Kissed by Reality Read online

  And that black waterfall of hair. Fuck, I remember burying my fingers in it, gripping it with my fists. It was over one shoulder tonight, brushing the material of her dress in the exact spot her nipple lay underneath.

  Leighton looked like an actress from the 1940's, the ones you saw in old black and white photos. Something about her looks, her unapologetic curves just whispered of a time where women were wholly feminine.

  "I want you gone." I had to grit my teeth as I looked her in the eye. My words were so far from the truth. My head and heart were clashing, being this close to her. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to crash my mouth to hers or push her up against the side of the van and hike her dress up around her thighs.

  "Oh come on, sweetheart. You know why I'm here. This will make for great TV. You had to know they were going to contact me, you've been in this game too long not to know that. Make nice with me, your ratings will go up, you'll be the biggest thing in Mr. Right history, and you can have all 25 of those little girls in there to play with."

  She was right, I had thought about it in the back of my head. They were bound to contact her. Just like they'd contacted me to fill this spot after they learned we'd broken up.

  My journey in the Mr. Right franchise actually started six months after Leighton's had. I was restless, working as a physical therapist to wounded war veterans like myself. I was lonely, bored and generally unhappy. I couldn't sleep through the nights, had nothing to look forward to. And then one of my buddies suggested auditioning for the new Mrs. Right season. I believe his exact words had been, "How could they say no to an amputee with dimples?"

  So I'd auditioned, and he'd been right. Producers took to me like white on rice, and I'd become America's favorite military hunk on my season of Mrs. Right. The only problem was, Mrs. Right didn't pick me. Since I'd accumulated a little — okay I'll admit it was a big following — Chuck invited me to participate on the spin-off series, Right Now Island. It was basically a bunch of Mr. and Mrs. Right castoffs looking for love on a beautiful island resort. Hell, I wasn't going to complain if they paid for me to go on vacation with a bunch of gorgeous women.

  Except I'd actually fallen in love with one of the gorgeous women. I'd told her everything, let her in, allowed her to fill every nook and cranny of my soul. Back in those days I used to think to myself, "Wow, this show actually does work sometimes."

  How stupid I was. Because what had brought us together ended up dismantling us piece by piece. Crushing our relationship until there was nothing left but the dust from the once strong foundation we'd built.

  So here I was. Come to forget about her by meeting a brand new crop of women. I had prayed and hoped in the months beforehand that this, finally this, would get those piercing chestnut eyes out my head.

  Leighton rolled her shoulders back in that way that made her large, round tits push out. I couldn't help but drop my gaze just a moment.

  Realizing what she was trying to do, I snapped them back up. "And what do you get out of this?"

  She grinned. "Fame, of course. I get to be in front of the spotlight once more, ride the success of the show after it ends. This will be my last opportunity at this after all. After three appearances, your time is pretty much up. You know that, Finn. And there is always the chance I'll win."

  "Over my dead body." My hands balled into fists. I wasn't making the same mistake twice. I should have fucking known she was here for the attention though. That's what she was always after.

  "Well, its your choice. We are all here for you. Now, why don't we go mingle with the other ladies?" Her smile was pure devil as she began to strut away, adding an extra shake to her hips when she moved.

  I caught her arm, the mere feel of her skin under my fingers sending shockwaves through my system. "I don't know what you're playing at Leighton, but don't get comfortable. You won't be here long."

  She removed my hand from her arm, the spark in her eyes telling me more than any words ever could. "We'll see what Chuck has to say about that."

  Chapter Three

  Leighton

  It was imperative that I get the last word in at each interaction. Finn could not think he was getting under my skin, even though I could feel my cool exterior melt from the moment he laid eyes on me.

  I moved around the castle, positioning myself in some of the girl's conversations, working to get the perfect view of him with the other women at all times. I kept a glass of wine in my hand but didn't drink it. Always play the part, but don't become to girl who drinks too much, especially on night one. I could pinpoint the two who were already slurring their words and tripping over the trains of their dresses.

  I'd hugged Mitchell and Chuck as I made my way in, air kissing them like the pretentious Hollywood assholes they were. I would need to stay on my best behavior with them in order to be kept around. Not that they'd get rid of me quickly, I was too good for ratings. No, they'd persuade Finn to keep me around until the wolf pack dwindled down to about six or so. After that it would be his choice whether he kept me or sent me packing.

  "I actually can't believe you're here." The brunette in purple next to me smiled, but it wasn't mean. More like curious and amused.

  I looked around for cameras, but none were pointed at the small group of women I sat with. Girl in purple must have realized that already, and I knew right then that she was a sharp one. I could appreciate that, but it didn't mean I was going to paint her nails and braid her hair.

  "You have to fight for the one you love, right?" I made moony eyes in the direction of Finn. I wasn't going to give this girl an inch.

  She scoffed as if I'd said something hilarious and outlandish. "Erin Cates, nice to meet you in the flesh. Did a real doozy on that one, didn't you?"

  I watched as she pointed to Finn, who was escorting a Latino woman out to the patio, his hand resting at the small of her exposed back. I gripped the stem of my glass a little tighter.

