The Life of Anna, Part 3: Embraced (10 page)

“Who’s Kaveh?”

“An Immortal. Devin said he was…doing
something to me, but I don’t know what. He never told me what he
did to me.”

“He had an Immortal have sex with you?
Why?”

Anna shook her head. “I don’t know. He did it
at the Gathering too. When I was out of town. I had forgotten about
him fucking me.”

“Devin’s such a fucking bastard. He probably
was just messing with your head.”

“Maybe. But he seemed to be…I don’t know.
Expectant of something? Kaveh said ‘It is done’. But what was
done?”

“I think with Devin, sometimes it’s better
just not to ask.”

“Have you interacted with him much?”

He shook his head. “No. But my dad has
obviously. He says it’s best if Devin just doesn’t know who you
are.”

“Does he know who
you
are?”

“Yeah, but to him I’m just ‘Brandon’s bastard
son’, which is fine with me.”

“Well, you might have progressed to ‘Anna’s
dance partner.’”

“Great.” He rolled his eyes, and then smiled
at her. “I suppose there are worse things to be.” He glanced at his
watch and stood. “We need to get ready. It’s going to be starting
soon.”

“Travis?”

“Yeah?”

“This afternoon…did it make you
uncomfortable?”

“Dancing with you while you seduced the
entire audience?” He chuckled.

Anna winced and nodded. “I didn’t mean
to.”

“It was one of the sexiest things I’ve ever
experienced. ’Course, if you do it again, I can’t guarantee I won’t
drag you back in here and fuck you against the wall.”

The thought was appealing. “If you want.” It
might be a welcome distraction.

*****

After Travis left, Anna immersed herself in
the ritual of preparing for the performance. She pulled her hair
into a high ponytail and carefully tied the green chiffon ribbon
around the base. She took pains to arrange her costume as though
for a photo shoot, not a live performance. The gold sequined bikini
halter-top was low cut, tight enough that it stayed in place, yet
showed the cleavage of her solid C-cup breasts nicely. The low-hung
green chiffon pants—slits on the side, revealing green panties—were
gathered at the ankles with gold cuffs. A green velvet belt with
gold embroidery sat low on her hips, and the coins attached around
it tinkled when she walked.

After she put her makeup on, she pinned a
golden circlet in her hair and went out to warm-up backstage. The
backstage was busy between acts and somewhat noisy. Aaron and Lucy
warmed up along the back wall. Anna saw Travis in the corner
talking with a couple of the dancers from the Waltz of the Flowers.
Travis gave a bright smile to one of the girls and she blushed.
Anna felt certain he didn’t sleep alone most nights. Being raised
in the Manor gave him a certain advantage over other men when it
came to flirting. He knew exactly how women ticked and how to get
them to do pretty much anything he wanted.

Travis saw her and grinned. He said something
to the girls, and then walked over to greet her. “Damn, you look
sexy. Thank God for dance belts.”

Anna smiled. Dance belts kept guys where they
needed to be and prevented injury while jumping halfway across the
stage. She noticed his costume was a bit higher on his hips than it
had been the last time they’d performed. Anna looked at him
curiously.

“Preparing for arousal,” he whispered with a
grin. “Don’t want to be popping out to say hi in the middle of the
show. I think Isaak would be upset if the show turned R-rated.”

Anna giggled and then shook her head. “Oh, I
shouldn’t be laughing,” she said with a pained expression and
sighed.

The second act music began and the backstage
quieted. Anna and Travis did some pirouettes and lifts to get ready
and then moved into position shortly before their cue.

“Make me want you, Anna,” Travis whispered in
a seductive voice as the Spanish dancers took their bows. “Make me
want you and I will make you feel incredible when we’re done.”

Anna glanced back at him, surprised, but
shivered at the dark, seductive look in his eyes. She felt a thrill
run through her body and the pain in her heart disappeared. Their
music started and she stepped on stage into the bright lights.

