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 wasn’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.
Why couldn’t he keep his big trap shut?
But he had missed seeing her sitting by the fire, sipping her hot chocolate, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Hell, he even missed seeing her slide the tiny tube of lip balm across her lips. Yes, that he definitely missed.
Damn it.
He had to put distance between himself and that team of girls. Zoe and Paige could be his kryptonite and he couldn’t let that happen. Not when he had so much at stake.
Chapter Eight
Paige wandered into her room, closing the door softly behind her so as not to wake Zoe if she’d happened to fall asleep already. She couldn’t stop her shoulders from drooping a little at the disappointment coursing through her.
“He didn’t show again tonight, did he?” Zoe said from her bed where she was propped up reading. Reading a book. Not even a trashy magazine or anything, but a book without pictures and everything.
Paige stuffed down her disappointment like it didn’t exist. She wasn’t about to show weakness in front of Zoe. They may be partners and, God help her, roommates, but that didn’t mean Paige was ready to share all her deepest and darkest feelings with the enemy all of a sudden.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said simply.
Lie. She knew perfectly well. She’d been checking out the common room since her close encounter of the kissing kind with Miles in the kitchen a few nights ago. She’d gone from trying to avoid him to being the one who was now avoided. Every night since the kitchen incident, she’d gone to the common room to hang out with everyone. Only Miles was always missing. She didn’t understand. He’d said he missed her, now he was MIA. It didn’t make sense.
Zoe set her book beside her, trapping Paige in her lie. “What, you think I’m too thick skulled to notice you glancing around the common room looking for Miles to come in every time someone so much as sniffles?”
“No, I just … ”
“If you want a guy like Miles, you’re going to need better moves than that. Look at Eve. Every time that girl sees Miles, she’s first in line to talk to him, flirt with him, touch him.”
Zoe was right. Damn it. Miles would never notice her sitting in the room like a lump waiting when the room had girls like Zoe and Eve in it. But how would he ever see past those beautiful women to find her? It was useless.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. I only wanted to say hi to him. He’s kind of nice to talk to.”
“Sure. Right. You’re looking for good conversation and long walks on the beach.” Zoe didn’t even try to hide the mocking sarcasm in her voice.
“Fine, you caught me. I think Miles is hot, okay?” Paige said, walking into the bathroom to change into her pajamas. She might be roomies with Zoe but that didn’t mean she felt comfortable enough to change in front of her. Not when it would give Zoe more ammunition to use against Paige when she wasn’t expecting it.
No way. Her girly bits and pieces were staying hidden.
“And he’s also funny, and nice to talk to, and he’s super considerate, especially about his friend Ben. I heard from one of the other teams that Miles gave Ben the entire ten thousand dollars he won to help with his medical bills.”
“That’s sweet,” Zoe said, sounding surprised.
“Did you know he teaches kids to rock climb? How could I not like him? He’s everything a girl would ever want in a guy.” Paige dropped the dreamy look she knew had to be on her face. She didn’t have the patience to put up with Zoe making fun of her crush on Miles, even though this felt like a lot more than a simple crush. A lot more. Miles was amazing in every sense of the word. “Never mind.”
“So do something about it,” Zoe said when Paige walked back into the room.
Paige climbed into bed. “If it were only that easy.”
“It is. What’s so hard about going after what you want?”
“That’s easy for you to say when you look like, well, when you look like you. But I don’t look like you. Miles is way out of my league. And therefore a non-issue.”
Zoe sat up and turned toward Paige. “I’m not interested — at all — in Jack Miles. And I can guarantee he’s not interested in me either. So if you want him, then you go and get him but don’t use me as an excuse not to go after him.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“It is. You’re making excuses for yourself so you don’t have to risk getting rejected.”
“Like you know what rejection feels like.” Paige laughed at the absurdity of it.
Zoe was quiet for a moment while she examined the polish on her nails. “If you don’t want my opinion, then stop whining at me about it.” She got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door closed.
Did she want Zoe’s opinion? Not really. But did she have any other choice? If they were allowed to make calls, she’d be on the phone with Cassidy in a second. But their cell phones had been confiscated before the start of the race and the hotel room phones had been disconnected except for room-to-room calls or emergencies.
Paige cursed her lack of confidence. If only she were more like Zoe, this wouldn’t be an issue because she wouldn’t feel like she wasn’t good enough for a hot guy like Miles. But she didn’t have Zoe’s confidence. Or her looks. Or her style …
What if?
The bathroom door opened and Zoe climbed back into bed, turning off the bedside table lamp and plunging the room into darkness. But not before Paige noticed her eyes had been red rimmed as if she’d been crying in the bathroom. That couldn’t be. Girls like Zoe didn’t cry. It ruined their make up.
What if?
No. It was stupid. And bound to get her laughed at if she asked. And absolutely would be more hassle and nuisance then it was worth. She sighed and rolled over, trying her best to get comfortable.
Unscripted Love: The Complete Reality TV Romance Collection Page 30
