Page 31

Clark

“ Y ou know, when you said we were going clubbing with the Yeti, this was not what I expected,” Carlos whispered as we sat at a high-top, in a honky-tonk bar, that seemed very out of place in New York City.

It felt a lot like the dive-bar in town my parents liked to go dancing at on Saturday nights.

Everything with Hydrosteel had gone well. Today, I’d successfully signed with them and we’d gone out to Tito’s to celebrate. When Gwen wanted to go dancing with Tenzin and me, Carlos and Dimitri asked to come with us.

Here we were.

“Tens is into it.” I took a sip of beer as I watched her two-step with Tenzin. They were cute in their hats and boots as he twirled her around the dance floor. While I knew a few line dances, I didn’t know how to do this.

“Well, Lucky likes country bars. We’ll send Grif a pic.” Carlos tipped his beer like he was giving the cat some and snapped a photo.

I found the whole imaginary cat thing a little weird, but it wasn’t the strangest thing I’d encountered playing hockey.

The song ended and people started a line dance that was common at weddings back home, so I dragged Carlos out and joined them.

Gwen waved at me as she kicked, turned, and stomped. Tenzin looked relaxed and at home. It made me very curious about all the time he spent in bars with his sister, while he was in high school. Maybe she was a bartender, and he sat in the corner doing his homework, while she worked, like Ma’s friend’s kid.

After a few dances, we all came back to the table to drink some water and get more beers. The music changed as Gwen twirled around, closing her eyes, holding her beer. “I love this song,” she squealed.

It was one of those revenge songs, this one about throwing your ex’s truck in the lake, and it had a good beat. This version seemed to be sped up with a thumpy warehouse track to it. Apparently, it had a dance. A bunch of women came onto the floor and did a modified version of another I knew.

Gwen’s cheeks were flushed as she set her beer on the table and took my hand, dragging me out to the floor.

Tenzin shot me an amused look, toasting me with his beer, as I took the floor with her. Without bumping into too many people, I managed to figure out the dance, mostly. We did a few others, our friends joining us. Everything then slowed down for a two-step.

Gwen took my hand. “Dance with me.”

Oh, how I wanted to. I shook my head. “Gweny, I have no idea how to do that.”

“I’ll dance with you, Bozh’ya Korovka.” Dimitri took her hand and swept her off her feet.

Leaving me in the dust.

“How does he do that? I swear the man didn’t even know what country music was when we walked in here,” I muttered.

Tenzin stood at my side. “Come.”

Without waiting for me, he turned and left the dance floor. I followed him to a place near the back by some pool tables.

“I’ll teach you. You be Gwen, so you can understand how to lead her.” Tenzin took my hands and put one on his hip, the other on his shoulder. His hands weren’t baby smooth, but they weren’t rough either. They were also large.

You know what they say about large hands.

“Her hands go on you like this. Yours would go like this.” He placed his hands on me, pulling me close, but not incredibly so.

I could feel the heat of his body through his button-down shirt, his jeans, and smell his heady citrusy scent, as he led me through the very basic steps.

“Now, to get fancy, here are a few things she likes.” Tenzin showed me how to twirl her and a few other moves.

I tried to pay attention. After all, it was kind of him to teach me to dance, so I could go out there with Gwen. It grew difficult to focus though, because his intent teaching face was sexy.

Would he look like that during sex?

Not to mention we were a good height for dancing together. His scent was so enticing, and I could only imagine what sort of muscles those clothes hid.

My low-key crush on the Yeti had been growing.

It was easy to pretend he was dancing with me, whirling me around the floor, us on a date, rather than him teaching me to dance, so I could make Gwen happy.

If we were going to do this eventually, the three of us, I think I’d like to have a piece of him, too.

Well, if he liked me back. Yet there was something between us. I could feel it.

“You’re doing so good. You’re going to look great with her,” he praised, as he twirled me out, then pulled me back in.

Distracted at the thought of him kissing me, I nearly hit his chest. I looked up into his eyes. His lips were right there. What if I kissed him?

“Yes, like that.” Tenzin’s voice grew breathy, his lips close to my ear.

My breath caught in my chest, as the bar and music faded away, until it was only us.

Kiss him.

“There you are,” Carlos said, breaking the moment, and we practically popped apart.

“I was teaching him to dance so Dimitri doesn’t steal her all night.” Tenzin looked at me and smiled. “You’ll do great. I’ll get her more water. She’s had quite a few beers.”

Tenzin left, and I scanned the bar for Gwen, my heart pounding in my ears.

“Um, what was that? ” Carlos smirked as we returned to our table.

Yeah, what was that?

“He was teaching me to dance.” My voice was tight. Why did he have to interrupt us? What would have happened?

“Yes, and I didn’t fall into my ex’s bed the last time I saw her.” His smirk grew.

I itched to smack that smirk off his face. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Carlos’s eyes widened. “You like him? I thought you liked Gwen.”

Whoops. I wasn’t sure I wanted my teammates to know I was crushing on our newest member.

“Shit, you do! ” He grinned. Then he glanced at the dance floor. “Does she know?”

“Yes. Why can’t I like both?” I kept my eyes on the floor as Gwen laughed and danced.

“You can.” Carlos shrugged. “I just haven’t known you to like anyone and now you like two people?”

“I wasn’t ready for a relationship.” It had taken me a long time to get over my high school girlfriend, and the guilt I’d felt, even though it wasn’t my fault. My college boyfriend broke up with me when I’d gotten signed by the Knights. Last year, I focused on my career.

Now I might be ready for something.

Carlos looked over at Tenzin and Dimitri, who were near the bar, talking. “Gwen and Tens? I mean, you and Gwen make sense. But Bucket? Huh. Gwen brings something out in him. Like who’d have thought he was such a beast on the dance floor?”

Or make jeans and a Cowboy hat look so delightful? I didn’t have a fancy hat and boots like he and Gwen did, but maybe I’d ask Ma to send mine along, with some more pickles and the jam Gwen liked.

“Um, don’t tell? Please? I mean, I have no idea about any of this.” I finished my now-warm, half-full beer.

“Of course not, man. I think he’s still broken up over whatever happened in Portland.” Carlos signaled the waitress for more beer.

“I think so too.” I’d gotten the gist of it from Gwen. “Should I be worried about starting something with her, given who knows where she’ll be next year?” I wasn’t concerned, but Tenzin was.

Carlos shook his head. “No. Also, this is Gwen. What she wants, she gets.”

Tenzin and Dimitri came back with beers and waters for everyone. He didn’t meet my gaze, instead looking at the dance floor.

“She’s a good dancer,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“She is. She comes to dance class with me sometimes.” Dimitri drank his beer.

Dimitri attended dance classes? Well, he was very graceful on the ice.

Tenzin held up the glass of water and gestured for her to come join us.

A breathless Gwen came off the dance floor and took the water from him, gulping it down. “Thanks.”

The music changed, and she looked up at me with those enormous hazel eyes, her lashes a bit sparkly. “Dance with me, Clark? I don’t care if you step on my feet.”

Tenzin gave me a look that said you’ve got this.

“You’re sure about that? I wouldn’t want to hurt your toes.” I stood and took her hand as her eyes lit up.

“Absolutely.” She led me to the floor, her smile giving me confidence.

“I’m not very good at this.” I positioned her hands on me, the way Tenzin had, a shiver going up my spine as I remembered his touch.

Gwen smiled at me as we danced. “I don’t care. I just want to dance with you.”

What she wants, she gets. True. Gweny had me wrapped around her tight. Tenzin smiled at me as we danced past.

Would it be too much to hope the same for him?