Page 95 of My Temptation

He laughed. “See you later.”

“You got it,” I replied before walking hand in hand with Mila toward the door leading downstairs.

We didn’t talk on the way, and I knew that was my fault. I needed to get out of my head but was failing. We’d just stepped off the last stair when Mila leaned against me and lifted to her tiptoes to whisper in my ear. To an onlooker, it would appear she was being flirty with me, but I knew better.

“We need to act the way we have been, or they’ll suspect something.”

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I buried my face in her neck. “Got it.”

She laid her hand against my chest and smiled up at me when I lifted my head. “It’s going to be fine.”

I wasn’t as sure of that as she was, so I avoided that statement and mumbled, “Let’s go.”

Once again linking fingers, we crossed the room and went behind the curtain. This was where the party was tonight. I hadn’t seen this many people on either of the other nights we’d been here.

“Wondering why it’s so busy?”

The sound of Samson’s voice crawled over my skin. We both turned and found him standing behind us.

“Yeah,” Mila replied. “What’s the occasion?”

He winked at her. “They all heard we have a new dancer tonight.”

“I’m flattered.” Mila laughed.

“I’m assuming since you’re here that you’ve convinced your boyfriend?”

He was acting as if I wasn’t standing next to her, which was starting to piss me off, but Mila kept talking as if it was normal.

“I did, but he still wants to come back with me.” When it looked as if Samson would decline, she continued. “We thought maybe he could stay in the changing room or something. If you have that kind of thing.”

He seemed to consider that for a moment and eventually nodded. “I think we could work with that.”

“Good.” Mila’s smile grew. “I don’t get why you don’t want him in the audience, though.”

“We’ve learned our dancers are a little more inhibited if their man is watching.”

“What if I tell you I’m less inhibited when he does?” she teased.

“I’d call you a liar,” Samson rebutted.

Mila laughed as if the whole conversation had been innocent teasing, and Samson responded with a grin. I had to give it to her; she could read people better than anyone I’d ever met, and she knew how to defuse a situation before it escalated.

Samson gestured toward the door. “Let’s go.”

“Great,” she responded cheerfully.

I grabbed her hand, and we followed Samson to the door that had been off-limits to us only yesterday. I realized I wanted behind that door as much as Mila did, and knowing Nick was right outside smoothed out my nerves.

He led us down a short hallway before gesturing toward a closed door. “Dancers change in there.”

“I didn’t bring anything.” Mila smiled and ran her hands over her hips. “I thought this would work.”

“Everything you need is in there,” he answered cryptically but quickly turned his attention to me. “Why don’t we have a drink while she gets ready?”

I pretended to consider that before agreeing. “I could use a drink.”

She squeezed my hand and pushed to her tiptoes to lay her lips against mine. I returned the kiss and stared at her when she broke away and smiled. “See you in a little bit.”

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