After she did for him what he’d done for her.
When her breathing slowed again, she straddled him. He grinned and put his hands on her hips. “Ready for more, I see,” he teased.
“Ready for you to come now.” She sank down onto his cock and rocked slightly. He closed his eyes for a moment and hissed out a breath. “I’ve had my fun. Now it’s your turn.”
She rode him slowly at first, until his hands gripped her firmly and pushed her to move faster. He thrust upward into her, speeding their rhythm, and she allowed him to set the pace because she wanted him to finish. Wanted the excitement of watching his face as he came.
He pulled her down against him and his breathing grew louder in her ear. Suddenly he cried out and spasmed inside her, arms clutching her tightly. He panted and then let out a loud grunt as he thrust into her again. Shocks rocked him, and Erin lay against him listening to his breathing as he bucked beneath her.
Finally, he let go of her and exhaled a long breath. “Whew. Thank you.”
She propped herself on her hands and smiled down at him. “Thank you.”
“That was good.” He tapped his head with a finger. “Blood not here yet. Can’t talk.”
“You caveman?” she joked. She kissed his forehead. “I love you.”
He smiled. “I love you too. Off, please.”
She carefully moved off him, and he rolled off the bed. “Be right back. Clean up time.” He grimaced. “If we’re in a relationship, we’re going to talk about not using these damn things anymore.”
“Later,” she said. Now was not the time to discuss something so serious.
“Later,” he agreed.
He left the room and came back after a couple minutes without the condom. “All washed and shiny,” he announced, lying down again.
She laughed. “Shiny? I don’t think a shiny penis is necessarily a good thing.”
“Okay, maybe not shiny.” He pulled her to him and kissed her. “Go clean up and then come back here. I want to lie here and be quiet with you for a while.”
“What about rehearsing?” Immediately she wanted to kick herself. They’d just finished making love and her brain had already returned to the competition.
He grinned. “Leave it to you to be all businesslike. We’ll wake up early in the morning and rehearse. You’re staying, yeah?”
“I’m staying.” She stood. “I’ll be right back.”
In the bathroom, she quickly showered, then returned to the bedroom. Stefan lay on his side, wearing a clean pair of briefs and nothing else, eyes closed. “Come here,” he said without looking at her.
He turned onto his back. She found her panties and shirt and put them back on, then lay beside him, her head on his chest. He embraced her, and she snuggled closer to him. Warmth enveloped her, from his body and from his love.
“I love you,” he murmured, again speaking her thoughts.
“I love you too.” She looked up just as he aimed a kiss at her. Their lips touched only briefly, but that slight contact filled her with something she couldn’t name. “So we’re going to sleep?”
“We’re going to lie here and speak softly to each other, and eventually we’ll sleep,” he replied. “Thank you for staying, Erin. It means a lot, and I hope this won’t be the only time you stay.”
“It won’t be.”
Snuggling closer to him, she closed her eyes and drifted off before either of them spoke again.
You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This
Chapter Twelve
In the morning, Erin opened her eyes and blinked a few times at the unfamiliar wall beside her. She turned onto her side facing the room’s windows and the dark green shades which covered them. Her room didn’t have dark green window shades.
Right. Stefan’s. She turned over and smiled at the sight of Stefan on his side, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. A piece of his hair stuck out almost perpendicular to his head.
She debated waking him and decided to let him sleep. A digital clock sat on the nightstand, and she raised herself onto one elbow to see the time. Only six. I should go back to sleep myself.
No matter how tired she felt, once she woke in the morning she rarely managed to go back to sleep, even in her own bed. In an unfamiliar bed in someone else’s room, she was surprised she’d managed to sleep this long. And so soundly. She’d slept better with Stefan than she had on her own in quite a while. She decided not to think about what that might mean.
At least she’d stayed. She didn’t know whether to be proud of herself or amused that she thought staying was worth being proud of.
Quietly, she slipped out of bed, picked up her overnight bag, and went into the bathroom. After a long, warm shower her body and mind caught up to each other in the being awake department. With a silent prayer that she wouldn’t spill anything or lean against anything dirty, she put on the outfit she’d chosen for the competition and went into the kitchen to try to figure out Stefan’s coffee maker.
An hour later, when Stefan stumbled out of the bedroom, Erin was on the couch with a cup of coffee and a slice of toast. Stefan’s errant piece of hair now stuck straight out from his head, along with a few other strands that had decided to do their own thing. Erin grinned. Even with bedhead, the sight of him melted her heart.
“Morning,” he mumbled, plopping onto the cushion beside her. “That coffee?”
“There’s more in the pot if you want a cup,” she offered.
He shook his head. “No coffee till I shower. Got to keep routine.”
She chuckled. “Did I throw off your routine?”
“Only in the best ways.” He smiled. “Wish you’d still been in bed when I woke up. Would have been nice to see you beside me.”
“Should I go back to bed?” she teased.
