Chapter 1
    "I'm taking care of it, Nick."  Darien Carter sighed into her phone as she turned down a street that looked entirely too industrial for her liking.  She tapped her nails on the steering wheel as she listened to her ex husband bitch at her. 

    "Your destination is on your right."  Her GPS announced.  Darien dropped the phone in her lap as Nick continued to talk.  She turned into an empty parking lot and peered up at a huge warehouse.  A tiny sign with Millenium Dance Complex on it was above the metal door.  It was hard to believe this was the best dance studio in the city.

    "I'm here, Nick.  Gotta go."  Darien ended the call and dropped her phone into her large Prada bag.  She climbed out of her Nissan Armada and stared at the huge building.  After arming the truck, she quickly darted inside.  Finding no one around, she walked down the hallway until she heard the faint strains of music.  She came to a dead stop when she saw a man dancing in front of a mirror in a huge room.  After being married to a Backstreet Boy for thirteen years, seeing men dance was nothing new to her.  But there was something about this man that struck Darien to her core.  The way he moved was like fluid, his body like rubber.  He stopped his dance and began it again.  His feet moved so fast it looked like they never touched the ground.  His hips ensnared her senses.  Everything in her was telling her to drop her purse and leap into his arms.  She shook the crazy feelings off and stepped slowly into the room. 



    He whirled around and came to a dead stop when he saw the striking woman standing in his studio.  She wore tight black pants and a white fitted shirt with a black and white houndstooth scarf wrapped around her neck.  Black heels were on her feet and her long black hair fell in straight lines around her beautiful face.  She was older than him, but wore it well.  He turned the music off and walked over to her.

    "Hi.  I'm Kenny Wormald.  Can I help you?"  He held his hand out to her.

    "I hope so.  I'm Darien Carter."  She shook his hand and stared into his searching brown eyes.  "I'm looking for a dance instructor for my daughter."

    "Then you've come to the right place."  He took his hand from hers.  "That's what we do here.  You wanna step into my office and we can get her signed up?"

    "Sure."  She nodded and followed him into a tiny room with a desk in it.  He sat behind it and motioned her into the folding chair across from him.  After rifling through a few drawers he pulled some papers out.

    "How old is your daughter?"  He asked, a pen in his hand. 

    "She's twelve."  Darien crossed her legs and tried to get her body under control.

    "Does she have any formal training?"

    "She's trained at the Just Dance Academy since she was two and taken private lessons from Fatima Robinson since then as well."

    "If you don't mind me asking, why are you looking for someone new?"  Kenny put his pen down.

    "I'm recently divorced and we've moved here from the Tampa area.  Ainsley is very talented but I don't feel as though she's learning anything new.  She gotten complacent."

    "I understand."  He nodded.  He took down all of her information and fought to keep his emotions out of things.  She looked so familiar and he couldn't quite place her face.  There was a part of him that was screaming this one the entire time she was in his office.  He hadn't felt this way about a woman since Ashley and he remembered how badly that had ended.  Besides, this one was obviously out of his league.



    At the end of the interview Darien stood up and shook Kenny's hand.  It wasn't her imagination when he held her hand longer than was customary.  Her heart began racing again and she groaned inwardly.  What was wrong with her?  Her body was acting like a school girl with her first crush.

    "Do you dance, Mrs. Carter?"  He asked, his fingers caressing her palm.

    "Not anymore."  She smiled and regretfully pulled her hand away.

    "Not anymore?  So you used to dance?"  He opened the door for her and followed her into the hall.

    "When I was young."  She nodded.  "I was a backup dancer for the Backstreet Boys Black and Blue tour."

    "That's where I recognize you from."  Kenny snapped his fingers.  "Darien Bradshaw.  I remember you."

    "That's me."  She smiled nostalgically. 

    "You were amazing."  He complimented.  "I went to see that show when you were in Boston just to watch you dance.  Why don't you dance anymore?"

    "I got married and had Ainsley."  She shrugged.  "Nick was always so busy with touring and recording that my career fell to the wayside."

    "Nick Carter.  That's right.  You did marry him."  Kenny led her down the hallway and stopped in front of a studio.

    "I did.  And then I divorced him."  She looked wistfully into the studio and remembered all the times she had spent in a room exactly like this one.  Dancing had been her life, until she met Nick.

    "You should dance again."  Kenny suggested and ran a hand through his brown spiky hair.

    "Only in the privacy of my own home."  She laughed.

    "I would really be honored if you would dance with me just one time."  He grabbed her hand again when she turned to walk away.  "Seriously, I used to dream about it."

    "You used to dream about dancing with me?"  She laughed.  "How old are you?"

    "I'm 29, not that it matters.  You're not much older than that."  Kenny held fast to her hand.  "Dance with me."

    "I can't."  She shook her head.  "I'm not dressed for it."

    "You're fine."  Kenny twirled her around until she was in front of the mirror and took her purse.  He stood behind her and placed his hands on her waist.  "C'mon, Darien.  Make my dreams a reality."

    "Just one time."  She finally gave in.  It was pointless to fight against the want raging through her body.  He left her to turn the music on and she was surprised when he turned on a slow song.  He took her by the hand and twirled her into his body.  She put her arms around his neck and was instantly transported to a different place and time.  There was something about dancing with this man that felt so right.  Their bodies were like mirrors of each other, where his pushed, she pulled.  He bent her over his arm and she trusted him completely.  Her legs gracefully flew out behind them and he flipped her over in his arms and twirled her body around his.  Around and around they went until the song repeated twice and Darien couldn't catch her breath.  They finally came to a stop but didn't seperate.  Her head rested in the crook of his neck and his head was on hers.  Their arms were still twined around each other.



    Kenny tried to get his body under his control again.  Dancing with Darien was everything he had imagined it would be.  She was amazing and they were amazing together.  She was what he had been looking for in a dancing partner.  He ran his hands up and down her back and tried to figure out what it would take to get her to train with him.  He didn't figure it would be easy.  He pulled his head away and smiled down into her striking blue eyes.  Brushing the hair away from her face, their eyes connected and neither could look away.  He was in the process of slowly lowering his head to hers when her phone rang from her purse.  She pulled away, almost startled and Kenny groaned.  So close.

    "Hello?"  She answered after she had dug the iphone from her purse.  "What part of I'm taking care of it do you not understand, Nick?"  She put her hand on her hip and paced around.  "I'm not out of breath.  And don't worry about what I've been doing.  It's no longer any of your business."  Kenny walked to the mini fridge in the corner and got two bottles of water as he listened to her argue with her ex.  "His name's Kenny Wormald and he's a very good dancer."  She took the bottle of water from Kenny with a grateful smile.  "Listen Nick, I don't know anything about Justin Timberlake.  I have to go."  She ended the call and gulped the water.

    "Nick?"  Kenny questioned.  He sat in a chair and looked up at her.

    "Yeah.  Why did he ask me about Justin when I told him your name?"  She was curious.

    "I toured with Justin on his solo tour."  Kenny shrugged.

    "Really?  That would have been around the time when I was touring with the Backstreet Boys, right?"  Darien asked as she dropped into the chair next to him.

    "The next year I think."  He swigged his water and grinned at her.  She smiled at him and neither could keep the smile off their faces.  They were quiet as they finished their water, both wondering what was going on between them.

    "I better get going, Kenny.  I've had fun."  She stood up and threw the bottle into a trash can.

    "I'd really like to do it again."  He stopped her with a hand on her wrist.  "I've never freestyle danced like that with anyone before."

    "I don't know.  I'm pretty busy with Ainsley and unpacking and finding a job."  She sighed.

    "A job?  You were married to Nick Carter and you have his daughter and you have to get a job?"  Kenny was surprised.

    "I don't have to, but I just can't sit around anymore.  Ainsley's getting older and she doesn't need me as much as she used to.  I'm getting bored at home."  Darien shouldered her purse and turned to look at him.  "The only problem is, dance is all I know.  It's all I've ever done."

    "Come and work here."  Kenny impulsively offered.

    "Work here?"  She asked, slightly shocked that someone she had just met would offer her a job.

    "Yeah."  Kenny nodded, liking the idea more as he thought about it.  "You would be great.  You're obviously good with kids since you have one and I've actually been looking for another female instructor.  Shanae got a job dancing on the One Direction tour so I'm short staffed."

    "I haven't even danced in ten years, Kenny.  I wouldn't know the first thing to do."  She shook her head.

    "It's like riding a bike, Darien.  Obviously, considering you were amazing out there."  Kenny waved at where they had just danced.  "It's perfect if you'd just open yourself up to it."

    "I'll think about it, okay?"  She grudgingly agreed.

    "Tomorrow is the first lesson for your daughter's age group, but I wouldn't mind meeting with her before then to see what she can do."  Kenny got back down to business.

    "When would you want to do that?"  Darien asked, sliding her phone into her purse and getting her keys out.  She moved to the door and Kenny walked with her down the hall.

    "Are you free tonight?  I only have one class at six and after that I'm wide open." 

    "We're just unpacking."  Darien paused in front of the door and looked up at Kenny.

    "Would it be easier if I came to your house?"  Kenny brazenly asked.  He really hoped she'd ask him over.

    "Actually, yeah."  Darien nodded, not minding the excuse to get him into her house.  "We have a studio in the basement so that would be perfect."

    "Ok.  What time?"  Kenny opened the door and they both stepped into the bright sun.

    "Whenever you're done here is fine.  Just text when you're headed over."  Darien smiled.  "My number's on the paperwork, right?"

    "It is.  And your address."  He reached out for a hug and squeezed tight before releasing her.  "I'll see you tonight.  Think about the job."

    "I will.  And thanks, Kenny.  It's been fun."  She climbed into her truck and started it up.  Kenny watched her drive away with the biggest smile on his face.  If she agreed, not only would he get to spend more time with her but he would be able to implement some new classes and dance routines.

