Page 81 of Beneath the Blindfold

God, this week was going to be the hardest acting role I’d ever taken on. Pretending my feelings for him were platonic would demand an Oscar-caliber performance. I’d do my best.

There was a sharp knock on the suite door. I took in a deep breath to prepare myself, but the words came out in a rush anyway. “Come in.”

The door swung open, and I dry swallowed.

His light brown hair was mostly hidden beneath a worn Carolina Panthers hat. The gorgeous blue eyes I knew he had were concealed behind a pair of aviator sunglasses. He had on a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans, and a bag slung back over one shoulder. My gaze landed first on his toned, muscular arm and its subtle flex, and then my focus drifted back to his enormous smile—all white and perfect teeth and incredibly infectious.

“Hey,” he said. His grin was nonstop, and my knees softened.

“Hi,” I breathed.

He twisted his arm, dropping the bag just inside the entry, and then pulled the door closed behind him. Off came the sunglasses, and with the full power of his gaze on me, the air in the suite went thin. It was no surprise why he’d landed so many endorsements even though his racing career hadn’t taken off yet. He was “easy-on-the-eyes,” as my mom would say, with his long nose, strong jawline, and lips that promised trouble.

I did what felt natural—I strode forward and held my arms open. A handshake wasn’t going to cut it. It didn’t occur to me until it was too late that this could potentially backfire. What if a hug made things weird? What if I put my arms around him and didn’t let go?

I strangled back my eager groan as he squeezed me tight. He smelled incredible, like he’d just stepped out of the shower and not off a four-hour flight. Did he always smell like this, or had he ducked into a restroom and put on cologne? The idea he might have done it for me made my heart skip along.

“How was your flight?” My words were muffled against his shoulder.

“It was good, thanks.” Rather than end the hug, he seemed to settle into it. “I can’t believe we got this to work out. It’s great to see you.”

My already weak knees became less stable.Damnit, Anna! Pull yourself together.“Yeah, you too. I’m excited.” It was the truth. I’d been looking forward to this trip from the moment he suggested it.

When we lapsed into silence, I slowly pulled back to end the hug but wondered if I should have lingered. I had the strange sensation he’d been as reluctant as I had been to step away.

Jamie’s gaze slid from mine to scan the room. As he took in the couch and flatscreen TV, he hung his sunglasses in the neck of his shirt, probably knowing he’d need them again when it came time to leave. It was easier for guys to hide from their celebrity status. All they had to do was dress down, throw on a baseball hat and sunglasses, and they could blend in.

“Rough gig you’ve got here,” he teased. He nodded to the sidebar, where a bottle sat in an ice bucket beside two glass flutes. “Is that champagne?”

“It is.” I scurried to the bar, snatched up the bottle, and began to pour him a glass. “We’re celebrating in person.”

He looked confused. “Celebrating?”

Maybe driving in circles had given him temporary memory loss. “Your race? Your first NASCAR win.” I passed him the glass and then poured my own. “That’s huge. Congrats.”

He gave me an “aw, shucks” look that was so cute, it was nearly fatal. He wasn’t the type of guy to blush, but his voice softened. “Right. Thanks.”

I clinked the rims of our glasses together. “Bet that shut Rob up.”

As I took a sip, Jamie paused. He acted like his win hadn’t made a difference.

“Really?” I asked. “You said a win meant he’d give you some breathing room.”

He pressed his sexy lips together into a line for a moment before speaking. “Breathing room, yeah. But I’m not safe. Rob’s got a ton of pull with the owner, and—” Jamie straightened abruptly, and his expression brightened. “You know what? I’m on vacation, so none of that matters right now. All I want to do this week is finish watchingGame of Thronesand hang out with you.”

Inside, I was dying, but I gave him a controlled smile. “Sounds good to me.”

FOUR

Jamie

I sat in my first-class chair, which was a private pod, and scanned the week’s itinerary on my phone.

Even though I’d never been to Hawaii, I’d been the one to suggest the trip, so I offered to plan the weeklong vacation. I’d done it with Anna’s assistant’s help. Sato was fucking amazing at her job—I could message the woman any time of day, and she would respond instantly with whatever I needed. She was a human Google.

But because Sato was a professional and so on top of things, it meant she didn’t have time for my bullshit. She either didn’t get my sense of humor or didn’t have the patience for it. I’d figured that out right quick after the first few email exchanges we’d had fell flat. I stuck to business after that.

The plans for the week were awesome, but it wasn’t what I was most looking forward to. I sat up straighter in my seat and glanced over the divider that separated my pod from Anna’s. We’d finished the final episode ofGame of Thronesright as they served dinner, and she’d decided to grab a nap before we landed. She’d fallen asleep in two seconds after laying her seat flat. Maybe the engines had lulled her to sleep, but she’d probably become an expert at catching shuteye on planes.

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