Dancing through the Storm (A Step in Time Book 1) Page 2

  In her mind, men were simple creatures; keep them happy in the bedroom, have beer in the fridge and snack food readily available, and they are sorted. Of course, it helped to have a great rack too. Sacha was well aware of the stares she got from men. And women for that matter. In fact, she quite enjoyed it. If showing a bit of cleavage was going to get her what she wanted, then why not flaunt what she had? If there was one thing her dear old mama had taught her, it was that seduction is the key to everything.

  “Baby, you can work hard every day to make piss-all money, like all them other mugs out there, or you can use what the good Lord gave you and get everything your little heart desires,” she’d say, while puffing on a cigarette and taking a swig of bourbon. “See, honey, men? They’re stupid. Don’t think with their brains, they think with their dicks, and that’s a fact. You my girl, have been blessed with boobs and a booty that men will find irresistible. Show ‘em a bit of skin, a good time in the bedroom, and you’ll want for nothing, I can promise you that.”

  She had been only too happy to share her ‘tricks of the trade’ with her, and Sacha had been eager to lap up her words of wisdom. It wasn’t long before dear old mama was also benefitting from the exotic looks of her daughter; their weekends were spent parading around bars, looking for men to approach. Sacha would distract them with her ‘charms’ while Mama would empty their wallets. But when Mama started trying to pimp her out, she’d decided it was time to go out on her own.

  She refined her skills to acquire more than just pocket change, without having to ‘go all the way’. She was pretty good at it too. There were various degrees to her seduction techniques – depending on what she wanted out of it. A little flirting to get discount in a store, a show of cleavage to have her drinks bought for the night.

  With this mastered, she hadn’t really had to work a day in her life. Men would fall over themselves just to buy her a drink – a drink! As if that would make her go home with them. Please! They’d need to do a lot more than buy a drink to get into her pants. No, she just made them think they stood a chance, until she got what she wanted. Contrary to popular belief, she hadn’t actually been around the block with every guy in town – only the ones she could benefit from.

  Dane was no exception. She could see his potential instantly and knew they could go far in the dancing world – the fact that he was hot was an added bonus. He’d been lured in, like so many others before him – flash him a smile, laugh at his stupid jokes, and wiggle her arse in his direction – it had been all too easy. Now, he would do anything for her. Hell, she practically lived with him, rent free! He was just as big a schmuck as the rest of them.

  To be fair, he did treat her like a queen, so she didn’t really mind doing extra things for him. Not to mention, the sex was pretty good. Truth be told, she had actually grown quite fond of him. Originally her intentions had been for them to be together long enough for her to get to the top. Now, however, she was reconsidering this. He had made the fatal mistake of introducing her to Jessie.

  Ah, Jessie. Now there was a beautiful specimen of a man. Tall and muscular – you could just tell he worked out – with piercing green eyes and sandy blond hair. She had definitely noticed him at that party they had been to, and now he was coming to their place – dangerous territory.

  She could’ve forgotten about him, had he not shown up at Feeney’s. Like Dane, he too had potential and she was good at bringing that out in men. There was no doubt in her mind that she could do the same for Jessie.

  Dane was a brilliant dancer, but he held no challenge for her anymore and boredom was something that didn’t sit well with Sacha. She needed the excitement. The thrill of the chase, so to speak. Dane had been a worthy opponent for a while at least. Plus, he had completely choreographed their routine, so she had barely had to lift a finger. But the spark had gone. She had just been going through the motions to get them to the comps, and then she had planned on ending it. Jessie was like the light at the end of the tunnel and she had to have him.

  Chapter 3

  Sacha sauntered through the door, completely unaffected by her run. Not a hair out of place, or a drop of sweat to be seen. Sometimes Dane wondered if she was actually running at all. Not that he was one to talk. He had never been much of a fitness junky; he was lucky enough to have a fast metabolism, so found weight was never really a problem.

  “Coffee?” he asked as she breezed past.

  “Just gonna jump in the shower, but I’ll have one when I get out, thanks.”

