A/N: Update. Another new chapter for your reading pleasure. Please read and review! Lyrics are taken without permission from the song 'Touch of my Hand' by Britney Spears. I disclaim!

Fair warning, this chapter contains some mild sexual content. Nothing OTT or overtly graphic, but if it's not your thing please skip this one.

Finally, this chapter is dedicated to V. Thanks to grleviathan, Coop, Shawn, jensengirl, recco101 and V for reviewing. Shout out to LegendKiller040180, thanks for reviewing. You guys rock. Again, please R&R!


Riley had been prepared for a lot coming to the arena tonight, but apparently not for Desperado. She hadn't counted on him being so technically able, not to mention fast! He moved across the ring in a blur, three short strides and he was upon her, ready to dash her against the turnbuckles. Adrenaline exploded through Riley's veins, and her synapses fired and reflexes worked to their maximum. Clearly Desperado was fast, but she was faster. Riley managed to side step the running form of Desperado at the last possible second. Being a great deal smaller than him allowed her to nip to the side, avoiding the crushing clothesline that was being aimed for her chest.

However, she wasn't one to just settle for dodging the attack of an opponent. Instead, she pivoted on the foot that lead her dodge, spinning around to face the back of her opponent. He had no idea what had happened, and she pounced. Snapping her arms firmly around his waist, Riley felt the burn in her thighs and lower back as she hoisted him upward, planting Desperado down onto the back of his neck and head in a swift German Suplex.

Releasing the hold, she quickly rolled out of arm's reach, standing back to her feet. One of the first things she'd ever learned in wrestling practice was to ensure that no matter how good the move was, you never stayed close enough to receive a counter or a retaliation. Desperado wasn't moving as quickly, clearly caught off guard by her sudden move and subsequent attack. Shaking the cobwebs away, he slowly got back to his own feet, backing away wearily into the corner.

Resisting the urge to smile, Riley carefully began to circle around the ring, the distance between her and Desperado staying the same as he moved as well. She couldn't see his face, but Riley guessed he was currently re-evaluating his strategies, and that made her feel good. It was always the same whenever she faced a man in the ring. They always dismissed her due to her size and relative strength, and the fact she was a girl. It was always her opponent's downfall. Tough girls came in small packages, and she would be no push over. Far from it, in fact, she would bet money on knowing more about wrestling than most of the people who had already tried-out today put together. And if Desperado was the best the officials had seen all day, she was definitely going to turn their world on it's head.

Part of her wanted to remove the disguise and show this crowd who she was. Riley knew they wouldn't be so quick to boo her and cheer Desperado if they knew she was Riley Orton. And if they realised who her father was, they certainly wouldn't be screaming to see what was beneath her hot pants. It repulsed her, but that very same repulsion fuelled her.

Riley knew she'd chosen the disguise not simply to hide from her father and potential discovery. It was more than that, because she wanted to prove to him that she could do this alone. That she could become a wrestler on her own merit and not because of her last name. If she could just make it through tonight, Riley knew she could earn herself a developmental contract and her father would respect her so much for doing it all alone. What her mother would think was of no concern to her. She could say what she liked, but Riley was determined to be with her father and wrestle alongside him.

And if she was going to achieve that, she'd better start working.

Stepping forward, Desperado beat Riley to it and pulled her into a collar-and-elbow tie up. His superior strength and height now put Riley in an awkward position. It wasn't too much trouble for him to take control of the hold, and little to no effort to force her back into the corner. With her arms held, Riley couldn't defend against the pressure Desperado forced on her, the strain pooling in her shoulders and neck. It took the referee's firm insistence to break the hold, which her opponent only did grudgingly.

Lifting his hands in supplication, Desperado backed away from Riley, and she immediately leapt out of the corner, catching him by surprise in a Lou Thesz style press. Well she wasn't the one be counted, was she? Why not capitalise on the moment and use it to take her opponent down? After all it wasn't just a superior physique that won the match. Her brains were more than a match for Desperado's deliciously firm muscles any day. And as an added bonus, the repeated smacking of her opponents head would work some feeling back into her arms and shoulders.

With Desperado forced down onto the mat and a murmur of female boos all around, Riley straddled his waist, landing stiff elbow shots to his shoulders and head. He was down and she had to make the most of her advantage. Desperado seemed to realise this, and quickly raised his arms to cover and protect his head. Soon he began blocking the elbow shots. Fighting her off, Desperado shoved Riley to the side, sending her sprawling into the air and down on her side. Grunting with the impact, she felt her anger simmer as the crowd cheered for her opponent. Why were they cheering for this goon? So he was probably a sex god beneath his mask, that wasn't the point! Where was the female solidarity when you needed it?

