Leaf, Erin M. - Tango Trio [Dream Marked 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (4 page)

“Maybe it’s just spring allergies. I get supersensitive to smells at this time of year. All that pollen,” she offered.

Parker nodded and sat back. “Yeah, you could be right.” He appeared to be thinking about it. “Except I don’t have seasonal allergies. Never have.” He looked at Tessa, eyes serious, and she stared back at him, at a loss. The low buzz of her newfound attraction to him made her want to close her eyes and just plant herself in his arms, despite the seriousness of their conversation and the people around them. Then a door at the far end of the studio opened.
Is that mint?
Tessa breathed deeply as she looked up, struck by the absurdity of her stray thought. Next to her, Parker went rigid, nostrils flaring, and she frowned at him.
What is he staring at?
Tessa followed his gaze across the gleaming wood floor until she saw the man standing frozen just inside the door.
That must be the dance teacher.
Tessa
 
sucked in another deep breath, the mint scent even stronger now. She could almost taste it. The man’s short, dark hair curled attractively over his forehead, tousled and sexy. He wore a dark-blue shirt and black pants. Even across the room Tessa could tell his eyes were green. She flushed, suddenly aroused and aching, as Parker gripped her hand, hard. The dance instructor looked just like Jared, the man from her dreams.

Chapter 4

Jared paused just inside the studio, his senses overwhelmed with the scent of sandalwood and lavender. In the anteroom, a man and a woman stared at him as if he was a ghost, the woman looking ethereal in a delicate blue dress, the man strong and attractive in a red T-shirt and jeans. Jared knew them. He’d dreamed about them both for weeks. He gripped the wood frame of the door as he fought his body’s reaction to the two people he
knew
were his bond-mates. He wanted to go over there and roll around in their scent. He wanted to strip them naked and lick them all over, damn the lesson and the other couples already spilling onto the dance floor. Jared could tell they were shocked to see him. They probably had no idea they were going to be his, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare them away. He eyed the man he’d talked to on the phone. Parker looked pale. Shaken. Tessa was flushed. She bit her lower lip, and Jared shuddered, willing his cock to behave as he slowly let go of the wood and moved forward. When Parker had called, Jared had barely been able to keep his voice steady. Inside, his heart was tripping, but Parker hadn’t suspected a thing. Jared pasted a smile on his face and stepped into the studio.

“Welcome to my weekend special. For the next two hours, we’re going to learn the basics of waltz, foxtrot, and tango. For those of you who already know the basic steps, don’t worry. I’ll be teaching both the basic step and a more advanced step so we can cover all the bases.” Jared moved into the center of the wood floor, letting the familiar lesson calm his nerves. He’d taught this so many times he could do it in his sleep. He eyed the couples spread around him. Parker and Tessa hung back behind the others, and Jared suppressed a smile. He didn’t blame them. He rubbed his hip absently, used to the deep ache of the injured joint as he directed the couples into a loose circle.

“Okay, let’s start with introductions. My name is Jared Nolan, and I’ve been teaching ballroom dance for six years. Welcome to Nolan Studio. I’d like each of you to say your names, and then we’ll get started.” He smiled, hoping his semierection wasn’t visible as the people began introducing themselves. He couldn’t seem to help his reaction. As soon as he’d stepped through the door, the scent of forest washed over him, and he knew it was because Parker and Tessa were here. He’d been dreaming about them for a while now, but it wasn’t until he’d woken up this morning with an erection hard enough to split wood, along with itchy arms, that he’d finally realized what was happening. He fought down the urge to rub at his skin, grateful the long sleeves of his shirt covered up the beginnings of the bonding marks. He knew his bond-mates weren’t ready to face what was happening. He could feel them already, their confusion at the forefront of his mind.
Probably the beginnings of our empathic senses
. He nodded at the familiar faces of his repeat students and smiled at the newcomers.

