CHAPTER Twelve
Alek
Erin challenges me.
She moves me in a way that no one has ever been able to do before. She’s amazing. Everything about this woman screams mystical, just like her clothing line.
But Erin is also self conscious and insecure. She knows how beautiful she is, but then she doesn’t quite understand her power. I was hoping she’d let me kiss her on the mouth last night. I respected her wishes, and I’ve played the good guy for long enough. Murderous thoughts flew through my head after that Martuccio brother kissed her the way he did.
Thinking about him kissing her sweet lips makes me want to go find him and cave his nose in.
I can be patient, yes. I can make her come to me. Erin Angelo will beg for my kiss by the time we take Requiem to stage next month. Until then, I bask in thoughts of the other kiss I left for her to remember me by.
I sit down on the edge of the stage and glance at the phoenix tattooed on my arm. Like me, Erin is rising from her pain. She’s becoming a woman to be taken seriously in all aspects of her life. But what is it about her that touches me this way? There’s something about her eyes, a familiarity in them that brings up memories I thought I buried long ago. I’m lost in thoughts of her beautiful face twisted in pleasure when a slamming noise rips me back to reality.
Erin walks through the door of the auditorium. This is the last time she’ll be working with Nikolai’s dancers before our pre-show happens the Saturday after next. Images of the things that happened between us this past weekend flicks through my head. My pulse starts to race and my damn mouth goes dry. I think it’s safe to say, I’m hooked.
Erin beams as some of the players congratulate her. She passes a few glances my way and shrugs. In return, I give her my most charming smile, one that says: I know a part of you that Rafe and crew can only experience in their dreams.
“Are we ready for my part yet?” a female’s voice says from behind me. I turn around and find Lila Davis grinning at me. Hell, I’d forgotten she was supposed to rehearse with the group today. “Missed you the other night. You disappeared on me.” She steps closer to me. Only a few inches separate our bodies. And then she uses her index finger to trace a path from my left ear down to my chest.
I shrug because I don’t know a damn thing to say to her. She’s prying. If I didn’t know any better, then I’d think Mother put her up to something. “Lila, I was thinking maybe we should go with a different song for the interlude.”
Scoffing, she frowns, moves back, and steals a quick glance in Erin’s direction. “I’m surprised the great Aleksandr Dostovsky would consider the opinion of an unknown designer girl over experience.”
Something in me heats up in a bad way. Running a hand through my hair, I take in a deep breath. “It’s Alek Dostov,” I say, emphasizing each syllable. “And that unknown is the one who has designed the dress you’ll be wearing on opening night.”
“I don’t wear things by no-name designers,” she snaps, her face stern.
“Then feel free to have your agent contact mine about how we should work out your replacement.”
Erin walks by as though she’s on a mission to leave before we get a chance to talk. I’m almost certain she read a hell of a lot more into Lila’s little finger trick than she should’ve done.
“Excuse me.” I turn toward the stage, move around Lila, and wave my hand at Nikolai. He’s training his new lead dancer. “Nikolai, can you take my place for a few minutes?” He’s experienced in all things theatre related, including the art of conducting a symphony.
My heart thuds while I wait for his answer. Erin will be gone by the time I catch up with her. I’m out of my element with this desperate need to chase after a female. Maybe I’m going crazy. Or could it be something else? Love? No way!
“No problem, Comrade,” Nikolai answers, a grin spreading across his face. “Got a hot date?” I don’t answer his question. Instead, I start toward the exit. Before I can walk away Lila calls out to me.
“Alek. You do know that Frederico favors me, right? He won’t be too happy to know how you’ve treated me today,” Lila warns.
Doing a mental countdown to calm my temper, I turn back to her. “Frederico lives to be pissed off at me about something. Go ahead and tell him. I wouldn’t feel right if it happened any other way.” I head through the doorway and glance up and down the halls. No Erin. I trot toward the exit, storming out of the lobby doors. She’s standing on the sidewalk, waiting for a taxi.
“I can take you home,” I offer, walking up to her.
“You’ve already done enough,” she snaps. I can tell she’s pissed at me, because she didn't stick around long enough to finish her measurements.
