Unscripted Love: The Complete Reality TV Romance Collection

by Heather Thurmeier

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “Really, it’s not that hard. One foot in front of the other.”

  “It’s because my new boobs stick out so much,” she said looking down into her massive cleavage. “They’ve thrown my whole center of gravity off balance.”

  “There wasn’t that much to push out. How could they throw you off so much? Want me to stuff a cookie or two into the straps near your shoulder blades to balance you out?”

  Zoe’s voice might sound sweet and innocent but Paige heard the sarcasm in it.

  “Very funny.”

  Behind her, Evan snorted out a laugh.

  Oh, yes. Cassidy would hear about this.

  • • •

  Miles tried not to let his frustration show while resting on a park bench facing out to the Hudson River. This should have been one of the easier caches to reach, but the length they’d had to walk from the car was grueling. Not only was it long, it was hot as hell today too.

  Ben had been doing his best during the entire first week of the competition, but even still, they were far behind most of the other teams in their cache count with a mere thirty. No matter how well they thought they’d done each day, when they’d returned to camp, there would inevitably be some other team who had gotten at least double the number of caches they had. Usually it was Team Firefighters, although a couple of other teams were doing really well too.

  Then there were teams like Zoe and Paige who also seemed to be struggling a bit with the caches, coming in at only about forty for the first week. But they were most likely still figuring out how to work together since they’d been thrown into this thing so suddenly. Once they got their groove going, they’d pick up the pace too and then it would only be Ben and Miles left at the back of the pack.

  “I’m doing the best I can, I swear,” Ben said quietly. He splashed his face with bottled water and looked up to the sky.

  “I know you are. This is way harder than it sounded.”

  “Not for the other teams.”

  “Depends on the team.”

  “The good ones are getting a ton of caches. I really think there’s no way for us to catch up. We may as well give up now.”

  Miles head shot up from where he’d had it resting in his hands. “No way. We’re not giving up. We have as much chance of winning as anyone else.”

  Ben shook his head. “We don’t. This is a waste of our time. We’re never going to win.”

  Miles felt sick. This was not the same Ben he knew. This was some other guy who was beat down and broken. “Was it a waste of our time when we hit the peak of K2 just because there was no one there to give us a million dollars?”

  “That’s different and you know it.”

  “Except it isn’t different.” Miles shook his head. He had to find a way to get through to Ben. He had to find a way to prove there was something worthwhile about completing what they set out to do, regardless of whether or not they won. “Damn it, Ben. This doesn’t even have to be about winning. Proving we can do it is enough. Together. Like we used to.”

  Ben stared out at the river, saying nothing for few minutes. He stood and started down the path again. “Well, get up. We’re not going to prove anything with you lazing around all day without a care in the world.”

  Miles smiled, knowing he’d gotten through, at least a little.

  • • •

  “Pull over,” Zoe demanded from the backseat.

  “What’s wrong? You’re not going to throw up or something are you?” Paige swerved to the side of the road and into a free parking spot.

  “Get out. We’re making a pit stop.”

  Paige climbed out of the SUV, wobbling as her spindly heels hit the pavement. Some how she’d managed to forget she had them on while driving, but walking was a whole other story. As she closed the driver’s side door, the weather-stripping rubbed against her newly expanded chest. Thankfully it didn’t leave a mark on her shirt. She didn’t need anything else drawing attention to her boobs.

  “This way,” Zoe said, trotting down the sidewalk.

  “Okay, but to where exactly?” Paige caught up just as Zoe pulled open the front door to a store. “We don’t have time for more shopping. We’ve basically wasted the whole day as it is.”

  “Oh, this isn’t really shopping. It’s more like research.”

  “Research?”

  They stepped through the front door and it took a moment for Paige’s eyes to adjust to the indoor lighting. When it did, she almost wished she couldn’t see. Everywhere she looked, men stood around looking at various outdoor related paraphernalia. Fishing poles, tents, and an entire row of rifles lining one wall.

  Paige grabbed Zoe by the arms, turning her until they were face to face. “This isn’t any kind of research we need to do for the game, we already have everything we need provided for us. We’re not even allowed to get any other kinds of equipment, or we’ll be kicked out of the competition.”

  “We’re not here to buy new equipment,” Zoe said with a smile. She popped open the top button on Paige’s shirt, showing off another inch of cleavage. “We’re here to test the equipment we already have. And what better way to do that then with a few guinea pigs?”

  Paige moved to do up the button on her blouse, but Zoe batted her hand away. “You want to get his attention, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but only one specific man’s attention, not a bunch of random guys’.”

  “Trust me. I know Miles — guys like him.” Zoe looked away. “And all of the guys in here are the same. If these guys respond, he will too. Just walk down the aisles and see what happens. I guarantee you’ll turn heads.”

  “I don’t know about this,” Paige protested as Zoe forced her down the first aisle. As predicted, the couple of men immersed in their shopping were now interested in more than bait and lures. And they weren’t too worried about hiding their drool either.

  In the next row over, a man looking at camping tools dropped a small hammer on his foot as they passed. He didn’t even flinch.