He wondered why he understood what was happening when they didn’t. Was it because he already knew he was bi? Or did he just follow the news more closely than they did? Jared knew bonding was rare and that trio-bonding even more so, since there was only one confirmed case worldwide. It’d been all over the news a few months ago, but since then, a lot of the reports about Duncan Green and his two lovers had died down a bit. Jared shifted his weight, admonishing himself to pay attention. He didn’t usually have a problem memorizing the names of the new students, but today he was distracted.
Understandably so
. He forgave himself as he ran his eyes over Tessa’s slim body. She had long, ash-blonde hair and small breasts. Jared was looking forward to running his hands over her creamy skin. He knew it would feel warm and soft as silk.
She’s small but strong
. Jared watched the muscles in her arms flex when she gripped Parker’s hand. He was grateful his darker skin hid his blush when she caught him staring, her beautiful light-brown eyes confused but not hostile. He smiled winningly at her, delighted when she blushed in response, then shifted his attention to Parker. The man was at least six feet tall and solidly muscled. Jared liked the way his wavy blond hair fell over his forehead and ears. It looked soft in contrast to his tanned skin and strong fingers. Jared imagined what it would feel like to press his slimmer frame against the weight of the other man when Tessa’s light voice brought him back from his daydream.

“Hello, my name is Tessa,” she said softly. Jared felt his body react to her again and shoved his hands in his pockets. He already loved the sweet tone of her voice. There was no way he was going to make it through this lesson with his dignity intact. Then Parker stepped slightly forward to introduce himself, and Jared knew he’d have to take a quick break in the middle of the lesson to relieve the tension.

“I’m Parker,” the blond man said, smiling at the other students. Jared ground his teeth then bit the inside of his cheek, hoping the pain would help blunt the arousal running rampant through his body. Parker’s voice was low, almost gravelly. He sounded like sex.
Jesus
. Discreetly, Jared pinched himself, willing his erection to subside. He noticed that not only did Parker not make eye contact with him, but the other man also had a hand shoved in his pocket. He stared at Parker’s groin but couldn’t see anything except the outline of the other man’s fist beneath the fabric.
At least I’m not the only one having a bit of a problem here
. Jared smirked as the last two students introduced themselves. It took him a moment after they finished before he could continue with the lesson.

“Thanks, everyone. For starters, I’d like the women on one side of the room and the men on the other. I’ll be explaining your steps separately at first, and then we’ll put you together and see how you do.” Jared gestured to the crowd, and they obediently split into two groups. “We’ll start with the waltz. Here is how the man’s basic step begins.” Jared spent the next ten minutes demonstrating the basic waltz step and talking about how the men needed to hold their upper bodies so they could lead their partners through the step. The familiarity of the dance and the concentration it took to teach soothed his arousal, but every time his eyes met with Parker or Tessa, the heat flared up again. How the hell was he going to make it through the whole lesson? His head was starting to pound, and his arms were aching. He was afraid to roll up his sleeves, but a quick glance at Tessa’s
bare
arms showed the tattoos on her arms growing clearer.
We haven’t even touched yet
. Jared was suddenly frightened. What would happen when they did? Shit. He would have to teach them the dance without touching either of them, or he’d have a disaster on his hands.

Jared watched the other couples practicing the steps. The ones who’d had a few lessons already were doing fine, and the beginners were stumbling a bit, which was to be expected. Parker and Tessa, in contrast, were gliding across the floor. He had to swallow hard when he noticed how easily Parker guided Tessa in the step. He watched the man delicately grip her hand, their fingers comfortably entwined while his other hand rested at just the right spot on her back. Tessa smiled up at Parker, seemingly oblivious to Jared’s fixation. Parker grinned at her, deftly guiding her around.
The man is a natural
. When Parker happened to look up, meeting Jared’s eyes, he felt the air sizzle, and his dick jumped in his pants. Abruptly, Jared knew it was time for a break. He clapped his hands.

“Okay, everyone! We’re going to take a short rest. I know how hard it is to do the same step over and over again when you’re just beginning. It’s time to give your calves a rest. Take five and we’ll meet back here,” Jared said, immediately veering toward the door at the back of the studio that led to his house. He needed to splash some cold water on his head.
Or chew a few ice cubes. Maybe dunk myself in a cold shower.
He curled his lips wryly. His cock rubbed against his boxers as he walked, which didn’t help the matter one bit. What he didn’t expect was to feel a hand on his shoulder just as he reached the door. Jared froze. It was Parker. The scent of the man’s sandalwood soap tickled his nose, along with the musky undertone of arousal. When Jared turned, pasting a fake smile on his face, he knew the game was up.

