Three to Tango (4 page)

Alec was still shaking his head when he stepped under the hot spray of the

shower minutes later. That touch basketball game with Mel, Jace cooking one of his

fave meals for dinner, and the two of them with their meaningful winks and flirty

comments…

He"d been completely turned on playing ball with Mel. She was something else.

And then the fire that burned into his bare skin when Jace touched him. If they

kept this up, he was going to be reciting a whole lot of boring work-related materials

in his head.

But they were his roommates, good friends. Jace and Mel had been partners in

crime for so long it was hard to tell them apart. They had their own private way of

communicating that was near impossible for anyone else to decipher. They were the

perfect couple, even though they weren"t actually a couple. The last thing Alec

wanted to do was come between them. But damn, they were both so hot.

He closed his eyes and imagined a naked Melody standing in front him, her

perfect skin wet and slick. Her long body pressed up the full length of his, her firm

breasts and hard nipples sliding against his chest. His fingers tangled in her

hair…and Jace"s fingers gripped his. The length of Jace"s agile body rocked behind

him, his hard cock gliding along the crack of Alec"s ass.

Alec groaned. Blood rushed from his northern head to his southern one. He

placed a hand against the cool tile of the shower wall for support while the other

found its way down his abdomen. He imagined it was Jace"s hands sliding over his

body and digging into his hips, holding him steady, while Melody"s hot, wet mouth

closed over his hard length.

We’re going to rock your world, Alec
. Daydream Jace growled, then bit the back

of his neck.
Fuck.

Alec wrapped his hand around his dick and began to pump, imagining what it

would feel like with his cock buried to the root in Melody"s mouth while Jace"s cock

seated balls-deep in his ass. Together the roommates rocked him in a steady,

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practiced rhythm. In and out, up and down, perfectly choreographed like one of

Jace"s sensual dances.

Alec pumped his hand faster, squeezing harder, at the erotic image. Mel"s hot

lips pulling at him, sucking him as she ran her tongue over the swollen head of his

dick. Jace working his ass deeper, harder.

Fuck.

Electric bolts shot outward from the base of his spine, his balls tightened, and

he let go, coming hard, pulsing again and again onto the shower floor as he fought

to stifle a yell.

He couldn"t remember ever having jacked off so hard before. But hell, the idea

of being with Jace and Melody together… Now that the image was firmly planted in

his mind, he"d never be rid of it. Not without bringing the fantasy to life. But how

could he do that? It was totally insane to even think about suggesting it to his

roommates. They"d kick him out without a second thought.

Or would they?

Whatever was going on with the two of them tonight, he couldn"t have

mistaken the vibes he was picking up. Any red-blooded male would have to be

completely oblivious not to have noticed the way Melody was flirting with him. Out

on the basketball court, when she"d looked back at him from the bench, her eyes

dark and lips parted, he could honestly say he"d never seen that side of her before.

It was all he could do to keep from pulling her up off that bench and kissing her

senseless.

And then there was Jace. What was up with those long looks, sly winks, and

that business of running his hands down Alec"s back? As far as he knew, Jace

thought he was straight. He"d never given them any kind of sign and had certainly

never told them that he swung both ways. It could be that his gut was on the mark

this time and Jace really had been flirting with him.

Three to Tango

21

Already his stomach was beginning to tighten again. He was going to have to

maintain a running landscaping commentary in his head to keep his cock from

embarrassing him in front of them.

A bang on the bathroom door interrupted his thoughts. “You trying to grow

gills in there, homeboy?” Melody"s voice was muffled, but it was pure Mel. No flirty

undertones, no sexual innuendos.

“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.

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Chapter Four

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.

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23

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.

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“Hey, Alec,” Jace said as he 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 him 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, as if he"d just come to a conclusion that pleased

him. “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 asked, his tone 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.”

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25

“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 twitch.

“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 released 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

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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