Page 63 of Playing With My Heart Strings

“Even with that, this is probably the hardest question ever. I can only haveone?”

I nod, taking a few more steps. “Yup. Only one. Everyone else is wiped off the face of the Earth.”

Baylor actuallygiggles. “Are you going to be offended if I don’t pick you?”

“I think I would be more offended if you did pick me over all of the options you have,” I tease. “My artist would be Elvis.”

“Even though you won’t get any more new music?” She gives me a quizzical look.

“As much as I would love to hear new music, I would hate to never be able to hear Elvis again.”

“I think that’s reasonable. Man, I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about that question before. I would hate not having the luxury of listening to all my favorite singers. I feel like I’d want someone with the largest catalog of songs, but there are so many,” she rambles on, and I stare at her in awe.

“Think about it and tell me later.” I wink.

We’re getting closer and closer to the ground, but selfishly, I don’t want this to end. I know we’re being recorded from our GoPros, but it’s been a nice reprieve from having a camera crew and producers in our faces.

“Look how far we’ve come!” Baylor looks up in awe.

The ground is much closer now, and the producers and crew on top of the building are smudges in my vision. Like tiny ants.

“Youdid that.” I smile, and she reciprocates.

“Maybe, but I couldn’t have done it without you, Dusty.”

24

baylor

Taking a Risk

I’m walkingdown the hallway of the production studio to head to my “confessional” interview, as Colette likes to call it, when I’m suddenly yanked into one of the storage closets.

“What the—” My elbows are locked and loaded when a large hand covers my mouth.

“Shhh,” Dusty whispers in my ear.

I rip his hand off my mouth and spin around to face him. “What are you doing here? We’re going to get caught,” I hiss.

“I’m making up for the other night. And we won’t get caught if you’re quiet.” He winks, and then his lips are on mine, greedy and wanting. Frantic.

I kiss him back, our tongues tangling as he hooks his arms under my thighs and lifts. I wrap my legs around him as he carries me further into the closet, setting me on a random desk flush against the back wall.

“I’ve missed you,” he murmurs, his lips only millimeters from mine.

“You just saw me yesterday.” I pull back to look up at him.

“That’s too long when it comes to you.”

“What about the others? There are still four other women here, you can’t be missing methatmuch,” I tease, running my fingers through his hair, despite the growing pit in my stomach at the idea he could be sneaking around with them, too.

“Don’t talk about them. They don’t hold a candle to you. Not now, not before, not ever.” He presses his forehead against mine.

My legs are still wrapped around his waist, and his fingers draw lazy circles up and down my arm.

“What are you waiting for, then?” I challenge, and that’s all he needs for a fire to light behind his eyes.

“Arms up,” he orders, and I lift them to give him access to pull my shirt off before he unclasps the hooks of my bra. He takes in the sight of me. “God, you’re gorgeous.”

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