“I want you to revisit my proposition from last night. We’ve both been rejected by the people we want. Why not take comfort in each other? Misery loves company, after all.”
“For the record, Tiara didn’t reject me last night.”
Catherine clicked her tongue and shook her head. “I’m going to say that maybe you’re not being completely honest with me there, because I don’t understand why, if you managed to get lucky with her, you walked in looking so miserable.”
“Things just didn’t go as planned. But she didn’t reject me.”
The lounge door opened. Seth tried to jump up, but Catherine kept him pinned to the couch. He was shocked that such a petite woman had the ability to keep him in his seat. He felt even worse when Tiara walked in.
“Seth? What the hell are you doing?”
“Hey, uh, this isn’t want it looks like,” Catherine said, though the tone in her voice implied otherwise.
“Tiara!” Seth cried. “I thought you weren’t—uh, I mean, I thought you were sick.”
“Hypocrite,” Tiara snapped, tears welling up in her eyes. “You make me feel so guilty, and then I find you getting frisky with her.” She turned and stormed out of the lounge.
Seth launched himself off the floor so quickly that Catherine dropped to the ground.
“Ow! Watch it!” she cried as Seth hurried out of the room and chased Tiara down the hall.
“Wait!” he called to her.
Tiara turned her head and kept walking.
“Catherine wasn’t lying!” he cried, not caring whether or not anybody heard him. “That wasn’t what it looked like! She was coming on to me!”
Tiara finally stopped and turned around. “Then why didn’t you do anything to stop her?”
“Because she wouldn’t listen. She just kept pushing me. But I didn’t enjoy any of her attention. The whole thing made me really uncomfortable.”
“Then why didn’t you try harder to make her stop?”
“I wasn’t about to do anything that might hurt her. I wanted to get her off of me, but I didn’t want to cause her any harm.”
“So you would have fucked her because it would have been easier than standing up to her?” Tiara’s eyes started welling up again.
“Never. I would never let it get that far, I promise. Even if I had to ditch her the way Jack ditched us last night.”
At the mention of Jack’s name, Tiara’s tears started flowing even faster. “I would like to think you wouldn’t act like such an ass, even to someone like Catherine.”
Seth sighed. “Is there any answer I can give you that will make you happy?”
Tiara nodded. “Promise me that we just won’t discuss sex or relationships anymore. We won’t discuss the possibility of hooking up, and we won’t talk to each other about people we’re interested in or are sleeping with. Let’s just keep sex out of the equation entirely, either directly or indirectly.”
Seth was taken aback. He couldn’t believe the extreme reaction that she was having. But he also didn’t want to make the situation even worse.
“You don’t—you don’t even want to continue what we started last night?”
“In case you’ve forgotten, Jack abandoned us in a parking lot.”
“I mean just the two of us. You were cool with us fooling around last night.”
“No, I was cool with the three of us fooling around last night. You know I’ve wanted you for a long time.”
Seth offered a small smile. “You’re not very good at hiding your feelings, even when you’re trying.”
Tiara managed a small smile. “No, I’m not. I tried keeping my feelings hidden out of fear, but it was a challenge.”
“So what finally changed?”
“The combination of you and Jack together is completely irresistible. My fears suddenly don’t matter anymore when I’m with the two of you.”
“I still don’t quite understand, though—why did you take off to your own room once we got back to the hotel?”
“When I ran off last night it was because, despite wanting you, it didn’t feel right to not be with Jack, too. It’s like he was the missing piece of the puzzle. I want both of you at the same time, and neither my body nor heart would feel right any other way. I’m sorry.”
Seth wanted to scream with frustration. But as he’d been doing for years, he swallowed his feelings down and saved them to be worked out later, in private. His partnership with Tiara was what mattered, and he would do anything to keep it intact. He knew he’d rather have her just as a platonic dance partner than lose her completely. “I promise, our entire partnership will be completely PG.”
“Thanks,” she said with a smile. “Now, let’s go teach.”
* * * *
When his alarm clock went off, Jack hit the snooze button and rolled over. He whacked the button five more times before he gave up and turned the alarm off for good. Rather than getting up, he stayed there, wishing there was some way he could avoid going into the studio. He didn’t want to see Tiara or Seth, and he didn’t want to feel the shame that ran through him all the more acutely. He didn’t want to see the rest of his colleagues and wonder if they guessed why he had left the bar so suddenly. And he especially didn’t want to rehearse with Catherine and deal with her flirtation or her accusations. She of all people would have noticed his brief attendance at the reception, would demand to know exactly what had happened, and he didn’t want to have to fend off her giggles and sly remarks.
Eventually, though, he knew he had no choice. Since he was running late after all his moping, he had to rush through his shower and breakfast to arrive at the studio on time for his first private lesson. Fortunately, since he arrived with only moments to spare, he didn’t have time to make small talk or linger in the locker room. He didn’t have the chance to grab a bottle of water from the staff lounge and talk about the previous night. The second the door shut behind him, he tossed on his dance shoes and met with his first student of the day.
