Dance For Me (Strip in the City, Book 2)

32 • Hot Tears

Tan

I stared at Dom's idling motorcycle and the man sitting on it, and my stomach hollowed out.

What was I supposed to do? Tell Dominick I couldn't ride with him anymore because my parents didn't approve?

No way. If I stopped doing everything my parents disapproved of, then I would never have pursued ballet at a professional level.

And look how well that has worked out.

Deep down, some little part of me was scared that because I refused to do what they told me to do, I'd gotten things wrong. Maybe I'd be happier if I was a doctor and was already married to a nice boy, but I tried not to give that little voice.

The man in front of me walked that fine line between bad and good so well. It was the same line I tried to walk and always ended up flat on my ass.

He turned off the bike and dismounted. Removing his helmet and revealing the face I'd come to care about so much. Everything about him was the perfect mix of careless and careful. It was one of those very specific things that I liked about him.

All his blonde hair was falling in his face until he pushed it back. His shirt was fitted just right. Tight on his tattooed arms. Jeans hugging everyone they should.

He reached for my hand and pulled me into a quick side hug before planting a kiss on the side of my temple.

"Damn, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too."

I tilted my head back and smiled up at him. Mesmerized by his bright green eyes and the faint smile that I knew was just for me.

Then I thought about my parent's opinions on motorcycles and cringed.

I hadn't promised my parents I wasn't going to ride on his bike again. I just told them I was sorry. Which really meant I was sorry for making them worry about me more than they already did.

It might be dangerous, but that didn't mean I didn't like it. I felt free on the back of Dominick's bike. I felt free with him. My arms around his waist and the wind on my face. Dangerous and wild.

All these things that made me happy made my parents so unhappy. They didn't want me to walk the line between bad and good. They just wanted me to be... perfect.

No matter what I did, I was going to let them down.

I coughed into my elbow and cursed my immune system for failing me.

"What's with the cough?" he asked, pulling back to study my face. Those bright green eyes of his intent. Whenever he spoke to me, he gave me all his attention. This man missed nothing. "You coming down with a cold?"

I shook my head. "I'm trying really hard not to be sick right now. It's a bad time for my immune system to shit out."

"There's never a good time to be sick," he said, handing me my helmet. "I should get you home."

Go home? Now? It was only seven o'clock, and we had so much work to do. Tomorrow, I was missing rehearsal to meet up with Krish. I couldn't bail tonight. Besides, I'd danced through strep throat and the flu. A little cold wasn't going to slow me down.

"No. I can't," I explained. Feeling exasperated when he narrowed his eyes at me. "I just need you to work your magic and do that thing you do that makes my mind go blank so I can forget about everything. Then we can go to rehearsal, and everything will be fine."

Dominick cradled my face in his big hands, holding me still even though I felt like I was coming unraveled. "Baby, listen to me. You don't need to push yourself any harder today. Especially if you're sick. Besides, it sounds like you've had a hard day."