Content—except that he hadn't had Kris yet. For all his aversion to relationships, he was someone willing to pursue a woman he physically desired. In a way, he felt sorry for Dylan. His friend would never again experience the rush of having sex for the first time with someone new and hot. He enjoyed that feeling—one of the reasons why he loved being a bachelor.
And, oh, yeah, he couldn't wait to feel that rush with Kris.
CHAPTER SIX
"Hi, Kris. I'm Blake Garcia."
"Great to meet you, Blake." Kris grasped the proffered hand in front of her, gazing with wide eyes at the good-looking, dark-haired man who greeted her. "Thank you for agreeing to see me at such short notice."
"No problem," Blake said as he ushered her into his office. "Jill wouldn't have recommended that I see you if she didn't think it was worth my while. Has she seen you dance before?"
She blushed. "No. Jill's a friend of my cousin Samantha. Sam must have talked her ears off at how great she believed I am that Jill felt she had no choice but to call you just to shut my cousin up."
Blake laughed. "Well, since you're here, I might as well see for myself, shouldn't I?"
"I'm really hoping you will."
"I'm looking for someone who's not only technically good at various styles, but is also strong in choreography. How would you rate yourself in those two aspects, Kris?"
She smiled. "I've been dancing since I was three. Even at that age, I knew it was what I wanted to do. My parents were supportive and enrolled me in various dance classes. I've worked as a back-up dancer for a few international acts for many years, and as a part-time dance teacher/choreographer when I wasn't touring."
She stopped, hesitating for a beat, before continuing. "When my mother died two and a half years ago, my dad encouraged me to set up my own studio. I did do that with a then-boyfriend who was also a back-up dancer. But things didn't work out between us and we sold the business last year when we parted ways. Currently, I have a full-time job in an office, but I work part-time at a dance studio in Melbourne three to four times a week. I'm itching to get back into this industry full-time."
Blake's eyebrows rose. "If you got a job as a dancer again, would you be interested? Only reason I ask is they are still looking to fill all roles for the musical I'm choreographing."
"To be honest, while I love to dance, I love being a teacher and choreographer more than being a performer."
Blake nodded and proceeded to ask her a few more questions that she answered candidly. She was thrilled to learn that Blake regularly gave dance lessons to celebrities and other VIPs, and was often asked to choreograph entertainment for high-end private parties. Lately, he'd been getting offers to work on international musicals and movies. How exciting would it be to meet and work with famous people?
Finally, Blake said, "Okay. Are you ready to dance for me now? I have an empty room ready."
"Yes," she replied excitedly.
*******
Kris did what she had always done when she danced—lost herself in it. The majority of the time was a test of her technical skills, as Blake abruptly played different tunes and asked her to switch to different styles in the middle of steps. For the last music—one of her favourite love songs—she heart-connected with the lyrics and her body expressed fluidly the message of the words.
There were a few seconds of silence after the music stopped, then Blake's slow but loud clapping brought her back to the room. She smiled her thanks, breathing deeply as she waited for her heartbeat to return to normal.
"Wow," Blake said with awe. "You're amazing."
"Thank you."
Blake handed her a bottle of water as she patted herself with her towel. He'd just given her a good workout. She must have been dancing for almost half an hour.
"Are you up for one last dance?" he asked.
"Sure," she said, surprised that the 'test' wasn't over yet.
Blake put on tango music and took her in his arms. He was an excellent dancer, and so was she. If anyone was watching them at that moment, they'd be surprised to know they hadn't rehearsed together before.
When the music stopped, they were both laughing from the sheer exhilaration of an almost seamless performance.
"It looks like we make good dance together, Kris McCann," Blake said, his arms lingering on her body.
"Sure looks like it," she responded lightly, flushing a little at the huskiness of Blake's tone.
Blake released her and went for his water bottle. "Well," he drawled after he took several gulps. "I don't know if you've made my decision harder or easier. I was all ready to offer this job to someone else but…I think you've just forced me to have a re-think."