Dancing through the Storm (A Step in Time Book 1) Read online

  Dancing Through the Storm

  A Step in Time

  Book one

  By Stacey Broadbent

  Published by Stacey Broadbent

  Copyright © 2018 Stacey Broadbent

  First published 2014

  Re-release published 2018

  Licence Notes

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover Image from Deposit Photos

  ISBN: 978-0-473-39691-6

  When all else fails… Dance!

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  A note from the author

  Other books by Stacey Broadbent

  Bonus material

  Acknowledgements

  Connect with me

  Chapter 1

  Sacha swung her leg over Dane, straddling him as he lay on the bed with his arms behind his head. She licked her ruby red lips seductively, as she ran her hands up and down his strong, muscular chest. There was a mischievous glint in her eye. Dane laughed, circling his hands around her waist.

  “What?” she asked innocently.

  “You’re up to something! I can see it in your eyes. What do you want?” He grinned at her.

  “Who? Me?” She pointed one perfectly manicured nail at her own chest, eyes wide and virtuous. Dane pulled her towards him, lifting his head to meet hers before planting a kiss on her lips.

  “Yes, you, little Miss Innocent.” He kissed her again, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist. She unfolded her legs so that she was now lying on his chest, her legs intertwined with his. The kiss deepened, and Sacha let out a low moan as she ran her fingers through his hair. Dane’s hands made a slow track down her back, his fingers easing under the waistband of her jeans. His arousal was obvious as she moved her hips against his, teasing him. She smiled against his lips.

  “I think I might go,” she whispered, pushing herself up off the bed. It was one of her favourite things to do to him, get him all riled up and then pretend she was leaving. She liked to be in control and have him beg her.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” he whined, as he sat up on his elbows, looking at her with hooded eyes. “Come on, it was just getting good, baby,” he crooned, reaching for her.

  “Mmm? It was, wasn’t it?” She arched her back, stretching in such a way that she knew would lift her top. As expected, Dane lurched off the bed and sank to his knees in front of her, planting soft kisses on her bare stomach. His hand reaching around to cradle her behind as he did so.

  “You… are… so… sexy.” He kissed his way up her body, as his hands slowly slipped her top over her head, and they were standing chest to chest. “Please don’t go.”

  “Well… seeing as you asked so nicely,” she purred in his ear, her tongue darting out, something she knew drove him crazy. He cupped her behind in his hands and lifted her into his arms, his mouth crushing hers as he carried her towards the bed. “I guess I can stay a little longer,” she murmured.

  ***

  “What time did you wanna head down to the studio?” Sacha asked as she sauntered back in from the shower, wearing only a towel. Ensuring the knot was secured, she bent down to sift through a pile of clothes on the floor. Dane had given her a drawer to use when she moved in, but she preferred to scatter her clothes about. It was easier to find things that way.

  “You know, you’re really gonna have to stop wiggling your arse at me if you want to get to the studio.” Dane watched with a grin as she deliberately bent down even lower.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about it.” She winked before selecting a tight red tee with a low-cut neckline, some jeans and red heels to match. “Come on, get ready! I wanna get my groove on!” She shook her chest at him provocatively.

  “Alright, alright.” Dane pushed himself up off the bed and loped over to his drawers, pulling out a black shirt and some jeans. It was Thursday; dance night. Without fail, every week, they would drop everything to go to their studio, Latin Flava, and then on to Feeney’s Bar afterwards for a night of social dancing.

  They had both started dancing salsa a year ago and had had an instant attraction to each other. Sacha had a sexy, sassy way of moving, Dane couldn’t help but watch her every move. With her curvy figure and fiery attitude, it was clear to see that she was born to dance. There was a natural chemistry between them when they danced, and it hadn’t taken long before they were more than just partners, both on and off the dancefloor.

  If Dane was honest, he had started dancing to pick up chicks, and lucky for him, he happened to be good at it – dancing that is. It was for that reason that he had stood out to Sacha. She liked the way he moved his hips, (always a good sign for the bedroom). Not to mention he was easy on the eye. He was tall – not that it took much to be taller than her petite five-foot height – with beautiful olive skin, hair the colour of chocolate and eyes to match. They couldn’t be more opposite really, with her jet-black hair and pale complexion. They made quite the striking couple.

  Both as dedicated as the other, they breezed through classes, practising at home and out at Feeney’s. Their teacher, Rachel, had suggested that they work towards entering the Nationals at the end of the year. Competitive by nature, they jumped at the chance to show off.

  Dane had been working on a choreography that he was sure would ‘wow’ the judges. He had been watching a lot of lessons online, learning lifts and dips that they could incorporate into their dance. Sacha was more than happy to let him do all the hard work; she just had to make it look good, which happened to be her forte. It did get heated sometimes; when a move didn’t quite go to plan. They were both just as stubborn as each other, neither one willing to back down.

