Winning Moves (Stepping Up 3)

“David got approval this morning to work here in Vegas from the production location for the live shows until we start filming. He’ll be around if Ronnie needs him, too. He says he’s happy to help if it will get me to slow down.”

“Your own personal bodyguard,” Kat said with approval. “I can see you enjoying that.”

“Don’t you know it,” Ellie agreed.

“This is all good,” Kat said. “It really is.”

“I know,” she chimed quickly. “And I do get carried away. It’s better that I’ll have David here to tie me down if needed.” She laughed and Kat heard her add, “I didn’t mean that literally, David,” before she spoke into the phone again. “I’ve told David that even if you aren’t here, now that the show is together, I won’t need to work around the clock. David’s still waiting for a call back about you and I switching places.”

“Jason talked to one of the studio executives at eight this morning,” Kat said. “He thinks it’s going to happen.”

After a few more seconds of chatter, Kat said goodbye to Ellie and ended the call. Jason gave her an inquiring look. “This is all starting to sound too good to be true,” Kat told him.

Jason zipped his bag and settled onto the bed, taking her with him. “Don’t you think we deserve ‘too good to be true’ after everything we’ve been through?”

“Yeah,” she said, running her fingers through his hair. “I do.”

“The way I see it,” he continued, the playfulness in his voice barely masking the rasp of desire in its depths. “I have an hour and thirty minutes to try my best to get enough of you to last through my Denver trip.” He brushed his mouth over hers, slid his tongue past her lips and teased her with a quick taste of masculine spice before he added, “It’s never going to be enough.”

His kiss was passionate, deep, dragging her into escape. The last thing she remembered beyond pure bliss for at least an hour and twenty-nine minutes was thinking how hard it was going to be to watch him get on that plane.

* * *

KAT’S FEELINGS WERE in knots when she and Jason walked hand in hand through the airport and stopped in front of the security area. Thankfully though, due to the private, studio-owned plane that Jason was flying on, Kat was able to make it to this point in the airport. She’d take every extra second she could get with him. They had yet to receive studio approval for Kat to fill-in for Ellie and travel with Jason.

Jason dropped his baseball hat and sunglasses in a bin to be x-rayed. Both items were used as a disguise and meant to prevent unwanted attention. He’d grumbled the explanation when she’d inquired, and made his dislike of having to hide from the press evident. I don’t mind fans, he’d said. It’s the paparazzi that drive me crazy.

Kat watched Jason put his boots and belt back on, and tuck his glasses and hat into the bag he carried.

“Jason,” she said. Anything else she might have added slid away, and they were lost in each other’s eyes. Neither one of them made any attempt to move, and Kat felt like her chest was going to explode with the swell of emotion.

“I don’t want to go,” he said, his voice low, rough with his own dose of emotion. “I’m not going to go.”

He meant it. She saw it in his face, heard it in his voice. He was going to do something crazy, like ruin his reputation with the studio. “I don’t want you to go, but you have to.” She took her hand in his, and tugged him along. “Let’s go and get this over with so you can come home.” A large clock hanging from above a desk at one of the gates caught Kat’s attention. “You leave in ten minutes. We are really pushing it.”

“Kat,” he repeated, stopping near his gate and pulling her to face him, his hands on her shoulders. “I—”

“Sir,” the attendant said. “We’re ready to get you on board and prepare for takeoff. We have another stop on the way to Denver.”

“I’ll be right there,” Jason said.

“You have to go,” Kat urged. “They’re waiting on you and we both know this is necessary. I’m fine, Jason. It’s a few weeks that will protect your career. And in case you start thinking too hard on that plane, I don’t think you’re choosing your career over me, and I regret ever saying that to you. You’re doing this for us. I know that.”

A muscle in his jaw flexed. “I’m going to leave but I’m coming back.”

“I know,” she said, lacing her words with confidence, determined to be strong right up until the second he was on that plane and out of sight. Afterward, she was fairly certain that she was going to have her second meltdown, like the one when Marcus had shown up.