“Never.”
“Not even close?”
He hesitated. “Once. I was young and it’s a long story for another time.”
“The person who burned you,” she said softly, trying not to push. She saw the tension shudder through him and she laid her hand on his leg. “You don’t have to answer.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s just not for here and now. I should leave before you do to avoid any prying eyes. That’s why I got dressed while you were sleeping.”
She shook her head. “I’m not pressuring you.”
“I know,” he said, cupping her face. “And I appreciate that.” He studied her. “What about you? Ever say ‘I love you’ to a man?”
“There was a college boyfriend I thought I might be headed there with, but it turned out he was headed there with several women who thought the same thing.” That was when she’d really learned just how bad a judge of men she really was. But she didn’t want regrets or fears to make her lose Blake. If she got hurt, she got hurt. “No one since then. I quickly learned this business is full of men with agendas and I didn’t want to be with anyone like that.” She pressed her lips to his, knowing the truth—she was falling in love for the first time in her life. “No one until you.”
His eyes darkened, his fingers tangled in her hair as he reclaimed her mouth, his tongue brushing hers with tender, passionate strokes that had Darla sighing with the goodness of it—of them, of this new relationship. She was even beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, she and Blake could find that something special that lucky couples, like both her parents and his, shared. And all they had to do to claim their prize was survive the rest of the season.
* * *
TWO HOURS LATER, Darla had showered and dressed in a cotton peasant blouse and soft faded jeans for travel to a series of audition stops that would include Boston and Dallas, then on to Houston. Lugging her carry-on bag in front of her, Darla rushed down the center aisle of the plane to find Meagan, looking panicked, leaning over her armrest to watch for fellow passengers. “I thought you were going to miss the flight,” she said, standing up to let Darla slide into the seat by the window.
“Sorry,” Darla said. “I couldn’t get a cab.” She shoved her bag under the seat. “But never fear, I’m here, ready to make your travel experience a memorable one.” And tired. So very tired.
“Long night?” Meagan asked, resnapping her seat belt into place.
Darla’s cell phone buzzed and she dug it out of her purse before snapping her own seat belt into place. “I could have used a little more sleep, but then, who couldn’t, right?” She glanced down at the text from Blake on her phone. Did you make it? Darla replied with Barely. He replied with Pull the shade down. She replied with No. He answered Yes. She smiled.
“Blake?”
Darla’s head jerked up at the question. “What?”
“Are you texting with Blake?” Meagan asked, a smile playing on her lips. “Come on. I know you two have a thing going on.”
Darla let out a breath. “I don’t know how this happened.”
“I didn’t with Sam, either,” she said. “Actually,” she lowered her voice. “I thought I’d just have a hot night and get him out of my system. That didn’t go as planned.”
“Oh, my God,” Darla said. “Me, too.”
Meagan’s lips curved. “I could have guessed that from miles away. So, you’re pretty into him, huh?”
She nodded. “I don’t know how that happened, either.” Her chest tightened. “Meagan, I know how important this show is to you. I won’t jeopardize its success. You have my word.”
“Honey, I know that. I trust you. That was one of the reasons I so needed you as a judge. I know I can count on you. I know you will do what’s right. It’s a little piece of sanity for me. It’s why I felt so secure focusing on you for this promotional campaign. You’re rock-solid. And I don’t know Blake as well as you do, but his reputation indicates he’s the same.”
Her phone buzzed again. Meagan’s buzzed at the same time and she laughed as she looked at the screen. “Sam.”
Darla looked at her phone, warming inside as she shared this moment with Meagan, as they both returned messages to the men in their lives.
Darla read Blake’s text. Trust me. Put the shade down and close your eyes. You’re exhausted. You’ll fall asleep. Hello? Are you there?
I can’t, Blake, she typed.
You can. Do it now before takeoff. You will barely feel takeoff then. Then close your eyes and think about last night. I am.
