Free Bound in Blue by Annabel Joseph Page A

no?” Lemaitre watched as Sara tucked into a
tight somersault, then caught Theo’s hands on the downswing. “You
see? Timing is everything in trapeze.”
    Jason pursed his lips, declining to comment.
He respected Theo, but the aerialist had a complicated past. Back
in the day, before he’d married Kelsey, Theo had been Lemaitre’s
right-hand man at the Citadel in Paris. He’d partied and drank and
slept around a whole fucking lot.
    He’s changed , Jason thought to
himself. Kelsey’s reformed him. It’ll be okay. Sara watched
her new coach as he spoke to her upside down, indicating a change
in position. When she did what he wanted, he praised her
effusively, so her face lit up in a smile. Now Jason remembered why
he didn’t like Theo. The ladies always melted for his accent and
his dark, brooding eyes.
    Theo noticed them then, and lowered Sara to
the mat before he flipped down off the trapeze. The two of them
walked over, and Theo extended his hand.
    “Jason Beck. Long time, no see.”
    “Hi, Theo. How’s Kelsey?”
    “Ah.” Theo shrugged. “She’s enjoying a little
rest. You know, she needed her arm fixed. It’s still tricky, from
that one time she—”
    Fell. Almost fell. All three men
looked at Sara and decided not to continue that line of
conversation. Jason greeted Sara next, trying not to be
inappropriately familiar. A handshake, a professional nod. The
lights and blue mats made her eyes even prettier. She blinked at
him. This was awkward, so awkward. I wish I was fucking you
right now, Sara. God help me.
    “What did I tell you?” he said to her
instead, waving an arm around the facility. “Better than
Mongolia?”
    “It’s amazing.”
    He turned to introduce her to his boss.
“Sara, this is Michel Lemaitre, Cirque’s owner and director. I
suppose you might say all of this is his.”
    Lemaitre shook his head. “It’s not mine. It
belongs to my performers. Mademoiselle Sarantsatsral. ” He
said the rush of foreign syllables without a hiccup. “I’m so
pleased you’re here.”
    “You can call me Sara,” she said when he took
her hand.
    “Sara, then. All is well? You’re getting
along with Theo? We thought you might rest a few days before your
training began in earnest. And we must lure your partner here, no?
We need both of you together, making your magic.”
    As Sara and Lemaitre spoke, Theo leaned
toward Jason and raised a brow. “Where did you find this one? Good
raw material.”
    Jason scowled, recalling Kelsey when she’d
arrived at Cirque du Monde. Jason knew too well what Theo had done
with that raw material.
    “Oh, these frowns,” Theo sniped in French.
“You always think the worst of me. I am very much in love with my
wife. I won’t pervert your sweet little muffin.”
    “She’s not my sweet little muffin,” Jason
muttered under his breath.
    While he and Theo batted at each other,
Lemaitre had drawn Sara away for a more private conference. There
was something in the way he studied her, some heightened interest.
Just as Jason suspected, she’d caught Lemaitre’s eye. Sara stared
at the Cirque boss, blinking, nodding to whatever he was saying.
Probably something along the lines of “ Would you like to be my
sex slave? The position comes with a lot of perks. ”
    Theo followed his gaze. “It’s not me you have
to worry about, eh?”
    “She’s too young for him.”
    Theo burst into laughter. “They’re never too
young for him. As long as they’re legal.”
    Jason didn’t find the situation funny. “I
don’t want him messing with her. How did you keep him away from
Kelsey?”
    “Kelsey was mine and I let him know it. If
you want to keep him away from Sara, let him know she’s yours.”
    “She’s not mine,” Jason said, feeling heat
creep along his hairline.
    Theo looked at him sideways. “ Non? Well. She’s a smart girl. I’m sure she can handle herself with
Lemaitre.” He jerked a chin in their direction. “He likes her. It
assures her