Chapter 2
    Darien couldn't keep the smile off her face as she drove to Ainsley's middle school.  She had been in a strange place for the past few years and divorcing Nick was the first step in trying to find herself again.  She wasn't sure how it happened, but she had fallen out of love with her husband and in the process had lost track of herself also.  Darien had woken up one morning and looked in the mirror and was shocked when she realized she didn't know the person staring back at her.  That day she had begun to make changes in her life.  Could bringing dance back be yet another change that needed to be made?  She wasn't sure, but she would definitely be thinking about it.  She grabbed her phone when it rang and prayed it wasn't Nick again.  He was taken completely by surprise when she had asked for a divorce.  She was pleasantly surprised when she saw it was Rochelle Mclean, her best friend.
   
    "Hey, Ro."  She greeted.

    "Did you get Ainsley enrolled in the dance class?"  Rochelle jumped right to the point.  She had been the one to tell Darien about Millenium Studios.

    "I just left there actually."  Darien answered.

    "Did you meet Kenny?  What did you think about him?"  Rochelle asked.

    "He was dancing when I got there.  Damn, Ro, that man can move."  Darien glanced in her mirror as she switched lanes.  "He's very talented."

    "And extremely hot."  Rochelle added.  Even after being married to AJ for forever, she couldn't stop looking around.     

    "He's attractive."  Darien laughed.  "Is Jay with you?"

    "Yeah, he's sitting here.  He says hi."     

    "Tell him hi.  Nick's not there, is he?"  Darien wondered.  The Backstreet Boys were on tour in Canada.  This was Darien's first tour that she was missing out on and she couldn't be happier.  It was hell to move your entire life onto a bus or hotel room or airplane for months and sometimes years at a time.

    "No.  He's in the gym with Howie."  Rochelle stood up and walked away from AJ.  Ever since the divorce, things had been tense between everyone when it came to Darien.  They had all been friends for years and now it was like they had to pick sides.  Rochelle already told AJ that she had chosen Dare's side and a huge fight ensued.

    "Good."  Darien nodded.  "He talked me into dancing with him, Ro."

    "What?"  Rochelle exclaimed loudly.  "You danced together?  Like sexy dancing?"

    "Like way sexy dancing.  And then he offered me a job."

    "You accepted it, right?"  Rochelle said, sinking down onto a couch.

    "I told him I had to think about it.  I haven't danced in years." 

    "Which is why you have to take it.  This is what's been missing in your life, Dare.  You gave up your passion to be a wife and mother.  It's time to get it back."  Rochelle raised a very good point.

    "He's coming to my house tonight to meet Ainsley."  Darien divulged.  "Do you think that's a good idea?"

    "I'm the wrong person to ask, Dare.  I want you to meet someone else and be happy.  It's time you lived for you instead of everyone else."  Rochelle raked a hand through her long hair.  Currently it was black with hot pink highlights.  "I would take it slow though.  Look what happened when you rushed into it last time?  You and Nick weren't even together six months before you were married and pregnant."

    "I know.  That's what I'm scared of.  He might not even be interested in me, Ro.  Maybe this is all in my head.  I am quite a bit older than him."  Darien's nerves were starting to get to her.

    "You're like four years older than him.  It's not like you're a cougar.  Was he into your dance or was he just going through the motions?"  Ro questioned.

    "He was into it.  I could tell that."  Darien got in the pick up line at the middle school and put the truck in park.  "He might be seeing someone."

    "He's not."  Rochelle said.

    "How do you know?" 

    "I asked him the last time I had Ava in there.  Duh.  I wouldn't have sent you there if he was married or something."  Rochelle laughed.

    "You are too much, Ro."  Darien shook her head.  "Thank you though.  I haven't felt like this in years."

    "It's because you danced, Dare.  That was too much a part of you to just shove it to the side.  It's ingrained in your soul like singing is in Nick's.  That's why he doesn't understand the choices you're making.  He never had to give up his dream.  You did.  You lost that part of yourself.  Now get it back."  Rochelle looked up when Nick and Howie stepped into the dressing room.  "I've got to go.  Text me tonight.  I want all the dirty details."

    "Ok, bye."  She ended the call and jumped when it beeped again with a new text message from an unknown number.  I had an amazing time dancing with u 2day. hope we can do it again soon. k.  Darien grinned and read it again.  She wasn't sure what to reply back and was saved when the pick up line began moving.  She put the Armada in gear and inched through the line.  Eventually she reached the school and smiled when she saw her daughter bounce out of the gym.  She had earbuds in and her ipod was blasting a tune only she could hear.  She grooved to it as she walked to the Armada.

    "Hey, Mama."  She greeted when she climbed into the front seat.  She took the earbuds out and smiled at her mother. 

    "Hey, kid."  Darien turned away from the school and headed home.  "How was your day?"

    "Being the new kid sucks."  Ainsley tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder and stared at her mother with Nick Carter's baby blue eyes.  "Some girls want me to join the cheerleading squad."

    "Do you want to?"  Darien asked. 

    "I don't know if I'll have time.  Have you found a dance studio here yet?"  Ainsley pulled her phone out when it beeped.

    "I did, actually.  The instructor's coming over to the house tonight to meet you."  Darien explained. 

    "That's odd.  Why would she do that?"  Ainsley wondered.  "No one's ever come to the house before."

    "It's not a she.  His names Kenny Wormald."  Darien said.

    "The guy from Footloose?"  Ainsley asked, her face creased in puzzlement.

    "That was Kevin Bacon.  Kenny's not that old."  Darien shook her head.

    "No, Mama.  They made a new one.  Remember?  We watched it together at the theater when Daddy was recording."  Ainsley touched her phone a few times and held it up to her mother.  A video was playing of Kenny line dancing in a bar.  Darien stopped at a red light and took the phone from her daughter.  Sure enough, there he was.  Looking just as good as she remembered.  Just seeing him on the tiny phone screen made her pulse race.

    "I remember now."  She calmly said and handed the phone back to Ainsley.  She didn't want her daughter to know how this man affected her. 

    "This is cool.  He's a really good dancer."  Ainsley began looking at other videos of him dancing.  Darien tried to peek at the phone while she was driving and finally pulled into their garage.  Ainsley was still babbling about how excited she was to learn from him and all Darien could think about was getting to her laptop. 

    "I've got to do a few things in my room.  Get your homework done and then work on your room."  Darien instructed as she raced to her own bedroom.  Her laptop was sitting on some boxes which fell over when Darien jerked it towards her.  She immediately brought youtube up and immersed herself in Kenny Wormald for an hour.  She had no idea how much he had done.  How many movies and videos he had been in.  How many routines he had choreographed.  He was seriously talented.  She wasn't sure she could pass up the opportunity to dance with him now.  Not to mention he was seriously sexy and the way he moved did things to her insides she hadn't felt in a decade.

    "Mama?"  Ainsley knocked on the bedroom door and poked her head inside.  She was surprised to see her mother sitting on the floor next to her unmade bed with the laptop on her knees.  "Daddy's on a video call and he wants to talk to you."

    "I'll be down in a minute."  Darien pushed the laptop to the side and stiffly stood up.  She grabbed her phone and pulled up the text message Kenny had sent her earlier that she had yet to respond to.  She hit reply and began typing.  She tossed the phone on the bed and went downstairs to argue with her ex again.



    Kenny had been checking his phone like a fool since she had left, hoping for a return text.  Right as he was beginning to start a master dance class, his phone vibrated in his pocket.  He pulled it from the pocket of his baggy gray sweatpants and grinned when he saw it was her.   I had a good time 2.  u started a fire in me.  i can't stop thinking about dancing now.  thank you.  d.  Kenny's heart raced when he read the text.  He could think of a different fire he wanted to start in her.  He put the phone down next to the stereo and called his class to order.  These girls were all older, in their late teens and early twenties and working on a routine he had choreographed along with his friend and co worker Misha Gabriel. 

    "You ready, K?"  Misha asked.  At Kenny's nod, he hit play on the music and joined his friend to show the girls the dance again before they started to break it down.  Kenny went through the motions, but he couldn't stop thinking about the impromptu dance he had done that afternoon.  The whole class Darien was on his mind.  He had to bring himself back to the moment several times.

    "Sorry, Misha.  My mind is elsewhere."  Kenny apologized again when he repeated the same twice.

    "I can tell.  Just keep it together for a while longer."  Misha chastised and went back to the group he was working with.  Finally the class was over and Kenny could stop pretending his mind wasn't with someone else.  He grabbed his phone and smiled when he saw another text from her.  Have u eaten 2nite?  He replied no and put the phone in his pocket. 

    "You want to talk about it?"  Misha asked as he followed Kenny into the office.

    "Talk about what?"  Kenny sat at the desk and looked at the schedule for tomorrow. 

    "What was going on with you tonight.  I haven't seen you that distracted since you and Ashley split up all those years ago."  Misha leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the corner of the desk.  "Are you heartbroken again because I don't know if I can go through that again, K."

    "I'm not heartbroken."  Kenny laughed.  "The complete opposite actually.  I met someone today."

    "Kenny, you better be getting ready to say you went out and fell for your waitress at lunch or you got a ticket from a sexy cop because I know you are not getting ready to say that you fell for a parent."

    "It's not like that, Misha."  Kenny shook his head and pulled a backwards ballcap on.

    "Oh my God, it is like that."  Misha tossed his own hat in the corner and buried his hands in his hair.  "Can I please bring up the events of last years drama when I hooked up with a hot mom?"

    "She's not married, dude.  It's cool."  Kenny sighed and stared at Misha.  His friend was extremely paranoid after his affair last year had ended in disaster for both himself and the studio.

