Secret Moves (Secret Dreams Contemporary Romance 3) (4 page)

"We could find another couch to sit on if you want some privacy," Adam teased, oblivious to his tension. No doubt Adam thought he was doing him a favour.

"Don't be ridiculous, Adam. I'm glad you guys are back. I was starting to feel lonely here," he said with a knowing look to his friend. "But Amber wants to dance."

"Oh. Right," Adam responded, understanding dawning in his eyes. "Well then, Kris and Sam can entertain you while I dance with Amber." Adam pulled Amber up from her sitting position, not giving her a chance to decline his invitation.

As Amber reluctantly followed Adam to the dance floor, Trey grinned gratefully at his best pal, who gave him a wink. He let himself relax as he sat back on the couch next to Kris, who was having a whispered conversation with Sam.

"Trey," Kris said, turning to him. "Can I ask a very personal question?"

"Sure."

"Do you always carry a condom with you?"

He gazed at her for a beat, aware of how his heart had started to gallop in his chest. "As a matter of fact, I do. Why do you ask?"

"And it's for, err, unexpected situations, right?"

"Yes," he confirmed slowly. Where was she going with this?

"See?" Kris said to Sam, as if she'd made her point.

Sam sighed and rolled her eyes at her cousin.

"Trey, what do you think of that blond guy in a black shirt getting some drinks at the bar?" Sam asked.

He followed Sam's line of vision and spotted the man amidst the throng of people waiting to be served.

"He looks all right," he said cautiously, not exactly knowing why Sam wanted his opinion. He could only assume Sam was interested.

"Do you think he's decent?" Sam pressed. "I mean, can you tell just by looking at him?"

"Hard to tell. A guy can be well dressed and still be an asshole. You won't know until you talk to him."

Kris nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, the most important question is, does he come prepared for unexpected situations?" Sam muttered.

He grinned. "If he didn't, I could give him my condom."

"Then what are you going to use?" Kris asked—rather sourly, he thought. "Oh, I forgot. You just live around here. You must have a box stashed at home," she added.

"I still think it's a bad idea, Kris," Sam said with a disapproving look.

"Relax, Sam," Kris said, patting Sam's hand. "I'm just going to accept a drink from the guy then we'll have a conversation. Right here in front of you. You can help me suss him out since you're so worried."

Trey's eyebrows lifted.
What?!
It dawned on him that Kris was the one interested. For a fling, he supposed.

"Fine," Sam said resignedly and turned to him. "Can you help check that guy out, Trey? Kris told me you've agreed to help her find a decent man she could have a fling with."

He gaped at Sam. He couldn't answer her as he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Strange feeling, that.

"Honestly, Sammy, you're so conservative. Chill! It's just sex," Kris admonished her cousin.

"I'd just hate for you to end up sleeping with a wacko. People you meet at clubs and pubs—well, you just don't know what they're like," Sam retorted.

"Do you think Trey's a wacko?"

"Of course not!"

"Well, he goes to clubs like this to find some fun. Do you think he's an undesirable character?" Kris asked, waving her hand in front of Trey's face.

"No," Sam admitted.

"There you go," Kris replied, as if a deal had already been sealed.

Trey inhaled deeply to get precious oxygen in his lungs. Suddenly, breathing had become hard.

He felt disturbed. Very disturbed. It was hypocritical, but he was on Sam's side. The thought of Kris going home with someone else tonight just didn't agree with him.

It was perplexing, but he put it down to his competitive nature. He wanted Kris. No doubt part of that strong attraction was the fact that they'd agreed not to sleep together. He loved the thrill of the chase. Wasn't that partly the reason why he enjoyed being single? There was always someone new, providing him with an injection of excitement when he wanted it.

The blond man Kris and Sam were talking about arrived at their table, carrying two glasses of wine and a bottle of beer.

The man gave him a curious look. In return, he gave him a hard stare.

"Thanks, Paul," Kris said with a cute smile as she accepted her wine from the newcomer.

"My pleasure," Paul responded with a sickly-sweet grin at Kris. He glanced at the only seat available—a single armchair adjacent to Trey.

