I hadn’t been sure the rose was going to help. It had been pretty clear from our conversation in the storage closet that Paige had been upset by everything that had happened in the past forty-eight hours, and I wasn’t sure a rose was going to fix it. Or was even enough for damage control.

But the way her face softened at the sight of it, I was damn glad I had decided to bring it. She took it from me, lifting it to her face to take a deep inhale. She looked tired. Gorgeous, but tired.

“I have something else for you,” I told her, taking her hand.

She followed me without question, only raising a single eyebrow as I led her to the stairs instead of the elevator. We exited out towards the back of the hotel, down towards the beach. Near our fancy hotel was a more run-down motel that had appeared to be completely empty. I watched Paige’s face as we walked up to the abandoned, empty pool area, where I had set up leftover cake and champagne from the event. It hadn’t been easy getting it out of there without arousing suspicion, but I was learning that a lot could get done with bribes in this industry.

“Wow,” Paige breathed as I pulled back a rusty chair for her to sit in.

There were a few candles set up on the table, so I lit them and opened the bottle of champagne. The cork flew across the sand, hitting the ground with a barely audible oomph. Pouring two glasses, I handed one to Paige and took the chair across from her.

“To being where I wanted to be all evening,” I said, holding up the glass of champagne.

Even in the dim light, I could see Paige blush, and the sight filled me with a warm feeling that I was pretty sure wasn’t the result of the bubbly beverage I took a sip of.

“This is really nice,” she said as I handed her a piece of cake.

She took a bite, closing her eyes as she savored the rich chocolate flavor. My body hardened as she let out an orgasmic groan.

“That is good cake,” she said, opening her eyes.

There was a little bit of frosting on the corner of her mouth.

“Is it?” I asked, staring at her lips.

She took another bite and nodded.

I leaned across the table and kissed her. It was sweet and chocolatey and all Paige.

“Mmm,” I agreed as I pulled back. “It is good.”

She blushed again and turned her attention to the cake. We sat there in silence for a while, just listening to the sound of the ocean as its waves lapped against the sand. It was a beautiful night, and I was with a beautiful girl. It should have been perfect. Except for the reality surrounding us. The reality I was more than willing to ignore. At least until the morning.

“You look gorgeous,” I told Paige, and she snorted.

“I look like I’ve been on my feet all day,” she looked down at herself, and I could tell that she was seeing the wrinkles in her shirt instead of how tight it was against her perfect breasts.

“Let me do something about that,” I bent and took her feet, putting them in my lap, pulling off her shoes and socks. As I dug my thumbs into her heels, she let her head drop back and a groan—even more orgasmic than the one uttered after the cake—escaped her lips.

“That feels incredible,” she told me, and I grinned.

Ever since I had started on this show—ever since I had become a celebrity of any sort—I had been surrounded by people eager to please me. To pamper me. It was incredibly satisfying to do that for someone else.

“How were your dates?” Paige asked after a few moments. The question was quiet and I could tell that she wasn’t sure she actually wanted to hear the answer.

“They were good,” I told her. “On camera.”

“Mmhmm.” Paige was looking upward at the sky.

I reached out and tugged a curl, forcing her to look at me. “It was all an act.”

“The dirty dancing was an act?” Paige asked, eyebrows arched.

“Dirty dancing?” I laughed, unable to help myself.

“That’s what it looked like.” Paige’s bottom lip stuck out and I could tell that it wasn’t a laughing matter. She had been hurt by it. And that hadn’t been my intention at all.

“Come here.” I stood, displacing her feet and pulling her to a standing position in front of me. Curling my hand around her waist, I pulled her against my body.

It was closer than I had stood to any of the other girls—despite Kimmie’s numerous attempts to surgically attach herself to the front of my body—and I hadn’t felt anything like the raw need I felt for Paige.

“This is dirty dancing,” I told her, rocking my hips against hers. “And I didn’t do anything like this with anyone else.”

I could still tell that Paige was having a hard time believing me. So I kissed her.

She melted into my arms, and this was better than dancing. Better than anything. The way she wrapped her arms around my neck, the way she kissed me back, the way I could taste chocolate and champagne on her tongue.

