made him wonder if he’d been too harsh.

“I…I...” After a moment of being unable to complete her sentence, she simply mumbled, “Sorry.” Taking his advice, she began shuffling her feet back and forth instead of lifting them.

Great. Now he felt guilty. Trying to lighten the mood, he gave a soft chuckle. “My feet thank you. Had I known you were going to tromp all over them, I might not have pushed so hard for the heels.”

Ellie smiled at him, the tension easing off of her face. “You did this to yourself.”

Alec shifted his hands, pressing one to her lower back as he pulled her closer. “This whole fiasco is your fault. If you weren’t so hopeless, we’d be at home right now watching the Islanders lose.”

“You usually don’t book dates on game night.”

“I made an exception.” He grinned, knowing this evening was worth missing a hockey game for. “I usually don’t have a good enough reason.”

“Wow.” She arched a brow at him, returning the playful banter. “Ellie comes before hockey. Aren’t I special?”

“You are.” His husky answer had come before he could stop it. She was special. More so than he’d ever realized.

Her eyes were impossibly wide as she gazed up at him. He saw the fear in the depths of those emerald orbs. Fear and…anticipation. He opened his mouth. He wasn’t sure whether to apologize or to confess his feelings, but she tripped on her own feet and toppled forward.

She fell against his chest with a curse. “Shit!”

Alec caught her with an involuntary laugh. “Girls don’t say ‘shit’ on the first date. We’ve already been over the no swearing rule.” He was more than a little relieved that her clumsiness had dissolved the romantic moment passing between them. That was a dangerous path to start down, especially when they both had dates with other people in a week from now. One mistake on a darkened dance floor could ruin a friendship. If things got awkward, there might be no going back. It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.

“Shit. I forgot,” she said, purposely cursing again.

“You’re impossible.” He chuckled at just how much so. He’d never met a girl more frustrating, more obstinate.

“No. These shoes are impossible,” she said with a giggle. “You’re a tyrant for making me wear them.” Balancing herself in his arms, she reached down to slip off the offending footwear. “I’m going barefoot.”

“Ellie,” he complained with an impatient growl. “That is… That is…” He watched as she stripped off her shoes. Something in that act was so unbelievably sexy it had his whole body tingling with desire. He found himself unable to finish his sentence. He was certain his brain had just blown a fuse.

She tossed the shoes toward their table and came back to him in her stocking-covered feet. She then did a playful little twirl to show off her new ability to move without causing either of them harm. Slipping back into his arms, she asked, “It’s what? And don’t you dare complain. I’m saving
your
feet, too.”

“It’s actually kind of sexy,” he said in a thick voice.

Her eyes widened once again, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she moved closer and slipped her arms around his neck. Her body pressed the length of his, and then she lowered her head to rest on his shoulder. “This is more comfortable,” she informed him, thankfully letting his comment slide.

He was frozen for a moment before his arms slid around her waist. He held her close, his nose inches from the top of her head. He could smell her shampoo, and it seemed to seep into his very being.

In the background, he heard the strains of a familiar country song. Matt’s mother always listened to country music in the car, so he’d started to recognize a few. This one was a popular Toby Keith song about two friends falling in love on a dance floor. It was so much like the circumstance between himself and Ellie that it was like a punch to the gut. It was like a personal message, or perhaps it was a warning.

Whatever it was, it summed up their evening for him with heartbreaking accuracy. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he swayed her gently to the music, the words coming softly from his lips as he did.

He sang along as he rocked in time with the music. His eyes closed, and he inhaled the soft feminine scent of her hair that was so familiar to him. He could get lost out on this dance floor. He could get lost in her. Continuing to sing along with the song, he whispered the words softly in her ear.

Ellie pulled back to look at him, and Alec realized he was in trouble. If they didn’t leave, he was going to do something he might regret in the morning. “We should go,” he said softly. “I promised I wouldn’t have you home too late.” With that, he slipped out of her arms, though he did keep her hand in his as he led her back over to their table. As she lifted her jacket off the back of her seat, he prayed this dating tutor stuff ended soon. He wasn’t sure his heart could survive much more.

* * * *

Alec walked Ellie to her front door with his arm held out so she could keep hers tucked into it. She was strolling along perfectly at ease, as if she had no idea just how much this little date of theirs had thrown him.

“This actually was a really fun night,” she proclaimed, sounding almost reluctant to admit that. “I had my doubts, but date Alec is actually an okay guy.”

