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The opening notes begin, and I close my eyes, shifting into character. When the spotlight finds me, I open them, and there’s Roman, sitting front and center.

The way he’s looking at me sets my skin on fire.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Roman

My leg bounces underneath the table, rattling the silverware against my plate.

Normally I wouldn’t consider myself to be the jealous type, but being forced to watch Kira prance around for my little brother in that hot as fuck milkmaid dress, while he dances around her like a fucking frat boy, may as well be torture.

Whose bright idea was this anyway? If I was ever unsure whether I had a cuck kink, tonight damn well clears that up.

I never should’ve asked her to come here with me. I guess that’s what I get for being a selfish prick. I’d wanted to experience what it’d be like to have her on my arm, all dressed up. To share a meal and maybe a few glasses of wine, until she was just tipsy enough to let her guard down. I wanted to hear her laugh, to see the way her nose crinkles at the top when she finds something amusing.

I wanted to pretend, if only for the night, that things were different between us. That things could be different between us, without putting either of our reputations at stake.

I’m so tired of having to keep my distance, tired of pushing her away, when all I want is to surrender to the magnetic force that’s drawing me to her.

If I were smart, then I’d sever whatever these lingering feelings are and walk away before this whole thing blows up in my face.

But the easygoing, nice guy everyone in this town adores isn’t the one who’s in control right now. He’s been replaced by a possessive caveman. And I’m biting down on every impulse to jump up there and pee in a circle around her to mark my territory.

The stage lights go dark as the first act comes to an end. A moment later they’re back up, and a crew of uniformed servers rushes in with the next course.

“I think they’re doing a great job, don’t you?” my dad says with a curt nod. It’s more of a statement than a question since he’ll hear no criticism of my mother’s work. In his eyes, everything she does is perfect. Any mistake is authenticity, highlighting the human element to the performance.

“Oh, yeah, it’s great. I only wish I could enjoy the show without Guy’s semi trying to make eye contact with me,” Luka huffs, shifting in his seat as he balances a butter knife on top of the tower of empty plates and glasses he apparently built during the first act.

“It’s because he’s so tall, I guess. You can’t really escape it,” Scout adds, and Luka cuts his eyes to her with a warning glare.

She holds up her hands. “I didn’t say I was enjoying it. I’m just as uncomfortable watching him fling that thing around as you are. Trust me.”

Seemingly satisfied with her response, Luka grabs the leg of her chair and pulls her closer to him before whispering something in her ear.

Judging by the blush on her cheeks, I’m going to assume it has something to do with his plans for her later on this evening. I can’t be sure, but I find their public display of affection irritating either way.

“I still can’t believe Kira just picked all of this up right before going out there,” Scout says. “I mean, I know she’s a professional and probably does this kind of stuff all the time, but I can’t imagine it’s easy.”

“She’s a talented young lady,” my dad agrees, taking a sip of his wine as a server places each of our salads in front of us.

Luka stabs three cherry tomatoes on his fork before shoving them all in his mouth. “Do you think they’re going to kiss for real at the end?” he asks mid-chew.

The mention of a kiss makes my ears perk up and a flash of white-hot jealousy races beneath my skin. “What are you talking about?”

Luka gestures broadly. “It’s a romance, isn’t it? I mean…I think he’s supposed to give her another lap dance...” He pauses to think. “Or is it the other way around? I can’t remember. I was only halfway listening when Guy was telling me about rehearsals.” He squints like he’s trying to remember. “All I know is, apparently the scene is pretty intimate.”

The word intimate has my palms sweating.

I take a gulp of ice water in an attempt to cool myself down and try my best to appear unbothered. “What do you mean by that? How do you know?”

“Guy said whatever they did had the real Darcy so hot and bothered, that after rehearsal, she jumped his bones in the parking lot. She couldn’t even wait for him to drive to his house. They fucked right there in his car in the middle of broad daylight,” he says with a chuckle.

“It must’ve been the gray sweats,” Scout adds as if it all makes perfect sense. “He’s basically wearing the male version of lingerie up there.”

My dad wipes his mouth with a napkin and leans closer, now notably curious. “Is that so?”

Rather than speaking for her, Luka gestures for his wife to confirm.