Escaping the Contract Marriage

Dance Lesson and Great Impressions

Darian's POV

The ballroom was three times the size of the dining hall and completely empty. "Just you and me, baby", I said, turning around to Ella with a broad grin on my face. I grabbed my phone and looked through it for a good song to play that would be slow enough to start with, but also a good tempo, because I know fundraisers usually play up-beat music. 'Falling' by Trevor Daniel, perfect. "We will start with a few basic dances, then maybe one a bit more.... intimate", I said. "Intimate?", she asked with an arched eyebrow. I nodded, then pressed play. I reached my hand out for her to take. When she did, I pulled her close to me. I took one of her hands and placed it on my shoulder, then took her other one in mine. I placed my free hand on her waist. "Just follow my lead", I whispered. We followed the beat of the music, stepping in a wide circle. I spun her a few times and pulled her back to me. "You're a natural", I whispered. "Funny. There's a lot of concentration going on in my head to be a natural", she said, looking down at our feet. I chuckled and shook my head.

We did a few more songs, each with different tempos and styles, trying to cover the basics. She did very well for someone who claimed to not be able to dance. For the last lesson, I chose 'Pillowtalk' by Zayn. "For this one, I don't want you to focus too hard, okay? Just let the beat and your body guide you", I said, then pressed play. Each step we took was uncalculated and sensual. There was no space between us as we moved rhythmically together. Twirls, spins, grinds, sways, and roaming hands, all to the tempo of the song. Our breathing grew heavy as we dominated the ballroom. I finished the dance by twirling her away from me, then back, slamming her chest to mine, wrapping my arm all the way around her back and gripping her tightly. Our faces were barely an inch apart. Our eyes stayed locked as we breathed heavily, until a clap brought us out of our trance.

"Bravo", the Don said, as he clapped from the doorway. "I think it's safe to say you can dance well enough", he chuckled. "Tomorrow I will check your self-defense abilities. I just don't want something to go wrong and you get hurt," he explained. "Yes sir", we answered in unison. "Get some rest, then", he said, before leaving.

"Thank you", Ella whispered beside me. I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked at her. "For what?", I asked. "For teaching me to dance", she answered softly. "That was all you, El. Like I said, you are a natural", I beamed. She smiled and shook her head. "Can we go back upstairs now? This dress and these heels are killing me", she pouted, sticking her bottom lip out a little. I ran my thumb along her lip, "Absolutely", I whispered.

As soon as we got back to the room, Ella sat on the edge of the bed and bent over to start unstrapping her shoes. "Let me", I said softly, kneeling in front of her. I put my hands over hers, taking over for her. When they were unbuckled, I slowly slid my hand from her calf, down her heel, pulling the heel off. I repeated this with the other heel as well. She audibly sighed when both heels were removed. I smiled at the look of relief on her face. "Do you need me to unzip your dress?", I asked, with a small smirk. "Please?", she asked sweetly, as she stood up and turned around. I reached up and swept her hair slowly over her shoulder. I could see the top half of the cross, peaking out of the top of her dress. I gently ran my fingers from the base of her neck to the zipper, before, just as gently and slowly, pulling the zipper down. She shuddered and goose-bumps spread along her back, following the trail of my finger. "This is beautiful", I whispered, running my fingers over the cross. "Thank you. I drew it after my mom died. She was Irish and Scottish and she loved my artwork. When I turned eighteen, I took the drawing to a tattoo artist. I was very happy with the outcome", she explained softly. "Me too. It's absolutely stunning", I said. I couldn't stop tracing it. The cross was beautiful. The closer I looked, the more detail that came to life inside of it. "How long did it take?", I asked. This is extremely detailed. "It took me a little over a week to draw it. It took the guy who did the tattoo two months of at least two, five hour sessions a week", she answered. "Wow", I gasped. Then, the idea that a man got to see her bare back and touch her that much, for that long, sent a sensation of possessiveness through me. So much so, I felt the immediate need to mark her body with my lips.

I bent down far enough to kiss the skin where her tattoo lay. I heard her sharp intake of breath. "It's the most expensive thing I've ever paid for apart from my jeep", she whispered. "Worth every penny", I uttered, between the kisses I was laying on her back. I worked my way up her back and laid one more on her neck, "You are so f*****g beautiful", I whispered in her ear. She shivered and gave a small laugh. "Thanks?", she questioned, as she turned to face me. Awe, she doesn't know how to take a compliment, cute. Sad, but cute. "You're welcome", I said, cupping her face and kissing her hard. God, I just want to slide her dress off of her so badly. I'm getting hard just thinking about it. Damn it. "Go get comfortable", I whispered, as I reluctantly pulled my lips away from her. She nodded and walked into the bathroom.