    "I got the shit kicked out of me and this studio barely survived my mistake.  You're way more integral here.  Do you think we'll all survive yours?"  Misha asked, leaning up in his chair.

    "She's divorced.  And anyway, she's more than just a parent.  I offered her a job."  Kenny unlocked his wallet and keys from a desk drawer and shoved them in his pocket.

    "A job doing what?  Wiping your sweat?  What's a parent gonna do around here?"  Misha groaned.

    "She's a dancer.  You might have heard of her.  Darien Bradshaw.  Well, it's Carter now but she danced as Darien Bradshaw."  Kenny stood up and laughed at Misha's stricken face. 

    "Oh hell no, Kenny.  You can not hire Nick Carter's fucking wife." 

    "Ex wife Misha.  And it's cool.  It'll be fine.  Wait till you see her dance.  She's amazing."  Kenny started walking out of the office.

    "Where are you going, K?  We're not done here."  Misha followed his friend.

    "I'm going to her house so we are done."  Kenny turned around and looked at Misha.  "Look, bro.  I don't know where this is going.  Maybe nowhere.  She might turn the job down.  But her daughter is a huge talent and we want her to train here.  It'll be good for us.  Go and google her and tell me if you want me to back off completely.  She's been training with Fatima since she was two." 

    "What's the kids name?"  Misha asked, shaking his head.

    "Ainsley Carter.  Prepare to be amazed."  Kenny laughed as he walked out of the studio.  He climbed into his Honda S2000 and fired it up.  This car had been his treat to himself after he had made Footloose.  He typed Darien's address into his GPS before sending her a quick text to let her know he was on his way.  He turned music on and roared out of the parking lot and into town.  He hadn't been this excited to see a woman since he was a teenager.  Feeling this way was crazy, especially when he was feeling this way about Darien Carter.  She was a superstar's ex wife while he was just a dancer.  His movie career had fizzled and he had gone back to what he loved afterwards.  Dancing was his passion, his fire, his dream.  It was what he had excelled at since he was a child.  Luckily he had a knack for teaching and was able to make a very lucrative career out of it. 

    Nick Carter, on the other hand, had had many ups and downs throughout his long career and was currently on a long up.  Kenny wasn't ashamed to admit that he listened to the Backstreet Boys music.  Anything that had a good beat he could dance to was his genre and BSB has just put out an amazing album with some dance tracks and other slow tracks.  They were in the headlines again after being together for 20 years.  Kenny could respect that, working hard to make your dream come true and then riding the train as long as you could.  He hadn't given up on acting, but he knew that he was getting older and dancing movie stars were generally young. 

    The GPS signalled him to turn and he was pleasantly surprised when he pulled up in front of a completely normal suburban house.  He had half expected her to live in a Hollywood monstrosity.  After parking the car, he walked up the sidewalk and rang the doorbell nervously.

Chapter 3

"Mama! Someone's at the door!" Ainsley hollered from the living room where she was supposed to be doing her homework.

"Can you get it please? I'm cooking here!" Darien hollered back and took a quick glance in the mirror. She had pulled her hair into a messy bun and changed into a very baggy grey t-shirt and white yoga pants. Supper was almost ready and the table was set.

Ainsley sighed at her mother and walked to the door. She pulled it open and was surprised to see Kenny Wormald standing there. She hadn't expected him until later. "Hi. You must be my new instructor."

"And you must be my new student. Ainsley?" Kenny held his hand out. She shook it firmly and nodded. "I'm Kenny."

"I know who you are." Ainsley nodded and moved back to let him in. "I watched Footloose."

"Oh really?" He smiled and stepped into a spacious foyer. A staircase curved off to the right and a black baby grand piano was covered in boxes under a fancy chandelier.

"Yeah. I really want to learn how to do that line dance. I've about got it but there are a few parts I can't quite hit." She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. He looked much larger in person than he did on the TV.

"I can show it to you." He nodded. This girl was obviously Nick Carter's daughter. She was a spitting image of him. "I googled you after I met your mother earlier."

"What did you see?" Ainsley led him into a very messy living room. It was apparent they had just moved in. She shoved aside a box overflowing with scarves and held her hand out.

"I saw that you're extremely talented in all areas of dance." He sat and looked at her. "But I also saw that you've reached a plateau in the last few years. You don't seem to be doing anything different."

"I'm trying, but the instructor at Just Dance wouldn't let me choreograph routines. And Fatima was so set in her ways it was pointless to try to argue. I have a lot of ideas." Ainsley wasn't too young to realize this was her chance to try to get some control over her dancing.

"I would like to see your ideas. I hope we can work well together." Kenny truthfully said. This girl was the future and he wasn't too old to admit that. "Maybe you'd like to take me to your mother?"

"Alright." Ainsley nodded and sat back on the floor at the coffee table. "She's across the hall in the kitchen. I have to finish this homework before I can dance."

"Ok. Hurry so I can see what you've got." Kenny smiled at her before rushing back to the foyer and into the kitchen. Darien was bent over pulling something out of the oven. She looked delectable from the rear.

"Hey there." He said and crossed the room. She turned and smiled when she saw him.

"Hi. I hope you're hungry." She tilted her head to the side and frowned when he laughed heartily.

"You have no idea how hungry I am, Darien." He opened his arms and pulled her in for a hug. She set the potholders down and put her arms around his waist. She wondered why it felt like she was coming home when she settled into his arms. It was way too soon to be feeling that way.

"Well, I hope so. I made Italian. It's one of my favorites." She reluctantly pulled away and took the salad to the table.

"Mine too. It smells amazing." He watched her work in the kitchen, again surprised. She was quite adept at everything she was doing to get dinner ready.

"Thanks. Did you meet Ainsley?" She asked.

"Yeah, I did. She's pretty impressive." He nodded, his hands buried in the pockets of his pants.

"I like to think so." She laughed. "She's a little forward, but she grows on you."

"I don't mind. I like kids who know what they want and aren't afraid to go after it. They make the best students." He sat when she motioned to him the seat at the head of the table. His eyes never left her as she called Ainsley and took her seat at his left. Ainsley sat at his right and immediately jumped into the salad.

"Are you trying to kill me with all this pasta, Mama? I'm gonna have to work twice as hard to keep it off." Ainsley complained even as she loaded her plate with stuffed shells.

"I can't help it, Ains. It's comfort food and being in a new place makes me want comfort." Darien shrugged and motioned the shells to Kenny. "Help yourself."

"Thank you." Kenny tore his dirty mind away from thoughts of comforting Dare and piled his plate with dinner. He turned to Ainsley and started a conversation about dancing so he wouldn't do something stupid. The meal was incredibly good and Kenny knew that he could get used to eating like this. Darien kept quiet as he got to know to know her daughter and Kenny soon found himself liking Ainsley just as much. She was like a miniature version of her mother personality wise.

"I don't really know what my end goal is, but I know that I want to dance. I can't imagine going a day without it." Ainsley was saying. "That would be like losing an arm. It's my life."

"Neither can I. I've been doing it since I was a child." Kenny laughed. "My parents have these horrible videos of me dancing that they like to pull out when I come home. It's so embarrassing."

"Mine too. I'm surprised Mama hasn't shown you any yet." Ainsley laughed. "But I think most of my greatest hits are on youtube."

"I looked through them earlier." Kenny nodded. He wiped his mouth off and looked over at Darien. She had been quiet through the whole meal. "Alright?" He asked her, a concerned look in her eye.

"I'm fine, of course." She nodded and smiled at him. It was nice to see him getting along with Ainsley so well.

"Dinner was amazing, Darien. Thank you so much for inviting me over." Kenny complimented when they were finished.

"Thank you, Kenny. It was no problem." Darien stood up and started clearing plates. "Ainsley, why don't you take Kenny to the studio and show him what you've been working on? I'll clean this up and join you."

"We can help you clean the kitchen, Darien. It's the least I can do for a home cooked meal." He stood up.

"No. I've got it. You go with Ainsley." She shook her head at him and turned away. He frowned at her back but followed Ainsley's chattering figure down the stairs. Darien leaned against the counter and tried to figure out what was wrong with her. Her body was acting like she was a sex starved cougar waiting to devour the younger man. What the hell?

She angrily began rinsing the plates before shoving them into the dishwasher. Listening to them talk about giving dance up had gotten to Darien. She had given up a part of herself. Rochelle was right. She did have to take that job. For her sanity, if nothing else. She had to let go of Darien Carter and be Darien Bradshaw again.

Kenny was amazed when he walked into Ainsley's studio in the basement. Where the rest of the house was in just moved chaos, the studio was perfect. Pictures of Ainsley and her father were plastered over the three walls that weren't a mirror. A long barre ran along the mirror and the floor was made for dancing.

"This is great." He slid off his gray and white striped hoodie and tossed it on a chair. He moved to the center of floor and did a pseudo Michael Jackson kick and grab. "How do you get anything done?"

"If my grades slip, I can't dance. So this is my reward." Ainsley pushed play and a hip hop beat sounded through the built in speakers. "Let's dance."

"Alright." Kenny agreed and stepped back. "You lead." Ainsley nodded and began doing some of the new stuff she had been working on. It wasn't long before Kenny was following along. Kenny was pleasantly surprised at the talent Ainsley was showing. She was giving him a workout and he was glad when he saw Darien step into the room and lean against the wall. She cupped a mug in her hands and smiled proudly as she watched her daughter dance. Kenny danced over to her and collapsed on the floor at her feet.

"What do you think?" Darien asked, looking down at him with a smirk.

"You know what I think. She's amazing. Just like her mama." Kenny winked at her before looking back out at Ainsley. "I want her, Darien. I want her in my studio. I can do so much with her. Teach her new stuff and give her a lot of opportunites."

