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  Scott squeezed past her. As he did, his body brushed hers, hands lingering a on her hips. Though it only lasted a moment, it was enough to set her afire. Her heart began to pound. Why was she feeling so curiously aware of him? Her sexual senses were attuned to his masculine strength and every beat of her heart made her that much more aware that Scott was no longer a boy, but all man. She almost sighed with relief when he climbed up into the trailer. Did he know how aroused he was making her? She felt overwhelmed by his touch. Another moment and she would have melted into a gooey puddle of neediness, begged him to throw her to the ground and fuck her silly. It had been a long time since a man had touched her in an intimate way. Almost a whole year. She needed to have sex soon or she’d die of frustration!

  I can’t be giving my best male friend the eye! she reprimanded herself. But I can be giving his friend the eye. Ruthlessly, she forced her thoughts back to the matter at hand—getting unpacked.

  “So, what do we move first?” he asked.

  Kate licked her dry lips and swallowed, glad that her jacket was buttoned to the neck. If it hadn’t been, the guys would both be treated to a show of her pointy little nipples sticking through her wet tee shirt. Even now, they were very sensitive, rasping against the wet material.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Three to Dance

  Copyright ã 2003 Jeya Jenson

  ISBN: 1-894942-90-6

  Cover art and design by Martine Jardin

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books, a division of Zumaya Publications, 2003

  Look for us online at:

  www.zumayapublications.com

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  Three to Dance

  By

  Jeya Jenson

  Chapter One

  She had arrived.

  Kate’s heart beat with excitement inside her chest as she slowed the U-Haul, then turned through an imposing gate; careful not to scrape the unwieldy trailer she was dragging behind her. The last thing she needed was to wreck her car less than a mile from her new home. Faux stone pillars guarded the avenue leading toward the apartment complex, and the iron tracery of the gate itself displayed the fancy, but fake, coats of arms of the Vista Hills development.

  Pulling up in front, she rolled down the window, eager to examine her new home, Building 9, apartment number 6 on the second floor. Her eyes glanced at the number 1 parking spot. Scott’s pickup wasn’t there.

  “Damn him,” she fumed. “He said he’d be here to help.” Maybe he’ll arrive soon. That’s Scott, a man for whom time is a relative thing.

  Her unit was settled amid velvety green lawns overlooked by wooded hills. She glanced down at the brochure on the seat beside her. She had memorized its text, could practically quote it word for word. It had taken almost two months to get her application approved to this exclusive complex, each partially furnished in its own individual style. A bonus was that all the suites had the most modern appliances. Plus, there was a heated pool, tennis court, a miniature gym and even a tanning area, along with the usual laundry and parking facilities. All in all, it was a place fit for a king. And it was just perfect for a single young woman and two cats.

  Her gasp of delight caused the felines to stir restlessly. Twin calico Persians were set side by side in their kitty carriers on the passenger side floor.

  “What do you think guys?” she asked.

  Both pussies stretched and meowed in response. It had been a long drive from Montana to Oregon and they were ready to be freed from their cramped confines.

  Kate sighed. God, it was a hard move. This was her third, and last, trip over those treacherous mountains. Through the snows of Montana and the rains of Oregon no less. Why had she chosen the end of winter to move? Even now, the sky above was leaden, throwing down handfuls of chilly rain. Through one dreary week, she’d ran back and forth between Helena, Montana and Patches, Oregon, signing papers, paying deposits and packing up her old apartment. The weather had not been a cooperative element.

  She killed the engine and said, “Time to get out and start unpacking for our new place, guys. Be right back.”

  Claiming her purse and keys, Kate jumped out of the truck. Rain pelted her as she crossed the parking lot and ran up the staircase that led to apartment 6. Fumbling and finding the key, she pushed it into the lock. For a moment it jammed and wouldn’t move. Heart hammering, her breath caught in her throat. She twisted the key a second time. This time, the deadbolt slid aside. The door swung open on silent hinges. The scent of fresh paint and new carpeting tickled her nostrils. Her hand shot out, flicking on an overhead light. As expected, they came right on, flooding the apartment with blessed illumination. The electricity was on. That was good. Hopefully the phone had been turned on as well.

  Taking a minute to herself, she began to walk around. The one-year lease she’d recently signed was still on the kitchen counter. The apartment was spacious, comfortable. Her windows gave a view of the yet to be developed acreage. Settling under the clouds, the sinking sun struck the sparkling bay windows, setting them into brilliant blazing hues that matched the cloudy summer sky; fading pinks, yellows and oranges that were slowly deepening into a soft indigo blue and darker purples. The oyster white walls and beige shaded carpeting would be easy to decorate around. The kitchen cabinets were solid wood and the flooring was tile, not linoleum. The living room’s main treasures were its huge bay windows and magnificent marble fireplace. The place was costing her a small fortune, but it was worth it.

  “This is it,” she muttered. “Home sweet home.” It was said that home is where the heart is. Trouble was, she didn’t know where home really was, much less her heart. Would this at last be the place to rest her weary head and, perhaps, find true love?

