LoveElimination

SARAHGATES

www.harlequinbooks.com.au

Tomylovedones

Anna Hobbs dragged herself back to the tiny inner-city apartment she shared with her sister. She
workedtwojobs—atStressed,apopulardessertcafé,andattheworstsupermarketinthecity—and
aftertwoshiftsthatday,herfeetwereabouttofalloff.Bothshopshadbeencrowded.Shehadn’teven
beenabletofantasiseaboutthereasonshewasthere:herdreamtoownadessertcafé;adreamthat
wasclosetocomingtrue.

Annawasbrainstormingnamesforthecaféwhenshewalkedintotheapartment,kickingoffher

shoesatthedooranddroppingherkeysintothebowl.Itwasonlywhenshewenttoflopdownonthe
couch that she noticed something strange. Kate, who never cooked, had set the table with their best
wineglassesandaplateofcheesescutintoperfectcubes.Annaapproachedthetablewarily.

‘Whyisthereacheeseplatter?’
‘Iwantedtocelebrate.’Katepulledherlongblondehairintoabun.Sheleanedacrossthecounter

and stabbed at the food. ‘I overheard you making that appointment with the bank this week. I’m so
proudofyou!’

AsmilestretchedacrossAnna’sfaceandherheartswelledattheshowofsisterlysupport.After

six years of hard work and even stricter saving, she’d earned enough money for a deposit, so she
couldfinallyfindapropertyandstartherownbusiness.Notonlythat,butshehadtheperfectplace:a
beautiful old brick building not far from her apartment and close to a busy shopping strip. The
buildingwasindesperateneedofrenovation,whichmeantitwascheap.

‘Kate…thankyou.’Evennowshewastwenty-fouryearsold,receivingacomplimentfromher

oldersisterwaslikethefirsttasteofanAdrianoZumbodish.

‘Whydidn’tyoutellme?’Kateasked.
‘Ididn’twanttogetcarriedawayuntileverythingwassignedandofficial.It’snotquitethereyet.’
‘Well,that’sstupid.You’regoingtogetitandyou’reallowedtobeexcited.’
‘Thanks.’Anna took aseat at thecounter. ‘If my loanis approved onWednesday, the first thing

I’m going to do is tell Mr Jhadav that I quit. You would not believe the abuse I got today for not
chasingaftersomehundred-mile-a-minutewomanwholeftwithoutherfivecentsinchange.’Itwas
pensionday,whichalwaysbroughtamassofelderlycustomersintothesupermarket,andAnnahad
beenrushedoffherfeet.Stressedwasn’tasbad;atleasttherewerenocockroachesandthecustomers
wereusuallynicer.Butitwasn’thercafé—theoneshe’ddreamedaboutsinceshewasthreeyearsold.

Insteadoflaughing,Katestartedtappingherringonthecounter.Annatookasipfromherwine,

waitingforhersistertospitoutwhateveritwasshewantedtosay.

‘Doyouthinkyou’llhavetheloanandleasecontractssortedbynextweek?’Katefinallyasked.
‘Maybe.Ifallgoeswell,thebanksaidIcouldbetheproudoccupierof12MarlboroughAvenue

byWednesday,’Annasaid.Talkingaboutherdreamnowthatitwassoclosewastyingherstomach
into knots. ‘Will you be around to celebrate? Or will you have started filming Love Elimination by
then?’ Anna smiled wryly. No matter how many times she said the cheesy title, she couldn’t keep

herself from scoffing. Kate was a producer and even she couldn’t keep a straight face when
explainingtheshowtostrangers.

Hersisterrolledhereyes.‘WestartfilmingtheMondayafter.I’llflyoutontheSunday.’
‘Andwillitbebetterthanthelastdatingshow?’
‘I’mjusthopingourPrinceCharmingdoesn’tgetanyofthecontestantspregnantthistime.’
‘Hegotsomeonepregnant?That’ssosleazy!Butatleasthegothishappyending…’
‘Geez.Don’tyoureadtheinternet,Anna?’
Anna ignored the dig. ‘Are you sure you want to work on this show? Wouldn’t you prefer a

cookingorrenovationcompetition?’

‘Clearly they need me to keep the suitor squeaky clean.’ Kate took another bite, unfazed by her

ownlackofmodesty.‘LoveEliminationisgoingtobenothingbutfunromanceandaddictivedrama.
Therewillbenoscandalsbeyondthelifeoftheseason.’

‘I’ll miss you,’ Anna said, thinking of how the highlights of her weeks were their movie nights

andearly-morningruns.Withhersavingplanstricterthanmilitaryregimestheworldover,Anna’s
sociallifewasnon-existent.ButKatedeservedtoflytoatropicalparadiseandoverseethefilmingof
acastofbeautifulpeople,insteadofbabysittingherlonelylittlesister.‘I’llhavetoconvinceBento
ditchhisnewmartialartsobsessionandstaywithme,justwhileyou’reaway.’

‘Maybenot.’Kate’sringtappingwaslouderandmorefrequentnow.Thelasttimeshe’dseenKate

workherringsthishardwaswhenKatehadbeentooscaredtoadmitshe’druinedAnna’sfavourite
dress.

Anna’shandfrozehalfwaytotheplatter.‘Whatdoyoumean?’
‘The thing is, we’ve had a bit of a glitch. One of the women has pulled out.’ Kate clutched her

glass,takingalongswig.‘Shefellinlovewithherpostman.’

‘Andyoudon’thaveareplacement?’
‘Notexactly.’ThecreasesinKate’sforeheaddeepened.
‘You’llworkitout,’Annasaid,preparingforatypicalyou-are-beautiful-and-intelligent-and-you-

can-achieve-anything-you-desire argument. Not that Kate needed it. It was usually Anna on the
receivingendandBen—herclosestfriend—givingthespeech.

Whenhersisterdidn’treply,Annacontinued,‘I’msureplentyofdramaqueensapplied.Justpick

fromoneofthose.’

‘That’stheproblem,’Katesaid.‘It’sallbeenabitofarush.Becausethatseriesaboutthewerewolf

iscaughtupinlitigation,LoveEliminationwasgiventhetimeslot.Ourschedulewaspushedforward
eight weeks. We found all our contestants through personal contacts, dating websites and off the
street.’ Kate bit into the cheese, frowning the entire time and swallowing like the food personally
offended her. ‘We need diversity. We need characters. We want drama, turbulence, emotion … cat
fights,tears,wittyone-liners…’

‘If it helps, I graduated school with plenty of girls like that. Feel free to look through my

yearbooksandchooseone!’

‘Actually,Ialreadyhavethoserolescast.’
‘What’syourpoint?’
‘Weneedsomeonenormal—likeable,butwhowon’tmakeittotheend.’
‘Buthowhardcanitbetofindamodelandputherontelevision?’
‘Harderthanyouthink.Andthat’swhereyoucomein…’
‘What?’
‘Youneedmoney,right?’Katesaid.‘Imean,youhavebigplansfortherenovations?’

Okay,soshe’dclearlymissedsomesortoftransition.Annamethersister ’seyeandsawthatshe

wasbeinganalysedlikeacharacteronadrama.Kategrinned.

‘WhatifIknewawayyoucouldmaketwenty-fivethousanddollarsreallyquickly?’
‘I’dsayyou’dgetcaught.Andyouknowbetterthantobreakthelaw.’
At Anna’s quick response, Kate broke into a full smile for the first time that evening. ‘It’s not

illegal, I promise.’ Kate leaned over and took Anna’s hand. ‘I want you to come on the show. It’s
twenty-fivethousandupfrontandallyouhavetodoislazearoundinamansion,occasionallygotoa
partyoronadatewithelevenothergirls,andallthewhilepretendtobelookingforlove.Justplay
along.’

AlaughescapedAnna’slips.‘Veryfunny,Kate.’
‘I’mserious,’shesaid,lookingdirectlyintoAnna’seyes.
‘Those attention-seeking reality-TV stars don’t get paid that much. You told me yourself: it’s

worsethanminimumwage.’

‘Themoneyisintendedtopayanactresstofilltheslot.It’sbudgetedforemergencies.’
Anna started shaking her head, struggling to find the words to describe just how against the

ridiculousideashewas.Nofreakingwayjustdidn’tseempowerfulenough.

‘Iamnot—’
‘Don’tsayno,Anna,’Kateinterjected.‘YouneedthismoneyandIcangiveittoyouasquicklyas

youcansign!AndIneedsomeonetheaudiencecanrelateto.Allyourcustomersadoreyou.’

Ithadfinallyhappened.Thehigh-pressureTVjobhaddrivenKateinsane.Annashookherhead

andslippedoffherstool.‘You’llhavetofindsomeoneelse,’shesaid,grabbingherbagandescaping
toherroom.Thedoorclickedbehindher,servingtomufflehersister ’sarguments.Thewholething
wasbeyondcrazy.

Afewmomentslater,Anna’sphonebuzzed.Sheswipedatthescreen.
Don’tbestupid.Thismoneycouldpayfortheoutfitting!
Annathoughtaboutthebuildingshe’dpickedout:12MarlboroughAvenue.Itwasperfect.Itwas

also a disaster in the making. If just one thing went wrong, her budget would blow out and if that
happened, she might lose everything. Was Kate right? Was Love Elimination actually a blessing in
disguise?

Thephonevibratedagain.Annadidn’tneedtolookatthescreentoknowitwasKate.Insteadof

checkingthetext,shestalkedbackintothelivingroom.

‘I’m not made to be in front of the camera, Kate. I can’t go on a reality television show and

compete with eleven supermodels with perfect bodies and high-flying careers. Just yesterday you
werebraggingaboutgettingthatwomanwholookslikeBeyoncéandhasaPhD.’

Kate rounded the bench and grabbed Anna’s shoulders with both hands. ‘Yes, you can. You are

kind, driven, smart and so, so sweet. And you are gorgeous! Any guy would be lucky to have you,
regardlessofanysupermodelneurosurgeonshehassoakinginhisspa.’

Anna opened her mouth to speak, but Kate’s voice only grew louder. ‘You are! You just

exclusivelydatearseholes—that’syourproblem!You’veneverreceivedacomplimentfromaman.’

‘Whatdoesthathavetodowithbeingoncamera?’
‘Youcandothis.’Kate’svoicesoftened.‘Morethanthat,youshoulddothis.Whathaveyougotto

lose?Ifanything,thiswouldgrowyourbusiness.Theshowwillbenationallybroadcast.You’llhave
people lining up around the block to taste your delicious desserts! This is a business opportunity,
Anna.’

TheideagaveAnnapause,butshecouldn’tshowweakness.Katecouldberuthlessingettingher

way;shewasbeingpromotedtoproducerofLoveEliminationforareason.

‘I’ll look like a fool. I know how these shows work. Your editors create drama and

misconceptionsoutofnothing.Ifanything,thepublicwillboycottmyshop…’

‘Notwithmethere.I’llbevettingallthefootageandI’llhaveyourback.Iwon’tletthemdothat

toyou.’

‘Andhowwilltheyfeelaboutyouputtingyoursisterontheshow?Howwillthepublicfeelwhen

theyfindout?’

‘Whetheryou’remysisterornot,doesn’teveryonedeserveashotattruelove?Someonedropped

out,soIwasabletogiveyouthatchance.AllyouhavetosayisyouwanttofindMrRight.’

Annastiffened.‘Wait,isthisjustsomeelaborateruse?Yourabsurd,Hollywoodversionofablind

date?’

Katerolledhereyes,butdidn’tbotherreplying.
After a moment of analysing her sister ’s face for any sign of dishonesty, Anna sighed. ‘I don’t

needaman.I’mhappybeingsingle.AllIwantismycafé.’

‘Justgiveitachance,’Katedemanded.‘Trustme.Youwillworkouttheloanandleasethisweek.

We’llpayyouthemoneyandyoucanbookyourtradespeople.They’llworkonthepropertyandyou
canrelaxinthelapofluxuryonset.Orworkonyourmenu.Practisesomenewrecipesinthestate-
of-the-artkitchen.’SheleanedbackandpinnedAnnawithherbabyblues.

Anna’s perfect certainty from earlier was wavering. She pictured herself in a crowd of girls

datingthesameman.Itwasn’tappealing.Norwasthelayeringonofmake-uptowithstandtheassault
of high-definition cameras and bright lights. She would be like a greasy burger in a cake shop—
entirelyunwelcomeandoutofplace.Whoevertheguywas,he’dseethatstraightaway.

Ontheotherhand,ifKatemadesureshewasperceivedwell,Annacouldcomeoutofthiswitha

bunch of pre-bookings for her café. Maybe she could even throw a grand opening. Plus the money
couldgoalongwayforasmall-businessowner.

Anotherthoughtknockedagainsttheinsideofherhead.‘Kate,whatifhesendsmehomeonthe

firstnight?’

‘Then you return to your real life after just twelve hours.’ Kate was grinning now, like a child

who’deatenthelastchocolatebeforehersisterevenfoundthebox.Anna’smindwhirred.Shewould
come back to a café, her café, with the work underway. Getting everything sorted before she left
wouldbearush,butnotimpossible.

‘Think of what you could do if you play it smart. This money could be like a shortcut. Skip to

“go”andcollecttwenty-fivegrand,’Katesaid.‘Youcouldoutfitthecaféwithallthelittleextras…’

NotforaseconddidAnnathinkthatmentionoftheamountwasaccidental.Butshecouldn’thelp

lettingitinfluenceher.

‘Okay.’Thewordslippedfrombetweenherlips.
‘You’lldoit?’
‘Yes.I’lldotheshow.I’llmakesuretheguyrejectsmeandI’llcomehomeandlivemydream

afteratwelve-hourdetour.’

***

Afterthedecisionwasmade,thedaysrantogetherinablur.Annaspenthoursporingoverfinancial
statements and budgeting until the numbers stuck in her mind. She had every figure memorised, as
wellasaspeechaboutwhythebankshouldapproveherloan.Thebathroommirrorwatchedasshe

answeredeveryquestionthebankmanagercouldpossiblythrowather.

The meeting itself was uneventful. She answered a few token questions, signed her name on the

dottedlinewhereinstructedandwalkedoutwithenoughmoneyinheraccounttoleasethepremises.
Itdidn’tfeelreal.Everythingwastooeasy.She’dexpectedtofightforit.

HerbossatStressedacceptedherresignationimmediately—despitethelackofnotice.UnlikeMr

Jhadavatthesupermarket.Whenshetoldhimshewasleavinghiseyescrossedover,anexpressionof
strange disbelief and barely disguised fear. But since she didn’t even have an employment contract
withthesupermarket,shedidn’thesitatetohandinhernametag,shirtandletterofresignationand
walkout.

Annaspenthoursintheoldbuildingthatwouldhousehercafé.Usingbrandnewtoolsfromthe

nearesthardwarestore,sherippedtheoldcabinetsfromtheirwallsandcreatedapileofrubbishat
thefrontoftheshop,justinsidethedoor.Anyoldequipmentshecouldsellwentonlinetoearnafew
extra dollars. The rest of the time, Anna’s phone was glued to her ear. She contacted a handful of
recommendedtradespeople,metwiththemanddiscussedherplans.Whentheirquotescamein,she’d
choosethoseshewashappiestwithandcontractthemtostartworkonthecafé.

On the Friday evening before the show, Ben helped her move all the rubbish into his parents’

trailerandunloaditagainatthedump.Thenhehelpedhercleanthepropertyfromcornicetoskirting
board.Apartfromtheoccasionalquestionaboutthecafé,BenspenttheentiretimeberatingAnnafor
agreeingtogoonLoveElimination.

‘You don’t need to go on a TV show to get a guy,’ he told her, rolling up his sleeves to reveal

heavytattooscoveringthebulgingmusclesofhisarms.

‘Idon’tneedaboyfriend!Forthemillionthtime,I’mjustdoingafavourforKate.’Benhadhis

ownurbandictionaryofinsultsthatheusedagainstthevapidwannabesonrealitytelevision.There
wasnowayshewasgoingtoadmittowillinglybecomingoneofthem.

‘That’sright.Whatyouneedisagoodlay,’herepliedbeforetacklingalineofshelvingAnnahad

decidedtokeep,pullingitawayfromthewallsohecoulddustinthecracks.Annalaunchedherselfat
him,engaginginaswordfighttodefendherhonour—himwiththedusterandherwiththeelongated
attachmentofthevacuumcleaner.

‘Idonot!’shecried,swipingforhisshoulderasshesawanopening.
‘Soyouadmit!You’renotgettingany.’Bensnatchedherweapon,holdingitaboveherreach.
‘It’snoneofyourbusiness.’
‘Andit’sconfirmed,ladiesandgentlemen.’Hetookabowandthrewthevacuumcleanertubein

Anna’sdirection.

Shefumbled,butcaughtitandclippeditwhereitbelonged.Herfrustrations,sexualandotherwise,

couldbeusedtoremovetheawfuleightiestilesfromthekitchensplashback,viajudicioususeofa
hammerandchisel.‘Oh,justshutupandclean.’

‘Surething,yourmajesty.’
They worked in relative peace until Kate rushed through the door. The bells which Anna hadn’t

yetgotaroundtoremovingjingledwithherarrival.HowKatemovedatsuchaspeedwearingEiffel
Tower–high heels, Anna couldn’t understand. Or, more to the point, Anna didn’t know how she
managedtoavoidsuccumbingtogravityandinjuringherself.

‘Wrapitupnow,folks.AnnaandIaregoingshopping,’Kateannounced,spottingAnna’shandbag

inthecorneroftheroomandsweepingitintoherarm.

‘Weare?’Annaasked.
Ben shook his head and opened his eyes wide. He reminded Anna of a goldfish. ‘Wow. You’ve

changed,Anna.Youhaven’tevenstartedfilmingyetandthefamegoestoyourhead…’

Annaignoredhim.SodidKate.
‘Whyarewegoingshopping?’Annaasked.
‘Because you need clothes for the show. You’ll need a dress for every night—and some casual

clothes.Op-shophand-me-downsarenotgoingtocutit.’

‘Thosewomensupplyalltheclothestheywearontheshow?’
‘Yes.Unlessthere’saspecialdateorit’sthefinale.’
Annaduckeddowntopickastraypieceoftwistedmetalfromtheground,mainlytohideherface.

‘Ican’taffordtogoshopping,Kate.’Therewasnowayshecouldaffordevenonenewdress.There
wasareasonshefrequentedopshopsanditwasn’taloveofvintagefashion.

‘Iknow.’Kategrinned,diggingthroughherbaguntilsheproducedashinycreditcard.‘Meetmy

companycard,withwhichwewillpurchaseallthenecessaryclothesappropriateforthesmallscreen.
Iwantmysistertobefashionablydressed,ofcourse.Viewersloveagoodoutfit.’

Annahesitated.
‘Comeon,Anna.AllyouhavetodoistryonwhatIthrowatyou.’
‘Go on, Anna. What rags-to-riches tale would be complete without a shopping montage?’ Ben

said.

‘Your dessert café is going to be fashionable, right? Don’t you think it’s important that people

perceiveyouasstylishwhileontheshow?’

The argument put a halt to any further objections Anna was about to raise. After majoring in

marketingatuniversity,Katehadfoughtherwayuptheranksofoneofthemostdifficultindustries:
television.Atjusttwenty-sevenshewasaproduceronWestMedia’snewesthitrealityshow.Hersister
couldbetrustedonthis.

Annatookadeepbreath,closinghereyesforamillisecond.‘Fine.’Sheputhercleaningsupplies

onthegroundandgrabbedherjacket.‘Thanksforallyourhelp,Ben.’Shepulledhimintoahugand
hefollowedcloselybehindastheyleftthebuilding.

CHAPTER

Love Elimination was everywhere. From the moment his plane touched down in Australia, Luke
Westwoodwassurroundedbythehighlyphotoshoppedpromotionspostedoverbuses,trainsandcity
billboards. The women had two types of bodies: the thin, toned, sexy Victoria’s Secret supermodel
kind and the Kim Kardashian curves kind. They didn’t have faces, those were cut off, because that
wouldruinthesuspenseofthefirstepisode.

The advertisements only disappeared when he arrived at the beachside mansion where he’d be

living for the next few months. His luggage was stripped of his phone, laptop, books and anything
else he could use to distract himself from the fact that he’d agreed to star on reality television. A
datingshow,ofallthings.Asifthepastmediacoveragehadn’tbeenenoughforonelifetime.Hehad
thoughthewasfinishedwiththemediathedayheretiredfromprofessionalsnowboardingafterthe
last Winter Olympics. The pre-show coverage was so bad, he wasn’t surprised when his mate
HarrisonhadcalledpracticallythemomentLuke’splanelanded.

‘Whatthehell,man?IjustsawyouonTV,’Harrisonhadyelleddownthephone.Lukehadpushed

itawayfromhisear,rubbingthebackofhisneckwithhishand.

‘Nothingnewthere.’
‘You’reonarealitydatingshow.Sincewhendidyouhavetroublewiththeladies?’
‘Sincenever,’Lukehadreplied.
‘You’renotthinkingaboutsettlingdown?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Here’s my advice,’ Harrison had said, unasked. ‘Ditch the show and get back to the slopes. I’ll

evenbeyourwingman;makesureyougetlaid.Youcanfindwivesupheretoo.Youhatethemedia’s
attention.Comehome,man.’

‘Can’t.’
‘Why? Give me one good reason.’ When Luke hadn’t replied, he’d continued, ‘Come on. The

coachingcareercan’tbethatbad.IhearoneofyourguysgotsilverintheCupAlpineSeries.’

‘I’mdoingsomeoneafavour.’
‘Theoldman’spimpingyououtnow?Somefavour.’
‘Iowehimadebt.’
Their relationship had never been easy, but Tyson Westwood had really come through for him

whenhewasinjured.Forthefirsttimeinhislife,Lukefeltwhatitwouldbeliketobeclosetohis
father. They were working on it—and Luke was willing to do Love Elimination for a chance at a
ceasefirebetweenhimandhisfather.

‘Ifthisishiswayofhurryingalongthegrandkids,youknowthebimbosonthoseshowsjustwant

tobefamous.Andyourmoney—they’reprobablyallgolddiggers.’

‘Idon’thavethatmuchmoney.’
‘Bullshit.’

‘Noneofthefamilyriches.Justthesnowboardingwinnings.’
‘That’snotwhatIhear.Thegossipchannelsarebuzzingwiththesizeofyourtrustfund.’
Luke sighed, knowing his protests had fallen on deaf ears. But he really wasn’t the billionaire

everyone assumed he was. He pushed the conversation out of his mind and strode further into the
mansion,untilhewasstandinginanoversizedlivingroomfulloffakefruit.

Acrewmemberappearedinthedoorway,clearinghisthroat.Lukefollowedhisleadthroughthe

beachsidemansion.TheypassedroomsofluxurythatremindedLukeofeveryhotelhe’deverlived
in, except for the fact that this mansion was in the middle of the tropics. Their destination—the
boardroom—was spacious and almost entirely beige. Unlike the rest of the mansion, this room felt
lived in. The Love Elimination crew surrounded a mahogany table covered with laptops, stacks of
paperandfolders.Thiswasobviouslythelairfromwhichtheproducersanddirectorplottedthebest
waystoconvincetwelvewomentofallinlovewithaninjured,retiredsnowboarder.

DirectorJoeBurning,whoLukehadmetonlyoncebeforewhensigninghiscontract,stoodatthe

headofthetable.

‘Please,sitdown,’Joesaid,slidingawhiskeytowardsanemptychair.Luketensedbutdidashe

wasasked,ignoringtheglass.‘Areyoureadyfortoday?’

‘Sure.’
‘Haveyoumemorisedthewomen’snames?’
‘I think so,’ he lied. Watching the promo videos was enough torture that he’d only submitted

himselftoaone-timeviewing.Thecontestantshadbouncedacrossthescreen,introducingthemselves
withwhitenedsmiles.Everythingwasglossyandbright.Thewomenalllookedandsoundedthesame.

‘Good.There’sonemissingfromyourpackage:Anna.’Joetappedathistabletandbroughtupa

picture of a beautiful girl-next-door type. She had light brown hair that fell an inch below her
shoulders,paleskin,brightblueeyesandaroundface.Shedidn’tfitinwithalotoftheotherwomen.
Forastart,shewasn’tonabeachwearingyogaclothesinherpromoshot.Norwasapairofdouble
Dsthefocusofthepicture—thenecklineofherdresswasequallyappropriateforafamilyfunctionas
for a night in the clubs. Unlike every other promotional shot, hers was just an ordinary photo of a
smilingwomantakeninfrontofarundownbuilding.

‘It’salmostdark,’oneoftheproducerssaid.They’dexplainedtohimearlierthattheywouldstart

filming the minute the light faded from the sky and continue filming until the wee hours of the
morning, just before the sun rose again. Filming Luke’s introduction to each of the twelve women
wouldtakehoursandtheeasiestwaytoachievecontinuitywastofilmthroughthenight.Lukeonly
hopedpost-productionwouldn’tgettooannoyedatallthefootageofhimyawning.Inallhistwenty-
seven years, he’d rarely stayed up past midnight. Those early-morning training sessions weren’t
exactlyconducivetoall-nighters.

Joenodded.‘Okay,let’sgo.’
With that, they filed out of the mansion and fifty metres down the beach to the villa where the

womenwerehoused.

***

All Anna’s priorities disappeared. She forgot about getting herself evicted and her café. Only one
thing remained: she really needed to pee. The toilet was on set and she wouldn’t be allowed on set
untilthey’dfilmedherintroduction.

Theydidn’ttellherhowlongshe’dbewaitingbeforemeetingtheshow’ssuitor—the‘ideal’man

she’d be fighting eleven women to win. Supposedly. Until then, she was in lockdown. No luggage.
Nothing but the clothes on her back and the rings on her fingers. The driver of the black sedan
wouldn’teventurnonthemusic;hisonlyconcessionwasuncoveringthedigitalclockinthemiddle
ofthedashboard.Hewouldn’tunlockthedoorsandheleftthevehicleafteranhour,leavingherwith
noonetodirecthercomplaintsto.

Whenshewasfinallyreleasedfromtheleatheryprison,herdriverledherfromtheroadontoa

beach with her bladder bursting. Their location was obscured by the darkness. All she knew—from
the plane ride—was that she was in North Queensland. Her first holiday in about ten years. Some
holiday.

Anna’smuscleswerestiffandheranklethreatenedtorollwitheverystepofherwedgeheelson

thegoldensand.Thecrewhandedheratallfluteofchampagneandpointedanoversizedcamerain
herdirection.

‘WelcometoLoveElimination,Anna!I’mthedirector,JosephBurning;youcancallmeJoe.’He

noddedfromhispositionbehindthecamera.‘We’reabouttoescortyoudownthebeachtothevilla
whereyou’llbeliving.Howareyoufeelingrightnow?’

‘Nervous,Iguess.’Annaofferedasmallsmileasthecrewchuckledpolitely.Thedirectorcircled

hishandsaroundeachother.Annablinked,tryingtorememberifKatehadevermentionedthesignal
orwhatitmeant.

‘Keepgoing,’Joeinstructed.
‘Oh,okay.’Annafumbledwiththebraceletonherwrist.Shejustwantedtogettheinterviewover

as quickly as possible. ‘I’m excited and terrified to meet everyone. I’m also hoping that, at some
point,I’llbegivenafullitineraryfortherestoftheshow.Itwouldbegreattonotbeinthedark.ButI
haveafeelingthat’snotgoingtohappen…’

Itseemedheranswersweresufficiently‘peppy’:thewordAnnahadbeenhearingfromKateand

the crew since agreeing to the sham. She’d been instructed to be honest (unless her answers were
likely to get either sister into trouble) and give elaborate, energetic, upbeat answers. She was
supposedtobe‘acharacter ’oran‘exaggeratedversionofherself’infrontofthecameras.Therehad
beensomanymarketingbuzzwordsthrownathershe’dfeltlikeshewasthevictimofaparticularly
persistentsalesperson.

‘Great,great.’Joenoddedandtheredrecordinglightonthecameraflickedoff.Annadidn’tthink

anyofitcouldbeeditedintosomethingtheresidentbitchmightsay,butshestruggledtoremember
exactlywhatshehadsaidonlymomentsafterthewordsspilledfromhermouth.

Another staffer moved forwards and Anna found herself led down the beach to another camera

setup.Thistime,shewasinstructedtowalkbetweenthemarkersliningastretchofthebeachtowards
thetreesabouttwenty-fivemetresaway.Withthecamerastrailingbehindher,hermindfocusedonthe
sashay of her bum. The width of her thighs. The straightness of her back. The crinkle of her dress
around her waist. Not looking like she needed to pee. How had she ever walked confidently in
everydaylife?

Annaforcedherselftotakeadeepbreathandtriedtoletthetensiondrainfromherbody.Youare

afullycapable,intelligentperson,shetoldherself.Youwillnotbecaughtupininsecurities.Youflat
outrefuse.

Onlythendidshenoticethesoundoftheoceanlappingagainstthescatteredshells,thesoundsof

nightanimalsinthedistance.Shewassurroundedbypureparadiseandshewasworryingabouther
arse.Howridiculous.Thethoughteasedsomeoftheknotinhershoulders.

‘Wait, just a minute.’ She bent down and slipped out of her shoes, letting them hang from her

fingers.Witheachstep,sandsquelchedbetweenhertoesandthetinygrainsexfoliatedtheskinonher
feet. It was better than a five star–resort massage. She kept walking until she reached five bamboo
lanternsstickingoutofthesand.Itfeltlikeasurvivalrealityshowratherthanthedatingvarietyitwas
supposedtobe.Shewaitedforthecrewandtheirhandheldcamerastocatchup,havingcapturedtheir
longshotofherapproachingthelanterns.Withthecrewfollowingcloselybehindandmorecameras
filminginfront,Annacrossedoverthetreeline.Thepalmtreesdidn’tgrowparticularlythickly,but
they did manage to conceal a villa with a thatched bamboo roof hanging over wood pillars. The
building was two storeys, with geometric patterns in the veranda’s wooden balustrades. Either the
largevillahadnowindows,ortheyweresocleanthey’dbecomeinvisibletothenakedeye.

