“Good,” he said simply. He focused on the fireplace, trying his best not to concentrate on the heat that radiated through his leg from where she’d just touched him.
Say something.
He wasn’t used to being at a loss for words around women, but something about Paige made him forget all his best one-liners. Maybe because he wasn’t trying to pick her up on a lonely night in a hotel bar while he killed time until sunrise when he could go climbing again. Not that he’d mind spending that kind of time with her.
“Sorry about Zoe today. She was very mean to both of you, but Ben especially.”
Miles glanced down at Paige’s hand now sitting in her lap while he silently wished she’d touch his leg again. And leave it there this time.
“You don’t have to apologize for her. You’re not her keeper.”
“I know. But with Ben … I guess I felt bad about how it all went down. That’s all.”
“Ben can take care of himself.” His beer empty, he set the bottle on the coffee table in front of the couch.
“Of course he can. I didn’t mean to imply he couldn’t.” Paige twisted her hands in her lap.
“I know it’s easy to think he might be more fragile than the other people here, but I assure you, he’s one of the strongest people I know, and he’s more than capable of taking on Zoe.”
Paige met his gaze. “You seem like a really good friend to him. He’s lucky to have you as a partner.”
“Thanks.” It was nice to hear even if he didn’t fully believe it himself.
She stared at him, her hair falling forward to frame her face now that it wasn’t pulled back into a ponytail like it had been earlier. He fought the overwhelming urge to run his fingers through her hair, tangle his hand at the nape of her neck. She was just as sweet as she was beautiful. A distracting combination if he wasn’t more careful. And yet he couldn’t move away. “Zoe’s lucky to have you too, she just doesn’t know it.”
“I’m pretty sure she’d disagree with you. But it’s nice of you to say so.”
“Zoe can have a one track mind when she sets her mind on a goal.” Zoe might not be the nicest person or the most intelligent person Miles had ever met, but she was definitely the most determined. When she set her goal, no one and nothing would cause her to deviate from it.
Paige tilted her head to the side slightly. It was the motion he could imagine her doing if they were about to kiss. That feeling of wanting to run his fingers through her hair returned even stronger than it had been a few moments ago.
If he leaned forward and tilted his head a bit to the other side, he could capture her mouth with his. He could kiss those sweet lips of hers that had just parted slightly. Would she prefer soft kisses or firm? Would he even have enough sense to experiment with his kisses like he usually did to see what she responded to most? Or would his mind become completely undone when his lips pressed to hers, his body taking what he wanted, how he wanted?
“Miles?” Paige’s voice filtered into his thoughts. Yes, he’d like to hear her say his name again and again.
Say it again.
“Miles, are you okay?” she asked again, her mouth forming the words with the cutest little pucker of her lips as she waited for his response.
He was better than okay. In one more second he’d be perfect. In one more second, his mouth would be on hers and all would be right in his world.
The feel of her breath caressing his lips caused him to blink. Why could he feel her breath on his lips? He pulled his gaze from her gorgeous inviting mouth to stare her in the eyes. Eyes which were all together closer to his than they should have been, and a mouth that was only a fraction of an inch away from touching his.
Holy shit.
His heart pounded in his chest as he realized how close his little fantasy had taken him to almost kissing Paige. Not good.
He sat back against the couch, putting much needed distance between them. “I’m sorry. My mind wandered away for a second. Did you ask me something?” That sounded casual enough.
“I was asking why you seem to know so much about Zoe, but maybe you have other things on your mind you’d rather discuss.”
Like how I almost kissed you.
He rubbed his eyes and yawned, buying a minute to think. “Doesn’t everyone know Zoe after how much she’s been in the tabloids since that show?”
“Sure. I guess that makes sense.”
He rested his head back against the couch and looked at Paige, hoping she bought his story more than her voice led him to believe. He really didn’t feel like explaining tonight, or any night. Ever. As far as he was concerned, he didn’t know Zoe any better than anyone else and he wanted to keep it that way.
And he couldn’t ignore the simple truth that Paige and Zoe were not friends. Enemies was more accurate. If his past with Zoe became public knowledge, Paige might look at him like an enemy too. That was the last thing he wanted.
Paige shrugged, clearly suspicious of his answer but appearing to let it go at least for now. “Seems like there’s maybe something else on your mind tonight too,” she said, leaning toward him. She licked her lips. “Anything else you want to … discuss?”
It was an invitation if he’d ever seen one but he couldn’t RSVP to that party. Far too distracting when he needed to focus on the competition.
No. As tempting as Paige was, he couldn’t risk it. He might not want Paige to become his enemy if she learned about his past with Zoe, but he also didn’t want Paige to become a distraction and end up getting in the way of his goals for Ben.
Another time, another place, and he’d have given in to that kiss a moment ago. But not here, not during the game he desperately needed to prove to Ben they could win.
“I’m tired. I’ll see you around, Paige.” He couldn’t miss the disappointed expression on her face as he climbed up from the couch. Somehow seeing the expression of hurt and disappointment on her face made the climb off the couch harder than the one to the summit of K2.
