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eighteen

ERIN

Rhett held me against the wall as we both caught our breath. When he set me back down on my feet, his hands found my hips and he turned me around so my back was to his chest again.

Then, he grabbed the little trial bottle of shampoo. “I want to wash your hair.”

“Mmkay.” I was too worn out to care.

After the adrenaline of the challenge and the storm, followed by the pure relaxation of my orgasms, he could do whatever he wanted to me.

And letting him wash my hair would save me the effort, so it was a win-win situation.

My eyes closed as he tugged my hairband free and buried his fingers in the tangled strands. He wasn’t in any hurry, slowly massaging my scalp as he worked the shampoo in.

I was going to be a calm, happy puddle by the time he was done.

When he rinsed the shampoo out and repeated the process with conditioner, my back and ass were pressed against his front. He had hardened again at some point in the process, but neither of us acknowledged it. If there was going to be more sex, it wasn’t going to be happening until after the shower.

We’d been stuck on an island far too long to not have that level of self-restraint.

After he washed the conditioner out, he slowly scrubbed the rest of my body with shower gel.

It was blissful in a way nothing else I’d ever experienced could compare.

To lean against someone like that, to trust them with my body that way… it was unreal.

“Is it supposed to be this intense between us?” I asked, my voice soft.

“What do you mean?” His was quiet too, but more laid-back than mine.

“I don’t know.”

He ran his hands over my abdomen, slowly washing my belly. “It wasn’t like this with Kellie, if that’s what you mean,” he said. “I never felt like I could trust her. I never felt like we were friends . We were together, but there was no intimacy. Not emotionally.”

I nodded. “I’ve never been in a relationship, but yeah. I feel like that too. I’ve never really… trusted anyone before. But I trust you. I think. Mostly.”

He kissed my neck, and I tilted my head to the side to give him better access. “Considering we’ve been on an island for weeks, playing a game that prevented us from doing and saying what we wanted, I’d be concerned if you trusted me implicitly right now.”

My lips curved upward. “You think I’ll get there, though?”

I really didn’t want to hurt him. And I didn’t want to end up in a marriage where my husband resented me for being myself. I would never trust as easily as some people could. I would never be entirely free from my past.

“I do, but there’s no rush. I’ll be here whether you expect me to be or not.” He kissed my neck again. “I want you, Chaos. I need you. I’m not leaving you, no matter what.”

My eyes stung with tears.

He may as well have proclaimed his love, because to me?

That was love.

He accepted my limits, he didn’t expect me to change, and he wasn’t walking away.

What more could anyone need?

“Thank you,” I whispered, dashing at my eye with the side of my hand. I didn’t feel any tears falling, but I wasn’t risking it. I did not cry.

“Don’t thank me for caring.” He ran his slick hands over my hips. “Kiss me instead.”

I turned around in his arms and grabbed his face, rising onto my tiptoes to kiss him.

He kissed me back until I pulled away and turned around again, biting my swollen bottom lip lightly to hide my smile.

I was happy.

Stupidly, ridiculously happy.

When we were done washing up, we dried off and made our way to the bed. There were no spare clothes, so we climbed in naked.

I was exhausted enough from the events and emotions of the day that I just sprawled across Rhett, not bothering with the TV. One of his arms draped over my waist, and the other hand found my ass.

For the first time in ages, I didn’t need an illusion to fall asleep feeling safe and content.

Loud pounding on the door woke us.

I jerked upward, peeling my body off Rhett’s.

His grip on my ass tightened, his eyes bleary as he looked around the room.

Jordan knocked again before pushing it open. “The tropical storm looks like it’s on its way to becoming a hurricane near the Survival island. We’ve got a group of air and water fae heading out to try to prevent it, but the last few days of the game are getting cut. We’re meeting the remaining contestants on a stretch of beach near here. It’s time to choose a mate, Erin.”

My stomach clenched.

As much as I wanted the game to end, and knew who I was going to choose, making the choice was still a big deal.

And sealing the bond?

That was more than a little terrifying.

I wasn’t even sure how it would happen, or what I would have to do.

What if there was blood involved?

Or—

“It’s going to be fine,” Rhett said, meeting my gaze. “Close the door, Jordan. We need to get dressed.”

Jordan shut it, and I let out a shaky breath.

Rhett took my face between his hands and tilted my head toward his until our foreheads met.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said, his voice quiet but steady.

“I know.” Somehow, it was true.

“What are you afraid of?”

“A mate bond,” I admitted. “Getting wings. Blood sacrifices, or some shit like that.”

“ Blood sacrifices ?”

“How else would I become fae?”

“With magic.” He brushed a few strands of slightly damp hair off my face. “We’ll have sex and say vows to each other. My magic will become yours, and change you in the process.”

“Oh.”

Rhett’s eyes softened with one of his small, quick smiles. “No blood or sacrificing. Just sex.”

“I can probably handle that,” I said.

He brushed his lips against mine for a quick kiss. I leaned in, deepening it, and he rumbled against me before pulling away. “We’ll pick this back up after the game is over, alright?”

“Okay.” I nodded, some of my fear fading away.

He kissed me again, then stood, lifting me off the bed with him. I crashed into his chest, and he squeezed my hip lightly, steadying me as he set me back down on my feet at the edge of the bed.

I looked at the bathroom floor for my clothes as he walked in, but didn’t see them.

They weren’t where I’d left them.

Hmm.

I was momentarily distracted by the sight of his perfect ass as he stepped into his shorts.

Rhett came out a moment later with my clothes in his hand. “I hung them up to dry after you fell asleep.”

“You stayed awake?” My eyebrows lifted, but I accepted the clothes.

“Not for long.”

I pulled the familiar fabric on. It was still slightly damp, but much drier than it would’ve been if it had remained on the floor.

“Thank you.” I went up on my tiptoes to kiss him again, but Jordan knocked before I could.

Rhett leaned down and brushed his lips against mine anyway. “Just a little longer, and all of this will be over.”

“Finally.”

“Finally,” he agreed.

With that, we made our way out through the door.

The wind whipped my hair around as Rhett flew me to the beach. Jordan was right behind us, staying close the whole time. Rain fell lightly, and the wind made it blur my vision.

We reached the other guys soon enough, and found them sitting on the sand, drenched and exhausted. Travis was gone, so he’d been the final man voted off the island.

Kyle and Chris stood up, and Rhett released me after a final squeeze to my hip. He stepped into place beside them.

I made my way to Jordan’s side, stopping in front of them.

My gaze moved over the three men.

Honestly?

I liked all of them for the most part. I trusted that none of them would hurt me if I chose them. I wouldn’t have been afraid to mate with any of them.

But I wanted Rhett.

So, the choice was a simple one.

“Thanks to the weather, the game has officially been cut short,” Jordan said, looking at the men. “Any final words?”

“No.” Chris shook his head. “I don’t think there’s anything to say.”

“Nah.” Kyle winked at me. “Erin obviously made her mind up already.”

I bit my lip to hold back a smile.

As obnoxious as he was, he was a good guy.

All of us looked at Rhett.

“Anything to say?” Jordan asked him.

Rhett’s focus was entirely on my face, his lips curved in a small smile that was just for me. “She knows.”

I couldn’t hide my smile.

“Well, Erin?” Jordan turned back to me, but I was already crossing the sand, back to the man I wanted.

“I choose Rhett,” I called over my shoulder.

He caught me before I reached him, pulling me into his arms and kissing me.

Jordan must’ve said something else, but I didn’t hear him.

I was too lost in Rhett.