Cut and Run 4 - Divide and Conquer

in the Bronco when they drove on some
    days, and on others it would be laid-back country. When he worked
    out, it was thumping club music, something that would get the
    adrenaline pumping, but at home on the rare occasions when he
    listened to music, it was often folksy blues or indie rock, occasionally
    even something from the Rat Pack days. Zane never knew what to
    expect out of Ty‟s sound system.
    Now the music was slow and relaxed, with a bittersweet
    undertone. Then, below the melody, was the unmistakable sound of the
    coffee table being shoved off the rug onto the hardwood, away from the
    center of the room.
    Ty took his hand and pulled at him. “Come dance with me,
    Zane,” he requested quietly.
    Zane‟s stomach flipped as he got to his feet, his hand folding into
    Ty‟s after the gentle tug. He wondered if he looked as surprised as he
    felt and what expression was on Ty‟s face right now. He took a few
    cautious steps after Ty out onto the cleared rug, the surprise melting
    into a deeply felt curl of pleasure and sparkle of unexpected nerves.
    Ty laughed as he pulled Zane to him and they fumbled over
    where to put their hands and how to hold each other. His breath was
    warm on Zane‟s cheek, and for the first time, Zane could feel the way
    Ty held himself as he prepared to dance, confident and strong. He‟d
    seen it on the cruise ship when Ty had done a damn good tango. When
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    they‟d danced at the club, it had been more of a whirling mosh pit. This
    would be their first real dance.
    “You lead, I‟ll follow,” Ty offered.
    “I‟d rather follow you,” Zane murmured, absolutely aware of how
    many meanings those words held right now.
    Ty‟s hand tightened in his, repositioning them, and his other arm
    wrapped around Zane until they were close enough that Zane could feel
    Ty‟s movements deep down. He started with slow, easy steps, a real
    box step and turn to match the music, not just a graceless shuffle. This
    Zane could do without thinking about it, Ty‟s body and the music
    guiding him. He literally didn‟t need to see a thing. He draped his free
    hand over Ty‟s shoulder and relaxed into Ty‟s arms, their cheeks
    brushing with each step. Ty turned his face toward Zane‟s, touching his
    nose and lips to Zane‟s cheek, and he curled Zane‟s hand between
    them, holding it against his chest. They swayed gently with the music,
    but Ty would occasionally pick up the pace and turn Zane in a faster
    circle as the instrumental chorus picked up. Then he would slow them
    again, pulling Zane closer, pressing their cheeks together in a gesture
    that was borderline sensual as the music moved them.
    Zane‟s pulse thrummed as he gave himself over totally into Ty‟s
    hands, following his capable direction and floating on the music. His
    bad mood didn‟t stand a chance, and Zane could even feel a smile
    pulling at his lips. He‟d thought about this, a slow dance with his lover,
    not a flashy tango or a writhing clash under a disco ball. But he‟d never
    dreamed he would get one. It was possibly one of the most erotic, most
    loving things Ty had ever done for him.
    Neither of them had shaved in a few days; Ty‟s cheek scratched
    alongside Zane‟s. But his lips pressed to the corner of Zane‟s mouth
    and stayed there. It wasn‟t quite a kiss. His movements were relaxed
    and natural. The way his body moved to the music and was able to lead
    Zane‟s would have been gorgeous to see. It was better to feel, though.
    The song began to wind down, threatening to end the moment.
    Zane‟s hand tightened on Ty‟s shoulder without conscious thought, and
    he finally turned his face carefully, skimming their lips together. Ty
    returned the kiss just as tentatively. They slowed to a stop as the song
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    ended, and Ty kissed him again as they stood in the middle of the
    living room. The next song started up, similar in tempo, still soulful
    and brooding like the first. Ty didn‟t move with the music, though,
    choosing to hold Zane to him and kiss him instead, and Zane had no
    desire whatsoever to move from that spot. This was something new and
    fragile, something more intense and yet more comfortable.
    Maybe Ty had chosen this because he knew how much Zane
    loved to dance and he‟d been searching for anything he could think of
    to divert his cranky partner. Maybe he had wanted to do this as badly as
    Zane. Whichever it was, Zane didn‟t care.