Page 39 of Vicious Cycle


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“The club owns the gym,” I corrected.

Her cheeks tinged a little. “Well, with your ties to the club, would it be okay if I gave Willow her lessons there? There would be sufficient mirrors, and you really can’t teach proper form without mirrors.”

“If she’s needing mirrors, maybe you could let her borrow your bedroom,” Bishop suggested with a wicked gleam in his eye.

“Fuck off,” I snarled, as Alex’s cheeks reddened again.

Bishop only snickered as he flipped open his workbook again while Alex drew in a breath. “It wouldn’t be every day. Most students only attend dance once or twice a week. If there was just a corner of the gym we could have, that would be plenty. I could even have Willow wear headphones to take care of doing the poses to the music.”

Scratching my chin, I thought about it. I knew I would have to run it by Case, and he probably wasn’t going to like the idea of Alexandra being around the gym. Of course, most of the questionable activity only took place on Friday or Saturday nights. “I suppose it would be all right. Let me talk to the guys about it, but maybe we can give it a trial run tomorrow.”

Alex’s face lit up. “That would be wonderful. I could just meet you guys down there at three. The lesson could run until three-thirty, and hopefully, we wouldn’t have to even adjust the lessons for dinner time.”

“I don’t think Mama Liz would mind adjusting the time.”

After giving me a genuine smile, Alex said, “Thank you, Deacon.”

“You’re welcome.”

When we remained standing there, staring at each other, Bishop cleared his throat. “You mind leaving us so we can get some more work done?”

“As long as you keep those hands on your workbook and not her,” I countered.

Bishop rolled his eyes. “I heard you loud and clear before, brother. Give me some fucking credit.”

“Better yet, give me some fucking credit,” Alex said.

Sweeping a hand to his chest, Bishop said, “Ouch, that hurt.”

Alexandra only giggled. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

As I watched them, I slowly began to realize that neither one of them looked at each other like they wanted to rip the person’s clothes off. While Bishop might’ve been jacking off to her earlier, I doubt he was anymore…unless he had a teacher fantasy from years back. I knew then that although he was a horndog, I could trust him around Alex. She was probably the first woman besides our mother that he actually respected, which was saying a hell of a lot.

Holding my hands up in defeat, I started backing up towards the door. “All right, I’ll go, and let you two work.”

Alex nodded. “So I’ll see you at three tomorrow at the gym?”

“Yeah, sure.”

After giving me a wave, she turned her attention back to Bishop. Instead of giving me a shit-eating grin that he had her attention and her fine ass sitting beside him, he ducked his head and looked at the workbook.

With a shake of my head, I went in search of Case to explain how my daughter’s leash around my finger now included his gym and ballet lessons

CHAPTER NINE: DEACON

“What time is it?” Willow asked for the twentieth fucking time in the last five minutes.

Gripping the ropes of the boxing ring, I growled, “Kid, you’re getting on my last nerve.”

“Please, Deacon,” she said.

When I turned away from Bishop’s practice session, her lips turned down in the most pitiful pout. The kind that made father’s melt.

The kind that made evenmemelt.

Jesus, she got to me.

I exhaled a ragged breath. “I promise she’ll be here any minute.”