by Dani Rei
“That’s awful.”
“I got payback. The other guy was clueless, so I got his help. We hid some clown masks in random parts of her dorm room and rigged a few of them to pop out at her. Then we used small clown toys in smaller places. We put together a life-size clown in her living room and waited in the hall for her to run out. We dumped her together, and the look on her face was priceless.”
Inez bursts into laughter. “I can’t believe you! That must have been a great day!”
“A great week, actually. She didn’t find the clown stuff all at once, so her screaming fits went on for days. We hid them everywhere. Every single drawer, every cupboard, behind every door. They had to call campus police to find them all and make her stop. I think there were...seven? Maybe eight that she didn’t find.”
Inez laughs again, and Blake chuckles along as the memories flood his mind. His smile vanishes when he remembers how this conversation started.
“I won’t lie, I’m still stuck on you and Ian. Even if you did give him consent, it’s disgusting he’d stoop that low; To pray on you as a child.”
“He never stopped trying to make me do it again, but I decided I’d rather be alone forever than stuck in some fake romance.”
“Same here.” Blake rests his head against hers. “But having you in my arms is nice too.”
Inez smiles and presses her lips on his. “What else did Ian say?”
“Typical, jealous ex stuff. ‘Stay away from her’ and ‘if you touch her I’ll kill you,’ and blah blah blah.”
Inez scoffs and leans to her side, guiding his hand to the back of her pants. “Oops, you’re touching me. Guess you’re in trouble now.”
A low, hungry chuckle escapes Blake’s throat as he tightens his grip on her ass and kisses her neck.
Inez shifts so her back is to his chest, and he buries his face into her hair as his hand slides from her ass to her hip. He slips his hand up to her neck and gently presses one side as his lips tease the other.
Her scent is beautiful, and her skin is like silk. Her heavy breath sends chills through his body before he trails his lips back up and onto hers. He parts his lips to push his tongue into her mouth while her hand reaches up to run her fingers through his dark hair. Her other hand caresses his thigh, squeezing as their breathing gets heavier. Her touch sends sparks over his skin, the sounds of her pleasure are like wine, and damn, he’s already intoxicated.
Blake runs both hands up her shirt and onto her bare sides, giving her a chance to push them back down. She nudges them up instead and moans as he cups her braless breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples. They fit perfectly in his hands, soft and warm, and he lowers his lips to her neck, nibbling her skin after a few soft kisses.
His hand slithers to her lower stomach, fingers stopping just under her pants, waiting for her prompt as he lifts his head to nibble her ear. With a lift and shift of her hip, Blake’s hand moves further down. He kisses her neck again, and his fingers don’t hesitate to push themselves just past the lips, enjoying the wet space in between as Inez whimpers, pushing her back against his chest and hiding her face in his neck. He wraps his free arm around her and holds her close as his fingers tease her entrance. Yes, that sound. Keep making those sounds for me.
Her breath is right in his ear as two fingers push themselves inside her, his thumb circling her clit. He’s so caught up in her body that he’s only now noticing that her hand is in his pants, grabbing him, caressing his length, and pulling a low groan from deep in his throat.
The space under the blanket heats up with desire, until Inez arches her back, releasing one last moan as her hand grows tighter on his cock. Her walls twitch against his hand, and she rubs him faster, until Blake holds her tighter, groaning, trembling in her grip as the warm liquid covers her hand and soaks his pants.
A few more kisses, and then the two sit for a while longer, until the autumn chill catches up to them and their blanket is no longer enough.
Chapter 24
A
t dinner the next evening, Blake and Inez sit near Mishkin, Vladik, and Allistair, wrapped in conversation and laughter. In the middle of his sentence, Mishkin’s knife slips as he cuts his chicken parmesan, and he stares at his plate in frustration. He isn’t hurt, but the others stare at him in concern as he glares at his trembling hands.
“Be patient, my love,” says Vladik. “Your brain needs time to heal. I cut for you.”
Mishkin mopes toward the floor with reddened cheeks as Vladik cuts Mishkin’s dinner into chunks.
Blake’s heart sinks before he forces a smirk and nudges Inez with his elbow. “Will you cut my food for me?”
“What?” Inez barks. “Fuck off! I’m not your mother!”
“Vladik is doing it for Mishkin!”
“Mishkin almost died, butt munch! You’re fine!”
Blake continues to pester Inez, and a tiny smirk forms on Mishkin’s face before he laughs at their banter.
Allistair slams his empty glass down that the group becomes still. A few others turn from their own conversations to stare as well.
“How cute,” says Allistair. “You two argue like a couple.”
“Oh, please,” Inez scoffs. “You know what he’s doing.”
“Yeah, calm down,” says Blake. “I was just trying to cheer Mishkin up, that’s all.”
“Of course, silly me. If you were a thing, I’m sure Inez would’ve told me by now. We are friends, and friends tell each other everything, right?”
“Of course,” says Inez.
Allistair nods, and they continue their meal in silence. Mishkin mopes again as he continues eating, hand still trembling.
When they finish, Inez and Vladik gather everyone’s plates. Blake offers to help, but Mishkin holds him back. When they’re out of earshot, Mishkin leans over the table toward Allistair.
