A Date For The Hunt t1s6l

A Date for the Hunt

L.P. Dover

Heidi McLaughlin

Contents

Reviews

The Dating Series

1. Allison

2. Hudson

3. Allison

4. Hudson

5. Allison

6. Allison

7. Hudson

8. Allison

9. Allison

10. Hudson

11. Allison

More Books from Heidi and L.P.

Also by L.P. Dover

About L.P. Dover

Also by Heidi McLaughlin

About Heidi McLaughlin

A DATE FOR THE HUNT THE DATING SERIES #4 Copyright © 2020 Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover

All rights reserved.

The right of Heidi McLaughlin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

COVER DESIGN: MadHat Studios. EDITING: Briggs Consulting

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re

reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Created with Vellum

Reviews

Praise for A Date for Midnight

5 SEXY AND SWEET STARS!! This was a quick sexy and sweet story. Natalie and Brennan story has all the feel for a perfect book. These two authors know how to suck us readers in. I am so excited for this series.

—Rhonda Ziglar, Goodreads

This was a great romantic novella that you can read pretty fast. So sweet and romantic!

—MissPetiteBrunetteBookBlog

McLaughlin and Dover give sex appeal a heart.

—Isha Coleman

This was such a fun, quick read!

—Midnight Reads

The writing draws you in and I could easily see more books for this couple. I love the writing style and I look forward to reading more from this series.

—Krista Ricchi

Praise for A Date with an irer

In less than 100 pages, theses 2 authors have made me laugh, blush and fall in love with their characters.

—Yoneidis Martín Martínez

Sophie and Tanner will take you on a whirlwind romance filled with friendship, sweetness, intense chemistry and finding someone you never thought you needed!

—Michelle McMullen

Fantastic! Short, cute, and full of laughs. I love how Tanner and Soph are

together.

—Jennifer Millaway

This was such a cute novella!

—Jessica, Goodreads

A Date with an irer had me laughing from beginning to end.

—Nadia, Goodreads Praise for Society X There are no words to describe how much I LOVED DARK ROOM. My two favorite authors come together to write an EPIC SEXY story! Parker is off the charts SEXY!! I couldn't get enough of him! —Amy, Goodreads Two of the most amazing authors come together to write this hot and steamy story. —Tamara, Goodreads

Let loose your inhibitions, because being in the Dark Room will have you googling to see if one is near you. —Lexy at All Is Read After Dark Room, book one in this series, I was expecting BIG things from this book. Dark Room was a top read from me. I am a huge L.P. Dover fan and an even bigger fan of Heidi McLaughlin... but man these two ladies together are dynamic. —Brianna at Renee Entress’s Blog You know this book is going to be hot when they give you a warning before you start the reading the book! What I love about this book is it's ability to surprise me. I should know by now to never underestimate Heidi & LP when reading their books. —Annie, Goodreads What a steamy and hot read!! It started out steamy and sweet and ended with suspense and excitement!! Loved it!! —Kim, Goodreads Out of all the Society X novels, Play Room is hands down my favorite. I loved Alexandria and Kai together. They were sweet almost from the moment they met. This series was addictive from the start, and although it's over I look forward to what these two authors come up with next. —Rebecca, Goodreads Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover deliver once again!! Loved the latest in the Society X series! Okay let's break this down shall we?! —Amber, Goodreads

The Dating Series

A Date for Midnight A Date with an irer A Date for Good Luck A Date for the Hunt A Date for the Derby A Date to Play Fore A Date with a Foodie A Date for the Fair A Date for the Regatta A Date for the Masquerade A Date with a Turkey A Date with an Elf

1

Allison

“G ood afternoon, Mr. Bishop,” I say as I walk over to the . Mr. Bishop always has the sweetest smile. The same goes for his wife who regularly comes with him to the pharmacy. They both have stark white hair and are in their late seventies. Obviously, that doesn’t stop them from having their fun. I already know what Mr. Bishop is here for because I refilled the prescription yesterday. He gets his Viagra every single month. One day, I hope to be just like them. Unfortunately, I’m a twenty-eight-year-old pharmacist who works too much. Not to mention, I’m single. Things didn’t work out with my last boyfriend because he ended up working more than me. We never saw each other. Mr. Bishop takes off his gray flat cap and smiles as he slowly comes up to the counter. “How are you this afternoon, young lady?” he asks me. Grinning, I scan his bottle of pills and slide them into a bag. “Pretty good. It’s Friday and I’m about to go home for the weekend.” I’m tempted to ask him what he and his wife will be doing, but I already know. Just the thought makes me giggle. Mr. Bishop hands me his cash because he never uses a credit card. “I hope you have a great one, sweetheart.” Mrs. Bishop nods her head in agreement. “I hope you both do too,” I reply, handing Mr. Bishop his prescription. “Your receipt is in the bag.” Side by side, they stroll away, and Mr. Bishop reaches down to hold his wife’s hand. “They are so stinking adorable,” my tech says, coming up beside me. Cecilia is a junior at UNCC in Charlotte, studying to be a pharmacist. She reminds me of myself with her ambition for knowledge. Not to mention we have the same bright blonde hair and green eyes. The only difference is that I’m eight

years older. I look over at Cecilia and smile. “Yes, they are.” Cecilia glances up at the clock. “Aren’t you about to leave?” “Yep,” I say, grabbing my purse from underneath the counter. “As soon as Rachel gets here, I’m gone.” And just as I say it, Rachel waves as she walks in the front door, dressed in her white lab coat with her auburn hair pulled back in a low ponytail. I was her tech when I was in college, and ever since then, we’ve been best friends. “Good afternoon, ladies,” she calls out happily. I set my purse on the counter. “What’s got you in a good mood?” I ask, staring curiously at her. “It’s April Fool’s. Doesn’t Robert usually prank you with something?” Groaning, she walks around to the back of the counter. “Yes. And I hate it. I’m still waiting to see what he has up his sleeve today.” Robert is her husband. They’ve been married for ten years and have been trying to have kids ever since. I keep praying it’ll happen for them. I grab my purse and slide it up to my shoulder. “Maybe you should prank him? He deserves it.” She smirks. “Maybe. I’ll have to think about it.” Her grin widens and I get a feeling there’s something going on. “Have you gotten any phone calls recently?” she asks. Brows furrowed, I glance over at Cecilia and then back to Rachel. “No, why?” Rachel shrugs, but I can see the mischief behind those hazel eyes of hers. “No reason.” And just then, my phone rings. I pull it out of my purse to see that it’s my sister. Rachel’s face lights up and she watches me. “What are you doing?” I ask, looking at her like she’s lost her mind. She turns away, but still stays close. “Nothing at all. I wonder what your sister

wants.” She peers at me over her shoulder and smiles. “Nosy much,” I say with a laugh. I slide my finger across the screen to accept the call. “Erin, what’s up?” “Hey, sis. You off work yet?” “Yep. Getting ready to walk out,” I say. Rachel is clearly trying to listen in, and it makes me wonder what’s up. She’s good friends with my sister, but I can’t think of what they’d be in cahoots about. Then again, they’re trying to set me up with their husbands’ friends all the time. Erin giggles. “Good. Do you mind stopping by the station on your way?” Rachel tries to hide her smile and fails. “Sure. Care to tell me what’s going on? Rachel’s barely keeping it together here.” Erin groans. “She’s so horrible at keeping secrets. Get out of there before she spills the beans. I want to tell you first.” “Be right there.” We hang up, and before Rachel opens her mouth to speak, I hold up a hand. “Don’t say another word. Apparently, you and my sister know something I don’t. She wants me out of here before you squeal.” I hurry past her and she breaks out in laughter. “Fine, go. But I want to talk to you tonight.” Throwing my hand in the air, I wave as I jet for the door. The TV station isn’t far away so it only takes me ten minutes to get there. When I walk in, Erin is at the front desk waiting for me. For sisters, we look nothing alike. I take after our mother and Erin looks exactly like our father with his brown eyes and dark brown hair. She opens her arms and hugs me excitedly. “Yay, you’re here. Let’s go to my office.” I love that she’s so happy, but it’s got me curious. “What’s going on? I want in on the news that you apparently told Rachel before me.” We get to her office and she shuts the door behind me. “I know. I know. I’m

sorry. I was on the phone with her when I got the news. Everything’s just happened so fast.” She motions to the two chairs in front of her desk and I sit down. Her excitement has me aching to know. “Tell me,” I say quickly. “I have to know.” Erin sits down behind her desk and blows out a sigh. “ a couple months ago when I told you I had a great idea for a reality TV dating show?” I was liking where this was going. A big smile spreads across my face. “Yeah. Your boss wanted something holiday related.” She beams. “Exactly. And he didn’t want the usual Christmas or Valentine’s Day crap. That’s what everyone else pitched to him. But do you want to know what I came up with?” I’m literally on the edge of my seat. If there’s one thing I love about my sister, it’s that she’s super creative. “What?” She takes a deep breath and lets it out slow. “You are looking at the newest producer of an Easter holiday special called A Date for the Hunt. We’re going to have ten single men and ten single women. All will be headed to Aruba in two weeks to have the biggest Easter egg hunt of their lives.” Mouth gaping, I’m impressed but also intrigued. Nothing like that has ever been on TV before. “I think that’s amazing,” I tell her. “What all do you have planned?” Her face lights up even more. “For starters, everyone will arrive in Aruba, including myself. I get to oversee the entire production. Jason gets to come with me too. It’ll be a two-week vacation.” I laugh. “The perks of being a TV producer.” She rolls her eyes. “Hey, I work my ass off. I deserve to go. Anyway, back to the show. Everything will be televised. Once everyone is settled, the women will be given an egg. On Easter night, they will hide those eggs at the resort, then the men will go out and search for them. None of the men or women have seen each other so at the big reveal, it’ll be a surprise.”

“And let me guess,” I cut in, “the man who finds a certain woman’s egg will be paired with each other?” Erin nods and claps her hands. “You got it. For two weeks, they will do everything together. Excursions, snorkeling, lounging on the beach. You name it. This is totally different from The Bachelor.” Yes, it is, and very unique. “This is awesome, Erin. You really hit it out of the park with this one. I’m proud of you. But what happens if the guy and girl don’t get along?” Her eyes twinkle. “Don’t worry, we have a few tricks up our sleeves. We’re anticipating that.” “How are you picking the participants? The show starts in two weeks.” She sighs. “I know. I didn’t realize this was going to happen so fast. A lot of my co-workers here have family and friends who are interested so we’re picking from them. None of them will know until the day before they’re set to leave. They all have to be between twenty-five and thirty-four-years-old, single, and never been married.” “Wow. Such short notice. I’m sure you won’t have a problem filling the spots though. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go to Aruba?” Her smile broadens. “Thanks, sis. I was hoping you’d say that.” “Have you told Mom and Dad?” I ask. Sheepishly, she bit her lip. “Yeah.” I purse my lips. “And you tell me last. I get it. I’m not as important to you now that you’re big time and I’m just a small-town pharmacist.” Belmont, North Carolina, used to be a small town, but it’s constantly growing every year. Especially with it being next door to Charlotte which is one of the biggest cities in the state. I like to think it’s still small. Erin rolls her eyes. “A small-town pharmacist who’s not only smart as hell, but gorgeous with a hot body. Any man would love to date you.”

“Thanks. If only I had the time.” She bit her lip again. “Actually, you do.” I snort. “Yeah, right. Have you not seen how much I work?” “That’s only because you work for Rachel when she goes on vacation with Robert,” she says, daring me to challenge her. “You could have time off if you really wanted it.” And I could. I throw my arms in the air. “What’s it matter anyway? I haven’t met anyone to take time off for.” “Not yet,” Erin replies cautiously, “but you might be pretty soon.” For some reason, I’m no longer liking where the conversation’s heading. “How is that?” She gets up and walks around her desk to stand in front of me, but then she gets down on her knees and takes my hands. “Oh, Allison. You know how much I love you, right?” And just like that, I know what’s going on. “No,” I gasp, sliding my chair back. I let go of her hands and shake my head. “I know why you wanted to see me now.” Erin clasps her hands pleadingly. “Please, Allie, you’ll be perfect for the show. We can hang out in Aruba together. Rachel already has your shifts covered.” It all fell into place. That’s why Rachel acted so funny. “I won’t be hanging out with you,” I snap, “I’ll be with a man I don’t even know. Not to mention, on live TV.” Erin shrugs. “It’ll be fun. Everything’s paid for. Who knows, you might meet the man of your dreams.” I scoff. “Yeah, right.” Her lips purse and I sigh. “Not that your show won’t bring people together, I’m not saying that. It’s just … why me? It’s too embarrassing. People I know will be watching the show, including Mom and Dad.”

Erin waggles her brows. “Don’t worry, the cameras don’t follow you twentyfour-seven. If you want to have a little frisky action behind closed doors, no one will know.” She hobbles over on her knees and grabs my hands again. “Please, sis. Do this for me? It’ll be fun. I won’t ask for anything else as long as I live.” “Somehow I don’t believe that,” I say, my voice bland. She gives me her puppy dog eyes and pouts her lips. “Please, Allie. Did I mention all your travel expenses will be paid for?” I didn’t even know if that was worth it. Spending two weeks with an insufferable tool will be hell. “I don’t know, Erin.” Sighing, she gets to her feet. “Fine. You can say no to me, but you’ll have a hard time with everyone else tonight.” I gasp. “Tonight? What are you talking about?” A mischievous grin spreads across her face as she sits down behind her desk. “Mom and Dad are having a little get together at the house. Everyone there knows. If I failed here today, it’s their job to convince you. Apparently, Mom’s not going to let you leave until you say yes. And we both know how persuasive she can be.” If my mom wants me to do the show, she’ll find a way to make me give in. Groaning, I hang my head and blow out a breath. There’s no way I can say no. “Fine,” I give in, “I’ll go. Just tell me what I have to do.” I have a strange feeling my life will never be the same after this.

2

Hudson

Ilook to my left. My teammate Jensen is poised and ready to go. I lift my head slightly and look at our captain. He’s holding a stopwatch in his hand and any second now, he’ll give us the signal to start. I get into position and wait for his command. He blows his whistle, it’s a short piercing sound. Jensen and I start our newest challenge—who can do the most push-ups in thirty seconds. Each time I rise, I grunt out a number, praying it matches the number my spotter is keeping. Up, down, up, down. I continue to push myself as fast as I can to pound out as many of these as possible. “Time,” Captain yells. Jensen collapses to the ground in a heap, panting and out of breath, while I stand and flex. I put on a good show especially in front of these guys. Truth is, my abs are screaming, my fucking arms are killing me, and my lungs are burning. I fight the urge to cough, to show any type of weakness. Still, I play it off and run my hand up and down my abs. Everyone around us cheers, and some mock Jensen. He’s always daring me to do something so he can try and prove he’s faster, stronger, or smarter but he’s rarely victorious. The only time he’s beaten me in anything was when we had a chili cook off. I was recovering from the flu and my taste buds weren’t exactly working. Everything tasted off. When I meant to pepper, I salted, which ruined my whole pot. After the failed cook-off, I vowed to never lose to another one of Jensen’s hairbrained ideas. Dave Jensen is my best friend and has been since high school. Right after high school, we both knew we wanted to be firefighters and signed up at a local tech school and enrolled in their fire science program. We did everything together and hoped we’d be assigned to the same firehouse after graduation. Luck was on our side when the assignments came in. We haven’t always worked the same shift, but for the last year or so, we’ve been on the same rotation, which makes things

easier for me. I trust my team, my squad, but there’s nothing like having your best friend fight fires right alongside of you. It gives you a sense of protection and duty. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for the station house, but I’d lay my life down for Jensen. He finally stands and I pat him on the back. “What’s next?” I ask, fully expecting him to have a list taped to the inside of his locker. “Weightlifting?” “Nah, too easy,” I say as I flex my arm. I’m ripped and toned, but not like those guys who gorge out their muscles. It’s just not for me and doesn’t really work with the job we have. I need to be flexible and fast. Jensen ponders, or at least pretends to, and does so until our captain tells us to report to our conference room. I detour and hit the kitchen first and grab a bottle of water and chug most of it before I get to the room. Our conference room is set up like a classroom with those desk/chair combo things. The seats are uncomfortable, and the room set up is odd as fuck, but whatever. We don’t have assigned seats, so I take one in the back. I man spread and lean back. Our captain is at the front of the room, looking over each of us. I have no idea what he’s going to talk about, but my mind is spinning. We’ve had a few fires the last couple of days. More car accidents this week than last. And of course, every other day there’s a call about someone’s kitty stuck in a tree. We don’t respond to those. We did it once because we felt sorry for the elderly lady but Chuck, one of the guys on another shift, fell out of the fucking tree and shattered his femur. The cat hissed at him, swatted his forehead and connected, leaving a scratch across his head, which became infected. Chuck fell about twenty feet and was lucky he didn’t break his back. After that, Chief said no more. Honestly, I’m happy with the new rule. However, on the other hand, it seems that when we’d respond to a call, all the women in the neighborhood would come out and objectify us. I kind of like that part of the job. I work hard to keep my body in shape, might as well let people look. Captain clears his throat and stands tall. He’s about five foot five, but his machismo attitude makes him seem at least six foot. I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley. The guy used to be some jiujitsu fighter when he was a teenager. It’s those squirrely guys you have to watch out for.

“About a month ago, Officer Don Hoar invited you all to fill out the application for the new reality show A Date for the Hunt, where you go to Aruba for two weeks. The producers spent a couple days here, helping you fill out the application,” Captain mumbles. I when the people from the show came to the station and asked us to sign up. Not my thing, but Jensen dared me, so of course I signed up. Although, sitting here, I’m wondering if I put down the correct information or if I exaggerated on anything. Officer Hoar, he’s all about reality television and is always trying out for Big Brother and the Amazing Race. He’s yet to make it past the initial application round but seemed confident he had this one in the bag. Which makes it odd that Captain is talking about it during our shift since Hoar isn’t even here. “Where’s Hoar?” Lenny Baker, another firefighter yells. “With the producers,” Captain says. “That fucker finally made it onto a reality show?” I ask aloud. The guys around me snicker, but it’s the women on our crew who chuckle. “Bryant,” the captain drags my name out. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to fall in love with him, Let alone spend two weeks with him,” Rosie Keiper says. Everyone assumes she and Hoar had a thing but neither have ever come out and said. One day, they’re acting like their best friends. The next, Rosie is hosing him down in one of the bays. Hoar finally walks in. Normally, he looks like a smug son-of-a-bitch but today he looks like his mother took away his sirens. He sits down in front and the producers we met a month or so ago stand by Cap. “I’m sure you all me. If not, I’m Jeremy Wilhelm. I work for Dun Production and am one of the producers of A Date for the Hunt, which you graciously filled out an application for. We thank you.” He pauses and looks at each of us. “As you we are taking ten single men and women to Aruba for two weeks. The concept is simple. Each woman will hide an Easter egg and the men will hunt for them. Whatever egg the man finds, he will spend the remaining time with the woman who hid it.” He pauses again and holds up a stack of papers. “One of you, from this department has been chosen.” Chairs adjust and people start murmuring. I’m under the assumption Hoar got

the gig, but now I’m second-guessing by the fact the producer is telling us all of this. Jeremy Wilhelm clears his throat and looks at the paper. “Congratulations to Hudson Bryant. You’ve been selected to participate in A Date for the Hunt.” All eyes turn toward me. Some of my co-workers smile, a few of them glare, but my core friends are standing and rushing toward me. They push, slap my back, some tell me I’m a lucky fucking bastard. “Quiet down!” Captain yells. “Bryant!” He barks my name. “Yes, sir?” “Is participating in the show something you want to do?” he asks. “Before you answer, I must advise that you’ll have to use your own personal time to cover the time off.” Shit, really? I hadn’t considered that I’d have to use my vacation time when I filled out the application. Of course, I only filled it out because Jensen said he’d get chosen over me, which turned it into a challenge. Guess, I won, again. But do I really want to use my vacation time to go to Aruba? Fuck yes! “I’m in.” “Seriously?” Jensen asks. I shrug. “Why not? A two-week paid vacation to Aruba, to frolic in the ocean with some chick that I don’t know, all while trying to get lucky. . . who would say no?” “Frolic in the ocean? What the hell is wrong with you?” Hoar asks. I brush off my shoulders. “Don’t hate the player, hate the game, Hoar.” He throws his hands up at me and turns back around. Sucka! Jensen claps a hand on my back. “Dude, I can’t believe you’re going to go.” “Don’t worry, Jensen, I’ll send you a postcard!”

