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But he’d simply said, “Goodnight. I hope you sleep well,” then disappeared out my door, leaving me even more confused than ever.
He expected me to sleep after that? I’d tossed and turned all night, trying to banish the tender moment from my mind. But here I was, the next morning, still replaying it over and over again.
I’d skipped the usual Saturday morning brunch with the family and inner circle, not sure I could handle being around Garrett just yet. It should never have happened, that much was clear. He should be off kissing any of the twelve remaining contestants, not me.
The idea of him kissing anyone else, though, caused a powerful wave of jealousy to surge, making me question my sanity. If I hadn’t fantasized about this hundreds of times, maybe I could forget it more easily. Then again, maybe not. He was a hell of a kisser, and I badly wanted to do it again.
No! You can’t!I had to stop thinking this way. Things had been going so well. He’d been so good all week, behaving like the perfect gentleman with all the women, giving them the attention they expected during meals, putting on the perfect show, even if I’d sensed his heart wasn’t in it.
The group date had gone so well, too. Even though I’d put on a show of going over plans with my assistant, most of my attention was on Garrett’s interactions with the ladies. He’d conversed with each of them and given them his undivided attention.
I’d finally started to feel like I might pull this Contention off after all. All my hard work and plans were paying off, and I’d thought perhaps Garrett was finally on board.
Then he’d gone and kissed me again—right after visiting Elizabeth. I didn’t know what to make of it. Where was his head? What was he thinking?
Dozens of thoughts swirled through my mind, distracting me from the work I should have been doing. Was he interested in me? I really had no idea what was going on with him. Then there was the matter of him going rogue with his dismissals, which were supposed to go through me. Yet another thing I needed to address, but things were already getting crazy with the Contention.
Normally, I would have gone straight to Kayden, had a girls’ night with ice cream and movies, and poured my heart out to her, hoping for some advice. But I couldn’t do that this time. Not only was the man in question her husband’s best friend, but he was supposed to be finding another girl to marry. Engaging in this kind of behavior could very well cost me my position on the council.
I shook my head. No. I couldn’t go to my best friend, so I’d just have to put it out of my mind and move forward. Try to forget how Garrett’s kiss had stirred up emotions and sensations that I’d never felt before.
“Ugh!” I cried out in frustration, pushing away from my desk and spinning in my chair so I didn’t have to see the white roses that still taunted me daily. I needed a distraction.
Grabbing my phone, I called Willow. We’d both been busy the past couple of days, and I wanted to check in with her on what she thought about the competition I’d organized for Monday.
“Hi, Willow!” I pitched my voice high, hoping to sound bright and cheerful, but it must have come off more panicked because Willow seemed to go on high alert.
“Jessica? What’s wrong? Was there another challenge?”
“What? No. Everything’s fine.” I cleared my throat, my voice still a little too shrill.
“Are you sure?” I could practically see the expression on her face—narrowed eyes, cocked head, and pursed lips. I was certain she would have had her hands on her hips if she had been standing in front of me.
I took a deep breath, willing my heart to slow down. Maybe I should have gotten myself under control before calling. “I guess I’m just still a little on edge from what happened last night with the challenge. It…”Think, think!“… It brought up some tough memories from my own experiences last year.”
Willow clicked her tongue, and her voice was much gentler when she said, “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry to hear that. I didn’t even consider that might be a concern for you while running this Contention.”
Damn it. Now I’d gone and made myself look unprofessional. Or worse—incapable of handling the things that were part and parcel of our world. I forced a light laugh. “Oh, I’ll be fine. Not to worry. I can handle it.”
“Hmm.” She didn’t sound convinced. “Do you need me to take on more of your duties? I can step up and do more for you. It’s no problem at all. In fact, if I’m being perfectly honest, I kind of miss some of the more challenging parts of running such a massive event—”
“No!” Now I just sounded frantic.Pull yourself together, woman. “What I mean is, I totally have it under control. I’m fine. I’ve already worked through everything. It’s not a problem. Besides, I’m really enjoying planning all the events. The hard work has been good for me.”
The next second, my phone was beeping. I looked at it and barely stifled a groan. Willow wanted to switch to a video call. I tapped a button then Willow’s worried face filled my screen.
Smiling brightly, I said, “Hi there! See? I’m perfectly fine.”
As I’d imagined, Willow cocked her head, her long red hair swinging to the side. She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not convinced.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “I promise you, I might have been a little uneasy seeing the first challenge unfold like I did, but I’m over it. I’m fine.”
“We’ll see about that,” she murmured, pulling the phone away so that the camera no longer showed her face.
I drew my eyebrows together, about to ask what she meant by that. When the phone beeped again, Kayden’s name flashed on the screen. Great, Willow was adding her to the video call.
Kayden answered on the third ring, her spa-like bathroom coming into view. Her hair was up in a towel, and from what I could see, it looked like she was resting in the bathtub.
“What’s going on?” She sat up, the sound of water splashing in the background. “Why weren’t you at brunch this morning?”
