Off Broadway (4 page)

A light pink blush appeared on her neck. “I think we both know that’s not a good idea.”

Dan
stared too long, then finally nodded and turned around. Not that it mattered. His eyes honed in on the long mirror to the left of him. His body froze as he watched her drop her robe and reveal herself in nothing but a thong. Smooth bare legs. No bra. She leaned over to shimmy into the body suit and his groin tightened further. She was more perfect than he imagined. Small chest, but deliciously red nipples, a tiny waist that flared into curvy hips and the most unbelievable ass he’d ever laid his eyes on. Dan’s hand moved down to his cock, aching for relief. He closed his eyes and grabbed himself through the denim of his jeans. He swallowed a groan at the same time Avery sucked in a breath. His eyes snapped open to meet hers in the mirror. She looked at his hand. He adjusted himself and stepped toward the door.

“
Uh. I need to warm up,” he croaked.

“
Dan,” she said, her voice low and sultry.

Don’t turn around. Leave. Now.

“Dan,” she breathed again.

He turned around. The smell of her assaulted him.

“My costume.” She pointed to the gaping back. “Just the snaps.”

“Right,” he mumbled. He flexed his fingers and slipped behind her. Her skin was incredibly soft. It took everything he had not to slid
e his hands around her waist, lean her into the wall and rub his cock against her glorious ass. His hands shook as he started to work at the small of her back.

“Okay?” she asked.

“There are buttons on the front, so I’m confused…” Mostly his body was near shaking with need for her.

“Unbuttoning the front is too expected,” she explained.

After the fifteenth snap, and the thousandth time he’d tried to stop the shaking, he started to laugh. It was absurd.

She looked back at him.
“What’s so funny?”

“This fucking costume. It’s a nightmare. How many
snaps are there? My fingers are starting to go numb and I don’t even want to sink myself into you anymore.”

She inhaled sharply.
“You wanted to sink yourself into me?” Her voice slid over him and right down into his pants.

He
sighed, which turned into more of a groan at the thought of her. The tightness of her wrapped around him as she sat on his dick, or as he hovered and slide into her… “I’m a guy. I pretty much want to sink myself into any vagina that will take me.”

She laughed. God, she had a great sense of humor. So unapologetic. “Classy,
Danny Piano. Very classy.”

“
Danny Piano?”

She gave him a saucy grin. “Yep.
I’ve given you a nickname: Danny Piano.”

“Does that make me
Nicky Bass?” a voice said from behind her.

Avery spun around and
the smile she gave Nick lit up the room. Nick grinned back and looked her up and down appreciatively.

“I guess
it does,” she said. “I’m almost ready. Do you want to practice a few numbers before the show?”

Nick
winked at her. “Whatever you need, darlin’.”

Dan
wanted to punch the smirk off his face. He swiveled Avery back around and fastened the last of her snaps while Nick leaned casually against the doorjamb with his arms crossed. It was going to be one long unbearable night, which he already knew wasn’t going to end the way he wanted it to.

-5-

The bar
was packed with people—standing room only. Avery had never played a show with Scott where people lined up outside to get in. Nelson had a seat at a small table on the right of the stage. A group of girls sat to the left, laughing and catcalling for Nick. Cocktail waitresses roamed the darkened room, taking orders. A table full of guys whistled when Avery stepped on stage, flooded in red and blue light.

None of it mattered. The momen
t Avery started the first measure of
Mad About the Boy
, the only other people in the room were Dan and Nick. The way they played off of each other brought out the best in Avery. Nick’s easy bass rhythm and casual winks had Avery dancing and laughing around him. Then Dan would pound out a powerful melody on the piano and she would slide next to him, leaning against him with her entire body. She sang, she fantasized about hands and tongues and how the two men would handle her. Want swirled between Avery and the men and rested over the audience.

By the time Avery got to
Is That All There is
, she could have heard a pin drop. She rested atop the piano, legs draped seductively over the side, eyes shut. She heard the bass stop, leaving just her voice and Dan’s haunting piano notes. Then, she felt a hand slide up her leg. She looked up to find Nick kneeling at her feet.

As she sang, “Let’s break out the booze and have a ball, if that’s all there is,”
Nick leaned forward and kissed the inside of her knee. The audience erupted in applause. Nick gave Avery a little wink and helped her off the piano. Dan was at her side a minute later, his hand grabbing hers in blatant possession. Nick chuckled from her other side and the three of them bowed.

A gaggle of girls followed them to the dressing room
, but Avery heard Nick tell them in his unconcerned drawl he’d catch them later. She turned on the two men as soon as the door shut behind them.

“That was amazing,” she gushed.
“I’ve never performed like that before.”