Jack threw himself into his lessons, using teaching to distract himself from all of his colleagues. With the distraction, the hours flew by, and soon he was no longer concerned with anything that had happened the night before. It wasn’t until he was on his way out for the night that things took a turn for the unpleasant.
Coming out of the locker room, fatigued from hard work and freshly showered, Jack had to admit that he was feeling better than he had all day. Then, however, he saw Taletha lingering outside of the locker room with a concerned expression on her face.
“Jack, step into my office, please. I need to have a word with you.”
His stomach sank as he walked into the office and closed the door.
“Look, I can explain—”
Taletha didn’t let him finish. “I should hope you can explain. I want to know just why both of my guest dancers are moping around and looking miserable. I’m trying to recruit them to come teach here after the competition is done. But that’s not going to happen if certain people around here are being antagonistic. Considering the sudden way the three of you left the bar last night, as well as the fact that Catherine is inexplicably on the warpath, I’m willing to bet it has something to do with you.”
Suddenly, Jack’s anger flared up. Yes, he’d made a mistake, but even he was allowed to screw up once in a while.
“Look, I don’t know what’s wrong with Catherine. She and I have the day off from rehearsal, and I haven’t actually had time to talk to her. Who knows what’s bothering her? Anger isn’t an uncommon emotion for her. You know that. As for Tiara and Seth, they’re completely overreacting.”
Taletha intensified her glare. “What did you do?”
“Goddamn it, this is why I don’t socialize with the rest of the staff. This is why I keep boundaries up. I step outside my comfort zone just once, and it comes back to bite me in the ass.”
“But what did you do? I’m still in the dark about that, and Tiara and Seth are being completely mum.”
“Look, it was a mistake. I sort of—I sort of got carried away last night. Tiara was being so tempting, and I let my guard down. She and I—well, we made out.”
For a moment, Taletha looked relieved. “Is that all? I thought you were going to tell me something really bad had happened. Look, sometimes people lose control, and it gets awkward, but it usually fades. Okay, I feel better now.”
Jack nodded and tried to look reassured. “I guess I’m just not used to being in this sort of situation.”
Suddenly, a concerned expression knotted up Taletha’s face. “That still doesn’t explain why Seth is upset, though.”
Jack felt his stomach clench but tried to maintain his composure. “I don’t suppose that would explain it, no.”
“I have a feeling you do have an explanation, though. Care to elaborate a little more about what happened last night?”
“Not really, actually.”
He noticed Taletha repressing a smirk. “Fair enough. I wouldn’t want to, either. But now, I’m telling you as your employer, I need you to give me the full story so I know what’s going on at my studio.”
Jack sighed. “Well, I guess if anyone can understand my predicament, it’s you. You’ve been there before with Morris and Adam.”
Taletha gave a small smile. “I’ll definitely be able to relate. Now quit stalling. I promise that I won’t judge you. I just want to know what happened.”
“Seth happened to catch us while we were making out. Tiara asked him if he wanted to join in. I agreed, as long as we went somewhere more discreet. We got in my car, but then, as we were driving back to my place, I freaked out and took them to their hotel instead.”
“And what? Left them standing in the parking lot and peeled away as fast as you could?”
Jack nodded. “How did you know?”
Taletha sighed. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been in a similar situation at one point in my life.”
“Not too long ago, if I remember correctly. You’ve been involved with Adam and Morris for what, a year now?”
“Just about, yeah. And I know exactly how confusing and scary it can be. Especially for someone like you, someone so devoted to rules and conventions. Someone who always puts their career first. I was in your exact shoes back then.”
Jack finally worked up the nerve to meet Taletha’s eyes. “You’re not mad?”
“I’m not thrilled that my guest teachers are upset and that you played a role in it. I wish you could have been a little more mature in how you acted last night. But I would also be a hypocrite if I condemned you for it. Can you just do me a favor, though?”
Jack breathed a sigh of relief. “Sure.”
“Think really hard about what you want. Decide, sooner rather than later, if this is the sort of thing you can handle or not. It’s great, Jack, it really is, but I also know it’s not for everybody. If you decide it’s not for you, go to them and apologize. At the very least, they deserve that. They didn’t do anything wrong.”
Jack nodded. “Of course I will.”
“One more thing. If you do decide you want to get involved with Tiara, if you’re willing to share her with another man, don’t hold out. Don’t wait and make everyone miserable because you’re afraid. It won’t make you or them any happier.”
“Okay. I promise I won’t wait.”
“Thank you. And good luck, Jack. No matter what you decide, I hope it makes you happy.”
Jack stepped out of the office and closed the door. “So do I,” he whispered to nobody in particular.
Chapter Five
Tiara was nervous about her one-on-one lesson with Jack a few days later. She’d made a point of avoiding him ever since the night at the bar. Not that it mattered, since it seemed that he was avoiding her as well. But she wasn’t about to reveal her vulnerabilities, and especially not to the person who had made her feel vulnerable in the first place. So after she was done teaching for the day, and as most of the staff members were clearing out and heading home for the night, she met Jack in the main ballroom for some professional coaching.
