Page 98 of Golden Ruin

I’m so tempted but also terrified.

“It’s nothing.”

He takes a breath, and it looks like he wants to push, but he lets it go and changes the subject.

“I’m starving.”

I laugh as he bites into the Pop-Tart again. “Aren’t they feeding you? Taking care of their superstar athlete?” I tease.

“Some of the execs took me to dinner, but I only got through half of it.”

“Damn, was it gross?”

He laughs, thinking before he answers. “It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve eaten. Just wasn’t as good as anything you make.”

I breathe deep, letting the compliment sit with me a moment, so I don’t smile too hard into the screen.

“Tell you what. I’ll make something so you can have a home-cooked meal when you get off the plane tomorrow night.”

“You don’t have to do that. I know you’ve got work and–”

“Sterling,” I cut in with a smile. “If I minded, I wouldn’t have offered.”

He smiles too, and I’m already planning a menu in my head. It shouldn’t feel so good to know he’s coming home tomorrow, but it does.

“Thank you,” he concedes, and I nod.

“You’re welcome.”

He yawns, and I’m honestly disappointed that it might be time to end our call. “Early day tomorrow?”

“Unfortunately,” he says with a nod. “They’re sending a car at seven a.m. to drive me to the studio for the editorial shoot.”

“No rest for the wicked.”

He laughs at that, and I can see he’s worn out. If I know him, he snuck in a workout at some point today, too.

“Well, goodnight,” I call out, already reaching for the phone, but before I can end it…

“Leave it on,” he says.

I laugh a little. “Facetime?”

He nods. “Yeah. It’ll be like I’m there with you guys. Only… not,” he laughs.

My stomach flutters like it’s filled with butterflies. This giddy feeling bubbles up inside of me, and before I can think better of it, a soft, “Okay,” leaves my mouth.

I pull the blanket over my shoulder, hugging Jax tight. The pale light in Sterling’s background goes dark, and he sets the phone facing him from the nightstand.

“Night, Rodriguez,” he says with a smile as his eyes fall closed.

“Night.”

Behind him, city lights beam through the hotel window, and even though he’s in L.A., and I’m here in Cypress Pointe, it feels like there’s no space between us at all.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Sterling