Love or Lust Read online

  And while there may be a few here that are like that, I don’t think Jace is going to be one of them.

  I heard the rest of the girls arrive, but I stayed in my little bubble, reading the packet I was given. It was filled with tidbits of important information, but for the most part, it was a reiteration of what I’d already been told. The map Jace told me about. How things work on a daily basis. The rules.

  No social media.

  No details of the show with friends or family.

  When you’re eliminated, you’ll be moved to a hotel nearby for the remainder of filming.

  Break a rule, you’re eliminated. If you’re eliminated for breaking a rule, you don’t get paid.

  That’s the real motivator. If you’re eliminated by the other contestants, you still receive a set amount of money depending on how long you’re here. If you break the rules, cost the show money, or give away anything that may impact ratings, you don’t get a dime.

  It makes me want to delete every social media app I have so I don’t do something stupid when I’m drunk. Not that I plan on getting drunk. Or that I’ve been present on any of those sites lately. I pretty much dropped off the face of the earth after Wren broke up with me. I was too ashamed of what happened. Not that it was my fault, I know that now, but trying to realize that in the midst of all that was going on . . . yeah, that wasn’t my finest moment.

  Checking the time, I realize I need to start getting ready for the meeting. The rules dictate that we come dressed in formal attire. I knew this before I arrived, hence the stilettos. I brought every single dress I own, six pairs of heels, and all the jewelry I had that hadn’t been given to me by Wren over the years.

  Naomi also insisted I get my hair cut and colored before I left, so instead of sporting my normally dirty-blond hair, it’s now “golden honey” according to my stylist. It’s dark at the roots and seamlessly turns to golden blond at the ends that rest just below my shoulders.

  I really like it, but I’m also afraid my natural color will be showing before the show is over if I stay until the end. If that’s the case, I’ll be calling Claudia for a favor. She said she’d get me anything I needed, and that might mean a trip to the salon, or at the very least, a hat.

  After I’m dressed, my hair curled and pinned off to one side, I freshen my makeup and slip into heels. The same heels I wore when I arrived today. Classic black to go with the knee-length black and white dress I wore to my grandmother’s funeral two years ago. It’s a sexy but simple look.

  There are voices outside filtering in through the windows as I get ready to walk out the door. Laughter floats on the breeze as I approach the mixed group, taking them in one at a time. They’re all gorgeous in different ways. Flawless skin, beautiful hair, perfectly perky breasts. They look like fashion models with their tight-fitting dresses and mile-high heels. I instantly feel out of place.

  Plain.

  Average.

  I’m sure they don’t look like that all the time. It would take too much work. Even if they do, I can only hope their outward appearance isn’t a reflection of their personalities. The first word that comes to mind to describe them is fake.

  Joining the group, they each introduce themselves to me. They seem nice enough, Courtney the most genuine. It’s not until we’re about to head toward the main house that I realize there’s only five of us when there should be six.

  “Who’s missing?” I ask, looking from villa to villa.

  I’m lucky enough to be on the end. The sidewalk separates the six little cottages, three on each side. As each of us points to our home away from home, I turn to face the villa next to mine, and walk to the door. It opens as I knock, a petite, brunette with glasses looking up at me. She can’t stand more than five foot tall and that’s in her heels.

  “Hi, I’m Presley,” I say, reaching out to shake her hand. She stares at it, stunned, more than likely the way I reacted when Jace attempted to greet me. “We’re headed to the main house for the meeting and were wondering if you wanted to walk with us.”

  Looking past me, her eyes grow wide as she takes in the other girls. I can almost feel the fear radiating off her, so I step in her line of sight and attempt to calm her the way I’ve seen Naomi calm her students. “Don’t worry about them. Stick with me and it’ll be fine.”

  She seems hesitant but still follows me down the sidewalk, the click of her shoes louder than mine. As she slides up next to me, I look down to see they’re at least a size too big on her and instantly feel for the girl. If she’s this much of an introvert, why did she sign up for the show? How did she get selected?

  Not that the process was hard. First was the application form. If you made it past that process, you sent in a video, and if they were interested, they came to meet you for an in-person interview. They asked the kind of questions no one wants to answer. I was honest with them from the start hoping I’d get marked off the list and be relieved of my verbal contract with Naomi.

  No such luck.

  So here I am, walking into the main house, into a room the size of my last apartment with a group of women that look like they should be walking down a runway. The guys are already here. Ed is talking with them on the opposite side of the room.

  My gaze falls to Jace, and when he smiles, it catches the attention of the guy standing next to him, Gage. The one we saw earlier when we were at the pool. One by one they all stare in our direction, taking each of us in, head to toe.

  They’re all easy on the eyes. Most are as tall as Jace if not a few inches taller, Gage being the shortest. Dressed in suits and ties, each has their own unique look. The man on Jace’s left fills his out nicely, his ocean-blue tie catching my attention, reminding me of the color of my own eyes. All are smiling in our direction, appreciating what they see. But Jace . . . his gaze is on me.

  After arranging us on a platform, Ed begins his speech, the cameraman giving him a countdown when to begin.

