Virgin Dancer Read Online Free PDF Page B

like other men. His name is Alrik, and he comes from Sweden."
    "Like the Vikings," Caleb said, excitement sneaking into his voice. Besides numbers, he loved history books. His eyes wandered to one of the books on the well-filled shelves along the wall. "What does he look like?"
    To her own embarrassment, she couldn't help blushing. "You could say that he looks much like you'd imagine a Viking, minus the beard and helmet with horns," she said.
    "The Vikings only wore helmets to battle," her brother remarked. "And there is no archeological evidence pointing to horned or winged helmets at all. Will you marry him?"
    "Caleb!" she cried, aghast. "I just met him! Besides, we decided that it's better not to see each other again."
    "Why?" he said, clearly astounded. "So you don't like him?"
    "Of course I like him. It's just that now is not the right time - or place for us to be … a couple."
    "I don't understand," Caleb said.
    "We don't fit together," she tried to explain, knowing that this was a blatant lie. That night, every touch, every whispered word had felt as if they had been made for each other. It couldn't have been more perfect.
    It was obvious that Caleb still didn't understand, and he seemed to start growing disinterested in this pointless conversation. Longingly, he looked over to the computer, where the cursor was blinking behind the last row of numbers he had written.
    "When will you see him again?" he asked, ending the discussion. "You like him." He said that as if he didn't have the slightest doubt concerning this statement. Jade had often found that he had a talent to reduce complex problems to the most important facts. It was a result of the logic-driven way his mind worked.
    She wasn't able to answer for a few moments, then she sighed. "I don't know," she said. "Maybe never." At the same moment she suddenly felt positive that she wanted, rather needed to see him again, desperately. Caleb had the amazing ability to reduce every problem to the simple facts.
    "You will," Caleb said, finalizing their conversation. Not wanting to talk anymore, he had returned to typing while Jade was left alone with her turmoil of emotions. Slowly she crossed the room to stare out of the window with empty eyes.
    "I really hope you're right," she whispered.

    *****

Chapter Four
     

     
    A few days later, Caleb's words turned out to be true. In the meantime, Jade had spent a lot of time thinking about an explanation for Alrik's strange behavior. Sure, she hadn't been allowed to enter his penthouse and speak to him again, but if the truth were told, he hadn't promised her anything. Despite her offer to have sex with him, without any obligations, he had just let her go. She knew that he would have liked to be with her, very much so. She had felt what an effort it had cost him to restrain himself. Nevertheless he had send her away. Actually, it had been an honorable thing to do. He had behaved like a gentleman.
    However, she cursed him for it. At night she tossed and turned in her lonely bed, ferociously wishing that she'd had that one night with him, a night to keep and cherish in her memory forever. Her body still burned for him, and she didn't know if she could ever be with another man without thinking of him.
    Damn him.
    But fate decided otherwise. One afternoon she was in her favorite little bookshop off Bay Street, rummaging through out-of-prints about ballet technique, when she saw him. She had only looked up from her book by chance. A few seconds later, and her life might have taken another course.
    Alrik was walking by, right on the other side of the shop's window front. It was impossible to miss him; not many men walking the streets of New York were as tall. He wore jeans and a plain white shirt that was open at the neck. His head was downturned, his hands hidden in his pockets. He seemed to be lost in thought and didn't see her, even though she was standing only a few feet away. Instantly she felt her heart beating rapidly