“That you were perfect, like everyone else thinks,” I replied, chuckling some. “Go talk to him. He’s standing right there. No one would think it was weird.”
“It is, though, because he’s a movie star now. I don’t want to look like I like him because of that.”
“Do you?”
“No!” Giving me the stink eye, she playfully slapped my arm and then began taking her shoes off.
“Just checking.” It was a tease as much as an honest question. I’d come to realize that she was over-hyper as a defense mechanism. If she really cared about something—or someone, in this case—she would act like it wasn’t a big deal and play everything up big time.
“Ladies,” Steve said, joining us again. “What are we talking about?”
Bursting into laughter, Meg and I didn’t answer him, sparing him further comments on Colt as he’d requested.
Chapter Eight
“Five, six, seven, eight, and one, two . . . ” Sir’s voice filled the space as he clapped, the sounds moving through the room slowly, on the opposite side from me. The hum was becoming comforting, after a week straight of lessons that were obviously improving my form and technique.
My teachers, the director of the company, and even my classmates had made small mentions to me about how much better I was looking. Half the time I wondered if I should be offended by the comments, but I was honestly so thrilled to finally be getting better that I accepted them all graciously.
“How is your ankle feeling?”
“It’s good,” I replied, surprised at the question. Sir hadn’t asked me about my injury since the first night of lessons. “Feels really nice, actually.”
“It’s healed very well,” he agreed. “And you’re handling pointe exercises fantastically. I think we might be able to start doing some floor work tonight.”
Pausing in my motions at the barre, my blindfolded face turned towards him, a wide smile gracing my features. “Really?”
“You need to finish your warm up, first.” There was a slight chuckle to his voice, but he was all business, as usual.
Sighing, I turned back to my work, stretching my legs out with various moves. The piano music playing from the sound system changed songs and a happier, more upbeat tune began filtering through the speakers. Quickly finishing the set he’d given me, I stepped away from the wall and crossed my arms, waiting for further instructions.
His footsteps sounded across the floor, coming toward me in an even pattern. Sometimes I wondered what kind of shoes he was wearing, or if he was heavy on his feet. Maybe I could hear him because my ears were making up for my lost sight; I didn’t really know. The more time I spent with him, the more I could recognize his silent method of moving. Finally, the steps stopped and his breath released softly.
“Loosen your body,” he said, right beside me. Fingers lighting upon my arms, his touch urged me to let them hang by my side. A small stroke under my chin lifted my head and sent a sudden rush of chills through me, my breath catching momentarily.
I didn’t know what it was, but when his skin met mine, I still felt a whisper of something foreign, a strange sense of an emotion I couldn’t quite place. At first, I hadn’t liked it at all. It made me very uncomfortable and queasy. Now I almost wanted to feel his skin on mine all the time, because of the curious feeling. I was still trying to decipher it, wondering what my body was trying to tell me about the man I couldn’t see.
“Sir?” I asked tentatively as he placed a hand between my shoulders, making sure I was standing up straight. “I know I’m not supposed to ask any questions, but where did you learn to dance?”
“You’re right,” he mused. “You’re not supposed to ask any questions. But, I imagine you would like to know that your teacher knows what they’re doing. I studied at a school for several years, since I was a boy.”
“Are—were—you a member of the company here at UD?” Holding my breath, I waited for him to answer, but the reply never came.
“Now,” he said quietly. “Feel the room. Feel your body. Listen to the music. When you are ready, I want you to cross in this combination.” Telling me the steps quickly, he stepped away, releasing his hold on me, and the room fell silent except for the piano.
Breathing deeply, I began the cross, only to be immediately interrupted.
“No! You have to feel it, Scarlet. Really feel it. Try again.” He didn’t offer any other explanation, his voice eager in his orders. It was the first time he’d called me by my given name.
Frustrated, not having any idea what I’d done wrong, I took a few steps back, silently hoping I wasn’t going to run into anything, and began again. This time, he let me finish before speaking.
“It looked good, technically. But you weren’t part of the dance. You weren’t waiting to feel it, for your body to have to move because it couldn’t be still any longer.” I could almost hear the smile in his voice. “Your brain is telling you to do something your body isn’t ready for yet.”
“I don’t understand.” Turning toward the sound of his voice, I placed my hands on my hips, breathing a little heavy from the exertion.
“You need to feel it,” he said again, his voice moving closer to me. “Like a heartbeat.” Right in front of me, he took one of my hands in his and raised it to his chest. The action made me freeze; he’d never had me touch him before.
He was wearing what felt like a sweater of some kind, soft and warm to the touch. As he moved closer, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling us close together, I could smell him, his musky cologne and a slight sweat smell, like he’d been working hard on something earlier in the day and hadn’t showered before changing his clothes. None of that was what registered the most with me, though. It was the way he was holding me, so gentle, yet firm at the same time. Our bodies fit perfectly together, like nothing I’d ever felt before. Everywhere he touched seemed to burn with an energy that shot through me and gathered at my hand, over his heart.
