A Bride for Two Hotshots

The Male Order, Texas Collection

A Bride for Two Hotshots Rivals Melanie Brickman and Brayden Miller travel to Male Order to compete in the Texas Line Dance Championships. In rehearsals with up-and-coming line dance choreographer Darrion Crawley, their competitive streaks reach fever pitch. It seems they can’t possibly get along. Romance is the last thing on Darrion’s mind. He’s more focused on getting his choreography career going after a back injury destroyed his ability to compete. But as a native of Male Order, the allure of sharing the dynamic Melanie with his longtime friend Brayden begins to take hold of his mind, heart, and body. Just when it seems that Melanie and Brayden might be able to put aside their differences for the sake of romance, trouble strikes Male Order, targeting the competition. The three of them need to save the day and survive, not just so that they can compete, but so they can finally commit to love. Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys Length: 36,236 words

A BRIDE FOR TWO HOTSHOTS The Male Order, Texas Collection

Olivia Jordan

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

A BRIDE FOR TWO HOTSHOTS Copyright © 2011 by Olivia Jordan E-book ISBN: 1-61034-746-3 First E-book Publication: August 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

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of A Bride for Two Hotshots by Olivia Jordan from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Olivia Jordan’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Jordan’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION To Jon—thank you for six years (and counting) of inspiration.

A BRIDE FOR TWO HOTSHOTS The Male Order, Texas Collection OLIVIA JORDAN Copyright © 2011

Chapter 1 The sound of glass breaking threw Brayden Miller off the beat of the music that filled the dance studio. Darrion Crawley hit the pause button on the CD player and poked his head outside the door. “Shit!” he exclaimed, causing Brayden to run. Looking out, Brayden saw that all three cars in the parking lot now had broken windshields. The culprit was nowhere in sight. “I’ll go get Alexis,” Darrion said. “You call the cops.” Brayden tried to keep his temper under control as he spoke with the dispatcher. I’ve barely had this truck a month, and now some jackass goes and smashes it up. Like I need more stress right now. The National Line Dance Championships were only a week away, and he had serious work to do if he was going to reclaim the status he’d held before blowing out his knee eighteen months before. “Fuck!” Brayden heard Alexis Burke-Pierce before she even crossed the parking lot. “Now, don’t you repeat that,” she said to her son, Ethan, whom she carried on her hip. “That’s a grown-up word.” “Looks like someone had it out for all three of us,” Darrion said. “Are the cops on their way?”

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“Yeah, and they’d better hurry up. I still have work to do. I want to do a perfect run-through of my dance before we start working on your choreography.” Fortunately, a police car pulled up a few minutes later. “Can y’all tell us what happened here?” “I don’t know,” Alexis said. “I was in the office trying to finish some paperwork before students started showing up, and had Sesame Street on in the background to keep Ethan entertained. I didn’t hear a thing.” “Brayden and I were rehearsing in the smaller studio, the one without windows, so we didn’t see anything. We heard the windshields breaking and ran out right away, but whoever did this moves fast. Nobody was there.” “Mrs. Burke-Pierce, do you have any enemies? Anyone who may wish to do harm to you or the studio?” “No, I can’t think of anyone.” “What about you, Mr. Crawley?” “As far as I know, I only have friends in this town.” “What about you, sir?” Brayden offered his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Brayden Miller. Nice to meet you.” The officer looked Brayden up and down. “You’re not from around here, are you?” Brayden shook his head. “I’m a dancer based out of Houston. I got in town last night. I’m rehearsing with Darrion all week to prepare for the line dance championships next weekend.” “I take it you don’t have any enemies in Male Order, then, since you’re not from around here.” “I don’t think so. I mean, I’ve visited the town a few times to hang out and get coaching from Darrion, but everyone here has always been friendly.” The officer nodded. “Well, normally, we chalk this up to basic teenage vandalism, especially because it doesn’t seem as though

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you’ve been targeted for any particular reason. Still, if it will make you feel more comfortable, we’ll send extra patrol around here, especially at night. I’ll file a report, and we’ll be on top of any other suspicious activity that happens. I’m sorry we can’t do more, but this is the best we have for right now. If anything, this is probably an isolated incident, but these extra precautions will hopefully drive away any potential repeat offenders.” “We really appreciate that, officer,” Alexis said, shaking their hands. Darrion and Brayden followed suit. Brayden glanced at his watch. “Shit. That ate up all the time I had to finish polishing what I was working on for the mixed competition. I feel good about the men’s event, but if I’m going to face down Melanie again, I need to keep going. Could we maybe postpone working on the choreography for another twenty minutes?” Darrion shook his head. “Wish I could, but there’s going to be a second dancer performing with you, and I don’t want to disrupt her schedule.” “I don’t see another dancer.” Darrion nodded toward the end of the parking lot, where a vintage green Ford was pulling in. Brayden’s stomach sank as he saw Melanie Brickman hop out. Even in his dismay, though, his cock fluttered. He’d never gotten along with her, but she never failed to turn him on. Brayden had met Melanie on the line dance competition circuit. He’d been attracted to her wavy brown hair and sexy curves from the minute he saw her, but the rivalry that had sparked between them never allowed for him to act on his carnal desires. While men and women competed separately for most of the general line dance categories, both sexes competed against each other in the mixed division, an event that focused on improvisational line dancing. Melanie and Brayden were at the top of their respective divisions, but she always beat him when they competed against each other in mixed events. Even though she was two years younger, Melanie had won more all-around titles than Brayden ever had.

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Sitting out of the competition circuit for more than a year, Brayden had grown increasingly frustrated as Melanie kept on winning. This year’s championships would be his return to the competition world, and he didn’t just want to prove that he was back on top. He wanted to beat Melanie in Mixed once and for all. Now, it appeared they would be dancing together in Darrion’s entry for the choreography competition. He couldn’t believe that Melanie was walking toward him, looking sexier than ever. Her brown hair was shot through with red and blonde highlights, and her glossy lips formed a perfect pout. She wore a small, tight vest with nothing underneath it, and Brayden couldn’t help but fantasize about her perfect, round breasts busting open the buttons, the way they would feel in his hands, and the way her nipples would form peaks as he rolled them between his fingers or licked them with his tongue. He tried to shake off the fantasy when he realized how uncomfortably tight his pants were becoming in light of his erection, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away from the sight of tight jeans clinging to her curvy hips, and his cock went even stiffer. I hope she only looks me in the eye, he thought. It would never do for her to even guess how much she turned him on. “What is she doing here?” Brayden whispered at Darrion as Melanie approached. “There’s no limit to the number of performers I have presenting my choreography. I decided I wanted to have the two best dancers on the circuit showing off my work for the judges. I mean, I know I’m a pretty good choreographer, but I also know that having some amazing talent showing it off isn’t going to hurt my chances of winning.” “Hey, y’all,” Melanie said. “Are you talking about me?” “Everyone is talking about you,” Darrion said. “You’re sweet.” She placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before turning to Brayden. “So, finally back in the saddle, I see.” “Yep.” “The rumor is you’re just as good as you used to be.”

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“The rumors are wrong. I’m even better.” “I suppose we’ll see about that next weekend. By the way, good luck dancing with that.” She smirked as her eyes drifted down toward his crotch. Brayden felt his face start to heat up with embarrassment. He was grateful when Alexis jumped into the conversation “Hi, I’m Alexis, and this is my son, Ethan. I own this studio, and my husbands and I are very excited to be hosting the championships this year.” She stuck out her hand a little too enthusiastically, eager to break the tension settling over the small group. “Melanie Brickman. So what they say about Male Order is true, eh? Two men for every woman?” Alexis smiled. “Indeed it is. Mine are off pioneering green energy.” “Well, now I’m really excited that the council decided to hold the competition here this year. Maybe I can get me two cowboys for a post-victory romp in the hay.” Alexis grinned. “I am sure there are a number of eligible men in this town who would be happy to share you for a night—or more. Can I give you a tour of the studio?” “That would be great, thanks. By the way, what happened to those cars?” “Ugh. Long story. I’ll tell you inside.” **** As Melanie and Alexis walked back into the building, Darrion spent a few minutes savoring the way Melanie’s round, firm ass moved as she walked. He was just starting to get engrossed in a fantasy of playing with her tight hole as he fucked her wet pussy when Brayden interrupted his reverie. “So I’m not good enough to dance your choreography by myself? You need Melanie fucking Brickman to come in and win for you?”

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Darrion sighed. He’d anticipated Brayden being irritated about having to work with her, but still didn’t relish having to deal with the rivalry he had with Melanie. “Brayden, you’re great, you know that. Yeah, you’ve been out for awhile, but you weren’t lying when you said you’re stronger than ever. But Melanie is also amazing. I wasn’t about to let such a fantastic dancer team up with one of my competitors.” “I thought we were friends, man. You really had to invite my arch-nemesis to help dance your choreo?” “This is not all about you. I couldn’t compete after my back injury. The choreography division is my only avenue back.” Brayden averted his gaze. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry, man.” “I know, I know. I just said I was sorry.” “Do you realize that if this wins, I might have a legacy? My dance might end up being performed in bars or used in competitions. Studios might teach it in their classes.” “Yes, I know. How many more times do I have to apologize?” “I know you don’t like Melanie. Could the two of you just please set aside your differences for one week to help me out?” “Of course, Darrion. I’ll be on my best behavior.” “Thanks. Now let’s get to work.” Melanie was warming up when Darrion and Brayden walked in. “Took the two of you long enough. What on earth were you chitchatting about?” “Nothing,” Brayden said. “Let’s just start rehearsing. We don’t have much time.” **** Melanie tried to focus on Darrion’s instructions rather than staring at the two hot asses standing in front of her, both of which were hugged by pairs of low-slung, well-worn jeans. Even the briefest glances at their tall, toned bodies made her pussy wet.

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But the last thing she wanted was to get involved with the two of them. For one thing, she wasn’t about to complicate her working relationship with Darrion. There were plenty of sexy dancers who wouldn’t create conflicts of interest. Then, of course, was her rivalry with Brayden, a rivalry which he’d created and she’d always resented. A few years before, rumors had spread that they’d hated each other. Brayden fueled the flames, and it was as though a conflict that had never existed had become real. Since she couldn’t dispel the falsehoods that spread about their antagonistic relationship, she just let them go, and hoped they’d fizzle out over time. Unfortunately, they’d only grown stronger since Brayden had announced he was finally coming back after his injury. Not that Melanie wasn’t competitive. She worked hard, and she danced to win. She never singled Brayden out as a special rival, separate from all the other competitors she went up against. The tensions between them were completely of his own making, and she was annoyed that he had created them in the first place. To top it all off, he couldn’t even be civil to her when they had to work together. She wished he didn’t have such a hot body so she wouldn’t have to deal with the frustrations of lusting after someone who treated her like crap. “Melanie, did you get that?” Darrion’s voice broke through her fog. “Um, uh, no, sorry.” Melanie decided it would be easier to come clean rather than try to fake her way through and fail. “I’m a little lost. Can you back up about sixteen counts?” Darrion smiled, and her pulse raced as she admired his strong jawline and the twinkle in his eye. “Sure, no problem.” “Try to pay attention next time,” Brayden snapped. “Try not to drift off the line when we run through it with music,” she shot back. “Okay, rather than review, let’s just take a five-minute break,” Darrion said. “Both of you go get some water and then clear your

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heads. Then we are going to get down to business, and you are going to stand down and quit attacking each other every second you get. Because if you keep this up, I will replace both of you. I am not going to blow my chances of winning this thing over this stupid tiff.” Melanie wanted to protest and explain that Brayden had started all the drama in the first place, but she knew it would be useless. Darrion was clearly pissed, and at that moment, he didn’t care whose fault it was. Plus, she knew that Darrion and Brayden were close friends and that Darrion wouldn’t want to hear her trash-talking Brayden. After going into the bathroom and splashing her face with cool water, Melanie went back to the studio, determined to focus entirely on the dance. “Okay, let’s get back to reviewing the steps I’ve already taught,” Darrion said. “Melanie, if you still have questions after that, let me know.” He smiled again, and her pussy began to throb as she imagined his lips and tongue attacking her clit. “I will, thanks.” As she watched Darrion review the footwork, Melanie found it surprisingly easy to stop thinking about Brayden. Of course, Darrion’s good looks certainly helped. She’d always thought he was goodlooking, of course, especially when he was still competing. As she took in his steps and his commanding baritone voice, she found herself more engaged than she had been in the past. She noticed his long legs and how smoothly they flowed as he turned and kicked. He made the difficult choreography look effortless. Melanie admired the defined yet lean muscles in his arms and the way his tight T-shirt clung to his firm, rippling chest. He wasn’t just attractive. He was dead-sexy. Melanie had to force herself to continue paying attention rather than imagining what his hands would feel like as he unzipped her pants and slid inside her pussy, seeking out her throbbing clit. ****

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After an afternoon spent struggling to keep Melanie and Brayden from strangling each other, Darrion was glad to call it a day. He’d taught the entire sequence and gotten them to fumble through it a few times with music. They still had a way to go, but given the talent that each of them possessed, Darrion was confident they’d have everything ready to go in time for Saturday. Darrion paused at the water fountain, suddenly realizing how thirsty he’d allowed himself to get while barking out instructions. As he took a large swallow of water, he felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Melanie, wearing a penitent expression. “Hey, Darrion, I just wanted to apologize for this afternoon. I had no reason to get up in Brayden’s face like that. He and I have our differences, but we should both be able to put them aside for your choreography entry. From here on out, I promise to do my part to make that happen. What happened today will definitely not happen again.” “Thanks, Melanie, I appreciate that.” Darrion found himself struggling to look her in the eyes, rather than focusing on the cleavage bulging out over the top of her tight vest. “I really am honored for the opportunity to work with you, and I don’t want to do anything to sabotage that.” Darrion smiled. “The pleasure is all mine, really. Hell, you’re already twice the dancer I was at my peak. I wouldn’t even consider myself an up-and-coming choreographer yet. This is my first time presenting an original piece for a competition. I feel really lucky to have secured such an esteemed dancer. You’re the one doing me a favor.” “Well, when your choreography wins big this weekend, I look forward to saying that I was one of the first two dancers to ever perform it.” Darrion couldn’t help but grin. “You know nothing is certain about winning.”

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“You might not think so. I have a good feeling about it, though, and I’m rarely wrong.” “I really appreciate your enthusiasm. It makes me less nervous.” “Hey, since we’re here, would you mind giving me a little coaching? Since I started driving this morning, I haven’t done anything today to prep for the mixed competition, and I’d love to put on a song, dance a bit, and see what you think.” Darrion hesitated. He’d been coaching Brayden every weekend, and he knew how his friend felt about Melanie. He knew that Brayden would feel betrayed if he found out Darrion had been helping Melanie, too. Brayden, however, was currently outside, waiting for a tow truck to take his Chevy to the body shop. It will just be for a few minutes, he thought. Not like I’ll have time to revolutionize her technique or anything. Though she doesn’t need it. “I mean, if this is a bad time, we could always reschedule.” Melanie’s voice interrupted his indecisive thoughts. “No, no, I happen to be free right now. We have another half an hour before Alexis needs the room for her ballet class. I’d be happy to see what you’ve got.” “Great!” Melanie bounded back in the studio and hooked up her iPod to the speaker system. She set it to shuffle and handed it off to Darrion. “Just let me take my spot, and then push play. It doesn’t matter what comes on. That’s the point of the competition, after all.” She settled herself in the middle of the floor, and Darrion hit the play button. The iPod had cued up a slow waltz. Darrion cringed. Even experienced dancers often floundered when asked to improvise to slower songs. They spent too much of their time practicing to the more enjoyable fast songs and didn’t know how to fill out heavier beats and more sustained notes. He couldn’t take his eyes off Melanie as she started to move around the dance floor. Her footwork was solid, and her movements appeared more like ice skating than dancing. She kept everything

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simple. When her arms were making complicated motions, her feet did basic steps, and when her footwork was intricate, she held her arms elegantly at her sides. Her eyes sparkled, and her mouth formed the perfect smile, one that was completely genuine and full of joy, rather than the pasted-on, fake grin that less-established dancers forced on. As he watched her hit every beat and fill every pause, Darrion wondered what on earth she could possibly learn from him. When the song ended and Melanie bowed, Darrion burst into applause. “That was brilliant. You are an absolutely beautiful dancer.” “Aw, thanks. Really, though, what could I improve?” “Honestly, that was perfect. I have never seen anyone dance a slow song that well.” “Surely there’s something I can improve upon.” “Well, you did rush the endings on some of your turns. Here, go into one, and I’ll show you the spot to hit.” Melanie launched herself into a spin, then settled into an almostperfect landing. “Now, see where you’re facing? I want you to just adjust your position about twenty-five degrees to the right. Here—” He gripped her hips and adjusted her angle just slightly. “—right in this spot.” Then he pulled his hands away quickly, embarrassed to discover he suddenly had a raging hard-on. “Do I look good from this angle?” Melanie asked, gesturing toward the unmistakable bulge in his jeans. Darrion knew he should keep their relationship professional, but he couldn’t help himself. “You look good from any angle.” He put his hands back on her hips, relishing the way they filled his palms. Every cell in his brain was telling him to back away, but every inch of his cock was telling him to lean in and kiss her, and his cock was yelling much louder. The studio door banged open. “What the hell is going on here?”

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Chapter 2 Darrion pulled away from Melanie, trying to keep the guilty expression off his face. I didn’t do anything wrong. Just because I was about to does not mean that anything actually happened. “What the hell is going on here?” Brayden’s voice was tight as he repeated the question. Melanie was completely calm. “Darrion was just giving me some advice on my turn technique.” She started walking toward the door. “Thanks for the tip. I’ll give it some thought tonight. See you boys tomorrow.” She left the studio looking completely unfazed. “We need to have a little chat,” Brayden said. “No, we don’t. Just because I’m your coach does not mean I can’t help out other dancers, too. You know that. No coach sticks by just one student for their entire career. They’d go broke.” Brayden raised his eyebrows. “You weren’t coaching her.” “Technically, yes, I was.” “You were totally about to kiss her.” “Well, so what if I was? I haven’t exactly given my love life appropriate attention lately. When a beautiful woman shows up and wants me to kiss her, I feel like I should take advantage of that opportunity.” “Yeah, but this isn’t just any beautiful woman. It’s Melanie. You know how I feel about her.” “I don’t see how my attraction to her affects you in any way.” Brayden shrugged and averted his gaze. “It’s just awkward, you know? I mean, she and I can barely get along in the studio. I don’t

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think we’d do so well in a social setting. If the two of you got together, things might get really tense.” “Damn it, Brayden, why do you think the world revolves around you? I’m trying to start enjoying myself now that I’ve gotten my life back on track. I’m not trying to hurt you.” “Well, what happens if and when that attraction becomes something more? I don’t want any woman coming between us.” “I wouldn’t want to choose between a lover and a friend, either. I don’t want to be fought over, not in any way, shape, or form. That’s just not the way I was raised. That’s not how it works in Male Order. Men never fight about a woman. They share her.” “Well, it’s nice to know you’re living in a place where everyone is friendly and there’s no conflict, but some of us come from the real world.” “I never said there wasn’t conflict. I just said it would be unheard of for two friends to get into a fight over a woman. They’d share her instead.” “What are you suggesting?” “I’m not suggesting anything. I’m just explaining the culture in which I was raised.” “You want to share Melanie with me, don’t you?” “I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to it. In fact, I can’t think of anything that would make me happier than sharing a woman with you.” Brayden’s jaw fell open momentarily, but quickly slammed it back shut. “You–you would want to share your future wife with me?” “Well, why not? I mean, there are a number of fine men in Male Order that I could see myself sharing a bride with, but I’m not close to them the way I am with you. I’ve always felt more connected to my friends on the dance circuit, the ones I have to travel to see. It’s our love of the art form that really bonds us. I like the others in Male Order just fine, but I have a stronger friendship with you than I do with anyone else here. It’s only natural for me to think it would be

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great if you moved here and we set up home with someone perfect for both of us.” “Wow, I’m–I’m really honored that you’d want to set up a shared marriage with me.” Darrion grinned. “Technically, it’s called ménageamy. I’m thrilled by your reaction. I was concerned that, as an outsider, you’d be a little shocked by the idea.” “Come on, man, I’ve known you for years. If I was at all repulsed by your life choices, we wouldn’t be friends.” “True.” “Just so you know, Melanie is not the woman who is perfect for both of us.” “Are you so sure about that?” “Of course I am. She’s my rival.” “Then how come you’re the one who suggested the three of us be in a ménageamous relationship together?” “I didn’t suggest that! I thought it’s what you were suggesting!” “I never said a word about it. You, on the other hand, did.” Brayden scowled. “That doesn’t mean anything.” “You just keep telling yourself that.” “Okay, okay, she’s really hot, but that’s not enough to build a relationship on anyway. She’s totally my nemesis, though.” “Sure. Whatever you say. Now come on, it’s been a long day, and I still need to call for a tow truck to come get my vehicle and take it to the body shop.” Darrion called the towing company as they gathered up their gear and walked toward the main doors. As they were leaving the studio, Darrion swung his head into Alexis’s office to say good-bye but immediately pulled his head out at the sound of her terse tone over the phone. Her face matched the irritation in her voice, and she looked even more frustrated as she covered her free ear to block out the noise of the video her son was watching.

