I’ve been in enough situations that start questionably to know they hardly ever end well. If there are doubts now about how we’ll weather what’s to come, it’s a sure sign the forecast is calling for storms.
But as Aaron’s lips sweep against mine, my concerns seem so minuscule. By the time his lips travel down my neck and over the curve of my breast, it’s hard to recall exactly what had me so concerned in the first place. And once he parts my thighs and trails his tongue over the heated spot that’s aching for him, I’m pretty convinced the whole world is made from rainbows and glitter.
He sucks gently on my aching button, and I grab at his hair, my hips thrusting up and into his face. I’m writhing from the growing pleasure, unable to stay still. Two strong hands take hold of my hips and hold me in place, and still I buck and grab desperately at his head.
With firm resolve, Aaron finishes the job by making me call out his name. I come hard, collapsing in exhaustion against the mattress.
Chuckling low in his throat, Aaron starts kissing his way back up my body. His lips have barely grazed my throat when the doorbell rings.
I groan, and he drops his face into the crook of my neck.
“What are the chances of them going away if I answer the door naked?” he asks.
“Very little.”
Luzia would probably tackle him, actually. And God knows Tina would get her confirmation that Aaron and I are hitting it off.
He rolls off of me. “I’ll get it.”
“Clothes,” I remind him, watching his firm behind as he walks for the hall.
He raises his hand in acknowledgment. Cursing under my breath, I snatch a pair of shorts and a tank-top with a built-in bra from my suitcase. There’s no time to do a full face of makeup, and I’ll have to put my hair in a bun to hide its tangles.
The sounds of Aaron answering the door and the crew entering the house drift upstairs as I hustle into the clothes. A few people laugh, one of them Aaron, and my heart does a flip.
It’s probably good that we were interrupted. Each time I give in to my desires, I’ll be pulled further into a situation that I don’t want to be a part of.
Knowing that doesn’t stop the tingle that I experience as I think about Aaron’s hands and lips.
No one’s come upstairs to fetch me yet, so I steal some more time and brush my teeth and smear tinted moisturizer all over my face. As footsteps thump up the stairs, I swipe on some lip gloss. It’ll have to do.
“Rachel?” There’s a knock at the open door. It’s Tina’s voice.
Panic takes hold. Is it obvious from the state of the bed that Aaron and I just had a roll in the hay?
“Here.” I step into the doorway between the bathroom and bedroom.
Tina smiles at me. “You look good. Really natural. The crew is going to set up on the beach, now. Are you ready?”
“Sure.” I force a smile.
“Wonderful. Oh, and I wanted to let you know that we’re doing mid-point interviews in a few days.”
“Mid-point interviews?” I parrot.
“We’ll ask about how everything is going between you two. Simple stuff.”
“Okay.”
“Be down by the pool in ten to get your mic on, okay?”
“Will do,” I say.
She glances at the bed—maybe a little too long—then goes.
Grabbing some sandals, I jog downstairs and into the kitchen. There’s just enough time to brew some coffee, throw ice in it, and chug it.
While the coffee pot does its thing, I pull a yogurt out of the fridge. Everything else in there would require some degree of preparation.
“Well, well,” Aaron says from the doorway. “Look who’s turned into a creature of habit.”
I jam my spoon into the yogurt. “Only because there’s no time to make bacon and eggs.”
He saunters into the kitchen, and my skin heats up. I’m standing near the counter, and when he steps right up to me, I take a half-step back. He’s got me pinned, his musk and intense gaze holding me in place just as much as his body is.
My throat rolls with a swallow, and I tilt my face up to make eye contact. I should tell him that this morning was only an extension of last night.
But I don’t want to.
What if I let these whole two weeks be an extension of last night? Could a fling really be that damaging?
“You’re trembling.” He runs a finger down the line of my jaw and onto the curve of my lips.
“I’m not,” I answer with a breathiness that takes me by surprise.
His smirk deepens. I can’t pretend with Aaron. He understood the effect he had on me the moment we first saw each other.
His fingers skim one of the straps on my tank top. Goosebumps pop up all over my skin.
I push up on my tiptoes, hungry for the attention only his lips give. Right as his mouth touches mine, there’s a noise in the foyer.
Quick as a whip, I step to the side and away from him. A crew member passes by the kitchen doorway on his way outside.
Aaron hasn’t moved at all.
“Nervous?” he asks.
The coffee’s done. I grab a mug and fill it up. “We talked about this. It’s complicated.”
“And who better to uncomplicate it than us?”
I can’t help it; I smile.
“We should get to the beach,” I answer. “Tina said ten minutes.”
Since I don’t want to be eating on camera—and I’m sure Tina won’t want me gobbling yogurt while on a romantic beach saunter—I only take the coffee with me. I’ll fill my stomach when we break for lunch.
Aaron follows me out to the beach, where there are big cloth filters set up to block some of the sun. We’ll have to walk pretty slow for any crew members carrying those to keep up with us.
Tina’s talking to one of the cameramen. Once she sees us coming, she meets us at the gate from the backyard.
