He was never letting go after this dance. She shimmied against him until one leg was against his arm, the other pointing downwards. Slowly, he lowered her to the floor in a move designed to have her clutching at his knees, but he couldn’t allow her to prostrate herself so. Instead he waited until she reached waist height, then applied pressure on her lower back so she would understand to throw herself backwards while he supported her by the waist. Her lithe body was displayed and he ached to press kisses on her. The final note sounded and he gently set her down, panting with the exertion of the dance.
“Look at me.”
* * * *
Matthias growled the words, just like he had when they were making love. She lifted her eyes, uncaring if he saw the depth of love she had for him. Tenderness filled his eyes and he pressed a hand to her warm face. Dare she believe what she saw, or was this the aftermath of the dance?
He gently ran a thumb down the side of her face and put a finger under her chin to lift her face. “Ava, beautiful Ava.” He lowered his head until his lips were nearly on hers. Breath swooped from her and her chest heaved. Oh my God. “I love you.”
His lips touched hers, feather light at first, then with a groan he pulled her closer and covered her mouth with his. Ava’s bones melted and she rocked against him, heart soaring, her lips molded with his.
The sound of applause broke through, and in a daze she glanced around. Lights, camera, people and bright flashes brought them back to earth as Ava became aware they were the targets of a multitude of photographers and cameramen.
Heck who cared anymore. Her secrets were out in the open. She had nothing to fear anymore and best of all, the man she adored loved her too.
The presenters came back on stage, amid loud catcalls for Ava and Matthias, and spoke into the microphones. It was hard to hear, for her entire being was flooded with happiness, where uncertainty and confusion had once reigned.
Fortunately, her man had more presence of mind and he ushered her toward the judges. Ava listened in awe while the three remaining judges declared their dance faultless. Edwina said she had to clear her eyes of tears more than once. But Ava’s mind wasn’t on the comments coming her way, instead being focused on the beautiful man by her side. The one who held her close to his side with a strong arm, in a gesture that said they were together. Never ending applause was the only thing that told them the judges were finished talking and they were free to go.
They ran up the stairs to the waiting room to wait to hear their scores read out after the public vote was combined with that of the judges. They now had half-an-hour to prepare for the results.
“Come.” Matthias took his arm from her waist, and held a hand out.
“Where?” Ava trotted by him, full of trust. How had the day, which started out badly, finish sublimely well? Yes, they would have to talk and sort out details but right now, every fiber in her being exalted, stars in her veins. He loved her. She was incredibly sure of that right now. Everything else could wait. Matthias smiled, smoldering eyes drawing a heated response from her core.
But as her studio door closed, she threw another questioning glance at him. His only answer was to tighten his hand around hers and to drag her into the empty space.
“What are we doing here?” Ava felt a giggle of pure joy rising in her as he spun her into the center of the room.
“What I’ve wanted to do ever since I first saw you dancing. Stay there.” He commanded and strode to the stereo to play the “Assassins Tango”. In a flash he was behind her, taking up their starting positions for the tango. He lowered his lips to her ears.
“It’s just you and me, cara mio.” His low, impossibly sexy voice sent fireworks shooting from her middle and she leaned back against his wonderful, long, lean body, head thrown back to his shoulder. He pressed his hips to hers, leaving her in no doubt of his growing attraction for her. Warm lips played over her neck, causing delicious feathers to dance down her spine. The music started and Ava’s body heated.
She danced like never before. Her feet were wings, her legs impossibly light and her body for his consumption. Never before had she felt so free, so unrestrained, had her body so fit. Never before had she been with a Matthias who loved her like she loved him.
* * * *
Matthias purred inside. This was how it should be. His beautiful soon-to-be wife—not that she knew it—performing his dance in an incredibly, off-the-scale sexy tone was perfect. His breath exploded from him when he felt her strong curves pressed to him. Moving with her, seeing themselves in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors entwined shook him to the center of his being with the powerful realization that Ava was the one. She completed him just as he completed her.
He could wait no longer. Ava rolled on the floor, a long sensual move and he put out a hand to help her. She flung into his arms and tightened all her limbs around him. Reaching back, he grabbed her legs and settled them around his waist. Right against his swollen flesh.
Head back, she shook her hair wildly, pulling the clips from it so it tumbled in golden waves.
