Tiara's Foxtrot Fantasies

Studio Seductions 3 

Tiara’s Foxtrot Fantasies Up-and-coming ballroom dancers Tiara Pryce and Seth Monroe have found success by being renegades on the dance floor. But they know their style needs to be refined, so when they arrive as guest teachers at Rhythm and Motion Dance Studio, they turn to champion Jack Lanman for help. Although Tiara’s personality clashes with Jack’s all-business persona, she soon finds herself irresistibly attracted to both men. Before she knows it, she’s enjoying both men on and off the dance floor. But someone at the studio is jealous of Tiara, and when the threats get a little too close for comfort, Seth questions whether there is a place for them at the studio, or in Jack’s life. It’s up to Jack to prove his love, save the day, and keep everybody dancing. Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre Length: 36,598 words

TIARA’S FOXTROT FANTASIES Studio Seductions 3

Olivia Jordan

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

TIARA’S FOXTROT FANTASIES Copyright © 2011 by Olivia Jordan E-book ISBN: 1-61034-859-1 First E-book Publication: September 2011 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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DEDICATION For D.S.—the epitome of discretion.

 

TIARA’S FOXTROT FANTASIES Studio Seductions 3 OLIVIA JORDAN Copyright © 2011

Chapter One “Absolutely not,” Jack Lanman said. “Jack, you’re being completely unreasonable.” He raised his eyebrows at Taletha. “I’m not actively seeking new students, even temporary ones.” “I know for a fact that’s not true. You’re always interested in taking on new clients. What’s so different about these two?” “You’ve been asking me to do this for two weeks now, and every time you do, I say no. When is it going to sink in that I’m not going to do it?” “I can’t believe you continue to turn down such a fantastic opportunity.” “Opportunity?” Jack practically spat out the words. He couldn’t believe that someone would consider what Taletha was proposing an opportunity. “Yes, opportunity. I think most people would jump at the chance to coach the number-five couple in the country.” She gave him a wink. “Oh, I get it,” she said with a giggle. “You don’t want to give them an edge by learning your secrets.”

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“Hardly,” Jack said with a sniff. “You know I don’t shy away from teaching lower-ranked professionals.” “So why keep refusing to coach Tiara and Seth, if not out of fear?” “Because I have better things to do than be on babysitting detail for the better part of two weeks.” Taletha’s expression went from friendly to frustrated in less than a second. “Okay, Jack, cut it out. Yes, they’re a little young and unrefined, but you were at one point, too. They need extra coaching.” “Even when I wasn’t an established dancer, I was still a complete professional. They still act like teenagers half the time.” “Tiara and Seth both want coaching from you. When you first refused my request, I told them you weren’t available, and they offered to pay twice your going rate.” “I don’t need their money.” “No, but you’re the best person at this studio to help them out. That’s why I’m not letting this go. It’s not just about the money, anyway. Think of the satisfaction of knowing that you, and this studio, helped bring them to greatness.” Jack sighed. “Fine, I’ll do it, but only because you know how to appeal to my ego.” “Speak of the devil,” Taletha said, nodding toward the front door. Jack turned around just in time to see Tiara and Seth glide in and approach the front desk, introducing themselves to Lynne and laughing. Suddenly, he went from feeling irritated to conflicted. He hated the way Tiara didn’t seem to have any reverence for convention. It was her so-called body art that annoyed him the most. Tiara dared not only to have a nose piercing but also never bothered to remove it when she competed. More often than not, she drew attention to the bauble, putting in stones that matched the outfit she wore. She even dared to have visible tattoos on the competition floor, refusing to cover them with makeup or designing her costumes to cover them. There was a silhouette of a dancing couple on one

 

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shoulder and musical notes on the other. Jack had to admit that they could have been worse, but he still wasn’t going to let her off the hook. “Are you going to do something about her outfit?” he whispered. “She’s nowhere even close to the dress code.” Taletha expected her instructors to look elegant, a policy that Jack had always agreed with. Tiara, however, walked in wearing a tank top that failed to conceal her cleavage, and tight jeans that had holes in them. Taletha shrugged off his question. “You know I don’t enforce those rules for my guest instructors.” Jack sighed and continued to stare. As irate as he felt about her appearance, he couldn’t deny that his body had an altogether different reaction from his mind. His eyes lingered on the swelling of her breasts over the low neckline of her shirt and the perfect curves of her ass in her tight pants. He imagined what it might be like to caress her flesh, to feel the weight of her breasts in his hands, to trace the inner seam of her jeans and make her shudder with pleasure. He wondered what sort of underwear she had on and then considered that she might be unconventional enough to eschew it completely. As that idea crossed his mind, his cock started to wake up and begin its ascent. No, he thought, willing his libido away, thinking his dick back into flaccidity. No, and for more reasons than I can think of. “Jack?” Taletha’s voice shook him from his thoughts. “Huh? What?” “I said we should go over there and greet them.” “Oh, right. Of course.” “Hi, guys!” Taletha said, hugging Tiara and Seth and giving them air kisses. “How was your flight?” “Not bad, not bad,” Tiara said with a smile. “Are you liking the hotel?” “Yeah, it’s great.” She turned and winked at Jack. “Long time, no see.”

 

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Jack nodded, not looking her directly in the eye. “I’ve been focusing on the East Coast events. I hear you and Seth have stuck to competitions in California and the Rockies.” “Well, it’s great to meet up again,” Seth said, offering his hand. “And we’re really excited to have the opportunity to get some coaching from you.” Jack wasn’t about to be rude, especially in front of Taletha, so he reciprocated Seth’s gesture and gave a vigorous shake. “I’m looking forward to it as well. I always like to help hone younger talent.” His stomach churned. He wasn’t a fan of lying. “When would you like to start? Tomorrow morning?” “Actually,” Tiara said, “I was hoping we could start now.” “Now?” Jack asked. “You don’t want a tour of the studio or anything?” “Maybe later. We’ve spent most of the day either in a plane or a cab. We were at the hotel long enough to get checked in and take showers, but other than that, we’ve pretty much been sitting. I know I feel the need to move around for a while. So why not start coaching right away?” Jack glanced at the clock, and a sense of relief washed over him. “Well, I hate to disappoint you, but unfortunately, my partner Catherine and I have our own rehearsal scheduled for the next two hours.” As if on cue, Catherine walked through the studio doors. Jack had never been so relieved to see her. “Jack, would you be willing to rearrange your plans just this once?” Taletha said. “You know how good it feels to be able to move around after half a day spent on airplanes.” “Well…I mean, I could, but I don’t want to inconvenience Catherine.” “I’ll go talk to Catherine, and I’ll book you some studio time after-hours. The two of you will have the entire place to yourselves to rehearse.”

 

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Jack opened his mouth to protest, but Taletha’s hopeful smile silenced him before he even thought of words to say. He knew how much she wanted to impress Tiara and Seth, and even though he was frustrated, he didn’t want to let her down. Finally, Jack nodded. “Now go,” Taletha admonished, shooing the three of them toward one of the smaller, private studios. “Don’t worry about a thing. And have fun!” Jack looked across the room and met Catherine’s gaze before opening the studio door. Her narrowed eyes and thin lips let him know she was on the verge of a tantrum. She hated having her schedule altered by even five minutes, and if someone crossed her, she made sure everyone else knew about it. Jack had long since stopped considering her a prima donna. Her ego had grown too big even for that. Well, I guess that’s Taletha’s problem. He closed the door to the private room. I hope she regrets this. **** Seth was a little surprised that Tiara didn’t seem to notice Jack’s aloofness. Then again, she didn’t seem to notice much of anything when it came to men. She occasionally went on dates, but nothing developed into anything serious. On the few occasions when Seth had questioned her about her lack of boyfriends, she always shrugged him off, saying that a career was more important and that a dancer’s life of traveling and competing was not suited to stable relationships. Seth had been pursuing her ever since they had started dancing together, and most of the time, she never deigned to give him a moment of flirtation. In the last few months, though, Seth had started to wonder whether or not the tides were turning. He couldn’t help but notice the lingering stares she gave him when she thought he wasn’t looking. On more than one occasion, he’d caught her staring at his ass or his cock. Yet she never brought up what Seth perceived was an

 

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obvious attraction, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to bring it up if there was the possibility of him getting rejected yet again. “Seth, are you paying attention?” Jack snapped. “What? Uh, no.” Seth had briefly considered trying to lie his way out of his predicament but then had decided that he would only embarrass himself further. “Sorry, I got distracted.” Jack’s eyes narrowed. “I see. Well, maybe if you’re not ready to focus, you can go do something else and quit wasting my time.” Now it was Seth’s turn to get angry. “Hey, it’s not like you’re working for free.” “I’m also not getting paid to stand around and wait for you to get your act together. Either focus or get out of here so I can do something productive with my work hours.” Seth glanced over at Tiara to see how if she would react at all. She looked almost smitten. Seth decided to take the high road. “I’m sorry, Jack. You’re right, that was disrespectful of me. From now on, I will be completely attentive.” “Good,” Jack said, his expression and tone softening a few degrees. “Now, before we begin, Tiara, please put your hair up.” The twitterpated expression Tiara had been wearing suddenly vanished. “Excuse me?” Seth looked at Tiara’s shoulder-length blonde hair, which was streaked through with blue, purple, pink, and black. While most dancers pulled their hair up into ponytails or tight buns, she preferred to wear it loose and messy. Seth loved her hair. Even though it sometimes got caught on a cuff link or button, the look suited Tiara perfectly. Her hair was so gorgeous it was worth the trouble. “Dancers wear their hair up,” Jack said. “Having long hair out of the way is better for you and easier on your dance partner. I know I hate getting smacked in the face by flying strands.” “But I never wear my hair up.” “You do when you’re taking a lesson with me.”

 

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“What am I, twelve?” she spat out. “No. I’m a professional dancer, and you will not tell me how to wear my hair during a coaching session.” “Then we have no business working together,” Jack said. “I only work with real professionals, not whiny prima donnas who think they’re above the rules.” Seth almost walked out of the studio at that moment. There was only so much pushing around he could take. He didn’t care if Jack had won the world championships five years in a row and taken national titles eight times. That didn’t give him the right to push them around and treat them like children. But as he saw Jack turning to leave the studio, he changed his mind. Part of the reason they had come to the studio for two whole weeks was to get some coaching from an international champion. He knew that he and Tiara were good, but he also knew they had a long way to go before they posed any serious threats to the top three couples in the world. No matter how harsh Jack was, no matter how cold and distant, he had valuable information to impart, and they would benefit from his guidance. “Wait, don’t go. She’ll do it.” Jack stopped and turned around. “She will?” “I will not,” Tiara snapped. “Tiara, please,” Seth said. “I’ll get down on my knees and beg if I have to. Just put your hair up so we can have a lesson and try to learn something.” Tiara rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay.” She grabbed an elastic band from her wrist and piled her hair up into a messy knot. “Happy now?” Jack nodded. “Yes, thank you. Okay, let’s begin. We’re going to start with the waltz, and we’re going to take it at half the normal pace.” Seth tried not to cringe at the challenge that lay ahead of him. This will all be worth it, he chanted to himself as though it were a mantra.

 

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Jack turned on music and cut the tempo in half. Taking a deep breath, Seth took Tiara in his arms and began to dance. **** After an exhausting, dejecting lesson, Tiara couldn’t believe that she felt aroused, that there was an intense pulse in her cunt. Jack was harsh, critical, and aggressive. Tiara felt as though he was trying to break their spirits rather than make them better dancers. Yet her skin had heated up when he put his hands on her, and her imagination raced as she compulsively imagined what he looked like naked. Getting turned on with Seth in the room didn’t help, of course. Although she’d resisted getting romantically or sexually involved with him, her body was becoming more and more insistent in its lust. Between his musky scent and the sexy way he furrowed his brow when he was concentrating on a difficult move, she was having a harder and harder time not dragging him out of rehearsals and ripping his clothes off. Spending the afternoon with him and Jack had her body in a nearly uncontrollable frenzy. By the time they were done with the lesson, she was sweating more from arousal than she was from physical exertion. “Excuse me,” a woman said as Tiara followed both men out of the studio. “Yes?” Tiara asked, dropping back to talk. “I’m Catherine Earle.” “Oh! I know who you are,” Tiara said with a smile. “You and Jack trounced Seth and me at the national championships three months ago. Sorry, you just look so different in street clothes.” “Yes, we win,” Catherine said with a grin that looked more menacing than cheerful. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?”

 

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Tiara was confused and not entirely certain she wanted to go anywhere with the woman who whose welcoming airs were so overthe-top that they didn’t ring true. “Actually, I mean, I probably should go, uh, talk to Taletha or something.” “Taletha’s busy. But you can talk to me!” Catherine grabbed Tiara’s hand and practically pulled her out of the studio and into the hot summer sun. “So, how was practice?” Catherine asked as they began to circle the building. “It was great,” Tiara said. Despite the fact that the lesson with Jack had been anything but great, she wasn’t going to let Catherine know that. Tiara didn’t trust her and was not about to create a messy situation by griping to Jack’s dance partner. Catherine gave another aggressive smile. “Awesome. Yeah, Jack is a wonderful coach. So many of his amateur students have actually made it to the professional level.” “I know. His teaching career is really distinguished.” “Just like his competitive career.” Tiara started to relax. Whatever Catherine wanted, it suddenly didn’t seem so bad. “I know. You’re both amazing dancers. Seth and I love watching you perform.” “You know how we got that way, right?” “Hard work?” “That’s right.” Catherine stopped walking, blocking Tiara’s path. “We worked really hard. And we still work really hard because we want to keep kicking ass until we’re too old to dance.” Tiara’s stomach knotted. She wanted to bolt but didn’t know where to run. “Of—of course you do.” “We take our practice and our schedules very seriously, and that structure is part of what keeps us sharp year after year. Which means that during the rest of your stay here, you will not disrespect me by

 

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honing in on my rehearsal time. Is that clear?” Catherine punctuated her words with a condescending eyebrow raise. Tiara was tempted to throw her own attitude in the mix, but she was already on Jack’s bad side. She knew she didn’t need to be on Catherine’s as well. “I’m sorry, Catherine. I didn’t mean any disrespect. We were just so excited to move around after traveling for half the day. Taletha said it would be fine and that you wouldn’t mind.” “Yeah, and about that. Don’t you dare try to go over my head about my own schedule, either. Got it?” “I didn’t mean to go over your head!” Tiara said. Although she tried to keep her voice level, she knew she was failing. “I just asked Jack if he was available, and Taletha—” Without giving Tiara a chance to finish her response, Catherine spun around and stomped back toward the building. Tiara felt her lower lip tremble, but she sucked her feelings deep inside. She’d deal with them later when she didn’t have an image to maintain. She was just about to turn and head back to the studio when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?” a small voice asked. Tiara turned around to see a nervous-looking woman standing in front of her. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said with a sigh. “I just seem to have pissed someone off without meaning to, and she won’t even give me a chance to apologize or anything.” “Welcome to being one of Catherine’s colleagues,” the woman said with a laugh. “Don’t worry. You’re definitely not the first person to accidentally cross her, and you certainly won’t be the last. Hell, I’m her best friend, and I’ve made her mad more times than I can even remember at this point.” “Why would you want to be best friends with someone who’s always angry at you?”

 

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The woman shrugged. “Contrary to that first impression, Catherine really isn’t that angry all the time. She has a quick temper about stupid shit, but she doesn’t actually parade around in a fit of rage. Once you get to know her, she’s really sweet.” “I have a feeling I’ll have to take your word for it. I’m Tiara, by the way.” “I’m Callista. Nice to meet you. I’m really excited that you and Seth are in town for so long before the competition, too. Maybe I could have some coaching with Seth while you’re visiting?” “He’d definitely be glad to pick up some more students. Are you going to compete next weekend, too?” Callista’s face fell. “No. I haven’t been able to find a regular dance partner. It really sucks that my home studio is hosting a competition and I can’t dance in it because there aren’t any leaders out there who are a good fit for me.” “I’m sure you’ll find someone eventually,” Tiara said. “I know it’s a pain in the ass to feel like your career is in permanent limbo, but things will turn around for you eventually. I’ll even sit down with you at some point while I’m in town and give you pointers on finding somebody.” Callista grinned. “That would be great. I’m pretty desperate at this point. I’d do just about anything for a partner.” Tiara laughed. “With my help, you’ll have your pick of them. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Seth and I are guest-teaching the group foxtrot class in twenty minutes. I need to go get ready.” Tiara hurried back to the studio, finally feeling comforted after a grueling afternoon. As she hurried to the employee lounge to grab a snack before teaching, she brushed past Jack, making a point of avoiding eye contact and ignoring the tingle that sparked in her pussy as their hands accidentally touched.

 

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Chapter Two Two days later, Tiara braced herself for another lesson with Jack. Although she knew that he was a brilliant dancer, she wasn’t looking forward to the possibility of more harsh criticism and patronizing behavior. Nor was she interested in trying to stay focused with her body begging to fuck both men. “Maybe we shouldn’t bother with this,” she said to Seth as they warmed up. “Maybe we should just save our money or switch to another instructor. Jack Lanman is not the only champion dancer at this studio.” Seth shook his head. “I know he’s the toughest coach we’ve ever worked with, but he’s the best of the best. We’re going to be stronger dancers after spending some time learning from him. We just have to power through all the negativity.” “Easier said than done.” “So is being a world champion.” “Tiara, put your hair up,” Jack called from across the room. “Really?” she snapped. “Are we actually going to go through this crap again?” “My lesson, my rules.” “Come on, Tiara, it’s only for a few hours,” Seth whispered in her ear. Tiara sighed. “Fine.” She piled her hair on top of her head and turned her attention to Jack. As he reviewed the material they’d gone over last time, she found herself distracted by the shape of his lips, strong jaw, and high cheekbones. Moving her gaze downward, she focused on the way his shirt draped around his shoulders and toned  

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chest and the way his pants had been perfectly tailored to complement his long legs and firm ass. Focusing on his crotch, she tried to make out the outline of his cock behind his zipper. She was so distracted that she didn’t know they were moving on until Seth took her in his arms. “A little distracted, are we?” he whispered in her ear as Jack put on a foxtrot. “Just a little.” “He hasn’t called you on it yet. Doesn’t he find your ogling unprofessional?” “Is it that obvious?” she asked as Seth began to lead her around the floor. “You look at him like you want to rip his clothes off. Even when he’s making you mad, you stare at him as though all would be forgiven if he would just get naked. You don’t look at very many guys that way.” “I never look at guys that way.” “Yes you do. Don’t think I haven’t noticed where your eyes go when you think I’m distracted.” Tiara stumbled at his words and momentarily felt angry at Seth for springing that on her. Even if it was completely accurate. She’d wanted him for years but was afraid that if they started a romantic relationship, their professional partnership would fall apart. Their competitive career was tenuous enough as it was. She didn’t need to throw the ticking time bomb of sex into the mix. Jack shut the music off before she and Seth even had time to recover. “What the hell was that?” he snapped. To Tiara’s surprise, Seth took the blame. “It was my fault,” he said, setting a calm expression on his face. “Don’t tell me you’ve never screwed up your lead before.” “Not on such a basic move, I haven’t. Here, let me show you how it’s done.”

 

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Shooing Seth off the floor, Jack took Tiara in his arms. “Put the next song on, please,” he called. As Tony Bennett’s smooth voice spilled out of the stereo, Tiara found herself swept around the dance floor with such elegance and finesse that she wasn’t sure her feet were even touching the ground. Although he’d led her into turns and fancy footwork during their lesson two days before, this was the first time they’d ever really danced together, ever really moved to the music and let the lyrics and rhythm guide them. If she hadn’t been begrudgingly attracted to Jack already, this dance would have done her in. As his hands guided her along the floor and his feet captured the essence of the music, her ire and frustration melted away. The music progressed, and Jack started leading her into more and more complex patterns, spinning and dipping her with impeccable precision. Tiara’s body broke out in a sweat, again more from arousal than exertion. Her cunt was pulsing to the rhythm of the song and ached even harder each time he dipped her, catching her just before she hit the ground. Each time he spun her around, she debated pretending to lose her balance so that she might have the opportunity to press against him, to feel his hands dig into her flesh as he worked to steady her. But above all, she wanted to impress him, and so she focused on dancing her absolute best, hoping that by the time the song ended, some of the tension between them might have disappeared. As the music came to an end, she noticed an odd look in Jack’s eye. Turing in a perfect pirouette, she realized the look she saw was lust. With the final note, Jack settled Tiara in front of him and gently reached his mouth out toward hers. Tiara couldn’t explain why she was suddenly overcome with nerves, why she wasn’t ready to feel his lips on hers, why she didn’t want that kind of attention from the man she had been trying her damndest not to flirt with for the past two days. Perhaps it was that she knew Seth was standing across the ballroom, staring, his ego

 

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already bruised from Jack’s admonishment for a mistake that was actually her fault. Either way, Tiara couldn’t go through with it. Just as his lips were about to meet hers, she turned her face away, so his mouth grazed her cheek. “I thought you were discreet,” she whispered as they bowed for the small crowd of teachers and students that had gathered and was now applauding for them. She slid her arm through his and allowed him to escort her off the floor. “There have been times when even I’ve been known to break the rules,” he whispered back. “The trick is to understand when you can and cannot get away with it.” “And how do you learn that?” she asked. But before Jack had a chance to answer, Seth had rushed up to meet them. Suddenly, the smolder that had been in Jack’s eye disappeared, and the businesslike, flinty stare took over. “Did you learn something from watching that?” he asked. “Yes,” Seth said with a blank, rigid expression. “Good. Now, I want you to dance again, and I want you to prove that you picked something up from watching me lead. And don’t let Tiara fall this time.” Tiara stumbled as Seth jerked her into proper dance frame. “We need to talk later,” he snapped. Then he put on a perfectly polished smile as the music started up again. **** As soon as the lesson was done, Seth gave Jack his perfunctory gratitude and then hurried off the floor, desperate to have a little privacy before he completely lost his temper and made an ass out of himself. “Meet me in the lounge in five minutes,” he whispered to Tiara as he made a beeline for the locker room, the only place where he knew he’d have the chance to be alone for five minutes to cool down.