Nick
dropped his suit coat jacket, loosened his tie and rolled up his shirtsleeves. The fine blond hair on his arms captured Avery’s attention and he raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled and looked away knowing his one-night stand offer was solid. Dan snorted.

Nick
came up behind her and dropped his hands on her shoulders. “You owned that stage tonight, darlin’.”

His fingers began to work her muscles and Avery bit back a moan. Musician hands were so good for massages. Her eyes met
Dan’s.

She licked her lips. “Do you think we’re ready for the
Carmichael?”

Dan
stared at her too long before nodding. “I do.”

“The last song worked,
” she said, leaning further back into Nick’s magical hands.

He smirked. “Yes. You played it just right. And Romeo here brought it home.”
Dan squinted at Nick then shook his head. “I need to take off.”

“Already?” Avery squeaked
, her chest panicky at the thought of him going. “Why don’t you stay? Maybe we could get a drink.” Nick’s hands, Dan’s pained face…

His eyes darkened. “No. I
’m going to walk Nelli. I need to burn off some of this energy.”

Avery swallowed. Was he going to meet up with another woman
afterwards? She shouldn’t care, but she did. Way too much. She was ready to blow off steam with Nick and didn’t want Dan to do the same… Avery was definitely in way too deep with the guy to screw it up with sex. Damn.

Nick
’s hands moved to her neck and she tilted her head, giving him easier access to her tight muscles, even though her eyes never left Dan’s. 

“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll see you tomorrow at rehearsal.”

He nodded and picked up the bag at his feet. He still wore his rented tux, but had loosened the tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons. Avery couldn’t help but stare at the tanned column of his throat. Wonder what it would be like to undo the buttons, revealing more of him. His chest. His abs, all the way to his—

“Yep,”
Dan said. “See you.”

He slipped out the door just as she felt
Nick’s fingers undo the top hook of her body suit. She released a deep breath. He leaned into her and nipped at her neck. The energy from the night flooded into her core and she closed her eyes and leaned her head forward. His tongue slid up her neck to her earlobe. She needed this bad.

“You need to burn some energy off too, don’t you, darlin’?” he whispered.

She nodded. A twinge of guilt coiled inside her stomach, but she knew her body well enough to forgive it. Too much money spent on therapy sessions taught her that shame didn’t do her any good. She liked sex. And even if the hands that unfastened her body suit weren’t the right hands, she still needed the release.

Nick
peeled the thin fabric from her body slowly. His fingers traced patterns along her spine and her nipples hardened with the need to be touched. Avery kicked the costume aside and let Nick lead her to the vanity table. She caught his face in the mirror and smiled. Everything about him was easy. If she didn’t feel the hardness of his cock against her the back of her legs as he placed her hands on the table, she wouldn’t have guessed he had any reaction at all to her.

His
fingers made their way to her breasts and she pushed herself into his hands, backing up until his dick pressed into her ass. He chuckled, but then pinched the hardened pebbles of her nipples.

“Yes,” she whispered. “More of that.
But harder.”

He spun her around and pushed her
back against the vanity table. His mouth caught hers in one fluid move and his tongue slipped between her lips. She opened and he teased her, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth. His tongue explored every contour of her and she whimpered. He tasted like peppermint Schnapps, and she wanted more. Needed it.

He dropped his mouth to the curve of her jaw and nipped his way down her neck. His hands continued to knead and tweak her breasts. Avery’s legs slid open and he chuckled again before
grasping her waist tightly and turning her around to face the mirror. The rough motion fueled her further and her legs weakened as her body’s need took over.

“You’re some kind of woman, Avery.”

She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say anything, the door opened behind her and Dan walked in. Her body froze as she saw his face in the mirror. Desire swept through her and her pussy clenched. Nick was satisfying a need, Dan was more. Way more.

Nick
offered Dan a half-grin. “You want in?”

Dan
shook his head and moved to the large chair in the corner of the room, never breaking eye contact with Avery.

Nick slipped his hands
to Avery’s waist and turned to Dan. “You wanna watch?”

Dan
stared at Avery for almost a full minute. Hunger. Desire. Want. Lust. Her body was assaulted by the look in his dark eyes. He finally broke the connection and nodded at Nick. Nick slid his fingers along the edge of her thong. Her entire body shook with need.

“Is that okay with you, darlin’?”
Nick asked.

Avery couldn’t speak. She bit her lip and nodded.

In one quick move, Nick tugged the tiny scrap of silk off of her and nudged her legs apart, once again, pressing himself against her ass. His fingers moved to the outer lips of her pussy and she arched into him, her eyes trained on Dan’s.

Nick
slipped a finger inside of her and she moaned. Over a week of wanting someone else’s hands on her and now they were the wrong hands.