Chapter Seven
Paige drank the last few drops from her water bottle and tossed it onto her bed beside her. The last thing she wanted to do was wander around the hotel in her pajamas but unless she wanted to drink water out of the bathroom faucet, or go thirsty until breakfast, she didn’t have many other choices. The only other water in the room was Zoe’s coveted Perrier and she would kill Paige if she drank any. Not that it mattered since Paige couldn’t stand the bubbles. Regardless of what Zoe said, water should not have bubbles.
Nope. She needed water from the kitchen. And since she’d been in her room at base camp every evening for the last few days, she was really running low on munchies and soda too.
It wasn’t that she was hiding exactly. More like avoiding.
Avoiding Miles.
In the days since their almost kiss on the couch in front of the fireplace — or what she thought was an almost kiss, at least — she’d tried her best not to run into Miles again. Certainly she didn’t want to be anything resembling alone with him. No way. Not when he’d made it perfectly clear after the almost-whatever-it-was-or-wasn’t happened that he wasn’t interested in her that way.
She’d been so foolish to lick her lips in a pathetic attempt to solicit a kiss from him. But when he’d gone into some sort of trance like state a few minutes before that and ended up with his lips a breath away from hers, she’d really believed that’s what he’d been going for. A kiss. And yet her attempt to show that she was willing had been shot down by his supposed tiredness.
Really? Tired? No.
No matter how tired a man is, if he’s interested in a kiss, he’s going to go for it. Men don’t think in terms of tired. They think in terms of how quickly they can get it in and how long they can stay in for.
When Miles turned her down, he’d made it perfectly clear he w
asn’t interested in her. And since she couldn’t be sure what stupid thing she’d do if she saw him again, she’d done the only thing she could do. Hide.
Until now. Now her tummy grumbled, since dinner never seemed to fill her up with all the exercise they were doing hunting for these stupid caches for twelve hours a day. What she should do is go to bed and get a good night’s sleep so she’d have energy for tomorrow. But no way would she ever fall asleep with her stomach yelling at her for food and water.
She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was just after midnight. Surely almost everyone must be in their rooms by now. Everyone except Zoe, who was missing from her side of the room. But Zoe was out late every evening. Doing what, she didn’t know. Or care, actually. What Zoe did on her off time was her business and Paige didn’t want to get involved.
But at least at this hour, she should be safe to wander to the common room and slip into the kitchen unnoticed for long enough to grab a couple of granola bars and refill her water without anyone seeing her in her pajamas.
Although, she could take a moment and change into her regular clothes just in case, but that would mean changing back into pajamas again in a few minutes. Best to save time and go quickly. Stealthily, if possible.
She peeked out into the hallway. Everything seemed pretty quiet. Usually from here she could hear noises from the common room at the end of the hall. But tonight, not even the TV played. Perfect.
Padding down the hallway as quickly as she could, tiptoeing in bare feet, she made it to the corner without being seen. She tugged down the lace edging of her pajama shorts, which suddenly felt a few inches too short, and peeked around the corner into the common area. Empty.
Relaxing now that she was alone, she walked normally into the kitchen and scrounged in the cabinet until she found a selection of snacks then filled her water bottle with ice and fresh water. She grabbed an apple from the fridge and washed it quickly before taking a bite.
Hopping up onto the counter, she took a few more bites of her apple, her stomach finally quieting. No sense in taking the apple to her room just to throw the core into the garbage. It would get stinky by morning in the little room. She was better off eating it here and throwing it away before she went back.
A few minutes later as she chewed another bite, she could have sworn she heard talking out in the common area. She stopped chewing and listened. Nothing. She swallowed then listened again. Still nothing.
She was biting off another chunk of apple when the kitchen door swung open. She paused mid-bite as Zoe and Miles walked in. Their voices hushed as they discussed something, their tone anything but pleasant.
“She can’t find out. If she does, then I don’t stand a chance. And I’m not about to lose out on her because of you,” Miles said, his voice laced with annoyance and frustration. Not surprising since he was talking to Zoe after all. But who were they talking about? What couldn’t someone find out?
“You can’t hide it forever. She’s bound to find out sooner or later,” Zoe retorted, her tone sounding equally as annoyed.
Paige held her breath with the apple still poised in her mouth like a stuffed pig on a platter, not even moving when the juices from the apple dripped down her chin.
She felt as if she were spying on a very private conversation. But they were the ones who’d come to her. She was merely a bystander and couldn’t help it if she was now privy to their … intimate sounding conversation.
And why were they together anyway?
“Later would be better,” Miles stated as if it was fact.
“Fine,” Zoe grumbled, shoving past Miles into the kitchen. “But if you strike out, don’t blame it on me.”
Suddenly realizing they weren’t alone, Zoe and Miles froze, mouths open, fingers pointing at the other as if in the middle of an accusation party instead of a conversation.
Interesting.
Zoe was annoying, but annoying enough to fight with after hours when everyone else was already sleeping?