Trey watched as Paul gave Kris a hopeful look, then glanced meaningfully at Sam and at him. Well, Paul could give all the non-verbal messages he wanted, but he wasn't about to offer to move to the armchair so Paul could sit next to Kris. Fortunately, Sam didn't look like she was about to volunteer either.

Kris sighed and stood up.

"Trey, would you mind moving to the middle, please?" she asked.

"Sure, babe," he said casually. He shifted closer to Sam and gave her a surreptitious wink.

Kris sat at the spot he'd just vacated and Paul happily took the single seat, leaning a bit so his knee touched Kris' as they chatted. Trey tried to quash an irrational irritation.

With loud music blaring, Sam looked like she was straining to hear the conversation between Paul and Kris. Trey put an arm around her shoulder and spoke close to her ear. "Don't worry. Your cousin will be going home with
you
tonight."

"How do you know?" Sam asked.

"Trust me."

"So, are you guys together?" Paul asked loudly, indicating Trey and Sam.

"Me and Sam?" Trey asked.

At Paul's hopeful nod, Trey placed his other arm around Kris' shoulders and said, "No."

"Oh. So, you're friends with these two girls?" Paul pressed.

"You could say that," he answered cryptically, taking his arm off Sam but keeping his hold on Kris.

Kris looked at him quizzically. He gave her a bright smile.

"Yes, he's a friend of ours," Kris said to Paul. "He's the best friend of our best friend's boyfriend."

"The best friend of your best friend's boyfriend," Paul repeated slowly as he tried to grasp the relationship.

"Yeah. Our other friends are still enjoying themselves somewhere on the dance floor. You'll probably meet them later," Kris continued.

"That'll be great," Paul said eagerly.

Trey's arm tightened involuntarily around Kris' shoulders.
Meeting friends? That's not how one-night stands work. You only want to know their first names, if that.

Kris turned to him with a questioning frown.

"Oh. I was hoping you'd dance with me tonight. I guess that's out of the question now," Trey said with a disappointed pout.

Kris' expression was sceptical, then turned to surprise, before a full-blown smile split her face. "Really?"

He shrugged. "Well, you're busy with Paul right now, so I guess it doesn't matter."

She squinted at him. "Are you serious?"

Again, he shrugged.

"You should have said something earlier," Kris chided him before facing Paul. "Sorry, Paul, but I have to take this man to the dance floor. He's trying to conquer his fear of it, you see. So, please, excuse us."

Kris got to her feet and dragged Trey with her.

Trey sighed with relief and trepidation. He'd known that ruse would work but, man, what a sacrifice to get the result!

As they found themselves a spot amongst the crowd of energetic, enthusiastic bodies, he was pleased to see Kris grinning from ear to ear.

"Consider this our first lesson," she shouted as she held him at arms' length. "Watch my steps and copy me," she urged as she started to do something with her feet.

The hell with that.
He pulled her close and wrapped his arms tightly around her, then swayed them like a tree to the beat of the music.

"Hey, you have to move your feet," she protested.

"I don't know how to do that yet. And I refuse to have lessons in public."

"But you said you wanted to dance!"

"Uh-huh. And that's exactly what we're doing," he said, glad to feel her starting to relax in his arms. "Do you know what this step is called?"

"Well, we're not doing any steps. We're just swaying," she answered with a chuckle as she curved her arms around his neck.

"Ah. Then there's something you don't know, Miss Dance Teacher. This is called The Tree Sway."

"Oh. The
Trey
Sway. I see."

They laughed together and he held her closer as they continued to sway to the disco music. He resolved there and then that if Kris was really keen to find a fling partner, it might as well be him. He was too weak to resist the physical attraction he felt for her. In about two seconds, she would feel a nudging on her belly again.

Kris was surprised how quickly her mood had changed over the last half hour. She had been buoyant when they first entered the club, but her mood plummeted when she saw Trey with that redhead.

She'd sneaked glances at him while she was on the dance floor, and from what she'd witnessed, she was certain he'd been intimate before with that woman. Miss Redhead had even caressed his thigh!

