The dance gods smiled upon him. Gina beckoned him over to try out a lift.
Gina hadn’t heard, but Lauren’s words still made him uncomfortable. Stone didn’t want Lauren to say something withinGina’s hearing, especially since he wasn’t allowed to say he was taken.
Wait, was he? He didn’t know what the hell was going on with Gina. Their tryst existed in the moment, with no thought for the future, dedicated to wringing every ounce of fun and pleasure they could from this whole weird experience.
Then what? Where were they going with this? Because no matter what happened, he was going back to Alaska, and not just forLiving Wild.Alaska was his home, the home of his soul. He felt more at peace there than any other place he’d ever been.
And Gina had made it clear her future was in two places: New York and Los Angeles. Alaska didn’t figure into her dreams.
Where did he figure in?
He was afraid to ask, afraid he wouldn’t like the answer.
Following Kevin’s instructions, Stone lifted Gina over his head. He kept his eyes on Kevin, while his thoughts returned to the situation he was in with Gina. He whipped her around, as Kevin directed.
And then he dropped her.
Twenty-One
Instinct kicked in, and Stone caught Gina before her head hit the floor. However, he didn’t count on her own reflexes. She threw her arms out to catch herself and tripped him in the process.
They went down in a tumble of limbs, crashing to the hardwood floor of the rehearsal room.
Someone screamed.
Stone twisted at the last minute to take the brunt of the fall, landing hard on his knee and forearm. Kevin and Lauren rushed in, but Stone ignored them. Gina was the only one who mattered.
He’d dropped her.
“Gina?” Wincing, he shifted into a sitting position, cradling Gina in his lap while his knee throbbed something fierce.
Breathless, she ran her hands over his body, checking him. “Are you okay?”
“Am I?” She couldn’t be serious. He touched her elbows, knees, hands, checking her joints. “I heard you scream.”
“That was me.” Lauren knelt beside them. “That fall lookedawful.Stone, can you move?”
“Gina, tell me you’re okay.” He ran his hands over her head, her neck, down her spine. Behind him, Jordy shouted for someone to call the doctor.
“I’mfine,Stone. I didn’t even touch the floor.”
Blinking, he shoved the pulsing pain aside and focused on her face. She was looking at him with concern etched on her features.
“You didn’t?” But he’d dropped her. He’ddroppedher. Fuck. As her partner, he hadone job,and—
“I didn’t. You caught me.You’rethe one who hit the floor.”
“That was amazing, dude.” Kevin stood to the side with his hands on his hips. “I’ve seen some gnarly drops—even dropped my own partners a few times. It happens. Never saw someone make a catch like that.”
Lauren inched closer while Gina gingerly worked the leg of Stone’s sweatpants over his knee.
Jordy crowded in with ice packs. “We have to get him checked out.”
Stone leaned back and propped himself up on his arms. His left forearm complained, but since it wasn’t as bad as his knee, he ignored it. He let Gina and Jordy see to his leg, closing his eyes and tipping his head back as adrenaline coursed through his body.
Lauren rubbed his back. He wished she’d stop. Gina’s touch, careful yet sure on his knee, was already soothing him.
“Stone?”