  So, Katie, she asked herself, can you make your life work here? Or would she pull up stakes and run away again? Cut and run. It was easy to do. Automatic. After all, it was a thing deeply ingrained in her genes. Her ex-husband wasn’t the only one with itchy feet. When he had left her, she hadn’t been devastated. Instead she’d been relieved. Through the last few years, commitments past having to go to work and punch someone else’s time clock was about all she could manage at this present time.

  Strange town. New home, new job, new life. Suddenly she felt very small, Alone. What the hell was she thinking, moving off to Oregon all by herself? But then again, what had she been thinking, when she’d left that small town in Texas for Montana with her ex-husband William?

  I was crazy to follow that asshole, she thought. I should have known his drinking and partying would bring us down. Hell, mom warned me that a man who couldn’t go a day without a six pack was trouble. She knew because daddy’s the same way…

  Thunder boomed outside, reminding her that she had two very mad cats in the truck. Leaving the lights on, Kate dashed back down stairs and retrieved the boys. Monty and Larry were none too happy to be rudely joggled around when she dashed back up the stairs.

  Closing the do
or behind her, she set the boys down in the living room. Dropping to her knees, she quickly unzipped the kitty carriers.

  “Come on, guys,” she coaxed. “Trip’s over.”

  Tails whipping, little pug noses high in the air, the two cats bound into their new digs. Not recognizing it as their old home, both stopped, crouched down, coppery eyes narrowed, and sniffed the air around them suspiciously. Nothing was familiar to their little eyes and noses. The furniture was new, delivered on her previous trip. She hadn’t been able to afford much. A living room suite and a new bed were all her budget would allow. It was nothing fancy, but because it was discontinued, she was able to purchase them cheaply at a warehouse closing. It was worth it as she didn’t want anything left over from her old life with William.

  “Well, guys, what do you think? Nice, huh? Mom did good.” She spread her arms wide. “This is our new place.”

  Monty and Larry seemed none too impressed, turning their pugged noses in other directions. On the prowl, they immediately began to check out the apartment. Kitchen, living room, dining area, bathroom, utility room, and bedroom all got a thorough going over. Not an inch went uninvestigated by the four legged fur patrol/inspection team. Having made their transits, both cats trotted back into the living room, meowing loudly. Something was most desperately missing from the equation.

  Kate sighed. “I know, food and litter. You two stay here and mom will be right back.” She grimaced as she headed back out into the rain. People coming home from their workday were beginning to pull up, all casting curious glances her way. A few waved and smiled and made ducking motions. Clearly they sympathized with her, having to move in the rain. Miserable.

  “Better get out of this rain before you catch a cold.” One woman called out to her, simultaneously ushering her own kids under the shelter of the awnings. It was a neighborly thing to say.

  “Working on it!” Kate called back, trying to sound cheery. Yeah, right, she muttered under her breath. As if I can wave my hands and make it go away. Get out of the rain, indeed. This was just what I didn’t need. Hope I don’t catch a cold in this.

  Drawing her Levi jacket closer around her body, she unlocked the back of the truck and hopped up inside. Her gaze raked over the furnishings and boxes. The truck was only mid-sized, but everything it held was all she had in the world.

  Not a whole hell of a lot, she sighed. William cost us everything. Not that she even cared where that bastard was. After losing his last job, William had decided to make a change in his lifestyle, packing up and moving back to Arkansas to live with his mother. Two years of marriage down the drain, all gone without any explanation, except that, “he didn’t like being married.”

  “What a goddamned prince I married.”

  Bending over, Kate retrieved the covered kitty box and a bag of food. Hopping down, she made yet another dash across the parking lot. Fifteen minutes later, the litter box had been ensconced in the utility room beside the washer and dryer and Monty and Larry were happily chowing down on their favorite food in the kitchen. For them, their lives had been mostly uninterrupted. They weren’t aware she’d just blown her whole savings account on this move. At twenty-nine, though, she was ready for a fresh start.

  She glanced up at the clock on the microwave. Almost six. Today was… She had to search her exhausted mind. Thursday. She had the weekend to get settled in, then at 8 o’clock Monday morning she started her new job in the advertising department at the newspaper. She didn’t relish unpacking, but she needed to get the U-haul back by tomorrow, or else she’d owe extra charges. That was something her pocketbook just couldn’t afford right now. The divorce had taken care of that. And the bankruptcy. Geez, it had been almost four years since she’d divorced William and still that aborted marriage managed to haunt her. She wondered if she’d ever recover. The marriage that had begun with such hopes had quickly crumbled to dust. Even when she was saying her vows, she remembered feeling in the back of her mind that she was making a dreadful mistake. It was one thing to be the girlfriend of an irresponsible man. It was another thing to be the wife of an irresponsible man—the stresses and pressures had immediately tripled and everything had gone downhill from there.

