Bent gazed down at her. He parted his lips and tilted his head. Just as he was about to kiss her, he turned and whispered into her ear. “Gotcha back,” he said laughing.Sarah felt her face flame. Had he really thought she assumed he would kiss her? How humiliating!!!!!He stood up and pulled her roughly up off the floor. He removed the gloves from her hands and tossed them onto the bench. Pressing her body up against his chest, he wrapped his arm around her waist. He took her hand in his, and began to slowly dance. “MUSIC!” he yelled to some unseen music player. Sarah heard a thunderous music track erupt around the room. Bent kept her flattened against himself as he swayed his hips with hers across the floor. And as he pulled back to twirl her around in a circle, he started to sing. “Feel the beat. It’s not all in your head. Feel the beat. You’re wanted instead.” He was singing along to the heavy metal track. But his voice, unlike the voice on the music player, was gentle and extremely appealing. “The curve of your hips. Your smile so broad. Take my soul. And my hot rod bod.” Sarah started to giggle as he spun her around again. She could see their bodies reflected in the wall mirrors. She saw he looked sexy and amazing. But when she looked at herself, she noticed how red and disgusting her own face was! Embarrassed, she dropped her head down onto his shoulder to hide her face. He moved his hand from her waist and held it gently behind her head. He stroked his fingers through her hair. “Why are you so cruel to me? You’ve got the world. You’re my energy.” He continued to sing along, not realizing the effect his soothing, tantalizing voice had on her nerves. He can sing. He can dance. He’s stronger than Hercules. He’s richer than…Sarah shook her head. So he was perfect. Why was he being SO NICE?????????Sarah’s phone started to ring. She paused, momentarily disoriented. Bent broke away from her so she could fish her phone out of her back pocket. She raised the phone to her ear. “Erin, hey.” Erin hollered into the phone. “GIRL, WHAT’S UP??? I’m free. Let’s hang. Where are you at?”Sarah gulped. She glanced at Bent. It seemed he could hear Erin’s voice from the phone. He quickly shook his head at her. “I’m uh…I’m out with my Jeep.” Well, that was sort of true. “Awesome. Your house? Ten minutes? I brought food!!!” Erin hung up. She didn’t waste time. Sarah pocketed her phone after checking the time. WOW! She’d been at Bent’s house for hours!!!! Where had the time GONE????”I…um,” she really had to stop herself from saying ‘um’ all the time. “I have to go meet a friend.” She swallowed again. She hated to leave. But she knew she should. Bent nodded. “No prob.”She followed him back out into the hallway. “Stairs or elevator?” he asked. He grinned at her. Sarah brushed her hair away from her face. “Elevator, I guess,” she said. They squeezed into the elevator and descended silently back down to the first floor. “Thanks…for…stopping by. It was…it was cool.” Bent looked super awkward now.They got out of the elevator and walked to the front door.Sarah bit her lip. “I’ll try to keep those punching lessons in mind. The next time I face a fight,” she said laughing. He threw out a quick punch at her. Instinctively, Sarah ducked her head and blocked his hand with hers. “NICE!” he said, nearly shouting. Sarah dropped her head to hide yet another fierce blush, and touched her fingers to the front door.The door slid open automatically as it always did. As Sarah raised her eyes, she came face to face…with Elly.