Page 14 of Meant To Be - Irresistible Bachelors

He looks past Kenny and stares into my eyes. My poor best friend has no idea he doesn’t stand a chance. Those piercing blue orbs are hypnotizing me again. Leo is breathtakingly handsome, and it’s almost impossible to resist him. I see Kenny’s lips moving, but I can’t hear a word he’s saying. At this moment, the only thing that matters to me is the way Leo is gazing at me.

I stand there speechless, in awe of how insanely hot he is. I was already attracted to him, but his alpha male demeanor makes me want him even more. The vibe I’m feeling between us can’t be only in my imagination. This isn’t make-believe; Leo and I totally have the hots for each other. Half of me wants to fight it, but the other half is pleading with me to go for it.

I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the next two months feeling like this. Thoughts of Leo have taken over my mind, and all I can see is him. My heart races whenever he’s in the same room as me, and my lips long to feel his kiss. But a love affair between us might be bad for the tour. I should stay away from him, but I feel a force pulling me closer to him, and I don’t know how much longer I can fight it.

7

Nikki

The applause of the crowd as the last beat of the song fades is deafening. It’s only the second show in our two-month tour, but I can already tell this tour is going to be a success, both for me and for Leo.

“Woo! Thanks for coming! We couldn’t do this without your support! Be on the lookout for a new song soon. Until then, stay true, Philadelphia!” I yell my signature line above the noise of the crowd before walking offstage.

A couple of the dancers fist-bump me as we turn toward the dressing rooms.

“Don’t forget – debriefing tomorrow morning at nine on tonight’s performance, then one more practice before we head to the airport,” I remind the troupe.

“Oh, man,” groans Kenny. “Just be sure Jane has her coffee first. I need for her to be in a good mood.”

The rest of the troupe laughs in agreement as they head to their dressing rooms.

Nodding my head in acknowledgement, I turn away from the group to head to my own private dressing room. As soon as I walk in the door, I kick off the stilettos I’ve been dancing in for the last two hours. Tonight’s show in Philadelphia was amazing; it was even more packed than the one in Cincinnati. I can still hear the crowd chanting in my head as I walk over to the suede couch and plop down on it. I love performing, but dancing in stilettos all night makes my feet feel like they’re on fire.

After hours of singing my heart out, I could use a nice, cool, refreshing bottle of water. I glance around the room, but there isn’t a single bottle of Evian in sight. I grab the phone on the end table and dial zero, hoping someone is around to pick up. The phone rings for a bit, and I start to lose hope, but then suddenly, I hear a voice on the other line.

“Good evening. This is customer service; how can I help you?” a man on the other end of the phone says.

“Hi, yes. This is Nikki Minx. Would it be possible for someone to bring a few bottles of Evian to my dressing room?” I ask.

“Yes, Miss Minx, and we do apologize that there weren’t any bottles of water in your dressing room after your performance. I’ll be sure to send someone right away with a few bottles for you.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Minx. Have a wonderful evening,” he says.

“You too,” I reply as I hang up.

I stretch out on the couch and lie down for a bit, closing my eyes as I try to relax.

Leo’s performance tonight was outstanding, and for the second night in a row, I stared at him in amazement as he sang exactly the way I feel about him inside. Every love ballad that flowed from his lips made my heart sink. I couldn’t take my eyes off him; I wanted to be in his embrace.

I’m starting to feel like I’m losing my mind. He’s all I ever think about. Luckily, he doesn’t have a clue about the way he makes me feel. If he knew how hard he makes my heart beat every time he’s near, he’d probably think I’m just some teenage girl pining for him, but this feels like more than just a crush. As silly as it sounds, I wonder if I’m falling for him. I don’t know how I’m supposed to control the feelings he stirs up in me.

---