Page 5 of Between the Ropes

Of course it is. With that face and that body, I bet every flight is an adventure.

Before I can ask what that means, he moves ahead, handing his boarding pass to the gate agent.

I exhale, still a little off balance from the whole encounter. He’s magnetic in a way that scrambles my thoughts—too much confidence, too much heat, and way too easy on the eyes. The kind of guy who’s probably trouble with a capital T, and yet I can’t look away.

Get it together, Natalie. You have a job to do. Just survive the flight without humiliating yourself again.

“You nervous?” he asks, glancing over.

“About what? The fact that I’m diving headfirst into a job I barely understand, in a world I know absolutely nothing about, or the fact that I might not even make it to the office without getting lost?” I say, attempting to sound casual, but my nerves are tap-dancing in my chest.

He chuckles. “Relax. I think you’re going to do fine.”

We board the plane, and I nearly trip over my own feet again when I realize he’s sitting right next to me.

“Oh,” I blurt, sliding into the seat by the window. “You again.”

“Lucky you,” he says with a grin, buckling his seatbelt.

As I fumble with mine, he extends a hand toward me. “I’m Ryan Pierce, by the way.”

I pause, fingers mid-buckle. “Should I… know who that is?”

He nods, a cocky glint in his eye. “Yeah. As in the guy staring back at you from the cover of that magazine you've been treating like it holds the secrets to life.”

My jaw drops. I glance down at the magazine in my lap, then back up at him.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

His grin widens. “Nice to meet you officially, Ms. Thomas.”

I groan and press a hand to my face. “Of course. Of course, the guy I tripped on, flirted with, and mildly insulted is literally one of the wrestlers I’m supposed to be working with.”

“You forgot the part where you almost body-slammed me,” he adds helpfully.

“I’m going to die of mortification.”

He laughs. “Nah. You’re doing great so far.”

And just like that, the nerves triple.

4

I don’t know what it is about this girl, but I’m stuck on her the moment I see her. She’s sitting at the gate, flipping through a UXW magazine like she’s cramming for a test. Her expression is all nerves and focus, oblivious to everything around her. She’s cute, in a way that hits harder than it should.

Get it together, Pierce.

I don’t do this. I don’t get caught up in women. Especially not ones I have to work with. Not anymore. That part of my life is locked away, chained up with everything else I don’t let out. Relationships? Trust? Love? Yeah, I’ve had my fill of that shit. Not worth the risk. Not for me. I stay strict about keeping my focus solely on my career. It's the only way.

But damn if she isn’t easy on the eyes. Petite, with long, wavy blonde hair that falls just past her shoulders. She’s got big, wide eyes that dart around, like she’s ready to bolt at any second. Herlips are full, and the way she bites the corner of her bottom lip when she’s concentrating... it does something to me.

I shake it off, forcing myself to focus on something else, anything else. Still, when she stands to stretch and trips over her bag, I’m there in a flash, catching her before she can hit the floor.

Her cheeks flush, embarrassed, and she mumbles an apology, but I can’t help the smirk that tugs at my lips. She’s a mess, and it’s… kind of endearing.

We make it onto the plane, and I take the seat next to her. She's still nervous, fidgeting like she's waiting for something to go wrong. After a few moments, I finally introduce myself. It’s about time I tell her who I am.

"By the way, I'm Ryan Pierce," I say casually, leaning back in the seat.

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