Page 45 of Guarded Hearts
“Did you confirm anything?”
“No, no, no.”
I searched his face. I didn’t think he’d lie. Not about this. But if Amy suspected, we had to be discreet. Two weeks. Fourteen days.
“We can’t tell her. It’s too dangerous to confirm anything.” I glanced at the clock on the far wall. “They’ll be coming back soon. You should go.”
His hands cupped my ass, and he stood up. I clung to him, laughing.
“What are you doing?”
“Putting you to bed.”
“You can’t stay. Amy and Maria will be back soon.” Jazz was gone from this bus, but Maria and Jazz had gotten along well. If they’d been good friends, ratting me out would only strengthen their bond.
He walked me toward my bunk and threw back the covers with one hand, keeping me secured with the other. “Just you. I’ll get the heat for your ankle.” He slid me down his body before depositing me on the bed.
I watched him navigate the bus as though he’d been there, in my life, all along. When he came back to the bed with the reheated pack, which was wrapped loosely in a towel, my heart contracted at his tenderness. In all my other relationships, I’d been the caretaker. None of my partners had ever taken care of me. “Thank you,” I murmured.
He pressed a kiss to my forehead and then a brief one on my lips. “You need to get better. Amy is okay, but I learned to love dancing with you.”
Warmth spread across my chest and then raced down to my core. After a week of minimal contact, I was in withdrawal. “I wish you could stay.”
“Hotels,” he said. “We’ll go to hotels. It’s only two weeks.”
“Once the wedding is over—”
“I know. You go with Sarah Telling. I stay with Mia. We get what we get.” He kissed my temple. His voice was matter-of-fact, as though there was no point in arguing or discussing a future.
The wordslong distancewere on the tip of my tongue. A ridiculous suggestion, given the hours he worked for Mia. I wouldn’t be able to leave the tour at any point to meet him somewhere. Maybe pressing the pause button was a more accurate way to broach the subject. Would he really want to wait ten months to be with me again? Did I want to wait ten months?
“Tomorrow?” I asked as he headed for the stairs.
“Yes. I will make a plan and give you a note at practice.”
“Are we going to pretend we aren’t getting along?” I didn’t want to assume anything when we were trying to keep things secret.
Pasha paused at the top of the stairs and sighed. “No, no, no. We are just us. Coach.” He pointed at me. “Dancer.” His gaze traveled over me. “I’ll try not to look at you like I want to rip off your clothes. That’s all I can do.”
“I got you.” I gave him a serious look. “No need to wear clothes to rehearsal tomorrow.” I grinned.
He groaned. “You tease me. The rest of the night, I’m going to—”
“Let that highlight reel play. Don’t worry,” I said, slipping my hand under the covers in a suggestive way. “I’m right there with you.”
His gaze followed my hand, and he adjusted himself. “If I don’t go, I won’t go.”
I opened my mouth to speak, and both our phones buzzed. Taking it out of my pocket, I saw Amy’s name. “Amy just—”
“Entered the stadium gates with everyone else. Tomorrow. We’ll finish this tomorrow.”
“I’m counting on it.”
After he’d clomped down the stairs and exited the bus, a smile rose to my lips.Tomorrow. For the first time in a week, I was looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.
Chapter Nineteen
Pasha