The music didn’t stop. Ava wriggled out of his arms and marched away with a sassy step. He followed hot on her heels. She swung into his arms and they sashayed, foreheads touching while legs flicked in and out. Ava lifted her leg to rub her thigh against his and his body decided he’d had enough of the foreplay, delicious though it was. He wasn’t letting her get away this time. He held on to her leg and pulled her to the mirrors and the practice bar, all the while pressing his body against hers.
He braced himself against the bar, pinning Ava with his body. Her eyes, deep blue and heavily lidded sent tremors through him. He tasted her mouth, soft sensual lips meeting his. She moaned low.
“God Matthias, you are sexy.” She crooned the words, breasts pressing against his sensitized chest, even through his silk shirt. He had to see her, had to see her exposed and feel skin to skin contact. Peeling the straps of her dress aside, Ava writhed against him, causing his already impossibly hard flesh to strain harder.
He ran a hand under the dress to meet stockings and a leotard with snaps between her legs. Three snaps were all it took to expose her to his probing fingers and he nearly cried out in passionate relief. Tender warm flesh enveloped him as Ava moved against his palm.
“You are beautiful.” He whispered the words. She groaned and clutched his hand with fingers deep inside her, pressing harder against him.
“Now Matthias, now.” The last words died out, a needy whisper filled with passion and longing.
He drew back to tear off his restricting clothes as a rational thought pushed its way through. “What about a condom?”
“What about it, cowboy? We’re soon going to be a family anyway.”
He lifted until her long legs were wrapped firmly around his waist, allowing soft flesh to touch bare skin. A desperate longing to thrust inside her almost staggered him, but with firm hands he raised Ava so the tip of his erection lightly touched her warm, wet center and saw her mirrored longing.
Balancing against the practice bar behind them, she stretched her beautiful lithe body until he could feel the heat radiating through her as, with a soft sigh, she pushed herself further onto his rock hard flesh. It took steel in his blood not to move but he needed to watch her, see the desire so beautifully etched on her face.
“Crazy, Mathias, you’re driving me crazy.” She stared, the inferno about to consume her, rendering the look molten. Tossing her head back, she writhed and pushed, and he rewarded them with an inch of his cock at a time. Tormenting both, for his erection ached to plunder deep inside.
“Matthias, Matthias…” Ava panted the words, clearly lost in them. A tidal wave of desire gathered within him and he cast restraint aside and rammed hard into her, greeting her low moan with one of his own. Glorious tight flesh held him every inch of the way as he pushed deeper, hard flesh ruthlessly pushing the soft folds apart, hearing short sharp breaths.
Curvy hips moved in accord, matching his pa
ce, drawing him in and not letting go. His tidal wave moved closer and he rammed farther, feeling delightful muscles tighten harder and faster around him. She pressed every inch of herself onto him, her moistened skin slippery as she became lost in their rhythm. Shivers wracked through her and around his hard flesh and she wrapped long legs tightly, moving with him, fingers raking down his back in long, sharp scratches.
She tightened and tensed, and drawing all his strength and power, Matthias moved inwards that final bit, rewarded with a low cry as she clenched tightly around his swollen cock. Tossing her head side to side, she arched herself onto him over and over, calling his name repeatedly and he rode each crashing wave as his blessed release caused wrack after wrack of passion to spill into her. A final last plunge home and he was spent.
But not too spent to raise his head from her neck, gaze into her eyes and say, “Te amo, Ava.”
* * * *
Ava heard the words through a daze while he lowered her gingerly onto her feet. She stretched out her muscles, then flung her arms around his neck.
Te amo meant I love you, didn’t it?
She pulled back, suddenly shy and searched his eyes. Eyes which glittered and shone, only to be replaced by a questioning look. “You understand?”
Feeling a smile start at her toes and work its way up her body, kissing her heart as it passed, she thanked her lucky stars to be able to say those three words back, “I love you too, Senor de Romero,” and felt the sun come out. He picked her up and swung her around, a low laugh rumbling through him. Putting her back on her feet, he planted a kiss on her forehead before shooting back his shirt sleeve to check his watch.
“Hell. We need to be on stage for the results. Quick, cara mio.” He gathered up his discarded clothes, stopped and looked right into her very soul. “You look so…beautiful. You’re glowing, mi amor.” He cast a hand through his rumpled hair. Delighting that she could, Ava reached over and ran her fingers through, helping to bring back some semblance of order. As she did, she caught sight of herself. “Oh my God, my hair.” If she had been harboring any illusions that no one would guess what they’d been up to, they were quickly dashed. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders, gloriously tousled—a banner to the world signaling what she and Matthias had done. Running over to the stereo, she found one of her hair ties left over from a training session. She scooped her hair in a high pony tail.