“I wanted to wait until I had you both together,” she says. “I have some news.”
My inner alarms go off. I glance at Aaron, but he’s got that stoic face he wears so well on. Tina could have told him the apocalypse just started, and he probably wouldn’t do much more than blink and nod once or twice.
“The test group loves the rough cut of the first episode,” she says.
My jaw drops. “People have already seen it?”
“Yep.” She nods vigorously. “Last night. It was basically unanimous. They said you both looked super nervous during your wedding, which was good, because it was awkward, am I right?”
“Yeah,” I say. “It…it was.”
“They liked you a lot, Rachel. They found you super relatable.”
The words buoy my heart. If viewers like me, then maybe producers will as well.
“That’s wonderful,” I say. “Thanks, Tina.”
“How was last night? Did you do anything fun?”
“No,” I practically yell, before Aaron can respond.
Tina’s brows furrow, and out of the corner of my eye I see Aaron press his fist to his mouth to stifle a laugh. I bite my tongue to stop myself from freaking out further. I couldn’t be more tightly wound right now.
“We’ll start with no direction from me,” Tina says. “Just walk along the beach and talk like the cameras aren’t there.”
Right.
We get our mics on, and then start moseying down the beach. Like I predicted, we have to walk at a lethargic pace in order for the cameramen to keep up.
“Nice sunset last night,” Aaron says.
A cold wave tickles my toes. I step to the side in order to get away from it and bump into Aaron. We both teeter.
“Careful.” He puts an arm around my shoulders.
“I always forget how cold the ocean is here,” I say. “It’s nothing like Florida.”
“You like Florida?”
“Yeah. We went there all the time when I was a kid. To visit my mom’s family.”
“All four of you?” Aaron asks.
/> “Dad usually stayed home. It’s hard to take time off from a ranch.”
“It’s the kind of business that never closes.”
“Exactly,” I say.
We fall into silence as we continue to walk. I reach feebly into every corner of my mind, looking for something to talk about. Unfortunately, all I can think of is Aaron’s head between my legs this morning.
And while this isn’t exactly a family show, I don’t think that topic could make the final cut.
“I want to ask you a question,” Aaron says slowly.
“Okay. You don’t have to precede it with that. You can ask me whatever you want.”
“Where do you see us going?”
My heart freezes.
A second later, and it’s pounding fast as a rabbit running for its life. I want to take back that comment about him asking me anything he wants to.
“I…” A lump enters my throat. Did Tina set him up to this? Or is it a cruel play on his part, a way for him to get back at me for briefly rejecting him this morning?
“I know it’s early to talk about,” he says, “when it comes to traditional relationships. Then again, we’re not exactly the epitome of normal, here.”
Using my nervousness as fuel, I force out a laugh. “No. I guess we’re not. Honestly, I haven’t thought about it too much. Everything’s just been a whirlwind since the wedding.”
“We’ll have to think seriously about it soon.”
I fold my arms, uncomfortable with this conversation. The worst part is I don’t know if Aaron is expecting TV Rachel or Real Rachel to answer.
Screw it. Here comes the truth bomb.
“It would be kind of preposterous for two people to choose to spend the rest of their lives together after only knowing each other for two weeks,” I say.
“Unless…”
He lets that dot-dot-dot hang there.
“Uh, no unless,” I correct. “How can you possibly get to know someone in the span of two weeks? People are so good at first, so concerned with their image and the way they’re presenting themselves. It’s not until months later, after you’ve been through rough stuff, that you get to see what people are really made of.”
“Unless they’re not into all that smoke and mirrors. What if they’re committed to always being the most honest version of themselves, no matter the situation? Especially when they meet someone they’re seriously interested in?”
My breath quickens. This conversation is a tantalizing one, but the fact that it’s taking place in front of the cameras makes me not trust it. As soon as Tina calls cut, Aaron’s tone could change.
“I’ve never met anyone like that.”
“Are you sure?” he asks. His hand—maybe intentionally—brushes against mine. “How would you know?”
“Time tells everything,” I answer, smug and sure I’ve won the argument. “You wouldn’t know someone was being themselves from the very beginning unless they’re that same person six months later.”
“Sound logical,” Aaron says. “Too bad it’s not romantic at all.”
“Where has romance ever gotten anyone?”
He stops walking and bends over. Something red and white is in his hand, and it’s not until he puts it in my palm that I realize it’s a seashell.
“Wow,” I say. “I’ve never seen a shell like this here.”
“There are more shells in Florida, aren’t there?”
“A ton more. I hardly ever see any here.”
“There you have it,” Aaron says.
“Have what?”
He closes my fingers over the shell. “It’s a sign. Great things might be rare, but they do happen.”
My lips turn up into a smile. “Okay, that was really good timing.”
“Fate, you might call it.”
Aaron starts walking again. I can practically smell the self-satisfaction coming off of him.
“I don’t know if I believe in fate,” I say.
I want to. It sure would help me through difficult times. Like when I’m questioning whether the life path I’ve chosen is the right one or not.
“You need to look for evidence of it,” he says. “If you don’t seek, you can’t find.’’
