Dancing Together

Wendi Zwaduk

What happens in Vegas at
Christmas stay in Vegas… 

Jordy Murphy
isn’t the warm, fuzzy family type. Instead of getting together with all the
newly minted couples in his family, he is in the center of sin, decadence and
sex for the holidays. He craves the lights, the Christmas glitter and dancing
with sexy women when he spots the one woman he hoped to see, but never expected
to be there—Ally.

Allyson
Benson wants Jordy Murphy in her stocking for Christmas. No other present will
do, so she's pulling out all the stops to show him a sexy time. Will their
relationship extinguish faster than Christmas candles or do they have the
passion to last throughout the season?

Reader Advisory: This story has graphic sexual language and
scenes—no closed bedroom doors (or other rooms) here!

An
Adult
Romance
from Ellora’s Cave

“I need some Christmas cheer.” Jordy Murphy stood in front
of the mirror in his Las Vegas hotel room and groaned. He raked his fingers
over the top of his head. He’d cut his hair the week before and still wasn’t
sure about the new look. The shorter ’do was too severe. He preferred the longer,
floppy style with highlights streaked into his blond hair. The change wasn’t
awful, just different—and he’d be able to hide it under a Santa hat anyway.

He adjusted his tie, emblazoned with snowballs, then
smoothed out the suit coat. He snorted. The outfit was rather formal for
clubbing in Vegas, but he wasn’t headed to just any club on any given night.
This was Christmas Eve. According to the e-invite he’d received, he was to go
upstairs to Club49 for the holiday extravaganza. Fifty bucks a head with all
drinks and a buffet included as well. Unless the unnamed item had the name of
the club emblazoned on it, he’d re-gift to his brother or sister.

He turned away from the mirror and fiddled with the band on
his smart watch. The device had been the best investment and his Christmas
present to himself. He’d inputted his identification and credit card
information so he wouldn’t have to worry about losing his wallet at the party.
As he swiped across the screens on his watch, he noticed an image. His breath clogged
in his throat. Allyson Benson. According to her email, she’d be in Vegas at the
same party. She’d been the reason he’d decided to duck out of Cleveland in
favor of the lights in Sin City. Was she really waiting upstairs? He wasn’t
sure, but he knew he wanted her in his stocking for Christmas.

The lights on the Strip flashed in his hotel room. He’d left
the curtains for his bank of windows open. The play of color calmed him. He
strolled over to the wall of glass and gazed out at the Strip below. No snow,
unlike Cleveland and northern Ohio. Back home, his favorite state was buried in
a foot of the white stuff. He glanced up at the sky, expecting to see stars,
but there were none. He liked stars.

For a moment he wondered if there was any peace on the Strip.
There probably wasn’t much silence back home. He shuddered. He loved his
brother and sister, and their spouses. Hell, he’d been the best man in both of
his brother Corey’s weddings.—both to the same woman He shook his head. Only
Corey could fuck up his love life and still come out on top. Katie, Corey’s
wife, had more patience than a saint to put up with Corey and to marry him
twice.

Jordy pinched the bridge of his nose. Maybe it was the jet
lag from the long flight or the time change, but part of him wished he wasn’t
going to the party. A tiny bit of him wanted to be home with his family—despite
the fact that they drove him berserk. He wasn’t about to listen to more baby
talk or help his sister and brother-in-law decide on baby names. So they were
going to make him an uncle? Wonderful, but he didn’t give a shit what they
named the kid. Was that bad? Did that make him an awful uncle? Oh well.

Something his father said came to mind. “Never stick with
one woman and never let anyone tie you down.” His father certainly lived by
that motto. Each of his children was created with a different woman. Whenever
Dear Old Dad showed up for a family gathering, he always had a new female on
his arm. Jordy wished his father would’ve stuck with one woman to birth his children—that
would’ve made life easier and removed most of the tension from the holidays.
But no. Gary Murphy needed to keep his love life interesting. Jordy swore he’d
never turn into a womanizer like his father.

At least his family wouldn’t be in Vegas for Christmas.

Thinking about children and relationships made his head
ache. This was Christmas. He should be wanting to get together, not shove them
all aside. He wasn’t good at relationships and loved his somewhat easy life. He
spent a lot of time on his own. Being alone was great to a degree—he didn’t
have to answer to anyone and could do things at his own pace. He didn’t have to
worry about letting someone down. Sometimes, though, he wanted to share his
life with someone.

