Page 46 of Down & Dirty

But not if I didn’t let him.

“I’m just going to do my job and pay my bills,” I told her.

Elle’s expression darkened. “This is because of the Tommy thing, isn’t it?” The day I told her about the change in our arrangement, I thought she was going to storm over to his tent and rip his head off herself. She worked hard to stay civil with him for Micah’s sake and mine, but she had no problem letting meknow exactly what she thought of him when no one else was around. And I loved her for that.

“It’s not just that. Cory’s paying me enough that I don’t have to worry about taking money out of my college fund to make ends meet. I can’t fuck this thing up by thinking something is there when it isn’t. So I should just keep it professional.”

“If you say so. But with temptation like that man, I have five dollars you don’t last a month.”

“You’re not seriously betting on this?”

“With no one but you and me, you’re damn right I am.”

A shiver of worry raced over my skin as I walked toward the door. “You promise you won’t say anything.”

“Not a soul,” she reassured me with a wink. “But I better get more updates. This is the best entertainment I’ve had in years.”

“My life is not for your entertainment.”

She laughed as she stepped out onto the landing. “Babe, you’re selling yourself short if your life isn’t your own entertainment. Live a little, Sky. It’ll be good for you.”

She disappeared around the corner before I could respond, but I closed the door with a sigh. I somehow felt both lighter and heavier at the same time.Complicated. Exactly what I didn’t need.

CHAPTER 16

SKY

“Momma, look!” Micah squealed, rushing through the glass doors of the OTM offices two days later with his new stuffy held high. Elle followed him wearing her own satisfied smile.

She’d taken him to the mall to build a new teddy bear after he’d lost his favorite one at Tommy’s. I’d wanted to go, but Ronnie had been added at the last minute to a magazine article about up-and-coming riders to watch, and I had to sit in on the shoot and interview after. It was good I was there, since talk of the OTM partnerships came up and a few choice glares reminded Ronnie to keep his mouth shut. But I’d rather have been with my son.

“Wow. Good job!” I took the bear and inspected it, Micah’s face beaming with pride. “You know how to make a good bear, pal.”

“You made that?” A voice come from behind me. Cory was looking over my shoulder with curiosity. I hadn’t seen him since I walked out of the infirmary, and it looked like he hadn’t shaved since, his face and neck covered in thicker-than-normal scruff. I might have liked it.

Micah reached for the bear, taking it from me and offering it to Cory. “I did. You can name them and add colors. He’s a brown bear, like in Alaska.”

When Cory lowered to one knee, so he was at eye level with my son, my heart did a strange skipping thing and my throat felt rough when I swallowed. It was the first time I’d ever seen them together.

“That’s exactly what he looks like. Are you sure he’s safe?” Cory handed the bear back carefully, as if the thing was alive and at risk of attacking him.

Micah giggled. “He’s not going to hurt you.”

“Are you sure?”

“His name is Spike. He’s my friend,” he replied, giving the bear a squeeze for good measure.

Cory nodded, settling back on his heel. “Oh good. Okay. You’re a bear tamer, huh?”

“Yep,” Micah said, but I was certain he had no idea what that meant.

Cory glanced up at me, a softness in his eyes as he gave me a sly grin. “Daredevil runs in the family, I guess.”

“It really does,” Elle interjected, drawing our attention as Cory rose back up to stand beside me. I could have killed her. She was gloating.

“It’s good to see you, Elle.” All the riders knew who Elle was, thanks to her job, but I could tell by the way he was looking between us that he was putting together that we were friends. “You here to crack down on our Instagram posts again?” He was laughing, because that happened at least once a season, but it felt like he was also trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

“She’s just dropping Micah off, actually,” I said hurriedly, hoping to break apart this little gathering as quickly as possible. Elle’s eyes were alight with an unsettling amount of amusement.

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