Dance For Me (Strip in the City, Book 2)

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Tan

I was always nervous on opening night, and even though this was just a dress rehearsal for our family and friends, I was sweating so hard I wondered how Dominick was going to keep hold of me during our big lift.

Even though this wasn't an auditorium filled with New York City's upper crust out for a night of art appreciation where I was being judged on every move I made, it was more important for me to make a good impression on Blanche. She'd trusted me with the new routines, including allowing me to dance in one with Dominick, and if she didn't like them, I didn't know what I would do.

With everything else in my life dangling by a thread, Blanche's disappointment would likely push me over the edge. How could I date her grandson if she hated me for ruining everything?

I couldn't.

Her club's grand reopening was in a week, and she didn't have the time or money to hire someone new.

Something hot twisted inside my chest at the thought of being such a disappointment that I'd lose the one thing in my life that was keeping me grounded.

I forced myself to push that aside and focus on the dance. If I let myself get swept away in thinking about losing Dominick, I'd never show up as my best self tonight. And I had to get everything perfect.

Because I was only dancing the final number, I had to watch nervously from behind the curtain while the guys went through their opening act.

Lights flashed. The music thrummed. I tapped my fingers against my hip as I watched them. Pride swelling as they moved one. As hard as it had been for Todd and Nick to learn blocking and remain aware of their bodies in relation to each other, they'd done it, and the overall effect was smooth, despite a couple missed steps that made me cringe.

It was objectively better than the original routine, but would it be enough for Blanche? Would this be the show she'd dreamed of? I wasn't sure.

The new lights that hung from the ceiling and were recessed into the stage flashed in time to the music, and I bit my lip. Hoping with everything inside of me that I'd done enough to make her happy.

When the song changed, and the lights went down, Dominick exited the stage. He had another two songs before he was back out to dance with Lucas.

I needed him to tell me I was doing a good job. I needed him to be okay with everything. Since he'd come into my life, Dominick had become the sun that my shitstorm meteor shower of a life rotated around.

I wrapped my arms around Dominick's neck the second he was concealed behind the curtain and jumped into his arms. Wrapping my legs around his waist and holding onto him tight as I spun his ballcap around and kissed him hard, tasting the sweat that had formed on his upper lip.

"You were amazing!" I said after breaking off the kiss, holding his face between my hands and kissing him again in a needy clash of teeth and lips.

He'd brought my routine to life, and I couldn't be more proud of him. Besides, he looked insanely hot in a backward ballcap.

"I messed up, and it threw everyone off," Dominick said, not meeting my eye. His brow furrowed with disappointment.

I'd like to say I knew how he felt, but the truth was I didn't. When I danced a ballet on stage, there were no mess-ups. You rehearsed until you could dance those steps even if a bomb went off in the auditorium and you needed to pirouette through the rumble.

No one missed a step. If you did, you were out. That's the performance life I'd grown up in. And maybe it's what I had expected from the guys tonight. Perfection. I'd pushed them and myself hard, night after night.