ThecameraswatchedsilentlyasAnnatookineverypartofthebuilding.Ifshe’dknownwhatto

wishfor,herheartwouldhavewantedthis.WhensheandKatewereyoung,theirdadhadtakenthem
onsnowtripsonceayear.Notoncehadsheseensandonaholiday.Theonlywarmthhadcomefrom
openfiresandthehotchocolateintheirmugs.

‘When you’re ready, you may make your way inside,’ Joe murmured. The villa seemed to be

madeupofthreebuildings:onelargeoneinthemiddle,andasmallerbuildingoneitherside.Anna
strodeintothecourtyardthebuildingsformedandthroughthedoubledoorsinthemiddle.

ShefoundherselfinalivingroomaslargeasanOlympicswimmingpool.Darkgreycouches

withwhitecushionswereplacedaroundtheroom.Followingthecorridortotheright,shefoundthe
kitchenofherdreams:fullyequippedwithindustrialovens,stovetopsandafridge,andfilledwith
luxuryappliancesatopdrop-dead-gorgeouswhitemarblebenchesabovedarkcabinets.

High-pitched giggles echoed through the air and as Anna gravitated towards the sound, Joe

stoppedher.

‘Stopthere,’hesaid.‘There’sabathroomthroughhere.Youcanrelieveyourselfwhilewesetup

thecamerasforyoutomeettheothers.’

Annastumbledthroughthedoorhe’dpointedoutandfoundherselfinabathroomwiththeperfect

combinationofmarbleanddarkrainforestwood.Itwasperhapsthefanciestshe’deverencountered.
Whensheemergedagain,shefeltmuchmorehuman.Ofcourse,halfasecondlatershewasaninsect
underamagnifyingglassagain.Thecamerashadmovedtocatchherascentofthestairs.

Withanotherinstructionfromthedirector,Annaclimbedthewoodenstaircaseagainstasidewall

andfoundherselfinahallwaydecoratedwithtribalart.Allofthedoorswereopen.Annapokedher
head through the first and found two girls sitting on a massive bed. The room itself was beautiful,
with rose petals scattered over the white doona and matching curtains draped on either side of the
window. Another bed was pushed up against the right wall. The cupboards and wardrobes blended
intothewalls,soAnnadidn’tnoticethemuntilshesteppedintotheroom.

Thegirlsleaptoffthebedmid-titterwhentheyspottedAnna.Theyranuptoherandthrewtheir

armsaroundher.

‘Hey, I’m Rachel! A 26-year-old social media analyst from Adelaide.’ It was the introduction

they’dbeeninstructedtogiveinfrontofthecameras.Annahadalreadylistedherowntaglineabout
seventimes,andthatwasjustforthepromos.Howlongdidtheyhavetokeepitup?

‘Hadie,twenty-three,languageteacherfromSydney.’Thewomanhadanopenface,wideeyesand

asmilethatbroughtdimplestoeachofhercheeks.

‘Canyoubelievethisplace?’Rachelasked.ShespoketwiceasfastasanyoneAnnahadevermet.

‘Iwould’vesignedupjustforthesizeofthebaths.’

Annagrinned,glancingbetweenthetwowomen.‘It’sgreat,’sheoffered.‘I’mAnna.Nicetomeet

you.’

Damn.Shewastwosentencesinandshe’dalreadyforgottentofollowthescript.Butbeforeshe

couldrectifythemistake,theotherwomanwastalkingagain.

‘Did they put you through hair and make-up too?’ Rachel barely waited for Anna’s nod before

continuing.‘IwasjusttellingHadie,theyarenotgoingtobeabletocontrolthishair.Justlookatit!’

Granted,thewoman’sredhairwasvoluminousandcurly.Thefly-awayspokedoutlikemisplaced

sticksinabird’snest.ApparentlythespraythathadbeenusedonAnnahadnotbeenpotentenoughto
tameRachel’slocks.

‘Seriously!Theywon’tbeabletofitmyfaceinthescreen.They’lltryshootingthisconversation

and all they’ll get is a screen of red wiggly worms.’ She slid her fingers through her hair, only
managing to increase its height, and raised an eyebrow at the camera in the doorway. Anna didn’t
missthewaythegirlmadeeyecontactwiththelens,northetinysmileatthecornerofherlips.

Rachelrantothebedandflungherselfacrossthemattress.‘Feelit,Anna!Itmustbemadeoutof

angelfeathers.’

Annafollowed,shufflingtowardsthecentreofthebedandfoldingherfeetunderher.Despiteher

efforts, she may have just flashed her underwear to the entire nation. That risk would take some
gettingusedto.

Shemassagedherfingersintothesheets.‘You’reabsolutelyright.Thisisheaven.’
‘Ifyouthinkthat’sgood,waittillyouseetherestofthehouse!’Hadiesaid,pullingAnnafromthe

bed.Thattime,Anna’sdressdefinitelyliftedtoohigh.IfonlyKatehadletherwearoneofherown
dresses,thelonghemwouldneverhaveembarrassedherlikethis.

HadieandRachelledhertothebathroom,andthenintosixmoreidenticalbedrooms.Theywere

interruptedtwicebynewarrivals:French-bornYvette,a33-year-oldflightattendantfromMelbourne
and 26-year-old netballer Sandra from Adelaide, who immediately bonded with her fellow
Adelaidean,Rachel.Eachtimeanewcontestantwasintroduced,theyallhadtopause,standagainstthe
wallsandwaitforthecamerastoberearranged.

Theycompletedthetourafterthesixtharrival—19-year-oldTamsenfromTasmania,onhergap

year after high school—and opened a bottle of champagne found in the fridge by entrant number
seven:32-year-oldBrooke,acommerciallawyerfromSydney,andalsotheonewithaPhDandthe
body of Beyoncé. It was enough to make Anna’s self esteem plummet. Anna greeted the last few
women from her perch at the kitchen counter, giving each new tour a miss and instead getting to
knowHadieoverarefreshingglassofbubbly.

AnnaandHadiewelcomedfivemoreglamorousladiesintothevilla,startingwithTallulah—22

years old from Darwin and a student of dentistry. Followed by Jessica—26 years old from Sydney,
whowasamagazineeditor,andDeefromPerth—a27-year-oldaccountant.Afteralongdelay,Liu
Kunarrived—a24-year-oldwriterfromMelbourne.Thelasttoarrivewasa22-year-oldlawstudent
fromSydney,Christina.

Assoonastheyfinishedtheirintroductions,Annaforgotpracticallyeverythingaboutthem.She

wasusuallygoodwithnamesbutthatskilldesertedherinthefaceoftheseelevenstunningwomen,
allofwhomcouldhavedoubledformodels.

Lookingat19-year-oldTamsenand22-year-oldTallulah,Anna’scuriositywassparked.Weren’t

women settling down later in life these days? Shouldn’t these women be busy kicking arse in their
careersorfollowingtheirpassions,ifallthearticlesaboutbodyclocksandIVFweretobebelieved?
Anna herself hadn’t even begun to think about children or even finding love, really, until she was
conscriptedtoLoveElimination.

Yet here they were, wanting to fall in love so desperately that they’d subject themselves to

potentialnationalhumiliation,evensigningacontracttothateffect.ThethoughtshockedAnnaback
intoherrightmind.Shewasn’tacontestant.Shedidn’twantaboyfriend,muchlessahusband.Allshe
wantedwasherdessertcaféinSydney.Shewouldhavetokeepherguardupagainstthecrew,who
werekeepingwatchofthewomenwithcamerasineverycorner,evenoutside.Shefoughttheurgeto
hidebehindthelargepotplantsinthelivingroom.Iftherewerewomenhereforfunoranadventure,
shefearedthey’dmadeagravelymisinformeddecision.

Atanothersetofinstructions,thegrouppouredthechampagneinthekitchenandthepartyspilled

outontoapatiosurroundedbyhundredsoflights.

Avoicedriftedfromwithinthevilla:‘Goodevening,ladies.’
LoveEliminationhost,MasonLockier,emerged.Katehadtrulygoneaboveandbeyond,scoring

thehighestgrossingtelevisionpersonalityinAustralia.Notonlywashepopular,hewasalsoknown
for being funny and quick witted. Mason had a fake tan, chemically whitened teeth, ten distinct on-
camera laughs—and a wife. Anna grinned. None of the women would be getting distracted by his
appearanceontheshow.

‘WelcometoLoveElimination!’hecalled.‘Howarewealldoingthisfinesummernight?’
ThetypicalresponsesweredrownedoutbyYvette’scontributionof‘Bored!Bringouttheman!’
Annawascontenttoofferasmileandanod.Sometimesshehadnightmaresaboutgettingcalled

ontospeakpublicly,likehavingtogiveatalkinherhighschoolassemblyandforgettingherspeech.
Itfeltlikethebeginningofoneofthosenightmaresnow.Annafelteverynerveinherbodytenseas
shespottedoneofthecameraspointedstraightather.Didtheoperatorknowsomethingshedidn’t?

‘Now,Iknowyoujustwanttomeetthemanyou’llallbecompetingfor…andyou’veallbeen

verypatient.’Masonwinkedatawomanwhoseemedtobesalivatingathiswords.Hernamemight
havebeenChristina?Anna’sforeheadscrunchedasshetriedtoremember.‘Butthat’snothowreality
televisionworks.’

A collective groan rose from the group. Anna joined in a minute late, and then failed to resist

shootingalookatthecamera.Itwasstilltrainedonher.Shetookadeepbreathandwilledherfaceto
remainblank.

‘Sotellme,Hadie,whatdoesyourfantasymanlooklike?’
‘Heneedstobehandsome,funny,kindandhaveahighpainthresholdforsteppingonLego.’
‘That’sgreat!AndhowaboutyouYvette?’
‘Drop-dead gorgeous and rich as an emperor—just kidding! He just needs to have a great

personality.’

Mason’sfacebrokeintoawidergrinatYvette’steasing.ItwaseditinggoldandevenAnnaknew

it. She was willing to bet that just the first part of Yvette’s answer would make it into the episode,
maybe even the ads. Did Mason get a bonus for prompting such a goldmine of content? Did Yvette
realise she would be cast as the money-grubbing, shallow villain of the show? It was even in their
contracts:aclausestatingthattheymaybeportrayedasa‘character ’distinctfromwhotheyactually
were.AndifYvettedidn’tscream‘residentbitch’totheproducers,Annadidn’tknowwhodid.

‘Anna!’Masonzeroedinonher.‘What’stheonethingthatwillturnyouoffanyman?’
Annastared,butshewasn’tseeinganything.Herbrainhadleftallherothersensesbehindtofocus

onthenauseapushingatherthroat.Herclammyhandsfeltthroughemptyairforsomethingtograb
onto,buttherewasnothing.

‘What’stheabsoluteworsttraitalovercanhave?’Masontriedagain.
‘Cheating,’Annablurtedout,thinkingofherex.Yvettebarkedoutalaughandafewoftheothers

smirked,eventhecrewbehindthecamerashadtroublecontainingtheiramusement.

‘It’sabitunfortunateyou’reonLoveEliminationthen,isn’tit?’OnlyasMasonsaiditdidAnna

realise how dumb she’d been. ‘How will you cope with falling in love with a man who is dating
elevenotherwomen?’

Ifevershewastobeexposedasafraud,thishadtobethemoment.Annahadn’tthoughtaboutthe

show like a contestant might, worrying about how she’d cope competing against these beautiful
women.Hermindwasmoreconcernedwithgettingoutoftheshowatthefirsteliminationwithout
embarrassingherselfonnationaltelevision.

‘I—Idon’tknow.’
Mason’s eyes softened. The expression was entirely different from the exaggerated gestures he

usuallyfavoured.SeeingitsentapangthroughAnna’schest.Sheclaspedherhandstogetherandfixed
hergazeontheground.Itwouldbemorefuntocounteverysinglegrainofsandonthebeachthanto
lookupandcontinueansweringMason’sprobing.

‘Jessica.’ Mason, thankfully, turned his attentions to someone else. While Jessica responded to

whatever Mason asked, Anna took deep breaths the way you were supposed to when doing yoga.
Whenshelookedupshehadcomposedherfaceintoanexpressionofpoliteinterest,anticipating—
correctly—thatthecamerawouldstillbethere,waitingforareactiontheycouldeditintosequence.

‘Well,Ithinkit’stimeIintroducethemanofeverywoman’sdreams.Don’tyouagree?’Mason

flungbotharmsintotheair.‘MayIpresent…LukeWestwood!’

CHAPTER

Themanbeforethemwasallbrownshaggyhairanddeepbrowneyes.Hiseyebrowsweighedheavily
abovehislids,givinghimapensiveexpressionevenwhenhesmiled,ashewasdoingnow.Hisbeard
wascroppedshortandundercontrol.Hiscobalt-blueshirtpulledtautaroundthemusclesinhisarms.
With the beating heat, even after the sun had set, Luke (or the wardrobe department) had opted for
chinoshortsthatshowedoffhistonedlegs.Thiswasamanthatworkedoutdaily.Ifhispicturehad
appearedinamagazine,Anna’sfourteen-year-oldselfwouldhavecutitoutandstuckitonherwall.

Anna’s opinion was clearly unanimous. She saw the same rapt expression in the eyes of every

woman,althoughsomeseemedhungrierandmorepredatorythanothers.Rachelcatcalledandafew
othersjoinedinwhistlinguntilMasonflappedhishandsatthem.

‘Australian-bornLukeWestwoodisallyou’veeverwantedinaman.He’sfunloving,charismatic

anddriven.Attwenty-seven,Lukehasbeenaworldnumberonesnowboarderandevencompetedin
theOlympics.Henowcoachesnationallyandinternationally.’

Sohewasanathlete.Atleasttheyhadnothingincommon.Annacouldignoretheelectricjoltshe

feltatthesightofhim.Hewouldbeperfectforhersister,oranyoftheput-togetherwomenonthis
show.Thewomenwhowantedtofallinlove.Becauseshe,mostcertainly,didn’t.

‘Now, I’ll leave you alone.’ Mason wiggled his eyebrows at the women. ‘Give you a chance to

mingle…andI’llbebackinafewhourstoevictthefirstcontestant.Butbeforethat,aquickthank
youtooursponsors!’

Theywaited,butnothinghappened.Noprojectionappearedonthesideofthevilla.Novoiceover

broadcastacrossthecourtyard.

‘Thatlastbitwasjustforthecameras.Havefunladies,’Masonsaidwithawave,anddisappeared

intothevilla.

Luke entered the outdoor area. Anna had to tear her gaze away from him, especially when he

lookedupandlockedhiseyesonher.Herlegsforgothowtomove,evenasthelogicalpartofher
mindyelledforhertorun.Tobefair,itwasn’tlikeshecameacrossmenthisgorgeouseveryday.
InternationalathleteswithafaceandbodynotunlikethatofChrisHemsworthdidn’ttendtoventure
into her workplaces—former workplaces. She just hadn’t expected to come on a reality television
showandimmediatelyturnintoasycophant.

WhenagroupofwomenpulledLukeaside,Annasuckedinadeepbreath.
‘Phew.Thatisonehandsomeman,’Tallulahsaid.
‘Noshit,’Rachelreplied,peeringaroundtheothercontestantsforaglimpseofhisarse.
‘Anyfirstimpressions?’
‘Heseemsnice,’HadieofferedatthesametimethatRachelsaid,‘Howlongbeforewecangetthat

shirtoff?ThankGodwehaveabeachonhand.’

‘Iwonderwhathethinksofallthis,’Annamuttered,beforenoticingthecameratrainedontheir

littlegroup.Themicrophonestrappedtoherdresswassolight,itwaseasytoforget.

‘It would be any guy’s dream, wouldn’t it? Except for the serious relationship bit at the end, I

guess,’Hadiesaid.‘Canwenottalkaboutitanymore?Mystomachisinknots.’

‘Sure,let’stalkaboutsomethingelse.’Annawantednothingmorethantogetthroughtheevening

withoutgivingthecamerasanythingworthfilming.Andhowmanyhoursofthiskindofconversation
went into a reality television episode? From what Anna had seen, it seemed to be the only type of
discussionthatmadeittoair:speculationandconflict.

‘So, how old is your son?’ Anna asked, turning to Hadie. The young blonde had shocked Anna

earlier by confessing to being a single mother. Why she’d voluntarily leave her son for a one-in-
twelvechanceatreality-TVromance,Annacouldn’tworkout.

Hadiesmiled.‘Twoyearsold.’
‘Howgorgeous.Mynephewisaboutthatage,buthe’sadevilchild.EverytimeIbabysit,mypoor

sistercomeshometomorefoodonthewallsthaninhisbelly,’Tallulahsaid.

Thethreewomengiggled,ignoringRachel,whowasbusycraninghernecktowatchacontestant

pawing at Luke. Anna couldn’t help noticing either. Her sudden inability to concentrate on the
discussionhadtobeunrelatedtothesight.Didn’tit?Hadn’tsheseenthePhD-wieldingBrooke—who
was currently mauling Luke—whispering intently with Kate just minutes ago? When Anna looked
around,shenoticedtheproducersmillingaroundtheparty.

Was Luke part of that? Was he following the same script the producers were obviously

engineeringwiththecontestants?HeglancedupatAnnaandshequicklyduckedherhead,tuningback
intotheconversationathand.

‘Mine’sanangel.’Hadiewasspeaking.‘Exceptwhenitcomestopetsorlawnmowers.Heinsists

onpullingthetailsofeverycatordoghecomesacross—whichhasresultedinmorethanonebiteor
scratch.’ Hadie’s powder-blue eyes sparkled as she talked. The expression prompted soft smiles in
AnnaandTallulah.Itwasn’thardtoimagineaminiature,maleversionofHadie.Shewasshortwitha
childlikeface,framedbypaleblondehairthatfelltohershoulders.Anychildofherswouldhaveto
becuteenoughtobeonaHuggiesad.Unlessthefatherwasincrediblyugly.

Nowthatshewashere,Annadidn’tthinkshecouldbeabitchtoLukeortheothercontestantsand

earn herself a quick eviction. Already she was charmed by Hadie and amused by Rachel. But if she
flewundertheradar,whoknewhowlongshe’dbehere?

‘Andhejustcan’tstandthesoundoflawnmowers,forsomereason,’Hadiecontinued.‘Ihaveto

gethimoutofthehouseeverySundaymorningwhenthemanoppositeustrimshislawn.’

‘Icansympathise.Ihaveaneighbourwhouseshisblenderandanotherwhoblastsherhairdryerat

the first ray of sunshine,’ Anna replied. Maybe if she acted normally, but expressed signs of
disinterest in Luke, he would assume she wasn’t attracted to him and send her home? It was a long
shot.Didsomeonethatgoodlookingknowwhatitwasliketohavesomeonenotfalloverthemselves
tobenearhim?

‘Areyouupearlyforyourcafé?Isitlikeabakeryinthatway?’Tallulahasked.
‘Well, I only leased the property last week, so I’m not quite there yet. I’m still organising the

refurbishmentssoIcanstartbringingincustomers.’

Tallulahshiftedfromonefoottotheother.‘Wow.Sowhatwillitlooklikewhenit’sdone?’
‘What will what look like?’ a deep male voice asked. Luke appeared in front of Anna just as

quickly as Rachel moved aside to give him access to their small circle. He offered a hand to Anna.
‘Hi,I’mLuke.’

‘A—Anna,’shestuttered.Hisskinwasroughashishandenvelopedherscompletely.Upclose,his

shoulderswerebroaderthanshe’dfirstthought.Andhewastall.Ifonlyshecouldopenhermouthto

talktohimlikeanormalperson.Ormaybeitwasbettershesaidnothing,asthoughshewastotally
uninterestedingettingtoknowhimbetter?Becauseshedefinitelywasn’tinterestedinthissmoking-
hotmanwhosmiledatherlikehewasgenuinelycuriousaboutwhatmadehertick.

‘Anna’s dream dessert café,’ Rachel said. Luke’s attention shifted to Rachel, causing a pale pink

blushtotinthercheeks.ShegrinnedathimandturnedbacktoAnna.‘Goahead,Anna.’

Therewasnothingtodoexceptplayalong.
‘I signed the lease on a premises just last week. It’s perfect. Great location in the city and a

beautiful brick building. The tradespeople are outfitting it with new wiring, heating, flooring … a
kitchen.Mostlythekitchen.’Thetensionseepedfromherbody,likeitdidwhenevershefocusedon
hercafé.

‘What will it look like inside?’ Luke seemed to genuinely want to know. Either Kate had hit the

castingjackpot,orhewasareallygoodactor.Itwashardtobelieveaguylikehimhadtochaselove
onarealitytelevisionshow.

‘Therearehugewindowsatthefront,soI’llrunawoodenbenchalongtherewithbarstoolsand

cushions.Therestoftheplacewillbedeckedoutwithsmallroundtablesandmismatchedarmchairs.
I’llhaveflowersonallthetables,plantedinteapots.PlusI’llhaveoversizedlampsandlampshades,
andbrass-framedmirrorsonthewall.’

‘Itsoundsgreat.Whenwillitbeready?’
‘Inafewmonths.’
‘Areyourfamilyorfriendshelpingout,orhaveyouhiredstaff?’
‘Afriendis.Ben.AndI’llhiresomecasualsbeforeweopen.’
Lukestoodsoclosethathisarmpressedagainsthers.‘Whatfoodwillyouhaveonthemenu?’His

eyesdidn’tleaveherface.Itwasliketheotherwomenweren’tthere.

‘I’mnotsure.It’stoomuchfuncomingupwithnewrecipestodecide.Imightjusthavetochange

themenuonceaweek…Whataboutyou?Tellusaboutyourcareer.’Thestrategytoactuninterested
was shot, but Anna needed to include the others—she could feel their eyes practically piercing into
herthankstoLuke’sattention.Annawassuddenlyafraidshe’dbedepictedasthevillain.BeingKate’s
little sister wouldn’t save her if one of the other producers saw an opportunity to paint her as the
residentbitch.

‘Whatwouldyouliketoknow?’Hestillhadn’tlookedaway.
‘Howlonghaveyoubeensnowboarding?’
‘Professionally?SinceIwassixteen.’
‘And you’re retired now?’ It seemed odd to apply the word to someone so young and fit. He

lookedlikethetypeofguywhocouldbenchpressapersoniftheylaystillenough.

‘Yeah,I’vebeencoachingforthreeyears.’
‘Do you enjoy it?’ Rachel said. Anna had expected her to jump in a lot earlier, but perhaps the

otherswerejustasaffectedbythemanasshewas.Afterall,theywereactuallyherefortheromance
ofit.

‘Yes.ButIstillcompeteeverynowandthen.Notatthesamelevelasbefore,ofcourse.Iwon’tbe

goingtoanotherOlympics.’Hiseasymannersuckedtheminandashespoke,hesmiledevenasthe
regretshowedinthelinesaroundhiseyes.Annawassurprisedshehadn’tseenhiminthemagazines
commonly found in waiting rooms; he had the perfect demeanour for a celebrity athlete and
apparentlytheskillstobackitup.

‘Whydidyouquitifyoustillwanttocompete?’Tallulahasked.
Lukepaused,watchingtheotherwomanforamoment.‘Igotoldandinjured.’

Attwenty-seven,hehardlyclassifiedasold,Annathought.
‘Whathappened?’Hadiesaid.
‘Iwascompetingand—’
Anna murmured her apologies and excuses and slipped away, weaving through the crowd. The

lesssheknewaboutLukeWestwood,thebetter.Someonehadswitchedonanairconditionerinside,
perhapsthelonecameramanleftsittinginthecornerbesidethepottedpalmAnnahadbeeneyeingoff
earlier.Whiletheheatoutsidewasn’tunbearable,therushofcoolfeltlikedivingintoapoolinthe
middleofablazingsummer.Annatippedtheremainsofherchampagneintothesinkandrinsedthe
glass,replacingtheboozewithwaterfromthefridge.Theicyliquidsliddownherthroatandcalmed
her.

Thekitchenwasactuallythepinnacleofluxury.Shefantasisedaboutwhatshecouldcookwiththe

industrial-sizedeverythingandunlimitedcollectionofappliances.EventheThermomixinthecorner
would get a look-in; while most of her felt like using the thing would be a betrayal to baking, a
strongerpartwantedhertotryitatleastonce.

‘Anna!Whatareyoudoinginhere?’Katestrodeintotheroom.‘Isthatwateryou’redrinking?’
‘Um,yes?’
‘Thisisaparty!Youneedtokeepuptheillusion,attheveryleast.’Sheswipedtheglassfromthe

counter,emptieditintothesinkandfilleditwithsparklingwaterfromabottleinthefridge.‘What
areyoudoinghidinginhere?’

‘Kate—howlongwillIhavetowait?When’stheeviction?’
‘Filmingusuallygoesuntilabout6am.’
‘What!Why?’
‘Becausegettingenoughfootagetakesforever.Speakingof,IneedtoorganiseLuke’snextone-

on-one.Youstayhere.’Kateheldafingertoherearpieceandscurriedoutoftheroom,leavingAnna
alonewiththecameramanbehindtheplant.

Annapulledoutastoolandleanedherelbowsonthemarble,tryingtopretendshewasaloneuntil

hersisterreturned.Herheaddroppedintoherhands,stiflingayawn.Withoutthepresenceofclocks
—not even on the kitchen appliances—there was no way to tell when the evening would end. She
wouldhavetorelyonthefirstsignsofsunriseinthesky.

‘What have I done?’ she whispered to herself, cursing silently a moment later when she

remembered the microphone she wore. Her brain felt like it had short circuited and her feet were
abouttofalloffaltogether.

‘Idon’tknow.Whathaveyoudone?’thatlowmalevoiceasked,sendinghottinglesdownAnna’s

spine.Sheliftedhereyestohissculptedfigure,notbotheringtomoveherhandsfromherforehead.

‘Nothing.I’mjusttakingamoment.It’salittleoverwhelming.’Shedraggedherheadupandtook

anothergulp,forgettingthebubblesthattickledthebackofherthroat.Awholelegionofcamerashad
followedLukeinsideandwerefocusedontheirinteraction.Plustheguybytheplanthadsnappedto
attention.Whatdidtheythinkwasgoingtohappen?

Annadrainedtheglassofitscontents.‘I’dbettergetbackoutthere,huh?’
‘You’vegottime.’Heplacedahandonherupperarm.Ifitwassupposedtobecomforting,ithad

theoppositeeffect:everynerveendingcamealive.Annashuffledawayandhishandfell.Shewasstill
trapped against the bench. Her eyes avoided his. I’m not interested, she wanted to tell him. Go flirt
withthewomenwhoactuallywantyou.

‘Luke,we’resetupatthesideofthehouse.Jessicaiswaitingnearthedoor.Gograbherandlead

heraroundforaone-on-one,’Joecalledfrombehindthecamera.Althoughonly,Annanoticed,after

theconversationhadstalledanditwascleartheywouldnotsuddenlysuccumbtodesirebuiltupover
thebrieftimethey’dknownofeachother ’sexistence.

‘Justasec.’Lukeleanedacrossthecounterandgrabbedthelastbottleofchampagne.Ashedidso,

hisshirtrodeuptorevealthetopofhishipsandahintofhisabs.

Anna took the brief respite from his attention to slip off the seat. But she’d underestimated the

distance between them, and landed well within his personal space before pitching forward. Damn
thosewedgeheels.Lukegrabbedherwaist,pullinghertohim.Hisjawwassoclosethathisbreath
unfurledonhercheek.Hesmelledlikepinetrees.

‘Sorry!’shegasped,rushingtoputasafeamountofspacebetweenthem.
‘You’reokay.Anna,wasit?’Heelongatedeachsyllableofhernameuncertainly.
‘That’sright.’Sheneededtomoveaway.Thebottomofherstomachtightenedwitheachminute

shespentinhispresence.Sheturnedandmadetoleavetheroom.ButLukefollowed,placinghishand
onherlowerbackandguidingheraroundthefurniture.Histouchmeltedhercomposure.Annabit
downonherliphardenoughtodrawblood.Clutchingherglass,shehurriedacrossthecourtyard.

An arm darted out and grabbed her. ‘Anna,’ Kate hissed. ‘Are you trying to get me fired? Stop

runningawayfromLukeWestwood.’

‘HowelseamIsupposedtogetevicted?’
‘Bytrustingme!Allyouhavetodoisplayalong.I’llgetyououtofhereassoonaspossible.’
‘Iwanttobeevictedtonight,Kate.Notassoonaspossible.’
‘Andhowisplayinghardtogetgoingtohelp?Nowhe’sintriguedbyyou.’
‘It’snothardtoget.It’sdisinterested.’
Kateshookherheadandlaughed.‘Youhavenoideaaboutmen…’Shewanderedoffagainand

Annawasleftstaringblanklyintothespacewherehersisterhadbeenstanding.

Around her, the party had deteriorated into yawning. Only the women with cameras trained on

themandaproducerhoveringnearbywereanimated.Annajoinedthetwowomenfarthestfromthe
doubledoorsofthevillaandthecameras.TheyreintroducedthemselvesasLiuKunandChristina.If
onlythey’dallbeengivennametags.But,ofcourse,thatwouldlookghastlyfortheaudienceandthe
producers could just edit out all the repeated introductions and mutterings of ‘Sorry, what’s your
nameagain?’

‘Whatdidyoufindoutabouthim?’Christinaasked.
LiuKunlookedtowardsthedoubledoors.‘Thathelovessnowboarding—’
‘Duh.’
‘HemostlycoachestheAustraliansnowboardingteam.He’sanonlychild.Andhedoesn’tmuch

likechampagne.’

Thetwowomenlaughed,butAnna’snervesweretwistedintoknotsthatkeptherfromhittingthe

right responses. She couldn’t forget the microphone on her dress. Her only hope was that the
conversation was too mundane to make it onto the screen. The cameras trained on her would be
getting every inglorious moment of her stiff posture and the trembling hands that were damp with
spilled‘champagne’.

