Three to Tango Page 3

  “Keep your panties on, sister.”

  “Last one to the table gets warm beer!”

  Okay, that was more familiar ground. Relief filled him, but so did a chasing wave of disappointment.

  “Stop it, Alec,” he mumbled, giving himself a quick wash, then turning only the hot water lever off. A solid blast of cold would do him good. He stayed under the chilly spray until he began to shiver, then stepped out and toweled off.

  There must be a full moon tonight. Either everyone was mad from lunar pull, or his imagination had been completely running away with him. Which was highly possible.

  If he didn’t know any better, though, he’d swear they had both been flirting with him. But they had never once made any kind of subtle or overt move beyond friendship. Even if they were now, Alec didn’t think he should respond in kind. Better to just sit back and see which way the wind was blowing.

  And hope it blew in his direction.

  Sunlight speared through curtains fluttering gently on the cool ocean breeze and burned through Alec’s eyelids. He groaned and rolled over to see his alarm clock flashing 8:17 a.m. Saturdays were for sleeping in late, especially this Saturday. The near constant bombardment of erotic dreams featuring his roommates had kept him awake all night.

  Heavy bass beats reverberated through the floorboards beneath his bed, amplifying in his chest and matching the steady rhythm of his pulse. Blood rushed to his southern regions.

  Jace was dancing.

  Alec’s bedroom was above what had originally been the garage. When he’d moved into the house on the Strand, Jace had renovated by closing in the garage and knocking out a wall to accommodate more students. He taught, choreographed, and competed in ballroom dance. Even though the room was soundproof, for the most part, if Jace cranked the volume, it was like living over a nightclub.

  Alec wasn’t much for arts and culture, preferring sports and outdoor adventures, but he had watched Jace dance on occasion. He had always been in awe of his roommate’s graceful, sensually fluid movements. He wondered if Jace had any idea how sexy and inspiring it was to watch him dance.

  Alec hauled himself out of bed with a groan and slipped into a pair of loose gym shorts, then padded downstairs on bare feet. He had every intention of going straight to the kitchen for a fresh hot cup of joe but instead found himself stepping into the studio.

  The renovated studio made up the whole lower level of the house. Two walls held floor-to-ceiling mirrors with a dancer’s barré running along each; a small desk, stereo system, and flat-screen TV sat against another wall; and what had originally been the garage door was now a bank of windows.

  Standing just inside the door, Alec leaned against the small desk as he watched Jace dance alone with his reflection.

  Jace was only a couple of inches shorter than Alec’s six-two. His muscles were long and well defined on his lean frame, but his uninhibited movements gave his body a larger presence. He wore his dark blond hair cropped short, accentuating his eyes. And those eyes held the power to mesmerize Alec like no man—or woman—he had ever met.

  A faded black tank top molded tightly to Jace’s lithe torso, and baggy shorts hung loose on his narrow hips. A light sheen of sweat coated his sun-kissed skin, enhancing the muscle definition earned through years of dedicated training and hard work. But it was more than Jace’s physical beauty that drew Alec. Jace had an inherent charm that was impossible to deflect. His presence was a commanding force, reaching out and capturing everything in its path. Anyone he turned those sapphire eyes on was lost. No contest.

  Flashes of yesterday’s shower fantasy bounced through Alec’s mind. His abdomen tightened in response.

  Damn.

  Alec knew that daydream was going to haunt him, but he’d hoped he’d be able to keep it somewhat in check. He groaned and turned to leave the studio before embarrassing himself, but Jace caught his movement and spun around with a smile. The deer-in-headlights reaction caused Alec to freeze in place again, just like last night, when that intense, dark gaze had locked on him.

  Jace strode toward Alec like a panther on the hunt, stopping only a few feet from him to turn down the stereo on the desk.

  “Hey, Alec.” Jace grabbed a towel off the chair and wiped his face and neck. Alec’s gaze followed the motion with rapt attention.

  “Hey.”

  Heat radiated off Jace in rolling waves. Heat that wrapped around Alec like a lover’s hands, slow and seductive and 100 percent sex. “What’s up?”