The producer calls me over and asks me to follow him. I do and as I by, my team razzes me. I love it. Wilhelm heads toward the Captain’s office and takes a seat at the small table Cap has in there. I do the same. “Here is the contract. I suggest you read it over before g.” I do as he says. In a nutshell, I can’t be a douche. Which is easy, I may give Jensen and my co-workers a ton of shit, but when it comes to women, I’m nothing but respectful. My mother raised me right. Wilhelm pushes a pen toward me. I take it and scribble my name in triplicate. “Now what?” I ask him. “Now, you go home and pack. You only need clothes for a couple of days, as the show will provide most of your outfits.” “Seriously?” He nods. “Sponsorships are an amazing thing.” He stacks the papers together. “Tomorrow at six a.m. a car will come pick you up to take you to the airport. The driver will have all your information, tickets, and instructions of what to do when you get to the airport. You’ll be taken to the hotel, where you’ll meet the other male contestants.” “But not the woman?” A sly smile spreads across his face. “No, you won’t meet a woman until you’ve found an egg. Once all the eggs are found, you’ll spend the first twenty-four hours with your match before all the couples are brought together.” “So secretive,” I say, finding the whole concept interesting. He laughs. “It’s the way the show works, Mr. Bryant. You’ll have fun, I promise.” Wilhelm stands and we shake hands. “Here’s my card, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call.” I take his card. “Thanks.” He heads toward the door and stops. “Oh, one other thing,” he says, turning around. “The show will air while you’re participating, so be careful what you

say. The only things we’ll be editing out are what the FCC deems inappropriate.” “Does that mean you’ll put a dot on my ass if I get naked?” I ask, grinning wide. Wilhelm clears his throat and smiles. “If you and your partner decide to do . . . well, the cameras won’t be there, but the microphone might be.” He lowers his voice. “A word to the wise though. If you don’t want it to be on TV, don’t do it. Our camera guys can be sneaky.” “Soft porn, I like it,” I joke. He shakes his head and turns back to the door. I can’t help it. I find myself funny. Others may not but I can’t change who I am. Wilhelm reminds me what time the car will be at my house and tells me to have a safe flight. I look down at the contract and focus on the word—Aruba. Fuck yes, surf, sand, and beach here I come!

3

Allison

Aruba is absolutely gorgeous. For a second, I forgot the real reason why I’m in the tropical paradise in the first place. As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I was reminded when my sister met me in the lobby, all giddy about the show starting tonight. She looked cute with her dark hair pulled high in a ponytail and dressed in a white sundress. I got to see several of the other female contestants, but I haven’t had the chance to speak to any of them yet. I’m sure I’ll get to tonight. Apparently, the men are set to show up later in the day so there’s no chance of running into them. Great. Can you sense my sarcasm? There’s going to be a lot of that going on. Sitting out on the balcony of my room, I stare at the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean. I’ve already read through the agenda on what’s going to happen tonight. After hair and makeup, we pick our eggs, step up on stage, hide our eggs after we’re introduced to the world, and then hide away and wait for the men to find them. Once that’s done, we get to meet the men. Talk about awkward. What the hell am I going to say? Thanks for picking my egg? Who knows, I’ll probably end up freezing and looking like an idiot. That’ll be my luck. The wind whips by and it blows my hair all over the place. It makes me wonder how they’re going to do all of the women’s hair so it’s not flying around our faces during tonight’s egg hunt. Groaning, I lean my forehead on the balcony railing. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” A knock sounds on my hotel room door and I already know who it’s going to be. When it comes to the room though, I can’t complain. I’ve been put up in a spacious suite with a king-sized bed, separate living room, and a small kitchen. I stop at the door and peek through the peephole at my sister, bouncing excitedly on her feet and still wearing the same white sundress I saw her in earlier. Seeing

her makes me smile, especially since this whole show is her idea and it’s about to be aired all across the country. I’m proud of her. I’d be even prouder if she hadn’t wrangled me into being on it. I open the door and she squeals as she runs past me into the room. “Isn’t this exciting?” “Oh yeah,” I grumble, shutting the door. Erin crosses her arms over her chest, glaring at me halfheartedly. She knows I’m not mad. “Oh, come on, sis. It’ll be fun.” I laugh. “If you say so. My stomach is in knots right now.” Being on live TV is nerve-wracking. Smiling, Erin places her hands on my shoulders. “You’ve got this, Allie. You’re going to be the most beautiful contestant on the show tonight. Everybody in the country is going to want to know who you are.” I stare at her as if she’s lost her mind. “You give me way too much credit. Nobody’s going to care who I am.” She waves me off. “Just you wait. I might have a star for a sister when this is all over.” Stepping back, she peers down at my black gym shorts and pink tank top. “Now let’s get you to hair and makeup. The dress we have you wearing tonight is gorgeous.” One thing about this trip is that I didn’t have to pack much. The show’s providing all of our essential outfits. It’s a good thing because all of my clothes at home are business type attire to wear to the pharmacy and yoga pants to lounge in when I’m not at work. They’re not exactly the kind of clothes you want to wear to the beach to meet new men. Then again, maybe that’s what I need right now. If I can deter Mr. Bachelor away from me, maybe the show will let me go home. The viewers aren’t going to want to watch the disaster that is about to be mine and the bachelor’s relationship. Erin takes my hand and pulls me to the door. I grab one of the room key cards off the kitchen counter in ing. “The guys arrived not too long ago,” she explains as we head out of the door. “Right now, I’m taking you to the meeting room where all the other female contestants will be. Once all of you are ready,

you’ll be given your egg.” We stop at the elevator and her grin widens. “The eggs are so cute. They’re not real though. The ones we have are much larger and painted all sorts of colors with different designs.” “What does mine look like?” I ask. By the twinkle in her eyes, I know she already knows. “You’ll see. They’re all designed to portray some aspect of your lives.” The elevator doors open, and we step inside. “Great. Then mine will have pills all over it. My guy’s going to think I’m a druggie.” Erin bursts out laughing. “That’s hilarious. It’s a good thing that’s not what’s on your egg.” Thank God. Once off the elevator, Erin leads me through the hotel lobby and down a long hallway towards the meeting rooms. I can hear a lot of chatter from one of them and when Erin and I walk inside, my mouth drops. The room is filled with people. There are also separate changing stations for each contestant. Several of the women are already in their chairs getting their hair and makeup done. Erin waves at two people at the back of the room, one is a guy who looks to be in his late twenties with long, dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail, and the other is a woman with very short, whitish-blonde hair with pink streaks. “Who are they?” I ask. Erin starts toward them and I follow her. “They’re only the best hair and makeup duo in the world. I made sure you got them.” She points at the guy. “Ricardo is amazing at hair,” then she points at the blonde, “and that little firecracker is Annabelle Krazinsky. She does make-up for all the high fashion models right now.” “Wow,” I say, totally impressed. “They’re famous.” She squeezes my arm. “You can thank me later.” Erin quickly introduces everyone, and before I know it, I’m sitting in the chair getting my hair and makeup done. Ricardo runs his hands through my hair, and I

watch him smile through the reflection in the mirror. “You have gorgeous hair, my dear,” he says, meeting my gaze. “I can do a lot with it.” Annabelle stands in front of me and nods. “Same with your face. You have the perfect skin tone.” “Thanks. I’m super nervous about being on the show. I’m only doing it for my sister. She signed me up.” Annabelle dabs some foundation on my face and rubs it in. “Erin’s sweet. I’ve worked with her before on another show. When she said you were going to be on this one, I knew Ricardo and I needed to get you.” “I appreciate that. If Erin says you’re the best, then I know you’re the best.” At least I’ll look good on TV. When Ricardo and Annabelle are done with my hair and makeup, I almost don’t recognize myself. Ricardo pulled half of my hair up in an intricate braid with small tropical flowers throughout while the rest of my hair hangs down my shoulders in loose waves. The flowers match perfectly with the pink dress I’ve been appointed to wear. Holding a clipboard in her hands, Erin freezes when she sees me and does a double take. “Allie, is that you?” I roll my eyes. “Ha-ha.” Giggling, she holds the clipboard to her chest. “Just kidding. You look amazing.” She taps her watch. “It’s time to go. You ready?” All the other contestants in the room start heading toward the door. Taking a deep breath, I nod and follow Erin and the other women out. The resort lobby is wide open to where you can feel the breeze blowing through. We walk out the back to the pool area and then over to a large courtyard that’s surrounded by twinkling lights in the palm trees and tiki torches in the sand. A stage is in the middle of it all and surrounding it is the camera crew. Off to the side of the stage is a table with all the eggs on it. “Here we go,” I mumble.

Erin bumps me with her shoulder. “You’ll do great. All you have to do is breathe. Once you meet your match, it’ll be easy sailing from there.” Yeah, right. There’s a man by the egg table, directing the women to pick up their eggs. I’m at the back of the line, but I watch each woman as they pick theirs up. Some glitter and sparkle, and I have to it, they are kind of cute. They look like normal Easter eggs, but much larger. I used to love dying and decorating them with my sister when we were younger. By the time I get to the table, there’s only one egg left with my name on a small tag in front of it. I pick it up and it shimmers in the firelight of the tiki torches. The egg is aqua colored with glittery flowers painted all over it. I look over at Erin and she smiles. She knows I love gardens and flowers. She motions for me to turn the egg over and when I do, that’s when I see the small medical pharmacy symbol on the bottom, painted in bright green and blue glitter paint. Erin winks at me before I’m directed to stand on the stage while holding my egg. She comes down to the stage and says a few things to the show host who I’ve seen on numerous other reality TV shows. His name is Ryan Cruise, a former NFL quarterback who got hurt and turned to television because he definitely has a face for the TV with his devilish smile. By looking at the way the other women are staring at him, I’m starting to think the bachelors should be worried about their matches running off with the former athlete. All in all, I’m in awe of my sister. She gets to meet all these famous people. Once she’s done talking to Ryan, she waves at all of us and points to the cameras. “You ready, ladies?” Everyone screams yes, except for me and the woman standing to my right. When she picked up her egg, the name tag in her spot said her name is Makayla. She’s a beautiful woman with dark red hair and bright green eyes. The people in wardrobe put her in a sleek green dress that looks amazing with her skin tone. She tilts her head toward me. “Am I the only one who’s nervous?” That makes me smile. “No. I’m terrified.” She snickers. “Good. We should stick together then. I’m Makayla.” “Allison,” I whisper back. “But you can call me Allie.” The camera lights flash on and Ryan takes his place in front of them. The time

has come. He introduces himself and my cheeks are already hurting from smiling so much. I know the cameras are on us and I don’t want to look like I’m miserable. I feel silly. When it comes time for me to be introduced, I smile at the camera. The other ladies had such amazing introductions. Several of them have traveled the world, been in movies, know how to speak ten languages, and so forth. All mine is going to be is my name, where I live, what I do for a living, and that my interests are gardening when I have the time. Basically, anything outdoors is what I love to do. There are plenty of other things, but I didn’t want to bore the viewers. I’m pretty sure I will now that my life doesn’t sound as spectacular as all the other women. To my surprise, that’s not the case at all. There’s a mention of how adventurous I am, and how I love bridge and rock jumping. I almost forgot about that time in my life. Seems so long ago. Not that I did crazy things all the time, but I had my moments. In Vermont, I jumped off a covered bridge into the river below. And in Mexico, I jumped off a cliff into the ocean. The only person to know that stuff about me is Erin. I should’ve known she’d hype up my introduction somehow. Once Ryan’s done with my introduction, he motions for us to leave the stage. It’s time to hide our eggs. All the other ladies take off in the courtyard, searching around for the perfect spot. Makayla waits for me to get off the stage. “Want to be hiding buddies?” she asks. It’s actually a relief to have someone with me. Maybe then I won’t feel so stupid. Nodding, I stop right beside her. “Sounds good to me. Let’s go.” We only have fifteen minutes to hide our eggs, so we don’t have much time to converse. There really aren’t many hiding places in the courtyard. All we have are palm trees, several bushes by the walkways, and tons of sand. It was written in the agenda that if we hide our eggs in the sand, we have to mark the spot. The resort doesn’t want their beach all dug up which I fully understand. Makayla looks over at me and smiles. Out of all the other women, she had an introduction just like mine. She’s an elementary school teacher who loves the mountains and white-water rafting. From what I can tell, she’s down to earth. “What do you think the guys will be like?” she asks. We continue to look around for good hiding spots, but they’re all getting taken by the others.

I shrug. “No clue. I have a strange feeling I’ll be a huge disappointment to the guy who picks me. I’m not like the other women.” For a second, I forgot about the cameras. Makayla snickers. “Honestly, same here. I’m no super model like these other women. On the weekends, I like to sit on the couch and binge watch shows on Netflix.” “Same,” I laugh, loving how easy it is to talk to her. I look down at our eggs and sigh. “Time’s running out, Makayla. We should probably hide our eggs.” She nods. “Want to help each other?” I nod back. “Sounds great to me.” We walk around the courtyard and there ends up being a large crack in one of the palm tree trunks. It’s big enough for her to slide her egg in. “This is perfect,” she says excitedly. She glances down at my egg and scans the courtyard. “We need to find a good spot for you.” Time is running out. There’s a rock and cactus garden just at the edge of the courtyard with Wanglo flowers intermingled throughout. Their bright yellow petals are even shining in the waning sun. All the other women stayed away from the garden. I guess for fear of getting pricked. I look at Makayla and smile. She shakes her head and laughs. “Seriously? You’re going to make some poor guy reach in with all those thorns?” “Hey,” I say with a shrug, “someone has to do it. I’m curious to see which guy will go for it.” I walk over to the rock garden and carefully place my egg as far in between the cactus as I can get. The viewers on TV are either going to love or hate me for that. Honestly, I think it’s awesome. I look over at my sister and she gives me the thumbs up. Maybe it’ll work to my advantage and none of the guys will be brave enough to reach for it. The time has come for us to leave the courtyard and wait in the meeting room while the men are introduced and find our eggs. This is our chance to see them for the first time. There will be TV monitors in the room for us to watch them. Makayla grips onto my arm as we walk back into the resort.

“I am so nervous,” she says, shivering. So am I. Once in the meeting room, we sit down in front of the monitors. All of the people who were in the room before are no longer around. It’s just us and a couple of people I recognize from my sister’s work. There’s a table in the corner with drinks and snacks. I’m tempted to grab me something, but I jump when one of the girls squeals so loud it makes my ears hurt. “Oh my God, there they are!” Makayla squeezes my arm. “This is it.” The men line up on the stage just like we did. My nerves have me nauseous and the last thing I need is to throw up when I’m introduced to my bachelor. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slow and stand. Makayla’s eyes go wide. “What are you doing? Are you not going to watch?” I hold up a hand. “I’ll be right back. I need a ginger ale and some crackers.” And some peace and quiet. The other women act as if they’ve never seen men before. It’s not like they’re going to meet their soulmates. The chances of that are slim to none. Slowly, I drink the ginger ale and let it settle in my stomach along with the peanut butter crackers. I was too nervous to eat earlier and now it’s biting me in the ass. When I make it back to Makayla, all the men have been introduced. “You missed it,” she says, shaking her head. “Now you’re not going to know who everyone is.” I laugh. “I’m sure they’re all the same anyway.” She shakes her head. “Sorry to disappoint you, but no. I’m not going to lie, there’s one guy I hope finds my egg.” Sitting down beside her, I focus on the screen. The guys are in the courtyard with the cameras following them around. A couple of them have already found eggs and are back on the stage. Most of the guys don’t even pay attention to the rock and cactus garden. They walk by it without a single notice. I smile and sit back in my chair. “Doesn’t look like anyone’s going to find mine. Maybe that means I’ll be spending this vacation alone.”

And just as I say it, one of the cameras follows a guy who’s headed straight toward the rock garden. I can’t see what the guy looks like, but then he faces the camera and the breath whooshes out of my lungs. “Oh. My. God.” Makayla gasps. “What?” I can’t take my focus off the guy on the TV, the one about to find my egg. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him, but there’s no mistaking that grin of his and those stark gray eyes. Makayla squeezes my arm. “Allie, what’s wrong? Do you know him?” With a heavy sigh, I look at him and huff. “Yep. I know him very well.” “And?” she prods, nudging me with her elbow. “And he’s an ass,” I reply, hating my life. “Just my damn luck.”

4

Hudson

I’ve battled fires. I’ve competed in obstacles courses. I’ve done the Spartan race. I’ve scaled buildings and rock formations. All done with ease and without fear. But not a single one of those moments has prepared me for this . . . finding a damn Easter egg. I hunts when I was a kid. We’d line up behind a piece of rope, holding our baskets while wearing our Sunday’s best clothing. All the parents would be in front of us, out in the field where the eggs were hidden. The moms with their cameras poised, and dads bent over, clapping their hands in encouragement. Once the rope dropped, it was a free for all. It was really the first competition of my youth where the strongest and fastest kid won. You could body check a kid while running at Mach speed and all you had to do was yell out an apology even though you weren’t sorry. You wanted that golden egg, and nothing was going to stop you. I scooped eggs like it was my job. I was on a mission, crawling around on my hands and knees through the grass. I didn’t care about the thorns from the rose bushes or the bugs that found their way onto my hand. One year, I found the golden egg. I held it up high, hooting and hollering so everyone could hear me. I even had a victory speech planned. My friends and foes came over, they jumped up and down even though they hadn’t been victorious. I will never forget the moment I took the most sought-after egg to the booth and waited to see what I won. The young woman behind the counter congratulated me, took down all my information, and handed me a brown paper bag not even big enough to hold my lunch in. My friends told me to open it, right then and there. I did, and I cried. All my hard work, strategic planning, and determination yielded a ten-cent rubber ball. I had a bedroom full of them already. That was the last year I participated. From that point forward, I thought egg hunts were stupid. Probably still are, but being in Aruba, surrounded by beautiful women, is giving a whole new meaning to the concept.

