Page 13 of Flirty Dancing

Mateo shot him a sardonic look. “He told me that he takes an entire week off every year for Judy’s birthday.”

The opening tango number began with a series of partner duets, Mateo and Archer first. The pairs split up into the left and right wings while Francisco, their tech guy, fiddled with some knobs. Then the music began.

Archer started his walk in time with the music, matching Mateo’s pace, until they met in the middle in their hold.Slow, slow, quick, quick…Archer blew out a breath at the halfway point of their duet.Okay, this is—

“Stop!” Stewart shrieked.

Archer and Mateo dropped out of their hold as the music cut off.

“Stop, stop, STOP!” Stewart stomped up the stairs in his leather sandals, Judy still tucked under one arm. He reached the top and thrust an accusing finger toward Archer. “You.”

“Me?” Archer squeaked, as if there was any doubt as to whom Stewart was pointing at. Mateo shuffled back a few inches.Oh God, am I getting fired? Do I suck that bad?

Stewart marched toward him, although it was really more of a waddle. “This is the tango, boy. Thetango.” He waved pinched fingers at Archer. “It ishot. It isspicy. It issex on the dance floor. I need to believe you want todevouryour partner.”

Archer licked his dry lips and flicked his gaze over to Mateo, who looked only amused.

“Well?” Stewart barked.

“Um.” Archer blinked at him.

“‘Um,’ he says. So help me, Judy, he says ‘um.’ Mateo, get over here. Let me see your hold.”

Archer’s cheeks flushed as Mateo took hold of him, their noses only an inch apart. He stared at Mateo’s chest.

“Now, see, you can’t even look at him. Look into his eyes! See that he wants you!”

Archer was only seconds away from melting into a puddle and seeping through the cracks in the floorboards, never to be seen again. He lifted his chin to find Mateo’s dark stare boring into him.

“Yes! Yes. Feel his desire. Yearn for him. Smell him!”

“Smell—?”

“It’s pheromones, boy! We’ve got to believe he is driving you insane on achemical level. Breathe him in.”

Archer inhaled. Fuck, he did smell good. Forest and sunshine. Mateo’s nostrils flared too. Archer figured he smelled like sweat.

“Can you feel how he wants you?” Stewart asked, voice a low, urgent simmer.

He could, in fact, feel every inch of Mateo’s body, even though most of it wasn’t actually touching him, but it was only a breath away, radiating heat and muscle and power. Mateo’s gaze dipped to his lips and back up, eyes flashing with desire.

“Yes,” Archer whispered.

Stewart leaned in. “Say it.”

Their eyes were locked. “He wants me.”

Stewart’s voice dropped to a hush. “Then fucking dance like it.” He whirled, his sweater flapping like a cape. “And that goes for all of you! Again!”

“He’s right, you know,” Mateo murmured as Stewart clomped back down the stairs. “The audience has to believe the chemistry. These dances, they have to be sexy.” Mateo was still holding Archer, but now he was looking at him like he was just some dumb kid who couldn’t do his job.

Archer stepped back out of his arms. “Got it,” he snapped, face hot. He turned and marched to his place on stage right.Alright… You want sexy? I’ll give you fucking sexy.

When the music started, Archer began his walk. He attached his gaze to Mateo’s, imagining it was the face on his bedroom wall. He rolled his hips. He dragged his tongue along his lower lip. He didn’t look away. This time when Mateo took him in their hold, Archer tilted his head a smidge, parted his lips, looked at Mateo through lowered lashes. He had imagined this moment many times before. All that was left to do was kiss.

The duet began. Each pause, he pressed his chest to Mateo’s. He pushed his foot hard against Mateo’s leg foreach caress. When they stopped in hold, he let out a faint moan. Mateo’s eyes widened when he felt the vibration in his chest.

“How was that?” Archer whispered into Mateo’s ear when they hit their finishing pose. He tried not to grin when Mateo shivered.

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