Dead on the Dance Floor by Heather Graham Read Free Book Online

absolute idiot. She certainly wasn’t going to spill out her own discomfort before a man she’d just met, even if he was Doug’s brother. Doug was a student, a promising one, but even he was far from a confident. “I would assume, Mr. O’Casey, that boating and diving are far more dangerous than dancing.”
    â€œI wasn’t worried,” he said. “Just…well, sorry about the loss, of course. And curious.”
    Obviously, people would be upset. And yes, curious. In the world of dance, Lara had reigned as a queen. Though most people might not have known her name—any more than Shannon might have known that of the leading Nascar racer—such a death still made the newspapers and even a number of news broadcasts. Several stations had been there filming when she had died.
    Sure, people were going to be curious.
    Gordon had given a speech to her; she had given one to the teachers, and she’d also written up a little notice for the students. She didn’t know why she felt annoyed at explaining the situation to this particular man.
    â€œWe were all curious,” she said evenly. “Lara Trudeau was amazing. She wasn’t into alcohol or drugs, prescription or otherwise. None of us knows what happened that day. She was brilliant, and she, and her talent, will be missed. But dancing is hardly dangerous. Obviously, it’s a physical activity. But we’ve had a number of heart patients here for therapy. It’s dangerous to sit still and become a couch potato, too.” She was suddenly angry, feeling as if she was personally under attack, and didn’t understand why. She was about to get up and assure him that she would return Doug’s money for the guest pass, but then he spoke.
    â€œRhythm,” he said.
    â€œPardon?”
    â€œI think I said the wrong thing. I’d like to be able to go to a club like Suede, the one right below you, and not look like a total horse’s a—idiot. Salsa, right?”
    â€œThey do a lot of salsa. Mambo, samba, merengue…Tuesday nights they have a swing party.”
    â€œBut they waltz at weddings, right?” He gave the appearance of seriously considering his options.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDo I have to pick certain dances?”
    â€œNo, but it would be nice to know where you’d like to start.”
    â€œWhere do you generally start?”
    She rose. “At the beginning. Come on. If you’ve no real preferences, we’ll do it my way.”
    â€œYou’re going to be my instructor?” He was surprised, but she didn’t think he was pleased.
    â€œYes. Is there a problem?”
    â€œNo, I just…Doug said you didn’t take new students.”
    â€œI don’t usually. But the way it works is, unless there’s a problem, the teacher to sign on a new student becomes their regular instructor.” She hadn’t meant to actually take him as her student, but now…she meant to keep him. There was just something about him that…
    A voice in her ear whispered that he was the most arresting man she’d met in a long time. Best-looking, definitely most sensual, man.
    Yes, yes, all acknowledged from the start.
    But that wasn’t the point. It wasn’t his appearance, which was, admittedly, imposing.
    There was something else.
    It was ridiculous that she was feeling so paranoid.
    But the man bore watching. That feeling of wariness would not go away.
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    Maybe.
    That was her thought thirty minutes later.
    Maybe she hadn’t been teaching enough lately. Maybe she couldn’t teach and keep an eye on him at the same time. Her patience just wasn’t where it should be. There was no chance of anyone stepping in and actually leading him—placing a hand on his arm had assured her of that. It was like setting her fingers on a solid wall. It didn’t help that he was stiff, no matter how much she tried to get him to relax.
    He actually seemed to