Dancing With Lies (Barre To Bar Book 1) Page 3

  Everything was still a blur for her, reality still hadn’t settled in. And everything was…alright, until she sat down on the bed. “What am I going to sleep in, Lincoln?”

  She looked up at him, her mind still too stunned to think about what she should do other than figuring out what to wear to bed. There was nobody for her to call, not familywise. Her father fell out with his family long before she came along, and her mom was an orphan. There was nobody to take her in when she needed to be held the most and she had to guess her eyes laid that fact bare because he knelt on the floor instantly and cupped her left cheek in his hand.

  “Do you want me to go and get you something?” He asked, his eyes steady on hers.

  “No, I just want…I just want…” And she had to stop because her throat was too tight as the world imploded in on her with painful, scarring reality tearing at every emotion at once. “Fuck! Lincoln!”

  He quickly pulled her into his arms as sobs tore out of her chest, out of her heart, his powerful arms doing their best to hold the world at bay for her. “Hush, Chlo, hush baby.”

  She didn’t even correct him when he called her Chlo instead of Chloe, she was in too much pain to do anything but seek solace from this terrible hurt that threatened to tear her apart. She pulled away, pushed blonde hair out of her face, swiped at the evidence of her tears with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, and looked up at him. “Make it stop, please. Make it stop.”

  “You don’t know what you’re asking, Chlo. I can’t, I just can’t. Not right now.” He shook his head to emphasize his words, but his eyes pleaded with her. To be quiet or to prove him wrong?

  She didn’t know, she didn’t care, she just wanted to not feel this awful killing pain that tore at every cell in her body. She decided for him when she leaned in to kiss him. He couldn’t say no, not when she held him to her with hands desperate to be filled with comfort, with arms that needed to hold and be held.

  “Chlo...” He started to mutter against her lips, but she didn’t let him. She had no idea what she was doing, she’d never even kissed a boy and she was out of her mind with grief and shock, but she did know that Lincoln could give her what she needed. Only Lincoln could give her that and he was there. Like he’d been there her entire life, pulling at her hair, teasing her in a million different ways, turning up for her ballet recitals and hiding in the back where he thought she couldn’t see him.

  He’d been there and he was here now, that’s what mattered.

  “Please, Lincoln. Please. Just this once, just for now, make me forget. Please. Isn’t that what this is about? Forgetting for just a little while that the world has come to an end?” She kissed the corner of his mouth, her hands somehow beneath his sweatshirt, pulling it off over his head. His skin turned into gooseflesh for a second, but it wasn’t that cold. Was it her touch?

  “I can’t say no to you, Chloe, I just can’t.” Settled between her thighs, he pushed his right hand into her hair and pulled her to his face again. “I never could say no to you.”

  She’d wonder what that meant later, she decided, for now, there was nothing else but him and the way he tasted, mixed with the lip balm she loved so much. She’d replaced it as she waited for the elevator to bring them up, and now it became a part of her memories. A memory of how Lincoln tasted. She had no idea why she was doing what she was doing, all she wanted was to erase what happened earlier tonight but she knew she couldn’t. So, she pushed the feeling of sadness out with the excitement of sex – with the only person available to her.

  She gave herself up to him, to not thinking or feeling, and let him pull her hips tight against his, twisted to keep her lips on his, unwilling to let his mouth go yet. He smelled so good, like a cologne she couldn’t name, something the boys at school didn’t wear and probably mixed with his own scent. Her hands came around to touch his chest, higher, until her fingers found his hard jaw and traced it.

