Page 23 of Beyond The Barre

He turned his attention to her face, all wide-eyed and needy. “Funny, I was just thinking the exact same thing.” He kissed her slower this time. “Can I take you home?”

She ran her hands through his hair as she replied, “Yes please.”

He held her bag as she locked up the studio. Then he opened the entrance door only to be greeted with a downpour of rain. He hadn’t even noticed the storm rolling in earlier and had left his car parked up the road.

“My car is just over there.” She pointed a few metres away to the car park.

He nodded and took the opportunity to link his arm through hers. “I don’t think the weather is going to ease anytime soon. Let's make a break for it.”

“Wait.” She left his side and returned a moment later with an umbrella. She opened it as he opened the door against the raging wind.

They huddled under the umbrella. Scarlett shrieked as the rain hit them head-on. They rushed down the pavement towards the car park. The ground was slippery, and he held her tight so that her body bumped against him as they sprinted.

“Quickly!” she cried. Some of her hair had escaped the bun and was whipping around her face like a series of wet ebony ribbons. He pulled her towards the second row of cars, and she fumbled with her keys. He saw her safely in the driver’s side before dashing around to the passenger side.

The doors slammed loudly as they fell into the car in a rush, their breathing fogging up the windows. Scarlett’s laugh was a joy to his heart; even drenched and puffing, she was a vision.

He manoeuvred himself in his seat and captured her face in his hands. He paused as he gazed upon her face. Unspoken words welled up in his throat.

He kissed her lips, certain he would never be able to get enough of her.

Scarlett fumbled with her keys before finally unlocking her front door and walking through with Linc close behind.

He glanced around the sparsely furnished lounge. Few personal touches told him anything more about Scarlett except for one small silver trophy sitting alone on a shelf. He stepped toward it so he could read the inscription.

“Best Technique,” he read aloud before noticing the date. It was from almost twenty years ago. Surely she would have received so many more trophies and awards since then. “Why is this the only one you display?”

Scarlett approached and placed a single finger on top of the trophy and gently stroked its rounded top. “This was the one that meant the most. I remember everyone was so jealous when I won it. I was finally good at something, you know? Better than anyone else in that class.”

Linc watched as she seemed to retreat to that time as a little girl, then with a little shake of her head, she turned back to him and he wondered if he had just imagined it.

He raised his hand and gently stroked her soft cheek. She reminded him of one of those crystal statues his mum owned. A ballerina forever frozen in a graceful pose, balancing on one pointe shoe with the other leg straight up in the air, her arms off to the side. So beautiful, so fragile. So wounded.

He so desperately wanted to put all Scarlett’s broken pieces back together for her so she would never feel pain again. Something warned him that he might be her greatest cause of pain. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

“I’ll never hurt you—I promise you that.” He spoke the words aloud before tugging her head towards his and pressing his lips against hers.

All thoughts left his mind as she opened up for him and submitted to his hungry mouth. He pressed her against the wall as he pulled down one of the straps on her leotard, baring a small breast. His lips took in the sensitive bud of her nipple. A long, drawn-out moan came from her lips as her head lolled backwards.

He pulled on the other strap of her leotard and helped her arms out before he continued his attention to her breasts. Pushing away from him, Scarlett peeled off the leotard completely and let it drop to the floor around her ankles. Her tights and underwear followed, leaving a pool of nylon and cotton at her feet. Linc ran his hands up the flat plane of Scarlett’s stomach until they rested on her breasts. Her body reacted to his touch in such a way that he thought he might burst right there, his need so strong.

He captured her mouth again, their tongues dancing and exploring as their lips pressed tightly together. She slipped her hand down and cupped the bulge in his pants, and he let out an unrestrained groan as she massaged him.

“Bedroom,” he demanded in a husky voice, and he pulled away just long enough to follow her down the hall and into her tiny room. He laid her naked body on the bed and admired her exquisite physique. Her hand moved to cover her flat stomach. “Please don’t hide from me. I want to see you. All of you.”

She did as he asked but looked away. Linc knew she was shy but had a feeling there was more to it than that.

With deft hands, he quickly removed his own clothes.

She reached out a hand, urging him to her, and he gladly accepted. He lay next to her on his side, and she rolled so their warm bodies were pressed together, facing each other. They kissed and stroked and pressed against each other. Heat and lust flooded him.

He urged her onto her back and lowered his hand across her breasts, abdomen, and lower. It danced over the smooth patch between her thighs, his fingers teasing apart the slick folds of flesh to find the tight bundle of nerves at her centre. Scarlett clenched tightly as his thumb found her and started its slow assault on her senses.

He left her side just long enough to retrieve a condom from his wallet and roll it on his engorged cock. Even he was surprised by how big it appeared. Then again, he had never been so turned on by a woman like he was with Scarlett.

He positioned himself between her thighs and kissed her closed eyelids. “Tell me you want it,” he murmured.

“I do.” She practically moaned the words. “I want it so bad.”

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