  “Welcome to Love or Lust. Over the next six weeks, these twelve lucky participants will get to know each other on a more personal level. Let’s meet them, shall we . . .”

  He calls each of us by name, and we’re expected to smile and wave to the camera before sharing where we’re from. Of course, he calls my name first. I must have looked more shocked than excited because they ask me to do it again.

  Fake smile in place this time, I nail my intro and Ed moves on to the rest of the contestants. Thankfully, I’m not the only one who screws up. Most everyone does a second take. It’s a good thing we weren’t live. That would have been a disaster.

  Each week, the women will vote for the men they’d like to get to know better and the men will do the same for the women. The man and woman with the lowest number of votes will be sent home, having been voted off the show. Six weeks from now, the final four will have a choice to make. Will it be love, or is it just lust? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out!

  It takes three takes for Ed to get it right, making me feel better about screwing up, but by the time he’s finished, I’m bored to death. I know this is part of the process, but if we have to do this every week, I’m going to fall asleep in my heels.

  Following the taping, we’re individually called into a small room for solo interviews. After that, we’re allowed to socialize with the other participants, grab a drink or some food, but we’re not allowed to leave. Jace is the last to be interviewed, and once he returns, Ed calls for our attention.

  “Okay, guys. Let me officially welcome each of you to the ranch. Isn’t this place beautiful?”

  He receives only a few cheers, so he asks again, and we all cheer loudly to get him to move on.

  “Tonight was a taped episode. Every other episode will be live, so please make sure you are prepared and act accordingly. You all have your schedule for this week. Please make sure you adhere to it and be on time. When you’re not scheduled to take part in something, your time is your own but remember the cameras are always rolling. Even if you don’t see a c
amera, there is one watching you if you’re on the property. Yes, that includes in your villas. Everywhere except the bathroom.

  “This week is all about getting to know each other. Hanging out as a group. If you haven’t looked at your schedule yet, your first group activity is tomorrow night. You’ll be dining outside by the pool. Before and after dinner, you can do as you like, but you are not allowed to leave the grounds.”

  He pauses, looking each of us in the eyes to make sure we understand. When he gets to me, I smile, but I don’t get one in return.

  Really? Where the hell am I going to go anyway?

  “Finally, next week and every week after, you’ll be given a form on your way in to place your votes. You’ll be expected to rate each person of the opposite sex. One to six the first week, one to five the second, and so on as people are sent home. The person in your number one spot should be who you want to stay the most. Who you want to get to know better. Who you connected with the most. The man and woman with the highest totals after voting is complete will go home. It’s like golf. The lower your score, the better. Does everyone understand how the process works?”

  Again, he looks around, and everyone nods their head.

  “Read through the material you were given carefully. Make sure you follow the rules. Most of all, have fun,” he says, finally an upbeat note in his tone. “And remember, the name of this show is Love or Lust. Don’t be afraid to experience both while you’re here.”

  Chapter Two

  Day 2

  Courtney’s knocking at my door by noon, wanting to go to the pool and lay out. Maybe it was the way she said it, but I had a feeling she wasn’t as interested in working on her tan as she was in catching a glimpse of eye candy. Still, knowing we had hours before we were required to meet up with the rest of the group with nothing else to do, I quickly changed into my favorite swimsuit, a red bikini with gold stars, and threw on a matching red tunic dress and beige sandals.

  It’s not until Courtney shimmies out of her Daisy Dukes and tank top that I wish I had brought a more slimming black one-piece suit to wear.

  Her body is perfect. She’s at least five foot five with thighs that don’t touch, a tiny waist, and breasts that are threatening to spill out of the tiny triangles of her bleach-white bikini top. Her bottoms don’t provide much more coverage, sitting low on her hips and barely covering her ass when she bends over to grab a towel.

  I realize I’m ogling her. I can’t even help it, and I’m not into chicks, but she is beautiful in every way imaginable. Long blond locks that have a natural curl to them. Deep-brown eyes accentuated by her long, dark lashes.

  And not a tan line in sight.

  There has to be something wrong with her. It’s unnatural.

  “So, what do you do when you’re not sunbathing at a mansion?” I ask as I lie back against my lounge chair, sliding my sunglasses in place so she doesn’t catch me staring at her.

  “I sell clothes,” she replies excitedly.

  “What do you mean?” I quickly retort, unsure if I heard her correctly.

  “I mean I sell clothes. I work in the mall. I’ve been there since I was sixteen. I love it. I love shopping.” Her enthusiasm is cute.

  “What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” There has to be more to this girl than working in a retail store and shopping. She can’t really be that dense, can she? Her standards for her future can’t be that low, can they?

  “I don’t know. Maybe a personal shopper. I’m really good at putting outfits together. We reworked the floor displays before I left, and I dressed the mannequins. They looked awesome. They gave me a map and told me what to put together, but I may have slipped in a few of my own ideas. You know, changed things up a bit. To make it better. I can’t wait to hear what my boss thinks when I get back. She’s going to be so impressed with what I did. I bet I’ll get a raise or something.”