Determined to prove she was the better wrestler, Riley vowed to beat her opponent in style and tried to come up with a creative way to take him back down to the mat. Just as she formulated a plan to do just that, she paid for her hesitation with a running knee lift to her torso from her opponent. With the air forced out of her lungs, the pain in her ribs barely registered in her head and Riley sank to her knees. No sooner had they touched the canvas did Desperado have her by the hair, or more accurately, by the wig.

Gritting her teeth, Riley felt the dozen ties and clips pull at her scalp beneath it as he tugged on the wig and she wasn't sure whether or not she was pleased it had stayed attached to her head. Forced to get to her feet to relieve the pressure, Riley found herself the victim of a scoop-slam delivered at break-neck speed. Perhaps staying down would have been a better option.

Wincing as her back crashed against the mat, she felt a foreign weight being pressed down on her, her far leg being pulled upwards as Desperado attempted to score an early pin fall.

Kicking her leg free of his grip and thereby disrupting the count, Riley latched her legs around his neck, squeezing her thighs in a head scissors manoeuvre. It was a quick reversal, and gave her time to get her breath back after the slam.

Desperado had other ideas, and with a little concerted effort forced Riley's legs apart, freeing his neck and throat. Grabbing her ankles and trapping them beneath his arms, he placed his feet just beneath her butt and fell backward. Using his downward momentum to bring Riley up, she found herself catapulted toward the ropes. With no way to stop herself, her chest and neck bounced off the ropes, cutting angry red marks onto exposed her skin. Coughing because of the brief but biting pressure on her neck, Riley staggered backwards, only to be planted face first into the mat again by Desperado performing a bulldog.

Rolling onto her back, Riley's chest heaved up and down as pain throbbed in her face and neck. Above her, she could see the silhouette of Desperado posing for the crowd, the dull roar of their cheers filling the space completely. He stepped out of Riley's vision, and she was grateful. Just looking at him now made her angry. He wasn't supposed to be this good; or rather she was supposed to be better. The crowd's near hilarity grated on her nerves, and she couldn't care less what he was doing and how he was posing in order to wind them up. What was he doing to get them to cheer so loudly, anyway?

The throbbing in her head was starting to ease, and Riley began to think about getting to her feet. However the lull in action was quickly over as the reason for the crowd's building cheers became evident. Desperado flew back into her sight as he landed a picture perfect Moonsault from the top rope directly onto her body. Riley couldn't help but yell at the pain of having a six foot plus man landing hard on her from the top rope. If the flare of agony in her chest was anything to go by, Riley seriously considered a bruised, potentially broken rib after that move.

His hands were on her leg again, hooking it, and she vaguely realised through the pain that the referee had begun the count against her. For a moment, she considered allowing herself to get pinned. Did it really matter now that she win the try out? She was already hurting, and she wouldn't be able to offer much of a fight now. It would only become an exercise in cruelty to herself to continue. The laughing face of the Booker flashed through he mind, and she realised that perhaps she'd been wrong to dismiss his warnings so readily. He'd smugly informed her that this Desperado dude was good, and she hadn't taken him seriously, and that was clearly a mistake. Now her chest hurt with every breath, and she felt beaten after barely ten minutes. Perhaps giving up was the best option, and she could still leave the arena under her own power that way. Maybe even a little dignity, if she were that lucky.

Even as she considered giving in, something kicked into life inside her. Perhaps her inherited Orton fire sparked, or her mother's fiery defiance flooded her brain. Whatever it was, Riley found herself issuing a mental command to herself to man up. Just as the referee's hand hovered for the third and final count, Riley's shoulder shot up from the canvas like it had scalded her. She was Riley Orton dammit, fourth generation superstar! And there was no way in hell she was about to be beaten by some idiot in a mask.

Using the new rush to push Desperado off her, Riley staggered to her legs. Desperado was just sitting up in front of her, and she immediately launched into a dropkick against his back.

Desperado grunted with the impact, his entire body forced to bend forward. Riley landed a little harder back on the mat that she would have liked. Rolling away to the corner, she now had to use the ropes to get back to her feet. It was difficult, but she managed it as much grace as she could. Across the ring, her opponent watched her every move, eyes glittering with amused disdain. He still found this funny, Riley realised, and obviously thought he'd have this entire debacle won in a matter of moments. And to just add injury to insult, he took a measured step toward Riley and proceeded to trace a woman's hourglass figure in the air before him. Once he was finished, he made obvious and vulgar thrusting motions with his hips and pointed at Riley. The crowd went wild.

