Last Dance

By Jeffe Kennedy

It was five minutes. His hand on the small of her back. His eyes watching like there was no one else in the crowded club. His body a breath away from hers. A kiss full of heat and need and promise.

But then the stranger disappears. And Charlotte Emory can’t forget him. Worse, according to the dating Rules she and her four best friends swear by, all she can do is post an ad online. No names, no numbers. Just a missed connection – and the hope he’ll meet her, and see where another dance leads.

Except Mr. Mystery has his game, too, and he isn’t playing for only one night. He tempts Charley into a daring exploration of power, lust, and suspense, where even the most innocent requests sound indecent...and the indecent ones make her burn all night.

If she plays by the Rules, they’ll never get past teasing each other. But rules were made to be broken...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeffe Kennedy
• Release date: Feb 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781945367151

Jeffe Kennedy

Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning, best-selling author who writes fantasy with romantic elements and fantasy romance. She is an RWA member and serves on the Board of Directors for SFWA as a Director at Large.She is a hybrid author, and also self-publishes a romantic fantasy series, Sorcerous Moons. Books in her popular, long-running series, The Twelve Kingdoms and The Uncharted Realms, have won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance, been named Best Book of June 2014, and won RWA’s prestigious RITA® Award, while more have been finalists for those awards. She's the author of the romantic fantasy trilogy, The Forgotten Empires, which includes The Orchid Throne, The Fiery Crown, and The Promised Queen.Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.She can be found online at her website, every Sunday at the SFF Seven blog, on Facebook, on Goodreads and on Twitter. She is represented by Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

Book preview

Last Dance

Missed Connections #1

by Jeffe Kennedy

It was five minutes. His hand on the small of her back. His eyes watching like there was no one else in the crowded club. His body a breath away from hers. A kiss full of heat and need and promise.

But then the stranger disappears. And Charlotte Emory can’t forget him. Worse, according to the dating Rules she and her four best friends swear by, all she can do is post an ad online. No names, no numbers. Just a missed connection – and the hope he’ll meet her, and see where another dance leads.

Except Mr. Mystery has his game, too, and he isn’t playing for only one night. He tempts Charley into a daring exploration of power, lust, and suspense, where even the most innocent requests sound indecent…and the indecent ones make her burn all night.

If she plays by the Rules, they’ll never get past teasing each other. But rules were made to be broken…

Copyright © 2017 by Jennifer M. Kennedy

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or business establishments, organizations or locales is completely coincidental.

Thank you for reading!

Credits

Content Editor: Deborah Nemeth

Production Editor: Rebecca Cremonese

Cover Design: Kellie Dennis, Book Cover by Design

Table of Contents

Title Page

About the Book

Copyright Page

Acknowledgements

The Rules

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Epilogue

Titles by Jeffe Kennedy

About Jeffe Kennedy

Acknowledgements

A number of people helped me with this book, filling in all the many things I don’t know about my characters and their professions.

Many thanks to Elisabeth Lane for the section on making Bananas Foster waffles—both the idea and the execution.

Thanks to Shari Slade and Alexandra Haughton for providing excellent dance metaphors.

Elizabeth Ryann suggested using Damon’s bathroom on Vampire Diaries and HGTV.

Nancy One-Swing-Teichman Bauer gets credit for help with Chicago details. And for being my sister in TTKE all these years.

Much gratitude to Sonali Dev for frank advice on an Indian woman living in the U.S. Now I know never to say cashmere pashmina. Any mistakes made by this fair-skinned Irish Catholic girl are mine. Sonali tried to keep me honest! She and Joan Bell Hanegan also get many thanks for suggesting the name Anaisa.

You all may have noted Rebecca Cremonese cited in the credits. Not only does she copy edit my work, she builds style guides, nags me on consistencies and – in this case – told me All The Things about life in musical theater. I incorporated what I could. All improbabilities that remain are my fault entirely.

As always, thanks to my team – David and Carien, for all you do to keep the balls in the air and me herded. I’d be lost without you!

