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Four
Bee tried to focus and listen as Shawn talked about her charity’s focus of providing soil-specific seeds and plants to African countries, teaching them how to plant, cultivate, and harvest, and helping dig wells or ditches to get the water to the crops.
The guy was much too stiff and not very entertaining. She should only care about winning the million dollars and keeping her heart safe from Jag, but she tried to insert funny quips and make the intro for her show a little more fun. Jagger chuckled a couple times and gave her a few appreciative looks. She didn’t know how to ignore him or pretend they didn’t know each other.
Shawn introduced each of the men—retired Air Force Reconnaissance Lieutenant Paul Braven, Navy SEAL Lieutenant Hays West, and Navy SEAL Captain Jagger Lemuel. He bragged each of them up, ‘glazing’ her teenage volunteers would say. Jagger looked very smug when their gazes met, as if she’d doubted he’d reach his dreams. She’d never doubted he would follow through with everything he promised her. Until he had disappeared.
Two things really stood out to her. He was a captain and a Navy SEAL. She’d heard both were very hard to achieve. Shawn also hadn’t said ‘retired’ in front of Hays or Jagger’s titles. So Jagger was still in the military. She wished she knew everything he’d seen and experienced during the past fourteen years. Had he fallen in love again? Had he married? She glanced quickly at his ring finger and caught a full breath when she saw it was empty. But did that mean anything? A lot of the ranchers or horse trainers she knew didn’t wear a wedding ring so it wouldn’t catch on anything and cause an accident. She could imagine women the world over would jockey and fight for Jagger’s attention. Did he give it to them? Make them feel loved and happy, then ditch them? She might still be enthralled with Jagger Lemuel, but she’d never trust him again.
“This week will be a game of high-stakes laser tag,” Shawn pronounced.
Bee paid attention.
He held up a round circle. “The shirts waiting for Miss Ralphs to wear each day have these targets sewn into the front and back.”
“Yikes. So I’m the target?”
Shawn nodded. Jagger’s gaze turned fiery for just a moment, then he looked away. Did he want to chase her?
“You and Lieutenant Braven will leave the house each morning at eight a.m. Jagger and Hays cannot leave until nine.” He gave a rare smile as Jagger and Hays groaned. “You’ve been to the house. There’s a nice home gym and an ocean to swim in. You’ll be fine.”
“Navy SEALs can’t stand to wait?” Bee teased.
Jagger snorted and Hays smiled.
“I would bet you know how impatient Jagger is,” Hays said.
She did. She really did. And most of the time, she loved it. Jagger gave her that look. The one where he bent forward slightly and looked at her from under his eyelashes. Anybody in the world might be shocked, thinking this incredibly tough man appeared shy or humble, but Jagger would never be shy or humble, and nobody but her was the focus of the look in those eyes—a smoldering heat for her and her alone.
Catching a breath was difficult. Responding was nigh impossible. But she’d insisted they pretend not to know each other.
“I … I’m sure I have no idea,” she said, arching an eyebrow and praying she looked impertinent.
Hays looked at his friend. Jagger straightened. His eyes veiled, and he shook his head slightly at his friend. She felt the loss of that look all the way through her body—like being lit up like a Christmas tree, then unplugged and drained completely. All her needles sagged, and her ornaments fell off and shattered on the hardwood floor.
She also realized she, Shawn, and Jagger hadn’t taken the time to tell Paul and Hays that she and Jagger didn’t know each other. They’d probably figured out something was off by now.
A large jet buzzed overhead. Shawn waited patiently for it to land on the runway and the noise to subside before continuing. Belinda chafed, wanting to get this over with.
“Belinda and Paul, your job is to run, escape, hide, whatever you can do to avoid getting shot. You can ditch your Jeep and get in an Uber, you can grab canoes, kayaks, bikes, hike, swim up a river. You have to keep moving and you can only stay in an Uber or your Jeep to reach a destination. You can’t have a driver circle the island all day.” He smiled briefly. “Jagger and Hays have until six p.m. to tag you for the day. If they tag you before that, the game is over for that day.”
“Sweet,” Jagger said. “We’ll tag you right after nine a.m. and we can all enjoy a day of exploring Kauai together.” He gave her a significant look.
Bee’s pulse predictably took off. She’d been trying to think how she could be around him from six p.m. until bedtime. If he had an entire day … she’d be sunk, give into all her longings for him, and then he’d ditch her again.
“Good luck,” Paul said drily.
“We won’t need it,” Hays shot back.
“Oh, boy. Surrounded by alpha males and their egos,” Bee joined in.
They all smiled at that. Jagger cracked his knuckles, a huge grin on his handsome face. Cracking his knuckles. Man, that threw her back. She used to grab his hands when he cracked his knuckles to get him to stop. He would tease her that he’d stop so she could hold his hand. She missed him teasing her. She missed holding his hands.
“Okay, what else…” Shawn pursed his lips. “You can’t leave the island, so no hiding in the ocean, on a boat, or helicopter.”
Bee and Paul both nodded.
“How big is the island?” Paul asked.
