Dylan played along, using any acting skill he could muster. “Right, babe.”
He recognized Maggie’s toothy fake smile and braced himself. “I hope it works out for you two, even though I’m sure Dylan could do better,” she said, glaring at Clare.
“Well, his history with you shows he could do a lot worse too. Thanks for stopping by,” Clare said. “Hopefully, we won’t run into you in Vegas, right, lover?”
Dylan wanted to laugh but didn’t want to blow Clare’s plan. He turned his back to Maggie, found Clare’s big green eyes, and begged her for help without saying a word.
Clare stopped him from laughing with a kiss.
As her soft, warm lips covered his, his head spun from a combination of uncertainty and arousal. What the hell, it’s for a good cause. He kissed Clare back, moving his hands to her neck and nibbling at her lips. By the time she pulled away, Maggie was gone.
Clare smiled, giggling like mad, pink-cheeked with dancing eyes.
“What the hell was that?” he whispered before taking deep breaths to regain his composure.
“After her ‘you could do better’ comment, I wanted to punch her. I thought that,” she said, referring to the kiss, “would be more effective.”
“Apparently, it was. You got her to disappear. You blow me off for two weeks in California, and now on the way to Vegas, you’re my fiancée.”
“Are we back to that? I told you I wasn’t avoiding you. I must not be a good kisser if you’re still hung up on that.”
“You kiss fine, lover,” he teased.
Clare giggled and blushed. “I couldn’t think of a better term of endearment. I was under pressure, you know. You were just sitting there like a lump repeating names over and over. Maggie, Clare, Clare, Maggie, Maggie,” she said, mimicking his voice.
“Her evil eye put me in a trance. She’s pure meanness. I can’t believe I thought I loved her.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re older and wiser now.”
He studied her, tilting his head. “You know, that was our second kiss. And the second time you laughed afterward.”
Clare rested her head on the seat and shut her eyes, still giggling. “I am aware of that.”
When she remained silent, he said, “Do you think we should talk about that?”
“Oh sweet mother! I couldn’t think straight with that awful woman staring at us. It was all an act.”
“Was it an act in the alley too?”
Clare opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. “No. That was your fault, though.”
“My fault?”
“You are too damn good-looking for your own good. You were standing there all Lusty-looking, and I was nervous because of the show. I have hormones, you know.”
“I know, but—”
“You didn’t have to kiss me back.”
Dylan squinted. Did she turn that on me? “So basically, you couldn’t resist me?”
“Something like that.”
“And that’s my fault?”
“You should have resisted me. That’s why it’s your fault.” Clare grinned smugly, leaning back and shutting her eyes again.
“Whatever,” he said. “I’m just saying it’s not easy to resist you, either…”
“We shouldn’t go down that route.”
They sat in silence for a minute. Maybe their timing was off, but “that route” needed to be discussed eventually.
With a huff, she sat up and turned to him. “Look. I am sorry I didn’t control myself in the alley. Really, it was nerves. And just now? That was a Nebraska version of a catfight. You were only a pawn.”
“Fine,” he said, hearing the attitude ooze from his own voice. “You keep laughing at me when we kiss, though. My Hollywood ego is taking a major nosedive.”
Clare poked him in the shoulder. “Good thing we are on the way to see your girlfriend, you big baby. I’m sure she’ll stroke your ego, as well as other parts of you—”
“Clare Davis!” Dylan said. She wanted to change the subject. He’d let her. This time. “Did you just say that?”
An hour later as the crew announced they’d soon be landing, Dylan woke with his cheek in a mess of blonde hair. Clare had fallen asleep on his shoulder, in the spot where her head fit perfectly.
He touched her knee. “Showtime, Nebraska,” he said softly, hoping she’d take her time waking.
Chapter 26
Jenna
Jenna and Scott wanted nothing less than the first place trophy for their tango.
