Maze (The Ballerina Series #2) (11 page)

“What’s
wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing.
Your parents and Ben and Bev are great people.”

“Yes,
they are and they’ve accepted you as an important part of my life, too.”

“You
think so?”

“Yes.”

Little
did they know.

We
weren’t near enough to hear everything the doctor told them but we heard some
of it and from the way everyone’s shoulders relaxed it seemed like good news.
Allison turned to us and smiled. “She’s going to be fine kids. They got it
all.”

Ivy
jumped up and rushed to her family, embracing everyone. They stood there crying
and holding onto each other.

Yeah,
normal. I never felt more like an outsider watching them. The love and care
they had for each other was palpable. Joe and I loved each other but we’d never
really been the touchy sort until he landed in the hospital. These people
showed affection like that all the time. I’m glad I had that brief kind of time
with Joe, to tell him I loved him. It wasn’t till Ivy entered my life I even
became aware of the different types of intimacy existing between people. Love
and loyalty yes, but this was somehow different. What I saw before me I’d never
been a part of. But then Ivy, my amazing Ivy, looked up and held out her hand
to me. Unable to stop myself, I got up and grasped it like my life depended on
it. She enclosed me in the circle. But in my heart I was well aware she
couldn’t save me. It was too late.

Chapter Eleven

Ivy

I
lay on my side facing Maze and watching him sleep. God he took my breath away.
I smiled. Such a stupid thing to think a person could be responsible for every
breath you take, but nonetheless true. Cause he was. But something was wrong. I
thought at first it had to do with Joe’s death, but ever since we’d gotten back
from Maryland there was something forced about Maze. Like he tried to distance
himself from me, from us. He was still demonstrative and loving, he’d still
kiss me or hold my hand every chance he got but at night, at night he’d just
hold me and fall asleep. I knew he spent most of his days in the gym.

The
new equipment had come and been installed and he’d been trying everything out.
Developing an exercise routine for some of the new fighters he’d already taken
on. And he even had me down there doing some upper body and core exercises. He
was right, it did feel good to exercise. Even if I couldn’t do anything that
put weight on my foot. He explained about some of the exercises he’d have me do
once the cast was off and it made perfect sense. I actually began to believe I
might have a shot. While thanks to Maze I felt optimistic about my future as a
dancer, but underneath it all a thread of sadness ran through our relationship.
I couldn’t put my finger on the cause only that it was there. Yet, we were
happy together. I knew we were. He kissed and touched me every chance he got.
There were times I’d feel eyes on me and look up to find him staring at me, and
he’d wink or smile. But we’d been back from my parents for the last five days
and we hadn’t made love.

Maze
who couldn’t keep his hands off me or let me keep my hands off him was too
tired at night. He’d either fall into bed before I got there or long after I’d
fallen asleep, and all he’d want to do was sleep. In the morning he’d usually
be up before me and down in the gym.

I’d
leave in a couple of days for Philly with Dante and I aimed to change whatever
held him back tonight.

Maze
lay on his side facing me but when I shifted out of his embrace he rolled onto
his back, one arm flung straight out. I pulled off my t-shirt but left my
boxer-style underwear on. I watched as his chest rose and fell. His breathing
even, he slept on.

Not
for long.

I
scooted farther down his torso, pulling the covers up and off of him as I
moved. I smiled as his body was revealed to me even though parts of him lay in
shadows on the mattress. I could see enough of his shape to tell his dick lay
placid against him. One leg rested stretched straight out and the other curled
up.

I
made my way to the space he’d left open in the center. Lowering my head, I
tasted him from base to tip. His dick pulsed. I kissed the mushroom top and it
jumped to full life. I licked around the head before taking him into my mouth.
He groaned, spreading his legs wider to give me easier access.

“Ivy,”
he breathed.