I hadn’t been lying. I had been wanting to be with her all day, and it had taken every ounce of acting ability that I possessed to make it seem like I was actually present with the contestants. Because none of them interested me. None of them made me hot the way I was hot for Paige.

“Come on,” I whispered, kissing the tender spot below her ear. “Let’s get out of here.”

* * *

We went back to her room. It was closer and we were less likely to get caught if we stayed out of the lobby of the hotel. Not that I was thinking about any of that. As soon as we reached her door, as soon as we were inside, I was reaching for her. Because I wanted her. I needed her.

And it felt different this time. There was still intensity, still urgency, but I let myself savor her. I kissed Paige, memorizing the taste of her, the feel of her lips. My hands cupped her face, angling her head, deepening our kiss. She slid her hands up my chest, and I cursed the stiff, starched tuxedo shirt between us. Thankfully, her fingers reached my tie, undoing it before pulling each button free.

Tugging my shirt from my pants, Paige pushed both it and my jacket from my shoulders in one smooth movement. Then her hands were on my bare skin. It felt so good, just that simple pleasure of her touching me.

Her hair was up in some messy, complicated knot. Carefully, I undid it, watching as her hair tumbled down to her shoulders. I loved her hair. It made her look wild and wanton, especially when her lips were red and her cheeks flushed, like they were now. Gathering her curls in one hand, I tilted her head back so I could feast on her neck. She let out a sigh as my mouth touched her throat, her fingers digging into my arms.

They didn’t stay there. As I kissed the spots on her neck I had learned were the most sensitive, Paige was unbuckling my belt and then slipping her hand inside my pants, inside my briefs, cupping me in her soft, warm hand.

This time it was my hand that tightened on her, my fingers curling into her hair, holding her as she stroked me, my breath coming hard and fast. I wanted to savor this moment, but I also knew that if Paige kept touching me like that, my control would be shot to hell. So I stepped back, knowing I needed to even the playing field.

Kissing her deeply, I guided her to the bed, following her down when she was laid out on top of the sheets. I loved the way she felt beneath me, how she spread her legs and made room for me to press against her, soft where I was hard.

Quickly I shed the rest of our clothes, our naked bodies tangling together on the sheets. I couldn’t wait any longer and, grabbing a condom, I protected myself before settling between her legs. She was wet. So wet. For me.

I groaned as I felt her slickness on my fingers, my thumb brushing against her clit, making her hips jerk. Kissing her, I positioned my cock at her entrance, and she let out a moan as I finally pushed inside.

We both froze, the sensation of being inside of her almost too intense to handle. It was different this time. We were different. I couldn’t explain why or how, but I knew it, in my gut, that this was something new.

This wasn’t just sex. It was something more.

I began to move and it wasn’t long before I had lost myself in her. Paige wrapped her legs around my waist, arching up to meet each of my thrusts. I kissed her, my tongue matching the movement of my cock. Suddenly, I felt her internal muscles clench, and she tore her mouth from mine, crying out as she came. I managed one thrust, two, and then I found my own release, collapsing on top of her, both of us completely spent.

* * *

We had forgotten to close the shades. Morning light streamed in through the window, covering Paige with its beautiful yellow glow. She was beautiful, curled up against me, her hand on my chest, her palm over my heart. That part of my body squeezed tightly just from looking at her.

Part of me didn’t want to wake her, but the other part was a selfish bastard that needed to kiss her awake. I rolled both of us over, until she was on her back, her eyes opening and blinking sleepily at me.

“Good morning,” I kissed her.

She smiled against my lips and kissed me back. “Good morning,” she murmured, her tongue sliding into my mouth.

Things were just getting good when there came a loud banging on the door. I ignored it and it stopped. But only for a moment. Then it came again, louder this time.

“What the hell?” I sat up, glaring at the door.

“Paige!” someone was calling from the other side.

Paige shot up in bed, gathering the sheets to her chest. “It’s Andrea,” she said in a whisper. “What is she doing here?”

“Open the door, Paige,” Andrea said again, her voice angry. “I know he’s in there. I know you’re with Dash.”