Veronica furrows her brow. “Okay, like, I get it, but can you show me first?”
“I would love to,” I say at the same time Sawyer says, “Good idea.”
I prep a treat, breaking off a chunk of a dog beef jerky, and we send Sawyer outside again.
He knocks, and Veronica lets him inside. Shortcake swings his snout from Sawyer to Veronica, waiting carefully to make his mark. But this time Sawyer advances toward me, and I toss Shortcake a treat. He snarfs it down as Sawyer wraps his arms around me, and the smell of him—clean soap and cinnamon bodywash,mybodywash—sends a naughty zing through me as I remember our shower. And why we took one.
I can’t let it distract me, though, because I need to offer another treat. I toss one to the dog. He inhales it as I inhale Sawyer. Then one more treat, and I try—I swear I try—not to sigh or moan or murmur.
But when Sawyer slides a hand down my back, I gasp. The sound sends me scurrying apart from him. I try to shake off the fog of lust. “Just like that,” I say, but my voice still sounds…raspy.
Sawyer looks…a little hot under the collar.
Veronica lifts a brow, maybe in question, but then says, “Okay, should we try again?”
“Great idea,” I say brightly, like my cheer can cover up the lust I’m fighting off.
How can I be lusting this hard after he just made me come twice in an hour?
Who knows, but stranger things have happened.
They go through the motions once more, Sawyer heading outside, then knocking. Once he comes inside, Veronica tosses the dog a treat, and he wolfs it down as Sawyer reaches to hug her. Shortcake makes a move toward Veronica’s leg, but she’s a quick study, so she flings another treat the dog’s way.
“Good, keep doing it,” I say, fighting off the wave of jealousy I’m feeling as they hug.
Maybe Shortcake should throw me treats so I don’t jump Sawyer when Veronica hugs him.
* * *
We work through the routine a few more times, and somehow I survive without transforming into a full-blown dragon. I guess miracles do happen. As we’re wrapping up, Veronica thanks me profusely, then Sawyer, then goes quiet but curious, her pretty eyes darting from Sawyer to me and back. “I’m a little bit like mycharacter onUpper East Siders. I’m pretty good at reading people, and I’m picking up on a vibe between you two.”
She sounds delighted with her own observation, but she’s not the first person to say that. Esmeralda mentioned it a few weeks ago. I denied it then. It’s harder to deny it now, and I’m not sure I want to. But if Sawyer and I haven’t figured out what we are, I’m not going to hash it out in front of a client.
I should say something evasive, but Sawyer steps in, nodding to me. “That’s because she’s my dance partner. For the fundraiser. We just did a dance lesson tonight, and we had to get real close. I’m a terrible dancer. But Chloe’s great. And we have a lot more dance lessons to do. Dancing makes you…” He pauses and looks to me, hunger in his eyes. “Closer.”
And just like that, he handles the awkward while covering for me.
When we leave, we head back to my car again so I can take him to the studio to get his car. Roxie’s chugging along like she needs a long nap. I chatter on about the things I need to fix in Roxie.
“Chloe,” he says, interrupting, his tone heavy, and maybe this is where he’ll say we shouldn’t do that again, and my heart lurches. I didn’t realize till now precisely how much I don’t want him to say that.
“Yes?” I ask, all chipper.
“I figured you’d want me to keep our secret.”
Our secret.
It feels like we have a lot of them, even as we dance in public. “I do,” I admit.
“I’ll keep it then,” he says, sounding solemn and vulnerable all at once. When we reach the dance studio, I park the car. He scans the lot, and when he confirms the coast is clear, he grabs my face. “You’re so fucking sexy when you’re jealous.”
“Shut up,” I mutter.
“I’ll shut you up,” he says, then he crushes my mouth with a hot, possessive kiss that ends too soon.
But I grab his collar. “You didn’t want to hug her. That’s why you were all stiff and awkward at first.”
His eyes darken, and he’s quiet for a beat. The air feels charged once more in the silence till he says, “I think you should know I’d much rather practice with you.”
