Kiss Me, Dancer (9 page)

“His son is your student?”

“For two years now. Great kid. His mother and her current husband live in Cutchogue.”

Natalie lowered her voice, her tone confidential. “There’s something you should know. I realized Drew Byrne is the name of the person who won the raffle for the Madame Lumina readings. So if he calls—”

“He already did. And even though he gave me a fake name I realized who it was when he started talking about Josh.”

“OMG! Do you think he has any idea you’re Madame Lumina?”

“No. And we can’t ever let him find out.”

A mischievous glint lit up her friend’s eye. “Did he open up on any juicy stuff in the phone session?”

“Natalie! That’s confidential. As it is I feel horribly guilty about deceiving him.” As she debated how much to tell Natalie, her friend picked up her vibe.

“Deceiving? That’s an awfully strong word, Casey. Something happened between you two, didn’t it?”

“Well, he did ask me out.” Casey tried to sound casual, but she blushed so darn easily that her face always gave her away.

Natalie sat forward, gleaming. “You’re crushing on him. I can see it. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it’s just a little flirtation thing that won’t ever go anywhere.”

“You don’t know that. Give it a chance.”

“Come on, he dates women like Riley Ward. All I am to a hot shot like him is a one-nighter, and you of all people know how badly I’ve been burned by his kind.” Casey sank her teeth into a turnover, trying not to think of Drew’s heart-stopping kiss. And that exquisitely helpless feeling she got when his insistent mouth and strong arms made it clear how much he wanted her.

“They aren’t all the same,” Natalie said.

She changed the subject. “So what do you think, Nat? Should I just try to be friends with Trevor so we can manage to get through the Family Fitness program?”

Natalie shook a hand at her. “Are you serious? You’re too forgiving. You’ll end up letting Trevor talk his way into your good graces when he doesn’t deserve you. He never did. You can’t teach that class anymore.”

As angry as she was with Trevor, it was Drew that Casey truly dreaded facing in the Family Fitness class tonight. “I’m not exactly looking forward to it. But I made a commitment. And I need the money right now.” Especially if she lost her school. No. She would think of some way to stop that from happening. She had to.

“Work for me if you’re short on money, but you’re not going back. I won’t let you play nice with that creep.”

Casey sipped her coffee, thinking. “I beat out Jessica Spitzer for the job. Maybe she’s still available. But I’d have to give a legit excuse to the community board.”

“You tore a cartilage. Come on, you athletic types are always tearing cartilage.”

“But I’ll still be teaching at my school.”

“Your doctor wants you to limit how much time you’re on your feet.”

“You should’ve been a lawyer.”

By noon Casey had reached Ellen Haverly of the Community Board, and within an hour it was settled. Jessica had the job, and Casey was free.

Back at her dance academy Casey worked on planning a sissone variation for her four o’clock ballet class. During the school year she held Sculpt & Stretch classes for women on weekday mornings, but in the summer when their children were home she didn’t have enough enrollment. So when she heard the front door buzzer echo through the empty studio, Casey feared it would be that awful Mr. Rozella again.

When she opened the door, Trevor stood there. With a bouquet of pink roses.
Drew was right
.

“Casey, darling, I understand completely how you must feel. How hurt you must be, but I—”

SLAM!!
She shut the door, surprised at the depth of her fury after all those unruffled breakup speeches she’d rehearsed.

Trevor knocked frantically on the door. “Casey. Sweetie. Please just give me two minutes. I’m begging you.”

Casey opened it a crack. He tried passing her the flowers, but she pushed them away, saying, “Send them to Riley Ward’s agent. He can forward them to her. Not that she’ll remember your name.”

“Look. I don’t blame you for being angry after what I did. But at least hear me out.”

She leaned back against the door jam and crossed her arms. “All right. Two minutes.”

He rushed his words. “I’m really sorry about last night. Had way too much to drink. In walks this supermodel. Before I know it she’s all over me. That bathroom thing was all her idea.”

Casey rolled her eyes. “Poor little lamb.”

“It’s the truth! You know how women come on to me. Like the time Maribeth seduced me at Natalie’s Christmas party. I was even—”

“You boinked Maribeth at Natalie’s Christmas party?”