She moved with grace and sensuality,
flirting, seducing, as Travis chased after her for the first part
of the dance. Twirling and teasing until he caught her up in the
air above his head. He lowered her to the ground, her body sliding
down against his, lips almost touching as her toe touched the
stage. She bent backwards as his fingers trailed down to her hips
and he walked around her, turning her as she stood
en
pointe.
She straightened, his hand on the back of her head,
eyes locked until she spun around again to escape into an
arabesque. But he held her hand firmly in his grasp and he pulled
her back to him. She submitted to his desire and they danced,
spinning, lifting, seducing, until she lay back on his bent knee,
surrendered and submitted to his will.

The music stopped, echoing through the silent
theater. Anna’s chest heaved as her mind cleared. The auditorium
was silent.

Oh, God, had they been terrible? She didn’t
even remember dancing. She only felt desire for Travis coursing
through her veins.

Suddenly, the room erupted in applause and
shouts. Anna lifted her head and stared, stunned, at Travis, who
grinned at her. He helped her to her feet and they took their bows.
First, to the audience, then to the Nutcracker Prince and Clara,
and then to the audience again. They glided off stage and the
applause continued.

Isaak stood there with a big grin on his
face. “Great job, you two. I think you need to go out for another
bow.”

Anna shook her head. “No…I can’t….” But
Travis pushed her out and followed close behind.

She curtsied low, humbled by the experience
and overwhelmed by the noise. They glided off stage again, the
applause subsided, and the ballet continued.

She looked at Travis, shaking and with wide
eyes. The pain was threatening to return. Sex. Sex would make her
feel better. Anything to keep the pain at bay.

Travis’ brows rose as she looked at him. She
gave him a pleading look and he nodded.

“C’mon,” Travis said, dragging her backstage
and into his dressing room.

He closed the door and pushed her against it,
kissing her passionately. “God, you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever
met,” he murmured against her lips, then crushed his mouth against
hers again.

Desire ran rampant through Anna’s body,
pushing the pain away, and she kissed him back, running her hands
up and down his bare chest, damp beneath his gold vest. She pushed
it off his shoulders and he reached behind and unclasped her top.
He caressed her breasts and she moaned softly. She reached down and
caressed his cock over his pants. He was hard. And long and thick.
Just like his dad. She groaned and rubbed him harder.

“I need you,” she groaned. “I don’t know how
these things work,” she said, trying to pull at his costume.

“I’ll do it. This time.” He grinned and
pulled at her belt and pushed her pants down off her hips. He knelt
before her and buried his tongue in her pussy.

She shoved the gold turban off his head and
tangled her hands in his hair as he lapped at her and sucked on her
clit. “Oh, Travis,” she moaned.

He unbuttoned the cuffs of her pants and
pulled them off, tossing them on the growing pile of green and
gold. He tugged at his pants and pulled them off along with his
dance belt, then picked Anna up and laid her on the couch. He
positioned himself between her legs and she glanced down at his
throbbing cock.

“Yes, please,” she begged.

He leaned down and thrust into her with one
long thrust, making her moan and grasp his shoulders.

“Oh, God, Travis!” she cried.

“Shhh,” he said, then covered her mouth with
his, thrusting his tongue in and out of her mouth as he did the
same with his cock. She met his thrusts with enthusiasm and soon
they both spiraled up into the stars and cried out against each
other’s mouths.

Travis rested on his elbows with his head on
her shoulder as they both gasped for breath. “Holy shit, Anna.
You’re fucking incredible.”

Anna smiled. “So are you.” She moved her hips
against him and clenched her muscles, making him shudder.

“Fuck,” he said softly, then lifted his head
and looked down at her with a smile. “Can we do that again
sometime?”

She nodded. “Yes. Definitely.” She was
feeling good. Pain-free.

He grinned and stood. “I’m not one to fuck
and run, but I know we don’t have long before the finale, and it
would be
really
embarrassing if we missed that.”

They stood to get their costumes. Anna looked
down and realized she still had her pointe shoes on.

“That is definitely a first,” she said,
wiggling her feet. “I’ve never had sex while wearing my pointe
shoes.”

Travis chuckled. “Kinda sexy, if you ask
me.”

They dressed quickly and fixed their makeup,
then sat on the couch for a few minutes. Travis put his arm around
her and she rested her head against his chest. They could hear the
music through an overhead speaker and knew they still had a few
minutes before they had to be backstage.