Darla glanced out of the window and drew a breath before deciding to take another risk, to believe in Blake. She pulled her shade down. She just had to believe she wouldn’t crash and burn—with Blake and without.
18
TWO WEEKS AFTER DARLA and Blake’s New York encounter, which had been followed by daily texting and phone calls, Darla sat at the judges’ table in San Diego with morning auditions well underway.
“I do not understand why we let that girl have a Vegas pass,” Lana complained of the contestant who’d just left. “She was a moth, not a butterfly.”
“A moth?” Darla laughed, not about to let Lana get to her today. She had too many reasons to be in a good mood. Like finally seeing Blake again when he arrived later in the day. Not only that, she’d bought time on her parents’ ranch by negotiating ridiculously high payments she’d sworn to her parents she could handle. “Hmm, well then,” Darla continued, “I guess I should rebut by saying she’s a caterpillar who will become a beautiful butterfly.”
“I’m with Darla on this one,” Ellie agreed, flipping her ever-changing hair—it was pink and blue today, yesterday it was some form of purple—over her shoulders. “Butterfly in the making all the way. That girl is going to spread her wings and fly.”
“You’re always with Darla,” Lana sneered. “One might think you have a crush on her.”
Ellie grinned and wrapped an arm around Darla. “A girl crush,” she joked. “I lurve her so much.” She dropped her arm from Darla. “Sorry, Lana. I just agree with her choices and not yours.”
“I guess I have a crush on her, too, then,” Jason said, grabbing his cell phone to check his email, as he often did. “I thought that young woman had talent. Where the heck is the next audition?”
“Technical difficulties, guys,” Meagan said over a speaker. “Three minutes and we’re taping again.”
Lana and Ellie started to argue over what made a butterfly. Darla tuned them out as her cell vibrated with a text. She snatched it from the table, expecting a message from her New York producer about a special guest for one of her shows. The text was from Blake instead. I have a crush on you, too.
She blinked at the text. How had he known what had been said? He wasn’t supposed to be in until late afternoon. Her gaze jerked toward the door, half expecting him to walk in any second. Blake was here. He had to be here. Was he here?
Her phone vibrated with another message that read Yes. I’m here, as if he’d read her mind. She smiled, liking the way he really understood. This long-distance thing had been good. Instead of heating up the sheets, they’d spent hours just talking, getting to know each other. It was all Darla could do not to push to her feet to leave the room. She was nervous. She was excited. Wait, suddenly, she was very nervous. What if their chemistry had been a temporary illusion? What if the magic was gone? What if they’d imagined it in the first place?
The lights in the room flickered and then went dark. “Now that’s what I call a technical difficulty,” Jason commented.
One of the crew announced, “The entire hotel is dark. Meagan says to take fifteen minutes and not a second longer. We have a line of contestants to get through and a plane to catch to Washington for tomorrow’s auditions.”
Washington. That was where she and Blake were going to stay overnight together, before he went back to New York and she had to go to Nashville. The thought sent her to her feet, eager to freshen up
before she saw Blake. She grabbed her purse and excused herself, heading toward the judges’ private exit.
She’d never been this excited, and this nervous, over a man before. That had to be a good sign. Please let it be a good sign.
* * *
THE INSTANT DARLA REACHED the hallway where Blake was waiting, he reached for her.
“Darla,” he whispered, trying not to scare her. He gently pulled her through the door and then behind it, before someone else entered.
She gasped and stiffened, only to sink into him. “Blake—”
He kissed his name from her lips, drinking in her sweetness and absorbing her soft, warm body into his. His hand caressed her backside over her snug black jeans. She whimpered into his mouth—a sexy, feminine sound that had him wishing they could escape and be alone, where he could hold her, touch her, be with her without fear of observation.
“You feel so good,” he murmured. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” Her hands curled on his chest. “I can’t believe you’re here. You weren’t supposed to be here until much later.”
“I finished filming last night and I grabbed an early flight,” he explained. “God. You have no idea how much I was looking forward to this, how much I needed to know it still felt this good.”