Half of the dance competition took place Friday, the other half on Saturday. On Saturday night, the total scores would be announced and the overall winners crowned. If they won the tango that night, anything they managed to take tomorrow would be icing.
They stood backstage in nervous silence, waiting for their names to be called to perform their tango. They’d stretched, rehearsed, tanned, dressed, and psyched each other up. It all came down to this.
Scott shook his hands around, bouncing on the balls of his feet, expending his nervous energy. Jenna tugged her earlobe and paced.
When their names were announced, Scott took her hands. “Ready, Jen?”
“Yes. Let’s do it,” she said with a smile.
Her legs felt like tree trunks as she moved to center stage. As she took Scott’s hand and lightened her step, she smiled and did what she always did when she danced—clicked off her brain and tuned into her heart. She knew the choreography inside and out, and that the music would turn Scott’s body into an extension of hers.
All she needed to do was feel. Connect the emotion to the music and movement.
About three seconds into the routine, she breathed and that part of her clicked into action. She and Scott were the only two people in the room as they glided along the floor, moving, flirting, feeling, and performing.
When the music came to a dramatic end and applause erupted, Jenna almost burst out laughing. She relaxed when Scott hugged her, and at that point, Jenna didn’t really care what the judges thought. They’d kicked ass and they knew it.
As the applause died down, Jenna curtsied toward the judges and looked into the crowd. She couldn’t see far because of the lights. She spotted a blonde woman with a big camera standing in front of Dylan, who waved. Clare. She winked in their direction.
An obnoxious whistle squealed from the opposite side of the room, drawing her attention. “Way to go, Stecs!”
Who the heck is calling me ‘Stecs’?
Scott tugged her hand and nodded her toward the wings. She pranced offstage, and Scott lifted her off the ground in a giant, spinning bear hug. “We did it, Jen! We were awesome!”
“It felt good, didn’t it?”
They paced backstage, unable to watch the remaining dancers. They were the team to beat and didn’t want to second-guess themselves. Again, Scott bounced around and Jenna tugged her earlobe until finally the judges called the dancers to stage to announce the National Tango Champions.
The ten couples stood in a row. Jenna held her breath and Scott’s hand as third place was announced. Not them. Phew. Same with second place. When it was time for first place to be announced, Scott squeezed Jenna’s hand so tightly, she felt pins and needles.
When they were declared the first-place winners, crowds of people gathered around. Someone handed her flowers, and the judges shook her hand. Scott held their trophy as Dylan and Clare approached from one side and Alex the other.
Alex!
She jumped into Dylan’s arms first. “Hi, beautiful,” he said. “You were amazing!” She kissed him quickly on the lips and kept hold of him while she turned to find Alex.
At the sight of him, Jenna’s adrenaline drained and the tears fell. He embraced her and whispered in her ear, “You did it, Stecs. All that hard work. I’m so proud of you.”
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said, sniffling.
“I couldn’t miss this. You were perfect.” Alex gave her an extra squeez
e, then kissed her cheek and let her go.
She wiped her eyes and turned to Dylan, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I am so happy to see you.”
“Me too,” he said. “You were wonderful.”
She smiled and turned her attention to Clare.
“Congratulations,” Clare said after Dylan introduced her. “Your tango was terrific. Beautiful.”
“Thanks. It’s nice to finally meet you,” Jenna said.
The stage manager ushered them off stage, and they lingered in the wings, talking, laughing, hugging, and admiring the trophy. Finally, Alex said, “Aren’t we in Vegas? Let’s go party!”
“I have to go to the room to change first. Where are we meeting?” Jenna asked.
Scott took her arm. “You aren’t going anywhere,” he said. “You are coming with me, and you are staying with me tonight.”
“But, Scott. Dylan’s here. And Alex. And I have to get to know Clare,” Jenna whined.
“You can do all that tomorrow. You aren’t getting anywhere near him,” Scott said, pointing to Dylan. “I won’t see you for days. And him?” he said, pointing to Alex, “You stay away from him too.”
