Three to Tango (3 page)

under her breasts. She bunched it to one side in her hand and tied it into a knot,

baring her stomach. She felt the heat of Alec"s gaze on her and bit back a grin.

“Hot out here, huh?” she murmured as she stepped back to center court.

Alec cleared his throat. Twice.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice like gravel. “Pretty hot.”

She lifted her arms, scooping the long, blonde hair off her neck. Then she tied

it into a loose knot at the back of her head, her eyes never leaving Alec"s face. His

intense gaze drifted to her breasts as they strained against the T-shirt. It seemed

like he was in a trance as his eyes ran over her taut stomach, lingering for a

moment on the amethyst belly-button ring, then moving down to her hips where the

cutoff shorts hung low.

12

Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

Mission accomplished, she picked up the ball and tossed it to him. It hit him

square in the chest with a
thunk
and bounced off.

“You okay?” she asked, struggling to keep a straight face.

“Yup, good.”

She didn"t miss the flush of color that flooded his cheeks before he turned away

and retrieved the ball.

They faced off again. Melody"s pulse skittered as her eyes drifted down the

front of Alec"s body and took in the long, thick bulge in his shorts. She briefly

wondered what he would do if she reached out and squeezed his stiff cock right

then.

Patience, Mel.

Alec bounced the ball his roommate"s way, hoping to distract her from the

situation developing in his shorts. He usually managed to keep his attraction for

her hidden, but damn, she wasn"t making it easy today. Lucky for him, although her

tan legs were usually bare in deference to the Southern California weather, she

typically kept the rest of the goods under wraps. In fact, except for the occasions he

and Jace would go to a volleyball game to cheer her on, he never really got to see the

whole package. But even then, watching her play from the stands was nothing like

seeing all that real estate close enough to touch.

Cut the shit, man, he counseled himself firmly. He had found the perfect

situation: an awesome place on the beach, reasonable rent, and two roomies who

had quickly become his closest friends. He wasn"t going to allow his base urges to

fuck that up for him. Things inevitably went to shit in a hurry when you crossed

that “roommates only” line. But
damn
. It was hard living with two amazing,

gorgeous people and not letting his cock take the lead for once. Guess that meant he

was growing up.

It was past time to finish this game so he could take a quick—and very cold—

shower and get back onto safe, more familiar ground with Melody. He couldn"t tell if

Three to Tango

13

she was deliberately flirting with him or completely oblivious, but he didn"t trust

himself not to react if she kept it up.

It"d be a hell of a lot easier if she"d pull her shirt back down, though.

When the ball came back to him, Alec put his game face on. He caught it with

a
snap
, turned on a dime, and moved to the left. Driving forward quickly, he lofted

the ball toward the net, his aim true.

Melody seemed to come out of nowhere, her long legs making short work of the

distance. Bending low, she launched herself into the air, her feet a yard off the

ground. He watched in awe as she plucked the ball out of the air scant inches from

the basket, then landed gracefully on her feet. She took one step back and sent the

ball flying through the air.

Swoosh.

“How do you like me now?” she crowed, raising her arms in the air as she

rocked her hips in a sexy circular motion, spinning around in a victory dance.

He let out a low whistle and then began to clap. “Shit, girl. You"ve been holding

out on me. That was unreal.” He shook his head in shock. He knew she was good,

but watching and playing were two different animals.

She blushed prettily and executed a neat, ladylike curtsy that was a total

contradiction to the warrior who had just schooled him at b-ball. How could a girl be

so fucking cool and so fucking hot at the same time? He found himself envying the

guy who finally won her heart.

He walked over to the bench and picked up the now warm beer, handing it to

her with a flourish and a smile. “To the victor.”

“Thank you, kind sir. I—“ She stopped short, holding the beer straight in front

of her as she bent low and groaned.

“What"s the matter, Mel?”

“Cramp,” she gasped.

14

Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

He took the beer, put it on the ground, and pushed her down to sit on the

bench.

“Where?”

“Right hamstring.”

“Lie on your stomach.”

She turned and stretched her long form out onto the bench. He looked down for

an instant and wished he hadn"t. His imagination soared. Mel, in the same position,

naked, while he took her from behind. Would she like it if he nipped the back of her

neck? Would she groan if he gripped that fine ass in both hands as he plunged his

cock into her wet pussy? Would she call his name?

Alec shook his head and took a steadying breath. He knelt down in the sand

next to her legs, grasped the back of her toned thigh, and began squeezing and

kneading the muscle. God, her skin was hot and smooth as silk under his hands.

She moaned under his ministrations, and his hands stilled for a moment.

Blood drained from his brain, heading south. How many times had he dreamed of

getting her to make that exact sound? And it sounded so much better live than in

his dreams.

What a dick. Your friend is hurting, and all you can think about is making her

come.

Alec closed his eyes tight, trying to block out the sight of her shapely thighs

and firm, curvy ass. He continued to rub, forcing himself to think of anything but

the woman lying on her stomach before him. Baseball.
How about those Angels this

year?

Damn, but he could still feel the silky skin under his palms, could still hear the

sounds of pleasure coming from her lips, could still smell the clean sweat and pear-

scented body spray that was perfectly Mel.

Work. Think work. Flagstone, aggregate, paver stones… Paver stones would be

perfect for the Simpson patio job…

Three to Tango

15

“Better?” he asked briskly, hoping to God the answer was yes.

“Yes, thanks so much.”

