Control: Power Series #3

by Victoria Woods

  My voice tested the acoustics, echoing throughout the house. “How did you do this?” I asked, looking at the rows of my mother’s favorite flower resting on the chairs.

  He shrugged. “I know people.”

  “This is so thoughtful, but I don’t think I understand why we’re here.”

  “You said your mother never got to see you perform on a stage. Although I can’t bring her here to watch you in person, I thought you could still do so knowing she was watching you from wherever she is right now.”

  Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes, dripping onto my cheeks. Maman would have wanted nothing more than to see me dance in a company performance. My audition for the company of my choice had been robbed of me when she died. I had to abandon those dreams and work to survive instead.

  This was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for me in my life, and the emotion that I felt inside was almost too much to bear.

  His voice steadied me. “Dance, baby girl. She’s waiting.” He nodded to the rows of flowers.

  I looked around, undecided that I could do what he asked of me. “But…there’s no music.”

  His smile reassured me. “You don’t need it. Dance to whatever you feel inside. She’ll understand.”

  I hesitated before fishing my pointe shoes out of my bag. I didn’t have any ballet attire because I hadn’t thought I’d be performing, so my dress would have to do. I sat on the floor and laced up my shoes around my ankles, forgoing wraps around my toes to protect them from blisters.

  Standing upright, I peddled my feet out a few times to mold the shoes to my feet. I stared at him nervously, afraid that I’d make a damn fool of myself dancing in silence with only his eyes watching me.

  As he sat in the front row with a lily in his hand, waiting for me to begin, I shook out my wrists, praying for courage, but the encouragement in his eyes granted me the confidence I needed to start.

  Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air. Maman’s face filled my thoughts—happy and laughing, with her golden hair surrounding her. A beautiful arrangement on piano came to mind, one that Maman used to love.

  My feet moved almost instinctively as I heard the first few notes play, and soon, I felt my arms follow. The clunking and scraping of the wood underneath me followed the beat of the music as I stuck my landings and grazed my toes on the floor before lifting my legs to full extensions.

  My surroundings became a bright blur under the spotlight. All that kept me company was the song in my head as movement flowed from me like I had previously choreographed this sequence, when in actuality, everything I was moving through and feeling was new.

  A series of spins sent my body turning across the stage at lightning speed, somehow releasing all the tension and worry that I had carried with me throughout the years. A rebirth. New beginnings. With each turn, the real me, the one hiding inside out of fear, rose to the surface, pushing away the scared little girl from the past and burying her with the rest of the demons that haunted me.

  Feet anchored to the floor, I struck my final pose and held it for several seconds. As I regained my balance, and the rush of the spins subsided, I lifted my eyes to look out into the audience. I imagined Maman sitting in the center of the front row, smiling up at me with pride.

  I looked to the side and saw Jai standing up, clapping for me. His grin was just as proud as hers would have been, probably even more so because he knew how much this moment meant to me.

  He made his way onto the stage, meeting me in the center. “That was amazing.”

  My cheeks were hurting from smiling so hard. “Thank you for doing this,” I replied, still panting from my performance.

  His grin fell, leaving his face tight with strain. “I’m so sorry for the way I acted. I would never want to hurt you. I need to know that you believe that.”

  I nodded. “I believe you.” I really did. Though I wouldn’t know the exact cause of his aggression, I knew that deep down, this man was good. He was struggling with something internally, but weren’t we all to some extent? What mattered more was how we handled ourselves during our lowest moments. And here he was, repenting for his outburst with such a grand gesture.

  A weak smile spread across his lips, as if he were nervous to ask his question. “Is it too soon to ask you for a second chance?”

  I stepped closer to him, so that my chest nearly touched his. Staring into his dark eyes, I whispered, “You never lost your first chance.”

  Without wasting another moment apart, our lips met, moving greedily. Lost time. Unnecessary pain. All of it disappeared in our kiss. It felt new, as if this were the first time we were able to trust each other and begin a new path of discovery. The way our lips felt against each other led me to believe that I could finally confide all my secrets in this man and that he would be open to sharing his skeletons with me. I tasted truth and honesty, and I hungered for more of it.

  My arms wrapped around his neck as he cradled my head with one hand and circled my ass with his other arm to guide me against the stage floor. His mouth dived into the deepest curves of my neck, consuming me like I was the first woman he had ever had and the last that would ever be his. His tongue trailed down the length of my neck and down the center of my chest, where the neckline of my dress sat.

  Pushing the stretchy, smocked fabric down to my waist, he exposed my breasts to the warmth of the spotlight over us. Never had I been happier to have forgone a bra while dressing.

  I gasped as his mouth sealed over one of my nipples, sucking hard and grazing the peak with the edges of his teeth. His other hand palmed my free breast, pinching the nipple between the thickest parts of his fingers.

  My fingers gripped at his suit, desperate to feel his bare chest against mine. Together, we moved to free him of the layers that stood between us as he straddled me. He pushed his jacket off as I unfastened his buttons, revealing the hard mounds of muscle on his tanned chest. I couldn’t resist tasting the slab of finely toned flesh before me. My tongue picked up essences that were all man—spice and liquor.

