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Author's Chapter Notes:

I've been writing for years, but never posted before.  I'm giving this a chance so please be kind!!!!

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.