Stuck on You (16 page)

“Between you and me, I think she’s fine. I’d be surprised if she needs more than ice and a pain reliever, but the show is very cautious. Chip can’t risk a lawsuit over a sprained ankle.”

Miles breathed out a sigh of relief. Good. Zoe would be fine. They just needed an emergency room doctor to tell the show that. Now he could relax and not worry.

“Okay, you two. Let’s go.” The medic rolled a wheelchair over to the doorway while Paige moved out of the way. Ben took his place by Zoe’s side. After she was comfortably seated, they walked toward to ambulance now waiting out front.

“Send an update from the hospital if you can,” Paige called as they disappeared out the doors.

They stood unspeaking, watching as Zoe and Ben were loaded into the ambulance. Ben really was the perfect choice to go with her. He was calm and comfortable in the hospital after all his surgeries and treatment over the last couple of years, while Zoe was anything but calm in a hospital setting. Knowing Ben was by Zoe’s side helped put Miles’s mind at ease. And Ben would do a better job of comforting Zoe than he ever would.

And in case he needed any distraction tonight while he waited up for them to come back, he still had Paige in his shirt to deal with.

• • •

“Is it safe to assume your two teams are now part of an alliance?” Evan asked, eyeing Paige who still wore Miles’s shirt over her petite frame. As soon as the ambulance pulled away, Evan had insisted they do their daily wrap-up segment. That way, when news came from the hospital, they would be free to deal with it. Miles couldn’t help but have a little more respect for Evan since he had singlehandedly gotten everything taken care of for them to have the interview area first.

“Are we part of an alliance?” Paige asked him, her eyes and tone of voice clearly asking more than that. Was it safe to share the information with the cameras yet? Was there any way to hide it now?

Were Paige and he really “only” an alliance or were they something more?

“I’m afraid there’s no point in hiding it anymore,” Miles said with a shrug. “Everyone is sure to find out when they realize we were all running to the check-in line as a unit. Yes, our two teams are officially in an alliance together.”

“How is it working out for you so far? Has the alliance been beneficial?” Evan asked.

Depends what you mean by beneficial. I’ve definitely seen a few perks to the arrangement. Like time with Paige.

“Sure. Our teams have been working really well together.” Miles smiled at Paige, thinking about the ways the two of them had specifically worked well together. As if she knew what he was thinking about, she blushed. Her cheeks turned the pretty shade of pink he loved on her.

“Does your alliance put you at an advantage over the other teams?”

Paige shook her head. “No more than any of the other alliances who have already formed.”

“Are you aware of other alliances between teams? Who are they?”

“Well, I don’t know specifically, but we can’t possibly be the only team who’s figured out how to make an alliance work in the structure of this game. I couldn’t give you names or anything, though.” She looked down at her hands, twisting them.

Miles felt an ache grow in his chest for her. He didn’t want her to feel bad about anything, certainly not about some silly interview questions. He reached across the armrests of the rocking chairs and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. Her eyes met his, a connection of understanding sparking between them. His touch brought her comfort and seeing her comfort brought him a feeling of contentment. He liked being strong for Paige.

“We can’t be one hundred percent sure of anyone else’s business but our own, but Paige is right to believe there are some tight groups forming. Every night in the common room, more teams are talking in hushed voices or not even coming out of their rooms. The game is definitely on and we’re trying to stay with the pack.”

“One last question and I’ll let you go,” Evan said, reading his notes. “Tonight Zoe was injured and taken to the hospital. How do you think her injury is going to affect your teams in the race?”

“As long as the doctors say she can race, it won’t change anything for us,” Paige said. “Zoe wants to win money and prizes and she’s not going to let any cache or injury stand in her way. She’s way too feisty for that.”

Evan signaled that they were done then packed up his camera and notes.

“You really think she’s going to race as hard as she has been?” Miles asked.

“Maybe you don’t know Zoe as well as I do, but she’s not going to let anything stop her, especially not some silly sore ankle.”