  His fingers weaved through my loose tresses before pulling hard on my hair, close to my skull. He yanked my mouth up to his to unleash his assault on mine. Breaking our connection, he whispered, “I missed you.”

  I stared at the endless depths of his eyes; they somehow seemed brighter and more exposed, just for me to explore. “I missed you too.”

  “You can never leave me again. I don’t know if I’d survive it.” The pain that he felt from breaking my trust tensed his expression yet again.

  I smoothed my hand against his face, relaxing the strain. “You’ll never have to find out.” I believed that he’d never hurt me again.

  Sliding out of his shirt to expose more of his well-defined torso, he shoved the skirt of my dress up. I felt his fingers push aside my thong and plunge into my warmth. My back arched as I threw my head back and moaned, my crown nearly touching the ground in a deep back bend. The echo of my sounds surrounded us in the bare theater. I could feel the sharpness of his inhales on my skin as his nose moved to the crook of my neck. “I need you,” I begged as I dropped my back against the floor.

  The sound of his zipper drawing open filled my ears right before he teased my entrance with his head. Sensations of fullness and tickling interplayed at my opening, making my belly shake with anticipation.

  The spotlight blinded my eyes as I lay waiting for him to fill me. Turning my head to the side, my hands impatiently found his hips between my legs and pulled him toward me, forcing his length completely into me. The move took him by surprise, eliciting a loud groan. A sign of his submission to me. A signal of his yield of control.

  My hands moved his hips back and forth, driving his dick into my depths. I moved him at the pace that satisfied me, pausing only slightly after each pump to allow my clit to receive the attention it needed too.

&
nbsp; “Baby girl, you’re going to kill me,” he growled out.

  My pointe shoes still on, I wrapped my legs around him to lock him into my space. He wasn’t going anywhere until I was done taking what I needed. His hips moved with my hands guiding them, picking up speed. I felt myself tinker close to the edge of this dance that we were performing. The pinnacle of the routine. The moment where your body spiraled out of control and your soul took over.

  “I love you, mon cher,” I moaned as I was nearly there.

  “I love you so damn much that it kills me,” he gritted out.

  The passion in his words sent me headfirst into an explosion of movement as my soul took over—the other-worldly entity that made one see the heavens more clearly than any mortal could. My screams echoed as I came around him, which spurred him on to move faster, slamming roughly into me, joining me in the finale of our performance. His groans as he filled me with his seed rained on my ears like applause from the crowd—a standing ovation.

  We lay together like that for some time, his body collapsed on top of me with my arms around his back, making up for the time we had lost. Once he had fully softened inside of me, he pulled out, sending our arousal leaking onto my thigh. My thong served no purpose but to remind me of its inadequacy at containing all that he had offered me. Luckily, the print of my dress was busy with flowers and would disguise any wet marks that might show through on my way home.

  I pulled up the top of my dress and lowered the hem as he fitted his suit around his body, as if we hadn’t just been writhing around on the floor.

  I stared at how beautiful he looked as he finished his last shirt button just over his sternum. This perfect specimen of man had just fucked me, and he was all mine. I didn’t have to question his commitment to me or his faithfulness. He was all in, just like I was.

  He caught my gaze. “What’s on your mind, baby girl?”

  “Just admiring the view.” I smirked.

  He fingered a tendril of hair that had stuck to my cheek in the sweat from our lovemaking before tucking it behind my ear. “Careful. Keep looking at me like that and I’ll have to give you an encore.”

  That wouldn’t be a bad idea. My desire for him wouldn’t weaken. I still wanted more, even as his cum was still inside me, warm and wet. But I had something important to confront. My past.

  “I need to tell you something.”

  His eyebrow hiked with worry. “Is everything okay?”

  I nodded. “Yes. For the first time in my life, everything will be okay.” Placing my hand over his heart, I continued, “I just need to tell you everything…about my past. I think I’m ready.”

  He let out the small exhale of worry that he’d been holding in—probably because he was worried that I was about to bail on him again. His expression softened as he caressed my cheek. “I’m all ears.”

  “Not here. I don’t want to ruin today.” I didn’t want to put a stain on what we had just experienced. This day would forever be remembered as the start of my new life.

  “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll listen.” He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

  “Thank you,” I breathed out. I grabbed his fingers and pressed soft kisses to the tips.

  He looked at me with intent, like he wanted to say something but was struggling to do so. Finally giving in, he spoke. “I have something I need to tell you too.”

  Jai looked different too. His guard was finally down, and his secrets were finally ready to surface. “Whatever it is, mon cher, I will listen.”

  Staring intensely, he held my gaze. “I don’t want to lose you, Claire. I just got you back.”

  “You won’t,” I reassured him. “I love you and I’m all in.”

  His lips met mine, giving me the softest kiss, yet so full of the love he had for me.

  “Me too. No more secrets,” he whispered against my lips. His hand held mine over his heart and tapped it against his chest. “This is yours and that means whatever is inside of it should be yours too. I’m ready for that talk.”

