Page 55 of You're the Reason

“Ouch.” Her ego was taking a hit tonight.

He closed his eyes a moment then opened them and looked at her. “It isn’t you. It’s her. I swear.”

She nodded and tugged her hair down then added the hat.

“Take off that pink coat.” He pulled off his flannel shirt, leaving him in just a white T-shirt. He handed it to her and scanned her over again. “I can’t do anything about the leggings but at least they’re black and nondescript.”

“Really?” She turned the flannel shirt over in her hands.

“Remember when I suggested that you didn’t need more than a corner to dance and you told me I didn’t understand the world of dance? Well, this is my world and you, in all this, are a walking target. It says rich, it says?—”

“I am not rich.”

“Your jacket alone would pay for at least one fix if not two. Flannel on. Jacket in the trunk.”

Maybe she didn’t understand his world at all. But she’d be safe with him, wouldn’t she? Some of her hesitation must have shown on her face because Seth’s movements halted. “You sure you want to do this?”

“Is it safe?”

He took a step forward and put his hands firmly on her shoulders. “I will never let anything happen to you.”

Oh. Oh my. She felt his gaze all the way through her body. And one look at his arms and she had no doubt he could probably keep that promise.

And to add to the weird sense of protection, when she pulled on the flannel, his incredibly male, heady, musky scent surrounded her.

This guy was not Mr. Nice from the studio.

Except maybe he was, too, because he stared at her a moment, then reached up and tucked a little of her blonde wispy hair back under the hat. “Honestly, I’m not that worried about her neighbors. They might break into the car if there’s something obvious they can see, but if they can’t see it, it isn’t worth the risk to break in and hope they find something. My car doesn’t really say posh. And as long as they know you’re with me, they’ll leave you alone.”

With him. The idea did strange things to her.

“I just... I haven’t introduced anyone to my mom since I was ten.” The rawness in his voice nearly broke her heart.

Grace laid a hand on his arm. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”

He flinched, then drew in a breath.

What? Did she say something wrong?

Then he swallowed. “Don’t promise. Just being there will be enough.”

Seth shut the trunk and waited for her to climb back in the car before he got into the driver’s seat.

He reached into his wallet and pulled out a five-dollar bill. “Put this in the front pocket of the flannel shirt.”

She took the money and did as he said. “What for?”

“Call it an experiment for why I had you put everything in the trunk. We’ll see if it’s there by the time we leave.”

He pulled back out on the road but away from the highway.

“When were you going to tell me about The Storm?”

His movements froze. “I thought I was recognized at your audition.”

Nonaudition.

When he didn’t elaborate, she lifted her brows and waited.

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