He gave her a considering look, then shook his head. “I need a shower and coffee, and we need to find something to do until the competition.”
“Rehearse?” she suggested. “You know, like we didn’t do last night?”
“Oh, yeah. That.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Shower and coffee first. You’re ahead of me in the caffeine department.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She kissed his cheek. “I liked waking up beside you. I’m glad I didn’t go home last night.”
“Me too.” He put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Careful. I have morning breath and I probably smell a little funky.”
“You smell like you.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Later today, I’d like to talk more about where things are between us and where they’re going. I still feel like we’re moving a little too fast, but it feels more comfortable than before.”
He smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. I’ll be back in a couple minutes, okay?”
“Sure.”
He went into the bathroom and the shower started. While he was out of the room, Erin wandered over to the wall to look at his awards and pictures again. One of the pictures of Stefan and Emma drew her eye. The girl looked a lot like her brother, and in the photo she smiled up at him with utter admiration. Stefan had his arm around her and smiled down at her, apparently ignoring everyone else who stood nearby. Erin wished she’d had a chance to meet Emma. Anyone Stefan loved that much had to be a good person.
When Stefan left the bathroom, Erin hurried into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee, which she handed him when he returned to the living room. He sniffed it and smiled contentedly. “Ah, caffeine. Thanks.” He kissed her forehead. “Let me drink some of this and then we’ll start, okay? I think just a couple more times going over the routines should be enough, and then we’ll have time to relax before we leave. I have to be there early to make sure things are set up, so we’ll go around eleven or so.”
Erin nodded and took a sip of her own coffee. I haven’t competed in months, and he thinks I’ll be able to relax?
After Stefan pronounced himself sufficiently caffeinated, they shut off the TV and moved the coffee table
into the kitchen to give themselves room to dance. Stefan turned on the song they’d chosen for their competition piece, and they began moving through the steps that had already become nearly second nature for Erin. Despite her nervousness, she knew she’d be fine once the competition began. Anticipating had always been worse than the actual events.
They worked on that routine for a while, then changed to the tribute piece. Erin’s eyes misted as she focused on the words and music of the song, and she thought she saw a tear in Stefan’s eyes as well. This would be the more difficult routine to perform. It would also be the one truly worth the effort.
“Time to get ready,” Stefan announced once they’d gone through both routines a few times. “It’s ten thirty. Are you still nervous?”
“Just a bit.” Erin smiled. “I think we’ll be fine. I just want the routines to be great.”
“They will be,” he assured her. “I’m going to change. Is that what you’re wearing?”
She looked down at her knee-length grey satin skirt and black velour top. “That’s the plan.”
“Good. You look gorgeous.” He kissed her cheek and went into the bedroom.
A few minutes later, he returned to the living room wearing charcoal grey slacks and a white button-down shirt. Erin grinned her appreciation. “Good choice. Every woman there will have her eyes on you.”
He put his arm around her. “They can look. Only you can touch. You ready?”
“I think so.”
“Don’t worry.” He steered her to the back door. “We’ll be fine.”
In Stefan’s car, they drove to the event hall where the competition would be held. Several people bustled around the large room, decorating the walls and beams with streamers and testing the lights and music systems. “Decorations?” Erin asked. The competitions she and Scott had done hadn’t usually included streamers.
“It’s a festive occasion.” Stefan grinned. “We like to have the place look nice. Remember, the emphasis is on raising money for cancer research, not on the competition. So if people want to decorate the place, who am I to stop them?”
A short woman with glasses and curly dark brown hair hurried over to them and embraced Stefan so tightly he gasped. “Thank you,” the woman murmured. “I’m so glad you called when they wanted to cancel this. It would have meant so much to Louisa that you went to bat for her.” She let him go and smiled at Erin. “Hi. I’m Theresa Golding.”
“Erin Jeffries.” Erin held out her hand, and Mrs. Golding shook it. “I’m glad to meet you. I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter.”
“Thank you.” Mrs. Golding touched manicured fingertips to the corners of her eyes. “I promised myself I wouldn’t break down here. Stefan, is there anything you need me to do?”
“Not a thing, as far as I know.” He took her hands. “Sit down and relax, okay? I just got here and haven’t checked with anyone else yet, but I’m sure everything’s under control.”
She nodded. “Thank you.” As she walked away, her shoulders shook.
Erin squeezed Stefan’s hand. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “Yeah, I’ll be all right. Seeing her like that reminded me of how much losing Emma hurt. I know what she’s going through right now.” He turned and studied her. “You’re beautiful, have I mentioned that? I have the best-looking partner here.”
“Others might disagree,” she joked.
“Yeah, well, I don’t care what others think.” He kissed her. “I need to find out if anything else has to be done.”
She followed him across the room to the DJ’s table, where he started a discussion with two men about the music cues. Then he talked to some of the decorators. Through the conversations, Erin listened and wished she had something helpful to do.
