Love or Lust

by Rachael Brownell

  “It’s their show, their decision. If it comes down to it, and it’s me or canceling the show, let me leave, guys. I know this is supposed to be fun. Some came here for the money, some for the actual chance for something more. Let me walk away and not destroy it for everyone.”

  “If she goes, I go,” Jace says, his voice closer than I was anticipating. When I open my eyes, I’m staring at a pair of manly feet with perfectly manicured toes.

  “If she goes, we all go,” Lennon’s voice booms. He’s always been soft spoken, which is probably why it startles me to hear the anger laced in his words. “We voted. It’s the way it’s going to be, but Callen has a point. I read the contract front and back. Legally, they can’t eliminate either of you for not playing the game.”

  When I lift my eyes to meet his, he winks at me. Playful Lennon is back. “Law school is finally coming in handy.”

  I should have known. He looked hot as fuck in a suit. It was perfectly tailored to his body. I guarantee his closet is full of similar suits.

  “So, here’s the plan,” Jace says, pulling my attention from Lennon. I guarantee he did that on purpose even after our little chat last night. “We stop talking about it, stop thinking about it, get sloppy drunk and have some fun while we can. We can’t control what they decide, but I can’t imagine they’re going to cancel the show. We may have fucked up their plans a little, but if they’re good at what they do, they’ll find a way to Feng shui the shit.”

  I can’t help the laugh that escapes my lips. “Do you even know what Feng shui is, Jace?”

  “Unfortunately, I do. My last girlfriend was big into it, and she thought the vibe in my house was all wrong, so she worked her ‘magic’ and changed shit around.”

  The guys start snickering at his response, but he doesn’t seem to care. His eyes are locked on mine, and he’s offering me his hand. I take it without thinking twice, without caring that everyone is watching us. Right now, I need the comfort he’s offering me.

  “Drinks!” he announces loudly as he wraps his arm around my waist and guides me to the tiki bar that was set up for us when we arrived today. “What’s it gonna be?” he asks as he releases me and slides behind the counter.

  “I think I’d like a Lusty Lady if you don’t mind,” I say with a wink.

  “Hell yes!” Drake hollers behind me, and then there’s a splash before water sprinkles me down my back.

  “I have a feeling things are going to get crazy with the cameras off for the day,” Lennon says appearing next to me and leaning against the bar with one arm. Jace is busy making my drink, so Lennon takes advantage of the situation and reaches down, taking my hand in his and giving it a light squeeze.

  Twenty minutes later and I’ve been thrown in the pool and Jace is lifting me onto his shoulders. “Let’s go!” he hollers, challenging Lennon and Drake again.

  Bella climbs on Lennon’s shoulder, causing a pang of jealousy to course through me, while Courtney is hoisted onto Drake’s shoulders, a sinister smirk on her face.

  Well, hell. Lennon may have been onto something. No cameras. No inhibitions. Let the games begin. It may be the last day I get to play.

  Courtney and Drake go down first. I have a feeling they were both preoccupied. Bella, on the other hand, seems to be a strong player when it comes to water fighting. She doesn’t back down, and Lennon and Jace are more than happy to let us do all the work. In fact, neither of them helps.

  We wear ourselves out, declaring it a tie instead of continuing on. Tipping myself backward off Jace’s shoulders, I sink to the bottom of the shallow end of the pool and then float there for a few minutes, staring up at his face as he watches. When I finally emerge, pushing my hair out of my face, he pulls me close to his body and wraps his arms around me.

  “I want to kiss you, Presley,” he whispers, his lips brushing against my ear. “I won’t do it in front of everyone else, but I’m warning you that I will kiss you before either of us go home, even if that’s all I get.”

  A shiver runs up my spine at the thought of Jace’s lips against mine. Would they be warm? Soft? Would I invite him in without thinking?

  I’ve been kissed before by multiple people. Gage wasn’t the best, but he wasn’t the worst either. I can only imagine Jace would be more skilled, more in tune with how to sweep a woman off her feet with nothing more than the brush of his lips against mine.

