11. The Dance
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE DANCE
Julian
“How do I look?”
Sophie’s shy, unsure voice settles over the bedroom and I turn around to find her wearing a white shift dress, sheer black tights, and a leather jacket. She’s paired her outfit with the over-the-knee boots that drive me crazy, and her hair is tousled. Gorgeous.
“You look perfect, as always,” I say, buttoning my white Oxford shirt with shaky hands.
Tonight is the night—exactly two days after we all agreed we’d try a scene with Kai and Sophie. I had to get the contract drawn up, which took until this afternoon, thanks to my distracted mind. And of course, both Sophie and Malakai were tested just to be safe. It also gave us time to come to terms with the fact that we were actually bringing a friend into this for the first time. Normally, the men I chose for Sophie were strangers, people she’d never seen before. It made things easier.
It made things less complicated.
For the first time in a long time, I’m anxious.
Sophie shifts her weight, and I can’t help but watch the way her skirt flutters over her thighs. She really does look so pretty tonight, and my first thought is how Kai is going to notice it, too.
My stomach tightens, half with anticipation, half with something sharper.
I’m always aroused by the idea of other men finding her attractive—and her giving them a taste of something just out of reach. She is mine , after all.
But now, Kai’s part of it, and that makes everything more… convoluted.
I glance at the mirror and catch my own reflection, face flushed, fingers fumbling as I continue trying to button my shirt. The trembling in my fingers gets worse, and I curse under my breath when the button slips through my fingers yet again.
Just thinking about Kai sets my nerves on edge. He’s invited us to his apartment in downtown Crestwood. I’ve never been, but I’m anxious to see the place he calls home. I can’t help but imagine how he’s probably smoothing his hair, getting that cool, unbothered look down like he always does. The memory of that kiss from years ago—a kiss that was a mistake, according to him, but a kiss that still hasn’t stopped echoing in my mind—tightens something in my chest.
Our complex history just adds another thorny layer to all of this.
Tonight, I’ll only be watching, like I always do. I should be focused on Sophie, but it’s impossible to ignore Kai’s pull. I already know from the tight knot of anticipation in my gut that Sophie won’t be the only person I watch tonight. Even now, when I think I’ve buried everything, here it is, back to taunt me. I’m excited to see him aroused, too.
It’s not unusual, per se. I am a bisexual man, and I have, at one point or another, enjoyed watching the men enjoy my wife.
However, those men were not Kai.
They were strangers, and it was easy to say goodbye and never think of them again.
Tonight, though?
I can’t promise to forget about how Kai looks fucking my wife.
Studying my reflection, I run a hand through my blond hair. I’ve been staring at my reflection for too long. My lips are pressed thin, and my jaw is tight.
Why does the idea of Kai touching Sophie feel more personal than with any other man?
There’s something else bubbling underneath my cool facade, too, and I would be remiss if I ignored or suppressed it. I’m jealous.
Every time I think about how he’ll look at her—how he’ll touch her—jealousy prickles up my spine, even if I have no right to feel it.
And the worst part?
Every time I think about how she’ll look at him, how she’ll touch him, makes me even more envious.
That’s a first for me. I’ve never felt like this before, and the realization hits me like a punch to the gut.
My mind is on a distraction loop, oscillating between different intrusive scenarios for the night—another glorious side effect of my ADHD.
I think about Kai’s hands on Sophie’s skin, her lips parting under someone else’s kiss, her lashes fluttering as someone else gives her pleasure.
Except, it’s not someone. It’s Kai.
That thought tightens something in my chest.
I take a slow, steadying breath, pressing down the knot of jealousy and nerves coiling in my chest. This is what I want. What I agreed to. Sophie, Kai, me—this is exactly how it’s supposed to go. If it gets to be too much, I have my safe word; I can call it off anytime. But the thought of pulling the plug feels like admitting defeat, like losing something I haven’t even figured out how to hold on to yet.
So I swallow hard, clench my fists, and will myself to stay right here in the thick of it. I need this, even if I don’t fully understand why.
“You look handsome,” Sophie purrs, placing her arms around my waist. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been quiet all night.”