This time, I’m guaranteed to be victorious. Ten of us step onto the stage. We’re dressed in cream colored linen pants, each with a different colored shirt on. We stand in a row, listening to Ryan Cruise, tell us about the game. Of course, we already know the rules because the gopher has drilled everything into our heads. “Don’t swear.” “Don’t pick your ass.” “Don’t grab your crotch.” “Smile.” “Never look directly at the camera.” “Always watch Ryan when he’s talking.” “Don’t go past the rope.” “Stay within the yellow boundary.” “Don’t return to the stage unless you have an egg.” The list goes on and on. So, I stand here on stage, wishing I could block the bright ass light from shining in my face, all while trying to stare at the former NFL quarterback. You’d think he’d be a big dude, but he’s not. No wonder he had to retire because of injuries. We’re finally released and the ten of us wander off. One guy immediately goes toward the opposite direction. Clearly, he flunked the listening to directions part of his education. I stuff my hands in my pockets and veer off on one of the paths. If I wasn’t here for a reality show, I’d totally want to take a vacation down here. The ambience is great, and it turns out, I’m a new fan of tiki torches. Although, as a fireman, I find these flames to be a bit high for my liking. A couple guys brush past me. They’re slightly bent at the waist and it’s almost as if they’re sniffing the ground, looking for prey. I chuckle. They’re taking this game too seriously. Everyone has an egg. Everyone is a winner.

“Yes!” One of the men jumps up and down. He’s holding his yellow egg out like he’s holding the numbers to this week’s lotto drawing. His friend is patting him on the back, forgetting about his own hunt. I come to the end of the path and spot an egg off to my right. It’s there in a cutout of the palm tree, plain as day. Too easy. Whoever set it there wants her egg found and that means she’s not the girl for me. I want a woman who likes the challenge, who makes men earn her attention. I look to the left and something blue sparkles amid the yellow flowers. The only problem, if this is an egg, it’s nestled between cactus plants. “Challenge accepted, sweetheart,” I say aloud as I reach in. My hand is steady, despite the spines scratching my hand. I’m pretty much blind and trying to maintain my crouched position without falling over. Cuts on my hand, I can deal with. My face, not so much. Finally, my fingers touch the object and move enough to roll it into my palm. Once secured, I stand up and open my hand. The aqua colored egg has flowers painted all over it, with glitter highlighting the petals, and on the bottom there’s a pharmacy symbol. The egg is supposed to tell us about the woman. Obviously, she’s a pharmacist who likes the color blue and loves flowers. But what stands out for me is, she’s adventurous. None of the other things matter because with an island to explore, we’re going to have a blast. A couple of guys brush past, congratulate me on finding my egg and continue to rush down the path. I don’t bother to tell them there is one in the tree. The object of the game is to hunt and hunt they must. Back on stage, I stand there, holding my egg. Only a couple guys have returned. We can see others milling around, moving cords and cameras, and Ryan is getting his make-up refreshed while the rest of the contestants return. Ryan is back in front of the camera, he talks animatedly and recounts our hunt. “Hudson, how’s your hand?” I look down at it and smile. “Perfect,” I tell him and the cameras. He laughs and moves on to the next guy. Ryan goes down the line, asking each of us questions. And then the music changes and its more dramatic. Most would

take this as an omen but none of us move. “Who is ready to meet their match?” The ten of us clap and smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. My damn cheeks are starting to hurt. “In no random order, let’s get started,” Ryan says as he looks at the cards in his hand. One by one, Ryan tells a guy to step forward and then announces the name of the woman whose egg he found. We clap. Another goes. And then another. I’m starting wonder if my name is ever going to be called. I was one of the first ones to return, and yet, I’m second to last. Strike that, now I’m last. “Hudson Bryant, we like to introduce you to Allison, but you can call her Allie Wood.” I rock back and forth on my feet, waiting for Allie Wood to step out of the shadows. When she does, I’m struck by how perfect she is. There are flowers in her blonde hair and she’s wearing a pink dress that shows off her long legs. She’s not too thin, which I can’t stand, and she’s curvy in the all the right places. I can already picture my hands on her hips while I help her scale a rock formation, can feel her thighs around my head when we play some couples water game in the pool during filming. “Hey, Allie,” I say as she steps toward me. I hold out her egg, so she knows I’ve found her. “Did you hurt yourself?” she asks, almost sounding disappointed because she

knows I didn’t. Her question catches me off guard. I smirk. “Totally worth it to meet you.” I can’t be for sure, but I think she rolls her eyes. There’s something familiar about them. Allie stands next to me and looks straight ahead. Ryan gives us some instructions on what we’re supposed to do but I’m not listening. When the producer yells cut, Allie starts to walk away. I follow, like a lost puppy dog. “Hey, so, I’m Hudson.” “Yep, I know.” Attitude, got it. Allie and I walk—well I follow her because I wasn’t listening—to where we are supposed to spend some time getting to know each other. She sits down at a picnic table that has our names on it. There are two plates full of food, a bottle of wine, and twinkling lights surrounding our space. She places her napkin on her lap. “Would you like some wine?” I ask, hoping to strike up some conversation. She shrugs. “Sure.” I pour us each a glass and then place my napkin in my lap. Allie won’t look at me and it bothers the hell out of me. I reach across the table and lift her chin, making eye with her. It’s a bold move, but I’m not a subtle type of guy. “You have beautiful green eyes,” I tell her. “Thanks,” she replies with a scoff. Okay . . . well I’ve never had a woman not return a compliment or shower me with them. This hard to get act is already old. What the hell? Why come on a dating show if you’re not going to put yourself out there? I sit there and stare. She seems familiar but I can’t place her. “Do we know each other?”

Her head pops up. “I don’t know, Hudson. Do we?” She has so much bite in her words, I recoil. “Oh wait, are you the woman I saved last year from the fire, but accidently dropped?” Allie blanches. “You dropped someone you saved?” “It was an accident. I was carrying her to the gurney and tripped over the hose. In my defense, it wasn’t supposed to be there.” She rolls her eyes. “Of course, you would blame someone else for your actions.” “Hey,” I say, pointing my fork at her. “You don’t even know me,” I pause. “Right?” She shrugs and I’m already over the nonchalant attitude. “Okay, what gives? You come on the show and what, thought you’d be a raging bitch? Is this some higher ratings things?” Allie sighs and narrows her eyes at me. “Nope.” Finally, it all makes sense to me. “Ah, I get it. You want me to work for your attention. Okay, I can do that. I’m always up for an adventure. That’s why I picked your egg. I should’ve known you’d be hard to get.” Her eyes go wide, and her mouth drops open. “Seriously?” I wink and take a bite of my food. Messing with her is going to be fun. “Mhm, this is good. You should try it.” She shakes her head. “I’m not even hungry right now.” Shrugging, I reach over and cut a piece of her keshi yena for myself. “I’d hate to see this go to waste then.” She throws her hands up in the air and I can almost imagine the viewers at home laughing their asses off. At least, I’m trying to give them a good show. With her obvious distaste of me, I have to do something to keep my spirits up. “Do you always touch other people’s food?” she snaps.

I chew with a smile on my face. “Only the food of women who I find incredibly attractive.” “You find me attractive?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest. How could any man not? “Undoubtedly,” I reply. “The moment you walked onto the stage; I knew I hit the jackpot. You’ve got nothing on those other women. Plus, you hid your egg in the cactus garden. You’re obviously someone who doesn’t like to take the easy route. I think we fit.” She scoffs. “No, we don’t.” The more I stare at her, the more I get the feeling I’m missing something. Why does she hate me so much? “We know each other, don’t we?” “What makes you think we do?” she asks, pursing her lips at me. “You gave it away with your snarky sass earlier. I may look like a dumb jock but deep down, I’m observant.” “I highly doubt that, Hudson.” I chuckle and reach across the table to brush away the hair the wind had blown across her face. She slaps my hand away and glares at me. “Sorry,” I apologize, pulling my hand away, “I was just getting the hair out of your face.” She hastily tucks the stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I can do that myself.” She stands and storms off. I have two choices, stay, and eat this delicious food or follow her. “Fuck it.” I get up and rush after her, calling her name. Only, she doesn’t stop and keeps going until she’s at her door. She gives me a look, which stops me dead in my tracks, before she disappears into her room. I don’t know how long I stand in her hall. It’s at least long enough for other couples from our show to walk by—holding hands and acting stupid—no less. I suppose when you only have two weeks to make a connection, you don’t waste your time in paradise.

I finally decide to leave and when I get to my room, I flop onto the king size bed and stare at the ceiling, hoping the painted white piece of plaster will give me the answers I seek. Nope. Nothing. My phone rings and I roll over onto my side to answer it. That’s when I notice the dozen roses sitting on the table, along with a chilled bottle of champagne and two glasses. This production team isn’t messing around, pushing us all into romance. “Hello?” I sigh heavily into the phone. “Dude, you’re a moron.” “Wow, Dave. Nice to talk to you too.” “Do you know who you are matched up with?” “Are you watching or something?” “Yeah, it’s a live stream. We get to vote on our favorite couples and shit.” “Lovely.” Just what I need, no one editing out my stupidity. I sigh, much more dramatic this time. “Yeah, Allie something is her name. She’s a raging bitch though.” As soon as I say it, I frantically, look around the room checking for cameras. “Again, moron. It’s Allie Wood.” “Yeah, her.” “No, Hudson. It’s Allie Woodie—the chick you tormented the shit out of in high school because you had a massive crush on her.” “Huh?” Dave groans. “Allison Wood. You tripped her—by accident—the first day of freshman year and she fell and broke her nose. You tried to make it up to her, but

someone pushed you from behind and she slammed her head into her locker. Another time, you were running down the hall, not paying attention and rammed right into her and threw her about fifty feet. After that, you made it a point to seek her out, but she didn’t want anything to do with you.” I sit there, frozen. I it all as clear as day. What are the odds of it being the same person? Just my luck. Karma is definitely being a bitch to me right now. “Hudson?” “Yeah?” I say, rubbing a hand over my face. “To her, you’re a bully. Now’s your time to fix it.” Dave hangs up. The room spins with memories from high school. I never meant to hurt her, I just couldn’t control myself when I was around her. Each year, I tried to be better but with two left feet, I was afraid to make a fool out of myself. I stand and go to the flowers, picking them up. I need to show her I’m not the same jackass I was in high school. Her room is down the hall and around a corner from mine. I set the flowers down in front of her door, knock, and walk away. When I hear a door open, I keep walking. I don’t want to look back in case it’s not her. And if it is, I don’t want to do something stupid, like speak.

5

Allison

If I thought Hudson was an arrogant ass in high school, it turns out he’s an even bigger one now. Who the hell does he think he is? The jerk doesn’t even know who I am. I cringe at the thought of him coming to my door, but luckily, an hour es by and nothing. Feeling as if I can breathe again, I change out of the pink dress and into a pair of shorts and a tank top. The mini bar has a vast selection of liquors and small bottles of wine, so I reach in for the strong stuff first … vodka. After the night I’ve had so far, I need it. I open the bottle and toss it back quickly, loving the burn as it as goes down my throat. Hopefully, after a couple more, the name Hudson won’t even with me. At least, until tomorrow when I’m forced to be stuck with him again. As much as I love Aruba, I can’t wait for the two weeks to be up so I can go home. Reaching into the refrigerator, I grab another mini bottle of vodka and open it, but before I can indulge a knock sounds on my door. Groaning, I close my eyes. “You have got to be kidding me.” I’m not answering it if it’s Hudson. Then again, maybe I should and break his nose like he did mine in high school. I could conveniently trip and fall and push him into the wall. Another knock. I smile and quickly swallow the vodka. “I can totally do this.” However, when I go to the door and peep through the hole, it’s my sister. I’m relieved, but disappointed. I really wanted to break Hudson’s nose. I open the door and Erin rushes in past me, holding a bouquet of flowers. She tosses them on the coffee table. “Those were at your door. I assume they’re from Hudson.” I groan and she purses her lips at me. “What the hell, Allie? What’s going on? You were so freaking rude out there.” She glares at me and I don’t even bother getting mad at her. It’s her show, but she’ll change her tune once she hears what I have to say. “Do you

when I was a freshman and I came home with a broken nose?” Her eyes narrow. “What does that have to do with anything right now? We’re talking about my show and how you totally made yourself look like a bitch.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Exactly. And I’m sure your viewers will understand when they find out I got matched with our high school’s number one Grade A douchebag.” Clearly confused, she gapes at me, but then it’s like a lightbulb goes off in her head. “Oh my God.” She slaps a hand over her mouth and slowly drops it. “Hudson Bryant. He’s the one who broke your nose.” Erin graduated two years ahead of me so I know she doesn’t everyone in my class, but there’s no way she could forget him. I nod. “Yep. And here I am spending my time in paradise with a guy I hate.” Groaning, she sits down on the couch. “I can’t believe this.” I open the refrigerator and toss her a mini bottle of tequila. “Drink that. It’ll help. It’s the only thing getting me through the night.” Sitting beside her, I clink my bottle against hers. She sighs and downs her tequila. “I am so sorry, Allie. I really had high hopes that you’d be matched with your soulmate.” I scoff. “Erin it’s a TV show. I love you and all but playing matchmaker on live TV isn’t the way to find a soulmate.” She shrugs. “You never know.” The room starts to spin, and I welcome the feeling. The one thing that sucks is that Hudson and I are going to be together on live TV every single day. The show isn’t just a once a week ordeal. No, this one is a two-week special. There are no lines to memorize or cue cards to read. This is all real. “I just wish there was a way to get rid of him,” I mumble more to myself than anything. Erin jerks up and gasps. I grab my chest and stare at her as if she’s lost her mind. “What are you doing?” Her lips spread wide. “Allie, I have an idea. You just have to get through the day

with Hudson and through the interview together tomorrow night and you’ll be golden.” With a heavy sigh, I lean my head against the couch. “Interview? You mean I have to sit next to him and answer questions?” I look over at her and she nods, but there’s a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “This could work to your advantage, Allie. In the interview, make sure you tell everyone about your past with Hudson. That’ll get the viewers on your side. Right now, they don’t like you very much.” Great, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear. “I have an idea though,” she says, getting to her feet, “but I have to run it by my team first. In the meantime, deal with Hudson as best you can.” She holds out her hand and helps me up. The room spins even more. “What are you going to do?” I ask her. Her grin widens. “Don’t you worry, little sis. I’ll take care of everything.” Turning on her heel, she leaves, and I flop back down on the couch. The show itinerary is on the coffee table and I groan as I look at tomorrow’s schedule. 8 a.m. – Breakfast with match. 9 a.m. – Choose envelope for the day’s adventure. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Adventure Time. 6 p.m. – Dinner with match – NO cameras. 8 p.m. – LIVE interview. I toss the itinerary back onto the coffee table. “I’m so not looking forward to this.”

M orning comes way too fast. The flowers I assume were left by Hudson are now in the trash where they belong. If he thinks that’ll work with me then he has a lot to learn. Ricardo and Annabelle knock on my door bright and early to do my hair and makeup. They don’t do much since I’ll probably be spending most of the day on the beach and in the ocean. At least, that’s what I’m assuming since we’re in Aruba. It’s 7:50 a.m. and I dread having to meet Hudson for breakfast, but I have no choice. There’s a camera guy already at my door waiting for me to leave. The good thing is that everything I do won’t be shown on tonight’s show. They’ll have to edit out a bunch of today’s events in order to fit it all in tonight’s segment. I know it shouldn’t bother me about what my sister said last night, but it does. I don’t want the world to think I’m a bitch after how I acted last night. I’m not the one in the wrong. Yes, Hudson is clearly a womanizer by the way he acted towards me last night, but apparently, the viewers think it’s charming. It makes me so mad. That’s not the kind of guy I want. Taking a deep breath, I look at myself in the mirror one last time. My hair is pulled high in a ponytail and there’s only a brushing of bronzer on my face. I have a teal bikini on underneath my yellow floral sundress and a pair of flip flops. Very beachy. When I open the door, the camera guy steps back and smiles. He looks to be in his late forties with shaggy salt and pepper hair. His nametag says his name is Stan. “Good morning,” I say. He nods. “Morning, Ms. Wood. I’ll be the one following you around today. My partner, Jean, will be with Mr. Bryant. For the most part, we’ll be out of your way. Just carry on as if we’re not even around.” Like that’s even possible. I smile and start down the hallway toward the elevators. Stan gets in with me and when we get off, I slowly make my way to the designated area where I’ll be meeting Hudson. From what I read on the itinerary, all the couples will be in different spots at the resort to limit interaction. They want each couple to not feel pressured by the others. Right now, nothing is pressuring me except myself. I need to figure out a way to make

Hudson’s life miserable. When I walk past the pool, I can see our table, all decorated with pretty flowers underneath a white canopy. A waiter is already standing there to the side along with the other camera guy, Jean, and unfortunately, Hudson is there, looking at the menu, dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a light blue, short-sleeved buttondown shirt. I wonder what he’s going to say when I tell him who I am. “Here we go,” I whisper under my breath. Hudson notices me approaching and quickly gets up to pull out my chair. It takes all I have not to roll my eyes. There’s no way he’s the gentleman he appears to be. That’s not the Hudson I knew in high school. The table is small so there’s no choice but to be close to him. “You look beautiful this morning,” he tells me, his voice low. The way he says it sounds sincere, and I can even see it in those steel gray eyes of his. It catches me off guard. “Thanks,” I say as I sit down. The waiter smiles at us both and takes our order. It feels awkward sitting there with two cameramen around us, but I try my best to ignore them. The itinerary says to act as if they aren’t there. Kind of hard to do. If only I could ignore Hudson. Instead of looking at him, I focus on the crystal blue ocean. “I know why you were so angry with me last night,” Hudson confides. My eyes instantly go to his. “I highly doubt that, but you’re more than welcome to enlighten me,” I quip back with a laugh. “This should be good.” His expression grows serious, but his attention never wavers from me. “I’m sorry, Allie.” Hearing him call me Allie freezes me in place. Nobody calls me that except my close friends, but I don’t correct him. Instead, I shrug. “For what?” “For how I acted last night.” Reaching for my glass of water, I take a sip and look away. “And,” he continues, “I’m sorry for everything that happened when we were in high school.” Stan and Jean glance at each other in shock and my water goes down the wrong way. I choke, coughing until I can catch my breath.

