Page 28 of His Smile
“Now you are just stroking my ego,” and though his accentedwords were taunting the feel of his hand stroking her back in comfort made herheart swell like a lovesick teenager.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she feigned contriteness, mentally shakingoff the moody insecurity that snuck up on her. Leaning back, she gave him a seriousnod as one hand snuck back between them and stroked the hardening bulge betweenthem. “No stroking, understood. I will make sure never to stroke you or yourego.”
The playfulness vanished from his eyes, replaced by apredatory hunger. Pushing his hips further into her hand, he pulled at theloose crop-top she wore over her black leotard until some of the stitchingpopped in her ear. Revealing more of her skin on her neck, he leaned in andcovered her thrashing pulse with his mouth, suckling it roughly. Her bodytensed as she gave a small cry of shock, but his heavy arms only encircled hertighter, trapping her stroking hand between them forcing her to stay cuppingthe hardened bulge as he devoured the tender skin of her neck.
“I will strip you naked right now, Rahina, I swear I will,”he growled as he pulled away to inspect the bruise, he no doubt left on herneck. “It is only my decency, which I should warn you is thread-fucking-bare,which is holding me back.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have held back last night,” running herfree hand through his short silky hair, she pushed herself higher on his lap,rubbing the thumb of her trapped hand in alternating friction against hiserection. “and on my birthday no less.”
He groaned with regret at the memory, pushing his dickagainst her torturous hand. “I’m going to ruin you tomorrow night,” he raspedevilly. “For seventy-two hours I won’t let you put on clothes, walk, and maybenot even talk.” Tilting her chin up, he used his thumb to part her lipsslightly. “I will keep every part of you filled with me,” he murmuredmeaningfully staring at her lips.
Swallowing nervously, she gripped his shoulders. “We’llsee,” she dared to taunt. “Ballerinas are said to be the ultimate athlete interms of stamina.”
“Is this a challenge?” The absolute glee that widened hiseyes should have told her to stop, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted totease him back, she wanted to push the limits with this man.
“I’m simply saying you should consider the fact that I maybe the one to leave you in ruins by hour seventy-two,” she said boldly.
“My God,” he breathed, pulling her closer to him, he pressedher throbbing core brazenly against the hard-curving ridge of his erection,forcing her to feel the searing heat she caused. “I can barely contain myexcitement. Consider the challenge accepted.”
Chapter 12
Across the room, the phone vibrated against the hardwoodfloor where she dropped it earlier. Laying a few feet from it was her gym bag,partially open and some of the contents scattered around it. Rahina didn’tcare. The vibrating stopped as the call went unanswered. It would start again,she thought absently. For nearly an hour the phone had rung nonstop, only to bebroken up by the occasional chime of an incoming text notification. She wouldn’tread them, and she would not answer. She wanted everything to just stop, tofade away and leave her alone.
Sitting on the floor in her room, she leaned against theside of her bed and stared out the window that faced her. Rain came down inhard sheets pelting at the glass and distorting the lights from the buildingacross from her window. Focusing on a particular droplet of water, she watchednumbly as it slowly inched its way down the glass picking up speed as it joinedwith other rivulets until it sunk all the way to the sill.
Sinking—that was what she felt like. Everything in her lifefelt as if it were sinking into a deep pit. Pulling up her knees, Rahinawrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on top. Tears threatened withstinging warning in the back of her eyes as she closed them to the memories ofearlier. The look of pure joy on Nadia’s face when Theodore announced theprincipal title, the curious glances people cast her way while they clapped andcheered for Nadia, and the crushed look Jason gave her as they both realizedwhat just happened. Somehow, Rahina was able to walk out with her head heldhigh despite the weightless feeling that spread from her chest to her limbs. Itfelt as if she wasn’t anchored down, even when she got in her car and droveback to her apartment, it felt as if her body would simply float away. But theshock of the news finally made its way past the buzzing static noise in herbrain. The thought of her mother’s reaction to her failure brought Rahina’sthoughts crashing down back to reality. Now it felt as if she was just sinking.
The phone buzzed again. Getting up slowly, she walked overto the upside-down phone and picked it up. There was no photo for his contactscreen, just the large five black letters set against a blue screen—Roman.Pressing her lips together, she tried to stem the sudden wave of tears. She hadbeen so cocky with him, telling him how good she was and making grand plans tocelebrate after she got the position and now—she had nothing. The call wasnearing its last ring, and she could see the icons at the top of the screen forthe other numerous missed calls. She swiped to answer.
“He…” she began weakly, but his voice cut her off.
“Open the door,” he commanded evenly.
Jerking her head up, she stared down her small entrancehallway to the front door. Her heart tightened at the thought of him seeing hernow. She already knew what she must look like. Puffy red eyes, disheveled hair,and the ever-present aura of failure.
“Roman I don’t think…”
Again, he cut her off, and though his words were demanding,there was a calmness to them she did not expect. “Rahina, walk over to the doorand unlock it.”
She knew she didn’t have a choice; he was coming inregardless. Walking over to the door, she turned the deadbolt backward. Thedoor opened at once, forcing her to step back as Roman pushed himself inside.Rahina nearly let out a groan at the sight of him, he was wearing dark jeansand a black shirt. It figured the first time she got to witness him in casualclothing her life was in utter ruins.
Turning away from him, she wiped at the tears in her eyes.“Roman, please, I just need to be alone right now.”
Shutting the door behind him, Roman continued to walkforward, forcing her to retreat back into her living room. His eyes wereunreadable, and his smile was placid and small. Looking down pointedly at herphone still clutched against her stomach he reached out and plucked it quicklyfrom her hands.
“What are you doing?” she watched his thumb swiped andtapped at her screen before efficiently flipping the phone back around towardsher and handing it over.
“Besides from me, you have multiple unanswered messages fromyour sister, Mario, and your dance partner Jason. Message them and then pack abag,” His tone brooked no room for argument.
Oxygen left her lungs in a deep exhale, leaving her feelingdeflated. She was barely hanging on; she didn’t want him to see her like this.“I don’t want to go anywhere, Roman,” her throat felt tight with the urge tocry as she spoke. “I just want to sit here.”
Shaking his head, he walked past her and grabbed one of herwrists, forcing her to walk slowly behind him as he walked into her bedroom.“You are coming to my house.”
“Please, I just…”
He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder. Hisdetermined expression shut her up immediately. “It isn’t a choice Rahina.”
Nodding silently, she reached for her gym bag on the floorand began packing.