  My dick. Alec almost laughed out loud. “Not much.”

  Jace was the only person Alec had ever met who could reduce his communication skills to one step above those of a grunting Neanderthal. He usually did a better job of hiding it, though. Those damn dreams and his overactive imagination were going to do him in.

  A trail of sweat trickled down Jace’s neck, and Alec had the sudden urge to lick it away.

  Flagstone, paver stone, aggregate, flagstone, paver stone, aggregate…

  Jace regarded him for a long moment. Then the light in his eyes changed, and his mouth curved into a slight grin. “You busy?”

  “Ah, no.”

  “Want to help me work out a new choreography?” Jace slid the towel slowly down his torso.

  Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be that towel…

  He cleared his throat, but his voice still came out too rough. “What?”

  Jace’s grin stretched into a warm smile, and Alec knew instinctively he should turn around and run. Right now. But he didn’t. He was too curious—and far too attracted.

  “Your mom taught you how to tango, right?” Jace’s tone was casual, unaware of Alec’s inner turmoil. “I have a wicked idea that, if this works, is going to turn every head at the International Dancesport Championships.”

  “She taught me to tango, but that was a long time ago. I’m way rusty,” Alec said, grateful his voice sounded normal again.

  “No worries. I’ll get you back up to speed.”

  Alec hesitated. This was so not a good idea. Just the thought of tangoing with Jace, being that physically close to him, made his dick begin to swell.

  “Uh, well—”

  “Come on,” Jace said, tossing his towel back over the chair and striding away to resume his place in front of the mirrors.

  Despite his reservations, Alec was compelled by his roommate’s command and took a tentative step forward.

  “Stand right there.” Jace pointed to a spot on the floor a couple of feet away.

  Jace let his gaze travel down the length of Alec’s muscular, tanned body. Good Lord, doesn’t the man own a shirt? He remembered the feel of that taut, warm skin under his palms last night. They had burned for hours afterward, and even now, he felt the tingle left in its wake. He clenched and stretched his hands, then shook them out.

  When his gaze returned to Alec’s, it was met with an unmistakable answering flare of desire. No. Way. He could not have read that look wrong. Having been on the receiving end of lust more times than he could remember, he never misread when another man wanted him. And that look said, without a doubt, that Alec wanted him. Straight Alec. Could he dare to hope?

  Jace pulled his eyes away with effort. He cleared his throat and, in a voice far lower and rougher than intended, said, “Follow what I do.”

  After refreshing Alec on the Argentine Tango and showing him the steps he was unfamiliar with, Jace was surprised at how quickly he picked it up. The routine included some fast and slow leg hooks and switch steps that had the potential to put both dancers on the floor, so of course, it had to be tested with a partner. At least that was the guise under which he presented the suggestion to Alec, who, after his initial hesitation, surprised him yet again when he appeared genuinely eager to do so.

  “You take the lead, stud.”

  “So I’m in control, then?” Alec responded with a dimpled grin and challenge in his eyes.

  “This time.” Jace winked as he stepped forward, placed both hands on Alec’
s shoulders, and spun him around so their positions were reversed.

  “Stay.” He dropped his hands and stepped away from his hunka-hunka-burning-love dance partner, until his backside bumped against the desk. Flashing a grin he hoped expressed exactly how attracted he was, Jace turned around to cue up “La Cumparsita” on the stereo.

  He let out a long, low breath and squared up his shoulders before turning around to face Alec. Jace dropped his head slightly so he was looking at his partner from under lowered eyelids. Alec held his position as Jace moved toward him on the beat, sensually rolling his hips into each step. He stopped an arm’s length from his partner and placed one hand, palm flat, against the center of Alec’s chest. They circled each other on a matched beat, eyes locked. Jace pushed Alec away and then stepped forward into his frame: one hand in Alec’s, the other resting on a solid shoulder, while Alec’s free hand rested hot on the small of Jace’s back. Right knees bent, left legs extended behind, they mirrored each other’s stance. For a long moment they held the position, motionless.

