In the Air (The City Book 1) - By Crystal Serowka Page 0,15

that if I didn't get away from him and calm down, I might slap the pretty off his face.

"We may as well practice together since we're both here. No point in wasting time."

Apparently he wasn't picking up on how bothered I was. I turned to face Samson. He said the words with superiority, but the look on his face hinted at an apology. "What is your problem? Were you raised by wild animals or something?"

"I'm not good at apologies, so I'll just say that I'm sorry you can't take a joke." His grin grew wider with each second that passed.

"There's something seriously wrong with you." I shook my head, laughing at the thick tension remaining between us.

"Can we just forget about all the drama and practice? I promise I'll keep my mouth shut the entire time," Samson said in a mocking tone.

I huffed and squinted my eyes in thought. "Fine, but only on one condition."

"What's that, doll?" He stepped forward, entering my personal space.

"You quit calling me doll. My name is Natalia. Stop with the nicknames or my foot might accidentally trip you while we're practicing, and oops, there goes your ankle!" As I walked past him, I bumped his shoulder, and made my way over to the stereo. "Let's get this over with." I jerked my neck, commanding him to join me in the center of the room.

The song I chose was by a band called Half Moon Run. It was a slow, passionate song, but if I was being honest with myself, I was curious to see how well he could move. I may have hated the overconfidence that seemed to flow through his veins, but his talent canceled out the bitter feelings.

As the words, "If you breathe in, I breathe in," played, Samson's gaze penetrated into mine. We stood close to each other; the only sound in the room was the music. Between the sensuality of the song and the way he looked at me, the moment was flawless.

The mood shifted in the space between us. When he reached out to take my hand, I exhaled slowly, feeling my skin tingle from his touch. The earlier tension faded and all that was left was passion. He brought his body to mine and wrapped his arms around my waist. His lips hovered near my ear and I waited with anticipation, hoping he wouldn't ruin the serene moment.

"You smell so good," he quietly whispered.

As I comprehended his words, the barricade I built came crashing down. My body began to move along with his as we slowly circled the room.

"I'm gonna do a presage lift. Are you okay with that?"

I knew he was just trying to be respectful and test my talents against his own, but I somehow felt he doubted my abilities. "Yes, I can do a presage lift," I said with certainty.

"Just making sure, doll," he said as he readied himself behind me.

My arms reached up as I stood on pointe. As soon as Samson's hand touched my waist, a familiar tremble passed through my body. His other arm wrapped around my thigh, and without much effort, he lifted me above his head. As he held me high, I felt as if I was floating.

Samson dropped his right arm too early, and within seconds, my body was falling to the ground. Just as my butt hit the hard floor, Samson grabbed hold of my forearms. It was too late. My ass was already screaming in pain.

"Fuck! Are you okay?" Samson kneeled down, his face full of concern.

"Ouch," I whined, "I think you broke my ass." I wanted to cry from the pain, but whimpering was the only response I could muster.

Samson dropped to his knees, his hands on each of my shoulders. "We should probably get some ice on that."

I frowned, knowing that within thirty minutes, my butt would be completely black and blue.

"You would want to ice my behind," I rolled away from Samson so he couldn't see me pout. "You did that on purpose!"

"I would never drop you on purpose, Natalia."

His tone was serious and I knew that my accusation upset him, but I was in pain and couldn't help but lash out. I turned to look at Samson and saw the worry on his face. I knew he felt awful for dropping me. I'm sure he also hated that he'd made a mistake.

"I believe you, but my ass is still aching," I said as I looked at him. I started to laugh, trying to trick