‘I wonder if the producers will offer a different drink in future, now that he’s said that on

camera?’Annasuggested.

‘I hope not. This is delicious!’ Christina took another sip of the bubbly liquid and gave an

exaggeratedsighofcontentment.

‘And,ofcourse,there’shisfather!’
‘Who’shisfather?’Annaglancedbetweenthegigglingwomen.

‘TysonWestwood.That’showtheygothimontheshow,’LiuKunsaid.
‘Who’sTysonWestwood?’
‘He’s the founder and managing director of WestMedia.’ When a kink appeared in Anna’s

eyebrow, Liu Kun continued teasingly, ‘You know, the network that created Love Elimination—and
justabouteveryotherpopularshowonAustraliantelevision.’

‘Seriously?’ Christina continued. ‘You’d have to be living under a rock to not know Tyson

Westwood.Hestartedthecompanyattwenty-fiveyearsoldandhe’sbeenheraldedasthenextRupert
Murdoch.Exceptnowhe’sfarmoresuccessfulthanMurdocheverwas.’

Thenamewasfamiliarnow,butonlybecauseKateworkedinthemedia.PerhapsAnnadidneedto

watchthenewsmoreoften.Shelivedinabubblewhereonlyfood-relatedcurrentaffairsseemedto
seepthrough.

After that, Liu Kun and Christina moved on to other topics and Anna breathed a sigh of relief.

Untilthatpointtheconversationhadfeltlikehighschool,talkingaboutthecutestboyinclass.The
trio talked for what felt like hours, with most of the other contestants joining them for stretches of
time,beforerunningofftospyonLukeagain.Theironlyindicationoftimepassingwasthegrowing
frequency of long pauses as they fought against the overwhelming urge to sleep. Each of the
contestants had a chance to steal Luke away for a one-on-one, except Anna, who was ignored or
whosetimeinthekitchenseemedtocount.Theproducersranaroundinthebackground,playingthe
castlikepuppetmasters.

Finally,adramaticsoundeffectplayedacrossthespaceandseveralmorelightsstrunginthepalm

treescametolife.MasonLockierreappearedlikeamagicianreadyforhisfinalactofthenight—to
makeoneofthewomendisappear.

‘Goooooodevening!’heannounced,hisvoiceprojectingoverthewhispersofthegirls.‘Tonight,

ourhandsomeLukeisgoingtobesendinghomeoneprettylady.Now,youwouldhavenoticedme
pull him aside earlier in the night. He’s given me his verdict, but I am going to let him tell you all
anyway,becauseI’mameanbastardanditmakesforgoodtelevision.’

Annalaughed.
‘Don’tworry.They’lleditthatpartoutlater,’hesaid.‘So,Luke,overtoyou!’
LukemovedthroughthewomentostandbyMasonatthecentreofeveryone’sattention.Hehada

relaxed look about him. Either he wasn’t the least bit stressed by the attention and the camera
coverage, or the fact that he could potentially hurt one of the women here, or he was perpetually
chilled out. Given the whole snowboarder thing, Anna hoped it was the latter. It wasn’t a trait she
consideredattractive.Sowhywasshesomixedupinside?Shecrossedherarmsoverherchestand
clenchedthehandnotholdingherglassintoafist.

‘I’mnotgoingtoputyouthroughanymorepomporceremony.Thisshowisallaboutmakinga

connection.’ He looked around the room, his pauses slight and his words fast. The crew behind the
cameraweremakinggesturesliketheywererunningtheirfingersalongapieceofstringfromthe
middleoutwards.Lukeignoredthem.‘TonightIjustwasn’tfeelingitwithDee.I’msorryDee.’

Who?Thewomanhadn’tevenmadeitontoAnna’sradarandyet,inthismoment,Annawantedto

runforwardsandpushherintoabushsoshecouldtakeherplace.Herskinflushedandshetrembled
inherfightbetweenyellingoutattheinjusticeordeliveringaglarecapableofmakingasmallchild
cry.

This was Anna’s eviction. She should’ve been the one to go home. But she’d screwed it up. She

hadn’tdoneenoughtomakehimthinktheywouldbeabadmatch.Itshouldn’thavebeenhard.The
man lived wherever there was snow, and there was no way she’d be leaving her café. If only she’d

dropped a hint about hating long-distance relationships or that she hated the cold, even if the latter
wasn’t true. Anna wanted to pound the sand with her feet and curse until time wound back and she
could do the night all over again, avoid Luke Westwood entirely, maybe shoot him a disappointed
lookeverysooften,asifhe’dfailedtomeetherexpectations.

Nowshewasstuckonashowwithtenotherwomenbattlingforonemanandexpectinghertodo

thesame,forwhoknewhowlong.Dee,theforgettablewoman,steppedforwardsandhuggedLuke.
Theyturnedtogetherandheescortedherbackthroughthevilla.ComparedtowhatAnnahadcometo
expectfromhershortexperiencewithfilmingarealitytelevisionshow,itwasbrief,tothepoint,and
unexaggerated. Quick. Painless. It was exactly the kind of exit Anna should have engineered for
herself.

‘Andthatconcludesepisodeone!’Masonrubbedhishandstogether,scanninghiseyesacrossthe

remainingcontestants.‘Now,offtobedforsomebeautysleep.’

Inthatmoment,Annafoundatinypieceofherrelievedthatshehadn’tbeenevictedfirst—ifonly

forthechancetoexperienceEgyptiancottonsheets.Shecouldn’timaginehavingtocatchthered-eye
homeafterhoursofstandingaroundanddrinking.Theverythoughtmadeherwanttothrowup.

Asshecrawledintobed,Annaforcedherselftothinkpositive.Itwasherfirstholidayinalong

time.Shewasinaparadiseofgoldensandandcloudless—shehoped—days.Andifshewassmart,
shemightbeabletoworkinsometimeinthekitchenbeforesheleft.Becausethefirstthingshe’dbe
doingtomorrowwasfindingKateandgettingherselfsenthomeatthenextopportunity.Ifhersister
couldgetherontoahotlycontestedrealitydatingtelevisionshow,shecouldcertainlygetheroutof
it.

CHAPTER

Despitefilmingwrappingupat5:30amthatmorning,theproducerscalledLukeintotheboardroom
ofthemansionintheearlyafternoon.Hesatatthemahoganytable,yawningandthinkingaboutthe
beautiful weather outside. With his career, he hadn’t spent a lot of time near white sand and warm
oceans.

There was a knock and a latecomer dressed in a tight skirt suit walked through the open door.

Lukerecognisedherasaproducerfromthenightbeforeandthesameairoffamiliarityhithimnow.
Joeseemedincapableoflookingawayfromthewoman.

‘Luke,thisisKateHobbs.She’soneoftheLoveEliminationproducers.’
Katenoddedahello,closedthedoorbehindherandjoinedthem,sittinggingerlybesideJoe.She

placedafolderonthetable.Uponopeningit,Lukesawheadshotsofallthecontestants.Theirnames,
agesandoccupationsweretypedacrossawhitespaceatthebottomofeachphoto.Onceagain,Luke
found himself staring at a photo of Anna that didn’t match the others. Before he could ask about it,
KateandJoespreadthepicturesacrossthetablewithdeftmovements.

‘Now,you’vemetallofthewomen.Thisfirstdatewillsetthetoneforthecompetition.’
Theword‘competition’seemedanoddchoiceforadatingshowaboutfallinginlove.Itimplied

thattherewouldbeawinnerandlookingatthefacesbeforehim,Lukecouldn’timagineleavingthe
show with any of them. Certainly not for more than three months. That was about how long these
thingsusuallylastedbeforethewomenranfromhim,sometimesscreamingandcursingastheyleft.

‘Arethereanythatstandoutsofar?’Katesaid.
Lukeshookhishead,rememberingthetermsofhiscontract.Heneededtostaywiththe‘winner ’

forsixmonths.Manyofthefacesbeforehimwereclearlyinitfortheringandbankaccount,justas
Harrison had warned. They would be sorely disappointed when they saw just how much of Luke’s
winnings had gone into partying in his twenties and just how little of Daddy’s money made its way
intohispossession.

‘Notreally.’
‘Well,you’llhavetopickoneforthefirstsingledate.Doyouhaveanyoneinmindforthat?’
‘Perhapsher,’hereplied,pointingatAnna.Ifshewasasdisinterestedinhimashesuspected,at

least she wouldn’t cling or interrogate him about the genetic quirks he’d be passing down to her
children. Every single one of the women—except Anna—had thrown herself at him the previous
night, asking the same questions about how many children he wanted. But Anna had seemed to be
avoidinghim,evenwhenthecamerashadn’tyetswarmedonthem,anditwasn’tina‘playinghardto
get’kindofway.Plustherewasthephoto;shelookedsonormal.

KatesuckedinaloudbreathandJoeshotaglanceather,asifwarninghertokeephermouthshut.
‘Anyoneelse?’Joesaid.
Lukepointedtothreeotherwomen.Twoherememberedmakinghimlaughandathirdwhowas

shyerthanalloftheothers.

‘Okay,andanyyoutookanimmediatedislikingto…’
This one was surprisingly easy. He didn’t usually have snap negative reactions to beautiful

women,butwhoeverhadcasttheshowmadeiteasytopinpointthecrazies,bitchesandclingers.He
pointedtoonephoto,thenanother,thentwomore.Joegrabbedthemandstuckthemonawhiteboard
onthefarwall,separatedfromthephotosofthewomenLukeliked.

‘You know we’ll have to keep on some of these? We’ll need a couple of villains to drive the

show.’

‘Iknow.’Luke’slegsitchedandtheairintheroomfeltstagnant.Hejoggedhisheelsagainstthe

ground.Usuallywhenhefeltthisway,he’djustthrowonajacketandhitthesnow.Allyearroundhe
made sure it was just outside his window. Right now, all he wanted was to throw his body into the
sparklingsurf.

‘I’mthinkingwe’llputthespotlightonthesewomen,andkeepthemintheshowuntilatleasttop

six.’Kateshuffledafewofthephotostoonesideofthewall.‘Andthesecanbethevillains,sothey’ll
alsobehangingaround.’Shemovedafewmorephotos.

Annawasn’tineitherpile.Itlayuntouchedonthedesk.‘Whatabouther?’Lukeasked,pointingat

thephoto.

‘We don’t think she’ll be great on camera,’ Kate replied quickly, cutting off whatever response

Joewasabouttogive.Joenarrowedhiseyesandhislipspressedtogether.

‘We’ll see how she goes.’ Joe shuffled the photos into a single pile and returned them to the

manilafolder.HehandedthefiletoKateandstood.‘Now,takethenextfewhourstorelax,’hesaidto
Luke.‘We’llstartthedatestonight.’

Assoonastheysawthemselvesout,Luketurnedandexitedthroughthedoorattheoppositeend

oftheroom.Eachsteptowardsthebeacheasedthepersistenttinglinginhislegs.Whenhereachedit,
theunevensandfeltlikeamassage.Lukestompedalong,weavingthroughthepalmtreestowardsthe
ocean, pulling his shirt and shorts off as he headed for the stinger net—the one downside of this
tropicalparadise.

The yellow sun hovered high above the horizon. Those bright Australian rays were almost

blinding.Itwasworthitforthebeach,though.ThewaterglitteredlikeSwarovskicrystalsoppositea
forestofpalmtrees.Thewhiteoceanswellrubbedagainstthesand.Lukeswambackwards,watching
the beach as it retreated. The jagged line of hills or mountains in the distance framed the tropical
beach.Itwouldn’thavebeenasurpriseifapodofbottleneckdolphinshadappearedfrombeneaththe
flatsurf.

Hestayedlikethat,gentlypaddlingandlookingbackatthesand,ashesawAnnaemergefromthe

treeline.Shehurriedalongthebeach,dressedingymclothesandclutchingsomethingsmallinher
hands, coming to a stop about where the path from the ocean to Luke’s guest house behind the
mansionwashidden.Withonlytheoccasionalglanceatthesceneryaroundher,shedroppedtothe
groundanddrewherkneesuptoherchest.

Luke didn’t deal well with upset women, but he couldn’t exactly leave her alone now he’d seen

her.Plustherewassomethingaboutherthatdidn’taddupandLukewantedtoknowwhatitwas.She
acteddifferentlyfromeveryothercontestant.Theproducersanddirectordidn’tseemtothinkofher
asacontender.Andnow,surroundedbyoneofthemostbeautifullandscapesLukehadeverseen,she
didn’tlookuponce.

Asheswamtowardstheshore,hesawthattheobjectsheheldwasaphone.Acontrabandphone

thatsheclutchedtoherear.

Hewasn’ttryingtosneakuptoher.Thereweresplashesofwaterandthecrunchofshellsunder

his feet to alert her to his presence. But she didn’t notice, her attention fixed on the conversation at
hand.Hewasametreawaywhenshelookedup,andaninvoluntarygaspescapedherlips.Hereyes
widenedevenmorewhenhefloppedontothegroundbyherside,ignoringthewayshewatchedthe
waterdripfromhisbody.Hefelthisshortstightenashenoticedhowherclothesclungtoherthighs
andthefrontofhersingletstretchedacrossherbreasts.

‘I have to go,’ she said into the mouthpiece, hanging up in a swift movement and pocketing the

device.

‘Goodmorning,’hesaid.Hehadneededtosaysomethingtodistracthereyesfromhisbody—to

preventthemfromcreepingbelowhiswaistline.Whateversheexpectedfromhim,speakingclearly
wasn’t it. At the sound of his voice, Anna jumped; quite clumsily, given that she was in a seated
position.

Lukeheldhishandsup.‘Woah,calmdown.I’mnotgoingtoratyouout.’
‘You’re not?’ Her words came out breathy and sultry. She cleared her throat and tried again. ‘I

mean,you’renot?’

Luke felt no less affected the second time. His body reacted to her tone, angling to face her. He

cockedhisheadandsaid,‘You’reriskinganawfullotforafewcheck-ins.’

Thelawyersranhimthroughthecontractsmonthsbefore,explainingthelegalactionthatwould

betakenifheweretosneakabanneddeviceontotheshow.Notthattheywouldactuallysuehim.His
fatherwasfounderandCEOofthenetwork,andhehadmorethanenoughmoneytocopewithafine.
Hewastheonlyman;itwasn’tliketheycouldevicthim,liketheywouldthewomen.

‘Youshouldunderstand.Youwereaneliteathlete.Imaginethatdedication,buttoasmallbusiness.

A brand new business.’ She eyed him like she wanted to grab a handful of sand and throw it in his
eyes.‘AndI’mnotcheckingin.I’mcoordinatingthetradies.’

‘Hey … I’m sorry.’ He held up his hands again. Her scowl was adorable and Luke was quickly

discoveringthathelikeditwhenshewasfeisty.Thiswasthetypeofgirlhe’djoinedtheshowtomeet.
Not the cookie cutters and the women obsessed with the decline of their fertility. ‘You’re the one
who’sstartingadessertcafé,aren’t—’

‘I’dbetterbegettingback.’Shestruggledtoherfeet.
‘Youdon’twanttobehere,doyou?’
Atthatshestoppedandnarrowedhereyes.Lukehidagrin.
‘What?’shesaid.
‘WhatIcan’tfigureoutis,why?’
Shehesitated.
‘Youcantellmethetruth.Whyareyouhere?’
Anna slumped back against the trunk of the palm tree. ‘I … My sister, Kate, is a producer and

someonedroppedout.’

‘You’reafillin?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Doyouhaveaboyfriendathome?’
AweightliftedfromLuke’schestasAnnalaughed.‘No.’
‘Doyouwantone?’heteased.Hecouldn’tgetenoughofheropensmile,theonethatshowedoff

herstraightrowsofteeth.Sherewardedhimwithanotherandshookherhead.

‘So,areyougoingtokickmeofftheshow?’
Henudgedherkneewithhis.‘WhywouldIdothat?’
‘MaybebecauseIdon’twanttobehere?’

‘You’re already here. Why not have some fun?’ he said, putting a hand on her bouncing knee

beforeshejumpedupandawayfromhimagain.

‘Ihaveabusinesstogetbackto.’
‘That’s what the phone is for, right? But if you stick around, you can go on great dates and get

somerelaxationforfree.’

‘Ididn’tcomehereforfun.’
‘Butyou’reherenow.Andifyouweregoingtoleave,youwould’vedoneitalready.’
‘Ican’tleave.Isignedacontract.’
‘Ah,sotheythreatenedtosueyou.Theytriedthatwithmetoo.’
‘Whywouldyouneedtoleave?’
‘Haveyoumetthewomenonthisshow?’hesaid,thinkingoftheheadshotsfromearlier.
‘Someofthemarereallynice.’
‘Andallofthemwantmybabies.’
‘Isn’tthatthepoint?’
‘Notforme.Iwastolditwasadatingshow,withnoweddinginsight.Justaseriousrelationship.

Love.’

‘Well,goodluckwiththat.’
‘You’regoing?’
‘Yes,becauseIcan’tgetcaughttalkingtotheLoveEliminationsuitoroff-camera.I’llgetkicked

offtheshowandhavetopaybackthemoney.’

‘Wellifthisisaboutthemoney,wecancometoanarrangement,’hesaid.‘Youcouldstaywiththe

showandI’llgiveyouthedesignerringinthefinale.’

Theoffercameoutbeforehehadachancetothinkitthrough.Hadhereallygivenupontheshow

already? The cameras, the pushy producers and the vacuous women were more than he’d been
expecting.Buthereallywasreadyforaseriousrelationship.Readytofallinlove.Hewouldn’thave
agreedtoitotherwise,evenwithhisfatherasking.

‘Oryoucouldjustsendmehome,’shesaid,brushingthesandfromherlong,smoothlegs.The

sightwasbetterthanthebeacharoundthem.ThensheleftandLukecouldn’ttearhiseyesfromheras
shewalkedawayorremovethegrinfromhisface.

***

ThemansionwasbuzzingwhenAnnareturned.Sheadjustedherphoneinherjacketpocket,crossed
herarmsoverherstomachtoholditinplaceandranupstairstoherroom.Thankfullyitwasempty.
Sheunzippedherjacketanddumpedthephoneonherunmadebed,butbeforeshecouldstashitaway
inhersuitcase,thedoorswungopen.

‘Anna!Wherehaveyoubeenthismorning?’Hadiecalled,walkingintotheroom.Annatriedto

turnandthrowthesheetsoverthephonesimultaneously.Sheachievedneither.Insteadshemanagedto
toppleoverandfalltothefloor,givingHadieanevenclearerviewofthebed.Itwasimpossibleto
miss,starkblackagainstwhitesheets.Hadiefroze.

‘Is that yours?’ she asked. The hurt in the downturn of her lips cut straight through to Anna’s

conscience.Thewomancouldn’tseemtohideasingleemotionorthought.Weirdly,itwasthething
Annalikedmostabouther.SheautomaticallytrustedHadie.

‘Yes,’ Anna said in a whisper. There was nothing to do now except wait as Hadie spun around,

stalkedfromtheroomandtoldtheotherwomen.Fromthere,thecrewandproducerswouldfindout

onlytooquicklywhatshe’ddone.EvenKatewouldn’tbeabletosaveher.

Anna fought the disappointment welling in her heart. She really couldn’t give the money back.

Thedepositwaspaid,leasecontractsignedandrenovationsbegun.

‘Howdidyousneakitinhere?Allourbagswerechecked!’
‘There’sahiddenpocketinoneofmydresses.’
TherewasasilenceasHadieabsorbedherwords.
‘I know we’ve only been on the show for five seconds, so, objectively speaking, this is kind of

ridiculous,butyoushouldhavetoldme.’

Annaleanedbackagainstthebed,stillslumpedontheground.‘Icouldn’triskit.’
Hadie nodded but didn’t say anything. She crossed the room to her own suitcase, pulling out a

singletandshorts.WithoutlookinginAnna’sdirection,shechangedintotheoutfit.

‘Doyouthink,maybe,Icouldborrowitsometimes?Tocallmyson?’
The tenderness in her voice broke Anna’s heart. Compared to Hadie, she had no compelling

reason to break the rules. She cared about her business, but it was not even in the same league as
leavingachildbehind.

‘Ofcourse,’Annasaid.‘Ofcourseyoucan.’
ThewomenmadeeyecontactandHadie’sreliefhungbetweenthemintheair.‘Thankyou.’
Neithersaidanythingmoreuntilthemomentpassed.
‘You missed the announcement,’ Hadie said eventually, riffling through her suitcase again and

comingout with apair of socksand some sandshoes. ‘Oneof the producerspopped by earlier. We
haveanhourtogetreadyinfitnesswearforthefirstgroupdatethisevening.’

Annagrabbedherphoneandpackeditaway,searchingthroughherownbagforanappropriate

changeofclothes.

‘Hadie?’ The tightness in Anna’s chest hadn’t yet receded. ‘You’re not going to tell anybody,

right?Aboutthephone,Imean.’

‘No.It’sjustbetweenus.’
‘Thankyou.’Shesmiledgently.‘DoyouwanttocallyoursonwhileItakeashower?’

CHAPTER

Annahadspentthepastthreedayssneakingaroundthevilla,tryingtouseherphonewithouttherest
of the cast finding out and avoiding the producers when they dropped by to film interviews. Three
days. It was enough confinement to drive a person insane. She was entirely ready for the next
elimination.Whatshedidn’twantwastobedraggedoutofbedatridiculouso’clockforagroupdate.
Butnowshewashere,shecouldn’tquitesummontheenergytobeannoyed.

‘Thisisgreat!’Hadiesquealed.‘IwishMattywashere.’
Anna’sfacestretchedintoagrin.Anytwo-year-oldboywouldlovethis.Theywereinashedthat

had been transformed into the ultimate kids’ playground. Trampolines covered every inch of the
ground, some on different angles. There were trampoline basketball courts, trampoline slides,
trampoline playgrounds … Maybe it wasn’t the expensive sky-diving or international holiday date
Annaexpected,butitlookedlikemorefunthanshehadhadinyears.Herinnerfive-year-oldfizzed
withexcitement.

‘Iknow,’Annasaid.‘Whatdoyouwanttodofirst?’
‘That’seasy.Theslide!’
HadiebouncedoffwithoutwaitingtoseeifAnnawasfollowing.HowHadie’schildcoped,Anna

didn’tknow.Histoyswouldgetmoreusefromherthanhim.Sheimaginedhimbeingdraggedfrom
playgroundtoplaygroundbyhisexcitablemother.

Whentheyturnedthecornerandfoundtheslide,AnnaandHadiestopped.Lukewasafewmetres

uptheladderthatwashigherthanyourordinaryroof,withYvetteatthebase.Itwasimpossiblenotto
watch him. All three women stood with heads tilted back. The muscles in Luke’s arms and legs
tightenedasheclimbed.Hisbodywasenoughtomakeawomandrool.

‘Waithere,’Yvettesneered.‘LukeandIwantamomentaloneupthere.’
‘Well,youbetterhurrythen,’Hadiesaid.YvetteshotHadieatrulyimpressiveglareandspunon

herheel,followingLuke.

On the first night, Yvette had struck Anna as the type of person who may be cast as the bitch—

someoneplayingaparttheproducerswantedhertoplay.Nowshewasn’tsosureitwasanact,even
withtwocamerasandaGoProaimedatthem.

‘It’s pretty busy here,’ Anna said, glancing up at Love Elimination’s suitor. ‘I think I’ll go try

somethingelse.’

‘Nonsense.’Hadietuggedonherarm.‘It’sfine—andyoupromisedwe’dsticktogether.Thisisthe

firstdateI’vebeenonsinceIgotpregnant.’

‘Idon’tthinkthatplatformisgoingtoholdfourpeople,Hadie.Wouldn’tyourathergetamoment

tochatwithLuke?’

‘Sowe’lljustpushYvettedownfirst.Easypeasy,’Hadiesaid.
Annarolledhereyesathernewfriend,whohadalreadyhoistedherselfontotheladder.
‘Comeon!’

***

Lukewaitedimpatientlyatthetopoftheslide.Thiswasn’tthetypeofdatehewould’veorganisedto
get to know eleven women. Not that Love Elimination was the way he would have tried to find a
girlfriendinthefirstplace.

‘Hi handsome,’ Yvette said on reaching the platform. ‘Finally, I get some one-on-one time with

you.’

‘Absolutely,’hesaid,fakingenthusiasmforthemicrophoneonhisshirtandthecamerapointedat

themfrombelow.‘Tellmeaboutyourself.’

‘Well,I’maflightattendant,soItravelalot.Iworkinbusinessclassandmeetalotofinteresting

people.’

Byinterestinghewassureshemeant‘rich’.Thewayshe’deyedoffhiswatchonthefirstnight

hadnotescapedhim.

‘But my favourite part of the job,’ she continued, ‘is walking a runway every day; I’ve always

wantedtobeaVictoria’sSecretmodel.’

Thenshestartedtalkingabouthernails.Shedidn’tneedquestionsoranyindicationthatLukewas

stilllistening.Shejustkeptspeaking.Uninterrupted.Luketriedtopayattention.Hereallydid.Shewas
thetypeofwomanheusuallydated:hot,polished,socialclimber.Unfortunatelyforher,hewasdone.
Hewassickofwomenwhocaredmoreabouthiswealthandfamethanhim.

OnlywhentheshortblondewomanreachedtheplatformdidYvettestoptalkingaboutherself.A

few seconds later, Anna joined them. The platform was too crowded for the four of them. Time he
madehisescape.

‘Iguessthat’smycuetomovealong,’hesaidashepushedoff.Thelandingatthebottomofthe

slidewasaninflatedsurfacethatwrappedaroundhisbody.Hedraggedhimselftotheedgeasathump
sounded behind him. Luke stretched out his hand for the body that had landed where he’d been a
momentearlier.Yvettegrabbedit,groaningashepulledherfree.Shestumbledintohisarms.

‘Myankle,’shewhisperedintohisearlikeitwasaseduction.
Hegrimaced,butpickedherupandcarriedhertotheclosestflatsurface.‘Isithurt?’
Shewincedashesmoothedhishandsaroundtheankleshewasholdingtenderly.‘Youhavegreat

hands,’shecrooned.

‘Yvette.’Hehadtoactivelyrestrainhimselffromgrindinghisteeth.‘Doesitstillhurt?’
‘Ouch,’shecried.
‘Okay.Let’sgetyoutomedical.’Hesighed.‘Canyouwalk?’
Shesmiledupathim.‘I’dratherbeinyourarms.’
Andhewouldratherbeontheslopes.Whyhadn’thearguedharderwithhisfather?Therehadto

be another way to pay him back, to thank him for swooping in when he was injured. For being the
only person who supported him, with no investment in his snowboarding career. One that didn’t
involve cameras in his face or women eying off his alleged fortune. Retirement was supposed to
meananendtoboth.Nowhewasrightbacktowherehe’dbeenattheheightofhisfame—withagold
diggerinhisarmsandaherdofwomenonthesidelines,justdesperatetotakeherplace.

***

Anna’sstomachachedfromthefitsoflaughtercausedbyHadie’sandRachel’santics.Thepointcame
whenshehadtotakeabreak,joiningLiuKunandChristinaatthetricksarea,whileHadieandRachel

continuedtopelteachotherwithdodgeballs.Allthewomenwererelaxing—showingofftheirfun
sidesforLukeWestwood.TheywouldbeallsmilesifnotforLuke’sconstantdisappearingtocheck
onYvette,who’dsuccessfullystolenthespotlightforthedaywithoutevenbeingintheroom.Notthat
Annacared,buttherestofthecastweresneakingglarestowardstheentrancetothebuilding.

‘Shemustbereallyhurt,’LiuKunsaid,bouncingclosertoAnna,whowassittingcrossleggedin

themiddleofthetrampoline.

‘Herfoothadbetterbebroken,’Christinacutin.‘Foralltheattentionshe’sgetting.’
‘Doyouthinkshe’dleaveifitwas?’Annabitherlip.WhatifYvettehadtoquittheshowdueto

injury?Theyprobablywouldn’thaveanevictionandherowndeparturewouldbedelayed.

‘Yvette could break every bone in her body and she would still stay.’ Christina continued to

eyeballthedoor.

‘Howlongdoyouthinkit’sbeen?Anhour?’LiuKunsaid.
‘Maybe. Or longer. They better extend the date or only half of us will get a chance to speak to

Luke,’Christinareplied.

Annastood.Thisconversationwastoxic.ThankstoChristina,itwastheexactkindofbitchingthat

theproducersloved.ItwouldbemakingitontotheepisodeforsureandAnnadidn’twanttobeany
partofit.Sheshouldhavegottenoutsoonerandmadeherwaytooneoftheothergroups.Whichshe
wouldnow,exceptthatallthebouncingmeantthatAnnaneededtopee.

She spotted Kate and the director at the front of the room and weaved her way around the

trampolinestowardsthem.Acamerafollowedher.Itmadeherskincrawlbeingwatchedlikethatall
thetime.Didtheythinkshe’ddosomethingtelevision-worthyonherwaytospeaktoKate?

‘—definitelyfaking,’Katewassaying.Annaautomaticallyslowedherapproach.‘ShallIleakitto

theothercontestants?’

Thedirectorpaused.Neithernoticedthatthey’dalreadyleakedinformationtoacontestant,with

Anna standing only a few metres away. It wasn’t hard to figure out who or what they were talking
about.Yvettewasfaking?Didtheproducersputheruptoit?

‘Yes.WhisperinRachel’sear.Ifshedoesn’ttelltheotherswithinfifteenminutes,tryBrookeor

Tamsen.Makesuretogetsomeangryinterviews.’

Kateturnedandtheyfinallyrealisedshewasstandingthere.
‘Anna!Whatareyoudoinghere?’
She stammered out her explanation. She followed her sister ’s directions out the front door and

intothelobby.Annafroze.

