Page 74 of Fifth Avenue Fling

Her eyes narrow at me suspiciously.

“Look, I know I’m not as motherly as Mrs. Dalton, but if you need to talk, I’m here.” I smile, trying to lighten the mood. “And I can definitely take that teacher down in a fight if you need me to.”

“It’s okay.” She rolls her eyes dramatically, but at least she’s smiling. “I’ll be thirteen next week, and then, hopefully, I’ll move into a different class.”

“You’re a Gemini, just like me!”

“Do you actually believe in that stupid shit?”

“Only the good parts,” I say as I climb into the back seat next to her.

The guys in front nod at us.

“What are you going to do for your birthday?” I ask.

“Dad’s taking me to see Cayden Aguilar. We’re going to the concert, then we get to meet him afterward.”

I pause my fight with the seat belt and look at her, astonished. “TheCayden Aguilar? The singer? Are you freaking serious?”

He’s the biggest pop star in the world right now. Every teen has posters of him plastered all over their walls.

A smirk tugs at the corner of her mouth. “Yeah. Him.”

The guys chuckle in the front seat, clearly accustomed to this lifestyle.

“What about you?” Teagan asks. “What are your birthday plans?”

I blink, still in shock, as Sam pulls out. “There’s no way I can top that. I’ll probably just hang out at the pub.”

Sam’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror, and he winks.

Teagan’s face says she thinks that’s a crap plan, but she quietly says, “You should ask Dad to give you the day off.”

I grin at her. “Listen, lady, I don’t care if I’m scrubbing your toilet bowls on my birthday. I’m just happy to be in New York.”

***

The moment Killian steps through the door from work, I can tell he’s in no mood for talking. He grunts in acknowledgment before taking off his tie and undoing a few buttons.

“I need to talk to you,” I say quickly. “I went to Teagan’s ballet show tonight.”

His brow lifts. “Why?”

Why? What is it with this family questioning me? “To support her. A lot of the other parents go.” I forge on while I’m still feeling brave. “You should go sometime.”

The angry flash in his eyes is my warning that I should shut up. But I have to say this, or I won’t feel settled, and now is as good a time as any with Teagan upstairs in her room.

“Do you know she isn’t getting along with her teacher?” I ask.

“Her teacher is the best in New York,” he says curtly, opening the fridge. “She pushes her hard. Teagan’s going to complain.”

“No, I think it’s more than that. The teacher seems irrationally sharp with her. Much more than the other kids. I think you should do something. Maybe even move her to another class.”

He slams the fridge door shut. “Teagan’s nearly thirteen; she needs to learn to respect authority.”

“I think you should ask Teagan what she wants. Right now, she’s not enjoying ballet. She seems to only be doing it because you want her to.”

He steps closer, his gaze darkening with each step as he corners me against the sink. My throat tightens as if a lump is lodged there. I’m on very shaky ground here.

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