The second her fingers slide into mine, something shifts, subtle but there, enough that I feel it.
The music kicks back in, and I pull her closer, spinning her once, then again when she laughs, because that sound gets to me more than it should, so I do it again, chasing it until her hand stays in mine, warm and small, and when I pull her in, my hand settles on her hip without thinking.
Bad move.
Her orange blossom scent hits me harder up close, mixing with the warmth of her skin, and for a second my grip tightens just slightly, like I need something solid to hold onto. My gaze drops before I can stop it.
Her lips.
Full. Soft. Too close.
My pulse kicks up, sharp and sudden.
Damn.
I drag my eyes back up and find her already looking at me, her pupils blown wide, her breathing just a little off as we sway, and for a second it feels like everything tilts.
Then Mia shouts along with the song, loud and proud, snapping us out of it, and we both turn toward her.
She’s dancing like her life depends on it.
I huff out a breath, shaking it off, and scoop her up again, pulling us all back into it before I do something stupid.
We’re still laughing when we sit down to eat, pancakes stacked high in front of us while Mia talks nonstop, her wordstumbling over each other as she tells me about the face masks and nail polish she and Lexy put on this morning like it’s the most important thing in the world.
“Uncle Dex?”
I glance over at her. “Yeah, pumpkin?”
She smiles, and I know that smile. That’s trouble wrapped in glitter and good intentions.
“Can I do your nails too?”
I groan, dragging a hand down my face. “I don’t know, Mia…”
I look at Lexy for help.
Big mistake.
That smirk spreads slowly across her lips, like she’s been waiting for this exact moment and I just walked straight into it.
“I think Uncle Dex would look really good with the pink glitter one.”
I narrow my eyes at her, already knowing I’ve lost.
“Can I at least choose the color?” I try anyway, holding on to whatever dignity I’ve got left.
Mia beams at me. “No! I know just the color for you, Uncle Dex.”
Yeah.
I’m screwed.
Ten minutes later, I’m sitting there with rainbow colored nails covered in glitter, and Lexy is doing a terrible job of pretending she’s not enjoying this, even the damn cat looking entertained.
“You like them?”
Mia’s staring at me like this answer actually matters, like the entire world hinges on what I say next.
