Dance of the Heart

  DANCE OF THE HEART

  Book #6 of the Muse Chronicles

  by

  Lisa Kessler

  Dance of the Heart – Copyright © 2018 by Lisa Kessler

  Kobo Edition

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Visit Lisa’s website: Lisa-Kessler.com

  Sign up for Lisa’s newsletter: goo.gl/56lDla

  Edited by Double Vision Editorial, Danielle Poiesz

  Cover design by Fiona Jayde Media

  Interior Design by – BB eBooks

  Vase Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com is licensed under CC BY 3.0

  Manufactured in the United States of America First Edition June 2018

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  The Muse Chronicles

  LURE OF OBSESSION

  LEGEND OF LOVE

  BREATH OF PASSION

  LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT

  DEVOTED TO DESTINY

  DANCE OF THE HEART

  SONG OF THE SOUL

  The Night Series

  NIGHT WALKER

  NIGHT THIEF

  NIGHT DEMON

  NIGHT ANGEL

  NIGHT CHILD

  The Moon Series

  MOONLIGHT

  HUNTER’S MOON

  BLOOD MOON

  HARVEST MOON

  ICE MOON

  BLUE MOON

  WOLF MOON

  NEW MOON

  The Sentinels of Savannah

  MAGNOLIA MYSTIC

  Stand Alone Works

  BEG ME TO SLAY

  FORGOTTEN TREASURES

  ACROSS THE VEIL

  Dedication

  This one is for Panda who has danced on the ice and off for most of her life. I wish I had a quarter of her talent, and I’m super grateful for her help with dance terms for this book…

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Acknowledgments

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  About the Author

  CHAPTER 1

  Gavin Thompson checked the address in his phone and peered up at the single-story, gray block building. Apparently, his potential new client owned a dance studio. Interesting. Why would a dance instructor need a bodyguard?

  His old friend from the police force, Nate Malone, had recommended him and set up the meeting for… He checked his notes. “Tera Muldoon,” he mumbled.

  Gavin hadn’t spoken to Tera directly yet, but Nate had said it was urgent and he didn’t want one of Gavin’s PIs assigned to the case. Nate wanted Gavin himself on this detail.

  He had to admit, his curiosity was piqued.

  As he approached the building, he was already checking the overhang for security cameras. He couldn’t help it. He liked to know what he was getting into before agreeing to take the job. Not that he was likely to turn it down if it was as important to Nate as it seemed.

  Gavin entered the dance studio, and eight little girls rubber-necked from the ballet barre to look at him. They were probably all between the ages of seven and ten.

  “Excuse me, can I help you?” A tall, slender woman in yoga pants and a tank top walked toward him. Her thick braid of hair draped over her shoulder like dark chocolate, and her light eyes were a startling grayish blue—almost silver.

  For a second, he had to search for his name. “I’m Gavin Thompson. I have a meeting with Tera.”

  The corners of her mouth curved into a barely-there smile. “I’m almost finished here,” she said softly. “Would you mind waiting?”

  “Sure.” He glanced at the prying eyes of the girls at the barre and pointed at the door. “I’ll be right outside.”

  Standing out front he ran a hand down his face. Malone hadn’t mentioned his referral was gorgeous. Not a problem, but definitely a surprise—and potentially a distraction. He tugged his cell out of his pocket and checked some e-mails while pacing the length of the building. A few minutes later, the door burst open, and girls in tutus fled the building.

  One of them wandered his way, staring up at him with bright-green eyes and a gap-toothed grin. “Are you Tera’s Guardian?”

  He pocketed his phone and looked down at her with a smile. “Something like that, I guess. I keep bad people away from good people.”

  Her hip jutted out as she crossed her arms. Something about her stance seemed…familiar. “But are you her Guardian? We’ve been waiting for him to find her.”

  What the hell was this little girl talking about? He was trying to puzzle it out when a woman came over to retrieve her. “Maggie, there you are.”

  She turned toward Gavin and recognition struck. “You’re Nate’s wife. Melanie, right?”

  “Yeah. You can call me Mel.” She reached out, and they shook hands. “You must be Gavin, the bodyguard.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah.” He glanced down at the little girl and her curly, strawberry-blond hair. “And you’re Nate’s little girl who I hear so much about.” No wonder her questioning stance had seemed familiar. She’d mastered her dad’s bad-cop posture. He offered her his hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”

  She shook his hand, her face suddenly very serious. “I’m Maggie Malone. Take good care of Tera. I don’t want the bad guys to get her.”

  Mel squeezed Maggie’s shoulder, the smile disappearing from her face as she met Gavin’s eyes. “Tera can fill you in, but Maggie had a run-in with the bad guys recently.”