Trevor went pale.

“And I’d been so worried that night,” Casey said with a dry laugh, “thinking you must be bored while I danced and reminisced with my old friends.”

“I promise it’ll never happen again.”

“You’re right about that.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said, a slight quake in his voice. “What I did was wrong, but if you view it in the grand scheme of things it’s not enough reason for you to call it quits.”

“I agree.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You do?”

“Yep. But when you add it up with the fact that we have nothing meaningful to share, and that you have no clue what I’m even talking about most of the time, and that after almost a year together I still don’t know who the hell you are, then I’d say we have more than enough reason to break up.”

She closed the door.

***

Drew gripped the smooth steering wheel of his Porsche, his hands sweaty, his thoughts muddled. A woman shouldn’t be able to do this to him. He prided himself on bedding his picks and moving on. It wasn’t that she’d turned him down, although that rarely happened to him. And it wasn’t her looks. He’d had women that would make most men sell their right arm just to get near them.

So what was it about Casey Richardson that made him go hard just thinking her name? He didn’t like the hold she had on him. And he wasn’t so sure Keith was right about this Mystery Woman crap. Yeah, something about her made him look in the mirror, but so what? Drew bet if he could just get her in bed once or twice he’d be able to forget about her.

He glanced down at the passenger seat where his son polished off an ice cream cone. Drew refrained from complaining about the gooey melted ice cream that had dripped onto the leather seat. “So, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is your favorite, huh? That’ll give you some energy for your workout.”

“Yeah, but Miss Casey says you shouldn’t eat an hour before class.” Josh licked his fingers.

Miss Casey
. Seemed like his kid was as hooked on her as he was. “Well, I’ve been working out for years. I know as much as Miss Casey does. Gotta admit, your dad’s in great shape. And I always have a sugar and carbo boost beforehand.”

Josh tilted his head. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. Anything.”

“On Monday when Miss Casey was helping you with the lunges? Did you fall on purpose? It kind of looked that way.”

Drew grimaced. “It did? You think she knew?”

“I’m not sure.”

“We’ll keep it our secret, okay?”

“Do you like her?”

Drew swallowed. He wasn’t about to share his X-rated thoughts with his nine-year-old. “Sure.”

“I think it would be nice if you married her.”

“Whoa, Josh. I’m not really the kind of guy who gets married.”

“You married my mom.”

“That was a big mistake.” When Drew saw the impact of his careless words on Josh, he quickly added, “Except for you.” He glanced at his son. The boy’s elfish chin and wide blue eyes melted him to the core. “I really mean that, Josh. I love being your father, but I’m just not cut out to be a husband.”

Josh clammed up again. His talkative moments were so few that Drew had asked Heather about it. But she’d said the boy was just shy and reluctant to talk around certain people. Like Drew.

He parked in the high school lot and ambled toward the gym. Drew tried getting Josh talking again by asking him which of the Family Fitness boot camp exercises he liked or hated. Their conversation didn’t go very far, but it took some of the edge off the anticipation in Drew’s gut around seeing Casey.

Would she avoid him tonight? Or would she face him with a stilted and phony cheerfulness? And worse yet, would she be wearing those skintight bicycle shorts that drove him nuts?

Josh pivoted about, scanning the room. “Where’s Miss Casey?” He sounded dismayed, but Drew was relieved. At least that’s what he told himself, despite the twinge of disappointment nagging him.

“I’m sure she’ll be here,” he said. But when he thought of how hurt and embarrassed Casey must have been last night after Trevor’s move, only to have Drew, her supposed rescuer, push himself on her, he could understand how the poor woman wouldn’t want to go near either of them. He owed her an apology.

Josh literally moaned when Trevor introduced Jessica, the teacher who’d be taking Casey’s place. Trevor said something about a torn ligament, but he didn’t sound very convincing. In fact, the husky coach wasn’t exactly his dynamic self tonight.

“I’m not staying,” Josh snapped. He eyed his father with defiance, expecting an argument.

But Drew just said, “Neither am I.” And the two of them slipped out.

