Page 74 of Teach Me to Fly

“Watch yourself,” I murmur behind her. “Odile knows exactly what she looks like. What she’s doing to him.”

I settle my hands on her hips and guide her through the next part of the sequence—fingers gliding over her waist, then up her ribcage. The music is still playing low in the background, but I barely hear it. I’m locked on her. Every breath and every muscle twitch. Every inch she lets me touch.

“Trust me, Angel,” I say softly. “Let go. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

And she does. She moves differently now, bending into the steps, pressing her hips back against me in the turn again, but this time, she doesn’t stop, she lets her body do the speaking. Her gaze jumps up to the mirror, and she sees me behind her. How close I am, and how I’m looking at her like I might lose my goddamn mind.

When I step forward and press my chest to her back, she surprises me by staying. I slide one hand up her stomach again and her breath stutters, but she leans into it.

Beautiful, I think.Fucking beautiful.

My other hand comes to rest gently on her jaw, tilting her face just enough for me to see her mouth. The air around us thickens while every inch of her body is pressed against mine, and when I dip my head to kiss her, she doesn’t hesitate to turn around.

Our lips meet slowly—testing, tasting, but not tentative, because it’s a kiss full of everything we’ve been holding back. I slide my hand into her hair and tilt her headto deepen it. Her lips part in response, and her breath hitches when my tongue grazes hers. Her fingers clutch at my forearm, then drift down to my hip, anchoring us together.

I walk her forward until she’s pressed against the mirror, and her back arches as I kiss her harder. My hips press into hers, andGod,the way she moves with me—creating friction like her body’s starving for contact—is maddening. Her breath comes fast against my mouth as we move together in a rhythm that’s no longer dance, no longer anything choreographed—just us, burning slowly. But then Angelique stiffens, and her hands shoot up between us, pressing to my chest.

“I can’t,” she whispers.

I freeze, my chest heaving, heart pounding. “Okay,” I breathe, forehead dropping to hers. I close my eyes, trying to steady myself and not ruin this bit of progress we’ve made, but I want to know what’s stopping her. “Is it because you’re still upset about me ghosting you?”

Her fingers tremble slightly where they rest, and she shakes her head. “Something… bad happened to me,” she says, voice tight. “In a studio. I don’t want to talk about it.”

My gut twists, a dangerous rage simmering beneath the surface—but not at her. At whoever did this. And something tells me it’s Alec.

I’ll kill him,I swear to myself.

“You don’t have to,” I say softly, lips barely brushing hers.

She exhales like it’s the first real breath she’s taken in minutes, and her hand slides away from my chest. I take a step back, letting the air settle around us again, and she blinks up at me, cheeks flushed, and lips swollen.I reach for her, fixing the strap of her leotard that slipped down, brushing her shoulder with an appreciation I can’t hide.

She lets out a shaky little laugh. “You gonna kiss me again or put me to work?”

I smirk faintly. “Both.”

I step back, giving her space, letting the moment settle into something safe.

“Alright,” I say, nodding toward the mirror. “Let’s run it again.”

Chapter 26

Reign

The bar Terry picked out smells like cheap beer, and someone’s leftover fries. We sit near the back, where the lighting’s low and the noise from the front doesn't reach us. My beer’s cold, untouched. His is halfway gone, but he’s been talking more than drinking.

“Mate,” Terry says, shaking his head and laughing. “Volkov nearly strangled me today. Strangled.Like full-on ‘what do you mean they are not coming today?’ with the accent getting thicker by the second.”

I smirk, tapping the side of my bottle, letting the condensation soak into my fingers. “What’d you tell him?”

“I told him you were off helping your father plan the gala,” he says, raising a brow. “And Angelique was... also helping.”

I give him a look. Everyone at imperium knows my father takes full control of gala planning. In all the years I’ve worked there, he’s never had me help him with it. And he most certainly would not have Angelique helping, too.

He raises his hands in mock innocence. “I didn’t saywhat kindof help. Anyway, Lando handled the rehearsal like a professional, Reign. That guy’s unreal. Even with Wendy raging all over the studio because you weren’t there, he just tuned her out and danced.”

“He’s good,” I say quietly, still tapping the bottle.

“No, he’s better than good.” Terry leans in, eyes serious now. “I’ve been thinking about it. Why the hell hasn’t Lando ever had a lead role before? I know he’s done small, featured stuff here and there, but he’s got the skill, presence, and the work ethic. Everything.”

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