I think I was getting on Dai’s nerves, but I was doing my best. She could move with stealthy silence, as though she was floating over all the obstacles in her path despite our rapid pace. Whereas I seemed to find every single one of them and crashed through the jungle with enough noise to attract every hunter in our vicinity. I was frankly amazed she hadn’t ditched me yet, though I appreciated her allowing me to keep tagging along despite slowing her down.

She paused for a moment, leaning against a tree to open her backpack. I took advantage of the moment to collapse onto a log nearby. It felt spongy and weak under my butt, but it didn’t crack with me.

My hands were shaking as I opened the backpack, and that was pure exertion. I was already worn out, though we’d only been at this a little more than an hour. I had no clue how I was going to make it through the whole weekend if I somehow managed to avoid one of the hunters. If I didn’t, there was little doubt how I’d make it through, though I hoped the one who caught me was on the gentle side.

Immediately, I thought of the man I’d seen last night. He’d been an arrogant asshole, and his offer of a million dollars had been insulting. It was only later, when I was back in the basic quarters assigned to the contestants, that I realized I’d probably acted too hastily. I could’ve gotten a million dollars from him by selling my body for one night. It wasn’t that much different from what I was doing as a contestant, but it felt far different inside. At least as a competitor, there was a chance I could escape untouched. If I’d gone to his room, I would’ve certainly felt like a prostitute.

I doubted it would have been any hardship to have sex with him though, and that was being brutally honest myself. I could have had a night of what would probably be amazing sex, and the million dollars, if I hadn’t reacted so negatively to the proposition. By the time I was second-guessing myself, it was too late, and I was wasting precious time I could spend slumbering. I’d allowed myself to sleep shortly thereafter, but now I wondered if I ran into him again, should I accept his offer?

I shook my head as I capped the bottle of water and put it back in my bag, noticing Dai was shifting restlessly and clearly ready to hit the trail again. He’d have no reason to repeat that offer, because he would catch me. I didn’t doubt he could subdue me if he put his mind to it, and if he did, he wasn’t going to offer another million for something he’d ready paid half a million for the right to claim—the right I had given him by signing the contract and agreeing to play this game.

It was a missed opportunity, and that was probably for the best for my sense of self-worth, but the logical side of me was still annoyed that I passed it up. It would have been far easier than running through the jungle and trying to evade eighteen men who wanted to do things to me that I might or might not enjoy.

I shrugged it off as Dai and I started running again, but skidded to a halt when a dark-haired man broke through the line of trees and crossed in front of us. At first glance, I thought he was the one I’d met last night, but when he got closer, I realized his hair was too light to be the right one, and he was smidge shorter too. Otherwise, there was a startling similarity, and I didn’t doubt he was related to the man who’d propositioned me the night before.

Dai lifted her branch, and I firmed my shoulders as I stood beside her, though the timid mouse inside wanted to cower behind her instead.

Surprisingly, he didn’t advance. He just waved at both of us and tipped his head in either a mockery of a respectable fashion, or as a genuine sign of respect. “Don’t worry, ladies. You aren’t who I’m looking for. Have you seen the short blonde anywhere?”

Dai didn’t lower her branch.

He licked his lips and eyed Dai uneasily. “Seriously, it’s not a trick. You’re both quite beautiful, but you’re not the one I want to catch. I think her name is Kelly?”

I shrugged, and Dai still held her weapon aloft.

She took a step forward threateningly. “I wouldn’t help you find her if I knew where she was. You can just fuck off.”

I wanted to echo her sentiment, but before I could, a hand clamped over my mouth, and an arm around my waist, dragging me backward.

We disappeared through the foliage, and he continued half-carrying, half-dragging me for at least five minutes. I struggled the whole way, but had the strangest sense that I was safe even under the circumstances. I wasn’t really afraid when he finally let go of me, pushing me against a tree as he turned me to face him.

“You,” I said in an accusing fashion, a hint of the anger I felt last night lingering.

“Me,” he said with a crooked grin. “Spencer.”

He was the one who’d promised to catch me, and now that he had me, I was having a tough time finding the downside. His hold on me was firm, keeping me pinned to the tree, but he wasn’t hurting me. I was frozen again, staring helplessly up at him as his head descended. I made no move to turn my head or avoid the kiss when his lips settled on mine a second later.

The kiss put a burst of color into my life. It was like I’d been living in dreary gray before, and could now see all the vibrant colors. There was no better way to describe it as my head spun, my heart raced, and my body flooded with desire while he kissed me with firm intensity. He seemed to be setting out to brand me, and his hard kiss allowed no quarter or escape.