As I changed out of my suit, I realized I had no comfortable sleeping clothes. Great, an uncomfortable night in jeans. As Ella walked out of the bathroom, I had just finished slipping on my shirt. She tilted her head to the side and studied me. "Jeans?", she asked. "I don't have anything else", I shrugged. She looked over me again, before looking down at herself. I wonder what's going through that beautiful head of hers. She lifted her eyes back to mine. "Give me your shirt", she said. Huh? "I'm sorry. What?", I asked, a little stunned at the moment. "Give. Me. Your. Shirt", she said again, as she pulled hers off. Holy f**k. Gorgeous. I yanked my shirt off my head, fumbling it a little as I handed it to her. I looked over her chest and stomach. She had a small tattoo of an arrow bent into the shape of an infinity symbol on her ribcage and a navel piercing.

She slipped my shirt on, letting it fall mid-thigh. Then she dropped her pants. My jaw fell with them. Oh God. I'm supposed to control myself with her laying in bed next to me in only my shirt? How? She handed me her pajama pants. I gave her a funny look. "You literally watched me buy these from the men's section and a size too big", she said with an arched eyebrow. I smiled and took the pants from her. I dropped my jeans and slipped her pajama bottoms on. Ahh, much better. "Thank you", I said, with a smile. "You're welcome", she blushed.

I pulled the covers back from the bed and climbed in. I patted the spot next to me. Ella blushed and climbed in, settling next to me. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her to me. She laid her head down on my bare chest and sighed, causing me to smirk. She reached up and trailed her hand over my abs, making me sigh in return. I could get used to lying in bed next to her every night. "Good night, Ella", I whispered, as I kissed her head. "Good night, Darian", she yawned. f*****g adorable. I waited until I knew she was asleep before closing my eyes and succumbing to the darkness.

Ella's POV

I awoke slowly, wondering where I was. I felt a heavy hand across my back and resting on my hip, holding me closely to a bare chest. Then, everything flooded back to me. The Don sending for us, dinner, dancing and then the fundraiser. I snuggled my face deeper into Darian's chest. "Good morning", Darian's gruff voice sounded. I looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning", I whispered. He smiled and cupped my face with his free hand and leaned down to capture my lips with his. "I could get used to this", he whispered against my lips. I shivered under him, getting a chuckle from deep in his chest. He climbed on top of me, positioning himself between my legs. He placed another soft kiss on my lips, then a series of slow, sensual kisses down my neck. When his lips met the conjunction where my neck meets my shoulder, I moaned and arched my back, pressing our chests together. Darian groaned and ground his hips into mine. He ran his teeth over the spot, "Darian", I moaned. "Mmm. Ella", he whispered huskily against my neck. "f**k", he uttered, grinding his hips into mine again, coaxing another moan from my lips. I could feel his hard length right up against me.

A knock sounded at the door, pulling us from our moment. Darian groaned and placed a chaste kiss on my lips, before getting up to answer the door. I pulled the covers up over my bare legs. Darian stopped at the door and looked over my body, making sure I was covered up before he opened the door. "Breakfast is ready. I was asked to bring these to you", the person at the door said. "Thank you", Darian said, before closing the door. He turned back to me with some clothes in his hands. "I guess these are for training", he said, laying the clothes on the bed.

I eyed the clothes. They had brought a sports bra and spandex shorts for me and a pair of gym shorts for Darian. I went into the bathroom with the clothes. After putting them on, I held Darian's shirt in my hand as I left the bathroom. Darian stopped and looked at me. I couldn't help but take in his half-naked form. His skin was tanned and toned. He has a six-pack, with a perfect Adonis belt, that disappeared into his gym shorts. As my eyes traveled back up and met his face, he had a deep smirk on it. "Like what you see?", he asked. I blushed, "Here's your shirt", I said, handing him the shirt. He chuckled as he took it. I grabbed my shirt and slipped it on. "Ready?", I asked. He nodded and opened the bedroom door for me.

The Don was sitting at the breakfast table when we got downstairs. "I trust you both slept well", he said. "Yes sir", Darian answered, as he pulled my seat out for me. "Good. After breakfast, I will give you one hour, then I will come observe your skills, Ella. The fundraiser is five hours away, so there's no time to waste", he explained. Darian and I both nodded our heads.

After breakfast, Darian and I went to the gym to start warm-ups. Which consisted of mainly stretching. The Don walked in as we were finishing up. "My men, Gerard and Phillip will be administering this lesson", he said, as he took a seat at the edge of the room. "El, are you sure about this? I don't know how I feel about other men putting their hands on you", Darian said, cupping my face with his hands. "I'll be okay", I said with a smile. Darian watched me for a second before he nodded and kissed my forehead. "Kick their asses, baby", he whispered, making me smile. I turned to face the two bulky men that I had been matched up against for today. I rolled my neck. Then, I tilted my head to the side with a smirk etched on my face. "Let's do this, gentlemen", I said.