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“That’s not my problem. Nor is it my husband’s problem. Leave me and my family alone, understood?” “What’s going on?” Brayden asked. “I don’t know, but it’s none of our business.” Alexis’s voice suddenly rose in pitch. “I don’t give a shit, and you can’t intimidate me. The courts settled everything two years ago. You can take it up with the judge, if you like. You can hire a lawyer, but any attorney with any self-respect is just going to laugh in your face. My family is certainly not going to give in to your ludicrous demands, either.” “We should go help her,” Brayden whispered. “Help her how? Glare at the phone? Yeah, the guy on the end is going to be so intimidated.” Alexis’s voice grew even louder. “Furthermore, you should be ashamed of yourself, trying to intimidate someone’s wife. Man up and go bother my husband if this means so much to you. Go directly to the source. Oh wait, you won’t because you’re a total coward.” She slammed the phone down. “What’s going on?” Brayden asked, rushing through Alexis’s door. “Brayden, mind your own business,” Darrion snapped. “No, no, it’s fine. That was just one of Jerry Johnston’s flunkies. After Tristan and Jeremiah cost him the election and caused his business to take a hit, a lot of people who used to work for him have been trying to worm their way into the Burke-Pierce business and good fortune.” “Still?” Darrion asked. “I feel like that was ages ago.” “I know. You’d think they’d have let this bullshit go by now, but no. They’re still harassing us, giving us grief.” “What exactly are they doing?” “Nothing serious, really. Mostly just being obnoxious, annoying assholes who act as though we owe them a living because we cost them their budding political or big oil careers with one of Johnston’s

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projects. Every couple of months, one of them comes along and tries to get money out of us—low-grade blackmail, if you will. They claim they have compromising information that doesn’t actually exist. Or, they threaten to sue if we don’t give them some money to compensate for the so-called losses they’ve suffered, as though it’s our fault that their boss was breaking the law and putting innocent lives at risk. This particular gentleman was trying to finagle a job at Tristan’s company, if you can believe that.” “Can’t you put a stop to it?” Alexis shrugged. “Even if we stop one, every six months or so, another one crops out of the woodwork, trying to intimidate us. Fortunately, they never stick around very long. Eventually, they realize they’re in over their heads when it comes to dealing with us and back off pretty quietly.” “Do you think that guy is responsible for our cars getting smashed?” Alexis laughed. “Hardly. These guys are too cowardly to do any dirty work themselves, and none of them have the money or the clout to hire someone to do it. Whatever happened to those cars was definitely not related.” “Still, maybe you should go to the police about this guy.” “I have it under control. Don’t worry about me, boys. I know what I’m doing. I’ve handled worse than this before.” “Do you need a ride home?” Darrion asked. “That’s awfully nice of you to offer, but what vehicle would we take?” “Shit. I keep forgetting.” “Don’t worry about it. Jeremiah is on his way.” “We should still wait with you, just in case.” Alexis waved them off. “I’m perfectly fine here by myself. If you must indulge your desire to protect something, go crowd around Melanie. She’s the one standing out in the parking lot waiting for the tow truck.”

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“As if she ever needs a man to look after her,” Brayden scoffed. “Wait a second, what does she need a tow truck for? She didn’t show up until after our cars got smashed.” “She came storming back in here a few minutes ago. Apparently, someone came by while y’all were working and slashed her tires. Keyed up the paint job, too. I hope her insurance will cover everything.” “Still, if anyone can take care of herself, it’s Melanie,” Brayden said. “She wouldn’t let anyone take care of her, ever.” “She might not need our help, but it’s still polite to ask. Come on. Have a good night, Alexis.” “Goodnight.” They found Melanie having a discussion with the tow truck driver. They couldn’t hear her words, but from the look on her face, she was fuming. As the truck driver drove off with her car attached, she kicked at some of the glass still scattered around the parking lot. “What’s the matter?” Darrion called. “That damn driver tried to proposition me! Said he’d take my car to the body shop, but he wouldn’t give me a lift to the rental place unless I made it worth his while. He didn’t mean in the form of money, either. What an ass. Shit, now I’m not even convinced he’ll take my car to the right place. He didn’t seem too happy that I didn’t kneel down and blow him.” “Don’t worry about it. I just called a tow truck to get my vehicle a few minutes ago. You can ride along with us.” “There’s not enough room for that,” Brayden protested. “Doesn’t matter,” Darrion said. “We’re not going to leave Melanie out here in the dark.” “Look, if it’s going to be a problem, don’t worry about it. I can call myself a cab or just wait for Jeremiah to show up to take Alexis home. I’m staying with them, anyway. I’ll just do that. It will be easiest for everyone.”

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Darrion, however, was eager to spend as much time with Melanie as possible, and wasn’t giving in. “Don’t worry about it. There won’t be any trouble, really. It might be a little cozy in that truck cab, but I don’t have any problem squeezing in with you.” “Yeah, but some people do,” Melanie said. Darrion’s heart sank at the edge in her voice. An SUV pulled into the parking lot, and Ella and Brent Hughes, a champion dance couple hailing from Atlanta, hopped out. “What on earth happened to these cars?” Ella asked. “Nice to see you again, too, Ella,” Brayden said, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. “Brayden, can I speak with you in private for a moment?” Melanie asked. Darrion could hear the edge in her voice but didn’t want to interfere, especially not in front of Ella and Brent. They were nice enough, but he always felt he had to be on guard around them, as though he was having new friends over for dinner. He certainly wasn’t about to let them see the extent of the drama between Melanie and Brayden. He turned his head away as Melanie dragged him off, and began explaining the situation to Ella and Brent. **** “What are you doing?” Brayden asked as Melanie pulled him around the corner of the building. “Do you have to be so rude to everyone all the time?” “What are you talking about?” “The way you snapped at Ella back there.” “What? She’s the one who couldn’t be bothered with a proper greeting.” Melanie sighed. “I think the shock of trashed cars might draw her attention a little more than seeing you again.” “So what? Are you saying I’m egotistical?”

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“I never said a thing like that.” “You implied as much.” “You’re the one who’s reading between the lines.” “You know,” Brayden said, “I’m beginning to think you like tormenting me like this.” Melanie gave him a smirk. “I know you like tormenting me like this. You’re about as obvious as a twelve-year-old boy who shows a girl he likes her by making fun of her.” Brayden balked. “That’s not true?” “What’s not true? That you don’t like me, or that you’re not being obvious about it?” “I really wish you’d stop talking about this.” “Make me.” Melanie’s stare was so defiant and alluring that Brayden felt his resolve shatter. Grabbing her shoulders, he pressed her against the wall and kissed her, shoving his tongue between her lips. She reciprocated, her mouth pressing into his with such ferocity that he didn’t think she’d ever release him. He felt his cock begin to rise and press against her thigh, and then he felt her move against it, sending his arousal even higher. “Don’t,” he said as he pulled away. “If you keep that up, I’m never going to stop.” “Maybe I don’t want you to.” Brayden glanced around the corner. “Not here, and not now.” Melanie raised an eyebrow. “Since when are you so concerned about discretion?” “I don’t want those two gossipmongers out there getting ideas to spread around.” Melanie sighed. “Fair enough. But we’ll pick this up again later?” Brayden didn’t respond. He was too shocked at his own behavior, too unsure of what he wanted to happen. Instead, he hurried back across the parking lot, where Darrion was still in discussion with Brent and Ella.

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“That truck cab will be mighty tight,” Brent said. “Why don’t you let us give y’all a ride to the rental place? It will be much more comfortable.” “Oh, we couldn’t impose,” Darrion said. “We wouldn’t want to interfere with your practice time. At least, I assume you’re in town early because you’re gearing up for the competition.” “Don’t you worry about it,” Ella said. “We’ve spent the entire day driving anyway, and I’m just too tired to practice.” Just then, the tow truck showed up. Brayden eyed the tiny cab. “Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to take them up on the offer,” he mused. “Okay, then,” Darrion said. “We’d be grateful for the lift. I’m buying you both drinks tomorrow, though.” Ella smiled. “Sounds wonderful.” **** They all piled into the Ellises’ SUV. Brayden made a point of climbing into the farthest back seat. Melanie went in next, taking a seat in the middle row, and Darrion joined her without a second thought. They hadn’t even pulled out of the parking lot before he eased his arm around Melanie’s shoulders, and they hadn’t driven more than a few blocks before Melanie eased her head down to rest against him. Brayden was grateful that nobody could see him. He was certain he wore a shocked expression on his face, and wasn’t in the mood for conversation. Not when he had a few things to figure out. “So poor Alexis really has no idea who did this?” Ella asked, turning around in the front seat. “I think it’s that guy who was on the phone with her earlier,” Brayden announced. Ella raised her eyebrows. “What guy?” “Oh, some moron who got caught in her husbands’ takedown of big oil,” Darrion said. “She says every now and then they try to extort

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something from the family, but none of these people have the power or money to do any harm.” “Still, it’s the only obvious enemy she has,” Brayden noted. Darrion shook his head. “But it doesn’t add up. Why would the guy wreck our cars, too? Why would they slash Melanie’s tires?” “Because they were too stupid to know which car belonged to whom?” Melanie asked. “I don’t know,” Melanie said. “It still doesn’t make sense that they’d smash your vehicles and come back several hours later for mine.” “Ugh, this is just so awful to talk about. Let’s change the subject,” Ella said. “Darrion, when are you going to leave Male Order and come live in a real city?” “This is my home. I can’t imagine leaving.” “But you could make so much more money teaching out there.” “Male Order is my home, Ella. I was born and raised here. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Besides, it’s not like money is an issue for me.” “Yes, but… well, I’ve heard things.” “What sorts of things?” “Well, about the way they do marriage here.” “You mean ménageamy?” “Yes, that.” “What’s wrong with it?” Brayden could hear a hint of defensiveness in Darrion’s voice. “I never said anything was wrong with it. It’s just that some people might find it strange.” “Not at all,” Darrion said. I grew up with one mother and two fathers. It was the most natural thing in the world, and I think I really benefitted from having three parents rather than just two. I think it made it much easier to raise me and my siblings. Plus, it taught me how to be in love without being jealous.”

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Brayden winced as the tone in Darrion’s voice changed. He also noticed that Darrion stroked Melanie’s arm as he spoke, and wondered whether or not that was an intentional move. Ella seemed to notice the change in Darrion’s voice as well, because she gave a laugh that sounded forced. “I have no doubt it’s normal for you. Still, I’ve never seen you sharing another woman.” Darrion seemed to relax a little. “Dancers aren’t always good at settling down,” he said, followed by a slight chuckle. “You and Brent make it work, but some of us are just too busy.” Ella raised her eyebrows. “Well, you’re looking awfully cozy with Melanie right there.” She gave another nervous laugh. Darrion chuckled again. “If a pretty woman comes into town, I’m going to ensure she has a good time. I’m certainly not going to turn down some fun.” This time, Ella’s laugh sounded more genuine. “Melanie, sweetie, are you going to try roping two cowboys at the same time?” Brayden couldn’t help but bristle a little at her question. He didn’t appreciate Ella making light of his best friend’s life. Melanie grinned. “There’s only one way to find out.” Brayden noticed that Darrion’s hand grew still as Melanie spoke. “Well, here we are!” Brent pulled into the rental car company lot and braked aggressively. The forced cheerfulness in his voice let everyone know that he was uncomfortable discussing the subject at hand. “Thanks again for the ride,” Darrion said as they hopped out of the vehicle. “We really do appreciate your help.” “We’re happy to do it,” Ella said. “Now y’all be safe tonight.” “We will,” Melanie called and waved good-bye. “They’re a strange couple,” Brayden mused. “Why was Ella getting so pushy about your personal lives?” “Because she’s Ella Hughes.” Darrion sighed. “That’s just the sort of thing she likes to do.”

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“You boys can keep chatting, but I’ve had a long-ass day, and I want to hurry up and get a rental car so I can go home and crash. Have a good night. I’ll see you both bright and early for rehearsal tomorrow.” Darrion took off his hat and gave a slight bow. “Have a good evening, Miss Brickman.” “Night,” Brayden said, barely even looking at her. “Are you ever going to learn to be a gentleman?” Darrion asked, keeping his gaze locked on Melanie’s ass as she walked away. “Only when she learns to be a lady. Anyway, it’s not very gentlemanly of you to ogle her like that. You don’t want me ruining your choreography? You’d better think twice before getting involved with one of your dancers.”

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Chapter 3 The competition was just over a few days away, and Brayden was already exhausted. Rehearsals with Melanie weren’t getting any easier. Darrion had them rehearsing together for three hours each day, modifying the choreography when his initial ideas didn’t quite meet his expectations and giving them suggestions for movement and musical interpretation. Brayden and Melanie had been nervous around each other since he’d kissed her. He could tell she was waiting for him to make a move. While his body had been begging him for days to kiss her again, while his cock had been demanding that he plunge himself deep into her wet pussy, his brain still resisted. Every time Brayden pondered making a move, he began overthinking things and backed off. That didn’t stop Melanie from shooting him come-hither glances whenever they had a spare moment, glances that set his skin on fire and caused his cock to harden in his already-tight jeans. When he wasn’t rehearsing Darrion’s choreography, Brayden was spending every moment of his workday working on his improvisational skills for the mixed division. This was the one point in the day where he could throw himself into dance and not think about anything else. Without Melanie there to distract him, and with the pressure to win keeping him focused, he could forget all about the amazing kiss, and the fact that he wanted more. “You’re going to burn out if you keep that up,” Darrion said as he popped his head into the studio on Wednesday evening. “Come on, let’s take a break.” “I need to practice.”

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“You’re not going to do yourself or me any good if you use up all your energy and feel like shit on Saturday. I need you in peak form. You’re taking the night off. Come on, we’re going to the Twirling Lasso.” “No beer. No carbs for me this week at all.” “Are you trying to make yourself miserable? For one thing, you need them if you’re going to keep your energy up.” “Last time I checked, booze didn’t actually count as a superfood.” “Come on, one beer. I’ll even pay for it.” Brayden smiled. “Okay, okay. Just one, though. Then I have to turn in early. There’s another long day of rehearsal ahead of me tomorrow.” **** “I’m so glad you were able to come out tonight,” Melanie said as Alexis walked over with two bottles of Shiner. “Me too. I love my family, but it’s great to get out once in awhile.” “I can’t imagine settling down. I live for life on the road, touring the country, spending every weekend dancing in a new city.” “You sure there’s no special guy you’re interested in?” “I’m interested in plenty of men, for one night only. Maybe the whole weekend, but never beyond that. I’m way too busy.” “Yeah, but you never know what kind of curveballs life is going to throw. I mean, as a kid, I’d always thought about getting married, but I never planned on having two husbands at the same time.” “Yeah, I was wondering about that. I mean, I can’t imagine committing to even one man, much less two. Doesn’t it make you crazy?” “No, it’s wonderful. You can never have too much love, after all.” “I never thought about it that way,” Melanie said, taking another swig of her beer.

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“Just think of how fun it might be to roll around in bed with two men.” Melanie smiled. “I’ve been known to enjoy a threesome or two.” “Yeah, but it’s different when you’re in love with both and you know they love you right back.” A shiver went down Melanie’s spine as the thought of being sandwiched between Brayden and Darrion crossed her mind. “So who are you picturing right now?” Alexis asked, a smirk dancing on her lips. “Nobody.” “Yeah, you’re a horrible liar, did you know that?” “Okay, I might have a little thing for Darrion. Just a little one, though.” “Who wouldn’t? I have two amazing husbands, and I’ve still noticed him. He’s quite a catch. Think anything will happen between the two of you?” “Nah. Like I said, I’m not ready to settle down, and he seems fairly content with the life he’s made for himself in Male Order. Maybe we’ll have ourselves a nice little fling this weekend, but I don’t see anything happening beyond that.” Alexis shrugged. “Suit yourself. Now who was the other guy you were thinking about?” Melanie looked down, trying to quell the blush creeping up her cheeks. “Brayden.” She snapped her face right back up. “But I’m not interested in him at all, really. It’s just physical. He has a hot body, and I lust after it, but there’s never going to be a deeper connection between us.” “Well, speak of the devil,” Alexis said with a laugh. Melanie turned to see Brayden and Darrion walking in and heading toward the bar. “Ugh.” “What?” “Brayden’s hot, but—”

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“But what?” Melanie sighed. “Well, he kissed me behind the studio the other day. It was amazing, too. But then he backed off, and has barely been able to even look me in the eye. I’ve been sending signals like crazy, but he doesn’t respond.” Alexis chuckled. “He doesn’t strike me as the nervous type.” “I know. Most of the time, he walks around with an ego the size of Texas. For the past few days, though, he’s been acting like he wants to pretend nothing happened.” “Maybe you should approach him. You’re one of the most confident women I’ve ever met.” “I thought about it, but if he really isn’t interested, I don’t want to bug him. I don’t want to be the kind of woman who doesn’t know how to take a hint.” Alexis raised her eyebrows. “You’re really not sure he’s interested?” Melanie shrugged. “I have no idea.” “Well, you might want to think about asking him directly. Look, they’re headed this way.” “Damn it, why? If he wants to stay away, he needs to stay away.” “I’m sure he’s following Darrion. It’s pretty obvious Darrion has a thing for you.” “I have a thing for him, too, but this whole situation is starting to make me uncomfortable. I’m sorry. I think I should use this as an excuse to go pee.” “You’re going to leave me to entertain these boys all by myself? Plus, think about how disappointed poor Darrion will be.” The thought of having a chance for more conversation with Darrion did intrigue Melanie. She downed the last of her beer and turned to face the men just as they approached the table. “Hello, boys,” she cooed. “Brayden, go buy me another drink.” She hoped to be free of him for at least a few more minutes so she could focus her attention on Darrion.

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“I’ll go get it for you,” Darrion said, jumping in. “You’re drinking Shiner?” “Yeah.” Melanie’s plan had backfired, but she didn’t have the heart to reject his generosity. Especially because she liked the thought of him buying more drinks. Besides, there are certain perks to watching him walk away, she thought, casting an admiring stare at the tight ass encased in slim-fitting blue jeans. “Nice to see that this place doesn’t change much between my visits,” Brayden said, directing his attention to Alexis. “I don’t think anyone in Male Order would stand for it if they even updated the glassware. We like our tradition here.” “When does the band start? It’s always more fun to dance to a real band.” “You should dance with Melanie. I bet the two of you would look pretty damn good on the floor together. Give the people of Male Order a real show.” “No doubt that we would look pretty damn good, but I think I’d like to reserve the first dance for you.” Melanie’s body burned with anger at his flirtation. “All the same to me. I doubt I could follow your lead anyway. You’ve got a good line dance form, but you’re a little loose when it comes to partnering.” “Or maybe you just backlead too much. I can’t imagine it’s much fun to haul your ass around the floor when you’re trying to do your own thing the entire time.” “Here you go,” Darrion said, placing a beer in front of Melanie. She had never felt so grateful for a beer before. In her nervousness, she downed half of it in one gulp, letting out a huge belch as she brought the bottle down from her lips. Brayden grinned. “How ladylike.” “I actually like it when a woman decides to throw off her sense of propriety once in awhile,” Darrion said. “I think it’s sexy.” He slid his arm around Melanie’s waist, and her cunt immediately began heating up.

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The band finally started playing a lively two-step, and Brayden offered Alexis his hand. She smiled and accepted and off they went on the dance floor. Darrion turned to Melanie. “Well, we can’t let them have all the fun, now can we?” “No, I guess we can’t.” Melanie couldn’t remember the last time she two-stepped so well. In Darrion’s arms, everything just felt perfect. As captivated as she was by his smile and the heat his hands generated on her skin, she was totally in the moment. The song was a fast one, but every turn was tight, and he knew exactly where the breaks in the music were going to hit so they always struck fantastic poses. As the song went on, he began to leave traces of sweat on her hands and sleeves, and for a moment she entertained the thought of never washing the shirt again in order to keep his scent on it. Darrion pulled Melanie in a little closer as the music ended. “Thank you. That was wonderful.” They were so close that his lips almost grazed hers. “My pleasure.” The band went into a cover of “Copperhead Road.” Although the song had a classic line dance, the choreography was notoriously difficult and only a handful of people in the room got on the floor. Even Alexis sat down. Melanie, Darrion, and Brayden were only three of ten people who felt confident enough to dance. As a row of dancers began kicking and stomping, a crowd gathered around the floor. Usually, most people didn’t watch line dances. They either danced or sat around tables and drank. With three champion dancers on the floor, though, people couldn’t help but stare. Each had a different style, and they were all equally magnetic. Darrion was a purist, keeping his footwork tight and clean and adding few embellishments to distract from what his legs were doing. Brayden, on the other hand, was more theatrical, adding arm movements, hand gestures, and head rolls to accentuate the music.

