“Come to my show again?” she asks. “Please? You can sit backstage with us. A peek beyond the veil.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good.”
She kisses me again, trying to pull me in, but I break free.
“God, how do you have so much willpower?” she wines, sitting back on the sofa with her coffee. “And why is that such a turn-on?”
“Patience. The wait will be worth it—I promise.”
She pumps her fist in the air. “Sleepover!”
“Lock the door behind you when you leave.”
“I think I’ll go take a bath,” she sighs. “Sure you won’t join me?”
I leave before it’s too late.
CHAPTER 5
SAM
I was so tempted to stay butt naked in Thor’s house until he came back from the cook-off. It would have been lovely to greet him, nude and writhing, touching myself and demanding that he strip down. Seriously, the look on his face would have been priceless.
Unfortunately, Charles started sending me panicked texts shortly after Thor left.
Hilda spilled the beans to everyone, so I return to knowing smiles and a barrage of questions. The whole damn circus wants the dirty details.
Charles just wants to ensure I’m not pregnant.
I play it coy, still riding the high from Thor’s tongue work.
Finally, after the first show of the night, I sit down with Hilda and Mark in the staging area as the stagehands reset the arena.
“So…” Hilda leans in and whispers. “How was it? Did you contort on his pole? Did you walk his tightrope?”
“Hilda!”
Mark sighs, “At least one of us is getting laid.”
“Well,” I say, leaning my chair back. “I didn’t exactly get laid…”
“But you were there all morning.”
“Yeah. Thor made me breakfast… and then heatebreakfast, if you know what I mean.”
Hilda slaps the table. “Yes! Was he good?”
“So good. Like, unfuckingreal. He was so good at it, in fact, that when he was done I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until he had to leave.”
She slaps the table much harder.
“You came and passed out on him?” Mark asks. “You know that’s the man’s move, right?”
“I know. I know.” I put my head in my hands. “I felt so bad. But he was so cute and nice about it. He let me sleep, made me coffee… he even took this amazing picture of me while I was passed out—“
“Enough,” Hilda says. “You’re making me jealous.”
