Pas de Deux

by M. J. Duncan

  Brown eyes locked onto hers, and her pulse sped as soft lips curled in an even softer smile and an arched brow beckoned her closer.

  Yes, she was so very, very blessed.

  Music swelled from the orchestra pit just as she reached Addison’s side, and she licked her lips as a hand on her hip pulled her closer. Their breaths mingled in the finite space between their lips as the dancers on stage began to move, and then the world fell away as a warm, firm hand pressed against the skin above her heart. She mirrored the touch, and felt her pulse automatically slow to match the steady beat beneath her palm.

  I need you here with me, Addison’s pulse seemed to command; while hers answered unabashedly, I’m all yours, darling.

  The music from the pit began its slow descent into the silence that heralded her entrance, and Mallory smiled at Addison as she backed away.

  She was ready.

  They were ready.

  She shouldered her violin as she turned to the stage, waiting for the action to still and the music to stop, and then took a deep breath as she started toward the lights, the sweet sound of the violin heralding her entrance as she made her way toward center stage. She was vaguely aware of the dancers breaking apart behind her and hurrying with an enviable amount of grace toward the wings, but only vaguely. Beneath the heat of the lights, standing in front of a veritable wall of blackness that hid the audience she knew was watching, she welcomed the zen-like state of being that consumed her when she performed.

  It was just her and the music.

  And then Addison’s hand was on her shoulder, and her awareness expanded just enough to include her, as well.

  Step for step, note for note, turn for turn they danced like they were born to do it together. It was easy and natural and fun, and when she extended her right leg, toes pointed to draw an invisible arc on the floor as she pulled her bow across the strings of her violin for the last time, she knew they had just done something incredible. Her heart beat up into her throat as her bow arm fell away and Addison’s hand curved ever so gently around her cheek, and she melted eagerly into that oh-so-soft pressure to let Addison urge her closer until their foreheads came together and silence settled around them.

  They had done it.

  She bit her lip to keep from smiling at the absolute triumph that shone in Addison’s eyes, and then the lights went out and the curtains dropped, and there was no containing the smile that broke free as Addison laughed and kissed her as the crowd beyond the curtain erupted in applause. It was the perfect end to a flawless performance, and she sighed as the rush of activity behind and around them forced them apart well before she was ready.

  “We did it,” Mallory murmured, wrapping her arms around Addison’s waist and pulling her into a fierce embrace as two assistant stage managers sprinted past them to catch the heavy tabs of the curtain to make sure they didn’t bounce apart.

  “Yeah we did,” Addison agreed, pressing a smile of a kiss to the side of Mallory’s throat as the lights came back on and the stage came alive with dancers rushing about to find their position for the calls.

  They finally broke apart for good when Holly, the member of the tech crew assigned to seeing her instrument safely off stage and back into its case, approached and called out, “Ms. Collingswood. The violin, if you’d please.”

  “Case is on—”

  “The table just there,” Holly finished for Mallory with a smile as she carefully took the instrument. “I’ll make sure it’s properly stowed,” she promised before hurrying away.

  Because of the unusual structure of the ballet, the structure of the general call consisted of the two of them flanked by Gabs and Matt in the front line with the corps behind them, and Mallory couldn’t contain her smile as their friends crushed them in a happy, bouncing hug.

  “You were fucking amazing!” Matt declared, his voice deep and booming in Mallory’s ear.

  “So good!” Gabs agreed, squeezing them tight.

  “Quick as you can, please!” the stage manager called out, interrupting their celebration.

  Matt’s huff of annoyance was adorable, and Mallory laughed as they broke apart, assumed their proper positions, and linked hands.

  The curtains swept into the proscenium arch as if they weighed nothing, and the full force of the audience’s applause was a tidal wave that washed across the stage. They advanced in a line toward the front of the stage, their steps finding the rhythm of the applause, and took their first bow as a unit before Gabs and Matt broke away, pointing at Mallory and Addison before they, too, began to clap.

