They bid her good night. When the bedroom door closed behind them, Tyler practically tackled Thomas. “Well?”
Thomas swept his lover into his arms and kissed him. “Damn,” he whispered, “I don’t know who’s hotter, her, or you for thinking of it.” He related the evening. After, Tyler desperately hugged him.
“See, I told you! I knew she felt that way about you.”
“We’ve got a long way to go from a kiss to a commitment, Ty.” He extricated himself and started undressing. “Saying she’s got the hots for us isn’t the same as saying she’ll be comfortable wanting both of us.”
Unable to contain his grin, Tyler sat on their bed. “It’s only a matter of time, Thomas. I have a plan.”
“What?”
“Pete and Eddie’s party.”
Thomas turned. “The Halloween party?”
Tyler nodded. “It gives me more than enough time to prepare. Wait’ll you hear what I have in mind.”
Three days later, Thomas came home and found Nevvie cooking dinner. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
“Where’s the other half?”
“He’s in his office. I don’t think he’s writing.”
Thomas stuck his head in the door. “You busy?”
Tyler sat back. “Not as busy as I bloody well should be. I hate editing, did I ever mention that?”
Thomas smiled and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “A thousand times or more.”
“Why do you look like the cat that ate the canary?”
Thomas walked to Tyler’s desk and leaned on it, propping his elbows on the corner, a piece of paper in his hand. “Because I know I can be a dumbass sometimes, and I know I’m not the best at picking presents, but I think you’re rubbing off on me, mister. I hope you like it.”
Tyler took the paper and unfolded it, his eyes bugging as he read. “You’re kidding?”
“Did I do good, sugar?”
Tyler grinned and crooked his finger. Thomas leaned in for a long, tender kiss. “My dear, sweet Thomas. You amaze me.”
“I think it’s only fair. I can take her to hockey any time. Well, during season. She likes riding the bike.” He motioned to the paper. “It’s not fair you don’t get to do that. This way you can do something you enjoy, and she can have fun with you. I can come watch, right?”
“Of course!”
Thomas kissed him again. “That, my dear Tyler, is a bonus. Watching your sweet ass and her sweet ass together…” He glanced at Tyler’s lap and reached down to goose his lover’s rock-hard bulge. “I think it’ll be time well spent for the two of you. As long as you promise to show me what you’re doing.”
Tyler’s grin broadened, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Can you imagine if we talk her into one of those little dresses? We’d have a legitimate reason, you know, as part of the costume.”
“I already thought about that.”
Tyler’s hand drifted to his lover’s crotch. “I can see you have.”
Nevvie nervously agreed. Why not? It was an opportunity to be in Tyler’s arms. She went with Tyler to the first class and found her butterflies disappearing when she focused on his eyes and let him lead her around the dance studio floor. He was a good dancer, had taken lessons years before. Thomas didn’t dance unless you counted the limbo and the hokey pokey.
The first two-hour class flew by. Nevvie only remembered Tyler’s blue eyes and strong arms.
At the end of class he pulled her in for a hug. She laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. Now she knew the components—detergent and deodorant, a touch of cologne, and the body wash both men used that gave them a hint of the same wonderful fragrance.
“This was wonderful,” he said. “I’m so glad Thomas gave this to us.”
“Me too. This’ll be fun.” The first series of classes was three times a week for eight weeks, and Nevvie knew time would fly by as quickly in each one.
If she tried to focus on her feet she tripped and stepped all over poor Tyler. Only when she looked him in the eyes, let her body follow his while he kept time, responding to his movements, did she get the hang of it. They spent at least an hour a day practicing, either on the patio or in the living room, depending on the weather.
Like hell she’d refuse a chance to be in his arms!
She especially loved the Latin dances. The rumba, the mambo, the tango—all of them. She never thought she had a knack for it, but when she tuned out the world and put herself in Tyler’s hands it felt effortless. She knew she didn’t have a dancer’s body and she’d never win any contests, but Tyler was thrilled with her progress and Thomas gushed over how good they looked together.
The teacher taped one of their classes, showing each pair what they did right and wrong. When their turn to view the tape, Tyler put his arm around Nevvie and patted her waist, knowing she wasn’t comfortable watching herself.
Nevvie’s jaw dropped. Was that her?
Tyler was, as usual, amazing. Maybe not as flashy as a professional dancer but a damn sight better than the other students.
Who the hell was that woman dancing with him? That couldn’t be her, could it? She looked effortless, her feet taking steps she couldn’t begin to explain.
And their gaze. The two people dancing the cha cha cha on the screen looked like hot lovers, not platonic partners. Nevvie had no idea her feelings for Tyler were so blatantly obvious while dancing. Not to mention he looked like he wanted to rip her clothes off.
Nevvie nervously glanced at the other students, most of them nodding their approval as the teacher pointed out pros and cons. Mostly pros. No, her back and arms weren’t always right, and sometimes her steps weren’t as crisp as they should be. Her hip action could be more pronounced—
I could be about twenty pounds lighter.
“Look at their intensity,” the teacher said. “Watch how they play off each other, the showmanship they exhibit. It’s obvious they’re passionate about each other and what they’re doing. That kind of performance, if you ever compete, will go a long way to judges giving good marks over a couple who is technically perfect in execution but look like they can’t stand each other. If Tyler and Nevvie didn’t have clothes on we could call this porn, they’re so hot together, and that’s what you want your Latin dances to look like. Especially a cha cha cha. Hot and steamy. Makes me want to go home and jump my husband.”
The class laughed. Nevvie blushed, and Tyler smiled.
Then he winked at her.
Oh, baby.
Chapter 12
Maggie taught Nevvie well in the early weeks. It wasn’t difficult, mostly keeping project files up to date. Nevvie learned data entry and basic bookkeeping when working for the hotel in New Orleans, in line for more training and a promotion when Katrina hit. She’d had a knack for it and enjoyed it.
Nevvie’s primary duties at Kinsey Consulting consisted of data entry, updating project notes with billing and invoice information, reports, permitting issues and deadlines, and related tasks. Originally split between several departments, Thomas used Maggie’s departure to restructure and streamline procedures as she’d begged him to for years.
Thomas and Nevvie rode the Harley to work many mornings if the weather looked good. In front of others he acted friendly, but professional, with her.
In private he playfully teased Nevvie, not that she minded. She played his jibes and sexual innuendoes back to him without hesitation, creating a pleasant undercurrent in their relationship.
On a Friday morning, Nevvie studied a pile of invoices for the GDK building project while updating the records and comparing them to the billing memos. Something wasn’t right. She didn’t know what, but something niggled at her intuition. As Tyler had drilled into her, never ignore your intuition.