  Sacha enjoyed antagonising him. She found it thrilling to see the fire in his eyes when they fought – it made the make-up even better.

  “Hey, did I tell you I invited my mate Jessie along tonight? He’s going to meet us at Feeney’s to have a look,” Dane said while applying gel to his hair.

  “Jessie? Have I met him?” she asked, knowing all too well that she had.

  “He was at that party we went to a few weeks back.”

  “Hmm. I think I know who you mean. Is he looking to pick up?”

  Dane laughed, “Yeah, he’s been going through a dry spell. I told him dancing is a great way to meet chicks, so he thought he’d tag along.” He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and planting a kiss on the back of her neck. “It worked for me, didn’t it?” He grinned.

  “Sure did, babe.” She spun around in his arms, stretching up to caress the back of his neck before pulling him down to kiss her again. “You ready?”

  “And willing,” he replied, grabbing his leathe
r jacket from the coat hook. “We should make it in time for the advanced class, to warm up before Feeney’s.”

  “Perfect.”

  ***

  Down at the studio, Sacha strutted in as if she owned the place, dropping her bag in the corner and jumping to the front of the line for warm-ups. She was one of the strongest dancers there and could be quite intimidating to others, so they often let her do whatever she wanted. She motioned for Dane to join her up front.

  “You know all these moves. Let someone else get up front,” he whispered.

  “I’m just giving them another style to emulate.” She winked. Dane smiled and shook his head. Being one of the better dancers had given her quite the ego – not that she didn’t already possess a rather large one. She oozed confidence in everything she did. Dane loved that about her – a confident woman, is a sexy woman.

  Looking around the studio, Dane could see that she actually had a point. Some of the other girls in class were watching her every move and trying their best to copy her. She did have an amazing style. No matter what she did, somehow it always looked effortless and sensual. It was no wonder the other girls wanted to be like her. There was something so intoxicating about her – girls wanted to be her, and guys wanted to be with her. He saw the way they looked at her, undressing her with their eyes. He knew she loved the attention too, and sometimes she did get a bit flirty on the dancefloor, but it didn’t really bother him, in fact, he liked knowing that they all wanted her, but he was the one who got to go home with her every night.

  The combo they were being shown this evening was actually quite a nice move. Sacha added in her own personal styling and made it even better. When the music was playing for them to practise what they had learned, they had someone film them so they didn’t forget the moves. Dane could see others running for their phones to secretly film them too, he just grinned and put on a show, like always. They danced the entire song with moves from class and others that they had been working on at home. Quite a circle formed around them. People clapped and cheered when the song ended. Dane spun Sacha out for her to take a bow, then he followed suit. They loved to have an audience.

  ***

  At Feeney’s, later that evening, Sacha and Dane joined their friends at a table near the dancefloor. While Sacha changed her shoes, Dane went to get them some drinks from the bar. He was still buzzing from their mini performance at the studio. He couldn’t wait to see how people reacted to their competition routine. If they thought what they did tonight was good, they were going to be blown away at the comps.

  Leaning against the bar and looking around to see who was there, he spotted Jessie walking in. With a grin on his face, he raised his hand to wave and catch his attention.

  “You made it!” Dane called, slapping his friend on the back as he led him back to the bar. “What are ya drinking?”

  “Jack and coke.” He reached for his wallet before Dane waved it away.

  “On me, man.” He paid for their drinks and they made their way back to the table.

  “Hey everyone, this is Jessie. He’s come to have a look at what we do.” Dane introduced him to everyone. “You remember Sacha?” he asked as he moved to stand behind her.

  “Yeah, of course. Nice to see you again.” He nodded in her direction.

  “You too. So, you’re gonna be one of us then?” she asked, a glint in her eye.

  “Ah, yeah maybe. I saw you and Dane dance at that party. It looked pretty hot.” He grinned. “If I could get a hot chick like you to dance with me like that, I’d be in heaven,” he joked.

  “Well, you never know. Your wish just might come true,” she purred, watching him take his jacket off.

  “Here’s hoping.” He winked, pulling a seat out to sit down.

  “Hey, you wanna dance? Show him some stuff?” Dane asked.

  “Sure thing, baby.” She took his hand and they made their way to the floor. The song had just changed to a bachata – their favourite style of dance. Dane circled his arms around her waist, pulling her in close as they started to move their feet and hips in sync. She wrapped her arms behind his neck, leaning her head against his chest as they moved. Dane lowered his hands to her hips, slowly pulling her closer so that her body was rolling towards his with every step. He changed his grip so that she was now twisting her body side to side with the beat. They continued this flawless, and somewhat erotic dance around the floor, until they had made their way back to their table.