I nod. “I’m sure.”
“Because we don’t have to do this,” she says, echoing the words from earlier when she’d watched me come home after two and a half hours at the gym. I had energy to burn off, but at least my physique will benefit this time around.
All or nothing.
I look down at my doting wife, placing my hands on either side of her face. “I want this. So much.”
A slow smile creeps across her face. “Me too.”
The car ride to downtown Crestwood is quiet. Sophie plays a Sabrina Carpenter album, and I oscillate between excitement, jealousy, and nervousness.
I have my safe word.
I can tap out.
It’ll be okay.
I’d forgotten to take my ADHD medication this morning, which means I’ve felt extra jumpy and distracted. My left foot bounces against the floor mat as I drive, and the rhythmic sound is comforting somehow. The music hums in the background, but I’m not really hearing it.
My thoughts are too loud.
I know I’m overthinking. I’m good at burying things, locking them away tight so nothing can hurt me. But tonight, it’s like my mind refuses to be obedient. Every time the thought of Kai’s hands trailing over Sophie enters my mind, I have to quell the jealousy mixed with arousal.
My mind bounces between best- and worst-case scenarios, and I don’t even hear Sophie ask me a question.
“Julian?”
“Hmm?” I ask, pulling into the car park underneath Kai’s building.
Placing her hand on my leg, she squeezes it once. “You and me, okay? I love you.”
I give her a genuine smile. “You and me. And I love you more.”
The lift ride up causes my heart to pound against my ribs, and I hold on to Sophie’s hand to help keep me grounded. My breathing feels shallow, somehow, so I count the seconds. It helps me, sometimes—especially on days I forget my medication. But I can’t find the right tempo. Too fast, and I’ll seem overeager. Too slow, and I’ll seem hesitant.
Is it possible to feel both those things at once?
I want this, but with Kai, everything feels… heightened.
Sophie’s thumb brushes against the calloused part of my palm, and I squeeze her hand back.
It helps.
As we exit on the fifth floor, we quietly walk to the end of the hallway. I’ve never been here before, but I can’t help but feel like Kai’s place is going to be modest. Small. Organized.
We wanted to arrange things at his flat to keep it casual and comfortable. A hotel felt too impersonal for the arrangement, and he offered his place up, but I’m now realizing it gives the whole night a raw intimacy that makes me realize just how personal this is becoming.
Will he offer us wine?
Dinner?
Swallowing, I knock on the door once we arrive. The sound is altogether too soft and yet somehow loud in the quiet hallway. My eyes trail over the modern-looking wood door and black doormat. I’m struck by the sudden awareness that we’re standing here, on the verge of something I can’t control, in front of a door which leads to a place that feels too intimate for what we’ve planned.
It’s like I can already feel his presence on the other side, in his space.
The thought sets off a spark in me that I wasn’t expecting, heating my face as I take a shallow breath.
Arousal.
“You okay?” Sophie whispers, her hand giving mine a gentle squeeze.
I nod, forcing a smile, but there’s a tightness in my throat I can’t shake. “Yeah… it’s just… you know.”
She smiles at me in that soft, understanding way of hers, and I feel a pang of gratitude.
Just as she opens her mouth to respond, the door opens, and Kai is standing before us. My insides spark with a mix of anticipation, excitement, and nervous energy at seeing his face, and his eyes flare with something similar as he looks between us.
Something in my chest tightens. It’s not just his place, but him—here, looking at me with that calm, warm expression that’s always managed to both settle and unsettle me. Just seeing him, the familiar strength and quiet confidence in his posture, makes the ground feel a little less steady beneath my feet.
“Come in.”
He offers us a soft smile, stepping back to let us in. I step forward half a second before Sophie, positioning myself slightly in front of her.
It’s instinct, the same way I always walk on the roadside of the pavement.
Protective.
And maybe a little possessive.
We both cross the threshold into his space. It smells like him, just as I suspected, that familiar, quiet scent that I associate with late-night talks in our dorm room. Everything here reflects him, from the subtle order, the simplicity, the quiet care he puts into things. It’s unmistakably Kai.
