“Are you sure you took the right girl with you today? You didn’t accidentally grab some Zoe lookalike?”
Zoe wasn’t nice to anyone. Not even herself.
“I know. I thought it was all a big joke at first too, but if it was, she kept up the act all day.”
What was Zoe playing at? There had to be some reason for her sudden attitude change toward Ben, but what? Was there some kind of twist in the game she’d figured out and they hadn’t? Because no part of Zoe was nice to another human being without a good reason.
Or maybe it was because she could relate to Ben’s injury … the way it had changed him …
Yes, that could definitely explain Zoe’s sudden change of heart and attitude toward Ben.
“Well, regardless of the reason behind it, I’m glad to hear you didn’t have to put up with Zoe being a bitch all day.”
“And despite the shoes, how was it with Paige?”
“Fine.”
“Just fine?”
Miles sighed. How could he describe his day with Paige? Distracting, tempting, sexually frustrating. “Yep. Fine.”
“Huh,” Ben said between yawns, “because I could have sworn I overheard Evan and another cameraman talking about some kind of kiss in the mud. Sounded like there’s a budding showmance in the mix.”
Damn.
“There may have been a kiss.”
A really fan-fucking-tastic kiss.
After an amazing kiss like that, maybe it was finally time to tell Paige about his past with Zoe. It seemed like Paige and Zoe were getting along better now than they had been at the start of the show. Maybe his previous connection to Zoe wouldn’t affect Paige’s opinion of him anymore. Maybe he could have a fair shot with her even if she found out the truth.
Possibly, he could tell Zoe they didn’t need to keep things a secret anymore. After all, the groundwork had been laid already, in more ways than one.
“Never could resist a pretty brunette in heels, could you?” Ben laughed and rolled over. “Just don’t let it screw up our partnership with them. On second thought, maybe we shouldn’t make an alliance with them if you’re starting to fool around with Paige. It could complicate things more than it’s worth.”
“It was one kiss, not a complication.”
“Still. Maybe we’re better off on our own.”
Miles glanced over to Ben. What was the right decision for their team? Working with the girls could lead to complications, especially if he had to watch Paige in those heels and yoga tops everyday. But the girls were also pretty stubborn and that might be just what they needed to get enough caches to win.
Not to mention, the thought of Paige falling down another hill without anyone to rescue her but Zoe made him break out in a cold sweat. What if something worse happened and he wasn’t there to help?
That settled it.
“An alliance with the girls is our best option right now if we really want a chance to win. Even if we only pair up with them long enough to collect most of the caches they’ve already gotten, it will be worth it for the points alone. After that point, we can reevaluate the situation.”
“I’ll give it another day, but if working with the girls holds us back in any way, we’re on our own again.”
“Deal,” he agreed reluctantly.
It really was the only option. That way he could get Ben closer to winning. Miles could already see the spark of excitement coming back to Ben. If they won, it would be all it took to make Ben realize how much he’d missed having a little more adventure in his life.
And if he got to flirt with Paige a little more along the way, that was pretty okay too.
• • •
“How did it go with Miles yesterday? You didn’t really get into specifics in the interview last night, and then you scurried off to bed before I got another chance to ask you. But I could tell you were leaving out some good stuff,” Zoe said while brushing her already perfect looking hair.
Every morning, Zoe managed to beat Paige out of bed and into the shower. And every morning by the time Paige woke up, Zoe was already shampooed, blow-dried and had her makeup fully applied. It made Paige feel very lazy. Not exactly what she wanted to feel when the alarm went off at six each morning.
“Aside from acting like an idiot, not bad.”
“What do you mean?”
Paige sighed and stretched out her still half asleep body. She couldn’t believe yesterday had actually happened. It felt more like a dream than reality. A great dream she didn’t want to wake up from. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“I’m awesome. That’s how.”
Paige rolled her eyes. “I didn’t even finish my thought yet.”
“Well, I’m awesome at basically everything. You’ll have to be more specific.”
Paige rolled out of bed and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower. “Hiking in heels wasn’t easy,” she called through the open door as she stepped into the hot water. “I’m not sure I can keep wearing them. I may have to go back to my boots.”
“Not if I burn them first.”
“I’m serious. I fell. Down a hill. Miles had to come and rescue me.”
“What’s the problem then?” Zoe asked. “You wanted his attention, so mission accomplished.”
“I kind of hoped for a less embarrassing type of attention.” Paige finished her shower, toweled off and pulled on her clothes before walking back into the bedroom. As she combed her hair, Zoe touched up her makeup for what had to be the third or forth time that morning already.
“What did Miles do when you fell?”
“He rushed down the hill after me to make sure I was okay.” Paige’s lips tingled at the memory. Or possibly because of the minty lip balm she’d applied. The warmth settling deep in her belly, however, was definitely from the memory of Miles lying on top of her.
“And were you okay?”
“I’m here and not the hospital, aren’t I? Of course, I could have been a little more seductive and a little less feminist.”
“Have you learned nothing from me yet?” Zoe asked, sounding exasperated.
“He told me to lose the shoes and I told him not to tell me what to do. Somehow I don’t think that was the flirty response I should have made.”