  "Leighton, but I guess you already know who I am. And I wouldn't say that." Because he'd done a doozy on me too.

  Camera men started for our group on the couches, which included Erin, myself, an African American woman in a silver long sleeve gown, a tiny blonde with the fakest tits I'd ever seen, another brunette with alabaster skin and a girl with an auburn pixie cut who'd decided to wear a suit instead of a dress. I could barely breath in my dress, and I envied her at that moment.

  The brunette with creamy white skin spoke first, playing it up for the camera. "I am just so glad it's him, you know? He is just so dreamy! And a war veteran too? God he's the perfect catch."

  I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes and took a sip of wine instead. So maybe a little alcohol would be necessary to get through the night.

  "Okay, Jackie, can you give us your opinion?" Katrina, the same producer from the limo, motioned to the African American girl.

  She instantly corrected her posture. "He seriously is! I just...watching him on past seasons, I know he is The One."

  Oh for fuck's sake.

  "And how about you, Leighton? Your back here again after a year...why?" She prompted me.

  I had to make this heartfelt without being over the top sappy. "A year ago, I came here looking for love. And a year later, I'm still doing that. Its just that, this time, I'm also looking for a second chance. Because that's what you do when you fall for someone, you fight hard to keep them. I'm here to fight for Finn."

  The whole room was silent when I finished, and the tears sparkling in my eyes weren't pretend.

  "Will you join me on the veranda, Leighton?"

  I whipped my head around at the sound of Finn's voice. It wasn't exactly unfriendly, but anyone with a brain could hear the menace in his tone. But he had to keep up appearances for the cameras, and so indifference towards me was how he was going to play this.

  I walked toward him, all eyes in the room glued to us.

  "Remember you have a mic on..." I whispered in his ear flirtily as we made our way outside. His hand came to rest
at the bottom of my spine as I leaned into him. The contact nearly erased the past four months, bringing me back to a time when his large, rough hands — the hands of a man who had been in war — possessed my body in a way no man's ever had.

  Lust skittered through my nerve endings, sparking and settling low in my core. I had to bite my tongue to keep from sighing.

  "Screw the mic, they'll edit this out anyway. Wouldn't want America's Darlings arguing like cats and dogs on national TV." He sat down on the bench by the pool, fisting his hands in his dirty blonde locks. "That was some great acting in there. America will be weeping for you. And if I don't pick you, I'll be the asshole."

  Finn's eyes flashed as he looked up at me, lightning through a dark midnight sky.

  I sat, moving closer to him than I should. He shifted, tension and awkwardness rolling off of his large frame. "I have to gain the audience's trust back somehow." God I sounded like a bitch.

  The cameras invaded our private moment then, Chuck tutting about. "Can you two please have an interaction I can sell?!"

  Finn glared at him while I sat, hopeful that he'd comply. When he turned to me, tentatively taking my hands in his, my heart nearly jumped out of my throat.

  I saw the little red light go on, and I knew it was showtime.

  "Hi." Finn gave me his shy smile, the one where both dimples popped out. If I was actually wearing panties, they would be wet.

  "Hi you." I sent him a flirty, yet reserved smile as our eyes met.

  "So...tell me what you've been up to since I last saw you?"

  I hesitated, not expecting that question. "Well, I've been doing some blogging and modeling. But mostly I've taken over the cafe for my mom."

  I'd been approached to rep so many different brands' products when I'd first come into the franchise, and I'd made good money doing it. But it got exhausting, always having to post and put my life out there, make sure I was on-point with brand messaging. Even my blog had suffered from my lack of enthusiasm lately. No, nothing was holding my interest like it used to. Except for being in my family's cafe. I felt needed and useful there; it was like a second home.

  "How is your mom?" Finn smiled, and I knew it was genuine. He and my mother had been close for a time. She'd called him the son she never had, made his favorite pot pie whenever he was around, showered him with love.

  "She's...uh..." I hadn't been expecting this, and for the first time in months, I'd actually forgotten about it. That's what Finn did for me, he kept me in the moment, he made me focus on nothing but him. Guilt punched me low in the stomach, and I struggled to hold back the tears threatening to fall.

  "What is it?" I could hear the worry in his voice as his hands tightened around mine.

  I shouldn't tell him like this, but the concern in his voice made me soften. Made me want to confide in him. And even if it wasn't concern for me, I could hold on to that notion for just a minute.

  "She got diagnosed with breast cancer in October."

  Finn's eyes locked onto mine, his full lips parting as he gasped for air. I knew what that felt like. I thought I'd been suffocating when she came home from the doctor's in the fall and told me the news.

  He gaped for a while, just holding my hand as I tried to communicate with him through my facial expressions. But then I saw his features harden. "Then why did you come here?"

  I was waiting for that one. "Because she told me I'd kick my ass if I didn't. And that if I didn't come here to try and fight for you, it would be the biggest mistake of my life."

  Finn seemed to be digesting that, but before we could get another word in to each other, Chuck yelled cut and Mitchell stepped in. "Okay, time for the Charm Ceremony."

  Chapter Four

  Finn

  I had originally said no when Chuck and Mitchell approached me to be the next Mr. Right.

