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“How do you do it,” I whispered. He took a small step toward me and I held my breath. I watched as his eyes skated across my face, my eyes, nose, to my cheeks...where they locked on my mouth. We were balancing on a fine line and we both knew it.
My heart raced, the blood in my veins heating as his gaze struck me to the core. My lips parted, a soft breath expelling. I didn’t know what to do, what to say. Kova was so close as we stood alone in the darkened gym. I thought about how he touched me the other day in the cafe and the way he looked at me. It was nothing compared to the way his eyes were boring into mine in this moment where no one could see us. It rendered me speechless. Anything could happen now—and that intrigued me.
Tension crackled and I knew he felt it. There was no denying the invisible pull or the gleaming look in his eyes. Lifting his hand, the back of his chalk covered knuckles brushed across the edge of my jaw. I knew he shouldn’t be doing it, he sure as hell knew he shouldn’t be, but I tilted my head into his hand, asking for more.
Leaning down, he whispered, “Do what?”
“How do you hold steady on the rings the way you do? I was in awe watching you. You move so quietly, I can’t tear my eyes away.”
“Control.”
The heat of his body radiated on to mine and I felt his response on my lips. My heart pounded painfully against my ribs. Kova was as exhilarating as his touch. I wanted so badly to reach out and grab him.
“Control. Power. Muscle memory,” he responded huskily, the look in his eyes piercing me. “You have to know your body inside and out. When to let go. When to hold on. You have to feel it, visualize it...want it.”
“How do you know when to let go?”
“Your body will tell you. Listen to your body, Ria. Trust it. What is it telling you?” he asked in a smoky voice, sending goose bumps down my arms. I loved when he called me Ria when no one else was around.
Biting my bottom lip, my eyes slowly met his as I gripped his thick wrist that cupped my face. My other hand reached for his waist and latched on. I couldn’t stop myself, I wanted to feel him...I needed to. If he was touching me, I could touch him. It was only fair. At least now I had an excuse—a justification. But what I really wanted to do was trace the tattoo on his ribs.
My fingers caressed his taut hips, the back of my knuckles dragged along the waistband of his shorts ever so delicately. Kova’s eyes widened and he drew in a shaky breath as his stomach flexed. He wasn’t expecting it, and truthfully, I didn’t know where I got the courage to do it. I stepped closer to continue my exploration.
I couldn’t keep my hands to myself, I didn’t want to. I wanted to know what it was like to be pressed against him, my heart to his, beating at the same time.
Our chests nearly closed the distance, our gazes locked, and I could feel the heat of his skin under my hand. A million thoughts were running through my mind. Every second passed was like torture. His body was solid as stone but soft to the touch. I slid my hand up his ribs, my thumb finally circling the tattoo.
“I like your tattoo,” I admitted. “A lot.” A slow breath rolled off his lips and into my face. A faint hint of cranberry and vodka.
“I want to learn control like you,” I whispered.
“All in good time.”
“Teach me.”
“Control?”
I nodded, taking in every inch of his chest.
“You ask for too much.”
I stared up through my eyelashes, trying to conceal my emotions. He was right. I was asking for more than gymnastics and he knew it, but at the same time I didn’t know exactly what I was asking for. I had no idea what I wanted and more importantly, I had no idea what the hell we were doing.
We’d be
en dancing around each other for weeks now. The lingering touches, the long stares. It was building, simmering between us.
With both trembling hands now resting on his firm chest, one of his hardened nipples grazed the bottom of my palm and he contracted. His head angled down, his eyes boring into mine. If only I was a little taller.
“Is this what control is?” My gaze traveled to his mouth as I slightly tilted my head and lifted up to the balls of my feet. I wanted to kiss him desperately, to feel his lips pressed to mine. “Wanting to try a new skill without preparing for it first? That I could be risking everything?”
I was purely infatuated with him.
Kova reached out and gripped my arm from my temptation laced words. His fingers dug into my bicep. I watched his control waver, and for a selfish moment, I hoped it snapped.
“That is exactly what it is,” he said quietly. “Wanting to try something so badly but knowing it is not the right step. At least not yet. Knowing when to spring forward and knowing when not to. You perfect your craft to the best of your ability when you are ready. It is also about control and trust. Trust more than anything in yourself.”
“When will I know?” I whispered.