  He broke away as her touch lingered at his face and looked into her eyes. He wanted to say something, pursed his lips to speak, but he let his head fall instead, into her neck where he inhaled deeply before he moved, nudging her up the bed where she’d perched on the end. If anyone had asked her two hours ago where she’d be when the night came to an end, in bed with Lincoln Young wouldn’t have been an answer she’d have given in a million years. Here with him now, however, she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

  She reached for him as he crawled up the bed, his deep brown eyes giving only a hint to the fact that his mother was half-Chinese, just enough to make his eyes exotically alluring. How had she never noticed that before? She wondered. It didn’t matter, she decided, as his body slid over hers and his face filled her hands. He still had on his jeans, his shoes, but she was fully clothed. She didn’t want to be but waited for him to guide the anguish away.

  “You’re beautiful, Chloe. You always have been.” He whispered, even though they were alone. Even though she’d always be alone now. But that line of thought would make her cry so best to focus on Lincoln, right? “I don’t have anything with me, I wasn’t expecting tonight to end like this.”

  For a moment, she had no idea what he meant and then all the warning posters at school in the girl’s bathroom sprang to mind. Protection. Oh.

  “It’s fine, Lincoln. Don’t worry. Just kiss me again, okay?” She didn’t think she’d get pregnant, even though her periods were never predictable because of the diet she maintained and the constant exercise. Maybe she couldn’t have babies at all right now. And, again, it didn’t really matter right now anyway. Only he did.

  For a moment he looked indecisive, then instinct took over. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him tighter to her body until his eyes closed on a groan. His tongue came out to lick at his lips quickly before he opened his eyes and moved away. “Let’s get rid of these, princess.”

  The unexpected use of the name he’d called her throughout their childhood, a snide comment on the name her parents called her, didn’t sound snide this time. It sounded like an endearment. She wiggled until her jeans and panties were gone, then her sweatshirt. She barely had boobs so she hadn’t worn a bra under her sweatshirt, but the expression of awe on his face told her she had nothing to be ashamed of.

  She waited, sprawled on the bed, for him to take his pants off. Would he rush and get this over with or would he, as she hoped, take his time?

  5

  Lincoln’s hands soothed her as her memories threatened to come back, including that horrible truth she didn’t want to remember right now. His long fingers, tinged with the scent of his cologne, brushed against her face, as if he wanted to memorize what she looked like not only with his eyes but with his hands. She hadn’t expected gentleness from him, not really.

  But then, she’d never really thought about this actually happening with him. Maybe there’d been a flash of attraction, in the back of her mind, even though he was such a jerk, but she’d never consciously thought about doing this with him. Yet here she was, in his arms, with his body pressed most intimately into hers. She didn’t want to be anywhere else.

  She felt an unbidden smile stretch her lips as he looked down at her with sad happiness. “What’s wrong, Lincoln? Never thought you’d get the ice princess into your bed?”

  She said it to tease him, but she saw a brief flash of pain cross his face before his eyes drilled into hers with something she didn’t understand. It wasn’t pity, but it was soft - compassion maybe?

  “I never expected to get anywhere near you, Chloe, and if you want this to stop, tell me now. I don’t want to take advantage…”

  “You aren’t taking advantage of me, Lincoln, I know exactly what we’re doing. And I want to do it.” She touched his full bottom lip and smiled again. “I never thought this is where we’d end up, but yeah, I want to be here with you, doing this.”

  “Okay.” He shifted around a little, his powerful frame moving easily. “Have you ever…?”

  The dark swoop of his left eyebrow ca
me up, she noticed, just before she looked away. Trust him to notice she’d never had a boyfriend. “No.”

  Would he change his mind now that he knew she had no experience with sex? She bit at her bottom lip, but he tugged at the skin beneath until she let the tender flesh go.

  “That’s fine, Chloe. I just don’t want to hurt you.” His eyes told her he never wanted to hurt her and she believed him, in that instance.

  “Thanks.” She whispered and squirmed, intensely aware of just how aroused he was as he pressed against her in that place only she could touch. It was kind of scary, thinking about what he wanted to do with that thick ridge between them, but she was also excited to know what it felt like.

