Who I Am With You (Imagination #10) - Staci Stallings Page 0,79

both surprised and delighted, and he smiled at her as he stood them both back up.

“Not too bad,” he said with a shrug.

“Yes!” the instructor said to them. “Perfect! That’s exactly right.”

“Okay. Let’s do one more version of the dip,” the male instructor said. “Again, like many of these dips, this one can be super simple or really dramatic. The important part, gentlemen, is to start with your partner’s opposite hand in yours and have them dip into your arm so your arm is under their neck. She will come in to you backward, and holding her opposite hand in yours, she will lay the back of her neck on your arm and you hold her kind of like you would cradle a small child. You can also put your other hand around her waist for more stability if you want. You can do this dip shallow…” They did it that way. “Or deeper.” Again, they demonstrated. “Like everything else, once you get the basic move, it’s all up to you to dance it the way you feel it in the moment.”

Greg and Taylor, along with the others, tried it a couple of times and though it was a little more awkward than the others because there was no music, it was a relatively easy move.

“To close out the night, we’ll do one slow song,” the woman said. “This isn’t a test. You’re not being graded. Feel free to do any of the moves we’ve done tonight or add in any you already know. Here we go.”

When Greg’s gaze slipped over to hers, a weird rush of shyness cascaded over Taylor. Without a word, he put out his hand, and she put her hand into his. The song that started was a slow ballad, not country, more pop. The lilting female voice sang about the stars in the sky and suddenly feeling alive. Taylor could relate.

Taking her hand, Greg put it on his shoulder and pushed them to swaying with the gentle undulation of the soft music. His hand came to Taylor’s waist as she laid her head on his shoulder. While Taylor could have just swayed with him like that the whole song and been perfectly content, when the male voice joined in for his lyrics about her being a light in the dark, Greg took Taylor’s hand from his shoulder and spun her but only very slowly before guiding her past his leg and dipping her backward across him with his hand on the back of her head. It was all so smooth, so effortless, no jerks or confusion between them. He looked so perfectly in control that she had no need to help or worry about any of it.

When he stood her to right, he took her hand in front of her before spinning her out from him. Coming back in, he took her opposite hand and drew her in. Like he’d been doing it his whole life, he simply lowered her in front of himself, with one hand supporting her neck, the other her waist. Taylor fought not to let herself get lost in the movement and the moment. His eyes were so close as he came down with her. They were dancing to the rhythm as he watched her in something touching sheer fascination before bringing her back up again.

The music picked up either speed or intensity, Taylor couldn’t tell, but suddenly they were singing about just how they’d found each other and how being together made them feel like they could fly. The words, “Like it’s just you and me in this dream,” caught her attention as Greg stepped past her, set her hip on his and picked her right up off the floor so they were face-to-face just inches apart. He spun them both slowly as she looked at him, not believing this could be the shy kid she’d danced with in seventh grade. Where that shyness had gone, she had no idea but it was all she really remembered about him until that moment.

Gently, he stood her back on the floor and taking her hand behind his back, he brought her around before spinning first himself and then her. The song continued on about taking chances and there being magic in just one touch. Taylor didn’t know if this was magic or just Greg being stuck with her because Clara had practically thrown them together, but at that moment, she really didn’t care. This felt like magic and hope and peace and