Hudson grabs my hand. “Are you okay?” I pull my hand away. “You’re trying to tell me that last night you didn’t know who I was?” He nods. “Trust me, I feel stupid about that. I haven’t seen you since we graduated. You look different. I figured you’d be married by now. This show is the last place I thought I’d see you.” I scoff. “What’s that supposed to mean?” The waiter comes over with our food and sets our plates in front of us. The tension between me and Hudson is so thick you could cut it with a knife. He blows out a sigh and looks away. “I’m just saying that the good ones are always taken. You were one of them.” He’s really playing it up for the show. It makes me livid. “Like you ever gave me another thought after high school. You made my life a living hell. After you broke my nose, I walked around looking hideous for weeks. You and your friends loved calling me ugly face and wildabeast. After the swelling went down, I was called badonkasnonk. Do you that?” It was the name that he and his friends called me until we graduated. During our freshman year, I was busy minding my own business when out of nowhere, he bumps into me and I fall right on my face. Then, right as he tries to help me up, someone pushes him, and I ram my head into the lockers as blood gushes out of my nose. Needless to say, it wasn’t the way I wanted to start out at a new school. Hudson tries his best not to smile and fails. “Yeah, laugh it up,” I say, glaring at him. “You were the golden boy in high school. No one ever made fun of you.” He laughs and has the gall to reach for my hand, but I move it away. “I told you I was sorry. I really am. It was a long time ago. I tried getting you to speak to me after that, but you didn’t want anything to do with me. If you only knew how much I really liked you.” “You’re so full of shit.” I look over at Stan and Jean who seem to be enjoying the conversation by the smiles on their faces. “I’m sure you all can edit that out?” I say to them. Stan gives me the thumbs up. I can only imagine what parts of this conversation are going to air on the show

tonight. Hudson rubs a hand over his face and is about to speak but is cut off when Ryan appears by our table with an envelope in his hand. “You two enjoying breakfast?” he asks. Hudson doesn’t speak, but I plaster on a smile. “Of course.” Ryan hands me the envelope. “Great. In the envelope you’ll find today’s adventure. And then once you’re back, you’ll have dinner and then meet up with me for your interview.” Holding the envelope, I look at him and smile. “We can’t wait.” As soon as he’s gone, I tear open the envelope and read what’s inside. Hudson and Allison, Today you’re going to take it easy in your own private pool by the ocean with endless drinks and whatever your heart desires. Make sure you have your sunscreen and have fun! Your host, Ryan “What does it say?” Hudson asks. Handing him the letter, I stand and grab a strawberry off my plate. “Looks like we’re going to have fun in the sun.” Hudson stands, his eyes on mine. “One way or another, Allie, I’m going to make you see I’m not the same guy you knew before.” I bring the strawberry to my lips and take a bite. “Good luck with that. I’ll meet you in the lobby when it’s time.” With those last words, I turn and walk away.

H udson is in the lobby when I get down there, shadowed by Jean and his camera. Stan, of course, is following behind me. The resort manager—a guy named Andre, with dark, tanned skin and bright blue eyes—greets us and leads us to a private section of the resort. The pool is surrounded by lush bushes with beautiful red and yellow flowers scattered throughout. There’s a bartender at the fully stocked bar and he waves at us as we walk past. Andre flourishes a hand toward the pool. “Please make yourself at home here. Josh will get you everything you need.” The young guy at the bar nods and Andre smiles and walks away. “Want a drink?” Hudson asks. I sigh. “You have no idea.” We go to the bar and Josh makes me a tequila sunrise and Hudson takes a Long Island iced tea. The pool is serene with its own private waterfall. I take a seat in one of the lounge chairs and Hudson sits in the one beside me. Go figure. He takes a long sip of his drink and stretches his body. Even though I dislike the guy, he does have a nice body. “Tell me about being a pharmacist. Is that something you’ve always wanted to do?” he questions, looking over at me as if he’s really interested. I slide my sunglasses down over my eyes. “Yep.” “You were always really smart. Top three percent of our class.” I’m shocked he even knows that. His lips tilt slightly in that sexy smile of his. “I had a feeling you’d do something in the medical field.” I hate that his grin makes me feel things I shouldn’t. Yes, he’s good looking, but that’s it. The man has no redeeming qualities. “What about you? I never thought you’d be a firefighter.” I definitely wouldn’t have guessed that back in high school. Hudson was part of the cool crowd. I could see them being politicians or doing some other job in the public eye.

Hudson stretches his arms behind his head. “My parents wanted me to be something more, but I knew fighting fire was what I wanted to do. It doesn’t bring in a ton of money, but I’m happy.” “And what made you want to come on the show?” I wonder. He shrugs. “All the guys at the station applied. Do you Dave Jensen? He was my best friend in school.” I nod. “I him.” How could I forget? They were always together, but he didn’t make fun of me like Hudson and some of their other friends. Dave was smart and in a lot of my classes. Hudson blows out a sigh. “Well, Dave dared me to apply and I never back down from a challenge. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d get picked.” His eyes squint against the sun as he looks at me. “What about you? Why did you want to be on the show?” I snort. “I didn’t. This show is my sister’s baby, her idea. She’s one of the producers. She begged me to be a participant and since I love her, I couldn’t say no. I’m here to her.” He smirks and his eyes roam over my body before he quickly turns his attention to the pool. “Looks like we have several hours out here together. What do you want to do?” I finish my drink and stand. “I’m going to get another drink. Want another Long Island?” His cup is still halfway full, but he shrugs. “Sure. I can get it if you want?” “Nope. I got it.” I hurry to the bar and Josh smiles. “Ready for another round?” Quickly, I glance over my shoulder to make sure Hudson can’t hear me. “Make his extra strong, please.” Josh nods. “Will do.”

He pours a little extra liquor into Hudson’s drink and I hold back my smile. The sooner I can get him drunk, the sooner he’ll out. I have an idea, but it’ll only work if he’s asleep. It’s time for a little payback. Once Josh is done with our drinks, I head back over to Hudson who has just finished his other drink. I hand him the new one and he takes a sip. “Wow, this one’s stout.” I laugh. “Yep. Figured the drunker we get, the better. I didn’t sleep well so I’ll probably take a nap.” He nods. “Same. I couldn’t sleep last night. All I wanted was to talk to you, but I knew you didn’t want to see me.” I want to believe he’s sincere, but I just can’t. “You can drop the act any day now, Hudson,” I say, lifting my glasses so he can see how serious I am. He sits up and a spark of anger flashes in those gray eyes of his. “I’m not acting, I’m being completely serious. What’s it going to take for you to realize that?” I shrug. “A lot more than just a few nice words.” Taking my drink, I can hear him sigh as I walk away. I honestly don’t know what it’s going to take. Lots of kids get bullied in high school, but I was new and had no friends. Luckily, with my black and blue face, I’d gotten sympathy from the nerd crowd who took me under their wings. They were the smart kids and I fit in perfectly with them. From that first day, they were my tribe. I didn’t need to be friends with Hudson and his fake group of people. Stan follows me as I make my way to the pool. There’s a float off to the side so I grab it and toss it into the water. The cool water feels great on my heated skin. The sun in Aruba is intense. It’s a good thing I put on a bunch of sunscreen before leaving my room. Hudson grabs a few more drinks over the next hour and even attempts to talk to me, but I pretend I’m asleep. Eventually, he es out and it’s my time to make a move. I slowly get out of the pool and walk quietly over to him. He’s on his stomach, snoring lightly. Now’s my chance. Reaching into my bag, I pull out my sunblock. Not sunscreen, but sunblock. It works like a charm. Stan and Jean move closer with the cameras. I lift a finger to

my lips for them to be quiet. Taking the sunblock, I squirt a little bit into my palm and scoop a dab of it onto my index finger. Every so gently, I slide my finger down his back. His skin is smooth and hot to the touch. I don’t use a lot of the sunblock because I don’t want it caked up on his back. After everything is said and done, I don’t want him knowing what I’ve done until it’s too late. In big letters on his back, I trace the word badonkasnonk on his back. It takes all I have not to laugh as I’m doing it. We still have three more hours by the pool which works to my advantage. Hudson snores away while I sit back with my tequila sunrise. Good times.

6

Allison

By the time Hudson woke up, I knew my plan had worked. He apologized for sleeping during our time together, but I didn’t care. It took all I had not to laugh when I saw the words show up on his back. He put on his shirt and that was that. Judging by the way he greeted me at the door when he came to get me for dinner, I assume he hasn’t seen it. I expected to see Stan and Jean with their cameras, but then I ed we’re to be alone for this dinner date. The producers wanted the couples to get to know each other without all the pressure. “Why are you smiling like that?” Hudson asks, setting his fork down. “Is there something on my face?” A snicker escapes my lips. “Not on your face.” On your back maybe. He glances down at his shirt. “You’re giving me a complex.” Good. “Sounds like a personal problem,” I say. Hudson stares at me, smirking devilishly. I hate it when he does that. I don’t want him to like me, it makes hating him more difficult. It’d be so much easier if we could eat in silence. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. In high school, he was known for his big mouth. “Tell me,” Hudson begins, his voice sounding curious, “why hasn’t someone swept you off your feet yet?” Staring blandly at him, I take a bite of my steak. “I’m not the sweeping kind.” He shakes his head. “You’ve lost your damn mind, Allie. Any man would be lucky to have you, even if you are a little icy around the edges.”

I bat my eyelashes. “I’m only like that with you.” Hudson chuckles and it makes me want to smile, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I will not let him wear me down. Thankfully, we finish eating our steak, potatoes, and asparagus, and we’re each brought a huge piece of chocolate cake. I dig right into mine since it’s my favorite. “All right, I want to try something,” he suggests. He glances down at his watch. “We have ten minutes before we have to get ready for our interview. I want you to tell me five honest to God different things about you that you feel defines you as a person and I’ll do the same. You have to promise to tell the truth.” Not going to lie, this shocks me. It’s kind of deep for someone like him. Although I’m curious to see what he says about himself. Conceited. Jackass. Rude. Maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt; it’s just hard when all I’ve known is how he was when we were in high school. “Same goes for you,” I say. “No lying.” He holds out his hand. “Deal. We’ll shake on it. And if you doubt me, just there are no cameras around. It’s just you and me.” The second our hands touch, I can’t deny how good it feels. I quickly pull away and clear my throat. “All right, I’ll go first.” I cut into my cake and lift up the huge piece of chocolatey goodness. “I can’t live without chocolate. You might not think it defines me, but it does. I’m literally not fun to be around without it.” Hudson laughs. “I’ll be sure to that.” I stuff the cake into my mouth. There are no cameras around to see me pig out, and I don’t care how Hudson sees me. By the smile on his face, he obviously finds it amusing. “If we’re on the topic of food, I can’t function without peanut butter. It’s killing me not having my morning PB & J sandwiches.” Mouth gaping, I stare at him. I eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day for lunch, but I don’t want to tell him that. “What kind of jelly?” I ask. Please don’t say strawberry.

Hudson smirks. “Strawberry. There’s no better combination.” Dammit. That’s what I would’ve said. Strawberry is what I use on my sandwiches. That’s one thing we have in common. “Okay, moving on,” I say, trying to think of something deeper. The only thing I can think of is my work. “When I was younger, I really wanted to be a doctor, but when I got older, I realized I didn’t like the sight of blood. I loved learning about diseases and what medicines help cure them. It fascinates me.” Sitting back in his chair, his eyes bore into mine. There’s a solemn look in his eyes that puts a ping in my chest. “My parents would’ve loved for me to go to an Ivy League college and be something more than I am, but do you want to know why I decided to be a firefighter?” The feel of the room changes drastically. It’s like I can sense his sadness. “Why?” I ask. He averts his gaze to his half-eaten cake. “You might not this, but it was toward the end of our senior year. I missed about two weeks of school.” I ed that because everyone was wondering where he was. “How could I forget? All your friends were lost without you.” His jaw clenches. “I was at a funeral in Michigan.” My chest tightens. “I’m sorry, Hudson. I didn’t mean to sound insincere.” He waves me off. “It’s okay.” “What happened?” I speak the words softly. He lifts his eyes to mine. “My dad’s best friend and his family’s house had burned down. Everyone survived except for Lisa. She was eight years old. Died of smoke inhalation.” I can see the pain on his face, and it breaks my heart. “I can’t even imagine.” He nods. “So ever since that day, I knew that if she had been saved a few minutes earlier, she’d still be here. That’s why I do what I do. I want to save people.”

All I want to do is comfort him and as I’m about to reach for his hand, the door to our private dining room opens wide and my sister walks in, all smiles. “Hello, you two.” Hudson and I both stand, and I walk over to her. “What are you doing here?” I ask her. She winks at me. “I came to get you. It’s time for your interview.” Then she leans in close. “Nice touch with the sunblock. Everyone laughed when they watched the feed.” Hudson s us and Erin holds out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Hudson. I’m Erin, Allie’s sister.” His eyes widen. “Oh wow. It’s nice to meet you.” Erin nods for the door. “Let’s get you two ready. I have to hook the microphones on to you.” We follow her out the door and down the long hallway to one of the smaller conference rooms. There’s a backdrop on one side of the room with the show’s logo printed on it along with two chairs in front of it and a large TV screen to the side. Ryan is already in place with a camera man behind him and two more throughout the room. Once Erin has the microphones hooked up to us, she goes to stand behind Ryan while we take our seats. The countdown begins and in three, two, one … it’s showtime. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” Ryan announces as he looks at the camera man near me. “We’re now here with Allison and Hudson. We’ve gotten your and took your questions into consideration. I have to say, I’m really excited to hear how our couple responds. We had some interesting new developments come into play this morning. Let’s take a look.” Ryan turns to the TV screen and on it is a clip of mine and Hudson’s breakfast time where he mentions our past. I knew they would play that. My stomach twists and turns and my palms grow sweaty. I can only imagine what the viewers want to know now. Once the clip is over, Ryan focuses on us and smiles. “I have to say, that was a major plot twist. Viewers had noticed a little bit of animosity

from Allison, and now we know why.” Ryan stares right at Hudson. “You broke her nose in high school? How did you manage that?” Hudson smacks a hand to his face. “I am never going to live this down, am I?” Ryan chuckles. “Not yet, I’m afraid.” Hudson sighs and looks over at me. “Well, it was freshman year and Allie was new to school. I accidentally tripped her, and she fell. When I tried to help her up, I got bumped and ended up knocking her into the lockers and breaking her nose.” Ryan cringes and turns to me. “Ouch. That had to be hard, especially on your first day at a new school.” I snort. “You have no idea. And as you already know, I spent the rest of my high school years with those lovely nicknames.” Ryan nods. “I can see why you hated him after that.” This makes Hudson shift uncomfortably in his chair and I smile. Ryan glances over at Hudson. “You have a lot of making up to do if you want this to work, Hudson.” Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Hudson peer over at me. “Trust me, Ryan, I plan on it. A lot’s changed since high school. All I wanted was Allie’s attention, but I tried getting it the wrong way. As you can see, it backfired on me.” Ryan chuckles again. “Are you trying to say you liked her back then?” I freeze. Do I really want to hear his answer? Hudson is still looking at me, but I can’t bring myself to turn my head toward him. “I did,” he confesses. “I was even going to ask her to the senior prom, but then I overheard her talking in the library to her friend about how much she hated me. That was when I realized just how badly I’d screwed up.” Gasping, I jerk my head toward him. The solemn look on his face is back and he shrugs. “It was the day I came back from that two-week trip I told you about at dinner tonight. Sometimes it takes something like that for you to see things clearly.” It just so happens, I that day as if it was yesterday. Hudson had gotten

back to school and it was all anyone could talk about, even Crystal, who was my friend, sitting with me in the library. I her talking about Hudson and how cute he was, and my reply on how I hated him. I had no clue he was close by. I want to tell him I’m sorry, but I don’t get the chance. Ryan points at the TV screen. “Let’s see another clip. This time it’s from your date at the private pool. I have to say it’s pretty hilarious.” Uh-oh. Hudson’s brows furrow in confusion and I bite my lip. I’m curious to see what he’ll think about his new sunblock tattoo. The video shows us lounging in the sun with our drinks and then me getting in the pool. Fast forward a little bit, and there I am with my sunblock, tracing the word badonkasnonk on his back. Hudson moves closer to the screen and touches his shoulder. When he turns to me, he stares at me in awe. “Did you seriously do that?” Ryan bursts out laughing and shuts off the screen. “Isn’t badonkasnonk what Hudson and his friends used to call you?” he asks me. “Yes,” I reply, squeezing my eyes shut. “I thought it would be good payback.” Hudson laughs so loud it echoes across the room. I jerk my eyes open and stare at him. He’s obviously not mad in the least. Ryan laughs along with him. “Guess this means you’ll be spending the rest of the vacation with a shirt on.” Hudson shakes his head. “Not at all. It’s my payback and I’ll pay my dues. If this is what Allie wants, she’ll get it. I deserve it.” Ryan focuses back on the camera. “Well, this should be an interesting couple of weeks. Stay tuned because I’ll be right back with Makayla and Jake.” The cameras shut off and Ryan shakes Hudson’s hand. “Nice job, you two. I have a feeling you’re going to be the favorite couple.” He shakes my hand and Erin escorts us out. “Want me to walk you to your room?” Hudson asks. I nod but Erin holds up a hand. “I just need one minute with her first.” Hudson steps away and Erin moves closer to me. “I pitched a new idea to the crew this morning. We’re going to switch things up tomorrow night.”

“What do you mean?” I whisper. “I’m giving you the chance for an out. That is, if Hudson takes it. If not, you’ll be stuck with him.” She hugs me quickly. “I have to get the next couple. We’ll talk tomorrow.” She hurries off and I walk over to Hudson. “The first thing I’m going to do is go to my room and take off my shirt. I need to see my new tattoo.” We walk down the hall to the elevator. Giggling, I slap a hand over my face. “I thought for sure you’d wake up.” He bumps me with his arm and when I look up at him, he has a big smile on his face. “I’m impressed. You sure you won’t be embarrassed to be seen with me?” I shake my head. “Nope. You’re the one everyone will be laughing at.” We take the elevator to our floor and he walks me to my door. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leans against the wall. “We still need to finish our conversation. We only got through two truths.” “I’m sure we can continue it tomorrow,” I reply. He smiles once more and backs up down the hall toward his room. “Goodnight, Allie. I had a good time tonight.” So did I, but I keep the thought to myself. I didn’t want to have a good time with him, but it was hard not to. In a way, I look forward to more time with him, but Erin’s comment is in the back of my mind. What did she mean by switching things up? She’s giving me a chance for an out, but it’s up to Hudson to take it. As I watch him walk away, I don’t know if I want him to.

