I TOOK OUT MY PHONE and texted him.
Scarlet.Ricci: I’m here. I’ll meet you after the game xox
The rest of the game didn’t go any better. They tied, and from the grumbles of the crowd, that was bad news for the team. A text message from Tyler came in shortly after.
Tyler.Wilson: Meet me at the parking lot. I’ll let the attendant know to let you in.
After saying goodbye to Zoey, I went to where Tyler had organized for me to meet up with him in the parking area. There I found him leaning against his car. His black eye was gone and his face was just as handsome as always, and that tingling sensation went through me, the one I always had in his presence.
I called his name and his head turned toward where I stood. Once I could see his eyes, I could see his misery. I went over to wrap my arms around him, but he stepped back and unlocked his car. “We should get going.”
Glancing around, I caught sight of the long faces of his teammates staring back at me. Tyler couldn’t do his part, and they all suffered for it. Seeing us together was like slicing open a wound; it was better that we left. Still, once we were on the road, I decided to give Tyler a chance to talk about it.
“It was hard for you today at the game,” I broached.
“I’m on the bench, and Lance smiled at me, I think, but that’s it. No one wants to catch shit from Coach Frost. I know they’re upset that I’m not playing. We all want to win. We’ve dropped to number three in the league,” he replied, his tone hard to discern. “I hate it, but I’m doing whatever I can. I got some public stuff set up with an agent, a friend of mine, to continue to turn around my image and hopefully get in better with my club.”
“That’s great,” I said, and I meant it. “I’m sorry about your team.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Well, at least me on the bench isn’t making the club or the crowd happy, especially since they don’t really know the reason Coach Frost hasn’t put me back in.”
“That’s the one thing working for us.” I sighed. “No one knows and our suspensions are over. Zoey’s doing well,” I said for a slight change in subject.
“Yes.” He smiled proudly. “Mom told me she might get soloist. She and Dad are still talking to me, and Zoey is too now. She came up to me at the game, asked me to call her.”
I smiled. “Good. I never wanted to affect your relationship.”
“Yeah, but now she knows I’m not giving you up,” he said. “I miss you.”
We rode in silence until we reached Midtown. There he pulled over and leaned across the car, and I shivered as he ran his hand down the side of my face. “Thank you for seeing me.”
I leaned into his hand, my eyes darting over him. He had a shadow around his eyes. “You look tired. We can try another night.”
“I’m all right.” He caressed my cheek and dropped his hand. “It’s good to see you.”
My lips spread into a smile. I was thinking the same thing.
“Where would you like to go for dinner?” he asked.
“How about you come to my place?” I said, surprising myself. “I can make something or we can order takeout. There’s a Japanese restaurant that delivers.”
“I’d love that.” He didn’t need directions since Zoey lived in the same building. After we parked, a rush of nervous energy filled me at the possibility of us being alone together in my place. The simple press of his hand low on my back caused a tightening in my body. When I didn’t move away, his hands journeyed lower on my hips when the elevator closed. If we were already touching each other there, it would go even further when we were completely alone. It would have been fine, but what if I was pregnant?
I stiffened in his arms and Tyler dropped his hands.
“We’ll do whatever you want. I came to spend time with you. We don’t have to have sex.”
“It’s not that,” I said then went quiet until we were standing inside my place. I dropped my head. “I have something I need to tell you.”
He lifted my chin up to look at him, his eyes as kind as ever. “You can always tell me anything, sweetheart.”
“My…period’s late,” I said softly. “I’m on the pill as we discussed, and it has been late before. It could be stress, but now that I’ve had sex, I’ve got to consider every possibility.”
“Then we get a test,” he said simply. “There’s a pharmacy at the corner of this building.”
I peered at him through my lashes. “That’s it? I mean, aren’t we both supposed to freak?”
He lifted his broad shoulders. “Why freak about something we don’t know to freak about yet.”
I laughed a little. He made sense. Still, it could be a life-changing day for us.
He put his arm around my shoulder. “Want me to go get them?”
I shook my head. The last thing I needed was for him to run into Zoey or someone recognize him. Besides, I wanted to handle it myself. “No, I’ll do it. I’ll be right back.”
My hands trembled as I went through my bag for my purse, my mind rushing ahead to all the things that could happen if I was pregnant. The one that hurt the most was that a baby now could cause the end of my dance career, just like it had for my mother. I swallowed hard against the sob that rose in my throat.
His hands covered mine. “You’re not alone. I’m right here, whatever we decide together—a baby now, later, surrogate, or never.”
“You may feel that way now…” I stammered.
