Page 104 of Forbidden You

“Thank you.” She gives me a shy smile.

The second course arrives when George is done with his speech, and I bring my mouth flush with her ears. “I can do this one.” I glance at my dad’s plate.

“Are you kidding me?” she scoffs. “He’s my date. I’ll take care of him. You take care of Sheila.” She taps my leg, then puts her focus on my father’s steak as she starts to cut it.

“I’d rather put my focus on you,” I flirt.

She snaps her head toward me with a scowl that doesn’t meet her eyes.

“You wait your turn, McKay.”

I drag my teeth over my lip, wanting to kiss her for the attention she’s giving my father. If she gives him even a fraction of the special feeling she gives me every day, I know my father is having the time of his life. The glint in his eyes tells me he is, and I’m so grateful for it.

For her.

I do not know how the hell I’m going to keep this up. How can I keep her in every single way possible? Every day I’m reminded that her working at KPI one day will be an issue. Someone will find out, and it will ruin her reputation for every other publishing company in the city. Hell, maybe even in the country.

I don’t want her to leave KPI, but I also don’t want her to get her own apartment, and I don’t see how those two can stay as they are until something blows it all up.

Something like my heart.

We make it through the entire dinner, and when she drops my dad’s spoon on his plate, she turns to Sheila.

“Is he allowed to dance?”

My eyebrows move up in curiosity while Sheila’s do the same, and we exchange a look.

“Err, sure?” she drawls.

I turn to Kayla, placing my hand on her neck before she can get up.

“Baby,” I huff, not even knowing what to say. The effort she’s making has my heart expanding to excruciating proportions, blowing up in an entirely different way, and I don’t know how to stop it. I don’t know if I can stop it.

Kayla meets my gaze in anticipation, her mouth sitting in a kind smile.

“You don’t have to do this,” I offer.

A warm smile brings the corners of her mouth up, her lips moving close enough to mine for no one to hear what rolls off her tongue next.

“I don’t want to get emotional, and I hope this doesn’t stain your good mood, but this might be the only chance I get to dance with your father. Iwantto do this, Bodi.” Without waiting for my reply, she turns to my father.

What the fuck do I even say to that other than ‘give me my fucking heart back, please’?

“Terry, would you like to dance with me?”

“Y-y-ess.” Though it comes out of his throat as a stutter, the tone of his voice is firm and strong, and she helps him up, before they shuffle to the dancefloor. The floor is empty, and curious glances are thrown at them from every table.

I can’t believe she’s actually doing this.

My eyes stay fixed on the two people that make me smile, savoring the moment with a swollen throat because she’s right.

This moment will never happen again.

A shiver trickles goosebumps down my arms when Kayla and my dad stand in the middle of the dancefloor. She brings his hands to her waist, then places her arms on his shoulders, and when they start to sway to the music, the people start clapping. In the back of my throat, a lump forms, along with a lightheadedness that both frightens me as it comforts me.

Sheila’s hand falls over mine and our gazes tangle for a moment.

“Girls like her are rare.”

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