Chapter 2
At 4:05 a.m. Natasha made her way into the rehearsal hall. She was early purposefully; the extra time would allow her to warm up and be limber and ready to go when formal rehearsal started. She wanted to blow Damien Johnson away with her dancing and dedication—to show him she intended to give everything she had to Juliet.
She didn’t see a soul, except the guard who let her into the building, as she made her way to an empty rehearsal room. She tugged off her leather jacket and sweatshirt, throwing them into a corner. Her shoes followed, being replaced by black ballet slippers. She twisted her hair back into a knot and decided to leave her white sweatpants on over her black leotards until she warmed up. She clipped her iPod onto her waist and pushed the earbuds into her ears, and without further ado she sat down on the cold hardwood floor to begin her workout.
Damien walked down the deserted hall on the way to his office and frowned when he spied a light coming from a rehearsal room. He glanced at his watch; it was a little after four. Who besides himself was here at this hour? As he approached the doorway he stopped, and the frown on his mouth turned into a smile when he spotted Natasha sitting on the floor stretching. His prima ballerina was ready to go. Good. He would have been disappointed if she hadn’t taken the initiative to come in early. She was ready to work hard, and he was more than willing to accommodate her.
He watched her for a few minutes as she went about her warm-up routine. She bent and contorted her body the way only a ballerina could before standing with her back toward him and walking over to the barre. Not wanting to interrupt, he took a step back until he was half-hidden by the door frame. She was so focused she didn’t realize she was being observed. She effortlessly raised one leg even with the barre until it rested against it and then stretched both arms over her head, arching her back; the movement pressed her firm, round breasts forward, drawing his eyes to the perfect globes.
Lord, she was spectacular! She had the perfect ballerina form—tall and slender with graceful legs and arms, but she also possessed womanly curves. He remembered how good her soft, yielding body had felt when she had thrown herself into his arms last night when he had offered her the part; he had been pleased by the impulsiveness and pure joy she had exhibited. There was sweetness and vulnerability to Natasha that appealed to him. He knew he had made the right choice for Juliet.
He had read her resumé and talked to some of her former employers, who had stated part of the reason she had never achieved lead status with them was because she was simply too nice and unwilling to do what it took to win and keep the lead. Damien had read between the not-so-subtle lines, understanding that Natasha had been unwilling to buy the lead with her body, which he respected and admired.
He felt he understood her struggle for success; Lord knew he had undergone his own when he had started his company ten years ago. He had come up against one roadblock after another. But he had persevered, and with encouragement from Rachel and his family, he had kept plodding, dreaming and working until he now owned a world-famous company that a number of people said would never make it. Success really was the best revenge. He wanted that for Natasha. She was talented, hungry and dedicated; he was glad to offer her the chance she deserved to achieve her goals.
As he continued to watch her, he suddenly imagined those elegant limbs wrapped around him, holding him close while that perfect body trembled in passion against his—whoa, boy, where had that come from? She’s your prima ballerina and your number one rule is to never get involved with dancers—especially those in your own company. Yes, she’s beautiful. Yes, she made him feel something he hadn’t in a long time, but they were here to work—nothing more, nothing less, and that’s all he intended to do with her.
He turned from the door and nearly collided with a tall, thin woman with salt-and-pepper hair that was pulled back into a bun.
“Excuse me.” He placed a steadying hand on her arm.
“It is quite all right,” she responded in a slightly accented voice. “You are Damien Johnson, no?”
“Yes, I am, and you are?”
“I am Erina Deneuva, Natasha Carter’s coach.”
“Oh, I see.” He nodded. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” She shook his outstretched hand. “I hope you do not mind my presence. When Natasha called me last night with the wonderful news, she asked if I would come and work with her during this production.”
“No, that’s fine, as long as you understand I don’t reimburse dancers for personal coaches.”
“Of course.” Erina smiled. “Natasha pays me as always, but even if she could not I would be here for her.”
“That’s an admirable thing to say.”
“It is true. She is like a daughter to me.”
“How long have you coached her?”
“For twenty-one years,” she proudly answered. “We have been through a lot together.”
“She’s lucky to have someone so loyal.”
“Thank you, Mr. Johnson.”
“Call me Damien.”
“Damien.” Friendly hazel eyes met his. “Thank you for giving Natasha the chance she has long deserved.”
“She earned it.”
“She will not disappoint you.”
“I know she won’t.”
“Can you tell me where I may find her?”
“She’s in there—” he pointed behind him “—warming up.”
“Excellent.” Erina smiled. “If you will excuse me.”
“Of course. It was nice to meet you, Erina.”
“And you too, Damien.” She smiled before entering the room where Natasha rehearsed.
After a few seconds he heard Natasha exclaim, “Erina, I did it!”
“Yes, you did. I am so proud of you.”
“Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“Nonsense, child, where else would I be?”
“I still can’t believe Damien Johnson came to my house to offer me the part.”
“That is very unusual.”
“Isn’t it? I wonder why he did it.”
“Who knows, but the main thing is that you got the part, no?”
“Yes.” Her voice was bubbly with excitement. “I’m going to dance Juliet.”
“Yes, you are. Now let us get down to work so that you will be brilliant, shall we?”
“I’m already warmed up.”
“We will see.” Erina’s teasing voice elicited a laugh from Natasha. “Come, first position.”