"She's yours, Kenny. I already signed her up. Just keep in mind, I want her to do good in school. She's not gonna dance for the rest of her life. I want her to have something to fall back on." Darien said with seriousness.

"I understand." He nodded and pulled himself to his feet. "You ever dance with her down here?"

"We danced occasionally together in Tampa, but Nick frowned on it. He didn't want me teaching her things that the instructors hadn't gone over yet. We haven't danced together in years." Darien shrugged.

"Maybe you should start. Since you'll be one of her instructors soon, right?" Kenny elbowed her and smiled.

"If I take the job, I don't want to do her class. I don't think a parent has any business coaching their child." Darien said.

"Ok. I can respect that." He nodded. "But you're not working for me yet. So dance with her." He motioned to where Ainsley was doing some complicated ballet moves.

"I can't." She shook her head.

"It sounds to me like you say of lot of I can't. Why can't you? What's stopping you? She's not gonna be little forever, Darien. It won't be long before she's dancing on a tour somewhere or performing in a show. Enjoy the little moments while you still have them." Kenny didn't mean to lecture, but he hated seeing Darien acting this way. Nick Carter had really done a number on his wife.

"I know." She nodded and set her mug down. Making an impulse decision, she grabbed Kenny's hand and pulled him in front of the mirror. Ainsley looked up surprised and then just joined in. The three of them spent an enjoyable hour dancing together before Ainsley decided she was ready for bed.

"School in the morning, you know?" She frowned. "Thanks for coming over, Kenny. It's been fun. Good night, Mama." And with that, she disappeared upstairs.

Kenny and Darien stared at each other for a few moments before moving into each others arms. The hip hop music had segued into a slow ballad and both were glad. Kenny bent Darien over his arm, her body arching to his demands. Her arms went out behind her and swept the floor as he turned her in a slow circle. He pulled her up and she wrapped her body around his and held on as he drug her across the floor. With a strangled moan, she tore away from him and twirled the other way. Kenny leaped after her.

Darien hadn't danced like this in a long time. She cleared her mind and let all the training come back to her. Kenny was content to let her lead and just be her prop, an extension of her dance. They connected eyes right before she threw herself at him. He caught her in his arms and felt her legs wrap around his waist. Her arms clung tightly around his neck and her face was inches from his. Kenny slowly came to a stop, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I'm gonna kiss you now." He murmured in a muffled voice, his head dropping lower. He read acceptance in her eyes and lightly touched his lips to hers. He felt like he was sinking into her, as if he had been walking on solid ground that suddenly turned to water. As he drowned in her, a thousand impressions flitted by. The drugging scent of her perfume, the warm burn of her skin on his, the silky slide of their tongues, her hands buried in his hair. Before he could seperate any of them, she eased back with a satisfied smile on her face.

"I had a feeling we'd be good at that." She whispered, and licked her lips. Kenny's insides came undone. He couldn't stop himself from leaning forward and tasting her again. He felt the amused curve of her lips under his and burying his hands in her hair, let himself sink again.

Darien couldn't stop the word uh oh from bouncing through her head as she felt herself slip. His tongue was patient, but she could feel the hunger he was holding back. His arms were gentle around her waist, but held her firmly in place. The taste of him, like an addiction half remembered, seeped into her soul. Fire boiled her blood, so the hand buried in his hair tightened and held on for dear life.

Kenny finally pulled back an inch and gasped for breath. "Easy." He could barely get the word out, wished desperately that he didn't feel the need to. He was shaken as much as she and he knew that if he didn't get some control back he was going to take her exactly where they stood. "Easy." He murmured again and pressed her head to his shoulder so he wouldn't be tempted to devour her again.

She shook against him, nerves and sensations humming through her body. Wants and needs swirled through her system and she wanted nothing more at this moment than to take Kenny upstairs to her bed. "It's never been like that before."

"Never." He agreed and pushed away before he did something they would both regret. Darien flinched at his tone.

"You're angry." Darien observed. She slowly walked across the room on shaky legs and sat on a chair.

"No." He denied, tracking his hand through his hair. He looked around, located his hat, and settled it back on his head. "Maybe a little with myself. I pushed the buttons." He turned around and studied her. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her body, her lips kiss swollen and her hair was in a ratty mess hanging half off her head. She looked absolutely defenseless. "Let's get this out okay?" He leaned against the far wall to keep his distance. "I felt the click the moment you stepped into my studio. I've never felt like that before, like my body was screaming this one. There she is. The one you've been waiting for." He sank to the floor, his hands resting on his knees. His fingers were still tingling from where they had touched her. She stared at him with great attention, her face accepting. "I want to get to know you, Darien. I want to be your friend, your lover, your confidante. I want to start a dance partnership with you and I want to train your daughter. But that's not all. I want to make love with you, so slow that every seconds an hour. And when you're lying under me, naked and limp and sated, I want to do it all over again."

She clenched her arms together tighter, to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. "Oh." Was all she could manage to get out.

"And that's what we'll do. Eventually. I don't want to rush this with you. Good things come to those who wait, and I'm pretty sure you're a good thing." Kenny smiled at her.

"Ok." She nodded slowly. She was still taking in the making love to her part. It had been a long time since anyone had said words that sensual to her. She had missed the power of being wanted. "Would you like some coffee?"

"I would love some." Kenny laughed and with that, all the tension was gone. He followed her upstairs and thought about how right this all was. He felt like she could be the rest of his life.

The next day, Darien was browsing through the racks at Macy's with her phone pressed to her ear. She was half listening as Nick begged her to let Ainsley fly out for the weekend.

"I don't know, Nick. She's got a lot going on." Darien picked up a scarf and held it around her neck. "She might not want to."

"Why wouldn't she want to come and see her father?" Nick asked, a frustrated tone tinging his voice. "Are you brainwashing her?"

"Brainwashing her? Are you serious right now?" Darien laughed.

"I miss her, Dare. I'm supposed to get her every other weekend."

"I know. I'll talk to her. Where will you be this weekend?"

"I emailed you a schedule of our dates. Didn't you get it?"

"I'm sure it's somewhere, Nick. I don't have to keep track of all that anymore."

"How are you liking the new house?" Nick asked, changing the subject.

"It's alright. It's chaos right now, but we're working on it. I'm thinking about taking a job so it'll be slow going."

"A job? Doing what? Why would you want to work?"

"I want to work because I'm bored, Nick. And I got offered a job yesterday at the dance studio."

"The one you put Ainsley in?" Nick was outraged.

"Yeah. I danced with Kenny and he offered me a job as an instructor." Darien bristled at his tone. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Why would you think you could teach dance?" Nick scoffed. "You haven't even danced since you had Ainsley."

"Yeah, because you wouldn't let me."

Nick ignored that and continued on. "And what in the hell were you doing dancing with another man? Especially that Justin Timberlake wannabe motherfucker?"

"Is that what this is about?" Darien stopped and rolled her eyes. "Are you jealous?"

"Of course not." Nick denied, knowing he was lying.

"I'm gonna take the job, Nick. It doesn't have anything to do with you." Darien sighed. "I'm sorry you're upset but I have to go."

"Dare, wait!" Nick was saying when she ended the call. After paying for her purchases she got in her Armada and drove to the dance studio. Her heart was thrumming when she pulled into the parking lot. With a school girl giggle, she locked her truck and rushed inside. The front of the building was deserted again, but like yesterday she heard faint strains of music. Darien quietly walked down the hall and stared into a studio where Kenny was dancing next to another guy. She stepped inside the room and put her purse down by the door.

Kenny was in the middle of working out a new routine with Misha when he felt electricity sizzle through him. Without even looking, he knew Darien was standing there. With a huge smile, he turned and tilted his head at her.

"What's a beautiful woman like you doing in a place like this?" He asked, his arms opening in invitation. She rushed into them and wrapped her body around his.

"Accepting a job offer, if it's still available." She grinned back and accepted the light kiss he pressed on her waiting lips.

"It's still available." He nodded with a laugh, his hands running up and down her back.

"Excuse me?" Misha broke in. "Don't you think we should talk about this?"

"Talk about what?" Kenny asked, taking Darien's hand and walking over to where his angry friend was standing. "Misha, this is Darien Carter. Darien, this is Misha Gabriel. He's co-owner of the studio."

"Hello, Misha. It's nice to meet you." She offered her free hand and smiled openly at the frowning man.

"Hi. Kenny, are you sure about this?" Misha asked again. They had been arguing about this all day. Kenny frowned and shook his head.

"I'm sure. She's amazing and she'll be a huge asset here."

"Have you seen her dance?" Misha asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I've danced with her. She's good." Kenny said. "Do you want to see?"

"Let's see if she can dance with us on that new routine." Misha suggested.

"Ok." Darien nodded. She slipped her scarf off and put her hair in a clip before rejoining the guys. "Let's do it."

"Just watch what we do and try to follow along." Misha directed. Darien stood behind the two men and watched as they performed the routine a few times. She joined in when she was comfortable and nailed it. She grinned confidently and changed things up a little at the end.

"You were amazing, Darien!" Kenny exclaimed when they were finished. Darien couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Thanks." She grinned at him and looked at Misha. "What do you think?"

"You'll do." He shrugged and walked out of the studio.

"Is he mad?" Darien asked after he was gone.

"Probably, but he knows he was wrong and he hates that. He'll get over it." He took her hand and drew her over to a chair. Sitting down, he pulled her across his lap.

"I hope so." She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled down at him. "I hope I didn't interrupt you guys. I can go if you were busy."

"We were just working on some new stuff. Not that busy. What were you out doing?" He ran his hands down her back and cupped her ass.

"I was shopping at Macy's and arguing with Nick when I had an overwhelming urge to come and see you." She puckered her lips when he reached up for a kiss.

"I'm glad you did." He hummed in her ear.

"What are you doing right now?" She asked, her hand tunneled through his messy hair. "Can you leave and have lunch with me?"

