Young Love (Bloomfield #4) Read online

  Cat had told me Chloe was taking the same courses. Apparently she wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. I figured I could do the same until I managed to open my own dance studio. At least that meant we would have classes together.

  Ten pairs of tiny feet came running off the stage to surround me. We all did a little cheer, their excitement infectious.

  An hour later it was my turn to do my solo. I’d changed into my costume and finished my makeup earlier. Performing didn’t make me as nervous as it used to. I knew the routine well enough to be able to just go out there and enjoy myself.

  “You’re up, Honor,” Brooklyn called out.

  Giving her a quick nod, I walked to center stage, picking up sounds of my name as my students saw it was my turn. I glanced up for a second, seeing Jeanie in the front row, her hand waving at me. I sent her a smile, my eyes wandering to the person she sat beside.

  Holy shit.

  My entire body stiffened as I met those blue eyes I’d hoped not to see again. They stared back at me with an intensity that had me shivering.

  Focus, Honor.

  Sucking in a deep breath, I broke away from him and looked down, waiting for the music to start.

  I didn’t know why Grey was here, but now was not the time to think about it. Now was the time to do what I did best - dance.

  Chapter 4

  Grey

  “That’s my teacher, Uncle Grey,” Jeanie whispered as the audience grew quiet. I just nodded at her, unable to speak. This was the last thing I’d expected. And now that Honor was in front of me, dressed like the sexiest ballerina I’d ever seen, I wasn’t sure how I was going to look away.

  Jeanie leaned in. “Isn’t she beautiful, Uncle Grey? I want to look just like her when I’m older.”

  “You’re pretty just the way you are, Jeanie,” I said softly.

  The music started then and everyone else around me melted away. Honor began dancing, her body moving around the stage as if she were born to do this.

  I was mesmerized. It had been months since I had seen her, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about her a lot during that time. It was hard not to when I relived that kiss we’d shared in my dreams, only to wake up painfully hard and alone.

  The chemistry between us during that kiss was off the charts. Something I’d never experienced with a girl before.

  But I hadn’t been lying when I’d said it would never happen again. It couldn’t. I didn’t willingly get involved with drama, and I was sure that’s what she would be. Plus, she was too young. There was just no way around that.

  My eyes tracked her every movement, soaking in her long limbs and the expression on her face as she performed.

  She didn’t want us to happen again either, I reminded myself as I watched her. Normally that might have pissed me off, but I’d known she was right as soon as she’d said it. Okay, it had pissed me off a bit. It still did. That didn’t change anything.

  Finally she leapt across the stage and the dance ended, the song fading. Everyone around me stood as they applauded. I got up slowly, clapping along with them as she smiled out at the audience, taking another bow as the mouthed the words “thank you”.

  Her gaze flickered over to mine for a split second before she headed off the stage. We all sat back down for the next performer.

  Pulling out the performance list, my eyes glanced down the list until they stopped at her name. Honor Jacobs. My thumb rubbed over her name.

  Honor Jacobs. That little ballerina had me all sorts of messed up. I snorted to myself. Who would have thought?

  ***

  There were drinks and snacks after the performances. My sister Jillian insisted I stay, as if I could leave anyway. Jeanie had a firm grip on my hand as we made our way over to the tables. The little runt grabbed more sugary treats than she probably should have, but as the nice uncle, I didn’t say anything to stop her.

  My eyes scanned the crowd. There was no doubt whom I was looking for, even though I knew I shouldn’t be.

  I found Honor speaking with some other parents. She’d changed out of her costume.

  A pity.

  She still looked gorgeous with her brown hair pulled back into a bun. She smiled and laughed, looking completely in her element.

  Jeanie suddenly took off in her direction, so I followed, being the good uncle that I was. She was just pulling on Honor’s hand when I reached them.

  “Miss. Honor, this is my uncle, Grey,” she said.

  Honor smiled down at her before looking up at me. Holding out her hand, she said, “It’s nice to meet you, Uncle Grey.”

  I took her hand, an electric current shooting up my arm the second my skin met hers. Her eyes flashed for a moment, and I wondered if she had felt it too.

  “Miss. Honor,” I replied.

  She pulled her hand away, and I felt the loss immediately.

  “How did I do, Miss. Honor?” Jeanie asked.

  Honor looked away from me to gaze down at my niece with a gentle look that transformed her face. She wasn’t just beautiful, she was exquisite.

  “You were amazing, just like I knew you’d be,” she said.

  Fuck, could she be any sweeter? I knew she could be prickly too, and knowing she had both sides to her made me more interested than I should be.

  What other facets of her personality were there? Did she have a passionate side? What did Honor Jacobs look like all soft and needy?

  Fuck. I needed to get out of here.

  Honor was still talking to my niece as if she were the most interesting person in the room. I left them to find my sister.

  “What’s wrong?” Jillian said, turning to me. Her eyes kept moving over my face.

  “Nothing. Why?”

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, shrugging off her comment. “I just have to head out. Let Jeanie know I say bye.”

