Page 33 of Kayla's List

The dancer laughs and holds his arms up in a challenge.I know daggum well these two are not about to battle dance in a strip club!

My mouth drops even more when Anderson stands in front of me and slowly unbuttons his shirt as he moves his hips in a side to side motion. Once his shirt is completely undone, he strips it off his shoulders and lets it hang on his arms. He turns, putting his back to me, and does a little twerk on my lap that has me cracking up laughing at his shenanigans.

Anderson turns to face me, stripping the shirt off completely and wrapping it around my neck as he slowly rolls his body into mine. His eyes twinkle, and he’s smiling, but I can’t smile because Anderson McNair is making my lady parts stand up and take notice, and it makes me nervous.

“Don’t worry, doll face, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.” Anderson kisses my forehead and unwraps the shirt from my neck. He keeps dancing, but when he breaks out into theCarlton dance, I start laughing again.

The little crowd that I didn’t notice was watching started cheering when the song ended. With a big smile gracing my lips, I give Anderson a standing ovation. I’ve never had so many people cheering me on before. And in one day, it’s happened twice. Maybe I should’ve put that on my list.

Oh well, at least I can mark out another thing on my list.

#9. Go to a strip club.

15

I Just Can’t Help Myself

ANDERSON

Iknow that Brady will never let me live down my striptease. I don’t care. The way Kayla laughed and smiled at me was worth every swivel and pump of my hips. I never had to strip to pay my way through college or anything, but I know what women like. I was made to take formal dance lessons as a kid. Dancing to any music translates for some people. I might not be Magic Mike, but I can keep the beat and make it look sexy. Plus, there wasn’t any way in hell that I was going to let a male stripper dance on my woman.Hell no! No…. Nope.

Kayla isn’t exactly mineyet. But only because she doesn’t know it. I have to give her time to get used to the idea of us being together. And I can’t let some muscle-bound fool that she will never see again distract her.

I may not look like I live in the gym, but I have a nice body. My abs are defined, and my chest, arms, and legs are muscular. Besides, the way Kayla’s face lit up when I took off my shirt made me realize that stripper had nothing on me. She didn’t even give him a second look. It made me flex more and grind against her harder. I could tell she was turned on, so I backed off. The last thing I want to do is make her uncomfortable. The trepidation in her eyes when the stripper stood in front of her made me jump up and sacrifice my grumpy reputation to save her. Brady will tell the guys, and they’ll rib me for years, but again it was worth having Kay’s eyes on me.

I must say Kayla’s attention made me feel like I was eleven feet tall. She strokes my ego, and it turns me on that she doesn’t even realize it. She has no clue how fucking gorgeous she is. She looks so innocent in that flirty little dress that cuts low in the front and is short enough to make me want to lean down to try to catch a glimpse of her panties.I hope she’s wearing panties. Yeah… Kayla would never go out without panties. But what if she did? Damn, that’s hot.

“Andy? Are you listening to me?” Shelby shakes my shoulder, and I roll my eyes.

No, I wasn’t listening to Shelby. She’s only talking to me so she can avoid Brady. I don’t want to get involved in whatever is going on between the two of them.

“Stop calling me, Andy, Shelby.” I give her a stern look that I often use in meetings, but she just flicks her manicured hand at me as if she’s swatting a fly.

I noticed that she does that a lot. Dismisses people, especially if they say something to challenge her. I don’t think many people question Shelby, but that’s not my problem.She’snot my problem.

“I…” Shelby doesn’t finish what she says because Kayla and Emani come back from the restroom, and Kayla walks straight into my arms.

“Hey,” Kayla shyly whispers as she hugs me around my waist. I look down into her big brown eyes, and my heart flutters in my chest.

“Hey.” I lean down and kiss her lips.

There’s just something about Kayla’s lips. They’re soft and plump. And they always taste like some sort of fruit. I wonder if it’s the gloss she wears. Or maybe it’sChapStick. I don’t know, but I’m willing to give money and thanks to whoever made what she’s wearing.

“Thanks for helping me cross off a few things on my list. I appreciate your help,” Kayla says as I continue to gaze into her pretty face.

Kayla gives me a warm, soft look that melts me, and I would do anything for this girl. We’ve known each other for two weeks, and I am already completely infatuated with her. My friends would tell me it’s my OCD, so that’s why I don’t tell them how much I actually think about Kay.

My disorder doesn’t have anything to do with Kayla. She’s just interesting to me. I’m not obsessed with figuring out why she won’t open up about her ex, who obviously hurt her. Or why she won’t talk about her childhood, or why she made a bucket list at twenty-nine.

Kayla is not a thing that belongs on a shelf. I don’t need to compartmentalize her. My disorder doesn’t work like that. I don’t obsess about people, onlythings.

“It’s not a problem, as a matter of fact.” I pull Kayla out the door and into the taxi line. “I’m going to help you cross off a few more.”

Our little group makes it to theParishotel in no time at all, and we pile out of the SUV. I lead Kayla to the place where I want her and I kiss her like we’ve known each other for a lifetime. I dip her low like we are in some old black and white romantic film, and I put my all into our kiss.

When I stand her up straight, Kayla is breathless with a look of pure lust on her face. She touches her lips with her fingers, and I want so badly to kiss her again.

“Number twenty-six,” I say, and she gives me a girlish grin.