tightening in her stomach that resembled guilt. Sort of like the time
she’d wished her co-opener would get the stomach flu that was going around so
Elle could extend her set. “Being a dad?”
“Sure.” Tia rearranged her ponytail. “He’s
a family man. He loves kids, hearth, home, and all that.” She laughed. “I sound
like one of those feel-good novels I read when I want to escape real life.”
Elle could imagine Caleb living that life,
but it was so far removed from her own reality. “I worry that he’s wasting his
time with me.”
“Why do you say that?” Tia asked, looking
concerned.
“I’m sure you’re right about the kind of
guy Caleb is. You know him better than I do, but everything he’s said and done
leads me to believe he’s looking for a woman who wants the same things he does.
That’s just not me.” She smiled when Caleb swept the youngest girl up in his
strong arms and pretended he was going to toss her into the ocean.
“You two obviously have amazing chemistry,”
Tia said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look at anyone the way he looks at
you, and I’ve known him almost as long as I’ve known Ewan.”
Elle thought about the fact they couldn’t
keep their hands off each other. In the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen… it didn’t
matter. “But that’s not enough to sustain a relationship. I’m going back out on
the road soon. When I do, I’ll have to say good-bye to him.”
“Why? What makes you think he wouldn’t wait
for you?”
Elle smiled at her new friend’s naiveté. “I
spend the better part of my life on the road, and I wouldn’t have it any other
way. Asking Caleb to wait for me would be like asking him to put his life on
hold indefinitely. I can’t do that, and you wouldn’t want that for him, would
you?”
Tia looked torn. “I guess not. It’s not
fair though. He finally meets a great girl, and you two can’t be together
because of your career.” She put her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, I
shouldn’t have said that. Of course your career should be your top priority.
You’re a bloody megastar with fans all over the world.”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far.” Elle
squeezed Tia’s hand. “But thank you for understanding. I just don’t want you
and Ewan to hate me for leading him on because that’s not what I’m trying to
do.”
“I know you’d never do that.”
“I tried to tell him it would never work,”
Elle said, thinking about their talk. “But when it came down to it, I wasn’t
ready to let him go. How selfish it that?”
Tia tucked her legs under her and pulled
her long sundress over her legs. “You’re not selfish. We all want a little piece
of happiness. That’s only natural.”
“I should be happy with my life as it is. I
shouldn’t be looking for more when I can’t have more.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve always tried to keep my relationships
casual since that’s the best thing for my career.”
“But it’s different with Caleb?”
“I just feel like I’m getting in too deep,
and it scares me,” Elle said. “We could never have a normal life together, and
that’s obviously what he wants. But whenever I think about cutting ties with
him, I get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What’s that about?”
Tia grinned. “Sounds like love to me.”
That word again, the same one that had been
taunting Elle since she laid eyes on Caleb. “More like lust “
“I’ve experienced love, and I’ve
experienced lust,” Tia said, looking amused. “I think I can tell the
difference. When you’re in lust, you don’t look at someone that way.”
Elle hadn’t even realized she was fixated
on Caleb until Tia’s comment forced her to tear her eyes away. “It’s just that
I haven’t been with anyone like that in a while.”
“And that’s the only reason?” Tia asked.
“Great sex?”
Elle giggled when she felt a blush creep up
her neck. It hadn’t been that long since she’d
she’d wished her co-opener would get the stomach flu that was going around so
Elle could extend her set. “Being a dad?”
“Sure.” Tia rearranged her ponytail. “He’s
a family man. He loves kids, hearth, home, and all that.” She laughed. “I sound
like one of those feel-good novels I read when I want to escape real life.”
Elle could imagine Caleb living that life,
but it was so far removed from her own reality. “I worry that he’s wasting his
time with me.”
“Why do you say that?” Tia asked, looking
concerned.
“I’m sure you’re right about the kind of
guy Caleb is. You know him better than I do, but everything he’s said and done
leads me to believe he’s looking for a woman who wants the same things he does.
That’s just not me.” She smiled when Caleb swept the youngest girl up in his
strong arms and pretended he was going to toss her into the ocean.
“You two obviously have amazing chemistry,”
Tia said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look at anyone the way he looks at
you, and I’ve known him almost as long as I’ve known Ewan.”
Elle thought about the fact they couldn’t
keep their hands off each other. In the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen… it didn’t
matter. “But that’s not enough to sustain a relationship. I’m going back out on
the road soon. When I do, I’ll have to say good-bye to him.”
“Why? What makes you think he wouldn’t wait
for you?”
Elle smiled at her new friend’s naiveté. “I
spend the better part of my life on the road, and I wouldn’t have it any other
way. Asking Caleb to wait for me would be like asking him to put his life on
hold indefinitely. I can’t do that, and you wouldn’t want that for him, would
you?”
Tia looked torn. “I guess not. It’s not
fair though. He finally meets a great girl, and you two can’t be together
because of your career.” She put her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, I
shouldn’t have said that. Of course your career should be your top priority.
You’re a bloody megastar with fans all over the world.”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far.” Elle
squeezed Tia’s hand. “But thank you for understanding. I just don’t want you
and Ewan to hate me for leading him on because that’s not what I’m trying to
do.”
“I know you’d never do that.”
“I tried to tell him it would never work,”
Elle said, thinking about their talk. “But when it came down to it, I wasn’t
ready to let him go. How selfish it that?”
Tia tucked her legs under her and pulled
her long sundress over her legs. “You’re not selfish. We all want a little piece
of happiness. That’s only natural.”
“I should be happy with my life as it is. I
shouldn’t be looking for more when I can’t have more.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve always tried to keep my relationships
casual since that’s the best thing for my career.”
“But it’s different with Caleb?”
“I just feel like I’m getting in too deep,
and it scares me,” Elle said. “We could never have a normal life together, and
that’s obviously what he wants. But whenever I think about cutting ties with
him, I get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What’s that about?”
Tia grinned. “Sounds like love to me.”
That word again, the same one that had been
taunting Elle since she laid eyes on Caleb. “More like lust “
“I’ve experienced love, and I’ve
experienced lust,” Tia said, looking amused. “I think I can tell the
difference. When you’re in lust, you don’t look at someone that way.”
Elle hadn’t even realized she was fixated
on Caleb until Tia’s comment forced her to tear her eyes away. “It’s just that
I haven’t been with anyone like that in a while.”
“And that’s the only reason?” Tia asked.
“Great sex?”
Elle giggled when she felt a blush creep up
her neck. It hadn’t been that long since she’d
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