Pick Me by Kristine Mason Page B

Don’t disappoint me.”
    *
    Colt let the truck idle at the stop sign on the darkened corner of Valentina’s street, and stared at the bright red tail lights of a white van parked in front of her building. Seconds passed, then the van drove off in the opposite direction. As it turned the next corner, a street light allowed him a brief glimpse of the Pick Me logo etched on the side. He released a deep breath. Lucky timing. The last thing he needed was for any of Pick Me’s people to see him. If they did, they might start asking questions, find out that he and Valentina had known each other prior to the show, then boot them both. While he wouldn’t mind being booted from the show, he knew how important it was to Valentina. He also knew once the show ended, she’d leave Dallas. He’d rather suffer through this ridiculous dating game for the next four weeks, and share her with the other bachelors, than see her leave earlier than planned.
    Gritting his teeth, he pulled into the parking garage across from her apartment. He didn’t want to share, and knowing Valentina had a date with Trent tonight made him jealous. While she’d told him that the only man who would be touching her was him, he still didn’t like the idea of another man spending time with her. What a waste. If she hadn’t been so hell bent on doing the show, they could have gone out tonight. Spent some quality time together and maybe actually found a bed this time.
    He parked the truck on the second level of the dimly lit parking garage, where he had a perfect view of her apartment. Last night, after Ruger had left, Colt had decided he needed to be in Dallas. He needed to be near Valentina if he was going to find a way to coax her into sticking around after the show ended. Now that he was here, the plan sounded plain dumb. She’d just wrapped up a date with another guy. She had no idea he planned to surprise her tonight. Would she be surprised? Happy? Pissed? Maybe he should have picked up some flowers or something. Hell, maybe he should have at least come up with a legitimate excuse to see her. A good excuse might soften her attitude—if she gave him one. 
    You could turn around and head home. Wait for your scheduled date with her.
    That he could, but he didn’t want to. He had another two days before he was supposed to see her again. Besides, he liked Valentina, and not just for the sex. She had a cool inner strength he admired, a sense of humor he could relate to, and just being near her calmed him. When he’d first met her in Denver, he’d considered himself fortunate. He’d had a gorgeous woman to ease the loneliness he’d been feeling, and give him a hot night to remember. Only it wasn’t just another hot night to tuck away in his memory bank and recall when the loneliness set in again.
    Since that night, he’d never been the same. Hell, he couldn’t look at a woman without comparing her to Valentina. He didn’t know why. Just knew whatever had happened in Denver had changed him. He only wished she wouldn’t have left him in the Mile High city, high and dry with nothing but those memories.
    Yesterday, after they’d had sex in the woods, he’d wanted to ask her why she’d snuck away in the middle of the night six months ago. The blissful satisfaction on her face had kept his mouth shut. Maybe he didn’t want to know. Then again, maybe coming here tonight and putting up with the show were both lame attempts at bolstering his bruised ego. No woman had ever walked away from him. All the others had clung to him, searching, seeking more, something, anything. Now he was the one searching, seeking more, and while Valentina had made it clear she wanted him, it was only for the sex. Why? Why was she denying them the chance at something good, something real?
    He leaned against his truck. Stared hard at her apartment’s darkened windows, trying to come up with one valid excuse for being here tonight, and contemplating whether or not he should