"Yeah, I can sneak out for a while. I've got a class at two, though." He said.

"I have to get Ainsley around then anyway." She nodded and reluctantly climbed off his lap. "Let's go."

"Let me tell Misha." Kenny disappeared into the office and was back moments later. "You ready?"

"Yep." She shouldered her purse and put her arm around his waist as they walked outside. She handed him the keys to her Armada and walked to the passenger side.

"I'm driving?" He laughed.

"I hate to drive and I always have to." She frowned.

"Alright." He got in the Armada and looked around. "This thing is like a tank. It's huge!"

"I know. It's completely impractical, but I love it." Darien laughed. "I used to have a Prius in Tampa but I felt like such a soccer mom driving it. There were like fifty of them in the pick up line every day. This though, is much more rare."

"Yeah, because most people can't afford the gas to drive it." Kenny laughed and backed out of the parking lot.

"Luckily, that's not an issue with me." Darien turned in her seat and smiled at him. "So, Nick wants Ainsley to fly to Canada and join him on tour this weekend."

"Yeah?" Kenny asked, dirty ideas already racing through his mind.

"And I think I'm gonna let her go." Darien impulsively decided. "Do you have plans this weekend?"

"Nothing I can't change." He took her hand and kissed her wrist. "I have to work during the day Saturday. It's my busy day."

"I understand." She nodded. "And Saturday night?"

"I'm all yours, baby." He winked at her. He drove them to a outdoor bistro and held her hand all through lunch as they talked about anything and everything.

"I grew up in New York City. My dad still works on Wall Street and he still lives in the same penthouse on Park Avenue." Dare said with a smile when Kenny asked about her family. "I have a brother. Chance. He's an investment banker."

"So, you came from money." Kenny observed.

"I guess." Dare shrugged. "I know you're from the East Coast. Boston, right?"

"I was raised in Stoughton. It's about 15 miles from Boston." He nodded. "My family still lives there.

"Do you go home often?" Dare asked, her fingers caressing his hand.

"Not as often as I'd like." Kenny shrugged. "I'm pretty busy out here. What about you? You go back to NYC ever?"

"I haven't been since I left Nick. Ainsley and I stayed up there for a few months last year. I haven't been back since." Dare shook her head.

"Why did you leave Nick if you don't mind me asking?" Kenny had been curious about this since yesterday.

"There's not really one definite reason." Darien shrugged and looked away. "I just looked in the mirror one day and had no idea who was looking back at me. All I saw was Nick Carter's wife and Ainsley Carter's mother. There was nothing of me in the girl I was looking at."

"You lost yourself." Kenny observed.

"I started dancing when I was a toddler. My mother was a Rockette so I was dancing in the womb. It was all I knew growing up. I never wanted to act or sing. For me it was just dance. I loved the way it made me feel. So when I turned 18 I auditioned for the Black and Blue tour. It took a while but I eventually got the job."

"That was a big deal. I auditioned for it too." Kenny smiled. "I was too young, though."

"That would have been crazy, huh?" Darien smiled slightly and wondered if things would have been different if she had met Kenny first.

"Yeah. I don't think I could have competed with Nick Carter back in the day though." Kenny was honest. "You never would have looked at me the way you are now."

"Nick was dazzling back then." Darien agreed. "I hated him when they first made me dance with him. He was a complete prick to everyone around him, even the guys. But one night after rehearsal, we ran into each other at Mcdonald's and talked all night long. And then we got to be so comfortable with each other, it just felt right when it progressed into a relationship."

"And then life on the road happened, right?" Kenny knew the pitfalls of trying to have a meaningful relationship on tour.

"Yeah, I guess. I got pregnant halfway through the tour. So Nick and I ran off to Vegas and got married. We had both just turned 20. It seemed like the right thing to do." Darien sipped her water and shook her head. "And for him it was. Nick was meant to be a husband and a father. He's amazing with Ainsley."

"And with you?" Kenny leaned back in his chair and watched Darien's face.

"I got caught up in being a wife and mother and gave up dance. I devoted my time to following Nick around and taking care of Ainsley. When she started to get older and showed such talent in dance, it made me want things I used to have. But Nick didn't think it was a good idea for me to dance again, not when we were so focused on Ainsley's career."

"What about yours?" Kenny wondered.

"That was mine then. Nick was gone a lot so it was just me and Ains. And I figured out that I liked it better that way. I wasn't counting the days until he came home anymore. I found less and less reason to call or text him." Darien shrugged. "I fell out of love with him."

"He had no idea, did he?" Kenny could see where this was going.

"No. He came home from recording in London last summer and was greeted to an empty house and an envelope with divorce papers in it." Darien looked away and shook her head. "I went about it all wrong, but I felt like I had no choice."

"Hey, you had to do what was best for you." Kenny took her hand again. "You'll all be happier in the end. Even Nick."

"I hope so." She looked at him and tilted her head to the side inquisitively. "Why are you single?"

"Now, that's a short story." Kenny chuckled. "I dated Ashley Roberts for a long time. And then we went on tour together and it fell apart. We weren't strong enough to withstand all the stress of the road."

"It is hard." Darien agreed.

"And ever since then, I've held myself back. I've been busy and I knew that I didn't have the time to devote to a serious relationship. So I was content to be alone." Kenny kissed her hand again. "You ready to get out of here?"

"Yeah." She stood and laughed when he pulled her against his side. She loved the way she fit under his arm. It was perfect.

Rochelle Mclean finished putting makeup on AJ and kissed him soundly before going to check on their daughter. Ava was almost a year old and the light of both of their lives. She was curled up on a couch sleeping with her skeleton doll. Rochelle kissed her forehead and reached for her phone when it rang. She grinned when she saw who it was.

"What's up, Dare?" Ro answered.

"I'm taking the job".

"I knew that. Nick's been storming around here for hours bitching about it." Rochelle looked across the room to where Nick was still grumbling about it to Brian.

"He's gonna have to get over it." Darien rolled her eyes.

"How did it go last night at your house?" Rochelle turned away from everyone and curled up on the couch with her daughter.

"It was amazing. He and Ainsley got along really well and then we all danced together for awhile before she went to bed."

"This is what I want to hear about. What happened after that?"

"We danced together again and it was so hot. And then he kissed me." Darien giggled.

"And? How was it?" Rochelle asked, her eyes wide. "Was it wet? Not wet enough? Firm? Soft? Was there tongue?"

"Slow down, Ro. It was the best kiss I've ever had. He made my body hum."

"Best ever?" Ro was shocked. She had kissed Nick on a drunken night when the four of them had been playing truth or dare so she knew Carter could kiss. Kenny was better than that?

"Yeah. There is mad chemistry between us. My heart races when he holds my hand." Darien shook her head and grinned. She sounded pathetic right now.

"Are you guys like a couple now?" Rochelle asked.

"I don't know. Ainsley's flying out there for the weekend so we'll see what happens." Darien laughed.

"You're gonna sleep with him?" Rochelle said loudly. Too loudly. Nick's attention was on her now.

"Sleep with who?" He raced over to her. "Who are you talking to?"

"Is that Nick? Did he hear you?" Dare was saying in her ear. Rochelle did the only thing she could think of and hung up the phone.

"I wasn't talking to anyone." Rochelle tucked the phone into her bra. "Just checking voicemails."

"Don't lie to me, Rochelle." Nick shook his head. "I know it was Dare. Is she gonna sleep with Wormald?"

"I don't know, Nick. I've told you repeatedly, I'm not getting in the middle of this." Rochelle sighed. "Darien's my best friend."

"And I'm your husband's best friend! I have to know if she's gonna move on with someone else!"

"Please don't shout at me. You'll wake Ava up." Rochelle looked up at him.

"You don't understand what this does to me, Ro. How would you feel if you were in my situation?"

"I would feel as though I made my wife give up her lifelong dream." Rochelle spat at him. "You can't change her into what you want, Nick. She has to be free to be who she is. And dancing is who she is."

"This is my fault?"

"Well, it's not all hers." Rochelle gathered Ava up and left the room. Her tour bus was looking much more inviting at this point.

Kenny and Misha were finishing up an intro class when Darien and Ainsley got to the studio that evening. Kenny caught a glimpse of them as they passed by his studio on their way to where Ainsley's class was gonna be held.

"Keep your head in the game, Kenny." Misha warned when he saw Darien.

"I am." Kenny glared at his friend and returned his attention to the group of kids he was teaching. He wrapped the class up and fought the urge to rush to Darien, but he knew the dancers liked to talk to him after the class so he stuck around. Finally with ten minutes to spare before Ainsley's class started he walked into her studio. Ainsley was off by herself warming up. He could already sense the tension between her and the other students who had been together for years. Darien was sitting along the wall doing something on her phone. She looked up and grinned at him and Kenny winked back at her before calling the class to order.

"Gather around everyone!" Kenny called, cutting the music off and clapping his hands to get attention. "We have a new dancer with us tonight."

"We know who she is." Taylor, a fourteen year old girl said with a sneer on her face.

"Well then you know how talented she is." Kenny pulled a very embarrassed Ainsley to the front of the class and put his arm around her. "This is Ainsley Carter and she's just moved here from Florida. I want you all to welcome her."

"Hey." Ainsley waved at the rest of the class and looked up at Kenny. "What are we learning today?"

"Watch and see." Kenny laughed and motioned to Misha to join him. They showed the class the new routine and got down to teaching it. Ainsley had it down after two run throughs and busied herself doing ballet moves along the barre. She lined up behind Kenny when he called them to order and groaned when her mom stood up and filmed her doing the dance.