Miles sighed. He did know Zoe, better than Paige realized, and sadly he had to agree with her. Zoe was going to race hard and then he’d have three people to keep watch over.

• • •

Paige watched silently as Evan packed up his things and left. As they walked out of the filming area for the next team to go, Paige couldn’t help but let her mind wander back to Zoe being carted away in the ambulance earlier. Sure, Zoe annoyed the crap out of her, but she still worried that her ankle might be broken. And not because it would put them out of the competition, but because being stuck with a cast and not allowed to wear her heels would probably make Zoe even harder to live with.

“I guess I should get cleaned up since I apparently stink,” Paige said as they turned away from the doors.

“I can’t smell you.” Miles laughed.

“Only because you sat in the truck with me all day. You’re used to my stink by now.”

“Or maybe Zoe was just being Zoe and you don’t actually smell like anything but yourself.”

Myself with a hint of you from your shirt,
she thought, resisting the urge to bury her nose in the fabric surrounding her.

“Maybe.” Paige swiped her hair away from her face. She felt disgusting even if she didn’t smell it. “Either way, I do need to wash the lake out of my hair and off my skin. I can only imagine how much goose poop is in that lake.”

“Maybe a shower is a good idea after all,” Miles said. “I’m starved. Why don’t you go shower and I’ll scrounge us up some food and bring it to your room while we wait for Zoe to call.”

Miles. Alone. In my room?

“Yes,” she said too quickly. “I mean, that sounds okay.”

“Good. See you in a few.” Miles wandered off in the direction of the kitchen while Paige bolted for her room.

If she was going to get an evening alone with Miles, away from the game, she’d better clean up. She couldn’t have him in her room when she looked like this. It wouldn’t take long for him to find food so she had to hurry.

She cranked the shower to hot and steamy. It would take heat and lots of soap to make her feel clean again. Quickly, she scrubbed and rinsed her hair. While she waited for the conditioner to soak in, she soaped up the rest of herself with body wash. When she was sure she was clean, she rinsed off and stepped out of the shower.

Toweling off, she reached for her clothes only to realize that she’d forgotten to grab something clean to put on. The thought of getting back into her denim shorts was most unappealing. But maybe it wasn’t so terrible to slip back into Miles’s shirt for a few minutes while she found something clean to wear. It was either that, or her towel.

At least her towel was clean, which was more than she could say for Miles’s shirt. Even from a few feet away she could make out the distinct layer of grime on it. She would definitely have to wash it before giving it back.

Was Miles out there waiting already or would he wait in the hall? Maybe he was still finding some food for them.

She pressed her ear against the door and held her breath, listening for any kind of movement in her room. Hearing nothing, she pulled her towel tight around her chest and made a beeline for the closet on her side of the room. Halfway across the room, she heard a cough and froze mid-step. A cough that came from inside her room.

A cough that came from the incredibly hunky mountain climber currently sprawled across her bed and propped back onto her pillows. Oh, how she wanted to climb that mountain.

Shit. Maybe the shirt would have been better than the towel.

“I didn’t realize you would be in my bed — in my room … Um, hi.” She smiled, trying to look casual.

Miles took a swig of his beer then set it on her bedside table and sat forward. “Sorry. I thought you realized I planned to wait in here, not in the hall.”

“I forgot my clothes.”

Brilliant response.

He raised an eyebrow. “I see that. Would you like help finding them?”

She bit her bottom lip, suddenly wondering if she could convincingly pretend to drop her towel by accident. No. She’d never be confident enough to pull a move like that successfully. Best bet was getting into clothes quickly.

“I should be able to manage.” She stood unmoving. Or maybe she couldn’t manage.

What should she put on? It seemed a little late to put on a whole new outfit. But staying in her towel really wasn’t the best idea either. At some point the towel would unwrap and her bits or pieces would end up exposed. He’d already seen her in her pajamas so those might work.

She took a moment to actually look at what he wore — a pair of beat up gym shorts and a clean T-shirt. By the look of him, he’d stopped into his room to clean up too. How had he managed all that and the dinner waiting on plates on Zoe’s bed while she’d barely accomplished the quickest shower of her life?

