Page 5 of Lust & Lollipops

She finally looked around, then took one step closer to me.

Her voice dropped, so I leaned in closer. “You didn’t hear this from me, but the Society is starting another game show. Some of the fae aren’t interested in Bachelorette.”

My eyes widened. “And they’re starting this with me?”

She jerked her head in a nod. “I don’t know what it’s called or what the premise is. I assume it’s another mating thing. All they told us is that you need to be ready for the beach, and we won’t be there to fix you up.”

“The beach?” My voice was tight.

A little frantic.

I hadn’t been to a beach since I was ten or eleven. Before the war. Before I lost my parents. Before the fae.

What was I going to do on a beach? And what were we doing that would require being away from humans who could be the beauty crew? The Bachelorette girls were always caked in makeup.

Since the fae had already brought back one reality game show revolving around romance, I tried to rake my mind for the names and concepts of others.

But I couldn’t come up with one.

And the woman had told me what I needed to know, so I couldn’t delay any longer.

I stripped my shoes, favorite sweater, and leggings off and pulled the bikini on. I double-knotted the stupid little string between my tits for security’s sake. I didn’t have huge boobs, but those suckers weren’t small either. And I definitely didn’t want the top coming undone.

The strings on both sides of the bottoms got the same treatment. I was still trying to button the tight shorts when the woman tugged me out from behind the screen and dragged my stumbling ass toward a door that led outside.

“I don’t have shoes,” I protested, giving up on the button and holding the shorts up myself as I struggled to keep up with her.

“You won’t need them.” She stopped me right beside Rhett, who was waiting in front of a small, private plane. “She’s ready,” the woman declared.

Ready?

That was definitely not the word I’d use.

“Let go of her now.” Rhett’s voice was calm, but anyone could hear the undercurrent of threat.

“Of course.” She dropped my arm, dipped her head in a nod that sort of resembled a bow, then hurried back into the tiny airport.

I hastily fastened the button on my shorts. Not that it helped cover me. My entire damn body was on display. And while I was mostly confident, I did have a few insecurities. Who didn’t?

I didn’t particularly want any of them blasted on TV, either.

“Can you tell me what’s going on now?” I asked Rhett, as he gestured for me to enter the plane. “Also, can you make sure the stylists get their bonus?”

“They’d get it even if you were late,” Rhett rumbled. “The Society doesn’t piss humans off when there’s another option.”

I actually believed him about that. Most humans loved the fae, especially because they got to watch them fall in love with humans on global television.

Which was probably the reason for the game show thing.

Inside the plane, I looked around. It was sleek and modern, not entirely comfortable-looking.

Then again, flying on any normal airline wouldn’t have been any more comfortable.

“You didn’t answer my first question,” I reminded him as I took a seat in a fancy leather chair.

He gestured to my seat belt, and I buckled it.

“I’m not allowed to explain until we’re nearly to the island. It’s about nine hours away.”

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