  Dane took another bite of his toast before flicking the switch on the jug and grabbing two mugs from the cupboard. He scooped coffee and sugar into both cups, then retrieved the milk from the fridge. Noting the date was questionable, he took a sniff as he opened the bottle.

  “Ooh! Nasty!” he said to himself. He threw on some trainers, then knocked on the bathroom door. “We’re out of milk! I’m just gonna shoot to the shop!” he called out.

  “Okay!” Sacha yelled back.

  “You need anything else?”

  “Nah, I’m good, thanks!”

  Shovelling the last of the toast in his mouth, he grabbed his keys from the bench and jogged out the door. The dairy was only a five-minute walk from their place, which was handy for times like these.

  Armed with his bottle of green-top milk and a newspaper, Dane made his way to the counter. There was a leggy blonde standing in front of him, trying to choose between a Picnic bar and a Snickers.

  “Just get both,” he said with a grin.

  “Huh?” She looked up.

  “Oh, I said, just get both. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

  “Hmm.” She looked back at the bars before grabbing one of each, nodding to the cashier and handing over her cash. “Thanks,” she said as she passed Dane.

  Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw her eyes flick to his before she went out the door. She had given him the hint of a smile. He stepped up to the counter to pay for his things.

  “Oh crap!” the cashier said. “She left her keys here.”

  “Hey, no problem, I’ll go call her back.” Dane jogged to the door. “Miss!” he called. “Excuse me!” He ran after her. Her pace quickened. Really?

  He reached out and tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around, her hands balled into fists.

  “Woah! I’m not going to hurt you. You just left your keys back at the shop.” He pointed his thumb back.

  “Oh! Well, that’s a little embarrassing! I’m so sorry I freaked out. I just heard you running towards me and panicked.” She giggled nervously.

  “Hey, it’s all good. It’s good to be cautious.” He smiled. “Come on, I’ll walk you back.”

  “Thanks.” She clasped her hands in front of her as she bounced towards the store. Dane couldn’t help but notice how beautiful her smile was. In fact, he had to admit, she was actually quite stunning. Not that he would ever do anything to jeopardise what he had with Sacha. No other woman could compare. That didn’t mean he couldn’t admire another woman’s beauty though.

  “Found her,” he announced when he walked back up to the counter.

  “Thanks so much,” she said to the cashier. “I’d forget my head if it wasn’t screwed on.” She laughed and turned to leave. “Thanks again. Maybe I’ll see you around.” She grinned, and then bounced out the door once more.

  ***

  Sacha was out of the shower by the time he got home, and dancing around the lounge with music blaring. She was wearing the tiniest pair of denim shorts (if you could call them that), and a figure-hugging singlet. Definitely a sight to behold. He sure was a lucky guy.

  “You took your time!” she yelled over the music, shimmying her way over. Dane loved it when she was playful like this.

  “Had to help a damsel in distress,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her gyrating body into his.

  “Was she pretty?” She pouted.

  “Not as pretty as you,” he answered, kissing her softly.

/>   “That’s alright then. Am I still getting that coffee?”

  “But of course.” He went into the kitchen, adding the milk to their cups and re-boiling the jug.

  “What time is Jessie coming over tonight?” she asked, kneeling on the couch in front of the breakfast bar so she could watch him.

  “Around seven I think. What are we drinking tonight?”

  “Whatever you’re buying.” She grinned.

  “Oh, it’s like that, is it?” he asked.

  “Yup.”

  “You might have to pay me back in other ways then.” He winked.

  “Whatever do you mean?” She blinked, an innocent expression on her face.

  “I’m sure you can think of something,” he teased.

  “Hmm.” She climbed off the couch, walking behind him. “You mean, like this?” She snaked her hands around his waist, unbuttoning his jeans.

  “Mmmm, that could work,” he said, closing his eyes as she began to stroke him.

  “You like that?” she whispered.

  “Mmhmm,” he murmured.

