A hot rush of emotion burned my face and slid down my cheeks.

  “Rhett, please. I don’t understand.”

  As I sank to my knees, she went down with me, her hands on my face. “Tell me,” she pleaded.

  As if it had been a blazing fire doused with water, the anger extinguished, leaving only a smoking, ugly mess.

  “How much did they pay you?” I asked, my voice broken.

  She shook her head. “Who? Pay me for what?”

  “Your exclusive Rhett Hamilton is a monster tell-all. You sure did it well, setting me up like that, making me care for you.”

  She was still shaking her head, and her hands dropped into her lap, her fingers twisting together. “I don’t understand.”

  I laughed a bitter sound. “What? Did you not expect them to run the story so soon? Did you think you’d just let me pick you tonight, then you’d win the hundred grand first? A little cash on top of more cash?”

  The fear left her eyes, replaced by anger. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Rhett.”

  Tired now, I pushed myself up to my feet. “Read the papers.” As I walked away, I tossed over my shoulder, “Bet this would make a great movie, but you’ve probably already thought of that too.”

  ***

  An hour later, I was half drunk and getting to full-on drunk quickly. Richard Collins was screaming at me, but I didn’t care.

  He was threatening lawsuits if I didn’t finish the show. So what? I could pay any amount he threw out at me. I told him I’d buy the spots and have the station play Beasts reruns. It didn’t matter.

  A stream of people had already come and gone from my office, including Dillon and his busted lip. I’d apologized, and he’d just waved it off with a, “I’d probably’ve done the same thing.”

  The more the CEO of Infinity Productions yelled, the more I wanted to drink. I’d made the mistake of looking online at what was trending, and yes, my name graced the number one spot.

  Within the hour, six more women had “come forward” to accuse me of rape. Dillon was scrambling to get the consent forms from the club, but I knew that wouldn’t do any good.

  People wouldn’t read the retraction. From this moment forward, I’d be compared to my father. I’d be the son who was so terrible, his mother would rather face death than be or even look at him again.

  A soft knock sounded on the door, and Nana Steele poked her head in even before I had the chance to tell her to go away. She glared at Richard Collins, who quickly shut his mouth.

  “Emery’s packing,” she said softly.

  “Good. That’s safest.”

  “Bullshit,” she spat, and I had a wild urge to smack her hand. “You know that girl didn’t say those things about you. Deep in your soul, you know that.”

  “I thought I knew that, but she’s the only one who could have done so. She’s the only person I’ve told those details about my life.”

  Nana’s face softened. “She has a journal, Rhett. A diary that she wrote everything down in. It’s the only explanation. She might have made a mistake by writing it down where people could snoop and steal it, but I don’t believe she meant you any harm.”

  My phone dinged, and I looked at the screen. Another Google alert indicating I’d made yet another headline.

  I looked into Nana’s wise eyes. “What do I do?”

  Richard bulldozed in. “Finish the show. Eliminate her if you don’t believe her. Keep her if you do. Then do a press conference and tell your story.”

  Nana was nodding. “You should do the press conference right away. With something like this, the longer you delay, the guiltier you appear.”

  My gut tightened. “What do I say?”

  She smiled at me. “Rhett, dear. You do just like our sweet Emery did in that graveyard. You tell your story from your heart. And don’t you pay those little soul-sucking, lying, manipulative, scheming, gold-digging opportunists one red cent.” She paused to catch her breath. “And you should finish this contest up. You gave them your word, and a person’s word is their bond.”

  I wasn’t actually worried about the women and their lawsuits outside of the bad publicity. Every Sub I’d been with signed a consensual agreement before stepping into a room with me. Hell, I hadn’t slept with a woman in years who hadn’t done so.

  Except Emery.

  I poured myself another drink.

  The thought of facing Emery made me sick.

  What if I had been wrong, and I’d spoken to her so terribly?

  What if I had been right, and she was playing me?

  This was why I liked being secluded in my workshop. This was why casual hookups in the club fit me best.

  This was why it was better to be alone.

  I looked at Richard. “Let’s finish this.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  Emery

  There was a soft knock on my door and Juliette came in without waiting for a reply. She sighed when she saw me sitting in the window seat, my chin on my knees.

  “It’s time.”

  Time meant that I should now walk downstairs and face the judgment of Rhett Hamilton again. But it was best this way, I supposed. Just rip the Band-Aid off the wound and fulfill my contractual arrangements at the same time.

  Then go home and suck my thumb for the next ten years or so.

  I’d been stunned when I was told the show would go on. Then again, bad publicity was good publicity in the entertainment world. The people at Infinity Productions were probably rubbing their hands together in glee, thrilled about all that had happened, knowing the rubberneckers of life would tune in.

  I groaned. How could I have been so stupid?

  I was so stupid to write so much down in my journal. Stupid and naïve to not hide it behind lock and key. It had to have been Gabrielle. I had no proof, but I’d put money on it.

  Her mysterious “you chose poorly” now resembled the threat it most likely was. Her continuous insistence that she was afraid of nothing could have been her way of letting Rhett know she didn’t fear him. And when he rejected her… the rest was history.

