Page 46 of Not Exactly a Small-Town Romance

“I do.”

She grins. Her gray sweater is askew, revealing the tiny sleep top, pink with Care Bears dancing across the front.

And it’s thin. There’s nothing hidden, not the shape of her, not the fullness, and definitely not the taut nipples.

I look away before she catches me noticing.

Then I strategically shift a pillow over my hips.

Down, boy. Those are not for you.

“Do you have a plan for today?” I ask.

She pushes her hair out of her face and thankfully hugs a pillow to her chest. “No. I specifically set out to choose each day based on how the previous one went. There might come a time where I stay put awhile.”

Right. When she finds her great love.

“And today?”

“I’m getting the heck out of this godforsaken place.” She reaches for her phone. “Let me see what’s next.”

“I’ll take a shower while you do that.”

She nods. “I aim to only drive a few hours. I have all summer to find him.”

All summer.

I contemplate this as I head to the bathroom. Can I hang out with Kelsey for three whole months? It’s unlikely. Not just for me, but for her, too. Auditions will come up. Jester will need us.

The Demon might set up something in person with a contact of hers, and we’ll have to scramble to get back.

All the more reason for me to travel with her. I’m acutely aware that Kelsey’s salary isn’t adequate for living in LA, even in the neighborhood she found. She won’t be able to fly back on a whim.

But I can.

She’s going to need me. Not just for safety or emotional bolstering, like last night. But to keep her job.

In the shower, I try to focus on the practicalities of the situation. Hotels. Two cars. Charging stations for her.

But my thoughts creep back to this morning. Kelsey in the golden light of dawn, snuggled up against me, her breath feathering across my skin.

Thankfully, I don’t need to hide how my body is reacting in here, so I cut loose for a moment with the thoughts and let them run their course until I’m gasping, my arm propped against the shower wall.

These feelings aren’t going away anytime soon.

Chapter 15

KELSEY’SHEARTSKIPSTOOMANYBEATS

By the time Zachery comes out of the shower, looking absolutely perfect in a navy fitted T-shirt (Luca Faloni, $150) and khaki shorts (Ralph Lauren, $500), I have a plan.

“There’s a pickle festival happening this evening in a small town near Durango, Colorado,” I tell him.

He shakes his head as he carefully folds his nightclothes into his bag. “Pickle festival?”

“Yes! Isn’t that hilarious?”

He tucks his red boxers into a special pocket of the bag, and I try not to imagine them on him. Red? It’s like the Zach equivalent of lingerie.

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