“But—”
“No buts. We aren’t going to blow this now. One more day of dancing, then you can partake in all the sex and debauchery Vegas has to offer. Until then, no screwing around.”
Alex came to Jenna’s defense. “Geez, Scott, give her a break. What if we forbid her from drinking and pry her away from Dylan at the end of the night?”
“No way, Alex. Tomorrow night you can have her all you want. Tonight she’s mine. We’re going to drink tea and order a movie and go to bed early,” Scott said.
Jenna crossed her arms and pouted. “Can I at least have a minute with my boyfriend before I’m locked in, Dad?”
“Yes. Meet me upstairs in five minutes. And Jenna?” Scott asked.
She pouted as he smiled at her.
“I love you.”
She pecked his cheek. “I love you too. You stupid meanie.”
When Scott left, she turned to the group.
“My Lord, that Scott is one tough customer,” Clare said.
“Yeah, he’s pretty serious about this competition,” Jenna said. “He’s suffered some injuries, so it may be our last. It’s extra special to him.”
“That makes sense. Listen, maybe we can hang out tomorrow? Dylan’s told me a lot about you,” Clare said.
“Aw, he’s sweet.” She caught Dylan’s eye and tried to perfect the look that drove him crazy. “Yes, tomorrow. When Scott releases me, we’ll all hang out.”
Alex hugged Jenna from behind. “Tonight, though, I get D-Barnes and Clare all to myself. We have to find you a nickname, Clare.”
“Nebraska,” Dylan said. “I call her Nebraska.”
“I like it. You,” Alex said to Jenna, “were incredible tonight. I want to talk to you about everything, but since Scott’s in prick mode, it will have to wait.”
Jenna smiled as Alex kissed her cheek.
“All right, D-Barnes, say good-bye to your girl—”
“Girl?” Jenna asked.
“—and meet us outside. Come on, Nebraska. Let’s check this place out. I’m dying to get to the tables.” Alex grabbed Clare’s hand, and they shuffled down the hallway.
Dylan spun Jenna around and kissed her. “There’s no way I’m not seeing you tonight, you know that, right?”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” she murmured. “I knew you’d have a plan.”
Dylan ran his hands over her sequined dance costume. “Wear this for me later?”
Jenna gasped. “No way. I can’t wait to get out of it,” she said, looking up at him through her fake eyelashes.
He kissed her again. “Okay, plan. What’s the plan?” he asked, more to himself than her. “Wait ’til Scott’s snoring, text me, and I’ll come rescue you. Then we’ll set the alarm and sneak you back in the morning.” He buried his face in her neck.
She ran her hands through his hair and said, “That won’t work.”
“Yeah, probably not. But let’s do it anyway, okay?”
She smiled, dizzy from his touch. “’kay.”
“Give him an Ambien or something.”
Jenna scoffed. “Good idea.”
She blew him a kiss as he walked away, and then went to her room to spend a quiet evening with Scott, hoping he’d fall asleep soon. Having Dylan in the same city but not with her was torture, and she couldn’t wait to see Alex.
Still, she dragged, tired from the excitement. Scott must be right—she needed rest. Now that her adrenaline had subsided, she could barely keep her eyes open. Maybe she was coming down with something. The only other possible explanation made her too nervous to think about.
Jenna used her key and entered the room Scott insisted they share for the night. He lay on the bed, flipping through the Pay-Per-View menu. “So what’s it going to be, Jen? Rom-com? Action?”
“I don’t care,” she said, turning her back to him so he could help her out of her costume. “Is Dylan in anything?”
Scott unzipped and unclipped as Jenna wiggled out of her getup. “Won’t you see enough of him this weekend?”
“Not with you patrolling,” she said as he followed her into the bathroom. “And really, who could ever see enough of him? I get to see all of him too.” She turned on the hot water for the shower.
“Braggart,” Scott sneered. He didn’t leave when Jenna stepped in. “What’d you think of Clare?”
