Stuck on You (12 page)

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Good thing we compared logbooks last night,” Ben said. “All those other teams are going to have to waste time figuring out which caches neither of them have found yet. That’ll save us a bunch of time.”

Miles nodded. “We’ll start with the first half of the logbook and you guys focus on the second half. Tonight we’ll compare them again at base camp.”

He walked around the front of the SUV to climb into the driver’s side, but as Paige walked past him, she rolled her ankle on a loose piece of gravel and fell toward him. Instead of opening the door, he turned to catch Paige in his arms.

She peered up at him through surprised eyes. “Thanks,” she said, her hands gripping his shirt.

“Is there a reason you didn’t wear your usual hiking boots today?” he asked.

“They didn’t go with this outfit.”

Not true. They’d gone with that outfit plenty of other days. He’d noticed. She looked cute in her hiking gear. Cute enough he could imagine her in rock climbing gear at his side. Not that he wasn’t enjoying the heels too. They made her legs look long and lean. The kind of legs he’d like to feel wrapped around his waist. But they were impractical for hiking and he’d much prefer she save those for a time that made sense so they could be enjoyed, appreciated.

No. She had some other reason for suddenly dressing up for the show, but finding out why would have to wait. They were already behind and now they needed to get on the road or they’d never get anything done today.

“Well, I wish you’d consider going back and changing into your boots before we leave.”

She shook her head and a few hairs fell down around her face, dangling into her also-new cleavage. Now that new development he couldn’t think of a single complaint for. He set her gently back upright on her feet.

“I like these shoes and I’m going to wear them.” She smoothed down her shirt then pulled open her door. “Today you’re stuck with me and my shoes.”

Miles cocked an eyebrow at Paige’s confident reply. Maybe she wasn’t as shy and unsure of herself as he’d originally thought.

As she got in, Zoe passed by the side of the truck, pausing at Paige’s open door. “Note he didn’t complain about the new bra,” she whispered loudly enough for him to hear in the front seat.

A quick glance in the rearview mirror revealed a red-faced Paige as Zoe pushed the door closed. Paige didn’t say anything in response. She was far too busy examining her new shoes for words.

Interesting. New shoes, new bra — push-up by the look of that lift — and new pink cheeks to match. What exactly was Paige playing at?

He suddenly had a new mission for the day. Find out why Paige felt the need for these new wardrobe additions. Or maybe the better question was who were these new additions for?

Paige slumped back against the seat and stared at the ceiling while the hottest man on earth followed her navigation directions to the next cache. If curling into an invisible ball of nothingness in the backseat was an option, she would have. But no. She had to sit in the back with her breasts feeling distinctly like torpedoes, aimed and ready to fire, while her cheeks still burned with embarrassment.

Great start to a day that was supposed to be filled with getting Miles’s attention.

Maybe attention was the same as press — even the negative form was still beneficial.

There was no denying that he’d noticed her transformation. She’d seen the look in his eyes when she’d walked up this morning. She’d seen the look in his eyes when his gaze had traveled down to her chest and gotten stuck there. And there’d been no mistaking the look in his eyes when she’d been in his arms and he’d been peering directly down her shirt.

Nope.

He’d noticed the twins, in all their pushed-up glory.

She’d noticed something too. Namely how his chest felt under her hand when she’d held on to him, all muscular and firm. If there’d been any doubt in her mind about his physique before, it was long gone. He was rock solid. Climbing did his body good.

And she’d also noticed how hard his heart pounded against her palm. Just about as fast as hers had. Interesting. Maybe the bra was a better purchase than she realized.

This was definitely the ka-pow effect Zoe had mentioned. Miles had been so glassy-eyed when he’d caught sight of her new boobs, it was as if he’d been clocked a good one right upside the head. Ka-pow!

She could get used to this superpower.

“Take the next left and then I think we’re going to have to go on foot from there,” she said, directing Miles as close as she could to the cache location.