"I think we've got it so this is what we're gonna do. Everyone's gonna get a turn freestyling until the chorus and then we do that routine. I'll repeat the song a few times." Kenny explained and hit repeat on the song. He watched the girls show off in the front of the mirror and joined in on occasion. Darien circled the group the whole time, recording Ainsley and he could tell himself when he was front and center. After another hour of working on different stuff, he ended the class. He talked to a few of the moms and most of the girls before there were only a few people left in the studio. He slowly walked over to where Misha was talking to Darien and Ainsley.

"You did good tonight, kid." Kenny elbow nudged her and rocked back on his heels.

"Thanks. That was a creative routine. I liked it." She sipped at her water.

"Me and Misha have been working on it for awhile." Kenny turned to his friend. "What do you think about our new recruit?"

"I think she's good. She'll be a good fit here. And so will her mother." Misha sent a tentative smile at Darien. "Can we call a truce?"

"Of course." Darien smiled at Misha. "You ready to head home, Ains?"

"I guess. Can we stop at Cold Stone Creamery on the way home?" Ainsley asked.

"Sure." Darien nodded and turned to Kenny. She wanted to hug and kiss him but she didn't want Ainsley to know quite yet. She could see the want in his eyes as well. Misha took pity on them and drew Ainsley's attention away.

"This sucks." Kenny frowned. "I want to touch you and I can't."

"I know how you feel." Darien smiled ruefully. "She's going to Nick's for the weekend. I'm dropping her off at the airport Friday evening."

"Can I come with you?" Kenny asked.

"I guess. If you want." Darien shrugged.

"I want to take you out Saturday night. Dinner and dancing." Kenny said, his hand sliding down her arm and squeezing her hand.

"Dancing, huh?" She chuckled, her skin on fire where his fingers branded her.

"Yeah. So be ready at 8:30 Saturday."

"Ok." She nodded.

"And I need you here at ten in the morning. Time to start working." He leaned forward and lightly kissed her lips. "Text me when Ainsley goes to bed."

"I will." She kissed his cheek and left while she still could. She grabbed Ainsley and they left the complex. Ice cream suddenly sounded just right.

Darien slipped into baggy gray sweats and a black tank top after Ainsley had gone to bed. She was too energized to go to sleep, so she figured she'd unpack some things and wear herself out. She shot out a quick text to Kenny and then went downstairs and into the living room. After flicking the radio on, she settled down in front of a bookcase and began unloading her trashy romance novels. She leaned back after emptying a box and stretched her back. Her phone beeped from beside her and she smiled when she saw it was from Kenny. I'm outside. want 2 let me in? Darien stood up and peeked out the front window. Sure enough, there he was standing on the step.

"What are you doing?" She hissed after opening the door.

"I had to see you." He leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of her door. "I missed you."

"Really?" Darien put her hand on her hip and shook her head at him. He was still wearing the baggy basketball shorts from earlier and had topped it with a Boston Red Sox hoodie and black ballcap on backwards.

"Really." Kenny leaned forward on the toes of his sneakers and kissed her puckered mouth. "Can I come in?"

"Can you be quiet?" Darien asked.

"As a church mouse." He agreed and his eyes lit up when she backed away from the door. "What were you doing?"

"Unpacking." She led the way into the living room. "Someone's been distracting me for the past few days."

"Who would do such a thing?" Kenny flopped down on the couch and patted the cushion in front of him.

"No." Darien shook her head and fought against the urge to cuddle against him.

"Why not?" He frowned.

"Because I'm not sure I can control myself and my daughter is in the house."

"We'll be good. I promise."

"Let's sit outside." Darien suddenly suggested. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up. Stopping in the kitchen to grab two beers, she led him into the backyard. A huge pool was surrounded by some tables and lounge chairs. This was where Darien settled in and handed Kenny a beer.

"Why out here?" He wondered, sitting in the chair across from Darien.

"It's safer out here." She smiled at him. "I'm not sure I can resist you when we're horizontal."

"You can trust me, Dare. I can stop when you say no." Kenny pulled her feet into his lap and slid her flip flops to the ground. His fingers curled around her toes.

"I know. It's not you I'm worried about." She opened her beer and took a long sip. "What do I have to look forward to tomorrow at my job?"

"A lot of dancing." Kenny laughed. "What else?"

"With you?"

"Yeah. I've got these ideas about starting a couples class."

"Like ballroom?" Darien frowned. She had taken some classes when she was younger, but wasn't accomplished at it.

"A little, but with more jazz and hip hop mixed in. I want to teach couples how to go to a club and dance together. Maybe a little more than that. Do some lifts and catches."

"That's a cool idea. But I really think that ballroom is gonna be the base for that. The cha cha and the rumba, you know?" Darien leaned her head back and enjoyed the foot rub Kenny was administering.

"I agree. I'm not real great at the structure of those dances, though." Kenny divulged.

"You're not good at a type of dance?" Darien chuckled. "I don't believe it."

"I'm good at it. I'm just not great. I can hold my own with any type of dance, but to be able to teach it is different. You have to know it and understand it and excel at it. Have you had any training?"

"I took lots of ballroom classes when I was young, but I'm not a pro by any means." Darien said.

"Good. I'm gonna have Julianne Hough and her brother come in tomorrow and show us some stuff. They're both doing the new season of DWTS so they'll be in town for awhile. She said they can give us a few classes."

"I get to dance with Derek Hough?" Darien teased.

"No. You get to dance with me." Kenny frowned. "He's just gonna show us some stuff."

"What if I want to dance with him?"

"You can't." Kenny squeezed her foot playfully.

"You're no fun." She leaned her head back and let her hair fall against her back. Her phone rang from her pocket and she sighed before digging it out.

"Who is it?" Kenny asked.

"Nick." Darien sighed and touched the screen. "Hello?"

"I just saw the video you posted earlier." Nick led right into it. "Ainsley looks good."

"I think so. She was challenged tonight." Darien locked eyes with Kenny and smiled.

"You recorded Wormald too much though. Sometimes Ainsley wasn't even in the shot." Nick critiqued.

"I tried my best, Nick." Darien sighed again. "Is that all you wanted?"

"No. I want to know if you're gonna fuck him this weekend."

"That's none of your business." Dare closed her eyes and frowned. "Please don't start a fight tonight, Nick."

"I'm not starting a fight, but I want to know if my wife is planning on fucking some backup dancer!"

"I'm not your wife anymore, Nick. There's no ring on my finger. So I can fuck whatever backup dancer I want." Darien ended the call and shut the phone off. "Sorry."

"It's cool." Kenny stopped rubbing her feet and leaned forward. "Are we moving too fast? If there are things you need to work out with him, I'd rather you do it now than later after I'm in too deep."

"There's nothing to work out, Kenny. I'm divorced. I have the legal papers to prove it. Nick's just having a hard time accepting that."

"Do you still have feelings for him?" Kenny felt slightly out of line asking the question, but it needed to be asked.

"No, not like you're talking about." She denied.

"Then how?"

"We have a child together so there'll always be a connection. I can't help that. But do I love him? No. And I haven't for awhile." She leaned forward and took his hands. "I don't know where whatever this is between us is going, but I can tell you this. When you kiss me, it feels different than ever before. It's more powerful, more emotional. I want to play this out and see what happens."

"It's the same for me." Kenny leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. "I really feel like you could be the rest of my life. But I want to do it right and I want to do it slow."

"Ok." Darien nodded. Her hands reached up and threw his hat to the ground. She tunneled her fingers in his hair and pulled his head to hers. The scent of beer and Winterfresh gum played with her senses as his forehead rested against hers. Her tongue darted out and flicked at his lips. He parted them slightly and sucked her tongue into his mouth as he yanked her onto his lap. Her body molded around his as his hands traced under her tank top around her sides. Darien shivered at his touch, her skin hot and cold at the same time. His kisses trailed down her neck and her head lolled back, allowing him room. With a rough groan, she leaned away from him and raised his hoodie and t-shirt over his head. Her hands were like electric where they caressed him. His nipples hardened and she could feel his dick throbbing against her. He thrust against her again and again.

Kenny hated being the voice of reason again, but he had to stop this. He picked her up and set her back on her own chair and leaned back against his. He panted and sighed heavily, staring at her with hooded eyes. Her neck was red and raw from where he had been kissing it and her tank top was bunched under her breasts which he could see were heaving.

"So much for slow." Kenny ground out. "I'm sorry."

"It's my fault too." Darien slowly fixed her shirt and ran her fingers through her tangled hair. "I wanted it as much as you."

"I know." Kenny sent her a sexy grin that made her want to jump him all over again. "I should probably head home before I'm tempted again."

"Where do you live?" She asked, wanting to put off his departure.

"I have an apartment in La Brea. It's nothing special." He smiled at her. "Nothing like this."

"This isn't special either. You should have seen my house in Tampa. It was ridiculous." Darien shook her head. "A grand monstrosity."

"I have to admit that I was shocked to pull up in front of this house last night. I was expecting something much more." He grabbed his shirt and pulled it back on.

"I don't want that. Ainsley and I don't need all that room. This is really too much for us, but I can't rent an apartment. You can't have a studio in an apartment." Darien smiled.

"I know. It is a definite drawback." Kenny stood up and pulled Darien against him. "I'm gonna go before I'm tempted to take you upstairs and find your bedroom."

"Ok." Darien picked his hat up and settled it back on his head. "I'll walk you out." She took his hand and led the way to the front door. With a reluctant kiss, Kenny kissed her quickly.

"I'll see you in the morning." He said and walked quickly to his car. He couldn't believe the way his body was acting. It hadn't been that long since he had gotten laid which led him to believe that this thing with Darien was way more than just sex. He started his car up and drove quickly down the block.

The next morning Darien walked into the studio wearing white capri leggings and a long tight royal blue shirt. A blue and white checked scarf was wound around her neck and her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. She searched everywhere until she found Kenny in his office.

"Hey." She greeted and stepped into the room.