Since I don’t know what to say to that, I keep quiet. It could be that he’s convincing me.
The conversation turns to more basic things. How awesome it is to have a swimming pool. The movie we watched last night (though we never touch on why we didn’t finish it). Tina has us turn around at some point, and I’m surprised to find we’re already back at the house. It seems like hardly any time has gone by at all.
Lunch is called, and Tina comes up to me and Aaron. “Here’s what’s next on the schedule. We’re going to optimize time and have you two go on another date after lunch, but it needs to look like a different day, so go and change after lunch.”
Makes sense. Even if it means fudging the lines of “reality.”
Lunch, which is boxes of some kind of take-out food, is brought into the dining room that Aaron and I have yet to use. Because I need to take a breather for a moment, I head upstairs without grabbing a plate.
Footsteps follow, and I have a pretty good idea of who they belong to.
Aaron follows me into my bedroom.
“Yes?” I ask, spinning around.
In answer, he seizes me and pins me against the wall. I gasp in surprise, barely sucking in a full breath of air before his lips are on mine.
“That’s all,” he says, lips moving against my mouth.
My knees shake like jelly. I have to hold onto his shoulders to remain standing.
Closing my eyes, I get a hold of myself. If Aaron knew what he does to me with the simplest touch, I’d be a goner. He’d probably be able to make me do anything he wants.
“What was that, on the beach?” I ask.
“What do you mean?”
Shaking my head, I push away from the wall. Who am I kidding? The answer is in his perplexed look. All of that talk about fate and showing your true self to people was for show.
The reality show.
“Nothing,” I say. “Never mind.”
His lips turn down. He looks like he’s about to respond, but a voice carries up the stairs.
“Aaron! Rachel!” It’s the second assistant, I’m pretty sure. I wish I remembered his name. There’s been little opportunity to talk to anyone other than Tina and Aaron.
“Sounds like we’re needed.” I squeeze his hand and step away. “Good job on the beach.”
“What were you going to say?”
“I was going to ask what kind of shell that was,” I say, thinking fast.
He blinks. He doesn’t seem to believe me.
But at least there are no further questions.
Chapter 16
I scan the horizon with such effort my eyes start to hurt. “I don’t see anything.”
“I thought I saw…hm.” Aaron’s right behind me. With every slight rock of the boat, his chest brushes against my back.
My fingers tighten around the railing, and it’s no longer the appearance of whales that I’m focused on. It’s him.
Since that morning he went down on me and I tried to swear him off, we’ve had sex like there’s nothing else in the world to do. I can’t get enough of him.
There are moments of hesitation, sure. Reminders to myself that I shouldn’t do this. Reasons I run through for it all going wrong.
Inevitably, I always end up back in his arms.
We have one week left. At this point, I figure I should stop stressing and just enjoy what we have. Real or fake. Short or long.
That’s the thing I’ve been telling myself on repeat. I’ve never been good at casual flings, but if this thing between us is best staying as exactly that, then so be it.
“There.” Aaron points, and I catch it right in time.
A spray of water, and then, the surfacing whale.
I gasp. “Oh, wow.”
“Yeah.” His breath tick
les my ear. I relax into him.
Surely, the cameras are capturing how friendly we are with each other. And I think Tina knows that Aaron and I are more than roommates. I caught her watching us with a pleased smile this morning.
So, everything is good. The image I wanted to present on this show is easier to pull off now, because I’m actually physically—and maybe even a little romantically—attracted to Aaron.
It feels like I should be happier than I am, though. It’s hard navigating a situation that has no comparison. It would be great if I had Molly to talk to about things.
“There’s another one.” Aaron points.
“I don’t see it.” I frown.
“It’s…oh, wait. I think that’s seaweed.”
“Good one,” I laugh.
The boat hits a big wave, and some water splashes onto the deck. Luzia shrieks and steps away from it, and one of the cameramen curses. I guess filming on a boat isn’t one of the easier things to do.
“You two having fun?” It’s the whale-watching guide. Per Tina’s request, she’s left us alone for the majority of the privately-booked tour.
“We are.” Aaron hooks his arm around my waist.
The giant grin I’m wearing isn’t for show. When he touches me, I’m instantly on top of the world.
“We’re turning around now,” the guide says. “But keep your eyes open. There’s still the chance of seeing activity.”
“We can cut,” Tina says. “We have enough.”
The grateful crew retreats to the center of the boat. Luzia, unfortunately, is dripping wet from the splashing she took. She dabs at her face and arms with some towels the tour guide brings her.
Aaron and I stay at the railing, his arm still around me. A couple crew members look our way with mild interest. I suppose they’re wondering how much of mine and Aaron’s relationship is for show and how much is real.
We haven’t kissed on camera or anything, but we’ve been really cozy. Still, it’s nothing compared to how things are when no one else is around. There have been very few articles of clothing in our lives the last few days.
“Our mid-point interviews are today,” Aaron says.
I tense. “Shoot. I forgot.”
“Are you nervous?”
How To Wed A Billionaire (How To... Book 3) Page 14
