This was it. His fears come to pass. She wouldn’t understand, and she’d judge him for it. Gina, who was so aligned with integrity that she wouldn’t fake a relationship with him—despite really having one—even though she wanted,needed,to win.
“I’m sorry. I’ve wanted to tell you since the beginning.” He was tripping over his words but couldn’t stop them from tumbling out. “I couldn’t, though. There are contracts, and NDAs. My family—they’re counting on me. I’ve gotta keep this a—”
She shook her head and he shut up. Her hand dropped from her mouth, and he saw the beginnings of a smile.
“I’m just shocked because… this makes so much sense. All the questions I asked my TV—or Natasha—while watching episodes ofLiving Wildmake sense now.” Excitement shone in her gaze. “Where did you live, if not in that hut?”
He spread his arms wide. “Right here in the Glacier Valley Inn.”
“Shut the front door.” She let out a delighted laugh and clapped her hands. “For real?”
“Yep. It’s the worst-kept secret in town.”
“I love hearing behind-the-scenes gossip like this. So, wait, none of that stuff is true?”
“I mean, we stay out there sometimes, if we’re filming at night. We still build and haul stuff around.”
It was a relief to finally have someone know the truth, and even better that it was Gina. Stone had been so worried about her reaction, and she was handling this better than he could have expected.
She sent him a contemplative look. “I feel like I’m meeting you for the first time.”
He swallowed. “I wanted to tell you. I hate lying. It’s why I’m terrible at interviews. I’m scared I’m going to slip up. My family… the show offered a package deal. All nine Nielsons, or no show. I had to join.”
“I understand.” She laced her fingers behind his neck. “So, who are you, Stone Nielson? If that’s even your real name.”
He chuckled and rested his hands on her hips. “It is. My parents really are nature lovers, and Nielson is Swedish.”
She smiled up at him. “I want to know all about you. I was watching your show to try to understand you better, but now, I can just ask.”
“I feel like myself for the first time in… years,” he admitted. “I had to cut ties with all my friends when we started the show.”
Her eyebrows dipped in compassion. “That must have been hard.”
“It was.” He tugged on his beard. “I didn’t even have this before the show started. Or the long hair.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I want to see pictures.”
“I have a few. Not a ton, since the fire that destroyed my family’s home is a true story. I just wasn’t living there at the time. I was in Juneau.”
“Doing what?”
“I was an engineer for the city. I quit to join the show.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Why does that sound so hot? Maybe because I’m picturing you in a toolbelt and nothing else.”
He touched his forehead to hers. “That can be arranged. I do own a few toolbelts.”
When her eyes went dark and dreamy, he gave in to the urge to kiss her. Telling her the truth eased the weight he’d been carryingsinceLiving Wildhit TV. He and Gina were still from different worlds, and they still had a dance competition to win, but maybe, just maybe, they could figure out the mess reality television had made of their lives and find some kind of happy ending.
And maybe his mother’s nosy question wouldn’t end up in the behind-the-scenes package.
The truth seemed to have unlocked something in Gina, too. She kissed him hungrily and gripped handfuls of his hair. Her mouth was warm and tasted of ginger. She was desperate for him and he couldn’t deny her anything. He grabbed her ass, molding her tight against him, and she moaned.
A soft noise had his eyes flicking open just in time to see the lens of a video camera disappearing before the door to the ballroom shut without a sound.
His body tensed, but Gina was still kissing him. She hadn’t noticed.
In the split second that followed, Stone decided not to tell her.