"Good morning, beautiful." He looked up and smiled at her before motioning to the chair across the desk. "How was your night?"

"I had a really hard time falling asleep last night." Dare shook her head ruefully. "Someone came over and got me all wound up."

"What an asshole." Kenny laughed and looked back down at the open checkbook in front of him.

"Are you busy?" She asked.

"Just paying some bills. My least favorite thing to do here, but it's a necessity." Kenny sighed and ran his hand through his messy hair.

"I'm gonna go and warm up. Is there any particular studio you want to be in today?" Darien braced her hands on his desk and leaned over.

"It doesn't matter." Kenny kissed her and watched her walk away. It was a view he would never get tired of seeing. Darien settled on Studio 3 and tossed her purse in the corner. She plugged her Ipod into the dock and pushed play. Standing still in the center of the room, she let the music slide over her. She began moving and felt the strong hip hop beat in her soul. By the time Kenny was finished with bills, she had moved on to a sexy latin beat. Kenny pulled his hoodie off and adjusted his gray fedora over his hair. He stepped across the floor and joined in behind her. She saw him and incorporated him into her moves. They moved together like fluid. He picked her up and held her high above him, her back bending practically in two and her left leg raising straight up. He gave her a toss and she flipped around before being caught and jerked against him in a sexy grind. They finished the song and both were surprised to hear clapping.

"That was awesome!" Julianne Hough exclaimed as she shot across the room and gave Kenny a hug. "What do you need us for?"

"Hey, Julianne." Kenny kissed the top of her head and shook hands with her brother. "Derek, it's good to see you again."

"You too, bro." Derek and Kenny had known each other for years, considering they were both part of the dancing community in LA.

"I'm glad you two are here." Kenny grabbed Darien's hand and pulled her against his side. "I want you to meet Darien Carter, my partner."

"It's an honor to meet both of you." Darien smiled and shook both of their hands.

"You were married to a Backstreet Boy, right?" Derek asked. "I think I remember meeting you at a charity ball a few years ago."

"Yes." Darien smiled. "I danced with you and it made my whole night."

"I'm pretty sure I remember you being a very good partner." Derek flirted with her.

"I don't know about that." Darien blushed and Kenny saw red.

"Well, she works here with me now and like I was telling you, Julianne. I want to start a couples class, but we both need a refresher on some things." Kenny explained as he pulled Darien closer to you.

"It looked like you two were doing pretty good." Julianne said as she pulled her hair up. "But we'll be happy to give you some ballroom lessons."

"Thank you." Kenny pulled a pack of gum from his pocket and unwrapped two pieces before sticking them in his mouth. He offered it to the rest of the group before tossing it and his phone next to the stereo. "Where do we start?"

Hours later, they were all exhausted and slumped around the tables in the break room. Kenny now knew that Darien was exactly what he had been wanting in a partner. She was dedicated and never gave up when a step didn't come easily.

"That was too much fun." Julianne laughed as she fingercombed her sweaty hair. "You guys are really good together."

"Thank you." Darien smiled at her new friend. The two girls had hit it right off and found plenty of things to talk about. "Not as good as you and Derek though. You guys are in each other's heads. You know exactly what the others going to do before they do it."

"It's because we've been dancing together since we could walk." Derek divulged. "She's the female version of me."

"The better version." Julianne teased. "He wishes he could move like me."

"Whatever." Derek rolled his eyes at his sister and looked over to where Darien was lost in Kenny's gaze. "So, how many more lessons you want?"

"What do you think we need?" Darien asked, turning those big doe eyes on Derek.

"Why don't we plan on meeting up tomorrow and working on the rumba? We'll see how it goes from there." Julianne suggested.

"That sounds good." Kenny nodded.

"I think you should submit a tape to the producers of DWTS for a stars of dance slot. You and Darien would be perfect to showcase this new fusion club mix you've got going on." Julianne suggested. "It's not like you haven't done it before, Kenny."

"You really think so?" Kenny wrinkled his face. He was skeptical.

"We can do a routine with the four of us." Derek added in. "Ballroom meets the club. It could be cool."

"It could." Kenny nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"You guys can't be serious. I can't dance on national television!" Darien stood up. Her heart was pounding and not in a good way.

"Why not?" Kenny asked, looking up at her. "You're amazing."

"You have to say that. You want to sleep with me." Darien shook her head. "I'm really not that great. I haven't even danced in a decade."

"It didn't look like that in there." Derek spoke up. "It looked like you had a lot of talent."

"And me wanting to sleep with you has nothing to do with this. If you weren't good enough, I would say so. And still want to sleep with you." Kenny smirked.

"You are good enough, Darien. We all are. Besides that, it would be really good business for your studio, Kenny." Julianne said. "Why don't we all think about it tonight and we'll talk it over tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan." Kenny agreed. "I've got a class coming in and you need to get Ainsley."

"Is it that late?" Darien glanced at the clock and groaned. "Damn, I'm gonna be late."

"You'll be fine." Kenny handed her her purse and kissed her firmly before pushing her out the door. "Call me later." Julianne and Derek left soon after and he put his all into teaching the master hip hop class. This was one of his favorite classes, he had some of the most talented dancers LA had to offer. They did not disappoint and Kenny finished the class in a great mood. He grabbed a bottle of water and retreated to his office. Misha was lounging in his chair, his feet on the corner of the desk and headphones over his ears. A black ballcap covered his face.

"What the hell, man?" Kenny swiped his feet off the desk and rolled his eyes when Misha woke up.

"Damn, Kenny. What was that for?" Misha asked, rubbing his eyes.

"You're in my seat." Kenny pointed to the folding chair across from his desk and waiting impatiently as Misha gathered his things up and moved.

"How was your class?" Misha asked.

"It was good. I love working with those guys." Kenny opened his laptop and pulled up his business file.

"I meant your other class. The one with Julianne." Misha grinned cockily at his friend. "When's she gonna go out with me anyway?"

"I wish you would stop stalking her. It's unhealthy." Kenny shook his head.

"She'll see the light, eventually." Misha smirked. "I don't know why she wants to be with Seacrest anyway. He can't even dance."

"No, but he has a shit ton of money." Kenny laughed. "Let her go, man."

"Anyway, how'd it go with Darien?"

"She's great. A real talent. Ainsley gets it natural." Kenny filled out a check and ripped it from his register.

"Why don't you just pay the bills online? It's so much easier, Kenny." Misha had been badgering him about this for years.

"I like to have a record, Misha. It's impersonal to pay them over the internet. And unsafe." Kenny looked up at his friend. "Don't you have that Mommy and Me class to do?"

"Yeah, but it's no fun anymore since Rochelle and Ava are gone. That bitch is hot." Misha smiled.

"She's also one of Darien's friends and married. Let it go, dude. You need to find an available girl to date." Kenny rolled his eyes.

"I know. I need some ass." Misha stood up and settled his hat back over his curly black hair. "Maybe Taryn's up for some after work nookie."

"Don't fuck the help!" Kenny called after Misha's retreating figure.

"Hello pot. Meet kettle." Misha threw back before walking out of sight. Kenny rolled his eyes and got back to down to the boring parts of running a business.

Darien sat in the pickup line at school and played on her phone while she waited. She logged into Twitter and posted a picture that Kenny had taken of her and Julianne earlier. Meeting Julianne had been great. They had already made plans to meet up and go shopping over the weekend. It would be nice to have a new friend. She had lost the other wives in the divorce. All besides Rochelle that is. Her phone buzzed with a new text message. She opened it and saw it was from Kenny. r u bringing ainsley to class 2nite? i want 2 c u. Darien smiled and hit reply. how else would she get there? of course ill be there. u want 2 do dinner with us when ur done? She knew she was getting in way too deep way too fast, but she couldn't resist herself. Her phone rang and with a deep sigh she answered it.

“Hi, Nick.”

“That's a nice picture you put on Twitter.” Nick was closeted in his bus alone for the day. He was still in his pajamas and a bottle of beer was next to him. He knew soundcheck had started but he couldn't manage to get himself together.

“I took a class from her today.” Darien explained.

“I read that in your caption. So, you're really doing it? You're dancing again?” Nick tracked his hand through his messy hair and stared at the ceiling.

“I am, Nick. I need to. I've missed it.” Darien closed her eyes and leaned her head against the back of the seat.

“I've missed you. Is there a quick fix for that?” Nick laughed snidely. She didn't know what to say so she kept quiet. After a minute, he spoke again. “What did I do that was so wrong, Dare? I was a good husband.”

“You were an amazing husband, Nick. It wasn't about you.”

“Please tell me you're not giving me the old it's not me it's you shtick again. I can't take that.”

“I can't help it if it's the truth.” Darien stretched her stiff legs out. “Being a wife and mother wasn't enough for me. I thought it was, but I was wrong.”

“You couldn't have been more with me?”

“Nick, you wouldn't let me. I tried how many times to dance again? You always said it wasn't my time.”

“Because Ainsley needed one parent to be steady in her life. What were we going to do if we were both out on a tour somewhere?” Nick asked.

“So I had to give up my career?”

“It made more sense that way. I made more money than you.” Nick shrugged and was quiet for a long time.

“Nick?” Darien finalled asked.

“Maybe we screwed up. Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to give it all up. But I really thought that I would be enough for you. You didn't even want to dance anymore after you found out you were pregnant.” Nick sighed.

“I wanted to dance, Nick. I always wanted to dance.”

“I know.” He said quietly. “I really do miss you, Dare. Please don't start dating anyone yet.”

“It's too late for that.” Darien said quietly.

“Is it Wormald?” Nick ground out.

“Yeah, Nick.” Darien had tears in her voice. “It is.”

“So there's no chance for us?” Nick asked, his voice gravelly. “We're really over?”