“What was that about, Prince? I gotta say, jealousy really isn’t your color.”
“I’m not jealous,” says Allistair, standing from his seat with a grin. “Why would I be? Inez wouldn’t fall for such a plain guy. Especially not one who’s only real talent is juggling.”
Blake bites his tongue and lowers his glare to the table. Allistair waves them off and heads back to the stairs, leaving the two friends glaring into his back.
“He knows something’s up,” says Mishkin. “I’ve never seen him so mad before.”
Blake shifts his jaw. Bickering with Inez wasn’t his best idea, but if Mishkin was able to notice his feelings for Inez, of course others would too. Victor’s warning about having to be sneaky rings in his mind, and he makes a mental note to be more careful. He sighs, taking a moment to check for anyone who might be close enough to listen.
“Be honest with me. Do Inez and I look that bad as a couple?”
Mishkin leans an elbow on the table to rest his head on his hand. “At first glance, yeah. With the timing, and Allistair, it does look sketchy; like you stole her or something. Not everyone will believe that what you have is real. But knowing you guys personally, and what you’re all about, I think you two are adorable. And so will everyone else. Eventually. Don’t stress about it so much. But maybe try to keep that flirty stuff to a minimum. And thanks for that.”
Blake smiles as Inez and Vladik come back. The crew members prepare for another night around the fire pits, and everyone rushes to their rooms to bundle up and gather instruments and various props to take with them.
Blake makes it outside before Inez and waits for her with Vladik and Mishkin next to a fire pit. Another phone chime rings into the air, and he’s quicker than ever to send it to voicemail, scanning the audience to make sure no one notices.
Maya is first in the line of freelance performances, her black hair in pigtails and an excited grin on her face. She holds a dark-colored hoop in one hand, and with a flick of the other, it glows pink. The audience cheers as she twirls and spins the hoop around her. She carries it over her body and releases it with a flick, the slight wiggle
of her hips keeping it in on her body as she spins it to the rhythm of the music. Her arms dance around her as her movements guide it over her chest and down to her knees and back up again.
Inez plops herself onto the ground next to him, handing him the same blanket from the night before. He raises a brow at her with a smirk.
“No.” Inez smiles and Blake chuckles, his eyes transfixed on the fire pit’s glow against her face, sparkling in her eyes.
“You’re stunning.”
Inez’s smile vanishes, and she turns her focus to Maya, avoiding his gaze. “Blake, you know you can’t.”
“Right.” he follows her sightline and applauds with everyone when Maya’s routine finishes. Vladik takes her place with Mishkin and some kettlebells when Blake glances at the clouds looming in the sky, wondering if tonight’s fire pit will be cut short.
A few minutes of tossing and leaping goes by, and Blake bites his lip, begging Mishkin not to push himself too much. Their performance finishes without Mishkin breaking a sweat, and Blake’s applause is louder than everyone’s.
Inez stands from her spot beside him, her poi dangling at her side as she takes her place. She fuels up and lights her poi fairly quickly, and Blake tilts his head.
Compared to her last show, this performance seems almost too quick. Last time, her props were already fueled, and she took her time tracing the flame to her skin and creating a dynamic with everyone.
Instead, her head is low, and her face is blank. The movement of her poi is slow, as if her arms have lost their strength. She’s not lost in the flames, but she’s lost somewhere else; a place that stole the color from her face, and the light from her eyes.
Blake grabs his set of poi, already fueled, and makes his way over. He swings them to light with hers and curves his arms around her before she can protest.
“What are you doing?” She asks, barely audible over the roar of the flames.
“We’ve been practicing together, right? We should perform together to show our progress.”
“What if they think something?”
“Then we pass it off as being friends who perform well together. No big. Besides, Rex stayed inside tonight.”
The crowd cheers as their arms weave and wrap around each other.
Inez lets out a smirk. “Fine, but you better keep up.”
She whips herself around and swings her poi in familiar patterns, and a grin grows on his face as he follows along. His heart soars at the trails that whip themselves around, like a fiery sanctuary built just for the two of them. The applause fades behind the roar of the flames, and Inez’s mood seems to lift in the glow that illuminates her skin. Her gaze lifts in awe of the lines and shapes, and the heat that embraces them.
“IS SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND?” Blake asks as he and Inez sit on her bed. A sudden downpour caused the performances to move to the indoor stage. Inez asked him to sneak away with her, and Blake wasn’t about to refuse any amount of alone time with her.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Inez responds, turning her face away, fiddling her fingers in her lap. The sound of the rain pounding against her bedroom window fills the air with a silence that’s no longer comfortable.
Blake puts a hand on her chin and guides her face toward him. “I’ve learned something about you.”
“What?”
“You turn your head away when you’re hiding something. You do it every time, and I don’t really appreciate it. Please talk to me. What’s going on?”
Inez’s lips tighten, and her eyes shift to the side as Blake’s hand lowers. “You know how I came outside later than everyone else?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, it was because Rex asked me to see him tomorrow morning. Alone.”
A shadow of dread looms over Blake’s shoulders. “Did he say why?”
