Page 40 of The Devil and His Goddess

“Do you still remember the routine?”

“Sadly, yes,” I sighed.

He turned and gestured to the open floor of the dance studio. “Let’s see it then.”

I stared at him like he’d grown a second head, but he just smirked and nodded toward the center of the room again. Shaking my head at his request to see this ridiculous dance, I held my head high and performed the childish routine as if it wasn’t the most embarrassing routine to do as an adult. The arm flapping, butt shaking, clapping, and running around had Perseus nearly doubling over in laughter, yet I finished with a popped-out hip and two arms raised like the pro I was.

“Aren’t I really something?” I queried with a breathy giggle.

He straightened and clapped. “That was truly a spectacle to behold.” He glanced over his shoulder and looked over more photos. His green eyes landed on one near his waist. “This one. Do this one next.”

I placed my hands on my hips and studied the photo he’d picked. I was about thirteen and in a beautiful silver-sequined leotard and skirt. I stood beside a trophy that was nearly as tall as me. I immediately recognized that day as the one where my lyrical solo took the grand prize for the entire competition.

“Oh, I love that one,” I said to him. “I performed to a piano cover of a song called, ‘Rise.’ That routine was honestly the beginning of the dancer I am today. It was the most emotional performance I’d ever given, embodying the power of the song and dance to convey a story that had everyone in the audience too mesmerized to clap or move once it was done. The judges were even crying in front of the stage.”

I didn’t need long to remember that routine. It was such a great day, and that routine had been one of my favorite solos. But it was a lyrical with a lot of moves that my current corset and tight skirt wouldn’t allow.

“I’m not sure I can do that routine in this outfit,” I said with a gesture at my clothes.

He shrugged. “So change.”

I stared at him for a minute to see if he really wanted me to change just so he could see me do an old routine. When he continued watching me expectantly, I realized he really wanted this. He wanted to watch me dance, and he wasn’t changing his mind.

I went to the closet door in the corner. Reaching inside, I grabbed a spare black leotard, and as I faced Perseus again, I ordered softly, “Turn around.”

His heated green eyes traced my body slowly before he did as I asked. He faced the wall of photos while I stripped out of my clothes. My body prickled with hunger as my naked flesh stood so close to the object of my desire. Part of me wanted to call out to him to turn around before I redressed, but I stomped that part down, pulling on the leotard.

“Okay,” I said as I pulled on some dance shoes. “You can turn back around.”

He did as instructed, and his eyes made another sweep of my body while I pulled my hair back into a ponytail with a spare hair tie I kept on the shelf in the closet. The fire that had been in his gaze before burned brighter now, and I felt that tension all the way at my very center. Slickness coated my core, and my hardened nipples poked through the material of the leotard. He’d asked me to dance, but his attention was making it very hard to focus on said dance.

Forcing my eyes away from his, I found my place in the center of the room and got in the starting position of this dance. This particular routine started with me on my knees, and I closed my eyes, remembering the music for the lyrical dance.

As I began the routine, rising up on my knees, I found it to be like greeting an old friend. Ballet was obviously my normal, so revisiting an old routine in a different style flooded me with a sense of sweet nostalgia. I grinned through the entire routine, and when I landed my front aerial, I nearly laughed out loud from glee. I was out of practice for some of the techniques used in the routine, but that didn’t stop me from performing it with as much reverence and power as I had back then.

I finished with my arms raised in a stance of victorious strength before my lone audience. Unlike the duck routine, this one had pushed me, and I had to catch my breath as I met Perseus’s eyes. He watched me silently, a softness having replaced the sensual and teasing smile he’d previously worn.

“What?” I asked, sheepish under his gentle appraisal.

“You’re beautiful.”

My chest fell and rose hard as I worked to even out my breathing, but his words only managed to send my breath out of control again. I smiled, unable to help myself, and finally lowered my arms. “Thank you. It’s been awhile since I’ve done a routine like that. I’m just glad I still remember it.”

“Don’t stop now,” he said and gestured at me. “Keep going.”

I loved how it felt to have Perseus watch me. When he did, power and life surged through my veins as though he were my very own battery, fueling me and my body.

But dancingwithhim was even better.

Smirking, I held my chin higher. “How about a duet?” I closed the distance between us and grabbed his hands. He let me lead him to the center of the room where I had him face the wall of mirrors. “How quick are you at picking up choreography?”

He let out a confident snort and held my stare in the mirror. “Quicker than most.”

“Good. This should be fun then.”

Chapter 15

Harper

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