  Being in Alec’s arms, his face close enough to share the man’s warm, sweet breath, was like a dream come true. And Alec was right there with him. There was no hesitation in his posture, no discomfort in his dark, smoldering eyes. Alec was as affected as he.

  Mel’s going to shit.

  Melody walked through the door of Jace’s studio, shimmying her shoulders to the beat of the music. Maybe if she asked nicely, Jace would dip her. She’d always loved to dance with him, even though he was about a thousand times more graceful than she could ever be. When they were younger he used her as a practice partner once in a while. God, how she’d loved those stolen moments in his arms when she could press her body to his and hold him close and pretend he was hers for just a little while. Of course that was before she knew for sure that he would nev—Mel stopped in her tracks, shock chasing away the memories as she took in the scene before her.

  The tango was generally sensual, but her roommates were locked in the most intensely erotic version of the dance she’d ever seen.

  Banked passion hung heavy in the air, thick enough to choke on. If she hadn’t seen it herself, she’d never have believed it. They looked like a couple: the kind of couple everyone aspired to be, that single people envied.

  A sudden wave of guilt washed over her. She felt like a Peeping Tom, witnessing something intensely intimate and private. But she was too mesmerized to look away.

  Oblivious to their audience, the pair pivoted counterclockwise with Jace’s leg wrapped around Alec’s hip, chest to chest, their faces as close as possible without actually touching. As they stepped back and pivoted around each other, Melody couldn’t help but notice their shorts. How could either of them not realize the woodies they were both sporting? She expected it of Jace, but Alec too?

  Straight, my ass…

  Melody loved watching Jace dance, but seeing him and Alec together like this did something new and exciting to her insides. Something shocking but undeniably sexual. Images flashed in her mind: her body between theirs, all heated sweat and flexing muscle and graceful motion…

  A low moan escaped Melody’s throat, heat rushed down into her abdomen, and wetness pooled in her panties. She had never been more turned on in her life. She’d thought playing one-on-one basketball with Alec was better than porn?

  Alec stopped Jace, leading him back while stepping forward, flexing his left knee. Jace kicked his leg under Alec’s. The step was called a gancho, Melody remembered. But she’d never seen it quite like this. Jace kicked his leg up, held it for a second, then slid it slowly down the inside of Alec’s left leg.

  “Shit.” Her knees weakened, and she half-fell against the desk. Her movement caught the attention of the two dancers. They both froze, arm in arm, chest to chest. Identical gazes of shock locked on her. For an endless minute, no one so much as moved a muscle, let alone breathed.

  Then Melody reached over and turned off the music, unsurprised by the husky quality of her voice when she spoke. “Do you two have any idea at all how fucking sexy that was?”

  And the three-way trance broke.

  Jace looked down at himself and muttered a curse under his breath before turning away, but Alec held her gaze with an expression she’d never seen on his face before.

  Pure, unadulterated lust.

  Melody surveyed the living room with a critical eye. It screamed “boho chic,” which would have been all right, except she’d been going for “seductive lair.”

  Only a half hour left until Alec got home, and now she had to start all over again. Damn.

  Her apprehension wasn’t over Roomie Appreciation Night; that was nothing new. They’d been doing it every other Saturday for the past six months. Usually they would have dinner, play a board game like Scrabble or Monopoly, then settle in for a cheesy, late-night horror flick and popcorn. It was all very domestic and homey, but that was so not the vibe she was shooting for this time. She wanted to make sure whenever they spent time together, Alec got to see a new, more sensual side of her. Jace would be there too, of course, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. Alec’s perception of her had to be permanently altered before he would ever truly consider sleeping with her and, as always, she was going to charge forward with a full-court press.

  So what’s sexy? Think sexy, Mel.

  Blowing out the linen-scented candles, she replaced them with the ones she and Jace had picked up at a sex shop months before. She brought one of the little jars to her nose and smiled with satisfaction as she inhaled the rich scent of vanilla and a touch of sandalwood. What had the clerk said? “Sandalwood heightens sexual excitement.” Yep, that would do the trick.