YvetteandLukesatagainstthewall.Asinglecamerapointedatthemfromtheothersideofthe

room—almost giving them privacy by Love Elimination’s standards. Anna didn’t move as she
watched Yvette, who leaned in to Luke and pressed her lips against his. It only lasted a second but
Annafelttimedrag.Herheartclenchedatthesight.WhatwasLukeWestwooddoingkissingoneof
thecontestantsonthefirstdate?AnyoneofthemcouldhavewalkedinonhimandYvette—someone
whogenuinelyhopedtofallinlovewithhim.Whatanarsehole.Oraproducers’puppet.Eitherway,
Anna’sassumptionsaboutthemanwereconfirmed.

The couple broke apart and Anna took her chance to rush past, following the illuminated toilet

signs.‘Holdonthere.Theshotwasinterrupted,’Annaheardthecameramansayassheretreateddown
the corridor. ‘Yvette, we’re going to need you to do that again. Pretend it was the first time. Three,
two,one,ACTION.’

***

‘One final interview: Anna, Christina, Rachel and Yvette.’ Joe called the names from a list and the
producersusheredthewomenintherightdirection.Anna’spalmsgrewsweatyastheywereledtoa
setaroundthesideofthebuilding.Foramoment,itlookedlikeshemightescapewithoutspeakingto
thecameras:therestofthecontestantswerepilingontotheminibusasthefourofthemwerelinedup
againstthebrickwallofthebuilding.

AtleastitwasKatedoingtheinterview.SheshotaquicksmileatAnna.
‘Whatdidyouthinkofthegroupdate,Anna?’Kateasked.
‘It was fun. It was great to do something athletic with Luke, to show him a different side to us

fromthecocktaildressesofthefirstnight,’shereplied.

Katenodded.‘AndChristina—didyoufeellikeyougotenoughtimewithLuke?’
‘No.’
ThecornersofKate’smouthflickeredupwardsattheanswer.Itwasobviouslytheoneshewanted.

‘Andwhyisthat?’

‘He spent a lot of time with just one person,’ Christina said. The younger woman frowned and

shotaglanceatYvette.

ButKatekeptpushing.ClearlyvagueslightsatanothercontestantwerenotgoodenoughforLove

Elimination.‘WhodoyoufeeltookupLuke’sattentiontoday?’

Christinaturnedtoglareatthewomaninquestion.‘Yvette.’
‘Canyousaythattothecamera,please,Christina?’Katepointedatthecameradirectlyopposite

them.‘Say:“YvettetookupallofLuke’stimetoday.Nooneelsegottotalktohim.”’

Afteramoment’shesitation,Christinadidasshewasinstructed.
‘Again,please,Christina,’Katesaid.
Christinatriedasecondtime.Herwordsweremorefluent,butstillitwasn’tgoodenough.Kate

made her repeat it a third time and Anna suddenly realised what she was doing. Christina sounded
frustrated at having to keep trying. Without the context, it would probably sound like Christina was
angryatYvette—tentimesmoresothanherfirstattempt.

‘HowdidYvettemonopoliseLuke?Rachel?’
‘Shefakedaninjury,’Rachelsaid.WhethershewasbeingfrankasAnnahadcometoexpectfrom

thefieryredheadorshewasplayingtowhatKatewanted,Annawasn’tsure.

‘Whatdoyouhavetosaytothat,Yvette?’
‘I’m doing whatever it takes to get to know Luke,’ Yvette said sweetly. ‘I’m not here to make

friends.Iwanttofallinlove.’

‘Isthereanythingelseyouwanttoadd,Anna?AboutYvette’sbehaviourtoday?’
Annafrownedathersister.‘No.’
No—shemostcertainlydidnotwanttobefilmedtellingtherestofthecastaboutthefirstkissof

the season, to then be broadcast to the entire nation. Was her sister insane? Anna wouldn’t be
manipulatedintobecomingoneoftheirpawns.

‘Okay,thankyou,ladies.’Katedismissedthemwithawaveofherhand.‘That’sallfortoday.’
They were silent as the crew stripped them of their microphones and directed them to the bus.

Hadie and a few others were already chatting in the backseat, unaware of the tension between the
contestantswhohadbeeninterviewed.

‘What’sgoingon?’LiuKunasked.AnnaslumpedintotheemptyseatnexttoherandRacheltook

theoneoppositeher.

‘YvetteherefakedherinjurytogetmoretimewithLuke,’Rachelsaid.
‘Youweren’tgoingtomakeitpastthenextevictionanyway,’Yvettesaidasthebusdoorclosed—

withthecrewandtheircamerasontheotherside.Shestoodatthetopoftheaisle,usingthespacelike
astage.Thewomanwasn’tnervousorbashfulintheslightest.Inaway,Annaadmiredthat.Evenif
shedidn’tlikeYvette,thewomanwasunapologeticinwhoshewasandwhatshewanted.

‘Lukedidn’tevennoticeyou,Rachel.Youallneedtostepitup,’shecontinued.‘I’mnotgoingto

stoptryingjustbecauseyouaren’twillingtodowhatittakestowinthebillionaire.Youcancastme
asthevillainontheshow,youcanhatemeallyouwant,butI’mgoingtobethelastwomanstanding
inthefinale.’

CHAPTER

‘There’ll be a single date today,’ one of the women told the room. Anna didn’t bother looking up
fromhercrosswordtocheckwhoitwas.‘Forsure.’

‘Didyouconsultyourcrystalball?’Yvette,whoAnnanowthoughtofasQueenBitch,askedwith

anasaltone.Twocameraszoomedinonherface.Anotherscannedthereactionsoftheotherwomen.
Annahadfoundherselftheperfectposition:rightnexttothecamera.Shewassoclosetothetripod,
therewasnowayitcouldgetagoodshotofher.

‘Notacrystalball.Thestarshavealigned.’Rachelwinkedatthecamera,whileYvetterolledher

eyesatanother.

‘Someoneneedstocomeinandtelluswhat’sgoingon.’
‘Sothisiswhatrealitytelevisionislike.Awholebunchofwaiting.’
‘They’renevergoingtotellus.It’llbeallsuspense.’
‘Maybeweshouldtakecharge…revolt,’AnnamutteredtoHadie,whohidagrin.‘Organiseour

owndatesandwecanjusttellLukeandthecrewwhat’sgoingtohappen.’

‘Holdononemoment,’Joecalledandeveryoneintheroomstopped.‘Anna,canIgetyoutosay

thatagain?ButthistimeIneedyoutolookupatCamera3andspeakabitlouder,andmoreclearly.’
Henodded,asifheneededtoaffirmhisowninstruction.‘Action!’

‘Wait,whatdidIsay?’Annastruggledtostifleherpanic.Acrewmemberrepeatedherownwords

backtoheracoupleoftimesuntilshelearnedthembyheart.Thewholethingwasutterlyridiculous.
Eventheirpositioningwasfake.Thecoucheshadbeenpushedintoashapewheretheywouldfitthe
eleven remaining women while giving the cameras access to every angle. Four of the women had
been swapped around until there was a pleasant balance of clothing colours. Two other contestants
hadbeenrearrangedsothattheirposessuitedthetableau.EachtimeJoespokeorthecamerastopped
rolling, Liu Kun subtly shifted herself closer to a normal sitting position—as opposed to the
ridiculouspositionthecrewhadtwistedherintosothatitlookedlikeshe’dbeendoingyogawhile
theotherwomensataroundandchatted.

‘Weshouldleadarevolt!’Annasaidtotheceiling,tryingdesperatelytoexudetheenthusiasmthey

neededtomovepastthisscene.‘Let’stakechargeandrunthedatesourselves.Someonejustneedsto
letLukeWestwoodknow.’

Thedirectorandcrewsighedaudibly,probablyruiningtheshotonceagain.Notthatitmattered.

AtleasthalfofthegroupwerelaughingatAnna’sforceddelivery.

‘Thankyou,Anna.Pleasegobacktogeneralchatteraboutwhatwillhappentoday,’heinstructed.
If someone had joined the show to write a tell-all, behind-the-scenes exposé, Anna sincerely

hopedtheyhadaback-upplan.She’dhadmoreinterestingshiftscleaningrawmeatfromtheslicer
forthreehoursstraight.Shecouldn’teventellhowlongthisuniqueformoftorturestretchedon—
they’d taken away her watch. The walls bore stunning pieces of art, but not a single clock. The
productioncrewhadgoneoutoftheirwaytokeepthecontestantsintheLoveEliminationbubble.

FinallyMasonLockiermadehisentrance,hisgreetingsandflirtingprolongedasusual.Hemade

timetocommentoneverysinglecontestant,teasinganddrawingoutanythinginterestingaboutthem.
He had to try a lot harder with some than others. While there were eleven contestants in the room,
therewereonlyaboutsevenoreightpersonalities.

By the time she’d listened to the ten other witty, funny, cute, sexy or whatever characters the

womenhadassumedfortheshow,Annawasdone.Herpatiencewasatanend.AndthenKateslidinto
theroomandstoodbehindthecamera,twistingherringsaroundherfingers.

‘Now,it’shightimeIhaveachattoeveryone’sfavouritecontestant!’Masonannounced.‘Anna.’
‘I’m your favourite, Mason? Are you even allowed to pick favourites?’ she teased, hoping to

defusethesuddenhatredshecouldfeelemanatingfromsomeofherfellowcontestants.Itdidnothing
topreventthedeathstaresthatYvette,TallulahandBrookeshotacrosstheroom.

‘Notme.Australialovesyou,mydear.’
‘Me?’
Thistimetheglaresdidn’tjustcomefromYvetteandherfriends,whoAnnahadmentallylabelled

the‘meangirls’,knowingfullwellshewasbuyingintoastupidcliché;theywerethecontestantswho
were nice to everyone’s faces and bitched behind their backs. But now only Hadie looked at her
withouthatred.

Therewerenodroppedjawsorwide-eyedstaresfromthecrew.Eitherthemomentwasscripted,

orMasonhadpermissiontorevealtheinformation.Butthatdidn’tmeanAnnabelievedittobetrue
forasinglesecond.

‘Yes.You!Thankstoyourbrilliantmodestyandevenbettercampaignmanager.’
‘What?’
Itwaslikebeingfilmedinthemiddleofapopquizforatopicshewasn’tstudying.Hereyesmet

Kate’s, but her sister just shook her head and jerked her head in the direction of Mason until Anna
lookedaway.Anyofthewomencouldhavecaughttheirexchange,buttheyseemedtobealternating
betweentryingtoreadAnna’sexpressionfordetailsandvisiblywillingherdead.

‘Don’tplaydaftwithmenow,Anna.’
‘Whatdoyoumean,mycampaignmanager?’
The cameras were all on her. Kate was looking at her with her arms pressed to her sides, her

handsflattenedandtenseagainstherpencilskirt.YvetteandTallulahwerenotsoquietlywhispering
toeachother,scheminghowthey’dstabherwiththeirstilettoslaterthatday.

‘Now, we can’t go revealing outside information to the other contestants. This will just have to

remainourlittlesecret.Offyougo,Anna.Youneedtogetreadyforyourdate!’

You’vegottobekidding!Annacouldbarelykeepthewordslockedawayinsideherself.

***

Anna didn’t like dates. She rarely felt her heart flutter at the anticipation of a romantic dinner or
movienight.Whatshehatedmostwasthehourofpreparation,washingherhair,doinghermake-up,
andconsultingwithKateaboutclothes.Thentherewastheinevitabledisappointmentthathadtainted
herlovelifeupuntilnow.

Yethereshewasonabeach,dressedinjodhpursthathidnothingandathinwhiteshirtthatwasa

size too small, being filmed by a camera crew. To top it off, she was within full view of the beach
house’ssecond-floorveranda,sotheothercontestantswereallout,watching.Ifthiswassupposedto
bethewaiting-in-suspensescene,Annawasnotimpressed.Sheknewshelookednothingbutannoyed

andsquintyfromtheblazingsun.Shewasnotallowedtowearsunglasses.

Suspense was the last thing on the menu. Luke stood just twenty-five metres away, next to two

tetheredhorses.Shecouldsmellthehorsehairfromwhereshewasstanding.Joeshouteddirections
for her to peer down the beach looking nervous and curious. Not that watching Luke climb onto a
chestnuthorsewasahardship.Theman’sshirtwasonlyhalfbuttonedandtherolled-upsleevesleft
hisarmsbare.AcrewmemberuntetheredthehorsesandLukerodetowardsher,leadingtheriderless
horse.

Filmingpausedastwocrewmembersrushedforwardstoplaceaboxnexttothehorse,allowing

Luketodismountwithadropoflessthanametre.Atthis,Annacouldn’thelpbutsmile.

‘Anna.’Whenhewasfinallyontheground,heenvelopedherinahug.Forthefirsttime,hisscent

madehersneeze,notswoon.Hesmeltlikeabarn.

‘Youlookgreat,’hesaid.‘Haveyoueverbeenhorseridingbefore?’
‘OnlywhenIwasreallyyoung,whentheyputyouonaponyandleadyouaroundafamilyfun

fair.’

‘Thenyou’rebetterpreparedfortoday’sdatethanIam,’hereplied,leadinghertowardsthewhite

horse. It was smaller than the chestnut one, but still too high for Anna to mount without help. Anna
rubbedherpalmalongthehorse’srumpandavoidedLuke’seyesasheplacedhishandsonherwaist.
Withoneswiftmovement,hehoistedherintotheair.Itseemedeffortless.Herskintingledbeneathhis
touchandanyprotestsshemighthavevoiceddiedinthebackofherthroat.

‘Ifyou’veneverriddenbefore,whywouldyouorganiseahorse-ridingdate?’sheasked,mostly

todistractherselffromthecamerastrainedontheirawkwardinteraction.

‘Idon’tactuallycontrolanything.I’mapuppetinthisshow—sameasyou.’Heshotheracheeky

grin.

‘Luke!’Joebarked.
‘I’vealwayswantedtotry,’Lukeexplainedwiththeexactinflectionsashispreviousattempt.The

accuracymadeAnnagiggle.Hemadehergiggle.Hewasfunny.

With crew on either side to ensure the horses walked straight, they set off down the beach. The

wholethingwassurrealandthesilencewasagonising.Annawasn’tusuallyonetofilleverymoment
withtalk,butwithoutitshecouldn’thelpobsessingoverthefeelofthesmoothsaddlethroughthethin
fabricofherjodhpursandhardleatherbeneathherbum.Shesquirmed.Sunglintedfromthecameras
so they stood out like ugly growths on the otherwise stunning beach. There were five cameras and
morethandoublethatincrew,allfocusedonAnnaandLukeasthehorsesambledalongthebeach.

‘Ask him why he chose you for the single date!’ Joe yelled. But she didn’t need to ask. Clearly

Lukewastorturingher.Still,shedidasshewastold.

‘Whyme?’shesaid.‘Whydidyouchoosemeforthesingledate?’
‘Becauseyou’renervousaboutthis:thewholerealitytelevisionthing.Iwantedtogettoknowyou

awayfromtheothergirls.’

‘WhydoyouthinkI’mnervous?’
‘Youavoidedmeonthefirstnight.Youcouldbarelylookmeintheeye.’
‘Andyouassumethat’sbecauseI’mnervous?’Annateased.‘Youhaveaprettybigegothere.’
She couldn’t help it. She loved his reactions. They made her laugh and smile and shrug off the

anxietyinherchest.Evenwiththecamerasthere,shecouldn’thelpbutenjoyhiscompany;exceptfor
thepoundingheartbeatandgoosebumpseverytimeheneared.

‘Whatelsecoulditbe?’
‘MaybeIdon’tfindyouattractive.Maybeit’snotmeanttobe.’

‘Weallknowthat’snotit.Youwanttoripmyclothesoff.’
Annalaughed.‘Oh,isthatright?’
‘Itsureis.So,let’stalk.’Helookedherdirectlyintheeye.‘Doyouplayanysports?’
‘Nope,Itoldyou.Wehavenothingincommon.’
‘Didn’tyouplayanythingasakid?’
‘Notreally.’
‘Wow.Sowhatwasyourthingthen?’
‘Cooking.’
‘That’sall?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Poorkid.’
‘Well,notallofuscanbeworld-classathletesbythetimewe’resixteen.’
‘Soyouwerelistening.Orgossipingaboutmewiththeothers.’Lukewinked.‘Goodtoknow.’
‘Didyoudoanythingelse,orwasitallsnowboarding?’Annaasked,partlytomakeapoint,and

partlybecauseshefeltcompelled.Whatkindoflifewouldthatbeforateenager,theintensepressure
tosucceedinsuchadangerousfield?

‘Touché.Itwasalltrainingandcompeting.’
‘Howoldwereyouwhenyoustarted?’
‘I’veskiedsinceIwasaboutfiveandswitchedtosnowboardingatnine.’
‘Andwhendidyougetseriousaboutit?’
‘Iwasaboutnineandahalf.’Hesmiled.
Anna nodded, trying to keep her admiration inside. His ego was big enough without her

compliments.

‘Doyoutrustme?’Lukeasked.
Annaglancedathim.‘No.’Theanswerslippedoutwithoutthinking.
‘That’srough.Andhonest.’
‘Notyet,’sheamended,butLukejustchuckled.
‘Fine,letmerephrase.Doyouwanttodosomethingexhilarating?’
‘Sure?’
He released the reins of Anna’s horse and handed them to her. She took them and pulled away

immediately,bitingtheinsideofhercheek.

‘Ready?’Hegrinnedather.
‘Ithinkso,’shesaid,hervoiceshrill.
‘Giddy up!’ he yelled, leaning forwards and pressing into his horse. His animal responded,

kickingagainstthegroundandspeedinguptoafullgallopinseconds.

Anna’s horse charged beneath her, a second behind. Wind rushed past, grabbing and pulling at

Anna’sshirt.Herlegsclenchedaroundthehorse’sbodyandshebrokeoutintoasweatasshetriedto
holdon.Apanickedwhimperescapedhermouth,turningintoafullscreamasthehorsecrashedinto
thewater.Sheclungtothehorse’sreinsandtriednottothrowup.

Theygallopeddownthebeach,splashingthroughtheshallowwater.ShecaughtuptoLukeand

theirhorsesfoughttowinanimaginaryrace.Dropletsspunintotheairandsprayedthemboth.Itwas
likeanextremeversionofrunningthroughsprinklersasakid.Annaclosedhereyesforasecond,
beforerealisingshewasmoreterrifiedwithoutsight.

Thenherhorserearedandsprintedoutofthewater.BloodpoundedinAnna’searsandherflight

or fight instincts kicked in. She tugged at the horse’s reins, but it only sped up, charging along the

sand. Forgetting her fear of hurting the animal, Anna dug her heels into its sides. It took no notice.
Lukeappearedinherperipheralvisionthendisappearedbehindher.AnotherscreamescapedAnna’s
lips.Thehorsewasn’tstopping.

‘Anna!’
Shehadlongsinceoutrunallthecamerasdottedalongthebeachwhenthehorsefinallyslowed

down.Annaslidfromthesaddle,andthenshewasfalling.Itwasonlyaboutametreandahalffrom
thesaddletotheground,butthesandwaslikewavesofconcrete.Itwastheshock,sheknewthat,but
hershoulderstilljarredonimpact.

Thehorsestoppedafewmetresaway,itshoovessinkingintothesand.Nowitsriderwassafely

ontheground,itseemedtohavenointerestindeath-defyingspeeds.

Anna closed her eyes to avoid the spray of sand as Luke tumbled to the ground beside her, but

otherwise,shedidn’tmove.Hishandstouchedhercheeks.

‘Areyouokay?’
‘Yeah,fine.’Anna’smindwhirred,evenifherbodyshookharderthanbefore—likeanearthquake

comparedtowarningtremors—buttheshockwaswearingoff.

‘Are you hurt?’ His hand scooped under her head, supporting it as she sat up. Anna felt the

musclesandbonesinherbodyadjusttothenewposition.Nothingscreamedather.

‘No.I’mfine,’shesaid,butshewasn’t.She’doncereadthatadrenalin-inducingexperiencesbond

people, especially when they were also life threatening. Kate had explained how reality television
series used this to bond participants. They send contestants sky-diving, zooming around in speed
boats,ordroppingoffbridgesinbungeegear.SendingherandLukegallopingthroughthewaterwas
a cute enough idea, until you did it without training, without an experienced rider and without any
safety.Theydidn’tevenhavehelmetson—Godforbidtheygethathair.

Cynicism didn’t usually come naturally to her, but Anna wanted to rip Luke’s hands from her

body and punch his perfect face. Then she wanted to run screaming until she found Kate. Then she
wantedtopinchhersisteruntilshescreamed.Sincewhendotrainedhorsesfreakoutlikethat?Did
the crew intentionally hire a panicky horse, or were they just negligent? Or was it well trained and
had reacted to a signal—an act justified by the reasoning that Anna would never actually be in
danger?Thethoughtwrappedaroundhermindandrefusedtoletgo.

‘Here, let me help you up.’ Luke pulled Anna to her feet. His body pressed against hers as he

embracedherandhelaidahandonherlowerbackandrubbedslowcirclesontoherskin.

Did Luke know? Every word had been supportive, kind and reassuring. He sounded scared for

her. Was he a good actor or was he a puppet just like the rest of them, as he’d said? As they broke
apart,amedictoldhertositbackdown.Anothercrewmembersuppliedanumbrella,stabbingitinto
the ground. Anna and Luke were given water and asked a series of medical questions. Anna’s body
refusedtoceaseitsviolentquaking.

‘Don’tworry,’Lukesaidastheyfinished.‘Thenextpartofthedateisveryrelaxing.We’llfinda

niceshadyspotandhaveapicnic.’

Annawantedtosayno,butherlipsrefusedtoformthewords.Thefighthadleftherbody.
‘Comeon.’Heledherupthebeachlikeachild.Theyonlywalkedalittlewayalongthesandand

into the palm trees. The branches and their leaves offered a denser shade than Anna would have
thoughtbeforeseeingthem.Beneathoneofthetreeswasaredandnavytartanpicnicrug.Sittingon
topwasabrownwickerbasket.AnnatookaseatnexttoLukeandhepulledoutabottleofwine.

‘Drink?’ he asked and Anna nodded vigorously. Alcohol was exactly what she needed. She

acceptedastemmedglassandgulpeddowntherichredwine.

‘That’sbetter,’shemurmured.
‘So,isthisofficiallytheworstdateyou’veeverhad?’Lukescratchedatthemakingsofabeardon

hischeek.

‘Oh,it’supthere.’
‘Comeon.Whatcouldbeworse?’
‘Icaughtmyboyfriendhookingupwithmybestfriendattheformal?’Annarubbedhertemples,

feelingherbodyslowlyrelax.ShewatchedasLukefishedplateafterplateoutofthebasket,placing
eachonthepicnicblanket.ThegourmetselectionshouldhavehadAnna’sstomachbeggingforthe
firsttaste.

‘Okay,thatisworse.’
‘Ididn’tsayworse.Theyprobablydrawforthemostterribledateofalltime.’
ThehonestystrategywasearninghercuriouslooksfromtheLoveEliminationstaffandsidelong

glancesfromLukeWestwoodhimself.Annasmoothedherhairdownoneithersideofherface.She
justwantedtogohome,backtotheprivacyofhertiny,understockedkitchen.Ifshehadtobeabitch
togetthere,maybethatwasthewaytogo.

‘That’sharsh.Areyouhungry?’Lukeasked,examiningthesheerquantityoffood.
‘Sure.’ As much as her stomach revolted at the idea of eating, the hopeful look on his face was

irresistible;denyinghimwouldbelikedenyingachildasimplesmile.

Heloadedupherplateuntilshehadabitofeverythingandshechangedhermindaboutthefood

assoonasthefirstbitemethertastebuds.

‘Stop,’thedirectorinterrupted.‘Thefoodisjustthereforthescene.Don’teatit.’
‘She’shadashock,Joe.Lethereatthegoddamnfood,’Lukegrowled.
‘Themicrophones—’
‘Screw the microphones.’ He held his fork to Anna’s mouth and she took another bite. Then he

angledtheirbodiessoshe’dbeabletoignorethecameras,sittingjustbeyondthepicnicblanket.

‘So,doyouhavesiblings,Anna?’heasked,smiling—probablybecauseheknewtheanswer.They

were adults playing make-believe. In a fake picnic, with food as props rather than for eating, and a
conversationthatwasonesmallstepfrombeingscripted.

‘One.Asister.’
‘Olderoryounger?’
‘Fouryearsolder.’
Sooner or later she’d have to ask him a question in return. Every instinct was to fall into the

naturalrhythmofconversation.Hercommonsensefoughtforcontrol.

‘Doyougetalong?’HeleanedoverAnnatoloweracarrotintothegarlicandchivesdip.Sheheld

herbreathashisskinbrushedagainsthers.

‘Yes.’Shetriedtokeephervoiceevenanddisinterested.‘She’smybestfriend.Welivetogether.’
Gettingtoknowhimwasn’tagoodplan.Whatifhewasactuallytheperfectguy?Withabodylike

his, he didn’t even need a good personality. The idea of him learning more about her wasn’t ideal
either.Healreadyknewenoughtotortureher.AnnahadlearnedaboutdatingshowsfromKateand
knewthatthecontestantsthatwentonone-on-onedatesrarelywenthomethatweek,oranytimesoon.
And since flying under the radar wasn’t exactly working, she only had one option: she had to be
someonewhoLukereallydidn’twanttospendtimewith.

MovementbehindoneofthecamerascaughtAnna’seye.Katewaspickingherwaythroughthe

sand in high-heeled shoes. She stopped at Joe’s shoulder. Sensing the movement, he turned around.
Annacranedherneck,butshecouldn’tmakeoutmuchofKate’sfaceorthedirector ’s;heronlyclue

wasKate’ssneakyglances,hereyebrowsdrawnintight.

‘Cut.’ Joe spun around, failing to realise that Anna was already staring at him and not looking

lovinglyintoLuke’seyes.‘Ten-minutebreak,everyone.Anna,canyoucomeoverhere,please?’

Anna got to her feet and left the picnic rug. Kate’s eyes burned into her. ‘Follow me,’ she

murmured when Anna was close enough, before spinning and stomping back towards the ocean,
stabbing the sand with her stilettos. Her lilac pencil skirt and white blouse were completely out of
placeonthetropicalbeach.

‘Whatareyoudoing?’Katehissedassoonastheywerebeyondearshotoftherestofthecrew.
‘Whatdoyoumean?’
‘Justplayalong.ThisisadatewiththeLukeWestwood!Actalittleexcited.Abitinfatuated.’
‘Whatdidyouexpect?I’mnotgoingtorevealallmydeepestdesirestoamanIdon’twanttodate

infrontofamillionpeoplejudgingfromthecomfortoftheircouches.’

‘You don’t have to spill your secrets. Just be the fun, positive, kind, intelligent person that you

are.’

Annashookherhead.Beingthattypeofpersonwouldgetheratleasthalfwaythroughthisshow.

Lukehadabunchofnastyandboringairheadstoevictbeforegettingaroundtothenormalpeople.

Katescowled.‘Youhaven’tbeencooperatingwiththecrew.Theotherproducersaretalkingabout

reformattingtheshowaroundyouasthecold-hearted,distantbitchthatnoneofthegirlslikebutwho
somehowcaptivatestheman.Finishthisdateoffthesamewayyou’vestartedandIwon’tbeableto
saveyouintheeditingroom!’

‘AtleastI’llgetsenthome,’Annasaidunderherbreath.
‘Is that what this is about?’ Kate clearly wanted to scream, but she settled for a strained tone.

‘You’retryingtogetsenthome?’

‘Yes!Didtheytellyouwhathappenedtoday?’
‘Ofcourse.Sothingswentawry…You’reokayandthey’llbeespeciallycarefulfromnowon.’

Shepaused.‘Besides,IheardthatLukewastheperfectgentleman.Oristhatyourproblem?’

‘Myproblemisthatadrenalin-inducingsituationsgeneratefeelingsoflove.Youtoldmethat.Are

yousayingitwasacoincidence?’

‘What?’
‘Prettyexcitingstarttotheseries.Iexpectit’llproducehighratings.’
‘That’sinsane.Asifwe’driskyourlife.’
‘Itwouldn’thavebeenriskingmylifeifthehorsewastrainedtodothat.Ifyouwereincontrolthe

wholetime.’

‘YouthinkIwoulddothat?’
‘Maybetheyjustdidn’ttellyou!’
‘Stop it, Anna. You’re acting crazy.’ Kate grabbed her by the arms and shook her, letting go so

quicklythatAnnawastoostunnedtoreact.‘Itwasanaccident.Joeisterrifiedyou’regoingtoleave
andsueorspeaktothemedia.’Shesteppedbackandcrossedherarms.‘I’mgoingtomakesureyou
don’t become the villain. Pretty please help by giving them at least some footage of you being the
sisterIknowandlove.’

‘Andyou’llmakesureIgetsenthomesoon?’
Katesighed.‘I’llseewhatIcando.Now,goback,askLukesomequestionsabouthimselfandbe

nice.’

‘Fine.’Annaknewshesoundedlikeapetulantthree-year-old,butKaterarelywentallbigsisteron

heranditwasaboutaswelcomeasarashonherface.

They traipsed back to the set where Luke was standing behind the camera, talking adamantly to

Joe.

‘Good. You’re here,’ the director called, projecting over the chatter and completely ignoring

Luke.‘Backtowork,people!’

Amake-uppersonranoverand‘fixed’herface.AnotherdidthesametoLuke,sprayinghisface

lessthanasecondafterwarninghimtoclosehiseyes.Annacouldn’thelpbutgiggle,andthenlaugh,
whenheopenedhiseyesandsneezed.Sheloweredherselfontothepicnicblanketonceagain,taking
carenottolandinanyoftheplatesoffood.

‘And—ACTION!’
‘So,whydidyoudecidetoapplyfortheshow?’AnnaaskedbeforeLukecouldpryanyfurther.

TensionwasbarelysimmeringbeneaththesurfaceofthestarestheyweregettingfromJoeandKate.

‘Ihavetroublemeetingwomenwhowantaseriousrelationship,’herepliedafterahesitation.‘I

spendmostofmytimeontheslopes.SomostwomenImeetareonholiday.’

