Page 23 of Off Balance

I dance through most of the soundtrack before I notice Dwayne has left, and it's only Dom sitting there watching me. For the fun of it, I pull him onto the floor and take up the women's choreography for the song playing over the speakers. Dom is stiff and unsure, but he follows direction well and manages his first mini supportive role quite nicely. I'm shocked when he remembers there's a lift at the end, and more shocked than I should be when he lifts me above his head with no effort at all.

The music slows and fades out as I look down into his bottomless dark eyes that usually look black, but in this light, I can see areactually deep brown. I could fall into those eyes and never come up for air.

Dom slowly lowers me. The top of my foot, all the way up my shin, and then my thigh, slide down his heaving chest. He holds me still when we're face to face, my arms are around his neck, like they would be if we were continuing the dance, except that everything stops. My feet aren't quite touching the ground, my chest against his. Every inch of me that is touching him burns, and every inch that isn't feels cold. The music becomes muffled background noise, drowned out by the buzzing between my ears. Awareness ripples up my spine and my back bows. I feel lightheaded.

"Dom?" I whisper.

Lowering my head infinitesimally, my nose brushes his. Our breaths collide and sync, so I'm breathing in the air he releases, and vice versa.

The door opens, and I’m suddenly on my feet. Dom stumbles backwards like he isn't sure what just happened.

I'mnot sure what just happened.

Dwayne walks in, eyes glued to his phone. "You won't believe what that idiot Hoyt and your stupid bitch of an ex are doing now." He walks over to Dom, showing him his phone screen. Dom stares back at it, looking dazed. He keeps flicking his gaze to mine.

"I, uh, I need to get going. We've got a weekend full of performances, and you’ve got that fight, so I'll see you here on Monday? Same time? Uh, good luck."

Dom doesn't respond, but I keep moving, grabbing my bag and slipping my feet into my shoes. I don't need to be at the studio for a few more hours, but I need to get out of here and try to process what I'm feeling.

I make bad decisions when I get overemotional, and making bad decisions with your stepdad's brother would definitely top the list of stupid things I could do to forget my issues.

It would ruin everything.

“Okay, but how hot are we talking exactly?”

I make a whiny sound and then start counting things off on my fingers. “Six-four. Built like the definition of a brick shit house, with just enough softness to make you want to bite into him. His thighs are like the size of my waist, I swear. Beautiful, smooth brown skin that glistens when he sweats. Just enough scruff to make me daydream about how rough it would feel against my?—“

“OhmigawdI got it. Don’t get me all flustered when Orlando isn’t here.”

My cousin fans his face, as if the green facial mask he’s wearing might melt off.

“And you’re, like, convinced he’s got a monster cock, too?”

“It’s not possible that it isn’t huge. I eyed a clear dick print in his shorts the other day that literally made me choke.”

“Ugh. And he’s nice?”

“Yes! Mom and Dwayne made it out like he was super quiet and grouchy, and the first time I met him, he seemed that way, but he’s actually pretty easy to talk to.”

“But he’s straight.”

“I think so? I keep getting, like, a vibe or something. That’s why I need you to do your thing.”

“What thing is that?” Antoni asks, using the phone as a mirror to dab something under his eyes.

“That thing you do where you’re super blunt and don’t bullshit me. Tell me I’m out of my mind so I can go back to my boring existence, letting Emile railroad me into changing myself,” I say, quoting the last blunt advice he gave me. “Except this time, I’m actually asking for your opinion,” I snark.

Antoni rolls his lips.

“I don’t know, ‘cuz. If all these little moments happened the way you say they did, he could be into you. Maybe he’s bi or pan and just doesn’t know it. Maybe your ass is going to be his awakening.”

“You read too much smut.”

“There is no such thing. Read all those books I sent you. Maybe you’ll have an awakening of your own. Ooh, I could recommend a real nasty age gap romance to you.” He waggles his eyebrows dramatically.

At least he makes me laugh.

“On second thought, you shouldn’t start reading. You don’t sleep enough as it is. You have bags the exact size and shade of my favorite Louboutin tote.”

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