The Cirque Read Online Free Page B

knives. “No, I’m good.”
    “Suit yourself.” He led the way.
    I followed him deeper into the theatrical tent that held all of our non-performance spaces – gym, cafeteria, the dressing rooms and various training rooms.
    He led me into a small room that was sparsely furnished except for a table where his knives were lined up a neat row, a cork target board on the far wall and a punching bag hanging from the ceiling.
    Not ready to stand in front of the target, I wandered over to inspect his knives. I picked one up and brought my finger to the edge of the blade. Gabriel was suddenly beside me, pulling my hand back. “Don’t. You’ll cut yourself.” He circled one hand around my wrist and with the other, removed the knife from my hand. He set it back down on the table.
    Having him so close captured all my attention. I turned to face him and looked up into his amazing blue eyes, only inches from mine. He looked down at me and bit his lip, confusion etched into his features, like he was doing long division in his head. But as our eyes stayed locked together, his face softened just slightly and his lips parted, drawing in a shaky breath. He brushed the hair away from my face with the back of his hand, ever so softly before letting his hand drop again.
    “You’ll need to be over here, away from the knives.” He gripped me by the waist and walked me backward toward the target. His touch was firm, knowing, and my body responded instantly to his confident hands. He stopped only when my back was pressed against the target on the far wall. I had vivid mental images of him pressing his body against mine, but he quickly dropped his hands and stepped away.
    If only I could recover as quickly. My pulse thundered in my ears and my knees felt shaky. I took a few deep breaths, trying to pull myself together while Gabriel selected a few knives.
    Once he had the ones he wanted, he positioned himself directly across from me. He raised his arm overhead and hesitated for just a second, looking me up and down. Then he flung the knife straight at me. I felt the force behind his throw as the blade struck, burying itself deep within the cork.
    I flinched just a bit. “S heesh. If that had hit me, I’d be a goner.” I laughed, trying to lighten the intensity between us.
    Gabriel didn’t react. He got his next knife ready.
    “So where are you from?” I asked.
    He raised the knife overhead and threw it. It slammed into the target near my left thigh, again lodging itself firmly within the cork.
    “If I don’t throw them hard, they wouldn’t stick, and they’ll bounce off and nick you.”
    Ah. “Got it. Well, then go for it. You don’t have to be gentle with me.” I smiled.
    He raised an eyebrow, and threw another knife.
    “So you’re not going to tell me where you’re from?”
    He shifted his stance, looking restless. “Out west.”
    “Is your family still there?”
    He didn’t answer. Instead, he threw the next knife with even more force than the last. It rocked the target behind me.
    “Can we be done with the question and answer portion of this practice?”
    Whatever . I rolled my eyes. I did my best to act as unaffected by Gabriel. But damn, the boy was hot. Obnoxiously hot . I was doomed.
     
     

Chapter 4
     
    Since it was a full dress rehearsal, Tanner did my makeup and dressed me in my costume, which would coordinate with Gabriel’s. As I suspected, they played up my innocent appearance. Having golden blond hair and big blue eyes always made people think of an angel.
    I wore a sparkling white dress that fell well above my knees. The spaghetti straps showed off my pale shoulders and Tanner had done soft makeup and styled my hair in flowing waves. Used to having my hair pulled up in a bun day after day, I hadn’t realized how long it had gotten. It hung halfway down my back. When he stepped back to inspect his work, he smiled. “You look like an ang –”
    “An angel, I know.” I rolled my eyes. Just the look I