By the time they were due in the wings for their tango, Archer’s head was all over the place. He had to focus. He could not afford to waste any more time being substandard on that stage. Someone important could be in the audience any night, and he’d lost sight of that. As Francisco’s announcement reverberated, Archer blew out a breath and looked across the stage to where Mateo waited, searching for his steadying gaze. And there it was. Their eyes locked. Mateo’s chest rose and fell in a deep breath as he nodded. You’ve got this.

Archer copied him, the burst of oxygen helping steady his pulse. I’ve got this.

Their music started. Archer began his slow walk out. Mateo’s eyes were twin black coals, burning at him across the stage. As their hands met in the first hold, a pulse of electricity swept over him—a charge he hadn’t felt with Mateo in weeks. Goose bumps prickled every inch of his skin.

Their chemistry was back. Their duet simmered with a new intensity—the turns were sharper than ever, each hold tighter, each foot and hand caress oozing with seduction. Mateo’s scent surrounded him, a heady cloud of man and forest. A flame of arousal flickered in Archer’s gut. Sweat beaded on his skin as they approached the tango’s climax.

They struck their finishing pose as the next duet began downstage, and Archer had never before wanted so badly to keep dancing. But there was nothing to do but tango offstage, heart pounding, mouth dry. Betty gave him a knowing smirk from where she waited for her entrance.

“That felt good,” Archer said to Mateo after chugging from his water bottle. “The dance, I mean. It felt good. We were good. At dancing.”

“Yeah.” Mateo wiped his forehead with a towel. “That was really good.”

Their second show was even better. Archer smiled at Mateo after, feeling a million times lighter than he had before. “Thank you,” he said to Mateo.

“For what?” Mateo asked, pausing his towel to meet Archer’s gaze.

Archer resisted the urge to lean in and kiss Mateo’s cheek. “For being there for me.”

Mateo’s eyes flashed with an unnamed emotion. “Always.”

“Please, could you two be any more obvious?” Caleb’s voice cut in from behind him, dripping with derision.

Archer whirled.

“For fuck’s sake, Caleb,” Mateo said, before Archer could say anything.

Caleb smirked. “Defending your boyfriend? Cute.”

“Archer is not my boyfriend, but yes, I am defending him, because you’re acting like a child.”

Caleb rolled his eyes. “Oh no, am I in trouble again, Father?”

“Caleb—” Archer tried.

Caleb narrowed his eyes at Archer. “What part of ‘fuck off’ were you having trouble with? Don’t even talk to me.”