7

Hudson

There is nothing like waking up with a smile on your face and knowing you’re about to spend the day with one of the most beautiful women in the world. I showered and dressed quickly, well as fast as I could after I spent a considerable amount of time iring the handy artwork on my back courtesy of Allie. If it wasn’t such a stupid word, I’d think about getting her handwriting tattooed somewhere on my body. Maybe an outline of Aruba and her name. Sounds like a bad idea after a night of drinking but I’m clear headed. I want to this trip for the rest of my life. Sure, my future wife may not appreciate another woman’s name on my body unless that woman is Allie . . . whoa! Did I really just think Allie could be my wife ? Yeah, I really did. As I walk toward her room, I look down at my left hand and imagine a ring there. Being a firefighter, I never really thought about wearing one. The hazards they pose while at work are great but when I’m at home or off duty, I’d want everyone to know I’m married. Wait, what? My thoughts are foggy, muddled with the romantic vibe of the island and the show. I’ve never thought about marriage before and after one full day with Allie, despite her being my high school crush, there is no way I’m at the level of commitment needed. Thank God the camera can’t hear my thoughts. I’m poised and ready to knock on Allie’s door when another cast member tells me she saw Allie head for the elevator. I thank her and hope the look on my face doesn’t show disappointment. I wanted to walk with her to breakfast and

should’ve mentioned it last night, but I sort of figured she would wait for me. Although, I’m not sure why she would. We never discussed it and yesterday we met downstairs. With my head held high, I go to the elevator and wait for the car to arrive. Jean, my camera guy doesn’t say much, which is fine. Or it’s not. I feel awkward standing here by myself even though Jean is behind me. Every so often, he moves from my right to my left, backs up and comes forward, and even drops the camera low. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing, probably trained by the best to know which angles to shoot every scene with. I’m tempted to stick my tongue out at him, but that’s childish and expected of me. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf or page, whatever the hell it is. After the short ride down to the main floor, I retrace my path from yesterday and past the pool. From where I am, I can see Allie. She’s sitting at our table, with one leg crossed over the other and her hands are clasped in her lap. She’s wearing a yellow sundress which looks amazing against her tanned skin, and a big straw hat. I stand there for a second and watch her as the waiter approaches. She says something to him and shakes her head. When he leaves, she looks down at her watch. Is she waiting for me? Allie looks up and scans the area. When her eyes land on mine, I swear she smiles but can’t be sure. I finally move toward her, walking briskly. When I reach her, my hand finds the back of her chair and I lean down to kiss her on the cheek, only once I’m this close to her, I inhale deeply and take in the sweet aroma of her suntan lotion. For whatever reason, the scent of coconut turns me the hell. I have stay bent over a bit longer than is deemed socially acceptable. “You look beautiful,” I tell her as I place my lips to her cheek. The slight raise of her skin tells me she’s smiling, and I thank my lucky stars Stan, her camera guy and mine are chatting in the corner. “Thank you,” she says quietly. “So,” I say as I sit down and place my napkin in my lap. “After my shower this morning, I moisturized my new artwork.” Her mouth drops open, but it’s her eyes that tell me everything I need to know. They sparkle with delight. She’s happy with her masterpiece. I wink and reach for her hand as our waiter returns. “Are you ready for your meal?” he asks.

Allie and I nod. I open my mouth to ask her how her night was, but Ryan approaches our table with the envelope that will tell us what our day will look like. “Good morning, Allie and Hudson.” “Morning,” I reply. The cameras are on, one on each side of us, so they can capture every angle. “Good morning,” Allie says. She reaches for the envelope and holds it in her hand. Ryan nods down at it. “As you know, the contents inside will tell you everything you need to know about your day. Have a great time you two.” Ryan walks away, leaving me confused. “Am I missing something?” “What do you mean?” Allie asks. Shrugging, I say, “I’m not sure. Yesterday he was a chatty Cathy and today, he hands you the envelope and that’s it.” Allie shrugs as well. “Maybe he just expects us to know how things work now.” “Yeah, I guess.” I’m probably overthinking everything. I can’t help it because I want everything to be perfect for Allie. It’s what she deserves. “Well, are you going to open it?” Allie slides her finger under the flap and pulls the card out. She waits until the waiter puts our breakfast down before she reads today’s itinerary. A llie & Hudson, Enjoy your time at Arikok National Park. Out front, a Jeep Wrangler is waiting for you, fully stocked and ready for the day. At 1 p.m. a representative will meet you with your lunch.

Don’t forget your camera—the views are breathtaking. Watch your step though—you never know what might slither by. All the color drains from Allie’s face as she says the last word. She doesn’t need to worry though. I’ll protect her. “Do you have sunscreen in your bag?” I ask. She nods. “I do, why?” “We’re going to need it with the top down on the Wrangler. We should probably stop by the gift store and buy me a hat.” Allie nods. “And I should probably get some hair ties. You don’t want to see the kind of tangled mess my hair can become.” I wink and run a hand through my hair. “I don’t know what that’s like.” We finish breakfast and stop by the gift shop to buy a hat. She puts a few on my head and laughs. I have no doubt I look like an old fuddy-duddy but whatever protects my head from getting burnt. The sun in Aruba is no joke. It’s not like it is back home. One hour in Aruba is like four in the states. Just like the card said, there’s a Jeep Wrangler waiting for us when we step outside. There is actually four of them, each one marked with a couple’s name. Stan and Jean climb in the back and I hold Allison’s hand to help her get into the front. Once she’s settled, I close the door and make my way to the driver’s side. “I wonder,” I say as I push the start button. “If they’ve preloaded the GPS for us.” As soon as the console comes to life, the navigation unit lights up and the green go button is ready for me to press. I glance at Allie, with my finger hovering over the button. “Are you ready for our next adventure?” “I am.” “Off we go.” We pull out of the resort onto the main road. The traffic is bumper to bumper but as soon as we get off the main stretch and onto the less popular roads, it eases

up. The whole island isn’t that big, only 19 miles long and five miles wide. If we were to travel from one end to the next it would take us less than forty-five minutes. When we reach the entrance to Arikok National Park, Allie and I walk inside to the visitor’s center, followed by Jean and Stan. Allie grabs my arm. “I’m running to the restroom. I don’t think there are any once we get in the park.” I shrug. “I’m sure you could squat somewhere.” My lips pull back and she rolls her eyes, smacking my arm playfully. “Yeah right. I can see it now on TV. A video of me taking a piss with my ass blipped out. That wouldn’t embarrass me at all.” Envisioning it makes me laugh. “I think it’d be pretty hilarious.” Shaking her head, she walks off to the bathroom and closes the door. The lady at the welcome desk smiles as if she’s been expecting us. She doesn’t seem to be surprised to see the camera guys following me around. “Good morning,” I say to her. She nods once. “Morning. I have something for you.” She hands me a map of the park along with the to enter. There’s also a note attached to the map. Allie & Hudson, Enjoy the scenery as you cruise over the rocky path to the natural pool. There you can take a dip and indulge in lunch under the sun. It’s the only place you’re allowed to swim. Afterwards, take a drive down the coast to Boca Prins and around the southern loop back up to the park entrance. Use plenty of sunscreen and stay safe! “What’s that?” Allie asks, focusing on the note. I hand it to her along with the map. “More of our itinerary. You ready? I’m counting on you not to get us lost.” She snorts. “Please. How hard can it be?”

We walk back out to the Jeep and all of us climb in. I try my best to ignore Jean and Stan, but I’m still not used to them following us around. In a way, I can’t wait to get back home so I don’t have to worry about someone being up my ass all the time, but yet, I also don’t want to leave. Allie opens up the map and points toward the gate. “All right, we have to go through there and turn toward the right. That road will take us to the natural pool.” Once we’re through the gate, the road is smooth and narrow. There are rocky hills to both sides with hundreds of cactuses everywhere. The road winds up to the top of the hill and when we get there, the smooth path disappears. It’s nothing but various sizes of rocks, and not the typical gravel you’d see in the states. Our trip through the desert is going to be a bumpy one. The view, however, is stunning. The ocean doesn’t look that far away, but with the rough terrain it’s going to take a while to get there. I put the Jeep into four-wheel drive. “Here we go.” Allie holds onto the dash as we start on our way. We’re all bouncing around and I know it has to be hell for the guys in the back. “Bet we’re going to make some of the viewers sea sick trying to watch this video,” I laugh. Stan chuckles. “No kidding. I didn’t realize it’d be this crazy.” Allie bursts out laughing. “I’m glad I don’t get car sick.” I wink over at her. “Me too. If you throw up on me, I can’t promise I won’t do it back to you.” We both laugh and it makes me realize how much I love hearing hers. It’s the same laugh she had in high school. I really want us to continue our talk from dinner the night before, but I don’t want the world knowing our private conversations. That’s between me and her. She’s the only person I’ve ever confided in about the reason why I wanted to be a firefighter. I’m dying to know more about her. “I bet you do adventurous things all the time, don’t you?” Allie asks. It’s in my blood. “Sometimes,” I reply, glancing over at her. “When I’m not working, I like to ride dirt bikes with my buddies every now and again. Why do

you ask? Think I’m wild or something?” She smiles and gives me a little shrug. “Maybe. You seem like a take risks kind of guy.” That can either be a good or bad thing. “Does that scare you?” I can see the seriousness on her face as she averts her gaze to the ocean. “It doesn’t scare me. On the contrary, it makes me envious. There was a time when I used to be a risk taker, but I like to play things safe now.” Reaching over, I place a hand over hers. “Coming on this show isn’t taking the safe route.” Her eyes turn to mine and she smiles. “Exactly. I’m actually shocked at how much fun I’m having.” She nods toward the terrain. “But if we get stuck out here with a flat tire, I’ll have to retract that statement.” I squeeze her hand. “I’ll get you back safely. I promise.” Further down the hill and toward the coast, the natural pool comes into view. It’s right by the ocean and surrounded by huge volcanic rocks. Allie gasps and points at it. “We’re almost there. It’ll feel good to get in the water. It’s so damn hot out here. Looks like no one is there.” Stan clears his throat. “That’s because the producers paid a hefty donation to the park to make sure of that. Usually, the natural pool is packed with tourists. We didn’t think it’d make for great TV if you were waiting for hours just to get a chance to take a dip.” “No shit,” I blurt out. Allie snickers but I have no doubt the crew will bleep my response before they put it on TV. They’re going to have to do that a lot with me. “Yeah, that would suck,” she agrees. “Not my idea of a vacation.” I park the Jeep by the entrance to the natural pool and there’s a guy waiting by the stairs that leads down to it, dressed in a pair of white shorts and a navy-blue polo shirt with Arikok National Park embroidered onto it. His name is Esmar. He directs us down to the pool and gives us a few insights about how it formed.

Now that we’re out of the moving Jeep, the heat is ten times worse. We only have one hour to enjoy the natural pool and eat our lunch before tourists are allowed back. Once Esmar is done talking, I grab Allie’s hand and she squeals. “What are you doing?” Stopping at the rock’s edge, I take off my shirt. She giggles at the sight of my back and I know Stan and Jean are getting every angle of my sunburn tattoo. “I didn’t think you’d actually show it off,” she says, smiling wide. I shrug. “Humiliation is good for the soul. I deserve it.” I nod toward the water. “Come on, let’s jump.” I don’t have to tell her twice. Underneath her clothes is a teal bikini that looks sexy as hell on her. For a moment, I’m stunned at the sight of her, but then she grabs my hand. “On the count of three. One. Two…” Before she can say three, I jump and pull her with me into the water. She screams and I laugh the entire time. The second we hit the water, it feels amazing. I let Allie’s hand go so she can surface. When I rise to the top, she’s already swimming toward the rocks. She climbs up on them and I do the same. She wrings out her hair and the water slides down her skin. I can't help but follow it as it drips down her breasts. “I’m so glad there’s not a bunch of people here.” I nod and turn my focus to the pool. “Me too.” “Don’t get me wrong, I love the beach, but it’s not my preferred vacation.” “Oh yeah?” I ask, grinning over at her. “What is?” I’m curious to know more about her. It’s so hard getting to know someone with cameras in our faces. With Stan and Jean so far away from us, I know they can’t hear. Allie realizes that as well. She takes in a deep breath and smiles. “Wyoming. I love the mountains out there. They’re so majestic.” Out of all the places she could pick, that’s the last destination I would’ve expected to hear come from her lips. “Wow,” I say. “I’m shocked.”

Her brows lift. “Why?” I bump her with my shoulder. “Didn’t take you as an outdoorsy girl.” She laughs. “It’s been a long time since I’ve actually gone on any kind of vacation, but yeah, I love the outdoors. Hiking is my favorite thing in the world.” That’s a woman after my heart. I haven’t met any woman who likes to do anything other than shopping in a long time. Every second I spend with Allie, she surprises me more and more. If only she felt the same way about me. There’s still time to make her see that I’ve changed.

B y the time we get back to the car, we’re exhausted. We swam in the natural pool for as long as we could and ate our lunch by the water. Bouncing around in a Jeep for hours along with the sun beating down on you can really take it out of you, but it was worth it. We got to see all of Arikok National Park. If Jean and Stan didn’t have to film, I would ask one of them to drive so I could close my eyes right now and take a nap. Allie’s a trooper on our drive back. She talks to me the entire time, pointing out random things on the side of the road, keeping me awake and focused. Sometimes her exuberance is so over the top, I find myself wanting to kiss her. Who am I kidding? I’ve wanted to kiss her since last night. I’d really love for one of our envelopes to say, “Stay inside and play games all day.” We’d play doctor, strip poker, and seven minutes in heaven if I had my say. The valet greets us when I pull into the hotel. Both doors fly open and we’re helped out of the car. As soon as I step into the lobby of the hotel, I stop and lift my face to the blowing air. Allie’s arm touches mine and when I look over at her, she’s doing the same thing. “This feels so good.” “It does. I can’t believe how hot it was out there today.” “I can’t believe we couldn’t swim in the ocean,” she says. “Don’t get me wrong, the natural pool was awesome. At least we got to cool off there, but it would’ve been nice to swim during our stops in the park. They better give us a snorkeling trip.” “Give your sister a list of places we want to visit and things we want to.” “That’s a great idea,” she says through laughter. “I should get preferential treatment, especially since—” her eyes drop from mine. “Since you were stuck with me?” “No, I wasn’t going to say that.” But she was. I can see it in her eyes. I should laugh it off and act like it doesn’t bother me, but it does. Clearly, I’m not doing

enough to show her how sorry I am for what a jerk I was in high school. Thing is, I never meant to be a jerk. It was just anytime I was around her, I was a dumb jock and didn’t know how to act or stand on my own two feet. “I’ll meet you at dinner,” I tell her as I walk away. Instead of heading toward the elevators I veer off toward the bar. The thought of staying in there until dinner is appealing, but I want to take a cold shower and try and put some negative thoughts behind me. I find the stairs and take them two at a time until I reach my floor. Thankfully, the door is close to my room and I don’t have to sneak by Allison’s room to reach mine. I’d like to think she’s standing at her door, staring out the peep hole and waiting for me to walk by. Back in my room, I go right into the bathroom and strip down. I don’t bother looking in the mirror to see my temporary tattoo as turn the shower on and step in. The cold is a shock to my system but a welcome one. I stand there, letting the water rain down on me, numbing my thoughts. By the time I shut the shower off, my teeth are chattering. Of course, it doesn’t help that the air conditioner has kept my room at a cool sixty-five degrees. Instead of dressing, I crawl into bed, set an alarm and doze off. I need some sleep and a fresh mind if I’m going to make it through dinner. When my alarm goes off, I’m in a foul mood. I didn’t sleep well and could never fully fall asleep. Each time I closed my eyes, visions of Allison filled my mind. I hate the way I left things and I should’ve played the whole thing off. But I didn’t and now I’m paying for it. Once I’m dressed, I make my way to the dining hall. This is the only time the cameras are off, which I’m thankful for. Allison is already sitting, and I make my way to her. She’s wearing a white dress, her hair is curled and pinned off to the side. I officially hate her make-up team because they’re making her look irresistible. I suppose that means they’re doing their job. “Once again, you look beautiful,” I tell her as I sit down. “Thank you. Is everything okay?” she asks in a hushed tone. “Yeah, I needed a nap. I get cranky when I’m tired.” She laughs. “Me too, although I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about what I said . . . well, almost said. I didn’t mean it, Hudson. I’m really enjoying our time

together.” “Me too.” I reach for the box in front of me and shake it. “What’s this?” “I’m not sure. Each couple has one.” When the servers arrive with our dinner, I put the box down and dig in. Allie and I make small talk until Ryan enters the room. He stands at edge of the room and taps a fork against his glass. “Gentlemen, nothing is as it seems. Each of you have a box. Inside the box is an opportunity, a chance to switch things up. The question before you is this—do you want to stay with your match or swap? If you want to swap, open your box now.” What the actual fuck? The room is quiet. The women look pissed. And the men are confused.

8

Allison

There’s a box on the table that has me nervous, but I try to ignore it. Each couple has one on their table, but nobody else opens theirs. From what I can see, everyone is curious about it. Hudson and I talk about our Jeep tour and how much fun we had. I’m starting to really enjoy being around him, but I can’t help but feel like something’s about to happen. We’re on a reality TV show. Everyone knows there’s going to be some kind of drama mixed in at some point. And just like clockwork, Ryan walks into the dining room with a mischievous smile on his lips, followed by his camera crew. Oh yeah, something’s up. He stands at the edge of the room and taps a fork against his glass. “Gentlemen, nothing is at it seems. Each of you have a box. Inside the box is an opportunity, a chance to switch things up. The question before you is this—do you want to stay with your match or swap? If you want to swap, open your box now.” The room falls silent and I’m in shock. Is this what Erin was talking about when she mentioned switching things up? Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been all for Hudson getting rid of me, but now? The thought of him being with one of the other women infuriates me. I don’t like it. There are mixed feelings throughout the room. Some of the men look as if they’ve won the lottery while some of the women are livid. In all reality, I don’t care what any of them decide. My only concern is Hudson. I’m afraid to look at him. I don’t want to see the excitement in his eyes about being with someone else like some of the other men. I search out the room for Makayla and once her dark red hair comes into view, I focus on her face. She’s upset. It’s obvious the douchebag she’s with wants to be with someone else. His hands are on the box and he starts to open it. The same goes for four of the other men. When they open the boxes, there are eggs inside with their names on it.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and open my eyes back up, slowly sliding my gaze toward the dreaded box on the table. I half expect to see Hudson’s hands on the box and the look of contemplation on his face … but that’s not what happens. The silver box has been pushed to the side of the table with the ribbon perfectly intact. When I meet his gaze, he smiles at me with that devilish smirk of his. “Worried?” he asks, grinning wider. The knot in my stomach eases and I breathe a sigh of relief. “I hate you right now.” He laughs quietly, but abruptly stops when arguments erupt in the room. A couple of the women storm out, their heels clanking on the marble floor. The four guys who opened the boxes stand together with Ryan while Makayla and one of the other women whose guy picked the box instead of her sit together quietly in the corner. “I feel terrible for her,” I whisper, nodding over at Makayla. “She’s really nice.” Hudson glances over at her. “The guy she was with is a jackass. She deserves better.” That gives me some relief, but I still feel bad. It has to be embarrassing to be dumped on TV with millions of viewers watching. “Did you think I was going to trade you in?” he wonders, picking up a piece of his steamed broccoli. He takes a bite and smiles while he chews it. I’m about to speak when he takes another bite, obviously amused with my reaction. “You should know I wasn’t about to let you go. I look forward to showing off my back tattoo with you by my side. Besides,” he says with a wink, “I had a good time today. I’m wearing you down.” Playfully, I roll my eyes. “Whatever. Keep telling yourself that.” We both laugh quietly and watch the drama unfold across the room. Ryan and the others walk out, leaving all the remaining couples in the dining room. “Guess we finish eating?” I say, taking a bite of my mashed potatoes. Hudson sits back in his chair. “I can’t wait to see what tonight’s episode will look like. Guess they’ll be showing off the new couples.” I dread watching it. I have no doubt the camera guys caught all of my expressions. Hudson’s definitely going to see how scared I was, and no doubt,