That settled it. If he could be in comfortable clothes, she could be too. The only problem was that her pajamas were currently lying on the bed beside Miles. Meaning, she’d have to get close enough to Miles for him to hand them to her.

And she had to try not to get too close or she might risk doing something stupid — like try to climb his mountain.

She took a tentative step toward him. He leaned forward a little more on the bed, a questioning expression playing on his face. Another couple of steps and she was only a foot from the bed, and from him — altogether too close for her current state of nakedness. Especially with such a hunky guy looking up at her from her bed … his eyebrows arched.

“I thought you said you didn’t need my help, but now here you are.” Miles’s voice sounded huskier than usual. Maybe he was tired. “Do you need my help?” he asked, reaching out his hand to stroke the little indent beside her very naked kneecap.

Maybe he was horny.

She gasped.
Oh God, yes I need help. But no … Or maybe.

Squeezing the looped edge at the top of her towel tighter so there was no risk of it coming undone, she pointed with her free hand to the pajamas beside him. “I. Pajamas. You.”

Paige tried to calm her breathing, which was difficult because she suddenly felt as if she’d run a marathon since showering. Maybe if she could stop hyperventilating, she’d actually be able to form a coherent sentence.

Or maybe she’d be able to think straight if Miles wasn’t still massaging a circle on her knee while he waited for a response.

Or possibly it was the tingles dancing along her nerve endings that caused her brain synapses to short circuit.

Miles grabbed the tiny pile of clothing beside him then stood. Hot damn, he was tall. And she was still very naked. He held out her clothes, gripped tighter in his fist than seemed necessary given the lightweight material.

“Your pajamas.” He smirked.

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Seemed every thought she could’ve possibly had was washed down the drain during her shower. All thoughts except for the ones that involved tackling him onto her bed. She touched his hand as she reached for her shorts and camisole and tried again, unsuccessfully, to speak.

“I think you do need some help getting dressed since even forming a sentence seems too challenging for you right now.” He held out her camisole and shrugged. “No different than on the canoe earlier really. Only this time I’ll hold up your towel while you slip into your pajamas. I promise I’ll even try my best not to peek.”

She nodded.

Yes. Okay. At least then she wouldn’t be in a towel or naked. And since her body no longer seemed to function in its current state, she saw very few other choices. The thought of walking to her bathroom to change felt like an unachievable option. She took the top he offered her and met his gaze.

Miles removed her other hand from the top edge of the towel, pulling the secured end free. As the towel loosened from around her chest, his fingers brushed against her skin. She worried she might actually burst into flames.

Or jump him.

Either was a plausible option.

He slipped the towel from her body, holding it out in front of her a couple of inches. His gaze flickered down momentarily before meeting her eyes again.

“I promised I’d try not to peek.” He cleared his throat. “I tried.”

She blushed, unsure of how much he could even see with the towel up at her chest height. Of course, he was a good amount taller than her. He probably had a pretty clear peek at all the goods. The cool air of the room drifted across her rear, sending a chill up her back, beading her nipples instantly. She shivered.

His gaze faltered, falling to her chest again.

Her suspicions about his view were immediately confirmed as his eyes glazed over and his breath came out in a ragged sigh. “Please, Paige. For the love of all things holy. Put your pajamas on quicker.”

Paige glanced down to the towel he still held, his knuckles almost as white as the bathroom linen. Screw it. He obviously wanted her as much as she wanted him.

“No,” she said, dropping her pajamas to the floor.

“No what?” he asked, his voice very deep and forced.

“Neither one of us wants me to put those on, so I’m not going to.” She pressed her now pajama-free hands to his chest, smiling as he took in a shaking breath. Maybe she did have what it took to turn a guy like Miles on. “Drop the towel, Miles.”

Miles did as he was told and dropped her towel. A second later she was in his arms, her naked body pressing to his clothed one. She went up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. His hands traveled down her back as he did, coming to rest on her ass. Goddamn, it felt even better than it had looked in those little jean shorts she’d worn all day.