Page 15 of The Ruse

“Of course.” Had I done something that would make him think I hadn’t had a good time?

It was definitely possible. We got our signals crossed often enough that I sometimes wondered if Nash and I spoke different languages.

We stood there for another long moment, and I was wondering what type of signal I needed to send to let him know that I wouldn’t stop him if he tried to kiss me. But then his gaze fell on my lips, and he took a step closer.

It’s happening.

Nash was going to do it.

I licked my lips as my toes and fingers tingled with anticipation.

But then, something flashed across his face, and instead of pressing his lips to mine, he asked, “Mind if I get a hug?”

He’s asking for a hug?

“Uh, of course,” I stammered. “A hug would be great.”

I tried not to let my disappointment show.

He leaned close and wrapped me in his arms. While it felt nice to be close to him—and he smelled amazing—all I could wonder about was if I had a popcorn kernel stuck in my teeth that he’d decided to avoid at the last minute.

He bent his face close to my neck, his breath hot on my skin, and for a second, I wondered if he was working up the courage to go in for the kiss. That maybe he liked to warm up with a hug before moving on to the kissing…

But instead of trailing kisses along my neck and jaw like he’d done so many times in my fantasies, he pulled away and said, “Thanks again for saying yes to a date. We’ll have to do this again soon.”

Though I was disappointed about not getting that kiss, I smiled and said, “I’d like that.”

Because I would. Even if things were taking a little longer than I wanted, I still liked him. And we had finally gone on a date, so that was progress.

I really didn’t need to get caught up on a stupid kiss when the real goal was to spend more time with a guy I liked and who seemed to like me back. We were further along than we’d been yesterday. And the hug really had been nice, now that I thought about it again. He was a few inches taller than me, and while not quite as muscular as Carter and Mack, he was strong and had a great physique. Even through the jacket he was wearing right now, I could tell he’d look amazing without his shirt on.

Get your mind back to reality, Elyse,I chided myself before I could start imagining him climbing out of his family’s swimming pool and slicking his blond hair back as water droplets drizzled across his broad shoulders and down his six-pack abs.

Okay, so maybe I was imagining that exact thing right now.

My imagination was such a traitor sometimes.

“…should be fun,” Nash said, bringing me out of my daze.

What should be fun?

“Sorry, what did you just say?” I asked.

He gave me a half-smile, his blue eyes patient. “I was just saying that I’m excited to start our rehearsals on Monday. It’ll be fun having so many scenes together.”

“Oh yes, I’m excited.” Nervous too, since playing Christine was slightly overwhelming.

But definitely excited as well. Cambrielle and Nash would both be there during rehearsals, so having my friends with me would make it fun.

Plus, there was that scene near the end where Christine kisses the Phantom…so if we couldn’t get there on our own, we’d at least be kissing each other before too long.

In fact, maybe I should try convincing Miss Crawley to have us work on that particular scene first—suggest it as a good way to break the ice…

“Anyway.” Nash took a step down the stairs, slipping a hand into his jacket. “I better head back home before this turns into a blizzard.” He gestured at the snow that was falling faster around us.

I’d been so caught up in the moment that I hadn’t even noticed how fast it was coming down.

“Drive safe,” I said.

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