I was faking it.

Faking it until I hoped there was a day when I felt like I got it.

That day wasn’t today or yesterday, and I doubted it’d be anytime soon.

What I was doing in the meantime was doing everything possible to ensure that my family was safe, and that meant Quincey now. I didn’t know when that started. At first, it’d been about pulling her in and taking her away from Dick Duke. Then it began about setting an environment where she could feel safe but also where I controlled everything.

That was the dick side of me.

She’d been a loose end. I tucked her in, pulling her under my power so she couldn’t do anything to hurt me. Or even attempt it.

Then it changed.

And it wasn’t when we took Nova to the ER. It wasn’t afterward, though, that was a whole different level of nice. It was before all of that. I couldn’t pinpoint it.

No. I did know.

I was thinking and remembering, and there’d been one time.

We were both giving Nova a bath. She splashed Quincey, a bubble hit her in the eye, followed by a plastic hippopotamus, and the smile Quincey gave Nova when she handed her the hippo—it was then. It was small, but she loved Nova with every fiber of her being. I saw it, and I felt it then. That was the first chink in my armor.

Now it was mostly gone.

Not all of it.

Some of it.

Enough where I needed to admit that I had feelings for this woman.

Who was I kidding? Of course, I had feelings for this woman. I was here, waiting to surprise her for a night away, and I was almost giddy about it. But I was also content to sit, watch her, and wait.

I could sit here for days, and I’d be okay. That, right there, was another clue to me.

“Miss Quincey, arch your back and grunt like a man!”

Yes. It was a blaring clue to me.

I didn’t care.

QUINCEY

If I heard Patrice tell me to grunt like a man one more time, I was going to bend over and fart like a man.

I would never do that, but I was daydreaming about it by the time she said we had it. I collapsed on the stage, legs spread out, arms on both sides of me, and I didn’t want to move, like ever. Every part of me was aching, and I knew I needed to go downstairs, dress, drive home, and then crawl into bed.

I wanted to cry.

I’d been dancing for almost fourteen hours straight today. That was so much more than normal.

Patrice called out, “Okay. I’m going. Must get to sleep and be back in the morning. You can take the morning off. I’ll see you later today, Miss Quincey.”

I raised an arm. “See you, Miss Patrice.”

She left, and I could’ve fallen asleep where I was laid out on the stage.

I might’ve except the floor was disgusting, but then I heard movement.

I jerked upright. “Who’s there?”

Someone was there.

A shadow separated from the back of the seats and moved down the aisle.

“Hello!” I shoved to my feet. Who the hell—fear and fury were in my throat, but then I heard a soft chuckle.

I was back to wanting to collapse.

“I knew you’d go late, but I didn’t think it’d be this late.”

Nate was moving down the aisle, coming to the stairs, and coming up to where I was.

I almost swayed on my feet. “What are you doing here?”

“Emily’s got Nova tonight, and your mom was going to check in with her, too.”

“What?” My voice broke because what was he saying?

He came over to me, eyeing me. “There’s a five-star hotel two blocks from here. I was thinking we could spend some time alone there.”

I was hallucinating. Patrice had seriously worked me too far tonight.

“I’m making this entire conversation up, aren’t I? This is a weird subconscious wish I’m having where you show up, whisk me off my feet, and take me to a hotel for the night.” I pretended to pinch myself. “Wait. That hurt. I must be awake.”

“You’re funny. I never knew that before tonight.”

I grinned, but seriously, I was tired.

“I need to eat.”

“We can get food.”

“I might need you to carry me and pretend you’re smelling lilacs.”

His grin was instant. “I always smell lilacs.”

“Good, then. Only smell that when you pick me up.”

“I’m going to pick you up?”

I nodded. “If you’re going to make a romantic gesture, you have to go all out.”

“And all out means picking you up and carrying you out of here?”

“At least.”

His eyes were warming, then suddenly he bent, and I was whisked up and in his arms.

Whoosh!

I squealed, hitting his shoulder. “I was kidding. Totally kidding. Put me down. I’m heavy.”

“Chill. You’re like a buck fifty.”

“One fifty?!”

He just chuckled, spotting where my stuff was and heading over. “I’m going to have to put you down so you can grab your things.”