“I’m good.” She flashed a thumbs-up from the makeup table. “As long as no one else bleeds.”

“And … Caleb?” Archer asked. Caleb hadn’t moved from the chair. He had stopped sobbing, but his head was bent, rested in his palms. Archer went over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Can you dance?”

Caleb’s laugh was devoid of humor. “It’s all I can do.”

Mateo gave a crisp nod. “I’ll take that as a yes. Time to dance, people. Archer? Let’s figure out what the fuck we’re doing.” Mateo took his hand and pulled him close. But instead of diving into the steps as Archer expected, Mateo stared into his eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked in a low murmur.

“Yeah,” Archer said quickly. “I’m fine.” Then he realized his knuckles were white where he gripped Mateo’s hand and every muscle in his body was pulled tighter than a drum.

Mateo squeezed his waist. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath.”

Archer obeyed, inhaling Mateo’s scent, and letting the tension drain from his muscles as he blew it out slowly.

“That’s good,” Mateo rumbled. “Better?”

Archer opened his eyes and met the dark warmth of Mateo’s. “Better.”

“Okay. After we finish here, let’s repeat the first eight bars…” Back to business, he began leading Archer through murmured instructions, in small, half movements, his hand always on Archer’s back or waist. “And then lunge, hold for four, back up slow, three, four, and snap to center, hold my eyes, seven, eight, good.”

His words rippled over Archer’s skin like the heat from a fire, setting an ember inside him aglow. His world was this cocoon with Mateo, hushed, focused, firm touches, soft breaths. He never wanted it to end.

“Do you know the paso?” Mateo asked when they finished working out that part, lips inches from Archer’s.

He willed himself to focus. “I’ve seen it enough, I feel like I do.”

“Okay, let’s try it.”

Mateo led him through, but Archer knew most of it. He was sure they wouldn’t be quite as sharp as the B-Boys, but it would do.

When they hit the final pose, Mateo’s gleaming eyes met his. “Ready to dance?”

Archer nodded. Dance? If you want, I could fly.