Dancing With Raven (The Young Shakespeareans Series) by S.G. Rogers Page B

dealing with it.”
    “I understand a little more than you might think.” He cleared his throat. “Before I left England, my application for admission to The Royal Drama Academy of London was rejected. I had my heart set on it, so I didn’t exactly turn a handspring.” The muscle working in his jaw revealed Raven hadn’t come to grips with his rejection yet.
    “I’m really sorry. You’re such an accomplished actor, I can’t imagine why you didn’t get accepted.”
    “Apparently, I failed to concentrate on my core subjects enough. Stupid, I know.”
    “So now you’re going the Hollywood route?”
    Chuckle. “I’m open to the idea, but I don’t think I’m the type to make it as a television or movie actor.”
    “I disagree completely.” When his gaze met hers, she flushed. “It’s just my opinion, of course.”
    “Thank you. Your opinion means a lot.”
    “If you’re not here for Hollywood, why did you come?”
    Shrug. “I didn’t have a choice. My father retired and decided to move to L.A. permanently.”
    “What does your father do?”
    “Er…he was in a branch of law enforcement. I’ll probably do the same thing, eventually.”
    She sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Everybody’s being so mean, I don’t even know how I’m going to make it through the rest of the school year.”
    “It’s a shame your classmates aren’t more supportive, but I expect they can’t see past their own insecurities. People can be very tiny sometimes.”
    “When you put it that way, I could feel almost sorry for them.”
    “I do feel sorry for them. It must be difficult for kids who are stunted emotionally to be friendly with a girl who is bright, beautiful, and incredibly talented.”
    A warm feeling suffused her core. “That might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

    Now that he and Tori were talking again, Raven found dance class to be much more enjoyable. The class had progressed to the promenade and side samba walks, which Raven and Tori nailed right away. Her smiles were genuine, and he could tell she was enjoying herself too. Unfortunately, he felt a vague sense of guilt for not leveling with her about why he was there. Although he didn’t know Tori well, he wanted to know her better. Her ice princess exterior was a veneer meant to keep anyone from getting too close, he suspected, but the glimpse he’d had of her vulnerable side appealed to his protective nature. Add that to the appeal of Tori’s obvious physical attractions, he was in danger of becoming emotionally involved. When the time came to shine light on the tissue of lies surrounding her birth, however, she would naturally assume his friendship had been a deception too. After the inevitable backlash, he’d be the one to get hurt. Argh, I’m thinking too much! He gave himself over to the rhythm of the dance, relishing the feeling of her hand in his.
    Mr. Boone clucked his tongue as he sauntered past. “A little more room between you and your partner, if you please.”
    Raven suddenly realized he’d drawn Tori in too close. “Sorry.” He relaxed his hold. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
    “I’m letting you lead.” Her glance was almost flirtatious. “You seem to know what you’re doing.”
    Heat flared within him, as if she’d lit a match and set him on fire. Boone was watching from a few yards away, so Raven fought the impulse to pull Tori closer again. I know what I want. Whether or not I know what I’m doing is open to debate.
    “I’d like to watch you dance sometime,” he said as the hour came to a close. “Ballet, I mean.”
    “Really? Perhaps you’d like to join me in class. There’s always room for a male dancer, whatever his level.”
    “Oh…no. I just want to watch.”
    “I have pointe class three times a week at Madame Martine’s Dance Studio on Ventura Boulevard. There’s an observation window with chairs where mothers usually wait. If you’re serious, meet me in the