the Dance

by Alison G. Bailey

  My eyes closed as I massaged each breast slowly, throwing in a nipple pinch here and there. Sighs and groans seeped out of me. One hand began sliding down my body toward the top of my panties.

  “Stop touching yourself,” Hart growled.

  My eyes shot open with the bark of his order. He didn’t sound angry. He sounded like a man who was on the verge of losing control and was trying to hold on to it. A surge of power overtook my body, knowing I’d affected him this much.

  “Bryson, I need a few minutes. I’ll be right back.” He headed toward the bathroom.

  “What should I do?”

  “Wait.”

  With Hart out of the room my head had a second to clear. Suddenly, I was very aware of standing almost completely naked in the middle of his bedroom. Not only had I exposed myself to another man for the first time, I touched myself for him. Will asked me all the time to do that in front of him but I never did. I always thought of it as seedy and dirty. But I felt sensual and sexy doing it for Hart.

  Minutes later the bathroom door opened and Hart rolled out. He was completely naked except for a towel draped over his lap. My gaze floated over his bare upper body. It had only been out of sight for a short time but long enough for me to miss it. I would never get tired of staring at his muscles or his eyes or his lips. I didn’t know what I expected his legs to look like. Frankly, I hadn’t given them much thought until this moment. They looked like normal legs, bent as any other pair of legs would be while sitting down. They didn’t match the musculature of his upper body, obviously, but they didn’t appear mismatched either.

  I stood in silence as Hart moved toward the bed. He looked at me like a starving man.

  Extending his hand to me, he said, “Come here.”

  I walked to him, slipping my hand in his. He tugged on my arm, bending me forward, and captured my lips.

  He ended the kiss but kept his lips connected to mine. “You’re incredible.”

  “So are you.”

  “I’m going to sit on the edge of the bed.”

  “Do you need my help?”

  He shook his head. “Just stand there and continue to take my breath away.”

  Flutter.

  Tingle.

  Melt.

  Hart aligned himself on the side of the bed as closely as possible. He pulled the comforter back and reached for two of the large pillows, stacking them against the huge solid mahogany headboard. He locked the wheelchair and placed his hands on either side of his thighs. In one impressive fluid motion Hart hoisted himself onto the bed. The towel stayed in place.

  I waited for his instructions while he unlocked the chair and pushed it closer to the nightstand. Hart slid his hand under his right knee, moving it an inch to the side. He looked up at me, gauging my reaction to his immobile extremities. I don’t know what he saw in my expression but whatever it was made him smile, which gave me a thrill. With a simple tilt of his chin, I knew he wanted me to come to him. When I was close enough, he took my hand, lacing our fingers together.

  Starting at my feet, Hart’s gaze slowly moved up my body, blazing a trail of heat. He took in every inch of me, lingering on my legs, my stomach, my chest, my collarbone, neck, and lips until finally reaching my eyes.

  “Kneel in front of me,” he said.

  He helped me down as I positioned myself between his legs, sitting back on my heels. Hart cupped the side of my face, running his thumb over my cheek. I closed my eyes, melting into the center of his palm.

  “Bryson, look at me.” My eyes opened. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes.” I paused. “Just remember I’ve not been with . . . I don’t want to disappoint you.”

  “You’re lovely and sexy. You could never disappoint me. I’m going to take care of you. You trust me?”

  “Completely.” The word came out as more of a sigh.

  Hart transformed me into a complete puddle on the floor. I had to fight the urge to jump on him. Leaving my face, his hands moved down my neck to my shoulders, sliding down the straps of my bra.

  I slowly ran my palms over his thighs. “Can you feel this?”

  “No but I can see it.”

  For the briefest moment, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. The Hart I’d been privy to was always strong and in control, having adjusted to his situation with complete confidence. He worked hard to achieve his goals and didn’t let his disability hold him back from living a full life. But for that brief moment, I got a glimpse of a Hart who still mourned the loss of his legs. As I blinked back tears the urge to wrap myself around him and never let go washed over me.