 

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Since it was early in the day, the locker room was mostly vacant, save for a few people taking showers. Seth walked over to the sink and splashed his face with cold water, allowing the chill to settle his temper. He wasn’t sure what had him more upset, the fact that Jack treated them like crap or the fact that Tiara seemed to be attracted to him in spite of it. Or the fact that Tiara seemed to be attracted to Jack at all. After years of sending her signals that were never returned, after years of waiting, after missed romantic opportunities because he was waiting for her, she walked into a dance studio in another state and fell in love. Seth splashed some more cold water on his face, and finally, he was calm. Taking a few more deep breaths, he walked out of the studio and into the lounge where Tiara sat on a couch waiting for him. “What’s going on?” she asked before he’d even had a chance to close the door. “Jack tried to kiss you is what’s going on,” he snapped. He was shocked at the frustration evident in his voice. He didn’t realize that he was still angry. “Yeah? So what? Do I not deserve to be kissed? Is it so shocking that a man might be attracted to me? Besides, it’s not like I let him get away with it. You saw me turn my face away.” “He still kissed you on the cheek.” “What’s your point? You kiss me on the cheek all the time.” Seth opened his mouth, but no words came out. He hated to admit it, but he didn’t have a rational argument anywhere in his mind. “I take it by your silence that you’ve been floored by my amazing rhetorical finesse,” Tiara said. “And anyway, what’s it to you who I am and am not attracted to?” “You were complaining about having a lesson with him when we were getting ready this morning. I see the way your eyes look at him, but your attitude and mouth suggest you’re not his biggest fan. I’m

 

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not sure why you’d let yourself get involved with someone who you don’t even seem to like.” “I’m not getting involved with him. And even if I was, it’s none of your business.” “I just—I just don’t understand why you’re attracted to him.” “Why do you keep insisting that you know my feelings?” “Because I’ve seen the way you look at him. I’ve seen that even though he pisses you off, you’re still attracted to him somehow. Don’t pretend you’re not. I’ve known you for years. I can read you easily.” “I didn’t even let him kiss me.” “But part of you wanted to let him kiss you.” Tiara glanced at the clock. “Look, we’re not going to come to an agreement about this, and we have to teach that foxtrot workshop in twenty minutes. Let’s just agree to table this until we get back to Denver so we can get through our teaching commitments and the competition with our respective sanities intact.” “Fine.” By the time they got home, Jack would be nearly a thousand miles away, and they wouldn’t have to have the discussion. Neither of them looked at each other as they pushed through the lounge doors. They even managed to teach the entire workshop without making eye contact. **** Jack tried to avoid making eye contact with Catherine as he sat down to change his dance shoes. He wasn’t exactly proud of how he’d behaved on the floor, and if Catherine had seen anything, he wasn’t in the mood to discuss it. “What was that little display?” Jack resisted the impulse to shiver. Something in Catherine’s voice was outright menacing. He was used to her sounding irritated and angry, but there was a jolt of malevolence slicing through her words. “What was what?”

 

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“Don’t try to pull that on me. The dance you had with Tiara at the start of your lesson.” “Sometimes a dance is just a dance.” “And sometimes, it’s not.” “Catherine, I don’t have time for your histrionics. Get to the point, please.” “You tried to kiss her.” Jack sighed. “Yes, I did. And she rejected me. So do you need to remind me of what happened? Or has my ego not gotten bruised enough today?” “Your ego is perfectly fine, and you know it. I don’t think I know anybody with self-esteem as hardy as yours.” “Believe it or not, Catherine, rejection stings, no matter who you are and no matter who’s doing the rejecting.” “Then if you’re going to make a fool out of yourself, at least have the decency to do it away from the studio, so I don’t have to see it.” Jack was surprised to hear a tremble in Catherine’s voice. It wasn’t like her to show such vulnerability. Typically, she only displayed happiness or anger. “Is there something we need to talk about?” he asked. “I love you!” Catherine burst out, a few thin tears streaming down her cheeks. Jack felt his breath catch in his throat. “What?” “I love you.” “How–how long as this been going on?” “About six months,” she said, before swallowing a gulp of air. “It was gradual. I just started having these feelings for you beyond our normal relationship. I imagined long, romantic dinners. I imagined us sharing a bed, making love. I imagined us sharing a home as well as a career.” “I–I just don’t understand. I’ve never given you the impression I was interested, have I?”

 

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Catherine shook her head. “No, you haven’t. These thoughts were brief, at first. Little glimpses here and there. Gradually, they stayed in my mind longer and longer. I started having visions of our relationship going to the next level. Now, it’s all I think about, other than dance. I want you, Jack. I want to be your girlfriend and maybe even your wife.” Jack felt a wave of dizziness start to wash over him. It wasn’t that he didn’t think Catherine was attractive. To the contrary, she was gorgeous, with honey-blonde hair, a lean dancer’s body, and an impeccable sense of style. There were times when, in moments of sexual dry spells, he had imagined her naked and sprawled out in his bed. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Catherine, either. He would be the first to admit that she was frequently difficult to deal with, that she had a temper. But he’d also taken the time to get past her fiery exterior to get to know the real woman beneath. He cared for her, he enjoyed her company, and he trusted her. They had a history together. She’d taken care of his home on the rare occasions when he went on vacation and had cared for him while he convalesced from knee surgery five years ago. She even had a key to his vacation cabin on the lake and had free reign of the place whenever she needed to get out of town for a weekend. They’d been dancing together for nearly a decade, and she was as close to a wife as Jack anticipated having. That didn’t mean he wanted her as an actual wife, though. Jack was too committed to his career to want to get involved in a serious relationship with someone. Even though as his dance partner Catherine would understand his busy schedule and in fact be able to spend most of the day with him, he wasn’t interested in that. He had seen too many all-star partnerships implode when the dancers attempted to add sex and romance to their relationship. Despite his closeness with Catherine, and despite the fact that he found her attractive, he also knew that his professional partnership with her was

 

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more important than sex. He could find other women, but there was only one person he would trust with his career. Jack took a deep breath while he formulated a reply to Catherine’s confession. “I care about you very much, you know. You mean the world to me, and nothing is more important than our partnership. But that means certain sacrifices need to be made.” Catherine dropped her eyes. “Of course you’d say that. You don’t care about what I want.” “I don’t want to risk our competitive career over something like sex. Even the possibility of love is too fickle, too uncertain, to risk a partnership as amazing as ours. I don’t think I’d be as successful a dancer as I am if I hadn’t met you. I’m sorry, Catherine, but I just can’t reciprocate your feelings.” “I was hoping maybe you’d make an exception to your rules for once. I mean, you almost kissed Tiara right in the middle of the studio. If you can loosen up with her, I don’t understand why you can’t loosen up with me.” Jack felt himself start to sweat as he began to wonder just how many people had noticed what he’d almost done. “That—I mean— that wasn’t what it looked like. Besides, that has nothing to do with this. I’m sorry, but I just can’t get involved romantically.” Catherine started crying even harder. Jack couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Even though he couldn’t reciprocate her feelings, he hated that he’d hurt her. “Come on,” he said, taking her by the hand and steering her toward the staff lounge. After a peek in the door to ensure it was empty, he pulled her inside. “Let’s talk this out somewhere private. I don’t want there to be tension in our partnership over this.” “You love Tiara, don’t you? You love some woman you barely know, someone you don’t even like very much, someone who can just waltz in here and usurp your schedule and push me aside.” “Catherine, please, be rational. I don’t love her.”

 

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“Then why did you try to kiss her? Why would you do that with someone you barely know?” “Because I find her attractive and because I wasn’t thinking. It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t start dancing with her in an attempt to kiss her. We were just dancing, and suddenly, it was all I wanted to do. It felt completely right. But she didn’t feel the same way.” “You didn’t even want to coach them in the first place, and suddenly, you’re all over her.” “My emotions and opinions don’t always speak the same language as my libido. I try to keep my body in line with my logic, but it doesn’t necessarily listen. Today was an example of my body taking over. I guess it really has been too long since I’ve, uh, been intimate with a woman.” He cringed, hating to use vulgarity of any kind, especially around people he respected. “I could meet your needs, you know,” Catherine said, looking up at him with wide blue eyes. He didn’t see lust in her expression, though. He saw a cold gaze devoid of passion, and he didn’t understand why her face didn’t match her words. “I’m sure you could. I’m willing to bet you’re an amazing lover. But that’s not an option for us.” “Well, fantastic. Now my ego is bruised, and my whole day is ruined.” “I guess it’s just not a good day for anybody’s self-esteem.” “You’re not—you’re not going to fall for her, are you?” Jack laughed off the edge in her voice. “She’ll be in town for two weeks, and then she’ll go back to Denver. What on earth could possibly happen between us in that little time?” “I don’t know.” “Look, Catherine, if you’re going to be jealous of every woman I’m attracted to, we have to deal with that right now. If you’re going to be jealous every time I find another woman attractive, if you let the hurt of rejection gnaw at you, that’s not going to make our partnership any stronger.”

 

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Catherine sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Don’t worry, Jack. I won’t let that happen.” “Are you sure? I know it can be difficult to keep emotions in check. So if you need to get more off your chest, don’t hesitate. I don’t want this issue to drive a wedge between us.” She nodded. “I can handle it. Believe it or not, I do have ways of dealing with my troubles. You’re right. Our professional partnership is more important.” “I’m glad we agree.” He gave her a cautious hug and then stood up. “Practice at eight tomorrow morning?” Catherine nodded. “Unless, of course, Tiara and Seth want another last-minute lesson.” “That won’t happen again, I promise,” he assured her. “Good,” she said. “You know how I get when my life gets out of order.” She stood up and hurried out of the room. Knowing she was no longer looking at him, Jack finally allowed himself to shiver at her tone as she spoke those final words.

 

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Chapter Three Tiara’s heart and pussy were both pounding with anticipation as Taletha pulled into the parking lot of Phosphorescence, the wine bar where she’d arranged to host a happy hour reception for Tiara and Seth. Tiara was looking forward to enjoying a glass of wine and getting to know people better, but there was only one person she actually wanted to see, and she didn’t think he’d show up. Jack didn’t seem to be the type of guy who showed up at events like these. He seemed to have an air about him that suggested he was too good for bars, or happy hours, or fraternization with colleagues. Still, the way they’d flirted during practice a few days before gave her hope that he might stop being a snob for an evening so she could spend more time with him. It didn’t matter that they’d be in a big group or that their chances for conversation would be minimal. She would be content just to be in the same room. Even if it didn’t lead anywhere, even if she went back to hotel room that night and all she had for comfort was her vibrator, being in his presence would be enough. She tried not to let herself feel disappointed when she walked into the bar and he wasn’t there. This isn’t his scene, and it’s not like he ever said he’d show up or anything. Briefly, she thought about flirting with Seth, just so her feelings wouldn’t be completely bottled up. He’d already admitted in practice that he could tell she was attracted to him. Maybe giving in to those feelings wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she shook it away. Yes, her pussy yearned for Seth’s cock. Yes, she’d developed feelings for him after years of dancing together. But giving those feelings a chance to grow and thrive could destroy their professional  

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partnership. Considering how tense things had been on this trip so far, she wasn’t about to add more volatility to the mix. Tiara smiled graciously at the applause the other dancers gave when she and Seth pushed through the doors. She willed herself not to be upset, ordered a glass of champagne, and joined the party. She knew that if she just made enough conversation, she’d forget all about him, at least for a few hours. After an hour of chatting and laughing, Tiara had managed to stop thinking about Jack and was enjoying herself. Even her pussy had stopped yearning for immediate sexual release from the men she had been fantasizing about. She and Taletha were involved in a deep discussion about dance politics on the East Coast when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she found herself face-toface with Jack. Suddenly, her heart began racing again, and her pussy started to throb, desperate to find out what his cock would feel like when it was deep inside of her. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, offering her a slight grin. “I got held up with a few errands after my last lesson of the day.” Tiara realized she was almost too nervous to smile but managed to eke one out anyway. “This is a nice surprise.” Jack shrugged. “I do try to get out every now and then. Believe it or not, there are times when I actually do feel social. I’m not the hermit everyone seems to think I am.” “Though the times you go out with us really are few and far between,” Taletha said with a laugh. “Seriously, Jack, I think this is the first time you’ve been to a staff event in a year.” Tiara couldn’t help but notice that Jack had developed a slight blush on his face. “Well, this seems like a special occasion. It’s not every month that we have such esteemed guest instructors in our midst.” “Regardless of your motivation, we’re glad you finally joined us for once,” Taletha said. She waved her empty glass in the air. “Excuse

 

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me, I need a refill.” Tiara thought she saw Taletha give Jack a wink as she turned and walked back to the bar. Tiara turned to Jack and smiled as an awkward silence settled around them. “So, can I buy you a drink?” she asked, searching for something to say. “I’m not sure you should be buying the drinks at the reception being held in your honor. Isn’t Taletha putting this entire evening on the company credit card, anyway? I was under the impression that anyone who chose to schmooze would get free wine.” “Oh, right, of course.” Tiara could feel the blush rising on her face. “Maybe if she did more events where there was free booze, I’d come out to these things more often,” he said with a laugh. “Are you saying you’re cheap?” Tiara asked, hoping the wink she gave him was enough to indicate that she was kidding. Jack leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I’m most definitely not cheap. I’m just very selective about how I spend my money. There are luxuries I prefer that don’t include overpriced alcohol.” The feel of his breath rushing against her ear set Tiara’s entire body on fire. “And what would such luxuries include?” “Maybe I’ll tell you later,” he whispered, pressing his mouth so close to her ear that she could practically feel his lips on her skin. “It’s not the sort of thing one discusses when surrounded by colleagues.” “Then perhaps we should get away from said colleagues sooner rather than later. There are few things I hate more than being kept in suspense.” “But I just got here. Wouldn’t it look odd if I stayed for only five minutes and then suddenly took off with you on my arm? Wouldn’t that make people talk?” “I see it as a lesser of two evils. They’ll probably talk a lot more if we cozy up in a corner and look like we’re sharing secrets. If we’re not around, there’s nothing for them to look at.” Jack pulled away, a slight frown appearing on his face.

 

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“Either way, people are going to talk. I’d rather not be the subject of idle work gossip, if it’s all the same to you. Maybe we should go mingle for now.” Rather than turning Tiara off, Jack’s sudden switch in attitude made her heart beat faster and her cunt throb with more intensity. The challenge of wooing Jack was proving more difficult than expected, but each new obstacle left her pussy wanting him even more. She tried to remind herself that she shouldn’t flirt with Jack while Seth was there. Her body, though, was speaking louder than her brain. The only possible option to get what she wanted was to get out of the bar. Tiara leaned back in, ensuring that her lips really did brush up against his ear as she spoke. “I need some fresh air,” she whispered. “And so do you.” Before Jack had a chance to protest, she wrapped his tie around her hand and started leading him out of the bar. **** Jack looked around, and Tiara hauled him out of the bar, hoping that nobody was paying attention to the fact that she was dragging him out the glass doors to do who knows what. But nobody seemed to be paying them any attention. He breathed a sigh of relief as Tiara pushed open the glass doors and pressed herself against the wall, drawing his lips dangerously close to hers. “There, isn’t this better?” she asked. “The atmosphere is much nicer.” “What are you doing?” he asked. “What do you think I’m doing? I’m trying to seduce you. Isn’t it obvious?” Jack hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t deny that he wanted her, that his cock was already fluttering to life as he stared at her lips and then focused on cleavage that threatened to spill out of her plunging neckline.

 

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“You are ruining my reputation for discretion,” he said, before he gave into his desires and kissed her. As his lips finally met hers, he found that discretion didn’t matter. He didn’t care if someone saw him kissing her. Hell, he wanted someone to walk out and see him kissing her. For the first time in his life, he was excited by the possibility of getting caught. He loved the way she tasted. The aftertaste of the wine didn’t cover the earthy-yet-sweet flavor of her skin. He darted his tongue in and out, gently biting her lips, desperate to savor every second. “Harder,” she murmured in between kisses. “What?” “Bite my lips harder when you kiss me.” “I don’t want to hurt you.” “Trust me, you won’t.” “Are you sure?” Rather than try to convince him with words, Tiara bit down hard on his bottom lip, then pulled away and bit his neck. Jack’s cock, which had been steadily hardening with each kiss, now stood at full attention, pressing so hard against the fabric of his pants that it was almost painful. The sensation exploding across his skin had an edge to it, pleasure with just a tinge of pain, making it even sexier. “Fuck, you’re right,” he whispered and then bit down on her neck, reveling in the way her flesh yielded to his teeth. He turned his attention to her lips and finally gave his hands permission to wander, to explore the body that had been driving him crazy all week. Snaking his fingers up her curvy waist, he went right for the breasts that had drawn his stares ever since he’d arrived at the bar. Tiara groaned as he pressed his palms against them and then gently began to tease her by dragging his fingertips around in slow circles. Slipping his hands under her shirt, he realized she wasn’t wearing a bra. His hands were in direct contact with her flesh, providing direct stimulation to her nipples. Pinching them gently between his fingertips, he started to twist.

 

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“Harder,” she gasped again. “Are you sure?” “I’m not fucking fragile. I won’t break. Now pinch harder.” Jack gripped her nipples with all the strength in his fingers, rolling them faster and faster. A few moments later, he realized how quick and shallow her breath had become, how close she sounded to an orgasm. Kicking up the speed as fast as he could, he worked her until she closed her eyes and slumped back against the wall, an unmistakable moan escaping from her mouth. Jack pulled his hands away. “Did you just…” He trailed off, not entirely able to believe what he had just witnessed. “Come? Yeah. You’ve never experienced that before?” “Never.” “I guess you’ve just been doing foreplay wrong,” she said with a wink. “Does it feel the same as a regular orgasm?” Tiara shook her head. “It’s smaller and not quite as forceful. But it’s still an orgasm, and it’s still amazing.” Jack smiled. “You are the most amazing woman I have ever met.” Then he kissed her again, bringing his hands up to play with the beautiful blonde hair that he’d wanted to touch ever since she’d walked into his life. **** Seth knew it wasn’t proper etiquette to shoot wine, but when he saw Tiara wrap her fingers around Jack’s tie and pull him out of the bar, his sense of propriety slipped away. Ordering his favorite merlot from the bar, he downed the entire glass, barely tasting the liquid that passed his lips. When he slammed the fragile stemware down on the bar, it shattered. Before Seth knew it, every eye on the bar was focused on him.

 

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“I–I’m so sorry,” he gasped. He turned toward the bartender. “I’ll pay for that.” He started fumbling for his wallet. The bartender smiled. “Not to worry, sir. Accidents happen. We have more than enough glassware.” “Are you sure?” “Of course. Here, would you like a refill?” He reached for a bottle. “No, thank you. I think I’ve had enough for the moment.” Seth eased himself away from the bar and moved to a dark, quiet corner. He leaned against the wall and watched the party, trying to regain his composure, trying not to obsess about what he’d just seen. When he saw Catherine approach, his stomach sank. He still felt embarrassed for breaking the wineglass, and he wasn’t interested in talking to anyone at the moment. “Don’t worry,” she said, barely hiding her frustration. “I know why you got pissed off, and I understand completely.” “You do?” “Of course. Do you think it actually made me happy to see the two of them walk out together? After all these years of dancing with Jack, of falling for him, of waiting for him to change his mind and want me, he falls for the first floozy to walk into the studio.” “Tiara isn’t a floozy,” Seth snapped. Then he felt guilty for being angry. “Sorry. I care about her very much, and she’s not a bad person.” Catherine put a hand on his shoulder. “I know. You’re her dance partner, after all. I shouldn’t have called her that. Jealousy got the better of me, I guess.” “At least your jealous rage didn’t involve glass shattering all over a bar.” Catherine giggled. “No, I guess not.” She slid her hand down his arm, and Seth pulled away. There was something about her touch that made him suspicious.

 

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“It’s just not fair,” he said, trying to put the focus back on Jack and Tiara. “No, it’s not. I guess we’re just going to have to learn to live with it, though. They don’t want us, and they probably never will.” Catherine reached out and grabbed Seth’s hand, and he jerked away again, harder this time, trying to prove a point. He was hurt that Tiara didn’t want him, but he also wasn’t about to turn to Catherine for affection just because she happened to be there. “What?” she asked, looking up at him with a surprised expression. “Don’t you want a little comfort?” “I’m sorry, Catherine. You’re gorgeous, and I know you’re hurting just as much as I am. Still, I can’t rush into your arms just because we’re in the same emotional boat. That might ease the pain for a little, but it won’t take it away for good.” “Yeah, but it might give them a taste of their own medicine,” she said, a conniving grin appearing on her face. Seth shook his head. “I don’t want that, either. Trying to get revenge isn’t going to accomplish anything. If they want each other, you and I making out isn’t going to change that. If they do want us and don’t know how to admit it, you and I making out is only going to hurt them. Either way, it’s not going to change the situation.” Catherine’s face fell. “It would be fun, at least.” “I’m sorry, Catherine. You’re a beautiful woman. But I can’t give my body over to you when I want someone else. It wouldn’t be fair to you, and it wouldn’t really mean anything. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need some fresh air.” As he walked out of the bar, Seth was shocked to see Jack and Tiara pressed up against the wall, making out. He’d assumed that when Tiara had dragged Jack out by his tie that they had planned to go back to someone’s bed. But they were right in front of him, Tiara pressed up against the rough brick wall, her hands gripping Jack’s ass, his hands tangled in her hair, their mouths opening and pressing at a frantic pace.

