by Jamie Wesley
“Which is why you said dance is your true love.”
He remembered her saying that? “Yes.”
“How did you get started?”
“After school care at the rec center. They had dance classes. I took every one they offered. Ballet. Jazz. Hip hop. Didn’t matter. I took it. Those classes changed my life. Gave me something to look forward to. I had a job in high school just so I could pay for classes.”
“Did your mom support it?”
Val shrugged. “She didn’t tell me no.”
Malcolm frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“She wasn’t terrible. She didn’t mistreat me.” All things she’d told herself countless times over the years.
Fury filled his voice. “She did mistreat you. She didn’t love you or support your dreams like you deserved.”
Val twisted her body to meet his gaze. “We’re quite a pair, huh?”
“The best pair.”
But not a permanent pair. And she didn’t want to think about that. Val hopped up. “We’re on a date. Which means we’re supposed to be having fun. Let’s go swimming.”
His eyebrows drew together. “I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
“Neither did I.” She whipped her shirt over her head. Her shorts were next. “Catch up, Harvard. No one’s coming out here. They’re all at the campfire.”
“Wait,” he said before she could unhook her bra. “That’s what you were wearing underneath that shirt?” His voice deepened. “Very nice.”
Mission accomplished. The lacy material of the matching bra and panty set almost perfectly matched her skin tone, giving the illusion that she was naked. Her nipples tightened under his ardent gaze. She made quick work of her underwear and boldly met his gaze. “Better than this?”
“No, nothing is better than that.” His voice came out strangled.
“You can’t enjoy until you get naked, too.”
Val ran toward the water and dove in. The cold slapped her in the face, stunning her for a second. Shivering, she surfaced in time to witness Malcolm diving in. Unable to stay away, she swam to him. Water dripped off his wide shoulders. Her mouth watered. It should be a crime to be that handsome. “Hey. Fancy meeting you here.”
He scowled. “You owe me.”
Val ducked her head to hide her smile. “What did I do this time?”
“You goaded me into coming into this cold-ass water.”
She laughed. “My bad. I wasn’t expecting it to be this cold, either.” She took the opportunity to wrap her arms and legs around his very fine, very spectacular body. She met him halfway for a kiss that warmed her right up. Soft. Lingering. Perfect.
When it was over, she dropped her forehead to his shoulder. Being here, in his arms, was where she wanted to be the most in the world. That honor had always gone to a dance studio or stage. How was she going to let him go?
Malcolm dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “Last week, if someone had told me I’d be freezing my ass off at a waterfall, I would have asked if they were smoking crack.”
“So you don’t regret coming here?” The question slipped out before she could stop it. She held her breath, waiting for his answer.
“Hell no.” His arms tightened around her. “Have we proved how brave we are yet?”
“Absolutely. Last one out is a sucker.” Val pushed away and swam as fast as she could. He caught up to her just as she reached land. She stopped to watch him push himself out the water. All those muscles moving in glorious synchronicity were a sight to behold. He reached down and pulled her up.
He grabbed the blanket, wrapped it around her, and drew her close. They cuddled together in the blanket, shivering.
“We could use that campfire right about now,” she said.
“Why don’t we go back to my place and get warm?” he asked.
Val leaned back. “Are you hitting on me, sir?”
“Yes.” The heat in his eyes scalded her.
“Then I accept your invitation.” This was the best date she’d ever been on, and she didn’t want it to end. Tonight or…ever?
NINE
Inside Malcolm’s cabin, Val turned in a circle. The cabin was bigger than the other camper cabins she’d seen, more luxuriously decorated, but still warm and inviting.
Malcolm watched her, biding his time, his intent clear. But the plan was to seduce him. She sauntered over to him. “So I haven’t actually gotten a good look at the lingerie you sell.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Want to check out the competition?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Maybe I’d like to own some. A woman can never have too much lingerie.”
The heat in his eyes singed her. “Be my guest.” He pointed to the box that had brought them together the first day of camp. “I washed them, by the way.”
Val laughed. “Good to know.” She grabbed the box and rifled through it for a few seconds. She pulled out a few possibilities. “I can’t decide. I need to try them on first.”
“I’d tell you to take your time, but we both know that would be a lie.” He snagged her around the waist and lowered his head. His talented mouth almost made her forgot her mission. Almost. She broke away and hurried into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, she smoothed the straps of a silk, purple teddy against her shoulders and studied herself in the mirror. Who was that soft-eyed romantic staring back at her? When was the last time she’d smiled so much? This was all Malcolm’s fault. He was doing this to her. She was getting in too deep. But she couldn’t stop it. Wasn’t sure she wanted to.
But she didn’t need to worry about that now. Tonight was about them. Enjoying themselves. Worrying about the future would solve nothing, and she wanted to live in the present.
Val opened the bathroom door and struck a seductive pose. A smile, slow and steady in its appreciation, spread across his face. He crooked a finger. She happily went to him.
“How did you know this was my favorite piece?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I didn’t.”