give me grief about it. I like that we can banter back and forth; it’s actually kind of fun. Every guy I’ve dated was serious, and in return, I guess I had no choice but to be that way too. I like being playful and mischievous. Hudson has definitely brought out that side of me. Once everyone has finished dinner, none of us know what to do until my sister enters the dining room. She waves at everyone and winks at me before addressing us all. “Hey guys. I know we threw you for a loop tonight. We thought we’d spice things up a bit and I think we achieved that. But I am excited that most of you are happy with your partners. That’s the main goal of our show. Hopefully, our new couples will be able to find happiness as well.” “What do we do now?” I stand and ask. Erin’s smile broadens. “We’re giving you the night off. Tonight’s live episode will be showing clips of your day dates and then another ceremony where we match the new couples up together.” The night off? I like the sound of that. Is it bad that my first thought was having Hudson come to my room? Then again, I don’t want the whole world wondering what we’re doing behind closed doors. It’s none of their business. The other couples start to disperse and Erin hurries over to me. “Mind if I borrow her for a sec?” she asks Hudson. He holds up his hands. “Go for it. I’m going to finish my dinner.” He winks at me and I turn my back on him. Erin leans in close and turns off her microphone, her voice low. “I tried to give you a way out, but it looks like he didn’t want it.” The cameras could see us, but at least they wouldn’t be able to hear us. “So that’s what you meant by switching things up,” I whisper back. “You meant that literally.” She snickers. “Hey, I tried. Looks like you’re not too upset about being stuck with Hudson though.” I shrug. “Things have changed.” Her eyes twinkle. “I see that. I’m glad he didn’t take the bait because our

viewers love you two together. You’re the most popular couple here.” She nods over at her camera guys for them to leave. “All right, I’m heading out. Just to give you a heads up, the camera guys will still be around the resort. Make sure you tell Hudson before he visits you in your room.” I snort. “Who says he’s coming to my room?” Erin bats her eyelashes. “Oh, sweet sister, I know he wants you and you want him. If you don’t want the world knowing what you’re doing don’t let him be seen at your door. Then again, I know the viewers want to see him at your door.” She hugs me and giggles. “Have fun, Allie. I’m glad to see you’re enjoying yourself.” She lets me go and some of the camera crew follows her out. Stan and Jean are still in the dining room. No doubt to follow me and Hudson back to our rooms. Just because we have the night off doesn’t mean we aren’t being filmed. Hudson stands when I make it back to the table. “Everything okay?” I nod. “Yep.” But then I lower my voice. “I’ll have to tell you later.” “Okay,” he says, sliding his hands in his pockets and regarding me curiously. I’m hoping he understands my meaning about later. It’d be nice to spend some time with him without the cameras. With Stan and Jean filming us, I don’t want the whole world knowing that whole switch debacle was my sister’s idea to get me away from Hudson. He reaches out for my hand. “Want me to walk you to your room? Don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.” “Same,” I agree in all honesty, taking his hand. I don’t know if the whole hand holding thing is just for the show, but it feels right. All I know is that I don’t want the night to end. Some of the other couples leave and we all go our separate ways. Hudson and I are the only ones in the hallway heading toward the elevators with Stan and Jean behind us. “I wonder what adventure we’ll be going on tomorrow,” I say as we wait for the elevator. Hudson squeezes my hand. “Hopefully it involves some beach time. Gotta show off my perfect tan.” We both laugh and I’m not going to lie, I want to see his back. “You aren’t going to be embarrassed to be seen with me, are you?” The elevator doors open and we all walk inside. “Not in the least,” I reply. “Next time don’t fall asleep around me. There’s no telling what I’ll do.”

He snorts. “I’ve already learned my lesson on that, cupcake.” It only takes about fifteen seconds for the elevators to open up on our floor. We walk out and slow our pace on the way to my door. Stan takes the lead so he can get a front shot of us. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Hudson says, stopping at my door. I nod. “Yes, you will. And thanks for not opening the box.” He smirks. “You’re welcome. I wasn’t about to give you up.” If only he really thought that way. A part of me really hopes he does. Once this is all said and done, he’s going to be a celebrity with his sexy smile and hard ripped body. Ladies are going to be throwing themselves at him. I hate to it it, but it makes me jealous. “Goodnight, Hudson,” I murmur softly. He pulls me into his arms. “Goodnight, Allie.” Breathing him in, I don’t want to let him go. He slides down toward my neck and places a gentle kiss on my skin. “Answer your phone.” He says it quickly and so low I don’t know if he actually said it or not. Letting me go, he winks and turns on his heel. I watch him walk down the hall, but then I wave goodbye at the camera and open my door, shutting it quickly behind me. A few seconds later, my room phone by the couch rings. I rush over to the couch and answer it as I sit down. “Hello?” “Hey, it’s me,” Hudson says. “What’s going on?” He chuckles. “You said you were going to tell me something later. It’s later now. What did your sister want?” With a heavy sigh, I close my eyes. “Don’t get mad, okay?” “Uh-oh. That’s not something I want to hear.”

“It’s not that bad. Well, I guess it is depending on how you look at it. Then again, you know how much I hated you at the beginning.” The line goes silent for a second. “Are you saying you don’t hate me now?” I roll my eyes. “You know I don’t, Hudson. We’ve had a breakthrough. You’re not as bad as I thought you were.” He laughs. “That’s good to hear. What did you do? Ask your sister to come up with a way to get rid of me?” Biting my lip, I can’t even form a reply. I didn’t expect him to guess it that easily. My silence confirms it. “Wow, Allie. I’m impressed. You’re really handing me my ass on this show.” Luckily, he doesn’t sound angry. “So, you’re not mad at me?” “Hell no,” he replies with a laugh. “I’m just glad you didn’t want me to open the box. I could see it on your face. It gave me hope.” Breathing a sigh of relief, I lay down on the couch. “Thanks, Hudson. You’re starting to grow on me. I just want all of this to be real. It’s hard to be ourselves in front of millions of viewers.” “It is real, Allie. Who I am right now with you is who I’ve been my whole life. You have no idea how many times I’ve wished you could see it.” Butterflies flutter in my stomach. I haven’t had those feelings in a very long time. “I do see it.” “What are you doing right now?” he asks. My curiosity peaks and I sit up. “Just sitting on the couch. Why?” “I’m coming over.” I gasp. “You can’t. Stan and Jean will be out there waiting for one of us to leave. The last thing I want is the world thinking we’re sneaking around.” He laughs. “Well, aren’t we?” “You know what I mean.” Everyone will think we’re sleeping together. Even if

we were, it’s not something I want the world to know. It’s none of their business. “I get it,” he replies, his voice playful, “your virtue’s at stake. Don’t worry, no one will see me. I have a plan.” “Which is?” I ask, feeling excitement shoot through my veins. I really want to know what he’s up to. “You’ll see. I’ll be there in a minute.” He hangs up and I set the phone down quickly before rushing to the door to look out the peephole so I can open the door fast. My first thought is that he’s going to be in a disguise. Hudson was a jokester in high school so anything’s possible. About five minutes es and then another five more. I start to doubt that he’s even going to come. The show’s about to start so I go back to the couch and sit down. I’m curious to see how the new couples will be paired up. As soon as I sit down, a knock sounds on the glass balcony door, scaring the complete and utter shit out of me. The curtains are pulled across so I can’t see who’s out there, but I have a good guess. “Allie, it’s me.” I hurry to the door and slide the curtains out of the way. Hudson stands there with a big smile on his face. I slide the glass door open. “Very Romeo and Juliet,” I tease. Hudson chuckles and looks back over the railing. Luckily, we were just on the second floor so if he fell it wouldn’t have been far. “There was no other way. I climbed off my balcony and ran over so I’d only have to climb up one floor.” Stepping out of the way, I let him into the room and close the curtains behind us. For all I know, someone recorded his little stunt on video and we’ll be watching it tomorrow night. Hudson sits down on one end of the couch and I take the other. “Took you long enough, didn’t it?” I joke again. His brows lift. “Seriously? If I didn’t have to wait for the coast to be clear I would’ve been here in less than a minute. I’ve had plenty of practice climbing into buildings to rescue people.” I can’t imagine doing what he does, being surrounded by fire all the time. It’s a dangerous job. “How many people have you saved?” I ask.

Looking up at the ceiling, he blows out a long breath. “Honestly, I don’t know. There were hundreds of people my team rescued when we flew to California last year to help with the wildfires. We also went to Australia to help out a few months ago. That was the worst I’ve ever seen.” “You went there?” I gasp. A solemn look takes over his face when he turns to me and nods. “That was devastating. We tried to help out as much as we could. I work with a great team of guys.” His lips pull back into a smile. “I say that now, but they’ve also been giving me hell since the show started.” He slides his phone out of his pocket and scrolls through all of his texts so I can see. Most of them are making fun of him because of the back tattoo I gave him. And there are a lot that say I’m hot and for him not to mess things up. It makes me smile. “Nice,” I say. I want to ask him what we’re going to do when we go home, but I don’t. It’s too soon to even think about that. The intro to the show starts playing on TV and it draws our attention. Hudson stretches his arm over the back of the couch as if he’s inviting me to sit closer. I really want to lay my head against his chest and be near him. I know he wants me too, but if I take that step it’ll lead to something more. Do I want that? More than anything. We finish watching the intro and I can’t help but notice that there are more video shots of me and him than any of the other couples. Hudson clears his throat and moves a little closer to me. “Am I the only one who noticed that you and I were shown quite a lot in that intro?” I shake my head. “I noticed it too,” I say, keeping my eyes on the TV. I already know the reason for it too. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Hudson staring at me; it makes shiver, but in a good way. I look over at him and he lifts his brows curiously. “Do we have your sister to thank for that?” “Not exactly,” I answer. “Now don’t get a big head or anything, but she told me that you and I are the favorite couple on the show. Viewers want to see more of us.”

His grin broadens. “Well, I’ll be damned. That’s awesome. The world wants us together.” Rolling my eyes, I slap him playfully on the arm. “Great. I can already see your head swelling.” We both laugh and watch the show. It was pretty cool being able to see the other couples and what they did on their dates. It was easy to see which people were genuine and which ones were faking the entire time. Once the day time footage of all the couples is done, it moves to the dinner where the guys are presented with the gifts. It’s the part of the show I’ve been dreading. And just like I thought, there’s a close up of my face during the time I’m afraid to look at Hudson and see him opening his box that he casually pushes to the side. The entire time, he’s smiling at me and my eyes are turned. I can feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. Luckily, Hudson doesn’t say anything. We finish watching the show and it turns out the guys who opened their boxes had to leave their eggs on the stage while the women chose who they wanted. The tables have turned. Once they were all matched up with their new partners, the glowing new couples smiled for the camera. I’m more than relieved that I wasn’t up there on that stage. “You really didn’t want me opening that box, did you?” Hudson teases. He moves closer and I can feel his warmth on my arm. A small smile spreads across my face as I turn the channel to something else which happens to be Dirty Dancing. “What can I say? The thought of you wanting to be with one of the other women made me mad.” Hudson gently touches my chin so I have to look at him. I meet his gaze and it’s so hard not to get lost in those gray eyes of his. He stares into mine as if he can see right into my soul. “What are we going to do when we go home? Will you want to see me again?” he asks, his voice low. “Depends,” I whisper back. “What do you want from me?” He focuses down on my lips and smiles. “Right now, I’d give anything to kiss you.” My heart stops and then thumps wildly in my chest. He moves closer and I do the same. I don’t have any control. My breaths come out fast and I’m dying to feel his lips on mine. “Then kiss me,” I tell him.

When our lips touch, I melt against him. Fire ignites throughout my body and I find myself wanting more. His hand cups the back of my neck and the other is on my cheek, holding me to him. I love every single second of it. I don’t want it to end, but he pulls away first. “I wish you knew how long I’ve waited to do that.” I smile. “It’s a shame you didn’t kiss me like that in high school. I might’ve had to change my mind about you.” We both laugh and it feels good. Something has changed between us. There’s a connection that only seems to grow stronger every second I spend with him. Hudson lays back against the couch and opens his arms. “Want to watch the movie? I promise I’ll just hold you tonight.” And that makes me fall for him even more. I lay down and snuggle against his chest. “The answer to your question is yes. I’d love to see you again once we’re back home.” He holds me tighter. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”

9

Allison

Iwake up in Hudson’s arms and I can hear his heartbeat in my ear. All I is kissing him and then falling asleep while trying to watch Dirty Dancing. I sit up and thank God that I haven’t drooled all over Hudson’s shirt. He stretches his arms and smiles. “Morning, cupcake.” “That’s the second time you’ve called me that,” I say, laughing. “Is it my new nickname?” He shrugs. “It’s cute.” “Okay,” I give in. “I kind of like it. But now I want a cupcake.” He smirks. “So do I.” If we hadn’t ed out last night, it makes me wonder what would’ve happened if we had more energy. I do want him more than anything, but I don’t want to be stupid. Then again, if it feels right, is it stupid? Holding out my hand, he takes it and I pull him up from the couch. “You need to get out of here before someone sees you.” I nod over at the clock. “It’s seven. We have to meet for breakfast in an hour.” He grabs my hand and pulls me to him. “I wonder what they’re going to have us doing today.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “Hopefully, some beach time. We need to get the badonkaskonk off your back.” “And here I thought you loved it,” he teases as he kisses me. “I’ve been wearing it proudly.”

I kiss him on the cheek and push him toward the door. “I know you have, and I appreciate it. I forgive you for breaking my nose.” He stops at my door and faces me, his expression serious. “I’m really sorry about that. I know nothing I can say or do can change what I did.” I wave him off. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago.” “Still,” he says, brushing a thumb across my cheek. “The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you.” He kisses me one more time chastely and I really don’t want him to leave, but he has to. I open the door and glance down both sides of the hallway. The coast is clear. “You’re good,” I say quickly. “Go.” Hudson takes off down the hallway to his room. I shut mine quickly, hoping there aren’t hidden cameras catching our every move. In all reality, it doesn’t matter if there are. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m falling for Hudson and there’s no denying it. There isn’t much time left so I take a quick shower and once I’m done, Ricardo and Annabelle are at my door so they can do my hair and makeup and drop off my outfits for the day. Ricardo braids my hair to the side and Annabelle dabs on a little waterproof foundation to protect my face from the sun and also make my skin look flawless for the cameras. The outfits they left are two different bathing suits, one pink and purple and the other black, a light blue lacy cover up, and a floral maxi dress. I was told to put one of the bathing suits on underneath my dress but to pack the other and take it with me to breakfast since Hudson and I will be heading on our adventure right after. They gave me a cute straw bag to put everything in. Once they’re gone, I slip on the hot pink and purple bikini underneath the dress, grab my bag with the other bathing suit, and go down to meet Hudson in the breakfast dining area. He’s sitting at our table, wearing a Hawaiian print shirt with khaki shorts. Something tells me that’s not his first choice of clothing, but looking around the room, all the guys are wearing something similar. Grinning, I walk over to our table and set my bag down. “Nice shirt.” He scoffs. “I look like a palm tree.” His eyes roam up and down my body. “Now

you, on the other hand, look absolutely beautiful.” I can’t help but smile. “Thanks.” He gets up and pulls out my seat. “I had a good time last night,” he murmurs, brushing his lips against my ear. Everything inside of me tightens. “So did I.” Once I’m seated, he goes back to his. The waiter brings out our breakfast and it’s hard not to feel the tension in the room. The new couples are sitting together and I’m happy to see that Makayla and her new man are smiling as they enjoy their breakfast. She’s the only one of the other women I’ve been concerned about. “Maybe that one will treat her right,” Hudson says, drawing my attention back to him. He stares over at Makayla and smiles. “I’ve talked to her guy a couple of times. He’s not bad.” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Good.” We eat our breakfast and just as we finish, Ryan comes in with his camera crew and es out our envelopes. When he hands us ours, Hudson moves his chair over so we can read it at the same time. Allie & Hudson, Get ready for some fun in the sun. You two are taking a boat over to Renaissance Island where you can snorkel, take pictures of the flamingos, feed the iguanas, and enjoy some private time in your own cabana on the water. Everything you’ll need is waiting for you there. The sunset is something you don’t want to miss. Also, you’ll be expected to conduct a special intimate interview. The details will be given to you at a later time. All you have to do is walk out to the marina beside the resort and a boat will be waiting for you. “Looks like we’ll be over there all day,” I say, grabbing my bag off the floor. “I wonder what the special interview is.” Special intimate interview sounds a little scandalous. You’d think my sister would inform me of this stuff, but obviously not. Hudson shrugs and stands. “Don’t know, but I guess we’ll find out. I’m ready to

go.” Taking my hand, we walk out of the dining room and I can’t help but feel eyes on us. Some of the women glare at me and it makes me wonder if it’s because of the show. There was a lot of footage of me and Hudson. It’s obvious the show has given us more attention. It makes me feel bad, especially since I didn’t want it in the first place. Stan and Jean follow me and Hudson out of the resort and to the marina. “The first thing I’m doing is getting out of this shirt when we get there.” I bite my lip. “Go for it.” I’m not opposed to seeing him shirtless all day. When we get to the marina, we all load up on the boat. From what I’ve read about Aruba, Renaissance Island is a separate small island owned by the resort. It only takes about fifteen minutes to get there. The wind feels amazing as it whips by us and the water is so blue you can see down to the bottom. I can’t wait to jump into it when we get to the island. All I have to decide on is which bathing suit I’m going to wear. The black one is a little skimpier than the pink and purple one I have on so I think I might have to change into that one at some point. Hudson will surely like that. We dock at the island and once we’re off the boat, there are iguanas everywhere. I’ve seen them at the resort, but the ones on the island are huge. A guy named Sandor shows us around and lets us know when we’re ready for our lunch and dinner we can use the phone in the cabana. There’s actually a lot on the island, even a restaurant. One side is for families, but the other is for adults only. Obviously, that’s where they put us. There are about twelve cabanas in the main area, but we’re led past them down a wooden walkway through the foliage. When it opens up, there’s a single cabana on stilts in the water with the wooden walkway leading right to it. It reminds me of the pictures I’ve seen of the Maldives with all those fancy places on the water. Hudson leans in close. “Have any of the other couples been here? I haven’t seen it on the show.” Neither have I. I shake my head. “I think we’re the first ones.” Sandor flourishes a hand toward the cabana. We have yet to look inside it but I’m super excited. “There’s wine and champagne in your cabana, but if you want

something else, call us and we’ll get it for you.” “Thank you, Sandor,” I say. Hudson shakes his hand and says thank you as well. Once he’s gone, Hudson and I head straight inside the cabana. It’s private, but of course, Stan and Jean follow us. There’s a small kitchen area with a mini-fridge and a sink. What really catches my attention is the bed in the main room. All the windows and doors are open and the white curtains billow in the wind, giving it a magical feel. It’s very romantic, but it’s hard to enjoy it being on camera. It’s not like Hudson and I can really do anything with Stan and Jean in the room. Hudson looks down at the bed and I can see the heat in his eyes. Maybe it’s a good thing we aren’t alone. Unfortunately, that just makes me want him more. He peers over at me and gives me that devilish smile of his. “Want to snorkel?” Outside, sitting on a table on the deck, is our snorkel gear. I smirk back at him and take off my dress. His eyes widen and I love the look on his face. “Sure. I’m ready when you are.” By the way his body reacts, it’s obvious he’s ready for a whole lot more. Who am I kidding? So am I.