‘Youdon’tworkwithwomen?’
‘Notreally.Icoachedmen’ssnowboarding.Therearen’tthatmanywomeninthebusiness.’
TherewassomethingabouthistonethatAnnawasn’tbuying.Whetheritwasarehearsedanswer,

she couldn’t tell. But it didn’t add up. With his fame, fortune and hot body, he could have his pick.
There would be plenty of gold diggers willing to oversee his pampered privilege for a credit card
withnolimit.

‘Whataboutyou?Whydidyoujointheshow?’
Well,shesteppedrightintothattrap.Nowshewouldhavetolieonnationaltelevision.Benwould

besittingonhiscouchinfitsoflaughter,yellingatherthroughthescreen.

‘Ihavetheworsttasteinmen.Thoughtitmightbeabetterideatoletsomeoneelsepickonefor

me.’

‘We’vealreadycoveredtheformal-datecheating.Whatelsehaveyougotonthelist?’
Annasmiled.‘Hmm,let’ssee.TherewasonewhotoldhismotherIwasenormous.Thefirstthing

she ever said in my presence was, “Gerald, she’s not nearly as fat as you made out!” It was utterly
humiliating.’

Thesnort-turned-coughdidlittletodisguiseLuke’samusement.
‘Oh! Another one moved into the flat I share with my sister—without consulting me, of course.

NextthingIknowthere’saguywithautehelpingmyboyfriendtransferhiswashingmachineintomy
home.Becauseourwashingmachinewasn’tpowerfulenough,apparently.’

‘That’sgold.You’reonquitearoll.’
‘Yep.Butthisplanisfoolproof.Ihavehadabsolutelynosayinselectingyou.’
‘Younevertriedblinddates?’
‘Idid.Thatwasthewashing-machineguy.’
‘Clearlyyourfriendsarejustasbad.’
‘Verytrue.Theywereabsolutelyuseless.Ididtryagain,’shesaid.‘Thenextoneleftmeforhis

ex.But—silverlining—hedidmarryherlessthantwomonthslater.’

‘Howisthatasilverlining?’
‘Atleastheleftmeforaforeverrelationship.All’sfairinloveandwar.’
‘Doyoubelievethat?’
‘Maybe.It’strue,isn’tit?Ifyoucheatonyourpartnerbutthenmarrythepersonyousleptwith,

it’salljustified.Isn’tit?Itwaslove.’

‘Idisagree.’Heshookhishead.‘There’sneveranexcuseforcheating.Justtellthepersonyoumet

someoneelse,breakitoff,andonlythendoyoumoveon.’

‘Sure,butifyoudon’t—allisforgivenprettyquicklywhenloveisinvolved.Peoplemoveon.’
‘I’mnotsureIcanbeswayedonthisone.’
‘Ifamanfollowshislovertoworkeverydaytomakesureshegetstheresafe,he’saromantic.If

hedoesthattoawomanwhodoesn’treciprocatehisfeelings,it’sstalking.’Annaloadedupherplate
withmorefood,acceptingLuke’shelpwiththedishesclosertohim.

‘What if you kill someone in defence of a loved one?’ she continued. ‘It’s not murder—it’s

allowed.’

‘Thatdoesn’tmakeitright.’
‘No,butit’snotexactlywrongeither.It’sjustforgiven.Becauseloveistheultimateexcuse.’
He rocked back and leaned on his palms, watching her intently. ‘So what have you done that

neededforgiving?’

‘Absolutelynothing.’
‘You’veneverbeencrazyinlove?’Thequestionwasloadedforanyfirstdate—andevenmoreso

forashowaboutmeetingMrRight.Didheexpecthertofallinlovewithhim?Didhewantherto?
Anna couldn’t imagine any type of man she could love actually enjoying stringing along twelve—
noweleven—beautifulwomen.

‘No,’shereplied.‘Whataboutyou?Haveyoueverbeeninlove?’
Thepausebeforehisanswerseemeddifferentfrombefore.Annaguessedhewassearchingforan

honestanswerratherthanwhataudiencesmightwanttohear.Orperhapsthatwasjustherhopingthat
shewasn’ttheonlyoneworkingwithoutascript.

‘I’velovedafewgirlfriends,butnothingtolastalifetime.’Lukeshruggedandliftedahandtorub

thebackofhisneck.‘Isthatreallycorny?’

‘Yes.Ibetit’llmakeitintoallthepromosforthisepisode.’
‘Good.Idohaveanarsenalofromanticone-liners,youknow.’
‘Youdo?Okay,then.Shoot.’
Helaughed.Itwasacarefree,unrestrainedsoundthattunnelledinsideAnna.
‘Prepareyourself.’Heclearedhisthroat.‘YouarethemostbeautifulthingI’veseteyesontoday,

andwe’reinatropicalparadise,’hesaid.‘Yoursmilelightsuparoom.’

Hedidn’tlookawayandAnnasquirmedundertheintensityofhisgaze.Hiswordsweremaking

herstomachflipinsideout.‘Ohdear…That’sathreeoutoften,’shesaid.

‘Youdeservetheworld.’
Shegaveanexaggeratedyawn.‘Youcan’taffordtheworld.Anisland,maybe.’
‘Ifyouwereastar,you’dshinebrighterthanthesun.’
She squeezed her palms together but didn’t break eye contact. He leaned forwards and took her

handsinhis,breakinghercarefulcontrolentirely.Herheartflutteredwildly.

Annapulledherhandsfromhisandheldthemupinsurrender.‘Woah,easythere,tiger.’
‘Whenever you bend over, the world stops to watch,’ he said with a sly grin, watching for her

reaction.

Annasnorted.‘Inappropriatealert.ThisisaG-ratedshow!Andyou’vewellandtrulygiventhem

enoughfootagetolasttheentireseason.Theycanjustusethesoundbitesanytimesomethingisn’t
quitecheesyenough.’

‘Fine,butit’syourturnnexttime.Iexpectwell-thought-outresponses.’
‘Youhaveanegothesizeofamountain,’shemutteredunderherbreath.
‘Absolutely.Youdon’tgettobeaneliteathletewithoutone.Sportisfivepercenttalent,tenper

centhardworkandeighty-fivepercentrecklessconfidence.’

‘Isthatright?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Thatmakestotalsense,’sheshotback.‘Youdon’tlooklikeahardworker.’
Lukeinhaledsharplythroughclenchedteeth,makingAnnalookupfromherplate.
‘Ouch.’Buttherewasasmileinthecornerofhislips.
Shewasrightabouthim.Theguywasentirelylaidback.He’dprobablybeenthetypeofteenager

whowasneverfussedby‘yourmum’jokesandonlyeverdidhisassignmentsthreedaysafterthedue
date. Those kids used to drive Anna to contemplate guerrilla warfare. No school bag or prized
possessionwouldbesafefromherwrath.

Allgrownup,thetypewasn’tanymoreappealing.IfAnnahadabillionairedadbankrollingher

life, she could afford to be relaxed and happy-go-lucky too. But some people needed to work their
arsesofffortheirdreamstocometrue.Theydidn’tgetanelitecareerjusthandedtothem.

SinceLoveEliminationhadstrippedthecontestantsofalltimetellingdevices,Annadidn’tknow

howmuchtimehadpassedsinceshehadfirstsetfootonthebeach.Ithadn’tfeltlikelong,butnow
shenoticedmorefidgetingandglancingatwatchesamongthecrew.Finally,thedirectorcalledcut.
HesentLukeinonedirectionandAnnainanother.Ittookherfromthemomenttheirpicnicendedto
the final question in her post-date interview for Anna to realise what had happened. The happy,
peaceful bubble inside her popped and all the anxieties came flooding back in. The crew had
manipulated her and she’d fallen for it, whether Luke was part of the scheme or not. She’d almost
broken both her legs, and she’d been distracted by gorgeous food and an even better looking man.
Well,itwasn’tgoingtohappenagain.

CHAPTER

Thewholenextdaywasdedicatedtowaitingforsomethingtohappen.Likemostdaysonset,Anna
wasstartingtorealise.Annaspentwhatshethoughtwasaboutonehourinthegymandthreehoursin
thekitchen.She’dbeentrappedasshewascookingmuffins.Whenshe’dstarted,there’dbeennoone
to disturb her enjoyment of the first-class appliances. But the moment she was elbow deep in flour,
Yvette, Tallulah, Tamsen and Christina had surrounded her, shooting questions at her faster than a
firingsquad.

‘So,whathappenedonthedate?’
‘Didhekissyou?Didyoukisshim?’
Asifshewouldhavesaidyestoonebutnottheother.Asifshewould’vesaidyesatall.Lying

about any physical intimacy was clearly the way to go. Kate had always said that, as she watched
seasonafterseasonofTheBachelorandFarmerWantsaWifeandLoveatFirstSight.Annawouldbe
curledupreadingabookorinthekitchencooking,pretendingtobeobliviousasKatewouldyellat
theTV,‘Nevertelltheotherwomenyoukissed!’or‘Justbeconsiderateorbetteryet,theirfriend.You
havetolivewiththemforthreemonthsbeforehechoosesyou…ifhechoosesyou.’Ofcourse,Anna
had been listening and it was these gems of wisdom that stuck with her—usually as useless as
knowingthefirsttwentyelementsontheperiodictableorbeingabletocounttoteninJapanese—they
wouldcomeinhandyinhercurrentsituation.

‘No, we didn’t kiss,’ she told them. They looked her up and down as if they could unravel the

truth,maliceintheireyes.Annasquirmed,despitehavingbeenhonest.

‘Didyouhavefun?’ThatquestioncamefromTamsen,Anna’sfavouriteofthegroupinfrontof

her.

At least it was better they were downstairs interrogating her than loitering around her room

waitingforhertoemergeorachancetoscuttleinandcheckoutthecompetition.Hadiehadbegged
Annatodrawthemawaysoshecouldhaveachancetocallherson.Annaonlyhopedthat,onceshe
wasdone,Hadiewouldhastendownandrescueher.

‘Yes,’ she replied. It was simple and, again, she wasn’t lying. In the end, her date with Luke had

beenfun.Surprisingly.Hewasgood-humouredandlaidback.Hepaidattentiontothewomanhewas
with.Katehaddoneagreatjobcastinghimontheshow.AfterthePRdisasterofthelastdatingshow
thenetworkattempted,hewasjustwhattheyneeded.AndforAnna,itmeantshewouldleavetheshow
withsomehappymemoriesandgoodwillforLuke’ssearchforlove.Shejusthoped,forhissake,that
itwasn’twithYvetteoroneofherposse.

‘Areyoufallingforhim?’
‘Didyougethimshirtless?’
‘Didhesayanythingaboutwantingkids?’
Annahelduphandscoveredinbatterasshedefendedherselffromtheonslaught,shuttingdown

onequestionaftertheother.

‘Didhesayanythingaboutalreadyhavingkids?’Tallulahasked.Alltheothersturnedangryeyes

on her. She backed up, babbling, ‘Well, he could have! He’s a hot athlete. Apparently he’s slept his
wayacrosstheworld.Hemightverywellhavealovechildoneverycontinent.’

‘Idoubtit,’Annasaid.Atlastsheshovedthemuffinsintheovenandsetthetimer,mumblingthe

words‘dirty,’‘mess’and‘shower ’underherbreath,beforemakingarunforit.Whenshegottothe
landing, there were contestants loitering in the corridors and doorways. She bypassed the bedroom
where Hadie was talking to her son and snagged herself a bathroom—complete with bathrobe and
luxurysoaps—instead.Bythetimeshewasdone,thesecondfloorwasquietandherroomwasempty.

The voices from downstairs were muted. She was almost halfway down the stairs before the

talkingbecamelouder.Atthebottomofthestairs,thevillaopenedupintoaroomoneitherside,with
thelivingroomwhereAnnaenteredonthefirstnightontherightandthekitchenontheleft.Theloud
whisperswerecomingfromthelivingroom,thekindpeopleusewhentheywanttomakelikethey’re
whispering,butreallywanttospillsecretstoasmanypeopleaspossible.Annahesitatedonthefinal
step,unwillingtofindherselfcorneredagain.

‘Didyouseeherskinthismorning?’avoicehissed.‘Shelookslikeateenagegirldealingwith

herfirstbreakout.’

‘Herskin?Iwastoobusytryingnottonoticethesizeofherarse.Everytimeshebentoverthat

oven…What—doesshethinkshe’sKimKardashian?’

‘Perhapsshethoughtitwouldcomeinhandy,ifLuketakeshertoaskiresortandshe’sforcedto

trysnowboarding,it’llbeafairamountofpaddingtobreakherfall.’

TherewereafewsecondsofguffawingbeforetheywentontoRound2.Annacouldn’tmove.It

sounded like everyone had gathered on the couches. They had to be talking about her. Listening to
themfeltlikewitnessingacaraccident:thatjoltofadrenalinbeforerealisingyoucan’tactuallymove.

‘Maybeit’salphabetical?“A”forAnnacomesfirstinthesingledates?’
‘Probably.BecausewhatcouldLukeWestwoodpossiblyseeinher?’
Even the women she’d befriended were contributing—like Rachel, one of the first people she’d

metontheshow.LikeTamsen,whosechild-likevoicestoodout;appropriatefortheteenageramong
them.Annafelttheknowledgestabher.Shehadlikedtheyoungerwoman.Sheseemedidealisticand
optimisticandspontaneous;allthequalitiesthatAnnawantedforherself.

‘She’snotsmarteither.Shehasn’tstudiedatuniversityandshebakescakesforaliving.’
‘Menwillletalotofthingsslideforawomanwhocancook,Isuppose.’
‘No, Luke will want someone sophisticated. Someone he can take home to meet Tyson

Westwood.’

‘Canyouimagine?You’dflytherebyprivatejetandbegreetedbyareal-lifebutleratthedoor.’
‘I’mnotsurebutlersexistanymore.’
‘Withatrillion-dollarbankaccount,youcouldresurrectpetticoatsandthehorse-drawncarriage.’
‘Ithinkthosethingsdostillexist.’
Despiteallherinstinctstorun,Annatookastepcloser.Fromhernewpositionshecouldseethe

backsoftheirheads.Shedidn’tbothercounting;itwasmostofthecast.Atleastshedidn’tseeHadie’s
blondeheadamongthem.Annafoughtbackbileashereyesweredrawntowardstheuglyoversized
camera in the corner of the room, operated by two crew dressed in black. One of them spotted her
peekingaroundthedoorwayandadjustedthelenstopointmoretowardsher.Annafinallyfoundthe
strengthtoripherselfawayfromthescene.

She realised there was probably a lot of bitching going on behind her back, with her as the

preferredvictim.Shetookanotherbreath,inhalingsharply.Furybubbledinsideher,pushingather

insides and trying to break free. They called her stupid, but at least she didn’t hang around pining
overamanforhisnetworth.Annaunderstoodthattheyhadtobehere;theywerethesortofpeople
who agreed to go on dating shows and they were entertaining as hell to watch. What she did not
understandwashowshehadbecomethefocusoftheirhate.

Suddenlyherangernarrowed.Notonthewomen,butonKate.HowhadKateletthishappen?It

didn’tmatterifthefootagenevermadeitontonationaltelevision;although,ofcourse,itwould—her
bigsisterwasn’tprotectingher.Annawassurroundedbymeangirls,talkingbehindherback,when
sheshouldbeathomeworkingonhernewbusiness.

She pressed her palms against her forehead and gasped back a sob. She stayed there for a few

moments,tryingtocontrolherbreathing,untilthesoundoffootstepscausedherhearttostutter.She
hastily tore herself away and rushed outside. Pushing tears from her cheeks, she ran for the exit,
barelynoticingasshebarrelledpastHadie,whowasemergingfromthekitchen.

‘Anna!’Hadiecalledafterher.
Thefreshairhelped,butAnnadidn’tstopuntilherfeethittheocean.Sheslumpedtotheground,

sittinginthedampsandwithwaterlappingaroundher.

Ahandfellonhershoulder,butAnnadidn’tbotherturning.
‘What’sthematter?Whathappened?’Hadieasked.ShecrouchednexttoAnna,runningherpalm

acrossherback.

‘Nothing.’ Anna rubbed at her eyes, which started to sting from the salt water on her skin. ‘I

shouldn’tbeupset.They’rejustmeangirlswhonevermaturedafterhighschool.’

‘They’rejealous,’Hadiesaid.
‘Theyshouldn’tbe.Lukehadtopicksomeone.That’showitworks.Theyknewwhattheywere

signingupto.’

‘Iguessit’sdifferentwhenyougethereandexperienceitfirsthand.Ithurtstoseeanotherwoman

gooutwiththemanyou’redating.’

‘Wehaven’tevenbeenherelongenoughtogetinvested!’Annacried,flickingherfingersthrough

thewater.Herinsidesweretightandachedeachtimeshethoughtorfeltorbreathed,asthoughthey’d
been tugged and squeezed and laid out to shrivel in the sun. She’d had her share of awful girls in
schoolbutitwassupposedtogetbetteroncehighschoolwasfinished.Itwouldhave,exceptKate—
herownsister—hadrippedherawayfromhercaféandinsertedherintothisabsurdworld.

‘I don’t know. There’s so much emotion around just coming on the show. Then there’s the

interviews every ten seconds and everyone talking about Luke twenty-four-seven …’ Hadie trailed
off.

‘WereyoujealouswhenIwaspickedforthefirstdate?’Annaasked.Sofar,Hadiewasheronly

allyontheshow.Inthemomentswhentheycouldjustrelaxtogetheratthevilla,Annalikedtothink
thatshewouldcomeoutofthisexperiencewithagoodfriend.

‘Kind of. I was sad that I wasn’t chosen and I wanted to be in your shoes. But I didn’t hold it

againstyou,likesomeoftheothers.’

‘Doyouthink—’
Annawascutoffbyloudvoicesbehindthemandbothwomenturned.Anna’sstomachchurnedat

thesightofthedirectorhasteningtowardsthemwithacameracrewintow.

‘Anna, Hadie. You’re not supposed to be out here,’ he said. ‘Come on. We need you inside for

interviews.’

Every part of her felt sore and tired. There was no way this was another routine interview. The

camera was aimed at her, not the two of them. She bit the inside of her lip and took a deep breath.

Then she stood up and dusted the sand from her shorts. There was nothing she could do about the
dampness.

***

Thespotlightwasblinding.Annablinkedandstumbled,barelymakingitdownthethreestepstothe
main stage. She’d been woken with the rise of the sun, shunted into a minibus with the nine other
remainingwomen.Ofcourse,herlessthansunnymoodmayhavebeentodowiththeeviction.Afew
days ago a group of four contestants had been invited on a date with Luke. Anna hadn’t been at all
jealousuntilChristinadidn’treturn.Plus,withoneoftheirnumberdown,thebitchycliqueinthevilla
hadbecomealmostintolerable.Annahadtakentohidingoutinherbedroomwithmockmenusfor
hercafé.Butshecouldn’tavoidthemintheTVstudiogreenroom.

After spending days only speaking to Hadie, the noise of the crowd came as a shock. Hiding

wasn’t a mature response to the bitching, but it was surprisingly easy to pull off. After the small
groupdatethatsentChristinahome,therewasanothersingledatewithJessica.Plusthewomenwere
constantlybeingpulledintointerviewswiththeproducers,whopushedcamerasintothecontestants’
faces and tried to make them cry or bitch. Anna felt a stab in her chest every time she had to think
abouttheothercontestantshavingtheirfirstkiss,evenifnoonesaidanything.

Anna sat herself on a swivel stool, perhaps the most awkward type of seating they could find.

Withoutanythingtoleanagainst,Annahadnochoicebuttositperfectlyuprightwithherhandsonher
knees. The position made Anna’s back ache almost immediately. But the audience was worse. They
leeredatAnnaandtheothercontestantslikefoodcriticssamplingdishesatanewrestaurant.

‘Welcomeall,’MasonLockiersaidwhentheywereallseated.‘ThisistheLoveElimination live

show!EachSunday,specialguestexpertswilljoinustoofferadvicetoourlovelycontestants.And
ourguestsforthiseveningare…GlendaLiebert,JasonMyersandKimberleyRuro.’

Three well-dressed people stalked onto the stage, all appearing to be in their thirties or forties.

Anna recognised one of them: Jason Myers, self-confessed dating expert; he had a YouTube series
about wooing the opposite sex. Anna might have binge-watched the entire first season of clips on
Ben’srecommendation,beforeherfirst-everblinddate.

Asthegueststooktheirseats,Masongavetheirbios:aswellastellingtheaudienceaboutJason

Myers,heexplainedGlendaLiebertwasthefounderofTheDateDirectory.comandKimberleyRuro
wasarelationshipcounsellortothestarswho’dsupportedabunchofOscar-winningactorsthrough
their divorces. Anna remembered a rumour about Kate’s favourite singer not being able to write a
songwithouttalkingtoKimberleyRurofirst.

‘Now, I know you lovely ladies—and our audience—will be wondering where Luke Westwood

is,’Masonsaid.Afewmembersoftheaudiencesquealedandtherewasaspatteringofapplause.‘Love
Eliminationliveshowswillfocusonourgorgeouscontestantsandfeaturehighlightsfromtheweek’s
episodes,alongwiththecontestants’reactions.Plus,ourexpertsoverherewillaskthewomenyour
questionsandhelpthewomenalong.Thatincludesquestionsfromourliveaudience,Facebookpage
andTwitteraccount.MakesuretocheckoutthoselinksandourTwitterhandleatthebottomofthe
screen.Now,’hesaid,‘let’sgetstartedshallwe?’

The crowd broke into applause but not, Anna noticed, until large placards with the word

‘applause’printedonthemwereraised.Theshowcouldbeadrinkinggame.Oneshotforeverytime
the name of the show was dropped. Another shot for every time someone mentioned Luke
Westwood’sname.Forthedefiningblow,ashotforeveryshadeoforangeMasonhadsprayedonhis

face.

Thestagefadedintodarknessasalargescreenhangingbehindthecontestants’seatslitupandthe

familiar Love Elimination title appeared. Suddenly the swivel chairs became a logical choice. Anna
nudgedherseatarounduntilshewasfacingthescreen.Afteranopeningmontageofalloftheirfaces
andatonofbeachwalks,there,largerthanlife,wasLuke’shandsomeface.

Thescreenfailedtoconveyexactlyhowstrikinghewasorhowhecouldtakeawoman’sbreath

away.Ifitcould,nosanegirlcouldsitathomeandeaticecreamorliearoundinherpyjamaswhile
watchingtheshow.ButwatchinghimlikethisdidallowAnnatocheckhimoutcompletelyfreefrom
hisreturnedscrutiny.OnceagainshecongratulatedKate.Hewasthemostattractivemanshe’dever
met,ifshecouldjustputthewholeprivilegedrichkidthingaside.

Thepartycommencedandallthewomenwereintroduced,withGlendaLiebert,JasonMyersand

Kimberley Ruro analysing their behaviour every stiletto-clad step of the way. Hadie was ‘too
excitable’ and was advised to calm down, to just relax around Luke and the other women. Rachel
‘came across as obnoxiously loud’ and Kimberley Ruro told her to be more considerate of those
around her. Jessica was a shining star: beautiful, articulate, demure and yet intelligent in her
interactions with Luke. All the experts liked her. They felt differently about Yvette, annihilating her
characterandcallingheronedimensionalandvindictive—everythingshesaidintheclipswasacruel
observationofoneoftheothercontestantsandinherfirstconversationwithLuke,allshe’dwantedto
knowaboutwashiswealth.

Anna held her breath as her face flashed onto the screen for the first time since the opening

credits.Shewasleaningonthecounterinthekitchen,hidingfromthecamerasthatseemedtobein
the walls and ceilings, from the multiple angles in which the scene was filmed. Of course they had
secret cameras in the house. The thought shot through Anna’s body like an ice-cold rush of water.
There was no way she’d have agreed to this if she knew, $25,000 be damned. It was practically Big
Brother.

Luke arrived on the screen and everything played out how Anna remembered, except for the

chemistry.Ifshewatcheditlikeanobjectivethirdparty,itseemedasifthewomanonthescreenand
Lukehadamoment.

‘She’snervous,butit’sworkinginherfavour,’JasonMyersobserved.
‘Yes,’KimberleyRurosaid.‘She’sgivenLukeanopportunitytobequietandkindinaone-on-

oneenvironment,withoutthepressureofadateordragginghimawayinfrontofeveryone.’

‘This moment, where they accidentally bump into each other, gives them the chance to make a

physicalconnection.’

Anna’sheartgavealittlelurch.Acollective‘aw’wasissuedbytheaudience.Thenthepicnicdate

appearedonthescreen.Thewholethingwassickeninglysweetand,justasAnnahadpredicted,every
one of Luke’s romantic lines made its way into the episode. The camera angles made them look
closerthantheyactuallywereandtheclose-upsoftheirfacespairedtheappropriateemotionstothe
dialogue, with much more editing than Anna expected. She couldn’t remember letting head-over-
heelsinfatuationcrossherface,buttheslightmovementinherjawhadherguessingitwasactually
justadeliciousmouthfuloffood.Therewasenoughhonestplayfulinteractiontheretomakeitlook
likeafairytaledate.

Then the scene with the group bitching about her played out, almost in full, cut with footage of

Annaonthestairsreactingtotheirwords.Annafoughtasuddenburstofnausea.

ThelightsflickedbackonandAnnaclaspedherhandsonherknees.Sweatgatheredinthemiddle

ofherpalms.Theshowhadbeeneightypercenther.Theaudience,theexpertsandtheothergirlshad

their eyes firmly locked on her face, or running the length of her body, as if to say, ‘Who the hell
does she think she is?’ Even Hadie was looking at her differently and when she noticed Anna
watching,sheglanceddownatherfeetinstead.

‘Anna,’Masonsaidovertheapplause.‘Howdoyoufeelwatchingthefirstepisode?’
Ashudderranthroughherbody.Hewasgoingtomakeherspeakfirst,infrontofanaudience.

Shethoughtshe’dbeennervousbeforewiththeoversizedcameras,thelensesonlycentimetresfrom
herface,butthiswasworse.

‘It’s strange to see yourself on a television show.’ She scanned the audience. Kate wasn’t in the

firstthreerowsoftheaudience.Beyondthatwasdarkness.

‘Howdoyoufeelyourdatewent?’JasonMyersasked.
‘Well,Ithink.Itwasfun.’
‘AndhowdoyoufeelaboutLukeWestwood?’KimberleyRurosaid.
‘He’snice,goodhumoured…amazinglygoodlooking.’Annaofferedaslightsmileandseveral

peopleinthecrowdgiggled.

‘Thereseemstobegreatchemistrybetweenthetwoofyou,’GlendaLiebertstarted.‘Butyouneed

torelaxandbeyourself,Anna.Yougiveclosedanswersinallofyourinterviews.’

‘We watched the entirety of the footage from your date.’ Kimberley Ruro gestured to the panel.

‘Youwereuptightandclosedoff.Butwhenyouletyourselftrusttheprocess,youlitup.’

‘Luke and everyone watching love you, Anna. There’s nothing to be afraid of,’ Jason Myers

added.

It was almost convincing, except for the nine identical death stares being delivered by the other

contestants.EventhenicerwomenhadthatjealousI-hate-you-even-if-that-makes-me-feel-guiltylook.
SeeingthatexpressionontheirfacesmadeAnnawanttostuffherselfwithsweetsuntilherdesireto
screampassed.Shewantedtoquitthisshowsobadly.

‘Infact,here’ssomethingtoshowyouhowgreatyouare,’JasonMyersannounced,leaningback

andfacingthebackofthestage.‘There’snoneedtobeshy.’

The screen lit up again. This time it was a grainy shot of Ben’s living room. Anna leaned

forwards,hereyebrowsscrunched.

‘Hello,Australia!’Benslidintotheframeonhisrollingofficechair.‘Thisismybestie,Anna.’He

heldupapictureofthemtogetherinaframe.Itwasagreatphotofromthedaythey’dfoundthebest
applepieinSydney.

‘She’sthebestpersonIknow.Totallysweetandtotallyasweettooth.AndIknowshe’sgoingto

benervous,maybeeventooterrifiedtoshowyouandthesuitoronLoveEliminationwhosheisand
whyshedeserveslove.Sohere’savideocompilationtodothatforher.Ionlyhopeourwonderful
MrRightseesit.AndbyMrRight,ImeanLukeWestwood,becausethatmanisperfection.’

The footage showed the most embarrassing moments of Anna’s life, accompanied by Ben’s

voiceovers and handy little captions. There were snippets from the time Ben caught Anna watching
P.S. I Love You—basically filming her entire emotional breakdown over fifty minutes. There were
also drunk photos from a friend’s engagement party, bits of her twenty-first speech and several
picturesfromherchildhoodthatKatemusthaveprovided.Annamoaned.Noonecouldhearherover
theloudlaughterfromtheaudienceandpanelanyway.Ahotflushspreadoverhercheeksandneck.

Thenthescreenshowedaslideshowoftweetsfrom
@AnnaAndLukeInLove.BenhadfinallymadegoodonhisthreattogetheronTwitter.Exceptit

wasn’t really her—it was Ben posting on her behalf, making the nation fall in love with her when
really the one they adored was him. By the time it was over, Yvette looked like she’d been revived

fromastroke,thoughwithoutthewonder,relieforhappinessofapersonwho’djustescapeddeath.

‘Annacompletelystolethelimelightthisfirstepisode.Whatdotherestofthegirlsthink?’Mason

tempted.‘Rachel?’

Annaheldherbreathastheoutspokenredheadopenedhermouth.
‘I think Luke will feel differently. Sure, he picked Anna for the single date. But he had to pick

someoneandnextweekitwillbesomeoneelse.’

‘Areyousureaboutthat?Havetheproducerstoldyouhowtheshowwillplayoutoverthenext

fewweeks?’Masonteased.

‘No.ButI’msureitwillgivetherestofus—thoseofuswithoutamediadepartmentbackathome

—achancetogettoknowLuke.’

