Page 132 of Take the Lead
“Kevin told me. Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“Anyway, I managed to get out of the rest of this season, too, since I already missed most of it. I’mfree, Gina.”
His eyes were alight, devoid of tension. But one thing worried her. “You love Alaska. I can’t ask you to leave it behind.”
“I love you more. I’ll make do with visits. I was hoping you’d want to go with me someday, so I can show you what I love about it. Without a camera crew this time. I bought a plot of land there, to build a house of my own—orourown, if you want it to be. Not right away, but—”
“I’ll help you.” She threw her arms around him. This was a big deal for him. He’d gotten his life back and come to her door with his heart in his hands, and he was willing to travel with her whereverher career took them. The least she could do was embrace the place where he felt most at home. “I’ll help you build the house. I don’t know how, but I’ll learn. It’s a bit far for weekend getaways, but we’ll figure it out.”
His shoulders relaxed, and he smiled. “Thank you.”
“By the way, I think I love you,” she whispered in his ear.
He stilled. “Do you mean that?”
“I said, ‘I think.’”
With a growl, Stone scooped her up and carried her into her bedroom. “I’ll have to convince you, then, until there isn’t even a shadow of a doubt.”
Gina laced her fingers behind his neck. “I look forward to it.” She pulled back as something new occurred to her. “But what are you going to do while I’m working?”
He set her on the edge of the bed and sat beside her. “It turns out winning a show with millions of viewers generates all sorts of interesting job offers.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
His cheeks turned red again. “Everything from posing naked with a Sockeye salmon over my crotch for a national billboard campaign to being a ‘beard ambassador’ for men’s hair products.”
She gave him a speculative look. “I think you should do the salmon one.”
“Honestly, I’m tempted. It’s alotof money.”
“Well, if you’re not going to be making sustainable salmon sexy, whatareyou going to do?”
His expression softened, and it struck her that he looked more at ease than she’d ever seen him. “An Alaskan conservation group has asked me to come on board. I’ll be able to combine my degree with whatever small amount of fame I currently have in order to give back to the place that’s given me so much.”
“Your engineering degree?”
He nodded. “My focus was on civil and environmental engineering. I’ll mostly be doing consulting, which I can do remotely, along with advocacy and outreach regarding green energy and preservation initiatives.”
Gina stroked his cheek. “That sounds like the perfect fit for you.”
“I love Alaska, and I want to do my part to preserve its beauty and culture. Between climate change and people trying to exploit its resources, there’s a lot to protect.”
And he’d always put himself in the protector role. Her heart swelled with pride for him.
“But that’s not all,” he said, and her eyebrows shot up.
“There’s more?”
“A few designers loved theBoylesqueroutine so much, they’re begging me to do Fashion Week. Your agent said there’s some sort of bidding war going on.” He looked mildly embarrassed, but also flattered.
“My agent? Penelope?”
“She reached out after the show ended and I signed with her. Thank god, because I don’t think I could manage all this on my own. And she said if I ever want extra cash, she’ll book me more gigs in New York or LA, wherever you’re stationed.”
“But Stone, you hated being on camera. Are you going to be happy with modeling?”
“I think so. Being onThe Dance Offshowed me I don’t mind the cameras as much if I don’t have to lie. And the publicity I get from staying visible will help boost the preservation work.”
