This Tangled Thing Called Love: A Contemporary Romance Novel Read online

  “I’m so looking forward to our evening.” Alec handed her a tiger orchid. “This is for you.”

  “It’s beautiful. Thank you. Please, come on in.” Claire rushed to get a vase for the flower.

  “If I had known that you are such a flower lover, I would have gotten a larger arrangement,” Alec’s voice rang with chagrin.

  “Oh, these are from work - people congratulating me on finishing my report to the Landmarks Preservation Commission.” There she was, barely five minutes into their date, lying already. Did she really have the right to blame Alec after that?

  “Sounds like your colleagues are very appreciative of you.”

  “They are,” Claire mumbled. She filled the vase with water and put the orchid into it. It was a gorgeous purple color. “I’m ready to go when you are.”

  “Then let’s go.” Alec held out his hand, and just like a blushing heroine out of a Jane Austen’s novel, Claire followed her Mr. Darcy.

  Chapter 34

  When Claire walked inside The Red Carnation, she had to instantly agree with Lindsay – saloon was the perfect word to describe the lofty establishment. The lights were dimmed, with red plush upholstery chairs and numerous tables framing the polished, parquet dance floor that loomed in the middle of the room. Claire felt her throat constrict. There was no way she was setting her foot on that dance floor.

  Alec smiled at her, as though reading her thoughts. “I’ve reserved a table for us for dinner. The dance performance starts at nine.”

  “Great.” Claire hoped that relief was not too obvious on her face.

  “Alec, how wonderful to see you here!” exclaimed the hostess, a lanky brunette in a lace sheath that fit her like a second skin. “I was beginning to think that you’ve forgotten us.”

  “Hello, Katrina.” Alec nodded. “I hope you’ll forgive me. I haven’t been neglecting you. I was just really busy with work.”

  “Of course, you’re forgiven!” The brunette smooched Alec on both cheeks. “And who is your gorgeous lady friend?”

  “This is Claire.”

  “We are neighbors,” Claire cut in to save Alec the awkwardness of characterizing their relationship.

  “Pleasure to meet you.”

  The hostess led them to their table. “Your waiter will be right with you.” The hostess cast a scarlet-lipped smile at Alec and made her way back to her station, her hips swaying.

  “That was Katrina Dolores. She and her husband, Victor, were international tango champions for five years straight. Now they run this place.”

  “She’s stunning,” said Claire, thinking that if this were the company Alec kept, she did not stand a chance, even if by some miraculous chance Alec did turn out to be single.

  “You should have seen her on the dance floor. She’s electric. It’s a shame Katrina and Victor don’t compete anymore, but then I’m not one to talk. I’m thinking of hanging up my own dance shoes.”

  “You’re not to going to abandon tango?”

  “No.” Alec grinned. “That would be akin to torture, but I want to focus more on teaching instead of competing. In fact, that’s part of the reason I brought you here tonight. I’ve got something to celebrate.” Alec flashed a mysterious smile.

  As if on cue, the waiter brought a bottle of champagne to their table.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of ordering champagne,” Alec smiled.

  “Not in the least. I love champagne. So what are we celebrating?”

  “As of today, I am the proud owner of Dance Steps.” Alec held up his glass. “My own dance studio.”

  “That’s wonderful. Congratulations!”

  “Thank you. I’ve been working on it for a while, building up my reputation in the dance industry and, now, I think I’m finally ready. Well, you’re never one hundred percent ready,” Alec retracted. “But I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be.”

  “I know you’ll be great at it,” Claire assured him.

  “Great enough for you to let me teach you?”

  Claire lowered her eyes. She had no comeback for a line like that.

  “I’ve got some good news too. The date for the Castelan exhibition has been set. Once I have the invites, you can have as many as you need, in case you’d like to invite your family,” Claire added and reddened immediately. There she was again, butting into Alec’s personal business when he had made it clear that his family was a sore conversation topic for him.

