“Yeah,” I whispered, barely able to meet his gaze. “I just… I want to know what it’s like. And I trust you.”
Something shifted in his expression—something darker, more focused. He reached out, his fingers brushing against my jaw before tilting my face up toward him. His thumb traced a slow, deliberate line along my cheek, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“Okay,” he declared. “I’m not holding back.”
“Please.” I breathed.
My lips crashed into his, it started slow, his mouth moving against my own with this delicate precision and I couldn’t help but melt into his embrace entirely. He hand slid up the back of my back pulling me closer.
His tongue brushed my bottom lip and I parted my mouth without restraint, the earth itself tilted on its axis for us. I drowned in every expression of him. The warmth of him and the sheer intensity of the kiss made me dizzy. His tongue tauntedmine slow and delicate feeling unreeled by the way he devoured me like he was a man starved.
Wynter wasn’t just kissing me. He was teaching me, guiding me with every movement. His other hand slid to my waist as he tilted my head anchoring me. I couldn’t help the soft sound that expected my lips and I felt his twitch with a faint smirk.
“Breathe darling.” He murmured against my mouth his voice low and breathless.
“I’m trying.” I whispered back with shaky hands to his chest. “I’m relaxed.”
He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye his dark eyes ablaze with something that made a shiver cascade down my spine. “Not yet.” he said softly, and before I could respond his mouth was on mine again and this time there was nothing gentle about it “you will be, though.”
The kid turned hotter, messier, his tongue exploring mine with a confidence that left me completely breathless. I pressed closer to him my hands tangling in his shirt as I tried to match his pace but he was always one step ahead keeping me on the edge of losing control. He grabbed ahold of my leg and leaned over me pressing our bodies together. “I didn’t know…” he breathed.
“What didn’t you know?” I wondered placing my hand on his cheek.
“That you wanted me…” he brushed his full lips over mine, “This bad.”
“I do.” I swallowed.
“I’ll give it to you, whatever you want. But for now I’ll just kiss you.” He assured me.
His lips were urgent, searching, tasting. I barely had time to process it before his hands slid to my waist, pulling me into him.
His touch was possessive, as if he couldn't get enough of me, and I responded just as fiercely. My fingers tangled in his hair,tugging him closer as I deepened the kiss, pressing my body against his.
The world outside disappeared, the only thing that mattered was the heat between us, the frantic need to be closer, to feel more. I could taste the sweetness of the hot chocolate on his lips, but it was overtaken by the heady rush of his kiss, something far more intoxicating. Every second felt like an eternity, each press of his mouth pushing me further into the edge of something I didn't want to pull back from.
When we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathing hard, the air between us thick and electric. My lips tingled, swollen from the kiss, and I couldn’t stop staring at him.
“Wow,” I managed, my voice barely a whisper.
He smirked, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip, sending another shiver through me. “Not bad for a first lesson.”
“Lesson?” I said, my voice still unsteady but laced with a hint of teasing. “I didn’t realize we were studying.”
He chuckled, his voice low and rough. “You wanted to learn, didn’t you?”
I bit my lip, my cheeks heating again. “Yeah, well… I think I need a few more lessons.”
His smirk deepened, and he leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “Then we’d better make some time, I like for my students to graduate with honours.”
And just like that, the cold outside didn’t matter. We somehow had turned the quiet little car into the warmest place in the world.
31
Family That I Chose
The ballet studio was alive with the sound of soft piano notes and the occasional slap of pointe shoes against polished wood floors. My muscles ached in the best way, my legs burning as I pushed through another round of turns across the room.
I had been sitting in the worst anticipation ever since my audition, they were going to announce who was going to play lead this Friday, and I was nothing but a bundle of nerves. I needed to win more than I needed the air in my lungs. I need to prove myself, not just myself, but to my family. I was determined to show other young Indonesian and Zambian ballerinas thatthey could make it in an industry like this, despite the fact that it was so harsh against us. So you see, getting lead was more than just a role.
