Three to Tango (10 page)

She turned on her heel and, without a look back, left him standing in the

middle of his studio, dumbfounded, lightheaded, and…stiff.

Not only had Mellz just given him a wide-open court to seduce Alec, she"d

stirred a desire in him he"d never before experienced. A desire he suddenly wanted

to fully explore.

He shook his head, turned back to the barré, and met his own confused eyes in

the mirrored wall. “Some gay man you are,” he told his reflection. “Kissing

girls…and
liking
it. The gay police are going to revoke your membership.”

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63

Knowing his reflection wouldn"t ease his confusion, Jace concentrated on

dancing, letting movement and music settle his thoughts and clear his mind. He

had one chance to seduce Alec, and he needed to make the most of it. He would

think about the Melody situation tomorrow.

Alec stepped through the front door, and his first thought was that he"d

somehow walked into the wrong house. Other than a low light in the kitchen, the

only illumination came from candles on the coffee table. Instrumental music he

didn"t recognize played quietly, and mouthwatering smells had his stomach singing

along.

Even if he and Mel hadn"t already agreed to his seducing Jace, he would have

succumbed to his roommate"s ploy like a bee to honey. Alec couldn"t help the low

chuckle that escaped his mouth. Jace would be shocked to know he didn"t have to go

to all the trouble.

Deciding to have a little fun with the situation, Alec turned his smile upside

down and called out Jace"s name.

Jace sauntered into the living room and blasted him with a laser-beam grin.

Alec"s brain short-circuited when the blood that kept it functioning fled south.

Jace"s dark blond hair was stylishly spiked, and a diamond stud in each

earlobe flashed in the light. He wore a long-sleeved, dark peach V-neck shirt that

looked painted on his body and made his vivid blue eyes pop. Stonewashed jeans

with silver and red piping on the pockets hugged his long, lean dancer"s legs. They

were strategically threadbare at his thighs and crotch, which made Alec"s groin

tighten. He was barefoot with a silver ring on the index toe of his left foot, and

damn if that wasn"t the sexiest thing Alec had ever laid eyes on.

The man looked like a fucking rock star.

Alec pulled in a deep breath, holding it for a three-count before releasing.
Let

the games begin.

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Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

“Damn, Jace, I"m sorry. I didn"t know you had a date tonight. I"ll just shower

quick and take off.”

“What? No, wait. This—”

“Smells amazing in here,” Alec cut him off. “I wonder if I should be jealous.” He

flashed a confused-looking Jace one of his stun-them-with-dimples smiles and

winked, hustling past his roommate before he could respond. Alec fought back the

laughter that bubbled up from the bottom of his belly until he had the rushing

water of the shower for cover.

Back in his room, Alec stuck his legs into a pair of old Levi"s and pulled a snug-

fitting, dark blue T-shirt over his head. The sleeves rested just short of the thickest

point in his biceps. Flattering, if he did say so himself. He ran his fingers through

damp hair, letting the strands settle where they wanted. When he turned to leave,

Jace was standing in the doorway with a glass of white wine in each hand. He lifted

one toward Alec.

“I don"t have a date tonight,” Jace said, voice low, gaze not leaving Alec"s as he

took the proffered glass.

“So what"s with the den of love?”

“While the girl"s away, the boys should play.” Jace mimicked Alec"s comment

from breakfast, then shrugged. “Figured just because Mel isn"t here doesn"t mean

we can"t have a nice dinner together.”

Alec regarded him for a long moment. His body already on high alert in his

roommate"s presence, his groin thrummed in anticipation. At this rate a gentle

breeze from the ocean would send him over the edge.

“Trying to win my heart through my stomach?”

Jace responded with a sly grin and meaningful look, then turned away and

mumbled something under his breath. Though not low enough for Alec to miss what

sounded like “and that"s not all.”

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65

Alec followed Jace down the hall, through the living room, and out onto the

patio. White tea lights lined the entire railing. A red cloth covered the worn surface

of their patio table, which was set for two with a three-candle centerpiece and a

bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket.

Jace pulled out a chair, turned to face Alec, and nodded his intention.

“You aren"t playing around, are you?”

His roommate smiled, waiting for Alec to take his seat. “Not when it comes to

food.”

As Alec sat, Jace turned around to grab something off a tray table, then placed

a martini glass with some sort of colorful seafood dish in it and four rectangle chips

angled on top in a decorative touch.

“First course, lobster ceviche with mango pico de gallo and yucca chips.” Jace

sat in his chair across from Alec and waited for him to take the first bite. The

combination of sharp pepper, crisp cilantro, and sweet mango exploded on his

tongue, and he groaned.

“Shit, Jace. I"ve had shrimp ceviche before, but this is in a whole other zip

code.”

“And we"re only just beginning.” Jace smiled like he had a secret, holding

Alec"s gaze an extra, heated beat, then dug into his own appetizer. Alec shifted in

his chair in search of a more comfortable position for his already swelling cock.

With their first course finished and dishes, wineglasses, and bucket cleared,

Jace disappeared into the house and returned with two steaming plates.

“Second course, filet mignon with artichoke, black truffle crumbs, and truffle

jus,” he said, setting a plate in front of Alec, and added quietly, “Thick, just how I

like it.”

He was turning away as he spoke, but Alec caught the teasing expression in

Jace"s eyes and the grin he tried to stifle. Returning from the tray table again, Jace

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Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

placed a glass of red wine at each setting. “And a full-bodied Barbera to

complement.”

Jace sat and again waited for Alec to take the first bite. His knife slipped

through the tender meat, which melted in his mouth as rich flavors assailed his

senses. He closed his eyes and groaned his appreciation.