The Rules

As women holding ourselves to certain standards (if not necessarily high ones), we of the Fabulous Five agree to abide by the following Rules:

1.   It is permissible to dance or hang with any man once and once only in order to assess his fitness according to the following criteria: Looks, Rhythm, Taste, Touch, and Chemistry, with a maximum of one point per criterion.

Amendment 1a. Partial points are permissible, in multiples no smaller than a tenth.

2.   A man must score at least a two out of five to advance to the second round—dating or dancing.

Amendment 2a. This must be a score of 2.0 or better. No rounding up from a score below 2.0 is permitted.

3.   Cell numbers will be given only upon request, never offered, and only to those who’ve advanced to round three.

4.   A score of four out of five is needed to advance to round three. No exceptions. This can include additional dances, dates, or making out, short of intercourse.

Amendment 3a. This must be a score of 4.0 or better. No rounding up from a score below 4.0 is permitted.

5.   No sex with any man who has not advanced to round four, which requires maintaining a score of 4.0 or better following round 3.

6.   Anyone who has agreed to abide by these rules and fails to do so will pay a penalty as determined by the group.

Amendment 6a. Rounding up from lower scores will elicit a more severe penalty.

Amendment 6b. (aka the Charley Amendment) Poor math skills are no excuse.

~ 1 ~

The problem with martinis is, although they look and taste fabulous—plus low carb, if done right—the steep slope of the glass makes them easy to spill. Disaster in the making.

Particularly on the second round.

Being a cautious sort, if only in this arena, I sipped at mine before taking another step and used the opportunity to survey the club’s offering of masculine company. And to let them get a good look at me. Take the spotlight when you can because there’s always someone meaner ready to upstage you. The bright bounce of lights glanced off a good set of shoulders here—and ooh, a very nice ass in black jeans there. A table of guys gave me a long look as I passed and I pretended not to notice, though the dark-haired one could be a possible.

Any likelies? Amy asked, taking the fresh drink from me as I got to our table, blowing me a kiss of thanks. She wore a lacy black sheath she’d designed in her spare time and made from remnants at her job—and she made it look like couture, the talented bitch.

I set down my own glass. Nobody stands out as fabulous. But the table over your right shoulder might have potential.

The night is young, Ice observed, scanning the dance floor below with dark eyes. She’d refused another round, as had Julie. Both of them still nursed their first drink, though Ice—Anaisa, though only her professors called her that—was theoretically not supposed to drink alcohol. She made a regular practice of doing all the things her family disapproved of, which was fairly easy since most of them lived elsewhere, some of them in India. Marcia didn’t drink at all and she clutched her seltzer, clearly wishing to be at home. It was a rare Friday night that I didn’t have a show, Julie wasn’t slaving in her restaurant, and everyone else was free, too, so we’d talked Marcia into coming out with us instead of staying behind in our empty house. But no one could force her to have fun.

Believe me, I’d tried. My own personal sacred mission. Saint Charley, that’s me.

I gave the bartender Marcia’s number though, I added, because I couldn’t resist. The girl needed poking. He said he wanted a virgin sacrifice for some shamanistic ritual.

Oh, ha ha. Marcia at least transferred her black look from the seltzer to me. There’s nothing wrong with saving myself.

Saving is economical. Amy nodded, making a serious face.

A virtue, even. Julie licked off the end of the plastic gecko tail the Lizard Club used for drink stirrers. Unless you count hoarding. Then it turns ugly.

Oh my god. That show is riveting. Ice shuddered. I’m horrified but I can’t look away. Even in reruns.

It’s a disease. I deflected Marcia’s glower of warning with my best Julia Roberts angelic smile. It’s a good one. I’ve practiced it. You can’t judge people like that—just give them your compassion and try to help. Or refer them to social services.

Charlotte Emory, I’m going to crawl across this table and strangle you if you don’t shut up, Marcia growled.

I batted my lashes at her. What? I’m just trying to help.