“Mmm…”
was all I could manage as I knelt before him and took him deeper into my mouth.
Loving his texture, the size of him filling my mouth. His taste. Loving the
pleasure I drew from him every time he groaned. He flexed his hips in rhythm
with my movements. Pushing himself farther into my throat until I took all of
him in. I wrapped one hand around his balls and his stem to hold him steady,
while I sucked him off. His fingers moved and grasped my other hand that lay on
the bed beside him. He entwined our fingers and squeezed as I worked him. I
lifted my mouth off him and removed my hand from his so I could mount him. I
still held him within my grasp, while he held on to my waist and guided me over
his wet shaft. I slid him slowly into me and moaned.

Our
breaths came in and out in sync.

His
chest rose and fell. His eyes were halfway closed but they were aimed on the
space where we were joined. “Ride me, baby. Take me with you.”

And
I did. I placed my palms on his chest and felt the vibration of his heart
through my fingers all the way to my soul. He pulsed for me inside and out. He
grasped my hands and I gripped him with my inner muscles to hold him inside of
me. Continuing to hold onto his hands, I leaned back until my back almost touched
the mattress between his legs. All the while he pushed into me.

“Damn,
girl.” Maze moaned.

Using
nothing but pure core strength he pulled us both up until we were face to face.
I sat on his lap with him still buried deep inside of me. My arms wrapped around
his neck. He buried his face in the center of my tits and kissed both sides
before wrapping one hand around my waist. With his other hand, he gripped the
back of my head and plastered our mouths together as he erupted inside of me
and I drenched him in my cum.

He
stopped kissing me but his lips hovered over mine. His words came out more as a
breath. “I love you. I need you to know that. I love you and always will.”

“I
love you, too.”

He
lifted me slightly until his dick rested calm between us. I looked down at him.
I could barely see him in the dark and smiled. I rolled off him and onto the
bed. He got up and walked into the bathroom. I heard the water go on in there
and then he came out with a wash cloth. It was warm and he proceeded to clean
between my legs. It was one of the sweetest things he’d ever done and I wanted
him again. He dropped the washcloth on the floor and climbed back up on the
bed. Face to face he used his knee to nudge my leg apart so he could move his
leg between mine. He rested one arm under my neck the other across my hip.
Leaning forward he kissed my nose. “Sleep, baby.”

“Maze?”

“Yeah?”

“Are
we okay? Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

I
wanted to believe him, I did. But his face was engulfed in shadows and I
couldn’t see his eyes. I wanted to believe he was still just grieving for Joe.
It took me a long time to get over Shelly’s death. To function normally. So
maybe all Maze needed was a little more time. And a lot of love. So I scooted
even closer and he tightened his embrace. I closed my eyes, and let sleep and
the feeling of safety I got from being in his arms surround me.

****

Two
weeks without my Maze. I’m not sure how I survived it. He’d flown out once to
see me in Philly but only for two days. It would be difficult for me to
navigate on one or even two crutches through the airport, and he refused to
have me do so. This sucked, and even when he was here he seemed distant. But
wouldn’t tell me what was up. I was miserable. I enjoyed what Dante and I had
accomplished with the group of young and talented dancers. The problem came
when I was alone, missing Maze, and the thoughts I could no longer keep out of
my mind pushed to the surface.

Before
I’d left New York we made love several times. Morning, noon, and night. He even
corned me in the private room he’d set aside for Dante and me to practice in.
He had mirrors put in and a ballet bar. He’d put in a wooden floor so we could
do pointe. The day the installation was finished he took me in there and shut
and locked the door. The next thing I knew he had me on the floor watching us
in the mirror as we made love. I get hot for him just thinking about it.
Picturing him gliding in and out of me, his flesh wet with my essence. All the
while we watched each other in the mirror.

I
left him in New York thinking things were better now. That he was better and
the worst of his grief put behind us. But when he’d come to Philly I wasn’t so
sure. Again I couldn’t put my finger on the problem, and when I asked him about
what was bothering him, he insisted everything was fine.