Zoe sighed. “Amateur.”
“So teach me, oh wise one. Teach me how to be like you,” Paige teased.
“You can’t teach this,” Zoe said, waving a hand down her body. “I guess you can dress a girl up, but you can’t make her sexy.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“It’s what I’m here for.” Zoe slipped into her heels then eyed Paige.
Paige couldn’t help but feel pathetic in comparison to the blonde bombshell of a teammate she’d been stuck with. “Why should I even bother attempting to flirt with anyone when you’re around?”
“Gee, thanks,” Zoe said, mimicking Paige’s earlier sentiment.
Paige almost felt bad for saying that. Almost.
“Oh, come on. I know that didn’t hurt your feelings. Seriously, how is Miles ever going to fall for plain old me when perfect you is around to remind him how much better he could have it with another girl?”
Zoe shrugged. “True. But I happen to know for a fact Miles isn’t interested in me. He’s interested in you. You need to be more confident.”
“Whatever.” Paige pulled her hair into a knot at the nape of her neck, approximately where Miles’s hand had been the day before … when he’d kissed her. Maybe Zoe was right. Maybe Miles was at least interested enough to kiss her. But then if he was really interested, why hadn’t he tried to kiss her again yesterday? After that first cache, he’d been focused on “making up for lost time” with the others. That didn’t sound like a guy who was interested in scoring with the girl wh
o tried to flirt with him.
“Are you really going to make me say this?” Zoe huffed.
“Say what?” Paige was too annoyed with herself to try and figure out what the hell Zoe was talking about.
She sighed and rubbed her temples as if whatever she had to say was torturous. “You have no reason to feel pathetic. Miles or any other guy would be lucky to have you. You’re smart, and pretty, and sort of sexy in your own hiking boots and tank top kind of way.”
Paige’s mouth dropped open. Had hell actually frozen over? She peeked out the window and into the sky. Nope. No flying pigs. Wow. Zoe Oliver had just paid someone a compliment. And only the hiking boots part had been the tiniest bit backhanded.
Whoa.
“Um, thanks?” Paige shook her head then pinched her arm. It hurt. “Are you dying or something?”
Zoe wasn’t nice to anyone. Certainly she’d never been nice to Paige. Therefore, she had to be suffering from some terminal illness.
“No. I’m not dying. I’m sick of hearing you be pathetic. It’s throwing off my mojo.” Zoe walked to the door and paused with her hand on the doorknob. “I’ll be waiting out front whenever you’ve gotten ready for the day.”
“I am ready,” Paige said, looking down at her outfit; shorts, a fitted shirt with a hint of sparkle and — sigh — her high-heeled torture devices as soon as she strapped them on her feet.
Zoe eyed her. “Oh. In that case, make sure to smile and bat your eyes a lot. And touch his arms if you can. Even better, make sure to tell him how big his arms are. No guy can resist a girl who comments on the size of his … biceps.” With a giggle, she disappeared out the door.
Paige slipped into her heels then stood in front of the full-length mirror in the corner eyeing her outfit. “Maybe Zoe’s right.”
Oh God. Had she really said that out loud?
Her denim cut-offs were cute and — she turned to evaluate her rearview in the mirror — short. So those could stay. But maybe her top wasn’t quite eye-catching enough. She grabbed a different one from the closet and slipped into it. It wasn’t her usual yoga top style, but it was still fitted in all the right places, especially with the help of the push-up bra and a low scoop neck that offered a glimpse at the twins. She didn’t want to put the girls totally out there, but showing them off a little to Miles couldn’t hurt her chances.
Or her self-confidence, which, according to new, nicer Zoe, she didn’t need to be so worried about.
Maybe today she could get attention from Miles without falling down a hill.
Chapter Thirteen
Paige stood at the edge of the lake but couldn’t make out anything other than the small waves breaking the surface. The other side of the lake looked completely uninhabited and according to their GPS units, it was also too far away to be the next cache location. That only left one possibility. The cache was somewhere on the lake.
“It’s out there,” Ben said from beside her.
“Only one way to get it then,” Miles added. “But the boats are only big enough for two so we’ll have to split up.”
“Ben, can you help me with this boat?” Zoe called, attempting to push the canoe away from the shore enough that they could get into it without getting stuck on the sand.
“I guess that means you’re riding with me.” Miles pushed the other canoe into the water then held it still while Paige climbed into it.
If she wasn’t mistaken, she heard a low whistle from his direction when she held the sides and crept into the front position. Perhaps her shorts were a touch shorter than she thought. Good. At least she knew Miles was paying attention.
He handed her an oar and took another for himself. Together they paddled out toward the middle of the lake, pausing every so often to check the coordinates were still ahead of them. Neither spoke much other than to comment on the beautiful, picturesque surroundings. Zoe and Ben in the other canoe floated a few feet away, their chatty conversation drifting over the water. Both of them laughing and sounding as if they were having a great time. The cameramen filmed from their own canoe, capturing the footage from where they could see all of the contestants at the same time.
“Have you noticed how well they’ve been getting along since their day alone together?” Paige asked quietly, turning slightly in her seat so she could see Miles better.
