The Perfect Couple by Emily Walters Read Free Book Online Page A

so bad, was it?”
     
    “That was amazing,” Cara said, crossing her arms over her chest to keep from touching him. “But totally not something I can do, not even close.”
     
    “Oh ye of little faith,” Daniel grinned, holding out his hands. “Come on, I will walk you through the steps.”
     
    Cara blew out a breath and placed her hands in his, gasping as he pulled her close, kissing the tip of her nose. “Now this is a nice way to dance,” he said.
     
    “Daniel,” she started, her body heating at the feel of his bare chest rubbing against hers. Daniel silenced her by pressing his lips to hers, his kiss hungry and hot. Cara found herself melting against him, her own resolve weakening as he molded his lips to hers, tasting every inch of her mouth. She had missed his touch.
     
    “Cara,” he mumbled against her lips. “God, I missed you.”
     
    Cara sighed and pushed away, trying to gather her bearings and focus on the reason they were here. “We need to get started on this dancing thing.”
     
    Daniel sighed heavily and released her hands, turning back toward the music while Cara gulped air into her lungs, her body on fire for the man before her. She couldn’t allow this relationship to cloud this shot at redeeming herself and moving her career forward. There was too much on the line.
     
    Daniel turned around, his lips in a tight line as the music filled the air. Cara knew he was mad at her and a twinge of guilt ran through her body at what she was putting him through by trying to help her. He could have walked away. If only he had just walked away when she had asked. “Come on, let’s do this then.”
     

***
     
    “Dammit, Cara, not that way, this way. You aren’t transitioning into the next step correctly. It has to be smooth. You aren’t trying hard enough.”
     
    “God, you should have been a drill instructor,” Cara muttered as she tried the step again, hearing Daniel cluck in disappointment once again. She wanted to take his tongue and shove it down his throat. This was day two of complete and utter torture and Cara didn’t think she was going to survive many more. Her legs ached from the awkward bending and movements, her head hurt from the pounding of the music instead of the soft, dreamy music she was used to. She had officially decided that she hated hip-hop.
     
    “Dammit, I can’t do this,” she said for the thousandth time, collapsing on the floor wringing with sweat. “I can’t do this, Daniel. Are you sure we have to? Can’t we just do the ballroom dancing instead?”
     
    “I’m positive,” Daniel said firmly, coming to sit beside her on the floor. “I watched some of the previous competitions. Ballroom dancing doesn’t usually get loads of compliments during the auditions. We need to wow the judges, not bore them to tears. Besides you have to know a wealth of dancing variations or you won’t win. You do want to win, don’t you?”
     
    “I want to walk tomorrow,” Cara muttered, rubbing her aching calves. She wanted to put on her ballet shoes instead of these sneakers. She wanted to be preparing for her final dance performance before graduation instead of trying this fool plan of a television competition. She wanted to be a success instead of a complete and utter failure. “I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated and I’m taking it out on you.”
     
    “God, Cara, it’s okay,” Daniel said, running a hand through his wet hair. “I know this is a lot to throw at you and I’m sorry. I haven’t been easy either. I just want to give us every opportunity to win this thing.”
     
    “We have to get through auditions first,” Cara sighed, picking at the lint on her yoga pants. How were they going to do that, unless… “I got it!”
     
    “Got what?” Daniel asked as Cara jumped up from the floor. “Cara?”
     
    “We need to mix it up,” Cara explained, her mind rolling with ideas. “Hip-hop is your strong point, ballet is mine. What if we found a song that