He’d fallen silent as he’d taken me into his embrace, the piano music fading into the background as I reveled in the feel of him around me. His arms were strong, his chest a wall of warmth. Everything about him exuded friendliness and care, leaving me even more breathless than I’d started.
“Feel the beat,” he began again, clearing his throat hastily, as if he’d been taken by surprise as well. “Feel your own heartbeat. Your body is always giving you a rhythm to move to. All you need to do is listen to it.”
Unconsciously, I leaned into him, his hold around my waist tightening some as we stood there, feeling his heartbeat. My own was matching it, my body listening to everything around me and in me. I wasn’t ready to move from his embrace yet, and, thankfully, he continued to hold me in that way, the world seeming to spin out of control around me. And yet, there we were, anchored to one another, safe from the chaos that existed outside of our bubble.
Slowly—so slowly that I didn’t even notice it at first—we began to move, the moment having arrived at last. Instead of letting me go to perform the combination he wanted, though, he stayed with me, his hands sliding into mine as he led me through a different dance entirely.
My body felt like it was lighting up like fireworks as he released me, only to grab my waist and lift me into the air, setting me down just as quickly. His fingers pressed into my sides, sliding up and onto my arms, raising them over my head. Listening to my instincts, I leaned back, surrendering to everything completely.
Freeing his hold on my arms, his strong embrace wrapped around my waist, his face pressing into my stomach as I arched back. Coming up, I could feel his breath moving up my chest, brushing over my collar bone, and burning my neck. All the while, his hands grasped at my back, his legs moving between mine.
The dance could have only lasted a minute or so, but the way he touched me, the way we moved together made it feel like entire lifetimes were passing around us, until we were standing together, breathless, my arms around his waist, his fingers brushing my cheeks as
he cradled my face in his hands.
“I think that’s enough for tonight.” His voice was low and rough, quiet as he tried to breathe normally again.
“Is it?” I felt like I’d had an entire bottle of whiskey and was melting in his arms, unable to stand without him holding me. The feeling I got every time he touched me was burned into my mind, and I desperately tried to remember every single bit of it. The awful itch he’d given me before had morphed into something wonderful.
“You have an early class.” Sounding as reluctant as I was, his fingers twitched, as if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to release me or not.
“Don’t let go.” The whisper surprised even me, my hands tightening around him, holding him close.
“Why not?” Despite the question, he leaned into me more, his hands pushing into my tied back hair, loosening the bun some.
“I don’t know,” I confessed. “I don’t want you to stop. Don’t stop.” My heartbeat was pounding in my ears, all moisture had left my mouth, and it seemed I would tremble like a leaf if it weren’t for his guiding presence. Would he listen? Or was I reading this entire situation wrong? All I knew was that listening to my body had revealed some very strong feelings.
“Whatever you want,” he murmured, his lips pressing against my forehead, through the fabric of the blindfold. “I’ll give it to you.”
My body shivered strongly at his kiss, a ripple passing over my skin that made my hair stand on end. “Have you been watching me?” It was only half a question, the other half being a tease, but I knew the answer as soon as I asked. Every memory I had of UD had his presence in it, even if I hadn’t been able to see him. It was like he was part of the walls, the floor, the entire city even. Anywhere I’d been, he was there, too, somehow.
“Yes. Always. Ever since you arrived here.” His touch left my face, sliding down my neck and onto my shoulders, hesitating there again as his forehead rested on mine.
“Why?” Something in the back of my mind shouted that I should be scared of him, that this wasn’t the reaction I should be having to his touch, to his admission that he’d been watching me.
“I—I don’t know. At first it was by accident, when I saw you working. But the more I saw, the more I felt like I needed to watch you. To help you. To know you—all of you.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Speaking the sentence I’d heard unspoken in him, I smiled. I felt like I would pass out from an overload of his touch, but I wanted more than anything for him to kiss me again, and in more places than just my face.
“Like what?” He didn’t even sound confused. In fact, he sounded like he knew exactly what I was talking about and wanted me to say it.
“This . . . fire. The way we danced together, like we couldn’t get enough of each other. I’ve never felt that with anyone else before. Dancing or not.” It was as if our entire dynamic had shifted with that one dance. Suddenly, I wasn’t afraid of him anymore, but curious. Curious about who he was, naturally, but more so about how he made me feel when we were together. He wasn’t such a mystery anymore when he held me like this. It felt right, even though everything said it shouldn’t be.
“No, it wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he agreed. “But it is. I feel as if . . . .” He was moving in closer, his breath washing over me once more, one hand returning to my face, his thumb brushing over my lips. “Scarlet . . . .”
“My friends call me Scar,” I whispered, wanting to feel more familiar with him as I willfully leaned in to meet him.
“Scar.” The word stopped him in his tracks, his hands falling away from me. It was like the very air in the room had changed in that instant. “Scar. Yes. I apologize. That’s enough for tonight, Miss Redford.”
Confused, I felt his warmth moving away, the sound of his feet crossing the room echoing in my ears. The music stopped, the door opening and closing immediately after.
“Hello?” Shocked by the sudden turn of events, I slowly reached up and took off the blindfold, blinking in the light as I looked around the room. It was empty, as I’d expected. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked the blank space.
