Center of Gravity

by K. K. Allen

  Shane and I tried our luck at a game of blackjack, which ended up lasting a few hours longer than I’d anticipated. The five-dollar table we’d chosen at Imperial Palace was filled with supportive gamblers who talked me through each hand. Even the dealer stepped in to give me some advice. I walked away with the same forty bucks I’d started with, an apple martini in my hand, and a smile on my face.

  “What’s next?” I asked excitedly as we walked by Carnival Court at Harrah’s.

  He shrugged, his head still aimed down at his phone. I swore he never let that thing go. “This is your day,” he said. “You tell me.”

  I didn’t have to think about it long. The items on my Vegas wish list had been sitting stagnant since we’d arrived last week. “Okay. Then New York, New York, it is. I want to ride the roller coaster.”

  He gestured for me to lead the way. “After you.”

  We trotted through Vegas, riding the Big Apple roller coaster, playing in the arcade, then visiting random hotels along the strip and plopping down at the video poker machines along the way. We moved nonstop from one adventure to another without pause until the sun finally dipped behind the Paris Hotel.

  When we arrived at the Excalibur for Thunder From Down Under, an Australian male dance show, Shane was practically frothing at the mouth. “Please tell me we have good seats.”

  I grinned and flashed him the tickets I’d received when claiming my comp seats. I had to upgrade them, but I knew Shane wouldn’t be disappointed.

  “Table five. That sounds good.” He was nodding, then his face scrunched. “What’s the Thunder Zone?”

  I bit my bottom lip to keep my excitement at bay and pulled out a map of the seating chart I’d grabbed when I got the tickets. “That’s front row center, baby. Pretty sure you’re getting a lap dance tonight.”

  He squealed and pulled me into a hug and squeezed. “Your best friend card just renewed for another lifetime.”

  “Not long enough,” I said, resting my cheek on his chest. “Our friendship will never expire.”

  Near midnight, a very drunk Shane insisted we go to the Bellagio to check out the water show. I knew it would be our last stop of the night, and I considered turning my phone back on to finally face what I’d almost run from.

  I reached into my purse, pressed the power button, then waited for the screen to light up. It was easy to get lost in Vegas, but no matter the thrills, thoughts of Theo still dominated my heart and mind. He didn’t deserve my silence, though I still hadn’t decided what I would do next. In fact, I hadn’t thought about it all day. Distractions were much easier than making life-altering decisions.

  I wanted to cry when I pushed the power button again and my phone’s screen remained black. “No,” I groaned. “It’s dead.”

  Now that I was thinking about calling Theo, that was all I wanted to do. I was anxious to get ahold of him and see where he stood after everything had gone down. Why had I been so damn selfish?

  Shane slung his heavy arm around my shoulders. “Can we just stay for the show?”

  I looked up at the bright Bellagio lights shining down on a horizontal pond and nodded. After dragging Shane around all day, I couldn’t take him away from the one thing he’d wanted to do. “Of course. We’re here. We can head back when the show’s over.”

  We’d been standing there only a minute when Shane slapped at his jeans pocket and pulled out his phone. He checked the screen and took a step back. “Sorry, Lex. I need to take this.” He started weaving through the crowd before calling over his shoulder, “Give me two minutes.”

  As I held onto the rail, I felt anxiety ripple through me at all the unknowns I’d let mount throughout the day.

  What would Theo do?

  Did he get fired too?

  What about the rest of the crew?

  How would they forge ahead with a missing dancer in formation?

  The reality of the entire situation slammed me before I could brace for impact. I hadn’t just ruined my dreams, I’d caused a mess with the show too. A show we had all worked so hard on over the past several weeks.

  By the time music started playing over the loudspeakers, signaling the start of the show, I was wiping tears from my eyes while battling the guilt inside me. When I realized the opening notes were to Elton John’s “Your Song,” my heart had grown too heavy to stay still any longer.

  And in that quick beat, I knew exactly what I had to do.