  The rest of the call was as much of a blur as the pre-show preparations had been. Despite having rehearsed this part of the performance on three separate occasions, she still felt like she was scrambling to keep up as she followed Addison back and forth across the stage, doing her best to gracefully manage the absolutely gigantic bouquet she was handed. She had a chance to catch her breath as they gave way for the corps to take their call as a unit before stepping back up into the spotlight so Addison could collect Henry Walker, the conductor and music director of the Royal Opera House’s orchestra, for his curtain call.

  Usually, the conductor marked the end of the main curtain call, but with it being the premiere of a brand new ballet, there was one more person to be recognized, and Mallory did her best to applaud with the rest of the theatre as Nina Devereaux strode out of the wings to take her place at center stage. Her black gown was elegant and perfectly understated, and when she lifted a hand to acknowledge the crowd, their applause almost blew the roof off the building.

  The queen of London ballet was back, if only for this night, and the audience more than made sure she knew just how much they loved her as the stage manager emerged from the wings with a bouquet that made the one Mallory was holding look like a cheap prop. Nina balanced the behemoth in the crook of her left arm with ease as she dipped into the most elegant curtsey Mallory had ever seen. She waved again as she straightened, and then backed into the spot Mallory and Addison had shifted to open between them as the entire cast and Nina Devereaux took one last bow before the curtain came down and an assistant stage manager bolted from the wings to catch the tabs before they could swing open again.

  Nina turned to the group and smiled as she offered them a small bow. “You were all brilliant tonight. Job very well done.”

  Judging by the way everybody around her seemed to puff up at the compliment, Mallory wasn’t the only one who felt like she was flying at the high praise. Nina was tough and exacting and impossibly demanding, so if she thought they had done that good of a job, they must have absolutely crushed the performance.

  “Corps, you’re dismissed. I’ll see you at the party in Hamlyn Hall. Class tomorrow is pushed back until one so that you all have time to recover from your celebrations.” Everyone cheered at the announcement that class would be delayed, and Nina shook her head as the corps dashed off the stage. “You four were perfect tonight,” she declared as she turned to Mallory, Addison, Gabs, and Matt. “Truly perfect. I could not be prouder of the way each of you performed. No post-mortem needed for anyone, we will go over everything at our next regularly scheduled rehearsal.”

  And, oh, if Mallory thought she was flying before, it was nothing compared to the high she was riding now, and she could only tip her head in thanks for the compliment because her throat was too tight to speak.

  Matt, however, didn’t seem to have that problem, and he made them all laugh as he cooed, “Aww, you love us! Group hug!”

  “Nice try, Mr. Magnusson,” Nina chuckled. She took a deep breath and let it go in a quiet huff as she smiled proudly at them all. “Take your runs, soak up the applause because you more than earned it tonight, and I shall see you all next door at the party.”

  They all straightened before responding with small bows, and Addison sighed as she sank into Mallory’s side. “You two are up first,” she told Matt and Gabs as she nodded at the curtain. “Have fun.”

  “Oh, we will,
” Gabs retorted with a wink as she slipped gracefully through the curtain Matt pulled open for her.

  With the stage now clear except for the four of them, a thinner curtain fell in a whisper behind Mallory and Addison, hiding the stage from view so the crew could begin breaking it down and setting up for the next day, and a mischievous smile curled Addison’s lips as she wrapped her free hand around Mallory’s neck and pulled her down into a searing kiss.

  Mallory reached for Addison with her free hand and pulled her closer as she slanted her mouth over Addison’s to deepen the kiss, and her heart fluttered into her throat at the way Addison melted into her as their tongues stroked against each other. After the rush and the high of the performance, kissing Addison like this was like adding gasoline to a flame, and Mallory moaned as desire licked its way over her skin and smoldered low in her belly.

