by Linnea May
I hate taking days off, and I love working when everybody else is not. My studio is on the uppermost floor of a high-rise building, with windows all around, allowing for the daylight to light up the entire room all day. There are two walls that are completely covered with mirrors, allowing me to watch my posture while I'm going through the different poses. The reflection from the mirror also gives the impression that the room is much bigger than it really is. There are barres going all around, and my favorite place to work on positions is the free-standing barre close to one of the windows. I can see the city below while going through my positions and stretching.
It's noon when I enter the studio, and the sun is beaming through the room, almost blinding me with its intensity. I shield my eyes as I close the door behind me, dropping my bag on the floor before approaching the window to close at least some of the blinds.
It's chilly in here, as it always is, because of the air conditioning. But the sun is providing a gentle touch of warmth, which is why I decide to leave some of the blinds open and change into my pointe shoes while sitting in a sunbeam on the floor. I have turned on the ancient CD player and let some soft piano music play in the background as I stretch my legs and feet before putting on my shoes. I have done this so many times that the whole process has become routine to me. Preparing my feet and legs, sewing my shoes and putting them on after I'm done stretching, listening to music, all of this is almost like a meditation to get my body and mind in tune.
My mind wanders as I stretch on the floor, calmly following the same motions that I have done thousands and thousand of times before. I don't know if she's fully aware of it, but Olivia gave me the kick in the ass that I needed to get back to being myself. I signed up for two casting calls at smaller companies, and posted a notice that I was available to teach private lessons. Giving pricey private lessons to young kids just starting out with ballet, or preparing for an audition at Anaheim, is a pretty typical side job for a lot of us during the off-season. It's not the most interesting job, but it certainly beats having to part-time anywhere outside the industry. Besides, teaching experience can come in handy once my career as a dancer is over, and I ideally become an instructor at one of the big companies.
I'm back in the game, my spirit lifted and diverted from the hole that was left by losing Lux.
However, I still miss him. I have come to terms with the fact that I will miss him for quite a while. No matter what I wanted to tell myself, he was special. It was more than the insanely good sex that was special about him. It was thanks to him that I re-evaluated my life and the choices I needed to make to succeed. Whether I will really follow up on his advice and change companies is still not decided, but at least I’m pursuing a curiosity that hasn't been there before. I want to explore what else could be out there.
I only wish I could explore it with him at my side.
Again, I shake my head as I try to shake off my somber thoughts as I put on my pointe shoes. I get back on my feet, holding on to the barre while staring out the window, slowly moving from one position to the next, repeating a meditative sequence that is part of my everyday routine. Even though the exercises look easy and my limbs appear as light as air as they move along, I break a sweat after only a few minutes. My muscles warm up step by step, and I begin stretching them even more with the help of the barre. I always listen to the same CD while doing these first few minutes of stretching, causing my motions to move along to the music, following a familiar beat as I move further into my practice routine.
I'm so deep in thought that I don't hear the door behind me open. I don't hear his steps, and I don't notice his presence until he's standing almost right behind me.
"Am I interrupting?" his strong and confident voice breaks through my focus.
I gasp in surprise, instinctively jumping away from the source of the voice, even though I recognize him immediately.
"Lux!" I exclaim, holding my hand up to my racing heart in a protective gesture. "What are you doing here? How did you get in here? Who told you-?"
"So many questions again!" he cuts me off, laughing and shaking his head with amusement.
He's dressed casually today, sporting a black cashmere sweater and matching dark jeans, both of which are probably still more expensive than any item of clothing I've ever owned. His hair is kind of messy today, which I'm sure is because of the strong wind outside. It looks endearing and doesn't make him look any less attractive; if anything, quite the opposite.
I, on the other hand, look completely lacking next to him, dressed in my black leotard and white tights, topped with a loose gray sweater and black leg warmers to guard against the chill in here. I don't want my muscles to cool down too much. My hair is tied up in a bun, and I have on minimal make-up.
Then again, I didn't expect to see him or anyone else for that matter.
"How did you get in here?" I repeat. The door wasn't locked, so it's no big mystery how he could get in here, but how did her know where to find me?
"I tried to find you at home," he says. "But only met your roommate, and she told me I could find you here."
I frown at him. Of course, Olivia would send him my way. For whatever reason, she's always been on his side, which can only be ascribed to the fact that I haven't told her everything there is to know about Lux.
"Why are you here?" I repeat another question.
"I'm here because I wanted to talk to you," he says.
"You could have just called," I say.
"And you wouldn't have picked up," he says, assuming correctly. I'm pretty good at blocking people from my life once I'm done with them, and I'm pretty sure I would have ignored his calls, thinking it was the smartest thing to do.
It probably would have been.
"Talk about what?" I ask, still holding on to the barre, as if I was just about to resume my training.
He clears his throat, scanning the studio for a moment before he turns back to me.
"Could we go somewhere?" he asks. "Have a coffee or something?"
"No," I say, tightening my grip around the barre. "I'm in the middle of practice, as you can see."