Well, you’re not. I’ll find the right guy sooner or later.

Sooner is more likely with you pried out of the house, Ice noted.

And later than anyone we know, Amy toasted her with a martini already half gone.

Than the rest of the known universe. Julie poked Marcia with the gecko tail, which at least diverted Marcia’s attention onto her.

I hate all of you. Marcia folded her arms. Why don’t you go dance already?

Hello, ladies. Ooh, right on cue, Mr. Dark Hair had come through. His gaze fell on me and I returned his very charming smile. Wanna dance? he asked me.

Yes. Yes, I did.

I took a buzz-sustaining swallow of my martini and pushed it over to Marcia for guarding. She wrinkled her nose at me, but she took her duty seriously, no matter how much she grumbled. We kept talking about getting those coasters or maybe the nail polish that changes colors in the presence of roofies, but in the meantime we employed the tried and true designated table-sitter system. Someone had to stay and guard the drinks and valuables. Ideally we rotated duty, but since Marcia wouldn’t ever dance, she usually got stuck with it. We all knew it wasn’t fair, but I figured she’d eventually get on the dance floor out of sheer misery, if nothing else.

What can I say? If I was good at math I’d be a brilliant medical student like Ice, not a poor man’s Taylor Swift.

I’m Jeff, said Mr. Dark Hair, offering his hand as we walked to the dance floor.

Charley, I told him.

Cute.

I pursed my lips in a little kiss. Thank you, slick.

I meant the name, but so are you.

Charmer.

Taking the high road, I overlooked his

Reviews for Last Dance

[arthistorychick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Last Dance by Jeffe KennedyBook #1: Missed Connections SeriesSource: ARC from authorMy Rating: 4/5 starsMy Review: The Rules guide, instruct, and keep the girls from making poor choices. The Rules are in place for a reason and are not to be violated as violation of the Rules means consequences and one more bad decision to live with. Charley Emory created the Rules to keep she and her best friends from making bad decisions where men are concerned. Oh, she has faced the consequences a time or two, but by and large, they have served her well. Of course, it’s easy to abide by the Rules when you generally view men as nothing more than a means to a sexual end; a tissue to be used once and then discarded. Charley never conceived of a time when her very own Rules would come back to bite her on the ass. To be fair, Charley is too arrogant to conceive of any man being worth her time and attention beyond a night or two.Daniel Holt has adored Charley Emory from afar for months and months. He’s seen her perform on stage every chance he’s gotten and wanted, almost desperately to meet her. When the chance finally comes, Daniel plays it beyond cool and leaves Charley wanting more. In fact, Daniel doesn’t even leave Charley with his name or phone number, but he does leave her a message in Missed Connections, a way to meet him again, if she’s interested. For several weeks, Charley and Daniel rely on Missed Connections to meet one another and tease one another relentlessly, driving the considerable sexual tension between them higher and higher. While the games are fun, titillating even, Charley soon tires of them and wants to know more, something substantive about her missed connection. What she finds out rocks her world to its very core and alters every perception she has ever had about men and relationships. The only question is, will the new information help Charley or hurt her?The Bottom Line: Truth time! I knew I would enjoy this book as I am a long-time fan of Jeffe Kennedy’s writing, and I did like most of it. Then, there’s Charley, whom I did not care for at all, not even a tiny little bit. So, how does that get me to a 4-star rating?? Here’s the skinny. I love the concept of this book, a group of women trying to help one another make better decisions and choices in their personal encounters, supporting one another rather than tearing one another down. I love the concept of the fictional Missed Connections encounters (not in real life, that shit’s just sketchy!), two people having to cleverly word ads in order to meet again. I loved Daniel Holt. Even though Daniel goes about meeting Charley in a somewhat devious way, his intentions are good and he wants nothing but the best for her. In this way, I was able to forgive Daniel his sins ? As always, with Jeffe Kennedy’s books, the naughty bits are delicious and the writing and plot are top notch. In all, Last Dance (with the exception of Charley!) is a fine start to a new series!