“There!” She turned to Matthias. “Better?”
Merriment sparkled in his black eyes, he smiled. “If you say so. But look at yourself.”
Her face was rosy pink, lips swollen and tender. But that wasn’t the biggest change. That came from within. Her entire frame was relaxed, she carried herself with a loose confidence. And she glowed. Golden light practically emanated from her. Unable to hold it in, she laughed. And it felt darned good.
“Well, too late to worry now. Let’s go.” Ava reached her hand out, and he joined them with a warm grasp. They ran down the stairs and around the corner, only to have to run straight on stage. Ava desperately tried not to grin from ear to ear.
The spotlights narrowed on them, as they did on the two other couples, and the presenters commenced the buildup chat. Despite the workout, Ava grew tense. She would love to win.
“The couple who win To Dance or Not to Dance…” James paused, which had a dramatic effect on the audience. Blinded by the spotlight, Ava could hear her name being called. The music quieted and another spotlight returned to the presenter.
“Taking into account a penalty of twenty points from the judges, and adding phone votes received in the last half hour, I am happy to announce the winners to be…” At this second pause the audience groaned. “Ava and Matthias!”
Ava reflexively put her hand to her stomach and drew a breath. She had won, she and Matthias had won! She turned and flung her arms around his neck, and beyond stopping herself planted a kiss on his lips. The crowd roared even louder in appreciation. But Matthias drew back, a solemn expression in his deep velvet eyes. They sparkled and shone, despite the new seriousness deep within them.
Holding her gaze, he slowly went down on one knee.
All air deserted her, her heart shattering open to expand and grow, bigger than ever before. Shards of anticipation filled her belly and she couldn’t stop smiling. She pressed a trembling hand to her mouth. The music died, the audience subdued. Some smart arse shone a spotlight on them. Her heart thumped so loudly she was sure they could all hear it.
“Ava Whittaker, as long as there are stars in the sky, I will love you. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Ava dropped to her knees and pressed her hands to his face, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. How had it become so right for her? Matthias gathered her in his arms and lifted them both to their feet. He drew back to see her face. Tenderly, he wiped away the tears, kissing the last one away from just above her mouth.
He waited.
“Yes, Matthias. Si. I will.” Love became her, bringing happiness and hope with it.
The crowd erupted yet again, chanting their names. The presenters walked toward them, the Glitterball Trophy held high. Firecrackers popped and streams of ribbon cascaded from the ceiling, helium balloons floating to join them.
Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Bella running over to them and as one, she and Matthias bent to lift her into their arms. She gloried in the uncomplicated hug she received, knowing with a singing heart that she would be with Bella, every step of the way in her journey through life. She glanced at Matthias, any lingering fears instantly dissipated by his glowing love as he watched over her and her daughter. Her head was going to lift off from her shoulders any minute now, it felt so light. She rolled her shoulders to release more than two years of tension. The vise-like grip of responsibility that had clamped down on her brain the nanosecond she gave birth to Bella loosened. Any remaining vacuum, in her heart, her head, her tummy, happiness flooded into.
Bella glanced shyly at Matthias. Ava nodded at his questioning glance and watched as he tucked a stray curl behind Bella’s ear.
“I’m your pappa, sweetheart.” The tender tone in his voice brought tears to Ava’s eyes and she instinctively tightened her arms around her daughter who reached and grabbed a chunk of his hair.
“Mine.”
Matthias laughed and tightened his arms around them both. “Forever, Bella.”
The feel of her daughter’s little arm around her neck, knowing the other was firmly anchored around Matthias, brought the tears of joy streaming down her face. If she looked down, she was sure she would see a puddle at her feet. Her family was complete. This was it. This was love.
Cait O’Sullivan
Cait O’Sullivan has a deep and abiding love of words and magic, having had the good fortune to grow up in Ireland. The wanderlust in her blood sent her out to travel the world and now, residing in a leafy suburb of London, it is her thoughts and memories which journey far and wide to create her stories.
Lyrical Press books are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2014 Cait O’Sullivan
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Lyrical Press and the L logo are trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp.
First Electronic Edition: May 2014
ISBN-13: 9781616505547
Taming the Tango Champion Page 17