 

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Seth was so surprised that he found himself rooted in one place, gaping at the frustrating-yet-sexy display in front of him. As much as it hurt him to see Tiara kissing another man, he couldn’t help but feel aroused by the way her hairstyle was getting destroyed by his fingers, the way her knuckles were getting white as she dug them into his flesh, they way their mouths never seemed satisfied, no matter how deeply they kissed. After a few minutes of staring at their display, he was pulled out of his trance by his cock, quickly getting stiff and starting to strain against the fabric of his pants. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to walk away, to go home, to go back into the bar, to do anything other than stand there and watch. Suddenly, Tiara broke the kiss and looked Seth in the eye. “Do you want to join us?” Seth was so shocked by her question that he didn’t respond right away. “Earth to Seth,” she said, with a giggle. “Did you hear what I said, or are you too mesmerized by what you saw?” “What?” Seth finally snapped back into the present moment. “Sorry, I–I guess I’m just a little shocked.” “Well, now that you seem to have recovered, are you going to join in or not?” “Really? This isn’t a joke?” Tiara laughed again. “I would never joke about something so serious.” Seth looked up at Jack. “Is that cool with you?” Jack looked deep in thought for a moment. “I–I can’t say I ever gave it much thought before, honestly.” “I suppose I should have asked you first,” Tiara said, turning her focus back to Jack. “I know you have a tendency to prefer conventionality.” Jack smiled. “There’s a time and place for everything, and I’m going to say that evening is not the time to be conventional. I’d prefer if we could go somewhere a little more private, though.”

 

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Tiara grinned. “Like your place?” “That sounds perfect.” They hurried into Jack’s car, and Tiara took the front seat next to Jack. Seth slid into the backseat and immediately leaned forward as far as his seatbelt would allow. He reached around Tiara’s seat and cupped her breasts. He paused for a moment, savoring this ability to touch her, the way he’d been yearning to do for years. Then he started to roll her nipples between his fingers, feeling the way they grew harder and harder with each twist and tug. “Yeah, just like that,” Tiara groaned. “A little harder, though.” Seth began pinching harder and pulling faster, struggling to maintain his grip as she began to thrash her body against the seat. Finally, her entire body stiffened, and when it finally released back against the seat, she let out a long, slow groan. “You’re amazing,” he whispered, running his hands through her hair. “I’ve been hearing a lot of that lately,” she said with a laugh. As Seth leaned back in his seat, Tiara unbuckled her seatbelt. “Hey, what are you doing?” Jack asked, sounding slightly nervous. “That’s not even legal.” “Don’t worry about it. Just relax and have fun.” Leaning down, Tiara unzipped Jack’s fly and pulled out his semihard cock. “Seriously, what are you doing?” “You’ll see,” she said and proceeded to stroke him to complete hardness. “I don’t think this is such a good idea,” he said, but then he groaned as Tiara twirled a finger around his shaft. “You will in a second,” she said and then slipped her mouth over his cock. “Whoa! What the hell?” Jack swerved so hard that Tiara’s head flew away from his cock and narrowly avoided hitting the steering wheel. Among a chorus of car horns, he pulled into a parking lot.

 

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“What were you thinking?” he snapped. “What if someone saw us at a stoplight? Worse yet, what if we’d been pulled over? I mean, we could get arrested for doing that sort of thing.” “I was just trying to fool around,” she said. Her voice sounded so small that Seth felt sorry for her. He sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you. You didn’t get hurt when I swerved, did you?” “No, I’m okay.” “Good. In that case, maybe we should call it a night. I’m beginning to think this isn’t such a good idea.” Taletha looked hurt. “I won’t give you road head anymore. I’m sorry.” “I know, I just don’t think I’m up for this. I know I said I was, back at the bar, but I wasn’t thinking clearly. You like to take risks, and I don’t. I don’t think we’re compatible, even for one night. What hotel are the two of you staying at again?” Seth cleared his throat. “Look, Tiara might have crossed the line, but she did say she was sorry. I feel like you’re trying to punish her.” Jack’s voice was flat. “That’s not what I’m trying to do. But I’m trying to protect all of us. I don’t want to do anything risky, and I also don’t want anyone to get too involved and get hurt. Now, which hotel are you staying at?” Tiara started to cry. Seth could tell she was being as quiet as possible, trying to hide how much she was hurting, but he could still hear her sniffles and the hitches in her breath. “We’re at the Marriott downtown,” Seth said with a sigh. They were silent on the drive downtown, the only sound coming from Tiara’s discreet sobs. In the hotel parking lot, Seth got out without saying good-bye and then helped Tiara out of the car. “You okay?” he asked her as Jack sped off. “Do I look okay?” “He’s just a jerk. What did you want with him anyway?”

 

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“Don’t do that. Don’t act like he’s a terrible person just because you’re jealous.” “I’m sorry, Tiara, but I’m going to be judgmental toward anyone who makes you cry.” “Then be judgmental privately, please. I don’t want to hear it.” Desperate to break the tension, Seth tried a different method of comfort. “Do you want to go get some dinner? Maybe we could hang out and order room service. We could even order a cheesy movie on pay-per-view or something.” Tiara wiped her tears away. “No, thanks. I think I just want to be alone.” “Are you sure?” “Yeah.” “Look, we don’t need him if you want to have a good time.” “No, we don’t. But I need to not be hurt if I’m going to have fun with you. I’m sorry, Seth.” With fresh tears starting to well up in her eyes, she ran off toward her room, leaving him standing in the parking lot wanting to rush after her and aching because she didn’t want him.

 

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Chapter Four Tiara didn’t answer the door when a knock woke her up the next morning. When the knock came again, she decided to give a message that was a bit more forceful than passive resistance. “Please leave me alone.” “Tiara, it’s Seth. Come on, we need to be at the studio soon.” “Please leave me alone.” “Seriously, Tiara, let me in. I’m going to stand here all day until you do.” “Then you’ll be late, too.” “Talking things out with you is more important. Please, just let me in.” “Fine,” Tiara groaned. She rolled out of bed and unlocked the door. “Didn’t sleep well?” Seth asked, poking his head in as soon as Tiara opened the door wide enough. She took a look at the dark circles surrounding his eyes. “Looks like you didn’t exactly get a good night’s rest, either.” “I was up late thinking about things.” “Yeah, me, too.” “So can I come in?” Tiara didn’t say a word, just opened the door wide enough for him to pass through. He tried to kiss her as he walked in, but she dodged his lips. Unlike with Jack a few days before, he didn’t manage to graze her cheek, either. Instead, he lost his balance and stumbled forward. When he regained his composure, he wore a wounded look on his face.  

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“What, you’ve completely changed your mind just because you got burned last night?” he asked, his voice sounding bitter. “I just think that considering the way things turned out, maybe we shouldn’t exactly rush into anything. Maybe we shouldn’t fool around.” “It was just a kiss.” “A kiss can mean a lot of things, and you know it.” “So you get jilted once, and suddenly the whole thing is off? I barely even had a chance!” “Is that what you’re mad about? That you didn’t get as much playtime in? Are you jealous that Jack got to me first?” Seth hung his head. “Maybe a little. And, you know, I’ve been into you for years. For a brief window of time last night, I felt as though all of my dreams were coming true. But they completely fell apart, without warning and without explanation. So yeah, I’m feeling bitter and jealous.” “I’m sorry that things turned out the way they did, but it wasn’t my fault.” “I know, I know. I shouldn’t be angry at you. Come on, let’s go to the studio. I’ll buy you breakfast on the way in.” Tiara shook her head. “No, thanks. Tell Taletha I’m sick. I’m going to stay in here, order room service, and mope.” Seth’s jaw dropped. “Really? One guy blows you off, and you throw your whole day away eating junk food and watching television? It’s not like he broke your heart.” “No, but he did a real number on my pride.” “I’m not exactly in good spirits, either, but I’m still going in to work.” “Good for you. I’m not.” “Give me one good reason why.” “Because I don’t want to see him, at least not until I can stop hurting so damn much.” “I didn’t realize you cared what he thought about you.”

 

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“Now that he’s hurt me, his opinion matters. Right now, I don’t feel strong enough to face him.” “I could help.” Tiara shook her head. “No, you couldn’t. I have to be strong on my own. Besides, it’s more than just him. I don’t want to have to face Taletha after I ditched that reception she hosted for us.” “I’m sure Taletha will understand.” “I don’t know. I’d hate to go to her whining that we got caught up with one of her employees and then I went into a funk when he ditched us.” “Have you ever considered the possibility that she might have been in a similar situation before?” Tiara blinked. “What do you mean?” “You didn’t notice that she was with two men last night? If she’s involved with two guys, I’d say it’s pretty likely she’s encountered a situation like this before. Unless she secretly lives in a magical bubble where relationships are always easy and perfect.” Tiara gave a small laugh. “I was a little too distracted to notice her escorts, I guess.” “Well, I had some time for people-watching, and she definitely has two husbands. So does one of the country-dance instructors.” “Wow. Must be something in the water here.” Seth laughed. “Maybe. Either way, I bet Taletha has some advice. Maybe she could help you deal with the rejection.” Tiara shook her head. “No way. I don’t care if Taletha is an expert. I don’t know her well enough to feel like talking to her about it. I’m just going to stay at the hotel today.” Seth sighed. “Are you really going to be this stubborn?” “Yes.” “Fine. But you owe me double practice time tomorrow.” “You got it.” Tiara opened her arms for a hug, and then she allowed Seth to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek before he left. Her pussy warmed

 

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and throbbed as she smelled his musky scent and remembered the potential the previous night had contained. But she shoved these thoughts from her mind as soon as she was alone. Sex only seems to cause problems. Maybe I’d be better off without it. **** “I noticed you didn’t come back to the bar last night,” Catherine said as soon as Seth walked into the studio the next morning. Before the door closed behind him, she had rushed up and started stroking his arm. “Did things actually go the way you planned? Did you somehow get exactly what you wanted?” Her tone grew more frantic and highpitched with every question. “Not exactly,” he said, shrugging her arm away. He had to admit she was hot, but even her great body couldn’t tempt him away from his desire for Tiara. Not even Catherine’s charms could distract him from the hurt he was still feeling. “I bet I could help you take your mind off things,” she said, giving him a smile and snaking her arm up his chest. “Maybe we could get a drink after we’re done with work for the day.” “I don’t think so,” he said, stepping far enough away that she could no longer touch him. “I have plans.” “Maybe tomorrow then?” she asked, keeping her distance but batting her eyelashes seductively. “Look, Catherine, you seem great, but like I said last night, I have feelings for Tiara, and there’s nothing that can change that. It wouldn’t be fair for me to go out with you when I’m not interested.” A dark look flashed across her face. “I bet I could make you interested. And I always like a challenge.” “People are not obstacles to overcome. At least, I’m not.” “How do you know you don’t like me if you’ve never even tried?” Catherine started approaching again. Seth let her get closer, thinking

 

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he had the situation under control, but before he knew it, realized he was backed into a corner. “Come with me,” she said, taking his hand. “I have something I need to say to you in private.” Seth sighed and allowed her to drag him toward the staff lounge. He hoped that it would be populated by other dancers, but to his dismay, Catherine pushed the door open on an empty room. “Have a seat on the couch,” she demanded. All of the sweetness she had previously displayed had vanished. “I’m fine standing, actually.” Catherine grabbed his wrist again, pulling him down onto the cushions. “I’m not.” “Do we both need to be sitting for this discussion?” “Yes.” Suddenly all smiles again, Catherine eased herself onto his lap. His cock fluttered as she pressed against him, and he was pissed that his libido didn’t seem to have the same standards his brain had. “Hurry up and tell me what you want to talk about, then. I have to go teach soon, and I want to get warmed up.” “I want you to revisit my proposition from last night. We’ve both been rejected by the people we want. Why not take comfort in each other? Misery loves company, after all.” “For the record, Tiara didn’t reject me last night.” Catherine clicked her tongue and shook her head. “I’m going to say that maybe you’re not being completely honest with me there, because I don’t understand why, if you managed to get lucky with her, you walked in looking so miserable.” “Things just didn’t go as planned. But she didn’t reject me.” The lounge door opened. Seth tried to jump up, but Catherine kept him pinned to the couch. He was shocked that such a petite woman had the ability to keep him in his seat. He felt even worse when Tiara walked in. “Seth? What the hell are you doing?”

 

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“Hey, uh, this isn’t want it looks like,” Catherine said, though the tone in her voice implied otherwise. “Tiara!” Seth cried. “I thought you weren’t—uh, I mean, I thought you were sick.” “Hypocrite,” Tiara snapped, tears welling up in her eyes. “You make me feel so guilty, and then I find you getting frisky with her.” She turned and stormed out of the lounge. Seth launched himself off the floor so quickly that Catherine dropped to the ground. “Ow! Watch it!” she cried as Seth hurried out of the room and chased Tiara down the hall. “Wait!” he called to her. Tiara turned her head and kept walking. “Catherine wasn’t lying!” he cried, not caring whether or not anybody heard him. “That wasn’t what it looked like! She was coming on to me!” Tiara finally stopped and turned around. “Then why didn’t you do anything to stop her?” “Because she wouldn’t listen. She just kept pushing me. But I didn’t enjoy any of her attention. The whole thing made me really uncomfortable.” “Then why didn’t you try harder to make her stop?” “I wasn’t about to do anything that might hurt her. I wanted to get her off of me, but I didn’t want to cause her any harm.” “So you would have fucked her because it would have been easier than standing up to her?” Tiara’s eyes started welling up again. “Never. I would never let it get that far, I promise. Even if I had to ditch her the way Jack ditched us last night.” At the mention of Jack’s name, Tiara’s tears started flowing even faster. “I would like to think you wouldn’t act like such an ass, even to someone like Catherine.” Seth sighed. “Is there any answer I can give you that will make you happy?”

 

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Tiara nodded. “Promise me that we just won’t discuss sex or relationships anymore. We won’t discuss the possibility of hooking up, and we won’t talk to each other about people we’re interested in or are sleeping with. Let’s just keep sex out of the equation entirely, either directly or indirectly.” Seth was taken aback. He couldn’t believe the extreme reaction that she was having. But he also didn’t want to make the situation even worse. “You don’t—you don’t even want to continue what we started last night?” “In case you’ve forgotten, Jack abandoned us in a parking lot.” “I mean just the two of us. You were cool with us fooling around last night.” “No, I was cool with the three of us fooling around last night. You know I’ve wanted you for a long time.” Seth offered a small smile. “You’re not very good at hiding your feelings, even when you’re trying.” Tiara managed a small smile. “No, I’m not. I tried keeping my feelings hidden out of fear, but it was a challenge.” “So what finally changed?” “The combination of you and Jack together is completely irresistible. My fears suddenly don’t matter anymore when I’m with the two of you.” “I still don’t quite understand, though—why did you take off to your own room once we got back to the hotel?” “When I ran off last night it was because, despite wanting you, it didn’t feel right to not be with Jack, too. It’s like he was the missing piece of the puzzle. I want both of you at the same time, and neither my body nor heart would feel right any other way. I’m sorry.” Seth wanted to scream with frustration. But as he’d been doing for years, he swallowed his feelings down and saved them to be worked out later, in private. His partnership with Tiara was what mattered, and he would do anything to keep it intact. He knew he’d rather have

 

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her just as a platonic dance partner than lose her completely. “I promise, our entire partnership will be completely PG.” “Thanks,” she said with a smile. “Now, let’s go teach.” **** When his alarm clock went off, Jack hit the snooze button and rolled over. He whacked the button five more times before he gave up and turned the alarm off for good. Rather than getting up, he stayed there, wishing there was some way he could avoid going into the studio. He didn’t want to see Tiara or Seth, and he didn’t want to feel the shame that ran through him all the more acutely. He didn’t want to see the rest of his colleagues and wonder if they guessed why he had left the bar so suddenly. And he especially didn’t want to rehearse with Catherine and deal with her flirtation or her accusations. She of all people would have noticed his brief attendance at the reception, would demand to know exactly what had happened, and he didn’t want to have to fend off her giggles and sly remarks. Eventually, though, he knew he had no choice. Since he was running late after all his moping, he had to rush through his shower and breakfast to arrive at the studio on time for his first private lesson. Fortunately, since he arrived with only moments to spare, he didn’t have time to make small talk or linger in the locker room. He didn’t have the chance to grab a bottle of water from the staff lounge and talk about the previous night. The second the door shut behind him, he tossed on his dance shoes and met with his first student of the day. Jack threw himself into his lessons, using teaching to distract himself from all of his colleagues. With the distraction, the hours flew by, and soon he was no longer concerned with anything that had happened the night before. It wasn’t until he was on his way out for the night that things took a turn for the unpleasant. Coming out of the locker room, fatigued from hard work and freshly showered, Jack had to admit that he was feeling better than he

 

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had all day. Then, however, he saw Taletha lingering outside of the locker room with a concerned expression on her face. “Jack, step into my office, please. I need to have a word with you.” His stomach sank as he walked into the office and closed the door. “Look, I can explain—” Taletha didn’t let him finish. “I should hope you can explain. I want to know just why both of my guest dancers are moping around and looking miserable. I’m trying to recruit them to come teach here after the competition is done. But that’s not going to happen if certain people around here are being antagonistic. Considering the sudden way the three of you left the bar last night, as well as the fact that Catherine is inexplicably on the warpath, I’m willing to bet it has something to do with you.” Suddenly, Jack’s anger flared up. Yes, he’d made a mistake, but even he was allowed to screw up once in a while. “Look, I don’t know what’s wrong with Catherine. She and I have the day off from rehearsal, and I haven’t actually had time to talk to her. Who knows what’s bothering her? Anger isn’t an uncommon emotion for her. You know that. As for Tiara and Seth, they’re completely overreacting.” Taletha intensified her glare. “What did you do?” “Goddamn it, this is why I don’t socialize with the rest of the staff. This is why I keep boundaries up. I step outside my comfort zone just once, and it comes back to bite me in the ass.” “But what did you do? I’m still in the dark about that, and Tiara and Seth are being completely mum.” “Look, it was a mistake. I sort of—I sort of got carried away last night. Tiara was being so tempting, and I let my guard down. She and I—well, we made out.” For a moment, Taletha looked relieved. “Is that all? I thought you were going to tell me something really bad had happened. Look,

 

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sometimes people lose control, and it gets awkward, but it usually fades. Okay, I feel better now.” Jack nodded and tried to look reassured. “I guess I’m just not used to being in this sort of situation.” Suddenly, a concerned expression knotted up Taletha’s face. “That still doesn’t explain why Seth is upset, though.” Jack felt his stomach clench but tried to maintain his composure. “I don’t suppose that would explain it, no.” “I have a feeling you do have an explanation, though. Care to elaborate a little more about what happened last night?” “Not really, actually.” He noticed Taletha repressing a smirk. “Fair enough. I wouldn’t want to, either. But now, I’m telling you as your employer, I need you to give me the full story so I know what’s going on at my studio.” Jack sighed. “Well, I guess if anyone can understand my predicament, it’s you. You’ve been there before with Morris and Adam.” Taletha gave a small smile. “I’ll definitely be able to relate. Now quit stalling. I promise that I won’t judge you. I just want to know what happened.” “Seth happened to catch us while we were making out. Tiara asked him if he wanted to join in. I agreed, as long as we went somewhere more discreet. We got in my car, but then, as we were driving back to my place, I freaked out and took them to their hotel instead.” “And what? Left them standing in the parking lot and peeled away as fast as you could?” Jack nodded. “How did you know?” Taletha sighed. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been in a similar situation at one point in my life.” “Not too long ago, if I remember correctly. You’ve been involved with Adam and Morris for what, a year now?”

 

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“Just about, yeah. And I know exactly how confusing and scary it can be. Especially for someone like you, someone so devoted to rules and conventions. Someone who always puts their career first. I was in your exact shoes back then.” Jack finally worked up the nerve to meet Taletha’s eyes. “You’re not mad?” “I’m not thrilled that my guest teachers are upset and that you played a role in it. I wish you could have been a little more mature in how you acted last night. But I would also be a hypocrite if I condemned you for it. Can you just do me a favor, though?” Jack breathed a sigh of relief. “Sure.” “Think really hard about what you want. Decide, sooner rather than later, if this is the sort of thing you can handle or not. It’s great, Jack, it really is, but I also know it’s not for everybody. If you decide it’s not for you, go to them and apologize. At the very least, they deserve that. They didn’t do anything wrong.” Jack nodded. “Of course I will.” “One more thing. If you do decide you want to get involved with Tiara, if you’re willing to share her with another man, don’t hold out. Don’t wait and make everyone miserable because you’re afraid. It won’t make you or them any happier.” “Okay. I promise I won’t wait.” “Thank you. And good luck, Jack. No matter what you decide, I hope it makes you happy.” Jack stepped out of the office and closed the door. “So do I,” he whispered to nobody in particular.