He turned left onto a side road then pulled over onto a grassy shoulder. There didn’t appear to be any kind of trail to follow, but the cache was definitely close by. And hidden in the cluster of trees if her guess at distance and direction was right.

“Can I see that?” Miles asked, motioning to the GPS unit in her hand as they stood beside the truck. She handed it over, curious if he would come to the same estimation.

“It’s through those trees somewhere, I think,” she said, pointing off into the distance.

“I think you’re right. Are you sure you don’t want to change your shoes before we off road it?” He grinned, obviously teasing her.

Yes, I do, but I’m not going to because that’s not what Zoe would do.

“Nope, I’m good,” she said, setting her jaw tight and straightening her shoulders. She’d prove to him — and herself — that she could look good and still get the job done. She took a few steps forward, sinking into the soft ground of the ditch. And hopefully she wouldn’t break her ankle while she was out here.

He chuckled and fell into step at her side. “So what made you decide on the footwear change all of a sudden? Hiking boots not working out so well for all the hiking we’ve been doing?”

Paige glanced to the side but he was looking straight ahead. Now what would Zoe say if she was in this position with him?

She’d flirt her ass off, of course.

But how? Paige wasn’t a natural flirt. She didn’t understand how people could put themselves out there like that by saying flirty things. Probably a big reason why she’d never really made any connection with bachelor Brad on the last show.

Did she want to make the same mistake this time around? It was only a little harmless flirting. And probably better to jump in and get her feet wet out here where she’d only embarrass herself in front of Miles and Evan and not in a room full of other teams, which was exactly what would happen if she waited to start flirting until she was back at base camp.

“I think your fascination with my footwear is rather interesting. Most men wouldn’t remember what color shirt a girl wore today let alone her choice of shoes on previous days.” She swallowed. Oh boy. “Maybe you have a hidden shoe fetish thing going on.”

Fetishes were sexy-talk, right?

He chuckled again. “No. But I can’t help it if I pay attention to things I like.”

Oh, well then … What was I just saying?

She tried to make her voice sound sexy like the women in movies always did when they were trying to seduce someone. “So you do like the stilettos.”

“I do,” he said quietly. “But they don’t strike me as being your style.”

“You don’t really know me well enough to know my style,” she challenged, suddenly feeling like she had to defend her shoe choices. “Maybe these are the shoes I wear everyday in my normal life outside of the show.”

Just then a tree root popped up out of the ground and grabbed her ankle on purpose as if the universe had a point to prove, causing her to stumble. Before she could catch herself, Miles caught her, holding her against his chest for the second time. It was even better than the first.

“You were saying about your normal shoes?” He smirked.

She met his gaze, putting on her best poker face. “That could have happened in flats.”

“Could have, but didn’t.” He set her back on her feet, letting his hand linger on her lower back for a few steps while she got her balance again. A difficult task when his hand on her back made her knees feel like they’d been replaced with silly putty.

“Maybe you should save these shoes for around base camp at night and use the hiking boots for hiking.”

“If Zoe can hike in stilettos, I can too.”

“Not everything Zoe does should be copied.”

Since when did men have anything negative to say about Zoe?

For the next quarter mile, they walked in silence following the arrow of the GPS. A few more minutes and they should reach the cache. Paige leaned in closer to the unit, watching the distance on the screen decreasing. Ten more feet.

The ground fell away beneath her and she was suddenly on her back, sliding down a very bumpy surface. After a short slide, she came to a stop, staring up at the canopy of trees.

Ouch.

Footsteps pounded down the slope after her then Miles was down on his knees in the dirt beside her.

Well hello there, Mr. Muscles. Let’s get dirty together.

The image of getting dirty in the forest with Miles was a little more sex kitten than her usual train of thought.
Did I hit my head on the way down?

Or maybe it was the influence of the super hot, super built man hovering over her with concern in his eyes that caused the shift in her mental state.

“Are you okay?” Miles asked, touching the side of her face and turning her head first one direction and then the other. Her eyes never left his.