Not plain or boring, but… simple.
“Would you like a drink?” Kai asks both of us.
My heart’s pounding again, and it’s all because of him.
Because the way I feel standing here feels like something new and old at once, something that’s been waiting for a moment like this to finally come to the surface.
And he’s not even going to touch me.
I meet his gaze, and there’s a power there I’m not sure he fully realizes. “Sure,” I manage, my voice coming out a little more breathless than I intended.
He smiles again, that steady, reassuring smile, and for a moment, I feel like everything else—the nerves, the apprehension—fades into something softer. Just me, Sophie, and Kai, stepping into a moment that’s as unexpected as it is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.
“Me too,” Sophie says at my side.
Sophie and I walk farther into the apartment, and I was right about another thing—it is small.
Except… despite the size, it’s curated. There are books placed on tables. A candle on the bookshelf flickering against the leather-bound tomes. A record player sits on a mid-century credenza, lightly playing some nineties music. There’s no television, but there’s a whole shelf of puzzles and board games.
I hide my smile when I see several puzzles detailing scenes from classic slasher movies. It brings me back to that night in the dorm, and my heart pounds in my chest when I think of how we never did finish watching all of them together.
Sophie’s arm snakes around my side as Kai meanders over to a small bar set against one of the walls.
“Wine? Beer? Liquor…?” Kai asks, the last word hanging in the air in such a way that it seems to cut the tension a bit.
“I’ll take the liquor,” Sophie says quickly, laughing lightly against my side.
“Me too,” I tell Kai, and he gives me a quick smirk before pouring some scotch into three crystal tumblers.
As he walks back over to us, Sophie’s arm leaves my waist, and I take the opportunity to walk around the living area. There are pictures with his brothers on the wooden mantel, and just as I walk over to the hallway, a small tan… thing… scurries past my legs, making a high-pitched squeaking sound.
I jump back and whirl around just as Sophie’s eyes go wide in front of me.
“Don’t mind Willy. He’s old and not used to visitors,” Kai explains, reaching down to scoop up the tiny animal.
I open and close my mouth once before looking at Sophie, who looks half a second away from laughing out loud.
“Willy?” I ask tentatively.
“Yeah. He’s a fennec fox. My dad had a menagerie, and when the Feds raided the castle Willy got stuck with me.”
“Willy,” I say again, trying to rein my inner teenager in. “As in… penis?”
Kai grins as he sets Willy down. “Right. Willy is slang for cock in the UK. I guess I should’ve seen that coming.”
“I think he’s cute,” Sophie says. “Can I pet him?”
Kai shrugs as he takes his scotch and sips it. “Sure. He’s friendly.”
Sophie bends down, reaching out to Willy and cooing as he brushes up against her hand and makes another squeaking sound.
The tension feels lighter now, and I lean back against the bookshelf as my eyes flick between Sophie and Kai. The music is soft, filling the silence with a quiet, lilting melody. When Sophie stands up, she smiles at Kai, but she walks over to me.
“Do you remember this song?” she asks, referencing the song playing, “Fade into You” by Mazzy Star.
“I do.”
She reaches out for my free hand, and I set my scotch down on the bookshelf as she drags me into the middle of the room.
“Dance with me?”
I smile as my arms loop around her narrow waist, and she rests her head on my chest as we sway to the music.
“I remember how fucking incredible you looked that night,” I murmur, ignoring my growing erection as I reference our third date.
It was the first night I slept with her, and the experience changed my life.
Kai walks over to the couch and sits down, scotch in hand. I make eye contact with him over Sophie’s head as we move to the slow music, and then I drag my eyes down his chest. He’s wearing a navy sweater with a white collar underneath and black trousers. His hair is unkempt and a little wild, and as always, he has a bit of scruff that lines his chiseled jaw. As my eyes rove back up to his face, he’s watching me with an almost daring look as he finishes the last of his scotch.
My hands glide over Sophie’s back, down to her arse, and she groans as I squeeze once.
