This One Moment (Pushing Limits, #1)(23)

“I swear I’ve got this,” he said, voice low. “Everything’s gonna be all right. I promise.”

Giving him privacy, I left to get ready for work. Mom had texted at some point this morning to check up on me.

I’m fine, I told her. I just need things to get back to normal, then everything will be great.

Maybe Dad and I should cancel the Mexican cruise. She was referring to the trip they were going on after Christmas. She’d been counting down the days before she could trade the cold for the heat. Who could blame her?

Don’t you dare cancel!!!! Honestly, I’m fine.

If you’re certain…

Absolutely! But in case she wasn’t totally convinced, I’d speak with Dad later and make sure she couldn’t talk him into canceling their plans on my behalf. They deserved this break together.

Nolan, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, was in the tiny kitchen when I emerged freshly showered a short while later. The shower helped a little, but not as much as the smell of coffee waiting for me.

Nolan handed me a steaming mug and I almost kissed him, but for a different reason than last night.

I sipped it, and a satisfied smile slipped onto my face. “You remembered how I like it.” Nolan as my roommate came with definite perks. Although if I had any more sleepless nights like last night, I’d need a lot more than a simple mug of coffee.

His gaze scanned my body, and he frowned. “Why are you dressed like you’re gonna play soccer?”

“Not soccer. Work.” I worked in a sports training facility, thanks to my kinesiology degree. It was mostly to gain experience so I could apply to get into a physical therapy education program. Because of that, I had several part-time jobs there, including working with special-needs kids.

Nolan’s frown deepened. “You sure you don’t want to take a few more days off?”

“I’m fine. Really.” I was still sore, but nothing that would cause me too much trouble at work. I just needed to get away for a bit from Nolan and my feelings for him. Returning to work was the best way to do this.

He gave me the patented cut-the-crap look he used to save for whenever I’d tried lying to him. “Great. Then I’m going with you.”

“I already told you I don’t need a babysitter.”

“And I already told you I’m not signing up for the job. I’m going to work out. Remember? I need to keep in shape or else this all turns to flab.” He patted his rock hard abs. “And flabby rock stars are not all the craze right now.”

I snorted a laugh. “I don’t think you have to worry about it while you’re here. It’s not like you’ll be in Northbridge long enough to become flabby.” I tried not to think about those abs, which I’d seen last night. I did my best—but failed.

After a quick breakfast, Nolan drove me to the sports center, even though I’d insisted I was fine enough to drive myself. Neither of us mentioned the kiss. In fact, Nolan acted as though we hadn’t kissed at all. He kissed girls all the time. Kissing me was no big deal. It was just one of those rock-star perks that came with his job. He got to kiss whomever he wanted, whenever he wanted, the girl’s feelings for him be damned.

I was nothing more than one of those girls.

The sports center lobby area was busy with the early-morning crowd. Some individuals were hitting the gym before work. Others were in one of the intensive, sport-specific training programs offered here. The center catered to all levels of athletes, young and old.

And that’s when it happened.

By “it,” I meant the effect Nolan had on the female persuasion. With the celebrity alert system wired into their brains going berserk, a half dozen girls suddenly looked in our direction. They eyed him like he was a juicy steak they craved after a week of chowing down on nothing but lettuce leaves. I braced myself for the fangirl screams. It was far too early in the morning for that.

Who was I kidding? The only good time for that level of fan enthusiasm was…never.

Fortunately, we were spared from going deaf. They just stared at him as if he was a delusion brought on from not enough caffeine in their systems.

Recovering first, two high-fashion-model wannabes sashayed toward us, their moves graceful yet predatory. Neither girl seemed aware she had competition also stalking her prey. Like a lioness going in for the kill, each was focused on one thing and one thing only. I wasn’t even sure they noticed me walking alongside Nolan. Which was just as well. I didn’t want to be considered part of the equation, an element they were eager to eradicate.

Both were tall and gorgeous, with shiny blond hair cascading down their backs. They could’ve just stepped off the pages of a fashion shoot. Next to these two, I was invisible. Cute, but invisible.

“Oh my God,” Blonde #1 said. The only difference between her and Blonde #2 was their eye color. Blonde #1 had pale blue eyes; Blonde #2’s eyes were amber. “You’re Tyler Erickson.”

“That’s right.” Nolan smiled at the two girls. It wasn’t the same smile that had graced his lips last night. This smile was the polite smile you gave your fans…when you weren’t seducing them out of their panties.

Blonde #1 read a different message in the smile—a message that apparently said, Please stroke my chest and abs.

Nolan stepped away, not a huge amount, but enough to break her contact with his body. I turned my head so she didn’t catch me grinning.