His thoughts traveled to Allyson again. He sat on the bed
and stared at her picture on his watch. He liked her and liked the way she fit
in his arms. He dreamed about her kiss. Her laugh always brought him out of a
bad mood. She’d been the one to suggest the trip and even gave him space. She
was good for him and smart to boot.

So why wasn’t he with her in her room? Or in adjacent rooms?
Because she’d claimed she didn’t want to intrude on his life if he decided to
hook up with someone else for the holidays.

What if Allyson was the hottie he wanted to snuggle up with
for Christmas? She could be the woman who played with his Yule log. He snorted.
What a bad joke. He wasn’t huge, but he made do with what the good Lord had
given him. Allyson seemed to like his dick. He smoothed his hand over the growing
bulge in his pants. He wanted to find Allyson, bring her to his room and
decorate her in whipped cream for the holidays. She liked to use toys in the
bedroom. Maybe they could find a twenty-four-hour sex shop and buy a little
more Christmas cheer.

His phone beeped, bringing him out of his mini-fantasy. He
sighed. He needed to head upstairs to the party, but he couldn’t get her out of
his brain. What if she wasn’t there? What if Allyson paired off with someone
else? He wasn’t sure he wanted to see her with another man. He’d kept things
casual with her, so he only had himself to blame if she did decide to dump him
for good.

He’d worry about her later. She might not be there, but
there was a chance she’d come to Vegas and wanted to heat up the holidays with
him.

Jordy stood and removed the Santa hat long enough to don the
mask. Wearing a masquerade mask for the duration of the party seemed a little
much, but whatever. He unzipped and loosened his belt. He needed to tuck his
keycard into the little pocket inside his dress pants. Jordy locked his keys
and wallet in the room safe, then strolled out of the room in the direction of
the elevator. He pressed the button and while he waited for the car, he noted
the eight doors in the hallway leading to various rooms. Getting a suite proved
to be smart because they were secluded. He had more room and fewer people to
deal with in the elevator. Would he run into Allyson? He hoped so.

The car stopped and the doors opened. He stepped into the
elevator and pressed the button for the club level. According to the e-invite,
the men were to wear suits or tuxes, a mask and a Santa hat. He checked his
look in the reflective panels on the walls of the car. Check, check and check.
The wording in the invitation stated the women were expected to wear masks and
the Santa hat. Otherwise, they could wear whatever they wanted. He wondered how
the females would interpret the rules.

If Allyson showed up, how would she dress? At the school,
she was every bit the buttoned-up matronly-looking teacher with her high
collars and dowdy khaki pants. She kept her dark blonde hair captured in clips
and wound up in buns rather than allowing her hair to brush her shoulders. He
understood her plan—keep control in the classroom and focus on learning. But
the moment he laid eyes on her, he wanted to do so much more than learn.

When he spent time alone with her, he got to know the real
woman she kept hidden away. In the bedroom she seemed to embrace her curves and
her sensuality. He wanted to indulge in every one of her naughty fantasies.
They’d only fucked four times, but each encounter had been seared into his
brain. Her hazel eyes shimmered with passion as they made love. He loved the
way her ample breasts bounced when she rode him and how she gripped him tight
in her pussy. He wanted to pull her hair as she cried out for more and to tweak
the little ring in her right nipple.

Sweet Jesus, he needed to fuck her. Tonight, he hoped she
went for the kill and dressed to impress—him.

God, he was full of himself thinking she wanted to be with
him after he’d kept things so casual. Still, a man could dream and possibly
realize what he’d kind of always known. He liked her for more than a friend or
casual date. Before he could let her know, he had to find her.

Please let her be in Vegas and looking for him, too.

He rode to the top floor of the building. He wanted Allyson
to be in Vegas and at the party, but if she wasn’t, he’d make do. He’d find a
lover for the holiday. When the doors opened, he bit back a gasp. Holiday music
with a techno flair blasted around the expansive room, making the space seem to
bounce. A set of steps led down to the main dance floor. Strings of twinkle
lights in every color imaginable dangled from the ceiling and garland had been
draped around the tables and from sconces on the walls. The pungent scent of
cinnamon filled the air.