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Melanie, like Darrion, didn’t rely much in the way of embellishment. Instead, she drew her audience in not just with precise technique, but tiny body isolations that were difficult to distinguish from the bigger picture. Melanie had trained as a belly dancer in college, and as a result, her line dancing was infused with hip flicks and body rolls that stood out from traditional country style. She had flawless precision, but she knew it was her ability to draw on her belly dance past that gave her a captivating edge. The room burst into applause when the song came to an end, and all of the dancers blushed. Even seasoned pros did not necessarily enjoy being on display during their off-hours. Immediately, the band went into a rendition of “Heart Like Mine,” the song that Darrion had chosen for his competition choreography. Melanie and Brayden looked at Darrion, and he nodded at them. “I got this one. Let me show you how it’s done,” Brayden said, stepping around Melanie into the middle of the floor. Melanie was pissed at Brayden’s arrogance, but as she settled back to watch him dance, her irritation began to disappear. His sexiness was far too overwhelming. His legs snaked around each other as his feet scraped and stomped along the floor, and she couldn’t help but envision those legs tangled up in her own as she rubbed against his hard cock, teasing him until he begged to fuck her. His hands, which gestured along with the downbeats, would feel perfect gripping her hips as she rode him. She wanted that sexy smile pressed against her lips in a kiss, his tongue exploring hers. As the chorus transitioned into the second verse, Melanie couldn’t stand still anymore. She was too horny and too in tune with the music. As the crowd began to cheer and clap, she walked up to Brayden and playfully shoved him aside. ****

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As Brayden hit his pose, he found himself knocked off balance by Melanie’s tiny frame. “You’re not the only one who can rock this dance. Let a real winner show you how it’s done.” Brayden walked off the floor, trying not to look flustered by the fact that Melanie seemed set to overshadow him yet again. “Why does she always do this?” he asked Darrion. “Why does she always have to be the best?” “Well, based on competition results, she is the best. Why do you keep letting her get to you? Obsessing over what she does is not going to help your dancing.” Brayden just shrugged. Even though Darrion was his best friend, he wasn’t ready to reveal the conflicted feelings he kept wishing would just go away. Brayden couldn’t deny that Melanie was a pleasure to watch. She wore a short blouse, exposing her perfectly toned abs, and her curvy hips were wrapped in skintight jeans. He felt his cock straining against the denim of his own pants as he pictured those hips grinding up against his erection, then thrusting up and down his cock. He imagined her full breasts bouncing up and down as they fucked, and he found his own nipples harden at the thought of hers rubbing against his chest. “Careful. Be any less discreet and you’re gonna have to pay her for the dance,” Darrion whispered. “Shut up.” The crowd was whooping and cheering twice as loud as they had for Brayden, and he could see Darrion getting excited with the enthusiasm. “Excuse me. I think I need to show you two kids how it’s really done.” He hurried onto the floor and gave Melanie the signal to step aside. ****

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Melanie was disappointed that her turn was over, but she was excited to see Darrion dance his own work. She hadn’t seen him perform since his injury three years prior, and in the studio, he avoided going all-out unless he really had to. Now, he was in his element, and he was going to put on quite the show. Melanie’s performance had worked off some of her sexual energy, but as she watched Darrion, her body heated right back up again. Her cunt was pulsing in time with the music as she watched his heels scuff the floor and kick on all the syncopations. She watched his hips swivel, and she imagined them gyrating as he plowed his cock into her. She wanted to feel his strong arms holding her down as he fucked her with all the fury he possessed when he danced. No matter how well Melanie learned the choreography, she knew that she and Brayden would never dance it as perfectly as they were seeing it right now. There was something about a choreographer dancing their own work that was always different from the way other people performed it. The dance was a part of the choreographer’s soul in the way it never quite would be with another dancer, and getting to see it performed by its original creator was like watching divine perfection. The crowd was screaming for Darrion as the music ended and he hit his final pose. Always a gracious dancer, he bowed for his audience, then walked off the floor with a grin on his face. “Now that’s how you dance this piece,” he said to Brayden and Melanie, smirking the entire time. Then he grabbed Melanie around the waist and pulled her into a deep kiss. Melanie was half certain she was going to come just from Darrion’s tongue sliding into her mouth and his lips pressing against hers. She gripped his biceps, squeezing tighter as her arousal deepened. She was almost disappointed when he pulled away. “Wanna get out of here?” she asked. “Yeah.”

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“Hey, what about me?” Brayden protested. Melanie wasn’t sure if it was the beer or her hormones, but she finally stopped resisting Brayden’s sex appeal. She grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him down so she could kiss him with the same intensity Darrion had used on her. She half expected him to pull away in anger, but instead, he reached around and dug his fingers into her ass. “You can come, too,” she said, pulling away. “Now let’s go.” She gave Alexis an apologetic little wave as they left the Twirling Lasso. Alexis just winked and gave her a thumbs-up. “My place?” Darrion asked. “Of the three of us, you’re the only one here who has a house in this town,” Brayden said as they piled into Darrion’s rental truck. “Right, right.” They had barely buckled their seatbelts before Darrion floored the truck, speeding out of the parking lot and down the Male Order streets. Darrion lived closer to the outskirts of town, and once they had made it away from the main city and were in sufficient darkness, Melanie said, “Pull over.” Darrion hit the brakes and eased over to the shoulder on the spot. “What’s wrong?” “I can’t wait until we get to your house. Both of you get in the truck bed. Now.” Without waiting for them to move, she unbuckled her seatbelt, got out of the truck, and launched herself into the bed. “Melanie, are you crazy?” Brayden called. “There isn’t even a blanket back there.” “I don’t need a damn blanket. I need both of you. Right now. Are you coming or not?” Darrion and Brayden did not need to be asked again. They hopped into the back of the truck, not even wincing at the hardness of the bed. Suddenly, Melanie found two sets of hands roaming her body. One stroked her thighs and undid her belt. The other caressed her breasts

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and unbuttoned her top. Darrion’s lips were on her own, while Brayden nibbled up and down her neck. The hands playing with her pants found her clit and started making deep, slow circles. Melanie’s legs convulsed with pleasure as tiny jolts of electricity ran through her muscles. The hands that had been working her breasts unhooked her bra, and Darrion broke his mouth away to bite gently at her nipples. “Harder,” she commanded, and he increased the sharpness. As her soft flesh yielded against his teeth, the pleasure overwhelmed her, and Melanie began to scream, her whole body contracting in orgasm before everything finally released. “You boys are amazing,” she gasped. “That was the best orgasm I’ve ever had, and nobody’s even put their cock inside of me yet.” “Well, then,” Darrion said, loosening his belt, “I guess it’s time to show you how good it really can get.” Melanie looked up at Brayden. “What are you waiting for? I’m not so interested in taking turns. I want both of you at once. You can leave your hat and boots on.” **** Brayden couldn’t move. His erection was raging at the sight of Melanie’s glorious naked body, which was even more gorgeous than it had been in his imagination. Darrion was hurrying out of his clothes, more than good to go. But Melanie’s words had terrified Brayden. He’d just helped to give his arch-nemesis the best orgasm she’d ever had in her life. He’d let his guard down and given her amazing pleasure. Rather than keeping his distance and making sure that he kept his focus in order to win, he’d allowed himself to become intimate with the enemy. As much as he enjoyed it, as much as he wanted to do it again, and as much as his cock was screaming for release, he just couldn’t go through with it. “Sorry, guys. This was a mistake.”

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“What? What do you mean?” Melanie scrambled to her feet to look him in the eye. “You and I should not be involved in any way, shape, or form. Especially not romantically. We need to keep our distance from each other at all times. So the two of you can fool around, but I won’t be a part of it.” He turned to Darrion. “I’m sorry, man, but I can’t dance your choreography this weekend. I want to support you. I think you’re fantastic, and that you’re going to win. But it’s her or me.” Brayden hopped out of the truck before he lost his nerve and started jogging back toward the town. **** Darrion stood in shock, watching Brayden run away, until he noticed Melanie starting to shiver in the night air. He went up and wrapped his arms around her. “Bit of a buzzkill, wasn’t he?” she asked. “Yeah.” He hated to deny that his erection was slipping away, but Brayden’s behavior had definitely killed the mood. “That’s a shame. It was going to be so much fun. I mean, I’ve had threesomes before, but that was definitely different. I mean, if that little taste was the most powerful thing I’ve ever experienced, I can only imagine what it would be like to actually fuck both of you at the same time.” “I know it would be amazing. There are few things as wonderful as sharing a woman with a good friend. I haven’t gotten to do it as often as I’d like, but it gives me a high that even dancing can’t achieve.” They broke apart and started to put their clothes back on. “Do you want me to drop out of the choreography routine? I like you a lot, but I don’t want to come between you and Brayden, and anyway, you asked him first.”

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“Just because I asked him first doesn’t mean I didn’t want you there, too. It’s such an honor to teach and coach you. Look, I know that you sometimes go out of your way to antagonize Brayden, but I also know that he generates way more of the conflict than you do. And I’m sick of his bullshit. He’s been acting like a selfish prick ever since you showed up at the studio, and I’m not going to put up with it anymore. You stay. I’m not going to beg him to come back. Let him get over himself.” They hopped out of the bed and climbed back into the cab. “So, where are you staying?” “I’m actually crashing with Alexis and her family.” “Excellent. That just so happens to be in my neighborhood.” They shared a goodnight kiss when Darrion arrived in the BurkePierce driveway. Darrion still enjoyed her smooth taste, and the way her lips yielded to his, but he realized it wasn’t quite the same when it was just the two of them. It didn’t feel quite as good without Brayden’s own mouth and hands giving her pleasure as well.

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Chapter 4 Melanie struggled to pull herself out of bed the next morning. She hadn’t slept well, her brain reeling with the memories of the evening. Occasionally, flashes of heat filled her body as she remembered how wonderful it had been to kiss Darrion and Brayden, how amazing she had felt when their hands were all over her body, how intense her orgasms had been. That heat however, faded fast as she dwelled on how cruel Brayden had been, how he’d hurt not just her, but one of his closest friends. She couldn’t understand his erratic behavior. When they’d first kissed behind the dance studio, her cunt had pulsed and ached like it never had before. Everything felt perfect. But then he’d spent several days trying to avoid eye contact. Then, when it looked like he’d finally come around, he’d changed his mind and left without an explanation. Melanie couldn’t deny that her body was still craving him, but she wasn’t sure her heart could handle his indecisiveness. After a few hours of uneven, restless sleep, she finally dragged herself out of bed, her mind still focused on the pain Brayden had caused both of them. “You look like you need coffee.” Alexis had already been awake for a few hours, seeing her husbands off to work and tending to Ethan. “Yeah. It was a long night.” “Hung over?” Melanie snorted. “I wish.” However unpleasant, a hangover still would have been less painful than Brayden’s ire the night before.

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“We all noticed you came in late last night. Plus, I’m not the only one who saw you leave the bar with Darrion and Brayden.” Alexis set a steaming cup of coffee in front of Melanie’s bleary eyes. “Well, only one of them dropped me off.” “Brayden got cold feet?” “Yeah. How did you know?” “Because of all the people involved, he’s probably the only one insecure enough to actually get freaked out.” “It’s that obvious?” “Even a blind person would notice it.” “Well, it’s not like I don’t have my doubts, too. At least I didn’t just tear off and drop out of Darrion’s choreography piece, too.” Alexis gasped. “What?” “Yeah. Not only did Brayden freak out about the makeout session we had—which, by the way, was amazing—he told Darrion that there was no way he’d consider dancing with me, even in collaboration, said he was out of the performance, and then hopped out of the truck and just walked away.” “Goddamn.” Alexis slammed her hand down on the kitchen table. “Is he trying to ruin his path back to the competitive scene? If Darrion’s choreography wins, well, it’s still Darrion who’s the winner, but you and Brayden both will be remembered as the dancers who first performed the winning dance. He’s been out for a year and a half recovering from injury. I fully believe that he’ll hold his own this weekend, but he needs something stellar like this in order to reestablish his place in the competitive dance world.” Melanie shrugged. “It’s his choice. If he wants to make his road back even harder than it already is, that’s his choice. I’m not going to push him. I have my own career to worry about, and I’m not going to drive myself crazy trying to save him. It’s not like he’d ever want my help, anyway.” “It’s like he’s trying to deny himself everything he wants. I mean, have you seen the way he looks at you?”

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“I saw the way he looked at me last night. Other than that, though, I admit that I don’t pay much attention to the way he looks at me. Largely because I’m too busy looking at him.” Alexis laughed. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Don’t think everyone hasn’t noticed.” “Well, it’s not like he wants me.” “Yes, he does. He’s just in some serious denial.” “Too bad for him I don’t have time for denial. I have a life, and if he’s going to just push me away, then I’m not going to bother. He doesn’t have to worry. We won’t ever have to speak again.” “Is that really what you want?” Melanie allowed herself time to take a slow sip of coffee, pondering Alexis’s question. “No, it’s not really what I want. But Brayden has done nothing but antagonize me ever since the day we met. Those few hours we were together last night were the only time anything has ever been different between us, and he blew it. I’ve been attracted to him from the moment I met him, and I don’t know why. He’s done nothing to deserve my affection, and last night was real proof of that.” “You don’t want to change his mind?” “My mind is the one that needs to be changed. I’ve always been good to him.” “Fair enough. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, though.” “Me too, but that’s the way it is. I can’t drive myself crazy over someone who doesn’t want me.” “You have a point. Well, it’s getting late. I should head over to the studio and take care of administrative stuff before classes start. I can’t believe how quickly all the paperwork piles up. It seems like I can’t stay caught up for more than a day.” “Mind if I get a ride in with you? I don’t really like the rental I got. There’s nothing wrong with it mechanically, I just don’t like the way it drives.” “No problem. Do you want some breakfast first?”

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“No, thanks. I’m not really hungry this morning.” Alexis gave Melanie a gentle hug. “It will work out. Even if you have to dance Darrion’s choreography as a solo, it will be great.” “I know. I just wish things could be different.” “All you can really do is be content with the way things are right now.” Melanie and Alexis were quiet on the way to the studio, Melanie still focused on the events of the previous night. Once Alexis unlocked the doors, though, everything felt different. Just being in a dance studio lifted Melanie’s spirits. “Darrion isn’t scheduled to be here for another hour still. I think I’ll go warm up and practice for the mixed event.” “Have fun.” Alexis set Ethan down with a puzzle and immediately buried her nose in work. Melanie felt even better as she turned on the stereo and began to warm up. The more she moved her body, the more she began to focus on dance, and the frustrating memories of the night before started slipping from her consciousness. Once her body was ready, she put the stereo on shuffle and began improvising to whatever song came on. She forgot about her feelings, her desires, her doubts. All she needed was dance. **** Darrion woke up and immediately began listening for any sounds of Brayden moving around. He knew that Brayden had made it back to the house safely the night before because, by the time he made it back, his rental truck was in the driveway. The light had been out in his room, and Darrion had been too upset for rational conversation, anyway. So he’d gone to bed feeling miserable and spent the night tossing and turning, trying to pinpoint just where things had gone wrong. He didn’t feel ready to face Brayden, either. His hurt was still too strong, his emotions too raw.

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When he was convinced that Brayden was either still asleep or gone, he got out of bed and hurried through his morning routine. In the event that Brayden was still there, he didn’t want to be around when he woke up. Leaving the house, he noted Brayden’s rental truck still in the driveway and felt relieved that he’d gotten out of the house so quickly. Once in his truck, he sat there for a few minutes with the engine idling, willing himself to go to the studio. With Brayden out of the picture, he just didn’t have the heart to go and rehearse the piece. Melanie was a great dancer, but the thought of one of his best friends dancing in his first competitive choreography had been part of what had inspired him in the first place, and now that was gone. He knew he couldn’t back out, though, not after how far he had come. Nor did he want to call off his entry after Melanie had worked hard to learn the choreography in so little time. Finally, he managed to put the truck in gear and drive to the studio. Darrion was concerned when he realized that Melanie’s truck wasn’t in the parking lot. Only Alexis’s vehicle was parked out front. Rehearsal was scheduled to start in five minutes, and Melanie was always at least fifteen minutes early for everything. Thinking he had time to kill, he stopped in at Alexis’s office. “More paperwork?” he asked with a grin. “It’s my curse. Melanie is in the studio already, warming up. How are you feeling after last night?” Darrion winced. “She told you?” “Of course she did. Not that she’d have been able to hide it if she’d wanted to. The frustration was all over her face. I have to say, you don’t look much happier. Hell, I’d venture to say you look even more miserable.” “I probably am. I mean, Brayden rejected her, but at least he didn’t reject her dance as well.” “I’m so sorry he’s being such a buffoon. I can’t believe he dared to treat you that way, especially after all that you’ve done for him.

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When you get right down to it, though, it’s his loss for being such an ass. It’s really going to hurt his career in the long run.” “That honestly doesn’t make me feel better. He hurt me, and he hurt Melanie, but I don’t want him to destroy his own life, either. I care about him.” “I know you do. I understand why that makes this whole situation even worse. Maybe after having a day to cool off, he’ll come around.” “I’m worried that even if he does, it will be too late. He’s been a pain in the ass ever since Melanie arrived, with the exception of a few hours last night. He took things way too far. I’m just not sure I can trust him right now.” “I know what you mean. I hope he’s able to prove himself worthy of your esteem.” “So do I.” “Well, this work isn’t going to do itself, and painful as it may be, you have a rehearsal to run. So go get in there.” Darrion tipped his hat. “Yes, ma’am.” Walking into the studio, Darrion’s breath was taken away at the sight of Melanie practicing. He leaned against the doorframe to steady himself while he focused on her graceful movements. Even though he was still reeling from the night before, he found that pain and anger start to melt away as he saw her moving around, completely transfixed by the music, caught up in the moment. Darrion was disappointed when the song ended and she stopped dancing. As ready as he was to get working, he was sorry that the dance was over, that he could no longer watch her being completely free and uninhibited. When she turned to face him, he felt even sorrier, because the spell was completely broken. As they finally laid eyes on each other, he couldn’t deny the painful words that had been said the night before. “It sucks, doesn’t it?” Melanie asked, her voice sounding smaller than usual. “Yeah.”

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“We can’t just quit, you know. We can’t give up, and we can’t even take a day off. We need to keep dancing.” “I know.” “Then put on the damn music. I’m already warmed up. Let’s run this so I don’t have to keep thinking about what happened.” **** Brayden had gone to bed furious and didn’t wake up in a better mood. He was angry at Darrion for getting involved with the only woman on earth he couldn’t stand. He was furious with Melanie for reciprocating his advances and seducing them both. He was furious with himself most of all, for going against his better judgment. To make things worse, he was a guest in Darrion’s house. Not wanting to run into his friend as they both went through their morning routines, he stayed curled up in bed, hiding away as he listened to Darrion shower, eat, and warm himself up. Brayden didn’t get out from under the covers until he heard Darrion start up his truck and pull out of the driveway. He got out of bed, ate a quick breakfast, and was halfway through his warm-up exercises when he realized that he was getting ready for nothing. He had quit the performance. He still had his own routine to work on, but didn’t want to go to the studio and encounter anyone who worked there. Nor did he feel right about making use of Darrion’s personal studio. He barely felt right about sleeping in the guest room the night before. Brayden decided the best thing to do was pack up his things and head out to one of the hotels in town. Gathering up his things, he decided to stop at the diner for another cup of coffee. He was feeling drained from the stressful night, but he felt guilty about using Darrion’s supplies. So he pulled into the parking lot and took a seat at the counter. “Well, just look who it is,” a dramatically southern voice announced. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be rehearsing?”

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Brayden turned around to see Ella Hughes standing behind him. He didn’t want to broadcast the embarrassing details of last night to the entire town, and especially not to her. “Melanie is having a one-on-one coaching session with Darrion. I’ll head over to the studio in a bit for practice.” “It doesn’t bother you that Darrion is working with your closest rival?” Brayden thought he saw a smirk on Ella’s face but decided he didn’t have the energy to deal with it. “Dance teachers don’t stick to one student. You know that. Darrion wouldn’t be able to have such an extravagant life if he restricted his client list.” “I suppose the life of a dance instructor is perfect for him, then. I mean, he’s clearly not suited for monogamy of any sort.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Brayden narrowed his eyes into a glare, but Ella seemed unfazed. “I mean that given the proclivities of everyone who lives in this town, I’m surprised it isn’t full of dance teachers running around getting all the clients they can get.” “Ella, I realize since you and I aren’t from here the habits in Male Order might seem strange, but it’s not our place to be judgmental. In fact, as a guest in this town, I think it would be in your best interest to be as gracious as possible. Or have you forgotten your southern manners?” Now it was Ella’s turn to glare. “Of course you’d say something like that.” “How shocking that I’d dare do something like stand up for a friend. It’s ludicrous.” Brayden made no attempt to hide his sarcasm. “I mean, you seem to have a certain affinity for the life yourself.” “What on earth makes you say that?” “Don’t be ridiculous. Half the town was in that bar last night. Brent and I were near the back, but we had a pretty good view of the display you both put on. Now really, where do you get off kissing a woman that’s already been kissing another man? Who walks out the

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door with a couple who already seems to have made their intentions clear? Honestly, I’d think a good Texas boy would know better. Don’t even get me started on Melanie. A woman like that really should know better. Her parents would be so ashamed.” “All the men in this town are good Texas boys. It’s not like we magically transported into Louisiana once we left the Dallas city limits. Plus, I don’t think you even know Melanie’s parents, so I don’t think you qualify as an authority on their shame levels. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to the studio.” It took all of Brayden’s self-control to leave a few bills on the table for his coffee and leave the diner without saying something that was going to come back to haunt him. He didn’t need to be on anybody’s bad side right now, even second-rate competitors. Brayden got into his truck, slammed the door, and peeled out of the parking lot. His mind was racing with fury. How dare she talk about Darrion that way? Hell, how dare she talk about anyone in this town that way? Goddamn, why did she have to be such a bitch about Melanie? What on earth did Melanie ever do to piss her off? She’s absolutely wonderful. As that last thought hit him, he veered off onto the shoulder and slammed on his brakes. Shit. I think she’s wonderful. Brayden, however, couldn’t deny his attraction. He couldn’t deny the way he felt, and he also couldn’t deny that his memories of the previous night were making him hard all over again. So he took his foot off the break and turned around. Making a U-turn, he headed straight for the dance studio. He spent the drive with butterflies flapping in his stomach, worried that he was already too late, that his behavior the night before had already ruined everything. Still, he wasn’t giving up without a fight. Brayden pulled up at the studio and ran inside, not even pausing to greet Alexis. As usual, Darrion and Melanie were working in the main

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studio. Brayden burst in without knocking. Seeing his reflection in the mirror, Melanie stopped dancing and looked up at him with wide, shocked eyes. Darrion turned the music off, and the room fell into the most uncomfortable silence Brayden had ever experienced. Melanie and Darrion just stood there, waiting for him to speak. Finally, he found courage and words. “I’m sorry. Will you take me back?”

