as you are. There's no one else I'd rather share my secrets with.”
Arial was glad when he kept speaking so she didn't feel obligated to give a reply. Words were not forming in her mind, like the whole thing had become nothing more than mush. Swallowing, she risked looking up at him. His olive eyes were wide and intense as he gazed back down at her. He leaned in towards her, his lips grazing her cheek, and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Really kiss her because he wanted it and not because a script told him to. Her disappointment mixed with relief when he placed his face next to her ear instead.
“You're amazing, Ari,” he whispered. “We could —”
Arial placed a tentative finger to his lips, not wanting him to finish. The what-if of them being together had always been something she'd fantasized about. For years she'd wanted to hear him say there was a possibility, but he was drunk. In the morning he might not remember, let alone feel the same way. His drunken confession needed to be nipped in the bud before it caused her imagination to spiral out of control. It was better for her not to know than to be disappointed.
“I think you need to get some sleep or you'll have a nasty hangover,” she said softly. “Come on, I'll help you get into bed.”
He shook his head. “No, I don't want to have you like this. Even if I do love you so much, you deserve your first time to be special.”
She laughed, trying not to focus on the fact that he'd just said he loved her. “Relax, that's not what I meant. I just want to make sure your shoes don't trip you again on your way to the bedroom.”
“I'm not wearing my shoes.”
“Your socks, then. It could be a conspiracy.”
“Oh,” he muttered. He licked his lips, moistening them, before kissing her cheek.
Without another word, he let her walk him back to his bedroom. The boxes from his trailer covered the floor. More pictures were on the wall and on the dresser. Photography had always been important to him, or maybe it was the preservation of the memories he cared for most of all. Arial couldn't think of many guys who kept so many pictures in their home. Half of the frames on his dresser were face down. The picture of his mother lay on the bed covers. She quickly moved it before he could see it, not wanting him to notice the picture and possibly get upset.
He pulled off his suit jacket and began unbuttoning his white shirt right in front of her. While she'd seen his chiseled, solid abdomen, she didn't want to gaze at it under these conditions. Placing a hand on his back, she steered him to the bathroom. Then she found a pair of pants comfortable for sleeping in and a plain white undershirt for him to wear. He mumbled his gratitude before closing the door. While he changed, she turned down the covers to his bed.
It didn't take Bryce long to change. The suit had been attractive. She'd never complain about seeing him dressed in his finest. Seeing him as normal was just as nice, though. He was a human being, and a beautiful one at that. She was happy to have gotten the chance to know him. What was going to happen now that they were done working together? Would he keep his promise to stay friends, or would they slowly drift apart like so many other people she'd met in the business?
“I can't lose him,” she whispered.
The door to the bathroom opened. Silently, she moved to Bryce's side to help him into bed. She took the time to tuck him in, making sure the covers were nice and tight against his chest.
He gave her a drowsy smile. “Stay.”
Oh, how she wanted to. To curl up next to him in the bed and hold him through the night and kiss his pain away. But she knew it would be wrong. Still, something else inside of her urged her to not go as well. The part of her that wanted to take care of him. What if something happened in the middle of the night? He could get sick or try to leave again.
Arial gently kissed his forehead. “I'll be in the other room if you need me.”
“All night?”
She nodded. “All night.”
With a smile, he relaxed under the covers. His green eyes