  If I could just rewind time and go back to that night, I’d do things differently. I hated that I wasn’t by Hart’s side for the most devastating time of his life. I wanted to give him back his legs and his mom. I wanted to take away all his sadness. My heart and body ached and I was powerless to do any of it.

  Pushing off my heels, I rose up, bringing us face to face. I shut my eyes hoping to keep the tears from falling but it was too late. The warm touch of Hart’s lips pressed against my cheek.

  “Hart, I wish . . .”

  Keeping his lips on my skin, he whispered, “There’s nothing you can do to fix it.”

  My hands slipped into his hair as his face burrowed in the crook of my neck. “I want to make you happy.” I sighed. “Tell me how.”

  “You already know how. You’ve been doing since that day at the pool.”

  Hart slipped his hands behind me and unhooked my bra. The release along with the feel of his skin moving over my body caused a shiver to run from my head to my toes. I took a deep breath before letting my bra fall away. Raising his hand, Hart palmed one of my breasts as his thumb glided over my hard nipple.

  Leaning in painstakingly slow, he let the anticipation and my temperature spike. Then in a flash, he lunged forward, taking my bottom lip in his mouth and sucked. The slight pressure as his teeth grazed my lip sent high-voltage shockwaves through me. My fingers clenched, digging into his shoulders. As he continued to work my mouth, he cupped my ass and pulled me closer. The second my hard nipples hit his hard chest I thought my head was going to explode.

  Feeling the twitch of his erection against my stomach, I broke the kiss, gasping for air. “I want to touch you.”

  “Stand up. When I tell you, I need you to grab my ankles and put my legs on the bed.”

  I nodded and stood. Placing his hands on either side of him, Hart tilted his chin up to signal me. As he pushed himself up to the head of the bed, I took his ankles and placed his legs stretched out in front of him.

  Holding out his hand, he said, “Come here.”

  I slipped my palm into his and he tugged me forward. His face was at eye level with my chest. As if he were licking a decadent dessert, his tongue glided back and forth over my nipple before taking as much of my breast into his mouth as possible. My knees trembled to the point of exhaustion. Squeezing my ass, he kept me from collapsing.

  His eyes peered up at me. His gaze locked with mine as he slowly let my tit slide out of his mouth. I gasped for air as my fingers dug into his skin. A deep chuckle vibrated against my stomach.

  “Straddle me,” he commanded.

  I placed my hand flat on the mattress, testing its stability. I climbed up, swung my leg over Hart, and positioned myself on his lap. His hands were in perpetual motion, gliding over my thighs, hips, ass, and back.

  I kissed him and whispered against his mouth, “Let me see you.”

  He nipped at my bottom lip, giving me silent permission to remove the towel. The feel of his hard dick between my legs caused my body to quake. He gripped my hips as they began to rock back and forth. The friction was exquisite. Hart’s gaze swung from my eyes to my bouncing breasts. I let my head fall back as the first wave of pleasure washed over me.

  “Stand up,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Stand over me.”

&
nbsp; “Hart . . .”

  “Do it. I promise you won’t regret it.”

  I took hold of his hand and he helped me steady myself as I stood with my feet planted on either side of his hips.

  Rubbing his hands along the back of my legs, he said, “Grab hold of the headboard.” I looked down at him, questioning. “Do it.”

  I did as I was told.

  My body jolted when his lips skimmed my inner thigh, alternating between nibbles and licks until reaching the top. With his face nuzzling between my legs, his fingers hooked around the top of my panties and slid them down. The combination of the silky lace and Hart’s strong hands gliding over my skin had me seconds away from detonating.

  Holding me steady, Hart placed wet kisses along my other inner thigh and mumbled, “Lift your left leg.” I did, stepping out of my panties. “Now the right.”

  My mind and body were aching to be consumed by him. I didn’t just want Hart inside of me, I needed him inside of me. Seconds later my wish came true.

