Page 69 of I'm Yours

A giggle bubbles out of me when I realize that’s why Reed is so testy about his mom taking pole dancing classes. He’s probably fighting back the vision of his mom in stripper heels and fishnet stockings as she gives his dad a lap dance.

I’m still smiling when I emerge from my office, now dressed in a simple pair of dark red leggings and a cream boat neck sweatshirt. It’s the same thing I wore to the studio earlier tonight. Since I don’t have to teach every class, I only change into a leotard and a pair of tights when I’m teaching. Otherwise I wear casual clothes that I can move easily in just in case I need to help with one of the classes.

“What are you grinning at?” Reed asks, happy. He probably wouldn’t be if I told him what I was thinking.

“Oh, nothing.”

“That’s not a smile over nothing. You look like you’re up to no good.”

Maybe I am. Maybe I’m thinking of all the ways I can drive him wild and how much more fun it will be dancing for him than it was for a room of horny men. Sure, most of them were respectful but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few who took things too far.

Rather than answer, I shrug a shoulder and step close, letting the back of my fingers tickle against his. The touch is light but the sensation is anything but. And from the rumble that seems to be pulled from Reed’s throat, it sends the message I’d hoped it would.

“Ready to eat?” I say lightly, walking past him with Emmy right in front of me.

“Starved,” Reed growls, his hand on my rear, his hand snaking around my front to pull me back to him. “Tonight,” he whispers so only I hear.

Oh my.

“Promises, promises,” I manage to murmur, but my voice comes out squeaky rather than confident. Dammit. I’m so turned on I can feel wetness between my legs and pray it’s not noticeable.

“Don’t challenge me, sweetheart. I don’t back down.”

The push and pull between us is going to make me combust if I don’t shut down our verbal foreplay. Right now, we’re having dinner with his daughter. Something reserved for family. And that makes me feel all sorts of gooey inside.

When we get to his pickup, he helps Emmy into her seat and makes sure she’s buckled. I climb in as well, turning around so I can watch the two together. She smiles at me when he shuts the door and rounds the front to climb behind the wheel.

“Buckled up?” he asks me. I show him my seat belt already clicked into place as he does his own and the pickup starts up with a roar. He shifts into drive and less than five minutes later we’re pulling into the little diner set off the main road a few blocks. It’s more common with locals and the only tourists that usually come through the door are ones who’ve learned the secret to one of the best places in town or those who come back year after year. Some who stay along the lake or come for the hunting and fishing.

The temperatures in Montana in mid-September are cool and refreshing. Nights bordering on cold and days with a chill in the air. It’s my favorite time of the year. While parts of Florida and Texas are still complaining of an endless summer and begging for fall temperatures, we’ve usually taken a head-first dive into them.

I wrap my arms around my waist, wishing I’d have grabbed a coat but grateful to see that Emmy’s wearing one. I shiver and instantly Reed’s arm is wrapped around me as we walk into the diner. “Cold?”

“A little,” I say, looking up at him. He gives my arm a squeeze when Emmy says, “You need a coat, Miss Sadie.”

“I forgot it. Not very smart of me, huh?”

“You’ll remember tomorrow,” she says matter-of-factly.

“I don’t mind,” Reed says and I whisper, “Neither do I.”

Once we’re inside the diner, though, he drops his arm. It’s not instant, like he’s embarrassed to be seen with me, but rather because we’re now inside the warm building. Besides, we don’t need to send Emmy any mixed signals, even if for me they wouldn’t be mixed. But she’s Reed’s daughter and he gets to choose the pace here. Heck, we haven’t even discussed what this morning means to either of us.

The smell of fried food, burgers, and even pizza lingers in the air and rather than make my stomach curl like it once did when I worked here, it now brings back a sense of home. I made a good living waitressing and got to know the residents of Lakeside better than I would have had I hid away like I really wanted to most days.

After Reed lifts his hand in greeting to the waitress walking our way indicating there will be three of us, she grabs two plastic menus in her hand and one paper children’s menu along with a plastic cup full of crayons that look like they’ve seen their better day. “Booth or table?”

“Booth,” Reed and I say at the same time.

“Right this way.”

The diner isn’t very busy tonight and part of me is grateful for that.

Emmy slides in first and tugs on my hand. “Sit by me, Miss Sadie.”

I look to Reed to make sure he’s okay with that but he’s already sliding into the seat across from us, the dark brown vinyl squeaking.

I sit next to Emmy and arrange her menu in front of her before she starts working on a little maze in the top left corner.

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