Page 37 of Changed By You
I hesitate. “Oh, you know. It sucked. There was a power outage and I had an allergic reaction to the facial.”
Her brows hike up. “Really?”
“No.”
A laugh bubbles out of her. “You always know how to make me laugh. I wish you could’ve been there with me. I would’ve come in last place on purpose. It’s not like I care about winning a scavenger hunt. Dalton and JP competed like it was the Olympics.”
Dalton. My stomach flips just from the mention of his name. “Did one of them win?”
“No, Josh did. Dalton was doing great, but then, apparently, he couldn’t find a place that sold strawberry ice cream. How easyis that? There’s an ice cream place on every block. So he doesn’t get a date tonight.”
I keep my expression neutral, not letting my relief show.
“I shouldn’t even shower before this date,” she says. “I should just make him inhale my funk all night long.”
“That’s one approach.”
She sighs dramatically. “I’d have to smell myself all night long, though. I’ll shower, but I’m not wearing perfume and I want you to find me something super unflattering from the wardrobe department.”
“Um, a bedsheet is flattering on you.”
“True. But you know what I’m saying. Find something that doesn’t show any cleavage. We’re going mini golfing.”
I fight a smile. She’s going to hate that.
“Don’t you dare laugh.” She scowls. “I can’t believe I agreed to do this stupid show. Touching a sweaty golf club someone else just used when we could be on a yacht in France.”
“I’ll make sure the production people have a new golf club for you.”
“Fine. I’m taking a shower.”
I close the door to her room, waiting until I’m halfway down the hallway to laugh. She’ll have to pretend she’s having fun for hours, which won’t be hard for an actor. And I get the evening off.
Which I deserve. And I’m going to enjoy it.
Dinnerat the house that night is a taco bar. I load up two soft shells with meat, cheese and toppings, adding chips with queso and salsa on the side. I’m sitting on one of the patios withdinner, a glass of wine and a book when a deep voice says, “May I join you?”
It’s Dalton, and there’s a gleam in his eye. I nod, excited and anxious at the same time.
He leaves an empty seat between us, setting down a plate overflowing with tacos and a glass of iced tea.
“Sweet or unsweet?” I ask him.
“You mean me or the tea?”
A smile tugs on my lips. “The tea.”
“Unsweet.”
“What is it with you and sweets? I hear you had trouble finding ice cream today.”
He shrugs. “I choked. Could’ve been out on a one-on-one tonight, but I had no idea where to look for strawberry ice cream.”
My heart leaps. His tone confirms what I already suspected; he deliberately lost today so he could be here. No matter how much I tell myself to stop playing this dangerous game with him, I can’t.
It feels too good. It’s been so long since I did something just for me. Years. And even then, it was never anything like this. Being with Dalton is heady and indulgent. There’s a buzz between us that makes my skin heat and my heart pound.
Some of the other contestants are swimming, yelling as they splash water on each other and line up bottles and cups to make a swim-up bar.
