I raised my chest and a slight burn resonated in my back.
“More.”
I did, but the burn crept higher up my back at the uncomfortable angle. “I can’t go any more.”
Kova shot daggers through his eyes at the word can’t. Taking matters in his own hands, he ignored my resistance and pushed my chest up himself, never letting go of my leg, and bent my body in an unnatural position. I grunted as a gush of air burst from my lungs. I tried to lower my leg, but he wouldn’t give.
“Your weakness is your lack of flexibility.”
“I know,” I gushed out. I was in serious pain and he wanted to have a conversation?
“You know and yet you do not condition yourself the way I taught you? Why did I spend time in those private sessions if you are not going to use the drills? That is not proving yourself to me.”
He let up an inch so I could speak. “I’ve been conditioning, apparently not enough. I’ll do more.”
“Look at your hip now.”
Son of a bitch.
“This is where you need to be with your form.”
Christ, he was right. My hip was pivoted out and not squared at all with my shoulders.
“Hold your leg still and do not move,” Kova ordered. Beads of sweat trickled down my neck as I fought to hold position.
Using the hand that was still tightly wrapped around my inner thigh, and dangerously near my sex, he leisurely slid it to the outer edge of my thigh, almost as if he was feeling for my flexed muscle. My breathing labored, and I struggled not to respond to the sensations of his touch as his hand glided up my leg almost provocatively. It was electrifying. And though I knew it was wrong, in this very moment, I wanted his touch more than I wanted to learn the correct stance.
“Do not move, Ria,” he whispered.
His other hand drifted willfully over my waist, leaving a trail of heat dancing across my bare skin. I gripped the barre tighter, my knuckles turning white.
God, it felt so good. A purr resonated in my throat. I tried not to think of his touch in a sensual way, but it was pointless. I wanted his hands on me, I wanted them all over my body. I wanted him to show me the correct way to do more. I wanted the heat of his skin pressed against mine, to whisper in Russian across my neck. His fingers sat on my lower abdomen, and if I moved my hips just an inch more they would hit the throbbing spot begging for release. I needed his touch, yearned for his skilled hand to slide lower.
Kova’s hand skimmed around my upper thigh, grazing my sex. His closeness made me wonder if he knew what he was doing, what he’d touched. I tried not to focus on the sensuality of his hand, but it wasn’t easy when he was continually sliding past and dipping lower.
Leaning closer to me, he asked, “See how firm you are here?” Tight lipped, I nodded. “See how your hips are flat and down?” His hand slowly circled my pelvis. I nodded again. “This is what we want all the time. I know you can do it, Ria.”
His belief in me, even over something as simple as squaring my hips, made my chest bloom with confidence.
Taking a deep breath, my hips moved just a fraction. I told myself I couldn’t help it as I worked to breathe at this uncomfortable position, but I also couldn’t stop the gnawing hunger of wanting his hand to move lower either.
The pressure of his fingers digging into my thigh, signified he was fighting not to move. Then finally, one long and unsteady finger hit the slit of my mound and I nearly groaned.
Swiftly, his hand slid to my hip and his fingers wrapped around and gripped me. Leaning in with his hip, he used it as leverage to steady, gluing himself to me. His pelvic bone dug into my side, showing just how close he really was. As he gripped my hip, he rotated it forward to square it correctly.
With a grunt, my leg involuntarily snapped down and my arms gave out. My knees buckled and I lost balance, crumbling against the barre with Kova crashing into me.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. All that touching so he could square my hips.
We were both leaning on the barre in a heap of heavy breathing when Kova’s arm secured my waist and tugged me to stand. “Come on, try it again.”
I didn’t want to stand, I couldn’t move. My body ached and I was exhausted after holding that position.
“Get up, Adrianna,” his warm breath sent shivers across my damp neck. With my back pressed against his chest and my ass nestled between his hips, the hardness of his body was making it difficult to function.
Kova’s hold tightened. A flush of heat coursed through my worn out body at his closeness, his breath on my neck, his fingers digging into me. My heart raced, and I knew he was the reason for it, not exertion. Strangely enough, I was okay with this reaction to Kova, this feeling streaming through my veins. Curiosity got the best of me and I embraced this moment.
Still glued to my backside, much closer than he truly needed to be, I decided to be daring. My lower belly was throbbing, an ache pooling inside for something more, so I leaned against him, slowly standing to my full height with a seductive arch of my back, hitting him in all the right places. Even going as far as to add pressure to the clearly obvious erection pressing into me.