  •••

  The Next Day

  “Fuck!” I had two minutes to make my first class of the day, and I was ten minutes away.

  I spent the night at Jai’s place last night. After my performance at the theater—and our performance afterward—we took the show back to his place. We made love all night, only taking breaks to grab a drink of water to hydrate our bodies, which had been working overtime.

  Unfortunately for me, I hadn’t brought a change of clothes with me for class today. I bolted out of his house too late but still needing to trek all the way over to my apartment to change my clothes. It would have been easier to just leave from his place, but I couldn’t show up to my class unprepared for my students. The parents would demand their money back.

  Jai’s driver was nice enough to speed through town to take me home and then to the studio. Except, I was still running late as I sat in the back of the car, praying by some miracle I’d make it within two minutes.

  Still, even my tardiness couldn’t shake the bliss that surrounded me. My heart had never felt so full. For the first time in my life, I was in love and someone loved me in return. I finally understood what all those sappy romantic songs that used to annoy me were droning on about. Love.

  Jai and I still had a ways to go to strengthen our relationship, but honesty would soon fix all of that. I knew inside that he was the one I could finally share my past with. It felt right.

  I could feel his walls breaking down too and I was even more ready to hear everything he wanted to share with me in return.

  My phone buzzed in my hands. Speak of the devil.

  When are you coming back to me, baby girl?

  I giggled, imagining him pining away for me in his office. I have class until late this evening and Lana wants to meet up for dinner.

  I hadn’t seen her in forever. She had called and messaged me multiple times to hang out, but things had just been so crazy, I hadn’t had a chance. A girls’ night out was long overdue, especially because, judging from her texts, her relationship with Bouncer Craig was getting serious.

  He replied. Your ass better be in my bed tonight.

  I typed out my response, unable to shake the oversized grin on my face. Tomorrow, mon cher. I really need some girl time. My body needs to recover from you. ;-)

  I like you sore. I can massage your ass for you.

  I rolled my eyes. Always about sex! I swear I’ll be there tomorrow. I’ll miss you.

  I’ll miss you, too. Let’s have that talk tomorrow night over dinner. I’ll cook.

  As uncomfortable as this would be, I was ready to rip off the bandage. Sounds good. I love you.

  I love you too, baby girl. Always.

  I beamed at his message, my belly feeling warm from his love.

  I checked the time again. Shit! I had one minute, and we had only moved an inch in Manhattan traffic.

  Before I could let the driver know that I’d jump out and run instead, my phone buzzed again. The number was marked as private, so I didn’t know who it was from.

  I tapped on the message to open it. As I read through it, the warm glow that had filled my body was replaced by a cold dread that I hadn’t felt in years. I suddenly felt like retching right there in the car.

  How had he found my number? How had he found me? I had been so careful.

  Hello, sister. Long time, no hear. News around town is you have a new boyfriend. I’d love to meet him and catch up. Tomorrow at 1 p.m.? –Your Loving Brother

  Chapter XXI

  Jai

  “Are you sure you have the right location?” Zayn asked from beside me in the back of the blacked-out SUV.

  I sat facing outside my window, watching city streets whirl by as we high-tailed it to our destination. The tint on the window provided enough relief from the blazing summer
sun, yet I left the sunglasses on my face to hide the anxiety simmering inside of me.

  “Positive,” I replied to my brother. I had verified it multiple times.

  I received the message early this morning. New York. –M

  Mikhail followed up his vague text message with a hyper-encrypted email, which I decoded. Leonid was in town and had assigned a few of his brothers to accompany him on his impromptu trip. Mikhail was one of the lucky ones and had been able to share the coordinates of where his boss would be having a meeting.

  Zayn looked over to me, but I remained turned away from him, staring at the buildings passing by. “Why do you think he’s here?”

  “No clue.” Maybe to close another filthy deal? Maybe to fuck with me? Nothing good could ever come of a visit from Leonid.

  I had expected him to retaliate after my last attempt at killing him. He knew I was behind the assassination attempt, so maybe he was here for revenge, though I’d have expected him to be more secretive about his whereabouts. It wasn’t like him to suddenly hop on a plane and hunt his enemy. No, he liked the drama of the kill—to draw it out and strike when someone least expected it. He wasn’t here to kill me. He had other plans.

  I didn’t share the same strategy. I chose to act as soon as opportunity presented itself. He was here, so today was the day he would die. And this time, I wouldn’t miss.

  As soon as I got the message, I rounded up my men and all the artillery and explosives we had on hand. Zayn and I were strapped with guns and explosives under our clothes. A caravan of SUVs followed behind mine, holding my lethal army of men.

  I hadn’t wanted to take Shyam up on his offer to fight this battle alongside me, but I had informed him of the plan. Amelia was right. He had a family to think about now, and it was better that he stayed out of this fight. At least now he was in the loop and knew to expect that something would go down today. It would give him a chance to get his family out of town, if necessary. But I wouldn’t let it come to that. Leonid was on my turf, and he wasn’t ever returning to Russia. Not unless he was inside of a body bag.