“Is it lonely?”
“It can be,” he answers honestly. “It wasn’t too bad when I was traveling with Forever Now—in fact, most of the time I longed for solitude—but it’s going to be different now that I’m on my own.”
I send a tiny splash his way. “Poor rich boy singer.”
“Did you splash me while I was having a manly sensitive moment?” he teases.
“No,” I answer, my face the picture of innocence as I send even more water his way.
He laughs and swims toward me, looking as if he’s about to retaliate. “Tell me, Harper, can you swim?”
I squeal and dart away, but he’s faster than I am.
He grabs me around the middle and tickles my side. “Is that a yes or a no?”
“Yes,” I gasp, pushing against him. It’s becoming difficult not to suck up water because I’m laughing so hard.
“Good.” He then throws me across the pool.
I shriek as I come crashing back to the water. My arms and legs flail in the most ungraceful way, and I make one heck of a splash.
We carry on for a while longer, and it’s terribly therapeutic. The stress of the bake-off is far behind me, back in Colorado where it belongs.
Thoroughly exhausted, we end up in the hot tub, stretching our tired limbs and resting our heads on the ledge. Mason tells me more about his family, and he asks me questions about mine.
We talk about everything and nothing, and I haven’t the slightest idea what time it is until one of the hotel’s night attendants comes to check on us and announces it’s nearing two in the morning.
It’s been so enjoyable, I’m reluctant to leave.
Mason waits for me outside the dressing room, propped up next to the wall. He smiles in an easy way when he sees me, like I’m familiar. Like he’s smiled at me his entire life.
It makes my chest tighten, and my limbs feel light and fluid. Mason escorts me all the way back to my room, and we stop outside the door.
The day catches up with me, and unable to stop myself, I yawn. “Sorry,” I say with a laugh.
He takes my hand and squeezes it. “I’m going to go so you can get to bed. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
My entire attention is on our entwined fingers.
“Will I see you before the show?” I ask.
“Probably not. We have to be there by nine for the stage rehearsal.” He rubs his thumb over mine. “But I have a few surprises for you tomorrow—ones I think you’ll like. Yvonne will bring you backstage after the show.”
It takes a moment for his last words to process. “Backstage? Where is the show?”
He suppresses a grin. “Radio City Music Hall.”
Gaping at him, I whisper, “I actually get to go backstage at the Radio City Music Hall?”
“You sure do.”
“And I can’t tell a soul because I’ll get kicked off the bake-off for ‘fraternizing’ with the host,” I say, groaning.
“Only this time.”
He looks like he’s about to leave. Slowly, testing in the sweetest way, he leans close and brushes a kiss against my cheek.
I blink at Mason, overwhelmed by how right it feels. Before I can overthink my actions, I reach for him. Immediately, he cups the back of my neck, gently pulling me close. My eyes are locked on his, and then they flutter closed. The smell of pool water clings to him, and his hair is still wet.