  “Well…” She removed her hand and slapped him on the arse. “You’ll just have to wait till later.” She grinned, grabbing her coffee off the bench, and stepping out of reach.

  “Oh, really? Two can play at that.” He lunged for her.

  “Uh uh! I’ve got a hot drink in my hand!” she squealed, holding her cup up for him to see.

  “You’ll just have to stay still then, won’t you?” He ran his hand down her back, cupping her behind.

  “We’ll never get anything done at this rate!” She giggled.

  “Cleaning is over-rated,” he said, lowering his head to nibble her ear.

  “Okay, okay! Let me put the coffee down first.” He lifted his arm, giving her space to reach through to the bench, before throwing her over his shoulder. She shrieked, giggling, as he carried her back to the bedroom.

  ***

  Their morning was spent in various stages of undress, until Sacha finally dragged herself to the bathroom to shower once more. She didn’t fancy being caught in the act when Jessie arrived. It would hardly help her cause.

  Dane was busy washing dishes when she traipsed back to the bedroom, wrapped in her towel. She carefully selected the right outfit. Something that looked casual but at the same time, showed off her curves. A pair of faded jeans with rips down the front that moulded to her perfectly formed body, paired with her favourite vintage tee. She slicked her hair back into a ponytail, put a pair of hoop earrings in and slathered on some ruby red lipstick.

  She could hear Dane starting up the vacuum cleaner in the lounge. She had trained him well. A little bit of horseplay and she barely had to lift a finger. She sashayed into the lounge.

  “Thank you, baby.” She winked as she walked through to the kitchen. The sausages were still thawing on the bench, so she put them in the fridge to finish off. Pulling open the veggie drawer, she grabbed a lettuce, capsicum, tomatoes and cucumber. She retrieved a chopping board from the cupboard, and slowly began slicing and dicing the veggies before adding them to a bowl.

  “I’m going to head down to the liquor store before Jessie gets here. Any preference?”

  “I always like bourbon, but whatever you want, baby,” she cooed as she continued dressing the salad.

  “Okay, won’t be long.” He gave her a quick kiss and grabbed his keys from the bench.

  “I’ll be here,” she said. She wrapped cling film over the top of the bowl and put it back in the fridge. Looking around, she could see that Dane had pretty much done all the cleaning. With no plans of doing any more work, she switched her iPod on again, and made a playlist for the evening.

  She was happily sitting on the couch with her feet up, flicking through a magazine when Dane came back, black bags in hand.

  “You look busy.” He grinned.

  “Always.” She put her magazine down. “What did you get me?”

  “Bourbon, of course.” Sacha clapped her hands.

  “Ooh thank you, baby.” She stood on tippy toes to kiss him. “I’ve got the salad and sausages in the fridge. I’ll start cooking just before seven,” she said, swiping the bag from his hand and pulling the bottles out. “You want one?” she asked, holding the bourbon up.

  “Sure, why not?” he said.

  “So, what stuff did you want to show Jessie tonight?” she asked as she stuck her head in the freezer to find the ice cubes.

  “Maybe a little more bachata, a bit of salsa. We’ll just see how he goes.”

  “Okay, good idea. He did seem quite keen on the bachata.”

  “Who wouldn’t be, dancing with a hot thing like you?” He pulled her onto his lap.

  “Hey! You’ll make me spill the drinks!” She laughed.

  “You know? I really don’t care.” He grinned, finding the ticklish spot between her ribs. She squirmed away from his wandering hands, giggling and squealing as she did.

  Chapter 4

  “Mate, come in!” Dane said, as he opened the door for Jessie. “Welcome to our humble abode.” He rolled his arm in the direction of the lounge.

  “Thanks, man. I wasn’t sure what you were drinking, so I brought beer and bourbon.” Jessie held up his bag of goodies.

  “It’s gonna be a good night!” Dane laughed. “You hungry? Dinner’s just about ready I think.”

  “Sweet! I’m starving!” The boys walked through to the kitchen, putting Jessie’s beer in the fridge and popping one open. “You want one?” he offered.