I
sat on the flight next to Dante, on my way back to New York, with a lot of
thoughts swirling in my mind. Maze would pick me up at the airport tonight, and
I wanted this settled once and for all, whatever was going on with him. Ever
since Joe’s death he’d distanced himself from me and I couldn’t stand it
anymore.

Earlier
that morning Dante showed me an article on his
iPad
. It was about two deaths that occurred in Chinatown recently.
The reason it stuck with me was because I recognized the picture of one of the
dead men the article talked about. He was the guy at the rooftop bar that
night. The one who tried to egg Maze into a fight. He’d been beheaded by a
sharp object. But the thing that had my heart racing was the rest of the
article. His death might be linked to another that occurred two weeks before.
Both men were known to have ties to the local Triad and the article speculated
the deaths were related to a turf war. Which was why Dante showed it to me. I
did not want to believe Maze knew anything about it. He had nothing to do with
the Triad any more. Thank God! But what if he were in danger of some kind? What
if he could have been one of those guys killed because of this war? Was he a
target? I had to know.

After
we exited the passenger only area of the airport, we took the escalator down to
baggage claim. I saw a familiar face at the bottom of the steps. I missed him
so much.

I
walked right into Maze’s arms and he pressed his lips to mine. We were so
wrapped up in each other it wasn’t until I heard Dante’s voice saying, “For
Christ sake get a room,” that I pulled away and realized we were blocking the
path.

“Hey,
man,” Maze said by way of greeting to Dante. He took the carryon I held out of
my hand and placed the strap over his shoulder, then took my hand in his.

“Come
on let’s go.” He turned and led the way to the baggage claim area. Dante walked
on the other side of me as I hobbled along.

“How
was the flight?” Maze asked.

“It
was good,” I said.

“Yeah,
not bad for a puddle jumper,” Dante quipped.

“I’d
have gotten you first class tickets but most of the non-stop flights are on the
smaller planes,” Maze said to me.

“It’s
fine. We’re here now.”

We
grabbed our bags from the claim area and Maze called Will to let him know what
arrival point to pick us up from. We didn’t have long to wait before the limo
pulled up and we piled into the car. Traffic wasn’t too bad so we made good
time into the city and stopped to drop Dante off first. I sat in the middle of
the guys so I turned and gave Dante a hug before he stepped out of the car.

“I’ll
talk to you tomorrow and we can set up a schedule after my cast comes off,” I
said.

“Sounds
good. Have a good evening you two,” Dante said. “And don’t do anything I
would.”

“No
worries there.” I laughed. God alone knew the things Dante would do.

He
got out and closed the door.

I
leaned back into Maze’s embrace. It was going to be strange not seeing Dante
every day again. We’d had a lot of fun together, just like always. I really
enjoyed the chorography we came up with, and teaching was fun, too. Now I knew
if I had to give up dancing professionally it would be choreography I’d peruse.

Maze
circled both arms around me, hugging me tighter to him and bringing my thoughts
back to him, to us. He felt so good. Yet, I couldn’t quite forget the article
weighing on me since I read it earlier this morning. But I didn’t want to begin
the conversation I knew we had to have in the car. I would wait until we got
home.

I
threaded my arm though his. “I missed this,” I said.

“Me,
too.”

“Are
you sorry you let me go away for so long?”

“No.
I know how much it meant to you.”

I
twisted to glance up at him. “Thank you.” I kissed the bottom of his chin, then
sat back against him. “You know if they chose our piece it will be presented at
the festival in less than two months and I’ll be gone for two maybe three days
then.”

“Of
course they’ll choose your piece. They’d be crazy not to.”

“Will
you come with me?”

“I’ll
come the night of the performance. I’d just be in your way the rest of the time.”

I
turned to look at him again, shifting to make sure he could see the sincerity
in my face. “You will never be in the way. I want you to come.”

“We’ll
see. I took on a couple of fighters and one might have a fight around that
time.”