by Cora Seton
“Bella,” Jake swiveled to face her. “Sounds like you lost a special pet. Do you want to tell our audience more about that?”
“Oh, come on,” Evan said, stepping in between Jake and Bella. “You guys caught everything we said on film—do we really need to hash it all out again? I think our viewers are smart enough to get it the first time.”
“Cut, CUT!” Madelyn yelled and strode forward. “You are walking on very thin ice, and any minute you are going to be in complete violation of your contract. Jake asks the questions, you answer them. Do I make myself clear?”
“It’s all right,” Bella said, flashing him a tired grimace. “I don’t mind.”
She obviously did mind, but getting himself thrown off the show wouldn’t help matters any. He balled his hands into fists and shoved them in his pockets.
“Let’s try this again,” Madelyn said and stepped back behind the cameras. Jake repeated his question and Bella answered it in short, neutral sentences. Yes, she’d lost a pet early on and it prompted her to become a veterinarian. Yes, it was a very sad occurrence, but things like that happened in life—what was important was how you moved forward after them. Madelyn couldn’t complain about Bella’s answers, but Evan knew she must want to—this was television at its most banal.
When he finished grilling her even Jake looked defeated.
“Well, after this exciting day, the scores of our contestants are still closely matched. Evan, you began the day with 21 points. After the bridge debacle you still had 21 points. You did much better in this afternoon’s miniature golf tournament, however, scoring 6 out of a possible 10, for a final total of 27 points!”
Bella made a face and Evan wondered if all her cheering and dancing had been just a ruse. Maybe he’d pulled ahead into a comfortable lead today. He sure hoped so. He wanted that year with her so bad he could taste it. Three hundred and sixty-five days of hot, languorous, mind-blowing sex with the most beautiful, sweet, tempting woman he’d ever met…
“Bella, you also fumbled the bridge challenge,” Jake went on. “You started the day with 19 points and gained none this morning, either. But this afternoon you proved yourself a fair hand at miniature golf. How did you learn to play?”
Evan sighed. Couldn’t the man get on with things and just announce her score?
“Golf was one of my family’s favorite activities when I was growing up. I always lost back then, but I didn’t mind because we were all together. I guess I remember more than I thought I did from those days on the course.”
“You sure did. You scored an amazing 10 out of 10 points, and got the bonus point for finishing first. That brings your score to a grand total of 30 points. You have a three point lead!”
Evan’s mouth dropped open in shock. Three points ahead of him? What the hell? Bella was dancing again, bouncing up and down with her arms upraised and her fingers fluttering. “Whooo!” she yelled and twirled in a circle. “Whooo—stray pets of Chance Creek, here I come, and you’ll never go hungry or cold again!”
* * * * *
Bella faltered to a stop when she saw Evan’s face. “Uh…sorry, just got carried away. You have to admit it’s pretty cool I scored so high, though.” Was he going to have another of his temper tantrums? She’d been through the ringer today, and though she’d regained her equilibrium, she didn’t think she could take that.
“Yeah, really terrific,” he said. “When’s dinner?” he asked Madelyn, pushing past her.
“Evan,” Bella said to his back. “Come on, what’s the big deal? You don’t really need to win this game anyway. You’ve got all the money in the world.” Disappointment in him soured her stomach. She liked the man, but she hated this side of his personality. Why did he always need to win so badly?
“I don’t need the money; I need a wife,” he said, rounding on her. “That’s why I’m on this show.”
“You need a wife so you can keep the money,” she said, “and let’s face it, if push comes to shove you can just buy one off of any street corner.”
“What if I don’t want to buy one? What if I want someone in particular?” he challenged her.
Bella shrugged, taken aback by his vehemence. Obviously she’d hit a nerve and she’d better back off, let Moneybuns cool down for a minute. Funny, she hadn’t called him the derogatory nickname for at least a day…since…
Her face warmed as she thought about their tryst. Evan was much more to her than an adversary now. He was someone she wanted to know. Someone she hoped to see more of, even after the show.
But would he want to keep seeing her if she won and left him high and dry?
“I’m talking to you,” Evan said, following her as she turned and made her way to where crew members were setting out their dinners. Fish was on the menu today, with rice and some kind of vegetable mixture.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, grabbing a paper plate and loading it up with food.
“I mean, I don’t want to spend a year with a stranger. I want to spend it with you.”
“You already know I can’t do that,” she said, but her cheeks heated and Evan narrowed his eyes. Did her expression betray her regret? Had he guessed she was beginning to want to spend a year with him?
Hadn’t she almost admitted as much at lunchtime?
“You won’t regret losing, I promise you,” he said, his gaze sliding to the camera crew hovering over them. “I…” he grimaced, obviously unable to say what he’d like to in front of them. “Bella, I promise.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Several hours later, Evan stripped down and slipped into one of the twin makeshift showers the crew had rigged for a surprise for their last night out in the open air. They consisted of large, sun-warmed plastic bags of water hanging from trees and plastic curtained stalls for each of them.
It took Evan a moment to figure out the mechanism of the shower, but when he did the warm water sliding over his trail-dusty body felt wonderful. Off to his left Bella moaned in delight.
