Seven Roses (Haremworld)

“Me too...” John nodded.

All of us were in agreement and Brando just chuckled as he pulled Lyn close to his chest. Our exhausted bodies needed rest, but none of us really wanted to get up and move. I finally stood and poured more champagne, guzzling it to try and get some of my energy back. It took nearly an hour for Lyn to recover and get to the point that she was ready to stand. Her dress was a tattered mess of fabric on the floor, so we found a bathrobe for her to wear back to the house. Thankfully the camera crew kept the cameras shut off once we joined them outside. They knew what had happened, but they were respectful of our privacy.

We returned to the mansion and put Lyn in her bed. Brando crawled in next to her and wrapped his powerful arms around her body. As much as I wanted to sleep in the same room with her, we agreed to let him have that closeness for the evening. I finally made my way to my bed and lay awake for a bit, thinking about the situation and about Lyn. There were only two dates to go and then we would reach the conclusion of Seven Roses. Lyn was definitely going to choose us, but I couldn’t help worrying about her date the next day. Anders was a bit of an anomaly and I just couldn’t see their date going very well if he showed as much indifference during it as normally did.

Don’t fuck this up for us, Anders. We need this.

Chapter 15: Lyn

My body was tired and sore, even after sleeping for nearly ten hours in Brando’s arms. He had practically broken me in half with his insatiable appetite during the night we spent alone and the previous night had been another round of pleasure which had practically blown my mind. I wasn’t even surprised when I woke to find his cock hard, even while he was sleeping. As much as my body tingled and started to think about having him one more time before I got out of bed, I had to resist. I needed to talk to Charles and I had time scheduled in front of the camera before my date with Anders.

I left Brando sleeping and showered for the day. I could have used a bath, but I simply didn’t have time. Brando slept like a rock and was still asleep when I finally emerged from the bathroom and got dressed. I walked downstairs where I found Henry motioning for me to follow him to the camera room. I walked a little slower than normal and Henry handed me a cup of coffee before I finally walked into the camera room to take a seat in front of the blinking light.

“Well...” I smiled and stared at the camera. “Last night was my date with Adrian and it went very well.”

I’m not sure how much I should reveal but I’m sure America can figure out the rest.

“We’re on the final stretch of this journey. Tonight I will have my date with Anders and tomorrow, I will be the first contestant to ever go on a date with Charles Montgomery.” I sipped my coffee and smiled. “I can’t deny being pretty excited to see if he’s as charming as he seems.”

America has never seen his temper like I have, but it hasn’t really shown itself since we started the show started, so I’ll keep that to myself.

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see what happens.” I gave the camera another smile and stood.

I was simply too tired to really put any extra effort into my monologue. They would probably splice it all together with voice-overs of things I’ve said throughout the week anyway, so I wasn’t overly concerned. The main thing I was concerned with was Anders and there was a feeling in my gut that just wouldn’t go away. He was the only obstacle that really remained between my happily ever after with the rest of the guys and I wished I had more time with him so I could figure him out before the date. Seven Roses generally didn’t allow much interaction outside of the dates, but it didn’t seem like Henry was enforcing that after the dates were done.

I walked into the living room and saw the other guys, except Anders, who was probably planning the date, and Brando who hadn’t made it downstairs. I motioned for Charles to follow me out into the hallway. The cameras would hear our conversation, but I wanted to speak to him alone without the rest of the guys hearing my concerns.

“I guess this is about Anders?” He leaned against the wall.

“Yeah...” I nodded quickly. “What can you tell me about this perfect match thing?”

“There isn’t much to tell.” He shrugged. “It’s a computer algorithm that puts your information in and matches you against potential applicants. It’s how we select everyone.”

“But you’ve never had a perfect match before...” I let out a sigh and shook my head. “This doesn’t feel right.”

“I was apprehensive when I read his profile and after spending time with him, I’m of the same opinion. He doesn’t seem dangerous or anything, he just doesn’t seem to give a shit. When we are together, he barely talks and spends most of his time playing with his cell phone. I wish I could go back and choose someone else.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “He could screw up everything.”

“Surely we can make an exception here. The rest of us want this—I never knew I could want something like this before, but after having a taste, I don’t think I can go back to a normal life.” I let out another sigh.

“I wish there was something I could do, but we all signed contracts at the beginning of the show. If we don’t find happiness together with the bouquet unbroken, then we are legally bound to the decision. It has to be unanimous.” He let his head rest against the wall. “They’ll tear us up if we try to violate the agreement and after this show airs, the paparazzi will be after all of us.”

“We could run away.” I shrugged. “I hear Mexico is great this time of year.

”

“We would be asking everyone to give up their lives.” He shook his head. “It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Then I guess this date is it.” I nodded. “If Anders isn’t on board, then I will decline the arrangement when we do the finale of the show. It will be easier if I’m the one doing it.”

“America will hate you...” Charles blinked in surprise. “You can’t do that. They’ll see your journey to this point and they won’t understand. If Anders is the reason, let him be the one they hate.”

My mind was torn apart with concern and my nerves were shot as the day progressed. I wanted the arrangement so bad that the thought of losing it was filling me with more worry than I ever imagined. I didn’t want everything to be ruined because Anders joined a dating show and didn’t give a crap about it. I didn’t understand why he even bothered. Nothing about him suggested he was there looking for love.

When our date got closer, I changed into my dress for the evening and walked down the stairs. Anders was at the bottom of the steps dressed in a suit—at least he dressed up for the occasion. I could see what appeared to be a nonchalant stare in his eyes when he extended his arm and we walked out of the house.

I just didn’t feel anything when I was near him. He wasn’t a bad looking guy and in his suit with his hair combed back, he was actually very attractive. It was his demeanor that caused my body to want to hit the brakes instead of the gas pedal. Even if I did want the arrangement, I couldn’t just accept it if I didn’t have a connection to all seven of the men. It wouldn’t be fair to any of us and I certainly wasn’t going to carry Anders along for the ride even if he did agree. There had to be some sort of chemistry. The moment we got into the car, he pulled out his phone and stared at it when the driver pulled away from the front of the house.

“Can I ask you something?” I narrowed my eyes at him.