  Hart’s lips grazed my hipbone, kissing their way to between my legs. His tongue slowly licked from back to front before pressing flat against my center. A bolt of electricity broke through my total body vibrations. I hung on to the headboard as my knees shook. He spiraled his tongue into me, bringing me to the brink of insanity. I was in sensation overload, unable to process it. Shifting, I tried to catch my breath and my bearings. But Hart had such a tight grip on my ass, I was completely immobile. His tongue flicked in and out, each time pushing deeper and deeper.

  Gasps, moans, and several cries of “Oh my god, Hart!” filled the room. My head was spinning so rapidly I was surprised anything remotely coherent came out of me.

  I rested my forehead against the headboard as my vision blurred. I blinked several times hoping for clarity. When that didn’t work, I thought focusing on something different would help. I glanced down.

  Bad move.

  The site of blue-gray eyes peering up from between my legs while he sucked me off was my undoing. I squeezed my eyes closed. As my legs gave way, Hart’s massive arms wrapped around the back of my thighs. His tongue remained relentless, alternating between licking, sucking, and pushing farther inside as my body convulsed in pleasure. I sank my fingers into his hair and rode the longest and most intense orgasm I’d ever experienced in my life.

  My body continued to spasm as Hart slowed down the pace, placing gentle kisses everywhere his lips could reach.

  His nose glided over the bend at the top of my leg. “Are you okay?” The deep rumble of words sent a chill through me.

  “I . . . I . . . uh . . . what the fuck was that?”

  His laughter had my core vibrating.

  Holding onto the edge of the headboard, I picked up my wobbly left leg and stepped over Hart. He held my hand as I lowered to the bed. When I was safely beside him, I blinked several times trying to clear my blurry vision. My entire body felt as if it were floating above the bed. Once Hart was in view, I noticed his scruff was wet with me. From deep down in the pit of my stomach hot energy surged giving my desire a second wind. I wanted him to feel how much he meant to me.

  I cupped his face and drew him to me, devouring his mouth. Shifting forward, I brought my leg over and straddled him. His big hands ran up and down my back, setting my spine on fire. Both our moans got louder as I pushed deeper into his mouth. If it had been humanly possible, I would have disappeared completely inside of him. The feel of his hard dick rubbing between my legs only spurred me on.

  Hart broke the devouring, gasping for air. “Nightstand. Top drawer. Loose.” The words came out stilted like a caveman.

  I reached over, opened the drawer, and fumbled for what felt like a condom. Hart took it from me.

  “Are you okay with me putting it on for you?”

  “I’m more than okay with it,” he answered.

  I tore open the foil packet and slid the condom out. Glancing up at Hart, I gave him what I hoped was a sexy smile. By the return look he gave me, I’d say mission accomplished. His hands continued to roam over every inch of my body. The breath audibly caught in his lungs as I slowly rolled the condom down. Placing my hands on Hart’s shoulders, I raised up on my knees.

  I’d been so swept away by everything that I hadn’t thought about how it would be to have a new man inside of me. I expected to be nervous or even scared but I wasn’t. And even if I didn’t want to admit it, deep down I knew the reason was because this wasn’t just someone new, this was Hart.

  Hart nuzzled into my breasts as I lowered myself onto him.

  Perfect fit.

  With our foreheads resting together, my hips slowly rocked.

  “Is this okay?” I whispered.

  Even though it was apparent Hart could definitely have an erection, I didn’t know what level of feeling he had.

  “You’re perfect,” he said, pulling me to his mouth.

  I couldn’t help but notice that he emphasized I was perfect.

  The pressure soared as he throbbed inside of me. His fingers dug into my hair as mine planted themselves on his broad shoulders. I picked up speed, sliding up and down. While he was deep inside me, I did a slight roll of my hips that caused his head to drop back and his face to squeeze tight. A deep guttural moan rumbled in the back of his throat before his arms tightened around me and several intense jerks took over his body. The feel of Hart climaxing under me sent me over the edge. I thought the previous orgasm was intense but it didn’t compare to the one happening wrapped in his arms.