W ith another couple of days of sun, the tattoo on Hudson’s back will be long gone. It makes me a little sad because I kind of like it being on him. However, I do think he’s paid the price for breaking my nose back in high school. The day has been one of the best days of my life. We snorkeled. Ate lunch. Listened to music. Snorkeled some more, laid out in the sun, ate an amazing dinner on the cabana deck which included a whole bottle of champagne. However, we still have no idea what the special intimate interview is all about. Hudson sits down on the deck, letting his legs dangle over the side. It’s already seven o’clock and the sun has started its slow departure behind the clouds. Dinner was great and I’m feeling a little tipsy from the champagne, so I sit beside him and let my legs dangle but only the tips of my toes touch the water. I gaze out at the clear blue sea. “Today’s been fun. Got to see lots of fish.” I look over at Hudson and he nods. “Yes, we did. I think today’s been my favorite so far.” “Definitely,” I agree. I glance over my shoulder to see if Stan and Jean are around, but they’re nowhere to be seen. “I wonder where our camera guys are at.” Hudson turns and looks too. “Don’t know. I saw them walk off when Sandor came with our dinner.” “Do you think they’re hiding?” I ask. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were in the foliage somewhere, hoping to catch us doing something scandalous. Hudson chuckles and grabs my face, pressing his lips firmly to mine. It catches me off guard, and I love it. If Stan and Jean are hiding out, they just got an eye full. “There,” Hudson says, kissing me again. “I’m sure the guys have been waiting to get that on camera. I know the viewers have been waiting to see it for real.” Giggling, I lean into him and he holds me close. “Yeah, guess it’s about time, but

I’m sure they probably caught us in the water.” Hudson stole a few kisses here and there, but we tried being discreet. I breathe in the salty sea air and smile. “You know what we haven’t done?” Hudson glances over at me. “What?” “We never finished our conversation from a few nights ago. You know, the one where we’re supposed to tell each other five things that we think defines us?” Hudson chuckles. “That’s right. We only got through two. Your first thing was that you can’t live without chocolate, and the other was that you love medicine, but couldn’t stomach being a doctor even though all you’ve dreamt of is helping people.” I nod. “That’s right. And yours was that you love peanut butter and you use strawberry jam on your PB&J’s. Not going to lie, it killed me when you said that.” His brows furrow. “Why?” “Because I use strawberry jam too. I hated that we had something in common.” A small smirk spreads across his lips. “I’m sure we have a lot more in common, cupcake. You’ll see the more you get to know me. I mean, hey, we both like Jack Johnson.” That makes me smile. “Yes, we do.” I was shocked when he started playing my favorite Jack Johnson song on his phone. Banana Pancakes. “Okay,” I say, getting back to the original topic. “Your second defining characteristic was why you wanted to be a firefighter.” His gaze saddens and it hurts my heart. I don’t want to go into detail about it again because I know it’s not easy for him to talk about Lisa’s death. Hudson takes a deep breath. “My third defining characteristic would be that I’m a realist. I understand that goodness takes hard work and constant balancing of real life.” My eyes widen and he holds up a hand. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I wasn’t like that in high school, but when I grew up, things changed.” “No,” I gasp, waving him off. “I wasn’t even going to mention high school. I’m just shocked.”

“Why?” he asks. I bite my lip. “Because that’s exactly one of the things I was going to say to you. I’m a realist too. I’m also a good listener.” Hudson grins. “So am I. I’m stealing that one from you. And for my fifth, I’d have to say I like to live life to the fullest. We’re only here for a short amount of time and I don’t want to miss any of it.” Holding my arms out, I gaze around at our surroundings. “I’d say we’re living life to the fullest right now. That’s one of the things I know I need to work on.” Hudson takes my hand and kisses it. “I think you’re already doing it.” Footsteps echo off the wooden walkway and we turn to see Sandor coming toward us, carrying a silver wrapped box with a huge red bow. Hudson stands and helps me up. “I wonder what that is,” he says. Sandor holds the box out to us and smiles. “I’ve been instructed to give you this.” Hudson holds the box and I lift the top. Inside is a video camera and an envelope with Interview Questions written on it. Hudson and I stare at each other and I can tell he’s thinking the same thing I am. “Where are our camera guys?” I ask. Sandor nods toward the path. “They left on the boat about an hour ago. The island is closed now. No more boats will be coming or going.” Eyes wide, I gasp. “Closed? How are we going to get back?” Sandor smiles. “You’re staying here tonight. If you need me, all you have to do is call. Some toiletries have been left in your cabana.” He nods at Hudson and turns to walk away while I stand there speechless. Hudson is just as surprised as I am. “Well … looks like we’re not going anywhere.” He carries the box inside and on the bed are two large gift bags. One is black and the other pink. The pink one has my name on it. I peek inside and there is a pair of black pajama pants and a black cami to match, and a pair of shorts and a tank

top along with a bag of mini-sized toiletries, including a toothbrush and toothpaste. There’s also an envelope inside with my name written in my sister’s handwriting. I open the envelope and pull out the letter. Hey sis, I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the heads up, but my team wanted to do something different with you and Hudson. I know you’re wondering if there are hidden cameras around. I promise you there are NOT. You have the island all to yourself. We look forward to seeing your private interview. Love you, Erin. “What’s that?” Hudson asks as he sets the box with the video camera down on the dresser beside the bed. I hold the letter out to him. “It’s from my sister.” He reads it and smiles. “Wow. We’re alone. That’s nice to know.” When his eyes lift to mine, they make me tremble. I can see the heat behind them. Is it a good thing we’re alone? It’s what I’ve wanted, but now I’m nervous. Hudson holds up the interview questions. “Want to go ahead and get this over with?” I nod. “Yes. I’m curious to see what the questions are.” He tosses me the envelope while he sets the camera up across the room to where it faces the bed. The floral dress I had on earlier is draped across the couch so I slide it on over my bathing suit and then take a seat on the bed. Hudson turns on the camera and sits beside me. The little red light blinks at us and my heart starts to race. Hudson bumps me with his bare shoulder. “Thought it’d be good if the viewers could see us reading the questions for the first time.” I laugh. “Makes it more nerve-wracking too.” I look down at his bare chest. “Are you seriously going to do this with no shirt on?”

Hudson winks at the camera. “You guys don’t mind, do you?” Then he turns around so the camera gets the full view of his back. “Look everyone, badonkaskonk is almost gone.” I lean closer to the camera, cupping a hand by my mouth as if I’m whispering to someone. “So he thinks.” Hudson sits back down and bumps me with his shoulder. “I heard that, cupcake.” It’s hard not to smile when he calls me that. I slide my finger under the envelope flap and pull out the paper inside. “All right,” I say, glancing quickly at the questions. “It says here that these are the top questions the viewers have been asking . Some are for Hudson and some are for me.” Hudson’s eyes narrow at the paper. “Okay, the first question is for me from Sandy in Ohio. With a body like yours have you ever thought about doing one of those firemen calendars? If so, when do you think you’ll do it and where can I buy it?” He looks over at me and we both burst out laughing. “Now that’s something I’d like to see,” I say to him. Hudson laughs some more and turns to the camera. “Hey Sandy. Thank you for the compliment. When I get back home, I’ll talk to my guys and see if they’re up to doing a calendar with me. I think it’ll be fun.” “You could always do one and donate the proceeds to a charity,” I add. Hudson nods. “Good idea. That could work.” He taps the paper. “The next one is yours.” Taking a deep breath, I read the second question. “This one is from Derek in Arizona. Why would someone with your beauty and brains have to go on a reality show to find love? If you were here, I’d treat you right.” Hudson waves at the camera. “Hey man, those are fighting words.” Rolling my eyes, I smack his arm and focus on the camera. A part of me is a little embarrassed by the question. I didn’t go on the show to find love like all the other contestants. “Hey Derek,” I say, “that’s really sweet of you. To answer

your question, I didn’t come on the show to find love. Honestly, I didn’t want to be on it at all.” I slap a hand over my mouth. “Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have said that.” I move my hand away and smile. “Actually, my sister is one of the producers and she really needed me to take a spot. I did it for her.” Then I look over at Hudson. “Luckily, I haven’t had such a bad time.” Hudson and I both look down at the questions. The next ones are for us both. “You can read them out loud,” I tell him. Hudson reads off the next few questions and we answer them. They were pretty easy like what’s your favorite color, food, movie, and so on. It turns out that Hudson and I have the same taste in a lot of things. We answer about twenty different questions, both shocked at how similar we are. Then it comes down to the very last two questions. Hudson and I both look at them together and then at each other. “I’ll answer mine first,” I say. I turn back to the camera. “The question is … what are the things you like most about Hudson?” I stare at the camera and a slow smile spreads across my face. “There are a lot of things I like about Hudson. For one, he has gorgeous gray eyes. It’s hard not to get lost in them. He’s also charming, witty, funny, and sometimes a complete pain in the ass. But what I love most is his heart.” I turn to him and take his hand. “Yes, we knew each other in high school, and I hated him. I thought he was just one of the popular guys who didn’t have a brain.” Taking a deep breath, I look back at the camera. “I was wrong. Being on this show made me realize that. Hudson is so much more than I thought he was. I look forward to seeing how everything plays out in the end.” Heart racing, I wait for Hudson to speak out his question. It’s the same as mine, only he has to say what he likes most about me. Hudson clears his throat. “My turn. What are the things I like most about Allison?” I glance at him out of the corner of my eye and I can see him smiling at the camera. “What’s not to like? I think I’ve been in love with her since high school.” My heart stops and I freeze. Did he seriously just say that? “She’s always been so smart and beautiful,” he continues. “Never once did I feel good enough to call her mine. I seeing her in the halls and watching her smile at her friends, wishing like hell she’d smile like that at me one day. Her laugh is even more intoxicating.” He looks over at me and cups my cheek. “I could listen to you laugh all day. What I’m so thankful for now is that you’re mine. It only took ten years.”

We stare at each other, and for a moment, I forgot we were still on camera. Clearing my throat, I quickly focus on the lens and wave. “Thanks everyone. I know Hudson and I appreciate the questions. Hopefully, we didn’t disappoint you.” Hudson waves. “Good night everyone.” He goes over to it and turns it off. The room falls silent, but then our eyes meet again. He kneels in front of me and wraps his arms around my waist. “Please tell me what you said was true, or at least some of it was.” He looks up at me and my insides tighten. His hands grip my waist and all I want is to feel him touch every square inch of my body. “All of it’s true,” I murmur. “I meant every word.” But then his words echo in my mind, the ones about him being in love with me. “What about you? Is what you said true?” Slowly, he guides me further up the bed and covers me with his body, his expression raw and serious. “Yes,” he whispers back. “I’m in love with you, Allie. I just hope one day you love me too.” Tears burn my eyes and I smile. I think I already do. “I’m sure there’s a very good chance of that.” Dipping his head low, he parts his lips and touches them to mine. Soft and gentle at first, but then his kiss turns hungry and possessive. It’s what my body has been craving. His arousal presses against my stomach and I moan. “I want to make love to you, Allie, but I understand if you don’t want me to.” My eyes widen and I buckle under his gaze. I’ve never felt such raw heat flow off a set of words, and the words that just left his lips caresses over my skin, making me shiver. I need him, and I need him now. “I want you to,” I whisper. “You have no idea how much I want this.” Fire burns in his gaze, and in one quick swoop he lifts me further up onto the bed. The warmth of his tongue caresses mine greedily as he tastes and licks his way into my mouth like a starved animal. He stares right into my eyes as he slowly slides my dress down off my shoulders. His fingers untie the straps of my bikini top and he skims my breasts as he exposes my bare skin.

“You are so beautiful, Allison,” he murmurs before locking his lips around one of my sensitive nipples. I gasp as he sucks it into his mouth and swirls his tongue around my heated flesh. Instantly growing wet at his torture, I arch my back off the bed to move closer to his touch and to his lips. He moans and cups my other breast, massaging it feverishly with his rough hands. Ever so slowly, he moves down my body, trailing kisses over my bare stomach as he removes the rest of my bathing suit. He spreads my legs apart and rubs my inner thighs, making me jump in response. His warm breath tickles me as he spreads me wider. A deep growl rumbles in his chest as he pushes a finger inside me. Tilting my head back, I bite my lip and savor the feeling of his touch. “I’m going to make you come this way,” he growls huskily. His tongue flicks across my swollen clit and desire shoots like flames up my body. He pushes another finger inside me and lowers his tongue to my clit, swirling it around and making me moan in pleasure. I’m so close to losing control. My orgasm rapidly approaches and when I try to pull back, Hudson holds me in place. “I want to taste you.” “Oh, my God …” I breathe, gasping out the words. My hands fist in his hair and I tug him closer as the orgasm rocks through my body. Breathing heavily, he slides off the bed and smirks at me while licking his lips. He puts his fingers in his mouth and sucks them slowly, never taking his eyes off of me. “Did you enjoy that?” I hold a hand over my chest. “Yes. It felt amazing.” My eyes instantly drop down at his waist to his arousal that’s straining against his shorts. The man is seriously going to drive me crazy. “I want more,” I say, nodding down at his shorts. “Might want to take those off.” He does as I say and drops his shorts to the floor. Like a lion, he crawls up my body; stalking and hunting as if I’m his prey. He grabs my thighs with his strong grasp and pulls me down the bed. His weight settles in between my legs and I can feel his cock eagerly wanting to penetrate me, to claim me. Hudson holds my face in his hands and kisses me tenderly on the lips. Expression serious, he closes the distance between our bodies and enters me fully in one hard thrust. I gasp, but he cut off my moans by claiming my mouth

with his. Hudson encloses me in his arms and holds me tight as he ravishes my body over and over with his hard, penetrating thrusts. “You’re killing me, cupcake,” he groans in my ear before securing his warm lips over my nipple. Sucking hard, he takes my other nipple and pinches it between his fingers, drawing out a strangled cry from within my body. It feels so damn good. On the verge of orgasm, I moan and dig my nails into his back. “I can feel you getting tighter. I know you have to be close,” he teases, flicking his tongue across my ever so sensitive nipple. Moaning again, I nod my head. “You have no idea.” His lips find mine and he quickens his pace between my legs. His thrusts are deep, claiming me because I’m his. I want to be his. And I want him to be mine. I tighten my legs around his waist and rock my hips against his, the perfect friction. The second he feels me tighten against his cock, he grunts with each thrust, pulsating inside of me. I cry out his name as my body explodes all around him. He trembles and jerks, slowing his pace until every single drop of him releases inside of me. H udson collapses on top of me and I jolt as the remnants of my orgasm ebbs off and sends shivers throughout my body. Breathing hard, he lifts up on his elbows and cups my face in his strong hands. “Things will never be the same after this.” I lean into his touch. “I know. They’ll be better.”

10

Hudson

Hot, stinky, sweaty . . . all words I hate to think about when I’m waking up, but ing what happened the night prior, in the middle of the night, and about two hours ago—those words no longer bother me. I’ll gladly take the situation I’m in now, with Allie, every day for the rest of my life if it means she’s by my side. My fingers brush through her hair as those thoughts roll through my mind. When I first saw her, when we came face to face to meet for the first time after I picked her egg, she left me breathless. I knew from the moment I reached through the cactus to get her egg she’d be the perfect companion for me. Without even knowing who I was, she challenged me, and that is what I want out of a partner. Someone who isn’t willing to take the easy route through life. The icing on the cake is finding out she’s the one I was crazy about in high school. It’s like the producers knew to put us on this show together, to put us in each other’s paths. I know for certain, if I hadn’t found Allie’s egg, I would’ve swapped boxes the other night. Allie rolls onto her side, facing me, and lets out the softest of purrs. I’ve never really been the guy that hangs out in the morning. On my days off, I’m up before the sun, working out and just doing my bachelor thing. My work schedule is crazy. I work for twenty-four hours, off for forty-eight. Holidays don’t exist in my line of work because fires don’t care when they start. I suppose, this is something I need to discuss with Allie—assuming she wants to see me after the show. My fingers brush her hair away from her face and she stirs. I can’t help but smile. Her lips are red and plump, a result of me kissing her all night. Something I want to do for many, many days to come. When she finally opens her eyes, she smiles and gives me a whispery, “Good morning.”

Good morning indeed. I lean forward and kiss her. I haven’t done it in hours and have been dying to do so since I woke up. Allie shies away and covers her mouth with her hand. “Morning breath,” she mumbles, which makes me chuckle. “You do realize where our mouths have been in the last twelve hours, right?” Allie blushes and it’s the sexiest reaction I have ever seen because I know she’s thinking about the epic blow job she gave me or when my face was buried between her legs and she started to come with her thighs locked around my head. I couldn’t fucking breathe but let me tell you something—if you’re going to suffocate, it might as well be while you’re eating the best damn pussy you’ve ever feasted on. I would’ve gone to heaven with a fucking smile on my face. “Last night was amazing.” “Last night was everything,” I tell her. “Want to take a shower with me? I think we should do everything we can to conserve water and all that.” She nods and sits up. The sheet slips down her chest, slowly, almost as if it knows I’m waiting for my present to be unwrapped. I’m staring so hard, I see her skin pebble and her nipples harden. I don’t waste any time and move so I can scoop her up. Her legs wrap around my waist and she’s at the perfect spot where my dick is tickling her center. One move and I’m in her. I’ve never walked and fucked, but I’m about to see if it’s feasible. “Damn, how is it that you’re always ready for me?” “You make me horny,” she tells me as her lips find mine. Her tongue finds mine as she slides down my shaft. My fingers dig into her hips, using them as leverage to move her up and down as I try to navigate us toward the shower stall. “I’m going to turn the water on now, baby,” I say after pulling away from her mouth. Her teeth push into my shoulder and I hiss. Not sure if it’s from the water, the pain from her bite, or the fucking exhilaration I feel. Lukewarm water sprays down over us and Allie tilts her head back until it touches the wall. I use this to my advantage and drive into her as hard as I can, thanking the people who ever built this because they left a nice ledge up top for me to grip onto. With each thrust of my hips, her perfect tits bounce. She moans

and her hand finds her center. My eyes go everywhere, from hers to her fingers rubbing over her clit, back to her eyes. She’s looking at me and I swear she’s asking me if this is okay. “Fuck yes,” I tell her. “I got you.” I thrust harder, helping her get the release she needs. Mine is coming and I’m doing my best to hold off, but I’m losing control. Everything about this moment, it’s too much. “Allison,” I say her name breathlessly and it’s like magic. Her walls begin to tighten, which sends me into a frenzy. Her hips buck and the moans . . . someone send fucking help because if she continues to moan like . . . I groan and curse like a sailor as I release into her. We made the decision to forgo condoms after we made love for the first time. She told me she’s on the pill and I believe her and being that I haven’t been with anyone in a while, we went for it. Besides, what’s the worst thing that could happen—she ends up pregnant? Big deal. I’d be by her side every step of the way. Allie finally releases her legs from my hips and slides down my body. I hold onto her for good measure, making sure she’s stable enough to stand. My hand cups her face, “I love you,” I tell her. She smiles and holds a hand over mine. “And I love you, Hudson.” Fuck yeah, she does. We shower, taking turns washing each other while slipping a few moments of heavy petting and fondling in between. Once we’re done and everything is rinsed off, we step out of the shower. “You know, I could get used to this island living thing. I don’t even need a towel to dry off.” Allie laughs. “I wonder if we could find a place down here where a pharmacist and firefighter could make a living.” I pull her naked body to mine. “That’s the thing, there’s fire everywhere, and everyone will need someone to give them their medicine. If you wanted to live in a place like this, I’d totally do it. Hell, maybe we should try it out for a year.” She takes my hand and leads toward the bed. We both start to dress, and I never

take my eyes off her. “What are you thinking?” I ask. “About what happens when we get back. Once the show is over.” “I think we are in a much better place than some other couples. We live in the same city at least.” She nods. “And I’m fucking in love with you, so I guess the question is, what do you want to do? Do you want to date? Skip dating and just live with each other? Take a leave of absence and travel the world or live on an island? The possibilities are endless, Allie. We can do whatever the hell we want.” Allie sits down and works the straps on her sandals. I have no idea what time Jean and Stan are going to show up, but I have a feeling any minute the cameras are going to be in our face and all talk about a future is going to cease. I don’t blame her though. The public doesn’t need to know any more about our lives than they already do. Allison stands and comes over to me. She pushes my hands aside and takes over buttoning my shirt. “What if I were to say, I want to get married and start a family.” “Okay,” I say without any hesitation. “We’re young, Hudson.” “Age is just a number reminding you of how many years you’ve lived. And, we’re at a good age to get married and start a family. I honestly don’t care what we do, as long as we do it together.” She nods. “And what if I say, we are going to date for a year before we live together?” “I’ll give you my schedule when we get back to town, so you know what days I have off.” I take her hands in mine and look deep into her eyes. “There isn’t a single thing you can say to scare me a way.” “I know, but I wanted to try.”