  Okay, so maybe Zoe had a point.

  “I think we can go now,” Paige whispered.

  “One more test, just to be sure.” Zoe winked then walked over to counter in front of the rifles. She ignored the gawking men and sidled up to the counter like she belonged there. Paige followed, attempting to mirror Zoe’s attitude and control of the situation. Zoe’s attitude right now was exactly what Paige needed to learn. No time like the present.

  “Can I help you, ladies?” the man behind the counter asked.

  “Sure you can,” Zoe said with a sticky sweet voice. “My friend here is in the market for a new toy. Maybe you can show her a couple to see what she likes the feel of in her hand.”

  What toy? And why did it sound so dirty?

  “How about this one right here?” Zoe clicked her nail against the glass counter top. “Oh, or maybe that one over there. Paige, honey, can you point out the one I mean to the nice gentleman?”

  Paige looked from Zoe to the glass counter. Underneath, handguns of all sizes and colors lay on display. Toys? Hardly. But she would play along if it meant they could get the hell out of here faster.

  “This one?” she asked Zoe, pointing to the tiniest handgun she’d ever seen. It didn’t even look real.

  Zoe shook her head. “No, no. The one over there, way in the corner.”

  Paige slid her hand along the counter, stretching to point at the gun furthest away from her. “This one?”

  “That’s the one. Hold right there while this nice man gets it for you.”

  Paige glanced up to see the man behind the counter frozen in place, his gaze not anywhere near the gun she pointed at. She turned the other way. The men further down the counter stared, watching her too, only their eyes weren’t focused anywhere near her face. Funny,
she’d forgotten just how tight these jeans were until right now when she could feel the back seam riding up between her cheeks.

  She stood straight and resisted the urge to pick her wedgie while waiting for the man to retrieve the gun she had no desire to hold. A low rumbling of conversation began around her again as the other shoppers apparently had decided to remember they had brains rattling around in their heads and not just life-sized googlie eyes.

  “Here you go, honey. Now this is a gun you can be proud to carry.” He put the firearm in her hands, the metal colder and heavier than she’d expected.

  Paige fingered the gun cautiously for a minute. It really did feel strange to hold one. She’d never done that before. She’d never had reason to. “It’s not loaded or anything, right?”

  He chuckled. “That’s right.”

  She took a step back from the counter and gripped the gun like she saw in the movies, standing with her feet slightly apart and her arms outstretched in front of her. “Freeze asshole.” She laughed.

  The sound of something crashing to the floor startled her and she shrieked, almost dropping the gun. One of the men further down the counter crouched on the ground, picking up the pieces of a tackle box that had spilled its contents all over the floor.

  Zoe whispered in Paige’s ear. “You can give the gun back now. I think our research here is conclusive.”

  Chapter Ten

  Miles stretched out in the armchair, his head resting against the back and his feet propped up on the coffee table. It probably wasn’t the most socially acceptable way to sit in a shared space with basically strangers, but he was past the point of caring. After the day he’d had, he needed to relax and not think about anything for a while.

  The day hadn’t been fun or even comfortable with Ben. There’d been no easy camaraderie like he was used to. No inside jokes or laughs of any kind actually. Only hours and hours of walking, driving, and logbook consulting. He’d had dentist visits that had been more fun than today.

  And tonight wasn’t proving to be much better.

  Even though Ben had said he’d keep trying until they reached the end of the competition, he didn’t seem to have much fire in him. It was as if the spark was gone. Fizzled out and replaced with lackluster nothingness. It was probably the worst condition he’d seen him in since right after the accident.

  He raised his head from the back of the chair so he could drink his beer, finding Zoe and Paige chatting quietly with Ben off in the corner of the room at one of the tables.

  What were they up to?

  By the way their heads were all shoved together he had to assume it was something sneaky. Or at least something they didn’t want everyone else to hear. But what?

  Time to find out.

  He pulled himself from the couch and grabbed another cold beer from the kitchen fridge. As he was heading over to join the conspiracy at the table, Eve stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

  “Hey, Miles. You look tired tonight. Want me to give you a massage?” she asked, her eyelashes fluttering.

  Nope.

  “Thanks. That’s really nice of you to offer.” He paused, glancing over to the table where Ben and the girls sat, heads still bowed as if they were conspiring together. Maybe they were. Except for Paige. She might be listening to the others, but her eyes were locked on Eve. If eyes really could shoot daggers, Eve would be painted with a giant bull’s-eye target.

  Jealous? The thought made him smile.

  “Great. Let’s go back to my room so you can get out of that shirt. I have some delicious black raspberry massage oils. They’re edible.” She licked her lips.

  “Eve, you’re a beautiful woman and you make a tempting offer, but I’m not really on the market right now. I hope you understand.” He started to move away from her, trying to ignore the hurt in her eyes.

  Paige had gotten pulled into the conversation with Ben and Zoe again. Whatever they discussed, she found it more interesting than seeing him with Eve. Although you’d never know that by the look she’d shot at him a few seconds ago. Or maybe he’d misread her expression.