“We have to be, Nick. I don't know who I am when I'm with you.” Darien blinked her tears back. She hated to hear him like this. “I'm so sorry.”

“No, Darien. Don't be sorry. That's not yours to own. I'm sorry.” He strangled out. “I'm so sorry I ever fell in love with you.” With a loud crash the call was over. Darien stared at her phone and let the tears fall. Nick was obviously in a bad place and she hated how responsible she felt. She pressed Rochelle's name and waited for her friend to answer.

“Hey, Dare. What's up?” Rochelle answered.

“Hey, I need you to find Nick and check on him. I think he's messed up.” Darien pleaded. “We just had a huge fight and he threw his phone.”

“Ok. He's been in his bus all day. He missed soundcheck and the guys are getting worried.”

“I'm worried too. I never wanted this.”

“I hate to be the one to say it, Dare, but what did you expect? He never even saw this coming.” Rochelle tried to stay neutral but it was hard.

“I know.” Darien cried. “Please just check on him and text me so I know he's okay.”

“I will.” Rochelle agreed. “If you're driving, be careful.”

“I am. Thank you.” Darien ended the call and dug some Kleenex from the console. The guilt she felt for ruining Nick's life was starting to creep up again and she so wasn't ready for it this time around.

“Your girls here, bro.” Misha called from the hallway that evening. He was greeting the kids when they came in and had noticed the Armada pull up outside. Within seconds Kenny was standing beside him.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"You're pathetic, dude." Misha rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." Kenny bounced on his heels as he waited for Darien to step inside. He had been trying to text her ever since she had left and after just a few, she had stopped. He was worried. And then he became even more so when he saw Darien's face. She looked like she had been crying all afternoon, her eyes were red and swollen and her cheeks were ruddy. "What happened to you?" He put his hands on her cheeks and lifted her eyes to his.

"It's nothing." She sniffled and looked away. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Darien. You're breaking my heart here." Kenny pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around her. Luckily, Ainsley had wandered off. Kenny drew her into the breakroom and grabbed a tissue. "What happened?"

"I got into a huge fight with Nick and I feel so damn guilty." She sobbed, her head sinking down.

"Did you fight about me?" Kenny hated being the bone of contention.

"You and me and dancing and everything else. Nick's so depressed and it's killing me. We went through this before and he got help, but being on the road alone is hard on him." Darien wiped her face and shook her head. "And I keep telling myself that it's not my problem anymore, but I know that the only reason he's feeling that way is because of me."

"It's not your fault." Kenny tried to soothe her.

"It is my fault. I left him and he didn't even know I was going to." She sank into a chair and put her head on the table. "I ruined his life to make mine better. Is that fair?"

"Life isn't fair, Darien. Nick's gonna have to man up and deal with this. You can't take all the blame." Kenny rubbed her shoulders and wished he knew what to say. "If he had been everything he was supposed to be, would you have left him?"

"It wasn't him, Kenny. He was a great husband." Darien shook with sobs.

"Then why are you here with me, Dare? Why aren't you in Canada somewhere on a tour bus?" Kenny turned away from her. Seeing her crying over another man broke his heart.

"Because I wanted more. I've always wanted more. When will it be enough?" She wondered and wiped her face with her sleeve.

"I don't know, Darien." Kenny turned and looked at her. "But you better figure this out. Go home and get some rest. Call Rochelle and talk to her. Hell, talk to Nick again. I'll bring Ainsley home after class."

"You don't have to do that. She's my responsibility." Darien stood up and tried to compose herself.

"Don't start that shit. She's fine with me and she definitely doesn't need to see you like this." Kenny brushed her hair away from her face. "Go home and work it out. You need to."

"She hasn't eaten yet." Darien could see the wisdom in Kenny's words and agreed with him. Ainsley had been through enough. She didn't need to be witness to her mother's breakdown.

"I'll feed her." Kenny said softly. "Go home."

"Ok." Dare nodded and smiled softly at him. "Thank you."

"It's not a big deal. I'll text you when we're heading that way." Kenny watched her walk out of the studio and sighed deeply. He leaned against the counter and got his pounding heart under control before joining his class that was already started. Ainsley gave him questioning looks, but he managed to put her off until class was over. She made a beeline for him when he called for dismissal.

"Where's my mom?" She asked, sweat dripping down her face.

"She's having a bad night, kid. She went home. You're stuck with me." Kenny explained as best he could without giving everything away.

"She's fighting with Dad again." Ainsley rolled her eyes and walked over to her bag. Kenny wasn't surprised she had it figured out.

"You babysitting tonight?" Misha asked, a towel draped around his sweaty neck.

"Yeah. I'm gonna get her dinner and then take her home. Think you can lock up?" Kenny asked.

"Sure." Misha nodded. He had heard a little from the breakroom and he really hoped his friend knew what he was getting into. Divorce was never easy on anyone, no matter how much they said they wanted it. Especially when there was a child involved.

"Ainsley? You ready to get out of here?" Kenny called across the room.

"Can we wait awhile? I'd like to dance some more." She asked, her eyes troubled. Kenny understand what she wanted and nodded.

"Sure. Studio 4 is empty. Take all the time you need. I'll be in my office." He touched her head as he walked off. Dancing had always been his way to blow off his frustration as well so he could respect that she wanted some time alone. He got a bottle of water and went to his office. He had a few movie scripts that his agent wanted him to look over and he had been putting it off. This would be a perfect time to get caught up. Leaning back in his chair, he propped his feet up and started reading. An hour later, he looked up when Misha knocked on the door.

"You alright?" He asked and stepped inside.

"Yeah. She still dancing?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah. She never gets tired." Misha smiled. "She reminds me of you that way."

"I'm tired now, bro." Kenny sighed and put the papers down.

"Didn't realize what you were getting into?" Misha asked.

"I don't think so."

"I think you're ready for it. You'll be a good dad." Misha said, surprising Kenny completely.

"Dude, I'm not having any kids. What are you talking about?" His eyes looked scared.

"Bro, she's out there doing an angry dance. You gonna be with her mama, you gonna be her dad. Carter's gone all the time. Who do you think that girl's gonna look up to?" Misha rolled his eyes. Sometimes Kenny was an idiot.

"I haven't thought about it."

"I know, but you're already doing it. You've been ready to settle down for awhile now." Misha gave him a puzzled look. "I don't know why when we're young and hot and successful, but I can see that the one night stands and late nights at the bar aren't exactly for you anymore."

"You're right." Kenny nodded. "It is all getting exhausting to me."

"I know. We all know." Misha said. "Just make sure this is for sure what you want before you get in too deep and can't get back out."

"She's what I want." Kenny said with conviction. "She's what I need."

"Well then good luck, brother." Misha stood and left the office. Kenny watched his friend leave and thought about how sometimes Misha surprised him. With a wry smile, he grabbed his things and went to interrupt Ainsley.

Kenny dropped Ainsley off and decided not to go in. He turned his music up and sped all the way back to his apartment. There were some things he needed to think over. He was really concerned that Darien still had feelings for Nick. They had been together for a long time and he knew from experience that it was hard to turn those feelings off. He had been young and stupid when he had broken up with Ashley for all the wrong reasons. It had taken him years to deal with his regrets and it had only gotten better when she had started to date someone else. Seeing her move on, made him face facts.

Kenny turned into his complex and wondered if maybe that's what Nick needed. Someone new in his life. Then he could see that Darien wasn't the only woman out there for him. He got out of his car and locked it before heading upstairs. Kenny got his phone out and a sent a quick text to Darien as he stepped into his apartment. i miss u. please call when u figure ur shit out. remember we have class in the morning. He added a winky face and tossed his phone on the counter. His apartment smelled funky since he hadn't been spending a lot of time here lately. He flipped some music on and set about cleaning it. Never his favorite chore, but one that needed to be done. As he was putting laundry in the washer, his phone rang. He couldn't stop the relief from flooding his body when he saw it was Darien.

"Hey. How are you?" He asked, cradling the phone next to his shoulder.

"I'm ok." Darien was curled in her bed with soft music playing in the background. A pile of used Kleenex were next to her. "Thanks for bringing Ainsley home."

"You're welcome." Kenny wanted to ask her if she had taken care of her stuff, but he knew it wasn't his place to pressure.

"I was surprised at your text."

"Why?"

"I didn't figure you'd want to dance with me anymore after I flaked out earlier."

"It happens to everyone, Darien. It's not a big deal." Kenny closed his eyes and leaned against the washer.

"It is a big deal, Kenny." Darien rolled over and stared at the ceiling. "I know I don't love Nick anymore, but every time I think about him I'm eaten up with guilt."

"Why do you feel guilty?" Kenny wondered.

"I ruined his life."

"What about your life? You gonna live it for someone else? Don't you deserve to be happy, too?" Kenny rubbed his head and sighed. "Haven't you ever heard the saying the ends justify the means?"

"Yeah." They were silent for a few minutes before Dare spoke again. "I wish you were here with me."

"Me too." Kenny stalked to the kitchen and got a beer from the fridge.

"Then come back over." Darien pleaded.

"I can't, Dare. It's not right." It killed him to turn her down.

"Why not?" She groaned.

"Because you're not ready and I don't want to be that guy."

"What guy?"

"The guy who takes advantage of an emotional girl. I refuse to be that guy with you." Kenny took a long swallow of beer. "When I make love to you, I want to be the only man in your thoughts. And I sure as hell don't want there to be any regrets."

"I wasn't asking for sex." Darien squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she was lying to herself.

"No, but we both know that's what would happen if I came over there tonight." Kenny hated being the voice of reason. "So, I'm gonna let you go and get to bed. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

"Ok." Darien said. She couldn't help feeling disappointed. "I'll see you in the morning then."

"Good night, Darien."

"Good night, Kenny." And she hung up the phone.