chatted, Paige had trouble keeping her mind on the conversation. Hopefully if he said anything important, Zoe would remember it and tell her later.
How could Paige possibly concentrate on boring cache details when Miles sat across from her looking all beefy and delicious? And when he smiled, she melted. She peeked up at him as he joined in to the conversation. The light from the fireplace danced across his skin highlighting the stubble that had grown along his jaw during the day. He looked like he really needed a shower.
A hot shower with lots of slippery soap. And a loofa. A loofa she could navigate over his chest, scrubbing every contour, and down what was most likely a six-pack of abs. All the way to …
A cough startled her, making her jump like she’d been caught sneaking around somewhere she shouldn’t be. She glanced up from Miles’s lap only to find a silly grin on his face and a cocked eyebrow. Oh, yes. She’d been caught. But he didn’t seem at all bothered by it.
Let the melting commence.
“So,” Paige started, trying to force her thoughts into some semblance of small talk. “How did you find the first day of racing?”
Miles shrugged. “It was good — fun, exhausting. I think it’s going to be an interesting few weeks. What about you? How did you find it today?”
“Exhausting, annoying, frustrating. You know, a typical day with Zoe.” Paige laughed, hoping to lighten the moment despite her rather large, inappropriate complaint about her teammate.
Miles’s gaze found Zoe again, his jaw twitching as he appeared to clench it before he looked back to Paige. “Life is never dull with Zoe around, is it?”
Why did it feel as if Miles and Zoe had a history together when they’d only just met on the show? Was it all the media Zoe had done? It wasn’t exactly uncommon for regular people to feel like they “knew” celebrities in a personal way because the media did a great job of sharing their intimate moments with the world. Was that what it was with Miles and Zoe too?
“What do you do when you’re not on a reality TV show?” Paige asked, eager to learn more about Miles. It wasn’t just his looks that intrigued her. There was also something about his calm demeanor, his laidback attitude, and the confidence pouring out of him that drew her to him.
“This is my first show. I’m usually off climbing mountains, or I’m teaching climbing to kids at The Rocks.”
“You teach kids? That’s awesome. How old are they?” A hot guy who also liked working with kids? Yes, please.
“All ages. Whoever wants to learn can, I don’t discriminate by age. I adjust the program accordingly to fit their skill level.”
“So what made you decide to come on the show, if you don’t mind my asking? Was it for the adventure of it, since that seems to be your thing?”
“That was part of it.” Miles stopped talking. His gaze flickered to where Ben sat, then back to catch Paige’s eyes again. She got the distinct impression there was more to Miles than he let on. He’d come on the show for more than the adventure and the reason had to do with Ben, but what it was, she couldn’t figure out without more information. It probably wasn’t any of her business anyway.
“I think the only ones here who’ve been on a show before are you and Zoe. Are you girls all head over heels for cameramen like that Cassidy girl was? Is that why you both agreed to be on another show?” Miles asked with a smirk, his expression softening and his voice taking on a distinctly teasing quality. The combination made her breathing falter.
“I came on the show for the experience. Not the hot guys.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her as if he was insulted.
“Not that the guys here aren’t hot. You’re all very hot.” Paige felt her cheeks grow warm. This conversation had taken a sudden turn into embarrassing territory. How had she managed to put her foot in her mouth during a perfectly normal conversation?
A little chuckle