“Hey, what’s going on over there?” he called out playfully. “Better keep it down or I’ll come to investigate.”
The thought made his body hum all over. Bella moaned again. For a second he forgot they were surrounded by crew members, some setting up for the night, others still training their cameras on the shower stalls, although they’d been assured they would not be filmed during pre- or post-shower dressing periods.
“That’s it; I’m coming,” he growled.
Bella shrieked when he rustled the plastic curtains as if he was tearing through them and he was disappointed he couldn’t make good on his threat, but that wasn’t possible—not while they were being filmed.
He hurried to wash the rest of himself before the water ran out. Still, when the water slowed to a drip and stopped all together, he wasn’t ready for the shower to be over.
He dried himself on the towel he’d left right outside his stall and slipped out to pull on clean clothes. Making his way back toward the campfire now burning brightly, he met up with Bella. He walked beside her, and when one of the crew members dropped a camera, causing everyone else on the set to turn his way, Evan reached for her hand, squeezed it, and let it go again, his fingers trailing over her palm.
He hoped her answering squeeze was a promise of things to come. As much as he was determined to win this show, he wanted to make the most of what could possibly be his last night with Bella. He didn’t think he could stand it if they didn’t make love again. It was hard enough to imagine going back to life as usual after the show ended tomorrow.
She glanced up at him and smiled, a quick, intimate smile. He grinned in return, a lustful, wolfish grin, and making sure no one was looking, reached out and gave her ass a squeeze.
Bella squeaked and the camera crew around them swiveled her way. Biting back her laughter, she put her head down and hurried the remainder of the way into camp. She stowed her gear away, sat on a log near the fire, and made a big show of stretching and yawning widely.
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Madelyn appeared just as Evan took a seat nearby.
“Okay, kids, we have one more day of filming—one more day to make this show a success. Your run with us may just about be over, but all of us,” she waved a hand to encompass the crew members hard at work around them, “still need to make a living. We’re counting on you to convince our network we need another season of the show. Think you can do that for us?”
“Sure,” Evan said.
“Okay,” Bella shrugged.
“We need drama, passion, chills, thrills—give us something we can work with.” Madelyn surveyed first one and then the other. “I know there’s something going on between you two. Sparks are smoldering, if they’re not flying outright. How about you let them ignite tonight?” She waggled her eyebrows at them lasciviously, a sight Evan thought would haunt him to his grave. Time to put an end to that bit of speculation before she spooked Bella and their last night of passion became a bust.
“We’ll provide all the drama you could want tomorrow during the contests,” Evan said evenly. “I’m afraid you’re wrong about the sparks, though. Bella will make me a perfectly adequate wife, but I don’t call her Betty Bumpkin for nothing. I’m used to a little more…sophistication…in my bed.”
He hoped Bella understood what he was trying to do, and didn’t take that personally. He stood up. “Speaking of bed, I’m going to hit the hay. Give me a minute then feel free to join me…Betty.”
Madelyn turned to her, eyebrows raised high. “You going to take that lying down, Betty?” she asked, laughing uproariously at her own joke.
“Ha, ha. I can be sophisticated any time I want to,” Bella said, meeting his gaze with a glint of humor in her eye. Evan relaxed a bit. “But a wealthy man isn’t automatically an interesting man—or an endowed one. I don’t think Moneybuns is packing much below the belt, if you get my drift.” She arched an eyebrow at him, obviously saying, take that!
“Whoa—strong words!” Madelyn said. “Are you getting all of this?” She looked over her shoulder at the crew.
Nita gave her a thumb’s up.
“I’m calling it a night, too,” Bella said. “Early to bed, early to rise and beat the crap out of my opponent.”
Evan headed out into the bushes to heed a final call of nature for the day, but Bella’s last words stuck with him. He still had to beat Bella in this stupid contest and she was three points ahead of him. Somehow he had to throw her off her game, because now more than ever he was positive he wanted to win. He wanted a whole year with his sexy, little veterinarian to convince her she wanted to spend a lifetime with him.
How could he knock her off balance enough to take the lead tomorrow?
The answer brought a groan to his lips.
* * * * *
By the time Bella crawled into the tent and slid under the covers, Evan had already piled on all their extra clothes. He tugged her all the way under them and drew her into a long, hot kiss. When he released her, he lifted one of her hands to touch his mouth and she felt his smile. He kissed her fingertips, and made as if to turn her over. Thoughts of their previous night swirling in her head, she quickly complied and nestled herself in the crook of his arm.
His sensual onslaught began almost immediately. His hands slid up and down her body, finding her breasts, kneading them and squeezing them until she had to stifle a moan. He kissed the side of her neck and under her ear, nipped at her earlobe and pulled her even closer.
She could feel his hardness hot against her back and longed to have him inside of her, but she knew that would come in time. For now, she relished every stroke of his fingers over her skin and wondered how she would bear to part with him tomorrow night.
Maybe—just maybe—when she was a millionaire and the stray animals of Chance Creek were safe in her care, she could see Evan now and then. Maybe take a trip to California, or he could fly to Chance Creek. She tried to picture him in a cowboy hat and giggled aloud.