A chill running through me, I wrapped my arms around myself, already missing his warm and gentle touch. At the same time, I tried to make sense of what just happened. He had been so . . . appealing. I knew nothing about him whatsoever, but something had happened when he danced with me. It was like I’d found a part of me that had been lost. Everything was so easy and simple, like nothing I’d felt before.
And that scared the shit out of me.
Chapter Nine
Knees bending, my body lowering almost completely to the floor as I pliéd down, I gripped the barre tightly, watching the other students and company members around me. The cold October air left ice trails on the outside of the windows, but inside the rehearsal room felt so hot I imagined I would suffocate before the warm up was over. It wasn’t really the heat that was bothering me, though.
Sir had touched me, kissed me. I could still feel his arms around me, his lips on my forehead. The way he’d said my name, whispering it like a prayer as he leaned in . . . and then it was over. It was like I’d climbed a monstrous mountain, only to find the view at the top blocked by a brick wall. Even worse, I couldn’t explain why I was so frustrated he’d stopped. Who went around kissing strangers? Not me. But still . . .
A flush overtook me and I paused in my warm up to shake it off a little, trying to concentrate on the work while my body screamed for me to go find the man that had made it feel like it was alive for the first time. It was so easy to remember his breath washing over me, his hands holding me tightly, moving me with him.
Thoughts returning to the present moment, I looked around the room again. Was he here? Were his wonderful hands gripping the barre right next to me? Could he be watching, thinking—wanting—the same things I was?
Wanting. There was a curious feeling. I craved to be with him very much, even more than I desired to find out who he was. All I needed was to feel his touch and I would be perfect, so long as he was near. Something about him made me feel whole, when I didn’t even know that I’d been broken.
“Chin up, Miss Redford.” Miss Gini nodded at me as she passed, the novelty of me improving so quickly having worn off for her. She still managed to correct me every now and then, but for the most part I seemed to have escaped her wrath for the time being.
Doing as she asked, I mentally shook myself, focusing on the movements once more. On the other side of the barre, a few people away from me, Meg winked, from where she was standing in front of Colt. I was sure she’d snagged the spot on purpose, but didn’t know how she’d done it. With Colt leaving for Hollywood tomorrow, it seemed there were quite a few people around who wanted his attention for various reasons. His bodyguard still sat outside of everywhere he went, which was a dead giveaway to those looking for him.
Glancing at the movie star in question, I stifled a snicker, watching as he checked out Meg from behind. I didn’t know what kind of guy he was when it came to dating, but my gut told me he was a good person. Not a player, for sure, but he had to have had more than his fair share of women. From theatre groupies to dancers themselves, there were more than enough willing to do anything for him. Add his current movie star status into the mix and he could probably bang a girl from every country if he wanted. But he didn’t seem like the type to do that kind of thing. Time would have to tell if my instincts turned out to be true.
“And finish.” Miss Gini’s voice interrupted my thoughts again and I returned to myself, stepping away from the barre. “Before you all leave, I have an announcement,” she called over the noise that had started. “As you all know, today is Halloween. While classes will continue as normal, we’ve decided to delay early morning warm up tomorrow so you can all attend the party being thrown for Mr. Erikson tonight.”
Her announcement was met with cheers and applause, the room instantly erupting into commotion as people started changing out of their shoe
s to leave.
Looking back at Meg, I could see that she’d turned around and was talking with Colt about something. The smile on his face suggested it was funny, and the way she reached out and touched his arm made me think that it was also very flirty. Not surprising for Meg. Or Colt, for that matter.
“You going to the party tonight, Scar?” Danny asked, joining me as I walked to my bag. He was wearing his bright red tank top and black dance pants, his brown hair swept out of his face artfully. “We could get a costume together, go as a couple. If you want, that is.”
“Are you asking me on a date?” I laughed, sitting beside my things and untying my laces.
“Yeah. Just as friends, though.” He smiled widely, settling next to me. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know if I can,” I answered honestly. “My nights have been pretty full with practice lately.” And a mysterious man that I really want to see again.
“Miss Redford, this was dropped off for you this morning.”
Looking up, I immediately saw the piece of paper in Miss Gini’s hand, the small drawn rose placed in the corner.
“Thank you.” Rising, I took the note from her, returning the even stare that she was giving me. “Do you know who it’s from?”
“I don’t read other people’s mail,” she replied smoothly before turning and walking away.
Heart beating a little harder, I looked down at the folded paper in my hands, the rose so clearly a type of signature from Sir.
“Excuse me,” I muttered to Danny, turning from him to have some privacy. What if he was canceling our meetings? Was almost kissing me so awful that he couldn’t bear to spend any more time with me? What if last night was it? Was I never going to see him again? With trembling fingers, I unfolded the sheet, relief and disappointment flooding me at the same time.
Not tonight.
“Is everything all right, Scar?” Danny’s voice barely permeated the cloud of emotions surrounding me, but I could hear the concern in it.
Watching Over Me: A Dreams Novel Page 6
