Page 13 of Do It For Me

“You hold it here,” he explains, pressing his palm firmly on the ball. “Watch how I throw it.”

He strides to the lane, his movements confident. Stretching his arm back, he cradles the ball between his hand and forearm before launching it forward.

Again, he knocks them all down.

“See?” he asks, glancing at me over his shoulder.

I nod.

Reaching for a lighter ball, I try to focus, but Dante steps closer, and my stomach twists.

“May I?”

I nod again, not understanding what he’s asking permission for, but then he takes my hands, and a shiver runs down my spine.

“Take your time,” he says in a gentle tone. “Besides, this isn’t about winning—”

I glance at him. “Is there a score?”

His lips curve into a small smile. “Yes.”

“Do we win anything?”

“No.”

“Oh, okay.”

His thumb grazes the back of my hand, and he tightens his grip slightly before guiding my fingers. Gently, he removes my thumb from the hole, pressing my palm against the surface of the ball.

“Like this.” His voice is so low I get chills. Positioning himself behind me, he pulls my arm back, steadying the ball in my grip. “You’ll feel like it’s going to fall,” he explains, his breath warm against my ear, “so you have to move your arm quickly.”

“And if it falls to the side again?”

“Then you try again.”

He releases me, and an ache settles in my chest as I immediately miss his touch.

This. Is. Not. Right.

Or maybe it is. After all, I’ll be spending the rest of my life with him.

He nods, encouraging me. I take a deep breath, step into position, and throw. The ball lands in the middle of the lane and follows its course almost perfectly, but not all the pins fall.

I pout. I’m useless. I’m not even good for this kind of—

“Perfect!”

I turn to him, frowning.

“But not all of them fell.”

“They don’t need to, not all of them at least.” His gaze shifts behind me. “It’s your turn again.”

I blink several times. He’s not mad or laughing at me, and I… feel good.

I turn around, a little stunned, and repeat my previous moves. This time, only one pin remains standing.

I DON’T UNDERSTAND HIM