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Chapter 5 “I think you owe us a little explanation,” Melanie said. “I don’t think it’s fair for you to just storm off and then expect us to take you back as though nothing happened.” Brayden suddenly felt defensive. “Come on. It’s not like I’ve been out a whole week. I haven’t even missed a rehearsal yet. Well, not more than thirty minutes of one.” “It doesn’t matter how much time you have or haven’t missed. You said some really hurtful things last night, and you proved to both of us that you’re more concerned with some sort of ridiculous personal vendetta than you are with this dance.” “You’ve told me how you feel. Why don’t you let Darrion speak for himself?” They both turned to look at their choreographer. Darrion didn’t look at them right away but instead kept his head down. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked Brayden in the eye. “Why don’t you and I go out in the hall and talk one-on-one, okay?” He turned to Melanie. “I don’t want you to feel excluded, but I think Brayden and I need to level with each other as friends.” Melanie nodded, and they stepped out into the hall. Darrion looked at Brayden with traces of frustration still evident in his expression. “I never expected you to react the way you did last night,” he said. “If you had suddenly changed your mind about fooling around with me and Melanie, well, I could understand that. People sometimes get in over their heads. There was more to it than that, though. I could tell by the way you handled it.”

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“Look, I know I screwed up. I know I made a mistake. I’m sorry.” Darrien shook his head. “I don’t think you understand just how much you hurt both of us. If you’d backed off and said you didn’t feel right about the way things were going, we would have understood. But you said things to deliberately hurt Melanie, and then you tried to force me to choose between the two of you. That’s just not how I work.” “I know, I know.” “I don’t choose between people I care about. That’s all there is to it. I also don’t tolerate anyone backing out of their commitments just because they have some sort of trumped-up vendetta against one of the other performers.” “You don’t have to make me feel like an idiot,” Brayden said. “I know I acted like one.” “I don’t know, Brayden. I don’t want to just abandon you. I’ve wanted you involved with this from day one. But you haven’t been easy to work with this week, and last night really shook my faith in you.” “I promise it won’t happen again.” Darrion nodded. “Okay. I’m going to go back into the studio. I’m going to give you a chance to settle things with Melanie because I want the two of you to make peace with each other. And then, you’re going to get in here, and you’re going to give it your all.” “Yes, sir,” Brayden said with a smile. Darrion walked back into the studio, and Melanie emerged a few moments later. She seemed nervous as she approached Brayden, but never lost her swagger. “What made you change your mind?” she asked. Brayden looked deep in her eyes, struggling with how to explain his revelation to her. “I just, well, truth be told, I was driving out of town. I wasn’t leaving. I was just going to stay at a hotel to get out of Darrion’s hair. It was going to be pretty awkward crashing at his place after what I

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had done. I wasn’t even halfway there when I suddenly had a revelation that the two of you are both wonderful people, and there was no way that I could abandon the dance like that, at least if you were willing to keep me around.” He avoided mention of Ella Hughes, not wanting to hurt Melanie’s feelings by relaying back the hurtful things that had been said at the diner. “That’s all well and good, but you couldn’t have realized it before this morning? You couldn’t have realized last night that you were in over your head? You didn’t have to be a total prick about it.” “I made a mistake. All I can do is apologize. What more do you want from me?” “For you to not have quit in the first place.” “Unfortunately, I can’t change the past. I wish I could, though.” Melanie sighed. “I know you do.” She offered a rueful smile. “I suppose I have unrealistic expectations sometimes.” Captivated by even her slight smile, Brayden didn’t even have time to dwell on the fears that still prodded at the corners of his mind. He leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. “When I said I wished I could go back in time and change the outcome of last night, I meant the whole thing. I wish I’d never stopped doing this to you.” He caught hers in a deep kiss that sent fierce energy pulsing through his body. This is so right, he thought as his tongue explored hers. I don’t know what I was ever afraid of. Nothing feels better than this. “I see the two of you have resolved your differences,” Darrion said, stepping out into the hall. Brayden and Melanie pulled apart, both wearing sheepish expressions. Darrion’s face broke out in a smile. “It’s okay, really. I’m not mad. If anything, I’m really happy to have walked in on this little scene. No more stalling, though. Get in here, both of you.” Melanie and Brayden hurried into the studio.

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“You all warmed up?” Darrion asked as Brayden went through the door. “You could say that, yeah.” “Just be sure to keep your focus. We have a lot of work still ahead of us.” “Don’t worry about it.” Darrion gestured downwards. “You might want to try telling that to your cock.” Brayden blushed. He’d been hoping that nobody noticed the hardon that had been forming in his pants. “I promise, this time, my head wins.” **** Melanie knew she needed to stay focused, and for an hour, she was completely devoted to the task at hand. Brayden’s kiss had rocked her, sending jets of heat straight down to her pussy, but she’d managed to put her libido on hold. Her libido, however, had other plans. That’s the one thing I hate about line dancing, she thought, trying to concentrate on her footwork rather than Brayden’s ass. There’s rarely an opportunity for dancers to touch. At that moment, she didn’t even want much. Even a careless brush of a hand across her arm would have sufficed. She just wanted some contact. “Melanie, you’re a little off on that final pose,” Darrion said. “Here, let me adjust you.” He put his hands on her hips and rotated them forty-five degrees. Melanie caught her breath as her pussy started to pulse. “You okay?” Darrion asked. Melanie could tell by the way that he cocked his eyebrow that he knew exactly how she was feeling. “I’m just fine,” she said. “A little out of breath, that’s all.” Darrion gave her hips a suggestive squeeze. “Good to hear.”

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Melanie’s body did not settle down after Darrion released his hands. The pulse only increased in frequency, desperate for more direct attention. Melanie managed to force it down for a little while longer, but her need grew louder and louder. Every step she took drove her crazier. Her tight jeans rubbed against her swollen, tingling clit, spurring her arousal without giving her even a semblance of relief. It wasn’t long before her pussy overrode her brain, and if she got her footwork right, it was more by luck than it was through her own abilities. “Okay, let’s take a break,” Darrion said. “I can tell that we’re all getting a little tired.” Brayden winked at Melanie on his way to the water fountain, and she felt her pussy spark just from his smile. “You seem to be struggling a little bit,” Darrion said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Everything okay?” “Yeah,” Melanie said, feeling her skin warm up under his touch. “I’m fine. I’m just having an off day, I guess.” Darrion leaned forward and kissed her, and it was all Melanie could do to keep her knees from buckling as her lips yielded to his. His hands eased up her shoulders and then circled around, heading down to grab her ass. She gripped his biceps, digging her nails into his flesh. “Now I’m the one walking in on an intimate moment,” Brayden said, coming back into the studio. “Do I need to step out for a minute and let y’all finish?” Melanie giggled. “It only takes him a minute to finish?” Darrion put on an expression of mock offense. “It most certainly does not.” “I don’t know. I think I’m going to need some direct proof.” “Shall we call it a day?” Brayden asked. “In the interest of scientific inquiry, that is. We can’t just let Melanie’s questions go unanswered.”

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“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Darrion said. “Besides, some choreographers actively encourage their dancers to have lots of sex before performances. They believe a good dose of erotic pleasure is just what people need to give their dancing an edge. I’ve been meaning to try this theory out for myself.” **** Darrion was no stranger to ménage encounters, but this was his first time with a close friend and a woman who was special, who meant more than a one-night stand or summer fling. He’d given Melanie a ride to his place and noticed she was unusually quiet on the drive over. Although he’d tried to come up with something witty to say to break the silence, nothing he thought of sounded right. He was relieved to finally pull into his driveway to find Brayden’s rental already parked. When they walked inside, Darrion found that Brayden had made himself comfortable, and reclined on the couch with a cocky expression on his face. “Can I get anybody anything before we begin?” Darrion asked, cursing himself for sounding so formal. This whole thing had started out so spontaneously, but now he was killing the mood. “I’m good,” Melanie said, walking up and rubbing her body against his. “Although I wouldn’t mind a little tour of the house.” “Shall we start with the upstairs?” “I have a feeling we won’t get very far if that happens,” Brayden said with a smile. Melanie smirked. “You act like I have ulterior motives.” “Don’t pretend that you don’t.” “To the bedroom, then!” Darrion announced. He winced at his overly enthusiastic tone. How hard is it to figure out the right mood? He led them up the stairs and opened the door to his room.

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“Here, we have the master suite. As you can see, it has simple yet classy furnishings, all picked out by an interior decorator who was worth every penny.” Melanie jumped onto the bed, bouncing as the mattress yielded to the sudden weight. “This seems to be a very comfortable bed. Did your designer help you pick that out as well? Perhaps you tried it out together?” Darrion laughed. “Not quite. Sad to say, I picked that mattress out entirely by myself. I’m glad you like it, though.” “Well, I think I like it. I’m just not entirely sure. I can’t say I’ve had a whole lot of experience with it yet.” “What would you suggest?” “I suggest that the two of you join me, for one thing. This is a pretty big bed, but I’m not quite sure that it’s big enough for three people.” “Oh, it definitely is. Whenever a Male Order man sets up his own house or apartment, he makes sure to buy a bed that will fit three lovers when necessary. I’m not even sure that the furniture store will sell anything smaller than a king-sized mattress to any man. I think they’d just laugh at you. Small beds are only for children.” “Are you so sure that there’s room for all of us?” Darrion looked over at Brayden. “Come on, let’s prove it to her.” The next thing Melanie knew, Brayden and Darrion were on either side of her, their hands caressing all over her body. With each stroke, they pulled off a little more clothing. One touch unzipped her jeans before snaking down her thigh. Another started at her ear and ended up pulling down one of her tank top straps. They undressed her with teasing, gentle movements, and Melanie felt her pussy pound harder with desire each time one of their hands graced her skin. “Hey, it’s not fair that I’m the only one naked,” she said, when they had finally removed every piece of cloth on her body. “What do you intend to do about it?” Darrion asked with a smirk.

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Melanie rose to her knees and gave Darrion a rough, hard kiss, biting his bottom lip a little as she wove her hands up his thighs and abs. Moving her mouth to his neck, she started nibbling the taut flesh as she unbuttoned his shirt. Brayden came up behind her and cupped her breasts in his hands, working her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. When she felt the delicious pinch pulsing through her breasts, Melanie suddenly no longer wanted to take her time undressing her men. Her hands flew as she ripped off Darrion’s belt and pulled his jeans and boxers off at the same time. As soon as Darrion was naked, Melanie turned her attention to Brayden, again working in haste because of her arousal. She tore into his shirt so quickly that a few of the buttons ripped off, but she didn’t notice from behind the deep, slick kisses she administered to his mouth. As Brayden had done, Darrion reached around Melanie’s body. Instead of going for her breasts, he snaked one hand down to find her swollen clit. He gave it a few gentle brushes with one fingertip, and she shivered as tiny jolts of electricity shot through her body. As Melanie moved on to Brayden’s boots and pants, Darrion increased the pressure, delivering an unstoppable rush of pleasure. Just as she was about to pull off Brayden’s boxers, Melanie’s cunt spasmed with orgasm, and as the waves rushed through her, she collapsed onto the bed, unable to keep her balance. Brayden slid off his boxers as Melanie caught her breath. “Convinced yet?” Darrion asked. “Not quite.” Darrion looked up at Brayden. “What do you think we should do to her next?” “I think we should give her exactly what she’s been wanting all day long. She wants some cock.” “I have an idea,” Darrion said, and reached into a drawer to pull out a black silk blindfold. “What do you think, Melanie? Should we play a little game?”

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“Yes,” she whispered, her heart racing as fast as her cunt was pulsing. Darrion draped the blindfold over her eyes. “Comfortable?” “It’s lovely.” “Lie down on the bed, then.” Melanie leaned back, enjoying the enhanced sensation of the sheets against her skin. She felt a finger tease at her pussy lips, but when she moaned, the hand pulled away. “Don’t go,” she gasped. “I need more.” “You’ll get more.” A pair of hands pulled her thighs farther apart, and a thick cock plunged inside her cunt. “Is that what you wanted?” Darrion’s voice asked. “Did you want a cock inside you, just like this?” “Yes.” “Which one of us is riding you, Melanie?” She knew that Brayden was the one asking, but she couldn’t quite tell if he was the one inside of her, or the one fondling her. “Kiss me and I’ll know.” “No, I think that would be a little too easy. You just have to guess.” Melanie groaned as the man riding her increased his pace, throbbing against the pulsing muscles of her cunt. She tried to concentrate just on the cock inside of her, but the hands fluttering and scratching across her breasts, down her arms, and through her hair proved a distraction and made the task difficult. Even their scents were mingled in the air around her. As she felt the cock pounding inside of her, she knew that it had to be Brayden. He was fast, he was rough, and he was just a bit untamed. “Brayden is riding me.” Melanie felt the body on top of her move down and place a deep kiss on her lips, confirming that she was correct. Brayden’s taste was unmistakable—strong and sharp, a blend of leather and scotch.

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“Good job, baby,” Brayden said as he pulled away from her. “As a reward, you get to come.” He pulled back, and Melanie felt him rise to his knees. He hoisted her legs up over her shoulders, and as he resumed thrusting, he pressed a finger against her clit, rubbing in time with his thrusts. Darrion increased the pinching of her nipples, and the pressure began to build in her body again. “Fuck, Melanie, you feel so good,” Brayden moaned. His words set her off, the orgasm ripping through her entire body, leaving her gripping the sheets and thrashing her head against the pillow. She felt his cock give one more throb, heard him groan, and felt his thighs give out as he collapsed. “You ready for me now, Melanie?” Darrion whispered in her ear. “Or do you need a little break? Did Brayden tire you out already?” “Never.” “So you want me?” he asked, circling her clit with his finger. “Yes.” “Are you sure?” “Fuck, yes. Hurry up.” Darrion climbed on top of her, and she groaned as her pussy clenched around his cock. “Brayden’s right. You do feel damn good. Better than I ever could have imagined.” He started to move inside of her, achingly slow. Brayden moved to the head of the bed, placing deep kisses on her neck and biting at her flesh. Melanie moaned as Darrion increased his pace and Brayden increased the bites, moving up to her earlobes and down to her shoulder. When Brayden brought her hand up to his mouth and started sucking her fingers one by one, Melanie knew she couldn’t hold back much longer. He was thorough, taking each one and licking long and slow before moving on to the next one. The intensity sent her over the edge, and her cunt seized up around Darrion’s cock as another orgasm tore through her body.

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“Goddamn, Melanie!” Darrion shouted as his cock gave one more pulse, and he emptied into her. Darrion flopped down on the bed then gently removed the blindfold. Melanie blinked a few times, adjusting to the light. “That was exactly what I wanted,” she murmured, snuggling up against her men. “I don’t know about the two of you, but now I want some dinner,” Brayden said. “Nap first,” Melanie murmured, drifting off. “Then dinner. Then more sex.” Darrion laughed. “I like the way you plan.” “What about tomorrow?” “Tomorrow, we rehearse. We lost too much time today. Not that I’m complaining. It’s just that we can’t spend the rest of the week fucking if we want to win.”

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Chapter 6 After waking up from their nap, Melanie found herself more interested in another round of sex than dinner. “Given the choice between sex and food, I’ll always choose sex,” Brayden said with a laugh. “But why don’t we order some delivery now, so we’ll have dinner ready and waiting when we’re done?” “What if we’re still going at it when the delivery guy arrives?” Darrion asked. Melanie laughed. “What, you’ve never had a quickie? I bet I could get both of you off before the food gets delivered.” “And if you can’t?” Brayden asked. “If I can’t, then dinner is on me.” Darrion hurriedly placed an order for Chinese food. Melanie immediately started making good on her part of the bet. She took Brayden’s half-hard cock in her mouth and slowly sucked it to full hardness. “Thirty minutes or less,” he said. “Wait a second, did you start before I was even off the phone? That’s cheating.” Melanie pulled Brayden’s cock out of her mouth, but started stroking to keep his arousal going. “I don’t believe we ever defined when I could or could not start. Now lie down next to us.” As Melanie returned her attention to Brayden’s cock, Darrion settled on the bed next to her. She reached out and began to stroke him, gently teasing him until he was fully erect. Then, she made a tight ring with her thumb and forefinger and began thrusting with more force, matching the speed at which she brought her mouth up and down Brayden’s shaft.

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It wasn’t long before Brayden began losing control of his body and started writhing beneath her. Melanie struggled to pay attention to both men at once. It would have been easier to control Brayden if she only needed to focus on him. But she wasn’t about to stop playing with Darrion. “Fuck!” Braydon yelled. His body stopped moving, and then his cock gave one last, giant pulse. Melanie drank down every drop of his cum and then licked him clean, never once taking her hand off Darrion’s throbbing dick. The second Melanie pulled her mouth off of Brayden’s cock, she moved to suck Darrion off. Darrion, however, seemed to have other plans. He grabbed her hips and rolled over so that he was on top of her. With one swift motion, he slid his cock into her wet, aching pussy and began to pound into her. “So you want me to win,” she gasped, the beginnings of an orgasm starting to tingle deep inside her cunt. “Can’t help it,” he said between thrusts. “Need to fuck your pussy.” Melanie reached her head up and locked him into a kiss, letting his savory taste overwhelm her. Her body gave in to his thrusts, to his pace. As her pussy squeezed him harder and harder, the orgasm began to grow, until she broke their kiss to groan with the release that coursed through her. Darrion didn’t last much longer. Melanie had barely caught her breath before his body froze up and he moaned with his own release. Just as he collapsed on her, the doorbell rang. Brayden laughed and hurried into his jeans. “You two stay here and recuperate. I’ll take care of the delivery guy.” “That was a great idea Brayden had,” Melanie said as she listened to him hurry to the door. “By the time we finish with dinner, I’ll be ready for another round.”

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“Some choreographers do encourage their dancers to have as much sex as possible before performing,” Darrion mused. “They believe it helps.” “Well, if it’s going to give us a competitive edge, I don’t see how Brayden and I could say no.” **** This isn’t Alexis’s house, Melanie thought as she woke up the next morning. Where the hell am I? The sight of the two men sleeping on either side of her answered her question. Memories of the night before came flooding back to her, and her heart started racing as she wondered when she’d next have the chance to experience them. Glancing at the clock, Melanie realized they had just over an hour before they needed to be at the studio. Once rehearsals started, Darrion would be all work and no play. She decided to take matters into her own hands, or rather, her mouth. Sliding down beneath the sheets, Melanie blew a gentle puff of air on Darrion’s cock and watched it quiver with sensation. Then she started tracing it with her fingertip, watching it begin to wake up and stiffen. Darrion sighed and shifted in his sleep, but didn’t wake up. When his cock was half hard, Melanie took it in her mouth and began to suck slowly, feeling it reach full firmness between her lips. After just a few minutes, she felt hands tangle in her hair and pull her head up. “What do you think you’re doing?” Darrion asked, his face forming a sleepy grin. “Having fun.” “Well, then please continue.” Melanie dove back down and began to lick and suck a little more forcefully. As Darrion’s moans filled her ears and his hands gripped her arms, her pussy started to clench and slicken, desperate for

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attention and fulfillment. Just when she thought she was going to need to take a break to get off, she heard Brayden start to sit up. “Well, what do we have here?” “I think it’s pretty obvious,” Darrion said. “Mind if I join in?” “I’m sure Melanie would love for someone to take care of her cunt.” “You want that, Melanie?” Brayden whispered in her hear. “You want my cock filling your cunt?” “Mmm hmm,” Melanie moaned, dragging out the sound so Darrion would feel the vibrations running up and down his cock. Brayden pressed the tip of his cock right against the slick entrance to her pussy. “Are you sure? Are you sure that you want my cock inside of you?” “Mmm hmm! Mmm hmm!” Melanie couldn’t bring herself to pull away from the taste and feel of Darrion’s cock, but she was desperate to feel Brayden inside her as well. “Okay, then.” Brayden gripped her hips and plunged inside her. “Oh, fuck me, you feel amazing.” Melanie slowed her sucking to match Brayden’s gentle thrusts, enjoying the synchronization of their movement. She loved the way Brayden’s cock gave her a little extra oomph to get Darrion’s cock all the way to the back of her mouth. She especially loved that Brayden managed to hit her G-spot every time and the way Darrion shuddered as her convulsive moans reverberated down his shaft. Soon, she got tired of going so slow and started to pick up the pace, hoping that Brayden had the good sense to keep up. He immediately picked up her lead, slamming in and out of her as she rammed up and down Darrion’s cock. As Darrion gave both of her nipples one hard, delicious twist, her body seized up with electricity, and then the energy released through every nerve ending and muscle fiber. The muffled screamed emanating from her mouth sent Darrion

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over the edge, and before she was even finished with her own orgasm, she was drinking down his cum. “Oh fuck, I’m so close,” Brayden moaned, and he continued to pound in and out of her. Darrion stayed beneath Melanie, and he reached down to circle his finger around her clit. He matched his massaging motion in time with Brayden’s furious thrusts, and as Melanie felt his cock grow even harder inside her, she found herself on the verge of another orgasm. Darrion increased the speed of his rubbing, exceeding the friction Brayden offered, tipping her just over the edge. The second round of orgasmic spasms locked down on Brayden’s cock, and she felt him surge with the final release. He leaned down and bit her shoulder as she came, and she didn’t even care if he left a mark. The three of them collapsed together in a pile, finally sated. “Did you have your fun?” Darrion asked. “You know it, smartass.” “Well, in that case, we’d better hurry up and get moving. We’re supposed to rehearse in fifteen minutes.” “Seeing as it’s our rehearsal and all, can’t we be a few minutes late?” Brayden asked, curling up tighter around Melanie. “Nope. Alexis is running a tight schedule. It’s a tough balancing act, keeping rooms open for rehearsal space while making sure her regularly scheduled dance classes run smoothly. We need to respect her time. We also need to respect our own dancing and not cut practices short just because we’ve been fooling around. Now, everybody get moving. We only have a few days left, and I’m not going to lose this competition because we were all too busy bathing in afterglow.” The three of them all crammed into Darrion’s truck and headed to the studio for rehearsal. When they pulled in, however, the smiles and giggles they’d been sharing since they’d woken up suddenly vanished. Alexis was standing outside the studio, her face streaked with tears. The studio was a wreck. All of the windows had been

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smashed in. The exterior was covered in messy black spray paint, mostly poorly formed graffiti with a few discernible obscenities scrawled out. “The inside is even worse,” Alexis said, trying to regain her composure. “I’m just glad that Ethan is off at daycare today. I would hate for him to have to see me like this.” “What happened inside?” Darrion asked. “You should probably just go see for yourself. I don’t want to describe it. I’ll wait here for the police.” Darrion tore for the front door, with Melanie and Brayden following close behind. They all gasped when they saw the destruction. Every single mirror had been shattered, and the floor was a mosaic of reflective glass. In the office, all of the papers had been pulled from their folders and scattered on the ground. The computer appeared to have been the victim of a sledgehammer. Even the bathroom had been attacked. The cleaning supplies had been pulled from the supply closet and poured all over the floor. The smell of chemicals had them all gagging, and they hurried out into the fresh air. They walked over to where Alexis was talking to the police when the screeching of tires in the parking lot redirected their attention. “Oh my gawd, what happened here?” a thick southern drawl called from the open window. Ella Hughes hopped out of the truck. Her husband Brent followed close behind. Darrion held out a hand, indicating that they needed to leave Alexis alone while she talked to the police. “It appears we’ve had a case of vandalism.” “That’s putting it mildly,” Brent mused. “I’d be willing to bet it’s somehow related to our trucks getting smashed, too,” Brayden said. “How can you be sure they’re related?” Ella asked.

