He stepped into the deserted hallway, everyone still in bed, when he was surprised to hear a contestant’s door open and then quietly shut. Sam frowned and soon came face to face with Carrie.
“Oh, I...I...didn’t think anyone would be up yet.”
“I see that,” he commented, noting the rolling suitcase behind her. The kid couldn’t be more than eighteen or nineteen, maybe twenty. “Going somewhere?”
Silent tears started to stream down her cheeks, and Sam knew exactly what he had to do. “Come with me.”
A few seconds later, Meagan’s door opened. She was still wearing a pair of Mickey Mouse pajamas, with her hair sticking up wildly, and looking more sexy than he could imagine any one woman looking. And when such an appearance could not only get a guy hot, but make him smile, inside out, he was as hooked as a bee on honey. Sam knew right then, he couldn’t hide from what this woman was doing to him, no matter how he tried.
The instant Meagan saw Carrie, her eyes widened, all signs of sleep slipping away. She hugged Carrie, her eyes meeting Sam’s. She motioned them inside.
The kitten met Sam at the door, meowing loudly. Sam fed the hungry little beast, and then went for the coffeepot, knowing that Meagan was running on limited to no sleep. By the time the pot was brewing, Meagan had Carrie sitting cross-legged across from her on the bed, spilling her story.
“She hates me,” Carrie was saying. “Absolutely hates me.”
“Competition can be brutal,” Meagan said. “But everything worth having is worth fighting for. And you know what? The things you have to work the hardest for, are the ones you appreciate the most. The question is, do you want this bad enough to fight for it? Your packed bag makes me wonder.”
“I want to dance,” she said. “I don’t want to fight with Tabitha.”
“So you don’t want this.”
“That’s not what I said!”
“You aren’t willing to fight.”
“I am.”
“Just not Tabitha.”
“She’s the meanest person I’ve ever known.”
“Until you meet the next one like her,” Meagan pointed out. “There are tons of Kikis in this world.” Sam took a seat nearby, across from the bed. Meagan’s eyes found his an instant before she added, “Listen, Carrie. Real life isn’t always pretty. Everyone isn’t going to be nice to you, and everything isn’t going to come with a shiny pink bow on top. You can’t let people like Tabitha steal your dreams, make you give up.”
Sam took in those words, took in what she was telling him indirectly. She had a dream and she was scared of losing it. He knew that, but hearing it again wasn’t easy. She had baggage she had to deal with, and there wasn’t room for him inside her life until she did—if she ever did.
“I sprained my ankle last night,” Carrie announced. “It’s bad, Meagan. I hid it but it’s getting worse.” She laughed bitterly. “I’d rather the curse would have gotten anything but my ankle.”
“There is no curse,” Meagan said. “And a sprain can be wrapped and medicated. You have ten days before your first performance. Or, you can use that and Tabitha as reason to quit. Your choice.”
“I don’t want to quit. I don’t. But—”
“No buts,” Meagan warned. “I’m going to get tough with you now. In or out. Fight or give up. You choose.”
“You really think I can do this?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” she said. “It matters what you know. But for the record, you wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in you.”
Carrie flung her arms around Meagan’s neck and hugged her. The unfinished business between Meagan and him thicker than the coffee he’d made in his room.
“I’m going to fight. I’m going to beat Tabitha and win this competition.”
“Good,” Meagan said. “I can’t wait to watch it happen.”
More chatter followed, and some coddling of the kitten, before Carrie returned to her room to sleep as long as she could before rehearsals, which had been pushed back, after the nightclub incident, until noon.
Sam made to leave, as well.
“Sam, wait,” Meagan said, her hand touching his arm, heat scorching, his cock thickening as if she’d just invited him to join her in bed.
He held the door open, not about to let rumors fly any more than they probably were. He also wasn’t about to tempt himself into kissing her how he’d wanted to ever since he’d walked into the room.
His gaze met hers, and he could read her expression, read the “I can’t” in her face. “I met with my crew last night and we did a press release that also went to the sponsors. One of the sponsors called me immediately and expressed how thrilled they were with the buzz the show was getting. After that, Kiki happily took credit, and I was happy to let her.”
“Good,” he said. “I’m glad it worked out.”
“Me, too,” she said, and hesitated, as if she wanted to add something else.
Sam continued waiting, wanting to know what that something else was, his heart racing. This woman really was making him crazy.
Finally, she said, “I...I left my phone and purse in your truck.”
“Right,” he answered flatly, his pulse slowing. “Your phone and your purse. I’ll have it dropped off.” He didn’t wait for a reply. He left with absolutely no question in his mind, that once again, she had purposely let him go. It was a habit she couldn’t seem to break.
15
A WEEK LATER, MEAGAN was pacing the stage in the auditorium where the first live show would take place in two days. Two short, too quickly approaching days and too many days away from Sam. Oh, he was around, but he wasn’t really around, not for her, that was. It didn’t matter that it was for the best, that it was the right thing to do to protect him. She missed him.
She raked her hand through her hair, her stress level at its highest. There was an electronic short in the stage’s lighting system, thus sound checks had gone horribly, and the hot band that was set to perform for the big premiere had cancelled. Their lead singer had laryngitis.