  I stepped from the rail, my pulse zooming through my veins. Before I could even turn around, I slammed into something hard.

  “Going somewhere?”

  My heart kicked at the familiar voice as I spun on my heels and saw him. The man of my dreams, the man in my heart, the man I couldn’t have left if I’d tried.

  Theo—my Theo—stood there, a hint of a smile on his face as he pulled me into his arms.

  “Mind if I keep you company?”

  I couldn’t tear my gaze from his. I couldn’t speak. I just stared as tears welled in my eyes. “Theo, I’m—”

  He shushed me with a shake of his head and nudged me back to the rail. “We have a show to watch. And then we’ll talk.”

  CHAPTER 62

  Theo

  “Thanks, man. I owe you one.” I shook Shane’s hand as he winked at me.

  We were standing outside the Bellagio after the water show, my arm still around Lex. I swore I would never let her go after her disappearing act. The entire day had been a shit storm, between finalizing the new contract terms with Winter and trying to track Lex down through Amie then Shane.

  “No. It’s me who owes you. I should have never left Lex in that apartment alone.”

  He was right about that, but if it weren’t for Shane keeping tabs on Lex all day and updating me, I might have gotten on a plane to Seattle.

  “Wait,” Lex jumped in. “You two planned this?” She looked at me, her eyes narrowed. “You didn’t, like, just happen to show up and see me standing there?”

  Shane chuckled. “You’re not in a Nicholas Sparks movie, Lex. Things like that don’t just happen.”

  She shot him a glare. “It could happen.”

  I tilted my head, a grin spreading across my face. “I’m not opposed to grand gestures.”

  She looked smug. “See,” she told Shane. “It could happen.”

  Shane shrugged. “Cool. So if your love story gets optioned for film, then I get to play the dazzling best friend who concocts a scheme to reunite the long-lost lovers.”

  Lex laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound I’d heard all day. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “And you love me,” Shane said.

  The affection pouring from Shane’s eyes and tone had my own heart swelling.

  I tightened my hold around Lex’s shoulders and leaned in so she could hear me. “What’s the plan now, Lex?”

  She pushed her shoulders back and looked between the two of us. “I want to go back to Hard Rock. I’m going to find Winter tomorrow morning and talk to her. And then I’m going to beg for my job back if I have to. I’ll talk to the others too. If everyone still wants me gone after that, then—” Her eyes found Shane’s. “Then I’ll head back to LA until another opportunity comes along. I’m not ready to give up yet.”

  Shane beamed at her, and I tugged her close to me. “In that case, I have some news.”

  Both pairs of eyes looked expectantly at me. “C’mon, dude. Don’t do the suspenseful thing. Just tell us you quit on Winter and screwed her over the way she hurt Lex.”

  “Not quite.” I grinned as they both waited. “Reggie was fired this morning for trying to sabotage the show. He admitted to sharing the video. He also admitted to sleeping with Winter just to get a few auditions, the music video and Vegas series being two of them.”

  Lex gasped, and Shane muttered something under his breath.

  “So, Lex, you have your job back if you want it.”

  Lex clutched my side. “Really?” The hopeful tone in her voice made me fall in
love with her even more.

  I nodded, caressing her cheek with my knuckles. “Yup. Winter talked to the crew today. Everyone wants you back. Nobody cares that we’re together. In fact”—I chuckled at the memory of my earlier phone call with Winter—“they said they’ve liked me better recently, and now they know who to thank for it. Apparently, I was some kind of jerk before.”

  She laughed as she slid her arms around my waist.

  “Oh.” I couldn’t believe I’d almost forgotten. I turned to Shane. “And you’re in too, dude. If you want the job.”

  Shane’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  “Someone needs to fill Reggie’s spot, but it can’t be me since I’ve got other commitments. Winter already knows about your gig with Dominic. She understands if you need to wrap that up first. I’m happy to fill in until you’ve learned the steps.”

  “Wow. That’s—” Shane shook his head, his eyes wide and mouth agape.

