A moment later, the door swung open. A blast of heat slammed me square in the chest as a tall, dark-haired man gave me a single glance. Time seemed to slow. My heart flickered beneath my ribs. This guy was hot. Broad chest, chiseled cheekbones, and—he slammed the door in my face too fast for me to see anything else.

I scoffed, my mouth dropping open.

How rude.

Narrowing my eyes, I knocked again. Immediately, he opened the door, as if he’d known I wouldn’t go away that easily. It was all I could do not to stare at the guy. His sweeping cheekbones cut like glass, and his piercing blue eyes were flecks of ice. A fitted black tee draped across his well-muscled chest, and his snug jeans hung low around his hips, showing off just a hint of his washboard abs.

My heart pounded as I glared up at him. Nice to look at, but still rude.

“I’m here about the job.” I held up the flyer, grateful that my hand didn’t shake. “It says auditions are tonight.”

He eyed me, a strange expression rippling across his face. “The job is only open to a specific type of dancer. As far as I can tell, that isn’t you.”

His voice was deeper and smoother than I expected, like a big mouthful of melted dark chocolate.

I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of dancer?”

“One you aren’t.” He moved to shut the door again, but I stuck out my boot to stop him.

“How can you tell what kind of dancer I am if you don’t let me audition?” Honestly, I didn’t know why I was fighting so hard for a chance at this job. It wasn’t like I really wanted it. Something about this place didn’t sit right in my gut, and I had no idea what went on behind these closed doors. So, I should take his hesitance—and total assholery—as a sign and go home.

The only problem was, I didn’t have a home. Not a real one, at least.

He folded his arms and smiled. “Trust me. I can tell just by looking at you.”

“And I can tell you’re a dick just by looking at you.” The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Whoops. Probably not the best way to impress a potential employer. I ground my teeth together as I watched another job lead fall through. At least it meant I wouldn’t have to look into this asshole’s perfectly-sculpted face every day.

His brows winged upward. “I own this place. I can be as much of a dick as I like.”

Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. Of course he owned the place. With a deep breath, I bit back my agitation and swallowed a little pride.