“I hope you learn to trust me in time.” He hugged me to him. “I have forever to show you.”
My heart and eyes filled. If he hadn’t already had my heart, I would’ve given it to him then. “I’ll be right back.” A thought came into my head: I’d just brought him to my place for the first time, and I hadn’t even showed him around. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Don’t worry about me.” He walked over and sat down on the couch then turned on the television like he’d lived there his whole life.
“I’ll be right here. I’ll order dinner.” He winked. “It will be fine.”
I thanked him and left, anxious to find out the test results. I went down to the pharmacy and found the test along the aisle. There were quite a few to choose from—emoticons, plus minus? I wasn’t sure, so I grabbed a few along with some miscellaneous items to hide my purchase. I paid, quickly put them in my bag, and rushed back up to my apartment.
When I entered, Tyler called me over to sit with him on the couch. “I know this is hard for your career as a dancer.”
I dipped my chin. “Yes. I know for my mom, it was the end of her career. She said she doesn’t resent us, but I know she wanted to be a ballerina. I do too, even more so after the suspension. I found all I could think about was getting back to dancing, and you,” I added and our gazes locked.
Tyler brushed his lips lightly against mine.
“I understand that, and truthfully, it does freak me out a bit,” he admitted. “But only because we’ve been apart and I’d like for us to spend more time together, but with our schedules it’s not easy. Our family starts with the two of us. That’s what I care about. What I don’t want is to be without you anymore. Now that I’ve found happiness, I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to lose you. I love you.”
My heart leapt. He loves me. I went into his arms in an emotional embrace. I didn’t want to be without him either, but we were now waiting for a result that could change everything for us forever.
“I’ll tell you the results when I’m done,” I said, heading over to the bathroom, but Tyler followed me inside and shut the door.
I read the instructions and blushed. Some mysteries were better left in place. “I think I can do the first part on my own.”
His face softened. “Okay, but call out when you’re done.”
I took the test and we both waited for the longest ten minutes of my life. What would we do if it was positive? I didn’t know. It was like our lives were on top of a tidal wave that just wouldn’t stop crashing.
My heart hammered hard against my ribcage. Line…oh God.
“Does that look like a plus?” I shrieked.
“No, that one was supposed to have a happy face,” he said. “It’s frowning. See the curve of the mouth? It’s negative.”
My hands trembled as I looked at the other result: negative.
I sighed heavily in relief.
He hugged me tight and kissed the top of my head. “You’ve been under a lot of stress, like you said.” He took my waist. “You can make an appointment, though, if you feel worried. I’ll go with you.”
He was so…wonderful. “You’re just so…good.”
I arched against his jeans and found that he was semi-hard. He put me down and took out his wallet and a condom.
I giggled and he raised a brow. “I always thought the condom in the wallet was a myth.”
“No myth,” he said without humor. “We can do other things. I can follow wherever and whatever you want me to do to you.”
“Back to the lessons,” I half-joked. In all honesty, they’d never felt like lessons. He treated me like a good friend and lover. He never made me feel lacking in my inexperience, yet another reason I loved him. His gaze was possessive as it moved over me like he had already stripped me naked, and I wanted all that look promised.
Without my telling him, he understood and didn’t hesitate to carry me to my bedroom.
His eyes never left mine as he laid me down, freeing me of my clothes and placing my hands over my head before I could take his off. Desire flooded my body under his gaze. I wrapped my legs around his hips and writhed against his hard length as it grazed my clitoris through his tight pants. The fabric against my sensitive flesh unexpectedly made me hotter, and I let out a low moan.
“Damn, that was hot. Do that again.” He rolled his hips to increase the friction and kissed me deeply, his tongue stroking erotically until I was moaning against his lips as an orgasm took me.
Taking my hand, he moved it over his sculpted bare flesh, intensifying our connection and fueling the desire in me once more. I was more than ready when he produced the condom and handed it to me.
His hands closed around mine. “Lick up my shaft and suck on the head, then put on the condom.”
I knelt between his long muscular legs. Okay, I can do this. I dragged my tongue up and down and groaned as I sucked the thick salty liquid that was his pre-cum off the head. With every shudder and moan, I grew in confidence. Running my tongue over the velvety length of him, I teased the head of his cock until he stopped me and showed me how to guide the thin latex down over his thick erection.
“Open your legs,” he said, helping me gap them open. “God, you’re so beautiful.”
He reached between my thighs and pushed his finger inside my depths, enticing me till I moved against his hand. He then slid himself beneath my hips, with my legs on either side of his thighs. My hands positioned his cock at my entrance.
