Private Dancer (9 page)

Marise couldn’t be the woman for him. Why should he pounce on someone who was so obviously in a vulnerable spot? Because he’d wanted to pounce on her from day one, is what he told himself. Before his brain could react, Kasen bolted out of his seat and was at his door.

Opening it softly, he stared at Marise who was staring at her computer screen. She appeared lost in thought, but there was that sad look in her eyes again. Only this time, he was the one who put it there. Kasen took a breath and let his heart do the talking.

“Um Marise?” Kasen said, it was barely above a whisper but Marise heard him anyway. She looked away from her screen and looked at him with guarded eyes.

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“Yes, Mr. Montgomery?” Her voice sounded edged with steel as she said his name. Now, Kasen longed for that unforgotten moment when Marise called him Kas.

“I’m sorry about earlier. I’m just a little out of it. I was wondering, would you like to have a few more practice sessions before I go to France? Well, I guess I’m more asking you to do me a huge favor by practicing with me one last time.”

Marise’s almond shaped eyes squinted as she sized him up and down. Kasen knew he deserved it, but he would try his hardest to make amends.

“Ok, when?” Marise agreed, completely shocking him.

“Tonight, if that is ok?” Kasen’s head dropped down and he looked at the carpet as he asked.

What was it about her that made him feel like such a schoolboy whenever he opened his mouth?

“Ok, tonight is fine. Usual time?”

“Yes.” He said, trying not to let the hope show too much in his voice.

“I will see you then Mr. Montgomery.” Marise turned back to her computer and she began to type.

Kasen watched her for a few more moments, and then ducked back into his office. Now, he just had to figure out how to tell her how he truly felt.

*****

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Chapter Ten – The Last Dance

Marise waited outside of Kasen’s condo five minutes before she was supposed to dance with him for the last time.

She relished her new-found independence somewhat, but there was still a nagging presence in the back of her mind. Kasen was still in her thoughts, even as she dismissed what had almost happened between them as a moment of vulnerability on both of their parts.

So why was she not going up to his condo? She was plainly scared. Kasen was the most intimidating man that she’d ever met, and he was always in control of everything. It seemed to her that Kasen’s life always went as planned, and if it didn’t, he would make up another plan.

He was a hard man to figure out, but Marise couldn’t just walk way. No matter how much she wanted to, she could not get the thought of Kasen Montgomery out of her mind.

Marise, you are mad. You are getting a divorce from one man, yet only to be consumed by
thoughts of another? Isn’t this just too soon?

Marise shook her head and took a deep breath. She’d to get these thoughts out of her head. She was not trying to marry him, hell she wasn’t even trying to date him, even though the thought of dating a man like Kasen was quite appealing.

“You have got to stop this girl.” Marise said to herself as she walked into the complex. She rode the elevator humming the tango rhythm to herself. That was the last dance that her and Kasen danced before life blew up. Maybe she could get that final turn right this time, she thought as she pressed the buzzer. She didn’t go home to change this time, as she thought that the light skirt that she was wearing would be just fine.

Kasen yanked open the door and grinned at her. He was still in his suit shirt and pants.

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“Glad to see I wasn’t the only one who didn’t feel like changing. Come in.” Marise came in and inhaled. It was just as she left it two weeks ago, but it seemed lighter inside somehow. Perhaps she was only deceiving herself, but it is the first time she’d stepped into his condo with the gray cloud of secrets hanging over her head.

“Yes, it was such a warm day out, I didn’t want to go home and put on sweats.” Marise said, dropping her purse by the door. Kasen stared stunned at her. It was the first time where she spoke without seeming like a deer in headlights. She seemed so easy going now. What had he missed in the past two weeks?

“Would you like something to drink? Perhaps unwind a bit after a long day?” Kasen knew that he’d thrown all sorts of work at her that afternoon, hoping that she would tire out and forget his stupid idea of asking her to dance with him one last time. He’d regretted it the moment he asked her. He wasn’t sure how to lay out everything that he wanted to say, and Kasen thought that maybe it was best left unsaid. After all, she didn’t seem to be suffering for it, or so he told himself.