  Millions of people liked sex, why shouldn’t she? Especially now, when she was alone in the world, with no idea of what to do next. She had shit to figure out, she knew that, but right now, she wanted to have sex with Lincoln.

  “Hmm.” He hummed when her legs tightened around his waist of their own volition. “Time to stop playing, I guess, and get to work.”

  The dirty smile he gave her nearly made her legs tighten again but she managed to get hold of herself before she did something embarrassing.

  He kissed her once more, taking her thoughts away from anything but how soft and silky his lips were. When he pulled away, she wanted to protest but he moved down her body and she clamped her jaw closed. She had no idea what he’d do, what he wouldn’t do, what she even wanted him to do, even if she was well versed in just what men and women could do together from films and other things. He was young but she was younger and inexperienced on top of that.

  When his hot breath played down her clavicle, then lower, she stopped breathing. She felt the velvet touch of his lips as they moved warmly down her chest, and she had to breathe or she’d die. She inhaled at the exact moment his lips closed around her dark nipple and it felt so good, that when she exhaled she couldn’t help but sigh out a moan.

  Her world narrowed down to nothing more than Lincoln’s hot wet lips wrapped around the small bud, then the tug as he sucked so deliciously long. Her hands dove into his hair to tug at his dark locks, not to pull him away but to hold him there. He didn’t seem eager to move away from that part of her, but his right hand did move, to the area between her thighs and she wanted to hide, to protest, but at the same time, she could wait to know what it felt like.

  His fingers glided up over her left hip, pushed in between their bodies, and dove down, so far down, until he found the opening there. Her breath shuddered to a halt as she felt warm fingers glide between her folds, and then the invasion of one of those long fingers inside of her. He tested her, slid that finger inside of her slowly, waited with his teeth clamped softly around her nipple, to hear if she protested.

  “Take your time, Chloe, get used to me.” He whispered when he let her nipple go only long enough to speak.

  She couldn’t believe he was talking to her, but his deep voice vibrated over her skin and she knew this wasn’t a nightmare turned into one furiously erotic dream. She wanted more of him, though, not less, and pushed her hips up to show him what she wanted. She had no words to say what she wanted because her brain wasn’t working, but she could show him, and maybe tell him with a gasp.

  His finger went deeper inside of her and he sucked at her as he did so. Her fingers clamped around his head this time, her hips doing a dance that was just for him as she learned what it felt like to have someone, something, inside of her.

  “Just feel me, Chloe, let yourself go.” She felt him breathe the words against her skin again and thought she’d die from the sheer pleasure he was giving her with his entire body. His palm pressed into her clit, grinding into it every time he dipped into her body then pulled away.

  “Fuck.” She whispered as something squeezed exquisitely inside of her.

  “You okay?” Lincoln asked as he moved to her other nipple to tease it into a stiff peak.

  “Great.” She breathed out, too aware of how good she felt, how he felt over her. On her. Inside her.

  “It’ll be even better when I’m really inside of you.” He promised, but he said it with smug assurance.

  She almost told him what an ass he was but that thing that had squeezed inside of her did it again, only harder. She wanted to smack him when he chuckled, his teeth clenched around her nipple, but she couldn’t move. She was terrified of whatever this new sensation, expectation was, disappearing. Something was about to happen, something she needed.

  Her back arched as he bit harder, just a little harder, enough to spike a shot of pleasure down to her insides and then straight back up into her brain.

  “Lincoln.” She gasped just before the world exploded and turned into liquid hot pleasure.

  Her thighs clamped around his waist, her legs wrapped around his back and she didn’t care if she tortured him as she rode the waves of pleasure a man gave her for the very first time. She gasped with surprise when she felt him, actually him, slip inside of her. There was nothing between them and having him there, filling and stretching her was mind-blowing. He didn’t move at all, she did all the moving and that must be why he’d slipped into her, but it didn’t matter. He was there now, he was gasping in a way that made something primal inside of her hum with pleasure, and she didn’t care.