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“Two acts of vandalism at the same studio, within one week of each other? I’m not a cop or anything, but I’d say those two things are probably connected to each other.” “Well, my goodness! Poor Alexis.” “Poor Alexis?” Brent snapped. “Where on earth are we going to rehearse?” “I’m sure Alexis will make arrangements for rehearsal space when she’s done with the police,” Melanie said. “She’s clearly in shock at the moment. Her studio has been completely destroyed. Give her a little space.” “That may be all well and good for you, dear, but some of us want to win this competition.” The hair stood up on Melanie’s neck. “Some of us have already won it. Four times.” Ella blushed. “Touché.” “Look, if it means that much to you, why don’t you go use my home studio? It’s a little small, but it will do for now.” “Are you sure? We’d hate to impose.” “No trouble at all. Brayden and I should stay and talk to the police, since we were probably hit by the same vandal this weekend, but you two go on. After giving us a lift a few nights ago, it’s the least I can do to make it up to you. There’s a spare key taped to the underside of the mailbox.” “Thank you, sugar. We really appreciate it.” “No problem. Y’all have my cell, right?” They both nodded. “Great. Just give me a call if you need anything and remember to lock up if you finish practicing before we get back.” “Where the hell are we going to practice?” Brayden whined. “Some of us have earned more medals in a year than those two have earned in their entire careers. So I’d say we could stand to be a little generous. We’ll be fine if we lose a few hours. They need all the practice they can get.”

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They’d turned back toward Alexis when a sleek BMW pulled up in the driveway. A well-manicured young man in a navy blue pinstripe suit stepped out of the car and made his way over to Alexis and the officer. Darrion shot glances at Melanie and Brayden, and they hurried over to provide backup. “Excuse me, officer, but I need to have a private word with Mrs. Burke-Pierce. My name is Richard Coleman, and we spoke on the phone earlier this week.” “Stand aside, sir. You’ll have to wait until we’re finished with this deposition.” “Is there something we could help you with?” Melanie asked. “No, I must talk with Mrs. Burke-Pierce.” “Why don’t you come over here, Mr. Coleman, and we’ll see if we can’t answer your questions for you.” Darrion’s tone sounded aggressive yet calm, and Richard flinched at his icy tone. “I’m one of Mrs. Burke-Pierce’s employees, and I’m certain I can give you whatever information you need.” He winked at the officer, who gave Darrion a nod, and then Darrion ushered Richard away from Alexis. “All right, buddy, why don’t you tell us why you’ve been harassing Alexis.” “I need a job, and after her husbands destroyed my political career, I think they owe me some help. I’m not asking for an executive position, but at the very least, I deserve some stable midlevel work with a respectable salary.” “In case you can’t tell, Mrs. Burke-Pierce runs a dance studio. If you want to get a job with the Burke-Pierce company, you’re going to have go there and fill out an application. There’s not much she can do for you.” “Unless, of course, you think that trying to intimidate their wife will somehow ingratiate them to you,” Brayden sneered. “I–I–perhaps I should go,” Richard stammered, sweat starting to run down the back of his neck.

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“I don’t think you’re going anywhere,” Darrion snapped, increasing his grip on Richard’s arm. “Some strange things have been happening around this studio lately, and they always seem to coincide with you contacting Mrs. Burke-Pierce.” “Wha–What sorts of things?” “Look around you, dumbass,” Melanie snarled. “I’m sure you can figure it out.” Richard turned his head to look at the wreckage that was the studio. “Shit.” “Want to tell us what you know about this?” “I don’t know anything about it, I swear. All I want is a job. I don’t know what this is, and I didn’t do it. I promise.” “I still think it might help if you talked to our friend Officer Barnett.” Darrion escorted Richard over to the officer. “Officer, our friend here seems to have been harassing Alexis. Now, he claims he didn’t have anything to do with this act of vandalism that occurred during the night, but I’m not so sure. I was hoping you could ask him a few questions, in order to clear things up.” Officer Barnett looked at Alexis. “This guy’s been bothering you?” “He wants a job with my husbands’ company, and rather than go to them directly, he’s trying to harass me so that I’ll convince my husbands to make a position for him. He’s mostly been making annoying phone calls to the studio, though he’s contacted me at home a few times, too.” “Do you have any reason to suspect that he’s been involved in the vandalism of your studio?” “I don’t have any evidence, if that’s what you’re asking.” “Mr. Coleman, where were you last night?” “Look, I admit I’ve been really pushy about the job thing, and maybe I’ve been calling at inappropriate times and stuff. I didn’t have

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anything to do with this vandalism, though. I swear on my life, I wasn’t involved.” “That’s not the question I asked. You will give me straight answers, or I will arrest you. Now, where were you last night?” “I was on the road, driving up from Austin. Mrs. Burke-Pierce wouldn’t give me what I wanted over the phone, so I decided to come out here and try to talk things out with her. I thought maybe she’d be persuaded if she and I could meet face-to-face, if she could actually meet one of the people who was struggling because of what her husbands had done.” “Who can verify your story?” “Well, my roommate knows when I took off, and you can verify my check-in at the Super-8 up the freeway a few miles.” “What about this morning?” “I slept in a little bit because I was pretty tired from my long drive. I left about an hour ago and got breakfast at the diner before coming here. The waitresses can verify my story.” “Do you have any friends or associates in Male Order we could talk to?” “No, sir. I don’t know anybody here.” “All right. Just so you know, I will be checking out your alibi this afternoon. Is there anything you might like me to know before I do so? Anything that might prove to be an inconsistency in your story?” “No, sir.” “Mr. Coleman, I’m going to let you go, but I strongly advise you to get in your car and go back to Austin right now. I also encourage you to quit harassing Mrs. Burke-Pierce or anyone else in her family. If you are implicated in any more harassment or vandalism, I will have cause to arrest you. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes, sir.” “On your way, then.”

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Richard didn’t need to be told twice. Pulling himself free of Darrion’s grip, he hurried away from the group, hopped into his car, and sped off. “Do you think he had anything to do with this, officer?” Alexis asked. Officer Barnett shook his head. “I don’t know. That’s going to depend a lot on whether or not his alibi checks out. I’ll look into it and let you know what I find.” “Thank you, officer, I really appreciate it.” “Are you going to be okay if we take off?” Darrion asked. “I don’t want to leave you alone. Do you want us to take you home?” “No, I have an insurance investigator on the way. Besides, Tristan will be here soon. You go home, start practicing.” “Are you still going to be okay to run the competition on Saturday?” “Of course I am. Look, I’ve had a hell of a morning, but what’s done is done, and the police are on it. I refuse to hide in my house in fear. I have wanted to host a competition for a long time, and I will not allow someone to scare me out of it. I just hope all these reports of vandalism don’t scare everyone else off. I’d hate if turnout suffered because people were afraid.” “If it seems that people are getting skittish, we’ll just beef up security. I’m not concerned. This competition is a big deal, and I think most people will share your attitude. Everyone coming to this event has worked too hard to be turned away by some bully.” Alexis smiled. “I’m glad you think so. Now go home and get some practicing done. I want you to make the studio proud this weekend.” Melanie, Brayden, and Darrion were mostly silent on their way back to the house. “Who would do this?” Melanie finally asked.

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“I have no idea,” Darrion said. “I’m not worried. Alexis knows how to take care of herself, and Jeremiah and Tristan know how to protect both their family and their business.” **** Darrion pulled into his driveway, carefully maneuvering around the Hughes’s massive SUV that took up more than its fair share of space. The house was suspiciously quiet when the three of them walked in. They had all expected to hear music blasting, the result of Brent and Ella working on their routines for the weekend events. Yet there wasn’t anything coming from the studio except muffled voices. Darrion crept up to the studio door and knocked on it. Brent poked his head out and turned red when he saw the three of them clustered together. “Oh! I’m sorry! We–we didn’t think you’d, uh, we didn’t think you’d be back so soon.” “How’s the rehearsal going?” Darrion asked. “Oh, you know.” “I’m not sure I do. So why don’t you tell me what you’re really doing in my own private studio, which I had the decency to loan you?” “It’s, I mean, it’s not what it looks like, I swear.” “Don’t the two of you have a hotel room where you can do that?” Melanie snapped. “What?” Brent’s fear disappeared as confusion filled his face. “You’ve obviously been having sex in the studio. Look, I know dancing is a very sensual activity, but damn, have a little respect for Darrion’s space.” Brent gave a deep sigh. “You’re right. Darrion, I am so sorry. You know how it is, don’t you? It’s you, and the woman you love, and one thing just sort of leads to another.”

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“Well, I’m not thrilled, but I can’t say I haven’t been in similar situations myself. The three of us are going to sit down and have a cup of coffee and relax for a bit. Why don’t the two of you mop up the studio floor and then take off?” “Of course, of course. I really am sorry. It was not acceptable to take advantage of your generosity like that.” “I forgive you. Now just clean up after yourselves.” Darrion turned and walked down the hall, dropping into a kitchen chair. “Has everyone gone crazy?” he snapped. Melanie came up behind him and started rubbing his shoulders. “Look, they’ll be out of our hair very soon, and then we can start practicing and forget the whole thing.” “You know, let’s just take a day off.” Darrion struggled to control the frustration in his voice. “I did not sleep well, and this day is just not working out. Why don’t the two of you go off somewhere and have some fun and let me alone.” “Darrion—” Melanie started, running her hands through his hair. He shook her off. “Just leave me alone, okay?” “What has gotten into you? What happened to working our asses off and being perfect?” “I’m completely worn out, okay? The studio where I work has been torn apart, my studio at home is being desecrated by ungrateful guests, and I’m exhausted. If the two of you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone for a little while.” **** Brayden knew it didn’t make sense to argue anymore, not when Darrion was so distressed. He knew the mood would probably pass, but he didn’t want to make it worse. “Let’s go, Melanie,” he said, taking her hand. “Darrion, I—”

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“Let it go,” Brayden said, practically dragging her out the front door. Outside, they headed over to Brayden’s rental truck. “What’s up with him?” Melanie asked. “Darrion’s a pretty transparent guy. He’s just having a shitty day and needs some space. So what do you want to do? Maybe we could go somewhere and fool around. You know, get a picnic, find a secluded spot somewhere, and then forget to eat. That might help us decompress.” “No offense, but I’m not in the mood. It’s not you, it’s just… Darrion’s bad mood is having a really strong effect on me. When he suddenly snapped like that, it sucked all the energy out of the room, and it threw my own mood off-kilter.” “So what do we do?” Melanie paused for a moment, and then grinned. “Let’s give Darrion the afternoon off to clear his head, and while he’s doing that, let’s come up with a plan to show him just how important he is to us.”

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Chapter 7 Melanie and Brayden spent the afternoon scheming and shopping. Melanie even convinced him they needed to stop in at Luscious and So Fresh for some last-minute beauty treatments. “You could use a trim before the competition anyway,” she quipped, tousling Brayden’s slightly shaggy hair. So while he went off to get a haircut and a proper shave, she had her hair trimmed and her nails done. They even swung by Jacqueline’s so she could buy a decent dress. She hadn’t packed anything formal for the competition. She was a tomboy who packed light. Nice dresses didn’t have a place in her small suitcase. At five o’clock, they drove back to Darrion’s house and rang the doorbell. They both tried not to laugh when his eyes widened at the sight of Melanie in a dress. “What on earth are you two doing?” “We’re here to cheer you up,” Melanie said, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Well, I don’t want to be cheered up. I want to be alone. You need to respect my privacy.” “You’ve had all day to sulk,” Brayden said. “We’re not going to let you mope away a perfectly good Thursday night.” “Go put on something nice. We’re going to take you out for a proper night on the town and show you exactly how much you mean to us, and how wonderful the past few days with you have been.” “I don’t know. We really should stay in. We want to save our strength for Saturday. Plus, tomorrow is going to be a very long day of rehearsal.”

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“You’re starting to sound too curmudgeonly for your age. We’re not going to throw away your youth like that. Now get dressed.” Darrion rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. We’re not going to be out late, though. Is that clear?” “Whatever you say.” After Darrion washed his face and threw on a suit, they got into Brayden’s truck and headed into town. The first stop was cocktails at the Boom Boom Room. “Let’s try to limit it to just a few drinks, okay?” Darrion’s voice had a nagging tone. “The last thing we need tomorrow is to be suffering from hangovers.” “Will you relax?” Melanie said with a smile. “Come on, we deserve some fun after the past couple of days.” They sat down at a table. Melanie ordered a cheese plate, and Brayden selected an expensive bottle of wine. “I thought you were avoiding carbs all week,” Darrion teased, a smile starting to pull at his lips, despite his best efforts to remain serious and refined. “I believe a wise old man once taught me about the importance of having fun and loosening up once in awhile.” “Good to see you know how to take advice.” “Good to see you’re starting to take your own.” The waitress brought out their food and drinks, and the three of them toasted before imbibing. They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the taste of the wine and finally starting to unwind from the events of the day. “I have a little surprise for the two of you,” Melanie said, after polishing off her glass. Brayden looked more surprised than Darrion did. “When on earth did you come up with a surprise for tonight? I was with you all day.” Melanie giggled. “I waited until you went into So Fresh, and then ducked into Pearls and Chains before I went for my appointment at Luscious. I figured that since my hair and nails would take longer

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than your haircut, you wouldn’t really notice.” She presented both men with two identical boxes wrapped in matte silver paper. Darrion and Brayden glanced at each other, and then opened their gifts with an apprehensive gentleness. The paper fell away to reveal velvet jewelry boxes, and inside each box was a silver cock ring with matching cuff links. “I didn’t know you had a kinky side,” Brayden said with a grin. “You never asked. I figured this would be a pretty direct hint. So, you like them?” “They’re beautiful,” Darrion said. “I almost wish we could cancel dinner so the two of you could try them out. On the other hand, I’ve been hearing way too many wonderful things about Hester’s, and I’m not going to pass up these reservations.” Darrion laughed. “Fair enough. You won’t regret it. I’m not even offended that you would delay sex for dinner at Hester’s. It’s that wonderful.” “I don’t want to seem ungrateful,” Brayden said, “but these are awfully extravagant. How on earth did you afford them?” “I know that dancing is not the most lucrative career, but when you’ve won national and international championships multiple times, your skills are in demand enough that you have discretionary income in your checking account. I mean, I’m not as rich as Darrion, who has his family’s money in addition to his own career, but I do pretty well for myself, and I can afford to splurge on my men every once in awhile.” She grinned, and for once, Brayden didn’t interpret her discussion of her talent or extraordinary career as a mark of arrogance. Once they finished their drinks, they headed over to Hester’s for their dinner reservation. Melanie gasped at the sight of the place, and both Darrion and Brayden smiled. For Brayden, a trip to Hester’s was doubly special. Since he lived out of town, he didn’t get to eat there

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nearly as often as he wanted. He was grateful he was there for Melanie’s first experience at the restaurant. “A reservation for Brayden Miller,” he said to the hostess. “Lovely to see you again, Mr. Miller,” she replied. “It’s been too long. When are you going to finally give in and move to Male Order? There are a number of women who would be happy to have you as a neighbor.” Brayden gave a nervous chuckle, terrified that one false move would broadcast his feelings before he was ready. “I’ve always been happy in Houston, but you never know. Maybe someday. I’m not making any promises, though.” The hostess grinned. “Well, I hope that one day you change your mind. Now, follow me, I’ll show you to your table.” “She seems to like you,” Melanie murmured as they walked to their booth. “Eh, I’m nothing special. Lots of women like to flirt for the sake of it. Anyway, it’s not like I’m interested in her. I have all I need standing right next to me.” “So you would consider moving to Male Order?” Her voice trembled slightly. “It’s certainly not out of the question. Certain things would need to be figured out first, though.” “What sorts of things?” “Whether or not certain people wanted me here. And I’m not talking about the people working at this restaurant.” They took their seats and immediately began thumbing through their menus, neither of them wanting to call attention to the tension undercutting their conversation, both of them hoping that Darrion had not noticed it. “I have an announcement to make,” Darrion said once dinner orders had been placed and drinks had been brought out. Brayden and Melanie glanced at each other.

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“Melanie,” Darrion said, taking her hand, “I know that we don’t know each other that well yet. We’ve met at competitions, we’ve danced together, but things are still fairly new between us. Nonetheless, I’ve come to realize that, over the past few days, I’ve developed serious feelings for you. I don’t know if it’s the way you dance, or the way you’ve held up during these stressful situations, or just because of who you are, but I’ve developed feelings for you that I’ve never had for any other woman I’ve ever met. I know it’s soon, I know it’s rushing it, but I can’t deny the way I feel. You’re different, Melanie. You inspire feelings, thoughts, and ideas in me like nobody else ever has. I love you, Melanie Brickman.” Melanie stared at Darrion in shock. She was trembling so hard that Brayden worried she was going to have some sort of emotional collapse. After a minute of nervous silence, she finally spoke. “I love you, too, Darrion.” They shared a deep kiss before she turned back to Brayden. “I love you, too. I know it must seem sudden, given that for most of the time we’ve known each other, we’ve antagonized each other, but I admit I’ve always felt attracted to you in a way that was more than just physical. The past few days have allowed me to loosen up and realize just how deep my emotions run. I love you, Brayden.” A sense of relief washed over Brayden just before he was hit by a tidal wave of elation. “I love you too, Melanie. I know I’ve created a lot of conflict between us, but I’ve always lusted after you, and as I’ve gotten to know you over the past few days, that lust has deepened into love. I’m sorry for all the antagonism I created. I’m just happy to know you feel the same way I do.” Melanie leaned up and kissed him, electricity pouring through his body and settling in his groin, where it started to wake up his groin. Calm down, he thought to himself, forcing his cock to settle down. I want to enjoy this dinner. I want Melanie to enjoy this dinner. I can wait just a bit longer to have fun. Still, he couldn’t resist adding a little more temptation to the mix.