Slowly, their heads swiveled to stare at Paige.
“I’m tired. Goodnight,” Zoe said, disappearing out the kitchen door before either of them could say anything to stop her. Not that Paige could have found her voice to stop her anyway.
Nor could she find her voice to say anything to Miles who still stood frozen, staring at her. The annoyance she’d seen on his face as he’d walked in with Zoe had already dissolved, replaced by a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
And she suddenly felt as if she were perched on the edge of a doctor’s exam table instead of a kitchen counter. A cold kitchen counter.
Come to think of it, the entire kitchen was pretty damn chilly. So chilly in fact, the thin material of her camisole didn’t seem to do much to keep her warm. Or to hide the newly-budded evidence that she was cold.
Paige bit off the chunk of apple, finally lowering it from her mouth and setting it on the counter. As she chewed, she watched Miles. Was he suddenly tired too? Again? Neither he nor Zoe had looked all that tired a moment ago. Whatever conversation they’d been in the middle of must’ve really been a private one. A sudden spike of jealousy shot through her at the thought of Zoe and Miles sharing private moments together.
Until his gaze fell on her. Then her jealousy vanished along with the air in the room.
Miles took in her outfit, or, well, lack of outfit while she chewed. And swallowed. And choked. Some people couldn’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. Apparently Paige couldn’t sit and eat an apple safely.
Tears pricked her eyes as she struggled to dislodge the tiny pieces of apple from the back of her throat.
Miles sauntered up to the counter calmly and reached beside her until he found her water bottle. He popped the top and held it out to her. She took a deep gulp or two and finally felt like she could breathe normally again.
“Thanks,” she managed, finding her voice for the first time since he’d walked into the little room.
“Better?”
“Yes. I must have swallowed funny.”
“Apples can be very dangerous.” His eyes crinkled a little as he smiled, teasing her. He crossed over to the sink and wet a paper towel before returning to stand in front of her again. “And messy.”
Miles wiped the damp towel across her lower lip, then down her chin and neck, stopping just below her collarbone. Good thing the apple hadn’t dripped more. Much farther and he would have been wiping off her cleavage.
Her body responded to the thought, her nipples growing harder than they already were from the cool night air.
His gaze left her and traveled down the path his hand had just made then carried on to the hardened peaks clearly visible through the thin camisole. Damn it. Why hadn’t she thought to at least grab a sweater before leaving her room? And now that she glanced down to where his eyes had gone, she realized just how teeny tiny her shorts were, riding up her thighs with only an inch of inseam fabric separating her from sporting a mini-skirt. A commando mini-skirt since she didn’t wear panties underneath her pajamas.
Not to mention Miles currently took up residence between her knees, his hands resting on either side of her on the counter. Damn, he was even hotter close up.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, unable to think of anything better to say.
“My pleasure,” he said, talking to her nipples.
If only she could find a way to make her body listen to her, she could cross her arms and cover herself. But her arms ignored her inner embarrassment.
“Everything okay between you and Zoe? Sounded like a serious conversation you were having when you guys came in here. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
That did it. His gaze met hers. Holy hell. Those eyes … that hint of lust lingering in them.
“It was nothing. Just a disagreement about … something.”
It
sounded like a lame excuse and Paige didn’t buy it. But she didn’t have any good reason to press him further either. “If you say so.”
“I do. And what exactly were you doing wandering around the hotel so late at night in barely more than tissue paper?”
“I ran out of snacks and water. I thought everyone was in bed already.”
He raised an eyebrow questioningly. “You thought I was in bed too, didn’t you?”
“Maybe,” she said, not breaking his gaze.
“I haven’t seen you much these last few nights. Not since the night we chatted by the fireplace. Everything okay? Or being antisocial?”
“Everything’s fine. Just needed some space from the game.” Sounded like a good excuse.
“I’m glad to hear that. But I have missed seeing you around in the evenings.”
She hadn’t thought he would.
“Maybe tomorrow night I’ll see you around.”
She couldn’t help but notice his gaze flicker down her body again as he stepped toward the door. Then he disappeared through it without another word, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Thoughts that threatened to take a walk in the gutter where images of Miles between her thighs took center stage. Only this time neither one of them were standing.
• • •
Miles closed the bathroom door and turned on the sink faucet. Leaning on the counter, he glared into the mirror at his reflection.
Way to go.
Two big errors in judgment tonight and they were only finishing up the first week of the show. He would have to be a lot more careful from now on. No more late night talks with Zoe. And definitely no more close calls by putting himself in intimate positions with Paige. Getting involved with Paige was a distraction he couldn’t afford if he wanted to win the game with Ben. Yet every time he was around her, he found himself drawn to her, lusting for her, needing to be closer to her.
It had to stop.
He needed to stay as far away from that entire team as he possibly could. Maybe Paige had been doing him a favor these last few nights when she’d disappeared right after dinner, not surfacing again until the start time the next morning. And yet he’d just been stupid and admitted that he’d missed seeing her around.
Stuck on You (Crimson Romance) Page 6