  It had been about three months since I'd broken up with Leighton, I was in a hell of a state, and the last thing I was thinking about was finding love again. Hell, I was cursing the female sex each and every day I woke up.

  But they're weasels, manipulators, its what they do for a living. They snagged me, dragged me into this season with the promise of fun and love and hot women. In the back of my mind I was thinking, "She'll probably be watching. What better revenge than falling in love with another woman in the exact setting, the exact way I'd fallen in love with her."

  I never in my life thought I would be struggling not to look at Leighton Aldridge in the front row of the Charm Ceremony on my season of Mr. Right. Guess that meant I shouldn't trust or listen to Chuck and Mitchell as much as I had. Not that I ever really did.

  It was so tempting to flick my gaze to her where she stood in that tempting yellow dress. I swore I could hear her curves whispering my name.

  But no. Now that she was here, she could watch me fall in love with one of these other women in person. Which was even better than if she was watching on TV. She'd have to observe me bond, flirt and kiss these other ladies, and that revenge made my blood tingle with sweet anticipation. It served her right for what she had done to me.

  My hands were slippery and I could feel the click of my prosthesis as I jiggled my leg. I was nervous standing up here in front of this pack of gorgeous females. I couldn't believe I was actually on the distributing end of the Charm Ceremony. I remember standing exactly where they were on my season, when Jillian Dupont was Mrs. Right. I remember not breathing until she called my name and presented me with a link to complete my watch.

  We'd been given the time piece at the beginning of the season, but had to receive a link each week to symbolize our time committed to Jillian. The winner completed his watch in that final episode, and if Mrs. Right was lucky, he'd get down on one knee and present her a gorgeous piece of jewelry. That winner just wasn't me.

  But I was happy for Jillian and Harry, who were on their way to a walk down the aisle. They were right for each other, and it opened the door for me to experience other things this franchise had to offer.

  I stared down at the 20 glistening heart charms laid on the platter next to me. The men on Mrs. Right all got links for their watch. The women on Mr. Right all received charms for their bracelet. The first episode charm was always a heart, to "open our hearts to love" or some kind of bullshit like that. I really should have been taking this seriously, but Leighton's presence had unnerved me.

  I glanced up at the girls, some who were fidgeting, others who looked close to tears, and two that were so drunk they could barely stand. Yeah, I knew production was making me keep one of them for ratings.

  I'd had a good conversation with the girl in the purple, Erin I think her name is. She'd told about how she was a teacher, elementary if I remembered correctly, and hailed from a suburb in Illinois. She seemed down to earth, and I could see an instant spark with her. So I called her name first.

  After she smiled, and the other girls glowered at her, she walked towards me elegantly.

  "Erin, will you accept this charm?" I held it out to her, waiting for her inevitable yes to hook it onto the new silver bangle hanging from her wrist.

  "Of course." She tilted her head, her face friendly and happy.

  Next came Mackenzie, the marine biologist from Houston who had a great smile and an even better rack. Then came Paige, who might be the slut of the season, but damn was she nice to look at it. And I liked that she was honest, gave it away up front. It beat the hell out of the liar standing cool, calm and collected mere feet away from me.

  She was relaxed because she knew she was getting a charm. Chuck and Mitchell had already told me she was staying until the final six, that I couldn't say no because I'd signed my rights away in the 150 page contract I'd had to sign with my blood.

  But I could make her sweat a little. I rifled through the rest of the 16 women who would make the top 20, signifying that they could move into the house and on with this journey with me. Chuck yelled cut furiously when one of the two drunkards leaned over the side of the steps and puked her guts
out. He'd ordered an intern to clean up her barf and then had her quickly escorted off the set.

  In the end, one lonely charm sat on the platter, and one sassy girl smirked ever so slightly as I looked in her direction.

  "Leighton." I said her name quietly, but with confidence. I couldn't let her see that she was getting to me.

  She smiled, feigning surprise and gratitude. I had to hand it to her, those acting skills were as practiced and sharp as ever.

  Except for those tears in the garden. I knew those had been real. Just like the way she'd squeezed my hand and silently begged for me to console her had been real. I couldn't believe Mary, her mother, had cancer. My heart sunk with guilt and sadness as I thought of it now. I hadn't visited Mary in months, and we'd been close. She wouldn't have cared if Leighton and I had broken up or not. Come to think of it, she'd probably yelled at her daughter about what she'd done to me. I could have come around, called her or something.

  But instead of thinking about her own health, she'd sent Leighton here. That said a lot about her character, and that of her daughter’s. Who would come on a silly dating show when their mother was dying? Leighton. That was who.

  She came to stand in front of me, her perfect red lips pursed with amusement. I had the urge to rap those slick black tendrils of hair around my fist, winding them until she was inches from my face and couldn't escape my grasp. The things I used to do to this woman, the things she used to do to me...

  I shook my head to clear it. "Will you accept this charm?"

  "I would be honored." She said it with such genuine sincerity that I actually thought she meant it. Then she leaned in to give me the customary hug and whispered, "Thank you for choosing me last. Because that's what I am, your last. That's what I was meant to be, your last. The last woman to ever have you. And you're my last man."