‘Jessica,whatdoyouthink?’
‘IthinkAnnahasplayedherpartwell.Butnowit’sourturntomakeamove.’
‘Yvette?’
Itcouldn’thavebeenacoincidencethatMasonpickedthewomenwhohaddonethemostbitching

aboutAnnabehindherbacktospeaknow.

‘Annaisfake.ShepretendstobeshyandavoidsbiggroupstoforceLuketogotoher,givingher

one-on-onetime—likethatfirstsingledate.Iwouldn’tbesurprisedifLukesentherhomethisweek,
tonighteven,afterseeingthatdisplay.’

‘Well,you’rerightthatsomeonewillbegoinghometonight!’Masondeclared,causingYvetteto

dropbackonherstool.Annacouldn’thelpbutsmileasYvetterealisedtherewasnobacktotheseat
andfumbledtosituprightagain.

‘AndLukeWestwoodwillbeheretodeliverthefinalwordsoffarewelltothatunluckylady.Butit

willnotbeachoicehe’llhavetomakealone.’Hepauseddramatically,waitingseverallongseconds
before continuing, ‘Australia has voted and the two contestants with the lowest votes will be up for
eviction today. Our experts—Glenda Liebert, Jason Myers and Kimberley Ruro—will also be
selectingsomeonetofaceLuke.

‘First,tothepublicvotes!’
Again,thescreenlitupandthistimeitshowedtensilhouettesinacolumnandapercentagebarin

another.Thebarsmovedacrossthescreenuntilthetopbottomreachedtwentypercentandfourteen
percent.Afewofthecontestantsinhaledsharply.Annafeltaheavinessinherstomachdrop.Neither
name would be hers. Not after what she’d seen tonight. Her wonderful, beautiful, insane best friend
hadruinedallchancesthatshe’dbesenthomebyanambivalentpublic.Theycouldn’tdislikeherwith
atributelikethat.Unlesstheythoughtitwasunfair?Thatshe’dsomehowbrokentherulesbyputting
Benuptoit?Thatwasheronlyhope.

Just as the thought occurred to her, the faces of the two women with the lowest votes were

released: Tamsen and Brooke. Mason directed the two girls to exit one side of the stage. Then he
turnedandnoddedtothepanel.‘Now,we’vethoughtverycarefullyaboutwhowewantedtoelect,’
KimberleyRurosaid.‘Thepersonwe’vechosendidn’tgivetheirallthisweek.Theyheldbackand
theyerectedwallsnotonlytokeepthecamerasout,butalsoagainstLuke’sbesteffortstogettoknow
her.She’shadeveryadvantage,butshehasn’tusedthem.Forthesereasons,wenominateAnna.’

ThecrowdgaspedandAnnahadtofightbackasmile.Bigsistertotherescue.Katecouldalmost

beforgivenforprovidingBenwithdamningevidenceofherchildhoodawkwardness.

‘Wehopeyouaren’tsenthome,Anna.Butwealsowantyoutotakethisasalearningexperience

andletyourselftrust.Openyourselfuptoothersandnewexperiences.’

Anna followed the path taken by Tamsen and Brooke. Love Elimination staff led her backstage

throughaseriesofroomsandthenoutside.Abeautifulsecretgardenhadbeenconstructedinasmall
courtyard.Itwasringedwithrosesinterwovenwithfairylights.Atoneendwasanold-fashionedbird
bathandnexttothatstoodLukeWestwood.ThesightofhiminasuitmadeAnnawanttofaintlikea
heroineinahistoricalromance.ShejoinedTamsenandBrookeinarowinfrontofhim.Oncethere
she let her eyes drink in every part of him. His unshaven jaw and tousled hair made Anna want to
reachoutandtouchhim.

Nowthatshewasthere,attheend,herhearttuggedatherreasoning.Hewasactuallythebestguy

she’deverdated:hewaskindandcharismaticandhemadeherlaugh.Butshewasn’tdisillusionedby
his good looks and she knew he wasn’t the Mr Right for her. After all, they came from different
worlds. He was rich. She worked her arse off for every dollar—not literally, unfortunately for the
sizeofherbutt.Hehadsuccesshandedtohimbyhisparents.Shecouldn’tgetfarenoughfromher
mother.Hetravelledforwork.Shehadputdownroots,leasedabrick-and-mortarshop.

Shewouldn’twatchtheshowaftersheleftit.Shedidn’twanttoseehimdateotherwomenandfall

inlove.Muchbettertoimaginesweetwhatifsatnight.

‘Ladies,I’msorrytohavetodothis,’Lukesaidinalow,gracioustone.Annawonderedbrieflyif

he’d been coached to deliver his lines like that. Someone had certainly written them for him. Anna
sent one final, hopeful, wish out into the universe, begging for Kate to have been successful. Of
course she would be; she was a producer in one of the industry’s biggest puppet shows. But Anna
couldn’thelpthetinglingdoubtthatcreptbackin.Shewassoclosetoherdream.Iftheuniversehad
anyconsistency,itwouldtearitallawayrightaboutnow.

‘Onceagain,Iwon’tdragthisout.TodayIamsayinggoodbyetoTamsen.I’msorry.’
TamsenimmediatelyburstintotearsandAnnawasahair ’sbreadthawayfromjoiningher.
‘Thankyou,BrookeandAnna.’LukelookedatAnnainawaythatmadeherinternalexplosionall

themorecatastrophic.‘Youmayheadbacktothemainstage.’

AnnafollowedBrookeassheturnedandleft.Onthewaybacktothestagesherealisedtwothings.

One, that her plan had one hundred per cent backfired. Two, Kate was there and refusing to meet
Anna’smurderousgaze.

CHAPTER

None of the contestants spoke to her in the minibus. Anna wondered briefly whether they’d made a
pactwhileshewasintheevictiongarden,thensherememberedthatshedidn’tcare.Iftheychoseto
act like jealous school girls, that was their prerogative. She hadn’t joined the show to befriend a
bunchofshallowwannaberealitystars.Evenasshethoughtit,pangsofguiltshotthroughher.She
pushed them deep down. What she needed was her sister. There was no way she could languish in
ignorance,notknowinghowlongshe’dhavetoputupwiththischarade.

Assoonaseveryonewasinsidethehouse,Annaslippedaway.ShehadtotalktoKate.Shetooka

sidedooroutthroughthegymandduckedintothedarkness,creepingalongthebeachandweaving
through the palm trees, until she came across another villa only metres from where she’d bumped
intoLuke.Justasshe’dsuspected,thereweretwobuildings,onesmallpoolhouseandonemansion
largeenoughtohousetheentireproductioncrew.Apoolandspasatbetweenthetwo.

Annasnuckpastthepoolhouseandmadeherwayaroundthemainhouse.Onlythendidshereally

think through the flaws in her plan. There was no way to tell which room Kate was in. Her sister
hadn’tthoughttotellherandtherewasnowayshecouldwaltzintothemansionandasktoseeher.
She was supposed to be on lockdown, no contact with anyone except for Luke Westwood and the
othercontestants—andcontactwithLukehadtobeonlyduringfilminghours.

AlightswitchedonaboveherandAnnashrankbackintothedarkshadowsaroundthebuilding.A

figureappearedinthewindow,openingittothenightair.Annaimmediatelyrecognisedhersister.In
apanic,sheresortedtostereotype,sweepingafewpebblesfromthegroundandchuckingtheminthe
generaldirectionofthewindow.Onlythereweren’tanypebbles,justsand.Sheendedupchuckinga
handfulintotheair.Thegrainsfellbackthroughtheairandintohereyes.

‘Crap,’Annacursed,alittlelouderthansheintended.Shepawedathereyesandthestingingonly

worsened.Tearspoureddownherface.

Kateduckedherheadthroughthewindow.‘Anna?’shewhisperedintotheair.‘Isthatyou?’
‘Kate.Ineedtotalktoyou!’Annatriedtokeephervoiceassoftaspossible.Noneoftheother

blindsmovedorwindowsopened.Shesawnomovementwhatsoever,exceptfortheextinguishingof
hersister ’slight.Aminutelater,theywerefacetoface.

‘Followme,’KatesaidwhenshespottedAnna.‘Let’sgetawayfromthehouse.’
They tiptoed back past the pool and the pool house until they were out on the beach, listened to

onlybytheocean.Annawishedshe’dthoughttochangebeforeseekingKateout:thecocktaildress
she’d worn to the screening exposed most of her skin to mosquitoes. There was no telling what
damageshe’ddiscoverthenextday.Shewrappedherarmsaroundherself,asthoughitwouldhelp.

‘IthoughtIwasgettingsenthome.’Annatriedtokeeptheannoyanceandhurtoutofhervoice.

Her sister was always focused on her work; it wouldn’t be the first time Kate forgot to ask about
Anna’slife.Butthistimethetwoweremixedanditwasintheshow’sbestinterestifthepersonwho
didn’t want to compete for Luke Westwood’s affections was evicted early. ‘Isn’t it your job to be

convincing?’

‘He’snotthetypeofmanwholistenstowhattheproducerssay…’Katemumbled,clearlyputout

byherinabilitytomanipulatetheman.She’drarelyhadtofighttowinoverattractivestraightmenin
thepast.Annahadalwaysbeenjustatouchenviousofhersister ’sluckwiththeoppositesex,andlife
ingeneral.ThingscameeasilytoKate.

‘But—’
‘I tried, Anna!’ The words rushed out of Kate like she had no control over them. ‘The experts

wereinstructedtoputyouinthebottomthreeandLukeWestwoodwasencouragedtosendyouhome.
Butwecan’ttellhimwhattodo.HisfatherisCEOofthenetwork,forChrist’ssake.’

‘Isn’tthereanythingyoucando?Ican’tstayhere,Kate.Ihavealifetogetbackto.’Annapulled

herarmstightaroundherself.

‘Iknow,Iknow.ButBen’stakingcareofeverything.Italkedtohim.’
‘Isaw.Where’dyougetthosephotosanyway?Andwhyonearthdidyouthinkitwasagoodidea

toputthemonnationaltelevision?’Anna’sheadhurtjustthinkingaboutit.Seeingthemupthereonly
reminded her of her childhood, which made her want to cry. It reminded her how wrong it had all
goneafewshortyearslater.

‘Please, Anna. It’s not that dire. The café can wait. This is my career and you trying to leave is

jeopardisingit.’

Annaclosedhereyes,asifitwouldblockthetruthofhersister ’swords.Herwholebodyitchedto

gohome.Shefelttrapped.Itmightnothavebeensobadifitwasjustspendingtimeinthevilla,the
occasional filmed group date and chatting with the other women as she cooked. But the villa was a
cesspit of female jealousy and cattiness, and filming was a bigger invasion of privacy than she
could’veimagined.

‘Sowhatdoyouexpectmetodo?PretendtofallinlovewithLukeWestwood?’Annaexclaimed.

‘You know I can’t act! I couldn’t even get myself cast as a tree in Year 4. They had to create a
backstageposition.Doyourememberthat?’

‘So don’t act,’ Kate said. ‘But you have to relax and let yourself have fun. These dates are

exciting!They’regreat!Wehadteamsofpeoplethinkinguptheabsolutecoolestthingsyoucoulddo
in Queensland. Teams, Anna! How often does this kind of all-expenses-paid-for experience come
along?’

‘Noneofthisisnew,Kate.They’reallthesameargumentsI’veheardfromyoubefore.’
‘Thenmaybeyoushouldlistentothem!You’reinfuriating!’
RustlingfrombehindthepalmtreesgaveAnnaanexcusetolookaway.Evenwiththelatenessof

the hour, it wasn’t truly dark. The moon and stars shone bright and their light danced across the
ocean’ssurface.Asoftswelllappedagainsttheshore.Therewereworseplacestobetrapped.Butthat
didn’tchangethefeelinginthebottomofherstomach.

‘Please,Anna.Pleasedothisforme.Juststay.’
Annalookedathersister.Hershoulderswerehunchedandherheadwastilted,asifherneckwas

tootiredtoholditupanylonger.

‘ThisisthebiggestthingI’veeverdone,’Katecontinuedgently.She’dseenthecracksinAnna’s

resolve.‘Iletyoumoveinwithme—andyouknowIlovelivingtogether,butyouowemeandI’m
callingitin.LoveElimination needs to be a success. As much as you hate it, you are popular. Your
Instagramaccounthasgrownbythousandsoffollowersthisweek.Ben’sTwitteraccountforyouis
evenbigger.SoIneedyou.Theshowneedsyou.Everyonewantsyoutowin.Please,Iwillneverask
anythingofyouagain.’

Everyonewantedhertowin?Itwasonedate.Thefirstdate.Theyhadn’tbeengivenanyoneelseto

rootforyet.ThatwasKate’sjob:tocastsomeoneasthefavourite.Annafelttearspoolingbehindher
eyelidsalloveragain.Itwastoomuch.Theintensityofthewholeexperienceweigheddownonher.

‘Kate, I can’t do this.’ She felt defeated already and they’d barely begun filming. The cameras

were always there—even when they weren’t on a date they were shooting a ‘who got the date’ or
‘when do you think the date will be’ scene, or doing interviews about whatever they’d just shot or
whatwasabouttohappen.Inbetweenfilmingwasalmostasbadwiththeboredomandthepoliticsof
thevilla.Theonlysourceofentertainmentwasdrinking,sincetheyhadconstantaccesstoabarand
werepliedwithdrinkswheneverthecameraswerearound.

‘You can do this. I just need this one thing from you. It’s my career. My dream.’ Kate grabbed

Anna’shand.‘Please.’

ThelinesinAnna’sforeheaddeepened.Herwholebodyhurtatthethoughtofstayingontheshow

any longer. But Kate was her sister and the only family she had left. The only family she
acknowledged.Thathadtomeansomething.Itdidn’tmeanshehadtostoptryingtogetevicted.The
audiencewasfickle.They’dchangealliancesthemorescreentimetheothercontestantsreceived.She
couldlowerhervoteandincreaseherchancesofbeingsenthome.AndKateandtheotherproducers
would change their mind in a week’s time, maybe two, once they saw how unpopular she was. Or
Lukewould.

‘Okay.Butnomoreborrowingmyclothesallthetime.It’shightimeyouinvestedinyourown

wardrobe.’ Anna tried to ease the tightness in her stomach with teasing; Kate wouldn’t be seen
wearinghersister ’sopshopclothesifshewasrunningafeverandhallucinating.

‘Urgh.IfImust.’Katesmiled.
‘Okay,’Annasaid.‘I’lldoit.’
‘You’llstopallattemptstoleaveorgetkickedofftheshow?’
Annacrossedherfingersbehindherback.‘Yes.’
‘Okaythen.’
They stared at each other for a minute before Kate stepped forwards and wrapped her arms

aroundhersister.Shesmelledlikeflowers.Daisies.

‘Thank you,’ Kate breathed the words into Anna’s ear and squeezed her tight. Then she pulled

back.‘Ibettergetbackbeforetheycomelookingforme.’

KatereleasedhergriponAnna’sshouldersandhurriedaway.Annapressedahandtoherheart

andlookedouttothehorizon.Itreallywasabeautifulnight.Shereacheddownandslippedoffher
shoes,leavingtheminthesandasshewadedintothewater.Shetippedherheadbackandclosedher
eyes,takingadeepbreathandlettingthesweetairfillherlungs.

***

Luke ducked behind a particularly wide palm tree. The producer stomped past him, leaving Anna
aloneonthebeach.Shewasstandinginthewater.Lukefelthimselfmovingtowardsherbeforehis
brainmadethedecision.Thesoundofthewavesandthesightofherstandingthere,likeastatueinan
islandshrine,compelledhim.

‘Hi.’ He kept his voice quiet and smooth. She still jumped and the tension returned to her body.

Shespunaroundanddropsofwatersplashedontohisbarefeet.Itwassurprisinglycool,despitethe
hotdayandwarmnight.Lukewishedshewouldjustletherselfrelaxlikeshedidwhenshethought
shewasalone.‘Calmdown.It’sjustme.’

‘Luke!Shit,whatareyoudoingouthere?’
‘I was just going for a walk before bed. Stretch out the legs,’ he lied—he had seen the women

walkpasthispoolhouse.

‘Oh.Howmuchdidyouoverhear?’
‘Everything.’
Ofallthewomen,Annawasthemostinteresting.Themostentertaining.Andshewastheonlyone

who wasn’t interested in him. As much as he knew that was a good thing—he didn’t want a
relationship—hisegotookaruthlessbattering.

‘Istillwanttogohome.’Sheturnedbacktotheoceanandhecouldseetheglintofthemoonlight

reflectedinthecornersofhereyes.

‘Youliedtoyoursister?You’regoingtokeeptryingtogetevicted?’heasked,watchingtheway

herbodyswayedgentlyasthewaterlappedinsmallwavesoverhertoes.

‘Yes.’
Luke dragged a hand through his hair as she continued to stare out, away from him. It was an

Australian habit, the refusal to look into another person’s eyes. After years of travel and living
overseas,italsobecameoneofhisbiggestpetpeeves.Hewantedtotakeherchininhisfingersand
turnherheadtowardshis.Perhapstiltingittowardshislips.Hewonderedwhatshewoulddo.Would
shepartthem,anticipatinghiskiss?Wouldhekissher?

‘Howcanyoueventhinkaboutleaving?Whataboutthesparkbetweenus?’heteased.
‘Pretendthesparkhasdied.’Shegrinnedathim.
‘Whataboutthesocialmediastuff?’
‘Mycaféisjustahollowed-outshopatthemoment.It’snotreadyforcustomers,sowhatuseis

goodPR?’

Takingheranswerasacuetostopaskingquestions,Lukejoinedherinthewater.Thefirstcool

wavewashedgoosebumpsoverhisbarefeet.Witheachsubsequentwave,thewaterwarmed.

‘Doyouwanttogoforaswimwithme?’Itwasn’tquiteteasing.Alargepartofhimwantedto

watchherslipoutofthatcocktaildressandintothewater.Hewantedtoknowwhethershe’doptfor
wetunderwearorwhethershe’dpreferskinnydippingunderthebrightlightoftheMilkyWayabove
them.

‘What?No!’
Hechuckled.‘Okay,anothertime.’
This time she stepped towards him, putting her face close to his. ‘Seriously, Luke. Stop playing

around.WhatamIdoinghere?Whenareyougoingtosendmehome?Idon’twanttobehere.’

‘I know,’ he replied and an idea occurred to him. A way to avoid getting stuck with one of the

other women. A way for him and his father to get through this sham with their reputations intact.
Withoutlettingitsimmerinhismind,heblurteditout:‘Whatifyouagreedtostay?Andwejustdated
—hadfun,relaxed—likeyoursistersaid?’

‘Why?Youhaveeightothergirlstohavefunwith.Youdon’tneedme.’
‘Ilikeyou.’HehelduphishandsashesawAnna’sreaction.‘Don’tworry.I’mnotfallinginlove

withyou.Butyou’retheonepersonIdon’thavetoworryabouthurting.’

‘Youdon’tneedme.Justpicksomeoneelsewho’shappytodatecasually.’
‘Theyallwantafairytaleending,Anna.Ineedyou!’
AnnascoffedbutLukecontinuedspeakingwithgreaterurgency.‘Listen,Idon’twanttobehere

either.I’mjustrepayingafavour.Mylifedoesn’thaveroomforawifeandtwo-point-fivekids.’He
keptadistancebetweenthem,lettingherthinkitover.‘There’sa$50,000budgetforaweddingringat

theendoftheseason.Sowhatifyoujustrodeitout?ThenIhaveonelesshearttobreak.’

Onlybecausehewaswatchingherfacesocloselydidheseehermusclestwitchatthementionof

thering.

‘I’mnotgettingengagedtoyou!’shegaspedasecondlater.
Lukelaughedagain,enjoyingthemaskofhorroronherface.‘Calmdown,I’mnotaskingyouto

marryme.Justhangaround.Theproducerswillorganisesomeepicdates.AndthenIdon’thaveto
goandmakesomeotherpoorinnocentfallinlovewithme.’

‘That’ssad,really.Butwhat’sinitforme?I’mstillstuckhere.’
‘Yougetthering,whichyoucansellforasmallfortuneassoonastheshowisover.’
‘Notgoodenough.’
No,ofcourseshewouldn’tfallforthat.Thewomanshiedawayfromeveryhintofromanceor

flirting,ofwhicharingistheultimatesymbol.

‘Thinkaboutit,Anna.’Lukecouldn’tresist.
‘No!’
‘Fine, then I’ll have to go with an IOU until I find a way to repay the debt.’ Before she could

interrupt,hepoweredon:‘Trustme.I’vegotalottogive.I’mprettyresourceful,youknow.Icanhelp
youandyourcaféwhenthetimecomes.’

Shedidn’tlookentirelyappeased.Ofcoursenot.Theonlythingthewomanappearedwillingto

acceptwasaneviction.

‘Theproducersdon’twanttosendyouhomejustyet,Anna.Idon’twanttosendyouhome.And

youjustpromisedyoursisterthatyouwouldn’tgetyourselfevicted—althoughyoualreadykindof
brokethatpromisebybeggingmetosendyouhometonight.’

Annaletoutapuffofair.‘There’snowayIcanconvinceyou,isthere?’
‘No.’
‘Whyme?Whydidyoutakemeonthefirstsingledateandwhydoyouwantmearound?’
Lukethoughtforasecond.‘Becauseyou’reinteresting,gorgeous,andnotdesperatetotackmy

nametotheendofyours.’

Annasmiledandherbeautymadehimwanttoreachoutandrunhishandsthroughherhairand

overherbody.

‘Sowestarttomorrow.Lotsofflirtingandfun.Okay?’hesaid.
‘I’mnotagreeingtothis.’
‘Youaren’truthlesslyturningmedownagain,either,’hepointedout.‘Now,whilewe’rethinking

things,wemayaswelltalkaboutthatswim…’

Her eyes widened. ‘No!’ Anna tossed her hair over her shoulder and strode back to her shoes,

stumbling over them in the dark and dropping onto the sand. With a less than graceful motion, she
swept the shoes into her hand, the sand off her arse, and her body down the beach and away from
Luke.

‘I’mnotstickingarounduntiltheend,’shecalledsoftlyoverhershoulder.‘Justafewmoredates.

Epicdates.Andthenyouneedtoletmego.’

Withthat,shestrodeaway.Hewatchedher,noticingthewaysheswayedasshewalked.Kindof

like she was drunk. Luke chuckled again. At least he would have some fun during the show. The
company of the crew and his own lonely self had become extremely tiresome. Anna could even
distracthimfromthedistinctlackofsnowintropicalNorthQueensland,orfromhowlittlehewas
missinghisoldlife.

CHAPTER

Ah crap. Anna’s pulse rushed and stammered in her veins. Her vision blurred and she realised her
mistake:forgettingtobreathe.Shedrewinaquickbreathandchokedonthesuddeninhalation.Her
irrationalmindsuddenlyregrettedbakingandtheneatingthatrhubarbtartthenightbefore.

‘PleasetellmethisisnotwhatIthinkitis…’Hadiemuttered,sidlinguptoAnna.Theyglanced

around the three mirrored walls behind ten silver poles that reached from the wooden floor to the
ceilingmorethanfourmetresabovethem.Thefourthwallwasemblazonedwithagiantimageofa
womanhangingupsidedownbytheundersideofherknee.

‘Ifwegetaninstructorwholookslikethat,Lukewilltakeonelookandsendusallhome.’Anna

noddedatthewoman’sabs.

‘Youthinkhe’sgoingtojudgeusonourlooks?Onourbodies?’Hadiesoundedworried.
Annadidn’tgetachancetoanswer.Theproducersweremakingeachofthecontestantsriptheir

clothes off and dump them outside of the shot. They had lacy panties and bras for the contestants
wearing daggy, grandma underwear to put on. Anna watched as a cameraperson rushed over to
whisper in Yvette’s ear. Without even an attempt at subtlety, Yvette pushed her breasts higher in her
push-up bra. Anna shuddered. Luckily, Anna’s athletic-looking underwear passed the test. Despite
wearingthesamebrand,Hadie’sdidnot;theydidn’tfitthe‘yummymummy’box.Ormaybeitwas
justbecauseHadiedidn’thaveasisterforaproducer.

After shivering in front of the cameras for a sufficient amount of time, Luke was allowed to

emergefromthereceptionareabehindthem.Annaspuntowardshimandfoundhiseyesfocusedon
herbody.Goosebumpseruptedonherskin.Agrinstretchedacrosshisface.

Heleanedoverandstrainedtoreachhistoes.Allthefemaleeyeswenttothereflectionofhisarse

inthemirror.Butwhentheinstructorwalkedin,Luke’sarsehadsomecompetition.

‘Welcome.MynameisAdamandthisisPolePerfect.Grabamat,clothandwaterbottleandwe’ll

getstarted.’

***

Poledancingwashard.Like,impossible.Justkeepingherhandaroundthesteelsurfacewasamajor
trial. Adam spent ten minutes running from pole to pole applying something called ‘dry hands’ to
eachwomanandherpole.Evenafteritdriedintoawhitepowderonherhands,Annacouldn’tfigure
outhowtokeepherbodyattachedtothepole.ItlookedeffortlesswhenAdamdemonstrated,butthe
only people able to actually look graceful were Luke (no surprises there) and Jessica, who, it
transpired, took pole-dancing classes back home. Anna couldn’t imagine anyone willingly causing
themself so much pain. She’d already stripped two layers of skin from the top of her feet trying to
climbthepole.Plusshe’dpulledamuscleinherarmandspottedabruiseformingonthesoftskin
aboveherknee.

‘Youneedtostartclosertothepole,’Lukeadvised,comingtostandametreawayfromAnnaand

hernewworstenemy.

‘Ihatethis,’Annagrumbled,doingasshewastold.Shetuckedherlegaroundthepoleandpushed

off,liftingherotherlegintotheair.

‘Good!Nowbringyourfeettogether—justyourfeet—andkeepyourupperbodytall.’
Anna followed Luke’s instructions, watching herself rotate in the mirror. Discovering that the

polesspunhadbeenlikeseeingbehindthescenesofathemepark.

‘Chestup!’
‘I’m doing it!’ She grinned, ignoring the looks of the other women in the reflection of the

mirrors.

ThenAnnafeltthemoisturepoolinginherpalms.Herarmsshookattheeffortittooktoclingto

thepoleandherrighthanddroppedbyaboutacentimetre.‘Scratchthat.I’mslipping!’

‘Justcalmlyandgracefullybringyourfeettotheground,’Lukesaid.
CalmlyAnnacoulddo.Gracefulwasaskingabitmuch,butshemanagedtodismount.Itwaseven

a little easier than her experience with the horse. Luke raised his hand for a high five. Anna subtly
wipedherhandsonherpantsandthenslappedherhandagainsthis.

‘Howdoyouknowhowtopoledance?’sheasked.Shehopedaconversationwouldmostlykeep

her eyes from straying to Luke’s bare chest. Anna had guessed that she, or some of the other
contestants,wouldseeLukeshirtlesssoonerorlater.ThemanwasanOlympicathlete.Evenundera
suitshecouldseethemusclesinhisarms.Whenhehuggedher,shefeltthefirmnessofhisstomach
for herself. Now she was seeing it. The man looked like a sex god without his shirt, even more so
withbeadsofsweatonhisskin.Shehadtosqueezeherhandstohersideorclingtothepolejustto
resistreachingouttotouchhim.

‘I had a practice run a few days ago.’ Luke answered the question Anna didn’t even remember

asking.Shecouldn’ttearhereyesawayfromhisbody.

‘Soyou’reanaturalthen?Iwouldn’tbeabletodoitwithmonthsoflessons,’sheteased,tryingto

hide her lust. She finally yanked her gaze to his face, and was immediately struck by his
handsomenesstheretoo.

‘MaybeIam.ItseemsthatIexcelatanythingremotelyphysical…’HiseyestraileddownAnna’s

body,touchingoneverypartofher.Annafeltherwholebodyflushhotunderhisstare.Thedesire
she’d been feeling before multiplied by the thousands. All she could think about was his body and
hers.Thewayhecouldmakeherfeel,ifnotforthecameras.

Thecameras.Annafeltlikeacoldwavehadhither.Becausetoher,themomentfeltjustasclear

asscreaming,‘Pleasetakeme!’atthemanstandinginfrontofher.Shelookedaroundforthenearest
andfoundittrainedonthetwoofthem.Howcouldsheforget?Inherunderwearandtryingtoheave
herselfonandaroundthepole,themicrophonewasmorecumbersomethaneverbefore.

Luke winked and wandered to the other side of the room, throwing compliments at the other

contestantsashewent.Annahadahardtimetearinghereyesaway.Evenwhentheinstructorhadher
backonthepole,shecouldn’thelpwatchingLuke.

***

‘Thatdatelookedtough.Goodworkgettingthrough.I’msureyou’llallwakeupwithrock-hardabs
tomorrow,’MasonLockiersaid.

‘Iwishitworkedthatway,’AnnamutteredandHadiegiggledunderherbreath.Annashiftedher

weight from foot to foot. A drip of sweat slid down her spine. She just needed Mason and Luke to
hurry up and evict someone so she could get back to the beach house and have a shower. Or even
better:jumponaplane,getbacktoherapartment,andhaveashowerthere.

‘Thisnextpartissuperrelaxing.We’regoingtodriveyouafewkilometresupthecoastwhere

there is a luxurious boat waiting for you. The catamaran will take you out onto the beautiful clear
oceanandyou’llgetthechancetoswimwiththedolphins,diveovertheGreatBarrierReefand,if
neither of those things take your fancy, hang out on the boat,’ Mason said. ‘And did I mention the
catamaranisfullystockedwithcocktailsandadeliciouslunch?Oh,andaspa.’

Thecontestantsoohedandaahedoncue.EvenAnnahadtoadmitthewholethingsoundedperfect.

Justwhatsheneededafterdoingthemostintensephysicalexerciseofherlife.

