The Trouble with Bree (Spotlight #1.5) by Kristen Strassel Page B

then looped it behind me so he could pull me toward him.
    “I want to see your moves.”
    The class was a lot different than I expected. The instructor had us lifting weights and doing sit-ups. But that’s not what Josh wanted to hear. “First of all, you need to have as much skin exposed as possible.” I dropped my shorts and stepped out of them. “Or else you can’t grip the pole properly.”
    Josh leaned back, looking around my bedroom. “Can we get one of those poles in here?”
    “So my kids can think we brought the park inside?” Placing my fingers under Josh’s chin, I brought his attention back to me. “I thought you wanted to know what we learned.”
    Before he had a chance to answer, I sunk down to my knees, scooping the front of my body toward him, then dragging it back up. I rolled back on my heels, wobbly on the way up, and no one was more surprised than me when I didn’t topple over on Josh. Once I was standing again, I put my knee between Josh’s legs, leading him back to the mattress. He had my bra unhooked before his back hit the bedspread.
    “I liked that trick.” Josh cupped my breasts in his hands, running his thumbs over my nipples. “I think you’re going to make an excellent student.”
    He was still wearing everything, and it was way too much. I pushed his shirt up, working it over his head before we rolled over and I was caged in by Josh’s arms. I had just unbuckled his belt when the door opened.
    “Mama.” Landon was totally oblivious to what was going on as we scrambled to cover ourselves. I draped Josh’s shirt over my breasts just before he came over to the bed. “Wucas just threw up.”

Chapter Fourteen
    “Forget laboratories. If scientists really wanted to study disease, all they have to do is hang out at a preschool.” Josh joked as I stripped Lucas’ bed. All the boys sat on Landon’s bed, watching me dry heave while I worked. I’d already put Lucas in the shower, which freaked him out because he’d never had anything but a bath. Of course, Landon thought the whole thing was hysterical. “You’d think the teachers started off the day by having all the toddlers lick the sickest kid in the place.”
    “You have a pretty well formed theory for someone who’s worked in a preschool for a week.” Thankfully, Bish came out of the incident unscathed. I waved him in the air before putting him on Lucas’ new pillow, which was really one of mine. His was beyond rescue and going in the trash. Lucas dove onto his bed, still looking a little green, and moaned. “Let me get a bucket.”
    “I interned before I graduated. Come on, they don’t just let anyone in there.” Josh winced as Lucas got sick again. He mostly hit the bucket. I learned long ago to appreciate the small victories. “Of course, this is just a theory. No scientist is actually sadistic enough to hang out at a preschool.”
    “Mama.” Landon’s eyes grew huge and I hadn’t noticed how gray he was until that moment. “I gotta—“
    “Okay baby, hang on.” I didn’t even let him finish, I picked up him up and hauled ass to the bathroom. It was impossible to be mad at him when he puked in the bathtub instead of the toilet. My stomach swam at the smell. I sat on the floor with my face scrunched up, not letting any of it in, while Landon cuddled beside me.
    “Are you guys all right in here?” Josh knocked on the door and opened it slowly, knowing revolting things could be in progress.
    Lucas pushed past him, tears streaming down his face, and landed on me in something that was more a tackle than a hug. “I threw up, Mama.”
    “He hit the bucket.” Josh stepped in, showing me the evidence. “We have that to be grateful for.” I pressed everyone’s face to my chest and squeezed everything on my own face closed as he emptied it. Once he was finished, he put the bucket in the bathtub and sunk down next to me.
    “Hopefully they’re both empty now. I don’t know how little bodies can hold that