  Not that it mattered now.

  My carelessness had hurt Rhett terribly, in a way I could never undo. I could only pray he’d recover from all of this someday soon and move on with his life. Move on from me and the damage I caused.

  “Emery?”

  Straightening, I stood and smiled at Juliette. “I’m ready.”

  She pulled something out of her pocket. It was an envelope, and she placed it on my bed. “That is the address to my apartment, along with a key and the code to get in the main door. I won’t be able to leave here for another few days. It’s all hands on deck to get the mansion back like it originally was. But you can go to my place.”

  The weight on my heart lifted a little. There were good things to come from all this. A really good friend. “Thank you so much. I’m grateful.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Stop being a dork. You know I loved being your roomie. We’ll just make it a permanent arrangement once all this mess is behind us.”

  “What about Dillon?”

  She cocked her head to the side. “What about him?”

  I shrugged. “Won’t it be awkward for me to see him when the two of you are together?”

  She sighed. “You’re being a dork again. Sure, it might be awkward at first. It’s called getting over it. If you avoid everything that’s uncomfortable, you’ll end up avoiding most everything for the rest of your life.”

  “Wow. You sound like Nana Steele.”

  She beamed. “I just love her. She’s the one who said I should talk to Dillon in the first place. She said it would make her final days happy to know that a nice girl like me was with someone I liked.”

  “Final days?”

  Juliette’s face grew sad. “Yeah, apparently, she doesn’t have long to live.”

  That bit of news was devastating, distracting me from the heartbreak of losing Rhett. “I didn’t know.”

  “She probably doesn’t want people feeling sorry for her, so you probably shouldn’t say anything.”

  I nodded. “I won’t. I just hope I get a chance to say goodbye to her before I leave.”

  “Are you absolutely sure you can’t work things out with Rhett? Have you even talked to him since the big explosion?”

  I closed my eyes against the memory of the fury — worse, the betrayal — on his face, the way he’d shaken me until my teeth clicked together. How could he have believed I’d do something like that? Did he really think so little of me?

  Granted, I’d been foolish, but I hadn’t intentionally tried to cause him harm.

  Picking up the traitorous journal, I flipped to the pages I’d so carelessly written. I could remember writing them. I’d essentially recreated the scene where he’d confessed about his father and why he’d changed his name, with dialogue tags and everything. I’d written it that way so I’d never forget the moment when my heart melted for him.

  I tossed the journal back on the bed and stepped over to the mirror to make sure everything was in place.

  “You look really beautiful.”

  I looked down at the champagne silk dress I was wearing. I felt beautiful in the one-shoulder creation that floated to just above the floor. My hair was left loose, and my only jewelry was the infinity bracelet Rhett had chosen for me.

  I wouldn’t forget that moment either.

  Hooking my arm through Juliette’s, I steeled myself. “Let’s do this.”

  ***

  “Action!”

  Phil Harris smiled brightly, but to me, it seemed more forced than usual. The tension around the entire set was incredible, and I was glad this would all be over soon.

  Standing next to me in an exquisite shimmering pink chiffon, Amy tapped my hand with hers. I smiled as we clasped hands and took a measure of comfort from the gesture. She smiled back, but the effort looked forced, and that’s when I noticed how red her eyes were, the faint circles underneath.

  “In only eight days, we threw ten people together, tossing them into a glasshouse that was also a pressure cooker. In those eight days, we threw challenges at them almost daily. It’s amazing we still have even two women standing. But we do. Two strong, beautiful women who are both an enormous blessing to our world.”

  He waved a hand, and Rhett stepped on set, looking heartbreakingly handsome in a black suit.

  “In the middle of it all is Rhett Hamilton, The Biggest Catch’s first bachelor ever. Most people would think having nine gorgeous women fighting for your time is an enviable position to be in. What would you say to that, Rhett?”

  He chuckled, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I would say that it definitely has its blessings and its curses.”

  Amy squeezed my hand, and I squeezed hers back.

  Rhett still hadn’t looked at me. To be fair, he hadn’t glanced at Amy either. He either looked at Phil, his feet, or the sky.

  “Blessing and curse indeed. And tonight, right now, is yet another example of the contradiction because in a few moments, you will be cursed with letting one of these lovely ladies go, and blessed by having the other at your side while you fly off to a fabulous two-week vacation in romantic Fiji.”

  My heart was hammering so hard I expected it to explode at any second.

  Phil turned to us. “Ladies, the time is close for Rhett to make his decision, but first, we want to give you a few minutes to share with Rhett what it has meant to you to be on the show and have the opportunity to know him.”

  I honest to god thought I was going to pass out. Amy stepped closer to me, and I leaned on her, grateful for the support.

  “Amy Jenkins, let’s start with you. Will you share your thoughts with Rhett?”

  With a last squeeze, Amy let me go, and I fought to stay on my feet as she walked up to Rhett and placed her hands in his.

  “This has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It’s been crazy and serious, fun and horrible. I’ve experienced a million emotions while living under your roof, and I’m grateful for all of them.”

  I could only see the back of her head, and only part of Rhett’s face as he looked down at her, but I could tell he was smiling. Another blessing and curse.

