“What the hell are you doing here?” My nasty tone comes out rough, barely controlled.
He shrugs one shoulder. “You were taking too damn long. Figured someone had to make sure Lys didn’t settle for a city boy.”
A short, disbelieving laugh punches out of me. “You auditioned.”
“Submitted the tape right after you did.” He whispers, “They called yesterday. Said it was perfect timing.” His gaze flicks to Lyssa, who’s now approaching us. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
“Gideon?” Lyssa’s voice cracks through the tension.
He pivots to her with a smile. “Hey, trouble. Long time.”
She looks stunned and lets out a shaky laugh.
The announcer jumps back in, milking every second. “Well, folks, this is television gold! A brotherly twist no one saw coming. Gideon Stone joins the competition tonight, so get ready to meet our new contender, America. Stay tuned!”
Elena calls cut, and the lights come up. The crew swarms and resets for the next segment. The other bachelors cluster and throw questions at Gideon, who turns on the charm and deflects as if he was born on a Hollywood set instead of the mountains of Montana. But his eyes keep sliding to me.
I jerk my head toward the side hallway, and he follows without a word. The corridor’s dim, lined with production gear and extracandles nobody’s lit yet. I stop under a flickering sconce, turn, and face him. “You’re out of your fucking mind.”
“Maybe.” Gideon leans one shoulder against the wall and crosses his arms. “Or I got tired of watching you two circle each other like idiots from the sidelines. Zephyr and I had a bet: you’d either propose or self-destruct by spring. What can I say? I’m sick of waiting for you to get off your ass.”
I drag a hand over my beard. “This isn’t a game, Gid. This is Lyssa, and how the fuck would you know what’s going on here?Blind Date for Lifehasn’t aired yet.”
“The first episode has, and it was all I needed to see.” His voice drops its cocky edge. “That’s why I’m here. She’s family, Creed. Always has been. If you’re too stubborn to lock it down, someone needs to show her what a Stone man looks like when he’s all in.”
Possessive, primal jealousy flares hot and ugly. Has Gideon had the hots for Lyssa this whole time? I can’t believe I have to even consider the possibility. What kind of twisted asshole have I been dealing with?
“You bastard. You think you have the power to steal her from me?” I can barely get the words out. My own brother betrayed me.
Gideon meets my stare straight on. “If she decides I’m the man for her, it’s because you didn’t fight hard enough. And if she picks you …” He shrugs again. “Then I’ll stand there and watch you marry her, same as I stood there when you taught me how to splice my first line. Either way, she ends up with a Stone. That’s the only acceptable outcome.”
“But that’s not acceptable to me, and you’ve just opened a can of shit fire you’re not ready for, brother.” I exhale through my nose. “Don’t push her,” I warn. “And if you lay a finger on her, even breathe too close, I’ll hurt you.”
“Fair warning.” His sly grin returns. “But I’m not going to go easy on you either, big brother. All is fair in love and war.”
“Wipe that fucking smirk off your face before I wipe it off with my fist and knock those pretty teeth out.”
“Ah, guys?” We turn to see Elena.Great.How much of that fight did she hear? She doesn’t seem bothered. “We need you two for the next scene.”
“Right,” I say, pretending to be composed and at ease instead of ready to beat the shit out of my brother. Elena nods and returns to the shoot.
Gideon straightens. “See you out there. Try not to look like you want to murder me on camera. Ratings love tension, not felonies.” He walks back toward the lights.
I stay in the shadows with my heart slamming and mind racing, trying to keep it together. Lyssa’s out there right now, probably reeling, and the show’s producers are laughing all the way to the bank.
And me? I’m standing here realizing the only thing more dangerous than losing her might be watching her choose between two Stones.
I roll my shoulders, crack my neck, and rejoin the shoot. So what if Gid just changed the game?
Bring it, little brother. I’m still not losing to anyone. Not even family.
Chapter seven
Okay. This must be a joke. How will I even fake my way to the end of this show? How the hell did Gideon make it past his audition? I have no interest in getting involved with him. We’ve spent countless hours and holidays together throughout the years, and there isn’t a hint of attraction between us—as in zero. Why is he here?
I had to say goodbye to Tyler last night, so we’re down to only four bachelors: Creed, Gideon, Ethan and Ryan. This is going to be a long day with two shoots on the schedule.
We just finished our early morning “Love Under Water Challenge” in the hot springs where I was expecting Creed to blow a gasket every time it was someone else’s turn to be with me. Casting Gideon on the show was a cheap shot. I can’t imagine what Creed’s going through, and to be honest, I’m still thinking about our kiss in the alcove. I was looking forward to being alone with him on our date. Now, I doubt we’ll ever get that one on one.