  “Jesus, Mal,” Addison whimpered when Mallory pulled back just enough to flick her tongue over her lips.

  The naked desire in Addison’s voice set Mallory’s pulse racing, and she groaned as she forced herself to restrict her next kiss to a chaste peck. Her stomach clenched at absolute want that was shining in Addison’s dark, dark eyes, and she dipped her head to brush a tender promise of a kiss across her lips. “Later, darling.”

  Addison nodded, but before she could say anything in response, the curtain between them and the theatre fluttered, and Matt and Gabs reappeared looking flushed and happy and so very done for the night.

  Gabs smirked when she saw them standing so close together, and arched a brow as she drawled playfully, “Well, I’m glad you two found a way to amuse yourselves while we were out there.” She laughed when Addison flipped her off and looped a hand over Matt’s arm as she tipped her head toward the curtain. “They’re all yours.”

  Addison nodded and arched a brow at Mallory as she reached for the overlap in the curtains. “You ready, beautiful?”

  Mallory brushed a kiss over Addison’s cheek as she reached for the opposite opening in the fabric. “Lead the way, darling.”

  The applause that had begun to soften after Gabs and Matt’s departure roared back to life as they stepped into view, and Mallory smiled as she and Addison linked hands to curtsey their thanks. She laughed as they stood back up, and followed Addison’s lead as she began waving and gesturing to the crowd in a way that hopefully said thank you so much and you are all incredible.

  The noise didn’t dissipate once they had made their way back behind the curtain, and Mallory shook her head as she listened to the cheers and applause that seemed to grow in volume in their absence.

  “They’re not slowing down.” Addison smiled wryly. “We’re going to have to go back out there.”

  “How many more times do you reckon we’ll have to do this?” Mallory asked as she parted the curtains and followed Addison back into the spotlight.

  “Who knows!” Addison laughed as she began waving to the crowd again. “Just relax and enjoy it, Mal! We did it!”

  Mallory finished putting on her earrings and took a step back from her dressing room mirror to give herself one last once-over. She had twisted her hair up into a loose chignon to better show off the halter-strap neckline of her dress, and her make-up was simple and classic, in tones that complimented her fairer coloring and her dress. She nodded at herself as she ran her hands over the dress’ sleek, cream-colored pencil skirt that hugged her hips and was too mature, perhaps, to be considered playful, but she thought the billowy black bodice did well to keep the overall effect from being too formal.

  A knock on the door drew her attention away from her reflection, and she smiled at the way her heart fluttered into her throat as she hurried to answer it. There was only one person who would be knocking on her dressing room door an hour after the show had ended, and she very much couldn’t wait to see her. They had yet to go on a proper date since everything between them changed due to work and life and the universe seeming to conspire against it, but this felt like the beginning of one, and instead of being nervous about messing it up, she was excited to see what the rest of the night held in store.

  A half-dozen playful, flirty greetings ricocheted across her mind as she reached for the door, but all of them were instantly forgotten when her eyes landed on Addison. There was rarely a moment when she wasn’t aware of her beauty, even in workout clothes and drenched in sweat she was a vision to behold, but she was absolutely breathtaking in a slinky cranberry red slip dress that didn’t come close to reaching mid-thigh and stilettos so high that, had she not spent the majority of her days on her toes, she might have been at risk of tipping over. Her make-up was minimal—her flawless, olive-toned complexion accentuated only by a faint, smoky shadow on her eyelids and burgundy lipstick—and her naturally wavy hair was artfully teased into playful disarray.

  Mallory licked her lips as she remembered the way Addison had pushed her against the wall of the lift after they had finally left the stage and kissed her so thoroughly that, in the time it took them to rise two floors, she had all but forgotten her own name. Then, like when they had been on stage, the flowers she held had kept her from holding Addison like she wanted to, but she had no such encumbrance now, and her stomach flipped as she imagined threading her fingers through those loose waves and kissing her senseless.