  Gavin tensed. He’d seen plenty of violence in his line of work, but it was a hundred times more fucked up when little kids got sucked into the mess. He knelt down to Maggie’s eye level. “You’re a brave girl. I bet they weren’t expecting that.” She nodded, and he went on. “I’ll make sure your dance teacher is safe.”

  He didn’t know if he even had the job yet, but he didn’t want Maggie to worry.

  As if summoned by their conversation, Tera appeared in the doorway. Her voice was hesitant, not like the confident instructor he’d seen inside. “I guess I’m ready now.”

  He rose to his full height and faced Mel. “Tell Nate I said he has a beautiful family.”

  “Will do.” She smiled and walked away hand in hand with her daughter.

  Gavin turned for the door, but Tera was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, he stepped inside and found her with her leg up on the ballet barre.

  He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I thought you were ready to discuss security.”

  “I am. I think better when I move.” She stretched from the waist, reaching her hands over her foot. Her eyes tracked his every move in the mirror.

  “Okay.” He’d never had a first interview like this. “Nate told me you might be needing a bodyguard. He said some of your friends have been harassed lately, and they’re worried about you.”

>   “Sounds like you’re up to speed.” She took her foot off the barre and straightened. She crossed her arms, but on her, the body language didn’t seem combative. He could only see one of her hands, but her index finger picked at her thumb. She was nervous. Or maybe he was misreading the situation. Maybe she was just scared of the stalker.

  “We haven’t agreed to work together yet,” he pointed out. “That’s why I’m here.”

  Her teeth scraped her lower lip. “If it’s a question of the money, I can pay you.”

  He shook his head. “Money’s not holding me back. Nate knows my rates.”

  “Then what is it?” She uncrossed her arms and started toying with the end of her braid with one hand.

  “I need to know that you understand the danger around you. For me to keep you safe, you’ll have to do what I tell you when I tell you and ask questions later.”

  She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ve spent my life following instructions with no questions asked.”

  “Good.” He dug in his pocket for a business card. “Anything else you want to know about me or what I have planned to beef up the security around here?”

  “The people who might be after me have already killed two of my friends.” Her voice trembled slightly. She walked toward the mirrored wall and picked up a water bottle, taking a long sip. Finally, she met his eyes, her gaze determined. “You’ll be in danger if you’re around me. Why do you want to get involved?”

  Good question.

  “Nate told me. I’m sorry for your loss.” He paused and added, “And as far as getting involved, this is my job, and if I do it right, they’ll never get close enough to hurt either of us.”

  “That wasn’t really what I asked.” She sat on the floor and popped off her dance shoes, swapping them for white sneakers. “Sorry. I’ve never had a bodyguard before. How does this work?”

  He handed her his card. “I’ll e-mail some paperwork over for you to sign, and then I’ll get your security system here and at your home upgraded. Once it’s all in place, I’ll stay close to you at all times until Nate finds and arrests whoever is doing this.”

  She inspected the card and tied her last shoe. “Gavin Thompson.” She stood up, her gaze scanning his face. Recognition dawned in her eyes. “You’re not from here, are you? You’re from New York.”

  “Uh, yeah,” he said, cocking his head. “I am. How did you know that?” Had she recognized his name somehow? She didn’t look familiar.

  “You used to play high school basketball at St. Mary’s.” A real smile finally warmed her features. She was so damned beautiful it socked him in the gut.

  He nodded, wracking his brain for any memory of Tera Muldoon. There was no way he ever would have forgotten her if they had met. “Did you go to St. Mary’s?”

  She shook her head. “I was homeschooled, but my dance academy was across the street. Sometimes if my mom was late to pick me up, I’d sneak in and watch the end of your games. The commentator said your name a lot. You were crazy good at three-point shots.”

  His jaw nearly dropped. What were the chances they’d meet on the other side of the country? Not that they’d ever really met before. He never would have forgotten her face. After high school he moved to California on a basketball scholarship to UCLA and hadn’t gone home since.

  “Small world.” He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck.

  She picked up her dance bag and tucked the card inside. “So does this mean you’re going to be my bodyguard?”

  “If you sign the contract, I’m all yours.” He smiled. “I’ll do my best not to intrude on your life, but until they catch this guy, I won’t lie to you. I’m going to be your shadow. Eventually you won’t even notice I’m there.”

  “Not likely.” She ran her hand up and down her other arm as she walked by, glancing up at him as she passed. “I’m not really a people person.”

  He raised a brow as he followed her out. She set the alarm and locked the front door. At least she had an alarm, but the lack of security cameras was going to need to change, as was—

  “Do you dance?”

  Her question snapped him out of his mental checklist. “Dance? Uh, not really.”

  She stared at her keys, her voice tentative again. “Are you willing to learn?”

  She had to be joking, but she didn’t look up, and she wasn’t smiling. He frowned. “Your bodyguard has a dancing requirement?”