 

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Chapter Five Tiara was nervous about her one-on-one lesson with Jack a few days later. She’d made a point of avoiding him ever since the night at the bar. Not that it mattered, since it seemed that he was avoiding her as well. But she wasn’t about to reveal her vulnerabilities, and especially not to the person who had made her feel vulnerable in the first place. So after she was done teaching for the day, and as most of the staff members were clearing out and heading home for the night, she met Jack in the main ballroom for some professional coaching. He lingered by the stereo as she approached. “How was your day?” he asked, though his eyes failed to meet hers, and his arms hung stiff at his sides. Tiara tried to offer a smile to prove that things weren’t as awkward as they seemed. She knew she was faking, but she would rather pretend that nothing was wrong than admit that there was any trouble between them. If he wants discretion, he’s going to get discretion. “Busy but good. I had a lot of fantastic students today, and my competition choreography is really coming along.” “Good, good. Now, let’s see if we can refine some of that technique of yours.” “You’re not afraid that I’ll make too many improvements and then trounce you in competition?” Jack finally cracked a small smile. “If I were worried about that, I’d never have a career as a coach, now would I? Now, let’s get going. But first, put your hair up.” Tiara shook her head. She wasn’t going to capitulate to his unreasonable demands anymore. “I like my hair like this. I compete  

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with it loose, and I practice with it loose. That’s just the way it works.” “It gets caught in your lipstick when you compete sometimes, which really ruins the effect of your costume, and doesn’t do you any favors when it comes to the judges. Plus, it’s not fun for a leader to dance with a woman whose hair is flying every which way.” “Seth has never complained.” “That’s because Seth is completely enamored with you. He lets his emotions get in the way sometimes. My job is to help the two of you see the light and be more professional. You’re both wonderful dancers, but you need to have more respect for tradition.” “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Professionalism, tradition, discretion. Your three-point guide to a perfect career.” “I’ve done very well by it, in case you haven’t noticed.” “I have. But just because it’s made you a good dancer doesn’t mean it’s made you happy.” “Winning does make me happy.” “Other things might make you happy, too.” “Well, I haven’t found them yet.” “Obviously. And you have a tendency to make other people unhappy, as well.” She cringed, wishing she had been able to keep her feelings more in check. She couldn’t take the words back, though. Jack sighed. “I’m here to teach a lesson, so if you’re not interested in doing that, why don’t you go and let me have an evening to myself?” Tiara matched Jack’s icy glare, but as much as she wanted to storm out, she held her ground. That’s exactly what he wants me to do. He wants me to be a diva so he can prove to himself that he was right for being a jerk. Instead, she forced another smile, wrapped her hair into a messy ponytail, and held out her hand. “Let’s dance.” Jack turned on the stereo and took Tiara in his arms. As soon as his skin touched hers, Tiara’s body began to heat up, and her cunt

 

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began to tingle with desire. She tried to force these thoughts away as Jack began the dance. Even though they hadn’t spoken in two days, even though they’d spent the first few moments of the lesson snapping at each other, Tiara couldn’t deny their connection on the dance floor. When all they had to focus on was the music and the movement, when they were too busy to argue, when they let their bodies and hearts take over, everything was perfect. Despite the angry feelings running between them, Tiara still felt like she was floating, still felt more beautiful than she ever had in her life. Jack, however, didn’t seem to be feeling the same way. All of a sudden, he stopped the dance and stepped away from their connection. It all happened so quickly that Tiara almost lost her balance. “Okay, stop, stop,” he snapped. He stormed over to the CD player and turned off the music. “Now what’s the problem?” she asked, not bothering to conceal the frustrated sigh she’d been dying to let out. “Your styling is completely off the wall. No major champion would ever allow her arm lines to break like that. I can tell that you’re doing it intentionally, but that doesn’t make it right. You look ridiculous.” “It’s what I was feeling in the music, and I liked the way it looked and felt.” “If you ever want to be a true champion, you need to be much more serious.” “I am serious.” “You make jokes during practice. When you create choreography, you go beyond innovative and descend into weird. You eschew convention left and right.” “What’s wrong with that?” “Not everyone finds it charming.”

 

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“And not everyone finds you charming, either,” she snapped. She’d had enough of his all-business, patronizing attitude. “Maybe you don’t, but I’m clearly doing something right, since you have yet to place ahead of me in competition.” Tiara knew she should have been offended by his attitude. She knew she should have walked away right then and there. But she couldn’t resist him when he got a bad attitude with her. Something about his arrogance was irresistibly sexy. She reached up, grabbed his hair, pulled his head down, and kissed him. As their lips met, her cunt started pulsing with the furious desire she’d felt a few nights before, when he’d pushed her against a brick wall and briefly thrown caution to the wind. She dug her nails into his back and jabbed her tongue between his lips, letting his taste overwhelm her senses. But it didn’t last long. Before she knew it, though, he broke the kiss, stepping away with a nervous expression on his face. He looked around as though someone might have been lurking in the corner, watching them. “I–I think I’m going to take a shower,” Jack said. Tiara’s heart sank as she realized she’d screwed up yet again. But after he walked a few feet, he paused and looked over his shoulder, as though he’d forgotten something but couldn’t remember what. After what seemed like an hour, he turned around and walked back to Taletha. “Would you like to join me?” he whispered. Tiara smiled. “Wouldn’t that be indiscreet?” Jack gave a sheepish grin. “It’s after-hours. I have a key, so I can lock up. Nobody is going to walk in on us. So, would you care to join me?” “You know I would.” Jack grabbed her hand, and they rushed toward the locker room. Once the door was closed, he pressed her against it then slammed his lips against hers. Her cunt throbbed as the pleasure that started in her mouth started spilling down the rest of her body. She grabbed his ass, enjoying the way her fingers felt clenched around his muscles

 

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before she hurried to pull off her practice skirt and her panties in one fell swoop. Jack was still absorbed in kissing her as she unhooked his belt and unzipped his fly, dropping his pants and underwear down to the floor. “We’re both really sweaty from practicing,” she murmured when he came up for air. “We should probably shower, then.” Jack turned toward the stalls. But either he hadn’t noticed Tiara sliding his pants down, or he had forgotten from the passion of their kisses, because he tripped over himself as he tried to walk. “Shit,” he mumbled, turning red. Tiara struggled not to laugh. “Are you okay?” “Yeah. Nothing bruised but my pride.” Tiara pulled him up, and they hurried out of the rest of their clothes before walking any farther. As soon as they were naked, Tiara grabbed Jack’s cock and started rubbing it, relishing the way it felt as it expanded in her palm. She kept teasing him, stroking his shaft and rubbing her thumb around the head, until he was completely erect. “Now you can start walking,” she said, a mischievous smile forming on her face. Jack groaned. “What, do you want me to fall again? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to walk with a hard-on?” Tiara skipped over to the showers and turned on the water. “Why do you think I did that?” she said with a laugh. Her cunt started to grow even slicker as she watched Jack carefully make his way to the shower, his rigid cock bobbing with every step. By the time he reached her, the water was the perfect temperature. She stepped in and let the droplets wash over her. Jack paused as he reached the entrance to the shower. His jaw dropped when Tiara started to dance. She didn’t do anything fancy, because she didn’t want to trip, but the wiggles and shimmies she performed were more than enough to keep him interested. When Jack absently started stroking his cock, she knew she’d made an impact.

 

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He stepped into the shower and pressed her against the wall again, as he had when they’d first entered the locker room. The kisses they shared were even stronger and deeper, and Tiara seized the opportunity to give his cock a few more hard strokes before they pulled apart. They both jumped apart when they heard a cough outside the shower. “Mind if I join in?” Seth’s voice asked through the closed curtain. “What—what are you still doing here?” Tiara asked. “I was napping in the lounge after my last lesson of the day. After yesterday, I’ve been feeling run-down and exhausted, and I wanted to rest before trying to drive home. I heard the shower running when I left the lounge and couldn’t think of who might be hanging out afterhours. Then I remembered that the two of you had a late lesson tonight. I wasn’t surprised when I stepped in and found Tiara’s bra on the floor.” The room was silent for a few minutes. Tiara couldn’t come up with a single thing to say in response, and she imagined that Jack couldn’t, either. On the one hand, she hadn’t expected to have a threesome, at least not that night. On the other hand, she’d been attracted to Seth for years, and the thought of being sandwiched between him and Jack at the same time made her pussy even wetter and made her heart race even faster. “Well? Can I join you?” Seth finally asked again. “I mean, no pressure. I know that the whole threesome thing sort of imploded last time.” Tiara turned to Jack. “What do you think?” she asked. “I’d kind of like to try this all again, if it’s okay with you.” Jack shrugged. “I’ve—okay, I’ll admit it, I’ve never had a threesome before. This is new territory for me.” “That’s okay,” Seth said. “I’ve never had one, either. Don’t worry. You’re in good company.” “Very good company,” Tiara said with a smile.

 

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Jack gave a slight chuckle. “Well, neither of us knows what we’re doing, it looks like. But if it’s what Tiara wants—” Tiara didn’t give Jack a chance to finish. “Yes!” she cried. Seth stepped into the shower. He’d already gotten naked, probably anticipating her answer. As Jack had done, he walked up and pressed her against the wall, pinning her in a deep kiss that she was loathe to break, even though stopping meant that even better things were to come. Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long for the better things. After pulling away from the kiss, Seth dropped to his knees and slid his tongue along her pussy slit, moving so slowly that by the time he was done, her knees were twitching with desperation, and she had to brace herself against the shower wall to remain upright. “Here, let me help,” Jack said, stepping behind her. “Lean against me for support.” She did, enjoying the toned pecs and abs that held her body up. Jack found pleasure in it, too. She could feel his erection get even harder as it pressed up against her ass. As he ground against her, he reached around and gathered her breasts in his hands, pinching the nipples so hard that she yelped in delicious pain. Seth continued to lick her pussy, delving his tongue in and out of her slit, then focusing on her swollen, aching clit. Jack brushed his teeth against Tiara’s earlobe and then bent down to bite her neck, his teeth pressing her flesh so hard she knew they would leave marks. She didn’t care. She wanted people to know that the men had marked her. When Seth brought his teeth to her pussy lips, her body exploded with furious release, the pleasure charging out of her cunt and filling every limb. She shrieked with delight as they both continued to work her body until the orgasm dissipated and she was left gasping for breath. “Fuck, that was amazing,” she gasped. “Not as amazing as this is going to feel,” Seth said as he hoisted her against the wall and settling her onto his cock.

 

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“What about me?” Jack asked, sliding in between them to give Tiara a kiss. “Grab that conditioner bottle over there,” Tiara said. Jack looked confused. “What?” “Grab that conditioner. It will be a perfect lube.” “What do you need lube for?” “So you can fuck my ass.” Jack laughed. “Of course. I should have known.” He grabbed the conditioner and poured a generous amount onto his hand. Seth turned around and braced himself against the wall so Jack could have easy access to her ass. Tiara let out a low moan as one of Jack’s slicked-up fingers pressed against her tight hole, then eased its way in. Seth bounced her slowly up and down his cock, letting her slide up and down Jack’s finger as well, working and stretching her muscles. After a few minutes, Seth paused, allowing Jack to slide a second finger in before resuming the thrusts a little faster. “I’m ready,” Tiara gasped when she felt her muscles relax a little further. Seth paused one more time, and Tiara groaned as Jack eased his fingers out of her ass. Then, she felt the tip of his well-conditioned cock pressing against her hole. With Seth’s help, she slid easily over Jack’s rigid shaft. Her men started moving in tandem, thrusting into her and releasing, slamming into her from both sides. She let her body relax with the pleasure, allowing her head to roll forward onto Seth’s shoulder, where she paused to bite his neck. Then, she rolled her head back against Jack’s chest, leaving her own skin open for nibbles. They rocked together, her body completely overwhelmed by the pleasure. As her cunt began to clench with impending orgasm, she lost all sense of time and place, barely even feeling the water droplets pelting her skin as the pure energy ricocheted through her body. She screamed again, her voice echoing through the otherwise-empty locker room. She heard both men moan, and as she opened her eyes, she saw Seth’s face contorted with the orgasmic rush and heard Jack groaning

 

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her name over and over like a prayer as his cock spasmed with release. They were both shuddering with bliss as they gently set her down on the shower floor. Suddenly, the water ran cold. “I guess that’s our cue to leave,” Tiara said. “We’ll have to actually clean up somewhere else.” “Why don’t we go back to the hotel?” Seth asked. “We can test out the beds in both of our rooms and then decide which one we like better.” “That sounds like the best idea you’ve had all week,” Tiara said, jumping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. **** Although he wanted to simply enjoy the experience he’d just had, Jack found his nervousness returning as he toweled off and put his clothes back on. Sharing Tiara with another man had been amazing, but he couldn’t shake the fact that he was treading on dangerous ground, that the whole thing was going to blow up in their faces. “What’s wrong?” Tiara asked, brushing her fingers across his cheek. “Nothing. I’m fine.” She frowned. “We may not have known each other that long, but you’re not exactly hard to read. Something is bothering you.” Jack sighed and plopped down on a bench. “You have to admit, this is a little unconventional. And I’ve made a career out of being conventional.” Tiara sat down on the bench and placed her hand on his. “So you’re out of your comfort zone.” “Aren’t you?” She shrugged. “I’ve had threesomes before.” Seth jumped in. “I don’t think he’s referring to a simple threesome.”

 

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Tiara raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?” “I mean that there’s potential here for more than just a one-night stand. I mean, I’ve had feelings for you for years. I don’t want what just happened to have been a one-time thing. I want it to be a starting point for something wonderful and something that has the potential to last.” “I do, too,” Jack said. “Obviously, I don’t have the history that the two of you do.” He turned to gaze into Tiara’s eyes. “But something about you captivated my attention from the very beginning. I’m not here to just get off. I know that you’re both supposed to go back to Denver soon. Still, being with you is about more than just sex.” Seth nodded. “Maybe it’s too early to say where things are going. But there’s more to this than just hooking up.” Jack nodded. “I don’t want this to be the last time we’re together. And that makes me nervous. I’ve always kept romance at an arm’s length to focus on my career. I’ve certainly never shared a woman before. Yet I can’t stop wanting you, and I can’t stop wanting to share you. Knowing that you get more pleasure than you could if you were just with me is an amazing feeling, and I don’t want to give that up.” “Sometimes things change,” Tiara said with a smile. “Maybe you kept relationships on the back burner because you hadn’t found the right woman yet.” “But even a change that makes you happy can leave you feeling apprehensive.” “Which is why you freaked out on the way to the hotel a few days ago,” Seth said with a nod. Jack sighed. “I am sorry about that. There are so many different ways I could have handled the situation, and they’re all better than the one I chose. I promise, even if things don’t quite work out between us, I’ll never pull anything like that again.” “Thank you,” Tiara said. “You really did a number on me that night.” Seth sighed. “You kind of hurt me, too.”

 

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“I know I did, and I’ve regretted it ever since.” “Well, don’t worry about it anymore,” Seth said. “We’ve worked things out, and regardless of how things end up in the future, we’re going to enjoy this thing.” “Which, I think, means going back to the hotel,” Tiara said, her grin growing even wider. Jack laughed. “I wouldn’t mind a little dinner first, though. It’s been a long day, and I ended up getting more exercise than usual.” Tiara rolled her eyes playfully. “Fine, fine. Put basic sustenance ahead of sex.” “I have an idea that I think will meet both of those needs,” Seth said. “Room service.”

 

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Chapter Six Tiara woke up the next morning feeling slightly sore but uncontrollably horny. It was as though her body, sandwiched between two lovers all night, had stored up arousal as she slept, and when her body had reached its peak, it woke her up with a start. Looking to her left and right, she realized that both of her lovers were still dead asleep. She felt guilty about rousing them from slumber after such an intense night, but the pounding in her pussy would not be ignored, and she was not going to be able to wait until they bothered waking up. Sliding her hand between her tender thighs, she found her pulsing clit, making slow circles with her fingers to tease herself. But the teasing lost its allure quickly as her cunt grew even wetter. She eased two fingers into her pussy and found her Gspot, swollen and ready for stimulation. Still going slow, she worked herself with gentle thrusts, gradually increasing her pace. Her cunt muscles clenched around her fingers as she rubbed and rocked. As the orgasm drew closer, she shut her eyes and threw her head back against the pillow. “Wait just one second there,” Jack’s voice said. Before Tiara realized what was going on, he had grabbed her wrist and pulled her fingers out of her pussy. “Hey! What the hell are you doing? I was just about to come!” “Yes, and you’re completely sexy when you’re playing with yourself,” Jack whispered as he climbed on top of her. “But I decided that I want to be the one to get you off.” “With as horny as she is, it doesn’t look like you’ll have much of a challenge,” Seth said with a laugh.  

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Jack slid inside of her and groaned. “Goddamn. You feel even better than you did last night.” Her cunt muscles squeezed around his cock, and she felt him give a huge throb. “Sure you can control yourself long enough to make me come?” she asked with a smile. “You think I don’t know how to last?” “I guess we’ll just have to find out.” He started thrusting at an achingly slow pace, far slower than she’d gone even when she’d been teasing herself. Seth climbed onto her torso. “You have a couple of choices here. You can suck me off, or you can watch me jerk off. Maybe I can come all over those pretty tits of yours.” “I want to blow you,” Tiara gasped. She opened her mouth a little wider as Seth positioned himself over her and slid his cock between her lips. Matching the pace that Jack had set, Tiara eased her mouth up and down Seth’s cock slowly, savoring the smooth texture and every tremble and throb it gave in response to her tongue. “Faster,” Seth gasped. “I need you to go faster.” Fortunately for Tiara, Jack had already started speeding up his own thrusts. She followed his pace, giving Seth exactly what he wanted. As much as Tiara was enjoying the sex, she knew there was something missing. Confident that Seth had his balance, she pulled her hands away from his ass and started playing with her breasts. She caressed the curves, pinched and twisted the nipples, enjoying the small jets of pleasure that raced through her body, adding to the intensity building up in her cunt It seemed that Jack, however, was insistent on her not pleasuring herself, because it wasn’t long before he pulled her hands away and put his own fingers on her breasts, rubbing and pulling as she had done, although with even more intensity, putting her squarely on the

 

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edge of pain. The slight harshness of his actions was exactly what her body had been craving, and her cunt locked up around his cock, pleasure ricocheting through her body. She tried to scream, but her cries were muffled by Seth’s cock. But though she could not yell as loudly as she wanted, she took even more pleasure in the fact that the vibrations her voice sent up his shaft were driving him crazy. Crazy enough, she realized, to make him come. Gripping the headboard, Seth suddenly froze as his cock gave one last huge surge. He groaned as he emptied into her mouth, and she struggled to lick him completely clean as Jack continued to pound into her. As he slipped out of her mouth, Seth pushed Jack’s hands aside. “My turn to play with them,” he said, covering one with his hand and the other with his lips. The feel of his teeth raking against her already-sensitive skin sent a second orgasm flowing almost immediately, the energy radiating through every nerve. As her pussy muscles seized up around Jack’s cock with all their strength, she pushed him over the edge as well, his face contorting with climax, a groan blasting from his lips. “I think I have a new favorite warm-up,” Tiara said as Jack collapsed beside her. “I’m completely ready to dance now.” “Good,” Seth said, glancing at the clock. “We need to be at the studio in forty-five minutes. **** After quick showers and even quicker breakfasts, they all piled into Jack’s car and headed toward the studio. He even made some room for mischief as he drove. Although he kept his eyes trained on the road, he allowed Tiara to stroke his arms and thighs as he maneuvered through the streets. He enjoyed listening to her moans as Seth teased her. As he turned down the street leading to the studio, he

 

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began to wonder how difficult it might be to squeeze in a quickie before it was time to teach. Jack saw the damage before he even drove into the parking lot. Seth’s and Tiara’s names were crudely spray-painted over the left windows. The words “Go home” appeared in a similar style on the right. “Oh, goddamn, not again,” Jack cursed as he pulled up to the studio. Tiara gasped. “Again? You mean this has happened before?” “What? What’s wrong?” Seth asked from the back seat. He poked his head forward to look out the windshield. “Holy shit.” “To answer Tiara’s question, yes, this sort of thing has happened before and unfortunately, more than once. This studio seems to be some sort of target-practice site for budding young vandals.” “Maybe you should move to a new neighborhood,” Seth said as they got out of the car. Jack shook his head. “If history is to be believed, it’s not the neighborhood that’s the problem. My guess is that Taletha needs to start doing better background checks on her employees.” Tiara gasped. “Do you think somebody who works here did this?” Jack shrugged. “I’m not a professional investigator, but we’ve yet to have any vandalism that wasn’t performed by disgruntled employees or ex-employees. And I doubt anyone outside of the dance world is especially threatened by your presence here.” “So basically, what you’re saying is that we’re unwelcome here.” Jack wrapped his arm around Tiara. “I’m saying someone in particular doesn’t want you here, but I do. And so does Taletha, and so do a number of other people. Whoever did this will get caught, and they’ll be punished appropriately.” “I bet it was Catherine,” Tiara mumbled. Jack froze in his tracks. “What did you say?”

 

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Tiara broke eye contact for a moment, but then looked Jack in the eye again. “I said I bet it was Catherine. She’s been nothing but rude to me ever since I arrived.” “No,” Jack snapped, trying to control his anger. He knew that Catherine had been more than a little territorial lately and that she’d never warmed up to Tiara and Seth. But there was no way she would ever threaten them. “It’s impossible. I know you don’t like her, but you also don’t know her like I do. We’ve been partners for nearly ten years. I promise you, she’d never do a thing like this.” “Who else could it be?” Seth asked. “Tiara’s right, Catherine is the only person who is consistently nasty to us.” Jack shook his head. “I don’t know, but there’s no way it could be Catherine. She doesn’t have it in her to do something like this, and anyway, she loves the studio. She’s taught here longer than I have. There’s no way she could cause it physical harm.” Tiara shrugged but seemed more dejected than convinced. “Maybe you’re right. You do know her better than we do.” Walking into the main doors of the studio, they found Taletha talking to police officers near the front desk. She was nearly in tears and gripping the edge of the desk so hard that her knuckles had gone white. Although Jack wanted to rush up to her and figure out what was going on, he hung back in the corner, waiting until the officers dispersed to talk to other employees. “Excuse me,” one officer said, approaching the trio. “I’m looking for Tiara Pryce and Seth Monroe.” “That’s us,” Seth said, taking Tiara’s hand. “If the two of you could please follow me, I have some questions for you.” Jack watched the two of them disappear down the hall and then rushed to hug Taletha. “Do you know what happened?” he asked. “I mean, besides the obvious? Not yet. Oh, except one thing.” She stopped, as though the information she had yet to reveal was too much to bear.

