Kendal , he mouthed the word, help.
Kendal crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "You're on your own." If Ed had hoped to stop her from seeing Cory, he deserved to be caught in his little act by al these women. Let him suffer. If he hoped to win her heart, his answers had to be faster and he had to be ful y prepared to declare his love. He needed to see what a treasure he had in Kendal and that having al the women in the world was not the right answer for him.
The song faded out and a roar of applause sure to deafen every ear in the room rose to a crescendo.
The men made a final pass along the edge of the stage, al owing women to stuff their G-strings with bil s, then they escaped behind the curtain.
Big Joe Sealy had to untangle the blonde from Ed before he could beat a retreat.
Final y backstage, Ed sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Not used to the meat market, are you?" The cop slapped him on the back and grinned. "Don't worry, after the first dance, you just go with the flow."
Flow, hell. Ed didn't plan on dancing another dance in front of those rabid women. Al he wanted was get into his jeans and shirt, find Kendal and get her the hel out of there.
"Hey, cowboy, nice ass." A hand slapped his butt, staying there a little longer than necessary.
Ed spun, ready to defend his honor and politely tel the woman he was done playing stripper.
Lacey leaned against the wal , her lips twisted, her brows waggling. "You looked damn fine out there tonight."
"Don't get used to it."
She tipped her head, her gaze going to the flesh exposed by chaps way too smal for his thick thighs.
"I don't know. I think you can make a kil ing with that equipment.
Heat crawled across his chest and Ed covered his package with cupped hands. "Cut it out."
"So, why'd you come?"
"Would you believe I wanted to try my hand at stripping?"
Lacey shook her head. "Try again."
At just that moment, Cory entered the dressing room.
Ed straightened. "I came to talk Kendal out of dating that gigolo." His fists clenched. "Maybe I should just have a word with the man, instead of Kendal ."
Lacey placed a hand in the middle of Ed's chest, stopping him before he could take a step. "Wrong."
"What do you mean wrong?" Ed heaved a ragged sigh.
"Cory's not the problem."
"Then who the hel is?" Ed raised both fists. "I'l kil him."
Lacey grinned. "You."
"Me?" His hands unclenched and jammed onto his waist.
"Yeah, big guy." Her hand fel to her side. "Why do you think Kendal was wil ing to let you teach her sex education lessons?"
"Because she trusts me?" Surely, that was the reason that made the most sense.
Lacey snorted and shook her head.
Ed's brows furrowed. "I couldn't let her go to Whitey Ross for lessons."
"Kendal needs lessons about sex like an alcoholic needs to learn how to drink. She gave up her virginity when she was eighteen."
His chest squeezed tight. "I'd like to punch the kid that took it."
"Why?"
"Because. She was just a kid."
"And why don't you want her to date Cory?"
Lacey nodded toward the blond pretty boy.
"Kendal 's not a kid anymore."
"I promised Connor I'd look out for her." But damn, the girl had grown into a beautiful woman.
"What if she loves Cory?"
"I'l kil him." Blood thundered in his ears.
"Why?" Lacey looked him directly in the eye.
"Because I love her." Ed gripped Lacey's arms.
"I love Kendal . Are you happy? I love my best friend's little sister."
Lacey's face split into a wide grin. "Honey, you'l have to get over that one, if you real y love her and want to be with her."
Ed glanced over at Cory. "What about the pretty face over there?"
"She's been teaching him how to dance. That's al ."
"To dance?" He stared from Cory back to Lacey, his head swimming with the possibility that he might have a chance with Kendal . "I thought she wanted the lessons to get a guy to notice her."
"It worked, didn't it?" Her lips spread into a wide grin. "You noticed her, didn't you?"
"You're kidding
Kendal crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "You're on your own." If Ed had hoped to stop her from seeing Cory, he deserved to be caught in his little act by al these women. Let him suffer. If he hoped to win her heart, his answers had to be faster and he had to be ful y prepared to declare his love. He needed to see what a treasure he had in Kendal and that having al the women in the world was not the right answer for him.
The song faded out and a roar of applause sure to deafen every ear in the room rose to a crescendo.
The men made a final pass along the edge of the stage, al owing women to stuff their G-strings with bil s, then they escaped behind the curtain.
Big Joe Sealy had to untangle the blonde from Ed before he could beat a retreat.
Final y backstage, Ed sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Not used to the meat market, are you?" The cop slapped him on the back and grinned. "Don't worry, after the first dance, you just go with the flow."
Flow, hell. Ed didn't plan on dancing another dance in front of those rabid women. Al he wanted was get into his jeans and shirt, find Kendal and get her the hel out of there.
"Hey, cowboy, nice ass." A hand slapped his butt, staying there a little longer than necessary.
Ed spun, ready to defend his honor and politely tel the woman he was done playing stripper.
Lacey leaned against the wal , her lips twisted, her brows waggling. "You looked damn fine out there tonight."
"Don't get used to it."
She tipped her head, her gaze going to the flesh exposed by chaps way too smal for his thick thighs.
"I don't know. I think you can make a kil ing with that equipment.
Heat crawled across his chest and Ed covered his package with cupped hands. "Cut it out."
"So, why'd you come?"
"Would you believe I wanted to try my hand at stripping?"
Lacey shook her head. "Try again."
At just that moment, Cory entered the dressing room.
Ed straightened. "I came to talk Kendal out of dating that gigolo." His fists clenched. "Maybe I should just have a word with the man, instead of Kendal ."
Lacey placed a hand in the middle of Ed's chest, stopping him before he could take a step. "Wrong."
"What do you mean wrong?" Ed heaved a ragged sigh.
"Cory's not the problem."
"Then who the hel is?" Ed raised both fists. "I'l kil him."
Lacey grinned. "You."
"Me?" His hands unclenched and jammed onto his waist.
"Yeah, big guy." Her hand fel to her side. "Why do you think Kendal was wil ing to let you teach her sex education lessons?"
"Because she trusts me?" Surely, that was the reason that made the most sense.
Lacey snorted and shook her head.
Ed's brows furrowed. "I couldn't let her go to Whitey Ross for lessons."
"Kendal needs lessons about sex like an alcoholic needs to learn how to drink. She gave up her virginity when she was eighteen."
His chest squeezed tight. "I'd like to punch the kid that took it."
"Why?"
"Because. She was just a kid."
"And why don't you want her to date Cory?"
Lacey nodded toward the blond pretty boy.
"Kendal 's not a kid anymore."
"I promised Connor I'd look out for her." But damn, the girl had grown into a beautiful woman.
"What if she loves Cory?"
"I'l kil him." Blood thundered in his ears.
"Why?" Lacey looked him directly in the eye.
"Because I love her." Ed gripped Lacey's arms.
"I love Kendal . Are you happy? I love my best friend's little sister."
Lacey's face split into a wide grin. "Honey, you'l have to get over that one, if you real y love her and want to be with her."
Ed glanced over at Cory. "What about the pretty face over there?"
"She's been teaching him how to dance. That's al ."
"To dance?" He stared from Cory back to Lacey, his head swimming with the possibility that he might have a chance with Kendal . "I thought she wanted the lessons to get a guy to notice her."
"It worked, didn't it?" Her lips spread into a wide grin. "You noticed her, didn't you?"
"You're kidding
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