Once more, they were left to wait out the segment. Belle didn’t want Darius to leave, it was too hard to talk to Erik and not do what she wanted most, to kiss him. She’d made herself clear except the waters had become muddier and the path forward harder to see. “Darius, how is Irina?”
He raised a startled brow. From the way he averted his gaze, he was embarrassed at being called out. “I’m assuming she’s doing fine.”
“Just assuming?” Erik asked, flashing an amused grin.
Her heart cracked a tiny bit more at the way his eyes lit up, the powerful feel of his body beside her. The ease in which he held himself.
“Fine. She’s doing fine.” Darius rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You two are going to be the death of me.”
“Us?” Belle shared a smile with Erik, the comradery they’d developed feeling natural and right.
“Disabling my cameras was genius.” Darius laid the microphone in his lap and adjusted his cuff link. “I have a feeling that what we lost on camera was juicy as hell.”
It was steamy to be sure but she’d never admit that to him. It was too personal and a memory that got her body heated to this day. Sex with Erik would be hard to top with any other guy. And right now, she had no desire to find someone else. Crazy. “We talked.” After the sex, but they’d talked. It wasn’t exactly a lie.
“Um…hm, talked.” He wasn’t buying what she was selling but she didn’t care. Now that the pressure of the contract was off, she could speak her mind to him.
“Irina and I talked as well.” Not about anything huge but Darius didn’t know that. It would be nice to see him squirm for once.
“She’s something.” By the way his face became animated, she meant more to him than he was letting on. “She’s the next and last bachelorette.”
“The last? I thought the ratings were up?” Belle didn’t know how she felt about that. The show had been a big part of her life for a long time. Call it nostalgia. After this summer, she hadn’t planned on watching it anyway. But still…
“They are but I’m ready to move on. Without me, there’s no show.” He shrugged and offered a sad smile. “The end of an era but we all have to move on. Don’t we?”
“In a sense, yes,” Erik said. “I wish you good luck. I didn’t always agree with the direction you wanted to push me but it made for great television.”
“That’s what show business is all about.” Darius pressed his finger to his ear. “And we’re back in 5, 4, 3… Welcome back. Which cake should Erik and Belle choose? The vanilla with the buttercream? Chocolate and vanilla swirl, or the cupcake tree? Be sure to vote on our website.”
The cake tasting had been a blast because of Kendra. She’d be fist-pumping the air about now after the segment showed her.
“Erik, what made you choose Belle over Irina?” Darius asked.
Belle inhaled a slow, steady breath, the smile pasted on her lips. She’d seen this interview show fourteen times and should have expected this question. It didn’t make it any less hard. What story had Erik came up with? Or more likely, what story did the producers come up with? It was scripted, she had to remember that. Her earlier softening toward Darius hardened once more.
“Irina and I made a connection and I enjoyed her company. We had fun together. But there was one key factor.” Erik took her hand again, his fingers strong and warm. What she wouldn’t give if all this was real. “She wasn’t Belle.”
Darius nodded and glanced from Erik to Belle. “The heart wants what the heart wants?”
“Truer words couldn’t be spoken. Belle is special in a way that I don’t have the words to describe.” He curled his fingers tighter with hers and cleared his throat. “She is the only woman for me. She puts up with my bad jokes.”
“Really bad jokes.” Oh God, here come the waterworks. The smile trembled on her lips. She wasn’t going to cry but play along. The show was almost over. She could do this. And then what? Stay in the now.
Amusement sparked his eyes, along with a greater emotion that stole her breath. “And she laughs at them, which is even more amazing.”
He leaned close; his free arm draped across the cushion behind her. She relaxed back into his hardness, every nerve in her body alive.
“She’s kind and giving. Pretty much everything a man could ask for. And she’s gorgeous—an added bonus. Mainly it’s her head that I love.”
“My head?” she asked, the words coming out shaky and a bit raw as the word love sunk in. This was all for show yet it felt real.
“What’s inside of it and what’s outside of it.” He rested his head against hers for a brief second. “Those eyes, those lips, that hair. Belle is the complete package.”
“Thank you, Erik. That was very sweet,” she said, glancing behind, and up at him.
“It’s true.” He kissed her cheek and rubbed his thumb over her knuckle.
If only things had turned out differently, she and Erik might truly be a couple. The spark of lust was what had driven them. It was still there. Chemistry was hard to find but it could never be mistaken for a greater emotion. Like love. He’d said the word but he didn’t mean it. This was all part of his career goals. She’d bought into the lie herself. For a car and some cash, she’d given her soul to a man who didn’t want it.