His body tensed. “Ease down,” he said softly.
Slowly I lowered myself until I took in the full length of him.
His hands closed on my hips and he guided me on how to move in a way that had us both crying out in pleasure as we worked together into a climax, losing ourselves in each other.
“Let me see you,” he said. Our eyes tangled together in pleasure as our orgasms found us.
My heart was full of love and peace in his arms. Now that I had him again, there was no way I’d ever let go. “What are you thinking?” he whispered.
How much I love you. My heart became too full and tears lifted to my eyes. I lowered my eyelids. He brushed his lips against them as I said, “I love you.”
He said it in return, and I dived into the warmth of the words and feelings.
We stayed joined, our hearts beating wildly, neither one of us wanting to break away. Still, a lot was on my mind, most of all, where we were going. We hadn’t even had a real chance to get started.
“What are we going to do?”
“Be together,” he answered. “That’s what I want.”
“I want that, and all that we have. My family, the ballet—I need them all.”
He ran his hand up and down my back. “We’ll find a way to work it out together.”
I wanted to believe him, and I also knew him being a part of my life meant he would need to be a part of building it. We’d work to find a way.
We ate our takeout and I gave him the shortest apartment tour ever. Though I had more empty space than furnishings, I was enthusiastic in that it gave me the independence I craved, though admittedly, us being together made it even better. I truly missed him. He agreed to stay the night and we settled down in my bed. When he had me wrapped up in his arms, there was nowhere else I wanted to be.
We got up early and I ran over to the bathroom. My period! I took out a tampon from my bag then strolled back in and told Tyler.
He laughed. “Is your period a cause for celebration? You see? Being with me and having sex took away all your worries,” he joked. “You need me.”
I went over and took his hands. “I do need you, Tyler, but I’d like to keep dancing right now. I haven’t reached where I want to be yet.”
“I haven’t either,” he said before pecking my lips. “So, we’ve got that to work on together.” He was so certain and confident in our future, and I wanted to get caught up in his dream too.
Now that our suspension was done, I didn’t see any reason why we had to hide anymore. So, when Tyler offered me a ride, I said, “Thanks.”
“Good,” he said.
“Is there a press event today?” he asked. There was a crowd of photographers and news vans at the entrance.
“Not sure,” I said slowly. Once I was out of the car, I heard someone in the crowd call out, “Oh, there’s Tyler Wilson.”
A few photographers and a couple with microphones rushed over to me. I motioned for Tyler to go, but he didn’t pull away from the curb. I moved quickly toward the door.
“That’s Tyler Wilson,” someone announced. They turned and looked at me. “You’re the dancer who was suspended from Le Parc, aren’t you?”
I tightened my hand on my bag and my heartbeat raced. Somehow the news had been leaked to the press, though late. “If I’m suspended, what am I doing here?”
“You don’t deny you’re the one with Tyler Wilson?”
“I hear the affair has heated up so much they are planning to suspend the joint program!”
“Is your relationship real or an attempt to salvage the failed event?”
My mouth went dry. They can’t do that. Priscilla’s warning about a sensational story overshadowing the press of the ballet, the soccer team, and the foundation haunted me. Guilt caused my stomach to lurch as I pressed forward to the door that had now a security officer standing outside, requesting ID badges to get in.
Reaching in my bag, I fumbled for my ID amidst the flashes of the cameras. A tug on my sleeve and flop! My bag finally gave way and dropped open, leaving me to scramble to collect my leotard, shirt, and bottle of water. I should go to Tyler. I turned to try to find him.
A hand appeared in front of me—Zoey. She shouldered and pushed us through the door. I would have laughed, but I was more concerned about how Tyler had faired. “He texted me to help you and now he’s off to Yankee Stadium.”
Relief washed through me as I quickly searched my bag to check for what was missing. I couldn’t find my liquid skin or muscle ointment, so I went back to the door and let my eyes dart over the ground as other dancers came in. I zeroed in on the lost items, but also saw one of the pregnancy test boxes. I must have taken one of them out of the box and left it in my bag. My stomach muscles twisted. Had anyone noticed it? A few other dancers came in, forcing me to step aside to avoid blocking the path.
“You all right?” Zoey asked.
I waved her ahead. “Yeah, I just need a minute.” Or ten.
“Scarlet.”
I looked up to find Christophe at the top of the stairs. “You have five minutes until the start of practice. Don’t be late.” His expression was pensive, but still caused a lift in my spirits. Word was out and there was nothing to stop it. I put aside my panic in a rush to dance.