‘Butonlyahandfulofyouwillbegoing.’
Afewwomenlookedgenuinelycrestfallen.Forthefirsttime,Annawasamongthem.Shewanted

to go on the date. With the state of global warming there was no telling what would happen to the
GreatBarrierReef.Wellactually,therewereplentyofscientistswarningwhatwouldoccur.Soifshe
didn’tseeitnow,shemightneverexperienceoneoftheworld’sgreatestwonders.Shecrossedher
fingersbehindherback.

‘Lukewillreadthenamesoftheluckyladiesfromthisenvelope.Therestofyouwillbeheading

backtobasecampwithme,’Masonsaid.‘Takeitaway,Luke.’

‘Coming with me on the yacht are …’ he said, opening the envelope like a singing show host.

‘Hadie,Jessica,LiuKun,Yvetteand—Anna!’

Abreathofairescapedherlipsandsheletherfingersrelax.Shewasgoing.Itwasworththedeath

staresinherdirection.ShecouldevendealwithLukewinkingatherfromthefrontofthegroup,as
thoughnoonewaswatchingandinterpretingitasfavouritism.

***

Theyachtwashuge.BiggerthanAnnaandKate’sapartment.Thefivewomenboardeditwearingthe
bikinis, dresses, shoes and accessories they’d been given. The producers had not only gotten
everyone’ssize,they’dalsomatchedtheclotheswitheachcontestant’sstyle.ExceptAnna.SinceKate
didn’t approve of Anna’s retro style, Anna’s dress was another high-fashion, short-hemline design.
Thebikiniwasridiculouslyskimpy.Annaimmediatelyruledoutgettingintotheocean,orthespa,in
frontofthecameras.

‘Thisisfantastic!’Hadiecried.
A man wearing a sailor ’s costume appeared, looking like a kid at a Halloween party. ‘Hello,

hello!ThisbeautyistheGoFish, a twenty-nine-metre catamaran. Please come on board and I’ll let
Luketakeitfromthere.’

Thewomenrushedontothedeckofthecatamaranandbythetimetheyweretakingtheirfirstbites

ofquicheandsushi,theboatwaspushingthroughthewater.Itwastheperfectdaytobeontheocean:
warmandwithoutwind.

‘Do you want a drink?’ Luke asked, placing a flute of champagne in Anna’s hand when she

nodded.Thenheputhishandonherlowerbackandguidedhertowardstherailingofthedeck.

‘It’s beautiful. Thank you,’ Anna said. The water was a deep sapphire blue, its surface glittering

like crystals. Anna scanned her eyes over the ocean. The sight of grey fins popping up through the
waveswouldmakeitperfect.‘Doyouthinkwe’llseedolphins?’

‘Maybe.Iwastoldtheremightevenbeallmannerofcreatures.’

‘Do you really choose all the dates?’ Anna asked, nudging his ribs with her elbow. ‘You don’t

havealittlehelp?’

Lukeletoutabarkoflaughter.‘Ichosethisone.Doesthatcount?’
‘Kindof.’
‘Well,Ididn’tknowanyofyouearlierduringfilming.NowIdo.SoIcanactuallyplandatesthat

youmightenjoy.’

‘Sowherewouldyoutakemenowthatyouknowmebetter?’
‘Oh,Ihaveplans.’Hecockedaneyebrowandgrinneddownather.‘Justyouwait.’
His tone did weird things to her. There was a tingling under her chest and a fuzziness to her

thoughts. Just as she told herself it was seasickness, he reached his hand across and traced figure
eightsonherpalm.Hisfingerswerelongandcoarse.Shetookhishandandturneditover,examining
thelinesonhishandlikeshewasapalmreader.

‘Howdoyougettheblisters?Isitasnowboardingthing?’
‘Sortof.They’refromchin-upsandliftingweights.’Hisfingerranuptoherforearm.‘Where’s

thisfrom?’

HeslidthepadofhisthumbalongthelengthofAnna’sscar.Aburn.‘Grabbingatrayfromthe

ovenwhenIwasseven.Iusedateatoweltoprotectmyhands,butIforgotaboutmywrist.’

‘Whatwereyoucooking?’
‘Triplechocolatebrownies.’
‘Doyouholdagrudge?’heasked.
‘No.Brownieswillbeonthemenuofmycafé,forsure.’
‘Anddidthebrowniessurvivethatday?’
‘Mostofthem.Andyes,theyweredelicious.’
Apparentlysickofwatchingfromthesidelines,YvetteandJessicaslippedoutofthecatamaran’s

cabin.AnnapulledherhandfromLuke’sgraspandshuffledawayfromhim.Neitherwomanmissed
the movement. Certainly not for the first time, Anna wished she could tell them she wasn’t any
competition.Thatshewasn’tinterested,butthattheyshouldn’tletthemselvesfallforhim.Beingthat
handsome and rich meant he would’ve had everything handed to him on a plate, including female
attention.Hewasn’tgoingtosettledownandevenifhedid,nowomancouldkeephisattentionfor
long.Hewasaflirt.

‘Hey Anna, do you mind if we steal Luke for a bit?’ Yvette’s voice was sickly sweet. ‘You’ve

alreadyhadsomuchtimetogether…’

‘Ofcourse.’AnnaignoredthetightfeelinginherchestasYvettedrapedherarmaroundLuke’s.

‘I’lljustgorefillmychampagne.’

LukegaveAnnaapleadinggaze,asthoughbegginghernottoleave.Annacouldn’tresistchildish

impulsesandstuckouthertonguewhentheotherwomenweren’twatching.ShejoinedHadieandLiu
Kuninsidethecabin,grabbingaplateandfillingitwiththreedifferentflavoursofquicheandthelast
sushiroll.

‘MayIinterrupt?’Annaasked.
‘Actually,wewerespeculatingaboutwhatyouandLukeweretalkingabout,’LiuKunsaid.‘Pretty

boringandclichédreality-showcontestantofus,hey?’

‘Weareweakandtragic,’Hadieadded.‘Pleasedon’tholdourjealousyagainstus.’
Annafrowned.Shehadn’theardHadieorLiuKuninthegroupofgossipingcontestantsthatday

shehidonthestairs,butthatdidn’tmeantheyhadn’tbeenthere,failingspectacularlytodefendher.

‘Wewerewonderingwhetherwewouldseedolphins.Andthenweweretalkingaboutourscars

andhowwegotthem.Nottheromantictête-à-têteyouwereimagining,Ibet.’

‘Oh,’ Hadie said. ‘Well, that’s okay then. You are permitted to cover all grotesque subjects

including—butnotlimitedto—bodilyfunctions,wasteremovalanddecay.’

LiuKunwanderedovertoLukeandHadieseizedtheopportunity.‘I’msorry.Ididn’tmeanitto

comeoutlikethat.ItjusthurttoseeLukegivingyousomuchattention.’

‘But,Hadie,you’veonlyknownhimforlessthantwoweeks.’Annaimmediatelywishedshecould

bitebackthewordsandkeeptheminsideher.

‘ButI’vepinnedsomuchhopeonthis—onLukebeingTheOne.Ileftmyson.I’mtakingtimeoff

work,losingmoneythatIneedtopayforMatty’sschoolandclothesandhealthandwhateverelse,’
Hadiereplied,hervoicequiet.‘AndI’veonlyknownyoualittleoveraweektoo.ButI’mnotgoing
tobejealousanymore.IfIcan’thavehim,I’dratherhefallsforyouthananyothercontestanthere.’

‘Hehasn’tchosenanyoneyet.It’sthesecondweek—’
‘Theendofthesecondweek,’Hadieinterrupted.
‘Thereisplentyoftimeforyoutogettoknowhimandforhimtofindoutjusthowamazingyou

are.’

‘Ohstop.’Hadiegrinned.

***

It took Luke twenty minutes to extract himself from Yvette and Jessica and return to the cabin.
Excusingherselffromthecircle,Annamadeherwaybacktothedeck.HadieandLiuKundeserved
their time with him. Maybe one of them could change his ways? If anyone could keep a man’s
attention,ithadtobeHadie.ShehadenoughenergytopowerasmallcountryduringtheChristmas
lightsseason.

Annaremainedoutside,watchingthewater,untilthecatamaranslowedandthedriverreappeared.
‘Now,whowantstogoin?’hecalledinaMason-esquevoice.AnnawonderedwhetherJoehadput

him up to it, or whether he took it upon himself to imitate the television presenter. Either way, she
couldn’t begrudge him the moment as he ran them through some instructions and distributed
snorkels.Excitementranlikeelectricshocksalongherspine.Theonlythingthatcoulddetractfromit
was having to strip down to the bikini Kate had organised for her. It was a deep emerald green
number that contrasted with her hair and skin, but it was so skimpy. Anna never wore a two-piece
withoutabaggyshirtoverthetop.She’dgrownupwithpaleskinandthepervasiveAustraliansun-
smartmessage.

She slathered herself with sunscreen and, when she saw Luke approaching, convinced Hadie to

coverthepartsofherbackthatshecouldn’treach.WhileYvetteandJessicawerebothholdingtheir
bottlesouttohim,Annawasnotgoingtogivetheshowanymorefootageofthemtogetherthanwas
necessary.

And then they were in the water. Anna had never seen anything more stunning. The reef was

incredible.ThereweremorecoloursthanAnnahadthoughtcouldoccurinnature.Thefishcamein
allshapesandsizes.Theyswampastherlikeshebelongedintheoceanwiththem,asthoughshewas
justalargecreaturetheypassedeverydayonthewaytowherevertheyweregoing.Shewantedevery
singlesighttobecapturedlikeasnapshotinhermind.

‘This is incredible,’ Liu Kun gasped, popping her head up at the same time as Anna. Then she

startedcoughing.

‘It’smorethanincredible!’Annacouldn’tkeephergleecontained.Afishbrushedpastherankle

andAnnadippedunderwaterforasecond.Whenshebobbedbackup,shechokedonsomewatershe
hadn’tyetforcedoutofthesnorkel.

Whentheywerecalledbacktothecatamarantwohourslater,itwastoosoon,eventhoughAnna’s

limbsfeltliketheywerefilledwithoceanwater.

Annaputhersnorkelinabucketofcleanwatertosoakforthenextgroup.Meanwhile,Lukeled

YvetteandJessicaontothetopdeckwheretherewasaspa.

‘Come on.’ Hadie tugged at Anna’s arm. ‘Do you want to leave him alone with just Yvette and

Jessica?They’llbelickingthesaltwateroffhiminlessthanaminute.’

‘Ew.’ Liu Kun scrunched up her nose and followed Hadie without any further prompting. Even

Anna let herself be dragged along. She could see Yvette running her hands around Luke’s muscles
andJessicasatonhisothersidewithherbackarched,herbreastsstandingtoattentiononthesurface
ofthewater.

Thethreeofthemclimbedupthestepsandintothespa.Thewaterwashotcomparedtotheocean

below them. For the first time since she’d jumped off the deck into the ocean, Anna felt herself
succumbing to the desire to wrap her arms around herself, but doing so only served to push her
breastshigher.Shesankherbodybeneaththewaterandhopedthecamerascouldn’tseethem.

CHAPTER

Every man dreamed of finding himself in a spa bath surrounded by beautiful women. But they
probablydidn’tincludethecameras,afilmcrewandPG-ratingrestrictionsinthefantasy.Theonly
problem with Luke’s version of the dream was that he couldn’t keep his eyes off one woman in
particular.Anditwasn’tYvette,whodraggedherhookednailsoverhim,oranyoftheotherwomen
who actually wanted to be there. The only woman he could even think about was Anna, who would
ditchhiminasecondifitmeantshecouldreturnhometohercaféfulloftradies.

‘Who’s up for a game of Truth or Dare?’ Hadie asked, winking at him. Luke only caught the

expressionbecauseshewassittingoppositehim,nexttoAnna.

‘IhateTruthorDare,’Annamumbledquietly,asifsheonlymeantthecommentforHadie.
‘Why?’Lukeignoredtheexchangeoflooksbetweentheotherwomen.
‘InYear3ItoldmyfriendsthatIhadacrushonStephenAlessandrini.Thentheytoldhimandhe

askedmeoutinfrontofprettymuchourentireyearlevel.BywhichtimeI’dlostinterestinhim.Ihad
totellhimno.’

‘Andhowdidthatgodown?’Lukeshiftedintothemiddleofthespa,submerginghisshoulders

beneaththesurfaceofthewater.

‘HegotreallyangryandpunchedthekidwhotoldhimthatIlikedhim.Therewasafullgameof

Chinesewhispersbeforeitgottohim.’

‘IthoughtthemessagewassupposedtochangebytheendinChinesewhispers?’Jessicasaid.
‘Itkindofdid.HeheardthatIwasdesperatelyinlovewithhimandwantedtospendlunchkissing

behindtheartbuilding.’

‘You were in Year 3? What would that make you, about eight, nine?’ Luke had to ask. He was

prettysurekissinghadn’tevenbeenonhisradaruntilYear7whenEmeliaMartinezaskedhimtothe
iceskatingdisco.

‘Surewas.’
‘Whenwasyourfirstkiss?’
Sheglancedatthecamerasbeforeanswering,thenshiftedherbodyawayfromthenearestoneas

ifignoringit.‘Fifteen.’

TheblushinhercheekspushedallotherthoughtsfromLuke’smind.Howhadhenotnoticedhow

beautifulshewasthatfirstnight?Nootherwomanherecouldcompete.Hecouldn’thavelookedaway
nowifhetried.

‘Howoldwereyouwhenyouhadyourfirstkiss,Luke?’Hadieasked.
‘Nineteen.’
‘Whysolate?’Yvettecried.
‘IwasalwayssofocusedonmysnowboardingandItrainedalmostexclusivelywithguys.Iwas

privatelyeducatedfromYear10toYear12.’

‘WhydidyoustayinschooluntilYear12?Weren’tyourexamsonlyoneortwomonthsbefore

you competed in the Olympics?’ Jessica said. When everyone looked at her in awe, her cheeks
flushed.‘Myfamilyarebigskiingandsnowboardingfans.’

‘MydadmadesureIgotacompletehighschooleducation.’
‘That’sstupid,’Yvettesaid.‘Asifyouweren’trichenoughtoretireattwenty-one.’
Shewasserious.HereyesscannedhimliketheycouldX-rayhisheadandfindouthowmuchwas

sitting in his bank account. When he looked around the spa, he wondered how many of them were
secretlythinkingthesamething.Thenexteliminationcouldn’tcomefastenough.

‘Thetabloidsexaggerateeverything.’
A long silence followed his statement and Luke would’ve wanted to kiss the woman who broke

throughtheawkwardness.OfcourseitwasAnnawhojumpedtohisrescue,althoughshelookedlike
shewantedtosinkunderthewaterandstaytherefortheattentionitbrought.

‘What’stheworstthingyou’veeverreadaboutyourself?’
‘Therehavebeensomany.AtsixteenIwasachildgenius,ateighteenIdiedinafreakaccident

andwhenIwastwenty-threeImarriedaBritishpopstar.’

‘Wow.Themediaiscrazy.’
Luke nodded. He’d better have been right telling himself that nobody cared enough about Love

Elimination to put the spotlight back on him, beyond the network-organised interviews and other
coverage,thatwas.Ofcoursehewantedittobeasuccessforhisfather ’ssake,buthedidnotwant
journalists on his doorstep—wherever that was—or long-lens shots of him doing ordinary things
throughhiswindow.

‘Haveyouhadfar-fetchedrumoursspreadaboutyou?’Hedriftedtotheoppositesideofthespa

andmadespaceforhimselfbetweenAnnaandLiuKun.Annascruncheduptomakeroomforhim,
alsomanagingtopushherbreastsupwithhercrossedarms.Aweakermanwouldhaveleanedover
andkissedherrightthen.

‘PeopleoftenassumethatI’mamodel,’Yvettejumpedin.
Hadielaughedandadded,‘MymumspreadarumourthatI’dadoptedmysonfromacrappyex-

boyfriendwho’dgothisgirlfriendpregnant.’

Somehowthey’dpingedbetweentwoextremes.Lukedidn’tknowhowtoreact.ThistimeLiuKun

steppedin.

‘InhighschooltherewasagenerallyheldbeliefthatIdidn’tspeakEnglish,’shesaid.‘Iwassuper

shy.’

‘Anna?’Lukenudgedherwithhisshoulder.Butsheshookherhead.
‘Nope.I’vegotnothing.’Oratleast,nothingshewaswillingtoadmitto,Lukethought.
‘Jessica?’
‘Alsonothing.ThoughIstartedarumouroncethatIwasgoingtoChinawithmyfamilyoverthe

schoolholidays.’

‘Why?’
‘BecauseIwasgettingbadgradesandneededtodosomeholidaytutoring.’
‘Didyoupullitoff?’Hadie’svoicewasincredulous.
‘Yes, actually. I didn’t bump into anyone from school. It sucked though. It was a really boring

holiday.’

‘Wasitworthit?’Annaasked.SoapparentlyshewasfinewithmakingeyecontactwithJessica,

butshehadn’tlookedstraightathimtheentiretimethey’dbeeninthespa.Allhecouldseewereher
eyelidsfluttering.Hereyelasheswerethickandlong;nothinglikethefakeonesthathadstucktoLuke
intheocean,floatingfromYvette’sfacetohisforearm.

‘I’m still undecided. My grades improved and it was so boring that I never fell that far behind

again.Butitwastheworstthreemonthsofmyteenagesociallife.’

***

Thesunwasstartingtosetwhentheyreachedthedock.Asitmadeitsfinalsalute,thecrewdirected
the women into a minibus and Luke into a sleek black sedan. He huffed at the sight of Joe in the
backseatwithafileinhishand.

Thedirectoropenedhismouththesecondthecardoorslammedshut.‘Westwood,youhavegotto

stopwiththefavouritism.’

‘Whatareyoutalkingabout?’
‘Anna.Youcan’tkeepyoureyesoffthatgirl.Everytimeyouspeak,yourshouldersfaceher.And

everyquestionseemstolinkbacktoher.TheonlygirlyouseekoutforalonetimeisAnna.Whatisit
withher?’

‘Idon’tknow.Shejustdoesn’tseemasdesperate.Shecanjusthavefun.’
‘Letmeremindyou,you’resupposedtobeinthisshowforaseriousgirlfriend.You’relooking

formarriagematerial,notafuntime.’

‘Cuttothechase,Joe.Whatdoyouneedmetodo?’
‘Keepthesuspensealive,forGod’ssake.EveryoneknowsAnnaisgoingtowin.You’regivingus

nothingtoworkwith.’Thedirectorpulledthecontestants’headshotsfromthefileinhislap.‘Now,
youandJessicalookgood.Wegotafairbitoffootagewithherthisdate,plusshehadthemostrecent
singledate.LiuKunwillbeagoodredherringforthecompetition.Inviteheroracontestantyou’d
liketoeliminateonthesingledatetomorrow.’

‘Fine.’
‘Nowwhodidyoudecidetoevicttonight?’
‘Oh,crap.Tonight?’Lukebarelykepthisfrustrationundercontrol.Heshould’veneversignedup

fortheshow.Hewasdodgingcallsfromhisteamforthefirsttimeinhislife.Evenknowingthey’d
befinewiththecoachesleftbehind,itfeltweirdnotknowingwhatwasgoingonwiththem.

‘Areyouevenreadingthepackages?’
Lukescowled.‘Ireadthem.’
‘Thenetworkwantsaproposalattheendoftheseason.’
‘That is not going to happen.’ There was nothing in his contract about a marriage proposal. He

sureashellwasn’tgoingtothrowawayhislifefortheratings.Evenforhisfather ’snetwork.

‘That is not the right answer.’ Joe’s voice dropped an octave. ‘You signed on for this show. It

mightnothavebeenyouridea,butyoudid.Whatthatmeantisthatyouagreedtokeepanopenmind
anddateallthewomen,knowingthatanyoneofthemmightbeTheOne,andonlymakeadecision
whenitgetstothefinaltwo.OrImaycompromiseatthefinalthree.’

‘That’s bull.’ Luke restrained himself from shouting, but he couldn’t keep the anger from his

voice. ‘I signed on to act like a serious girlfriend/potential wife would fit into my life. I agreed to
openmyselfuptopublicscrutinyonceagain—despitemybetterjudgement.Andnowyouwanttoget
pissedbecauseIlikeoneofthewomen?’

‘Justflirtwiththemall!Anyothermanwouldkilltobeinyourshoesrightnow.Thesegirlsare

therealdeal:beautiful,smart,successful.’

‘Therealdeal?Youtelevisiontypesactuallyusethatjargoninconversation?’
‘Just.Play.Along.’Itwasalmostcomical,thewayJoegroundhisteeth.‘Whoareyougoingto

evict?’

‘Yvette,’Lukeshotback,knowingthedirectorwasn’tgoingtoagree.Thewomanwasclearlyset

uptobethevillain.

‘Yvetteisnotanoption.Shewasn’tonthelist.’
‘Why not? Her fake tan rubs off on me every time she gets within a thirty-centimetre radius.

Which,bytheway,isallthetime.Thewomanisabarnacle.’

‘Yeah, the audience hates her too. And that’s exactly why she gets to stay. Everybody wants

someonetohate.’

‘SowhocanIsendhome?’
‘Brooke,SandraorTallulah.’
‘Let’sgowithBrooke,’Lukesaid.
‘Why?’
‘Idon’trememberwhichonesheis.’
‘Youhaven’tmemorisedtheirnamesandfaces?Areyoukiddingme?’
‘Givemeabreak.’Luketurnedtolookoutthewindow.Surelytheircarridewouldbeoversoon.

He sighed and pressed an elbow against the car door, leaning his head into his hand. Luke was
convinced the director thought about punching him at least every meeting that they had, however
informal.

ThecarpulledupandJoeusheredLuketothebackofthevilla,wherehewaitedforthecamera

crewtobeready.Hairandmake-uptooklessthantwominutestoreadyhimforthelights.Whenhe
wascalledin,hewasmetbyninenervousfacesandMason’sorangeone.

Afterasufficientamountofdramaticsuspense,Masonfinallyasked,‘Luke,whoareyousending

home?’

‘TodayIamsayinggoodbye…’heannounceddramatically,asinstructed,‘toBrooke.’
Joenoddedfrombehindthecamera,hisreliefplayingoutacrosshisface.Lukereturnedhisgaze

to the woman whose name he’d called. She maintained a stony expression as she allowed Luke to
escortherout.Acarwaswaiting.Lukewalkedhertothedoorandthecamerasfollowed.HeknewJoe
wantedabigemotionalscenefromBrookeandthathewassupposedtocoaxitfromher,buthejust
couldn’tdoanythingbetterthansay,‘I’msorry.’

‘It’sokay.I’drathergohomenowthanfindoutlater,afterI’memotionallyinvested,thatitwasn’t

meanttobe.’

Lukewrappedherintoahug.‘Haveasafeflighthome.Ihopeyoufindthepersonyou’relooking

for.’

Itwasoneofthelineshe’dbeenprovidedinthepackage.Oncetheemotionalmomentpassedand

Brookehadclimbedintothecar,Lukeglancedbehindthecameraforthedirectortoseeifhenoticed
and appreciated that Luke had read the material. But really, he was distracting himself from the
stupidityofthewholething.Itwascrueltokeepsomanywomenlockedinahouseunderthepretence
that they had a chance at true love. Maybe with some other guy it would have happened, but the
networkchosehim.Theychosefameandreputationoversomeonewhoactuallywantedtofallinlove
andgetmarried.

‘Good work.’ Joe clapped a hand on Luke’s back. ‘That’s a wrap for today. We’ll announce the

singledatebrightandearlytomorrow,sogetagoodnight’srest.’

LukelookedbackonceandcaughtsightofAnnatrudgingbacktothecontestants’villa.Herface

was etched into a deep scowl. Had she expected him to send her home tonight? It wasn’t going to
happen. For the first time, he’d actually planned a date she was going to love. That debt he’d

mentionedinexchangeforherstayingjustalittlelongerontheshowwouldbepaid,andthensome.
Maybeshe’devenwanttostickaroundandgettoknowhimwhenitwasover.

ShedisappearedbetweenthetreesandLukeshookhisheadclearofallhisfrustration.Withouta

backwards glance he escaped to his pool house, away from the cameras and the women and all the
fakerydesignedtoelicitviewers.Therewerejustafewmoredetailsheneededtoconfirmbeforethe
nextdate.

CHAPTER

Annafloppeddownonhermattress.Thethirdweekwasalmostover,withdaysofwaitingbetween
dates;especiallywhenshewasn’tinvited.Sinceshewasn’tonthesingledate—thatpleasurewentto
Sandra,whonooneseemedtoconsiderathreatevenaftershe’dbeenchosen—therewasnothingto
do except wander around the house. Cooking had been ruled out because Yvette and two of her
minionswereoccupyingthekitchen.Annahadusedthegymfortwohoursinthemorning,stretching
outtheworkoutforaslongaspossible.Shewishedshecouldgotosleepandonlywakeupforthe
partsofthefilmingforwhichshewasrequired.Everymomentshewasleftdoingnothing,herbody
itchedtogetbackhomeanddosomethingforherbusiness.

Ben wasn’t big on the details. All Anna’s texts that morning had been answered with a curt,

Everythingisundercontrol,and,Justfocusonrelaxingandsnaggingthatgorgeousman. Then he’d
sentthroughscreenshotsofAnna’sTwitterandInstagramaccounts.Herjawdroppedasshereadthe
numbers. There were 55,741 Twitter followers after a week and her 700 Instagram followers had
jumpedupto36,984.

AnnasentoffanothertexttoBenrequestinganactualupdateonthecafé.Wasittoomuchtoask

justtoknowithadn’tbeenburneddownorburglarised?Herheartjoltedasherphonebuzzedwitha
reply.Sheswipedatthescreenandwastreatedtoafloodofphotosofthecaféinterior.Everything
that needed to be demolished or taken away was gone. The place was an empty shell. The next few
photosshowedthefrontoftheshopwithitsnewwindows,flowerboxesinstalledandtheexteriors
painted.ThephotoserieswasroundedoffbyasnapofBenandhisboyfriend,bothsportingpainton
theirclothesandfaces.

Thankyou,shetypedback.
Don’tcomebackuntilhegivesyouaring.
Noring.Butyouarethebest.Thankyou,thankyou,thankyou.
The door opened and Anna stuffed the phone under her pillow. She stared up at the ceiling and

tried to look like she’d been just lying there relaxing. But she needn’t have worried. Hadie entered
aloneandpickedherwaythroughthefloordrobeonhersideoftheroomtoherunmadebed.

‘Are you okay?’ Hadie asked, stuffing her pyjamas under her pillows and pulling the quilt to

neatlycoverthemattress.Onebyone,shegrabbedherdiscardedpossessions.

‘Areyouokay?You’recleaning.’
‘Iamsoincrediblybored.Butwe’retalkingaboutyou.’
‘I’mfine.Itjustfeelslikesuchawasteoftimelazingaroundhere.’
‘I know.’ Hadie sighed. ‘I feel the same. My mum’s probably feeding Matty chocolate for

breakfastandtellinghimallabouthowJesusdiedforhim.’

‘She’sreligiousandyou’renot?’
‘Yep.’ Hadie frowned and Anna couldn’t tell whether it was because of her religious mother or

becauseshecouldn’tfigureoutwhethertheblackmaterialshewasholdingwaspantsoratop.

‘Can I ask you a question?’ Hadie sat on the edge of her bed and faced Anna, giving up on the

pieceofclothingshe’dbeenholding.

‘Shoot.’
‘Areyouhereforlove?DoyouwanttheseasontoendwithLukegettingononekneeandtelling

youthathewantstospendtherestofhislifewithyou?’

Anna took a deep breath. She couldn’t help scanning the room for hidden cameras for the

hundredthtime.Asalways,therewerenoneandtheroomdidn’thavethemirroredwallsoftherestof
thevilla.

‘Honestly,Idon’tthinkLukeistheoneforme,’Annasaid,decidingonawatered-downversion

ofthetruth.

‘Butyoulikehim.Iknowyoudo.’
‘Hisjobistravelling.Helivesarichandfamouslifestyle.He’sbeenspoiledforchoiceeversince

hewasborn.’

‘Idon’tthinkhe’sspoiled.Heseemsreallydowntoearth,’Hadiesaid.
‘He’sgoteverythinghe’salwayswantedwithouteverhavingtofightforit.’
‘That’snottrue.Theydon’tjusthandyouOlympicmedals.Youhavetoworkreallyhardtoget

thatgoodatsomething.’

‘He’sneverhadtogowithoutormakesacrifices.’
‘Idon’tknow.Didn’tyouhearhowhetalkedabouthighschoolyesterday?Hedidn’tgotoparties,

didn’thavetimeforgirlsorevenfriendsbythesoundofit.’

‘Thepoorthing.Lotsofpeopledon’thavetimeforthosethings.’
‘Ithinkyou’rejustscared,’Hadiesaidafterafewseconds.‘You’refrightenedtodeathofbeing

vulnerable. The cameras only make it worse. You don’t want to let yourself fall in love and open
yourselfupforrejectiononnationaltelevision.’

Anna didn’t reply and after a few minutes, Hadie left the room without another word. The ones

she’dalreadyvoicedswamaroundAnna’smind.WasHadierightaboutAnnabeingscaredoflove?
Anna wanted to reject the idea out of hand, but the memories of her mother ’s self-destruction after
losing Anna’s father stayed close to her mind. No amount of love for Disney princesses and their
stories as a kid could make up for what she’d seen within her own family. There was probably a
counsellingappointmentsomewherewithhernameonit,butAnnapushedthosethoughtstotheback
ofhermind.Shegrabbedhernotebookandbeganfillingitwithrecipeideas.

***

Anna spent the rest of that day and the next with her head in her notes, only appearing to use the
kitchentotryanewversionofhoneycombandgingerbreadcheesecakeslice.

When Mason Lockier finally arrived and announced the next whole group date, it was a much

neededdistraction.Annahadfeltherselfslidingintoinsanity,she’dbeensobored.Shemadeamental
notenevertocommitacrimethatcouldresultinjailtime.Besides,shedidn’tthinkcriminalsgotfull
reignofakitchenfilledwithingredients.UnlessKatecouldpitchanideaforaninmate-drivenreality
showwithAnnaasoneofthestars.