  “It’s incredible,” Lex gushed. “Say yes, Shane.” She made steeple fingers in an effort to beg.

  Shane laughed. “Do you think I’m fucking crazy? Of course the answer is yes.”

  Lex jumped into his arms, and when they finished celebrating, she found her way back to my side.

  “What do you say?” I looked between Lex and Shane. “Ready to head back to the hotel?”

  They both muttered an exhausted “Yes.”

  My gaze traveled to Lex. “By the way, I canceled our room when I thought you’d left. I wasn’t staying here without you. But I still have my original room. And since we’re not a secret anymore, you can stay with me there.”

  She scrunched her face. “The one down the hall from Winter? Are you sure that’s okay?”

  That was my girl. Still trying to be cautious. “It’s all squared away. It’s fine, Lex. Stay with me?” I was desperate to hold her tonight after an entire day of worry. Even when I knew she hadn’t left for Seattle, I still didn’t know what she’d do next. What if she hadn’t wanted her spot back with the crew?”

  “What about Shane?” Her eyes traveled to him. “We haven’t talked about the hotel situation yet.”

  He waved a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about me. I already told Amie I’m crashing her room tonight. She seems pretty stoked about it.”

  We all laughed, and I tucked Lex under my arm. “What do you say? Wanna be my roomie?”

  She squinted up at me playfully then shrugged. “I suppose that wouldn’t be the worst arrangement.”

  CHAPTER 63

  Lex

  As soon as we got back in the elevator after dropping Shane off at Amie’s room, Theo was all over me. His fingers threaded my hair, his mouth slammed against mine, and his knee found its way between my legs. “I love you,” he rasped between kisses. “I love you so goddamn much.”

  “I love you too, Theo. I’m sorry I was going to leave without saying anything.” My chest ached as I muttered the apology. To think I would have missed out on this time with him because I was too stubborn and embarrassed.

  He shook his head, his nose brushing mine. His eyes were soft. “You weren’t going anywhere. You just needed time to figure that out on your own.”

  I smiled at how well Theo knew me already. There was a time I thought I’d never trust a man again, let alone fall in love. And here we were, unable to keep our hands off each other, stumbling down the hall toward Theo’s room.

  He placed me and my things against the wall while he searched for his room card. My chest heaved with impatience as he unlocked the door and opened it. “After you.” There was a hint of a smile, his eyes darkening as they fell to take me in. My insides coiled. I loved the way Theo looked at me as though he could never get enough—and would never take me for granted.

  I slid by him, the scent of leather and mint filling the space between us. I should have expected to walk into a king suite. He’d told me about it, but his words did no justice to the stunning sight before me—white leather sectional, a jaw-dropping view of Vegas at night, and a fully stocked bar in the corner of the room, blue neon lighting its underside. And through an arched doorway, a gigantic white bed.

  “You like?” He approached from behind, wrapping his arms around my middle and placing his chin in the crook of my neck.

  “Not too shabby.” I grinned before spinning around to loop my arms around his neck. “I can’t believe you were slumming it on the ninth floor with me when you could have been staying here every night.”

  He chuckled. “Kind of pointless without my girlfriend naked under those sheets.”

  I grew so warm with his words, I practically melted right there. “Did you just call me your girlfriend?”

  He scrunched his mouth and nodded. “‘Slumming partner’ doesn’t have the same ring to it. ‘Girlfriend’ will have to do. For now.”

  When he grinned, I felt fire light up my cheeks as my heart stuttered. “I think I like the sound of that.”

  He leaned in and grazed my nose with his lips. “You know what I like the sound of?”

  I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Theo and his dirty mind. “I have a pretty good idea.”

  His palm patted my ass then squeezed. “The hotel should be up soon with your things. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable while we wait?”

  I pouted then backed away with a teasing bite of my lip. “Fine. I need a shower, anyway.”

  As soon as the hot water hit me and rolled down my skin, I relaxed. Vegas summers were no joke. My body was crisp and stinging from too much sun and not enough sunscreen. But I had an inch of sweat I needed to clean off before I could roll around naked with Theo.