The men smirked and charged at me. I ran toward them, feigning left, then right. Then, I dropped to the ground and slid, taking Gerard's feet out from under him. Gerard is the top guard, he has to be the best. I quickly jumped up and kicked Phillip in the chest, sending him to his ass. I spun around and immediately blocked a punch, grabbing Gerard's wrist with my left hand, I pulled him into my right hook, doubling the force behind the punch. I could feel Phillip gaining distance on me, still holding Gerard's wrist, I delivered a side-kick to Phillip's stomach, taking him down long enough to subdue Gerard. I turned back and kicked Gerard's knee outward. I released his wrist as he fell to the ground. I turned and faced Phillip. As I went to deliver another kick, he grabbed my ankle with both hands and smirked. I immediately drew my weight onto my captured leg and swung my other leg up and latched onto his shoulders. I twisted our bodies, slinging ourselves in the opposite direction. I released him, landing on my feet as he tumbled across the floor. Before I could make another move, huge arms engulfed me from behind, Gerard. Phillip ran toward me as I struggled in Gerard's hold. I used all my weight to throw both of my legs up and plant my feet in the middle of Phillip's chest, drop kicking him. The force of the kick sent all three of us to the ground. I rolled backward, knees over head and stood up, free of Gerard's hold. "Come on, gentlemen. Is that all you got?", I taunted. Phillip charged, I blocked his hit, and punched him in the Adam's apple. As he grasped at his throat for air, I turned toward a very pissed-off-looking Gerard. "Who pissed in your cheerios?", I smirked. He growled and ran at me, full force, throwing a series of punches. As I blocked, I watched my openings. I kicked his knee out, once again, bringing him to his knees. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and with the same force I was bringing my knee up with, I also, applied to pull his head down, connecting his face with my knee. A loud crack followed the connection, echoing throughout the gym, knocking Gerard out cold. Phillip was still on his knees, gasping for air. I looked up at Darian and the Don. Both of their jaws hung open.

"Okay. Maybe I didn't need to test you. I think my men's pride will hurt now", the Don chuckled. "You better get ready. They will bring you to one of my places to get ready before the fundraiser," he said. With that, he stood and left the gym. Darian still looked at me with wide eyes. Then, as if the trance broke, he rushed to me and grabbed my face. "Baby, are you okay? Where did you learn to fight like that? That was so f*****g sexy", he raddled off. I chuckled and grabbed his shirt, pulling him to me and kissing him. He responded immediately, deepening the kiss and stroking his tongue against mine. "How about a shower?", he asked softly, when we pulled away for air. I nodded my head and let him drag me back to our guest room.

With each step I took, my legs, eyes and body got heavier. My adrenaline faded away from me. I stopped walking, causing Darian to also stop and look at me with a questioning gaze. "El, you okay, baby?", he asked, as he ran his fingers down the side of my face. My mind started to hurt, ready to shut down for rest. I fisted Darian's shirt for support. I felt his arms wrap around me to hold me up. "I'm so tired", I whispered. He scooped me up in his arms. "You fought two men, twice your size, two days after being shot in the leg. Your adrenaline is officially spent, my love", he explained softly. My heart swelled three times its size at his endearment of 'my love'. I rested my head on his shoulder as he carried me upstairs. I was in and out of consciousness. The next thing I remembered was being sat on the bathroom counter. When I opened my eyes, Darian was turning to shower on. He turned towards me, "I'll try to make it quick, so that you can rest. He wants us ready to leave within the hour", he said softly. I simply nodded my head, too tired to talk, as he pulled my shirt and sports bra from my body. "I need you to stand, baby", he whispered, easing me down from the counter. Once I was on my feet, he pulled my shorts and panties off, before quickly stripping himself of his clothes. I leaned on the counter for support as he did so. "If I wasn't exhausted, I'd be trying to cover myself right now", I mumbled. Darian chuckled, as he grabbed my waist and led me into the warm shower. "Then I'm glad you're exhausted, because I don't want you to hide yourself from me. You're too beautiful for that", he whispered huskily, in my ear. He started wetting my hair, "Can you make it hotter?", I mumbled, swaying slightly. "Of course", he replied gently, reaching over and kicking the heat up a notch. He looked up at me and smiled, "Better?", he asked. I nodded my head slightly. He turned me around to put shampoo in my hair, as he rubbed my scalp, my legs tried to give out. But, he quickly wrapped his arm around me and caught me. "Easy, baby", he whispered. I hummed in response, eliciting a soft chuckle from Darian. After he rinsed my hair, he applied the conditioner, then he lathered up some body wash in his hands and started rubbing his hands on my body. I put my hands on the wall to support myself. "Where did you learn to fight like that?", he asked softly, as his hands glided over my skin. I sighed, "I used to be in ju-jitzu", I said tiredly. Barely having the energy to stand, let alone talk. "Did you enjoy it?", he asked softly. I nodded my head, "I did, very much.", I whispered. Darian rinsed my body, then quickly scrubbed himself down. "Okay, let's get you dried off and dressed", Darian said softly, as he turned the water off. I let him guide me out of the shower, and stood still, as he dried me off and wrapped me in the towel. Fresh clothes were sitting on the bed for us when we walked out of the bathroom. Darian helped me get dressed in the shorts and t-shirt they left me. Then I laid down on the bed and passed out.