  And I want to find out exactly how skilled he is. Here and now. I also know it isn’t a good idea for a reason. Sure, the cameras aren’t rolling, but there are still eyes on us. Ten sets to be exact, one of those belonging to Lennon.

  I can feel his stare boring into my back as Jace holds me. Jace is making his move, in front of Lennon, and taunting him in the process. Which only means one thing.

  Lennon will make his move as well. Maybe not today, but soon, if he’s given the chance. If I’m not sent home.

  The rest of the afternoon is more laid back. Jace keeps the drinks flowing. While the guys play basketball in the pool, the girls sunbathe and relax, enjoying the show. Because let’s face it. Each is beautiful in his own right. All toned abs and taut muscles. Smiles that know what they do to a woman.

  Laughter and taunting float across the water, the music of the afternoon. Until it comes to an abrupt halt, catching my attention immediately. Pushing my sunglasses to the top of my head, I watch as all six guys slowly swim across the water, then push themselves up on the ledge and out of the pool. Lennon heads my way, a look of determination in his eyes and a sinister smirk on his face.

  Looking left and right, I notice they’re all wearing devilish grins, but only his is focused on me.

  “Pres,” Kyra whispers from next to me as they stalk toward us. “What are they doing?”

  I know exactly what they’re going to do, and nothing is going to stop them. “Pool time,” I state, my voice rising as my breath hitches in my chest.

  Callen swoops in first, scooping Kyra up into his arms as she lets out a startled screech. The rest of the girls are picked up in quick succession, some laughing while others protesting. Lennon stands at the end of my lounger and stares at me, drinking me in.

  His eyes travel up my body, grin growing wider, pausing briefly when they reach my chest. I’m breathing heavily at this point, my chest rising and falling rapidly knowing what’s coming next. When our eyes meet, I plead with him not to toss me in the pool as the first splash sounds. The water is going to feel ice cold after bathing in the sun for so long.

  With the slight shake of his head, Lennon bends down, slides one arm under my legs and the other around my back, and picks me up as if I weighed nothing at all. His skin is still wet from the pool, feeling cool against the heat of mine.

  His eyes never leave mine as he walks us back over to the pool and jumps in the water, still holding me in his arms. The water steals my breath as my head goes under. I open my mouth to gasp, and Lennon tugs me closer, pressing his lips gently against mine before pulling away just as quickly and swimming to the surface, still holding on to me.

  “You guys suck!” Teegan hollers as I break the surface.

  She’d refused to get in the water earlier when the guys wanted to play chicken. So had Natasha. Something about not wanting to get their hair and face wet. My immediate reaction was to roll my eyes. Wet hair can be dried. Makeup can be reapplied.

  Looking over my shoulder, I watch as Natasha swats Milo in the chest as he shares a fist bump with Drake who’s pushing himself out of the pool, attempting to get away from Teegan. He’s almost escaped her wrath when she reaches up, grips his swim trunks, and tugs.

  His pants come down, giving us all a view of everything he’d been hiding, right before he falls in the pool. To my surprise, Teegan apologizes profusely for the next ten minutes with her arms wrapped around his neck. I think someone liked what she saw.

  My first thought is I’m grateful the cameras aren’t rolling right now. We’re all letting loose, having fun. Laughing and actually enjoying
ourselves for a change. Even Kyra has seemed more relaxed today than when she first arrived. It could be the Lusty Ladies she’s been drinking, but I also think she’s finally becoming more comfortable with the situation. It can be overwhelming at first.

  Hell, the thought of coming here had my chest constricting.

  “I think he saw, and for that I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry I kissed you,” Lennon says from behind me, his arms still wrapped around my waist as we stand in the pool, the water resting just beneath my breasts.

  “I’m going to end up kissing him too, you know that, right?”

