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“Don’t mind if I do,” Thunder said, reaching over Mak’s head for a cookie.
Her heart pounded so hard, she’d be amazed if no one called her out on it. Her skin felt hot and tingly just being near him. What the hell was happening to her?
“So Mak,” Shell asked with a smirk. “What are you up to for the rest of the day?”
What was she up to? What the hell was Shell up to? “Just gonna hang out with the kids. I promised Emmie and Kara I’d take them to the park if it was a nice day.”
“How about you, Thunder? Didn’t you say you were looking for something to do this afternoon?”
Mak widened her eyes and glared daggers at Shell. “Seriously?” she mouthed. That had to be the worse, most unsubtle hint ever.
Shell shrugged, not an ounce of repentance in sight.
With a laugh, Thunder shook his head. “Nah, I’m laying low this afternoon. Got a gig tonight.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Bachelorette party.” He executed a sexy little dance move that no doubt would be making an appearance tonight only with much fewer clothes.
Mak’s stomach dropped through her seat. A bachelorette party? Did that mean just dancing, or…more? God, how she wished she didn’t know about what he got up to for extra cash. Would he be sleeping with another woman tonight? Though she had no claim on him, the thought of it made her want to sink through the floor.
The dramatic change in Shell’s facial expression would have been funny had Mak’s smile not felt fake as hell. “Oh,” Shell said, forehead scrunched. “I thought you were backing off on those?” She cut a glance at Mak, who gave her friend a sharp shake of her head.
“Nope. Why would I? I’m not dancing at the club anymore because the hours fucked with my club obligations, but the private gigs bring in some serious bank and are usually earlier in the night. Why would I give that up?”
Again, Shell cut her gaze to Mak. “Oh, uh, I don’t know. Guess I misunderstood.”
It felt as though every eye in the place bored into her even though most had no idea about the undercurrent of the conversation. Still, she felt like a bright spotlight shone over her head with a neon sign flashing the word naïve.
As Mak made plans to never show her face in Townsend again, Emmie toddled into the kitchen.
Perfect timing, kiddo.
An adorable distraction was precisely what the room needed. She began to rise so she could snatch up her sister, but Emmie noticed Thunder before Mak had a chance to lift off the seat.
Emmie’s high-pitched squeal would have been obnoxious from any of the older children, but when combined with her chubby cheeks, bouncy pigtails, and ear to ear smile, no one minded one bit.
“Under!” she yelled so loud most of the adults in the room winced. In an instant, her short arms were reaching up to him. He scooped her up, settled her on his hip, and blew a raspberry on her cheek as though he spent his life making children laugh. Emmie giggled and yelled, “Again!” as she patted his scruffy face with enthusiasm.
Of course, Thunder obliged; who could resist such a cutie?
“My turn!” Emmie said as she mashed her mouth against Thunder’s face, blowing with far more slobber than necessary.
Mak winced and held her arms out. For sure, he’d be ready to pass her off. But Thunder just laughed and held up a hand for a high five, which Emmie happily delivered. Then, as though he seemed to finally realize he and Emmie had an audience, he scanned the room. “What?” he asked the group staring at him with various expressions of surprise.
Izzy, who Mak had learned wasn’t one for subtly, snorted. “I can think of a few reasons to cancel. A few damn good ones.” She folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow.
Thunder’s face screwed up, and he shook his head. “Huh?”
These people were way too far up in each other’s business. Izzy clearly meant reasons to give up on the stripping gigs, and she was referring to Mak and Emmie, a fact everyone else in the room seemed to pick up on. Thank God Thunder remained oblivious, though it sure did hit her square in the ego.
And it hurt.
Shit, now the tip of her nose was tingling the way it did before she cried. She blinked rapidly.
Don’t cry. Do. Not. Cry.
Things were better this way. After just one night, she’d begun to spin fairytale fantasies she had no business drumming up. Already, he’d taken up too much of her headspace. Her neurons needed to focus on bettering her family’s situation, not daydream about a man who would never be hers. Thunder being clueless about how his job taking his clothes off for women and possibly having sex with them might make a significant other feel helped her remember her place.
