“What happened?” Cassie demands as we go back to our room so I can change out of my damp clothes. I’m grateful for Caleb’s help again with getting her up the stairs. He’s actually a gentleman when it counts and didn’t mind carrying her. It saved me at least ten seconds of questions.

That time’s over now as she hops over to the bed on one leg, plopping down with a sigh. “And don’t tell me nothing either! You had a smile as wide as my ass when you walked through the door!”

That’s not very wide, but heaven is what happened, I think as I remember our passionate encounter. It’s been over an hour and goosebumps are still all over my body.

I laugh, shaking my head, though I know the glow I’m exuding has to be a huge red flag. “Nothing happened,” I lie. “Sure, we flirted, but it was all part of the game. The only fucking that went on was with Tony’s head.”

I pull off my soggy shirt and toss it in the bin, feeling sore as hell from the hike and the mind-blowing sex. And the crazy part is, I still want more. Two times? As good as it felt with Tony, I’d have been willing to let him make me come twenty times.

Cassie looks like she doesn’t believe me, and I understand. I wouldn’t believe it either. “How's your ankle feeling?” I ask, trying to change the subject. I’m a terrible liar.

Cassie scowls. “Oh, hell no, Miss I’m The Most Beautiful Thing Tony Saw Today, don’t try to change the subject!” She leans forward and sniffs like she’s a bloodhound. “I can practically smell him all over you. You dirty little slut, you.”

“That’s probably your upper lip you’re smelling,” I say offhandedly, taking off my pants. “Maybe someone got a pain relieving hot beef injection from Caleb on the way back?”

“Oh, hell no! Don’t make me go get Mo Mo!” she threatens. “You know she and I aren’t messing around!”

I laugh. “You’re a total nut.”

“And you’re a—”

Cassie’s cut off by the ringtone on my cell, and I pick it up to see who it is. It’s Myra. Oh, now she wants an update?

Anxiety twists my stomach as I answer the call.

“How’s the competition coming along?” Myra asks. Before I can answer, she drones on. “Everyone’s getting antsy. They’re worried about securing the property. After running the numbers, they say this thing is too huge to lose. Please tell me you girls have got this thing in the bag!” The panic in her voice causes my heart rate to speed up, and I admonish myself for letting my focus slip, even if I do want to do it all over again.

My mouth runs dry and I suddenly feel a huge weight on my shoulders. I part my lips to reply before closing them, unsure of what to say. Myra will flip out if I tell her things aren’t going too well. Even worse if I tell her I slept with Tony. “Good,” I say finally, trying to inject enthusiasm in my voice with sweat beading my brow. “We’re doing awesome!” I give her a quick rundown of what Wesley has us doing, not letting on that we’re still two points down after this morning and I have no idea how many games Wesley has left in his little bag of party favors.

“Thank God!” Myra exclaims, her voice awash with relief. “I knew I could count on you! What did he say when you presented our offer? Any idea of when he’ll make a decision?”

“Well, he took our offer and the contract paperwork, but didn’t let me discuss it with him. Just said he’d read over it. I’m not sure on his deadline, but it can’t last much beyond the end of the week,” I tell her. “But he hasn’t told us everything. He seems to like to spring things on us unexpectedly. Like I said, things are looking good and we’re doing our best, but it’s going to be close.”

“I don’t care about close, I care about you closing this deal! Make sure he reads the offer thoroughly, go over it with him personally if you can.”

I nod, wishing I felt more confident than I sound. “We’ve got things under control here! Listen, I gotta go, I’ll talk with you tomorrow.” I hang up the phone, not knowing how to feel. I just lied to my boss and I feel conflicted and confused. Tony needs this, too, just for more personal reasons.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Cassie says, looking at me like I’ve committed a cardinal sin. “You totally lied to her!”

“I didn’t know what else to do,” I say. “What should I have done? Tell her the truth, that we’re down with who knows how many chances left?”

“But there’s a chance we’re gonna lose. How’s she gonna react then, if we don’t pull this off? How can we win when you're sleeping with the enemy?”

Her words cause my skin to prick. Is that what I’m doing? Sleeping with the enemy . . .

Well, when the enemy can make me feel like he does . . . damn it, I’ll gladly sleep with him.

“I am not!” I object, my cheeks turning red. Technically, I’m not lying. We haven’t slept together yet. “Besides, Wesley doesn’t seem like he’s going to go strictly by the numbers anyway. I think my passing up the blue flower today is what salvaged us a point. We definitely need to be at our best for the challenges, and that means not fraternizing with Tony and Caleb. I’ve got to find a way to discuss the actual offer with him too. We need to figure out how to direct this deal back to the business of selling, not just the games, even if they are fun. We’re not on vacation here!”

There’s a now familiar soft knock at the door. It’s Alani. “My husband wants to see you in the main room in fifteen minutes.”

We nod, and she leaves, closing the door gently behind her. I sigh and change clothes quickly, pulling on dry underwear, some new shorts, and a t-shirt. I also put on the Nikes I packed, knowing with Wesley, I need to be prepared for anything.

I like it here, but always being in the dark is starting to feel less like an adventure and more like a joke on us,” Cassie grumbles, rolling over and pulling on socks and shoes. She stands up, wincing but eventually nodding. “Just make sure I don’t faceplant. Knowing my luck, we’re going to be doing a three-legged race over a crocodile infested lagoon.”

