Their clothing was barely a barrier. She was wearing a skirt, which made it easy for him to yank off her panties. She unzipped his cargo shorts and pulled out his cock while he unwrapped a condom. In seconds, he’d seated himself on the edge of her bed and she’d climbed onto his lap. With her knees on either side of his hips, she sank onto him, hissing as he stretched her.
No foreplay. No dirty talk. No sighs or moans. Just growls and grunts and the slap of flesh on flesh. She dug her nails into his shoulders, balling up the fabric of his T-shirt in her fists. He skimmed his hands under her skirt and gripped her hips to bounce her up and down on him. Without their usual level of preparation, the feeling of being stuffed was more powerful than ever. He filled her, his cock burrowing into her much as he had insinuated himself into her life and made a space for himself.
Except it was like he had always been there.
It was hard to remember a time before him.
This was the way of it with partners onThe Dance Off.The intensive nature of the training and filming schedule forced an intimacy that was unlike anything in the real world. As special as this felt now, he was returning to Alaska in a week. And now it looked like she’d be going back to New York.
This was it, then. The last time.
Pressing her face into his neck, breathing in his pine-and-fresh-air scent, rubbing her cheek against his beard—all of it would be the last time.
Gina wrapped her arms around his neck and clung tight, not wanting to let go. But she was fooling herself. She’d always known he was going to leave.
Stone shifted them onto the bed without pulling out. Holding himself over her, he pinned her to the mattress with the force of his hips. Over and over, until waves of pleasure stole her reason and her voice. Hoarse cries fell from her throat, and still, she clung to him with everything she had.
When his thumb touched her clit, she exploded. As she shuddered and quaked beneath him, he pulled her close. His big body tensed, his muscles locked, and he came with a gasp. Her own orgasm rumbled on and swept her away, leaving an overwhelming emptiness in its place.
Panting hard, she didn’t move until he slipped out of her and shifted to the side. Then she rolled off the bed and grabbed the box of tissues from the bedside table for them to clean up.
If it got any more awkward, she was going to run out of the room screaming.
After pulling her panties back on and righting her clothing, she sat on the edge of the bed, looking anywhere but at him. Stone disposed of the condom and tucked himself back into his shorts. Once he was zipped up, he stretched out on the mattress and pillowed his head on his arms, staring at the ceiling.
“Now what?” he asked.
Better to cut right to the chase, to cling to the reason she’d beengiven. “I can’t put it aside and pretend everything is normal. I’m pissed off that they got that footage of us in the first place, because I knew better. But for Donna to air it on the show, without even warning me? And then to find out you knew about it and didn’t tell me? I can’t get past this.”
“Donna said that even if you made it to the finals, there were still no guarantees you’d have a spot next season, and this would increase your chances of winning and keeping your job. Besides, you went to Donna on your own after the paparazzi incident.”
“But you knew about that. I didn’t know Donna had that footage. I didn’t know you had a conversation with her. And at this point, maybe I don’t want to work for a show that has so little respect for me. The fact that they’ve been pushing the romance angle for months, when they know I don’t want to do it, shows they don’t care about me. I’m not okay with them making it look like I have no self-respect.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Wow. Really?” He sounded offended.
She hated hurting him this way, hated dismissing what had come to mean so much to her. But she needed to end it. “Don’t take it personally. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m hooking up with my partner. Not you, specifically. Any guy.”
His eyes narrowed. “Now I’m just any guy.”
“Damn it, Stone. Stop making this about you.”
“How can I not?” He threw up his hands and got up to pace in front of the mirrors. It looked like he had an angry twin, like her room was doubly full of him. She hugged herself with her arms, holding onto her anger and giving it voice. It was the only way she’d get through this.
“Fine. It is about you. You went along with it because you thought this would help you win.”
He froze and gave her an incredulous stare. “I thought it would helpyouwin.”
“I don’t want to win like this. Besides, you stand to take home three hundred and fifty thousand dollars if you win. You really expect me to believe that had nothing to do with your decision towithhold this from me? You made it clear from the beginning you were here for the money.”
Chest heaving, his mouth fell open in indignation. “I can’t believe you’re throwing that in my face. My mother had ahip replacement.Do you know what kind of bills that procedure incurs? How much physical therapy she needed? I’m not ashamed of my reasons for joining the show initially, but once you told me your job was on the line, all I’ve focused on is helpingyouwin.”
His argument was too logical. He’d chip away at her resolve if she wasn’t careful, so she sidestepped and delivered a direct hit. “Just because you don’t care about lying on TV doesn’t mean I’m cool with it, too.”
“Jesus Christ, Gina. You and I arenotlying. We have something.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and resumed pacing. “Fuck. I’m falling for you and I want to shout it from the fucking rooftops, and all you want to do is pretend I don’t exist unless I’m in bed with you. You want the truth? It hurts. You know how many people have propositioned me since I’ve been in LA?”
Her jaw dropped and a spark of jealous anger flared in her gut. It was easier to deal with than his admission, to focus on her own hurt rather than accept the responsibility of hurting him. “What the fuck isthatsupposed to mean?”
“It means that I hoped you were actually someone who was able to look past all this—” He made a vague gesture at himself. “And get to know me for who I am. Not for what I look like or the character I play on TV.”