“The way its color complements your skin. The way it showcases your small waist. Your breasts. The way it tempts me to rip it to shreds to get to the secrets it’s hiding.”
His hands went to the straps. The care he took in undressing her unnerved her. Aroused her. A slow slide of his hands against her shoulders, the tops of her breasts, her waist. She wanted this man like she’d never wanted another. She wanted to be with him now. “You’re wearing too many clothes.”
He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off. Her breath caught. Why, why, why was he so gorgeous? The mocha tone of his skin glowed in the ambient light provided by the lamp. Strong, wide shoulders. Hard abs she wanted to lick. Abs she would lick before the night was over.
She twirled her finger. “The rest, please.”
“In due time.”
Val wasn’t afraid to pout. “But…”
“In due time. I have something else planned.” He picked her up and laid her on the bed. Oh, okay. She could get with this program. His hard body against hers was something she’d come to crave.
But he didn’t lower himself to her. No, he swept his gaze up and down her figure.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Admiring you. Your body is the stuff dreams are made of. Strong, sure, with enough tempting curves to make a grown man weep.” The conviction, the purpose in his tone stunned her.
“Thank you.” She held up her arms. “Let’s have some fun now.”
His dark gaze lifted to hers. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me seduce you.”
What was he talking about? That was her job. Why was he trying to turn the tables and make this about more than their mutual pleasure? She pushed up her lips. “I don’t need to be seduced.”
He rejected her rebuttal with a quick shake of his head. “Have you ever been worshipped? Made to feel like you were the only woman on earth?”
No, she hadn’t. The men she’d
been with had certainly never made her pleasure their top priority. Why was he so intent in showing her how special he was? “Malcolm, please, let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
A grin, full of heated promise, spread across his face. “Oh, I intend to.”
His lips captured hers. His tongue tangled with hers, drawing her deeper into the embrace. He was slow, thorough. Exploring every corner of her mouth.
Seducing her.
Val stroked his tongue with her own, hoping to speed up the kiss, but he kept the kiss soft and languid.
“Shh,” he murmured when she groaned her protest. “Enjoy yourself.”
His mouth slipped down to her throat, where he skimmed her sensitive flesh with skillful lips. His hands joined in the action, slowly gliding up her sides with just enough pressure to entice and make her hunger for more.
Val’s eyes drifted close. His mouth continued moving southward, the rasp of his beard against her skin thrilling her. He nipped the underside of her right breast, then her left. Heat arrowed straight down between her legs.
She bit her lip to keep from begging him to hurry up. He was determined to drive her out of her mind. Voicing dissent would only sustain the torture. Still, the first touch of his lips on her nipple was enough to have her crying out loud. He lavished his entire attention on the nub, drawing her deeper into his mouth.
“Malcolm,” she gasped.
“Say it again.”
“What?” Her eyes drifted open.
His eyes glittered with arousal. With purpose. “My name. Say my name.”
She lifted a hand to his cheek, unable to deny him anything. “Malcolm.”
“I want to please you,” he said.
“You are.”
Desire deepened his tone. “I can do better.” He scooted down the bed. “Have I ever told you how much I love your legs?”
“A time or two,” she managed to get out.
“They’re so long and graceful. I love when you wrap them around me.” He started at her ankles, applying soft kisses all the way up her right leg. He repeated the process with the other leg. Then, he drew her limbs over his shoulders.
Val grabbed the bedspread and held on. He worshipped her with his mouth. Slow, deliberate swipes of his tongue that sent rivulets of pleasure darting through her. How could she continue to resist her feelings for him when he treated her with such care and reverence?
“Malcolm,” she pleaded. Her climax hovered just out of reach. He found her clit, then drew it into his lips and sucked. She screamed as the orgasm crashed through her.
He didn’t stop. No, he drove her up again until she tumbled over the edge harder than the first time.
Sometime later, Val’s chest heaved. She worked up the energy to skim the back of her hand against his hair-roughened jaw. “I need you. Please,” she added before he could protest.
He nodded, undressed, and grabbed a condom. Val held out her arms and sighed when he settled his body on top of hers. She loved the feel of his hard body against hers. She wrapped hers leg around his waist, wanting to please him.
He entered her in one, sure stroke. She cried out, desire cascading through her. His rhythm was slow and languid. Every small movement heightened and prolonged her pleasure. His mouth met hers in a kiss that melted her defenses.
“Do you feel what I feel?” he whispered. “How right this is?”
She couldn’t lie. “Yes.”
Their connection was complete. Unbreakable. They moved as one. Her climax, when it came, was stunning in its intensity. Perfect.
He’d seduced her. Made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. Exactly like he said he would.
Maybe, just maybe, it was time to start believing Malcolm was different from every other man she’d known.
***
“Why are you all dressed up?” Tori asked, her confusion plain to see on his phone screen.
“Because I’m performing tonight,” Malcolm said, adjusting his collar. Why had he answered her FaceTime request again?
Her eyes widened. “Noo! Really? Are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?”