“Me, too,” she said quickly. “Oh, me, too.” Her hands laced around his neck. “I can’t believe you were thinking the same thing. I was afraid it wouldn’t feel the same in person as before—as if I’d imagined it.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed his forehead to hers. “It feels better than before. Every time I think I can’t get more crazy about you, I do. I cannot wait to get you alone. I’m not sure I can wait until tomorrow night when we’re in Washington.”
Her hand flattened on his chest. “We agreed to be careful. The judges are always on the same floor.”
“I know,” he said. “But—”
“No buts.” She kissed him. “We wait until tomorrow.”
He sighed and leaned against the wall. “I don’t suppose this means you’ll reconsider the webcam?”
“No,” she said tightly. “I’m not—”
“Going to have webcam sex,” he finished for her, laughing. “So you told me three times before. But a guy has to try. So phone sex it is, then.”
“We aren’t—”
“Oh, yeah, we are,” he said, holding her close. “And that’s just for starters. There are so many things I want to do with you, Darla. You have no idea.” And one thing he realized right then and there, he’d already done. He’d fallen in love.
* * *
IT WAS NEAR TEN O’CLOCK that night when Blake joined the rest of the cast and crew—a good twenty-five people—in a large room for the big unveiling. Meagan stood at the front of the group beside what looked like a sheet covering a large piece of art on a stand.
“Blake and Darla,” Meagan called. “Can you both come up here, please?”
Blake moved to the front of the room, his gaze connecting with Darla’s as they both took center stage, so to speak. He could feel the room fill with silent questions and curiosity, as he took a spot on the opposite side of the sheet-covered stand from Meagan. Darla crossed to stand beside him.
“I’m sorry to do this so late,” Meagan said to the room. “I’d planned a little party, with cake and champagne, which will now be served on the flight to Washington, if you’re awake enough to enjoy it. I have some exciting announcements about this season. Last season we had the curse that haunted the set and boosted ratings.”
“And a tornado,” someone shouted.
“Yes,” Meagan agreed. “And a tornado. It almost makes you believe we really did have a curse. Except that the ‘curse’ turned into a ratings blessing. I have to admit that I hated that curse at first, and I wanted the show to stay about the dancers. But the truth is that because of that extra enticement, it brought viewers to tune in and gave the dancers the attention they deserved. So. That brings me to this season. Reality shows have become more common now, and the competition is steep. We have to have that extra something that makes each season unique. This season we have Blake and Darla who, as we all know, are competitors in daytime television. So we are going to use that as our gimmick. ‘Will they kiss each other or kill each other?’ is the concept that will be promoted on billboards and in television spots. Also, the big news that I’m sharing for the first time with Blake and Darla right here and now is that the studio rented Times Square ad space.” She pulled the sheet off the display and the room broke into one huge gasp.
Blake and Darla both moved to get a better view of the mock billboard that read The Competition Is Turning Up The Heat On This Season of Stepping Up. And there was no question—the picture was hot. It was one of Blake’s favorite shots of Darla on top of the desk with her long, gorgeous leg extended, her skirt hiked well above her knee, and her heel pressed to his chest.
Meagan slid between them and slipped her arms around their shoulders. “What do you both think? Pretty cool, right? Times Square, here we come.”
“I think I’m blushing,” Darla murmured.
“I think I’m blushing,” Blake said, scrubbing his jaw.
“I know I am,” Meagan agreed. “You look hot, honey. Hot!” Meagan darted away and called out to the rowdy, excited room. “Okay, folks. Quickly, so we can get to the airport. We want the press and the viewer to speculate about Darla and Blake. Friends, enemies—”
“Lovers!” someone shouted.
“Oh, yeah,” someone else said. “The look on Blake’s face in that picture says it all.”
