Page 44 of Hot SEAL, Under Pressure

“You’d do another show?” she asked, genuinely surprised.

His gaze shot to her. “No. It’s just an expression.”

“Well don’t say it in front of Joanne.”

“Why not?”

She blew out a laugh. “Talk to Zach about what happened to him. Or to Clay. Or to Nick. Joanne has a way of sucking you in and making you do things you don’t want to.”

“Like sucking you into being a contestant?” he asked.

Shelly nodded. “And likeyouinto being a contestant. I wanted Flirt for the cast. Joanne chose you instead.”

He drew back and shot her a comically unhappy glare. “Flirt? Why? Because he’sso cute.”

She laughed at his unflattering voice.

“Yes.” She decided to cut him a break and added, “And because he, unlike you, had actually signed his release form without duress.”

He pulled his mouth to the side. “Mmm. Do me a favor?”

“What?”

“Never ever tell Flirt you wanted him for the show. He’ll be impossible to live with otherwise.”

“Will you build the fire and do the cooking tonight if I do?” she asked.

“Since I’d like to eat before midnight and I saw your fire-starting skills at breakfast, yes, I will.”

“All right. My silence for your cooking. Deal?”

“Deal,” he mumbled on a sigh.

And just like that, a truce formed and a partnership was sealed. Good thing, too. She might need his help.

She took one step and winced, stopping where she stood.

“Can’t walk?” he asked.

“Not willingly.”

He shook his head. “I got you.”

Before she knew it, she ended up over his shoulder as he carried her to where Tasha and Clay and the others had gathered.

He set her down and she stumbled to stand, whether that was because her equilibrium was shot from her head hanging upside down or from being swept off her feet by Stefan, she wasn’t sure.

She noticed a few glances in her direction. Particularly from Flirty Barbie. Meanwhile the camera was right there catching it all.

Ratings, she thought, then sat on the log next to Stefan.

“Today, we say goodbye to one of our teams,” Tasha began. “Clay. Who will be leaving the island?”

Clay, for a grump, looked like he was getting into his host duties. Either that or he was just enjoying that Zach and Nick had to suffer through the competition and he did not. Either way, he hammed it up as he put on a somber face and said, “Miguel and Tammy, you came in last in the four-mile run. Please ring out and say your goodbyes.”

Stefan let out a snort. “That right there adds insult to injury. You didn’t tell me they brought a bell.”

“I didn’t know.”

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