His eyes follow mine as I nod toward the barre, and he smiles.
"Okay," he says. "We'll do it here then."
"Do what here?" I want to know.
"Talk," he says. "Or rather, I'll talk and you'll listen."
He has this tone again, the tone that would command me to my knees, the same tone that would remove my usual inhibitions and help me find pleasure in doing whatever he wants. I swallow hard, trying not to lose myself as I look up at him.
"Okay?" I say. "I'm listening."
"I'm here because I want you back," Lux says.
"Back," I repeat. "Back for what?"
His eyes narrow for a moment, annoyed at my interjection.
"I want to keep seeing you," he clarifies. "And I'm willing to become the man you need me to be in order to make that possible."
I sigh. "What does that even mean?"
"It means that what I was about to do with my buddy, Max, is not going to happen," he says. "I was about to join his new cracking operation, and - as you correctly pointed out – risk landing behind bars again. I don't want that. I want you."
My eyes fixate on his, trying to figure out the truth behind his words.
"How can I trust you?" I ask. "You've lied before, so why should I believe you now?"
He pauses, reciprocating my gaze with a determined expression.
"Because things are different now," he says. "I realized something, and it changes everything."
"What did you realize?" I ask.
He huffs. "Now you're just fishing for compliments, aren't you?"
I blush as I understand the meaning behind his words.
"Well, so what if I am?" I tease him. "If you have something nice to say about me, why hesitate saying it?"
He nods, a handsome smile gracing his face.
"You're right," he says, approaching me.
He places his hand on my cheek, and despite my determination to be strong and not make things too easy for him, I let it happen, obediently tilting my head back as my eyes search for his.
His answer may not be a verbal one, but it's crystal clear nonetheless, as he leans forward and his lips meet mine in a sensual kiss.
Chapter XXXIII
Lux
She looks stunning in her cute tights and body suit, tightly hugging her slim and athletic body as she stretches her long limbs on the barre. She's on her toes a lot, stretching her lithe legs even longer while her thin arms glide through the air, looking limber and elegant. Her movements look so effortless, but the subtle trembling of her muscles and the visible tension on her face reveal the effort it takes for her to make it look like this.
She's so immersed in her practice, her eyes closed most of the time, that she doesn't notice me entering the room. She also doesn't notice me standing next to the door, watching her for a few minutes before I approach her and make myself known.
I know that nothing is said and done, but finally feeling her lips pressed against mine again feels so right that I don't want to believe she'll ever run away again.
Max may have been right. No other girl has caught my interest since I met Sara. No other girl ever made me doubt my convictions and consider changing. It was one thing to attempt to do the right thing after my brother bailed me out of prison and left me with a harsh warning, but now I want to change for different reasons. I want it of my own volition, just like I want her.
I should have realized it on my own. I've never been this enthralled with a girl, so much so, that she steals my attention away from all the others. Sara has only given me peeks at parts of who she is and who she can be with me, but everything I've seen so far has only made me want more from her. She has bewitched me with her extraordinary looks, her fairy-like dancing, her odd steel blue eyes, her onyx hair, and her astonishing strength, both physical and mental.
Our kiss is long and greedy, an indication of the time we spent apart. I'd be a fool not to admit that I've missed this girl.
My hands wander around her slender body, tracing along her sides down to her firm ass, cupping it with both hands while she moans against my lips.
"I missed you," she breathes between our kiss, pressing her dainty body against mine, squirming with need.
I am hard in an instant, my cock pushing against its fabric cage. I didn't know what to expect when I came up here. Her roommate told me exactly how to get here, and she even shared the code for the door downstairs. I was only a little surprised that she would trust me, a complete stranger, with such information, but then again, I know that I have a way with women. They're easy for me, and I know what buttons to push to gain their trust.
Until I met Sara. She didn't fly to me like a moth to a flame. Well, she fell drunkenly into my arms, but I can't help but wonder how things would have turned out for us if she hadn't been stupidly drunk the first night I met her.
Sara is strong-willed and ambitious. I had to be prepared for her to slam the door in my face, yelling at me and once again emphasizing that she would never want to see me again, not even giving me a chance to prove myself. All that could have happened. I don't know how I would have handled a rejection as strong as that.
But now she's reciprocating my kiss, melting into my hands as I knead her perky ass. I didn't plan for anything to happen, but I'm always prepared, my mind always alert and open for new ideas. Seeing her stretching like that in this studio made my creative mind work in overdrive. I need to have her. Here. Now.
I intensify the grip on her, pressing her lower body against mine so she can feel the hardness she's caused. She lets out a sigh as she rubs herself against me, eagerly inviting me in for more.
"You know I need to fuck you now," I whisper, breaking our kiss to make her understand.
She looks up at me, her clear blue eyes alert and flickering with anticipation.
"Here?" she asks, her lower lip trembling.
"Yes, here," I say, nodding. "You were the one who didn't want to go anywhere else."
A flicker of insecurity dashes across her face as her eyes dart to the door.