  But then Addison shifted just enough to cause the lights to catch on the glint of white gold and diamonds balanced on the point of her collarbone and the silhouette of a ballerina that lay delicately against her sternum, and Mallory was struck breathless as the urge to take Addison to bed was instantly softened and compounded. Desire, warm and molten rippled through her as she imagined laying Addison out and worshipping her so slowly and thoroughly that the sun would break the horizon long before she had finished. She blinked, breaking the spell that had befallen her just enough to drag her eyes away from the delicate dancer, across the angular hollow of Addison’s throat and the distinct, heavy beat of her pulse, past plump, soft lips that were parted enticingly, until she was finally staring into Addison’s eyes. “God, you’re beautiful…”

  “You are.” Addison shook her head as she stepped closer, and Mallory was struck by the way her hand shook as she lifted it to cradle her jaw. “Oh, Mal…” she whimpered, her voice breaking ever so slightly as she guided their lips together in a kiss so tender that it made Mallory’s knees weak.

  Mallory reached for Addison, one hand finding its way up into her hair as the other grabbed desperately for her waist, pulling her closer, needing to feel the warmth and the press of her body as she melted into the kiss. Their kisses on stage had been euphoric, the ones in the lift playful and coaxing and fun, but this…oh, this was so much more.

  This was a kiss that promised everything.

  “Come here,” Mallory murmured between kisses she pulled her back into her dressing room. She nuzzled Addison’s cheek and brushed the softest of kisses over her lips as she pushed the door shut, and let her hand that had been wrapped in Addison’s hair drift down to cradle her cheek as she eased her back against the door. Strong hands wrapped around her waist to pull her closer as they came together again, every kiss so full of emotion that Mallory thought her heart might burst.

  Hands began to wander as their kisses became deeper, tongues sliding together as the need to be closer, to give more, to surrender to this magic they’d found overwhelmed them, but three sharp knocks on the door shattered the moment before they could lose themselves in it completely.

  “Please tell me you’re dressed,” Gabs hollered.

  Even though she was startled by the interruption, Mallory couldn’t help but smile when Addison groaned against her lips, “I’m going to kill her.”

  Mallory pressed a chaste, apology of a kiss to Addison’s lips as she dragged her thumb over the nipple she’d been playing with as they’d kissed one last time before sliding her hand down to rest on Addison’s waist, instead. “I’m dressed,” she called out.

  “And Addy?” Matt asked loudly.


  “Of course they’re together,” Addison grumbled.

  “Like you’re in any position to talk,” Matt sassed.

  “How did you even hear that?” Addison demanded more loudly.

  Gabs laughed, and two lighter knocks landed on the door. “Let’s go, you two. Devereaux is looking to show you off to everyone down there, so touch up your make-up, fix anything else that needs fixing, and let’s go.”

  Mallory sighed and leaned her forehead against Addison’s. “I wish we could just skip the party and go home,” she confessed, her voice rough with longing as she brushed their lips together.

  Addison’s breath hitched, and she pulled her closer, holding her tighter as if that alone would keep the world that was literally knocking at the door at bay. “Me too.”

  “Soon,” Mallory murmured against Addison’s lips. She kissed her again softly as she nuzzled her cheek, lingering in the moment even though they didn’t have the time to do it, letting herself savor the feeling of the angular lines of Addison’s body beneath her own and the way her breath landed lightly against her lips.

  “Don’t make me come in there,” Gabs warned, knocking on the door again for emphasis.

  Addison groaned and let go of Mallory’s hip to bang her right hand on the door in frustration. “I hate you!”

  Mallory smiled and ran a light finger over Addison’s lips. “Five minutes, okay?” she bartered through the door. “We’ll meet you at the lift, and you can escort us down to the party from there.”

  “Deal,” Gabs hollered.

  Mallory chuckled at the look of annoyance on Addison’s face and kissed away her pout. “The sooner we finish things here, the sooner we can go home.”