Page 4 of Heat & Hard Candies

After the challenge was over, Jordan gave his shpeal about the island.

Then, I handed my bags to one of the other guys before following Jordan and Launa to the boat that would be taking us out for snorkeling and food.

I didn’t let myself check the lady out again as we went.

There was still no point in getting attached. Or interested.

Even if she was hot as fuck.

I’d stuffed myself with food before we got on the plane two hours earlier, but my body was still trying to recover from five months of hell. So, I was still hungry.

After the speedboat reached the larger sailboat we’d be taking, I loaded my plate with burgers haphazardly. Launa followed behind me, eyeing everything but not taking a plate of her own.

“You need to eat while you can,” I told her, grabbing a second plate and loading it up slightly more carefully than I did mine. “Even if you’re not hungry, or you’re seasick. You’ll need the calories later.”

“I’m allergic to dairy,” she admitted. “And gluten. And peanuts, though that doesn’t seem relevant right now.”

I paused. “Why the fuck did they choose burgers, then?”

“I don’t know.”

“Here.” I handed her both of the plates I’d made. “Sit down. These are for me. I’ll fix it.”

She bit her lip and nodded, her eyes bright with… something.

Something I wasn’t going to let myself look into.

She was probably trying to decide how to tell me she was in love with Kaden and needed my help to woo him.

I scraped a thick layer of cheese off a hamburger patty. “How allergic are you to dairy?”

“Not deathly.”

“Alright, what about ketchup?” I glanced at the bottle.

“Toss it to me, and I’ll check.”

I grabbed it. “What am I looking for?”

“It should list the allergens at the bottom of the label, usually. I’m actually allergic to gluten, not just intolerant, so I can’t touch it.”

I scanned the list. “Yeah, it’s got wheat. No ketchup for you. This is going to be a sad meal,” I warned, loading two newly cheese-free patties on top of some lettuce before throwing potato chips on the plate with it.

Afterward, I paused. “What about the patties?”

A glance back at her showed more hesitance.

Too much more hesitance.

“I probably shouldn’t risk it. I’m sorry,” she said quickly.

“Don’t apologize.” I scanned the food items. There was a fruit salad. A pasta salad. And a shit ton of potato chips. Looking at Jordan, I said, “Go ask the chef if they put anything on the fruit.”

If anyone else had ordered him to leave, he would’ve been suspicious, but Jordan and I were cool. He usually helped me out when he could, given my history of working with the human women.

He dipped his head. “I’ll make sure the Society handles the rest of the rewards better. I don’t think her allergies made it into the paperwork.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

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