Courtney just managed to get herself voted out.
Because she was being a conniving bitch. A whore. Teegan won’t be far behind her if she tries the same thing next week.
“You don’t need to pack, Presley. Not this week and probably not until the show is over. They know you’re the favorite, of all of us. Even if the other guys aren’t in love with you, they see how real you are. That you care about them.”
My heart feels lighter as Jace pulls me into his arms, wrapping them tightly around me. Making me wish there were no cameras around to capture our every move.
“Stop thinking dirty thoughts,” he warns when my hand begins tracing circles on his bicep. “You’re gonna get yourself in trouble.”
“Maybe I want to get in trouble. Maybe I like trouble.”
“That’s what tonight is for. Like I said, make sure you have comfortable shoes. No breakneck heels. We’re gonna be walking in the grass, and if you wear heels, I’m going to have to carry you to make sure you don’t hurt yourself again.”
“I was blindfolded!” I practically scream as the image of throwing up in the grass flashes through my mind.
“It’s okay to admit you’re clumsy, Presley. I’ll still love you,” he replies, his lips slowly descending toward mine.
“Where are we going tonight?” I ask before he can steal my breath away.
“To talk. Where no one will bother us.”
“Alone. I like that idea.”
“Well,” he says, hesitation in his voice. “We won’t exactly be alone. There will be a cameraman with us, but it was the best I could do. No other contestants will be around, at least, and I’ll be able to tell you what I’ve been trying to for days now.”
“I’ll take what I can get. Any time alone with you is better than none. Even if we won’t truly be alone. I’ve gotten pretty good at forgetting there’s a camera in my face.”
Jace laughs, agreeing with my sentiment as he pushes me back against the mattress, his body covering mine as he finally captures my lips. This kiss is different. It’s sweet and sensual, but there’s a hint of promise in it that warms my heart. I feel the emotion deep in my soul.
“Make it quick,”Claudia quips as she hands me my voting sheet on the way in.
I didn’t wait for the other girls. Not tonight. I know we made a pact, but I feel like Courtney and Teegan broke it when they started going behind my back in an attempt to get me eliminated.
Once I have my slip filled out and handed back in, I spot the other girls making their way through the doors. The guys are right behind them. Jace’s gaze frantically searches the room until it lands on me. He releases the breath he was holding as he tosses me a warm smile and takes his slip from Claudia.
We take our places on the platform, and Ed begins going through all the same motions he does every week. He kicks the show off, attempts to make a few funny comments, and shows clips of the last week we’ve spent together. It’s not until Jace grabs my hand, giving it a tight squeeze, that I focus on the large screen.
It’s a clip of Jace and I sneaking off on the horse. And another of me sneaking back in my window. More of us in bed, snuggling.
The highlight reel is all us. Together. In the pool. The hot tub. My bed. Our dinner date.
Every stolen kiss.
Every heated moment.
I can feel the heat in my cheeks by the time the show cuts to commercial. No one says anything. They don’t have to. Their glares are telling me everything I need to know.
They. Know. Everything.
The producers. The cameramen. Teegan and Courtney. Claudia. Ed.
Everyone.
The only people not staring in my direction are the guys. They’re chatting amongst themselves as if they hadn’t just watched Jace and me asleep, half naked.
“Just breathe. It’s going to be fine.”
“How can you even say that? This is what I was trying to avoid. I don’t want the entire world to think I’m a slut because I fell in love with you.”