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“All right, Miss Belle,” he said easily. “We’re ready to walk the gauntlet you’ve schemed for us. Brylee and me against the world, or at least against this week of challenges.”
Brylee liked his cheek and there was no doubt he was a brave soul who could back up that bravery. She glanced at Mercedes.Could this sweet and welcoming billionaire really have planned a gauntlet of dangerous challenges for them? It seemed out of character, but Brylee didn’t really know the lady. Mercedes had plenty of social and regular media attention, but she’d probably schemed a lot of drama to ensure the show would be a smashing success.
“Ah, you two are seriously my favorite couple ever!” She clapped her hands together. Her long pink nails matched her perfect pink lips. Brylee would think she was a diva, but she’d seen too many kind acts from the lady online and had felt her genuine kindness this past fifteen minutes.
Cash stiffened at that, but thankfully didn’t pull his hand free.
“I’m thrilled you’re hitting it off so well.” Mercedes looked at Shawn. “Aren’t they so cute?”
The man’s eyebrows lifted, but he smiled at Mercedes. A charming smile. Maybe he wasn’t as awful as Brylee thought.
“Forgive me for not introducing everyone.” Mercedes beckoned to Shawn, and he strutted to her side, sliding an arm around her waist. “This is my close friend, head bodyguard, and advisor all rolled into one perfect man.” She sparkled as she talked about the man, and Brylee imagined he must be a good guy and her own initial impression was off. It was likely he’d been scripted to say his mean lines. “Shawn Holister.”
Shawn simply nodded at the two of them and focused back on Mercedes.
“And this is our favorite cameraman, Garrett Brown.”
Garrett waved. “Pleasure,” he said. He was dressed like a backwoods frontiersman. Why did the cameraman look like he was ready to join a Bear Grylls adventure?
Brylee’s stomach tumbled, thinking of the challenges they would face with cameras watching on. She leaned against Cash’s strong shoulder. Despite how impressive and tough Cashseemed, Brylee was only posturing. She was in good physical shape, but she was an inexperienced wimp at adventures. Mercedes ‘gauntlet’ would surely result in Brylee’s death or dismemberment. At the very least, whatever Mercedes—or more likely her show’s creators and producers—was planning would cause Brylee to fail at securing any money for her charity.
Cash squeezed her hand, and an infusion of positivity filled her.Us against the world.With this guy by her side, she had a fighting chance. She straightened and tilted her chin up to Mercedes.
“Of course we will,” she said smoothly. “A tough cowgirl from Texas and a military superhero. What can’t we take on?”
“I am praying you win the million dollars.” Mercedes clasped her hands and brought them to her lips. “But I do hate to tell you that my show’s creators, producers, and crew made certain it wouldn’t be easy. They have tricks up their sleeves they won’t even tell me about. I suppose conflict and challenges make the victory even sweeter. Right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cash answered. Again, he and Mercedes exchanged a look as if they had been through something significant together.
Of course, conflicts and challenges would be no big deal for this tough captain. He’d obviously risen above pain, probably would cut off his own limb to succeed, and had fought to win victory after victory in his career as a special ops captain.
Brylee feared they’d made a glaring mistake picking her as the counterpart for a man as tough and impressive as this one. She loathed being the weak link, but she had no clue what help she could actually be to him.
What had Brylee signed up for?
Chapter
Two
Cash was impressed with,and unusually drawn to, the redhead holding his hand. Still, he was stunned that he’d let down his guard so easily. He’d put his arm around her, initiated hand holding, suggested ‘us against the world.’ He could write it off in his head as playing for the show, which Mercedes had informed him before Brylee arrived Shawn would do. Knowing the man had been instructed to make snarky comments was the only reason he hadn’t pummeled him for his treatment of this innocent beauty.
Brylee … she’d taken him by surprise, and he needed to keep his guard up better. He’d enjoyed the way she had played off of Mercedes’ initial teasing, put Shawn in his place, and kept changing her lingo. Her hilarious voice inflections and her unreal beauty made his partner more than intriguing to him. She was captivating, honestly. A woman who could make a dying man want to live. That was a terrifying thought.
Mercedes had known about his cancer, but there was no way she’d known that he had a secret crush on Natasha from the Avengers. He hadn’t revealed that to Grayson at some point in their ten-year long friendship, had he? He scrambledto remember, but thousands of conversations during life-threatening, observation, or protection ops blended together.
This real-life redhead was even more appealing than Natasha Romanoff. There was an intelligent and feisty glint in Brylee’s blue eyes that assured him she would be brave enough to fight through these challenges. Maybe they’d even have fun in the process.
Too bad a woman as impressive as Brylee had no place in his dismal and short-lived future. After they presented a united front to hear the challenge they were facing, reassured Mercedes that all was well and she and the irritating Shawn could fly away, he’d release Brylee’s hand and keep his distance. At least emotionally. They’d be thrown together physically, but no way could he let himself fall for her. He could be dead before the show aired in six months. It wasn’t fair to lead her on. Even if she looked and acted like his dream woman.
“This island is two miles north to south and five point-four-miles east to west. It is uninhabited, overgrown, andwild.” Mercedes laughed happily, as if the ‘wild’ island was the best news she’d ever had. “My incredible team used helicopters to place flags all over the island, twenty-five in all.” She pointed up at the waterfall where a bright pink and white striped flag waved in the breeze. With the obnoxious color and the pattern, the flags would be easy to spot. “Over four hundred feet up to the first visible flag.”
“Easy.” Cash smiled at Brylee. His smile lines were tracing paths that had been vacant for a while. There hadn’t been much to smile about since his diagnosis. “I could climb up that trickle of water in my sleep.”
Brylee returned his smile as if he’d just rescued her. Her smile was radiant. He could bask in the glow emanating from Brylee Auburn all day long. He hadn’t felt this level of warmth and acceptance since his mom died.
“I’m sure you could, you hunk of a military stud, you,” Mercedes teased, grinning at him as if they shared a secret. They did, but from the way Shawn glowered and Brylee tensed next to him, he didn’t know that acting so chummy was a good idea. He couldn’t care less what Shawn thought and shouldn’t care what Brylee thought either. He’d barely met her, and getting invested in a sweetheart of a lady at this point would be idiotic for both of them.
“The flags mark the spot where the million dollars might be hidden. Maybe it’s at the top of the waterfall since it’s an extremely hard location to reach.” She shrugged and giggled. “Maybe not. Maybe it’s buried. Maybe it’s hanging in a tree. Such a fun game.”