“Shh,” Evan whispered and trailed one hand lower, finding the heat between her legs. Her eyes closed and she arched her back in a state of sensual overload as he dipped and swirled and stirred her to life.
She wanted him badly, bit her lip as she imagined him pressing into her, how she’d feel when she pushed back against him and they rocked together until their bodies exploded with desire. She smiled when a moment later he fumbled with something, and pressed against her core, his hardness already sending shivers of pleasure radiating through her body.
“Are you ready?” he whispered.
She nodded, knowing he’d feel the movement, knowing he’d taken care of protection, too. Thank goodness he’d had the foresight to bring some. He pushed farther inside her and the sensation made her want to cry aloud. She wished they were alone and she could give vent to everything she was bottling up inside her right now. Someday she’d make love to Evan and scream if he moved her to.
But she’d take whatever she could get right now, and she was getting quite a lot. Bracing his hand on her hip, he stroked into her and out again in strong, steady movements, stoking the fires inside her until she thought she might burst into flames.
She wanted to do so much more than they were able to do in the confines of these covers. She wanted to explore his whole body, taste him, touch him, experiment with every possible position until they found their favorites, stretch her boundaries—and his—with their sensual play.
She concentrated on the feel of him inside her, moved with him, pressed against him, lifted her ass to let him deeper inside. He sped up, reaching with his hand to cup her breasts again, playing with them, squeezing her nipples until she hovered just on the edge of release.
Just as he stroked in one last time, just as Bella started over the edge, her mouth opening in a silent cry, Evan stilled, pulled out with a jerk, and turned away from her and adjusted the covers as if they’d suddenly been exposed to view. Bella, shocked and bereft, turned with him.
“What are you doing?” she hissed into his shoulder. He clamped a hand over her mouth.
“I heard something. Someone’s coming.”
She lay still, her heart pounding, the juncture between her legs aching with pent up desire. One more second and she would have had the orgasm of her life. Couldn’t whoever it was have waited just a little longer?
The seconds ticked by. Outside all was still. She was sure the beating of her heart was loud enough to wake the dead, but she couldn’t hear anything else. She let several more minutes go by and said, “I think they’re gone.”
She hoped Evan would pick up where he left off. He’d have to backtrack a little to get her to the peak she’d so rudely been yanked from, but it wouldn’t take much. Her whole body still tingled. Even her breasts ached for his touch.
“Evan?”
“Shhh,” he said again. “I think there’s a new camera. A better one,” he whispered in a voice so low she could barely make out his words.
A new camera?
A better one?
What did that mean? Would her wanton behavior be broadcast all over the United States? Could it pick up her breathless moans and writhing body even under their covers?
“I was so close,” she whispered, hoping he’d have some idea how to finish things off. She couldn’t stop now—not like this—she’d never sleep a wink. He had to be in a similar situation.
Right?
“Evan?”
His breathing slowed, evened out, and a few minutes later, she’d swear he’d gone to sleep.
How the hell could he sleep? Her entire body throbbed with need.
After several more minutes, Bella couldn’t stand it anymore. Evan obviously wasn’t going to come to her rescue, and his lack of follow-through was highly disappointing, to say the least. If he could roll over and fall asleep in the middle of one of the best sexual experiences of her life, he wasn’t the partner for her, no matter how much she wanted him.
Frustrated enough she wanted to scream, she slid her own hand down under the
covers to touch herself. It was a far cry from Evan’s touch, but she knew she needed to relieve some of her pent up pressure if she was ever to sleep a wink tonight. She wriggled until her ass pressed up against Evan’s thigh and her back touched the length of Evan’s arm. It wasn’t much, but she used his solid presence to fuel her fantasies. She closed her eyes and swirled her fingers against herself, picturing Evan back in position behind her, plunging into her again with his strong, steady strokes. In her mind, he moved faster and faster, cupping her breasts as he pressed in and out. She experimented with other positions in her mind. Evan above her, his body covering hers, Evan beneath her, holding her waist while she rode him wild and fast. It didn’t matter what she imagined; it wasn’t as good as the real thing.
But it helped, and when she came, she bucked against her hand, the shudders wracking through her until she knocked against Evan’s thigh.
He slept through it all, and when she was done she hoped against hope that the camera hadn’t picked up any of it. She felt better, the tension drained out of her, but as she curled up and shut her eyes, she wondered how Evan could be so cold.
It occurred to her she really knew nothing about the billionaire who slept beside her. Last night she’d hoped she’d found the one man who could set her on fire, but now she feared their lovemaking was a fluke, and that by tomorrow night she’d be all alone again.
She settled down and closed her eyes, but it was a long time before she slept.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
What a complete and colossal failure.
Evan watched Bella crawl from the tent the next morning, looking as beautiful as ever, if a little drawn and tired. She shot him a glance and made her way out of camp to take care of her morning rituals. Evan debated crawling right back inside that tent and making use of her absence to pound out a good one. He was hard as hell this morning, a fact he was trying desperately—and failing just as desperately—to hide in his usual pair of hiking pants.