  I didn’t say it to be mean or start a fight between the two of them. Like I tried to explain to them last night, I’m not theirs to claim. I said it because I wanted to make sure he wasn’t caught off guard the way I’m sure Jace was when he saw us, considering he’s the only one not in the pool, busying himself behind the bar, his back to us.

  “I know but I wanted to be the first, and I want to be the last. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m in this to win it, Presley. You may not want to be the prize, but in my mind, you are. If you leave, there’s no reason for me to stay.“

  “You don’t know that yet. Give it a chance. You may be surprised by the rest of the girls. Maybe one of them is your perfect match.”

  Dear God, I hope not. Why did I even say that? I don’t want to see him kissing any of them anymore than he wants to see me kiss Jace.

  That’s the moment I realize this is going to be harder than I imagined. I don’t want either of them to kiss anyone but me. It’s selfish and I know it.

  The reason this is a game is because there are winners and there are losers. Even if I am the last woman standing, it may not be Jace or Lennon standing with me, and if I am lucky enough to be staring into one of their eyes, that means the other person lost.

  Naomi is going to eat this shit up when I tell her. Not only am I now ready to fight like hell to get to the end should they decide not to kick me off tomorrow, but I am a woman on a mission. My only goal is to make sure it’s Jace or Lennon is standing next to me.

  Love or lust. I’ll take either.

  Chapter Eight

  Day 8

  Elimination Day.

  More than likely mine.

  Because I didn’t follow their rules.

  There’s a knock on my door a little after one o’clock. I’m surprised to find Claudia standing on the other side with a manila envelope in her hand. I haven’t seen her since the day I arrived. She said she would be around if I needed her, yet I haven’t even caught a glimpse of her.

  “Can I come in?” Her voice is flat and lacks emotion, but her face tells me that something’s bubbling under the surface. I can’t decipher if it’s good or bad, but I step back and allow her to pass.

  Let’s just get this over with.

  “Is this the conversation where you tell me to pack my shit because I’m going home?” I ask as she begins pulling out a stack of papers from the large envelope, laying them across the coffee table.

  “No, this is when I have you sign a few addendums to your contract.”

  Ah! So she is irritated.

  “After what went down the other night, we need to modify a few things,” she continues, handing me a pen as I take a seat next to her on the sofa. “It was pointed out to us that our contract was lacking the ability to make the decision to eliminate you or Jace based on your actions. Please read through these additions carefully and sign.”

  “And if I don’t want to sign?” I push back, clicking the pen open and closed as I stare at her.

  “Please,” she urges, her jaw clenched.

  “I think I’d like for my lawyer to look them over first,” I state, gathering the stack and standing. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. Feel free to wait. There’s hot water on the stove if you want to make yourself a cup of tea.”

  The look on her face is priceless. Gone is the warm and kind person who greeted me and showed me to my villa when I arrived. In her place was an aggravated, tense woman who knew she was caught between a rock and a hard place.

  Making my way across the ranch as quickly as I could, I stood in the middle of all the boys’ villas realizing I had no idea which one Lennon was staying in. I’d never been on this side of the ranch. I hadn’t had a reason. Their little houses were identical to the girls’. Three on one side of the sidewalk, three on the other, and I was standing in the middle of them all feeling lost and out of place.

  Taking a chance, I walk up the path to knock on the door to my right. Please let it be anyone but Jace. Please let it be anyone but—

  “Hey, Jace,” I say, attempting to sound surprised instead of discouraged.

  “What brings you all the way over here?” He smirks, checking me out without apology.

  “Did someone bring you a new contract to sign?” I inquire, assuming if they were giving me one, they were probably giving them to everyone.

  “Yeah. Haven’t signed it yet. Lennon’s looking it over for us.”

  Shaking the papers in my hand, I ask, “Where’s Lennon now?”

  “Behind you.” Jace nods over my shoulder. When I turn around, Lennon is leaning against the open door of the villa across the way, smiling at me.

  “Thanks, Jace.”

