“Shall we, my lady?” He held out his hand, and Cherisse was teleported back to the only other time they’d ever danced. The moment that changed everything.

His hands on her waist burned. The tiny space between the end of her top and the waistband of her shorts left her skin bare to his touch. Not totally different from that other time, except now she didn’t have to be covert about enjoying his touch, about reveling in the way his thumb stroked her exposed skin.

“I am so gonna wreck you tonight,” she whispered just to see his reaction, and he didn’t disappoint.

The sound that escaped his mouth was a cross between a cough and a wheeze. “Jesus, Cherisse.” He looked around, but no one was truly paying them any mind. Of course, family members looked their way occasionally, and she still felt the weight of her mother’s stare, but their private little bubble was intact.

She would allow nothing to ruin this moment.

Chapter 32

Keiran

DANCING WITH CHERISSE in front of her family was the balm he needed for his soul. Ignoring his father’s calls would bite him in the ass. His churning gut said so, but all Keiran had wanted was to get to her, to have a moment where he didn’t have to worry about anything else. Just for a little while. He chose to interpret his phone dying before he could return the calls as a sign. The phone was currently charging, and Cherisse was busy being pumped for information by a small group of relatives.

They occasionally glanced his way, and obviously, he was the topic of discussion. He threw them a small wave because why not? Cherisse’s eye-roll was visible from here, but so was her smile. How had he gotten so lucky?

Tell her.

The chant had followed him all the way over here, and he’d pulled out every excuse to delay the moment he’d have to let her know about Sean and the plans for the video.

You’re not supposed to tell anyone. Cherisse wasn’t just anyone.

It’s her birthday. You don’t want to ruin it. You’re making it worse by stringing this out.

You don’t want her to return to looking at you like you’re the accidental piece of shit she trod on.

No matter what excuse he told himself, that one was really the issue. This thing between them was new and fragile. He didn’t want to shatter it before they’d really had a chance. But that was selfish.

He inhaled deeply, then released his breath slowly. Now. It had to be now. But first, he needed to check his phone. He’d left it charging near the DJ. Her cousin, who was managing that spot, pointed to his phone as soon as he approached.