  “Sure,” Dane said, helping himself to one. “How ‘bout you, babe?”

  “Yeah, sure, why the hell not?” She grinned. “You boys want eggs with your sausages?”

  “Oh, I don’t mind. Whatever you guys want.”

  “Ooh, I could really go for some eggs actually, babe. Fried?”

  “It’s the only kind I make.” she laughed. “You wanna get the plates out, while I cook ‘em up?”

  “But of course, m’lady.” Dane stooped into a low bow before going to the cupboard. Jessie stood at the breakfast bar, watching with a smile on his face. “What?” Dane asked.

  “It’s good to see you happy, man. Sacha’s good for you.”

  “She sure is.” He planted a kiss on her cheek before setting the plates down on the bench.

  “Oh crap!”

  “What’s up?”

  “I broke the egg yolk.”

  “It’s all good! It’s gonna get all mushed up inside anyway. Don’t worry, babe,” Dane reassured.

  “Yeah, it’s actually the way I like my eggs. Yolks are so over-rated,” Jessie quipped while Sacha finished dishing up the food.

  “Whatever. You’re just being nice.” She looked up at Jessie. “Thanks.” She smiled.

  “No really. It’s just like my mum used to make.” He took the plate from her hand. “Thanks for cooking.”

  “You’re welcome. I don’t do it often, so you better enjoy it while you can,” she said before taking a large gulp of her beer. “Oh God! That’s awful!” She laughed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “I don’t know what you guys see in this shit. Gimme a bourbon any day.” She offered the bottle to Dane.

  “It’s not for everyone I guess.” He chuckled. “Here, I’ll make you a drink. You sit and eat.” He jumped up from his seat and poured her a bourbon and coke.

  “Now that’s a drink.” She sighed contentedly. “So Jessie, what have you been up to today?” she asked.

  “I spent the morning in the gym. Not much after that, I’m afraid.”

  “Ah, you’re a gym nut. I thought you might be.” She made a point of checking him out. “I like to run myself.”

  “Yeah? What about you, Dane? Does Sacha drag you out too?”

  “Me?” he scoffed. “That’d be the day!” He patted his stomach. “This body of perfection you see before you is all thanks to good genes and dancing. I’m one of those people you love to hate.” He laughed.

  “Bastard!” Jessie and Sacha
said together.

  “Hey, it’s not my fault I’m so damn hot!” he joked, strutting about the room like Mick Jagger.

  “Poser!”

  “You love it!”

  Sacha rolled her eyes, laughing. “If you say so.”

  “So, are we gonna dance or what?”

  “You up for it, Jessie?” she asked as she cleared the plates away and poured herself another drink.

  “Sure, I’ll give it a crack.”

  “What do you want to do? Salsa? Bachata?”

  “I did really like that one we did the other night at Feeney’s.”

  “Yeah, it’s our favourite too, eh babe?” Dane said, grabbing her hand and pulling her in to a closed position. “This is your basic hold – it’s the same for most dances. You want to have your hand on her shoulder blade, so you can lead her, like this.” Dane gently but firmly, placed pressure on Sacha’s back, signalling for her body to turn in each direction. “So, the basic step for bachata looks like this. Step left, together, left and hip. Then, right, together, right and hip.” He demonstrated both by himself and with Sacha. “Now you try.”

  Sacha stepped in close, placing her hand on his shoulder.

  “Ready?” she asked, looking up at him.

  “Yip.” He stared down at his feet as he began to move. “Left, together. Left and hip,” he said under his breath. “Right, together. Right and hip.”

  “Good, now try doing it a little more fluidly. Not so much of a pause in between.”

  “Okay.” His gaze went back to his feet as he started to move.

  “Hey, I know I’ve got great boobs, but maybe you could try looking at my face instead.” Sacha grinned.

  “What? I wasn’t!” Jessie’s face turned a lovely shade of red.

  Sacha threw her head back, laughing. “I was joking!” She looked up at him with a sly smile. “Of course you can look at my boobs.”