Just before one o’clock, Stefan brought Erin backstage, where several other couples had already gathered. “Don’t be nervous,” he told her, holding her hands in his. “I’m here, we know the music and the steps, and this is just for fun anyway. We’re doing our competition routine first, so we’ll be able to take a break before the tribute. All set?”
Erin nodded, though her heart pounded and the butterflies in her stomach tried to beat their way out. “All set.”
Out on the dance floor, a male voice spoke into a microphone. “Thank you all for coming!” The crowd immediately quieted. “I’m glad to see so many people here,” the man continued. “Looks like we’ll bring in a good amount for cancer research today!”
People cheered and clapped, then went silent again. “Before we begin, I’m sorry to announce that this past week, we lost one of the organizers of this event,” the man said. “Louisa Golding has been part of this since we began holding the competition four years ago. Nearly seven years ago, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Sadly, this week, she lost her fight. We’d like to honor her now with a moment of silence, and some of our performers have prepared a tribute number for later in the show.”
A hush fell over the hall and the backstage area. Erin heard a few sniffles from the people around her, and she swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut to keep her own tears at bay.
After several seconds the emcee went on, “Thank you, and our condolences go out to Louisa’s friends and family. Now to begin. First on our program is another event organizer, Stefan Webber, and his partner Erin Jeffries.”
Stefan smiled at her, and Erin took his hand and allowed him to lead her onto the floor. The first notes of their competition song played.
Without needing to think, Erin followed Stefan in the steps. Even when he varied slightly from the routine they’d rehearsed, she didn’t falter. Her body moved as if on its own. With her eyes on Stefan, she nearly forgot about the people watching them.
Competing with Scott had been like this. Just dancing, not really caring where they placed, only enjoying the movement and the music.
She’d missed this after Scott’s accident, and even though she’d worried and argued with herself about competing again, she was grateful to Stefan for asking her. Now she had back what she’d lost.
The song ended, and applause filled the air. Grinning from ear to ear, Stefan took Erin’s hand. They bowed, then hurried backstage, where he pulled her into his arms and spun her off her feet. “That was amazing! Even better than when we practiced.”
Smiling, Erin kissed his cheek. “I can’t even say how wonderful it felt to be out there. Thank you.”
“Thank you for agreeing to partner with me.” He set her down. “You’re incredible.”
“So are you.”
They stood near the curtain, watching the other competitors, including a few members of their class. The atmosphere became one of pure joy, both backstage and in the crowd, and behind the scenes the dancers chatted softly and congratulated one another.
The competition lasted nearly two hours, including a short intermission halfway through. When everyone had done their routines, the emcee returned to the middle of the dance floor. “As I announced at the beginning of this event, we lost someone dear to us earlier this week.” The crowd went silent again. “In addition, this is the first event in over a year for one of our dancers, who lost her competition partner to a car accident last year. To honor Louisa Golding and Scott Fulton, Stefan and Erin have put together this routine.”
Again Stefan led Erin onto the floor. At the first note of the song, her eyes watered, and she fought back the tears. Stefan’s eyes mirrored her sorrow.
Then they began to move through the steps they’d rehearsed, and the sadness didn’t matter. They lost themselves in the dance, in the music which flowed through them. Images floated through Erin’s mind of herself dancing with Scott and her tears began to fall. All the times she and Scott had danced together, whether in class, in competition, or just in fun. Closing her eyes for a moment, she said goodbye to him.
When she looked at Stefan again, she saw the same love and joy shining from his eyes that she knew filled her own. He pulled her close to him and bent to press
his lips against hers.
“You shouldn’t kiss me like this,” she murmured. “We’re dancing.”
“Vertical expression,” he reminded her in a whisper. He twirled her to arm’s length, then pulled her back. “Dancing is about showing what we feel. And I feel like I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said softly.
He kissed her again as the last notes of the song faded. The applause began, and still they kissed, lips touching softly, embracing each other. Finally Stefan released her and they stared into each other’s eyes.
I’m in love with him. They turned and bowed to the crowd. Erin barely noticed them. I don’t just love him, I’m in love with him. And he’s in love with me. When did that happen?
Stefan led her backstage to the sound of continued applause. “Thank you.” Tears trickled from the corners of his eyes, but he smiled. “You’re a wonderful dancer.”
“I think we need more practice,” she teased.
He chuckled. “Yeah, I think we can do that. Maybe tonight?”
“Yeah.” She hugged him. “I’m glad you talked me into this.”
“So am I.” He briefly touched his lips to hers as the crowd chanted their names. “We’ll talk more later. Right now, I think they want us back out there.”
“Yeah.”
Hand in hand, they walked back onto the dance floor.
About the Author
Karenna Colcroft is the naughty alter‐ego of a sedate teacher and mother of two. She has been writing since she was five years old, and has a particular soft spot for sappy romance stories. Karenna lives in the northeastern United States with her two children, assorted cats and fish, and the love of her life.
Website: http://www.karennacolcrof t .com
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