He lingered by the stereo as she approached. “How was your day?” he asked, though his eyes failed to meet hers, and his arms hung stiff at his sides.
Tiara tried to offer a smile to prove that things weren’t as awkward as they seemed. She knew she was faking, but she would rather pretend that nothing was wrong than admit that there was any trouble between them. If he wants discretion, he’s going to get discretion. “Busy but good. I had a lot of fantastic students today, and my competition choreography is really coming along.”
“Good, good. Now, let’s see if we can refine some of that technique of yours.”
“You’re not afraid that I’ll make too many improvements and then trounce you in competition?”
Jack finally cracked a small smile. “If I were worried about that, I’d never have a career as a coach, now would I? Now, let’s get going. But first, put your hair up.”
Tiara shook her head. She wasn’t going to capitulate to his unreasonable demands anymore. “I like my hair like this. I compete with it loose, and I practice with it loose. That’s just the way it works.”
“It gets caught in your lipstick when you compete sometimes, which really ruins the effect of your costume, and doesn’t do you any favors when it comes to the judges. Plus, it’s not fun for a leader to dance with a woman whose hair is flying every which way.”
“Seth has never complained.”
“That’s because Seth is completely enamored with you. He lets his emotions get in the way sometimes. My job is to help the two of you see the light and be more professional. You’re both wonderful dancers, but you need to have more respect for tradition.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Professionalism, tradition, discretion. Your three-point guide to a perfect career.”
“I’ve done very well by it, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“I have. But just because it’s made you a good dancer doesn’t mean it’s made you happy.”
“Winning does make me happy.”
“Other things might make you happy, too.”
“Well, I haven’t found them yet.”
“Obviously. And you have a tendency to make other people unhappy, as well.” She cringed, wishing she had been able to keep her feelings more in check. She couldn’t take the words back, though.
Jack sighed. “I’m here to teach a lesson, so if you’re not interested in doing that, why don’t you go and let me have an evening to myself?”
Tiara matched Jack’s icy glare, but as much as she wanted to storm out, she held her ground. That’s exactly what he wants me to do. He wants me to be a diva so he can prove to himself that he was right for being a jerk.
Instead, she forced another smile, wrapped her hair into a messy ponytail, and held out her hand. “Let’s dance.”
Jack turned on the stereo and took Tiara in his arms. As soon as his skin touched hers, Tiara’s body began to heat up, and her cunt began to tingle with desire. She tried to force these thoughts away as Jack began the dance.
Even though they hadn’t spoken in two days, even though they’d spent the first few moments of the lesson snapping at each other, Tiara couldn’t deny their connection on the dance floor. When all they had to focus on was the music and the movement, when they were too busy to argue, when they let their bodies and hearts take over, everything was perfect. Despite the angry feelings running between them, Tiara still felt like she was floating, still felt more beautiful than she ever had in her life.
Jack, however, didn’t seem to be feeling the same way. All of a sudden, he stopped the dance and stepped away from their connection. It all happened so quickly that Tiara almost lost her balance.
“Okay, stop, stop,” he snapped. He stormed over to the CD player and turned off the music.
“Now what’s the problem?” she asked, not bothering to conceal the frustrated sigh she’d been dying to let out.
“Your styling is com
pletely off the wall. No major champion would ever allow her arm lines to break like that. I can tell that you’re doing it intentionally, but that doesn’t make it right. You look ridiculous.”
“It’s what I was feeling in the music, and I liked the way it looked and felt.”
“If you ever want to be a true champion, you need to be much more serious.”
“I am serious.”
“You make jokes during practice. When you create choreography, you go beyond innovative and descend into weird. You eschew convention left and right.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Not everyone finds it charming.”
“And not everyone finds you charming, either,” she snapped. She’d had enough of his all-business, patronizing attitude.
“Maybe you don’t, but I’m clearly doing something right, since you have yet to place ahead of me in competition.”
Tiara knew she should have been offended by his attitude. She knew she should have walked away right then and there. But she couldn’t resist him when he got a bad attitude with her. Something about his arrogance was irresistibly sexy. She reached up, grabbed his hair, pulled his head down, and kissed him.
As their lips met, her cunt started pulsing with the furious desire she’d felt a few nights before, when he’d pushed her against a brick wall and briefly thrown caution to the wind. She dug her nails into his back and jabbed her tongue between his lips, letting his taste overwhelm her senses. But it didn’t last long. Before she knew it, though, he broke the kiss, stepping away with a nervous expression on his face. He looked around as though someone might have been lurking in the corner, watching them.
“I–I think I’m going to take a shower,” Jack said. Tiara’s heart sank as she realized she’d screwed up yet again. But after he walked a few feet, he paused and looked over his shoulder, as though he’d forgotten something but couldn’t remember what. After what seemed like an hour, he turned around and walked back to Taletha.
“Would you like to join me?” he whispered.
Tiara smiled. “Wouldn’t that be indiscreet?”
Jordan, Olivia - Tiara's Foxtrot Fantasies [Studio Seductions 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5