 

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“Taletha, just tell me, please. I can handle it.” “There was a note. The police are showing it to Tiara and Seth right now. It’s not in a handwriting I recognize.” Taletha paused again to gulp for air. “Well? What does it say?” “It’s a death threat. And an event threat, if someone could threaten an event. It says that if Tiara isn’t out of town by the day of the competition, every dancer at the event will get hurt. It doesn’t say anything about Seth, though, which is odd.” Jack stood for a moment, dumbfounded. Finally, he managed to collect his thoughts. “Please tell me you have suspects.” Taletha shook her head. “There’s nobody we can finger at this point and time, at least not with any definitive accuracy. Whoever did this has at least minimal knowledge of how to commit a crime. There aren’t any obvious staff suspects, either. Catherine has been pretty hostile, though. I think I’ll want to keep an eye on her.” Jack felt his temper flare again. “Catherine wouldn’t do this.” “I know it’s unlikely and that we can’t make any accusations without more solid evidence. But you have to admit her attitude is pretty suspicious.” “Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?” “Jack, I don’t necessarily think she did it. I’m just saying that her behavior has been the most hostile, and it makes me wonder whether or not she might actually have done anything.” “Catherine—” Jack stopped as he saw Catherine and Callista walking through the door together. He didn’t want her to have any idea that such awful accusations were being leveled against her. “Yes?” she asked as she approached the desk. “Oh, I wasn’t actually addressing you. I was just, um, telling Taletha that she couldn’t rearrange our practice time again.” “Good,” Catherine said. “It’s nice to know that our rehearsals have priority.”

 

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“So what happened to the windows?” Callista asked. “Isn’t it obvious?” Jack asked. “Someone with spray paint and a bad attitude.” “I just can’t believe it,” Catherine said, shaking her head. “Who on earth would have so little respect?” She shrugged. “Well, I’m going to hit the locker room to change, and then Jack and I need to get to work.” “Not so fast,” Taletha said. “Your practice is still scheduled, but you need to take a few minutes and talk to the police. Callista, too.” “What?” Catherine snapped. “I just got here.” “The crime didn’t occur in the past fifteen minutes. You’re going to need to tell them where you were last night.” Catherine heaved a sigh that seemed bigger than her tiny body. “Fine. Just point me to some available cops so I can get this show on the road. I have work to do, and it doesn’t include chitchatting with the local law enforcement.” She stalked off toward a free officer, but Callista hung back. “What’s wrong?” Jack asked, eyeing Callista with suspicion. She wasn’t the first person he would have guessed to be capable of defacing the studio or threatening people. He’d been her instructor for several years, and she’d never given him reason to believe that she was capable of anything so cruel. In addition, she’d been excited when she found out that Tiara and Seth were going to be visiting instructors and had arranged for private lessons with them. There was no reason he could think of for her to be the culprit. Yet the way she was hanging back and looking guilty gave Jack cause for concern. “Callista, is there something you need to tell us?” Taletha asked when she didn’t answer. “I can’t talk to the police,” she said, her voice barely breaking a whisper. “Why not?” Jack asked, clenching his fists in order to control his temper. Try as he might, he could not stop his mind from jumping to conclusions.

 

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“I–I have an outstanding speeding ticket. More than one, actually. I’m going to get arrested if I talk to them.” Taletha breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re fine. They’re not concerned about traffic violations right now. They won’t check up on that unless they have a reason to suspect you.” “They don’t have a reason to suspect you, do they?” Jack asked, raising an eyebrow. He still didn’t trust Callista. Callista shook her head. “I have an alibi. I was actually out at a social dance event, scouting for a new partner. There are people who can verify that I was there.” “Go talk to them, then,” Taletha said. “And if they give you any trouble, I’ll pay your parking tickets,” Jack said. “I’d rather have you at the studio than in jail.” Callista smiled. “Thanks, Jack. I really appreciate it.” “That was generous of you, especially the way your eyes were shooting daggers a few minutes ago,” Taletha said once Callista was out of earshot. Jack shrugged. “I really don’t think she’s capable of doing such a thing, and anyway, I’d feel bad if she got busted on a technicality.” “You, the eternal rule-abider, would feel bad if someone got arrested for not paying their speeding tickets?” Jack couldn’t help but grin. “I might have met someone who’s loosening me up a bit.” “I’m glad. As much as I appreciate that I can always depend on you to not break the rules, it’s good to see you a little relaxed for once.” “Jack! Hurry up!” Catherine, evidently done with the police, was standing in the main studio, tapping her toe in irritation. “Duty calls,” Jack said with a grin. But before he could start his practice, shouts coming from Taletha’s office distracted his attention. ****

 

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Seth couldn’t believe what he was seeing. An angry-looking scrawl covered a crumpled piece of white paper. Although the note consisted of just two sentences, the large letters took up most of the page. If Tiara isn’t gone by Saturday, all dancers attending the competition will be in danger. You have been warned. “Who did this?” he snapped, thrusting the note back toward the police officer. The officer shook his head. “I wish we knew. We don’t even have a solid suspect yet. But we’re questioning studio staff members right now. And of course, we’ll bring out extra protection for the two of you. Your hotel room will be guarded, we’ll dispatch some extra protection for the studio itself, and we can even assign you full-time bodyguards for the duration of your stay in town.” “As in, people who follow us around?” Tiara asked. “Exactly.” “That won’t be necessary,” Seth said. “I think we’ll be leaving town. Preferably tonight.” “What?” Tiara gasped. “No, Seth, we can’t.” “Why not?” She turned to the officers. “Would you mind giving us a few minutes of privacy, please? We have a few things we need to discuss.” The officers stepped out, and Tiara turned to face Seth. “We are not leaving.” “Why not?” Seth asked, trying to keep his cool. “I don’t want to. You can take off without me, I guess. I won’t be able to compete, but I suppose I can sit on the sidelines for this one event. I am not giving up my teaching and judging duties, though.” “Tiara, you can’t stay here. It’s not safe.”

 

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“I’m not going to be a coward. I’m not going to let whoever wrote this stupid note push me around and drive me away. That’s exactly what they want, and I’ll be damned if I give in. So you can take off if you want, but you’re going to have to leave me here.” “You’re being ridiculous,” Seth snapped, not caring that his voice was getting louder. “You’re putting your life at risk.” “I’ll have the police protection,” Tiara replied, her tone rising to match his. “Not good enough. You’ll be safest if you leave town.” “I’m not leaving town!” Seth paused, trying to understand why she was being so stubborn. “This is about Jack, isn’t it?” “What?” “This is about him. You found some guy, the three of us have a nice time in bed, and now you want to stay, even though you barely know him.” “That’s not it!” “I don’t believe you!” “Fine! Don’t believe me! I don’t need you to believe me! I can do this myself.” They both jumped as Taletha and Jack rushed through the door. “What is going on here?” Taletha asked. “Just a little disagreement,” Seth said, glaring at Tiara. “When everyone in the studio can hear you, it’s more than a little disagreement. There’s already enough stress here this morning. I don’t need the two of you adding to it.” “Seth wants to leave, and I don’t,” Tiara said. Seth felt his face start to burn. As much as he wanted to keep Tiara safe, he also didn’t want other people getting involved. Taletha sighed. “Look, I know the situation this morning was pretty bad. I won’t blame you if you want to take off. I hope you’ll both agree to stay on for the competition, but there won’t be any hard

 

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feelings if you decide you want to head back to Denver. I’ll even pay you your full fee for the week.” “That’s very generous of you, but we’re staying,” Tiara said. “Come on, we’re going to get paid either way. Let’s go back to Denver where nobody is out to kill us.” Tiara rolled her eyes. “You’re being dramatic. I’m staying. I’m not capitulating to this person’s stupid demands.” Seth sighed. As much as he wanted to get out of town, he wasn’t going to abandon his dance partner when her life was in danger. “Fine, if you want to stay, we’ll stay.” “I can assure you, you’ll have extra protection,” Taletha said. “This will not happen again.” Jack took Tiara’s hand. “I’ll help, too. I’m not going to let anyone threaten people I care about.” Seth took Tiara’s other hand and hoped that Jack made good on his words. He wasn’t sure he could trust anyone, even the man who had shared the woman he loved.

 

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Chapter Seven Tensions ran high at the studio for the rest of the afternoon. Even after the police had declared the area safe and set up an officer out front to keep an eye on things, everyone at the studio remained on edge. Taletha was more reserved than usual and had become prone to snapping at her staff. She was still on her best behavior with Tiara and Seth but was not as warm and friendly as she had been for the first few days of their visit. Students seemed shaken, as though they themselves had been the victim of the threats. Most of the other staff members kept their distance, as though Tiara and Seth were cursed. “What is with you?” Seth snapped as he and Tiara neared the end of their rehearsal time. Seth had spent the entire day storming around and glaring at everyone who dared to meet his gaze, which wasn’t doing much to inspire people to offer comfort or sympathy after the morning’s events. This was their second rehearsal of the day. They’d tried to practice earlier that morning, but both were still so rattled that even their warm-up was off. Seth had been impatient and frustrated, and Tiara needed a break. They both took their free time to get out of the studio to clear their heads, agreeing to meet up again after their teaching duties were over. Unfortunately, between the stress and the fact that Tiara refused to focus on Seth and his bad mood, even the practice had not gone well. As it had been earlier, the dancing had been mechanical, without any semblance of passion or artistry. They hadn’t been listening to each

 

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other’s bodies, and Tiara had struggled to follow even the most basic steps. Tiara shrugged. “It’s been a long day.” “There’s more to it than just that. I can tell. You won’t even look me in the eye.” “Well, maybe if you weren’t acting like a jerk to everyone, I wouldn’t be trying to avoid you even while I have to share my personal space with you.” “Me? Being a jerk?” Seth looked shocked. “I’m not being a jerk. I’m just pissed off.” “You’re making everybody else miserable by displaying the chip on your shoulder with such pride.” “I think I have every right to be angry considering what happened this morning. I’m surprised you’re not more upset. Those threats were leveled directly against you. How can you go around acting like nothing has happened?” “I’m not acting like nothing has happened. I’m just as upset as you are, and I’m willing to acknowledge that. But I also have a job to do, and I’m not about to do poorly at it just because of a little vandalism.” Seth snorted. “You’re not about to do your job poorly? What do you want to call the waste of time that’s been the last hour? What about the disaster we had in the studio this morning?” Tiara sighed. She knew he had a point. “Fine. I haven’t danced well in rehearsal. But I threw all my energy into teaching and tried to make all of my students feel comfortable, especially in light of this little incident. And it’s not like you have done particularly well at any aspect of your job today. So don’t get on my case. You’re just as responsible for this crappy practice as I am.” Now it was Seth’s turn to sigh. “You’re right. I haven’t been on my best behavior today by any stretch of the imagination.” They heard a throat clear behind them. Turning around, they saw Jack, looking slightly nervous. Although earlier he had been insistent

 

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on being her protector, Jack had grown increasingly distant as Seth continued to project anger to everyone in the building. “I couldn’t help but overhear the two of you.” “I bet nobody in the studio could help it,” Tiara said with a sigh. She hated arguing in public and resented Seth for bickering with her in the middle of the floor. Jack gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry about it. Nobody really cares. All pros have arguments in the middle of practice from time to time. It comes with the territory.” “I still don’t like it.” “Neither do I, but it happens. Anyway, I wanted to offer to take the two of you somewhere nice for dinner. I think we’ve all earned an extravagant meal after the stress of the day.” “That sounds great,” Tiara said. Seth glanced at the clock. “We still have ten minutes left in our practice time.” “Were we really going to accomplish anything in those ten minutes other than squabbling?” “You have a point.” Tiara and Seth hurried to change out of their practice clothes, and then the three of them piled into Jack’s car. Tiara caught her breath when he pulled into an expensive-looking French establishment. “Jack, are you sure you can afford this?” “I wouldn’t have offered if I couldn’t. Come on, enjoy a nice meal. Don’t worry about it.” Inside, they were seated in a semicircle booth with Tiara between both men. She tried not to drop her jaw when she saw the menu prices. As grateful as she was for the dinner, she couldn’t imagine that this wasn’t going to take a bite out of Jack’s budget. “Don’t even look at the prices,” he said, placing his hand over the menu column. “Get whatever you want.”

 

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When the waitress arrived, Tiara tentatively ordered a steak. After they gave their food orders, Jack requested a bottle of wine that Tiara knew cost even more than her hourly rate for private lessons. “Jack, you shouldn’t have,” she said after the waitress walked away. “Yes, I should have, because I care about both of you, and I want to do something nice after the long day we’ve had. “Thank you,” she said, tired of sounding worried or ungrateful and finally willing to simply accept his generosity. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he placed his hand on her thigh. A moment later, she felt Seth’s hand settle on her other leg. They didn’t talk but kept touching her under the table, their hands hidden from sight. As her pussy grew needier and needier, she opened her legs just enough to allow them access to her clit. Seth reached his fingers beneath the fabric of her panties and began playing with her, teasing her a bit at first but soon rubbing her with a furious intensity. Tiara struggled not to moan in the crowded restaurant, not wanting to spoil their fun by drawing attention to what they were doing. She felt the orgasm building in her cunt. But just before she was about to climax, the waitress approached with their food. Seth quickly pulled his hand away, and it was all Tiara could do not to cry out in desperation. “If you two gentlemen will excuse me for a moment, I have something I need to take care of in the restroom.” “Oh, no you don’t,” Jack whispered. “I want you to sit here waiting as we eat. I want to make sure you’re going completely crazy with lust by the time we get you back to the hotel.” “I’ll never survive.” “Somehow, I think you’ll be okay.” The silence continued as they began to eat. Tiara was too horny to focus on intelligent conversation, and both Jack and Seth seemed absorbed in their own thoughts.

 

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As delicious as the food was, Tiara found that she was too aroused even to eat. She only finished half of her dinner before setting her fork down. “Not hungry?” Jack asked. “I am, but not for food.” “What would you like instead?” he asked, leaning toward her. Rather than answering, Tiara pressed her lips against his, sliding her tongue into his mouth. She remained there, letting his taste overwhelm her, until she felt Seth grab her shoulders and pull her away. “What are you—” But she didn’t have time to finish her question before Seth pulled her into another deep kiss, which she reciprocated, and then reciprocated again. Then Jack pulled her to his mouth, and Seth began placing kisses up and down her tingling neck. The sound of a throat clearing made all of them pull apart and look up. An irritated-looking waitress loomed overhead. “Are you ready for your check?” she asked, irritation seeping out with her words. Jack reached into his wallet and pulled out a credit card. “Just ring it up. Don’t worry about the tab.” The waitress pinched the card between two fingers, as though it was dirty, and walked off in a huff. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to stop by the restroom before we head out,” Jack said. “Don’t have too much fun without me.” He scooted out of the booth and sauntered toward the back of the restaurant. “I love you,” she whispered, as soon as Jack was out of sight. She felt guilty for being so secretive about it, but she still wasn’t sure where things were going with Jack yet, and she couldn’t hold back her feelings for Seth any longer. She’d been waiting for three months to say those words. Seth pulled away, surprised. “You what?”

 

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“I love you?” Her stomach suddenly began to clench, and she worried that she’d jumped the gun, that even after years of repressing feelings that had finally come out, he didn’t really love her, or he wasn’t ready yet. But after a moment of stunned surprise, Seth smiled. “I love you, too.” He leaned forward and brought her into a deep kiss. As their lips pressed, pulled away, and then pressed again, she snaked her fingers through his hair, not caring how they might have looked to the rest of the restaurant. Her pussy began to heat up, to pulse with her. “Now it looks like I’m the one walking in on all the fun,” Jack said, taking his seat at the table. “What did I miss?” “We were just fooling around a little bit,” Tiara said with a smile. She was conflicted about whether or not to tell him, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Nor did she want to force either of them into saying anything they didn’t mean yet. She decided it was best to keep those thoughts to herself, at least for a few more days, until she had a clearer picture of how things were going to work between the three of them. “Is this the kind of fun that would have room for a third person?” Tiara smiled even wider. “Always.” The waitress returned and dropped Jack’s receipt and credit card on the table without looking anybody in the eye. She silently turned and hurried off to another table. Hurrying out the door and into Jack’s car, they drove back to the hotel. They hadn’t made it past Seth’s room the night before, nobody willing to leave the bed after another round of hot sex. This time, they headed straight for Tiara’s bed. She didn’t waste any time as she crossed the room, tossing off every stitch of clothing before bouncing on the mattress. She watched with glee as her men followed suit, tearing off their clothes and shoes before surrounding her with their hands, mouths, and cocks. She kissed Jack, tasting every inch of his mouth, then broke away and did the same with Seth. She alternated

 

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the kisses for a while as they fondled her breasts and teased her pussy lips. Then, however, Jack suddenly pulled away and left the bed. “Where’s your lube?” he asked, unzipping her suitcase. “We don’t need lube tonight,” she replied. He looked up at her with a confused expression. “Why not?” “Because I want you one at a time this evening.” “So what, you fuck one of us, and the other guy has to suffer and watch?” Seth asked. Tiara grinned. “Something tells me you’ll actually enjoy the suffering.” “So who goes first?” Jack asked. “Well, Seth is the one actually in the bed right now, so I guess I’ll start with him.” “What am I supposed to do? Just stand here?” “Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure it—oh!” she gasped as Seth plunged his cock into her trembling cunt. She lost her train of thought as he began pounding into her, his pelvis slamming against hers as his dick slid in and out of her body. Tiara rolled her head on the pillow, overwhelmed by the sensations filling her body. His fast fucking made her forget the horrible morning, the tense afternoon, the guilt she felt about her feelings toward Jack. All that mattered right then was the way his cock felt in her pussy, the pleasure he brought her as her cunt muscles contracted and released around him, the way her body tried to squeeze every drop of ecstasy out of him. But the need to be on top soon distracted her from the sex. Using all of her energy, she flipped them over on the bed so that she was straddling Seth. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she saw Jack stroking himself slowly. “Be careful there. You don’t want to blow your load before you have a chance to fuck me.” “That’s why I’m not going very fast.” “Just watch out. You might be overwhelmed while you watch the rest of the show.” She sat up so that Seth could get a full view of her

 

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breasts and then slowly teased her nipples, tugging and pinching, making a show of the way the jolts of pleasure swam through her body. When she heard Seth’s breathing go ragged, she knew he was close. Dropping to all fours, she threw all of her energy into fucking him, pounding into his cock with every ounce of strength. The intensity lit a fire in her cunt, and as his cock gave one final throb, her own body went off, the orgasm causing her to cease all motion as it overwhelmed her. Seth writhed beneath her body, groaning as his own orgasm sent him out of control. “You’re right, that was a good show,” Jack said as he approached the bed. “But now I’m concerned that you’ve used up all your energy too soon and aren’t up for another round.” “I’m always up for another round,” she said, slipping off of Seth and reclining on the bed, opening her legs for Jack. As he slid his rigid cock inside her, Seth perched on the edge of the bed in rapt attention. Jack moved slowly at first, allowing her body to adjust to the switch in partners. But despite the intensity of her first orgasm, Tiara still wasn’t sated, and she didn’t have the patience for slow, gentle fucking. “Faster,” she commanded. “I need you to go faster.” “You can’t stand a little teasing?” “Not today I can’t.” Jack obeyed her orders, pushing himself up to full speed in a matter of seconds. Seth seemed to have lost interest in watching and made his way toward the top of the bed. After giving Tiara a deep kiss, he brought his hands to her breasts, caressing them lightly with his fingertips, teasing her the way she had teased herself a few moments earlier. As Tiara began to lose control, as she felt her cunt pulse harder and her breath become shallower, Seth increased the intensity, pinching enough to create sharp pain, tugging enough to make her ache. That perfect edge of agony and ecstasy sent her body spiraling into another orgasm, this one even bigger than the last. She

 

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was sure the people in the next room could hear her screams, but she didn’t care. She wanted them to hear what a wonderful time she was having. Jack didn’t last much longer than she did. Just as her first orgasm had rendered her motionless, he stopped his thrusting and moaned, adding to the screams that were just beginning to fade. Completely spent, he collapsed on her chest and stayed there until he caught his breath. “I like you,” he whispered as he rolled off and snuggled against her side. Tiara smiled. At least if she didn’t love him yet, she knew he didn’t love her either. “I like you, too.” Seth remained silent but squeezed her hand. She squeezed back, a silent declaration of love, a quiet affirmation of what they shared.