“No. I don’t know why I’m scared. I just have a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. It doesn’t help that he wasn’t out with us tonight. Allistair wasn’t there, either.”
“It doesn’t matter what happens. I’m here for you. Mishkin, Vladik, Celia, we’re all here for you.” Blake places a gentle kiss on Inez’s head. “You’re not alone in this, okay?”
Inez leans her face onto Blake’s shoulder, her trembling hands gripping his shirt. He wraps his arms around her, flashing back to Allistair’s behavior at the table. What did you say to him, you bastard?
Minutes creep by before Inez pulls away and yawns, rubbing her eyes.
“Want me to leave?” he asks.
“Please don’t.”
“You should get some rest.”
“Only if you promise not to leave.”
“You...want me to stay the night?”
Inez’s face turns red, and she darts her eyes to the floor. She nods a little, and Blake plants a delighted kiss on her head. “I’d love to. But is that a good idea?”
“You can wait until breakfast, leave after everyone else, and no one will notice where you came from.”
“Well then.” Blake lifts her hand and presses his lips to her knuckles. “Princess, I am your loyal protector for the night.”
Inez giggles as she grabs his face in her hands and plants a long, hard kiss on his lips. She pulls her pajamas from under her window and pulls off her shirt. Blake watches as she takes her bra off, admiring her smooth skin. His eyes land on long, thick lines of scar tissue on one side of her back.
“Can I ask what those scars are from?”
“Remember when I told you that the ceiling fell on me and my father?”
“God, I’m so sorry.” He stands and wraps an arm around her bare waist and leans his head on her shoulder. He traces his fingers along each scar as Inez puts a comforting hand over his arm, still topless. “I shouldn’t have asked. That must be hard to look back on.”
“No, I’m glad you did,” Inez mumbles. “And I’m glad you saw them. You should know that not every part of me will be beautiful, or even likeable. But I want you to see all of it. Now that I trust you, I don’t want to hide anymore.”
“You don’t ever have to hide from me.”
She turns to him with a smile and plants a gentle kiss on his lips. “Thank you for staying.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Well can you go over there so I can finish getting dressed?” She smirks.
Blake scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Fine, I guess.” He plants one more kiss on her forehead before he steps away to sit on the bed.
Once her fleece pajamas are on, she drops herself onto her pillow with a huff. “This is stupid. I’m really not looking forward to seeing Rex’s arrogant face first thing in the morning.”
Blake laughs as he settles himself next to her. “Well you’ll get to see me before you go.”
“That’s true,” she mutters. “Thank you for being here. And for understanding.”
“No need to thank me.” He caresses her cheek and kisses her again. “Get some rest.”
“It’ll be a while. I usually read before I fall asleep.”
“So read.”
“No, that’d be rude.”
“Then read to me.”
Inez giggles and grabs her book from the other side of the bed. Blake settles under the blankets and melts when Inez sinks into his arms. “I’m already halfway through, is that okay?”
“Yeah, just give me a quick recap.”
Inez tells him the story that she’s read so far, and Blake kisses her before she starts reading, slipping his tongue into her mouth. He pulls away to lean his forehead on hers. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
Inez shifts into a cozier spot and holds the book over them to read. Blake closes his eyes, smiling as her voice shifts the tone to fit the mood.
He chuckles when she tries to imitate a man’s voice for one of the characters, and she taps his chest in embarrassment. He mimics her, and she threatens to stop reading until he apologizes, promising to be quiet from now on.
Soon
the chapter is finished, and she yawns as she marks her page and sets the book aside. Before she can close her eyes, his arm is around her, pulling her close so that her face is against his chest.
“Is this okay?” he asks.
Inez nods, and Blake’s finger gently glides up and down her back. A small, relaxed sigh escapes her lips, and Blake’s heart lifts. It doesn’t matter if they still have to hide. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t get his Midnight Dance. Nights like this are perfect. He’d trade a thousand superstitious dances if it meant every night with Inez would be like this.
His eyelids grow heavy, and Inez wraps her free arm around him. The slamming rain on the glass continues, lulling the world into black.
Chapter 25
B
lake’s arm pats the bed next to him, and he sits up quickly when he realizes she’s gone. She must have already left to meet with Rex.
He gets a chill up his spine at the thought of what he might say to her. He flops onto his back and stares at the ornate designs on the ceiling, trying to focus on their happiest moments together to ease his nerves.
Instead, his mind goes back to Allistair’s outburst. If Rex is as angry as he was, whatever he says will weigh on Inez’s shoulders. Maybe he should take her out for breakfast to help her feel better.
He didn’t get to the last time he tried, and now it can be an official date. He can’t resist smiling at the thought. With a clear blue sky outside, there’s no chance of their plans getting rained out again.
The door opens, and Blake leaps to a sitting position like a puppy. “There you are! How did it go?”
Inez doesn’t answer. Her face turns to the side, eyes straight ahead, glazed over. She closes the door softly.
“Damn, was he that bad?” Blake’s heart sinks as he hurries to her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Why don’t we go out for breakfast, and we’ll talk about it, okay?”
