Three to Tango

Three to Tango

Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

www.loose-id.com

Three to Tango

Copyright © February 2011 by Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book

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eISBN 978-1-60737-954-6

Editor: Jana J. Hanson

Cover Artist: Christine M. Griffin

Printed in the United States of America

Published by

Loose Id LLC

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San Francisco CA 94142-5960

www.loose-id.com

This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical

events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either

the product of the author"s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any

resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or

locales is entirely coincidental.

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Dedication

I want to thank L.C. for agreeing to write a book with me. I went into this

venture with my eyes wide open, having read about the possible pitfalls of

coauthoring. I imagined a learning curve, a window of time where we would struggle

and get to know one another's style. I was prepared to do a lot of compromising, and

I was 100 percent prepared to roll up my sleeves and work hard. Instead it was like

I'd found the other half of my brain, and we spent a hell of a lot more time laughing

than we did compromising. Working with L.C. has been a highlight of my publishing

career, and I can't wait to do it again. XOXOX lub u, my friend.

—Chloe

I'd like to thank my truly amazing friend Chloe for asking me to pen a tale with

her. Neither of us had any idea how to go about it when the idea was sprung, but it

didn't matter. I found my twin in her, and from day one we were in perfect sync. It

was by far one of the best experiences I've ever had. I'm looking forward to writing

many more stories with her. You're a rock star, Chloe. XOXO

—L.C.

We'd like to thank our wonderful editor, Jana, for giving us this opportunity to

share our story and the guidance to make it better.

Chapter One

“That"s it, big boy. Take it off,” murmured Jace, his voice low and seductive.

“You"re so bad—” Melody stopped short, captivated by Alec pulling his black T-

shirt over his head. Powerful muscles rippled as he threw it onto a nearby bench

and jogged back onto the basketball court. His tanned body gleamed a warm gold in

the Southern California sunshine.

“Oh, man, you"re so right. That should be illegal,” she gasped when she could

finally speak again.

Simultaneously, they reached for the frosty beers between them on the table

and drank deeply.

Melody kept her eyes on the court one story below them as she pressed the icy

bottle to her suddenly overheated cheeks. “We"re such a couple of pervs.”

“Tell me about it. But I can"t seem to stop myself,” Jace replied with mock

regret.

Alec chose that moment to look up from his game of one-on-one to give them a

wave and one of his signature cold-shower-not-included smiles. He cupped his

hands around his mouth and shouted, “Save one for me!”

“Oh, I"m saving something for you, all right,” Jace said in a low voice, and he

and Melody broke into a fit of giggles.

This had been their ritual for the past few months. Every Friday after work,

Melody and her best friend, Jace, watched their roommate, Alec, play basketball

from their rooftop patio on Manhattan Beach"s popular Strand. Later, when the

game was over, the three of them would lounge on the patio well into the night,

analyzing Alec"s play over a few drinks. Melody wondered ruefully if he had any

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Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

clue that Jace detested sports almost as much as off-the-rack clothes and subpar

produce. Jace never let on, but nobody could read him as well as she could. If he

cared about someone, he supported them 100 percent. No matter what. It was one of

the many things she"d always loved about him.

When the two of them had decided it would make financial sense to fill the

third bedroom with another body, it had been a big decision. Things had always

been so easy between them, and they hadn"t wanted to sacrifice that comfort. But

with Jace wanting to renovate his small ballroom dance studio and Melody needing

a new car because hers was running on faith, it had seemed like a no-brainer.

Then along came Alec.

And while they were both initially bowled over by his stunning good looks, it

had been immediately apparent that he was more than a pretty face. He really

seemed to get them and their quirky relationship and genuinely loved being goofy

with them. He was cool but not too cool, the kind of guy who made watching
Star

Trek
hip. Once they confirmed he had a strong work ethic and good credit, he was

in. The transition had been seamless. Almost like the last piece of the puzzle had

slipped into place, and for the past six months, things had been going swimmingly.

But despite the success of their arrangement, Melody couldn"t help wonder

what might have been if Alec hadn"t been her roommate, if she"d met him

somewhere other than their ROOM FOR RENT ad.

“He"s ridiculously sexy and such an awesome guy on top of it. If it wouldn"t

screw things up with our living situation, I would totally tap that,” she said bluntly.

Jace snorted. “Not if I got there first.”

“Back up, twinkle toes. He doesn"t even play for your team.”

“That"s what they all say, honey. But you"d be surprised at how convincing I

can be.”

No, Melody thought, I wouldn"t.

Three to Tango

3

It had taken ten years of being friends with Jace and a considerable amount of

effort to finally claim some sort of immunity from his charms. And he didn"t even

like girls. She could only imagine how it would be if he unleashed the full strength

of his lethal charisma on her. With his fit dancer"s body, angelic face, piercing blue

eyes, and the sensual, graceful way he moved, he was a force to be reckoned with—

for anyone. One word, one touch, and she"d…

She shivered lightly.
Never gonna happen, so let it go.

Melody let out a derisive snort, not willing to concede his point out loud.

“No? Okay, smarty-pants. Why don"t you put your money where your mouth

is?” Jace arched one brow in a clear challenge.

“What"s that supposed to mean? You want me to pay to tap that? Trust me, I

would have broken open my piggy bank months ago if that was the case.”

“Oh no, Hellz,” he said, reverting to one of the many derivatives of his longtime

nickname for her. Hellody Melody. She"d earned it when they were still in middle

school, shortly after he"d transferred. The school bully had harassed Jace for

dancing, calling him a sissy, among other things, and a fierce protective streak had

risen within her. Without thinking, she had stepped right into the fray and laid the

bully out flat with one right hook. From then on, Hellody had stuck.

“No, we"re going to do something far more practical. You want Alec. I want

Alec. Over the next four weeks, we both go for it. The winner gets him, and the

loser—that would be you,” he said with a cocky wink, “gets a full month of dish
and

laundry duty.”

“I would, but I can"t help feeling a little guilty. You"re at a disadvantage with

all that extra tackle, don"t you think?” she asked with feigned innocence, gesturing

toward his crotch.

“I do have more than my fair share—thanks for noticing—but it won"t be a

problem. Do I look worried?”

She studied him. Nope, he didn"t look worried at all.

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Chloe Cole & L. C. Chase

“Love is love, honey. There is no black and white, only gray. Alec is going to

fall madly in love with me—watch and see.” He leaned forward, staring at her

intently. “So, in the words of the stunningly fierce Heidi Klum, „either you in or you

out."”

As she gazed back at him, Melody couldn"t help but wonder why, suddenly,

this felt like more than just a game. They"d been attracted to and jokingly fought