Page 14 of Aug
He looked at Tiana before turning to face me. With a shake of his head, he asked, “You pissed her off, huh?”
“Mind your fucking business and keep your eyes off her before them motherfuckers end up in your mother’s beef stew.”
Without another word, I exited Balle’s suite. Rehearsal was over and neither of the girls was in a rush to exit. Both were still coming down from the rush their battered toes gave them. While I’d never understand their commitment to the art of ballet, I admired it. The shit was difficult.
Outside of the suite, I tried ridding my brain of the distraction. But the second my attempts began, they failed miserably. The distraction exited the suite with her nose and chest in the air.
Her hair was in a sleek ponytail, twirled around in a donut shape. The brown one-piece she wore hugged her body.
Just as I had.
Just as I wanted to.
Just as I needed to.
Just as I longed to.
Mesmerized by her existence in totality, I watched as she walked toward me. Her legs never stopped when she reached me. Her eyes never changed their focal point.
You’re on duty.I reminded myself and placed my hands behind my back. I laced them together, hoping to refrain from touching her.
Wrapping my hands around her.
Snatching her ass up.
Pulling her ass toward me.
And then toward her suite, where I would get rid of that attitude once and for all. Because, frankly, I couldn’t stand it. Simultaneously, I loved it.
You’re fucked up. I noted, shaking my thoughts loose.
Ti. Look at me.
It had been two days since I’d been inside of her. I hated the fact that so much time had passed, but I had shit to handle. I’d never been the type to make empty threats, especially to someone who’d hurt someone in my immediate circle.
In addition, Koen had skipped out on work for almost twenty-four hours. One of his children had oral surgery. He wanted to be there before they went under, when they woke up, and until they felt better.
I needed my head in the game to make sure Balle was secured. I couldn’t have her getting hurt on my watch. That had happened before, and I was still recovering from that shit. I doubted I would ever stop blaming myself, but I was a work in progress.All the way around.
Her footsteps were calculated. She carefully placed her feet on the ground. Tiana was as poised as they came. Never sloppy. Never loosened. Always well put together. Always sure of her very next move. Next step.
Except that night.
Thoughts of her legs wrapped around me pushed me forward. My hands were no longer behind my back. They were on her. And, my body was no longer pressed against the wall. It was hers.
“Fix your face, Ti.”
“Let go of me, August,” she demanded.
I didn’t loosen my grip. I couldn’t. One hand was around her neck. The other held her small wrists together. My hands were massive in comparison to hers.
Silence caused an ache in my chest. I wanted her to say something. Say the things she was thinking. Say the things she was feeling. Because for the life of me, I couldn’t. The words just wouldn’t surface.
“Say something,” I begged, peering down at her beautiful face.
Fearlessly, she peered up at me. Both pain and disgust scribbled across her irises.
That shit hit me like a sack of bricks. I imagined this would happen. I fully understood my ability to damage a perfect woman. But that’s not what I wanted for Tiana. And me. And us.
