Page 37 of Love You Still

Vance’s hand cups the side of my face, and I lean into it, relishing the feel of his calloused hands as they caress my skin. “I never wanted to stand in the way of your dreams. I just wanted to be a part of them,” he murmurs.

“What if everything goes to shit?” I breathe.

“What if it doesn’t?” he retorts, leaning his forehead against mine.

“I don’t know if I’m staying,” I whisper. “I got a clean bill of health from my doctor yesterday and called my company director. He said I should expect a call for an audition soon.”

He needs to know that even if something happens between us, I may still be leaving. Even though my heart yearns to stay here with him, there is a part of me that wants to try dancingagain. I’ve worked most of my adult life to be center stage. If I give up now, it will feel as if I’m flushing all my hard work down the drain.

“Seli,” he whispers into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Don’t call me that.” I push slightly on his chest, trying to get him to release me.

But he pulls me closer, brushing his lips against mine.

Unable to control the feelings swirling in my body, I lean forward, pressing my lips softly against his. Both of us moan as he pushes me harder into the wall and devours my mouth. He dominates our kiss, nipping and sucking my lip between his before thrusting his tongue into my mouth.

I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me. Nothing but pure, unadulterated desire courses through my veins. Without warning, he grips my ass, pulling my leotard tightly against my swollen nub as he lifts me off my feet and pins me against the mirror.

“Do you feel that? How much I want you? Need you?” he growls.

I wrap my legs around his waist, and he thrusts his cock against me, sending shock waves of pleasure through my entire body as the seam of his jeans grinds into my drenched center.

“More, more, more,” I chant as I use my arms to glide my pussy up and down his shaft.

Suddenly, there is a knock at the door, and we both freeze. Vance’s head drops to mine, and his eyes clench shut tightly as he lowers me to the floor. I take a deep breath as I step away from him, my eyes looking anywhere but at him.

“Don’t shut me out, Seli.”

I scurry to the door and pull it open. “I’m not.”

Jade smiles brightly at me, her cheeks pink as Love spins on her heels and heads toward the door. “We’re ready.”

I feel Vance’s arms wrap around my waist. He leans forward, burying his nose in my neck. “We’ll be out in a minute.”

“We’d better get out of here before we scar them for life when they come looking for us again,” Vance mumbles against my skin, planting a kiss by my ear.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

Distance. Distance is what I need right now. And a chance to clear my head. If I’m not careful, I could lose myself in him once again, forgetting about everything but the way it feels to be in his arms again.

Maybe this is where you belong.

No. I shake that thought out of my head. I can’t get my hopes up. What just happened between the two of us means nothing. It doesn’t mean that there’s a chance of there still being something between Vance and me. But Bristol’s words from earlier filter through my mind.

I’ve never believed in fate or any of that nonsense, but since my injury, I’ve been thinking more and more about how things happen for a reason. I was feeling lost and alone in New York, trying desperately to find my passion again, and then I was injured. Was there a bigger meaning or reason for it to have happened, than just me being careless? Maybe I got hurt to ensure that I would find my way home to Vance again. Is that even possible?

“I wouldn’t mind something coming over you again, but first, let’s get these girls home.” Vance runs the tips of his fingers down my arm before grasping my hand, bringing me back to the present. Shocked by the intimacy of the moment, I pull my hand free from his grasp.

“This isn’t a good idea,” I say once again, trying to ensure that both of us understand what is at stake if we go down this path again. “I’ll change, and then we can take the girls home.”

I step around him, but Vance reaches out and grasps my hand. “I just want to spend time with you. For once, just let the chips fall where they may. We can worry about everything else later.”

The vulnerability in his voice is enough to break my heart all over again. I barely survived leaving him once. I don’t know if I could do it again.

I sigh as I take his hand. “Okay.”

Chapter 15

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