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Alarm blares at me from her wide eyes. “You should never say that.”
“Just like how your precious Camry is dependable.”
“It is.”
“Tell that to the blown gaskets and leaky fuel injectors.”
“You already know what’s wrong?” Suspicion laces her voice.
“For starters.”
She waits for me to add more. “Do you have a loaner for me? The dealership always provides one.”
A disrespected grunt spews from me. I’m still steaming over her earlier audacity. As if I’d haul that hunk of junk to another garage to be serviced. Get fucking real. “Nah, Pitch. You’ll just have to rely on me for transportation.”
“That’s not realistic.”
“Why not? You can even stay in our spare bedroom to make things more convenient.”
“And never leave?” Her perceptive gaze can see exactly where I want this situation to lead.
“Well, now that you’ve mentioned it…”
“No.” Harper slashes a hand across the space between us.
“I don’t even get a maybe?” I drag my bottom lip between my teeth. If I try hard enough, I can pretend her flavor still lingers there. Feigned disappointment tempts me to groan.
Her throat bobs as she tracks the purposeful action. “You know that maybe will have me tucked under your covers before midnight.”
Arousal spears into me, straining my cock against unforgiving denim. “Fuuuuck—”
“Daddy!” Syd yells from the corner. “Miss Rylee is gonna have two babies ‘cause she swallowed lotsa sperm!”
Harper’s face bursts into red splotches. She buries the evidence of her embarrassment behind a flat palm. “Oh. My. Gosh.”
Meanwhile, Rylee is mouthing silent apologies to us from behind the bar.
“Well, shit. Forget the loaner,” I chuckle. “We’re gonna need a getaway vehicle.”
“That’s it for announcements,” I conclude. My bare feet glide across polished wood on a direct path to the door. “Great job tonight, twirlers. You learned the new steps very fast. See you Thursday.”
The tiny dancers are quick to form a line. Each gives me a hug before floating off in a cloud of tulle to find their parent or trusted adult. Sydney trails behind the group, more than happy to be saved for last.
“Love you,” she murmurs into our embrace.
My proverbial cup overflows, putting my exhausted tear ducts to work. I smooth a palm along her back. “Love you too.”
Once she disappears in search of her dad, I spend longer than necessary cleaning the space that’s already spotless. My delay is methodical and therapeutic. It allows me to relax and decompress after several hours on display. There’s no reason to rush through the motions. All that awaits me is a lonely apartment.
I switch off the lights, dousing the mirrored room in complete darkness. A passing glance confirms that Ginger took care of the other studio. Only the lobby remains illuminated. My stride skids to a halt when the bright area comes into full view.
Jake and Sydney are practicing the partner choreography for their performance. She beams at him while he guides her in a flawless spin. They turn toward each other, shimmying their shoulders while leaning in and bending out. Next, he picks her up for a simple turnaround lift. Their coordination is worthy of applause. I almost clap on instinct. Instead, I feel like a spy intruding on a special moment.
He notices me while returning Syd to her feet. Jake’s gaze feasts on me, as if he didn’t just see me an hour ago. I’m beginning to think he has a thing for spandex. With a long blink, it seems our surroundings return to focus for him. He scrubs at the back of his neck while scuffing his shoe against the carpet. If history didn’t dictate otherwise, I’d think the broody grump is blushing. My brows reach for the sky when he dips his chin to hide the evidence. Well, damn. That proves anything is possible.
I walk toward them, a bit dazed. “Um, hi.”
Sydney bounces in place. “Did you see us, Harper?”
