Nate narrowed his gaze, taking in the scene, and did the one thing she’d swear the man was incapable of.
He danced.
He spun, lowered, rotated, and thrust. Worries over looking stupid, or not copying the exact movements, or the horror of his high school gym class all seemed to drift away. He missed most of the steps but never stopped. He gave up and gave in, and his body took over.
She couldn’t tear her gaze from him in the mirror. His cotton shirt slipped up and she caught a glimpse of a nice rack of abs. The innate stillness he owned radiated outward into a flow of almost poetic grace, his feet sliding across the floor, his hips rocking with a power that left her a bit breathless. Like a caterpillar catching flight as a butterfly, in that instant he dove into the moment and owned it. An almost sexual energy emanated in waves and mixed with the earthy tempo, turning him into a man radiating sheer command. For one second, her skin tingled and her breath caught. For one second, she was completely and utterly attracted to him.
The music changed; slowed. Cool-down began, with gentle glides and simple arm movements. The moment passed and faded, already seeming like a weird dream. Class ended and students lingered to guzzle water, chat, and speak with the teacher. A proud grin curved her lips as she walked over to her profusely sweating client.
“What do you think?”
He adjusted his clothing, took a sip of water, and studied her over his glasses. “Tell me this is a one-shot deal.”
She shook her head. “We Zumba every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You’ll enjoy it more each time.”
“I think I’d rather see Benny or Ming.” His gaze pierced hers. “Do you torture all the men at Kinnections before getting them their happy ever afters?”
She laughed. “Love and relationships are work. We always say learn to do the labor beforehand, and it will become a habit and lead to a more successful relationship.”
He pondered the words and tilted his head. “Do you follow your own advice?”
The question took her off guard, but she made sure to recover quickly. “Yes. I’ve done a lot of hard work with myself. I think that’s helped me form better relationships.”
Nate nodded. “When was your last one?”
“My last what?”
“Long-term relationship.”
Irritation bristled her nerves. She forced a casual smile. “Oh, not too long ago. But I’m ready and open for the next.”
“You said you didn’t do long term.”
She took a slug of water so she didn’t have to answer. He waited her out anyway, his gaze probing for truth. “Long term means something different to everyone. Yours is marriage. Mine is a few months.”
Students chatted, mats were dragged out for the next class, and his voice reached her ears, deep and dark and caressing. “Maybe you deserve more.”
She opened her mouth to set him straight, but a sweet, female voice interrupted. “Hi. Just wanted to welcome you to Zumba. It’s so great to see a man here. Most don’t have the guts.”
Kennedy took in her high ponytail, bare midriff, and interested gaze. Whoa. She was really interested, her sly gaze sliding up and down his body. Fresh meat was always welcome at the gym. Nate didn’t move. Didn’t respond. Kennedy cleared her throat and bumped his shoulder. This was a perfect opportunity to watch him handle a first meet. Maybe he’d learned a few lessons from the disastrous speed dating and their time together. “Umm, Nate, I’ll be right back.”
She moved away to give them a bit of privacy, and fiddled with her iPhone. Come on, dude, you can do this. Talk. Say anything. No, scratch that, say something that’s not stupid.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Nate.”
Kennedy slumped with relief. Perfect. Maybe she should school him just to be direct from the get-go. No bad pick-up lines, body-related comments, or probing questions. Just direct information.
“I’m Heidi. Haven’t seen you at the gym before. First time?”
“Yep, I’m a golfer, but figured I’d try something different. Hey, you have a great—”
Kennedy squeezed her phone in a death grip.
“Smile.”
She let out her breath. He’d listened! Maybe this would be easier than she thought. Was he ready to be sent out? They had the wardrobe makeover coming up, and of course the role-play session with Arilyn and Kate, but she always saved that for last. A mixer would definitely work. Plenty of options.
“Thanks so much. I’m heading for a shake at the health bar. Wanna join me?”
“Sure.” He glanced over at Kennedy. She gave him a subtle thumbs-up sign. He gave a slight nod in acceptance and began walking out. Their voices drifted through the room. “What do you do, Heidi?”
“I’m in school. Studying to be a nail technician.”
“You need to go to college to learn how to paint nails?”
Heidi paused and swung her head around. “Nails are serious business. Why, what are you? A rocket scientist?”
He stiffened. Kennedy winced. Oh, no. No, no, no, no . . .
“Actually, an aerospace engineer. They don’t call it rocket science anymore.”
She cocked her head. “Are you serious, man?”
He gave her the look. Filled with derision and judgment. “Of course. Listen, I don’t think this will work between us for a long-term relationship, but I’m completely open to having a short affair. What do you think?”
Ah, shit.
Heidi gasped. “You’re an asshole.” She stalked off, ponytail bouncing, and disappeared through the smoked-glass door.
Nate blinked. The lines of his face were stamped with complete surprise. He turned back to Kennedy with his palms upturned. “What did I do wrong?”
Okay, no mixer. Not for a while, anyway. Why the hell didn’t he respect the woman’s career path? Any work in this economy was a thing of pride. How dare he evaluate anyone’s choices just because he was successful? Disappointment flooded her. She marched over and jabbed her finger against his chest. The scent of male sweat, cotton, and a hint of musk hit her nostrils. “Too many things to go over in a few minutes.”
“I was honest and direct. Women appreciate that, right? I wasn’t rejecting her, just changing the course, since I knew right away marriage was never going to happen.”
“I don’t want to hear it right now. Follow me.”