The “cursed” and “nightclub” episodes of the show had run two nights in a row with huge ratings, but the live show was the true test. Could the dancing part of the equation pull in ratings? There were plenty inside the studio who doubted that, thus the contestant house had been incorporated into the concept of the show.
“We snagged Mason Montgomery,” Kiki announced, rushing down the center aisle. Mason Montgomery being a popular new singer who’d just hit the charts. “He’ll be here and he’s excited to perform.”
Meagan let out a relieved breath. “That’s great news.” To Kiki’s credit, and Sam’s for his suggestion, ever since she’d given Kiki credit for the nightclub episode, she’d actually seemed to care about the show.
“Are we moving into the house tomorrow or what?” Kiki asked, drawing to the edge of the stage, next to the judges’ table, hands on her hips. “We need to get organized.”
“Negotiations are still underway,” she said. “But I hope so. I’m expecting word any minute.”
Kiki grimaced. “Look. I know you hate the reality, club-fight stuff, but our ratings are off the charts. I want this show to make it as much as you do. We need to do something spectacular to ensure the dancing gets an audience. We don’t have time to make that happen in the house this week.”
Meagan’s cell phone rang, and she eyed the number. “That’s Josh now.” Josh. Not Sam. She’d barely seen, or talked to Sam since Carrie’s visit to her room. She was shocked at just how much she missed that banter.
She flipped open her phone. “Hey, Josh.”
“We’re a go, but Sam wants you to drive out and give us a final thumbs-up before we get everyone out here.”
Meagan ended the call, eager to see the house and move in. And yes. Eager to see Sam.
* * *
“I NEED A SCREWDRIVER,” Sam yelled to one of his men from under the kitchen cabinet of the contestant’s house.
?
??One screwdriver coming up.” The tool landed in his outstretched palm, and Sam went completely still. Meagan. Meagan, so close her leg was touching his. Slowly, he eased his head out from under the cabinet to find her squatting beside him. Little brown wisps of hair floating over her brow. He loved her hair—how it felt, how it smelled.
“Your man is apparently MIA, since he’s nowhere to be found,” she said. “And I wasn’t aware you did plumbing.”
“I don’t,” he said, sitting up and leaning against the cabinet. “One of the kitchen cameras is acting up, screwing up the entire link to go live. I’ll need you to outline where the private areas are besides the obvious ones. There won’t be many, still, we don’t want any peep shows.”
She nodded, then surprised him by sitting down on the floor herself, her back to the island kitchen so that she faced him. “The entire electrical system at the auditorium is out of whack. An electrician is working on it. I think I’m beginning to believe in the curse.”
“The ratings don’t seem to be cursed. They’ve been good so far.”
“A blessing for sure,” she agreed. “Nothing is going as I expected but it still seems to be okay.”
He rested his hand on one knee and stretched out the other leg. “Just because it’s not how you envisioned it doesn’t mean it’s not good.”
She studied him. “Like you, Sam. You aren’t what I expected.”
“So you’ve told me.”
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
No one could accuse her of beating around the bush. “I’ve been busy out here.”
“And avoiding me.”
“And avoiding you,” he conceded. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Apparently not.”
He arched a brow. “Apparently not?”
“I think I miss arguing with you.”
“Think?”
“Okay I do. I miss arguing with you.”
“We’ll have plenty of opportunity when we both move in here.”
“So what’s the scoop? Can we be in this place tomorrow?”
“Looks like. I just want to walk you through the camera setups.” He started to get up.
“Sam.” She spoke softly, his name packed with so much emotion that it might as well have been a shout.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“I miss you.”
“You made this decision.”
“I really was just trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need to be protected.”
“You’re sure about that? Because I’m not.”
“Completely.”
“But—”
“No buts about it.”
“Then...about that kiss I said no to...” She crawled toward him and pressed her mouth to his.
* * *
SAM WASN’T SURE WHAT screamed louder—his desire for this woman, or the warning to stay away from her. His hand slid to the side of her face, his lips brushing hers. He told himself to tread cautiously, that he was getting emotionally attached to Meagan, and while he had no doubt she was truly into him, he wasn’t sure, that emotion had anything to do with him, no matter how much he wanted to be, that he wasn’t simply her escape. Whatever she’d been feeling in the hallway of that club a week before, she was feeling now, too.
But things had changed for him—or at least had become more clear. He liked Meagan. He liked her a lot. And even though Sam was on unfamiliar ground, he wasn’t one to run from whatever came his way. He damn sure wasn’t about to start with Meagan. He had every intention of finding out what was between them, beyond one heck of a lot of smoking-hot attraction.
She pulled back slightly, her breath warm, her mouth still deliciously near and tempting. He knew in his gut that no matter how much he wanted her naked and in his arms, she was hiding—from her true self and from him. He wasn’t going to let her do that.
“Why tonight, Meagan?” he asked. “Why tonight and not last night? Or the night before?”