  “Wow.” Jessie was staring at them, mouth open. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you guys. That was amazing! Damn sexy too! You’re one lucky guy.” He grinned at Dane.

  “Yeah, I know.” He threw his arm around Sacha’s shoulders.

  “You wanna give it a go?” Sacha asked Jessie, offering her hand.

  “I don’t know. I don’t think my hips can move like that.”

  “Sure they can.” She grinned. “Trust me.” She took his hand and gently pulled him up out of his seat. “Just put your hands here.” She placed his hands on her lower back. “And step in close so you can feel my hip movement.” Jessie looked to Dane, unsure about getting so close to his friend’s girlfriend.

  “Go for it, man! I trust you.” Dane laughed.

  Sacha put her hands on Jessie’s shoulders and shuffled in close so that their legs were touching, she nudged his knee out with hers, slipping her leg in between his.

  “We stand this way so that we don’t knock knees,” she said looking up at him as he laughed nervously. “Now you’re going to step sideways, starting with your left leg. Step, together, step, hip.” She wiggled her hip up to show him. “And then we go back the other way. Right, together, right, hip.” She smiled. “See? You can do it. That’s the basic bachata step.”

  Jessie huffed out, “Well that wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be.” He chuckled. “Can we try it again?”

  “Sure. Go side-to-side a few times, get a feel for it.” She counted the steps as they went, emphasising the hip movement, so he could feel the way to do it.

  “The guy’s a natural!” Dane slapped his friend on the back. “The great thing about bachata is that you don’t even need to know lots of fancy steps. You can just go around the dancefloor doing those basic steps, feeling the music and it’ll still look great.” They took a seat back at the table, Dane grabbing Sacha and pulling her onto his lap. “Not to mention, you get to dance up close and personal with the ladies.” He winked.

  “You should come around sometime, we can show you some stuff,” Sacha suggested.

  “Yeah? I’d like that.” Jessie smiled. “Are you free this weekend?”

  “I don’t think we have any plans.” Dane looked at Sacha for confirmation.

  “We’re all yours. We should do dinner and drinks while we’re at it. Make a night of it.”

  “Sounds like a plan. What should I bring?”

  “Maybe something to drink?” Dane suggested.

  “Done.”

  Chapter 2

  Dane rolled over, his body searching for the warmth of Sacha’s. Wrapping his arm around her middle, he pulled himself in closer, snuggling up against her back. His fingertips lightly brushed her stomach, tracing circles over her bare skin. His hands trailed down and around her hips, over her waist, and up to her shoulder, before making their way back down her arm, to her stomach once more. Her breath quickened as his hands slowly wandered over her body. She gently arched her back as he began nuzzling her neck – the part of her that was extremely sensitive. He kissed and licked a trail from her shoulder to her ear, making her wriggle.

  “Good morning,” he whispered as he continued his slow torment.

  “Mmmm,” she murmured, arching her back further, pushing her body into his with more intensity. Unable to contain himself any longer, he gripped her hip and rolled her towards him, lowering his lips to hers. She raked her hands through his hair and down his back, digging her nails in. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him on top of her.


  “God, I love you,” he said, looking into her eyes as he positioned himself over her.

  “Back at ya, baby,” she said with a grin as she lifted herself up to kiss him again.

  “You’re so damn beautiful.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself.” She leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Now stop talking.”

  ***

  Sacha sat on the side of the bed, blankets draped casually around her middle. She stretched her arms above her head, loosening her muscles before getting up. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see Dane peacefully snoring. Grabbing her silk robe from the back of the door, she slipped it over her shoulders and padded to the bathroom. She loved nothing more than a little morning action, but lazing in bed afterwards was not really her thing. She splashed some cold water on her face to freshen up a bit before changing into leggings and a singlet, ready for a run. Keeping her body curvy and toned didn’t happen by itself. It required a rigorous exercise regime. Sure, dancing helped a lot too, but there was something to be said about being out in the fresh air.

  Switching on her iPod, she peered into the bedroom to check if Dane was still sleeping. As suspected, he was out to it. No stamina, that guy. She grinned to herself as she grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

  Running was like breathing to Sacha. It came naturally. She liked that she didn’t really have to push herself to keep going, she just did. Always had, in fact. It made it easier for her to let her mind wander. She did some of her best thinking while pounding the pavement. Today was no different. Jessie was coming over tonight, and there was a lot they had to get done before then – neither of them were really very domesticated, so a mad dash clean-up normally ensued when visitors were expected.

  She made a mental list of chores: wash last night’s dishes, wipe down benches, and vacuum lounge, prepare a salad and get some sausages out of the freezer. She wasn’t much of a cook; sausages, chips and salad – that was the extent of her culinary skills. Dane didn’t seem to mind though. What she lacked in domestic skills, she more than made up for in other areas.