“You know,” I squeak, “I can just use the bar.”

He raises his brows. “Hell no. You dragged me down here with a sob story about homeless men. You’re using me.”

“O-okay. Well, you just need to stand behind me.”

He comes around behind me and I can feel his body heat against my very aware flesh. This wasn’t a good idea. Not a good idea at all.

“A-a-and, just put your hands on my hips. When I go up, I need you to go with me, keeping the weight off my feet just a little.”

His hands settle on my hips and I stop breathing. I literally stop breathing. I can’t focus like this, and it bothers me. It bothers me that he’s bothering me.

“Are you going to dance any time soon?” he murmurs and his mouth is right near my ear.

“Uh, y-y-yeah,” I stammer.

I lift myself onto my toes, letting him test my weight.

“I’ll do a little jump up, just test my weight, see if it’s okay with you.”

He snorts but humors me by lifting me effortlessly when I jump.

“Okay, smarty-pants.” I laugh.

“Get on with it, Dancer.”

“Bossy.”

I close my eyes, raise my arms and begin moving my legs. It’s the only move I can’t seem to execute gracefully. I’ve done it from the start and I’ve practiced a lot. I’m nearly there, it’s nearly perfect, but to teach it I have to make sure it’s exactly how I want my students to do it. Nate lifts me as I move, almost as though he knows exactly when my body is going to jump. It’s effortless and smooth, and he’s extremely gentle.

“I see where you’re goin’ wrong,” he suddenly says.

I stop jumping and say, “Oh?”

“Lower back.”

Um, okay.

He presses his hand to my lower back, shoving it forward just slightly. Then he drops his hand from my hip and presses it into my front, supporting the entire area of my hips. There goes my breath again. His hand is splayed out against my belly. I close my eyes. Focus, Avery.

“Now do it again,” he commands.

I do what he asks, and as I move he presses his hands in to keep my hips straight. The move does seem to come easier, and this surprises me. Could it be as simple as poor posture?

“You know,” he says, letting me go. “I have an idea. Come with me.”

I turn and stare at him. “Do I want to know?”

He grins and winks. “You sure do.”

~*~*~*~

NATE

She stares at me, then back to the pool, then back at me again.

“The pool?”

I grin at her and she smiles, showing me that cute-as-shit dimple in her cheek. She only has one.

“The pool,” I confirm.

“Because . . .”

I laugh. I brought her here because there is nothing better than practicing things in water. It’s light and it’s easy. Her brother has a pool in his shared apartment lot, and because we know him, we got in for nothing.

“Balancing is super easy in the water, now get in.”

She stares at me, lips parted.

“Don’t look at me like you’re about to chuck a fit. Get in.”

She straightens, grins and then charges at me. I don’t see it coming. She’s only tiny but she hits me so hard I lose my footing. I tumble backwards into the pool, but I make sure to take hold of her arm as I go. She comes in with me, screaming and laughing. The water is fucking freezing and I come up roaring. “Holy fucking shit!” I bellow, rubbing my arms.

Avery is laughing, her head is thrown back and her long blonde hair is fanning out in the water behind her. Fuck she’s beautiful, not just on the outside but on the inside. She’s been through so much yet she still has this light within her. I look away, knowing I shouldn’t be looking, knowing I shouldn’t care about her or even be helping her.

“Well, you got me in here,” she says. “What are we going to do?”

I turn back to her and swim over, gripping her hips and pulling her close. “Try again now.”

I spin her around and press her back to mine. Fuck, stop thinkin’ about it, stop fuckin’ thinking about it. I put my hand on her flat belly and the other on her back and then I order, “Go.”

She moves with such grace it’s beautiful. I’m a man, and beautiful isn’t in my vocabulary, but that’s the only way I can describe her. She practices until we’re both exhausted, but she turns to me with a smile. “You’re right. I think it’s all in my posture. Thanks Nate.”

I shrug. “Anytime.”

A cool wind comes past and she shivers. “It’s getting cold in here.”

“Yeah, we should get out.”

We both swim to the side but as she climbs up, I can’t fight the urge. I grip her hips and I hurl her backwards, tossing her into the water. She comes up laughing and spluttering. “You’re awful.”

I flash her a grin and go to climb out myself, but she lunges at me, hooking her arms and legs around me like a fuckin’ monkey and pulling me back. I lose my grip on the side and we both go crashing into the water. When we come up, she’s still laughing and goes to lunge at me again, but she sees something over my shoulder and stops. Color rises to her cheeks.

“Kelly, Liam.” She smiles. “Hey.”

I turn to see Kelly and Liam leaning against the gate, staring at us. Liam is glaring but Kelly has a concerned look on his face. He swings his eyes to me and narrows them.