 

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Chapter Eight Tiara struggled to drag herself out of bed the next morning. After staying up late two nights in a row, combined with full days of teaching and rehearsal, she wasn’t getting enough rest. “Wake up,” Jack said, giving her a gentle shake. “We need to get to the studio soon. Seth is teaching a private lesson, and you and I have one-on-one coaching, remember?” “Could we practice later?” she mumbled. “I’m so tired.” Jack gave a soft laugh. “I wish I could let you sleep. I really do. But you and Seth have to rehearse later, as do Catherine and I. Besides, if you come take a lesson with me now, I’m sure Seth and I can make it worth your while later.” Tiara perked up. “How so?” “That, my dear, will have to be a surprise. But I’m sure you can imagine what might happen.” Spurred on by the promise of fun afterwards, Tiara hurried to shower and dress before heading downstairs with her men. She dozed on the way to the studio but tried to perk up as they walked in the building. As tired as she was, she didn’t want to disappoint Jack during their lesson. They walked into one of the small private studios, and Jack immediately began choosing a song for a warm-up dance. Tiara rolled her shoulders to loosen them up and then swept her hair up into a tight ponytail. Jack grinned as he took her in his arms. “You seem to be changing your attitude a little bit.”

 

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Tiara felt herself blush. “I guess it does make rehearsals a little easier when it’s not always getting in the way. Maybe I shouldn’t have fought you so much on that one.” “I’m glad you’re starting to see my side of things. Though I’ll admit that maybe I shouldn’t have been quite so overbearing. You are a grown woman, after all, and if something was working for you, perhaps I didn’t need to be so demanding.” Jack took Tiara in his arms and began their dance. She felt warmth spread across her skin as they moved across the floor and noticed that her energy was beginning to return. “I suppose we both made some mistakes when we first met,” she said. “But I’m glad we were able to work through them.” Jack led her into a series of quick, complicated spins and then brought her into a deep dip that almost sent her head to the floor. “I’m glad, too,” he said. “I didn’t think I could be so happy with another person. But you’ve opened both my heart and my mind.” As Jack swept Tiara back up into an upright position and began gliding back around the floor, she couldn’t help but grin. She realized things really were changing between her and Jack. Her feelings were becoming more than just about lust. He’d already sated her body, but her heart was beginning to demand more. Jack and Tiara spent the next hour and a half honing her technique. In the back of her mind, though, Tiara kept imagining her and Seth not going to the airport on Monday morning. She imagined the three of them going house hunting and settling down together. She imagined making a home and a life that involved both men. She wasn’t sure how she managed to get through the lesson with these ideas running through her head, but she made it work. When they finished the lesson, Tiara’s mind was buzzing, but she was beginning to feel physically drained again. “So, remember how you said you’d make it worth my while if I got up and went to the studio?” Jack smiled. “Of course.”

 

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“Before that, do you mind if we go home and take a nap? I feel like if I get another hour or two of sleep, I’ll be good to go for the rest of the day.” Seth walked up, slightly sweaty from teaching. “What are we talking about?” “Think we have time to go back to the hotel and take a nap before we have to be back?” Seth glanced at the clock. “Works for me. Tiara and I don’t actually have to be anywhere until our scheduled rehearsal time this afternoon. And I’m not as tired as she is, but I admit, I could use a little more rest.” They left the studio, and Tiara made sure to hold hands with both men as they walked out of the building. She saw Jack blush a little, but he didn’t pull away or seem upset. She was happy that she could show off her affection for both Jack and Seth in public, and that nobody was going to judge them for it. Tiara dozed again on the ride back to the hotel. As soon as they were back in her room, she slipped out of her clothes and crawled between the cool sheets. Jack and Seth both stripped down as well and curled up beside her. Tiara briefly considered telling Jack her feelings but was lulled into sleep before she worked up the nerve. **** Tiara woke up about an hour later and smiled as she realized both of her lovers were still in her bed, right where she wanted them. Her cunt immediately started tingling with the desire to be touched, but she didn’t want to wake them right away, preferring to savor the warmth of their skin on hers for a few moments. Finally, though, she couldn’t stand waiting any longer and reached her hands down to play with their cocks. She smiled as they remained sleeping for a few minutes longer as she began to tease and rub them into arousal.

 

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However, it wasn’t long before they both sprang awake, gasping, their cocks half-hard. “What’s going on?” Seth asked, not quite cognizant of the world around him. Tiara gestured toward his cock and shrugged. “I woke up and got tired of waiting. I figured that would be the most pleasant way to get your attention. I hope you don’t mind.” “Why would I mind being woken up by a hand job?” Jack asked, leaning over to kiss her. “Hand job?” Tiara asked. “Who said anything about giving you a hand job? That was just to wake you up. I’m not going to just get you off and get nothing in return.” “I never said we wouldn’t return the favor,” Jack said before moving down to nibble on her breasts. “You give us hand jobs, and we’ll be sure you get off, too.” “I think I’d much rather have your cocks inside me,” she said. “I want both of them at the same time.” “I don’t know,” Seth said with a wink. “I’m pretty sleepy still. I’m not sure I have the energy for that sort of physical activity, especially with all the late nights we’ve had lately.” “You can be on the bottom, then,” Tiara said. “Which gives me an idea.” She hurried over to her suitcase and pulled out a butt plug. “Since you’re too tired to do anything, maybe a little passive stimulation will help.” Seth’s eyes widened. “Where did you get that?” Tiara giggled. “Yesterday when we postponed rehearsal, I decided to indulge in a little retail therapy to cheer myself up. I was wandering around downtown and came across a sex-toy store. This plug was in the window display, and I bought it on impulse, figuring we’d have the chance to use it sooner or later.” “I’ve never tried one of those before.” “You’d also never had a threesome before a few nights ago. Are you done with new experiences for the time being?”

 

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“Hardly,” Seth said with a laugh. Tiara lubed up her finger and pressed it against Seth’s asshole. She felt the muscles tremble briefly, and then she slid her narrow finger in, feeling him tighten up around her. “Damn, that feels good,” he gasped. “It’s going to feel even better in a second,” she said and plunged another finger in. Seth writhed and bucked as she slid her fingers in and out, loosening the muscles, preparing him for the black-onyx plug that awaited him. When he was finally stretched out, she poured more lube around the toy, and then eased it up inside of him. “Fuck, I feel like I could almost come just from this.” “Don’t do that,” Tiara said with a giggle. “I need your cock deep in my pussy.” Easing herself on top of her sprawled-out lover, she positioned the tip of his cock directly against her pulsing cunt but then paused. “What are you waiting for?” Seth gasped. “I need you to fuck me right now.” “Jack has to get me ready, first. And he’s even wider than the plug that’s inside you, so we have to be extra careful.” Leaning forward, Tiara gave Jack easy access to her tight hole. She shivered as the cold lube hit her skin. As Jack massaged her ass and slid a finger in, goose bumps broke out along her arms, this time from pleasure rather than temperature. Sliding another finger in, he started to thrust in and out quickly, sending jolts of pleasure through her pussy, making her more and more eager to slide down Seth’s cock and ride him. “Hurry up,” she moaned as his finger scissored inside of her. “I can’t wait much longer. I need cock, and I need it now.” Not waiting for Jack to remove his fingers, Tiara slid her cunt down over Seth’s cock, and they both gasped as her muscles clenched around him. As soon as the tip of his cock reached her G-spot, she paused, waiting for Jack to lube up his cock and slide into her tight

 

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ass. She welcomed the tight fullness, so intense it was almost unbearable. Once her muscles finished stretching out, she began to move, slowly at first, letting her body warm up. Grabbing Seth’s hands, she placed one on her breast and the other on her clit, and as he started to play with her, she moved faster, feeling both cocks slide out and then thrust back in, each impact sending jolts of pleasure all the way through her body. Tiara knew Jack wouldn’t let Seth have all the fun. She expected him to grab her free breast or maybe playfully fight Seth for possession of her clit. She wasn’t expecting a slap and a sting to fall across her ass, sending sparks shooting across her skin and down into her cunt. “Again,” she gasped, struggling to maintain her balance as pleasure ricocheted through her entire body. Jack delivered three more slaps, all in time with her thrusts, each one harder than the last. Then he quit following a set rhythm or intensity. Sometimes, his fingertips barely brushed against her everreddening skin, but other times, his flat palm slammed into her, making her flesh burn even more. The intensity against her skin matched the sensation building up in her pussy, and as he delivered four rough smacks in equal succession, her body exploded with release. As the spasms overwhelmed every nerve and muscle, she collapsed forward onto Seth, digging her nails into his shoulders. “Fuck, that’s hot,” Seth whispered. His cock surged once, then twice, and then his own hands were digging into her arms, groans flowing out of his mouth as he leaned his forehead against hers. It only took a few more thrusts against Jack’s cock before he quit slapping her ass and gripped her hips. “Oh fuck, Tiara, yes!” he shouted, and she felt his cock empty into her body. Tiara slipped off of Seth’s cock and fully collapsed on top of him, feeling his heartbeat chase hers. Jack slid out of her ass and flopped

 

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down on the bed beside them, stroking his fingers lightly along her back. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered. “So are you,” she said. “Both of you.” Rolling off of Seth, she eased the plug out of his ass and then nestled herself in between them, and they both started stroking her body with reverential attention. “We don’t really need to go back into work today, do we?” she asked. “You and I have a competition we need to win,” Seth said, kissing her nose. “That means we have to rehearse. Our studio reservation begins in half an hour, so we should probably get going.” “The two of you might as well take the rest of the day off,” Jack said. “You’ve never managed to beat me and Catherine yet. This time won’t be any different.” He winked, and Tiara knew he was teasing. “If you’re trying to motivate us into kicking your butt, you’re doing a good job,” she said with a wink. “Seth, let’s get up and shower. We really need to get back to practice if we’re going to prove him wrong.” “No, don’t go,” Jack said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back down between them. “I’d rather have you in bed with us.” “So would I,” Seth said. “We can beat them at the next competition. Let’s just enjoy ourselves this time around.” “I can’t believe you’re both going to try to seduce me out of winning,” Tiara said with a giggle. Then Jack slid a hand inside her pussy, and she gasped, falling back onto the bed. “It’s working, isn’t it?” he asked as she writhed, pleasure overwhelming her body again. The phone rang, and Seth reached for it. “What are you doing?” Tiara asked, trying to bat his hand away. “Who cares who’s calling? I want to fool around some more.” “And I want you to talk on the phone while I lick your cunt,” he said before picking up the phone and handing it to her.

 

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“Hello?” Tiara asked, trying not to giggle as Seth dove between her legs. “Tiara? Where are you?” The alarm in Taletha’s voice overwhelmed Tiara’s ear, instantly killing her desire. “I’m at the hotel, of course. You’re calling my room.” Tiara moved away from Seth, not wanting any distractions until Taletha calmed down. “Oh, right, of course. I’m sorry, I’ve dialed so many numbers this morning, I can’t quite remember which number I’ve dialed or who I’m calling next.” “What’s going on?” Tiara asked, throwing the covers away and giving Seth a stern glance. He looked hurt that she’d quit playing. “The police are on their way to your hotel. The two of you need to get out of there now.” “What?” Tiara hopped out of bed and started dressing, gesturing for Seth and Jack to do the same. “Get out, and go somewhere safe. Don’t take the time to pack, just grab what you need and get out of the hotel.” “Why? What’s going on?” “Look, this will be easier to explain in person. The police have secured the studio and are sure it’s safe, so just meet me there, okay?” “You can’t tell me over the phone?” “Trust me, it’s better this way. If you’re not here in twenty minutes, I’m going to assume you ran into trouble and call the cops.” She hung up. Tiara stood with the phone in her hand, staring at it, unable to believe that the conversation had actually happened. “What’s going on?” Seth asked. “I–I don’t know, exactly. But I think we’re in danger. Taletha told us to get dressed, leave anything we don’t need, and get to the studio within twenty minutes. Oh, and the police have had to secure the studio already today.”

 

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“Shit. More threats,” Jack muttered, pulling on his shirt. “Let me drive. I know a shortcut.” **** Seth sat in the back seat of Jack’s car, fuming the entire way to the studio. He didn’t want to ride with Jack. He was on the verge of losing his patience. Although intellectually he knew there was no way that Jack could have been in any way associated with whatever was going on, he was getting sick and tired of everyone affiliated with the Rhythm and Motion studio. Even though he knew Jack cared for Tiara and would never do anything to hurt her, he was becoming tainted by association. Seth would have preferred that he and Tiara take a cab from the hotel so that he could keep her safe. He wanted them to go rent a car so that they would have the freedom to come and go without having to rely on anyone they couldn’t completely trust. It would have cost more, sure, but he decided both her safety and his were worth the expense. Tiara, however, never doubted Jack for a second. She had complete faith in him and wasn’t willing to let Seth turn down the offer of a ride, especially since they didn’t know their way around town very well. He didn’t want to fight and especially didn’t want to create even more drama, so he got in the back seat without argument and refused to say another word until they arrived at the studio. Rhythm and Motion was filled with police officers buzzing around, checking out information on studio computers and talking to staff members. Taletha hurried around like a nervous butterfly, answering the officers’ questions and trying to keep staff and students calm in an attempt to keep business running as usual. Seth couldn’t help but feel a little disgusted at her ability to act as though everything was completely normal. He wanted her to shut down the studio for the day, to cancel all lessons, to cut off all rehearsals, to stop pretending that everything could carry on. He also recognized that this was

 

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completely selfish of him and that if he owned a studio, he would probably do the same thing. Still, he couldn’t help feeling angry, no matter how much his brain insisted that his feelings were ludicrous. “Hey, guys,” Taletha said, giving everyone a gentle hug. “How about we talk in my office, where we’ll have some privacy. Jack, would you like to join us?” “Yes, of course,” Jack said, and Seth winced. Even though Tiara was smitten with him, Seth didn’t feel that he had any right to be involved with this business, whatever it was. She loves me, after all. She hasn’t said anything of that effect to him. He shouldn’t have the same privileges that I do, not when they’re not serious about each other. He kept his mouth shut, though, in order to keep anyone from getting even more upset. Tensions were running high enough, and he wasn’t about to add to the problem. “Okay,” Taletha said, shutting the door. “I’m really sorry for that phone call earlier, but I was in a total panic.” “So why don’t you hurry up and tell us what’s going on?” Seth asked. “I don’t really appreciate all the histrionics without anybody actually being upfront about the problem.” Taletha took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I really am. This has been a very trying morning. When Lynne came back from lunch, she noticed something odd planted underneath the front desk. It had wires and blinking lights—she thought it was a bomb.” “I’m going to guess that it actually wasn’t,” Seth said, trying to control his temper despite his ever-mounting frustration. Taletha nodded. “Lynne called the police, and then she called me on my cell. By the time I arrived, they’d shown up and determined that the bomb was a decoy. However, said-decoy was nonetheless threatening.” Taletha stood up and popped her head outside of her office door. “Officer? Could I show them the evidence, please?” A police officer walked in, carrying a plastic baggie with a piece of paper in it. “Be careful, please,” he said. “This will be important in

 

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the event that the person who did this gets caught and the case goes to trial.” Seth snatched the note from the officer’s hands. Now that you’re reading this note, you’ve figured out that this bomb was a fake. What I have planned for the hotel is a bit more sinister. But by the time you read this, it will already be too late. Seth’s hands began shaking as he passed the note to Tiara, who blanched before she handed it over to Jack. The color drained from his face as well. “Officer!” a voice called from the hallway. Jack handed the note back before the officer disappeared from the office. “This is completely unacceptable,” Seth said through clenched teeth. “I know, and I’m sorry. But we have things under control. The police are going to get your things from the hotel and bring them back to you. You can stay wherever you feel comfortable. My home is open to you, of course, though I suppose you might also want to consider staying with Jack for the remainder of your stay, since the three of you seem to be getting along so well. “Ms. Hendricks?” The officer popped his head back into the door. “Yes, come in.” “We just got a call from the team we sent over to the hotel. There was a real bomb waiting for them.” “Someone broke into our room?” Tiara asked, her voice starting to crack. Seth eased an arm around her shoulder, trying to reassure her. “No. It was set up on a room-service tray. It was the real deal, too, though the squad managed to defuse it before anyone got hurt.” “But we didn’t order room service,” Tiara said, sounding confused. “You have got to be joking,” Seth spat out. “That’s the kind of shit that goes down in stupid movies, not in real life.”

 

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The officer shrugged. “It’s not exactly common in real life, that’s for sure, but that doesn’t mean half-assed criminals haven’t gotten some ideas from watching lots of crime shows.” “This is ludicrous. Completely ludicrous.” “Seth, calm down.” “I will not calm down! Not until this is settled once and for all!” “That might be sooner than you think,” the officer said. “According to the squad over at the hotel, a suspect has been apprehended. They’re bringing her to the police station as we speak.” Jack pulled out his keys. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.” Again, Seth resented Jack’s intrusion, but he also knew his anger was making everyone uncomfortable, even Tiara, and he didn’t want to make a bigger fuss than he already had, especially not if a suspect had been brought in already. Without a word, he followed the small crowd out of Taletha’s office. **** Jack’s heart raced as he led the group out of Taletha’s office. He was so focused on getting to the car and speeding over to the police station that he ran smack-dab into Catherine as he barreled out the door. “Jack! Where the hell are you going?” “I’m driving Tiara and Seth to the police station.” Catherine’s face immediately started to go red. “What? Why?” “Because someone tried to plant a bomb in their hotel room, that’s why. The bomb squad managed to defuse it, and there’s a suspect at the police station. So I’m taking them to see who it is.” Catherine narrowed her eyes at him. “But we have practice. The competition is in three days. You cannot duck out of rehearsal with so little time left to prepare.” “I’m sorry, Catherine, but this is an emergency. We can put in double hours tomorrow if it will make you feel better.”

 

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“No, it will not make me feel better. What will make me feel better is you walking back into the studio and practicing with me like you’re supposed to. You want to win, don’t you?” “Not as much as I want to look into the eyes of the person who is trying to hurt the woman I care about.” Jack didn’t want to hear another word out of Catherine. He knew she would only be belligerent and that she wouldn’t listen to anything he said. The best course of action was to just walk away. Anything else that came out of his mouth would lead to an argument. In truth, he was shocked to have run into her. He’d half-believed that she was the one they would find behind bars at the police station. He breathed a sigh of relief as he helped everyone into the car and drove off, not caring that he was breaking the law as he exceeded the speed limit. At the police station, the four of them all rushed through the door. Jack’s mind had been racing the entire drive, trying desperately to figure out who might be constructing bombs and making threats. He was shocked when they were led through the hallways and up to the window of an interrogation room and found Callista sitting on the other side. Her eyes were red and puffy, she was sweating, and she kept wringing her hands. An officer sat on the other side of the table, interrogating her. “Ms. Manning, please don’t make this harder than it already is. Now tell me, and be honest this time, what were you doing over at the hotel this morning?” “I told you, I went over there to visit Tiara and Seth. I wanted to spend some time with them. They’re not in town for very long, and most of the time, they’re busy teaching or practicing. Plus, my best friend, Catherine, doesn’t like them, and she gets annoyed if I try to socialize with them. So I figured I’d just drop by the hotel and offer to buy them lunch or something.” “And you didn’t call ahead of time?” “I didn’t have either of their phone numbers.”

 

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“But you knew where they were staying?” “Everyone knows which hotel Taletha booked for them. All I had to do was ask the front desk for a room number.” “What do you know about the bomb that was planted in a room service tray designated for Tiara’s room?” “I don’t know anything, I swear!” Callista started to cry, fresh tears streaming down her face. “I’ve heard enough,” Seth snapped, turning away from the dramatic display. “I hope you’ve had enough, too, Tiara.” “Well, it’s over now,” Tiara said with a sigh. “Mostly I’m just relieved.” “Relieved? You’re relieved? She tries to plant a bomb in our room, and all you feel is relief?” “What else should I feel? She tried to hurt us, and it was terrifying, but that’s all over now. Let’s just be grateful nobody got hurt and that justice is being served.” “And of course, you have my assurance that Callista is no longer employed at my studio. Her termination is effective starting now,” Taletha said. “I’ll even file a restraining order so she can’t come within five hundred feet of Rhythm and Motion.” Tiara turned back to Seth. “See? Let’s go back to teaching. Let’s work really hard over the next few days so we can kick ass at the competition this weekend. The nightmare is over. Now we can have some fun.” “Are you kidding me?” Seth spat out. “After all that’s happened, you’re willing to stay?” Tiara suddenly looked uneasy. “The police have her, and Taletha’s going to take out a restraining order. Callista can’t hurt us anymore.” “What if they don’t have enough evidence to convict her? What if they don’t even have enough to keep her behind bars overnight? What if she gets out this afternoon? Then our lives are in danger all over again.”

 

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Tiara paled. “Do you really think so?” Seth shrugged. “It’s a risk I’m not willing to take.” Jack felt his stomach tense up as he watched them argue. “Look, I know that this has been a hell of a week, but it’s over now. I’m willing to do whatever I have to in order to keep the two of you safe. For starters, as Taletha suggested, you’re both welcome at my home if you don’t want to stay at the hotel anymore.” “Forget it,” Seth snapped. “If you were really concerned about protecting us, you would have done so before things reached such a dangerous point. As far as I’m concerned, everyone at this studio is complicit in Callista’s crimes because they’re too inept to take care of things. You can’t manage to protect a woman you claim to care about.” Jack felt his blood begin to boil. “You’re getting out of line, man. I’ve done my best to protect her. I’m sorry if I don’t have ESP and don’t generally think like a criminal.” “Well, maybe you should have tried harder. Everyone at this studio should have tried harder. Taletha, you should never have let things get this bad. You should be able to control your own employees.” Taletha’s jaw dropped. “I don’t have ESP, either. I’ve done my best. Excuse me for not assuming that all of my employees are out to get you.” “This is ridiculous.” Seth turned back to Tiara. “Sweetie, I really think it would be best for everyone if we left early.” “But what about the competition?” Tiara asked. “You know there are plenty of other competitions in the world. We don’t need to win this one.” “People are relying on us to act as judges.” “They can find other people.” “What about our teaching commitments?” “We’ll finish out the stuff we have scheduled for today, and that’s it.”