  She eyed the vintage, crackled wineglasses with the kitschy charms on the stems on the coffee table. So boho. Surely they had something sexier than that. Martini glasses! She went to the hutch, pulled down three, and gingerly placed them in the freezer to chill.

  Next? Music.

  Typically, they would listen to CDs by whatever new indie band one of them had discovered. But that wouldn’t do at all for tonight. Squatting next to the stereo, she ejected the Arctic Monkeys’ latest offering, then leafed through their extensive music collection and plucked The Best of Sade from the mix.

  As the smooth strains and silky voice purred seductively from the speakers, Melody flashed back to the image of Jace and Alec dancing in the studio. Heat pooled between her thighs as she recalled the intensity of the moment, the raw need that had pulsed in the room—and her desire to join them.

  They’d all acted like nothing had happened, brushing it off. But it was there, the white elephant in the room. Jace had shot her an exasperated look as he’d called a halt to the practice session. He clearly felt he’d been making headway with Alec, and she had effectively cock blocked him. She tried not to focus on why his annoyance with her had stung so much. They were competing for the same guy, not trying to share him. That he would want to have some alone time with Alec to work his magic was to be expected. So why had she felt so left out?

  She shook off the unsettling question, then spared a glance at the clock and ran into her bedroom. Ten minutes to change and throw on some makeup. She yanked off her tank top and cutoffs, rifling through her closet in a mad rush.

  Jace took the stairs leading from the studio two at a time. Usually, he got in a good hour later than his roommates on Saturday evenings, but tonight he’d made the conscious decision to put off some of the dance-studio paperwork until Monday. He wasn’t interested in letting Mel have sixty minutes of uninterrupted time with Alec if he could help it.

  He walked in with a “Honey, I’m ho-ome!” and headed straight for the fridge to take out the shrimp he’d bought that morning for their meal. He found himself dancing a little cha-cha as he seasoned it. The realization that there was music seeping in from the living room made him stop to actively listen. Ah…Sade. Well played, Hellz.

  By the time Mel’s door opened a few minutes later, dinner was on t
he grill, and he was at the counter whisking the salad dressing. “Hey, baby doll, shrimp kabobs and mandarin salad okay for you? I know you’d rather ha…” He trailed off as she walked in the room.

  “I’ve decided that tonight we’re going classy. We’re going to dress like grown-ups and have martinis and listen to grown-up music. Now be a good boy and go put a suit on.”

  He heard what she said, but the words didn’t compute. He was too taken aback by her appearance—and the shocking fact that his cock stood up and took notice—to really let them sink in.

  She wore a thin black cotton dress that hung sensually off one shoulder. It skimmed her curves lightly, then ended abruptly midthigh. Nude fuck-me pumps capped off mile-long, tanned legs. Her golden hair was swept up into some kind of sloppy twist, barely contained by a clip. Her makeup was light with glossy lips and sun-kissed cheeks. She was stunning. Jace shifted from foot to foot, looking for safe ground.

  “Grown-ups?”

  “Yeah, grown-ups. Now hurry up and change before Alec gets here, so I don’t look stupid dressed up all by myself.”

  Jace had finally gotten a handle on his unusual reaction. Then she turned to get something from the freezer, and his train went off track again. The front of the dress had covered her breasts with no hint of cleavage. Her back, however, was completely bare, fabric draping from the exposed shoulder, then plunging to her lower back. If he tugged it an inch lower, he would see her ass.

  Fighting to get his voice back for the second time, he said, “Wow. You look amazing.” His voice was a little huskier than he would have liked. What the hell was going on with him?

  Mellz. Friend. Female. Get it together, Jace.

  “Thanks. You want a martini or a cosmo? I’m buying.”

  “Uh, surprise me. I’m going to change. Be back in a sex…er…sec.” Jace practically ran out of the room. All the talk of seduction over the past week was creating a sexually charged atmosphere in the house, and he was just getting swept up—that was all. As soon as the bet was over and one of them, or neither, won Alec’s heart, things would go back to normal.