“You had doubts?” He kept his tone light and playful as he led her up the front walk. “You should have known I’m quite the catch way before now. I don’t know why it took you so long to figure it out.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know. Could it be the usual behavior I see from you?” She poked him accusingly in the ribs. “Spraying me with your garden hose, burping, leaving your dirty gym shorts on your bedroom floor for weeks on end, and the many other boy faux pas you commit.”

He was suddenly regretting all those boyish traits he’d allowed her to witness. He’d never thought he would regard her in a romantic fashion. She’d been like one of the guys. Now it was costing him. He doubted Jake had ever let a girl hear him burp before. In fact, he wondered if Jake ever had burped before at all. “Dating Alec and hanging out at home Alec are like two different men.” He winked, trying to make light of it. “You’re one of the rare people who has ever gotten to see both sides of the coin. In fact, you might
be the only one.”

She nodded with an affectionate smile. “No one knows you like I do.”

“No one,” he agreed. That statement was his undoing. Her words rang entirely true. No one knew him like she did, and he doubted anyone ever would. Not some hockey groupie. Not girls like Shannon.

He might not have the nerve to tell her how he felt, but he would give her reason to pause. He would give her reasonable doubt about Jake if he could. He would make her realize what she was missing. As she reached the first step of the porch, Alec tugged her hand to pull her to a stop.

Her mouth opened as if to ask what he was doing, but he didn’t give her the chance to voice her confusion. He cupped her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers.

Unlike everything else throughout the entire night, Ellie didn’t fight the kiss. She didn’t gasp or protest or inquire into his motives. She simply melted against him with a content sound in the back of her throat.

Her lips were soft and warm. They brushed along his as if pleading for more. Alec obliged. Brushing her hair back from her face, he deepened the kiss and stepped in closer to her. He could feel the soft curves of her body against the front of him; they tantalized him with the promise of more.

Almost frenzied from her responsiveness, Alec nudged her mouth open. He could taste the raspberries from the juice on her lips, and he once again congratulated himself on a wise choice over the course of the evening. His tongue darted out for another taste, running along her bottom lip.

When she pressed herself even closer to him, Alec pulled back very suddenly. He grasped that he’d just completely crossed the line of friendship. What had transpired between them would be seared into his brain for the rest of eternity.

But he had to play it off. She had a date with someone else. If she reciprocated his feelings at all, it would be up to her to make the move. He wouldn’t break up a budding relationship because of his own selfish feelings. She’d waited seventeen years for her dream date to come along. He wasn’t going to ruin that fairytale for her. He took a few steps backward with an amused chuckle. “Very good. Do that Saturday and Jake will be putty.” He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his slacks and bobbed his head in farewell. “I’ll see you Monday for the game?”

Silence stretched between them before she finally bobbed her head in an awkward response. “Y…yeah. I’ll see you Monday.”

“See ya Monday.” With that, he turned and walked away. Though his home was no more than thirty strides away, they were the hardest steps of his life.

Chapter Eight

Alec was turned sideways in his seat, staring sightlessly at Shannon as she told him some story about a penguin and her brother’s art class…or maybe it hadn’t been a penguin. Was it a moose? Either way, he didn’t much care.

He should. He knew he should. In front of him was one of the most sought after girls in school. She was on the cheerleading squad. She wore short skirts and sexy knee-high boots. She was known for being a great kisser, and she’d done everything right this evening.

From pick up to dinner conversation, Shannon was a master at dating. It was partway through the second hour that Alec realized she was too perfect. She was fake. And she was predictable. She had no spunk or spontaneity. Quite frankly, she was boring.

“Alec,” she said with a little sigh, drawing his attention to her. “I get the feeling that you aren’t paying one lick of attention to my squirrel story.”

Ah. So it had been a squirrel. Good to know. “I…I’m sorry. I’m just distracted tonight is all.”

She smiled affectionately at him, her lips pursing into a pout. “I think I have an idea what’s been on your mind.”

He couldn’t help his surprise. He’d been fairly certain she hadn’t listened to a single word he’d said all night. With that in mind, he wasn’t sure how she could even guess at the problems running through his mind. “You do?”

She bit her lip with a foxy grin and nodded. “I do.” Without any warning, she was sliding across the gearshift of his car to squeeze herself next to him in his seat. They were parked in a wooded area a few blocks from her house, just talking. At least they
had
been just talking…