Kai’s eyes spark with mischief, and he rubs his mouth with his hand. I notice the faint flex in his jaw, though—the way his eyes bore into mine as I drag my hand across her back. His gaze is relentless, the mischievous gleam sharpening every time our eyes meet. The gleam of amusement there—or is it challenge?—stirs something primal in me, something that stokes my need to keep his attention fixed on me. I know exactly what game he’s playing, and damn if I won’t play it better.
His pupils darken as I shift, rolling my hips against Sophie and drawing her even closer.
I don’t look away from Kai—I can’t.
His gaze stays locked with mine, intense and unblinking, as I dance with my wife. The longer it stretches out, the hotter my blood runs.
I press against Sophie’s abdomen, but my focus never wavers from the man watching us from the couch. Finally, I tear my eyes from his and press my mouth to Sophie’s neck, letting my lips graze her skin. My voice drops low, just for her.
“Do you like him watching you, pet? Knowing how hard he’s getting just from seeing you move?”
Her breath hitches, and I drag my teeth along her pulse point, savoring the way she melts against me, sighing my name as my fingers tighten on her hips.
I feel Kai’s gaze like a physical touch, demanding, hot, and so unwavering it’s almost maddening.
I look back up at him.
The air between us thickens, loaded with something unsaid, unacknowledged. Kai’s smile twists as if he knows exactly where my thoughts are, what kind of pulse is thrumming in my veins. I can see the glint in his eyes now, an invitation and a provocation all wrapped up in that familiar smirk. He leans forward just slightly, his body language relaxed but his eyes darker, almost hungry, as if testing whether I’ll falter, whether I’ll break the contact.
I don’t.
Instead, I tighten my hold on Sophie, moving my hips in time with hers, a barely-there smirk playing at the corner of my mouth. And still, my eyes don’t leave Kai’s. He lifts his hand to his mouth again, but this time, he lingers, his thumb grazing his bottom lip as he watches me, deliberate and almost sinful. There’s something in the way he looks at me that makes it hard to breathe, something in the silent language passing between us that makes the space around us crackle. It’s an invitation, a challenge, and I’m both tempted and damned if I don’t meet him where he is.
That is why we’re here tonight, after all.
When I press Sophie closer, Kai leans back, just enough to let his head tilt to the side, never breaking eye contact. And as he does, that slow, lazy smile spreads across his face—a silent promise that tells me he isn’t going anywhere. If anything, he’s daring me to take it further. And I’m not sure I can resist the notion of showing him who exactly is in charge of tonight’s activities.
“Are you enjoying this?” I ask him, my voice low, almost taunting.
Let him feel it. Let him know.
Kai doesn’t say anything, but a flicker of something darkens his gaze—amusement, maybe, or something deeper, something I can almost feel seeping into my skin. He lets his thumb drag slowly across his lip again, the faintest quirk at the corner of his mouth hinting at a silent laugh he’s holding back. His eyes roam over me and Sophie, lingering on the way I press her body to mine, the subtle roll of our hips.
Fuck it.
I let one hand come down the side of Sophie’s thigh, and she gasps when I move it between her legs. She’s wearing tights, so I can’t do anything untoward, but I can fuel the fire, per se.
My index finger runs along the seam, and I quickly find the sweet bundle of nerves. She gasps again, and this time, I let my other fingers brush against her cleft.
I groan when I feel how wet she is already—even through her knickers and tights.
Kai leans forward just a fraction, one eyebrow lifting in a lazy, almost defiant arch. Tilting his head slightly as if considering me, a challenge simmers behind his eyes. His silence speaks volumes, and the tension between us tightens, humming with an energy I can’t ignore. It’s as though he’s waiting for me to make a move, to see if I’ll break first.
And I’ll be damned if I do.
“I am enjoying this, actually,” he says, giving me a small, amused smile.
“Show me.”
My voice reverberates through the room. Sophie stiffens, but I hold her steady, never looking away from him.
I don’t break.
Instead, I wait for Kai to show me just how much he’s enjoying this.
Kai’s mouth curves into the hint of a smile, his eyes never leaving mine. “I can show you—in the bedroom,” he murmurs, smooth and unwavering.