“Do you want to stay at my place tonight?” he
asked softly.

The offer tempted her. More opportunity to
dull the pain. “I’d love to, Travis. I really would. But Jenna
moved in with me and I gave her a ride. And Ben’s family is in
town. If I came home tomorrow morning…they might not like it. I
don’t want to disrespect them.”

Travis nodded. “I understand. Maybe some
other time.”

Anna turned to look at him. “I’d love to stay
in your arms all night long, Travis,” she said softly. She caressed
his cheek. “Really. Maybe next week when they’re gone.”

“I’d like that. Or I could stay at your place
too. I don’t mind. Whatever you’d be more comfortable with. I live
with two of my brothers, but they won’t bother us.” He grinned.
“Unless you want them to.” He looked toward the ceiling as they
heard the last song of the Sugar Plum
pas de deux
began.
“We should go.”

He stood and dragged her to her feet. She had
gotten so relaxed she didn’t want to move, but did anyways, not
wanting to miss the finale. They glanced in the mirror one last
time to make sure they didn’t look like they’d just fucked on the
dressing room couch, then walked calmly out to the backstage
area.

Aaron came off stage for a few moments and
glanced at the two of them with a raised brow, then shook his head
and moved back into position for his next cue.

Travis stood next to Anna with his hand on
her hip, stroking the skin above her pants and making her heart
pound.

“Travis…,” she whispered. “Your hand is…very
enticing.”

He rubbed his thumb in a circle. “You like
it?” he murmured near her ear.

Anna shivered and nodded. The pain
disappeared at his touch.

The music for the finale started and they
moved into their position, waiting for their cue. They did their
short dance and were applauded loudly. Clara was sent back to her
home. They waited for the end of the music and then it was time for
their bows. When they walked back out onto the stage, the applause
rose to almost deafening levels and Anna saw with shock that much
of the audience stood for them. They had received a standing
ovation!

Anna gaped at Travis, who grinned at her. She
curtsied again, then they moved back into their line and waited
with smiles on their face for the rest of the cast to take their
bows.

The curtain closed and the stage erupted into
excited chatter. Aaron walked up to Anna and Travis with a grin. “I
don’t think the Arabian dance has ever garnered so much attention
before.” Aaron hugged Anna. “It was spectacular,” he said to her.
“And incredibly arousing,” he added in a whisper in her ear. “I
know I shouldn’t be thinking about you that way right now…but I
can't help it.”

Anna stared wide-eyed at Aaron, who grinned
sheepishly at her.

Isaak came up to them. “Excellent job, you
two.”

“Thanks, Isaak,” Anna said. She asked him
about tickets for Ben’s family.

“Absolutely, Anna. Just let me know what
night.”

She nodded. The remembrance of Ben’s family
subdued her mood abruptly. Tears filled her eyes and her face
scrunched up as tried not to cry.

“C’mon, Anna,” Travis said. “I’ll take her
back to her dressing room,” he told Isaak.

Anna managed to keep herself under control
until she stepped into her dressing room and then she collapsed
onto the floor and sobbed. Travis sat behind her and held her while
she cried.

Jenna knocked on the door a few minutes later
and came inside.

“Oh, Anna,” she said, sitting on the other
side of her.

Being held and hugged by her two friends
comforted Anna and her tears eventually subsided.

“Thank you,” she sniffed.

She heard a faint ringing from her bag. It
sounded like Devin’s ring. Her eyes hardened and her sadness was
replaced with anger as she crawled to her bag and pressed the
answer button.

“What?” she snapped.

“That’s no way to answer your phone, Anna,”
Devin said with a tinge of warning in his voice.

“What do you want Devin?” she asked coldly.
Anna saw the shocked expressions on Travis and Jenna’s faces.

“I heard that you did an excellent job
tonight,” he said. “That it was quite mesmerizing.”

“So? Are you going to punish me for it?”

“Anna, I’m warning you. Change your
attitude.” His voice was low and threatening. Part of her didn’t
care. The other part of her was terrified.