This Tangled Thing Called Love: A Contemporary Romance Novel by Marie Astor Page B

intriguing.”
    “Liar.”
    “So are you – you said you’d leave me alone.” Claire sighed. “Fine, you win. I suppose, if I were single, I might have been tempted.”
    “And you are not tempted now?”
    “Even if I were, I wouldn’t do anything about it. I’m in love with David, remember?”
    “So you keep saying. I’m just not sure whom you are trying to convince so hard.”
    “Lindsay! Where did this come from? I love David. He is absolutely wonderful.”
    “If he asked you to marry him tomorrow, would you?”
    “What is it with everyone suddenly thinking that David and I are headed for the altar? And yes, if he asked me, I would marry him without any reservations,” Claire added.
    “Okay. Just as long as you’re happy, I’m happy. Maybe you could hire Alec as a dance instructor for your wedding.”
    “Why would we need a dance instructor?”
    “Well, you will have a bride and groom first dance at your wedding, won’t you?”
    “David doesn’t dance, and in any case, why don’t we wait for him to propose first?”
    “Agreed. I just hope you’ll have your mind made up when he does.”
     
    Alec opened the door of his apartment and carefully placed the bundled package from the art gallery onto the floor. His new digs were shaping up quite nicely: the red wall he’d repainted added just the right amount of dramatic flair he had been hoping for, and the newly washed parquet floors sparkled. The art deco tango poster he had asked the gallery owner to track down for him would be the final touch. Alec shook his head, remembering his botched attempt at painting. Sure, he could slather paint with a roller all day long, but to think that he could actually paint had been overconfident. His attempt to draw a silhouette of a tango couple had turned into a complete fiasco, and he had to repaint the red wall. Well, now it was finally dry and ready for the poster to be hung up.
    Alec reached for his tool kit, searching for a hook strong enough to hold up the poster’s weighty frame. The frame had cost almost as much as the poster did, but it was well worth it. As he plunged the drill bit into the wall, Alec felt his frustration ebbing. There was no point in sulking. So, Claire had a boyfriend. There were plenty of fish in the sea, and he had never found himself wanting in the women department. And yet, the thought of his downstairs neighbor with another man made his mouth turn sour with jealousy. Alec’s competitive streak had always been strong, but it was more than that. Granted, he had only seen Claire for a handful of moments, and she was snapping at him during the majority of them, but for some perverse reason, her irate demeanor only seemed to fuel his interest in her. Perhaps he was a closet masochist. He had never shied away from a challenge, but presently, he had to admit that he had struck out on this one.
     
    As she walked up Second Avenue toward her building, Claire’s gaze traveled to the top floor apartment. The light was on, and before she could stop herself with thoughts of propriety, her head was tilting for a better view. A glimpse of Alec lurked in the window. It was only his silhouette really, but the shape of his lean torso was unmistakable, as was the cat-like grace of his movements. Again, it looked like he was dancing, but then that was the way Alec moved, even when he was simply walking.
    I wonder what’s he doing up there ? Claire mused, as she recounted her earlier encounter with Alec at the art gallery: the flirtatious tone of his voice, the playful sparks in his eyes, the way his hair brushed against his neck. She had been so brisk with him, her voice prim and her lips set, while all she wanted to do instead was break into a smile and flirt right back. What harm could there be in a little flirtation? Jake flirted with her at work all the time, and that did not mean a thing. Jake knew she was with David and confided to her all of his love conquests. But with Alec, she could not