Jordy wiped his hands on his pants legs and strode out of
the elevator. Seeing the explosion of red and green in the room, coupled with
the holiday scent and the flickering lights, kicked his holiday spirit up a
notch. He surveyed the bevy of women on the dance floor. He spotted someone who
reminded him of Allyson near the edge of the dance floor. Dressed in a bright
green dress, she ground her ass into a male dancer’s groin. Would Allyson be so
free? She wasn’t in Cleveland and didn’t have to worry about someone from the
school seeing her. A thought occurred to him. She’d once mentioned something
about having a boyfriend. Shit. Did she mean she wanted a longer relationship
with Chad? She could certainly do better than the jerk selling insurance. Or
was she talking about him?

Possible. Now he wished he’d have listened a bit closer and
been less of a douche. Wasn’t Christmas the time to set differences aside and
to make amends? Or time to move on? He didn’t want anyone except her, but maybe
he’d find someone like Allyson there among the dancers. Maybe. If he got lucky,
she’d be there and alone. He wanted to swoop in and serve as her Santa. She
could be his naughty elf in desperate need of a spanking. Whatever happened, he
wanted to be with Allyson before Christmas day and to get lucky for the
holidays.

Allyson stood along the fringe of the dance floor, watching
the other attendees engaged in merriment. Part of her wanted to jump in the
middle and lose her cares. The rest of her—the responsible, buttoned-up part—was
scared. She’d never done anything like planning a Vegas vacation and never put
her heart so far out on her sleeve as she had with Jordy. She wanted him on her
terms, not his. Not meeting up at the school for long talks and even longer
kisses. No family running around and butting into their affairs. Not that she
and Jordy were in the midst of an affair. She wished they were. From the moment
she met Jordy, she wanted him. Who didn’t? The former baseball player had
become the stud of the elementary school staff. He walked down the halls with a
swagger and always looked so handsome in his requisite running shorts and
T-shirts as the elementary school physical education teacher.

She folded her arms and sighed, then edged away from the
crowd. Telling Jordy to come to Vegas had been bold. Following along in the
hopes of catching up to him had been crazy. He was her Christmas wish. She
wanted Jordy Murphy gift-wrapped and under her tree…or rather she wanted him
there and using his special skills to wrap her up. Either way, she wanted him.

She wobbled on her spindly high heels as she made her way
toward the massive Christmas tree. Towering two stories high, the tree easily
illuminated the room. She touched one of the iridescent ornaments and made a
silent wish for Jordy to arrive.

She was pining for him and she knew it. Damn.

Allyson turned back toward the main throng of dancers and
picked at the beading on her dress. Many of the women at the club were dressed
to the nines in evening gowns and dripping with jewels. Some women used the
Christmas theme and decked themselves out in tinsel and lights. One resembled a
walking Christmas tree. Others went for the skimpy approach. She fought off the
shiver. Once she’d arrived in Vegas, she went to the boutique in the hotel
lobby and bought the most risqué dress she could find to fit her ample frame.
With cutouts on the sides around her torso and a slit that extended up to her
hip bones, she felt exposed. The bodice barely contained the girls and the ties
for the halter portion dug into the back of her neck. She bit back her fear.
Normally, she kept everything covered up. Having so much of her body on display
unnerved her. She wished she’d bought a cover-up.

She plucked a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing
waiter. She didn’t really want the drink, but needed something to do with her
hands.

Allyson turned her attention to the dancers and scanned the
crowd. Was Jordy there? She hoped he’d gone through with his decision to escape
to Vegas. Other than avoiding his family, he’d claimed he had no reason to
leave Ohio. She clutched the stem of the fluted glass tight. She’d banked a lot
on Jordy showing up and could lose big-time. Damn.

A man strolled up to her and smiled. The black suit hugged
his body in all the right places and showcased the muscle in his frame. She had
to admit he had a nice body and his face seemed pleasant—although she really
couldn’t tell with the black mask in the way. The Santa hat covered his hair,
making it impossible to tell if he even had any. When he stood before her she
knew. He wasn’t Jordy. Too tall.

“Enjoying your evening?” the man asked. He bowed before her.

