“How come?”
Because I spent half the night wondering if you heard me and the other half wishing I hadn’t left you alone in that bed.
“Time difference, probably.”
I would remind her. Re-tell her. Put everything out there. I just didn’t want to do it now and frazzle her before we started filming. She was already skittish enough.
A sharp turn caused her to slide across the smooth leather and into me. She looked up at me and blushed. “Sorry.”
I swallowed. I needed to say something. Anything. Not about how kissable her lips looked. Or how I wished I could wrap my arms around her.
“And thanks again for, uh, taking care of me and letting me stay with you all,” she added.
“Of course.”
“I’ll have to thank Emma and Harrison too. Are they already at the studio?”
I nodded.
Kate looked at her fingers twisting her lap.
“About that,” I said. “It only makes sense if you keep staying with us. The show is asking you to extend your stay so …” I was unsure how to finish. Had I really asked her to spend the rest of the trip with me? This was why I was not allowed to speak without thinking first.
The longer she hesitated, the more my doubt seeped in. What did she even know about me? I added, “Only if you feel comfortable. I don’t want you to feel like you need to agree just because—”
“Because why?” She looked confused.
“Because I’m a celebrity. I don’t want you to feel like you owe me something.” Heat burned up my neck.
“That hadn’t even crossed my mind.”
“Oh. Good.”Way to announce you have a giant ego, you prat. “Some people feel like they need to say what I want to hear,” I clarified.
I winced at the implication that I wanted her to stay. It was true, of course. I wanted to soak up every minute of her time while we were on the same continent. “Not that it’s what I want. I mean. It is what I want. If you want it.” I blew out a breath. “I’m rubbish at talking to people.” I leaned against the door, rubbing a hand over my mouth.
“I didn’t think you were implying anything … unseemly,” she said and squeezed my arm until I turned back to her.
“What has you hesitating?” I asked.
“I can’t imagine anyone else getting this VIP treatment.” Kate worried her bottom lip, debating with herself. “There’s probably a hundred reasons why I should argue that I can’t accept.”
I smiled down at her. “Well, then let’s pretend you made all those arguments and in the end, you decided to stay. Pretend Emma insisted.” I shrugged. “Knowing her, she probably will.”
Kate let out a breath. “Okay. Well, in that case. I’m all out of excuses.” She smiled up at me. “That’s incredibly generous. Thank you. I still feel like I’m waiting to wake up.”
I swallowed. She had remembered that part of the conversation.
I gently pinched her wrist. “Nope.”
“Ouch.” Before I could pull my hand away, she grabbed it out of reflex.
“That didn’t hurt,” I teased.
Her eyes widened. “You don’t know that. I could have a low threshold for pain.”
Her hand rested on top of mine. We both looked at it. I slowly turned it over and laced her fingers through mine. Her warm, soft fingers grasped me firmly, giving me strength. I could probably shot put a Volkswagen with all the adrenaline rushing through me. The delicate bones of her chest rose and fell. She looked at our clasped hands, a little furrow pinching her brow.
“Is this okay?” I asked.