"Are you expecting someone?" I want to know.
She shakes her head. "No, but-"
I cut her off with another kiss, my hands working their way up her slim frame, tracing along the deep outline of her low-cut leotard. She's not wearing a bra underneath, leaving her small chest completely naked when I remove her sweater and slowly pull the body suit down over her shoulders.
Her nipples are standing erect, an outcome of both the cool air hitting them and her arousal.
She throws her head back, groaning with lust when I lean forward, planting kisses along her neckline as I travel further down, following her collarbone and reveling in her delight when I move down to her heaving chest. A hungry sigh escapes her lips when I take her left nipple between my teeth, carefully gnawing on it at first, teasing her into oblivion, before torturing her with a needy bite.
She shrieks in pain, panting desperately when I let go of her. Her entire body is shivering now, preparing for the same thing to happen on her right nipple. I don't plan to disappoint her, and languidly wander over to the other side, circling around her pebbled nipple with my tongue, taking my time and tormenting her with a promise for something that has yet to happen. She fears and yearns for it at the same time, visibly confused at her own feelings. I know it's this exact dance of fright and lust that makes an ache like this so enticing.
When I finally do bite her, she groans in such ecstasy that she has to hold on to the barre behind her not to fall over.
"Good girl," I praise her, while she's still processing the aftermath of the pain I inflected.
She whimpers with desperate longing when I lower the body suit further, leaving her only in tights and the thick leg warmers she wears around her calves.
I straighten back up, my right hand deliberately traveling between her legs, rubbing over her lips, the fabric still between us but noticeably wet. She shivers in response to my touch, leaning into my hand and begging for more, but I'm not willing to let her have it yet.
"Get down on your knees," I whisper. "Now."
She looks up at me, her eyes flickering with defiance. But unlike the first time I asked her down on her knees, she's willing to obey today. She slowly sinks down to the floor, her eyes never leaving mine, until she sits on her heels, her hands placed on top of her thighs, her eyes up on me, waiting for further instructions.
"Get my cock out," I voice my next command.
Her gaze is dazed with lust when she follows my order and begins to unbutton my jeans, caressing my hardness through the fabric before she finally frees me. My hard length springs free, almost hitting her against the nose, which she responds to with a cute little giggle. It's so damn alluring, I almost bend down to kiss her, but I can't break character now.
She looks up at me, pausing and waiting for permission to go further, just like a good girl should.
"Suck on it," I tell her.
Her eyes beam with glee, making my words feel less like an order and more like a treat when she wraps her small hands around me. They look even tinier in comparison to my length and she can barely wrap them around my girth. I have to restrain myself from not shoving my entire cock all the way to the back of her throat in one brute motion when she finally wraps her pouty lips around me.
She teases the tip, licking around it and pressing her tongue against the lower side of the shaft, circling around the most sensitive spot. I groan, pushing my hips forward and placing my hand at the back of her head. This girl knows how to work a cock. How could I not ask her to do this before? She's amazing.
"Fuck, Sara," I breathe, realizing that this might have been the first time I ever mentioned a girl's name while playing with her.
She smiles, the tip of my cock still between her lips. My hand tenses around the back of her head, as I exert a gentle push, forcing myself
deeper inside her mouth.
She holds on to my legs, taking a deep breath before leaning forward, swallowing my cock almost all the way, until her lips are barely touching my pelvis. I moan, watching her as she struggles to take my full girth, gagging and choking on it until I pull her back, allowing her to catch her breath for only a moment before I push myself back in, relishing the view of her, the sounds she's making, the feeling of the tip of my cock pressing against the back of her throat.
I let her choke for a moment, waiting until she lets out a suffocated cough before I pull her back. Saliva is dropping to the floor as Sara gasps for air, casting me a cheeky grin that's asking for more. She's enjoying this as much as I am. When I drive myself back into her throat, she moans with passion, moving almost on her own as she goes back and forth, gagging, choking, and coughing, while her eyes begin to tear, the salty water mixing with the saliva as it runs down her cheek.
She wants to keep going, but I stop her, grabbing her tied-up hair as good as I can to hold her back and bending down to her, while forcing her head back into her neck. Her teary eyes meet mine, asking for more.
"You're such a good girl," I praise her again. "Now get back up so I can properly fuck you."
Chapter XXXIV
Sara
My stance is unstable when I follow his direction and get back up on my feet, wavering almost as much as I must have done the first night we were together.
The barre is my support, and when I hold on to it, I can see his eyes following my gesture, a mischievous idea hiding behind his gaze.
He takes me by the shoulders, and before I know it, he has me turned around, facing the open window as I hold on to the barre, feeling his hands traveling down my back.
"Spread your legs," he hums right next to my ear, his hands cupping my ass.
I obey, stepping apart and creating leeway for him to intrude between my legs. A voracious moan departs my lips when he caresses my sex over the dampened fabric of my tights.
"What a good little girl you are," he whispers from behind. "So wet and ready for me already."
