Soon, she was flying through the moves. Thanks to practices with Cassidy, Trihn had actually felt prepared for this even though she had never performed on the pole before.

Her muscles started aching halfway through the song. She definitely hadn’t warmed up, and it had been a while since she danced pole. Luckily, the Intensive practices had kept her ballet body in shape, so she could push herself.

She couldn’t end on anything as dramatic as Cassidy’s ending, but Trihn forced herself into a split on the bar, grabbed the pole with both hands, and then straightened her elbows out. This released her body from the pole so that the only things keeping her upright and perpendicular to the pole was her flexed foot and both hands. She hadn’t done this one in a while, and she pulled herself back to the pole before she could fall on her face. She flipped back onto the stage floor and bowed to applause like she had never heard. People didn’t cheer this loud for ballet, even at Dance House showcases.

Cassidy ran back out, grabbed Trihn’s arm, and held it high in the air. Trihn couldn’t hear what she was saying over the roar of the crowd, and anyway, her eyes were locked on Preston. He wasn’t just beaming with excitement. He looked ready to eat her alive.

Cassidy pulled her into a hug. “Don’t hate me! You did awesome, chick. You killed that Russian down split.”

Trihn gave her a shaky smile. “Thanks, you bitch.”

Cassidy laughed and squeezed her tighter.

Trihn picked up her discarded clothing and stumbled back to her seat.

Preston pulled her against him in a fierce hug. “You never told me you could do that!” he cried.

“I’ve never done that before,” she said. All the nerves seemed to hit her at once, and her body was shaking. She felt powerful from her performance, yet her stomach plummeted to the floor as fear set in about what had happened.

“You’re trembling.”

She laughed. “I know. I can’t stop.”

“Let’s get you out of here.”

Preston put his arm around her shoulders and directed her through the crowd just as the last act of the night came onto the stage. Trihn glanced over her shoulder once to take in Slipper just the way it was after her first performance. Then, they disappeared up the stairs and walked out onto the city block.

Cassidy rounded the corner a second later. “Hey, Trihn! I didn’t mean to scare you off.”

Trihn smiled, letting her nerves settle. “I can’t believe you surprised me like that.”

“I knew you’d never do it otherwise.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t have.”

“But wasn’t it fun?” Cassidy asked with a big smile. “You could work here with me while you go to NYU. Big boss man said he liked your show, and with some work, we could even be a double act!”

Trihn’s head swam. “What?” she sputtered.

“That’s a great opportunity,” Preston said.

She turned to him in a daze, forgetting that he had been there through it all. “It is,” she said dumbly.

“Who is this?” Cassidy said, openly eyeing him with a big smile. Cassidy had a tendency to flirt with anyone—even Trihn on occasion.

“This is my boyfriend, Preston,” Trihn said. It was the first time she had ever claimed him as such, and it felt good.

“Oh! Nice! Good choice,” Cassidy purred. “Well, think on it. Don’t tell me tonight. You’re still drunk on a performer’s high to decide now.”

“I’ll think on it,” she told her friend.

Cassidy kissed Trihn on the cheek and then fluttered her fingers at Preston with a pointed wink before walking to the backstage door.

“You know,” Preston said with a laugh, “she kind of seems into you.”

“What?” she asked in surprise. “No way. Cassidy is just into everyone.”

“Well, definitely you.”

“No way,” she repeated.

He raised his eyebrows. “I’m just saying, she might be interested in joining us.”

It was Trihn’s turn for her eyebrows to rise. “Like…with us?”

Preston shrugged. “I’m not saying I want to share you, but you two would make a pretty great double act,” he said, mirroring Cassidy’s language.

“For a dance performance!” Trihn said, out of her element. “Would you…be into that?”

Preston pulled her tighter to him and kissed her on the mouth. “I’m into whatever you’re into. Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

She laughed against his mouth and shook her head. No, she supposed she couldn’t blame him for trying. Cassidy was beautiful, and all guys were into threesomes…even if Preston was trying to brush it aside like he didn’t care.

A cab drove by in that moment, and Preston put his hand out to flag it down. Their conversation was forgotten as they drove back across town.

Preston couldn’t keep his hands to himself in the car. “What you did up there,” he breathed into her ear in the backseat, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” His hands traveled up her bare thighs. “Earlier, you said that it’s not sexy, but you’re dead wrong. It’s sexy as hell.”

He fluttered his fingers against her inner thighs. It took her strength of will to keep from moaning against him and opening her legs.

“It got me hard as a rock. I wanted nothing more than to drag you out right then and there.”

“Preston,” she hissed. She didn’t think that the driver could hear him, but it didn’t help with her growing desire.

“All I could think about was fucking you on my dining room table and everything I was going to do to you when I got you home.”

She bit her lip and turned to look up into his blue eyes. “You’re killing me.”

“Don’t worry.” He nipped on her bottom lip and flicked his tongue against the sensitive skin. “I’m never letting you out of my apartment after that show.”

And he made that perfectly clear throughout the rest of the night.

Trihnity Camila Hamilton! Answer your phone right now, or you will find yourself without one!

THROUGH BLEARY EYES, Trihn stared down at the message from her mother. Shit!

She sat up in Preston’s bed and stretched her sore muscles. Literally everything hurt. Whether from her pole performance or from the marathon sexcapades last night, she didn’t know. She cracked her neck, fingers, spine, and hips as she stood, and then she groaned.

“This is a welcome sight this early in the morning,” Preston said, eyeing her naked body.

“I can’t move.”

He reached for her. “Then, I guess you can’t leave.”

“I’m not sure it’s physically possible for me to have sex with you again,” she said with a chuckle as she searched around the room for her discarded clothing.

“I can change your mind.” He came up behind her and pressed his bare chest against her back. He started kissing down her neck.

For a split second, she let herself get lost in his kisses. He was so good at that. Her aches and pains disappeared under his lips.

Then, she remembered the text message on her phone and sighed.

“Sorry. My mom is freaking. I have to go.” She turned around and slid her arms around his neck. “I can’t wait until school starts, and then I won’t have to leave for anything in the morning, except school.”

He kissed her, deeply and hungrily, and she thought that she might give in all over again, but then his phone started ringing. He groaned and then jogged over to the other side of the room. He picked up the phone from the nightstand and silenced it.

“Fuck,” he groaned.

His eyes darted between Trihn and his phone.

“You can get it,” she said, finding her bra on the arm of his chair. How did it get there? “I’m just heading out.”