Match Pointe (Bad Boys And Showgirls)

A world of passion burns inside of me, hidden from view by my delicate ballet movements. I will break free of my ballerina box and I will have him no matter what the cost.

My whole life I’ve been driven by my mother to be one of the greatest ballerinas that the New York City Ballet has ever seen. She kept me in a glass viewing case, not meant to be handled or touched.

But once I remove my pointe shoes, I yearn for independence, escape, and the freedom just to be me…and to have him, Tyler Wilson.

Tyler may be the star striker for New York FC and a serial womanizer, but underneath his frivolous bravado, I see the real Tyler – the kind, protective man I’ve known since childhood. Though he still sees me as a fragile, untouchable princess.

Now we’re kind of working together, I feel the crack of electric, sexual tension in the air with each glance shared and I have my chance. I will show Tyler I’m not just a ballerina in a box, and together, we will defy everyone and break the rules.

But we can never, ever be caught.

“Match Pointe is a classic love story. Following the lives of friends to lovers, Tyler and Scarlet find themselves having to hide their new love when their worlds unexpectedly collide. The flow of this book was so good. Just the right combination of innocence, passion, and tension kept me eagerly reading until the very end. Match Pointe is a definite read.” Amazon Review

Excerpt from MATCH POINTE

Once class started, I went into my dance. Christophe chose a couple of other dancers for demonstrations, and he walked among us, correcting and perfecting until he finally announced the class was over. A few groans from the men exiting had us all amused as we went to collect our things.
I didn’t rush as I knew Christophe wasn’t finished with me.
“Scarlet, come.” He motioned.
I went over to where he stood with his arms crossed, his disappointment coming over me in waves.
“We give days off for a reason,” he admonished. “Our bodies need the rest.”
I lowered my head. “Apologies.”
“It can’t happen again,” he said. “I don’t want you in any of my other classes or anyone else’s classes on your days off. This is part of being a disciplined dancer. This is the path to longevity. This is the makings of getting the extremely rare opportunity of being a principal in our company.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I’ll go home. I just wanted to be…” I hated to disappoint Christophe. Becoming a principal was what I had been working toward for most of my life, and though rare to achieve, it would be a dream come true.
He placed his hands on my shoulders. “I know you are disappointed that I chose not to include you in this program and performance. Yes, I believe in your dance. You have potential, but I honestly do not believe you could perform Le Parc. You have been chosen for Sugar Plum Fairy.”
I nodded. “Yes, and I’m honored to be chosen for it and thankful for all the opportunities given to me. That said, I know I could perform Le Parc too, if given the chance.”
“You are a natural, precise, and with hard work, you have the possibility of being one of the greats. However, you’re innocent and timid,” he said. “Le Parc is pure eroticism. One day, perhaps, but not as you are now.”
“It’s acting,” I insisted. “I’m in the acting and expression classes. I can even add in more training on my day off. I swear I can do it. Just give me the chance.”
He firmly touched the center of my chest. “This performance demands more. It comes from a place deep inside, and it is a well untested for you. Now, I did like having you in the class today as a demonstrator.”
I blanked my face, though my heartbeat picked up. He could use anyone to do that.
“I may consider—”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Tyler said as he opened the door. My pulse quickened. “I think I left my phone in here.”
I tried hard to remain still. Christophe and I both went quiet and Tyler moved to pick up his phone, a nice shot of his perfect butt on full display.
“Tyler, actually, I would like to borrow you for a little demo with Scarlet,” Christophe said.
Tyler gave him a look like he’d been given detention in class, but he came over anyway. My heart now hammered hard in my chest.
“I would like for you to try this combination with Scarlet. It’s from one of the dances I’m choreographing for our version of Le Parc. Show me what you can do, Scarlet, and I will consider you for the ensemble.”
“Now?” I gulped.
That was the way it was, working with Christophe. He expected his dancers to perform on command. He called over to Irena to demonstrate the dance he wanted from us. They started with him looking at her, and I instantly felt the emotion and intensity of his desire for her. She mirrored him, her hands sliding up his shoulders to circle his neck, his hands wrapping around her, pulling her close to the point where she molded to the front contours of his body. She then arched her back and slid down until she lay on the floor at his feet. Their performance was raw, passionate—and, to my horror, it was what he wanted me to do with Tyler right then.
“Gaze into his eyes like you want him,” Christophe instructed, like he was simply ordering a cup of coffee.
Never had I dared a lingering gaze at Tyler, but now I had to meet his eyes. When I did, I found they were deep chocolate with honey around the irises, giving off a warm invitation that made me want to melt into them. They were beautiful.
“Come on, Scarlet. You look startled, not like his lover,” Christophe reproved.
“Yeah, be my lover, Princess,” Tyler said. He had his usual humorous expression, completely oblivious to the turmoil raging inside me at just the thought. I couldn’t stop from blinking like I had something in my eye. I inhaled sharply and took in his aftershave, which smelled heavenly. I tried over and over again to bring out the feelings I had hidden, but right in front of Tyler, I couldn’t. Christophe had had enough, so he moved us on.
“Try the lift into his arms and slide down the front of his body, like I showed you.”
Tyler placed his hands on my waist and I trembled. If that wasn’t bad enough, I awkwardly wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders and slid, feeling every ridge and plane of the muscles on his chest as I moved my erect nipples down the front of his body. This was insane and freaking hot as hell too. From the feel of the bulge in his pants, Tyler wasn’t unaffected. I had done hundreds of lifts over the years, but none had ever thrown me off my performance before. Being all over Tyler wasn’t something I was used to. My breath came faster and my face burned once I was on the ground at his feet. It was all over in seconds, though it had felt like years. It was as if I’d forgotten all my training. God, could this be any more embarrassing?
“Thank you, Tyler,” Christophe said, politely dismissing him.
I peered at Tyler to find he was now looking at me like I’d grown an extra head, and damn was he lightning fast, grabbing his stuff and rushing out of the studio, no doubt desperate to get away from me and my unexpected, uncontrollable response to rubbing against him while being critiqued in front of Christophe. It was a nightmare.
“I think you have seen today why I came to my decision. Have sex. Fall in love. Get in trouble. Live and dance,” Christophe said. Before he could finish speaking, the door opened and revealed one of the assistants.
“The door is closed—that means no interruptions,” he yelled.
“Apologies,” she said quickly. “It’s the Beaumonts. They insist on speaking to you directly. Scarlet, your mom is here.”
I winced. Another one of my ma’s “errands.”
Christophe snorted and flicked his hand toward the door. “Off you go.”
I opened my mouth to speak but only dutifully followed. I often did what everyone expected of me.