Chapter Ten

Casey ran downstairs when her front door buzzer rang at 8:15. She knew it couldn’t be Trevor since the fitness class didn’t end until 8:30. She figured Parker must have forgotten something. He’d just left after eating the lentil soup she’d made especially for him. He didn’t even complain about how bad it was with goopy clumps and way too much cumin. Some thanks for the agonizing hours he’d spent with her this week driving all over to look at possible rentals in the area. Or his promise to advance her the down payment she’d need.

“Drew?” The sight of him nearly took her breath away. He stood with a sexy slouch, his head tilted to one side, a flop of sandy hair falling across his forehead. Hands in the pockets of his running pants, his naked arms sculpted to perfection. “I thought you signed up for the Family Fitness classes.”

“Our favorite teacher didn’t show. So we left.”

“But what about Josh? He did so well last week.”

“It was his decision to leave. I just happened to agree with him.”

Casey couldn’t help smiling at being missed. He returned her grin with one so gorgeous it gave her goose bumps.

“I need to talk to you,” he said. “May I come in for a minute?”

Against her better judgment, she opened the door wide. As Drew brushed past her Casey inhaled his sandalwood scent mixed with the intoxicating male smell of him.

Her arms tingled with the urge to touch him.
Get a grip, girl
.

When he turned, she expected him to start talking, but he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her bare legs. Her turquoise print sundress had shrunk last time she’d washed it, and now it was a bit too tight and definitely too short.

To break the awkward moment, she said, “I just made coffee. Would you like some?”

“Yeah, that would be great, thanks.”

Realizing too late that this meant taking him upstairs into her private space, Casey fidgeted with a ring on her finger. “Or we could go out for coffee, or maybe a drink—”

“Nah, I like the first offer.”

“Well, um, it’s up here.” She turned for the stairs, and he followed behind her. A little too close.

They stepped into her three-room home. Unfortunately, there were no doors on the rooms and her bed was completely on view from the living room. She considered asking him to sit in the kitchen, but it was too cramped and hot for a comfortable visit.

“This is really cozy,” he said, looking around. “Was it always an apartment? How long have you been here?”

“Three years.” Casey walked to the kitchen and pulled two mugs from the cabinet while he stood watching her from the living room. “This building was a firehouse that got turned into a hardware store. Both had an office up here with a bathroom and kitchen, so at least the plumbing and gas were in place. But my brother Parker renovated it for me. Parker Richardson. Ever heard of him?”

“No. He in the construction business?”

“He’s a gardener. In fact, he’s
your
gardener.”

Drew turned red. At least he had the courtesy to be embarrassed. “I’ve got so many people working for me, I sometimes, well it’s, um…”

Casey wasn’t about to come to his rescue on this one. After he stammered long enough, she said, “Want milk or sugar in your coffee?”

“Just black, thanks.”

She’d had a feeling he was a man who drank it black. She set the mugs on her coffee table that was actually an old army trunk that had belonged to her dad.

Her green floral print loveseat in much need of upholstering looked even worse when she saw it under Drew’s eye. It was small, which meant they sat closer than was comfy for her right now. But it was also the only piece of furniture to sit on besides her rocker, which was always occupied by the chubby feline Miss Daisy. “I hope you’re not allergic to cats.”

“No. I have a Siamese at home. And a black Lab.”

It pleased Casey to hear he liked pets. Why it mattered, she wasn’t sure. “Well, Miss Daisy here is one of my three cats. Buster likes to hang downstairs and Sugar Boy’s preferred territory is the bedroom.”

A corner of his mouth twitched. “Mine, too.” The words came out as a soft murmur that she pretended not to hear.

Casey also pretended not to be affected by the fact that he was maybe three inches away when they sat. Too bad she kept picturing him pulling her into his lap. She cleared her throat. “So, what did you need to talk to me about?”

Drew put his cup on the trunk and looked directly at her, his expression serious. “I want to apologize. First for taking Josh out of dance classes.”

A total surprise. “Then he’ll be coming back?”

Drew nodded. “He really likes you and trusts you. And that’s major for a difficult kid like Josh. I thought the boot camp might be a compromise, where he could still have you as a teacher, but skip the dance stuff. But even if you hadn’t left, I’m sure a rebellion was coming. He was really pissed at me over taking him out of your academy.”