  “Thank you, Claire.” To Claire’s relief, Alec’s voice was not strained. “I’m sure they’d love to come.”

  “Alec!” A female voice snapped Claire to attention. A gorgeous blonde with cat-like green eyes was beaming at Alec as though he were the next best thing since sliced bread. She was wearing a stunning black dress with shutter-pleated chiffon skirt that hugged every curve of her killer body; the lace top of the dress framed her breasts, leaving very little to the imagination. Her golden hair was done up in a razor-sharp French twist.

  “Sabina!” Alec jerked his chair back.

  Immediately, Claire regretted not putting her hair up. At least she would have looked more sophisticated instead of being outshined by Sabina’s perfectly coiffed hairdo.

  “I just wanted to say hi before the show,” Sabina’s accent laced the innocuous phrase with mystique.

  “Shouldn’t you be warming up?” Alec asked. “The show is about to start.”

  Claire felt her heart literally sink. No doubt Alec wanted to “warm up” Sabina personally. What kind of sick pervert brought his girlfriend along to a date with another girl? She had always heard that it took two to tango, but apparently Alec thought that the number could he extended to three. Not that Claire had even the slightest interest in such a notion.

  “Oh, hello, Claire. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Sabina glanced at Claire.

  “You’re not interrupting anything.” Claire tried to sound as chirpy as possible. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to run – I’m up next. Wish me luck.”

  “Break a leg.” Alec grinned.

  “Good luck,” Claire murmured into Sabina’s lacy back.

  “Sabina’s really good,” Alec said. “I think you’ll enjoy the show.”

  Now this was getting to be too much. Claire had to have her answer once and for all, but she could not just ask Alec flat out what his relationship with Sabina was, could she? No, there had to be a subtler way.

  “Sabina is my student. I’ve taught her for two years. She won two championships last year, and I think I deserve some credit for that.” Alec grinned.

  Claire bit her lip to prevent her jaw from dropping. Had she been thinking out loud or was Alec reading minds? But then she knew that the real answer was much simpler. She simply had the worst poker face in the world.

  “I just thought you might want to know.” Alec shrugged.

  “So you’re not dating?”

  “Me and Sabina?” Alec smirked. “She’s just a kid, and, if you must know, she’s married, although she’s barely twenty. In fact, her husband will be dancing with her tonight. He finally got his visa approved.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.” And it really was the most wonderful news Claire had heard all evening. “He’s a dancer too?”

  “Yes, Nicholas is very well known in Czech Republic, and I’m sure he’ll soon make a name for himself in the U.S.” Alec halted, his eyes zeroing in on Claire’s. “And how about you, Claire? Are you seeing anyone?”

  “No.” Claire gulped. She was telling the truth, yet she felt she should say something about David. At the same time, it seemed awkward to bring him up now.

  Alec shook his head. “Somehow I find it hard to believe that those flowers in your apartment were from your coworkers.”

  “They weren’t.” Claire felt her face grow warm. “They are from my ex-fiancé, but it’s over now. We’ve broken up for good.”

  “Apparently, he does not think so.”

/>   “But I do, and that’s what counts.”

  “Good. That’s all I need to know.” Alec raised his glass. “Here’s to a wonderful evening.”

  “To a wonderful evening.”

  The lights grew dimmer and immediately all the conversations around them came to a halt.

  “Ah, it’s starting.” Alec rubbed his hands in anticipation.

  What happened next could only be described as spectacular.

  The sound of bandaleon filled the room with seductive tango melody. Sabina took center stage as her husband, Nicholas, appeared right behind her. The two of them began an intricate dance of desire and longing. Two bodies moving as one, Sabina’s and Nicholas’s torsos were linked, as their legs wove intricate footwork. A kick of Sabina’s foot flashed in the air, hooking through that of her partner’s. His hand rested on her back firmly and calmly as he directed her every step. They were one body with four legs.