I remove my hand from between Sophie’s legs. She pulls away from me. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are glassy, and when I tilt my head in question, she nods once.
“Very well,” I tell him. “Lead the way.”
He stands, and much to my satisfaction, I see him adjust himself quickly before he reaches for Sophie’s hand.
I let her go, and the two of them walk in front of me down the hall.
In any other situation, I would be taking in my surroundings… but right now, all I can think of is how turned on I am.
Once we reach what I presume is Kai’s bedroom, my eyes do a quick sweep of the modern walnut furniture, white bedding, and minimal decorations. The bed is simple—modest, even. Not big or ornate, but functional.
As Kai leads Sophie to the foot of the bed, I settle into a chair near the window, my fingers drumming against my knee as I track his every move. I’m buzzing with energy, an almost reckless edge that’s making it hard to keep still. This is my scene to control, and he knows it. No matter how smoothly he’s orchestrated this moment, he’s not the one in charge here.
I am.
Well, technically, Sophie is, but he doesn’t need to know that.
Kai and I have always butted heads when it comes to dominance, and if I don’t assert myself now, at the beginning of whatever this is, he’ll hold it over my head for the rest of the evening.
My ex-best friend glances at me, his expression unreadable, but there’s a subtle tension there—a silent acknowledgment. He gestures toward the windowsill. “There’s a contract there,” he says, voice smooth. His tone is… almost challenging .
I look over and see the neat stack of papers—his guidelines and an invitation for formal consent. There’s an ironic sense of decorum in that contract, a reminder of where he thought we’d draw the line. But right now, rules are the last thing on my mind. I let a slow, deliberate smile spread across my face as I reach for the document.
The paper feels thin between my fingers, too weak for the intensity of the night. Fragile.
It’s a barrier, one that stands between me and the restless pull I haven’t fully named yet. I know what this contract is supposed to do—set boundaries, make this feel controlled. Safe.
But I don’t need paper to control this scene. I already have control.
Without a word, I tear it cleanly down the middle, watching Kai’s reaction as the halves flutter to the floor. I don’t break eye contact. Let him see it for what it is. This isn’t impulsive. It’s deliberate. My way of reminding him—reminding myself —who’s in charge here.
Kai doesn’t say a word, but there’s something in the way his shoulders settle. Not defiance. Not irritation. Something quieter. Respect, maybe. Or concession.
He gets it.
I roll my shoulders back, letting the silence stretch as I tip my chin slightly, signaling him to continue. He might be part of this, but he’s here on my terms.
Sophie is my wife, after all, and this is how we’ve always done it.
“Julian,” she warns, cocking her head. Behave, she says with her eyes.
Kai’s jaw tenses ever so slightly, his hand hovering near Sophie’s, but his eyes flick to mine with a hint of something between submission and defiance.
“I don’t need a contract to tell me how you’re going to fuck my wife. I’ll be here to make sure you do a good job.”
His pupils dilate, and I can see the shift in his demeanor as he relinquishes that last sliver of control. This was his game, but he’s given it to me now.
“Very well,” he says, looking between Sophie and me. He’s still smirking, but his movements are careful.
He knows he’s operating within my limits.
I hold his gaze, unmoving, letting the weight of my presence remind him exactly who’s setting the pace tonight.
With a subtle nod, I offer a final cue, my tone low and even. “Show her what you’re here for,” I say, leaving no doubt that he’s here at my discretion.
Kai’s fingers graze Sophie’s waist, and I shift slightly in my seat, the leather creaking beneath me. But it’s not her I’m watching. It’s him.
There’s a heat curling low in my stomach, sharp and insistent, but I bury it beneath something else. Control. Dominance. It’s easier that way—easier to frame this as me overseeing everything, guiding the scene like I always do. Like I’m supposed to.
I let my eyes drift over Kai’s hand, the way it rests just a little too long against the curve of Sophie’s hip.
My jaw tightens, and I lean back, fingers drumming slowly against my thigh.
The charged silence thickens as I watch, fully in command.
And now he knows it.