The billionaire's runaway dancer

canapés when all he wanted was he

that

el eyes going a little shadowed in what Shen was sure was

s a resoundin

oing to make her even more disappoin

name," he de

ent somehow inexplicably graceful.

ction sites and cold, hard bottom lines. She probably went to museums on the weekend and

cream, and he wasn

was probably a terrible idea. The p

ngered that errant curl and satisfaction unfurled in his g

mysterious," she said wi

" He was dead serious. "

fingers "Maybe you should try asking politely for the things you want," she suggested

nt to get her in trouble. She was running late alrea

he growled, watching her take one s

find her. "Polite

that could make most people want to punch him in the face. But he didn't

he things

inator for NYFA greeted her with undisguis

ed Evelyn down the hallway. "My rehearsal went late

ind of

y, beas

ords. "Ran into a wall

d, horror on her pre

knocked out of her but quickly assessed

nded at the feet of a se

od thing, Natalia wasn

t someone here t

lia. But she didn't take any offense. Natalia was fully aware if she'd twisted or sprained

Evelyn," sh

olling. The place look

out a ple

It's a pac

Evelyn handed her to a petite woman, full of

n hour. Before whirling away, Evelyn sent he

ce lesson with you will likely

fited from NYFA's grants and scholarships that Natalia had immed

erced woman who introduced hers

rack and there was a vanity where Rita

a hug

. "I saw you perform last year at

er would be starved of public adoration, but public adoration wasn't the point of her performances, it was just a side effect. She didn't embarrass eas

on was to crack a joke, so she gave Rita a conspiratorial wink.

hed, making Natalia

atalia's least favorite part of getting the performance ready,

w and immediately a pair of piercing, ice-blue eyes invad

he thing

wa

ot a patron

filthy rich, but Natalia would bet money he wasn't one of the tech billionair

ove to be seen by socialites. His blunt words mixed with several curses should have been off-putting, but they felt like a breath

, a beard several shades darker than his hair, and a beast of a body.

he'd ever been involved with in her life. He didn't like art, for god's sake. He probably thought modern danc

e performance ahead of her, Natalia couldn't stop thinking of those eyes. That

dress. A crew member walked her to the edge of the stage and gave her some final i

nd, but Natalia's stomach pitched, wondering if he

iding her name, in the back of her mind a li

e'd already accomplished his goal of getting whatever he was trying

it of her stomach. It was ridiculous to feel panic over

ost surely leaving for London in two months, before taking

of the adrenaline that fueled any good dancer. But there was something jus

the glass-walled event space. But Natalia barely heard, she was alread

ve her with us this evening, and I'm thrilled to announce our final bid item: a private performance and dance lesson with Natalia herself. If you've had the privilege of seeing Natalia perform

elcoming the extraor

ed over her, and the last thing that flashed through Natali

there, wa