Now, as she stood in front of him, Marise didn’t seem like the same person. Where was the shy foal that he wanted to protect with all he’d? Where were the lonely looks in her eyes that he would’ve loved to take away? She seemed stronger and more confident and maybe she didn’t need him in her life.

“No, I don’t think… well you know what, it’s Friday, why not we share some wine, if you have any?” Marise looked at him eagerly, hoping that he would’ve some wine to unravel her nerves.

Tried as she might, she tried to look at Kasen as just her boss, she could not help but to go back to that night in his bed.
I will not lose control with you,
he’d said. Does he still feel that way?

Marise had to know what he wanted in his life.

“As a matter of fact, I do. I hope white wine is ok?”

“Of course. I’m your guest.”

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Kasen gave her a smirk, and left the room. He came back with two chilled glasses of wine and they sipped in silence for a while. They watched each other with hooded glances and sly stares, but neither one of them could move to what they really wanted to say. Marise, finally, took the matter into her own hands.

She turned on the CD player with the remote, and a waltz cd was already cued. She turned the volume up and sat her glass onto the window sill. Empty armed, Marise held out her hands before her and began the steps to the waltz, without Kasen.

Kasen stared at her long form move for a while. Her eyes were closed and she’d lost herself in the music. Kasen watched her and then let his body do his thinking and soon he was in her arms.

At first she opened her eyes, and met his fierce gaze with a cool nonchalance that should’ve bugged him. But, in her arms, he was captivated by it. When Kasen stumbled the steps twice, all Marise did was smirk slightly, her subtle pink lips raised a little in the corner.

“I’m not being a very good instructor am I?” Kasen asked, a little sheepishly. Marise smiled a little and knew that he was embarrassed. Although she knew that she could drag out his embarrassment, she’d other ideas.

“No, but that is ok, because you are not the instructor at this moment, Mr. Montgomery.” Marise said coolly.

“Marise, can’t you go…wait, what do you mean?” Kasen was going to ask her to go back to calling him by his first name, but her announcement that he was not instructing through him through a huge loop.

Marise ignored his comment and kept dancing. She was placing a lot on this moment, and she could not afford to let the cat out of the bag to soon. Kasen, although his arms had grown rigid with tension, was still dancing, following her lead. And that was exactly what she wanted.

Marise was leading him and he didn’t even realize it. She’d taken his role in the dance, and that left him to move backwards in the dance.

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“It means you are not the instructor right now.” Marise said as she caught her gaze in the mirror.

Tread slowly, she told herself in the mirror.

“Marise, what does that mean?” Kasen growled in his low whisper. She’d not heard him use that tone of voice since that night in the Harem. Marise’s head tilted a little to the side as she regarded Kasen with a lazy look.

“It means that you are not leading. I’m.” Marise knew there was one minute left in the crescendo and that she’d led Kasen for fifteen minutes without him knowing. The piano notes hit their peak, the violins were winding down, and the song was at an end. Instead of Marise being buried in Kasen’s muscular arms, he was instead in hers.

Kasen, trying to put some distance between them by pushing at her arms, but she locked them around his neck and held still.

“Marise,” Kasen growled again. Marise released him and stared at him innocently.

“Yes,
Cassien?
” That is where Kasen stopped cold in his tracks. The sultry voice that Marise had used drove him to distraction, but there was a time and place for games. And now was not one of those times, and he didn’t honestly think Marise was the type to play cat and mouse games.

“Just what do you think you are doing?” Kasen put his hands on his hips.

“I don’t know. You joined me, remember? Am I a terrible lead?”

“No, you aren’t a terrible lead. You just aren’t supposed to be leading.” Kasen pursed his lips together. He could feel his temper begin to rise. He could not believe that she’d totally taken control! He was angry at himself for not seeing it as soon as he was dancing with her.