He nodded. “Everyone likes Ben. I think they bonded or something.”
“Bonded horizontally in the backseat of the SUV maybe. I can’t imagine Zoe bonding on any other level.”
“No way,” Miles said shaking his head. “Ben is married and one hundred percent committed to Tammy. Him and Zoe just seem to get along. That’s all. I wouldn’t read too much into it. She’s simply decided to be nice to Ben for whatever reason.”
“I wish she acted that nicely to me. I’m her partner and all I get is sarcasm and arrogance.”
“Those are Zoe’s specialties.”
“True. I guess I shouldn’t expect anything else from her. It’s not like we’re suddenly going to become best friends or anything.”
“I think Zoe’s one of those people who has more going on inside than she lets people see. She and Ben are actually a lot alike in that way. It’s probably why they hit it off so well.”
Paige scowled. “Maybe they should be teammates then. At least they seem to work well together which is more than I can say for Zoe and me as a team.”
Miles smiled. “I like that idea. Then you and I could be a team. I promise I’d keep the arrogance and sarcasm to a minimum.” He leaned forward, his breath tickling the back of her neck, raising little goose bumps along her skin. “And I promise I’d try my best not to kiss you again, but even my best might not be enough to resist you.”
She sucked in a breath. So their kiss hadn’t been a big mistake. He hadn’t been caught up in the moment. He might even want to kiss her again.
Say something flirty now.
She turned and met his gaze. “And I promise I wouldn’t stop you.” She bit her bottom lip, holding her breath.
“This partnership is sounding better and better every second,” he said, leaning in, his mouth inching closer to hers. She tilted her chin a tiny bit, bringing her mouth a fraction of a breath closer to his. Her eyelids grew heavier as his lips brushed against hers.
“We found it,” Ben yelled.
Paige jumped backward, startled by the sudden sound. The boat wobbled back and forth with her sudden weight shift and she shrieked, gripping the sides with her hands. Her oar splashed into the water.
Her heart pounded in her chest, but not just from being startled. She put her hand to her mouth, rubbing where Miles’s lips had touched hers. The heat from the brief kiss still radiated through her body.
Miles cursed under his breath. He leaned over the edge of the canoe and retrieved her oar before it could float away then paddled over to where Ben and Zoe were coming up on a small floating buoy. Right in the middle of the buoy was a plastic case, waiting to be opened.
“Whose turn is it to open this one first?” Paige asked.
“Yours,” Miles replied. “Go for it.”
“How?” she asked. The buoy was only a foot or so away, but it drifted with the water’s current, as did their canoe.
“Just reach for it. I’ll try to hold the canoe steady.”
Paige scooted closer to the edge, cautious not to shift her body weight too quickly and risk throwing the canoe off balance again. Outstretching her arm, she leaned out of the canoe and into the buoy. She’d just reached the clasp on the container when she felt her hand slip off the edge of the canoe. Before she could pull her upper body back into the canoe, she tipped over the side.
Cold water surrounded her as Paige popped up through the surface, sputtering and coughing from the bit of lake water she’d swallowed on the way in. As she c
aught her breath, the sounds of laughter greeted her.
“Thanks for your concern,” she muttered to no one and all of them.
“Now’s not the best time for a swim, Paige.” Zoe laughed.
Paige splashed water at her, but missed. “Want to join me in here? I’ll tip your canoe if you’re not nice.”
The smile fell from Zoe’s face. “Don’t you dare.”
“Oh, relax.” Paige swam over to the buoy, trying her best to ignore the chuckling brats around her. She flipped open the clasp. “Nothing.”
Great. Even a fall in the water couldn’t earn her a kick-ass prize like some of the other teams had found. Team Father Daughter found keys to new cars, Team Sisters had found one thousand dollars each, and Team Firefighters had found tickets to the next Super Bowl. She and Zoe had found nothing but cache numbers and a measly five hundred dollar shopping spree at Macy’s. Pathetic.
She grabbed the cache card and swam back, the cold water already making her teeth chatter too much to stay in even a moment longer. When she reached the side of the canoe again, Miles lifted her out of the water without any trouble. The canoe barely moved. His biceps, however, were another story entirely. They flexed and bulged and looked beyond delicious. She wanted to wrap her hands around them while they scooped her out of the water and settled her back into the canoe. But she didn’t.
“Zoe,” she called, starting to shiver, “snap the picture so we can get out of here.”
She held up the cache number card and turned so Zoe could take her picture, not bothering to smile.
“Paige,” Miles said.
She turned to look at him, holding the card out so she could then take his picture. He snapped a picture of her on his GPS unit.
“That’s not going to count for you guys getting the cache,” she said.
“I know.” Miles smiled and handed her the GPS unit, taking the card from her and holding it up for his turn in front of the lens. “That one was for me to enjoy later.”
Her cheeks were the only warm part of her body while she shivered. “Perv,” she teased, not meaning it. She folded her arms across her chest, only then realizing how cold she really was. She could cut glass with the hardened peaks in her soaking wet, bordering on see-through shirt. Her cheeks burned hotter as she glanced up to find Miles still smirking.
Stuck on You (Crimson Romance) Page 11