Today’s snippet theme is Something Odd – A quirky Character or scene. This is one of my fav scences. It is with my heroine, her brothers and friend. Enjoy.
An snippet from Conquering Jazz…
Opening the door of Visions, Jasmine remembered how Reese had looked when she left for work–sexy and tousled. It was hard for her to get out of bed with him looking so delicious, but she had work to make up for after leaving early on Friday. Going inside the lobby, she locked the door behind her, then noticed that there was no sound in the office.
Listening carefully, she confirmed it. She started to sing I Had a Hot Night Last Night, a song she and her brothers had made up to tease each other with when they were caught out late, or came to any function late. Singing at the top of her lungs, she knew she was off-key and didn’t care. She knew her Aunt Ainsley, who was singer before she got married, would be horrified to hear her. Walking further into the room, she dropped her briefcase on the ground and kicked off her shoes, then climbed up on the burgundy couch.
Facing the wall, she kept singing and started to dance. Jasmine felt exhilarated as she moved along the couch, bumping and grinding her hips from one end to the other, kicking the cream and hunter green cushions onto the floor. Coming back, she stopped in the middle of the couch and spread her arms wide, shimmying and moving.
A pair of hands grabbed her off the couch, startling her. Hearing his husky laugh, she knew it was Jamison. He turned her and she glanced up into his twinkling hazel gaze. Then he twirled her, and all she could do was hang on. He stopped, then started to dance himself. From the moves, Jasmine knew it was the Samba.
Picking up his rhythm, she joined him. She saw a flash of red, then glanced over to see Wolfe and Mia dancing the Salsa. They moved perfectly together. A whistle from Jamison caught her attention. Wolfe looked up, nodded and then she was twirling. Everything was a blur, and the wind blew across her face.
Jasmine felt Jamison’s arm ripple as he twirled her. Then he let go and she was sent into Wolfe’s arms. He caught her and, without breaking a step, changed to the Tango. All Jasmine could do was hold on and go with him.
Wolfe still dances beautifully. I wonder if Reese still knows how to do this, Jasmine thought as they started across the floor.
Jasmine knew they all could dance beautifully. After all, their mother, Raina Hamlin, had been a professional dancer at one time. She had taught all the Hamlin kids, Mia included, to dance. Jasmine couldn’t believe she still remembered the steps to the dance number her mother had created for the family, which she dubbed the “Hamlin Special”.
Hearing Mia shriek, she glanced at her in time to see Jamison swing Mia behind his back, and then pull her between his legs. Jasmine laughed in delight, then felt Wolfe shift his hold. He did the same thing as Jamison, but brought her up in the air, over his head, and held her there.
Looking up at the ceiling, Jasmine balanced as she had been taught all those years ago. She knew from experience that Wolfe wouldn’t drop her. He was one of the few people she trusted to try this move and never break his hold. He brought her back down smoothly, and into a deep dip, then went back into the Tango. Glancing over, she saw Mia and Jamison were doing the same thing. Wolfe spun her into his body, then out, letting her go. The turn lifted her dress. Then she stopped, and saw that she and Mia had ended up next to each other, as they always had.
Glancing down, she quickly put on her shoes. She needed them for the next part. Looking back at her brothers, she laughed as they did the Tango around the room, waiting for her to finish. They couldn’t decide who would lead. Nodding at Mia, Jasmine started the finale for the dance. Her brothers stopped and waited for them.
Jasmine started toward them in sexy strut, leg over leg. Then she stopped, halfway turning to face Mia. Bending from the waist, Jasmine put her hands to the floor before straightening slowly. Mia kicked one leg into the air and balanced on one shoe. Shaking her head, Jasmine didn’t try the move. She had never gotten it perfected, as Mia had. Mia slowly lowered her leg to the floor. Picking up the next step, Jasmine, along with Mia, continued to the men.
Reaching them, they walked around them once, then stopped to face them. Wolfe’s hand gripped her waist, and Jasmine dropped backward, curling her back. He held her as he swept her body across the floor, then took her into his arms and started the dance.
The steps were intricate and choreographed by their mother, a mixture of Modern, Italian, and Jazz. Jasmine enjoyed the exhilaration of letting loose. She hadn’t realized before how much she missed doing this with her brothers.
I’ll ask Reese if he wants to go dancing, or maybe we’ll have a private dance, she mused.
Laughing, she kicked her leg up around Wolfe’s waist and he held her, lowering her leg to the floor, then pulling her straight up before spinning her and going into a deep dip. Breathing harshly, Jasmine gasped for air. Looking at Wolfe, she saw he wasn’t even out of breath. He was laughing down at her.
Copyright © McKenna Jeffries, 2008.
All Rights Reserved, Liquid Silver Books.
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Reese pulled the car into the driveway and turned it off, looking at the beautiful, large stone house. It had the look of a quaint cottage. The sign as they drove in had read “Ellis Hideaway,” but it should have been called Paradise. The place had a charming feeling about it. The unique stones on the house were complimented by wide bay windows, an oak door, and a wraparound porch. Counting the terraces, Reese realized there seemed to be a separate one for each room in the structure’s six floors.
