Black

“Really? You’d do that for me?”

His face sobers, his eyes holding mine as we scoot slowly around the room. “Sweet girl, can’t you see? I’ll do anything for you.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” filters through the speakers. Neither one of us says another word. As Poison serenades, we make our way around the rink, laughing and giggling. Rex keeps me from falling, and when we make it to the entrance, he guides me to the half wall, and I hold on as I step over the ledge.

“Done already?” he asks. “We still have twenty minutes.”

“My thighs feel like I ran a hundred miles, which means I’ve burned a ton of calories, which means I need to eat this entire cake.”

“Well, then,” he says, chuckling. “By all means, let’s eat the cake.”

Lucky for us, the workers at The Great Skate have cut the cake, saving the biggest corner piece with the most icing just for me. I grab a fork and am about to dig in when Rex takes the utensil from my hand.

“Hey! I hope you know what you’re doing, keeping a girl from her cake.”

“Just wait.” He runs toward the front desk and comes back a moment later to stick a candle in the cake. He lights it and sits down next to me. “Make a wish, Shae.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and wish with every cell in my body, on every star in the night sky and the very candle in front of me, and then I blow it out.

Removing the candle, Rex tosses it to the side and hands me my fork.

“Aren’t you going to ask what I wished for?”

“Nope,” he says around a bite of cake. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to tell or it won’t come true?”

“What would you say if I told you I wished for you?”

Swallowing, Rex licks his lips and scoops a chunk of cake, holding it to my mouth. I wrap my lips around the fork as he slowly pulls it out.

“You already have me, so I’d say you wasted a wish.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing I didn’t wish for you.”

Scooping another bite of cake, Rex gives me a smug smile, pulls back on the tip of his plastic fork, and next thing I know, a blob of purple icing smacks against my face.

Eyes wide, I bust up laughing. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“Believe it,” he says, swiping a piece off the tip of my nose and popping it in his mouth.

He reaches for his drin

k, and I use the distraction to my advantage. He sputters, nearly choking on his soda when a slab of icing hits his cheek.

Without hesitation, he grabs his cake and smashes it against my face, smearing it in. I’m laughing so hard I can barely breathe, but I manage to reach for my cake. His hand snaps out, shoving my plate away from me, and he engulfs me in his arms, tickling me as I squirm around, trying to break free.

“Uncle,” I yell, trying to catch my breath from laughing. “I call uncle.”

He stops tickling me, but his warm arms stay wrapped tight. Dipping his head, he licks a blob of icing from the side of my mouth, and then his sugar-coated tongue tangles with mine. I moan as the sweet taste erupts in my mouth. His scent is intoxicating. Fisting his shirt at his waist, I pull him as close as our chairs will allow. His hands glide down my back. Palming my ass, he lifts me up onto his lap. His erection pushes against my core, and it feels so good. I grind my hips, and a low growl rumbles from his chest. I can’t take it anymore. I need him.

Now.

“Take me home, Rex.” I should be embarrassed at how husky my voice sounds, but my body craves his, and it’s a craving I can’t resist. “I want you to make love to me,” I whisper.

His grip on my waist tightens. “Well, first we’re gonna fuck. Then I’ll make slow, sweet love to you.”

I swing open the front door of Vault, not at all surprised that it’s unlocked. Rex told me he’s in his office almost every day from eight until two, working on orders and managing the books. He also said I should stop by anytime I’m in the area. Therefore, I don’t feel bad about making an impromptu trip across town to run a few menu options by him for the anniversary party. Earlier in the week we settled on a date, and after his insistence that I make choices as I see fit, I’ve already booked a caterer and ordered the tables, chairs, and linens, as well as the drapes that will be used as walls. Essentially, I’m turning the inside of Vault into a beautiful, outdoor oasis. If you didn’t know you were in a club, you’d think you were standing in a gorgeous white tent in the middle of an open field. At least that’s the vibe I’m aiming for.

Vault looks different in the daylight, without the colorful glow of strobes dancing across the room. I close my eyes, remembering the lights that twirled around Rex and me at the skating rink last week. For as long as I live, I’ll never forget what he did for me that day, which was so much more than fulfilling a childhood dream. He gave me hope.