Page 124 of Catching Sparks

The burn in my muscles brings me back to earth, each inflation of my lungs strained as I fight to keep my breaths even instead of staggered with exhaustion. A week without pole feels like a lifetime. The separation was worth it, but now that I’m back, I want to spend as much time as I can in my studio.

I may not have been doing my usual sort of physical activity while in Bora Bora, but I sure as shit wasn’t lazing about. I think I worked up more of a sweat in the bedroom with Garrison than I ever have on a pole.

We only got back to town a few hours ago, but he was accosted by Wade before we had the chance to adjust from vacation mode back to regular life.

Garrison’s absence is doing alarming things to me. I keep looking for him, waiting for one of his surprising kisses or smacks on the ass. I’m colder than usual, as if the man stole my body heat when he dropped me off at home and headed back to the ranch.

Of course, I didn’t expect him to blow off Wade and everyone waiting for him just to stay with me longer, but that doesn’t make the separation any easier. I miss him, and maybe that’s why I’ve been working myself so hard in the studio.

I need to do something besides think of him.

“Knock knock!” a cheery voice sings at the same moment the studio door swings open.

My grip on the pole gives as I jerk and curse. I swing upside down, the skin behind my knee making a terrible ripping sound as it rubs down the pole on my descent. Air explodes from my lungs in one painful swoosh when I hit the ground, splayed out flat on my back.

“Oh shit,” Bryce mutters.

I stare at the ceiling, not prepared to try and get up yet. “Hi. How bad is it?”

“Where does it hurt? Here?” Anna asks, now kneeling at my side. I hiss in confirmation when she carefully prods at the patch of burning skin behind my knee. “No blood. Just looks really sore.”

“How about we don’t play surprise Poppy when she’s hanging sideways on a pole. Sound good?” I groan. My shoulder screams at me when I push myself into a sitting position. “I think I swallowed a few notches of my spine.”

Bryce ignores my whining. Instead, she extends a hand for me to take and helps me to my feet before doing a quick up-and-down scan of me. “Put a sign on the door next time you’re planning on doing all that fancy aerial shit before you wind up with a broken neck.”

“I think you’ve gotten too used to thinking you own the place, Ice. You’re a bit bossy today. Anna, tell her to be nice to me, please.”

“She’ll do no such thing.”

Anna rolls her eyes and shoulders Bryce out of the way before sweeping me into a hug. “I missed you, Pops. We were just excited to see you and didn’t think before rushing in.”

“It’s all good, love bug. I’m just being grumpy. I missed you too.”

“We stopped at your place first but figured you came here when you weren’t home. You doing okay?” Bryce asks suspiciously, knowing me too damn well.

I set my hands on my hips and nod, making quick work of catching my breath. Sweat drips between my tits and down the back of my neck, and suddenly, I wish I hadn’t opted out of wearing a shirt so I could wipe myself off.

The neon pink sports bra with two thick straps over my shoulders does shit all to hide the tan lines left behind from the bikini I wore through most of the past week, but I love having them visible. It’s why I shoved the thin cotton shirt I had pulled out to wear today back into my drawer and left the house in only this bra and tiny spandex shorts with a baggy pair of sweatpants over top.

I wouldn’t dare show up so close to the fire station in just my shorts. Those poor men would simply have no choice but to ogle me and then blab about it to my brother again.

Sucking back a snort, I focus on my girls again. Anna has a brightness to her that I only see when Brody is close by, so Garrison must have been right about him being finished in Calgary by now. It gives me peace of mind to know they’re together again. While they’re both beautifully independent people, they’re just so good together that you can’t help but want them side by side all the damn time.

Bryce is just downright antsy for answers from me. She doesn’t bother pretending otherwise. I’d be surprised if she doesn’t pull out a written list of questions the moment I give her the go-ahead to dig into me and everything I’ve done over the past few weeks. Which, come to think of it, will probably be right now.

“Can I give you a hug before you sink your nails into my brain?” I ask her.

Bryce huffs a laugh but tugs me close a beat later. Her soft pomegranate scent is an immediate comfort as I breathe her in and grin.

“You stink like sweat,” she points out before stepping back and wrinkling her nose.

I laugh, grinning wider. “Good. I hope it got all over your fancy clothes.”

“They’re not even that fancy. It’s called having a dress code for work that isn’t workout clothes. And it’s new. I don’t have a choice to not follow it.”

“You look like a grandma,” I state.

“Poppy’s not wrong,” Anna puts in, cocking her head at Bryce as she eyes her outfit. “The skirt is a bit outdated.”

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