Chapter Twenty-Two

The evening after their first night together, Tony texted Allison while she was at work, saying, “Spend the night?” Only three little words, but they meant everything to her. He didn’t want to just have sex and rush off like he told her he’d done with so many girls before. He wanted to make love, he wanted her to sleep by his side, and he wanted to wake up next to her in the morning, and the morning after that.

Allison lay on her stomach in Tony’s bed, staring at the wall in front of her. With final cheer tryouts in the morning, her mind wouldn’t let her sleep. The fall semester had begun last week and she was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. On top of school, she’d spent the past few days practicing her heart out as cheer finals approached. Class. Practice. Waiting tables. Class. Practice. Waiting tables. The routine would have made her crazy if it weren’t for one thing—the man lying beside her every night for the past week. Having him in her life made everything else tolerable.

Opening Day for college football was soon after cheer finals, so Tony had a similar schedule between school and football practice, making their nights together even more precious.

Allison tossed and turned, envisioning every scenario that could go wrong. As a Psych major, she knew this was the absolute wrong way to think. She should be feeding her psyche with positive images—kittens, doves, baby chicks, images of Winged Victory, hearing her name announced as one of the three newest Barracuda girls. But those weren’t the images she saw. She dropped her head and buried her face in the pillow to block the negative messages. Her head popped up when she felt a hand rubbing her back.

“You okay, babe?”

She looked at Tony in the dark room, illuminated by streaks of moonlight filtering through the window blinds. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “S’okay. What’s going on?”

Allison rolled onto her back. “I’m gonna fall on my ass.”

“Huh?”

“At cheer finals. I’m gonna blow it, I just know I will.”

“Hey! What the hell happened to that positive spirit? You’re the optimist in the family, remember?”

Allison chuckled. “Except when it comes to me.”

“You’re not gonna fall on your ass, Allie.” He proclaimed it like it was a known fact. “I’ve seen you work your routine and you nailed it, babe. You’re gonna be great.”

Sighing, she admitted, “I just don’t wanna embarrass myself is all. I know I’m gonna forget somethin’. A step. A jump. A turn. I’m not the best of the bunch.” She shook a finger at him. “And don’t say I am just because I’m your girlfriend. I have no illusions.”

He gripped her finger. “Maybe not, but you have heart and sometimes that’s what makes the difference. Just like with athletes. You don’t always have to be the most talented to be the best, you know?”

“I know what you’re sayin’ and I appreciate it and all, but I feel like I’m hopeless.” She pulled the sheet over her head.

He pulled the sheet back down. “You’re not thinking about backing out, are you?”

Peering up at him, she said, “Maybe,” in a small voice.

“Uh uh. I’m not gonna let you give up!” Tony threw back the covers. He climbed over Allison and got out of bed naked. “Come here.”

Allison cocked her head and looked at him quizzically.

He held out his hands and repeated, “Come here!”

Allison scooted to the edge of the bed and reached for her T-shirt, which was stuffed inside her pillowcase. Tony clutched her wrist before she pulled out the garment all the way. “You won’t be needing that,” he insisted. She looked up at him and he shook his head from side to side and smiled slyly. “Just the way you are, baby.”

“But—”

He gripped both her hands and pulled her to her feet. His eyes roamed her body and he licked his lips. She turned her head and eyed her tee, feeling a little weird about being buck naked outside of bed. “Shut up, you’re gorgeous,” he told her, as if he was reading her mind. He dropped her hands just long enough to grab his phone off the nightstand and navigate to a music video.

Not sure what to do with her arms, she clasped her hands in front of her. “Um. What are you doin’,” she asked.

A slow salsa tune began playing and he set his phone back down. When he reached for her waist she laughed. “That tickles.”

Pulling her closer, he looked deeply into her eyes and spoke in an incredibly sexy voice. “We’re gonna find your center of gravity.”

She briefly imagined him exploring her entire body in search of her center of gravity. Cocking her head, she asked, “What do you mean?”

He slipped his other arm around her waist and pressed her body to his. “Shhhh. Just trust me. Close your eyes.” When she did as he asked, he leaned closer and gently kissed her lips. She relaxed and held onto his muscular biceps. He stroked her backside before moving his hand up to her waist. Bending his knees so his groin pressed flush against hers, he swayed slowly and guided her hips to rotate in sync with his.

Allison was close to forgetting why they were doing this dance. Her inhibitions gone, she was keenly aware of his skin on hers, her body in his arms, the bluesy rhythm of the Tijuana Brass and her sexy Latin lover’s eyes drinking her in. She arched her body to give him a full-on view of her breasts. His breath quickened and he took a step back, holding one of her hands and twirling her around in time with the music. After a twirl and a half, he caught her and pressed her to him, her back to his front. She groaned when felt his hardness press into her buttocks.

With their hips swaying in unison, he held her against him, his fingers pressing into her abdomen and his knee pushed against the back of her knee until they were both standing on one foot. He whispered in her ear, “Feel the music, baby. Concentrate on your core. No matter what I do, hold your balance.” She nodded her acknowledgement and closed her eyes. She forced her mind to zero in on her core despite the fact that his fingers were creeping up her torso toward her breast. His hand rolled over her nipple and palmed it in circular motions, moving from one to the other, over and over. Oh God. When she moaned, he whispered, “Concentrate.”

She felt his lips press into the side of her neck. His teeth scraped along her neck to her shoulder. His other hand moved from her hip up to her breast and he took possession of both breasts, gently pinching both nipples at the same time and rolling them between his fingers, increasing her desire exponentially. She wanted to let herself go, to let her weight fall against his body and give in to him. “This is torture,” she murmured. She could feel his breathy laugh.

“It’s practice,” he whispered, “and you’re perfect.” While his right hand continued to torment her breast, his left hand traveled downward until his fingers found her groin. She sucked the air through her teeth when he reached her most sensitive spot. “Oh my God,” she cried, as her entire body pulsated with pleasure.

She could feel him breathing hard behind her, his desire building in time with the music. He unexpectedly spun her back around and caught her in his arms. She laughed, feeling a combination of dizziness and lust. Both feet were now flat on the floor, nestled between his much larger feet. “See, you didn’t fall, Allie. You won’t fall and you won’t fail,” he promised. He leaned his forehead on hers momentarily before capturing her lips and walking her backward to the bed without breaking the kiss.

With one arm cradling her back, he slowly lowered her onto the bed and gazed into her eyes. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known.” His voice was throaty and deep when he said, “You’re gonna knock ’em out, same way you do me.”

Allison wanted to reply and tell him how amazing he is and how deeply in love with him she is—to hell with waiting for him to say it first—but she was too choked up to speak. She was overwhelmed that he came up with this elaborate exercise just to give her confidence in her abilities. She gazed at him through tear-filled eyes. He reached for the nightstand with one hand, opened the drawer, and fished out a condom. Sliding her hand behind his neck, she pulled him closer. His lips covered hers once again and he climbed on top of her, guiding his arousal between her thighs before sinking inside her.