Against her better judgment, Mia took his hand. “I’m warning you. I’m probably no good atthis.”
“The basic step is easy. Elena, come showher.”
Elena walked over to stand at Mia’s right side. “Just listen toQuino.”
“Step back with your right, step in place with the left, then step slightly forward with your right again. Then back with your left, step in place with the right foot, slightly forward with the left. Rock back, replace, step forward. Rock back, replace, step forward. That’s it. You’ve gotit.”
They repeated that several times, Mia watching Elena’sfeet.
“Now, try doing it without looking at your feet. Look at me, and follow mylead.”
Mia looked into Joaquin’s brown eyes, felt her pulse spike—and her stepfaltered.
“Relax,” he said in a silky voice that made relaxingimpossible.
“I’d rather be taking enemy fire.” She blurted the words—but it was thetruth.
The room exploded into laughter—and somehow that helped. No one here wanted to humiliate her. No one wanted to embarrass her. They were just having fun, and they wanted her to have fun,too.
“It will be easier for you to follow if we’re a little closer together.” Joaquin drew her closer—not so close that their bodies touched, but close enough that she could feel the warmth emanating from him and smell hisskin.
She inhaled deeper, savoring the scent of him, the male feel ofhim.
“Let’s try again. One, two, three, rest. Five, six, seven, rest. You’ve got it. You’re doing it. Now let’s tryturning.”
The next time she stepped back with her right foot, Joaquin turned her to the right—and she lost thestep.
That’s okay. This is new. You’ll get the hang of it.” Joaquin coached her until she’d managed to get through a few turns, not once losing his patience with her. “Let’s try it withmusic.”
Someone put on the same Marc Anthony song, Joaquin counting out the rhythm for her. “One, two, three, rest. Five, six, seven, rest. Look at me, not yourfeet.”
To her surprise, Mia found herself dancing, the rhythm of the music showing her feet what to do. At first, they moved forward and backward. Then Joaquin led her through a few turns, putting a hand on her hip to guide her. The contact startled her, his touch seeming to burn through the fabric of her dress. Again, her stepfaltered.
“Hey, no one gets it right the first time,” he said. “Just keepdancing.”
Mia tried to concentrate.One, two, three, rest. Five, six, seven,rest.
“You’re overthinking it. Letgo.”
She gave in, looked into his eyes once more, the rhythm takingover.
“You’ve got it.” Joaquin grinned, his face stunninglyhandsome.
Mia found herself smiling, too. She knew she must look stiff and awkward, especially compared to Elena, but she didn’t care. “This isfun!”
“More fun than dodging incomingfire?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes.”
Too soon the songended.
Cheers andapplause.
Joaquin stepped back, raised one of her hands to his lips, kissed it, the contact alarming. “Thanks.”
Heat rushed into her cheeks. “Thankyou.”
All at once, Mia needed to be somewhere else, anywhere else. “I shouldgo.”