“I don’t think the headmistress is going to hit our hands with a ruler, do you?” Marise smirked and walked over to the large window that held her drink. She took a few sips and stared out into the evening. The sun was getting low in the sky, and the bright blue of the day was dwindling to 66 | P a g e

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the seductive shade of azure blue that reminded Marise of Kasen’s eyes when he was passionate about something. When she turned to look at him, she saw that his eyes were indeed that color now. Maybe she’d over done it?

“Marise, what are you doing?” Kasen said again.

“You have asked me that twice in less than a minute. And I tell you I’m not up to anything.

Haven’t you ever felt unburdened in your life? Have you ever felt like you just needed to go with the moment?” Marise’s eyes were wide and she appeared eager for something.

“No,” Kasen said and he walked away from her alluring form.

Marise wasn’t going to let him off that easy. She flicked the remote again, this time to the fast paced tango. She hurried and caught Kasen on his shoulder.

“Come on, there is more practicing to do.” She took his hand and led him back to the middle of the wooden floor. She smirked, and looked him in his eyes, which were weary and skeptical.

“Don’t worry, I will even let you lead this time.” Kasen squinted at her, and began to move to the song. Tentatively he led her through the steps.

Marise could feel his inner war, and she wanted to help. She knew that she’d to get him in a spot where he didn’t have a choice but to lose control. But how? As they worked through the dance almost flawlessly, Marise found the solution.

“Kasen?” Kasen’s head jerked up at her voice. She seemed to be back to normal.

“Yes, are you tired?” Kasen was panting, but he didn’t want it to show. Holding his composure and trying to dance to the upbeat tempo had caused him to exert himself more than he planned.

“No, no,” Marise patted his chest for emphasis, “I just wanted to try that dip now. I think I can do it. If you would just lead me into it.” Marise’s eyes had got big and eager again, as if she was pleading with him to take her on her word.

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Silently, Kasen led them into the dip, her legs sliding in between his. As she brought her calf up to his thigh, she hooked her ankle around his leg and held on. Just as she hoped, Kasen lost his balance and began to fall.

What she didn’t expect was for Kasen to shift his body, almost cat like, and make her land on top of him. Kasen’s bottom landed with a large thud and Marise landed with her face buried in his chest. Before she could control herself, Marise started to laugh. Her whole body shook as she laughed at the sight before her eyes. She was staring in the mirror at her and Kasen, a bundle of limbs on the floor.

* * *

Between peals of laughter, Marise managed to say she was fine, but she was in the throes of a laughing attack. Kasen was on his back, and just listened to her laugh for a while. He didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was growing hard in his pants. It was too much for him to keep control of at that moment. He even began to chuckle a little.

At the sound of Kasen’s throaty chuckle, Marise stopped laughing. She met Kasen’s eyes and she was lost. Before she could stop herself, she leaned into him for a soft kiss. The electricity shot through them both at the same time. Kasen gasped, sucking in Marise’s exhaled air and deepening the kiss at the same time.

Marise reached up and put her fingers in Kasen’s hair and held him still for her to explore his mouth.

Kasen’s cock stirred to life. Kasen tore his lips from hers with a hiss. He looked down at Marise’s flushed face and kissed the tip of her nose. He couldn’t stop there. He captured her full bronzed lips in his and began to kiss her as if he wanted to steal the air she breathed.

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Pulling her wrists behind her back, Kasen used their position to his advantage and rolled her over on her back. He lifted her skirt up her smooth chocolate legs, touching her skin as if she would disappear if he didn’t cherish every inch of her skin. He watched Marise’s eyes close and her lips form an “O”.

Groaning deep in his throat, Kasen bent to unbutton Marise’s white silk blouse. As his fingers worked the buttons, he could feel the heat rising from her skin. Pushing the fabric from blocking the view of his treasure, Kasen gasped when he saw Marise’s full breasts heaving, calling to him. He bent slightly and began to suckle at her breast through her lace bra, her erect nipples looking like chocolate candies wrapped in white.