“Silly, silly girl.” I kiss the tip of her nose and then pull her into my arms. There’s loud chatter outside and I just know our time is up. I take Allie by the hand and we walk out toward the beach. As soon as we step out, our two cameramen are there, poised and ready to capture everything they can. On the boat ride back, we sit together with my arm wrapped around her shoulders and her head rested on my chest. Our little day of paradise is about to end, and honestly, I’m feeling a bit sad about it. When we dock, we’re handed an envelope. Allie & Hudson, Welcome back. Your day by the pool awaits. “Just this one time I wish they’d ask us what we want to do.” I hand the card to Allie. She reads it over and looks at me. “Air conditioning?” My eyes go wide. “How did you know?” She beckons me closer and pulls me until I lean down. “Because I have boob sweat and the idea of laying out in the sun, regardless of a pool doesn’t appeal to me,” she whispers. Sadly, as much as I want to suggest we go back to either of our rooms, I can’t. Instead, I take her hand and lead her down the path to the pool where a couple of the other couples are lounging. “We aren’t alone,” she says. “Nope, definitely a lounge day for a few of us.” We find the section with our names and as soon as we sit down, a waiter appears with a tray of various foods. My stomach growls in anticipation. “Hungry?” Allie asks. I waggle my eyebrows at her and pick up a piece of pineapple. “Do you know what I want to do with this?”

Allie spreads her legs a little bit and giggles. “I think you’re going to eat it.” “You’re right, I am.” I stick the piece in my mouth and chew. I know for a fact she knows exactly what I want to do with the fruit, but that’ll have to wait until later. “Tonight, do you want me to sneak into your room?” “No, I honestly don’t care who knows that we’re together. People are going assume we’ve done it anyway since the footage Stan and Jean shot this morning on the boat is daylight.” “Are you sure?” Allie nods. “Besides, I need to see how that pineapple tastes later.” My eyes go wide. I throw my hand up and signal for the waiter. When he comes over, I ask him for another bowl—an exceptionally large bowl—of pineapple. Just the thought of seeing her lips wrapped around my dick is enough to send me into overdrive. I stand and kiss her on the lips. “Where are you going?” “For a swim. The tent maker is in town and he doesn’t plan to go inside unless it’s cold.” I stand on the edge and pray that the water is cold, otherwise everyone on national television is going to see how pointy my shorts are.

11

Allison

Inever would’ve thought my life could change as drastically as it has the past two weeks. At the beginning of the show, I hated Hudson … now I’m in love with him. All I know is that I’m ready for the show to end so we can be ourselves. The only problem is that I have a feeling things aren’t going to be the same when we get back home. Both mine and Hudson’s social media has boomed. My followers started out in the hundreds and now I’m almost at half a million. Hudson’s is the same. We’re celebrities now and it makes me a little nervous. All I want is to be able to lead a normal life when we get back to the states. Will that be possible? Who knows? Hudson says we’ll be fine, and I trust him. We can make it work. Tonight is the final interview, the last night of the show. The audience will know once and for all, who found love and who didn’t. I take one last look in the mirror and run a hand down my white dress. My makeup is flawless, and my hair is pinned up in a ball of curls with small, colorful flowers pinned throughout. To be honest, I’m going to miss getting pampered. All in all, I think I’ve enjoyed the show. Aruba is a beautiful place and I got to explore it with someone I’ve truly grown to care about. I have so many amazing memories I get to take with me. A knock sounds on the door and I smile. For the past few nights, Hudson has snuck into my room to evade the cameras. It’s quite obvious that we’ve taken our relationship to the next level. However, it was still fun to sneak around. Exciting even. I have never felt like this. I open the door and Hudson is there, dressed in a white button down and khaki pants, greeting me with that sexy grin of his. Of course, our camera guys are there too.

“Hey, beautiful.” I take his arm as we walk down the hall. “Hey, yourself. You ready for this?” He snorts. “As much as I love this place, I’m ready to go home. Once this interview is done there are no more cameras. No offense guys,” he says over his shoulder. Jean and Stan both laugh. “None taken,” Stan comments. “Jean and I have had a blast following you two around.” We both look at them and smile. We get to the elevator and Hudson presses the button. The door opens instantly and we walk inside. Hudson places a hand over mine as the doors shut. “Tomorrow we head home. You excited to get back to a normal life?” This makes me laugh. “Hopefully, we can. I have a feeling it’s not going to be that easy. You’ve already gotten several emails from people wanting to represent you.” To represent us. I’ve had a few offers as well, but I have no desire to be on TV once tonight is done. I just want to go back to my life. Hudson is very charismatic and good looking. I knew he’d gain a lot of attention. Several agents have reached out to him for modeling jobs and TV appearances. Hudson brings my hand up to his lips and kisses it. “That may be the case, but I know where I belong. You just have to trust me.” And I do. He has the chance to take his popularity to the next level. Not many people would turn down a chance for fame. The doors open and we all walk out and head toward the meeting rooms. We turn the corner and Erin is right by the interview room with the biggest smile on her face. I’ve barely seen her the past week, and that’s because she said she deliberately stayed away to not interrupt my time with Hudson. She’s enjoyed watching us on the camera. “Hello, you two,” Erin says, quickly hooking the small microphones onto our clothes. “Did you have a good day today?” Nodding, I squeeze Hudson’s arm. “It was the best. Getting to drive to all the different beaches was fun.” We were given a Jeep and told to explore the island. We shopped for a little while and then spent the rest of the day driving around.

Hudson pulls me in close. “My favorite was Baby Beach. The snorkeling there was fucking awesome.” Erin snickers. “Glad you liked it. I was hoping you’d go there. Heard it’s one of the best spots on the island.” Once she has us completely hooked up, she opens the door to the meeting room. “All right, guys, you’re all set. Once this is done, you’re free.” Hudson walks in first, but Erin stops me and hugs me, her voice just a whisper in my ear. “I’m so happy for you, sis. The production team is staying another couple of days so I might not be able to see you before you head out tomorrow.” I hug her hard. “Thanks for everything, Erin. I have so much to tell you when you get back.” She lets me go and winks. “Oh, I’m counting on it.” Hudson is already in his seat and talking to Ryan when I walk in. Ryan stands and shakes my hand. “Good evening, Allison.” I shake his hand. “Good evening.” He motions toward my seat and I sit down next to Hudson. He leans in close. “Everything okay with your sister?” A smile spreads across my face. “She just wanted to say how happy she was for me.” Hudson kisses me gently behind the ear. “I’m happy too.” “All right, we ready to get started?” Ryan asks, chuckling lightly. Hudson stays close to me and holds my hands for all the viewers to see. We both nod and the cameras start to record. Ryan clears his throat and smiles as he does his introduction and the viewers get to see clips of our past dates. We’re the last couple to be interviewed. Makes me wonder how many of the other couples have decided to stay together once they get back home. I’ll have to watch the show which I’m sure my mother recorded. Once the viewers get their fill of our dating highlights, the cameras focus on me and Hudson. “So,” Ryan begins, shifting in his chair, “I think we all know the

answer to this, but have you two decided on if you plan on staying together when you go back home?” Hudson bumps me with his shoulder and winks at the cameras. “I guess, if we have to.” I smack his arm. “Hey.” He kisses me on the cheek and I playfully glare at him. “I think someone wants another back tattoo, Ryan.” Ryan laughs. “Now that would be hilarious. I can only imagine the kind of mischief you two are going to get in to. If you’re still together in a year, we might have to come visit to see how you’re doing.” Hudson pulls me in closer to him. “I have no doubt we will. I’m not letting this one go.” I can feel the burn in my cheeks, but I love it. Ryan smiles. “I’m happy to see it worked out. I know your fans are excited as well.” He reaches for the set of notecards on the table in front of us. “There are some questions the viewers have for you, if you don’t mind answering them?” Hudson and I both agree with a nod. There were questions about our favorite moments in the show, our worst ones, and even if we snuck around behind the cameras. Of course, we denied the sneaking around, but our smiles conveyed the truth. My favorite part of the show was being able to see the white sand beaches and relaxing, while Hudson’s was taking the Jeep through Arikok National Park and getting badonkaskonk branded on his back. I can’t wait to have a picture of it blown up and framed for my house. That’s a memory I never want to forget. Once the interview is over and the cameras are off, we’re free. Ryan shakes our hands and walks with us into the hallway. Jean and Stan stay in the meeting room with the rest of the camera crew. “That’s it, you guys. How do you feel?” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Pretty good.” Hudson agrees with a nod. Ryan chuckles. “Glad to hear it. The show was actually a success. Your sister came up with a creative concept for reality TV. She doesn’t know this yet, but I’ve been asked to host again for another segment next year. She’s going to be surprised tonight with the news.”

Excitement bubbles in my veins. “Oh my God, that’s amazing. She’s going to be so ecstatic.” He shakes our hands again. “Take care, you two. I wish you all the best.” “Same to you,” I reply. As soon as he’s gone, Hudson pulls me into his arms and kisses me. I melt against him and sigh. “We can do whatever we want now.” Hudson nibbles my bottom lip. “Yes, we can. I have a few ideas. the other night in bed when we talked about what we’d like to do before we leave?” I it very well. We talked about sneaking into the private pool and going skinny dipping. Giggling, I step back and stare at him. “Were you being serious?” He winks. “Yep. You up for it? We might get caught.” You only live once, right? I’ve never been one for breaking the rules, but tonight, I’m not afraid. Taking his hand, I pull him toward the elevator and wink. “Let’s do it. It’s our last night.” We stop at the elevator and he kisses me. “But it’s the first of many.”

3 MONTHS LATER

I t’s only been three months since the show, and Hudson and I have already found our way back to Aruba and to the same resort since we loved it so much. We’ve been inseparable. I don’t think we’ve gone a day where we haven’t seen each other. Things have changed so much since that fateful day Hudson picked my egg. We’ve been on several talk shows and local news stations to talk about our experiences. To this day, we still get requests and our calendars are already filling up. I don’t mind doing it together with Hudson. He doesn’t want to do anything without me and vice versa. In the back of my mind, I was afraid he’d want the fame over me, but that’s not the case. He lets me know every day how much he loves me. I can’t believe it took me so long to see how amazing he is. Once out of the shower, I slip on my yellow sundress and run a towel through my hair. We spent the entire day snorkeling and swimming around in the ocean. This time, we didn’t have the show dictating our plans. “Babe, where do you want to go to eat? I’m down for anything.” There’s no answer. I slide my feet into my sandals and quickly braid my hair to the side. “Hudson?” Again, no answer. I walk out of the bedroom and he’s nowhere to be found. However, there’s an envelope on the table with my name on it. When I open it up, there’s a note inside.

Meet me where it all began. Love, Hudson

“Oh, good Lord, Hudson. What are you doing?” The only place that comes to mind is the courtyard where he picked my egg. With the note in my hand, I leave the hotel room on a mission. I just hope I’m right. I take the elevator down to the lobby which is completely open at the back that leads to the pool. There are iguanas everywhere. It’s not uncommon to find them wandering through the lobby. I can see the pool through the back exit and right past that is the courtyard. Taking a deep breath, I make my way outside. The sun has already set, but there are twinkling lights all around the pool area. Once I get past the pool is when I see him, standing alone in the middle of the courtyard by the lagoon, dressed in a light blue polo shirt and khaki shorts. It reminds me of that first night. Tiki torches are lit all around the grounds and the stars are bright in the sky. I keep expecting to see a camera crew close by, but it’s just us. “Hey,” I say as I walk closer. Hudson greets me with that sexy smile of his. “Hey. Did you miss me?” “Kind of,” I reply with a laugh. “I found myself talking to an empty room. Didn’t know you left.” Chuckling, he extends his hand. “Sorry about that. I wanted this to be a surprise.” I glance around at the lights and at the ocean that glimmers under the moonlight. It’s the perfect setting for … Eyes wide, I quickly focus back on him. “Hudson. What’s going on?” Taking both of my hands, he draws me closer. “I’ve thought about this night many times. No matter what I came up with in my mind, there’s only one thing that stuck out at me.” “What?” I ask breathlessly. He lifts my hands to his lips and kisses each one. “I knew I had to do it here.” Without another word, he slowly drops down on one knee. My heart thunders in my chest and I gasp. “Oh, my God.”

Hudson laughs and lets my hands go so he can pull out a small, black box from his pocket. “Hopefully, that’s a good gasp.” I nod quickly and his smile broadens as he holds up the ring. “I love you, Allie. I knew months ago that you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.” He lifts the ring out of the box and slowly reaches for my hand, his gray eyes boring into mine. “Allison Wood, would you please make me the happiest man on the earth and …” My body moves of its own accord and I don’t give him the chance to finish. “Yes,” I answer, flinging my arms around his neck. One minute, I’m standing on my feet and the next, I’m falling on top of him in the sand. Hudson bursts out laughing and turns me over so he’s leaning over me. There’s sand everywhere in my hair and up my dress but I don’t care. “You didn’t give me a chance to finish?” he teases, dusting sand off my shoulders. Tears streaming down my cheeks, I cup his face in my hands. I can’t begin to describe how happy I am. “I’m sorry. I got a little carried away. You can ask me again. I don’t mind.” In all honesty, I want to hear him say the words again. Taking my left hand off his face, he slides the ring down my finger. “Will you marry me, Allie? If you say yes again, I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy. I can’t promise I won’t piss you off, but I can promise that I’ll love you forever.” He wipes away my tears and kisses me. “Yes,” I breathe, leaning into his hand. “I would love to be your wife. I would’ve said yes months ago.” “Then it’s settled. You’re mine forever now.” “And don’t you forget it,” I reply, kissing him again. He shakes his head. “Never.”

THE END

You’ve had A Date for Midnight, you’ve met your irer, had some Good Luck, and you’ve been on the Hunt. Now it’s time to get dirty at the Derby! Want more from Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover? Check out their Society X Series with Dark Room, Viewing Room & Play Room.

More Books from Heidi and L.P.

SOCIETY X SERIES Dark Room Viewing Room Play Room

Also by L.P. Dover

SECOND CHANCES SERIES Love’s Second Chance Trusting You What He Wants (Trusting You Prequel) Meant for Me Fighting for Love Intercepting Love Catching Summer Defending Hayden Last Chance Intended for Bristol

ARMED & DANGEROUS SERIES No Limit Roped In

High-Sided CIRCLE OF JUSTICE SERIES Trigger Target Aim In the Crossfire ARMED & DANGEROUS/CIRCLE OF JUSTICE CROSSOVER SERIES Dangerous Game Dangerous Betrayals Book 3 - TBD Book 4 – TBD GLOVES OFF SERIES A Fighter’s Desire – Part One A Fighter’s Desire – Part Two Tyler’s Undoing Ryley’s Revenge Winter Kiss: Ryley and Ash Paxton’s Promise

Camden’s Redemption Kyle’s Return SOCIETY X SERIES W/HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN Dark Room Viewing Room Play Room FOREVER FAE SERIES Forever Fae Betrayals of Spring Summer of Frost Reign of Ice ROYAL SHIFTERS SERIES Turn of the Moon Resisting the Moon Rise of the Moon Unleashed by the Moon Bound by the Moon Claimed by the Moon

Taken Under the Moon Tempted by the Moon BREAKAWAY SERIES Hard Stick Blocked Playmaker Off the Ice STANDALONE NOVELS The Truth About Secrets Love, Lies & Deception Going for the Hole Anonymous Love, Again Fairytale Confessions THE DATING SERIES W/HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN A Date for New Year’s A Date with an irer A Date for Good Luck

A Date for the Hunt A Date for Good Luck A Date for the Derby A Date to Play Fore A Date with a Foodie A Date for the Fair A Date for the Regatta A Date for the Masquerade A Date with a Turkey A Date with an Elf CHRISTMAS NOVELS It Must’ve Been the Mistletoe Snowflake Lane Inn Christmas With You MOONLIGHT AND ALEENA SERIES W/ANNA-GRACE DOVER Moonlight and Aleena: A Tale of Two Friends

About L.P. Dover

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything's sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it's with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that's why she's seriously addicted to chocolate. Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children's book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she's also found a ion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you'll never see her without a smile on her face.

You can find L.P. Dover at www.lpdover.com or you can her fan group!

Also by Heidi McLaughlin

THE BEAUMONT SERIES

Forever My Girl

My Everything

My Unexpected Forever

Finding My Forever

Finding My Way

12 Days of Forever

My Kind of Forever

Forever Our Boys

The Beaumont Boxed Set - #1

THE BEAUMONT SERIES: NEXT GENERATION

Holding Onto Forever

My Unexpected Love

Chasing My Forever

Peyton & Noah

Fighting For Our Forever

A Beaumont Family Christmas

THE PORTLAND PIONEERS:

A BEAUMONT SERIES NEXT GENERATION

SPIN-OFF

Fourth Down

Fair Catch

False Start

CAPE HARBOR SERIES

After All

Until Then

THE ARCHER BROTHERS

Here with Me

Choose Me

Save Me

LOST IN YOU SERIES

Lost in You

Lost in Us

THE BOYS OF SUMMER

Third Base

Home Run

Grand Slam

Hawk

THE REALITY DUET

Blind Reality

Twisted Reality

SOCIETY X

Dark Room

Viewing Room

Play Room

THE CLUTCH SERIES

Roman

STANDALONE NOVELS

Stripped Bare

Blow

Sexcation

HOLIDAY NOVELS

Santa’s Secret

It’s a Wonderful Holiday

THE DATING SERIES

A Date for Midnight

A Date with an irer

A Date for Good Luck

A Date for the Hunt

A Date for the Derby

A Date to Play Fore

A Date with a Foodie

A Date for the Fair

A Date for the Regatta

A Date for the Masquerade

A Date with a Turkey

A Date with an Elf

About Heidi McLaughlin

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers. Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs. In 2012, Heidi turned her ion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl. Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018. Don’t miss more books by Heidi McLaughlin! Sign up for her newsletter, or the fun in her fan group!

Connect with Heidi! www.heidimclaughlin.com