“We need to talk,” I begin.
“About?” She won’t even look at me.
“You know.”
Turning toward me, she narrows her eyes, frowning, and then she says, “Oh, I remember now. We need to talk about you being a—a caveman.” She spits out the word as though it’s venom on her tongue. “And then you didn’t even bother to call.”
“I wanted to give you time to think about things.” I move closer to her. “You were just as willing as I was. Don’t try to make me out to be the horny Neanderthal.”
Folding her arms, she blinks several times before she glances around me as though I’m not standing there. “Accept my proposal,” I want to command, but instead the words come out low and hoarse. “I know you want to.”
“Which one? You have so many,” she says, her dark eyes softening.
“I already know you don’t want to sing for me. I’m talking about the other offer. The one where two obviously horny people get together and work off the frustrations of life, no strings attached.”
“No.”
Ouch. “May I ask why?”
“You’re a player, and one who’s very good at getting what he wants.”
I shrug. “I’m not asking you to swing with me. I’m offering a chance for you to—to be freer.”
“Smooth, Alek. I don’t trust you.”
“You seemed to trust me the other night.”
“No, I trusted your hands and your mouth to do what I needed in order to feel good in the end. It has nothing to do with you.”
I’m hard at once. But since I can’t do anything about it, I do the next best thing. A hearty laugh escapes from inside me. I can’t help it. She’s adorable and sexy. And that thing she does with her left eyebrow and bottom lip goes way past turning me on.
I’m growing an erection just from standing here this close to her. And talking about the things we did backstage at her showing the other night, doesn’t help. I don’t know how much more I can take.
“Oh, too bad. We’ll have to chat another time. There’s my taxi,” she says and walks closer to the street.
“You know what I think? You’re scared,” I blurt before her foot touches the curb.
This catches her attention. She takes a step back toward me as her taxi rolls to a stop behind her. “And what if I am?” she whispers, fear swimming in her eyes. “I can’t let go of any part of me in that way ever again. I’m sorry.”
We’re standing so close to each other that I can almost feel sparks flying between us. In the past, I didn’t understand what it all meant and never wanted to until today.
“Dreams are fickle, Erin. Sometimes we miss out on those and can shrug them off. But getting another chance to make something right in life after you’ve tried, and still done it wrong so many times before, now that kind of thing only happens for a few of us.”
Boom! She’s speechless, caught up in my words. Hell, I’m still wondering about the things I just said myself. She lowers her head and sighs loudly.
“Pardon me. Did one of you call for a taxi?” the driver says to us.
“I’m coming,” she answers him. Then she turns to me and says, “Alright. I’ll consider your proposal. But you have to prove yourself worthy.”
I want to grin, but I don’t want to scare her away. I need to handle her carefully. She’s fragile, even more than she realizes. “What do I have to do?”
“Patience, Maestro. I’ll be in touch.” I follow her to the taxi, making sure she gets safely inside it. I stand there watching until the car disappears around the bend.
“Interesting,” a purring voice says from behind me. I squeeze my eyes shut.
F*ck me now and get it over with.
Turning around, I beam a smile at Lila. “Won’t Katerina be interested in knowing how chummy her son has gotten with the little designer girl?” she says to me, smiling.
I don’t say a word. Ignorance can’t argue with itself. That’s what Nikolai always says. I think he might be wrong.
“Leaving practice early, Lila?” I ask, humoring her.
She sucks her teeth. “Nikolai couldn’t conduct a symphony even if he were about to lose his balls.”
“You’re such a lovely snake, Lila. I don’t doubt your ability to go far in this business,” I say, unable to control my tongue.
“True. But this snake will be happily wearing her own designer’s clothing come performance night.” She slinks her way over to me and swipes at an imaginary piece of lint on my shirt. “Unless you’d like to persuade me to keep quiet about what I just saw...and heard. Don’t want to give Mommy a heart attack, now do we? She’d never approve of you dating a nobody.” I take her wrists and ease her hands away from me.
“You can tell my mother whatever you wish. But in my show, you’ll do as I say.”
“We’ll see, sweet Alek.” She turns and walks toward the parking lot.