Anger tautened to breaking point inside Riley. How dare he be such a sexist pig! And what scum of the earth people where these to cheer him for it? This business was about respect for its female talent now. The days of pure T and A were so long gone they were a distant memory. Women were sexy and desirable, but first and foremost serious competitors. And this pitiful excuse for a man was spitting on Riley and every woman who came before her by behaving in such a borderline misogynistic manner.

Pushing the pain out of her head, Riley took a breath. There was no point in allowing it to consume her as it would do little good. Not that she needed her opponent to know that. Feigning soreness in her side, she waited a moment for him to become interested before throwing herself at Desperado, pumped full of bile and righteous anger. Perhaps Dita the Dominatrix wasn't going to just be a character tonight after all. It was time to give a twenty minute lesson on how to make someone like Desperado her bitch.


It was obvious now that Riley was now becoming noted for her absence. Groups of friends and well-wishers at the club turned to one another, bewildered and wondering where the birthday girl was hiding. Most remembered seeing at some point early on in the evening, but they were all at a loss to explain her whereabouts now.

Just as Trish was becoming aware of the discussion regarding her daughter, the DJ's voice cut over the crowd and prevented her from understanding what the talking referred to. She had spent far too much time in the corner nursing a glass of whiskey feeling sorry for herself to notice Riley's absence.

"Alright people," he began, "it's time for the first of the birthday gifts. Riley's best friend Melody has prepared a show the likes of which you have never seen before. So how about we get the birthday girl up here to enjoy her present up close and personal?"

The crowed cheered, and the DJ grinned, already imagining the sordid delights of Melody and Riley together. His booth was situated above and slightly to the left of the main stage. At that height, he was out of the direct light of the club lighting fixtures and bathed in semi-shadow. The cover allowed the high heel that Melody had thrown to sail unnoticed in the dark and slap against his head. Shaken by the impact, the DJ turned in the direction of the stage to see Melody glaring from behind the curtain. Making a quick slicing movement across her throat, he more than got the message.

"Uh, anyway. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Melody James!"

The cheers that erupted died away slowly as the lights dimmed and the heavy blue curtains parted to reveal Melody in all her glory. The stage had been scattered with pillows and cushions embroidered with Indian silk in hues of green, gold and fuchsia. Amber lights spilled over the stage, filling it with a rich glow that accented the creamy colour of Melody's flesh.

And there was plenty of it on display.

Lying provocatively over the pillows, her petit yet curvaceous body was draped in several almost sheer scarves in a rainbow of colours. Five were somehow attached to her waist, spilling over and between her thighs, accentuating the colour of her flesh. Another two were hanging over her shoulders, covering her firm breasts that seemed to defy gravity and hold the scarves in place.

She heard the audible gasp of the entire audience and smiled. Let's see someone think of Riley now.

Sat on a chair near the front of the stage Lucas gulped aloud, his tongue absent mindedly running over his lips. His jaw had become slack, the beat of his heart pounding in his ears. Desire sparkled like fireworks in his brain and body, centring powerful explosions in the pit of his stomach and lower.

Melody looked truly delicious, her body soft and inviting. The cool, creamy look of her porcelain skin was offset by her luscious black hair and deep blue eyes that looked almost violet in the light. Sexuality radiated off her, and he defied any man to not want to throw her on her back and devour her. Her eyes focused on him, and he was sure he saw her wink.

Music now filled the club again. Lucas didn't recognise the tune, but the sound of strings made it sound eastern in origin, possibly Japanese. It repeated the same notes several times, the succession sounding haunting and innocent all at the once. It seemed to wrap itself around Melody and bring her to life, the music and girl becoming one single expression of sexuality.

Melody sighed. The DJ had finally started to play record she had instructed him to earlier. It had been supposed to coincide with the curtains opening, although it was too late to worry about that now. She had a show to put on, and she had choreographed it to perfection.

I'm not ashamed of the things that I dream; I found my self flirting with the verge of obscene. Extending her arms upward, Melody lifted them to above her head, briefly crossing her wrists in a graceful curve, arching her left side so that her hips jutted slightly. Into the unknown I will be bold. I'm going to places I can be out of control. Bringing her arms back down to her side again, Melody slowly got to her feet, each move a fluid segue into another, her limbs graceful and posed as she stood.

I don't want to explain tonight, all the things I tried to hide. Reaching her arms forward, Melody directed her gaze toward Lucas, holding his stare for a moment. She wasn't sure if anyone else in the club could feel it, but the tension between them was so thick that it almost stifled her. The heavy weight of his lust-filled stare made her shiver with anticipation and excitement. Boys always looked at her in a way that betrayed their wanton desire, but it had never been as powerful as Lucas was now. She realised that he wanted her physically, and she couldn't deny feeling the same way, that she wanted him to have her fiercely, over and over again till she begged him to stop.