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“Darrion, I hope you don’t mind, but I got a little gift for Melanie this afternoon. Fortunately, I think you’ll get some enjoyment out of it as well.” He pulled a slim box out of his inner jacket pocket. Melanie raised her eyebrows. “When did you have time to go shopping for a present for me?” “I knew your hair and nails were going to take longer than my haircut and shave. I stopped by Pearls and Chains to kill some time and happened to find something that I thought would interest all of us.” Melanie tore through the wrapping paper and flipped open the box to find a ceramic dildo pained with a rose motif. Brayden couldn’t help but feel elated at the sight of her smile. “It’s gorgeous.” “It’s not just pretty, though,” he said, taking it from her hands. He popped off the cork at the end. “Depending on the temperature of water we fill it with, we can heat you up or cool you down.” His smile turned from joyful to mischievous. “Which one do you plan to do for me tonight?” “We’ll see.” **** Melanie didn’t care that she rushed through her dinner. Hester’s was a legendary restaurant and her food was delicious, but she knew that something much more exciting was awaiting her at home. She didn’t even order one of the restaurant’s famous desserts. As much as she salivated at the thought of one of the restaurant’s delicious pastries, her cunt was twice as wet at the thought of being fucked with such a beautiful dildo and the sight of her men wearing those gorgeous cock rings. Finally, they were back in Brayden’s truck, driving toward Darrion’s house. Melanie didn’t want to cram into the tiny back cab,

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so she climbed into the front seat and curled up in Darrion’s lap, feeling his erection start to awaken and press against her ass. “That’s illegal, I think,” Brayden said, casting a sidelong glance at them. “I’ll pay the ticket if you get fined. The feeling of Melanie sitting in my lap is an experience well worth any price.” Not wanting to make Brayden feel like he was losing out by having to drive, Melanie made a point of teasing him for the remainder of the drive home. She made sure to continually press her ass into Darrion’s lap, eliciting faint groans as his erection pressed harder and harder against her flesh. She also made a point of reaching over and stroking Brayden’s thighs and stiffening cock. “Careful, Melanie, you don’t want to make me get in an accident.” “Surely you have the presence of mind to focus on the road while a beautiful woman teases you.” “I’d rather focus all of my attention on the beautiful woman.” “You’ll be able to do that soon enough.” Melanie dug her fingers even deeper into his thighs, feeling the fabric of his pants strain even more, even though she wasn’t directly touching his rapidly hardening dick. The second Brayden pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine they spilled out of the truck and raced toward the house. “Here,” Melanie said, thrusting the dildo into Brayden’s hands. “Fill it up.” “Which temperature would you prefer?” “Surprise me.” Once she heard water running in the kitchen sink, Melanie rushed toward the bedroom, Darrion not far behind her. She jumped on the bed, and he followed, falling into a mess of rough kisses and tangled limbs. Melanie wanted to wait until both of her men were in the room before she started undressing, and so to distract herself from the intense desire to be naked, she focused on Darrion, pulling off his

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jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. She was still raking her nails down his chest and biting his nipples when Brayden walked into the room. “Hey, save a little of that sexy energy for me.” “You don’t need to worry about me,” she said. “I’m going to be good to play all night long.” “I hope so,” Brayden said as he ran the ice-cold dildo down her back. Her low-cut dress didn’t protect her sensitive flesh from the chill. “Oh fuck, that feels amazing,” she gasped. “Why don’t you tease our woman?” Brayden asked, easing himself on the bed. “Only enough that she gets good and hot, though. Don’t set her off right away.” Darrion eased Melanie down on the bed and slid his hand up her dress. He grabbed her panties and tore them off. Melanie couldn’t bring herself to care. She was too excited for what lay ahead of her. Darrion began to stroke her pussy lips, grazing them only with the tip of his finger, occasionally moving away to explore the soft flesh of her inner thighs. “More,” she whispered, knowing her request was probably fruitless, but desperate to try. To her surprise, Darrion complied to some degree. He eased two fingers between her slit to find her throbbing clit, which had been desperate for attention all night. After a few agonizingly slow strokes, he started moving faster. Melanie gripped the sheets and thrashed under his touch, pressing her pelvis up to increase the pressure on her clit. She was desperate to get off, even though Brayden didn’t want her to just yet. Though they’d only made love twice so far, it seemed that Darrion already knew her too well. The second her breath quickened with the initial stirrings of orgasm, he pulled away. “Please, don’t go,” she begged. “I need more.” “How’s this for more?” Brayden asked, sliding the chilled dildo inside of her.

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Melanie screamed as the cold ceramic filled her. At first, it was almost painful, but as her muscles contracted around the dildo, she found her arousal was heightened by the contrast of the cold object against her hot skin. Her cunt clenched even harder, pulling the dildo deeper inside of her, as though it was eager to experience the cold. “I think she’s ready for her clit to have some more attention,” Brayden said as he began to glide the dildo in and out at a snail’s pace. Darrion matched his strokes, moving his finger around her clit in achingly slow circles. “More,” Melanie demanded. Begging didn’t seem to be working out for her, so she was going to try demanding. “More now.” “What do you think? Should we give her more?” “I don’t see why not.” They both increased the frequency of their strokes and thrusts. Melanie felt the orgasm building in her pelvis and generating heat like a fire. She caught her breath as the flames finally exploded, sending her body into a series of uncontrollable spasms. “Oh, fuck yes!” she screamed as the climax hit. “You’re both perfect.” “Glad you think so,” Brayden murmured as he kissed her. “Now the two of you have some toys that you need to try.” She rolled over and pinned Brayden to the bed, teasing his nipples with her teeth a little longer before she pulled his pants off. “Now go fetch both of those cock rings, please.” “Right now?” “Yes, right now. Do it, or you’ll have to sit and watch while I fuck Darrion. I’m sure you don’t want to just sit and watch.” “No, I don’t.” He hurried off the bed, collecting the jewelry boxes from both jackets that had been tossed on the bedroom floor. As he set about his chore, Melanie started to undress Darrion, going faster than she had with Brayden, eager to have them both completely naked.

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“Hand me the rings,” she said. Brayden complied, and she sat up. Taking the first ring, she slid it over Darrion’s slightly erect cock. “Oh my god,” he gasped as the tight metal clenched around his dick. “You like it?” “I love it. I’ve never felt anything like this before. It’s amazing.” She turned to Brayden. “Are you ready?” “You bet I am.” She put Brayden’s cock ring on, her pussy heating up again when she heard the gasp that was a combination of both pain and pleasure. “You like it too, I take it?” “I’ve never felt anything better.” “Well, wait until you feel what it’s like to be wearing it while you’re inside me.” “How do you want us?” Darrion asked. “Tonight, I want you one at a time, and I want the other person to watch while I fuck them.” “Who goes first?” “I think I’ll ride Brayden first. Darrion, go stand in the corner and watch. Feel free to touch yourself. On second thought, I absolutely demand that you touch yourself as you watch the two of us fuck.” “Your wish is my command.” Darrion leaned against the wall and took his cock in his hand. “That’s what I like to see,” she gasped. “How do you want me, Melanie?” Brayden asked. Melanie rolled over onto all fours. “From behind. I want to watch Darrion play with himself while you fuck me.” Brayden slid inside, groaning as her cunt muscles tightened around the cock that was already being squeezed by the tight ring. Melanie gasped as she felt the ring slide inside her, providing an extra sensation she’d never felt before. It rubbed against her pulsating muscles, sending tremors reverberating throughout her body.

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Once Darrion began to stroke himself, Brayden gripped Melanie’s hips and began thrusting. He moved quickly, already wound up from the teasing they’d done earlier. Melanie loved how quick he moved, and the way the cock ring provided extra friction. Brayden groaned again. “Fuck, Melanie, this feels so good. I’m permanently on edge. I’m so ready to come, but I just can’t.” “What about you, Darrion?” asked, her voice raspy from moaning and screaming. Darrion’s face contorted as he tugged on his cock even harder. “God, Melanie, it feels just like Brayden says. Like I want to come, but it’s impossible.” “Keep playing with yourself. I want to watch. I like that you can’t come. It’s more fun for me.” Steadying herself on the bed, Melanie reached one hand up to play with her clit. That last bit of physical stimulation sent her over the edge. Her cunt clenched up and gripped Brayden’s cock, and she collapsed on the bed, unable to support her own weight as the tremors of orgasm overwhelmed her body. “I’ve changed my mind,” she gasped as soon as she caught her breath. “I want you both inside of me. I want you to both finish in me.” Brayden groaned when she pulled away from him and walked up to the wall. “Can you hold me up?” Darrion nodded and gripped her hips, hoisting her up and then sliding her slick pussy down on his cock. Melanie pressed her hands against the wall, exposing her ass so Brayden would have room to slide into her tight hole. She gasped as he eased a lubed finger in circles, warming her up. Melanie was surprised at how little he needed to work her before she was ready, but she was stretched in no time, and his slick cock went in easily. “Yes,” she moaned, halfway to her third orgasm. The friction of the cock ring felt even better in her ass than it did in her cunt. With

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two ringed cocks inside of her at once, the sensation was overwhelming, and Melanie began to lose her sense of space and time as her men moved inside of her. She was overwhelmed by the way their restrained cocks pulsed. Leaning into Darrion, she sank her teeth into his neck, and she felt Brayden do the same to her shoulder. As their cocks suddenly strained even harder, Melanie knew the teeth were the last piece needed to set them over the edge. She let her own orgasm overwhelm her body, let both of her holes clench around the cocks that filled her, and reveled in the screams that came from both of their mouths. Brayden slid out of Melanie, and Darrion eased her down to the floor. They all staggered to the bed and collapsed. “If we keep this up, we’re not going to have any energy for dress rehearsal tomorrow,” Brayden said. “You’d better. We already lost a day’s worth of work,” Darrion said. “You’re gonna have to put in double time tomorrow. You’d better both be perfect. You took my worries away for the evening, but I’m definitely going to be nervous tomorrow.” “The worst is behind us,” Melanie said as she drifted off. “With all that’s already gone wrong, nothing else can happen.”

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Chapter 8 On Friday, Darrion woke up with a smile on his face. The woman he loved and his best friend were both sharing his bed. The competition was just a day away. Tomorrow, he’d finally make his choreographic debut. Today, he’d finally be able to see Melanie and Brayden perform on the ballroom floor, rather than the one at the studio. Gazing at Melanie’s sleeping form, Darrion’s cock roused itself from sleep. Within minutes, he was filled with need. Not wanting to wake her right away, he started running his fingertips up and down her arm, tracing the curve of her neck and shoulder, feeling the silkiness of her hair. Gradually, she began to stir, moaning with pleasure as his hands continued to roam her body. Her small sounds were just loud enough to wake Brayden up, and he turned over and started stroking her as well, focusing on the curve of her hips and thighs. Darrion reached down and began to tease Melanie’s nipples, just skimming them with the tips with his fingernails. He felt her tremble against his cock with arousal and frustration. “More,” she whispered. “I’ll give you more,” Brayden said, and slid down the bed, positioning his face between her legs. Darrion threw the covers off so he could watch his friend go down on Melanie. That was one of the things he loved most about sharing a partner, the way stepping back and watching was in many ways just as arousing as fully participating. His cock grew even harder as he watched Brayden’s tongue slide over Melanie’s thighs and trace up and down the slit of her swollen pussy. Keeping one hand teasing her

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nipples, he started gently stroking with his cock. He didn’t want to come before he had the chance to get inside her, but he needed some sort of touch or he’d go crazy. Melanie brushed his hand away and wrapped her fingers around his shaft. “Careful, babe. I don’t want to get off too soon.” “I’ll be gentle.” True to her word, Melanie was the ultimate tease. As Brayden’s tongue delved in and out of her pussy, thrusting faster and harder with each lick, Melanie’s fingers remained constantly light. Her fingertips swirled around the head of his cock and danced up and down the aching shaft, but he never got the strong thrusts that would make him climax. Instead, the pressure just kept building, leaving him to wonder how long he would actually last when he did have the chance to get inside her. “Fuck!” Melanie yelped. “So fucking good.” Her whole body clenched with orgasm, including her hand, which suddenly gripped Darrion’s cock, making it pulse with need. For a moment, Darrion didn’t think he could hold back any longer, but her grip loosened just in time. “I want both of you,” she said. “Get the lube, Brayden.” As Brayden slicked up his fingers, Melanie pushed Darrion flat on his back and climbed on top of him and poised his cock at the very entrance to her pussy. She stood completely still for a few minutes, allowing him to simply anticipate how it would feel when he slid into her wet cunt. Then, she started to slide down his dick, moving a centimeter at a time, shuddering when he hit her G-spot. “Stretch me,” she commanded, positioning herself so Brayden had easy access to her ass. She was tilted slightly forward, and the ends of her hair brushed against Darrion’s chest, making his body burn with even more intensity. She nibbled at his neck, biting down on the flesh whenever Brayden slid another finger into her. Finally, when Darrion

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didn’t think he could handle another second of being inside her without thrusting, she pulled away and said, “I’m ready.” Darrion couldn’t believe how much tighter she became when Brayden filled her ass, but he loved the way her cunt clenched around his cock with even more intensity. Finally filled, Melanie started to ride them both. She wasn’t waiting around for more teasing or foreplay, either. Darrion could tell that she was just as needy as he was, because she pounded into both of them with all of her might. Although in his pleasure he was quickly losing sense of space and time, Darrion had enough presence of mind to reach up and cup Melanie’s breasts yet again. He loved their perfect shape, and the way they filled his hands without overwhelming them. He could touch them every day for the rest of his life and not get enough. As he tugged on her pointed nipples, he felt her cunt lock down around his cock, and he lost all control of his body. His cock gave a throb so huge it almost hurt, and as he heard Melanie start to scream, his muscles gave an ecstatic release, and he filled her with cum. Looking over Melanie’s shoulder, he saw Brayden’s face contort as he began to groan, his body flopping down onto her back as his muscles relaxed. “Shower?” Darrion asked, stroking Melanie’s hair. “What’s the point? We’re just gonna get all sweaty in rehearsal, anyway. Let’s just throw on some clothes and go. We’ll get cleaned up together later.” “I like the sound of that,” Brayden said as he got up and pulled on his pants. After they were dressed, they all piled into Darrion’s truck. As they pulled out of the driveway, Darrion braked suddenly. A fire truck and an ambulance sped by, horns and lights blazing. When it was safe to go, Darrion pulled onto the road and started driving. He couldn’t help but speed. He was excited, and his eagerness to rehearse in the ballroom translated to a lead foot. Then, he heard another siren. Looking in the rearview mirror, he saw police lights flashing.

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“Shit,” he muttered, pulling over with resignation. He knew he deserved the ticket. The police officer didn’t slow down and pull off behind him. Instead, the squad car blazed on past, sirens at full blast. “Guess he had somewhere more important to be,” Brayden said as Darrion pulled back onto the road. Their eyes widened two miles later when they pulled into the parking lot of the Male Order cotillion hall and saw all three emergency vehicles parked outside. The smell of smoke still clung to the air. While the ballroom was still standing, all three of them had a sinking feeling that it would not be functional for the competition the next day. Like the dance studio, the windows were all shattered, though Darrion presumed that was due to an explosion from the fire rather than a rock or sledgehammer. Large chunks of the exterior were blackened. Even the landscaping hadn’t escaped damage. In fact, much if it seemed worse off than the building itself. The flowers were all gone. Nothing but charred soil remained where, just a few hours ago, flowers had been growing strong, despite the punishing Texas sun. The grass nearest to the building had been charred away, and much of the parking lot was covered in a layer of soot. Darrion wanted to cry. There was no way they could have the competition now. All of his hard work was down the drain. He looked over at Brayden, who was also fighting back tears. “This weekend was supposed to be my comeback,” he whispered, unable to hide the tremors in his voice. “I was finally supposed to dance again. Now, it’s over before it even started.” “Both of you, keep it together,” Melanie snapped. “We don’t even know what’s going on. Maybe it’s not as bad as it looks. Don’t start worrying until we have complete information.” Darrion looked around and rushed up to the first firefighter he saw. “What on earth happened here?” “Sorry, sir, I can’t reveal details at this time.”

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“But I’m supposed to be in rehearsal now!” “Come with me, Darrion.” Alexis came up and put a hand on his shoulder. “Since I’m the one in charge of the competition, they’ve told me everything. We should go sit down.” She motioned for Brayden and Melanie to follow, and led them to one of the lush benches that decorated the cotillion hall grounds. “So what’s going on?” Darrion asked. “Is the competition ruined?” “Not in the slightest. Well, not if I have anything to say about it, that is. Which I do, as I’m running it.” “So the damage isn’t that bad?” “That depends on your definition of bad. The building hasn’t been destroyed. It will be functional eventually. But there was a lot of smoke damage, and some direct fire damage as well. It’s going to need some repairs before it’s functional again, and those will probably take several weeks to complete. So unfortunately, the cotillion ballroom is not going to be ready to be used for the competition tomorrow.” “Fuck,” Darrion moaned, setting his head in his hands. “What are we going to do?” “We’re going to use the Twirling Lasso, that’s what. It’s not too far away, and all of the competitors will be able to get there just fine. It’s quite a bit smaller than the floor we were planning to use, of course, but we’ll find a way to make it work. It’s better to have a small floor than no floor at all.” “Alexis, you can’t.” “Why not?” “Because your car and your personal studio have already been destroyed. It’s clear to me that whoever is doing this is targeting the competition directly. I don’t want to see you getting hurt, and I don’t want your livelihood being destroyed.” “We don’t know that these two things are connected,” Brayden said. “It could be that kid from Austin.”

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“Are you kidding me?” Darrion said. “The police officer scared him off yesterday. He would know better than to stick around. If he wanted to target Alexis specifically, he would have focused on her. She doesn’t own the cotillion hall. Whoever is doing this knows we’re supposed to have the competition here and destroyed it to keep it from happening.” “I just don’t understand why someone would want to keep the competition from happening,” Alexis said. “None of the competitors want it to go under, obviously. This is a major event, a chance for them to make their names.” “Anyone sitting out on the sidelines due to politics or injury that might be acting out of jealousy?” Brayden asked. “Not that I can think of,” Melanie said. “I don’t know of anyone who has to sit out who’s coming all the way out here just to watch.” “That’s true,” Darrion said. “I don’t think anyone in Male Order is especially resistant to the idea of the competition coming into town,” Alexis said. “I mean, I know some of the families here are pretty insular and concerned about people from the outside world coming in and judging them, but usually they’re pretty vocal when they’re in opposition to outsiders coming in, and I haven’t heard anything, especially not from any of the most prominent community members.” “No,” Darrion said. “I mean, yeah, people here prefer to keep the town to themselves, but everyone is very excited about the fact that you brought the competition here, Alexis. We may be concerned about our image and our privacy, but we also love dancing, and we’re thrilled to have the event here this year.” “It just doesn’t add up, does it?” A BMW pulled into the parking lot. Brayden, Darrion, Melanie, and Alexis all jumped to their feet. Darrion wasn’t surprised when Richard stepped out of the car. Darrion crossed the parking lot in only five steps and grabbed Richard, pinning him to the side of his car.

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“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” “I–I–I can’t breathe,” he squeaked out. Darrion loosened his grip enough to give the boy air, but not enough for him to even consider wiggling free. “There. Now you won’t asphyxiate. Now tell me what the fuck you’re doing here.” “I came to apologize to Alexis.” “Like hell you did. What do you know about this here?” Darrion gestured toward the scorched cotillion hall. “N–Nothing, I swear. Really, I didn’t do it. I just wanted to talk to Alexis. I’m not out to hurt your town or anything.” “Somehow, I don’t believe you. Why didn’t you get out of town yesterday like the police officer ordered?” “Because I’d just spent the entire previous afternoon in the damn car, and I didn’t want to just get back in the car less than twelve hours after arriving here. That’s too much driving for two days.” “Please. I’m sure a young kid like you could handle it. So what did you do all day if you weren’t coming up with a plan to spend your parents’ money on arson supplies and setting up a crime?” “I wasn’t planning a crime, I swear. I just hung out by the motel pool. It was a little below my standards, but believe it or not, I’m on a budget. I know I look like a young rich kid, but my parents don’t just give me handouts.” “Yeah, I’m sure you had to work real hard for that fancy car. So you hung out by the pool all day, laid low. I guess I might be able to buy that, but why the hell didn’t you head back out for Austin first thing in the morning?” “Because I wanted to apologize to Alexis for the way I acted. I spent yesterday thinking, believe it or not, and I realized that what I’d been doing was completely out of line. I wanted to offer her a personal apology before I headed out of town.” “Somehow, I just don’t believe you.” “What’s going on here?” a police officer asked.

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“This obnoxious kid has been harassing Alexis. One of your officers told him to get out of town yesterday morning, and twentyfour hours later, he’s still lurking around.” “Is this true?” “I just wanted to apologize to Alexis.” “Officer, I don’t have much in the way of concrete evidence, but it seems mighty suspicious that he turns up at both crime scenes, after having harassed Alexis repeatedly over the phone before he drove up from Austin.” The officer took out his cuffs and shoved Richard around, pressing his face into the hot metal of the car. “You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in the court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?” “I was just coming to apologize,” Richard whined, his lower lip trembling. “Do you understand these rights?” “Yes,” Richard sighed, and allowed the officer to lead him over to the police car. Darrion walked back to the group, a slight smile forming at his lips. “I think we’ve taken care of the problem.” “What if he wasn’t lying?” Melanie asked. “What if he really was coming over to apologize?” “Do you really think a stuck-up kid like him would apologize?” “I don’t think that kid is smart enough to be a liar. Or to orchestrate an arson plot.” “Well, I’m going with my gut here. Let the police sort it out.” Melanie turned to Alexis. “Do you think he did it?” “I don’t know, but you have to admit, his behavior has been awfully suspicious. Even though his involvement doesn’t quite fit, at the same time, it’s the most plausible explanation that we have.”