Darla’s blush had turned to beet-red, and Blake decided he’d take matters into his own hands. “You know how you can find out the truth?” he called out to the room. “Tune in at eight central standard time on Wednesday nights. That’s the idea, folks. Job security and ratings. Let’s shoot for number one in our time slot!” The room filled with roars of excitement.
“Shuttle leaves in twenty minutes for the airport, folks!” The room started to clear and Meagan rushed toward Blake and Darla. “Even our cast is dying to know what’s between you two. I have a good feeling about this.” She glanced between them. “They all have confidentiality agreements but that doesn’t mean they won’t blab. Stay mysterious.” She grinned and leaned in, lowering her voice. “You’re the only two on your floor in Washington. You can thank me later.” She turned and hurried away.
Blake looked at Darla. “I’m never going to stay away from you tonight now, you do know that, right?”
She blinked up at him. “Promise?”
He glanced at the mock billboard, feeling his blood run wicked-hot, and then glanced back at her. “That would be a solid yes on that promise.”
* * *
DARLA AND BLAKE BURST INTO HER Washington hotel room in a clatter of luggage, bags and laptops being thrown aside. Locked in an embrace, they were against the wall, then the other wall. Then tearing off each other’s clothes. Her shirt, her bra—his mouth on her breasts. She shoved at his shirt. “Take it off. Take it off. Take it all off.”
“You, too,” he said, nipping her lip.
She backed into the room without really seeing it. A bed. That was all she cared about. She unzipped her jeans and tossed a boot aside. Then tried to tug the next one free, only to somehow tumble to the floor, laughing. A shirtless, shoeless Blake came down on top of her, his long, hard body framing hers. “I feel like I’ve waited a lifetime for this,” he murmured, his lips near hers. His breath was a warm, seductive promise of the hot, perfect kisses she’d been dreaming of for weeks now.
“I do, too,” she whispered breathlessly.
His mouth captured hers, devouring her with long strokes of his tongue that had her meeting each one with equal hunger. Her hips arched into him. Even through his jeans, he was hard and thick. She craved the feeling of him inside her. Finally, inside her again.
He must have felt the same way, because his hand went to her
hips, he started to shove her jeans down without success. He cursed softly out of frustration, which made her smile at his impatience. She knew what he felt. She felt it, too.
He lifted to his knees and half growled, “Raise up, baby.” His voice and the endearment were a sexy combination that had Darla smiling. His gaze went to hers.
“Go faster,” she said, letting him slip off her pants and her tiny G-string. “My boot is still on.” He tossed it and her clothes aside then he stood up, immediately discarding his own pants and underwear. He had a hungry edge to him that she liked more than just a little.
Darla rose up on her elbows, intending to push to her feet, too, but she didn’t make it. He was already sliding a condom over his thick erection, his firm body so damn stunning that she couldn’t move.
Her throat went dry and she licked her lips. Blake whispered her name and started moving toward her. He bent and swept her up in his arms.
The bed was like lying on a cloud, she thought, as he smiled at her warmly, spreading her legs and settling his thick erection between them. She moaned at the feel of him there, at how much she wanted him inside her. He inhaled and stared down at her. His gaze raked over her breasts.
Darla forgot to breathe for a moment at what she felt with that connection and what she saw in his face—the desire and tenderness she’d never thought could exist in one look. She loved him. She loved this man. “Yes. I like this.”
“Good,” he said, touching her gently before sliding inside her. She sucked in a breath at the feel of him stretching her, taking him deeper until they were one. His hand went to her cheek, bringing her face to his. “Because I’m glad we’re here, too. And I like you in my life, Darla.”
A tremor of panic overcame her and she slid her hands to his face. “I like me in your life, too. I like you in mine. So please, don’t be the wrong guy.”
“I’m not the wrong guy,” he promised, and then sealed it with a kiss.
It was a long, drugging kiss that took the wildness of their need for each other to another place. To a softer, more sensual place. And when he pulled back to look at her, his eyes smoldering with so much more than heat, she could feel him everywhere, inside and out. She could feel this connection they had growing and shifting.