 

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“But we promised—” “And we also expected to not have our lives be put in danger. Do you really want to run the risk of more bad stuff happening to us if they let Callista go?” Tiara dropped her eyes to the ground. “I guess not.” Jack started to panic. Although part of him knew her home was in Denver, and that she’d return there after the competition, his heart had yet to process that information. The thought of her taking off early was a shock. “Tiara, I know you’re scared and upset,” he said, taking her hand. “I am, too. But you don’t have to leave. I promise I’ll take care of you.” “If he was going to take care of you, he should have done that sooner,” Seth snarled. “It doesn’t have to be this way,” Jack said. “Make your choice, Tiara. Do you want to leave and know you’re safe? Or stay and take risks? It’s up to you. But I’m going.” He turned and stormed down the hallway. Jack gazed into Tiara’s eyes, silently begging her not to leave. “I’m sorry,” she said. She dropped his hand and chased after Seth.

 

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Chapter Nine Tiara struggled not to cry as she packed her suitcase. “Maybe there’s a way we can figure this out and stay,” she said. “I mean, Taletha already fired Callista. What would be the harm of finishing our professional obligations?” “Taletha meant well, but she didn’t go far enough.” “Callista was fired, and then the police arrested her. What else was Taletha supposed to do, exactly? I don’t think she had any other options.” “Why are you fighting me on this?” Seth snapped. “Taletha’s still agreed to pay us in full, which is the least she could do after the way we’ve been treated. We got out of town, got to teach some good classes, and got some training. But now it’s time to move on, the way it is after every event.” “But I love Jack,” she whispered, a tear rolling down her face. Seth dropped his suitcase on the floor. “You what?” “I love Jack. I love him the same way I love you.” “But—but it’s so soon.” “I know it’s soon, but it’s the way I feel. I’ve been drawn to him ever since the first moment he took my hand to lead me in a dance, and even though we’ve only known each other a short time, my feelings have grown. I love him, and I don’t want to leave.” “Does that mean you want to give up everything we worked for and relocate to a town where we’re clearly unwelcome? You would really want to stay here after what we’ve been going through?”

 

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Tiara started crying harder. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far in advance yet. Jack doesn’t even know how I feel about him, and you’re not even giving me a chance to say anything.” “Why do you want to have anything to do with anyone affiliated with this damn studio? We’ve had nothing but trouble here. Our lives were threatened.” “That was one person, Seth. One person, and she’s been fired. I can’t believe you’re blaming everyone else for the stupid things she did. And I especially can’t believe you’d lump Jack in with her. He’s been nothing but wonderful to us ever since we arrived.” “No he hasn’t. He was outright rude when we first showed up.” “And you’re willing to let that overrule all the amazing things that have happened between us since then?” Seth stiffened. “Yes, I am.” “Then you’re not the man I thought you were.” Tiara slammed her suitcase closed and pushed past Seth on her way out the door. “I’ll be getting my own cab to the airport.” “What?” Seth chased down the hall. “What on earth are you talking about?” “I need some time alone to think. I don’t expect to have much privacy on the plane, so I thought that a nice cab ride by myself might give me some quiet time to sort out my thoughts.” “What on earth do you possibly have to sort out?” Tiara stopped walking and finally turned to look Seth in the eye. “Whether or not I plan to stay with you when we get back to Denver.” “What?” Seth gasped as she turned and hurried toward the elevator. “After all these years of waiting, after we finally decide to be together, you’re suddenly unsure?” The elevator door opened, and Tiara got in. Seth barely squeezed through the doors. “I’m suddenly unsure because you’re suddenly trying to pull me away from someone I love.” “I didn’t know you loved him until a few minutes ago.”

 

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“You knew on some level that I cared about him, though, and you were forcibly trying to end that.” “I didn’t know you cared for him. I thought it was just casual sex.” “So I was in love with you but just fucking him?” Seth shrugged. “Yeah, why not?” “Well, you were wrong. I never once considered it casual sex.” The elevator doors opened, and Tiara stormed out. Seth had to run again to keep up with her long, quick stride. “We still can’t stay here.” “Maybe you can’t. But I’m not sure I can go back to Denver with someone who would be so callous toward my feelings. Who knows? Maybe after my cab ride I won’t get on the plane back home. Maybe I’ll go somewhere else entirely, somewhere far away from everything, so I can finally have some space to do what I want without other people getting angry or trying to push me around.” “Now you’re just talking crazy.” “Am I?” “Yes, and you know it. You’re not being serious.” “I guess you’ll just have to see whether or not I show up at the gate.” Seth grabbed her arm. “Tiara, be reasonable.” Tiara jerked her arm. “No, you be reasonable and don’t force us to take off like this. And don’t touch me like that again, ever.” She stormed out to the front of the hotel. “Excuse me,” she said, approaching the outdoor concierge. “I need a cab to the airport.” The concierge checked his computer. “Actually, there’s a shuttle arriving in a few minutes, if you want to take that. This hotel is the last stop on the route, so it will get you to the airport quickly, and it’s half the cost. It looks like it’s mostly empty, too. According to the schedule, there’s only one other person on it at the moment, so it won’t be too crowded. Do you want me to book you a seat?”

 

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“That sounds great,” Tiara said, looking over her shoulder and shooting Seth the evil eye when she saw him trying to approach. Fortunately, the shuttle arrived quickly, and Tiara hopped on, refusing to acknowledge Seth’s presence. She felt relieved as the driver slammed the passenger doors closed and began driving. But that relief turned to confusion when, after feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned to see Catherine sitting behind her. “Hey,” Catherine said, flashing an odd-looking smile. Tiara tried to shrug off the uneasiness she felt, reminding herself that she and Catherine had gotten off on the wrong foot but that there was no reason for her to continue holding a grudge for something that didn’t matter. “Fancy meeting you here,” Tiara said, giving Catherine a small smile. “I didn’t think you’d be leaving so soon.” “I didn’t think you’d be leaving at all,” Tiara said. “Aren’t you and Jack supposed to be competing this weekend?” Catherine’s face fell. “I’ve unfortunately had a family emergency, and I need to leave town immediately to help my relatives take care of things. I’m going to have to miss the competition.” “Oh, damn, I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it or anything?” Catherine shook her head. “No, I’m fine, all things considered. At the moment, I’m mostly just frustrated that I can’t compete this weekend. It’s bad enough that I have to miss an event that’s in town but even more frustrating because Taletha’s hosting it.” “You must be so disappointed.” “Yeah, and you know how it is. We spend so many of our weekends traveling from one city to another, teaching and competing, and it’s exciting if there’s something in our city we can attend, so we don’t have to deal with the frustrations of flying, rental cars, and hotels.” “And then the one weekend there is something in town—”

 

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“I have to travel,” Catherine finished. “Irony is the worst, isn’t it?” “So why are you on the shuttle? And where is Seth?” Catherine asked. “I mean, you’re supposed to judge the amateur event, right? And I assumed you had plans to compete in the professional division.” Tiara took a deep breath, trying not to cry. “Well, I mean, you know about the shit that’s been going down lately, right?” Catherine nodded. “Did you hear that direct threats were made on our lives? And that Callista was the one who made them?” Catherine’s eyes widened. “I’d heard that, but I didn’t think it was true. Oh, my god, I’m so sorry.” “Anyway, Seth decided we should take off early. Even though Callista has been fired, he’s upset and didn’t think Taletha handled the issue well, so he decided we should back out of the event.” “Were you not able to get on the same flight? Is that why he’s not here?” “No.” Tiara took another deep breath but couldn’t prevent a tear from rolling down her cheek. “I didn’t want to leave. I mean, Callista is out of the picture, so we’re safe now. We made a professional commitment, and on top of that—” Tiara broke off, not sure it was smart to admit her feelings about Jack to Catherine. “On top of what?” “It’s nothing.” “No, really, talk to me. Maybe I can help.” “I–I found that I have feelings for Jack.” Catherine raised an eyebrow. “Feelings?” “I’m in love with him. And now we have to leave, and I haven’t had a chance to say anything. Anyway, Seth and I had a huge fight about it, and I decided to go to the airport alone to give myself a chance to think. Who knows? I’m not expected back in Denver until Monday night. Maybe I’ll go somewhere else for the rest of the weekend. Maybe I won’t go back to Colorado at all.”

 

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“You don’t mean that, do you?” “I don’t know. I can’t be with Seth if he’s going to be controlling like this, if he’s going to pull me away from someone else I care about. But I’m also not sure that I want to stay here and make a commitment to Jack if Seth isn’t going to be in the picture. I think I just need some space to figure things out.” Between being absorbed in the discussion and not being very familiar with the layout of the city, Tiara didn’t realize that they’d passed the airport exit until they reached the outskirts of town. “Hey, I don’t want to criticize the driver here, and maybe it’s just that I’m a tourist or something, but I’m pretty sure this is not the way to the airport,” she whispered. Catherine smiled, and this time, Tiara couldn’t miss the wickedness. “That’s because we’re not going to the airport.” Tiara shivered, feeling as though the temperature of the car had suddenly dropped twenty degrees. “Um, I know I just said I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about getting on the plane to Denver, but I did get on this shuttle with the intention of getting to the airport sooner rather than later. So what do you mean, we’re not going to the airport?” “I mean that I’m frustrated that you and Seth had that argument, because I was hoping for you to both get on this shuttle with me.” Tiara started to shake, but she tried to keep her cool. “You’re still not making sense, Catherine.” “You see, Tiara, when you fly all the time, you tend to get to know people involved in the transportation industry. I’ve made acquaintances with TSA employees, with flight attendants, and with shuttle drivers. Marcel here has become a personal friend of mine. And since his job doesn’t pay especially well, he’s always interested in taking side gigs that will bring in extra cash.” Tiara racked her brain, trying to think of all the things in her luggage that could be used as weapons. Then she realized that her

 

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suitcase was all the way in the back of the van, and there was an evillooking woman sitting in her way. “I don’t—I don’t understand what’s going on here. I know you and I got off to a rocky start, but what do you really have against us? First Callista, then you. Seth was right. This whole town has it out for us.” “That’s where you’re wrong,” Catherine said. “It wasn’t Callista first, then me. It was always me. Callista had absolutely nothing to do with it.” “You mean you’ve been behind this all along?” Catherine grinned. “That’s right.” “You let your best friend get pinned for your act of aggression? You let her get fired?” “What’s a friend for, if not to play the patsy? I needed someone else to distract everyone’s attention so I could put my final plan in motion.” “So what you’re saying is, you knew that Seth and I were leaving and paid a friend of yours to put us in a fake shuttle so we would miss our flight?” “You’re half right,” Catherine said. She gave a shiver-inducing laugh. “But you haven’t quite gone far enough.” “So, what, you planned to drop us off miles outside of town and then, what, make us walk back or something? Now that’s classy.” “You don’t quite dream big enough, Tiara. That’s probably why your career hasn’t really taken off yet. You don’t think in terms of the larger picture. You’re only concerned with how you feel in the present moment. No, I was never planning to pull some college prank.” Tiara felt the blood drain from her face. “Those death threats—” Catherine’s smile got even bigger. “You’re exactly right. Those death threats were completely real. I knew all about them, because I made them, and I meant every single word.” She leaned in closer to whisper. “I scheduled this shuttle to pick me up, and then I offered the

 

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driver here a nice little bonus in order to swing by the hotel and then detour to the next location. Of course, he has no idea what I’ve got planned. He thinks we just need a lift out of town. Fortunately, he’ll be back on his regular route before anyone realizes you’re missing.” “Well, it’s not going to work. You didn’t even manage to get Seth in the car.” “No, I didn’t, but I have you, and you were more important, anyway. You’re the one who stole Jack from me, after all. Seth didn’t really do anything to hurt me. But the two of you tend to be a package deal, so I figured I’d kill two dancers with one stone, as it were.” “He’ll come looking for me. You’re not going to get away with this.” “He will? Are you so sure about that? It sounds to me like the two of you didn’t exactly part on friendly terms. Maybe he’s looking forward to some time away from you. Maybe he’ll assume you’ve left him. Maybe he’ll assume you’re never coming back. I don’t think he’s going to suspect foul play when you don’t show up at the gate.” Tiara’s heart sank. She debated trying to make a jump from the van, but the driver was barreling down the road so fast she didn’t think she had any chance of survival. She made a grab for her purse, but Catherine grabbed it away and tossed it toward the back of the van. “No, I don’t think so. I’m not going to let you get away this time.” **** “Excuse me,” Seth said as he approached the concierge. “When is that shuttle supposed to come back around? I was hoping to catch a spot the next time it passes by this hotel.” The concierge frowned and checked the computer. “Actually, it was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago. I haven’t gotten any reports of traffic jams or construction detours, either. Hold on, let me call the driver and see if I can figure out what’s up.”

 

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Seth checked his watch and was relieved to see he still had plenty of time to make it to the airport. Still, if the shuttle didn’t show up soon, he’d be cutting it close. He started gazing at the line of vehicles for cabs that still had seats available, deciding that would be his next best bet. “That’s strange,” the concierge said. “The driver isn’t picking up.” Seth began to feel uneasy. As angry as he was with Tiara, he couldn’t help but feel worried. Something had gone wrong with the shuttle, and there was a good chance that she was on it. “Is there any way to know whether the van made it to the airport or not?” he asked. “Let me call the airport. The shuttle checks in when it arrives and departs, so they’ll have a record of the last time it dropped somebody off.” As the concierge dialed the airport, Seth called Tiara’s cell. It rang four times and then went to voicemail. Seth hoped that she was simply angry and ignoring his calls. “Sir? It doesn’t look like the shuttle made it to the airport after it departed here at two. It must have had trouble on the way. Why don’t we find you a taxi? It will be a little more expensive, but at this point, I have no clue where the shuttle is or when they’ll be back. If you wait, you’ll run the risk of missing your flight.” “There isn’t anything else you can do?” The concierge shrugged. “I suppose I could try to work out a deal with the cab company, if it’s money that you’re worried about.” “That’s not what I mean. My girlfriend was on that shuttle, and she’s not picking up her cell phone, either. I’m officially worried about her.” “I’m sorry, sir, but there’s not much I can do, really. The shuttle is not the responsibility of the hotel.” “Well, call the police or something.” “Sir, I’m sure that it’s nothing to worry about. Now, let’s see about you getting to your flight on time.”

 

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“Excuse me, I need to make a phone call,” Seth snapped. He turned and stormed back into the lobby. **** Jack picked up his cell when he heard it ring and immediately sent the call to voicemail when he saw Seth’s name pop up. He did it again when Seth called back two minutes later. When Seth called a third time, however, he finally picked up. “What do you want?” he snapped. “Tiara is missing.” “What do you mean she’s missing?” Seth sighed. “We had a big fight at the hotel this morning, and she decided to get her own ride to the airport so she could get away from me for a little bit. She took a shuttle, and I tried to make a reservation for the next time it came around, but it never showed up. The concierge confirmed that it never arrived at the airport. Nobody can reach the driver, and Tiara isn’t answering her phone.” “And what does this have to do with me?” “I need you to help me find her.” “Didn’t you know? Everyone in this town is out to get you. Why on earth would I help you if all I want is to drive you crazy and run you out of town?” Although Jack was concerned for Tiara’s safety, the wounds of his betrayal were still fresh, and he did not make an effort to hide his sarcasm. “Look, I know I was a total jerk earlier. I was completely out of line, and even when Tiara stood up for you, I refused to listen to her. Thanks to my stubbornness, she left me alone at the hotel. She couldn’t stand the sight of me, so she took off, and now something horrible has happened to her.” “How do you know? Maybe something just happened with the shuttle. Maybe it got held up.”

 

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“I just know, Jack. I can feel it. Please, come help me. I’ll go off by myself if I have to, but I’d feel a lot better if you were by my side. Of all the people in this town, you’re the one person I know I can trust.” Jack sighed. As much as he never wanted to see Seth again, his feelings for Tiara had not been tempered by the harsh words that had flowed, and he couldn’t stand the thought of not coming to her rescue. He’d known for days that he loved Tiara but hadn’t had the chance to tell her before Callista’s interference had ruined everything. Even if Seth was wrong, even if she was fine, at least he’d have the opportunity to say the words he’d been too scared to speak before. “Okay, I’m on my way. I’ll be at the hotel in ten minutes. Sooner, if I speed.” “Drive carefully, man. We can’t save her if you’re in a wreck.” Jack hopped into his car and hurried over to the hotel. He’d barely made a full stop before Seth was pulling at the door handle and jumping into the vehicle. “Now who’s not being careful?” Jack asked, trying to keep his voice level. Just seeing Seth’s face made his anger flare up, but now wasn’t the time to argue. If Tiara needed their help, Jack wasn’t about to make things worse by fighting. “Okay, where to?” “Head to the airport, I guess. Maybe if the van broke down, we’ll see it on the way.” They were silent as Jack pulled out of the hotel parking lot and headed toward the freeway. He couldn’t think of anything to say and wasn’t particularly interested in whatever Seth might have to tell him. But as they neared the exit for the airport without any sight of a shuttle, Jack realized he needed to break the silence. “Okay, we’re almost to the airport. Do we exit and see if they finally made it there, or do you want to turn back and head into town? Maybe we should call the hospitals and see if there was a traffic

 

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accident or call around to body shops and see if any shuttle vans were brought in needing repair.” Seth punched the dashboard. “Fuck! I don’t know. I just don’t know. I have no clue where she might be and no idea where to start looking. There are too many possibilities, and I feel completely helpless.” “It’s okay. Let’s just calm down, think things through, and we’ll find her.” “Goddamnit, this is all my fault. If I hadn’t been such an ass, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Tiara and I would have spent the afternoon teaching a workshop, we’d have gone out for a quick dinner, and we’d be getting ready to work on our competition routines.” The mention of rehearsal drew Jack’s attention to the clock. “Shit! I totally forgot, Catherine booked a second rehearsal for today, and it started ten minutes ago. I’m surprised she hasn’t called yet. She never lets me get away with being even five minutes late, and ten is unfathomable.” He fished his cell phone out of his pocked and handed it to Seth. “Catherine’s number is number two in my speed dial. Give her a call, and let her know I need to cancel, okay? She’s not going to like it, but Tiara’s safety is more important right now.” Seth held the phone to his ear. “I’m getting her voicemail,” he said after a few moments. “The studio is number three on my speed dial. Hang up and call there.” Seth disconnected the call and pressed the button for the studio as Jack pulled off the freeway and into the airport parking lot. “Hello? Hi, Lynne. No, this is Seth, but I’m calling from Jack’s phone. Look, he’s driving right now, so he can’t talk, but he has a message for Catherine. Can you put her on the line?” Jack started to develop a sense of unease as Seth stopped talking. “What do you mean she’s not at the studio?” Seth finally continued. “She was supposed to meet Jack for practice ten minutes

 

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ago. She never showed up? Well, okay. No, she’s not answering her cell. We already tried that. Look, if she shows up, will you tell her to give Jack a call? Thanks.” Seth hung up and handed the phone back to Jack. “Something weird is going on here,” he said. “What are the chances Catherine forgot that she was supposed to practice with you?” “I suppose there’s a first time for everything, but I’d say nil. She’s never forgotten, and she’s never been late.” “What are the chances that she skipped practice intentionally?” “Well, it’s not like her to do that, but it’s more likely than her forgetting.” “How much do you want to bet that you and Catherine are both skipping practice because of Tiara?” “I thought Callista was the one who was creating those death threats,” Jake said, the bitterness starting to rise up again. He couldn’t deny that Catherine was looking suspicious right then, but he also resented all the accusations he and his colleagues had been facing. “Well, either she has a partner in crime, or we’ve all made a terrible mistake in our assumptions about the perpetrator’s identity.” “Well, we’ve circled the airport twice and still no sign of the van,” Jack said with a sigh. “Even if we didn’t suspect Catherine, I guess we’re out of other options.” “Yeah, but where do we go from here? I have no idea where to even begin looking for them.” “I have an idea,” Jack said, and started speeding back toward the freeway. “Where are we going?” “Would you just trust me for once?” Jack regretted the harshness in his voice, but he was tired of being vilified. “I do trust you,” Seth said, his voice suddenly soft. “I was just curious.” Jack sighed. “I’m sorry, man. It’s been a rough week.”

 

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“I know. I’m sorry, too. No matter what Callista or Catherine did, I shouldn’t have said nasty things about you, Taletha, or the studio. I’ve been out of line the past couple of days.” “Let’s agree to forgive and move on,” Jack said. “For Tiara’s sake.” “Agreed. I’d shake your hand, but you seem to be busy driving.” “There will be time for that once we’re sure Tiara is safe.” As they breezed past the outskirts of the city, Jack turned down a country road. “You don’t have anything that might function as a weapon, do you?” Jack asked. “No, why?” “Just wondering. You never know when we might run into real danger. But I guess we’re just going to have to rely on our wits.” “What is this place?” Seth asked, his voice dropping to a whisper, as though Catherine might hear him if he spoke in a normal tone. Jack swallowed. “This is my lake house. Catherine has a key. And it would be the perfect kind of location to commit a crime.” **** Bound and gagged, waiting for Catherine to finish the horrible deeds she had in mind, Tiara wished she hadn’t spent the last day of her life being angry at people she cared about. She wished she’d found a way to tell Jack she loved him. She wished she hadn’t let Seth push her around. Now, it was too late. Catherine was loading Tiara’s pockets with rocks and tying weighted bags to her arms and waist. When the last rope had been secured, Catherine grabbed Tiara’s arm and pulled her out of the house, dragging her toward the pier at the edge of the property. “Walk faster, damn it. Pissing me off isn’t going to make this any easier, you know. You’re still going to die, even if you annoy the hell out of me while you do it.”