She wanted to feel his hard body against her, exploring every inch of his flesh with her mouth and hands and have him a wild, uncaring manner. For once, Melody didn't want to be the level hearted, warm hearted, tough as anything Californian young woman. Just once, she wanted to be an insecure and frightened girl, shyly confident in herself and her own body. More than anything, she wanted to draw Lucas into her and pleasure him so well that he never wanted to be apart from her again.

Deciding to really give him a reason to want her, Melody brought her hands back toward her. The palms and tips of her finger grazed across her breasts before slowly wrapping around the gold scarf that covered her left breast. I shut myself off from the world so I can draw the blinds, and I'll teach myself to fly.

Melody tugged the scarf softly, and the corner that had been holding against her skin finally came free. I love myself it's not a sin... In a tantalisingly slow move, the scarf tumbled from her body and the crowd took a collective breath …I can't control what's happening.

Lucas' eyes were drawn to the scarf that danced it's way through the air to the stage where it melted against the floor. 'Cos I jus discovered, imagination's taken over. Another day without a lover... Dragging his eyes back up Melody's body, he wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed in what he saw. The other scarf covering her right breast had been wrapped around her body, so that her cleavage was still covered by the sky blue scarf. It didn't make her any less appealing however, especially as Melody now ran her hands down her hips and over her thighs, daring to brush toward the inner thigh and warm heaven he fantasised was waiting for him there. The more I come to understand the touch of my hand.

Knowing she had the club in the palm of her hand, Melody moved across the stage, twirling as she moved and grinding her hips to the oriental beat of the song. The small of my back. She turned her back to the crowd, running her hands through her hair and lifting it from her back to expose it completely. It was naked and looked soft to touch, the amber light playing over its curves and plains. The arch of my feet.

Melody arched herself, performing a languid backward tumble, stretching her long legs and perfect feet. Men murmured their approval and even the women in the audience were spell bound by every considered move that she made. Taking the scarlet scarf that hung at her back, Melody carefully pulled it free from her body, allowing it glide sensuously over her legs and up to her face. It covered it like a veil for a moment, before Melody totally discarded it.

In his seat, Lucas shifted uncomfortably. The hardness between his own legs was now verging on painful. Every move Melody made before him only excited his passion to boiling point. She was more than beautiful; Melody was a goddess to him. She was love and sex and desire made flesh in front of him, and he longed to claim it for himself. Just the way she move her legs apart made a thousand fantasies cry out for attention in his mind, most considering what it would feel like to be between them. Every curve of her skin was pushing him toward lustful insanity, and he wasn't sure how much more of the torturous desire he would be able to withstand.

Lately I've been noticing the beautiful me. Now positioned at the steps of the stage, she carefully started to make her way down them, each movement completely in sync with the music. As she reached the bottom step, Melody rand her hands from her throat and down her body to rest on her hips. I'm all in my skin and I'm not gonna wait. Taking a scarf in each hand, her fists were bunched with sheer ochre and jade material.

With the softest of pulls, she removed them from her body, allowing them do drop to the ground. I'm into myself in a most precious way. Her legs were completely on display now, the remaining scarves floating delicately between her thighs and one wrapped lovingly around her chest. Taking the final step to the floor, Melody snagged one of the scarves that floated between her thighs and pulled it free, wrapping it loosely around her wrist and letting it fall like a trail behind her.

She felt Lucas' eyes drinking her in and she swiftly turned, displaying her back to him. Leaning backwards, her hands touched to the floor as she arched her back into a bridge. Her body was one delicious curve, the perfect lines broken only by the curves of her breast and hips. Lucas found himself gripping the chair he was sat on for dear life. He'd always found a woman's stomach incredibly sexy, and he wanted so badly to run his tongue and lips over Melody's whilst she held herself in that position.

There may as well have been nobody else in the room but Lucas, as Melody kept her attention focused on him. With considerable core strength, she reversed the slow drop into the bridge she'd performed, carefully pulling herself back to standing up straight. Turning over her shoulder, Melody ran her hands down her lower back in order to cup the curves of her bottom. I don't want to explain tonight all the things I tried to hide. More specifically, she let her fingers play with the light pink scarf that hung between her legs, covering the cleft of her rear and womanhood at the front.