  She sighed, wanting to put William out of her mind. Amazing how his memory would pop up just when she’d believed there was no reason whatsoever to think about him. Not all the memories she had of him were entirely bad, though it had gotten to the point where the bad began to outweigh the good. That he had the wisdom to walk off first was perhaps the only smart thing he’d ever done in his life. Not that she applauded the way he handled it. Still, it was quick, though by no means clean.

  Well, at least I no longer have to worry about the whiskey bottles under the front seat when he drives the car, she thought.

  “Might as well get started,” she told the boys. With Larry and Monty making themselves quite at home, they would be fine while she lugged in the boxes. She glanced out the bay windows. At least the rain was slowing down. She could move a lot of stuff in a few hours. Maybe Scott would pull up any minute in his battered blue Chevy pickup. He’d promised to be here to help her.

  “Okay, guys,” she said, rounding up the cats. “Into the bedroom you go. Now that you’re fed and pottied, you have to stay in the bedroom so I can leave the door open. I’d have a heart attack if either of you got out.” And that was no lie. Both cats were CFA, Cat Fancier’s Association, Persians, retired cattery studs, and her absolute passion in life. Thankfully, she and William had had no kids. Not that kids were ever going to factor into her life. She neither liked children, nor really wanted them. Her cats were her kids, and both were treated like kings.

  Shutting the bedroom door, Kate buttoned up her jacket and headed back outside. The outdoor lights were coming on as day moved into dusk, giving the evening a gentle glow. The rain pattered softly against the dark asphalt, pelting the earth with cold little spikes of water. She didn’t mind the wet. She usually loved the rain. She just didn’t like moving her things in it. Of course, there was no sign of Scott. She should have known he’d let her down. Even when they were in high school, he’d always been a day late and a dollar short.

  I have a way of picking good friends, she thought, then grimaced. That wasn’t fair. Even though Scott had moved away from Texas years ago, they’d always managed to keep in touch by phone and letter. It was Scott’s idea that she leave Montana behind and make a fresh start in Oregon. Driving down and touring the town where he lived, she’d agreed. It was the perfect place to get a fresh start in life. Since he lived in the first unit directly under hers, he’d promised to be around to help her get settled in. She thought it would be fun to live by her childhood pal again. They’d been such great buddies in high school. It would be nice to resume that old friendship. After all, she was now a single woman. And Scott was a very single guy since he’d found Jennifer in bed with a friend. Her best girlfriend.

  Ewwww! Gross. Poor Scott. That must have been a shock. No matter how close she was to her female friends, she just couldn’t imagine getting sexually intimate with any of them. That just wasn’t the way she was inclined to swing.

  Climbing over the trailer hitch, she hefted herself into the U-haul and pushed boxes to the lip of the trailer.

  Like a squirrel hoarding nuts, she began to carry them into her apartment. One by one, she toted the boxes, large and small, up the stairs, placing each in the room it belonged. Bathroom items, kitchen items, etc… all went into their proper places. After trip number ten, she was cursing her decision to move into an upstairs unit. By the time trip fifteen came around, she was seriously considering abandoning everything and setting it afire. She was drenched to the bone, shivering with cold; her hands were red and numb.

  “What sane person needs this many books anyway?” she cursed. “And who needs over one hundred porcelain plates depicting cats?” She supposed she was lucky to have them. She’d feared she’d have to sell everything to settle the bankruptcy, but since most of thei
r debt was in credit cards, all she’d had to do was go to court and explain to the judge what had happened. There was no listing of assets, as her attorney had already taken care of that assessment. She had no property, no land, and an old car that wasn’t even registered in her name. Twenty minutes later, she’d walked out of court, debt free, but without any credit. A fresh start had cost her five hundred and fifty dollars. She’d shaken her attorney’s hand, gotten in her car and driven off, never again to set eyes on the man. He’d served his purpose.

  Crossing the parking lot again, Kate cast a baleful glance into the trailer’s depth. Most of the smaller items had been moved inside, but a lot remained. The heavy stuff—desk, chest of drawers, kitchen table, bed and living room tables, the kitty kingdom. Oh, shit, there sure was a lot. It was going to take more than one man and one woman to move this stuff.

  How the hell am I going to do this? A touch of panic coursed through her. Tears began to well in her eyes. Freezing, wet to the skin and absolutely at the end of her rope, she sat down on the trailer hitch and started to cry, great heaving sobs that shook her body. She didn’t care that she was sitting in the rain, between a U-Haul of stuff she could not move and a station wagon stuck on a trailer. At this moment, she didn’t care about anything but crying herself into a puddle. Somehow that seemed to be the thing to do. Four years of angst and anxiety, worry and work had finally caught up with her. What was she thinking, leaving a secure, established home, and moving off to a whole new place. Though she’d never really called Montana home, it was the place she’d lived for years. She had a bit of history there. Friends. A job that paid the bills. In one mad moment, she’d thrown that all away. Maybe she should have thought about it a little more.

  I always jump out of the frying pan and into the fire, she told herself.

  But it was too late for turning back. She’d left her apartment. She’d quit her job. Cut ties with the old. Now, she could only go forward.