  “Okay.” She stepped forward and gave me a quick hug. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine, Jilly. I’ll talk to you later this week.”

  She nodded. “Thanks for coming. This means a lot to her. To me too.”

  “Any time,” I said, meaning it.

  I left, not looking over my shoulder as I did. I was afraid if I looked at her again, I wouldn’t want to leave. And I really had to.

  I needed to get Honor out of my mind and get my head on straight. What I really needed was a night out, and something - or someone - to distract me.

  I made some calls and headed home to get some sketching done before the guys and I were meeting up.

  ***

  We fumbled our way into my apartment, our mouths clumsily moving together. Kelly pulled at my shirt, so I leaned back, letting her slip it over my head. I made quick work of the tiny dress she wore.

  “I’ve missed you, Grey,” she breathed into my ear as I kissed my way up her throat.

  Gripping her hips, I maneuvered us into my bedroom, easing her onto the mattress. Kelly wiggled out of her underwear while I rid myself of my jeans and rolled a condom over my hard cock.

  She waited for me, licking her lips as she eyed me. Kelly and I had hooked up a couple of times, so I knew what she liked. There was an understanding between us whenever we got together. Except all night she’d been saying things that were unusual for her. Such as her recent comment about missing me.

  I’d ignored them all, but now as I held myself above her, I could see the familiar gleam in her eyes that told me maybe this was starting to mean more to her than it did to me.

  It made me pause. The last thing I wanted was to lead someone on. Especially someone like Kelly who was a friend.

  Her hands pulled at me though, and I gave in, pushing any concerns to the back of my mind. Sinking into her slowly, I lowered my upper body over her as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

  “I need you, baby,” she said. “Only you make me feel this good.”

  Shit. What was I getting myself into?
>
  Shaking my head, I started to move, fast and hard, just how she liked. It didn’t take long until I felt her spasm around me. I came shortly after, rolling to the side.

  Kelly snuggled up against me as I stared at the ceiling. That was...unfulfilling. Fuck. Usually a good romp with someone was enough to get some pent up energy out, but now I just felt emptier than before.

  Kelly propped herself up, looking down at me. “Grey? I want to talk to you about something.”

  Her fingers were stroking up and down my chest and it was starting to annoy me.

  I shifted, hooking my arm under my head. “Yeah? What about?”

  “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to be exclusive? With each other?” She said with a nervous smile.

  My eyebrows shot up. “What, like boyfriend and girlfriend?”

  “Well, I don’t know. Maybe down the road, yeah.” She sat up now, straightening her hair. “I know you’re not one for relationships, but I just thought, we have fun together so why not? We can start with just seeing each other and go from there.”

  I looked away from her, searching for an answer. This was awkward, and not at all where I pictured the night going.

  “Just think about it,” she said. “We could be really good together. We get along great and the sex is amazing.”

  “I don’t know, Kelly,” I said, rubbing a hand down my face.

  “Can’t you just think about it?” She pleaded.

  “I’m not into drama,” I said.

  She instantly held up both hands. “There won’t be. I’ll prove it to you, we’ll be great together.”

  I supposed out of all the girls I saw regularly, Kelly was the coolest. It’s why I went back to her so often. But considering how empty I felt after sleeping with her tonight, I wasn’t sure getting into a relationship with her was the best idea.

  Then again, maybe it was time I found someone to settle down with. Coming home to an empty apartment every night was getting old. And a lot of my friends were starting to settle down.

  The idea of doing that with Kelly though didn’t necessarily feel right. Maybe I was just being stubborn and stuck in my ways. Shit, I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to this stuff. I told her I’d think about, which got me a squeal and a second climax that was just as unfulfilling as the first one. I ushered her out soon after. It’s not like I was going to change overnight.

  Chapter 5

  Honor

  This was it.

  My very first apartment away from home. No Mom, no Auntie Grace, no Perrie.

  Just me.

  I took a deep breath in and frowned. The place smelled old and musty. It was time to set to work. Setting up my iPod dock and speakers first was imperative. As soon as that was done, I cranked the music and started cleaning.

  Having my own space was more amazing than I imagined. Yes, the place was small and needed a little love. But it was my place. I was stuck inside on a weekend cleaning and organizing like a mad woman. But I was cleaning my space.

  There was something about that fact that made it actually enjoyable. I danced around and sang at the top of my lungs, and no one was there to tell me to shut up. What could be better than that?

  By the time dinner time came around, I was starving and almost done. I needed to start in with my bedroom, but at least the sitting area and kitchen were done. I stood back with my hands on my hips and smiled.

  Not too shabby, Honor Jacobs.

  Mom and I had bought me a small sectional from Ikea, along with a coffee and side table. My TV was small, but it worked, and I didn’t watch much television anyway.

  The kitchen didn’t have room for a table, but we’d gotten some nice stools to sit up against the counter. It looked great, in my opinion. I threw a blanket over the back of the couch, and straightened the rug beneath the table.

  Flicking on the table lamp, I took another look around and gave myself a proud nod. Perfect.

