Page 27 of Fierce-Dane

She knew Dane was going to pop into her brain tonight, but she was positive it might not be stress free when her body was heating up.

“I think I’ll try to get back to it tonight. I get my kids tomorrow so four days of not a lot of peace and quiet.”

“You get them four days straight?” she asked. He brought it up so why not ask?

“Four days on and four days off with my ex. Split custody. Thankfully I’m not on call this week so I don’t have to spend the night at my parents with them.”

“So they aren’t left alone if you get called in?” she asked. Which answered her question about if he was single.

Not that she didn’t know that since the Fierce women had brought his name up as trying to find him a mate.

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s not ideal and my mother has reminded me more than once to just drop them off at bedtimeand get them in the morning. It’s not their job to raise my kids and it’s my time with them. I miss them when they are gone. I never thought the silence would be so lonely.”

“It can be,” she said.

There was a time she couldn’t wait to have the freedom and silence in her life.

When she first got it, it was a wonderful thing.

But Dane was right. After a period of time, it was lonely.

Now she filled her time with people enough at work that she felt her time at home was her solace.

“You probably enjoy it,” he said. “Being around people all day.”

“I do,” she said. “But that is different. Going home alone means everything falls on you. I’ve thought of getting a cat, but I’m not much of a cat person. I think I like dogs more, but I’m not home enough and it wouldn’t be fair to any animal.”

“My kids keep bringing up dogs and cats. That’s a hard no on my end. The same thing. Not home enough and then staying with my parents, it’s not right to bring a pet there either.”

“Maybe they can get one with their mother,” she said. Which was the first she’d brought that up, but he seemed more open to be talking about the fact he had an ex.

“I don’t think Mel would be on board with it, but that is her business. We do talk everything over as best we can.”

“So you co-parent and not just split custody?” she asked.

“We do. It’s what is best for the kids. I know a lot of people think it’s an odd situation, but it is what it is. You can’t change the way someone feels and it’s better to see them happy than miserable.”

Which pretty much told her what she suspected. The split might not have been his doing.

“You’re right,” she said. She’d been moving down his body and was at his legs now.

Knowing what she did about his exercise routine she could see where the muscles were defined and where he might have worked out more.

She applied more pressure to his thighs.

“I should have told you what I did to work out last time. You know what you’re doing.”

“The best compliment to give someone,” she said. “Your thighs are a little tight, which means your hamstrings probably are too. I’ll give them a good workout for you.”

When the massage was finally complete, Sloane was both tired and hungry. She hadn’t eaten anything since her sandwich at one today. The rest of the day she’d been going nonstop, but she was ready to lock up when he left, as everything would be taken care of by the other staff aside from her stripping the sheets here.

She’d wash them in the morning and make the bed again before her next client.

She stepped out of the room to let him change and waited in the hallway for him. She’d have to walk him out and check him out too.

When the door opened a few minutes later, he was smiling and rolling his shoulders.

“That was wonderful again. It’s before eight and that makes me feel better. Guess I’ll go figure out what to eat for dinner that I can grab quickly.”

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