A door slammed. That they’d been alone this long was a miracle. Now there was no time to talk to Meagan, and make his position clear, though he fully intended to. Just like he didn’t run from things, he didn’t play games, or talk in circles.
“Let’s check out the property,” he said, before they were interrupted. He quickly brushed his mouth over hers, silently reassuring her that he welcomed their intimacy. He then pushed to his feet and pulled her with him.
“Sam—” she started, looking surprisingly vulnerable, an emotion he hadn’t often seen in her.
Josh entered the room. “We’re fine in... Oh, hey, Meagan. I bet you’re glad to finally be moving in.”
“Very,” she agreed and exchanged some small talk with him, before Sam had Josh finish up under the cabinet.
A few minutes later, they’d reviewed the in-house cameras, and were standing on the porch. “If we walk up the beach, I can show you where we set up cameras.”
“There are cameras on the actual beach?”
“That’s right,” he said. “It allows us to ensure we don’t have any trespassers, and it gives you some extra unscripted footage to weed through.”
“That’s more than I could have asked for,” she said. “I know this must be a huge change from the army for you, Sam, but if it’s any consolation, you’re good at what you do.”
“I aim to please,” he said, leaning on the railing. “I’m focused on the future, not the past. I’m simply not one to linger on what I’ve lost.”
“But an injury took your career,” she said. “Doesn’t that ever make you angry?”
“Sure. I was angry when it happened. I was angry as hell. But it happened, and I can’t change history. You climb inside yourself, duke it out, and move on. And is this where I think I’ll end up? Only if I decide I have real value, if I feel I’m contributing. And right now, I’m pretty okay with just helping you succeed.”
Surprise overtook her expression. “Sam.”
“This matters to you on some deep level that I know I don’t understand. But I want to. And things that matter to people the way this matters to you, matters to me.” He realized something that had been in the back of his mind for a while. “What are you having trouble letting go of, Meagan?”
She inhaled sharply. “Why would you ask me that?”
“Because I can sense there’s something you cling to, something that you carry around like a concrete block,” he said. “And because I want to know what makes you tick.”
He half expected her to withdraw, but she didn’t. Instead, still facing him, she pressed her palm against the railing he was leaning on. “This first season is like standing on a rug, certain it’s going to be yanked out from underneath you. For me, I feel like this is it. If this show doesn’t make it, I need to reevaluate and figure out where I fit, if I fit, in this industry.” She paused. “Did you say let’s walk? I think walking would be good right now.”
They headed down the beach. Dim lights illuminated their path, as they strolled in silence laden with unspoken questions and untouched passion.
“You asked why I kissed you tonight,” Meagan blurted, turning to him.
“Tell me,” he encouraged, not surprised by her directness, or how much it appealed to him.
“I like you, Sam Kellar.”
She couldn’t have said anything more perfect. It was exactly what he’d been thinking in the kitchen. “I like you, too, Meagan Tippan.” He stepped close to her, wrapping her in his arms. “So where does that leave us?”
The lights around them flickered, and someone shouted, with footsteps running along the beach. “Apparently,” she said, “with nowhere to hide.”
Good, he thought. Because he wasn’t going to let her hide. She’d opened the door to let him inside her life, and he was coming in, armed and ready to get to know every intimate detail.
“Let me finish up here, and then we’ll...talk.”
She smiled, mischief in
her eyes. “Good. I’m up for a good argument.”
“Me, too,” he assured her. “That is, as long as we get to kiss and make up.”
16
MEAGAN WAS NERVOUS. Nervous! How insane was that? But she and Sam had taken their connection to a new level tonight. Meagan had no idea she was going to kiss Sam while they were on the kitchen floor, but she was glad she had. She was so tired of controlling everything around her, and, despite her spent nerves, it was almost a relief to have her wild desire for Sam become a fact.
Her cell phone rang, and she quickly stuck her headset in her ear and hit the answer button without taking her eyes off the road. She was driving back to the hotel with Sam in his vehicle behind her. She’d been trying to reach Kiki or Shayla all evening with no answer, and that worried her.
“Hello.”
“Why do you sound like you want to bite my head off?”
She laughed instantly at the sound of Sam’s voice, which was a testament to how much she needed the distraction that was this man. To think she’d believed it would be a bad thing. “I didn’t know I did. Sorry. I’ve been trying to reach Kiki and Shayla and I can’t. Considering her track record, silence from Kiki still twists me in knots.”
“And you want to let her live in the mother-in-law house with you?” he asked, reminding her of the decision she’d shared with him earlier in the evening.
“I need her under thumb, where I can watch her.”
“If she’s at the second house, she’ll be under my thumb and...on second thought, I think she should stay with you.”
“Yeah, I bet you do,” Meagan said. “I’m not so sure Josh would agree. He seems to get all hot and bothered when she’s near.”
“Josh’s no fool, or he wouldn’t work for me. He knows what Kiki’s really about,” he said.
She sighed and went back to the prior subject. “I can’t believe they aren’t taking my calls.”
“Don’t assume the worst,” he said. “I think we should get your mind off of it.”
“How do you propose we do that?”
“By talking about something else. What’s your favorite color?”
“Are you serious?”