“Damn
, you’re wet. I’ve never felt anyone this wet.”

Avery stared at
Dan. His hand dropped to his the buttons of his pants. He raised an eyebrow and she nodded at him. Whatever he was willing to do, she wanted to be a part of it. He unzipped and pulled himself out. His big, hard velvety cock sprang from his pants. Avery grabbed Nick’s hand and pushed him further inside. Watching Dan hold his cock made the need to feel him insider her so overpowering, she wasn’t sure if she could speak.

He laughed. “Pushy little thing, aren’t you?”

“You’re too slow. Too easy. I need more than that right now.” Her words were an urgent whisper and she saw Dan grip himself hard.

Nick
’s eyes darted between the two of them. He slid another digit into her and she gasped in relief. She lifted her leg onto the vanity stool, opening herself wide for him, for Dan. Nick’s fingers probed her small patch of curls, his thumb circling and pressing against her clit. Thank God, someone finally knew what they were doing. Nick flicked his thumb against her again and she gasped. He not only knew what he was doing, but he apparently wrote the instruction manual on slow seduction.

“More. Harder,” she demanded and saw
Dan’s hand tighten around the base of his cock.

Nick
worked his fingers in and out of her, grazing his thumb over her bundle of nerves until she cried out in need. Dan moved his hand up and down his shaft faster. She gripped the table and stared at him. Nick’s stiff cock pressed against her ass, but still he tortured her with his fingers.

“
Dammit, Nick, stop teasing,” she demanded. He inserted another finger inside her and she bucked against his hand. Dan let out a low moan as he stroked himself from root to tip.

“I’m not going to fuck you,”
Nick said, his voice breaking through her whimpers.

Dan
’s hand slowed.

“What?” she whispered.
The heat and tension in the room was so thick, she couldn’t think straight.

“I’ll make you come, but I’m not gonna fuck you. It’s not me you want inside of you, darlin’
, and that’s a hard pill to swallow, even for me.”

Avery looked down. Shame and guilt flooded over her.
She dropped her leg and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I—“

Nick, leaned forward, tilted her chin up and tweaked her nose.

“Don’t worry.
There are a lot of women I can call.”

Avery pulled away from him and grabbed her robe.
What the hell was she doing?
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. It was the show. I just got worked up. I’m not being fair to you.”

Nick
shrugged and smiled. “Thought I could help.”

Avery looked at
Dan. He’d tucked himself back into his pants, but she could still see the hardness of him pressing against the seams.

Nick
dropped a kiss on her mouth and stepped away from her. He folded his jacket over his arm and walked to the door.

“Call me if you ever need a bass player.” His eyes darted between her and
Dan. “Or a third.”

***

Dan shouldn’t have come back. He hoped he’d find her gone. He knew he wouldn’t. He’d walked back into the dressing room knowing full well what he was getting himself into. Now the two of them were alone with even more frustration and heat between them than he thought possible. He thought it was unbearable before. Now that he knew her sounds…had seen her body… He wanted to feel her inside. Wanted her wetness on his fingers, in his mouth…

“You better go,” she whispered.

He nodded but didn’t move.

She took a deep breath and he saw her hardened nipples press against her robe. “I need to finish this. You better go,” she said again.

Dan
swallowed. He was playing with fire, but a night full of restless dreams wouldn’t be any easier. “So finish.”

Her eyes widened. “With you here?”

He nodded.

She shook her head. “To what end, Dan? We both decided this can’t go anywhere.”

He cleared his throat. “I want to see you come.”

She dropped her hands. “No. I won’t play that game with you. And I’m not going to lose you. You’re my creative partner. I’ve never felt this way with anyone I’ve worked with before. We’re not fucking it up.”

He stood up and clenched his fists in frustration. “Then why’d you let me watch?”

She crossed her arms. It was a damn good question, and one she didn’t have a good answer to. “Why’d you come back?”

“For you.”

Her eyes widened. He’d said too much. Gone too far. He needed to back track.

“I came back to see if you were okay. To make sure you got home okay.”

She opened and closed her mouth. “Sure you did.” She held her hands to her sides and did a small turn. “Well, as you can see, I’m in one piece. So you can go home now.”

He took a step toward her, but stopped himself. Isabel. This was how it started with Isabel. With him falling for her hypnotic voice, and ending up with a broken heart and a handicapped career. He wouldn’t do it again.

“You’re right. I’m going.” He walked past Avery and out the door. He stepped into the cool night air and inhaled deeply. He was a wreck over a woman he’d only just met. He needed to pull himself together and start acting like a professional before he ended up in the orchestra pit for some community theatre in South Carolina.