  Spellbound, Clair watched the performance, long forgotten names of tango dance figures returning to her: sentada, corte, ocho…As a chubby girl, she had memorized them secretly, hoping one day to emulate the striking dancers she had seen in broadcasts of ballroom competitions on PBS. Well, maybe she still could. Maybe now was her chance.

  The music ended, and applause exploded. Sabina and Nicholas bowed shyly and disappeared behind the curtain.

  “And now, we open the floor for everyone’s enjoyment.”

  One by one, couples started filling the floor, sliding into graceful circular motion.

  “May I?” Alec rose from his chair and held out his hand.

  “But I don’t know how to tango.”

  “Just follow me. It is very simple, really, and I can tell that you have great rhythm.”

  “But what if I make a fool of myself?”

  “I won’t let you.” Alec took Claire’s hand into his own, and she had no choice but to trust him.

  “One, two, three. We start with the basic step.” Alec’s lips almost touched her ear as he led her to join the rest of the dancers.

  Despite all the years that had passed since Claire had studied the intricate tango dance moves in the furtive solitude of her childhood room, the memory came back to her instantly, as though her body had never forgotten it. She heeded Alec’s every move, the two of them gliding in unison to the tantalizing beat.

  “But Claire, you have not been honest with me,” Alec murmured.

  “Whatever do you mean?” Claire flushed. Was Alec going to bring up David again?

  “You obviously have danced before, and here you are, telling me you are a novice.”

  “Oh, it’s just a little something I picked up while watching TV.” Claire lowered her eyes. Alec held her so close that her heart was having palpitations. “But I hope you will teach me more.”

  “With the greatest of pleasures.”

  Later, their arms wrapped around each other, their lips linked, they burst through Alec’s apartment’s front door.

  Alec reached for the zipper on the back of Claire’s dress, undoing it swiftly. A few days ago, even a few hours ago, she would have been abashed by his move, but now she welcomed it, shaking her shoulders free of the fabric, letting it slide past her hips and onto the floor.

  Alec’s eyes blazed as he took in her matching red lace bra, thong, black lace garter belt and stockings, sending a shiver of satisfaction down Claire’s spine. She was desirable – men wanted her – a wonderful, gorgeous man wanted her, yearned for her, and best of all, she yearned for him with equal ferocity.

  Alec pulled off his jacket and Claire undid his tie, dropping it on the floor. He stroked her breasts, his hands travelling around to her back, past her waist to her hips, while his lips kissed her neck. Pleasure prickled every inch of her skin in tantalizing bursts. She wanted him here and now, and she did not give a hoot about propriety.

  Impatiently, Claire reached for the buttons on Alec’s white dress shirt. There were so many of them, she could scream from impatience. As if sensing her urgency, Alec peeled off his shirt with a rough jerk, both of them laughing at the sound of buttons popping down on the hardwood floor.

  In one quick motion, Alec lifted her up as though she weighed nothing at all. The scent of his cologne mixed with his masculinity aroused desire in her that she did not know she was capable of experiencing. Claire wrapped her legs around Alec’s waist. Now, she wanted him right now.

  Gently, Alec lowered her on the couch. In an instant, he was on top of her, kissing her, caressing her, making every inch of her body sing with ecstasy. Claire kissed Alec’s neck and shoulders, alternating gentle touches of her lips with playful nibbles of her teeth. She traced her fingertips against his back, and, sensing him shiver with pleasure, she grew bolder, repeating the same motion with the tips of her fingernails.

  He looked into her eyes, as if asking for her approval. His gaze was so full of longing for her that his desire was almost palpable. Its presence enveloped her body, buoying her to boldness she never dared before. In one sure move, she rolled on top of him, and then, he was inside her, their bodies rocking in perfect unison. His hands never stopped caressing her body, alternating between her breasts and buttocks, as his body writhed together with hers, propelling her to pleasure so intense it almost hurt.

  Claire stood in front of the window, sipping double espresso Alec had made for her. She had never been much of a coffee drinker, but right now, espresso was exactly what she needed to sober her head, which was still filled with the haze of lovemaking from last night and earlier this morning.

