Read Dead on the Dance Floor for Free Online

isn’t it?” Shannon murmured. “I hope we’re not bad luck. I mean, an ex-student is murdered by her husband, and then…then Lara drops dead.”
    â€œYou think we’re jinxed?”
    Shannon looked past Gordon’s shoulder. Sam Railey was right behind Gordon, staring in.
    â€œJinxed?” Gordon protested. “Don’t even suggest such a thing. Nell was long gone from here when she was murdered. And Lara…Lara is simply a tragedy.” He held up three fingers. “The Broward studio lost two students and an instructor last year.”
    Shannon hid a smile, her brow quirking upward. “Gordon, the students were Mr. and Mrs. Hallsly, ninety and ninety three, respectively. It wasn’t such a shock that they died with a few months of one another. And,” she added softly, since she had been very fond of Dick Graft, the instructor who had died, “Dick had an aneurism.”
    â€œI’m pointing out the fact that people die and we’re not jinxed,” Gordon said.
    â€œMan, I hope not,” Sam said. “Because that would be two for us. And you know, things happen in threes.”
    â€œSam!” Gordon said.
    â€œOh, man, sorry. Hey, don’t worry, I’d never say anything like that in front of the students.”
    â€œI should hope not,” Gordon admonished.
    Gordon might have given the management over to Shannon, but if he were to decide that an instructor was detrimental to the studio, that teacher would be out in seconds flat.
    â€œHey,” another voice chimed in. Justin Garcia, five-eight tops, slim, with an ability to move with perfect rhythm, was on his toes, trying to look over the shoulders of the others gathered at Shannon’s door. “Psst.” He stared at Ella, still perched on the desk. “New student out front. I’d try to start the lesson myself, but he’s one big guy, and I think he’d cream me if I gave it a try.”
    â€œDoug’s brother,” Ella said, jumping up.
    Doug was definitely one of their favorite new students. He’d come in to learn salsa for a friend’s wedding and started out as stiff as a board, but within a week, he’d fallen in love with Cuban motion and wanted to learn everything.
    He was a cop and he would laugh about the fact that his fellow officers teased him.
    He was definitely appreciated by the studio’s many female students—not to mention his teacher, Jane Ulrich. Jane loved the dramatic. With Doug, she could leap, spin and almost literally fly. She was an excellent dancer, and he had the strength to allow her to do any lift she wanted to do. He was tall, blond, blue eyed and ready to go, everything one could want in a student.
    Ella pushed past the men, hurrying toward the front of the studio, where she could greet their new student and get him started on paperwork.
    Shannon, rising, was startled when Ella burst her way back in almost instantly, her eyes wide. “Damn, is Jane going to be sorry she had that dental appointment. Get up! You gotta see this guy.” Ella flew out again.
    â€œMakes mincemeat out of me,” Justin told Shannon with a shrug.
    Curious, Shannon followed the group on out. By then, Ella was greeting the man politely, and the others were standing around, waiting to meet him.
    They didn’t usually circle around to greet their new clients.
    Doug’s brother. Yes, the resemblance was there. They were of a similar height. But where Doug had nice shoulders and a lithe build, this guy looked like he’d walked out of a barbarian movie. His hair was dark, his eyes a penetrating blue. Nice face, hard, but even lines. In a cartoon, he might have been labeled Joe, the truck driver.
    Just before she could step forward, Sam placed his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back against him. He whispered teasingly to her, “Too bad it’s against policy to fraternize with our students,