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four

LAUNA

We got out of bed and reluctantly put our clothes back on. I left my shorts in the room, and Kyle didn’t bother with his either, just pulling on his boxer-briefs.

Our fingers were intertwined as we walked back to the food, and found Jordan sitting at the table, staring out at the ocean.

My face had to be bright red, but I didn’t say a thing as I took my seat.

Kyle didn’t seem embarrassed in the slightest. In fact, the man was downright cheerful. He whistled as he filled a plate with food for me (one of the chef’s staff was there to assure him it was safe).

I watched curiously.

“Be careful with him,” Jordan murmured to me, and my attention jerked to my guard.

My stomach clenched.

Was he going to tell me something I didn’t know about Kyle? Or?—

“He’s only got another month or two to live without a mate. If you’re not serious about this, don’t get his hopes up. He deserves to go out in peace.”

My face flushed further. “I am serious.”

Why didn’t either of the men seem to believe me?

I thanked Kyle when he sat back down with a plate loaded with food I could eat, along with his burgers, which looked like they’d been warmed up.

We ate in silence, and my embarrassment faded as he asked me questions while I did.

Questions about the kinds of books I liked to read.

Fiction.

Some scientific nonfiction.

The occasional self-help book that usually offered less than a shred of useful content.

Questions about my parents.

Alive, but uninterested in maintaining a relationship with me since they learned I was going to end up mated to a fae.

Questions about my favorite foods, colors, and places.

Raspberry Sherbert (but not the sugar free kind).

Pink, because it made me feel girly and I liked that for some reason.

Beaches, though the mountains were a close second.

He asked about my degree, too.

That launched into a whole conversation about my studies on the way fictional stories affected the human brain, and the dissertation I’d started. I hoped to get my PhD at some point, though I wasn’t in any hurry.

I just liked school. Learning made me feel good.

By the time the plates were empty, I felt like he knew at least as much about my life as I knew about his from watching Survival.

We arrived at the snorkeling spot shortly after that, and slipped into the water together. We stayed close as we swam around. Kyle teased my ankles and feet with the water a few times, tapping into his magic, and making us laugh. Every time I laughed, he had this proud grin on his face that made me happy.

Ridiculously happy.

When we were done swimming, there was more food ready, so we stuffed our faces some more.

When we were both full, Kyle scooped me up off the chair and carried me into the room we’d taken earlier. He shut the door before the cameras could follow us inside, and we traded mischievous smiles.

My smile didn’t slip until he set me on the edge of the bed and pulled my swimsuit bottoms down.

And kissed me again.

We stayed in the room until the boat neared the Survival shore, and then Kyle finally brushed my hair away from my sweaty forehead and met my gaze. I was laying in his arms, as we both recovered from our last orgasms.

“We have to play the game to get to the end, Beautiful.”

My happiness faded. “I know.”

“It’s only twenty-five more days. It’ll be simple. You know what you need to do?”

I nodded. “I have to pretend you annoy me, like all the other women.”

He agreed.

“I don’t want you to worry that I’m really feeling that way.”

His lips curved upward. “If you play your role right, neither of us will have to worry about that.”

I lifted an eyebrow at him.

He took a strand of my hair and wrapped it around his fingers. “You should lean in to the studious image you created. Blush a lot. Act like you’re uncomfortable around all the guys.”

“I am uncomfortable around all the guys.”

“Even better.” He winked at me, and I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “There’ll be so much awkward tension between you and the other guys that I won’t be able to worry. They’ll think you dislike me as much as the last women did, so you won’t have to worry about me. It’ll be easy.”

Theoretically, it sounded good.

It was the same plan I’d come up with before going to the island, actually.

It just felt daunting now that it was hanging over my head.

“We’ve got this, Beautiful.” He tugged lightly on my hair, and his confidence eased my worry just a little.

Kyle cleaned us both up with his magic before we joined Jordan on the speedboat that would take us to shore. We positioned ourselves on opposite sides of him, and when Kyle winked at me, I rolled my eyes.

It didn’t take much thinking about all the sex we’d had to make my face hot, so I focused on that for a minute. I wanted to be red and splotchy, so everyone would think I was frustrated. I definitely got red when I was frustrated. And embarrassed. And horny. And probably happy, too.

The boat landed on the shore, and Kyle immediately jumped out and offered me a hand with a grin.

We both knew I couldn’t reply the way I wanted to, so instead, I huffed loudly and climbed down from the boat on my own. When I tripped at the bottom—that one was an accident—Kyle lifted me back to my feet quickly.

I grumbled at him and stepped away with a grudging, “Thanks.”

He chuckled, and followed me up the beach.

A few guys had jogged over, and saw our interactions just like we’d expected.

Two of them gave Kyle bro-hugs of condolences.

Two more exchanged a look that said they wanted to work with Kyle again, for the same reason everyone wanted to work with Kyle.

They thought he was unlikable.

They thought he wasn’t a threat.

And we were going to play them like a fiddle.

I acted awkward every time one of the men tried to start a conversation with me. It didn’t take a whole lot of effort, considering I legitimately felt uncomfortable every time one of them came up to me.

I could tell the guys were talking about me on and off, which added to the discomfort.

The discomfort was needed, though. I leaned on it.

It was insanely hot out, so I was dripping sweat, and kept going to take dips in the ocean. That was a good way to get away from the men.

The water helped with the heat a little, but not enough. I kind of wished it would rain, like it had in the second season of the show.

Then again, I’d probably take sweating over shivering. I wouldn’t be able to snuggle with Kyle constantly without making the other guys suspicious, so I’d have to get cozy with some of the other dudes. Yikes.

Kyle spent the day hanging out with the guys, like he always did during the other seasons. He was friends with all of them, even the complete jerks, like Jim.

Because the other guys didn’t think he was a threat to win the game, it solidified the existing bonds. Everyone wanted to work with Kyle.

Including me.

I had to wonder how it would feel to be liked that much. To be that good at socializing. To enjoy being around other people to that extent.

I wanted to ask him, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen.

Anyway, the day passed by slowly. I spent the night curled up in my own shelter, away from the men. The show had started treating the compatible females much better after the first two seasons, so I had a heap of blankets, a couple of pillows, and a small tarp that had been spread over my sleeping space. It wasn’t a bed, but it was far more comfortable than it could’ve been.

The next day passed the same way the first had. At the council that night, most of the votes were against Kaden.

I remembered the way Kyle had told me he thought I would get along with Kaden, and had to bite back a smile when I realized that was why he’d been voted out.

Our eyes met over the fire for the briefest of moments as Kaden walked away, and Kyle winked at me.

He was so damn good at Survival .