  Her body felt light and weightless, as though it were about to float off the surface of the Earth at any moment. She could not remember the last time she had experienced a sensation like this because she had never felt this way with any man before - not with David, not with anyone. Claire breathed in Alec’s scent, which still lingered on his shirt that she was wearing. Sure, it was a cliché to dress in a man’s shirt the morning after they had sex, but she wanted to keep Alec as close to her as possible, and even though he was right there in the apartment, only separated from her by a shower door, she wanted a part of him near her at all times.

  The sound of the running water in the shower stopped, and Claire shivered, pulling Alec’s shirt tighter around her. What now? A part of her almost dreaded facing Alec. True, they had made passionate love last night with an even better encore this morning, but in a few moments they would be facing each other in the bright light of the day, and there was no way of knowing what was to happen next.

  “Hi there, gorgeous.” Alec kissed Claire’s neck, wrapping his arms around her.

  “Hi.” She burrowed her face in his chest. Right now, all she wanted was for this moment to last.

  “You look lovely in this.” Alec tugged at the hem of his shirt from last night, which Claire now had on. “Although, I must say that the red lace from yesterday was not all that bad either.”

  Claire mock punched him in his shoulder. “Just not bad?”

  “All right, all right!” Alec raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “It was splendid, superb, incredible…”

  Claire grinned. This was easier than she had thought.

  “So, do you want to get some breakfast? I’m afraid I don’t have much in this place except for coffee beans and orange juice.”

  Breakfast, he wanted to have breakfast. Claire felt her heart pick up speed. Must not get ahead of myself, she thought.

  “You do eat, right?” Alec’s eyes twinkled as he looked at her, half perplexed.

  “Yes and yes. I’d love to get some breakfast, but first I’ve got to run downstairs and change.”

  “Perfect. I’ll stop by your place in twenty minutes.” Alec paused. “And after that, perhaps we could take a stroll in Central Park?”

  Claire’s heart jumped, and she only hoped that she did not look like an eager puppy.

  “Sounds like a wonderful plan.”

  The minute Alec’s door closed behind her, Claire raced down the sta
irs. There was no way she was going to bother with the elevator.

  Once inside her apartment, she sprinted for the shower, carelessly flinging off her red dress from yesterday on the floor. So what if it had caused a sizeable dent in her monthly budget? The dry cleaners would just have to do some extra ironing. At the moment, all Claire cared about was looking spic and span for Alec.

  As she lathered up in the shower, Claire ran the washcloth over her body. Before, she would have been obsessing whether her stomach was sticking out or her hips were too wide, but now she felt like she could do no wrong. Something had happened last night when Claire had followed Alec onto that scarily shiny floor at The Red Carnation. It was as though the insecure, chubby girl whom Claire had been hiding inside her all this time had finally been released. That girl was still a part of her and would always be, but now, she was firmly in the past where she belonged, no longer a shameful memory, but simply a part of what Claire had been - a step to her transformation as an adult, which had now been put behind her.

  Claire left the shower and hastily blow-dried her hair. She would just have to settle for a simple ponytail today. Next, she applied a light dusting of powder to her face and two quick coats of mascara to her lashes. She could certainly forgo lipstick today, as her lips were bright red from all the fervent kisses she had shared with Alec.

  Then came the question of deciding what to wear. Should she opt for jeans and a tank top, capris and a peasant blouse, or perhaps a dress? Before Claire might have spent hours agonizing over her choices, but now, she knew the answer instantly as she reached for a flower-patterned dress she had bought in the beginning of the summer. The dress still had a tag on it. Somehow, she had never found the right occasion to wear it, perhaps because there had not been one, until now.

  As Claire twirled in front of the mirror, she knew that she had made the perfect choice. The flirty dress was casual enough for a walk to a park, yet dressy enough for anything that the evening might bring, and Claire secretly hoped that Alec would have plans for them for the evening.