She toyed with pulling at it, loving the reactions that played across Lucas's face as she did so. Turning to face him, Melody took measured steps toward him again, her feet gracefully pointing the way forward as the rest of her body followed. I shut myself off from the world so I can draw the blinds…

Stood within an inch of Lucas, Melody lowered herself to her knees. Placing her hands carefully on Lucas' knees, she gently spread them apart. He resisted her briefly, and she could see why. Fighting off a blush, Melody tried to keep her eyes anywhere other than straining bulge at the front of Lucas' jeans. He wore them baggy, but at such close quarters there was no mistaking in the way the material was ruffled.

Knelt down before Lucas, Melody's body was out of the sight of him and the rest of the club. Her hands carefully played their way down Lucas' legs once more to grip the final two scarves that covered her chest and womanhood. With the softest of pulls, they came free, exposing her body in its entirety …And I'll teach myself to fly.

Pushing forward, Melody let her head travel up between Lucas' thighs as her body followed. She moved up over his body, inhaling his masculine scent until they were eye level. Pressing her body flush against his, Melody deliberately pushed her hips forward so that she ground against the hardness between his legs. Lucas bit his lip, more to stop himself from moaning that anything else. There's a world undefined, in my body and mind.

Melody carefully pulled one of the scarves she had just removed from her side, as the club waited in baited breath to see what she would do next. I won't be left behind. The garment was a sheer purple, and she carefully draped it over Lucas' face like a veil. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment as he inhaled, taking in the female scent of Melody in all its sweetness. His blue eyes fell open again, and he saw through the purple haze that Melody's face was less than an inch from his. Her eyes with heavy with desire, the lids half closed in a way that scent arousal tingling through every inch of his body. I'm already here.

Not realising he had done it, Lucas lifted his hands so that they were placed on Melody's hips. 'Cos I jus discovered, imagination's taken over. She in turn closed the small gap between them. Another day without a lover. The more I come to understand… Suddenly, Lucas felt the warmth of her lips through the scarf pressed against his own. The softness of her hand pressed against his chest warmed him to the core in a way he'd never know before. …the touch of my hand. Explosions were set off in his mind, his body tensing to a peak he'd never reached until now. She simply touched her lips against his, and whilst the scarf prevented him from kissing her truly, it was easily the most erotic moment of his entire life.

Lost to a haze of pleasure, Lucas barely registered the lights filling the club once more as the song had ended. There was a heavy pause, as Melody pulled her mouth back from his, looking longingly into his eyes, his hands falling limply to his side. The sound of thunder filled his ears and he realised that everyone was clapping. Melody peeled herself off Lucas, taking a complete step back. He felt empty now that she was no longer against his body, and desperately wanted to pull her back to his chest again. Even if the situation would allow it, his body felt gloriously numb, as though he'd had the most satisfying sex ever. No girl had ever made him feel this sated before, and they'd barely come into contact at all.

N1ow that he could see a little more clearly, Lucas could see that Melody wasn't naked beneath the scarves as he'd thought. She was wearing an incredibly tight and small flesh coloured bikini. It was so perfect in mimicking Melody's skin tone that he wouldn't have noticed it save for the occasional twinkle of diamantes that were encrusted in places the chest and hips.

Melody curtseyed for a moment, going through the motions of taking in the applause. She'd forgotten everyone else present for a moment, and what she'd even done her routine for. In reality, her heart was pounding in her chest and her body ached with pleasure. Being that intimate with Lucas without actually doing much at all had left her feeling more alive that she ever had before. But she'd have to forget that now. The entire performance was for her friend's benefit, to help Riley with her dreams. She couldn't focus on Lucas now, as there was more for her to do to ensure Riley's absence stayed relatively unnoticed for a while longer.

Taking a step back, she turned and headed back up the steps onto the stage as the curtains were pulling closed. Her mind focused on the next phase of her plan, she was powerless against at the magnetic pull of the man she knew was watching her from the floor. Turning back, she threw Lucas a molten look before she regained her senses. Holding his gaze in her own, it was only broken as the curtains closed between them and Melody was lost into a wall of blue.

Everyone in the club started talking at once, their voices full of excitement and in thrall of the young woman and her performance. The people closest to Lucas clapped his shoulders or slapped their hands on his back, telling him how amazing the moment had been or how luck he was to have such a girl dance over and on him. However it was like being under the sea for Lucas, the voices muffled and distant. He couldn't take his eyes off from where Melody had escaped, nor forget the feelings she had brought to life in him.

Carefully pushing his way through the crowd, he walked up toward the stage, taking the steps that were behind the DJ booth. Making sure no-one had followed him, he slipped behind the curtain, intending to find Melody and quench his thirst for her there and then.