  He reaches out and places his hand on my arm as I turn to go. “Come back anytime, Presley. Any. Time.”

  Fuck my life. His voice is sexy when he keeps it low so only those close to him can hear what he’s saying. A shiver runs up my spine as he releases me, Lennon carefully watching our interaction. If it bothers him at all, he doesn’t let it show. He’s still smiling at me as I approach, stepping aside and ushering me in.

  The soft click of the door latching behind us has my nerves on edge. I know he’s the only one that can make sense of it, but I never gave much thought to being alone with him. Behind closed doors. Again.

  “Do I sign it?” I can’t look at him, refusing to turn around. I can feel he’s close, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.

  “Yeah. It’s not really anything to worry about. It basically covers their ass if anything like the other night happens again. They thought they owned us, but they didn’t. Now they do. If we don’t follow through with what they’re asking us to do in regard to voting, we can be eliminated.”

  By the time he said eliminated, he’d placed his hands on my hips and was pressing his body against mine.

  “So I’m not leaving?” I ask, needing to hear him confirm it for me.

  “Not yet.” His answer causes me to let out a breath and relax back against him.

  He wraps his arms around me and rests his chin on my head. We fit together perfectly. His warm embrace makes me feel safe. It could be because I was on edge from the moment I saw Claudia standing outside my door, but with his arms around me, I feel like my body has gone limp.

  “I should probably go. Claudia is waiting for me to sign these.” I shake the papers again for emphasis. I’ve been holding onto them so tightly they’ve crinkled slightly. I’ll have to flatten them out first.

  “Or you could stay for a while and make her wait.”

  The thought is enticing. I am enjoying the way I feel right now. I also know things can change quickly, and the last thing I want is to move to fast with Lennon. I can see myself falling for him, but I can also see myself getting hurt if I let that happen before really getting to know him.

  Turning in his arms, I push up on the balls of my feet and gently press my lips against his. It catches him off guard, and he sucks in a swift breath before moving his hands from my hips to my face.

  “Thank you,” he says, admiring my face as he traces my bottom lip with his thumb.

  “For what?”

  “I felt like I stole our kiss yesterday. I didn’t ask permission. The fact that you kissed me willingly just now means a lot to me.” I can hear the sincerity in his voice. “I have to confess it makes me want to kiss you again.”

  What are you waiting
for? I want to ask but don’t.

  “I’m sure you will,” I say instead, unwrapping myself from his embrace and turning for the door. Looking over my shoulder as I step outside, I thank him for his help. All he does is smile and wave as I pull the door closed behind me.

  Jace is standing outside his villa talking to Drake when I turn around. Waving to both of them, I walk back to my villa with a smile on my face. If one little kiss can make me smile this big, I wonder what a real kiss would feel like.

  Would it be like fireworks exploding?

  Would I come unglued at his touch?

  I’m getting ahead of myself. One day at a time. One kiss at a time.

  First things first. I need to settle this contract with Claudia. Then I need to get ready for tonight. I have no idea what’s going to happen, but I need to be prepared for anything. Someone has to go home, and there’s no guarantee they don’t rig it so Jace and I are the victims of their little plan.

  Claudia leaves in a huff after I sign her paperwork, making sure she knew to pass on the message that I’m not going to take shit for the fact I stood up for myself and everyone else. If they thought they were going to be able to manipulate me because I came here with a broken heart, get me to do whatever it took to move past my ex, they have another thing coming to them.

  I’m here to play. I’m here to stay.

  I will be the last woman standing, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it happens.

  I’ll find a way to make every last one of the guys fall in love with me and break hearts in the process, hopefully keeping mine perfectly intact in the process.

  Starting tonight, it’s game on. I’m focused. No more distractions from Jace and Lennon.

  Well, as best as I can help myself. Because if I’m honest with myself, their mere presence has me on edge. I’m teetering between the two, leaning into one and then the other. Drawn by the magnetic pull I feel from both of them. I could easily fall into either of their arms. Without hesitation.