  Regardless, he wanted to be a part of their conversation if it involved his partner. When he got to the table, he turned a chair around, straddling it and folding his arms along the back.

  “What are you all whispering about over here?” he asked.

  “Oh good, sleeping beauty finally woke up to grace us with his presence,” Zoe snapped.

  “I see someone’s been hitting the bitch juice pretty hard tonight,” he shot back with a smile. Damn, Zoe pissed him off.

  “Zoe, stop. That’s not going to help us convince him.” Paige looked down at her hands, obviously embarrassed by their little outburst.

  As Paige slammed the door, he noticed she appeared about as tired as he felt. She had dark circles forming under her eyes and her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, a few stray hairs framing her face. It took all the control he had not to reach out and tuck them behind her ear for her.

  Damn. Even tired and in need of a shower, she was smokin’ hot.

  A vision of Paige standing in a steaming shower, rubbing a soap-filled sponge across her chest flickered to life in his brain. A shot of heat spiked through him, hardening him to half-mast instantly. Good thing his jeans were of the baggier variety tonight or his fantasy-induced semi would be on display for the neighboring tables to see.

  Not something he wanted wandering eyes to find. Unless those eyes were deep brown and belonging to the fantasy-inducer herself — she could look all she wanted.

  “Convince me of what?” he asked, addressing everyone at the table and not focusing solely on Paige. She could probably convince him of anything she wanted and all it would take was another moment between her thighs like the other night in the kitchen.

  And there’s full mast.

  “Well,” Paige started, turning her attention on him, “we have a little proposition for you.”

  Yes, sign me up.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m intrigued.”

  Ben gave him the look that said he knew exactly what kind of proposition Miles was hoping for. “They want our help.”

  “It would be a mutual agreement actually. One in which both teams would benefit.” The bitchy tone in Zoe’s voice had disappeared. Good. He was sick of hearing that voice.

  “We thought since both of our teams seem to be falling a little behind the other teams, maybe we’d all benefit from … an alliance.” Paige whispered the last part, leaning in even closer as she did.

  Miles found himself leaning forward too. Intrigued at the thought of an alliance or intrigued because of the beautiful woman?

  “We’re not that bad off,” he said quietly, hoping Ben would back him up. “We checked off another six locations in our logbook today alone.”

  “That’ll help you catch up to the firefighters who are well over a hundred at this point.” Zoe rolled her eyes, like he’d seen her do so many times before. “Well, if you want to keep losing, don’t let us stop you.”

  “You’re not winning either, if my count is correct. You have what, five or ten more than we do.”

  “That’s enough not to come in last.”

  “Possibly. But they said it would come down to point value in the end.” Miles took a swig of his beer and shrugged. Zoe really knew how to get under his skin. “So let’s say I’m entertaining this idea. How would this alliance work?”

  Paige perked up. “We’d work together to find the caches neither of us have done and along the way, if we drive near any caches either of our teams have done, then we’ll stop so that the other team can collect it too. And we’d have four sets of eyes looking for each cache instead of only two. That’s bound to make them easier to find.”

  Miles nodded. Hearing Paige talk strategy was surprisingly h
ot. He enjoyed watching her take on the challenge of figuring out how their teams could work together and so far, it sounded like a pretty decent plan. Working with another team the way she’d specified could help a lot. And he and Ben had talked once before, earlier in the game, about the possibility of allying with another team. But were the girls really their best hope?

  “We were just discussing how the prizes would work for caches we find together first and it seems like alternating the team who opens the cache would solve that little problem just fine. Then it’s fair.”

  Seemed they’d come to an agreement before he’d even gotten to the table. Nice of Ben to consult his teammate. Although, he couldn’t really be mad at Ben. The alliance did sound pretty good. The girls would tip them off to the caches they already knew about, they’d find the rest of them together, hopefully faster, and they’d still get a chance to find some prizes.

  He glanced toward Paige where she sat quietly, waiting while he weighed the possibilities. An alliance with the girls would mean more time spent putting up with Zoe, who was already sufficiently annoying at base camp each night.

  But it also meant spending more time with Paige. And that couldn’t be a bad thing.

  Well, it could be a bad thing if she distracted him so much he couldn’t concentrate on finding the caches. But distraction by Paige certainly felt worth it at the moment.

  And then there was Ben. This could be exactly what Ben needed to get him excited about being in the competition again. This could be the thing that gave him a little push to keep going and not give up all hope of winning. Sure, Miles had wanted to be the one to do that for him, but if he couldn’t, then he still wanted someone else to. Maybe that was Zoe and Paige.

  “Okay, I’m in if Ben is.” If the smiles beaming back at him from around the table were any indication, everyone was happy with their new arrangement. “So what should we do first, allies?”

  “First, we compare logbooks,” Zoe said, flipping theirs open to the first page and sliding it to the middle of the table. The wall-mounted cameras might see what they were doing, but the other teams couldn’t and that was all that mattered. “Then we decide where to begin our search tomorrow.”