I wasn’t really looking for one though. Instead, I sank against him, allowing the sensations coursing through me to sweep me away. I silenced all the annoying voices in my head, and the one clamoring at the back of my mind trying to tell me something I didn’t want to hear.

Instead, I wrapped my arms around him and threaded my fingers through his hair in an attempt to anchor him against me. He was at least a foot taller than me, so to accommodate the difference in our height, he cupped my buttocks in his hands and lifted me higher, supporting me between the tree and himself. It felt natural to wind my thighs around his waist, and I surrendered to his embrace.

At some point, his mouth drifted from my lips to my neck, and I clutched his shoulders. I’d released my death grip on his hair and just held onto him now, enjoying the solid weight of him pressing me against the tree. The bark was a little uncomfortable through my T-shirt, not terribly so.

One of his hands moved to my breast, cupping and squeezing lightly while his fingers teased my taut nipple. I threw back my head and moaned, blown away by the sensation. It wasn’t the first time a guy felt me up, but it was the first time it ever felt like this—like something I actually enjoyed and wanted more of, rather than something to surrender to in order to please a grabby-handed boyfriend.

His lips tickled my ear as he started whispering against it. “You have no idea how hot it makes to know no one else has ever had you. I’m going to be your first, which soothes the caveman inside me.”

“I’m thrilled for you,” I said in a snarky tone even as I clenched my thighs tighter around him.

“I see the appeal of that side this weekend.” He slid his lips down the column of my throat to nip at the bend of my neck where it met the shoulder before speaking again, this time just a touch louder. “I definitely see the appeal of just taking what I want.”

He was probably whispering so the cameras couldn’t pick up every word, but I thought that was too optimistic of him. They had cameras everywhere and probably a sophisticated sound system that could detect a mouse scurrying a thousand yards away.

I tried to turn my head to look at him, couldn’t quite manage it with the way he held me held against the tree while his mouth played with my collarbone. “What is it that you want exactly, Spencer?”

“Everything you have to give me.” With those words, his hand moved from my breast to my hip, and the other one went lower, moving to the front of my jeans. He cupped my mound, and I pressed against him though I knew I shouldn’t encourage him. “I want this.”

“You haven’t claimed it yet,” I said in a taunting fashion. It was almost like I was challenging him to officially stake his claim. The only way to do that was if he could subdue me long enough to get me to a cottage.

“I think I’d like a taste beforehand.”

My heart skipped a beat at the words, and then it started racing even faster when he unsnapped my jeans and pulled down the zipper to slip his fingers inside. He petted my folds through the cotton underwear for a moment before slipping one finger and then another inside, wiggling his digits under the elastic to finesse his way into the hot skin beneath it.

I was wet and ready for him and couldn’t hold back a small moan when his fingers glided up the length of my slit to circle around my clit. I was trembling against him, and my cream had to be saturating his fingers as he lightly stroked me. I shouldn’t be enjoying it, but I definitely was. I wanted more than anything for him to dispense with teasing touches and just take me.

His fingers gradually increased the intensity, at first alternating between my opening and clit as he slid up and down me in a teasing fashion before finally focusing on the little bundle of nerves that made my thighs clench every time he touched it. He stroked me there, and my orgasm was building. I wanted to come, and even more than that, I wanted him inside me.

It was the realization that I was about to surrender to him, thus losing all chance at the million dollars, that made me stiffen as much as the orgasm. While the waves of pleasure were still rolling over me, my mind was suddenly working again. I knew I couldn’t surrender to him without continuing to fight. He was the only one I wanted to claim me, but it would be better if I could avoid all of them. I certainly shouldn’t surrender to him just yet.

With that in mind, seeing his heavy-lidded look as he withdrew his fingers from my pulsing pussy to bring to his mouth to the clean, I made myself move despite the difficulty of fighting the languorous effect that seemed to weigh down my limbs. I scooted away from him as I brought up my knee and thrust it firmly into his groin.

With a shocked look and a sound a bit like a deflating balloon, he reeled back and collapsed his knees, cradling his balls as he stared up at me in shock.

I was kind of shocked myself, but didn’t freeze that time. I just grabbed the bag that had fallen off at some point, slung the backpack over one shoulder, and started running as I held my pants together. I didn’t stop to zip or snap them for at least five minutes as I ran blindly once more.