Ascending Paradise (Book 1)***Published now on Amazon!!***

34

“One two three… Amber go down, Jonathan go over.” I instructed and he did the step over. “Now lift.” I told him and he pulled her up a little too hard making her go too high in the air.

“Sorry.” He said turning to me.

“It’s fine… I know you have the steps down… we’ll pick this up on Wednesday… free time for now.” I said seeing Dominic on his phone.

The kids all dispersed playing different types of music. I walked over getting some water and he bit his lip looking at me as he held his phone to his ear.

“Yeah, got it boss.” He said shaking his head. He hung up and gave me a small apologetic smile.

“What’s wrong?” I asked and he put his phone back in his pocket.

“Boss just called saying that I was scheduled to work today… which I wasn’t. I told him that and he said that if I didn’t get to work now then I would lose my job.” He said shrugging and looking around like it was no big deal.

“Go.” I said not understanding why he isn’t leaving.

“We have practice.” He said and I just let my shoulders fall. He was worried about that? Seriously?

“Go Dominic… I can stay here and do homework… I don’t want you to lose your job.” I said picking up his back pack and handing it to him and he just didn’t take it.

“I am not bailing on you, besides… I don’t care about that job. I can get one a lot closer now that they opened that new store near the boardwalk… they are still hiring.” He said and I just gave him a ‘go now’ look and he rooted his feet to the floor.

“I’ll never kiss you again if you don’t go. Besides he can’t keep you after dark, it’s dangerous. It will get dark around 7 and I’ll have some pizza delivered so we can eat here. Please, just go.” I really didn’t want to be the reason he lost his job. There might be other places hiring but that doesn’t guarantee him a job.

“Fine. But I am only doing this because you promised pizza.” He said making me smirk.

“So I don’t have to kiss you again? Okay.” I said smiling and he seemed to want to kick himself.

“I didn’t say that.” He said and I just smiled.

“But I did, and you said the only reason you were doing it was because I promised pizza, and not because I wasn’t ever going to kiss you again.” I said and he leaned in and I smashed my lips together so he would have nothing to actually kiss.

“You know you want to kiss me.” He whispered really close to where my lips would be.

“Nope.” I lied before turning away and grabbing my water bottle again.

I turned around and he seemed to be waiting.

“What are you waiting for?” I asked and he just swooped in and pulled me tight to him. His lips were on mine in a second and I lost all thoughts. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“That.” He said pulling away. “I’ll see you in a few hours’ sweets.” He said winking at me and walking away.

“Isn’t that Maddie’s older brother?” I heard someone ask and I just turned to see the whole pack of kids looking at me.

“Yeah.” I didn’t want to lie.

“You’re dating him?” A little girl asked before sighing.

“Yeah.”

“He’s so hot.” The same girl said making my eyes widen.

“You’re 9.” I didn’t know why that mattered. At 9 I dont think I thought a lot of grown men were hot, mostly because they were movie stars… I didn’t know any hot men in my life when I was 13.