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Melanie shrugged. “Maybe you’re right.” Alexis turned to Darrion. “So now can I host the competition at the Twirling Lasso without getting any grief from you?” Darrion laughed. “You bet. We’ll even help you get everything set up.” The four of them hurried over to the Twirling Lasso and immediately began getting ready. Alexis unlocked the door and immediately put on some music to set the mood. Then she went into the office to place some calls and make arrangements. Melanie, Brayden, and Darrion immediately began setting up a competition floor. “Not much space to dance. This will probably be standing room only,” Brayden mused. “At least line two rows of the folding chairs up near the back. There will be people who are going to need them. Melanie, stack extra folding chairs somewhere out of the way but accessible. And let’s just get rid of those bar stools. They’ll definitely give us some extra space when they’re out.” They set to work, Brayden and Melanie arranging furniture, Darrion sweeping and mopping the floors. Alexis soon joined them and began doing inventory, making sure the bar would have enough for the extra customers they’d have the next day. Occasionally, a song would come on that inspired them, and Darrion and Brayden would invite the women to two-step. Sometimes, Melanie and Brayden would improvise to a song, taking any excuse they could to prepare for the mixed competition. But for once, there was no hostility between them in their dancing. They shared the floor, they clapped for each other, and they enjoyed watching each other dance without any sense of resistance or disdain. Darrion smiled at the sight of his lover and his best friend, relieved that they could finally truly enjoy each other’s company.

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After a few hours of work, they sat around the bar, and Alexis passed out some beers. They hadn’t had more than a few sips before a police officer entered the bar. “Mrs. Burke-Pierce? I have some news for you regarding the arson case.” Alexis’s face brightened. “Yes?” “Don’t get too excited just yet. We’ve made some progress, but things are far from resolved.” “What happened?” “Well, that Richard kid, the one who’s been bugging you? His alibi doesn’t quite check out. He admits to bothering you on the phone but still denies his involvement in the attack on the cotillion hall or the vandalism of your studio.” “That’s not exactly new information.” “No, but we have checked up with his hotel, and it seems he checked in later than he says he did. Plus, nobody around there can really verify his whereabouts. That doesn’t mean he was lying, of course. It might just mean that nobody at the hotel noticed him. Without that verification, though, it’s not looking good for him.” “What about the diner?” “Nobody can verify his presence at the diner, either. That’s what strikes me as the biggest red flag. It wasn’t that busy, but not a single person working there that morning can remember him. You’d think he’d be noticeable, given that he’s from out of town and all.” “So what does this mean?” “It means that unless someone contacts us able to verify his whereabouts, I think we’ve got our guy. We’ll be holding him through the weekend, and he’ll have an appearance at the courthouse on Monday.” “He’s not getting bail?” “A judge might allow it when the arraignment happens on Monday, but we won’t know until then. There’s no time for a court hearing before that, and given that he looks like a pretty big threat to

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Male Order, if he did get bail, it would get set pretty high. We don’t want him on our streets, especially not this weekend. This competition has been through enough drama.” “Thank you, officer. I really appreciate you stopping by to tell us the news.” “Just doing my job. You folks have a good night, and good luck tomorrow.” “Thanks again.” Melanie hurried up to hug Alexis. “I’m so relieved.” “Me, too. I feel like I can finally enjoy things tomorrow without constantly worrying about what’s going to go wrong.” “With everything else that’s gone wrong this week, tomorrow is going to be perfect.” “Yoo-hoo!” Ella Hughes’s southern drawl reached their ears before she and her husband opened the door. “Can I help you?” Alexis asked. “Well, where is everybody?” Ella looked around the empty bar. “What do you mean?” “I’d have thought that everyone would be here by now, practicing for the big event tomorrow. We thought we were going to have to fight for rehearsal space. What’s wrong, are people backing out of the competition because they’re afraid? Not that I’d blame them. I’ve been considering skipping this event and waiting until next year, when it’s in a much safer locale.” “I won’t hear of it,” Brent said with a grin. “We came all this way, and we’re going to dance.” “Well, the floor looks pretty clear. Mind if we run through our stuff?” “Actually, we were just clearing out,” Alexis said. “We’ve had a long afternoon getting the bar ready to host competitors and spectators, and we’re pretty drained.” “Well, how on earth are we supposed to practice, then? The studio is still a wreck, and the cotillion hall is unusable.”

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“I’m not sure what you should do, but so far, you’re the only people here right now who are trying to get in some practice time. Either they’ve all decided to take a day off, or they’ve found another solution.” “I don’t suppose we could use your home studio again,” Ella said, eyeing Darrion. “If I remember correctly, the last time you used it, you didn’t actually do much in the way of dancing. Now, I don’t mind loaning my space out to dancers in need, but if they don’t respect my property, I’m not going to give them a second chance. Sorry, but nothing doing.” Ella stamped her foot. “Then how are we going to be ready for tomorrow.” Melanie rolled her eyes. “If you’re not ready now, there’s no way you’re going to be ready tomorrow. I hate to break it to you, but there’s just not enough time to get your shit together.” “Fine. Well, thanks for nothing. We’ll see you tomorrow.” The Hugheses turned and stomped out of the bar. “They’re not the most pleasant people, are they?” Alexis asked. “No, and they’re not the greatest dancers, either,” Darrion said. “Funny how so many of the second-rate competitors are the most stuck-up. So many of them are prima donnas without having the talent to justify it.” “Well, I’m not going to make a big deal about it. I only have to deal with them for one more day. Now come on, it’s been a long afternoon. Let me buy the three of you dinner to thank you for your help today.” “You don’t need to do that,” Darrion said. “I’m your employee. Of course I’m going to help you get things together in time for the competition.” “You helped me when you could have been rehearsing in your home studio. You’re either more confident than I thought, or you’re really devoted.”

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“It might be a little of both.” “Either way, you went above and beyond the call of duty today. Come on, let’s go somewhere nice. I love this place, but I definitely need a change of pace before the big day tomorrow.” Finally persuaded, the trio joined Alexis for dinner at Hester’s. Jeremiah and Tristan arranged for a babysitter and came to join them. As they enjoyed their meal together, Darrion felt a sense of contentment he’d never known before. Part of it came from being able to sit back and enjoy his dinner. He had loved what had happened the night before, but he did regret his hurry to finish dinner so the three of them could go to bed. But now, he could enjoy his meal, and he could do so with the love of his life sitting between himself and his best friend. This feels completely right, he thought. This is how it always should be.

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Chapter 9 Melanie was too nervous for sex the next morning, but she was also too focused on the competition to give it much thought. Sex could happen later, when everything had gone off without a hitch, when the judges had made their decision, when the winners had all received their prizes. Her lovers seemed to be of a similar mind, hurrying out of bed the second the alarm went off, packing up their dance bags and putting on warm-up clothes. They arrived at the Twirling Lasso early to help Alexis and Jeremiah set up. “Something doesn’t feel quite right,” Darrion said as they pulled into the parking lot. “I see Jeremiah’s truck here,” Brayden said. “The lights are on. Nothing’s out of place, nothing’s been vandalized.” “Still, something just feels off.” “Well, we don’t have time to dwell on it,” Melanie said. “Let’s get this show on the road so I can actually enjoy watching the morning events. I like to relax as much as possible on the days I compete.” They hurried into the Twirling Lasso, where Alexis and Jeremiah were busy with last-minute preparations. Jeremiah was testing the sound system one more time, and Alexis was organizing the bar, setting out pitchers of water and double-checking inventory. “Melanie, can you do me a favor and take the trash out?” Alexis called. “I forgot to take care of it last night. It’s in that back corner over there.” “I’m on it.” Melanie hurried toward the back and grabbed the bag.

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As she stepped back outside, she suddenly understood why Darrion had said that something was wrong. The second the door slammed shut behind her, a chill shot through her, and she knew that something was definitely wrong. But she didn’t have any concrete reason for her feelings, so she brushed them off and headed for the dumpster. “Melanie, I’m surprised to see you here so early.” Melanie jumped, not anticipating hearing Ella Hughes’s voice coming from behind the dumpster. Her sensation that something was wrong increased exponentially. “Ella, what on earth are you doing back there? I’m sure Alexis would let you use the bathroom inside if you needed to use the facilities. No sense in peeing out in that field if you don’t have to.” Her attempt at humor did not do anything to alleviate her uneasiness. Neither did the smirk that appeared on Ella’s face. “I wasn’t relieving myself.” “Then what are you doing out there? It’s no place to practice.” “I wasn’t practicing, either.” “Were you going off for a little romp in the field? You and your husband have a problem with screwing in your own bed? You have to get laid in fields and in other people’s homes?” Ella’s laugh was chilling. “Oh, you’re so naïve. You really think we were fucking in Darrion’s studio?” “You certainly weren’t dancing.” “We were strategizing.” “Strategizing?” “Why don’t we take a walk?” Melanie stiffened. “I’m not going anywhere.” Ella reached out and grabbed Melanie’s arm, pulling her off her feet. She fell to the ground, her ankle catching on a pothole and twisting.

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“Get up. You are coming with me.” Ella yanked Melanie to her feet, wrenching her ankle even more. Melanie could feel it starting to swell immediately, and she hoped it wasn’t broken. She hauled Melanie through the back field, taking a convoluted path, until they arrived at the SUV. The stabbing pain in Melanie’s ankle increased with each clunky step that Ella forced out of her. She shoved Melanie in the back and hopped into the driver’s seat. “What the fuck is going on here?” Melanie demanded as Ella put the key in the ignition and began driving. “Where’s your husband?” “He’s back at the Twirling Lasso, taking care of a little business.” “What the fuck do you mean? What were you strategizing about a few days ago?” “Brent and I…Let’s just say Brent and I have some ideological differences with the town of Male Order.” “So what? It’s none of your business, really. You came here to compete, not to be a judgmental bitch. Dance today, then go home and let these people live their lives.” “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. You can’t see that though, since your judgment has been clouded. You’re too busy fooling around with two men at the same time.” “Hey, we’re all happy, and we’re not hurting anybody. Quite frankly, it’s none of your damn business. If you had such a problem with this town, why did you even come? Why didn’t you skip the competition this year and save everyone a headache?” “Because it is my damn business. Brent and I are furious with the dance council for letting the competition happen here. We weren’t about to let them get away with it, and we weren’t going to sit out and let the competition continue as though it wasn’t taking place in a den of sin.” “You’re the only ones I know of who have a problem with it. You really should have just left well enough alone.” “Not the way we see it. Unfortunately, you’re all too stubborn for your own damn good. We’ve spent the whole week trying to sabotage

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this thing. Rather than call it off, though, Alexis keeps coming up with ways to keep it together. Nobody has even backed out from fear.” Melanie’s heart sank as she thought of Richard locked up in jail. “So you smashed all of those cars? You slashed my tires?” “Yup.” Ella had a proud grin on her face. “You destroyed Alexis’s studio?” “Of course.” “You set fire to the cotillion hall?” “I was especially pleased with that one. It wasn’t just designed to scare the dancers. We were symbolically targeting the whole town with that one.” She looked back at Melanie in the rearview mirror, and her expression soured. “You all had to be completely undeterred, anyway. We thought we’d really hit home with that one. Of course, everyone just had to be all strong and enterprising and fearless.” “Sorry we’re so damn resilient. So, have you finally given up?” Ella started grinning again. “Hardly. That’s why I have you all the way out here. Once you discovered me, you were probably going to blow our cover. So now, you’re a hostage.” “What the fuck do you mean blow your cover?” “I mean that my husband is currently planting a bomb over at the Twirling Lasso. I can’t have you over there, because you’d probably warn your friends and get them out in time, maybe even call in the bomb squad to have it taken care of.” “So you’re going to blow up the club with people I love inside?” “That’s the plan.” “Fuck you. I’m out of here.” Melanie reached for the door and tried to open it, but Ella mashed the lock shut. Undeterred, Melanie went for the lock, but the click of a gun made her freeze. “That’s right. Don’t do anything stupid. Now, you and I are just going to sit here until Brent comes back. Maybe have a nice little chat. After that, he and I will decide what to do with you.”

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Melanie’s mind reeled as she tried to come up with ways to make it out of the car and get down to the Twirling Lasso before it was too late. She knew that any move was risky, and that she might die trying to get out. But she wasn’t going to give up and sit there while her friends and lovers were in mortal danger. Ella’s phone rang. She took the gun away from Melanie’s face and went to answer it. “Hey, baby, what’s going on? Already? Okay, we’re on our way.” She started up the ignition. “We? Yeah, someone snuck up on me. Don’t worry, I have her contained.” Since Ella seemed distracted by talking and driving, Melanie eased her own cell phone out of her pocket. Keeping her movements as soft and as quiet as possible, she flipped open the phone and started typing a text to Darrion. Bomb at the Lasso. Call “What the fuck are you doing?” Ella screeched, her eyes falling on Melanie’s as she glanced in the rearview mirror. Even though she wasn’t finished typing, Melanie hit the “Send” button, certain that Darrion could handle it. Ella braked hard, grabbed Melanie’s wrist, and pulled the phone out of her hand. “What did I tell you about not doing anything stupid?” Reaching into the cup holder, she pulled out an extra set of keys, nesting them between her fingers. Melanie cursed herself for not having noticed them before, but her regret was short-lived. Ella scraped the keys down her arm, slowly, so her skin snagged on the teeth. Melanie tried to jerk away as soon as the pain hit her skin, but there was little space for her to move. When she tried to turn the tables and grab Ella’s wrist, Ella proved to be quicker, and administered the punishment a second time. The pain racing up Melanie’s arm shut down her thought process as Ella started driving again. She flopped back into the seat, desperate for relief. The throb in her ankle only intensified the perception of the

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welts that were beginning to form. Melanie knew she needed to concentrate on getting out, but all she could focus on was pain. **** “Anybody getting concerned about Melanie?” Brayden asked. “Didn’t she go to the dumpster fifteen minutes ago? Unless she’s sorting everything for the recycling bin, she should have been back fourteen minutes ago.” Darrion frowned. “You’re right.” “I’ll go check on her. Maybe she got distracted.” “Do you want backup?” “Nah, I’m fine.” The dumpster area was completely deserted, and the only cars in the parking lot were the ones that belonged to Jeremiah and Darrion. “Melanie?” Brayden called. “Melanie? Where are you?” “She went off with my wife.” Brayden tried not to jump, but the unexpectedness of Brent Hughes’s voice right behind him sent a shiver down his spine. “What are you doing here, Brent? The doors aren’t open to competitors yet.” “I’m not actually here for the competition.” “Funny, I don’t know what you’d be doing in Male Order otherwise. It’s a nice place and all, but it’s not much of a tourist town.” “Thank goodness for that. I’d hate to see people taking vacations in this disgraceful place.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “It means that Ella and I have certain issues with the town of Male Order, and as much as we’d like to compete, we’re more concerned about sending a message.” The Hughes’s SUV careened into the back parking lot, tires squealing as the driver hit the brakes.

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“Get in the car, Brent!” Ella screeched. Not knowing what else to do, Brayden whipped out his cell phone. “Nobody move. I’m calling the cops.” “Don’t even think about it,” Ella snapped. “You drop that phone right now, or I’ll shoot Melanie.” She rolled down the back window, and Brayden saw his lover slumped against the seat, obviously in pain. “What the fuck did you do to her?” he screamed. “Put that phone down, or I’ll do even worse.” Brayden hesitated for a moment, then set it on the ground. Brent lunged to pick it up, and suddenly Brayden found himself staring down the barrel. “Now, why don’t you join your little girlfriend in the car?” he said with a sneer. “Sorry we can’t bring the other guy out, but it’s better this way. We’re saving the two of you from sin. You can be a nice monogamous couple, just like the rest of the world.” “You sonofabitch.” “Get in the damn car!” Brent waved the gun around, and Brayden decided not to gamble with his life. He backed up and climbed into the seat, next to Melanie. “You okay?” he asked, taking her hand. “I’ll be fine,” she gasped, holding back tears. He ran his fingers gently over the welts on her arm. “Shit. Okay, you’re gonna be fine. As soon as we get out of this, we’ll—” “Both of you keep quiet,” Brent snapped as he climbed in next to his wife. “Let’s get out of here.” “Hey!” Brayden peered out the window to see Darrion running toward the SUV. “Fuck off!” Ella screamed, and blasted a warning shot out of her open window. Darrion ducked to avoid the bullet. Undeterred, he started running after the SUV. He had to dodge three more of Ella’s bullets before he gave up the chase.

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****

“Fuck!” Darrion dropped to his knees and smashed his fists against the pavement, furious that he’d been unable to help them. “What the hell is going on?” Alexis yelled, sprinting across the parking lot. Darrion pulled out his phone and showed Alexis the text that had flashed across the screen a few minutes before. Her face went white. “Call the police. Then grab Jeremiah and get the hell out of here.” “What about you?” “Somebody has to be here in case unwitting dancers show up early. I’ll ward them off.” “No, you’re not. I’m not going to let you be hurt.” “I’m not going to put innocent lives at risk for my own selfpreservation. Somebody needs to warn them, and it’s going to be me. Now get moving.” Alexis stared at Darrion for a moment with sad eyes, and then sprang into action to get Jeremiah, dialing 911 as she went. Darrion watched them go, then began to stake out the place, searching for the bomb. He didn’t know what to look for, but kept his eyes open for anything suspicious. Finally, he found a rough-looking contraption near the back door. It didn’t look like a professional job, but with all the wires, it was certainly confusing. He didn’t have the first clue as to how to go about defusing it. He noted that the counter said there were five minutes left. He decided to give the police four of them before he really put his life on the line. Those four minutes nearly killed him. He paced the parking lot, wishing he hadn’t given up smoking five years ago. After three minutes passed, he heard sirens roaring up the street. He ran to meet them.

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A man from the bomb squad barreled out of the car. “What the hell are you still doing here?” he yelled. “Let the experts deal with this. Now where is the bomb?” “Around back, right by the door.” “Thank you, sir. I need you to get far away now. This is a dangerous operation, and we’re not about to have civilians getting hurt.” The squad raced around the building. Darrion sprang into action and called Alexis as he raced to his car and peeled out of the parking lot. “The bomb squad is here.” “Thank god.” “I’m going on the hunt for Melanie and Brayden” “Darrion, what if—” “Don’t, Alexis. Don’t have any doubts.” “Maybe you should let the police find Melanie and Brayden.” “Alexis, we’ve been friends ever since you opened the studio. I think you know me well enough by now to realize that’s not an option for me.” She sighed. “I know. Be careful. I want all three of you back in time to dance this afternoon, do you understand?” “Of course I do.” **** “Shit. They’re on to us,” Ella snapped. Melanie was still in pain, but her head was starting to clear. She craned her neck and saw a trail of police cars following them, their lights flashing. “Keep going,” Brent said. “Maybe we can outrun them.” “We’ve got nothing else to lose.” Melanie glanced at Brayden. “What do we do?” she whispered.

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“You’ll shut up is what you’ll do,” Brent snapped. He whirled around and pointed the gun at them. “Unless you want to die.” Melanie hated herself for cowering but couldn’t help slumping back. Brayden followed her lead. Once Brent calmed down and turned back around, he gripped her hand tighter. When Ella hit the accelerator, the police turned their sirens on. “Veer off the road and cut across that field,” Brent commanded. Ella took the suggestion, but the police stayed on them. Melanie gripped Brayden’s hand even harder as they went on a bumpy ride through a field and then pulled back onto the street. The SUV swayed as they raced through Male Order, and they both winced as Ella ran stop lights and drove up onto curbs to push her way through traffic. A few miles later, Ella slammed her fist on the dashboard. “Goddamn!” Melanie craned her head to see a police barricade a few hundred yards away and rapidly getting closer. “What do I do?” Ella screamed. “Pull into that parking lot on the right,” Brent said. “Maybe we can navigate through it and get back on the street.” “What if it doesn’t work?” “Do we have any other fucking choices?” Ella braked hard and veered into the parking lot. Melanie almost laughed when she saw that Ella had pulled into the lot of the Male Order police station. A swarm of officers hurried toward the car. “I love you,” Melanie said. “I love you, too.” An officer opened the car door and helped them both out. Melanie looked up to see Darrion running toward them. “Thank god you’re okay,” he gasped. “I’m a little worse for wear, but I’ll be fine.” “Still, you need to get checked out by a doctor,” an officer said. “I’m not going to the hospital.” “Ma’am, you’re obviously injured.”

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“Just get the medic to wrap my ankle and my wrist. I have to compete today. I promise I’ll see a doctor first thing in the morning.” “Are you sure you’re okay to dance?” Darrion asked. “Of course.” “While you’re getting looked at by the medic, Darrion and I have something we need to take care of.” **** Darrion raised an eyebrow. “What do we need to take care of?” he asked as he watched Melanie walk toward the medic. “Yeah. We need to get Richard out of jail and apologize.” “The first part of that has been taken care of,” Richard said as he walked toward them. He moved slowly, as though he was still nervous. “They let me out of the holding cell once they figured out that the Hugheses were behind all of this.” “Richard, we really are sorry,” Darrion said. “We shouldn’t have accused you.” “I can’t say that I’ve had fun in jail, but I forgive you. I shouldn’t have been bothering Alexis in the first place, and I realize now how suspicious it looked.” “Do you want to head over to the competition with us? I’m sure Alexis would like to offer you an apology as well.” “I’m okay, actually. I should be on my way to Austin. I don’t want to interfere with her life anymore.” Darrion pulled out his checkbook and wrote a check for five hundred dollars. “Here’s a little something for your trouble. Good luck. If you ever come back to Male Order, I’ll see to it personally that you’re treated with respect.” Richard’s eyes widened. “Thank you, sir.” “Hey, boys, I’m all patched up,” Melanie called, walking back toward them. “Let’s get a move on. My event starts in less than an hour.”