  After wrapping myself in the fluffy robe hanging behind the door and unknotting my hair with Theo’s comb, I slipped into the hallway just as he was tipping the bellman.

  “Thank you, sir.” The man nodded. “Have a good evening.”

  Theo shut the door and turned to face me. “I have a feeling we will.”

  He closed the distance, grabbed my face, and ran his lips against mine. “How was your shower?” He grasped the bow of my robe and unknotted it. “Hot?” He teased before sinking his teeth into his lower lip as he eyed me. “Wet?”

  I smiled as I reached for his shorts, tugged at his elastic waist, then slipped them down his legs. His blue boxer briefs too. “It was—steamy.” I wiggled my eyebrows as I pulled open my robe.

  He groaned as if he could combust right there then tore his shirt over his head. My palms found his chest, dragging my nails over hard and sculpted terrain. I pushed him down on the couch. His back slammed against it, and he looked up, grabbing hold of his erection. I stepped forward, and he stared at me with a sigh. “Goddamn, you’re beautiful.”

  I climbed onto his lap, straddling his swollen shaft. Two fingers pushed into my opening, and I gasped. His lips curled into a smile. “Yeah,” he murmured darkly, pushing deeper inside me. “That’s going to feel good.”

  And then his fingers were gone. He shifted me to place me on his crown. His shoulders were my leverage as I sank around him, filling myself. He hissed out a breath.

  His hands snaked under the robe and around to my lower back. He gripped me and moved, setting the pace.

  We were like that for a while, leveled gazes, breaths mingling, sweat dripping, rhythmic and unhurried as we moved together in my favorite kind of dance, in a freestyle that had me soaring almost as high as I had out on that stage.

  And I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, everything had played out exactly as it was meant to. It might have taken me eight months of focus and hard work, but I’d found my balance. My center.

  My center of gravity.

  EPILOGUE 1

  Theo

  The stage lights went dark, and a thunderous roar erupted through the theater. Glow sticks and phone lights danced through the air, and arms waved frantically as eyes strained to get a hint of what was to come. It was almost time.

  I jogged the last few steps onto the side stage and flung myself against
the rail. There, I had the perfect view of everything, but my eyes searched for only one person.

  Two weeks. That was how long it had been since I’d held Lex in my arms, kissed her, breathed in her scent, watched her tear up the dance floor. And I couldn’t wait to watch her soar again in the final show of the Vegas series.

  The last six months had been a flurry of travel between Vegas and LA for music video shoots and spending every spare second with Lex. But that wasn’t all.

  One month ago, I got a phone call from Rashni’s wife, Ananya, who was now running my old rec center. She was looking for someone to head up the dance program and thought of me. I couldn’t turn her down. I just didn’t realize how invested I would become in my old stomping grounds.

  A shoulder nudged me, pulling me from my thoughts. “Geez, Noska. Couldn’t even wait for me?”

  I threw Janelle an amused glance. “And stop while you greeted and hugged every damn person you know? No, thanks.” I stuck my tongue between my teeth and placed my elbow on the rail.

  She rolled her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be backstage wishing your girlfriend good luck?”

  “She doesn’t know I’m here. I’m going to surprise her after the show.”

  Janelle shook her head and laughed. “Wow. You really are whipped. You really like this girl, huh? Like, really like her?”

  “More like love her.” I grinned.

  Her jaw practically crashed to the floor. When she picked it up, she narrowed her eyes, accusation brimming from them. “Isn’t that interesting?”

  I chuckled, running a hand through my hair and ruffling it a little. “Go ahead, Nellie. Just say it.”

  “This was all me. You realize that, right? If it weren’t for me, Lex would have never auditioned. She sure as hell wouldn’t have become a Raven. I think you owe me.”

  “Is that all you wanted to say?” I asked, amused.

  “No.” The biggest goddamn smile blossomed on her face, and she leaned in. “I told you so.” She sang the words loud and proud, adding a little vibrato at the end.