Free Stuck on You by Heather Thurmeier Page A

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