“Yeah, I am. The night’s young and I’m having fun.”
Goodness. She’d spent too much time in her own classroom with the
kindergarteners. She was rhyming when she didn’t have to.

The guy swept his gaze over her. When he looked at her, she
wanted to squirm. Unlike when Jordy appraised her, this felt predatory. Like
she was a piece of candy to devour. She clutched the champagne to her chest,
trying to hide some of her cleavage.

“Are you in Vegas to get away from something? Or someone?”
He inched closer and trailed his fingertips down her bare forearm.

She suppressed a shudder. Holy hell she was out of her
element. “I’m meeting someone.” She hoped. Right now would be a great time for
Jordy to show up and rescue her.

“Doesn’t look like he—or she—showed up. Maybe you should
join me for a while. We could talk, dance, drink…whatever you like.” He smiled.
The man was handsome, but he made her skin crawl because of his forwardness.

She kept her gaze fixed on him, but surveyed the crowd at
the same time—a skill she’d learned through her ten years teaching
kindergarteners. Never take your eyes off them for a second. She smiled. Part
of her wished Jordy would materialize, but the rest of her hoped he wouldn’t
see her with the gross man. She’d wanted to knock Jordy off his feet, not make
him think she was there to fuck everything in a sport coat. She regretted
mentioning she’d been on a date three weeks before. Back then, she’d wanted to
make him jealous. Childish, she knew, and the ploy hadn’t worked. He’d wished
her well and went on his merry way. If he saw her with this guy, he’d probably
act the same. No, she wasn’t about to let the man she loved get away so easily.

“I’m good for now. Thanks.” She tipped her head. “Maybe
another time.”

“Shame.” He shook his head, making the Santa hat slide
forward. The small gesture chipped away at his handsome façade and revealed he
might not have been so polished underneath. “I’ll keep an eye out for you. If
you look lonely, I’ll be there to pick you up.” He winked and strolled away, no
doubt on the hunt for another woman who appeared to be single and ready to
mingle.

She groaned and sipped the champagne. Men and their lousy
pick-up lines anyway.

Second thoughts filled her head. Going to the club and Vegas
for Christmas on the hopes that Jordy would be there, too was silly. She should’ve
suggested they go together on the plane or something. They could’ve stayed home
and holed up in her apartment or spent the holiday at a hotel in
Cleveland—something safer and tamer than Vegas. She’d jumped out of her comfort
zone by planning the trip and peeling back her protective layers. She moved on
the faith that he would show up. He wasn’t there yet and probably wasn’t going
to come to Vegas. His family probably convinced him to stay at home. But what
if he was there and she just hadn’t seen him yet? Or he hadn’t come to the club
yet? If she left, she’d miss him.

“I’ll wait,” she mumbled. She spotted the pushy man and
ducked into the crowd of dancers. Sure, the red dress she wore wasn’t her
normal type of clothing, but compared to some of the scantily clad women there,
she blended in. She lost herself in the music, not caring about the holiday
lyrics or the people bumping and grinding around her. The music was goofy, but
it made the crowd move. Besides, wasn’t Christmas the season to have a little
fun and to be goofy?

Allyson moved to the music, closing her eyes every so often
and losing herself in the spirit of the holiday. The bodies moving against
hers, the way arms accidentally brushed her breasts or a hip bumped into
hers…the touches reminded her of Jordy. She wanted him to be the one with his
hands on her body. Her nipples beaded under her dress. She imagined Jordy
behind her, cupping her breasts and keeping her ass tight to his groin. Would
he whisper in her ear? Bite her earlobe? Pinch her nipples right there on the
dance floor? Her body heated. When he was with her, he owned her—heart and
soul.

At the end of the song, Allyson opened her eyes and left the
dance floor. She didn’t see a clock in the room and wondered how long she’d
been lost in the music. She’d relaxed a bit. Was it the champagne she’d drank
earlier? The eggnog? Or thinking about Jordy? She wasn’t sure, but as the night
had progressed, she worried less about her dress and more about having a little
fun. She glanced up at the main staircase leading from the elevators.

Even with the mask and the hat, she’d have known Jordy
Murphy anywhere and the man stood three-quarters of the way up the stairs
seeming to watch the dancers below. From the breadth of his shoulders to the
narrowness of his hips—strong from so many years playing baseball—to the
lopsided smile and blond hairs dusting his cheeks and chin, she recognized him.
Her heart thudded in her chest. She knew every inch of his body beneath the
black suit. She wanted to run to him and touch him. But how? Shit. How exactly
should she approach him?