She sighed as the hot water ran over her body, remembering her shower with Dylan after their first night together. “She seemed nice. What did you think?”
“She’s prettier than I thought she’d be,” Scott said. “She has those eyes with the points on the outsides, and they’re green in the same way Alex’s are blue.”
Jenna snapped open the curtain and peeked out. “You want to date her or something?”
“No, I’m just saying.”
“Spill, Scott. What’s the issue?”
“How about I put it this way?” he started. “She looks at Dylan and he looks at her the way you and Alex look at each other.”
“Oh, and which way is that?” Jenna asked. She reached around to wash her back as Scott slid the curtain open farther. He took the washcloth and rubbed her shoulders with it. Jenna almost passed out from the sheer pleasure.
“Like there’s some big secret between you that nobody else knows. Like you can talk without words.” He moved the washcloth down her back and continued. “Intimacy has nothing to do with sex. To me, it’s being able to see into someone’s heart. You, with Alex, you look at each other like you can see into each other’s hearts.”
Jenna kept her back to Scott as tears filled her eyes. “And Clare?” she asked carefully.
“Look for yourself. Maybe it’s the eyes throwing me off, but there’s something there,” Scott said.
“Are you trying to freak me out?” Jenna asked. “Because I thought tonight was about relaxation and rest and celebration, not confusion and sadness and doubt.”
Jenna shut the water off, and Scott held out a towel for her. She walked into it and let him wrap it around her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have said anything. You’re right. I don’t mean to upset you, especially with you getting sick.” He kissed her nose and rubbed her arms, helping her wiggle into her nightshirt.
“I’m not getting sick. I’m just tired and you’re stressing me out.” Please let that be it. Tired, stress…
“Sorry, Princess. I’ll be good. But Dylan’s supposed to be the prince. If he breaks your heart, I’ll beat the shit out of him.”
Jenna laughed. “You and what army?” Scott was strong, but there was no possible way he could beat anyone up, especially Dylan the gladiator.
“Alex, your teal-eyed knight in shining armor,” Scott said. “I can’t believe he showed up for you.”
Jenna smiled and flopped onto the bed. He showed up. For me.
“In mine too, Scotty. Too bad he doesn’t want to be in the running.” She hugged the pillow to her chest and grabbed the remote. “Let’s watch a movie.”
Scott yawned. “Okay.”
Jenna estimated he’d be asleep in minutes and sooner rather than later, she’d be with Dylan. She fought sleep so she could have her time with her lover.
Maybe her last time.
Chapter 27
Alex
Alex, Dylan, and Clare walked up and down the Strip, checking out club after club. Women of all shapes and sizes hounded Dylan. Some recognized him, some didn’t, but they all vied for his attention.
“This happens all the time,” Clare told Alex as Dylan chatted nearby with some ladies at the bar in a club at the newest hotel in Vegas. “We can’t go anywhere without him causing a stir.”
“Clare, it’s been happening since we were twelve,” Alex said. “Let’s dance.”
Clare shrugged and took his hand. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds, and he thought her freckles were cute. Her blonde hair was more yellow than white, and her skin somehow managed to look healthy despite her paleness. Her tight shirt highlighted the curviness of her tiny frame, causing more than a few heads to turn as she walked with him through the club.
Alex and Clare danced and drank, goofing around until Dylan eventually joined them. He yelled over the music, “Sorry about that.”
Clare nodded and tried to engage him in a dance. She and Alex sandwiched him and moved to the beat, but he stood checking his phone. “Jenna called. It’s safe for me to return.” He turned to Clare. “Are you going to be okay?”
She yelled over the music, “Yeah, of course.” She started dancing again, twirling and sipping her drink.
Dylan turned to Alex and leaned toward his ear. “Do you mind taking care of Clare? Don’t leave her, or I’ll beat the shit out of you.”
“We’re fine. She’s cool. We’re hanging,” Alex yelled.
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