* * * *

Tessa followed Parker as he sprinted across the studio. She knew something was going to happen but wasn’t sure what. She’d finally admitted to herself that she was in some sort of bonding heat.
With Parker.
She shook her head incredulously.
And Jared, the hot dance teacher I just met a few minutes ago
. How could this happen? How could three people bond, anyway? She’d read the news reports and seen footage on television about bonding, months ago. How could she not? It was all over the news for a while, and then it seemed to fade away. Everyone just kind of accepted that it existed, but it was still rare. Doctors didn’t know what caused it, and since most people who bonded didn’t want to talk about it, the phenomenon sort of melted into the background. Bonding wasn’t really accepted, but since you couldn’t tell bonding tattoos from regular ones, it didn’t really matter. The most disturbing thing about bonding was the new drug that people were growing addicted to. Tessa read about ‘Path in passing, but it didn’t really affect her or anyone she knew. Three people bonding, though? Tessa couldn’t imagine how that would work. Would she have to choose one of the men? Tessa worried about that as she followed Parker, but when she reached them, she saw the heated look Jared threw at Parker. Maybe they would choose each other and leave her out of it? A spike of fear cut through the haze of her arousal.
No
. They couldn’t do that to her. She’d been abandoned once already. She grabbed Parker’s free hand in desperation.
He won’t leave me, not Parker.
For a moment she felt better, and then she gasped at the sudden, forceful onslaught of Jared’s emotions in her mind. She felt his utter surety that the three of them were meant for each other. Trio-bonding. Tessa’s legs trembled. Was it possible?

Parker threw her a look, his expression too complicated to read, then pulled her through the doorway, pushing Jared ahead of them. He kicked the door shut and leaned back against it. Tessa locked her knees, willing herself to stay upright as Jared moved in and pressed his lithe body against hers, helping steady her.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” he soothed, hands in her hair. She turned her face up to him, the strength of his grip reassuring. His green eyes were kind, but she was so confused. How was this possible? Parker still held her, too, his body rigid against her hip.

“What the fuck is happening?” Parked asked, sounding terribly frustrated and maybe a little shell-shocked. “I can feel you in my head, oh my God.” Tessa felt him trembling, but that wasn’t right. Big, strong Parker? Trembling? But she felt his uncertainty in the core of her psyche. His emotions swirled around hers. She inhaled deeply, hoping to calm down, but the instinctive reaction only brought their intriguing scents deeper into her body. She shuddered.

“I think we’re about to bond,” Jared rasped. His cock shoved against her hip. He was none too steady on his feet either. “A trio-bond.”

“The fuck?” Parker said then bit his lip. Tessa’s eyes zeroed in on his mouth even as she agreed with him, his full bottom lip so incredibly tempting. She couldn’t stop herself. She leaned in. When Parker met her gaze, his expression softened. He leaned down and their lips touched. Tessa shivered then moaned as his flavor burst over her tongue—sweet vanilla and wood, like trees after a hard rainstorm right when the sun comes out. She clutched at him then tore her mouth away. Was she crazy? This was
Parker
.

“Oh my God,” she mumbled, touching her lips, and then Jared moved in and rubbed his nose against her cheek. She turned her head, and their lips met for the first time. She would have fallen if the men hadn’t been holding her up. Mint and rosemary burst over her senses. Her favorite meadow touched with dew and twilight. Tessa reeled, dizzy and confused. She fought it. She would
not
pass out. When he moved back, Tessa thought it was over, but then Jared leaned past her and kissed Parker, holding nothing back. Tessa could see Jared’s tongue lick Parker’s lip right before he opened up and let Jared in.
That’s Parker, kissing another man. My straight best friend.
Holy shit
. Tessa felt faint, and then all the blood rushed out of her head, and her mind exploded into white sparks.
Why do they smell like home?