  “Not a requirement.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “But you’ll be spending most of your time here at my dance studio. I could at least give you some basic steps.”

  Usually he was better about figuring people out, but this woman baffled him. She went from nervous and shy one moment, to owning her space when she was in instructor mode.

  Then he connected the dots. This dancer was shy when she wasn’t moving.

  He wanted to make her comfortable with him being around, but damn it. Dancing was miles out of his comfort zone. “I’ll probably be too busy for dance lessons.”

  She shrugged, picking at her fingernail. “Women love a big guy who can dance.”

  He crossed his arms, trying to keep his expression neutral. “How do you know I’m not already married?”

  She slid her bag onto her shoulder. “Because a married guy probably doesn’t stake out other women’s apartments for a living.” She met his eyes with a touch of defiance in her gaze. “Don’t mistake being quiet with being stupid.”

  He wasn’t sure if she was baiting him, but she didn’t seem angry. More matter of fact. He shook his head. “I don’t make assumptions like that.”

  “Sorry.” She focused on the parking lot. “I communicate better with my body than my words.”

  Some very un-business-like communication popped into his head before he could stop it.

  He started to open his mouth, but a hot, burning pain lanced through his abdomen. Damn it. He rubbed his stomach, praying his appendix didn’t choose now to burst.

  A car pulled into the lot, and Tera grabbed his wrist. “Oh god. Get me out of here.”

  The burning in his gut was instantly forgotten. He slid his arm around her waist, and suddenly, they were all the way around the back of her building. What the hell?

  Tera’s eyes were wide. “How did you…?” She spun around and threw up. He caught her braid and held it back for her.

  “Sorry.” She straightened up, her face pale. “I don’t think I’ve ever moved so fast.”

  He hadn’t either. If she hadn’t been with him, he would’ve thought he blacked out and just didn’t remember walking behind the building.

  She wiped her forehead. “You’re supersonic.”

  “I’m not sure what happened.” Adrenaline made average people into superheroes, so maybe hearing the fear in her voice had given him an overdose. “Are you all right? Who was in the car?”

  “My mother.” She took her braid from his hand. “Thanks for keeping my hair out of the mess. I hope it didn’t make you sick, too. If I so much as hear someone retching, I end up right beside them.”

  “I’ve got an iron gut.” He tipped his head toward the front of the building. “Why are we hiding from your mother?”

  A sad smile curved her lips. “We don’t have enough time for that conversation. Short version is I had a restraining order against her.”

  He pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call Nate. The police can pick her up.”

  She touched his arm and shook her head. “Had a restraining order. It expired a few months ago. She’s never come to Crystal City before, so I thought I escaped.”

  He frowned. “Is she dangerous?”

  “Relentless is a better word.” She leaned against the back wall of the dance studio, staring up at the darkening sky. “Shit.”

  She closed her eyes, sucking in slow breaths. When she opened them again, her gaze was distant. He couldn’t be sure if she was talking to him or to herself. “Months of therapy, and less than a second after she pulls into my par
king lot, I’m hiding out again.”

  He didn’t know the whole story, but he already wanted to shield her from her mother. “If she starts harassing you in any way, I’ll take you to the courthouse myself.” He went to the corner and peered around.

  Dammit. He couldn’t see the front door from his current vantage point. “I’m going to see if she’s still in the parking lot. Wait right here.”

  Tera nodded.

  Good. She stayed put and he rounded the other corner. He caught Tera’s mother peering through the glass in the door. “Can I help you?”

  She straightened and looked his way. She was in her fifties, maybe early sixties—maybe. But there was no denying the family resemblance. She had Tera’s ethereal features and ivory skin, but unlike her daughter, this woman had dark brown eyes.

  “I’m looking for Tera Muldoon.”

  He shrugged, glancing at her car. Empty. She had come alone. He focused on Tera’s mother again. “Classes are finished for the day.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m not here for a class. I’m her mother. I came here to save her.”

  “Is she in danger?” He raised a brow.

  “Only if I can’t find her.” She crossed her arms finally looked up at him with a flustered set to her jaw. “And who are you?”

  Before he could reply, Tera’s voice came from behind him.

  So much for following directions.

  Tera stopped beside him and took his hand, lacing their fingers together in one natural, fluid movement. Her touch sent a tidal wave of awareness all the way down to his damned toes.

  “This is Gavin.” She smiled up at him, her other hand squeezing his bicep. “He’s my boyfriend.”

  He stared into her eyes for a moment, grounding himself in this unexpected undercover operation, then faced her mother. “Nice to finally meet you. Tera has told me all about you.”

  Her mother rolled her eyes again. “I bet you’re shocked I don’t have two heads, right? I’m Doris Muldoon, by the way.” She focused on her daughter. “A man will only distract you from your goals. You know that, baby. I swear you’re not a stupid girl, but sometimes you sure act like one.”