His eyes snapped opened as the husky tone of her voice registered through the

fog of desire enveloping him. He took in the whole picture: the pulse pounding in

her neck, her full lips slightly parted as she took short, shallow breaths. When he

lifted his gaze to meet hers, a jolt of heat shot straight through him, settling in his

groin.

Melody wanted him. If only for that second, Melody
actually
wanted him.

16

Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

Chapter Three

Jace eyed the clock on the wall with a scowl. Two minutes since the last time

he looked at it an hour ago. Or at least that"s how it felt. How long did it take to

play a round of one-on-one anyway? And why was it bothering him so much? He"d

watched them for a few minutes, but if he wanted to keep pace with Mel, he knew

he needed to focus on
his
game, not hers.

No doubt she had already made progress. The girl was driven and didn"t take

any challenge lightly. What he did see of her first foray wasn"t very promising for

him. It seemed that in no time at all, she"d already made an impact on Alec.

To counter, Jace decided his first attempt at winning Alec would start with one

of his roommate"s favorite dishes. Because hadn"t his Grandma Mabel always said

that the way to a man"s heart was through his stomach?

Jace had somehow become the household chef over the years, but he was

happy with the position. He cared about his roommates, and Alec was just like Mel

when it came to food: a garbage can. By cooking for them he could at least make

sure they had a healthy breakfast or dinner to combat the damage from the

processed foods they shoveled down their throats the rest of the day. Even though

they gave him a hard time about it, he knew they appreciated his efforts.

Alec loved Mexican food, so, in the spirit of challenge, Jace made buffalo steak

burritos with sautéed veggies, fresh, homemade salsa—extra spicy, just the way

Alec liked it—and a crunchy, fully loaded baby romaine salad. He put out a bowl of

organic tri-colored tortilla chips, a side dish of fresh guacamole, and a plate of

perfectly cut lime slices. Then he centered the table with an ice bucket full of cold

beer.

Three to Tango

17

Just as he looked up to see the hand on the clock inch another slow minute

forward, Alec and Melody burst into the house laughing and shoving at each other

like teenagers.

“Shit, Jace,” Alec said with a grin as the pair crashed their way into the

kitchen, “why didn"t you tell me Mel"s a ringer?”

Jace chuckled. Mel had everyone fooled. She was a whole lot more than just a

volleyball player—she was one of those natural athletes who excelled at everything

she tried. “What? She kick your ass?”

Alec opened his mouth but snapped it shut for an exaggerated inhale. “What is

that incredible smell?”

“Certainly not you,” Melody teased, punching Alec lightly in the biceps.

“Hey!”

“Steak burritos. J-style, of course.”

“A
real
steak burrito?” Alec asked, his eyes lighting up, “Not tofu or that

veggie-burger crap you call meat?”

“Only the real thing for you, baby.” Jace winked at him and was rewarded with

a bright but slightly puzzled smile. Okay, it was a start. He"d taken the first step

outside the lines—he usually reserved terms of affection for Mel and boyfriends—

but Alec had responded. Albeit tentatively. Now that he had him off balance, it was

time to press him just a little more.

Taking an inward breath of courage from the universe, Jace stepped forward,

placed his hands on Alec"s carved, muscular shoulders, and turned him around.

“There"s nothing hotter than a big sweaty man, but I prefer them clean at the

dinner table,” Jace said in a low voice near Alec"s ear.

He let his hands slide down Alec"s strong back, palms open, to rest on lean

hips, then gave his roommate a push toward the doorway. Jace groaned inwardly at

the feel of all that hard flesh and smooth skin under his hands.

18

Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

“I"ll join you,” Melody said, coming up behind them. Alec and Jace turned in

unison. Focused on her, Jace couldn"t see Alec"s face but knew it registered the same

shock that had to show on his own. Mel and Alec in the shower? Together?

And there was that strange, painful squeeze in his chest again. Suddenly, he

wasn"t sure if it was because he didn"t want to think about Mel with
Alec
, or

because he didn"t want to think about Alec with
Mel
. Damn, what the hell was the

matter with him?
Gay, remember
? So then why was he feeling possessive of her?

Melody gave them a coy smile. “In my own bathroom, you dogs.”

Alec laughed but was shocked by how husky his voice sounded. The combined

heat of Jace"s body so close behind his and the sensual slant of Melody"s smile sent

images dancing in his head that were best left ignored. They were his roommates.

His friends. They had a good thing going on here, and the last thing he wanted to do

was fuck that up.

Jace gave him another push, his hands hot on Alec"s back. “Shower, stud boy.”

Alec looked over his shoulder at Jace and froze. Like a deer caught in

headlights, he was rendered immobile by the brilliant gleam in the dancer"s intense

sapphire eyes. His brain briefly disconnected.
Holy. Shit.

As he stumbled through the doorway, Alec glanced over his shoulder one more

time to catch Melody leaning into Jace"s ear. Whatever she said was too low for him

to pick up, but the look on Jace"s face said it all. The two were in cahoots, and Alec

had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with him. There was definitely a

change in the atmosphere tonight that had his body thrumming in a quiet state of

anticipation. He looked forward to figuring out what the hell they were up to.

Jace laughed, and as Mel turned away, he smacked her playfully on the ass.

Seeing Alec still in the doorway, watching them, she winked at him as she squeezed

past, so close her erect nipples scraped across his bare chest. He barely suppressed

a groan. He looked back at Jace, who winked again, this time clicking his tongue at

the same time, before turning back to set out their dinner.

Three to Tango

19

And what the hell was
that
all about?