  “Right now, I want to beg you to choose me and whisk me off to some tropical island so I can escape from the pressures of my world for a couple weeks… but that would be wrong.”

  It seemed like every person on set stopped breathing, me included. Rhett’s smile faded away.

  “It would be wrong because I’d be the wrong woman with you. It would be a mistake because I’d be going for the wrong reason. In the few days I’ve known you, I’ve learned you deserve better than that. You are a good man, Rhett Hamilton. One of the most honorable people I’ve ever known. And I’m happy to call you my friend. And I’m happy to release you so you can be with the woman you were destined to be with. And I release you for others reasons I don’t think I can speak of right now.”

  Amy lifted up on tiptoes and kissed Rhett’s cheek. His arms wrapped around her, holding her tighter. They stayed that way for a long moment as I stood motionless, emotionless, frozen in place.

  When they separated, Rhett cleared his throat. “During the course of my life, I’ve wished for many things. I’ve wished for a mother who could see me for me instead of the monster who hurt her. I’ve wished for a father who would toss a ball with me. One other thing I’ve always wished for is a sister. In you, Amy, I think I’ve found a sister.”

  Amy’s shoulders began to shake, and a sob escaped her lips. Rhett’s eyes widened, and he reached out to hold her up when it seemed she would sink to the ground.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She only cried harder, the wracking sobs like knives through my heart. It was long minutes before she stopped and had regained enough composure that she could speak again.

  “Remember when you came to my house and asked me about my father?”

  Rhett nodded, his face serious.

  “I told you that he wasn’t someone we ever talked about. It was because I was the result of my mother being raped, Rhett.”

  I felt lightheaded and swayed on my feet. Nana Steele came up beside me, giving me her strength. Juliette came up on my other side, tears streaming down both of their faces.

  I watched Rhett’s face, the growing horror of knowing what was coming.

  “When the news broke about your father and his picture was in the papers, my mother called me. She thinks he’s the man who raped her. She thinks he may be my father. We don’t know for sure, but I could be your sister. It’s funny. I’ve always wished for a brother too.”

  As I stood there, so very blessed to bear witness to this beautiful experience, I couldn’t help but wonder at how the universe worked. It took and gave in a rhythm we mere mortals were unable to comprehend.

  All we could do was hold on tightly and love as hard as we could.

  And when Rhett looked at me over Amy’s head and our eyes met, I knew I had to hold on. Had to never let go. No matter how afraid or uncertain, I’d never let go.

  When he reached out his hand to me, I didn’t hesitate. I went to him and wept as he folded me in his arms. And the three of us clung to each other as the cameras rolled.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  Rhett

  “Congratulations, Rhett. Way to start off a new season.”

  I shook the mayor’s hand. “Hoping to do New York proud again this year.”

  A huge cheer rocked one corner of the room, and of course, it was my Beasts making all the commotion. I excused myself from the good wishers and headed over to my team.

  The cool, early April breeze felt good in the stuffy room as I walked past the open balcony doors of my penthouse. A glass of Patrón was forced into my hand, and I happily accepted it.

  I held it up, and everyone followed, Ace with his ginger ale, a nearly exploding Holly at his side. She looked like she would give birth at any second. “To an awesome season opener, guys. May we have 161 more.”

  Clinks and cheers rose up, and chants of “World Series” began. That was something else I could drink to. I was actually feeling hopeful. Who said we couldn’t win two in a row?

  Crazier things had happened.

  Like, I was coerced onto a reality show and ended up finding the woman of my dreams. My greatest fear had been exposed, and after the initial shock and surprise, I’d survived it. All the lawsuits had been dropped when I was able to prove my innocence by not only the contracts but by the cameras that had captured the women going in, but more importantly coming out of the playrooms with me. They had all been smiling. Not one of them appeared to have been assaulted or upset in any way.

  Although I knew some people would assume I’d paid them off, I knew the truth, and the people closest to me knew the truth also. That was really all that mattered.

  The only lingering residue that wanted to continue to stick to me was the letters my father started sending when he learned I was his son. He wanted money, of course. Or a new attorney. Or a carton of cigarettes.

  Fuck him.

  I hadn’t replied. Not once.

  “Inviting the veterans to opening night was a great idea,” Katrina said, yelling to make herself heard over the noise. I looked around the large room and smiled at the assembly of uniforms.

  “Yeah. It seemed fitting since I was presenting The Biggest Catch donations before the game.”

  She beamed. “It was a nice touch. I’m glad you split the money between Ace’s and Eliana’s charities. You made everyone happy.”

  “It was the right thing to do.”

  “You’re a good man, Rhett Hamilton.”

  I wished people would stop saying that. It made me feel like Charlie Brown.

  A hand snaked around my waist. “He certainly is.”

  Pulling Emery against my side, I leaned down to press my lips to hers. The last four months had been the sweetest months I’d ever known.

  From the night of that last elimination, she’d barely left my side. Our two weeks in Fiji had only deepened what we’d already known was between us as we hiked and snorkeled or simply lazed around on the beach or made love all night long.