  There wasn’t much room for me to practice my routine, but it would be easy enough to push back the furniture. I’d washed the windows and vacuumed off the curtains. The place was as clean as it was going to get.

  The apartments on campus probably would have been newer, but I liked this one. It was still close to school, and close to the studio, but cheaper. Cheaper was good. I didn’t make a ton working at the studio, and I wouldn’t have time to pick up a second job.

  A knock on the door had me jumping in surprise. Turning down the music, I went to open it, checking through the peephole first.

  “Hey, girl,” I said, opening the door.

  Cat smiled widely, waltzing in. “Hey, Billy Elliot.”

  I shut the door behind her, groaning. “Don’t you start. I just got away from that nickname.”

  She laughed. “You’ll never get away from it. Not with Perrie around.” She walked into the sitting area and looked around before turning to me. “It looks great in here!”

  I smiled. “Thanks.”

  “Have you been cleaning all day?”

  I nodded. “I like to be organized.”

  She glanced around again. “Apparently,” she muttered. Facing me, she said, “We were going to order some pizza, so I thought maybe you’d like to come over and partake?”

  My stomach growled loudly just then.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” she said with a laugh.

  “It’s a yes,” I said. “Let me just grab a quick shower and I’ll be right over.”

  “Okay. Do you have any preferences for your pizza?”

  “Nope. Whatever you get will be fine by me.” I hurried into the kitchen and grabbed my wallet, pulling out a ten. “Here.”

  She waved me off. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. Heading to the door, she opened it and threw me a quick wink. “I’m not the one paying, so I’m definitely sure.”

  I laughed as she shut the door behind her. Typical Cat. It was probably her brother paying. Shaking my head, I went into the bedroom and grabbed some clothes before going to take a quick shower.

  ***

  The water pressure sucked. I was going to have to get someone over to take a look at it. There was no way I could take a shower under a trickle of water for the rest of the year

  Wiping at the foggy mirror, I applied a bit of mascara and lipstick before drying my hair. The light over the vanity flickered every time I turned the hairdryer on. Something else I would have to get someone to look at. Figures the place would have some minor issues, considering the building was from the mid nineteen hundreds.

  By the time I was done throwing on some sweatpants and tank top, twenty minutes had passed.

  Walking out into the main room, my steps froze as my eyes landed on a figure standing in my apartment. My stomach dropped as panic washed over me, my body instantly breaking out into a cold sweat, until the person turned in my direction and I was met with familiar blue eyes.

  Grey stood there, seeming even larger in my small living area. He looked out of place amongst all my feminine decor.

  We stared at each other in silence for a split second while I got my breath back. It had been a week since I last saw him. He’d disappeared at the recital - not that I had looked for him. Okay, I totally had. It was as if my eyes had a mind of their own when it came to him, always eager for one more view of his perfect face and physique.

  “What are you doing here?” I finally managed. I tried to ignore the way the initial panic I felt was slowly turning to one of attraction as his eyes took me in from head to toes and back.

  “You should really lock your door if you’re living alone,” was his reply.

  I raised both brows. That wasn’t the answer I had been looking for.

  When I just stood there, he finally shifted from one foot to another, shoving his hands in his pockets as he said, “Cat asked me to come get you. The pizza should be here any minute.”

  Oh. Crap. He was eating too? I hadn’t expected that.
r />   “You’re...eating with us?”

  He nodded, his lips twitching. “Is that okay?”

  I tried for a casual shrug, but he must have seen the panic in my eyes because that twitch turned into a smirk.

  Don’t look at his lips. Don’t look at his lips.

  Shit.

  I was totally looking at his lips.

  Don’t think about the kiss. Don’t think about the kiss.

  Damn it!

  Oh my god...did I just lick my own lips?

  His smile tipped higher for a second before disappearing.

  “So, are you coming, or what?” He said, snapping me back to my senses.

  “Yes, right,” I muttered, hurrying past him to the kitchen where I’d left my zip-up hoodie.

  When I turned I caught him watching me from the doorway, his eyes blazing the way they had right before we had kissed.

  Damn it! Stop thinking about it, Honor.

  “Shall we?” I said, motioning to the door.

  He gave a sharp nod, before turning and heading out into the hall. I paused for a second, taking a deep breath. I could handle being around Grey. It was no big deal. I would go over there, eat pizza, then come back and get my clothes organized before going to bed.

  Game plan in check. Let’s do this.

  ***

  Why did I think I could do this?

  When this was over, my nerves were going to be shot.

  We’d walked in to Cat, Chloe, and Kyle, sitting around a small, glass coffee table, an open box of pizza in the middle. Thinking I was being smart, I had sat on the floor, where I could be by myself.

  I didn’t want to stay close to Grey. When we’d walked the short distance over, his presence had caused my back to prickle, as though our nearness was causing some kind of electric current in the air. We hadn’t spoken, and that had almost made it worse.

  The silence only helped to magnify the feeling, and created a densely muted bubble around us.