“Heaven above. I pity the man who attempts to resist you.”

“Are
you
trying to resist me, Alec?” The low, rough edge of Jace"s voice sent a

volt of electricity straight to his cock. He looked up, and they locked gazes.

“Not if you keep feeding me like this.”

“So Grandma was right about the way to a man"s heart.”

“Grandma"s always right,” Alec said, his own voice just shy of a growl.

Neither man so much as blinked. Alec could have sworn by the charged

current tickling his skin that a storm was brewing.
Fuck, I gotta get out of these

jeans.

Jace broke the trance, standing up abruptly and taking his plate with him. He

reached for Alec"s plate but stilled when Alec reached out and wrapped his hand

around Jace"s forearm. Heat burned his palm from the contact and raced up his

arm, spreading throughout his body.

“Leave it,” he ground out.

“Next course is dessert.” Jace"s voice was jagged, and his breath was coming in

short and fast.

“Are we going to fight over who gets the
top
-ping?”

Three to Tango

67

Chapter Nine

“What?” Jace croaked as his heart kicked into hyperdrive, and his ears buzzed.

“You found me out. My straight arrow is a little bent.” Alec winked.

A little bent
? Jace"s brain misfired in the process of computing.

His not really straight roommate—
not really fucking straight
—stood with his

citrus gaze locked on him. Alec took the dinner plate and placed it back on the table,

then turned Jace to face him. Alec"s hand loosened its grip on his forearm, tickling

fine hairs that stood on end as it coasted down over his wrist and along his fingers,

pausing a beat before slipping off their tips. A cool ocean breeze magnified to biting

ice in the absence of that burning caress.

“Don"t fuck with me, Alec,” Jace said on a reedy breath. “I"m playing for keeps.”

“So am I. And I"d never fuck with you.” He stepped in close, his body a mere

inch from contact. His voice dropped an octave. “But I do want to fuck you.”

Jace"s brain stuttered and locked up for a second. Thunder boomed in his chest

and echoed in his eardrums. Alec wanted him?
Oh. My. God
. Alec wanted
him.

And all those little blips on his gaydar had been legit.

Jace wanted this man, loved him more than he"d dare admit to anyone, even

Mel, and now that he was a breath from realizing that desire, he couldn"t move.

Heat flooded his body, and he suddenly had no idea what to do next.

Alec"s gaze drifted down and fixed on his mouth. Warm breath gusted over

Jace"s cheek, and a wet, pink tongue darted out to moisten full lips. Jace groaned

low in the back of his throat, and then Alec"s lips were pressed against his. Hard

and strong but soft as satin, asking for permission. Jace tested the feel and shape

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Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

and taste of lips he"d been dreaming of far too long now, and sank into his

roommate. When he nipped at the lower lip with his teeth, Alec opened, and Jace

wasted no time diving in. He caressed the hot tongue, wrapped it in his, and sucked

it into his mouth, earning an encouraging groan for his efforts. Alec tasted earthy

with a hint of sharp spice that Jace wanted to bottle for his own private elixir.

Alec"s hands gripped his shoulders, then slid up his neck and cupped his face

as the intensity ratcheted up a notch. Jace threaded his fingers through silky hair

and pressed his mouth harder against his roommate"s. Their tongues began a

rhythmic duel, darting in and out, chasing and teasing. Teeth collided and scraped,

and their breathing drowned out the ocean waves below. Jace pushed the full length

of his body into Alec, who met him in equal measure, trying to crawl inside and

merge their bodies into one entity.

Alec"s kiss was everything he"d dreamed it would be, and like nothing he could

compare to.

Jace rocked his hips forward, pressing his hard cock against Alec"s. He needed

to break free of the restricting jeans, needed to get them both naked, feel nothing

but skin on skin, but he couldn"t pull away from that glorious mouth. He detangled

his fingers from Alec"s hair and dropped his hands to cup a perfect ass, and then

settled into an erotic, fevered grind.

Jace knew he wasn"t going to last as they rocked against each other. The need

had been too long, grown too intense. He"d wanted the man too much. He couldn"t

stop. Neither could Alec, it seemed. Pressure built in Jace"s tightening balls, his

cock throbbed painfully against his fly, and electric charges shot down his spine. He

was going to come in his damn jeans like a teenager. Jace groaned into Alec"s mouth

as white lightning flashed behind his eyes, blasting a million pinprick stars into the

night sky. Alec broke their kiss, his head falling back as he followed Jace off the

edge and ground out Jace"s name on a long curse.

Their rocking slowed and coasted to a comfortable halt. The pressure between

their bodies eased, but contact didn"t break. Jace held his roommate"s gaze as a

Three to Tango

69

crooked satisfied smile spread across his handsome face. He couldn"t help smiling

back in turn.

“Damn.”

“Yeah.” Alec chuckled low and deep. “Tell me there"s another course.”

“There"s another course.” Jace"s own voice sounded hoarse and ragged.

He couldn"t have dreamed it better. Alec his lover and Hellz his laundry slave.

All of a sudden the kiss Mel had laid on him in the studio earlier flashed in his

mind, and he felt…not exactly guilty but maybe a little penitent. Like she should be

here too. Jace gave his head a shake. No, Mel should not be here. This was about

him and Alec, but he still couldn"t shake the feeling that Mel should be a part of

this. Because that kiss had done something to him he never would have imagined.

And it wasn"t a spontaneous dare. It was premeditated. It meant something.

But then she had given him an open window to work his magic on Alec tonight.

She wouldn"t have done that if the kiss really had meant something more. So maybe

it was just his imagination, which had admittedly been running pretty wild lately.