“I’m fine. Just dirty — muddy,” she clarified. Not that he could read her mind, but still. “I’ll get up now.”

“Let me help you,” he said, standing over her and wrapping his large hands around her upper arms, pulling her up to stand in front of him. His hands dropped to her waist and she found hers groping his chest again. Seemed she couldn’t keep her hands off of him. Not that the rest of her complained in the least.

“Thanks,” she whispered, looking up to meet his gaze. The mix of concern and … something else made her breath hitch in her throat. Damn.

“My pleasure.”

Her feet went out from under her again, but this time she didn’t slide down the slope. Possibly because she’d managed to drag Miles down to the ground with her. Perhaps his body weight pressing her into the soft dirt was enough to stop her from going anywhere.

Definitely every inch of his tall, muscular body against hers was enough to cause the lightheadedness she now felt.

Or possibly the lightheadedness could be from his leg pressing against the junction of her thighs. He’d managed to anchor them both to the ground as she straddled his leg. Yes, that could cause lightheadedness to hit full force.

As could the length of something else currently pressing into her.

Either he suddenly had less blood traveling to his brain or he’d managed to shove a tree branch in his pocket on the way down the hill. A very large tree branch.

She stared up at him from where he rested, propped up on one elbow, staring back at her, his breathing heavy. She should probably say something, if only she could form words. Or thoughts.

He brushed the hair out of her eyes with his free hand. “You really need to lose those shoes.”

“No,” she said quietly. Sure, they may be death traps, but look where they’d gotten her. Just this morning she’d been hoping for a little of his attention, and now Miles was lying on top of her. Liking it too, if his tree branch was any indication of what was going on inside his head.

“Why not?”

“Because I like them,” she said. She liked the position they’d managed to put her in too.

“You’re going to get hurt. Tomorrow you leave the shoes behind or we don’t work together anymore.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she said, trying to wiggle out from beneath him so that maybe she could have more dignity while she stood up to him. But a twitch of something hard against her made her fall still again. She could have dignity from right where she was. “I’ll wear whatever shoes I want.”

“Tell me why you really decided high heels were a good idea and maybe I’ll understand.”

“That’s my business.”

He laughed, letting his head fall forward as he did. Any further and it would rest on her shoulder. When he looked at her again, his expression was serious. “Given our current predicament, I think it’s my business too.”

Could she admit it? Could she tell him the truth that she’d bought and worn the shoes so he’d finally notice her? What would a flirty, confident girl do in this situation?

She wouldn’t tell him, that’s for damn sure.

“I, um,” she stammered. Great confident start. She cleared her throat and solidified her resolve. If she didn’t say something flirty now, she probably wasn’t going to get a more intimate opportunity. “I just wanted a little more … sexiness … with my outfit.”

That was flirty, wasn’t it?

Or now I’ll die of humiliation when you bolt off of me like I’m covered in fire ants.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “You think the tight yoga tops you wear aren’t sexy enough?”

You do?

“Oh, well.” She looked away. No, actually, she didn’t think yoga tops were sexy at all, but they were tight. And possibly paired with the bra it might be considered sexy. Sexy-ish. Hell, if yoga tops got Miles looking at her like he was right now, he could call them whatever he wanted to.

Wait a second.

“So you think I’m sexy?” Shocked didn’t even begin to describe how she felt about this new tidbit of information. Huh.

“Was there ever a doubt in your mind after the way you looked in the kitchen the other night?”

“Oh,” she said weakly, unable to think of anything more intelligent.

“Now, if you’d paired these heels with those tiny shorts and thin little tank top you wore that night … ” He paused, leaning in closer. “Well, then concentrating on driving without staring into the rearview mirror would have been a real trick.”

His mouth hovered over hers, his breath tickling her lips.

I should say something …

“Good thing then, I guess. We wouldn’t want to end up in a ditch somewhere.”

Not something stupid …