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Chapter 10 They had made it back to the Twirling Lasso just in time for the general line dance events, putting on their costumes as they rushed through the doors. Melanie had struggled in particular to get her boot over the ACE bandage that had been wrapped around her ankle, but with Brayden’s help she managed to pull it on just in time. She danced through the women’s line dance competition in a haze of pain. She’d been offered a prescription for painkillers but knew she wouldn’t be able to compete at all if she took any. Whatever they gave her would make her too foggy to walk, much less dance. So Melanie powered through, pain shooting up through her leg every time she put weight on her foot. As she left the floor, she didn’t have any clue as to how well she had danced; she simply came off the floor and crashed down into a chair to rest. She watched the other women dance, saw them throw themselves into the dances they had spent months perfecting. But while she typically paid careful attention to how other people danced, this time, she could barely maintain her focus. Normally, she tried to size herself up against their performances, but this time, she was too drained. With five dancers remaining in the women’s division, she hobbled off to Alexis’s office, which served as a makeshift green room, curled up in a corner, and fell asleep. She woke up when Brayden came in after the men’s line dance event and collapsed on the floor, looking almost as exhausted as she felt. “God, I’m so tired. I don’t know how I’m going to compete in the mixed competition. I’ve been waiting to compete again for a year and

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a half, and now that I finally have the chance, I’m completely burned out.” “Well, go drink a shot of espresso, chase it down with a Red Bull and suck it up,” Melanie said. “You are not giving up on your dream. I don’t care if I have to threaten to withhold sex to get you to dance. You are going to compete, and you are going to give it your all.” “What’s the point? I’m just going to lose against you anyway. I always do.” “Considering I’m dancing injured, I’d say you have a better chance than I do.” “You could step out, you know. Nobody would fault you for not dancing with a sprained ankle and some hellish welts covering your arm.” “I train every day. I work hard all year. I never take a break. Unless my legs are no longer attached to my body, I am going to dance, and I am going to compete.” “I knew you would say that. That’s one of many reasons why I love you. Your determination is completely inspiring.” He drew her into a deep kiss, and she felt grateful to be alive to experience his taste and touch again. Finally, though, she pulled away. “Okay, I’m going to go warm up. Remember, neither of us backs out. Got it?” He nodded. “You got it.” **** The music that had been blasting through the speakers cut out, and Jeremiah Pierce stepped up to the microphone. “Welcome back to the second half of the Texas Country Dance Championships! Before we begin, I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for your patience as we work with a smaller competition space. We’ve experienced a lot of setbacks this week, and we’re relieved to simply be able to have the event at all.”

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A ripple of applause and cheers swelled up around the room. Jeremiah held up his hands. “Our first event of the afternoon will be the women’s division line dance competition. Our first dancer is competing in her first championship ever. Please welcome Sandra Hernandez to the floor!” Brayden tried to keep an eye on the other performers to size up Melanie’s rivals, but he was too distracted by trying to both warm up and keep himself awake. Finally, he resorted to ordering a can of Red Bull from the bar just to give him the energy to give his all to the performance. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, your reigning women’s line dance champion, Melanie Brickman!” Despite the fact that Brayden had been completely unable to pay attention to the previous two competitors, his eyes were glued square on Melanie from the moment she took her place on the dance floor. The second the spotlight illuminated her body, she smiled. Brayden didn’t think he could have been more impressed with her, but as he saw her smiling as though she wasn’t in pain, his admiration for her increased. The sleeves of her blouse hid the scratches on her arm, and her swollen ankle was protected by her cowboy boots, so nobody could even tell that she was injured. Brayden knew that she deserved every victory she ever got. The music cued up, and Brayden couldn’t help but chuckle as “Country Girl” blasted through the speakers. He knew that Melanie was familiar with the song and, even while improvising, could knock it out of the park. She didn’t even stand still and wait for the introduction to finish. While she kept her movements simpler as the guitar played the opening notes, she went right into dancing, not needing to take time to feel the music before she started. The song was already a part of her. She knew exactly what she was doing. As he was every time he watched Melanie dance, Brayden felt blown away by the precision of her technique and the way her body

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twisted and flowed. As her hips rolled and hit accented musical notes, he imagined her frame writhing underneath his body, bucking against him as he teased her and then rode her into ecstasy. Each time she rolled her head in time with a musical break, he imagined it flipping back and forth on the pillow as she screamed with orgasm. Halfway through her song, he had to remove his hat and place it over his aching erection, which continued to throb as Melanie shuffled and kicked along the dance floor. He couldn’t bring himself to dash off somewhere secret to take care of it, but he was in agony as she finished the song and took a bow, graciously accepting the standing ovation the audience offered to her. She hopped off the stage and approached Brayden. “I notice you weren’t applauding. Did I dance poorly?” “No, you were beautiful. Absolutely perfect.” “I wasn’t perfect. I was totally shaky by the end. My balance was way off.” “I didn’t notice a thing.” “Probably because you were way too distracted by your cock.” “Is that so wrong? You should be flattered.” Melanie grinned. “I didn’t say I wasn’t. Now you’d better hurry and warm up if you want any chance of winning. There are only two more dancers before you.” **** Melanie and Brayden exchanged quick kisses as he hurried to the floor, and she flopped down next to Darrion. Her body was crying out for stronger painkillers. She’d taken some ibuprofen right before she’d taken the floor, but it had yet to kick in, and she had a feeling it wasn’t going to do her any good. But Darrion was depending on her and Brayden for his win. She couldn’t run the risk of anything prescription-strength compromising her judgment or timing.

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She settled back and tried to focus on Brayden to take her mind off the pain. The cufflinks that had come with the cock ring she’d given him were attached to his shirt, and Melanie couldn’t help but smile. She loved seeing this discreet evidence of their love made available for public viewing. Brayden took a strong, confident pose in the center of the dance floor. The introduction to “I Won’t Let Go” filled the air, and he started clicking his heels in time to the bass line, getting a feel for the song, letting the beat fill up his body. As the introduction ended, Brayden started to let his signature moves take over, keeping his footwork clean and simple and letting his bombastic arm styling take over the dance. Melanie couldn’t help but feel impressed by her competition. She knew that she’d worked hard, but he’d put in double effort in order to make a comeback after his injury, and the judges would have a difficult decision ahead of them. Melanie’s pleasure in watching Brayden dance morphed into another sort of excitement as he got more and more into the dance, taking risks with dangerous drops and slides. She pictured the chiseled abs rippling beneath his button-down shirt and the strong thigh muscles clenching and relaxing underneath his jeans. Despite the pain she felt, she wanted to run up onto the stage and jump him and pull his clothes off right in front of everybody so she could run her hands up and down his perfectly sculpted body, so she could climb on top and ride him, so the rhythm that flowed through his body right then could flow through hers as well. Her arousal grew as the dance continued, and she practically had to sit on her hands to refrain from touching herself. Finally, she made a concession and brushed her fingertip up the seam of her jeans, looking around to make sure that nobody noticed. She caught Darrion’s eye as she pulled her hand away. She blushed, but he laughed. “Don’t be ashamed of lusting after your men,” he said. “Just be discreet.”

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As Brayden finished his dance and bowed, the room stood up in a standing ovation. Melanie turned and smiled at Darrion, looking forward to the end of the competition when both of them could take her to bed. **** “Are you sure you both want to do this?” Darrion asked the two exhausted-looking dancers in front of him. “Melanie, if you’re hurt, maybe it’s not worth it.” “I’m not letting Brayden dance this without me. I have worked too hard, and I am going to perform this and help you win it.” “You both look completely wiped out. I don’t want either of you pushing yourselves too hard. You’ve already endured more today than any person should have to. I can withdraw my entry. There’s always next year.” “No way, man,” Brayden snapped. “Melanie wouldn’t let me drop out. I’m not going to let you drop out. You are not giving up your dream.” “I wouldn’t be giving it up. I’d just be postponing it for a little while.” “I’m not giving the Hugheses even a sliver of victory. If even one person doesn’t dance, that says to me they won, just a little bit, even if they are going to prison. I’m not going to give them even a smidgen of satisfaction. We dance.” “Just be careful.” “We know what we’re doing.” “I love you both.” “We love you, too,” Melanie said. Then she and Brayden walked hand-in-hand to the center of the dance floor. Darrion settled back in his chair and tried to squelch the butterflies that had formed in his stomach. They’re the best dancers on the circuit. Even with an injury, Melanie can dance circles around

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anyone else on the floor today. I don’t need to worry about a thing. Even these reassurances didn’t calm him down. The music started, and Melanie and Brayden remained perfectly still as the introduction played through. Once the song finally kicked in, their heads snapped up to look out at the audience, and they started moving with military-grade precision. As unique as their dancing styles were when they were competing on their own, they had learned to tone down the quirks in their physical presentation and match each other in order to really bring out Darrion’s hard work. As he watched their flawless footwork, graceful arm movements, and snappy styling, the first thing he felt was pride. Even if his choreography didn’t win, he was thrilled that they had learned to put aside their differences, not just for the sake of his dance, but so they could all experience the joy of loving each other. The longer he watched, though, the more a sense of arousal began to creep through his body. The synchronicity of their bodies on stage was just as beautiful as when he watched the two of them moving together during sex. They were a team on the dance floor and off, connected physically, mentally, and emotionally. Nothing was more alluring than the connection he felt with them. As the music ended, Melanie and Brayden bowed to each other, then the crowd, and then bowed one last time toward Darrion before exiting the performance area and collapsing in chairs. “You were amazing!” Darrion gushed, rushing over to them. “Your dance was absolutely perfect, and I am so proud of you both.” “Glad we could help. Can I get an ice pack and some painkillers now?” Darrion and Brayden rushed around attending to Melanie’s needs, relieved that the rest of the day had gone off perfectly. They settled back as the music started up and the floor filled with social dancers eager to kill some time while waiting for the judges to finish tallying up scores and settling on winners.

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“Nobody ask me to dance,” Melanie announced. “I love you both, and I love dancing, but I need to rest for the remainder of the afternoon.” “I don’t think either of us would let you dance if you wanted to,” Darrion said, gently stroking around the welts on her arm. “Don’t say that, or I’ll insist on dancing with every man in the room out of sheer stubbornness.” “In that case, you should dance. Dance all you want. I completely endorse it.” **** When Jeremiah went to the platform to announce awards, the crowd continued to murmur. The line dance competition was fierce, as always. Even with Melanie as a clear favorite in both of her divisions, the dancers in attendance were consistently top notch, and it was almost impossible to presume who the winner would be in each event. “All right, if you all settle down, I’ll buy everyone in this bar a drink,” Jeremiah pleaded, desperate for attention. The crowd fell silent immediately. “I’m almost sorry that worked,” he said with a laugh. “Anyway, the time has come to announce the winners of our line dance events. First, our women’s line dance division. In third place, Sandra Hernandez!” The crowd burst into applause, and Jeremiah had to whistle in order to carry on. “In second place, we have Molly Heimlich.” Again, the crowd filled with wild cheers, and Jeremiah struggled to regain crowd control. “The winner of our women’s line dance division, for the sixth year in a row, is Melanie Brickman!” Despite her fatigue and pain, Melanie hopped up from her chair, the good news suddenly invigorating her. She ran up to the stage and

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gave Jeremiah a hug before accepting her trophy. The women all posed for a picture, and then returned to their seats. Brayden’s stomach was a mess with nerves, but he still managed to sweep her up into a passionate kiss. Unfortunately, the arousal that started burning in his body did nothing to quell his nervousness. “Now for the winners of the men’s line dance division. In third place, James Harper.” Brayden felt sorry for Jeremiah as he struggled to control the rowdy crowd. “In second place, Emmet Burns.” Melanie gripped Brayden’s hand as Jeremiah settled the outpouring of excitement. “Way to make a comeback, baby,” she whispered. “You don’t know that I took first.” “Yeah, honey, I do.” “And in first place, we have Brayden Miller!” Brayden sprang to his feet and ran up to the platform. Deep down, he couldn’t quite believe he’d done it, especially not his first time back. He was shaking with excitement as Jeremiah draped the gold medal over his neck. As he made his way back to his chair, Melanie and Darrion both scooped Brayden up into a hug. “I was right, wasn’t I?” Melanie asked. “I’m never going to hear the end of it, am I?” “I don’t think so, no.” “Now we’re moving on to the winners of the mixed division,” Jeremiah said. “I, for one, do not envy the choices they had to make. Everyone who competed was fantastic. In third place, Sandra Hernandez!” Brayden gripped Melanie’s hand as all of his nerves came rushing back. “In second place, Melanie Brickman!” Brayden felt his heart sink as he watched Melanie bound up to the stage and accept her silver medal. He couldn’t believe that she’d lost,

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even if she had been dancing injured. He especially couldn’t believe that, after so many years of envying Melanie, he was now sad that she wasn’t the champion yet again. Brayden was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear Jeremiah announce his name. It wasn’t until he felt Darrion shove him that he came back to reality and realized that everyone in the room was staring at him and cheering. “Congratulations, Brayden. Come on up!” Jeremiah called. Brayden was so shocked that he could barely walk. He’d finally gotten what he wanted, and he was thrilled to have met his goal, but at the same time, he felt a pang of guilt for beating Melanie, the woman he loved more than anything else in the world. “Wipe that sad puppy expression off your face,” Melanie whispered as they posed for the camera. “You deserved to win. You’re a beautiful dancer. Besides, this just means that you can beat me when I’m injured. We’ll see what happens next year, when I’m perfectly healthy.” Brayden grinned. “I love the way you challenge me.” “Well, if I’d known that, I would have been more of a pain in your ass in the past.” “Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of years to catch up.” They settled in their seats, stealing glances at the trembling Darrion. “Don’t be so nervous,” Brayden said. “Oh yeah, like you were totally calm, cool, and collected up there.” “And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for—the awards in the choreography competition. In third place, the winner is choreographer Reed Duval.” Melanie gripped both Brayden’s and Darrion’s hands. She seemed even more nervous than Darrion. “In second place, choreographer Susan Raines.”

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“He did it,” Melanie said, looking at Brayden with tears brimming in her eyes. “Maybe not,” Brayden whispered. “And in first place, choreographer Darrion Crawley.” Darrion jumped out of his seat and bounced up and down, then grabbed Brayden and Melanie by the wrists and dragged them onto the stage with him. He swooped Jeremiah up into a hug and spun him around before finally accepting his medal and posing for a few pictures. “I knew it!” Melanie said, jumping into Darrion’s arms the moment he was done. “It wasn’t all me. I couldn’t have done it without my team.” “Let’s not quibble over the details,” Brayden said. “I think Jeremiah owes us a drink.” **** Melanie, Brayden, and Darrion lingered at the bar until well after the rest of the competitors and spectators had cleared out, and Brayden and Darrion even helped the maintenance crew clean. “Jeremiah and I are going to head home and have dinner with the rest of the family,” Alexis said. “We’ll take care of the last of the details tomorrow. You three can hang out here for a little while longer if you want, though.” She gave the trio a wink that didn’t actually display any subtlety. “I’m going to lock up, but there’s a spare key behind the Shiner keg. You can let yourselves out. Darrion can return the key when he comes to the studio on Monday.” “Thanks, Alexis,” Darrion said with a nod. “Much appreciated.” The second they heard the lock click in the door, Melanie was overwhelmed by the feeling of her men surrounding her whole body, hands tearing into her clothes and lips working their way down her neck, shoulders, and breasts. She was so overwhelmed that she lost

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her balance on her bar stool and slipped off. Fortunately, her men were quick, and they both managed to break her fall. “Let’s get you somewhere that’s a little less precarious,” Brayden said. “Come to think of it, Melanie, are you feeling okay? Should we wait until your injuries start healing before we fool around?” “Oh, please,” Melanie said with an eye roll. “I’m definitely healthy enough to have sex. Besides, I could use the endorphins.” Brayden scooped her into his arms and carried her to one of the tables near the back. “No way! Not on one of these rickety things! We’ll fall over again for sure!” “Then what do you suggest?” She tossed her head in the direction of the pool table. “That’s a lot more stable. I bet it could support all three of us.” Brayden crossed the room and set Melanie down on the feltcovered pool table, then pulled off her panties, leaving her completely exposed. “Hey, not fair,” she said with a giggle. “I can’t be the only one totally naked in this room.” “What do you suggest we do about that?” Darrion asked. “Put on some music and strip for me.” Darrion looked over at Brayden and shrugged. Then he hurried over to the stereo behind the bar and turned it on. He flipped through the standard mix of country music until he found something slow and bluesy, more appropriate for stripping than the usual twangy stuff that created the bar’s atmosphere. Melanie’s pussy creamed as she watched her two gorgeous dancers move to feel the beat of the music and then gradually start to undress for her. Taking their cues from each other, they started with their shirts, unbuttoning slowly, then twirling around a few times so she could catch glances of their chiseled abs and chests. But the teasing was driving her crazy. As much as Melanie enjoyed a show,

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she also wanted to see her men completely naked, not just glimpses of their absolutely perfect flesh. “Faster.” “No way, sweetheart,” Brayden said with an impish grin. “You wanted a striptease, and we’re gonna give you a striptease.” He nodded at Darrion, and they both shimmied around a little while longer before finally sliding their shirts off and giving Melanie half of the view that she wanted. Their belts came off quickly, but after those had been tossed aside, her men chose to wait a long time before even beginning to unbutton their jeans. Instead, they danced a few rounds of the Tumbleweed, adapting their steps to the slower music, before finally unbuttoning and unzipping their pants. Though Melanie could clearly see their cocks straining to burst free, they kept dancing. Her cunt twitched with hunger and anticipation. Finally, they shimmied out of their jeans, leaving only their boots, hats, and briefs. She could tell that both Brayden and Darrion were losing their resolve because they didn’t tease her very long after that. The briefs came off much sooner than any other article of clothing had. Melanie gasped with delight when she saw the cock rings shining around their erections. “Damn, those rings look good on you.” “I think this is the best kind of jewelry a man can wear,” Darrion mused. “Are you satisfied?” Brayden asked. “Because we could keep dancing. We’re not entirely naked.” “No. Leave the hats and boots. That’s damn sexy.” “How do you want us, baby?” Darrion asked, sinking his teeth into her neck. “Both of you at the same time.” “Hmm. That might be a problem because I don’t have any lube.” “Don’t worry,” Brayden said, reaching over to his jeans and fishing out a small bottle. “I always come prepared. You just never

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know when the opportunity for great sex is going to present itself.” He lubed himself up and balanced himself on the edge of the table, pulling Melanie toward him. “How about a variation on the reverse cowgirl?” he asked. He helped her balance on his lap and then pressed one slicked-up finger around her asshole, gently warming up the tight muscles. Her body was already desperately hot, and he slid one finger in easily. “Oh, fuck yes,” she moaned as her muscles clenched up. “That’s what I like.” “I think you liked two fingers even more, babe.” He guided a second one in. “Yeah,” she gasped. “Yeah, that’s fucking fantastic.” “And I think you like a cock even better than that.” “You know I do, baby.” Brayden hoisted Melanie up, settling the tip of his cock against her tight hole. Melanie slid herself slowly down his length, going all the way down to the root. Brayden braced himself with one hand and reached around with the other to start fondling her breast. “You ready for a little more?” Darrion asked, walking toward the table. “I’m always ready for more.” Leaning against the table, Darrion gripped Melanie’s hips and slid his cock into her soaking wet cunt. All of Melanie’s muscles locked as she felt herself completely filled. She let Darrion set the pace, his thrusts into her sending her deeper and deeper against Brayden’s cock every time. Brayden kept his hand on her breast, letting his lips and teeth roam over her neck and earlobes. The bites he left sent shivers all the way down her spine, bursting like tiny firecrackers deep in her pussy. Darrion kept launching into deep kisses, his tongue plunging into her mouth and exploring hers. His hand paid attention to her other breast so she was getting stimulation from every possible outlet. The sensation overwhelmed her, and electricity that had been buzzing

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inside her pussy simmered and boiled up into an orgasm that ricocheted all the way up through her mouth. “Oh fuck,” she gasped. “Darrion. Brayden. Oh fuck, you’re so amazing.” Darrion kept up with his thrusting, speeding up his movements, doubling their intensity. Brayden lifted his hips in time with Darrion’s pulsing cock so they were driving deeper and deeper into her every second. The nonstop sensation caused another orgasm to start building almost immediately. Melanie tried to hold off, wanting the three of them to climax together. Once she realized her stamina was slipping away and she didn’t think she’d be able to keep the release at bay, she saw Darrion’s face contort and felt his cock surge inside her. Brayden’s cock gave the same intense pulse, and both of them started screaming. Finally, Melanie let go, tensing into one huge orgasm, gripping both of their cocks, and then releasing everything. She collapsed back against Brayden, and Darrion, in his exhaustion, flopped down against her. As much as Melanie wanted to linger, the pool table was not the most comfortable surface for resting. Fortunately, Brayden and Darrion seemed to agree, because as soon as they had caught their breaths, they stood up and helped her back down on the floor. “Dinner?” Brayden asked as they pulled their clothes on. “We could pick up a pizza on the way home and spend the rest of the night relaxing.” “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day,” Melanie said. “Well, besides my idea to have sex on the pool table.” She started hobbling to the door, and Brayden scooped her up in his arms. “You’re not walking anywhere for the rest of the weekend,” he said. “At least not if I have anything to say about it.” Melanie curled up and listened to his heartbeat as they traversed the parking lot. A week ago, she couldn’t have imagined feeling so safe in his arms, but now, she felt completely protected.

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Brayden gently set Melanie in the front seat of Darrion’s truck. He and Darrion piled in and headed home. Melanie smiled as they pulled out of the parking lot and realized that this place was now hers. Not just the house, but the whole town. She was home.

THE END WWW.OLIVIAJORDANAUTHOR.BLOGSPOT.COM

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

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com