Page 31 of Meant To Be - Irresistible Bachelors

I wish I didn’t have to leave him in bed alone, but I didn’t have a choice. Kenny was already on his way up to my room, and there was no way I could stall for more time.

I wish we could just come out in the open and say that we’re together. Two of my dancers are dating, and they’re madly in love with each other. It warms my heart to watch them put their love on display and not have to hide it from anyone. I wish things could be that way between Leo and me, but I’m afraid of what will happen once our relationship is revealed. What my friends and family will say, and what impact that will have on our rapport.

I value how beautiful our connection is in private, and I’m not ready to share it with the world just yet. I don’t want the tabloids gossiping about us and paparazzi cameras flashing in my face every time we go on a date.

It’s hard being in love when you’re a superstar. Your relationship is no longer just your own. Everyone thinks they have a claim to it, and there’s little to no privacy. I don’t want the outside world to ruin what Leo and I are building together. It’s sacred to me, and I don’t want trashy magazines ruining what we have.

But truth be told, even though I’m worried about what my friends and family will think of the age difference between me and Leo, I’m not ashamed of our relationship. All I want is for it to be just ours for a little while longer. I don’t want the potentially harsh opinions of others to make us question our love for each other. I know that eventually, pictures of us together will leak to the press, but until then, it’s our little secret.

I stop jogging near a park and place my hands on my knees as I try to catch my breath. Kenny stops next to me and leans against a streetlight. We both breathe heavily as sweat drips down our faces. He wipes the sweat off his forehead as he tries to catch his breath.

“Thank God. I thought you were never going to stop,” he pants.

I giggle as I watch him fan himself with his hand.

“I guess that’s enough for today,” I announce.

“Good, I was about to pass out,” he huffs as he steps onto the curb and waves his arm in the air.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Getting us a taxi,” he answers, eyebrows raised. “You didn’t think we were walking back to the hotel, did you?”

A cab slowly comes to a stop in front of us. Kenny flings the door open and steps to the side to let me in.

I adjust my sunglasses as I climb into the back of the taxi. Hopefully, the driver doesn’t recognize me. He glances at me in the rearview mirror, but he doesn’t show any sign that he knows who I am. I let out a sigh of relief. Kenny crawls into the backseat next to me and closes the door.

“Where to?” the driver asks.

“The Edgemont, please,” Kenny says.

“Okay.”

Releasing the brake, the driver pulls away from the curb.

Maybe Leo is still asleep, and I can crawl back into bed with him. I glance at the time on the dashboard – it’s seven in the morning. He usually sleeps until about eight, so that should give me enough time to take a quick shower and then lie back down next to him. I just want to be held in his embrace for a few more minutes before we have to get up and pretend we’re nothing more than friends.

Hopefully, he hasn’t left the bed yet. I want to curl up beside him and lay my head on his chest. If he’s already up and moving, I’ll have to wait until after the concert to feel his touch again. It’s only a few hours, but it’ll feel like an eternity.

I stare out the window as we ride through Vancouver. I’ve only been away from him for about an hour, and I already miss him. The tour ends in three weeks. What am I going to do when I fly back to Hollywood and he goes back to Nashville? I try to block that thought out of my mind and only focus on the here and now. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but for now, I’m going to bask in my happiness.

14

Nikki

“With your hips, this dress would be perfect on you,” Kenny proclaims as he points to a revealing, skin-tight, red dress in a fashion magazine.

“That dress is way too short,” I state as I stare at the picture. “I could never wear something like that.”

I take a bite of the juicy double cheeseburger in front of me. I begged Rocky to run to my favorite burger spot in Houston and order the double patty sandwich, a large fry, and a vanilla milkshake.

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