Paul introducing himself to her in the middle of a dance was a bit of an ego-boost, as well as a reality check. She and Trey had made it clear they were not going to sleep together, so she had no business being jealous when he flirted with someone else. She was better off sticking with her original plan of capturing a stranger's attention.

Then, damn Trey Andrews! Here he was getting her all giddy and smiley as an eighteen-year-old, again. They'd been doing The Trey Sway for a couple of minutes now, and she was content to simply be in his arms.

She shushed the warning bells that rang in her head. This was all about physical need, pure and simple. No need to make it anything more complicated—or scarier—than that.

Trey's arms tightened around her waist, and she willingly melted in them, burying her face in his neck.

Then she felt it. His erection against her belly stoked the desire that had been simmering beneath the surface.

"Do you make it a habit of poking the people you dance with?" she asked with mirth.

He chuckled. "I seem to make a habit of poking
you
. Does it bother you?"

She lifted her head to look at him. "Do I look bothered to you?"

"No—which is a damn shame. I certainly want you to look bothered. Hot and bothered," he said seductively, making her flush.

"Dancing burns up a lot of energy, as you know, so I do feel hot," she responded with an impish smile.

"Well, you are undoubtedly hot. Sizzling, in fact. And irresistible."

"Are you trying to get me to your bed, Trey Andrews?" she teased.

"Oh. Was I that obvious?" He grinned.

"What happened to our agreement?"

"What does that have to do with it? I'm still going to try my hardest to help you win our little bet, because there is still no way in the world I'm going to dance solo in the middle of a dance floor with everyone else watching my every embarrassing move."

"I'm not talking about our bet. I'm talking about the agreement not to have sex together."

Trey took a deep breath and turned serious. "Kris, you seem determined to live out your fantasy of having a short fling while you're here. Why not live out that fantasy with me? As long as we're clear neither of us are after a relationship, what's the problem? What's more, Sam wouldn't worry too much if it's with me, would she? I think she trusts I'm not a—what's her word?—wacko?"

Kris stared. Trey's smouldering eyes had darkened considerably. Unthinkingly, she pushed away a sudden memory of Ari's warning.

Her body's intense need, and a fun idea that just popped, helped her make her decision. "Tell you what," she said as her fingers caressed the back of his neck. "If you show me total commitment to your dance lessons, I might just consider it."

Trey sucked in a breath. "Okay, you have a deal."

*******

Kris checked herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time, feeling like a teenager on her first date. It was ridiculous—completely and utterly ridiculous—that she would feel like this about a dance session.

She was grateful that Sam was out having dinner with an old school friend of hers who now lived in Sydney. It meant she and Trey had at least a couple of hours together.

It was strange that Trey didn't want to meet at his place. It would have been better there since they wouldn't have to worry about Sam coming home early. But he said he preferred to come to her.

She went downstairs to the informal living area and turned on the sound system. She put on a haunting love song and danced to it, letting herself get swept away by the lyrics and the music.

When the next tune started, she sat on the floor, her heart beating fast. Dance and song always connected her to her deepest emotions. Right then, she knew she was at a fork on the road.

On one path, she saw her exciting plans for her Sydney trip: playing tourist with Sam, spending time with her friends, enjoying that fling with a handsome stranger. When her holiday was up, it would be back to Melbourne, back to her demanding executive assistant job, and back to her fulfilling three-times-a-week role as a dance teacher. That path wasn't bad at all. In fact, she was quite happy with it.

The other path led her to Trey. Just thinking about it made her heart thud faster. It had an irresistible pull—alluring in spite of the danger she could sense. Somehow, she knew she wouldn't be strong enough to resist. It was something she really wanted even though she was very much aware she could so easily get her heart ripped out from her chest when it was all over.

She sighed. She had always listened to her heart—and her body, for that matter—more than her head. Life was too short to hold oneself back.

The doorbell startled her out of her musing. She got off the floor and ran to answer it. Geez. How excited could one get?

Her breath hitched when she opened the door and found Trey wearing a grey t-shirt that clung to his chest. She bet he would look even yummier when that shirt was soaked in sweat.