“It’s not a judgment, just a fact. You like moving your body to the beat and doing flips and athletic shit.”
“Well, when you put it like that, damn straight I do,” Austin said, and I laughed.
I sipped the water as the rehearsal began. Denver was obviously in charge, but Austin didn’t hesitate to add his input. He often wanted to go bigger, to make the jumps longer and more prominent. He was clearly a strong athlete even if dancing wasn’t quite in his blood the way it was in Denver’s.
Denver barked orders like a drill sergeant, which was a bit odd to see because I usually thought of Austin as the take-charge one. But this was Denver’s domain.
They practiced the individual parts of the dance for about thirty minutes and then took a break. Austin got more water while Denver pulled up an audio file on his phone. After that, they worked on performing the moves to the music, and it was amazing to watch. Every step, every footfall, every hip thrust had to be timed just right. In most cases they did the same steps, but some parts of the dance called for them to separate, to go to opposite sides of the room and then somehow manage to end up back together at the exact same time.
It was mesmerizing to watch, and after a while I was so into following the dance moves that I forgot to drool over the twins’ bodies. But then one or both would spin, or pull up his shirt to flash his abs, or thrust out his pelvis, and delicious shivers would steal through me.
After about an hour, they took another break and I clapped. They’d gotten so into it that they looked up as if surprised to still see me there. Grabbing more water bottles, I took them over to the twins. “That was amazing. I never realized how much goes into your routines.”
“The secret to being good at something is to make it look easy,” Denver said.
“You guys totally do that onstage, but seeing how much hard work is involved is really impressive.”
“Thanks. It’s fun, and it keeps us in shape,” Austin said. “That is, as long as we stay away from Tonio’s Mexican feasts.”
Denver turned to me. “What about you? Do you like dancing or do you perhaps enjoy moving your body in fun ways like Austin?”
“Um… neither? Can’t dance. Can’t move my body in fun ways.”
“Sure you can,” the twins said in unison. Interest had lit both sets of whiskey-colored eyes, and the hormones that had faded before flooded my body in full-force.
“Dance with me,” Denver urged. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“I don’t have anything,” I protested.
Denver laughed. “You know how to hug. When you hug Knox, you look like a Chihuahua embraced by a Great Dane. Let’s start there.”
“Start where?” I said weakly. I couldn’t see any way that this wouldn’t end in total embarrassment.
“With a hug. Come on.” He held his arms out wide.
A hot-as-hell man was waiting for me to press my body against his. What was I going to say, no? I mean, I probably should have, but there was no way I was going to. Gingerly, I stepped toward him. His arms encircled my back and pulled me closer, and I clasped my hands behind his neck.
“That’s good.” Denver’s head was so close to mine that I could feel his breath hit my ear. I didn’t know if what I was doing was right, but it sure felt good. “Okay, we’re going to sway a bit. Just keep your body loose and relaxed and try to move the way I do.”
I nearly snorted. Austin and Denver could move in ways that no mere mortal could achieve, least of all me. But it sure was pleasant to cling to him. His pecs and abs were like granite beneath his shirt. His strong legs leaned this way and that, forcing me to move with him. And it was impossible to ignore the bulge in his shorts. I could feel the heat from his skin as he pressed against me, even through the layers of his clothes and mine. I moaned slightly before I could catch myself.
“Come on, loosen up,” Denver urged. “Don’t think, just let your body react.” He stepped out to the side, his strong hands on my back to guide me. But I didn’t step far enough, and when I moved my other leg to compensate, I almost hit him in the groin. He jumped back quickly, but then returned to gather me in his arms again. Brave man.
“Don’t worry about it,” he continued. “Just let me move you. It sounds a bit odd, and probably sexist, but try to bend to my will. If I move, you move. If I lean, you lean. Don’t think, just react.”