We go down to the main room, and once again, I’m struck by how peaceful Wesley’s home is. There are mats laid out in rows, and the breeze is trickling through the windows, cooling the room and making it seem even airier. Wes smiles when he sees us and applauds Cassie as she limps in, a determined set to her eyes. “Come in, free spirits of our wonderful world. I must seem like such a bad host, making you always arrive second.”

I smile, looking around the place until my eyes meet Tony’s. Like a flash, the connection we had at the waterfall is back, and it’s like I’m looking inside his mind. It’s so strong I almost feel like we have telepathy. I remind myself of the conversation I just had with Myra and tear my eyes away as Wesley continues.

“I understand you’re sore and tired. So this afternoon, I’ve decided to lead all of you in some guided meditation. Before you start to worry about your ankle Cassie, the practice is not meant to stress your body, but to help it reconnect with the restorative powers of nature, and the healing power within yourself. We all share a connection, just like how each of the Hawaiian Islands share a common base underneath the waters of the Pacific. This isn’t a challenge, just something for us to do as one.”

He goes over to the mat at the front of the room and spreads his hands, indicating for us to sit. I glance at Cassie, who nods, and we all arrange ourselves on the mats. As we do, I notice that Tony and I are seated next to each other, with Cassie and Caleb on our outsides. I feel heat creep up my neck as Tony glances over, and I hurriedly work on taking off my shoes and socks. “Is Mo Mo going to be joining us?” I have to ask as I undo my knot. “I saw yoga with baby goats on YouTube. Adorable, but um, don’t get me wrong, but she isn’t as quite as cute as a baby goat.”

Wesley smiles and shoos Mo Mo away. “No, she won’t be joining us today.” She leaves his shoulder and flies over to a stand in the corner, where I see there’s a small cup of seeds for her. “She’ll be preoccupied for a while.”

I sit down cross-legged, swallowing as I force myself to keep my eyes on Wesley and not on Tony, and put my hands on my knees. I’ve been to a few yoga classes before. I want to be respectful to Wesley even if this isn’t a challenge. I realize with a start that even more than Wesley, I want to be respectful to this place, which with every breath means more and more to me.

“Now, imagine yourself as a pure ball of energy, and think about how everything around you is also energy. Reach out with your mind and look for that connection with the air, the water, the trees, and the earth itself around you.”

Wesley takes a deep breath, a soft smile coming to his face. “Please, everyone, concentrate. Feel the earth, the wind, the water, and the sun around you. Feel the network of threads creating a web containing all that exists. The sun warms the earth, making the plants which we and the animals eat, giving us energy which we return to the earth.”

I try to focus on Wesley’s words, but the only energy I can think of is Tony’s. My mind flashes back to the magical glow in the small cavern and how his hands caused my body to come alive. I imagine his hands caressing my body now, making me feel like a new person. Forget becoming one with nature. I’m becoming one with Tony.

“Hannah,” a voice says, followed by an annoying squawk.

“Big booty ho!”

I barely hear either voice, my mind on Tony and how his cock felt in my hand, and how he felt with his fingers inside me . . .

But I’m forced to open my eyes when Cassie complains loudly, “Okay, I can’t concentrate with Cookie Monster moaning and groaning over here!”

“Cookie Monster!” Mo Mo squawks.

Heat burns my cheeks. I’m so embarrassed. I had no idea I was moaning.

I clear my throat, trying not to look at him. Then everyone will know who I was moaning about. “Sorry,” I say. “I, uh, thought we were supposed to be ohm’ing. I was really getting into it.”

“Oh, you were into it, all right,” Cassie mutters.

“Quiet, ladies,” Wesley scolds us, irritation in his voice. “Close your eyes and focus. Concentrate.”

Looking at Wesley, I can see he’s trying to do something genuine here. Sucking in a deep breath, I close my eyes and try my hardest to concentrate. I listen as Wesley has us focus inward, trying to shut off our minds. It’s hard, though, and Cassie grumbles. “It’s like a convention going on in my head.”

“Then like a convention hall, try to focus on one voice,” Wesley says quietly. “I want you all to focus on your dreams, your future. Build in your mind that one image, the thing you want most in your future.”

I take a deep breath, breathing along with Wesley as I try to focus. But still . . . “It’s all so staticky.”

“That’s because you’re trying to force it,” Wesley says. “Don’t think. Feel. Let it go, let it flow over you.”

I try again, and as the minutes pass, I’m aware of a growing presence next to me. Tony. In my mind, I don’t see myself winning the competition. I don’t see myself living in a penthouse or driving a fancy car. Or with millions of dollars. I see . . . Tony. I see him, a few laugh lines in his face, a little bit of softness to his chiseled abs, but a look in his eyes that still burns with more warmth and love than I’ve ever seen in my entire life. “Oh, my God.”

“That’s good,” Wesley says, clapping his hands lightly. “Now, I won’t ask you to reveal what you saw in your mind. Just reflect, and I’ll see you in a few hours. I hope you feel more refreshed. This evening will be more recovery for you.”

He gets up quietly and leaves, the four of us following behind him. I don’t say anything, forcing myself to look down and not face the question that’s tearing through my brain. How am I supposed to win this competition when I’m starting to have feelings for my opponent?