Page 66 of The Dance Deception
I reach behind me to release the catch on my bra and slide it from under his fingers so they’re directly on my skin. His touch is firm, making me sigh into his mouth. His lips only leave mine so he can dip his head to run his tongue over my nipples, his breath tantalisingly hot on my skin.
Eventually he lifts me off the worktop and carries me through to the bedroom, my legs tighter round his waist now, our breathing heavy. He sets me down on the mattress and lowers himself over me, supporting his weight on his elbows, his eyes finding mine. Our bodies grind softly against each other as our mouths meet again.
When I roll on top of him and wiggle forward till mybreasts are hovering above his face, he groans with pleasure as he stretches his neck up to suck first one nipple then the other. Then I slide back down to kissing level and our hands creep lower, his fingers trailing across the front of my leggings as I push mine inside his waistband. I can see he’s already straining against his trousers.
I roll my leggings down and kick them off, then guide his hand back between my legs, loving the feel of his fingers through the lace of my knickers. It doesn’t take long for them to find their way inside.
What follows is so different from my recent experiences. Less rushed, less frantic, less noisy – but no less passionate. Aleksis is slow and deliberate with his hands and his tongue, turning me on so much that when he finally enters me I think I’m going to come on the spot. But I stay on the brink while he slides in and out in a steady rhythm.
When his thrusts start gathering momentum, I feel the exact moment when I pass the point of no return. But even when I lose myself to him in a trembling, gasping flurry, he doesn’t stop, stretching my orgasm out until he finally lets himself go. His jaw muscles clench as he shudders above me.
He lies with his arms around me afterwards, his whole body pressed against mine, and I feel so close to him, emotionally as well as physically. It makes me wonder why I ever got so hooked on Merle – it was exciting, but he never made me feel safe and cared for like this. Looking back now, I realise there was no warmth, no affection. But this is different. It feels like something. And I know I’ll never be tempted by Merle ever again.
Chapter 35
When I wake up the next morning, we’re nose to nose on the pillows. Feeling me move, Aleksis opens his eyes.
‘Cau.’ He grins.
‘Cauto you.’ I smile back.
‘That was quite a night,’ he says.
‘Yes it was,’ I agree, my smile widening.
‘No regrets?’
‘Absolutely none.’ And I roll on top of him and kiss him to prove my point.
I’d like to say I manage to exhibit the same level of patience he showed the night before, but he’s already erect and I can’t wait to feel him back inside me, so I hoist myself up till I’m sitting on him, then I guide him in, enjoying the satisfied groan it draws out of him. He grips my hips as I rock backwards and forwards, never taking his eyes off me. Then he raises himself to a sitting position too, so we can kiss while I ride him. He groansagain when I lean back and arch myself into him, pushing him deeper.
‘Oh, Kate, I’m going to come,’ he breathes, and this time he doesn’t hold back. He crushes me against him as he orgasms and I can feel him pulsing inside me.
Afterwards he rolls me onto my back and runs his tongue from my buttocks to my clit in long, luscious licks until it tickles so much it almost hurts. But just when I think I can’t take any more, he pushes his fingers inside me and I finally climax, his name escaping from my lips in a gasp, a Cheshire cat grin breaking out on my face as the dizzying tremors subside.
‘Do we have to go to the studio today?’ I ask, trailing my fingers idly across his chest.
‘We probably do, if we want to get through on Saturday night,’ he says, smiling.
‘I could happily stay here all day.’
‘It’s very tempting,’ he agrees. ‘But sadly, we’ve got a big day ahead of us.’
On top of our rehearsal, Channel 6 has arranged for all the remaining couples in the competition to attend a movie premiere in the evening to build up some buzz for the show – filling our only free night of the week, but saving us from having to think of our own way to generate more press coverage.
‘To be continued?’ Aleksis asks hopefully.
‘Hell yeah,’ I laugh, already looking forward to round three.
At the studio, I work harder than ever on refining my steps and by the end of the day we agree there’s nothingmore we can improve. I finally look like a bona fide dancer, just like Aleksis said I would. I give myself a silent pat on the back – what a momentous achievement. It makes me think we’ve got a really good chance of getting through to the final tomorrow.
I try not to dwell on that fact that if we do go through, with the salsa, bachata, kizomba and cha-cha already ticked off, there’s a one in three chance we might land the dreaded Argentine tango for our last dance. The merengue would be less alarming, but it’s not a style I’ve really warmed to. The rumba’s the one I most want to perform. It might be as challenging as the tango technically, but I feel more of a connection to it for some reason.
Back at the flat after rehearsals, I get straight to work on my hair and make-up, ready for the premiere. I want to look my best.
Earlier, when I told Aleksis I wasn’t sure I had anything appropriate to wear, he offered to ask Sofiya if I could borrow something of hers, explaining that her wardrobe is full of red-carpet outfits that she never wears. ‘She’ll be delighted to see one of them getting some use,’ he said.
Initially I was reluctant, but I didn’t want to cut our rehearsal short so I could run out and panic buy something, so I agreed to let her help me out.