  There was a moment of pain, a second when she locked up, but it passed as Lincoln lost the thin grasp he had on his control and thrust down, into her. Oh, now that felt really good.

  Chloe’s fingers moved, down from his silky hair, across his smooth back, and down to the firm globes of his ass. She filled her hands with him, dug her nails into his ass as he moved inside of her, urging him to go deeper, to give her more, to make her forget. There were no memories now, there was no pain, there was only Lincoln, the sound of his breath as he worked himself into her, the feel of the heat he exuded as he sought out his own pleasure.

  There was a moment when she thought it was done, but it was just him pausing to push her left leg up a little, to go deeper, and then he started again. “Fuck, Chloe, I can’t hold back.”

  “Then don’t, Lincoln.” She urged him, and he shook his head with a grin.

  “I don’t want this to end Chloe. I want to be here inside of you for hours, not minutes.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” She answered with a quirk of her eyebrow. But then he did something with his hips that made her gasp again, made her close her eyes and bite down into his shoulder. She’d never known sex was this good. Yeah, it looked fun on her laptop screen, it looked nice on the television, or a cinema screen, but this? It was too much and not enough at the same time.

  Chloe moved with him now, quickly getting the hang of how to do this and using muscles she’d only ever used to dance to keep the pace he set. Deep, fast, and hard.

  She had no idea what to do so she let instinct rule her. She reached up to bring his head down to hers, to kiss him as if she’d never get to kiss anyone ever again, with so much hunger and need that she didn’t notice how hot their skin was, how his lips nearly singed when they met hers. She only noticed what it felt like to have his lips on hers, his tongue sliding against hers, as they moved in time together.

  She knew what to expect this next time, knew what it felt like to explode, so it was not so surprising, but it was just as exquisite as the first time. She rode the wave with nothing but pleasure, pleasure that only increased when Lincoln gave a helpless sound of surrender, with a tight fist against her hip. She didn’t really notice that, she only noticed how he moved, the way he sounded, the way she felt.

  He sighed after long moments had passed, moments where they caught their breath before he rolled away from her. He stood up long enough to pull the covers down and she slid into crisp white sheets. When he got in, she curled up next to him.

  There were no thoughts about tomorrow, what it meant to have had sex with him, she was only here for the now, the comfort he promised, that he’d already given. Her body ached, but it wasn’t an ach
e that she minded. His arms came around her, drew her closer until her face was pressed into his smooth chest.

  Fuck, he was hot, she thought, as she ran a hand up the muscles of his abdomen and over his chest. Had she really not noticed that before?

  “You okay, Chlo?” She heard him ask.

  “I’m good.” She answered, although she was still trying to keep reality at bay. “Thanks.”

  “It was my pleasure, really.” He chuckled and pulled her tight against him before he let off the pressure.

  Chloe smiled, pleased that he was being so nice. He’d always brought out the worst in her, egging her on even when they were kids. She’d never suspected for a second that he’d found her…attractive.

  She sighed and tried not to think too much about anything but him. “Do you have to go back to school tonight?”

  “No, I don’t have a class until Monday, and it’s only Friday. It’ll be okay.”

  “Good. You’re staying tonight, right?” She asked, knowing only that she didn’t want him to leave.

  “I’ll be here as long as you want me to be, honey. I’m not going anywhere.” He pulled up to sit with his back against the black headboard, the covers just over his hips. “Are you hungry? We can get room service.”

  “No, it’s too late for food. I’m not hungry anyway. I am thirsty, though.” She rolled out of the bed far enough to pick up the backpack where she’d put the bottles of water he’d bought. When she put the bag on the bed she heard a tinkle inside, a metallic sound, and she remembered. The watch. The very fucking expensive watch encrusted with diamonds that made it nearly impossible to tell what time it was, there were so many covering it.

  The fucking thing even had diamonds on the wristband and faceplate, not just around the facing. What was she going to do with that?