Malcolm shot his sister a look. “Learning to dance was your idea, remember?”
“Yes, but I didn’t realize it came with a public performance.”
“Well, it does. You can thank me later. Did you call for any specific reason or just to be your usual annoying self?”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Love you, too. But yes, I have a reason. You told me to call if something major happened while you were away.”
He grabbed the phone from its perch on his dresser and stared into her face. “What’s wrong?”
Tori made a face. “I don’t know why I called. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Why not?”
“Because you always tug on your right ear when you’re lying.”
She dropped her hand. “Oh.”
“Yes. Oh. What’s wrong?”
She grimaced. “Orders are down. Fulmer’s is on the verge of declaring bankruptcy and said they’re not going to stock our merchandise for the foreseeable future.”
Shit. This was not the news their young company needed. He’d been worried about Fulmer’s. He’d been keeping a close eye on the department store until he came to camp. “Okay. This isn’t the end of the world.”
“No, it’s not. But I wanted to tell you before you saw the bankruptcy news on the internet.” Her shoulders drooped. “I’m sorry I’m interrupting your vacation with bad news.”
“No, you did the right thing.”
Tori sighed. “I know I’m the one who pushed you to go to camp, but I’ll be glad when you’re back in the office. With this news, we really need to win the Sex Sells contest. We need the publicity.”
He was already a step ahead of her. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”
“I hope so. I really want to make Dad proud.”
“I do, too.”
And they would. They had no other choice.
***
“You okay?” Val asked.
Malcolm turned to her, his eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, why do you ask?”
“You looked like your mind was a million miles away.”
“No, I’m good. Just hoping I don’t make a fool out of myself. How many people are on the other side of that curtain?”
“You’re not going to make a fool out of yourself. No one is expecting you to be Fred Astaire.” She smiled. “At the risk of swelling your head bigger than it already is, you’re a natural.”
He grinned. “I know. Come here.” He held out his arms, and she stepped willingly into his embrace. “What would I do without your backhanded compliments?”
“Be miserable, no doubt.”
“No doubt.” He sounded serious. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on her part.
“But I can do better. You look very handsome.” Val slid her hands down his lapels because she didn’t know how not to touch him. He wore the same suit the day they’d met. This time he didn’t look irritated or uptight. Even better, she knew he didn’t have a girlfriend lurking around the corner. How far they’d come.
“Thanks. You’re gorgeous as always.”
“I know.” She wore a long white dress that was a lot more demure than her usual costumes, but also much more suited to the waltz. She winked. “But thanks all the same.”
“Your last dance was very inspiring.”
She laughed. “You think so?” She’d performed with the women who’d taken her classes during the week.
“I know so. I’m hoping I can talk you into performing an encore later tonight. For my eyes only, of course.”
A flirty smile curved her lips. “I might be able to arrange that.”
This was their last night together. There was no way she was going to spend it worrying about the future. He hadn’t spoken of it. Why should he? They’d made no promises to each other. But she would enjoy every moment she had left with
him.
Malcolm dropped a kiss on her lips. “I can’t wait.”
Two minutes later, they took their positions. From the first note of music, they glided across the stage in perfect synchronicity. Every turn was made as one. Every step crystallized the truth.
She loved him. How, why, when, it didn’t matter. It just was.
The applause of the audience members stunned her. For the first time in her life, she’d forgotten she was performing in front of a crowd. She’d gotten lost in the world she and Malcolm had created. He’d relied on her to guide him through the dance, but she’d relied on him just as much. A true partnership. Something she’d never had before.
And she had to say goodbye to him tomorrow. Life had never been easy for her. She didn’t realize it could be cruel, too.
***
Malcolm paced back and forth in his cabin. He needed a plan. Maybe he could stay another night. Putting off work was unlike him, but Val meant that much to him.
She’d given him no indication she wanted their relationship to continue after tomorrow, but he wasn’t ready to let her walk out of his life. Tonight was all about getting her to admit she wanted more. Failure wasn’t an option. But he needed her here to plead his case. What was taking her so long?
His phone dinged. He pulled the device out of his pants pocket and checked the screen. Tori’s smiling face greeted him. What did she want? Was she calling him again to drive him crazy? Or maybe she had more bad news?
He accepted the FaceTime invitation. “What’s up, Tori?”
“Guess who I watched dance tonight?” Tori’s squeal and beaming face gave him the answer.
Malcolm sighed. “How?”
“I couldn’t get the image of you dancing out of my head. I checked the camp website and it said they were livestreaming tonight’s performances. There was no way I could say no to that. Besides, I needed to make sure you’re worthy of dancing with me at the wedding. You were good, by the way. Then I googled. I love Google. What did we do before Google?”
Malcolm bit back another sigh. “What did you google?”
“Your dance instructor. The dance she did before yours was crazy. I needed to know more. It was easy to see she was your inspiration for the presentation. I was wondering where you’d come up with your idea, but it’s perfect. She’s perfect. We’re going to win that contest.”
