Page 39 of Haunted Spurs

"Our names are on the envelopes," I say, forcing my voice to stay steady.

My statement instantly catches the attention of everyone else, who swarm toward the table.

I glance down at Selene's profile. There's a cold light filtering in through the window, and I notice goosebumps stippling her pale skin.

"Are you cold?" I whisper, my mouth a breath away from her ear, noting the shiver.

"I'm fine," she replies quickly, shifting away by a fraction of an inch. Of course she wouldn't admit a weakness.

"Well, then? Let's see what they say," Levi smiles, curious, grabbing the first wax-sealed envelope.

Everyone steps forward to grab the letter assigned to their pairing. I snag the envelope with Ron & Selene written on it in elaborate, gothic calligraphy, and turn back to her.

"This one's ours," I say, handing it to her with a smile.

"Rein in the excitement, new-cowboy," she murmurs. Her lips are quirked to the side. I know she's smiling. What I can't figure out is why she insists on hiding it from the world, like being happy is some kind of crime.

"I can't help it..." I shoot back, dropping my voice. "It turns me on to have things in common with you."

She shakes her head, exasperated, but this time a low, genuine, crystal-clear laugh actually escapes her lips. I take the win and pocket it.

"Well, mystery solved... the production crew just wanted the weekend off," Levi comments, skimming the page inside his envelope with a chuckle.

We read ours. The letter informs us, in an appropriately enigmatic tone, that the crew will arrive on Monday morning. They brought us to the house three days early to "let us settle in, familiarize ourselves with the space, and spark the first dynamics between the contestants."

A pure social experiment. At the bottom of the page is a floor plan of the house with our room assignments.

"Well, at least they had the courtesy to give us the master bedroom I'd already picked out for myself when I bought the place," I point out, tapping my index finger on the printed map to show her our room on the second floor.

Selene freezes. Her eyes go wide. "Are we supposed to... share a room?"

"Well, darlin'... this house is massive, but it's not a hotel," I joke.

But then, watching her posture go suddenly rigid, I realize it actually makes her really uncomfortable. Dammit, I don't want her to feel cornered. My tone softens instantly.

"Hey..." I call her softly, catching her eye. "I won't bother you, I promise. But if you really can't stand the idea of sharing a room with me, I can always grab a blanket and sleep in the living room. It's not a problem."

"No, you can't," she sighs, shaking the piece of parchment and pointing to a line at the bottom of the letter.

I look down. The clause, printed in ominous bold letters, reads: All contestants, without exception, must strictly sleep inside the bedrooms.

"Alright..." Josh's voice rises above the group's muttering. "How about we go get settled in our rooms, drop our bags, and meet back down here in twenty minutes to... take a look around the house?"

"Yes, captain," Sam replies jokingly.

Lizzie turns to Josh, crosses her arms, and winks. "Does it really take you a full twenty minutes to carry a suitcase upstairs, Roy?" she teases him. But judging by the look she's giving Josh, I'm pretty sure she caught the hidden invitation.

The group starts to scatter, grabbing their duffel bags.

I turn back to Selene. She's frozen. She's biting her lip again. She does that a lot: when she's deep in thought, when she's assessing a situation, when she's embarrassed, and, above all, when she's uncomfortable.

And I can't help but stare at that soft mouth and think about how badly I fucking want her.

Dammit.

I swallow hard, chasing away the images of her naked against me, and plaster my usual idiot smile back on my face.

I lean down to grab the handle of my duffel bag and her rolling suitcase.