She picked at the beading on the bodice of her dress. She
could stand in front of thirty kindergarteners with ease, but talking to the
man she loved seemed impossible. Good Lord.

Allyson shored up her courage. The uneasiness came back in
waves, but she pushed her feelings aside. She’d slept with Jordy and they’d
tried BDSM together. She trusted him with a blindfold, toys and rope. Why not
now? If she could bare her heart to him in such intimate ways, then she could
approach him at a club.

Stop thinking and worrying. You wanted Jordy for
Christmas. Get him.
She forced herself forward and swallowed hard. She
crossed the expanse of the massive room to the bottom of the staircase.

Jordy descended the steps and stopped three from the bottom.
His Santa hat sat askew on his head, adding to his boyish good looks. He
smiled, sending renewed warmth through her body. He seemed more bemused by the
whole club scene than approving.

“Jordy?” she asked and surged up the steps. “You made it.”
Did she sound silly? Was her low confidence obvious? “Merry Christmas.”

Jordy stared at her for a moment and didn’t say a word. When
his gaze roved over her body, she shivered. She liked the predatory look and
the fire in his eyes.

She kept her hands at her sides to prevent herself from
crossing her arms. Damn nervous gesture anyway. She wanted to look open and
inviting, not upset or irritated.

“How are you?” she managed. “Nothing like Vegas at
Christmas. I didn’t think there could be more lights here in town, but then
Christmas comes and boom. Tons more lights. They don’t seem so fake though—the
lights.” She was babbling and needed to stop.

“Yeah.” He seemed to look right through her.

“It’s me, Allyson.” She clasped her hands at the small of
her back. The more she watched him, the more she wondered why she’d thought
coming to Vegas would be a good idea. Jordy didn’t seem interested at all.

“Ally?” Jordan curled his fingers under her chin. “What are
you doing here?” He swiped his thumb across her chin, then wrapped his arm
around her. He led her to the edge of the room to the balcony. The music wasn’t
quite as loud, but the night air chilled her to the bone. “Sorry. I suck at
sounding casual. I just didn’t expect to see you.”

He shrugged out of his suit coat and draped the garment
around her shoulders. “I knew you talked about coming out here, but I never
thought you’d show up. I figured you were trying to get me out of town so you
could have a good time with your boyfriend.”

She could come up with a lame excuse and explain the
nonexistent boyfriend away, but why? She hated lying—especially to him. “I didn’t
want to be alone for the holidays.” She averted her gaze. “I wanted to see you
and wish you a merry Christmas. Surprise?” She couldn’t face him. Tears
threatened behind her eyes. The scent of him on his coat enveloped her. She
felt safe in his clothes, but hardly safe at the moment. He’d told her he
wanted to keep things casual. Getting together for Christmas in a destination
situation was the exact opposite.

“Hey. I’m sorry.” She shrugged out of the coat. “I don’t
want to ruin your chances with the gorgeous women here.” She draped the garment
over his arm and inched away from him. “See you.”

So went the story of her life. She was good enough when
Jordy wanted to kiss or make out, but not the relationship type. At least she’d
finally figured out when to cut her losses. But why did his kiss have to be so
damn addictive? Why did she want him? Because he wasn’t completely interested
in her?

“Don’t leave.” Jordan snagged her in his arms. He licked his
bottom lip, then mashed his mouth down on hers. He’d given her barely a second
to think about what was happening before he made his move and she loved his
decision. She’d locked lips with him plenty of times, but the rush was
different this time.

When he broke the connection, she wobbled into him.

“We should dance.” He draped the coat back around her
shoulders. “Inside or out?”

“Wait.” She placed both hands on his chest and fought back a
moan. The man was all hard muscle under his dress shirt. She was nuts to be
pushing him away, but she needed to be sure he wanted her. “You don’t have to
entertain me. Don’t feel pressured. Find one of the hotties in there.”

The predatory look returned to his eyes. He held her closer
and whispered in her ear. “No one’s pressuring me. Merry Christmas, babe. Let’s
heat up the holidays so much it burns.”