  I pulled Hart to my chest, his arms enveloping me as the sporadic jerks slowly faded, replaced by steady trembles. We stayed in this position until the air transformed our hot sweaty bodies into quivering masses.

  “You’re shivering,” he mumbled against my neck.

  Neither one of us attempted to move. He reached for the comforter and pulled it over my back, cocooning us in our own little world. We spent several minutes exploring each other’s bodies.

  My fingertips traced the outline of the black tribal tattoo wrapped around his bicep. “What does this symbolize?”

  “A drunk night out with the guys.” He chuckled.

  “And here I thought it had some deep spiritual meaning behind it.”

  He placed a soft kiss on my collarbone. “Sorry to disappoint.”

  “You haven’t disappointed me.” I tossed him a shy smile.

  I directed my attention to the series of tattooed numbers. “Now these can’t be the result of a drunken night.”

  His thumb was mindlessly making circles at the small of my back. “It’s the directional coordinates for Charleston. It reminds me that no matter where I’m at or what happens, I can always get back home.”

  Staring into his smoky eyes, my fingertips prickled as they ran down the scruff peppering his jaw. I wanted to be Hart’s home. The safe person he turned to for strength, comfort, and support. I wanted to tell him that no matter what happens or where he finds himself, I’d always be here for him. But instead I bit down on my bottom lip, stopping the words from pouring out. We were just two friends helping each other out.

  His gaze roamed to every corner of my face. “What?”

  “What, what?”

  “There’s something rolling around behind those gorgeous eyes.”

  Yeah, I think I’m falling in love with you.

  Tears pricked the back of my eyes.

  I wanted to play it cool. Like a modern, free Carrie Bradshaw kind of woman. But I wasn’t any of those things.

  Panic flashed across Hart’s face. “Bryson, why are you crying?”

  Shaking my head, I brought my fingers underneath my eyes, wiping away the tears that had a mind of their own. “Ugh, I’m sorry for being such a girl.”

  Hart moved in so close that there was no space between us. “You being a girl is one of my most favorite things about you.”

  “Thank you for making me feel worth the effort.”

  He pressed his lips to mine and whispered, “I hat
e that motherfucker for not being the man you deserved.” He paused, uncertainty crossing his face as he struggled whether to say his next words. “Bryson, from our very first moment you stole my breath and I’ve been trying to catch it ever since.”

  I choked back a sob. “No one has ever said anything that beautiful to me before.”

  “Well, the next guy who’s lucky enough to have your heart better or I’ll kick his ass.”

  A large lump formed in my throat. Hart wanted to bring me back to the reality of our arrangement by making sure I knew he was only temporary.

  I’m a true believer that we each have a soulmate. That one person you connect with on such a deep level that no words come close to describing it. I used to think Will was that person but I was so off track. Looking into his loving eyes, I knew without a doubt Hart was my soulmate. He was the person I was put on earth for. But just because that person exists somewhere out in the world doesn’t always translate into them being with you. People consider finding their soulmate to be the ultimate challenge in life. The challenge was not in the search. The challenge was being brave enough to let them into your life.

  I floated slowly into consciousness. Turning on my back, I lifted my arms over my head stretching like a lazy cat that had been lying in the sun all day. The fatigue in my muscles was matched by the soreness. I pulled the soft comforter under my chin and snuggled back into the warm sheets. As my mind drifted, the memory of last night shot through me like a bolt of lightning. The looking, the touching, the dancing, the kissing, and the sexing.

  One eye squinted open, widening with each roll as it took in my surroundings. I was at Hart’s house, in Hart’s room, lying in Hart’s bed naked . . . I ran my hand over cold empty sheets . . . without Hart. Inhaling a deep breath, I prepared myself for my very first walk of shame. I raised my arms above my head, stretching all the kinks out of my body from one of the most amazing nights of my life. Hart’s hands never left my skin as I curled into his side, lulling me into the land of dreams with his touch.