 

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But at least then there will have been some silver lining in my death. I’d rather not give you total satisfaction. Catherine shoved Tiara onto the pier and started walking her forward. “Go,” she snapped. “Go and drown, so I can have my life back.” Tiara stood still, bracing herself against Catherine’s shoves and tugs. Finally, Catherine lost patience and got a running start. Even with the added weight hanging off of Tiara’s frame, Catherine reached her with enough force to knock her down. She rolled toward the edge of the pier, managing to stop herself only a few inches away from the water. “Go!” Catherine screamed. She walked up and kicked Tiara in the thigh, and Tiara struggled to stay on the wooden planks. “Just drown already!” Catherine managed to deliver two more blows before a shout rang out from behind the house. “Stop!” Tiara was shocked and relieved to hear Seth’s voice ringing through the air. “Stop right there!” “No!” Catherine screamed back and delivered a painful kick to Tiara’s pelvis. Still, Tiara gripped the edge of the pier, refusing to give in, especially now that help was so close. She saw Catherine lifting her leg and aiming for her head, when suddenly Catherine cried out and fell into the water. Tiara looked out to see her tussling in the shallows. Jack gripped her arms, trying to control her slippery body. “Let me go!” Catherine yelled. “Let me go!” “You’re not going anywhere,” Jack snapped. “I am going to hold you here and wait until the police come.” “I’m on the phone with them now,” Seth called from across the yard. Tiara couldn’t wait any longer. She’d already wasted enough time. “I love you, Jack,” she called. He looked out at her, and his face lit up. “I love you too, Tiara.”

 

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Though she was still bound by rocks and sandbags, and though the whine of sirens killed the romance of the moment, Tiara decided that she’d never been happier.

 

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Chapter Ten Jack couldn’t help feeling dejected as he stared out at the ballroom. Catherine had betrayed him and had tried to kill the woman he loved, but as he stared out at the competitors warming up and putting on makeup, he found he missed her. Or at least, he missed the old Catherine, before she had turned into the vengeful, manipulative criminal he was unable to recognize as his old friend and dance partner. He also felt a pang of sadness because without a partner he couldn’t compete. This event in particular was supposed to have held particular significance for him. Ever since Taletha had announced she was hosting a competition, he’d looked forward to representing his studio without having to travel. He was excited to be part of the home team. Now, however, he was just a spectator. “Hey, cheer up.” Jack turned around to find Callista standing behind him. “Easy for you to say. Your career isn’t on hold because your partner turned into a homicidal maniac.” “I’m hurting too, you know. My best friend is in jail. Even though she deserves to be locked away, I still miss her.” Jack brought Callista into an awkward hug. “You’re right. We’re both suffering right now.” Callista gave a shy smile as she pulled away. “I know this is lastminute, but would you like to dance together today?” Jack laughed. “Last minute? The social dancing doesn’t begin for at least another thirty minutes.”

 

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“I don’t mean social dancing. I mean competing. Would you be interested in being my dance partner today?” “But–but we don’t have choreography. We haven’t prepared a thing. We haven’t even danced together that often.” “I know that. And I also know that I’ve never competed before. I’ve been teaching since I was eighteen but never found a professional partner. I also haven’t been dancing as long as you have. I haven’t done a single thing when compared with your career.” “Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a wonderful dancer, and you have a great future ahead of you.” “Then help me kick that future off. Look, we don’t need to become partners forever. This can be a one-time thing. But I can see how desperately you want to compete. I can tell that you’re miserable on the sidelines. And I’m dying to get out there, too. So what do you say? Will you compete with me?” “Do you even have a costume?” Callista grinned. “Tiara put the idea into my head. She’s loaning me one of her backup costumes if you’ll agree to dance.” “Tiara put you up to this, eh? Well, I certainly can’t say no to her. So yes, I’ll dance with you. Now hurry and change so we can warm up.” Jack raced to the men’s dressing room to get ready when he realized he didn’t have a costume, either. He froze, trying to come up with a solution. I don’t have time to run home and get a costume, and even if I did, there’s no guarantee it will match what Tiara is loaning to Callista. “I bet I know what you’re thinking,” Seth said as he came out of the dressing room. “Oh?” “You need a costume.” “Now how did you know that?” “Do you think Tiara was the only one in on the plan to get you a new dance partner? I have an outfit that matches the one she’s loaning

 

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Callista, and I just so happen to have it here. Tiara might have suggested I bring it along today, just in case. So hurry up and get inside. You need to get dressed.” Jack hurried into the outfit Seth had brought for him, threw on a warm-up jacket, and raced out to the ballroom. He and Callista had just enough time to warm up before Taletha walked to the front of the room. “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to the first annual Rhythm and Motion Ballroom Dance Classic.” She paused and waited for the applause to die down. “We’ve had a great event today, and I’d like to thank our guest judges, Tiara Pryce and Seth Monroe, for doing such a great job with the amateur events.” She gestured to Tiara and Seth, who took sweeping bows before returning to their seats. “And now, I’d like to begin our final event for the day—our professional competition.” The spectators burst into another round of applause before Taletha could continue talking. “These professional dancers have come from across the country to compete in this event. Couples, please take your places on the floor.” Jack pushed his nerves to the back of his mind as he guided Callista onto the floor. We’re probably not going to do well, and that’s okay. We’ve never rehearsed. We’ve only danced together a handful of times. There is no reason for us to be perfect. The competition started with the tango, which wasn’t his favorite. He knew Callista wasn’t wild about it, either, and he regretted that their first dance together was not one that they loved. Still, he threw himself into the music, twisting and turning around the floor, hitting every accent. When the song came to an end, they bowed, and Jack decided that even if he hadn’t danced the best he ever had, it wasn’t a bad first event at all. The waltz was next, and it was a dance that Jack knew he and Callista both enjoyed. The deejay put on a slower song, one that almost made him ache as he stretched, struggled, and led Callista through improvised moves. At least if it’s slow, we don’t have to

 

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worry as much about running into other couples, he thought, as he maneuvered Callista around a traffic jam. Competitive dancing was hard enough. Dancing without rehearsed choreography upped the ante even more, because not only did Jack have to maneuver around all the other dancers, but he had to do so while making steps up on the fly. Jack was satisfied at the end of the waltz, and he could see from Callista’s expression that she was pleased as well. The Viennese waltz, however, would be the real challenge. A constantly traveling, constantly spinning dance to music that was twice as fast as a standard waltz, Jack knew he had his work cut out for him. Taking position, he let himself get swept up by the melody and the beat and allowed his passion for the music to carry him around the floor. At one point, they had a near collision with another couple, but Jack and the other leader both maneuvered out of the way with no major consequences. He could only hope that the judges had not noticed and wouldn’t dock them any points. Finally, it was time for the foxtrot. Jack finally relaxed, allowing the melody of one of his favorite songs to wash over him. No matter how the results of the competition turned out, he was still dancing, still competing, and still performing his favorite dance. Easing Callista in and out of graceful turns and leg extensions, allowing her to rise and fall, to sink into his arms and come back up again, he found a sense of peace that had been missing in his life. Despite all that had happened, he’d found true love, and he still had dance. He knew he didn’t need to ask for more. **** Seth always felt nervous when he waited for awards and rankings. He knew he was an excellent dancer, but he also knew that the other professionals he competed against were top-notch, as well. No matter how good his dances felt in competition, he knew his rivals were all at

 

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least as good, so he was never willing to make presumptions about placements. His hands started shaking as Taletha ascended the podium. He clasped them behind his back, unwilling to let the audience see his fear. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. After seeing our top professional dancers compete for the title, the time has come to announce the placements.” The room burst into applause. “In third place, making their debut performance as a competitive couple, Jack Lanman and Callista Jackson!” Seth joined the room in an explosion of shocked applause. Not that Jack and Callista were bad dancers—they were both trained professionals, as adept as anyone else on the floor. But Callista had never competed before, and the two of them had danced completely unrehearsed. Not to mention that most new couples had to pay their dues before they started winning competitions. Even established dancers like Jack had to prove themselves all over again when starting out with a new partner. Yet they’d done it. They’d earned a top ranking with absolutely no rehearsal time and without reputations to feed off of. Seth suddenly realized why, no matter how hard he and Tiara worked, they rarely took first place, and why they had never beat Jack and Catherine at the same competitions. Jack Lanman was a world-class dancer, a force to be reckoned with, and once he and Callista got some rehearsals under their belts, the duo would probably be unstoppable. Seth resigned himself to the fact that he and Tiara were probably never going to beat this new couple. Seth was disappointed when Taletha called out the second place couple and it wasn’t him and Tiara. In fact, it was a name he didn’t even recognize. It shocked him that this was an event with not just one but two newer couples taking top spots. He resigned himself to going home empty-handed when all of a sudden, he felt Tiara grab his hand and start pulling him toward the front of the ballroom.

 

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“What’s going on?” he asked as she dragged him along. He couldn’t figure out who the cheers were for or even why people were still applauding for the second-place couple. “Weren’t you paying attention?” she asked, with a shocked expression on her face. “Taletha announced first place, and we’re it. We won! Can you believe it? We won!” Seth looked around and realized that everyone in the room was on their feet, giving them a standing ovation. He forced a smile—not that he wasn’t happy, but he was so shocked that it was difficult for him to register anything other than complete surprise. “Congratulations,” Taletha said, handing them a trophy. They stood with the other winners and posed for pictures, and then Taletha took the microphone again. “As is tradition, the first-place couple typically performs an honor dance at the end of the event. Seth and Tiara, which dance would you like to perform?” Tiara leaned over into the microphone. “We’ll dance the foxtrot.” Taking their places on the floor, the deejay cued up a Sinatra song, and Seth started leading Tiara around the floor. As they danced, he smiled down at her, the love of his life, the woman he would get to have by his side forever. The crowd cheered as he led her into elegant spins and presentation moves. Passing around the winner’s circle, Seth suddenly had an idea. Catching Jack’s eye, he led Tiara off the line of dance, and as he set her off into a spin, Jack stepped forward and grabbed her, steering her back onto the dance floor and around the line. Seth smiled as he watched Tiara’s face light up as she began to dance with her other lover. The audience laughed. Cutting in was a total rarity on the social dance floor and was never seen in a professional competitive setting, especially during honor dances. Seth’s move was a complete novelty. “It looks like you’ve found something in this town to make you happy,” Taletha whispered as Seth watched the dance. “Yes, I suppose I have.”

 

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“And Tiara?” “Can’t you tell from that grin?” Taletha giggled. “Of course, of course. I was just wondering what the implications of that might be.” “I think it’s a little too early to say one way or the other.” “You’re right, it probably is. I just can’t help but get excited when I see things like this happening.” “Rumor has it you’re quite the expert.” “You could say that, yes.” “Perhaps we’ll have to have a chat before Tiara and I take off on Monday.” “I hope we can. Now get out there. Your audience is waiting for you.” Taletha gave Seth a playful shove, and he rushed out to where Tiara and Jack were waiting for him. Taking Tiara’s free hand, they all raised their arms and bowed, giving the audience big smiles. As they stepped off the stage, Seth picked up Tiara and swirled her in the air before kissing her. “This calls for a celebration,” he said, suddenly feeling breathless in all the excitement. “Dinner?” Jack asked. “I’m not hungry,” Tiara said. “I’m still too wound up from the competition.” “So what would you like to do with our evening?” Seth asked. “I just want to relax. Somewhere with a hot tub might be nice.” Jake grinned and grabbed her hand. “I know just the place. Shall I drive?” **** “Your house is gorgeous,” Tiara said as Jack pulled into his driveway. “I mean, wow. I really didn’t think a dancer could afford such a big place. And this looks like a pretty ritzy neighborhood, too.”

 

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Jack shrugged. “I’ll admit I didn’t buy this for myself. I inherited it when my grandfather died.” “Your grandfather was a generous man,” Seth said. Tiara was even more awed after Jack opened the door and led them inside. The hallway floor was made of marble, there was a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and Tiara could see a fully equipped dance studio in one of the side rooms. “Do you have any other aging relatives?” she asked as she turned in a slow circle, taking in the entire room. “Not with houses like these. Fortunately, we’re only going to need one, right?” Tiara stopped gazing in awe. “Sorry, I think I misheard you. Did you just say that we’re only going to need one house?” Jack nodded. “I mean, the three of us should be more than comfortable here, right?” Tiara shook her head. “You—you want us to live here with you?” “Of course I do,” Jack said, a smile spreading across his face. “Tiara, Seth, I know that your time here has been tumultuous, to say the least. I’ll understand if you want to go back to Denver. I’m even prepared to move out there with you, if that’s what you want. But I love you, Tiara, and I want the three of us to be together forever. I was hoping that you would both want to stay here and move into my home.” Tiara felt her knees start to shake, and she grabbed Seth’s arm to steady herself. “You’d really uproot your life and go back to Denver with us?” Jack nodded, though she could see sadness in his eyes. “Of course. And that probably makes more sense, anyway, because that’s only one life being uprooted, rather than two. I’ll go wherever the two of you want, just as long as we’re together.” Tiara glanced at Seth. “Actually, I think I’d like to stay here, if it’s okay with you. I’m not going to judge this entire city just because of

 

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Catherine. I’ve really enjoyed visiting here, and Denver isn’t really the place where I want to spend the rest of my life. Why not move?” Seth frowned. “What about work? We have jobs in Denver. We don’t have anything out here.” “Taletha has spent our entire visit practically begging us to work for her. I’m sure she could arrange it.” “She definitely could,” Jack said with a smile. Seth’s grinned as well. “If we have work, then yes, let’s stay here. This is exactly the kind of place where I’d like to make a home.” Tiara giggled “And we don’t even need to go house hunting.” “Well, we should probably be sure we like the rest of the house first,” Seth said. “I assume that means you’d like to see the bedroom?” Jake gestured toward the stairs. Tiara took off first, hopping the steps two at a time. She ran into the bedroom and was amazed by what she saw. There was a hardwood floor, a plush white area rug, and an elegant four-poster bed with chiffon curtains. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered as Jack and Seth ran up behind her. “And that’s not even the master bedroom.” Tiara turned around and raised an eyebrow. “It’s not?” “No, that’s the guest bedroom.” Jack took her by the hand and escorted her down the hall. Tiara couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Jack’s bedroom. The floor was completely bare, with immaculately polished wood. The bed frame was carved out of the same wood as the floor, and the bed was covered in deep-red linens embroidered with gold thread. The rest of the upholstery, as well as the details in the wallpaper, were designed to complement the bed. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured. Jack took her hand. “You haven’t even seen the thing you came here for.”

 

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He escorted them into the master bathroom, where a hot tub occupied most of the space. “It just keeps getting better and better,” Tiara said. “I don’t know,” Jack said as a mischievous grin fell across his lips. “You don’t really know how you feel about something until you try it.” “Then what are you waiting for?” she asked. “Turn the damn thing on.” Jack reached out and flipped a switch. The tub started bubbling right away, and just a few minutes later, steam was rising out of the water. Tiara hurried out of her clothes and stepped into the heat. She loved the way her muscles felt as they relaxed after such a long day. “This feels amazing. I’m going to love living here.” “It’s not as amazing as it’s going to feel,” Jack said as he tossed his clothes aside and stepped into the tub. Seth wasn’t far behind. Jack was right. The tub itself was incredible, but it felt even better when she had four hands roaming around her wet, naked body. One pulled her hair, another fondled her breasts, another stroked her thighs, and the last one slid up into her slick, hot folds. “This is more than amazing.” Tiara sighed. “This is perfect” “How do you want us?” Seth whispered in her ear. “Both at once? One at a time? Tell us exactly what you want.” She turned back and nibbled on Seth’s earlobe. “I want you to get out and sit at the edge of the tub.” “But I just got in, baby,” he whined, pressing a finger against her pussy. “And it’s going to be so cold out of the water.” “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” “How so?” “You’re just going to have to trust that I know what I’m doing.” Seth smiled and moved toward the edge of the tub. Tiara saw him shiver slightly as he hoisted himself to the edge, but he smiled, letting her know he was excited for what was to come.

 

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Tiara moved toward the edge of the tub as well but stopped short of getting out. Pausing right in front of Seth’s hard cock, she eased the tip of her tongue up his rigid shaft before she turned back toward Jack. “You want my pussy, right?” she asked, giving him a wink. “You know it, baby.” Jack rushed over to her, and before she had time to take Seth’s cock in her mouth, Jack had slid inside her yearning pussy. “Fuck, yes,” she gasped. She eased the tip of her tongue around Seth’s shaft again, waiting for Jack to set a tempo. As he started to thrust in and out of her slick cunt, she finally quit teasing her other lover and slid her mouth all the way down to the root of his cock. Bringing her lips up slowly, she then started to suck him harder and faster, matching the speed and strength that Jack set as he plowed in and out of her. Seth reached down and tangled his hands in her hair, pulling slightly as she bobbed her head up and down. Jack kept one hand gripping her hips and moved the other up to her shoulders, raking his fingernails all the way down her back. Tiara jerked from the sudden stimulation and then moaned, triggering a groan from Seth as well. Jack kept working his nails up and down her back, and as he scratched and clawed, Tiara felt orgasmic pressure building up in her cunt. As much as she enjoyed the scratches, though, she knew they wouldn’t bring her to release. They would simply keep building and building. She couldn’t decide whether to stop sucking Seth and beg Jack for release or take matters into her own hands. She had just started stroking and rubbing her clit when Jack changed tactics, gripping both of her breasts and pinching her nipples. He jerked and pulled, the rough play putting Tiara right on the edge of pleasure and pain. With one solid pinch, Tiara’s cunt exploded, sending shots of electricity ricocheting through her entire body. She started to scream, her ecstasy refusing to be contained by the presence of a cock in her

 

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mouth. She dug her nails into Seth’s thighs as her body bounced and swayed with pleasure. “Fuck!” Seth gasped, and Tiara felt his cock seize up with pleasure. He gave one more loud groan, and as he did, his cock emptied into her. She drank him down, struggling to lick up every drop as Jack continued to pound her. Although he’d found his release, Seth continued to play with Tiara’s body, pulling her hair even harder and faster as she moved in tandem with Jack. Slipping back into the water, Seth reached up and started playing with her clit, fondling, flicking, and rubbing, until Tiara felt another orgasm building in her pussy. This one was more intense than before. Burying her face into Seth’s neck, she screamed, letting his fingers and Jack’s cock bring her to ecstasy. “Yes, Tiara, yes!” Jack screamed, his own cock pulsing just as hard as Seth’s had, his body emptying into hers. His head dropped forward, and he bit down into the flesh of her neck as he came, and Tiara did the same for Seth. As they both finished and Jack slid out of her, she allowed herself to float between them, the water supporting her, their hands caressing her. “I’m not sure which is better,” she murmured. “The fact that I get to come back to the two of you at the end of a long day, or that I get to come back to this hot tub.” Jack laughed. “My guess is both are equally wonderful.” “We did just prove that, didn’t we?” Seth said. Tiara turned to look at Seth. “We don’t need to get back on the plane on Monday, do we?” “Well, we do need to pack up our apartments. Plus, we both need to give final notice at the studio.” Tiara sighed. “You’re right. It’s just that now that I’ve found everything I wanted, I don’t want to leave.” “Tell you what,” Jack said. “How about tomorrow, I give Taletha a call and see what she and I can work out in terms of finding

 

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substitutes for my teaching schedule? I probably can’t fly out with you on Monday, but I can certainly join you as you’re wrapping things up and help you move.” “What about Callista?” Seth asked. “Don’t the two of you need to start rehearsing right away?” “The next major competition isn’t for six weeks. I can take a long weekend to help the two of you move,” Jack said. “Don’t worry, it will be fine. Besides, from what I can tell, she’s a pretty reasonable person, unlike Catherine. But let’s change the subject, shall we? I think I’m done discussing business for the moment. I have a surprise.” Jack hopped out of the tub, toweled off, and hurried downstairs. Tiara briefly wondered where he was going, but only for a moment, because she soon lost herself in Seth’s kisses. But it wasn’t long before they heard Jack’s footsteps rushing back up the stairs. He walked into the bathroom carrying a bottle of champagne and three elegant flutes. “I thought we should have a toast,” he said, handing the glasses off and then popping the cork. Settling himself back into the warm water, he poured everyone a glass of champagne. “To the three of us,” he said, pushing his glass out in front of him. “To new beginnings,” Seth replied, touching his glass to Jack’s. “To love,” Tiara finished, touching her flute to theirs.

THE END

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Olivia Jordan was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her librarian mother made sure Olivia had regular access to a wide range of books, which instilled a love of good stories at a young age. With an attorney for a father, Olivia learned early on about the ways that language can be used to entertain, enlighten, and manipulate. Although Olivia initially dreamed of being a ballerina, she realized in her teen years that her talent was for the written word, and her path to the writing life began before she even had a driver’s license. After finishing her formal education, Olivia decided that it was time to get away from any and all states that got more than an inch of snow a year. She now makes her home in Austin, Texas, with her husband and a small menagerie. Although a city girl at heart, she also loves taking her convertible out to the country. Nothing inspires her more than the wind in her hair, the sun on her face, and the open road in front of her.

Also by Olivia Jordan Ménage Everlasting: The Male Order, Texas Collection: A Bride for Two Studs Ménage Everlasting: The Male Order, Texas Collection: A Bride for Two Hotshots Ménage Everlasting: Studio Seductions 1: Taletha’s Salsa Sweethearts Ménage Everlasting: Studio Seductions 2: Carly’s Two-Stepping Temptations

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

 

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com