  As Courtney settles into the lounger beside me, I close my eyes and take in everything I’ve just learned about her. The bubbly girl I’ve befriended, or rather who’s befriended me, who likes to shop and play dress-up and not much else. Whose dreams and aspirations are yet to be determined.

  “What do you do?” she finally asks, our conversation having faded away.

  What do I do? Nothing, I want to tell her. Because the job I thought I had when I graduated college was eliminated by my ex-fiancé after I caught him sleeping with another woman. In our bed. In the house we shared. Fifteen minutes after I left to go grocery shopping. If I hadn’t forgotten my phone, he would have gotten away with it.

  “I graduated a few months ago, and I’m kind of still figuring that out,” I say, biting my tongue.

  “What do you want to do?”

  Become a hitman. I already have two people at the top of my list I’d kill for free to prove myself as worthy of the job. I just have to learn how to shoot a gun, hide a body, and lie without looking guilty.

  “I don’t know anymore. I used to think I wanted to use my degree, but now I’m contemplating other options. I figure I’ll know when I know. Plus, I can’t exactly look for a job right now while I’m here, so it gives me time to evaluate life.”

  There are plenty of thing I could do with my degree in hospitality management. Running a hotel was at the top of my list. It was my dream job because there were so many opportunities for advancement. Maybe that’s what I’ll still end up doing, in time. For now, I’m going to focus on relaxing, having a little fun, and trying not to be overwhelmed with what’s going on around me.

  At least that’s what I told Naomi on the phone this morning.

  Courtney and I are joined by the rest of the girls, except Kyra. I assume she’s hiding in her villa. After the meeting last night, she was the first to disappear. She was next to me one minute and gone the next. The rest of us hung out by the pool, sipping on whatever concoction Jace made us, talking until a little after midnight.

  I have a pretty good feel for everyone so far. I don’t know their deepest, darkest secrets yet, but then again, they don’t know mine. We didn’t get into all that. It was more of a twenty-questions sort of conversation.

  Where are you from?

  Who’s your favorite band?

  What are you doing here?

  That one got a laugh out of almost everyone. Most of the guys answered about the same. Not a single one of them said they were looking for love and only one person avoided answering all together. Lennon.

  It was all normal stuff you ask people when you’re first getting to know them in a group setting. As friends and nothing more. Even though I saw some of the looks Teegan was shooting a few of the guys, mainly Milo. I wouldn’t be surprised if she found lust with more than one person before the first episode airs.

  The guys arrive shortly after the girls, moving the lounge chairs around so we’re all close together. Jace is once again behind the bar, mixing cocktails. He’s taken to sitting close to me, not that I mind. I was telling Naomi about him this morning, the little bit I could, and she seems to think he’s my type.

  Which he is, but I didn’t admit that to her.

  Then again, a few of the other guys could be my type as well. Lennon is slightly taller than Jace, clean cut, short sandy-brown hair, dazzling golden eyes, and a body that begs to be naked. Without his shirt on right now, every muscle is on display, and I don’t mind in the slightest.

  He was the one wearing the tie that matched my eyes last night.

  He’s over by the bar, talking to Jace and Drake, who isn’t quite as tall as them, but what he lacks in height, he makes up for in muscle. He has broad shoulders and looks like he could bench press Courtney and me at the same time. Not that that’s saying much. I weigh one-thirty, and Courtney might be one-ten. Still, with his bald head, multitude of tattoos running down his chest and arms, and dark-brown eyes, he’s intriguing.

  “Earth to Presley,” Courtney coos, following my line of sight. “See something you like?”

  “How could I
not? They’re like God’s,” I reply honestly as I take in the sight of the three of them. Shirtless. Perfect bodies. Shorts hanging loosely on their hips.

  “Right. If nothing else, we have a great view.”

  Jace picks that moment to look over Drake’s shoulder in our direction. When our eyes meet, I know I’ve been busted staring, yet I can’t look away. That only makes the smile on his face grow. From the way his smoldering look is devouring me right now, I think he likes what he sees as well.

  What did Ed say last night? Don’t be afraid to experience a little lust while we’re here. It is the name of the game after all.

  Dinner.

  It shouldn’t feel so unnatural, yet as Courtney and I walk toward the long table set up between the outdoor kitchen and the enclosed pool area, this feels anything but normal. There are cameras everywhere. Some pointed in our direction, others at the rest of the contestants as they take their assigned seats.

  Yes, assigned.

  As in, I have to sit where they want me to, and that means I can’t chat with Courtney the entire time because she’s at the other end of the table. I’m seated with my back to the pool, at the end closest to the house. She’s on the opposite side of the table, facing the pool. Across from me is Jace, on my right, Gage. Teegan is sitting next to Jace, Milo to her left. Kyra is the only one I don’t see, her seat between Gage and Lennon empty.

  “Okay,” Ed begins, capturing everyone’s attention when he appears out of nowhere. “This week is all about getting to know each other, to see if you have anything in common. We’ve strategically paired you up tonight, and it’ll be like that the rest of the week. Talk, ask each other questions. Don’t be afraid to open up a little. You have one week to decide who you want to continue seeing. Remember, on Sunday, two people will be going home. If you don’t want that to be you, find a way to connect with the people around you.”