Lily thunders down the stairs. She’s dressed in a pink leotard, tights, and ballet shoes. She looks ready for a dance class. “Is she here yet?”
“Not yet. Why are you dressed like you’re going to class?”
“Miss Alyssa is coming over. Maybe she can give me a lesson in my new room.”
“Miss Alyssa is only having a look at the space and advising where things should go. I still need to put it all together. That’s not happening tonight.”
Lily’s face drops with disappointment.
Outside, headlights shine through the living room window as a car travels up the long driveway, stopping at the front of the house. As Alyssa steps out of the car, she glances up at the house, looking unsure. Like she’s trying to decide whether to come inside.
When the car drives away, she makes her way to the door. The bell chimes, and Lily bounces on her toes. “I’ll get it!” She races to answer the door, and I follow close behind.
Lily swings the door open. Even though I saw Alyssa through the window, my breath catches in my throat. Dressed in black cargo pants, and a tight, black tank top, with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, she’s gorgeous. Every time I see her, her beauty smacks me in the face.
When I don’t say a word, she smiles with uncertainty. “Can I come in?”
Fuck! I’m staring at her with my tongue glued to the roof of my mouth. Thankfully, Lily pipes up and says, “You can’t look at my room from outside, silly.” Lily holds onto Alyssa’s hand and pulls her inside.
Alyssa takes in Lily’s costume. “You look ready to dance on stage. Are you on your way to a performance?”
Lily swings her hips from side to side. “No, but I want to show you something I’ve been practicing.”
“I can’t wait to see it. I’m sure it will be amazing.” Alyssa smiles with genuine interest. If this is how she is in class, I can see why Lily is infatuated with her.
“Can I show you now?” Lily asks.
Alyssa glances at me, looking unsure of how to answer. “How about we show Miss Alyssa your room first.”
“Okay.” Lily bounces on her toes. “Follow me,” she says as she races from the foyer and disappears upstairs.
Alyssa giggles, and the sound squeezes something in my chest. “She’s a little excited.”
“She hasn’t stopped talking about you designing the room all afternoon.”
“Designing is a bit of a stretch. It’s easy putting a few mirrors and a barre against walls.”
“Well, thank you. You’ve made her a happy girl.”
“You’re welcome.”
We stare at each other as awkward moments of silence follow. I feel like I need to apologize for the shitty things I’ve said and done to her, yet isn’t it better that she think I’m an asshole? If she hates the sight of me, can’t stand to be around me, there’ll be no chance of anything happening again. Then I can put her out of my mind, get on with my life, and forget I had a moment of weakness. As she looks at me with her big brown eyes, I have a feeling it may take a while.
“I’ll take you to the guest room.” As we make our way to the stairs, I notice Alyssa limping. “Your ankle still hurts? Do you need to sit down?”
“No, I’m okay. It’s better than the night you…” She bites her bottom lip, stopping herself from finishing the sentence. “It’s better.”
Better than the night I’d taken her home, I’m sure she was going to say. The night I’d nearly fucked her. And I’ve been tearing myself in two over it. When I look at her, one half wants to kick myself for not staying and finishing what we started. The other half is relieved I didn’t go through with it. Because I have a feeling that one night with Alyssa wouldn’t be enough. And that’s something I can’t get involved in.
“Are you coming!” Lily yells from the top of the stairs.
I roll my eyes and Alyssa giggles. “On our way,” I call back. “Will you be okay walking up the stairs?”
“Yes, thank you.” If she had said no, it would have given me the chance to touch her again. Hold her. I mentally slap my forehead. I need these thoughts to stop. Having her so close is clouding my judgement. I have my life planned. There’s no time for romance.
We make our way slowly up the stairs. Alyssa uses the handrail for assistance. I keep two steps back so I’m not too close, yet from this distance, I get a nice view of her pert ass. I pinch the bridge of my nose. How am I supposed to control where my thoughts drift off to if I can’t control what my eyes focus on? The more I spend time with her, the more I feel like I’m losing the battle. After tonight, I’ll only see her when I take Lily to dance class. Nothing can happen in a room full of students and their parents. Things will go back to normal.
Just before we reach the top, Alyssa trips on a step and stumbles. Rushing toward her, I wrap my arms around her waist, stopping her from falling. With my chest pressed against her back, I breathe in her floral scent. Heat explodes over my skin. Like the universe knew what I wanted, I got to touch her, hold her. She turns her head over her shoulder. Not ready to let her go, my gaze drops to her lips. Her mouth opens slightly. Wanting to taste her again is more important than breathing.