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She took a deep breath and sighed. “I understand that you don’t want to get emotionally attached while you’re protecting me. I heard you on that, and I get it. But I know my dad likes and respects you, or I wouldn’t be here. It’s not like he’d have a meltdown over the idea of you and me.”
“It’s unprofessional.”
“And our age difference isn’t that big.”
“Don’t do this.” She was making the same arguments I had before I came downstairs. Arguments designed to let me have what I wanted.
“I’m just saying—”
“My extra years have given me a different perspective. And a little more self-control. Because if I was closer to your age, neither of us would have gotten much sleep last night.”
Damn it, it had slipped out, but it was the truth.
Callie’s smile slipped, her expression gone soft, her mouth slightly open. The look of longing on her face damn near scrapped all my plans to keep my distance. Then he spoke, her voice soft and husky.
“What if I don’t want you to control yourself?”
I snapped my head to look at her. “Don’t—”
A knock at the door stopped me from telling her not to play with me.
She’d gone from flirting to outright stating that she wanted me, and I was just a man.
A man sitting next to the woman of his dreams.
I hurried to answer the door, grateful to have that conversation interrupted. Mom and Jessie kissed my cheek on the way past, and the huge hug Elsie gave me soothed my nerves and brought on Uncle Mode. I went back into the kitchen feeling a hell of a lot less tension.
Callie had cooked enough breakfast that she offered everyone some. Only Elsie ate, then they headed to the basement for Callie to help her with her audition.
“Aren’t you coming?” Elsie asked when I stayed in the kitchen instead of following them.
“Be kind of crowded down there as it is.”
There was plenty of room. I just thought I’d stay away from Callie for a while, to help clear my head. But Elsie looked so disappointed that I wasn’t going to participate.
“I’ll be down in a little while, okay?”
“Okay. But remember that we have to leave for my class by noon,” she said, then she rushed downstairs. I sat at the island, drinking more coffee, calculating what time to go down to see enough to satisfy Elsie without causing myself undue temptation.
“Fuck it,” I said. I buckled up and went downstairs.
To watchElsie.
I was instantly glad I made that choice. Seeing Elsie’s face light up when I got down there made it worth it. Callie ran her through her paces as they warmed up, then they started working on the routine she’d use to get into the more advanced class and get to perform in an upcoming recital.
Honestly, I had no idea whether Elsie was very good or not. Everything she did seemed great to me.
Callie treated her like she was doing a fantastic job, though. Elsie fell once trying to do a type of pirouette she hadn’t tried before. Callie thought she was ready, but it was going to take some practice.
When she fell, she could have been embarrassed or frustrated. She laughed it off and tried again. God, I loved that kid.
She and Callie went through the whole routine multiple times.
“What do you think, Uncle Blake?” Elsie stood, panting, in her final pose after the last run-through of the routine.
“I think they’d be crazy not to let you into the class.”
She laughed. “You’d say that no matter what.”