‘What do you think we’re doing?’ Liu Kun asked as they filed onto what was clearly Anna’s

dreamset.Shehadaprettygoodideaofwhatwouldbeinvolved:cooking.Finallyadateshemight
enjoy.TheimagewasperfectedbytheappearanceofDonatMonque,legendarypastrychef.Hestood
onaraisedplatforminfrontofthreerowsofcountersfeaturingovens,stovesandsinks.

‘Thewaytoaman’sheartisthroughhisstomach,’thegreatestdessertchefintheworldsaid.‘So

todayyouwillbemakingacroquembouche.’Hepulledawayawhitesheettorevealhiscreation.‘The
bestonewillreceiveanintimatedinnerfortwowithLukeWestwood.’

Anna’sheartflutteredinherchest.Itwasreallyhim.DonatMonque,heridol.Inhisearlythirties

andaninternationalsensation—forgoodreason.Thefangirlinherwantedtorushtohimandgeta
signatureorkisshishand.IfonlyKatehadselectedhimasthestarofLoveElimination,Annamight
havegiventhewholethingachance.LearningfromDonatMonquewasherultimatefantasy.

Except, when Luke walked in, Anna couldn’t drag her eyes away. She took a deep breath. Luke

came to a halt at the work station next to her. He looked across at her and grinned. The expression
sparkedawarmthinherlowerabdomen.

Heleanedoveruntilhismouthwasacentimetrefromherear.‘See.I’vegotthisdatethingdown

pat,’hewhispered.‘You’rewelcome.’

Her heart hammered in her chest. This date was clearly meant for her. The question was, why?

Was it all part of Luke’s romantic superstar act or was it an I’m-sorry-for-putting-you-in-this-
positionorchestratedbyKate?

‘Everyone choose a counter,’ Donat Monque was saying. ‘Luke will be walking around and

assisting.Putyourhandupifyouneedhishelp.’

Annaletoutapuffofairandhurriedtothefrontoftheroom,totheworkstationclosesttoher

rolemodel.Lukesaunteredalongtherowandleanedagainstthecounternexttoher.

‘I’llstartatthefrontandworkmywaybackwardsthen,shallI?’Lukesaidsothatthewholeroom

couldhearhim.ThenheloweredhisvoiceandspokeonlytoAnna.‘Soisthisworthstickingaround
for?PleasetellmeDonatMonqueisyourfavourite.Katethoughthemightbe…’

‘Kateshouldknow.Italkabouthimallthetime.’
‘ShouldIbejealous?’
Annashookherheadandsmiled,sneakingalookatthecheffromunderhereyelashes.‘Thank

you.Thisisthebestthingthathaseverhappenedtome.’

‘Aftermeetingme,ofcourse,’Lukeshotback.
‘Inyourdreams.’
Seeingallthecontestantspositionedbehindaworkstation,Donatmovedtothecentreofthestage.

‘Alltheingredientsareunderyourcounters,alongwitheverythingelseyou’llneed.Ifyouneedto
topupthereareextrasofeverythingintheshelvesalongthewalltoyourleft.Youhavethreehoursto
assembleyourcreations.Feelfreetodecoratethemasyouwish,buttherecipeinfrontofyouwill
helpyou.Andyourtimestarts—’hepaused,‘—now!’

With deft hands, Luke grabbed the crate of ingredients and lifted it onto Anna’s counter. They

unpackedittogetherandLukeshovedtheboxaside.

‘Whatfirst?’heasked.Hestaredhopelesslyattheingredients.
‘First we make the profiteroles and crème pâtissière.’ She looked up and caught Luke crinkling

hiseyebrows.Hestoodtherelikealostlittleboy.

‘Andhowdowedothat?’
‘Don’ttellmeyoucan’tcook?’
‘That’swhatmybillionsofdollarsarefor.’
‘Canyoureadrecipes?’
‘I don’t know … I am just a boofhead athlete, you know.’ He picked up the laminated page and

startedreading.

‘Readitaloud,please!IwanttoknowhowDonatMonquemakesthem.’

Anna was entirely in her element. She barely noticed when Luke went off to answer the raised

hands of the other girls. To Anna’s delight, Donat Monque didn’t remain at the front of the hall or
disappear while they were cooking—he gave as much attention to each girl and their cooking as
would be expected from an episode of a cooking show. When he arrived at her work station, Anna
had a chance to ask all the questions she’d ever wanted to pose to him. In the end, she couldn’t
rememberanyoftheanswers;itwaslikeherbrainturnedintocreampuffsandwispsofsugarevery
timeshetriedtothinkaroundDonatMonque.ButshedidrememberLukeatherside,preventingher
from going full fangirl. With him there, her conversation with the chef became just that: a
conversation.Theytalkedabouttheirfavouriterecipes,hissuccessesandhercafé.

ShewassodistractedbyDonatMonquethatLukehadtopointoutthatherovenwasonthewrong

temperature.Theblastofheatwhensheopenedithitherlikeaslapintheface.

‘Ohmygod.’Shecorrectedthesettings,butthedamagewasdone.Herprofiteroleswereruined.
‘Don’tworry.’Lukeplacedahandonherback.‘You’restillabouttwentytothirtyminutesahead

ofeveryoneelse.Yvetteisstilltryingtofigureouthowtokeepthefoodfromgettingunderhernails.
Idon’tthinkshe’stouchedasinglething.’

Anna’shandflewtoherface.Shefeltlikeshemightexplode.‘Ohno!DidDonatMonquesee?’
‘Hedidn’tseeathing.’
‘Really?’Annablinkedrapidlytoholdbackthemoistureinhereyes.
‘Really.Andevenifhedid,Idon’tthinkitwouldhavemattered,givenhowmuchhelikedyou.’
‘Liked me?’ How she wished she could remember the conversation she’d just had with Donat

Monque.‘Remindmewhathesaid?’

‘Heaskedwhoyouwereandwhetheryouwereapastrychef.Hesaidyouhaveenormoustalent

and wanted to know why the hell you were on a dating show when you should be in one of his
kitchens.’

Atthebackoftheroom,DonatMonquewasmixingabowlandYvettewasstandingbackwithone

handonherhipandtheotherraisedtohereyelevel.Shewaswatchinghernailsandnottheworld
renownedchef.Annahadastrongurgetochuckherburntprofiterolesatthewoman’shead.

‘Comeon.Let’sstartonbatchtwo.’
Instead of the hindrance Anna expected him to be, Luke was a useful assistant. He was a fast

learnerandhefollowedAnna’sinstructionswithoutasinglecomplaint.Theyworkedwhileswapping
jokesandwittywordplay,andtherewereexquisitebrushesofhishandonhersorhisbodynudging
past.

For the first time, Anna truly appreciated Luke Westwood’s intelligence. He wasn’t just a face

hotter than Anna’s first attempt at setting the oven. And whenever Luke was called away, Anna
experiencedanunexpectedrushofdisappointment—thecroquembouchewasn’tasmuchfunwithout
him.

The only tricky part of the relatively straightforward dessert was the fiddly construction of the

tower.Spendingsomuchtimehunchedoveracounterthathermusclestensedupjustmadeittrickier.
But when it was finished, her croquembouche looked incredible. The caramel hung around the
profiteroleslikeperfectspiderwebs.

FinallytheclockranoutoftimeandDonatMonquecalledthemtoattention.Anna’snervestingled

as the chef tasted her croquembouche first. Unlike cooking show judges, Donat Monque didn’t—or
couldn’t—keepapassiveexpressiononhisface.ThechefgrinnedandexchangedalookwithLuke,
whotookabiteofhisownprofiterolebeforegrinningtoo.

‘Very good,’ Donat Monque murmured as he moved onto the next counter. Luke whispered a

congratulationsandmovedalongtherowtotryHadie’screation.Hertowerwasalittlecrooked,but
Lukedidalotofnoddingandpraising.

Waiting for the pair to make their way through every contestant was agonising. Donat Monque

and Luke took the time to taste every tower and offer compliments to every woman, although they
skippedYvette,whohadn’tmanagedtoproduceanything.WhenDonatMonquereturnedtothefront
oftheroom,Anna’sheartfeltlikeitwaswedgedinherthroatandshewasunabletomove.

DonatMonqueopenedhishandsandheldthemoutbeforehim.
‘Welldone,everyone.Youallworkedhardandproducedsomewonderfuldessertstoday.ButI’m

sureitwillcomeasnosurprisewhenIannounceourwinner,’hesaid.‘Sothegirlgoingtodinner
withLukeWestwoodtonightis…AnnaHobbs!’

A grin exploded onto her face. She bounced on the balls of her feet and clasped her hands

together. Donat Monque was looking at her and smiling. The chef knew her name. Her role model
knewhername!

‘Anna,Iknowyou’reopeningyourowndessertcafé.FromwhatI’veeatentoday,Icantellit’ll

givemyplacesarunfortheirmoney.’

Atinysquealescapedherlips.That’sit.Shecouldnevertopthismoment—evenifhercaféwasa

massive success and became an international franchise. Even if she won the biggest awards. There
wasnosingleachievementthatcouldbeathearingthosewordsfromthemouthofDonatMonque,the
youngestandmosttalentedpastrycheftheworldhadproducedinthepastonehundredyears.

‘Congratulations,Anna.’
‘Thankyou.’Shecouldbarelygetthewordsoutandwhenshedid,shewaspositivethathehadn’t

heard.Buthenoddedandapproachedthecounter,offeringherahandshake.Annagrippedhishand
with her own, which she would have never washed again, except for the fact of food safety
regulations.

‘Andthat’sitfortoday,ladies.Pleasereturntotheminibus—everyoneapartfromAnnaandLuke,

ofcourse.’

Hadiegaveherathumbsupasshefiledpast,butherenthusiasmfailedtospreadtoherface.Anna

feltajabofguiltatthethoughtthatshe’dbespendingmoretimealonewiththeirman.Buttherewas
nowayshe’dgivethisup.Itmadeitworthcomingontheshow.Worthanyhumiliationorhittoher
dignity.Annawould’vegivenyearsofherlifetohavethemomentshejustexperienced.

‘Shallwe?’LuketookAnna’shandandsliditthroughhiscrookedelbow.
‘Sure.’Eventhecamerascouldn’tshakeherhappinessandiftheaudiencesthoughthersmilewas

due to her winning more time with Luke Westwood, that was just a happy coincidence for Love
Elimination.

‘Justwaituntilyouseewhatcomesnext.’
Anna’s stomach leapt. There was no way what came next could be better than the afternoon. Of

that,Annawassure.

***

Joe muttered instructions in Luke’s ear as he waited restlessly for Anna’s costume change. Luke
hadn’t felt nervous about a date in years. Not even on the first night of filming. This was his first
attemptatorganisingadatefortheshow.

Whenthesedanpulledup,Lukerushedtoopenthedoor.Hedidn’tthinkshe’dwait,butshedid.

Probablyjustbecausethecrewwould’vemadehergetbackinandtryagainifshehadn’t.

Therestaurantwasemptyofotherpatronsbutheledherpastallthetablesandupasetofstairs.

When they reached the door at the top, he tugged on her hand until she stopped. He procured a
blindfoldfromhispocket.

‘Whatareyoudoing?’Shestaredwithwideeyesatthematerialbetweenhisfingers.
‘It’sasurprise,’hereplied,entwininghisfingerswithhers.Hegentlytuggeduntilshewasfacing

him.‘Comeon.Youcantrustme.’

Sheacquiesced,allowinghimtotietheblindfoldoverhereyesandwraphisarmsecurelyaround

herwaist.Thescentofhoneylingeredonhersoftskin.

Heopenedthedoorandledheroutontotheterrace.Hishandscaressedherfaceasheuntiedthe

blindfold.‘Hereweare.’Asitdroppedaway,hewatchedhereyesblinkandtakeinthesightaround
her. The railing and pergola on the restaurant’s rooftop were decorated with twisted vines and
hundredsofglitteringfairylights.

‘Thisisbeautiful,’Annagasped.Luke’sgazewascapturedbyherbeautiful,longeyelashes,which

widenedasshetookinthetableinthemiddleoftheterrace.Awhitetableclothdrapedoveritanda
single candle flickered. White plates and silver cutlery were set for the three-course meal to come,
withasmallloafofwood-ovenbreadandbuttersprinkledwithsalt.

Withahandonherlowerbackbutitchingtodipfurther,heguidedhertotheseat.Lukecaught

Joe’seyeashemadehiswaytohisownchair.Thedirectorwasnoddingandlookingterriblypleased
withhimself.

Themealbegan.
‘Howareyougoing?’Lukeasked.Theyweresoclose,shecouldn’tavoidhimorhiseyecontact.

Shelookedathimwithhereyesopenwideandasoftnessinherlips.Eachemotionplayedoutover
herfeatures.Atthequestion,wrinklescrossedherforeheadandnoseuntilsherememberedtosmooth
themoutagain.Shewasn’taverygoodactress.Lukehidasmile.

‘Good.’
‘Are you having trouble with anyone in the house?’ he probed, thinking of the first episode. It

onlynowoccurredtohimthatthedatetonightwouldn’tdoheranyfavourswiththeothercontestants.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have organised cooking with Donat Monque as a group date, giving the
impressionthatanyonecould’vewon—itwasriggedfromthestart.ConvincingJoeitwastheright
thingfortheshowhadbeenthehardestpart,butthedirectorknewitwouldhavetheaudiencestearing
upintheirlivingrooms.Grandgesturesalwayswentdownwell.

‘I’mnotgoingtobitchabouttheothers,Luke.You’regoingtohavetofigureouttheirflawsand

failingswithoutmyhelp.’Sheraisedherheadandlookedhimsquarelyintheeye.

‘I’mnotaskingaboutthem.I’maskingaboutyou.’Heleanedforwardsandtookthehandshewas

restingonthetable.

‘Well,Ihaven’tcaughtanyonebitchingaboutmeagain.Sothat’sanimprovement.’
Theywereinterruptedbythearrivaloftheentrée.Thearomaofthesouphadhimsalivating.At

thefirstspoonful,hisinsidesmelted.Lukehadeatengreatfoodbefore,butthissoupinstantlybecame
the best thing he’d ever tasted. Anna seemed to be in a similar state of ecstasy and neither of them
spokeagainuntiltheyalmostfinished.

‘Whoareyoufriendswithinthehouse?’heaskedher.
‘Hadieismybestfriendontheshow,’shesaid.
Theshortanswerdidn’thavehimconvinced.‘Whoelsedoyouchatwithmost?’
‘Idon’tknow.LiuKun,Rachel?’Shepushedherbowlawayandleanedherelbowsonthetable.

Luke mimicked the movement and a waiter appeared on cue, removing their empty plates and

disappearinginthetimeittookthemtosay‘thankyou’.

‘Whataboutyou?Whoareyourfavourites?’
‘I’mnotallowedtotellyouthat.’Thewaitersweptbacktothetablewithaplateineachhand.He

placedtheirmaincourseinfrontofthem.

‘Wow.Thissmellsdelicious,’shesaid.Hervoicewaslowandhusky.Lukewatchedherclosely,

tryingtodecidewhethershe’dmeantittosoundsosexy.Whenshelookedupandcaughthimstaring,
apaleblushroseonhercheeks.

By the time dessert arrived, he’d figured out how utterly out of place she felt in Love

Elimination’s women’s prison and was prepared to summon any international chef to make it up to
her. But for the time being, the second stage of his plan was about to commence. The door opened
againandthistimeitwasn’tthewaiterwhoappeared.ItwasDonatMonque.

‘Here’sourchef.’Lukenoddedtowardshim.
‘Ihopeyouenjoyedthemeal.’Thechefplaceddessertinfrontofthem.
‘Itwasdelicious.Thankyou,’Annasaidenthusiastically.Shewasgoingtoadorethenextpart.
‘Ihopeyoualsoenjoyedthecompany,’DonatMonquesaid.‘ButI’mafraidI’llbetakingitfrom

here…’

‘You’ll what?’ Her eyes darted from Luke to the chef and back again. A flicker of excitement

flittedacrossherface,butshedidn’tseemreadytobelieveit.

‘AsmuchasIlovedourtimetogether,Ithinkyou’lllikethisevenmore,’Lukesaid.Hedragged

backthechairandhelditoutforDonatMonque.ThechefsatdownandLukesuddenlyrealisedthat
thethirty-year-oldfoodgeniuswasprobablymoreAnna’stype.Hisgoodmooddissipated.

‘Haveawonderfulnight.’HebentoverandkissedAnnaonthecheek.Shetiltedherheadintohis

lips and his lower lip brushed against hers. Not quite a kiss, but enough that his stomach clenched.
‘Hopethismakesitallworthit,’hewhisperedintoherear.

Then he left without looking back until after he passed the cameras. She leaned into the

conversation with her idol, sliding a spoonful of the dessert into her mouth. The gesture had never
lookedsexier.Heclenchedhishandsintofists.Theonlythinglefttodowastoturnaroundandleave.

***

Therewasn’talotofexcitementforAnnauponherreturn.Thescowlsshereceivedwereenoughto
scareasmallchildintotears.TheyallwantedtoknowifAnnahadkissedLukeandwhenshesaidno,
thecontestantsclearedoutwithYvettemurmuring,‘Liar,’underherbreath.Jessicanoddedassheleft.

WhenAnnareturnedtoherbedroom,Hadiewaswaitingonherbedwithherchininherhands.

‘So,howdiditgo?’shesaid.

‘Itwasreallygreat,’Annasighed,floppingbackontohermattress.‘DonatMonquecookedforus

andthenLukeleftustoeatdesserttogether.Ifinallygotoverthefangirlexcitementandthoughtupa
billionquestionsIwantedtoaskhim.’

‘YourdatewasamazingbecauseLukeleftyoualonewithanotherman?’Hadiegiggledintoher

hands.‘Thatisprobablytheweirdestthingtohappenonthisshow.’

‘Yeah.’
‘Butitisalsothemostromanticthingthatwilleverhappenonthisshow.’
‘It was, wasn’t it?’ The date replayed over and over in her mind, so Anna couldn’t forget her

dismay at Luke leaving early—despite the fact that he was being replaced by the Donat Monque.
ClichédbutterfliesmadetheirappearanceinherstomachwhenevershesawLoveElimination’ssuitor.

‘Whatwasyourcheflikeinperson?’
‘Hewasamazing.Dedicated,talented,andhisknowledgeisunbelievable.Hegrewupinafamily

of food lovers and travelled a lot as a child. I don’t think he’s ever talked about that in interviews
before.’

‘Didyoutalkaboutyourcafé?’
‘Yes.Hehadatonofadvice.AndheevengavemehisemailaddressifIhaveanyquestions.He

saidhe’dlookoveranymenusorrecipesIsendthrough.Howgreatisthat?’

‘That’ssosweet.’Hadiesmiled.‘WhataboutLuke?Didyoureallynotkisshimafterthat?’
‘Hegavemeapeckonthecheekwhenheleft.Hebrushedmylips.Butitwasn’taproperkiss.’
‘WouldyouhaveravagedhimifDonatMonqueandthecameracrewhadn’tbeenthere?’
‘DoIstillmeetDonatMonqueandeathisfoodinthishypotheticalsituation?’
‘Yes.’
Annapausedandansweredhonestly.‘Idon’tknow…IwouldneverhavedatedLukeWestwoodin

theoutsideworld.’

‘Whynot?He’sgorgeous,kind,agoodlistener,smart,generous…He’sliterallythemostperfect

humanbeingI’veevermet.Exceptforthefactthathe’slikeahorsewithblinkers.’

‘What do you mean?’ Anna asked, turning over her pillow and pounding it into shape. She slid

betweenthecoversandHadieclappedthelightsoff.Afterafewmoments,Anna’seyesadjustedand
shecouldseeHadiebythelightofthestarsandthefullmoon.

‘Well,heonlyseemsinterestedinonepersonhere.You.’
Anna didn’t reply straight away—she couldn’t find the words. There was no way to deny that

she’d spent more time with Luke than any of the others. He gave her more attention during group
dates.Annacouldn’ttellherthetruth—thatheonlyteasedherbecauseshewasn’tinterested.Thathe’d
triedtomakeadealtosuitthemboth.

‘Sowhatareyouthinking?Doyoulikehimtoo?Isittruelove?’
‘Hadie—’
‘Just tell me, please. I need to know whether it’s worth sticking around. My son needs me and I

misshimmorethananastronautmissesgravity.’

‘Ilikehim,Hadie,’sheadmitted.Thewordsleftherlikeagushofair.‘ButIdon’tthinkI’llbethe

final contestant when the show comes to an end.’ That was as much as she could admit—even to
herself.ShewasallowedtolikeLukeWestwood.Shejustcouldn’tfallinlovewithhim.

‘Why?’
‘BecauseIwantdifferentthingsfrommylife.Hewon’tbeabletogiveuptravellingandIwon’t

beabletogiveupmydream.Butnoneofthathasanythingtodowithyourrelationshipwithhim.Do
youlikehim?’

‘Of course I like him. We were all handpicked because he is exactly our type; except you,

apparently.’

‘Sodosomethingaboutit.I’llevenhelp.’
‘Likewhat?’
‘Gethisattention,getsomealonetimeandgethimtoseewhatsortofpersonyouare.Ibetyou

werechosenbecauseyou’rethetypeofwomanhecouldfallinlovewith.’

‘Whywouldyouhelpthecompetition?’
‘I’dliketothinkwe’refriends.AndthatnomatterwhathappenswithLuke,youandmearegoing

to stay friends after the cameras stop rolling.’ It wasn’t just that Anna needed an ally in the house;
Hadiewasspecial,shewassomeoneworthknowing.Tonightwasrevealinganumberofthingsthat

madeLoveEliminationanexperienceworthenduringforAnna,ormaybeevenenjoying.

‘Ofcoursewe’refriends,’Hadiesaid.
Annahidherchucklesinthepillow.‘Okay.Sowe’regoingtogetyouonthenextsingledate.And

during the group dates, you’re going to sneak away with Luke and have some one-on-one time as
oftenasyoucan.Meanwhile,IwillmaketheultimatesacrificeanddistractYvetteforyou.’

‘AndJessica!Haveyouseenhergettingclingyaswell?Iswearthedirectorismanipulatingusall

togivehimmorefootageofJessicaandLuketogether.Ibetyoumyphoneprivilegesthey’regoing
tobethestarcoupleofthenextepisode.’

‘Phoneprivileges?I’mnotyourwarden,’Annasaid.‘Andduh.Shewentonthesingledate,didn’t

she?Theywenttoamudbathandslatheredeachother ’sskinwithgoo.Allthattouchingoncamera.
Jessicabeingthenewfrontrunnermakestotalsense.’

‘Urgh.Ihatethecameras.Theymakemesoself-consciousaboutmystretchmarksandbabyfat.

HowamIsupposedtocompetewiththeseperfectchildlessmodels?’

‘Are you kidding me?’ Anna said. ‘You are beautiful. Do you know how much I regret all the

deliciousdessertsI’veevercookedandeatenwhenIhavetoweargymclothesaroundyouall?’

‘It’stheothers.Notme.’
‘Uh-uh.’Annashookherhead.
‘Oh,shutup.’ApillowflewacrosstheroomandlandedsquarelyonAnna’shead.Shesquealed.
‘Whatareyou,fiveyearsold?’
‘Shh,’Hadiewhispered.‘I’mtryingtosleep.’
Annaturnedoverandfacedthewall,chuckingtheextrapillowontheground.Shecouldn’thelp

smilingandreplayingtheeventsofthedayonemoretime.

Itwasn’tDonatMonqueshewasthinkingaboutasshedriftedofftosleep.

CHAPTER

The dates were starting to blend together. Luke was barely engaged in the conversations with each
woman.Hekeptforgettingwhichonehadasingleparent,orsixolderbrothers(shewouldbegetting
evictedimmediately,assoonasLukerememberedwhoshewas),oracatshelovedmorethansleep.
Afewstoodout:HadiewasgoodfunandJessicahadsupermodellooks.Buthismindkeptslipping
backtoAnna.

‘Luke! Are you listening?’ Kate exchanged a look with Joe and the two other producers. They

weregatheredintheconferenceroominthecrew’smansion.Photosofeachoftheremainingwomen
were laid out on the table. The crew expected him to spill his feelings. It was like a job interview
crossedwithatherapysession.

‘Trytopayattention,yeah?’Thedirectorrappedhisknucklesonthetable.‘Next.’
‘Yvette.’Oneoftheotherproducerspushedaphotoforwards.
AgrowlescapedLuke’sthroat.‘Canwepleasesendherhomenow?’
Itwastellingthathesaid‘we’whenreferringtohisdecisionsaboutthewomen.Howdidanyone

manage to fall in love on this type of show? Every preference was analysed by the producers,
comparedwithratingsandsocialmediacomments,andbalancedwiththepersonalitiesoftheother
contestants.EvenifLukewereexperiencingthebeginningsoflove,itwouldbecrushedassoonasit
appeared.

‘Yvette?Definitelynot.Peoplelovetohateher.’
‘Well,Idon’t.Andisn’tthisshowaboutmefallinginlove?’
‘Justdon’tletthecameraseehowyoufeel,’Joeinstructed.‘Shestays.Nextphoto.’
‘Anna.’
‘Sendherhome,’Katesaid.
Lukefrowned.Hewasn’tdonewithAnnayet.Shewastheonlythingkeepinghimsane.Theshow

wouldbehellishwithouther.

‘She’sstillratingreasonablywell,’anotherproducersaid.
‘Hersocialmediaplatformisbetterthananyoftheothercontestants’.Thatfriendofhers,Ben,

hasgotaudienceengagementwayup.’

‘Iwanthertostay,’Lukesaid.Notthatanyonewaspretendinghehadasayanymore.
‘Areyoufallinginlovewithher?’Joeasked.Atthequestion,theothersallturnedandstaredat

him.Kate’sheadtwistedfastenoughtogiveherwhiplash.Shelookedsomuchlikehersister.What
hadAnnatoldher?

‘No.I’mnotinlovewithher,oranyoftheothers.’
‘Shehastogosometime.Whynotnow?’JoesnuckalookatthephotoofKate’ssisterandLuke

sawtheappreciationthere.Perhapstheviewerswouldgetabetterresultiftheyturnedthecamerason
thecrew?

‘No.Picksomeoneelse.’

‘AreyousayingyouwantAnnatobeinthefinaltwo?’
Forthefirsttimesinceagreeingtodotheshow,Lukereallythoughtaboutwhatwouldhappenat

theend.Howwashesupposedtogothroughwithit?Hedidn’tthinkaboutproposingtoanyofthe
womenwhenhewasonadatewiththem.Outsideoftheshow,hehadn’tdatedinyears—notthathe
hadn’t had his share of action. But that was the clincher: he wasn’t interested in casual affairs any
more, nor in sleeping with fans or picking up women in any country with snow and a slope. He
wantedonewomanwhomadehimlaugh,whomhecouldtalkto,whomhecouldhaveincrediblesex
withformorethanonenight.

It’sjustthattherewasn’tasinglewomanontheshowthathewantedinthefinaltwo.ExceptAnna.

And there was no way he could keep Anna in the finale. She would poison him with some sort of
deliciouscake.

The producers liked Hadie, but he didn’t want to put a single mother through that. It would’ve

beenalotkindertotellherthathewasn’tinterestedandsendherbacktoherson,onlyshewasAnna’s
best friend. The director was also pushing for Jessica and Liu Kun. Perhaps he should just choose
them?

‘Luke?’Joehadtorepeatthequestion.‘DoyouwantAnnainthefinale?’
She didn’t want to be in the final two. She’d told him over and over. Begged even. And she’d

obviouslybeensayingthesamethingtohersister.Butshewastheonlywomanhewanted,herealised
suddenly.NotjustonLoveElimination,butafterwards.Filmingwascomingtoanendandhedidn’t
wanttolethergo.Hecouldn’t.

‘Yes,’hesaid.
‘What?’Kate’seyeswidened.
‘Yes.IwantAnnatobeinthefinale.’
‘Okay.’ The director rubbed his hands together. All the producers, apart from Kate, continued

discussingtheprosandconsofeachwomanliketheywerecharactersinascripteddrama.

‘Wecanregrouponthislater,’someoneannouncedand,finally,theywereallallowedtodepart.

Escaping into the open air couldn’t come soon enough. The air conditioning inside the mansion
couldn’tcompetewiththesmellofseawater.

It wasn’t until Luke passed the pool house that he noticed he was being followed. Joe was

incrediblylightonhisfeet.

‘Yourealisethismeansyou’llhavetochooseone?’thedirectorsaid.Hisvoiceechoedacrossthe

pool.‘Jessica,LiuKunorAnna.You’llhavetocommittooneofthemattheendoftheshow.’

No.Lukehadn’tconsideredthat.Justlikehehadn’tthoughtoftherebeingafinaltwo.
‘Comeon,man.Let’sgogetyouadrink.’
The offer was probably a cleverly disguised interrogation plan, but the call of beer was too

strong.Allthealcoholsuppliedonsetwaseitherchampagneorwine.Ifhe’dknowntherewasapub
nearby,hemight’veventuredfromhiscagemuchearlier.MaybeevenhavetriedconvincingAnnato
sneakoutwithhim.She’dalreadybrokentherulestouseherphone.Lukesawherhidinginthepalm
treesbetweenhispoolhouseandthecontestants’villaabouteverythirdday.He’dkepthersecret.

‘Sure.Let’sgo.’

***

Annawasturningthephoneoverinherhandswhenitbuzzed.Startledbythevibration,shedroppedit
ontothebedanditwasimmediatelyswallowedbythecovers.

‘Shit.’Herhandsfumbledthroughthematerial.
Hadiepoppedherheadupfromthebookshewasreading.‘Isitforme?’shecalledsoftly.
Anna scooped the device into her hands, swiped the screen and read the text that had come

through.

‘No,it’sforme.Kateisoutside,’Annasaid.‘Shewantsmetogoforawalkwithher.Haveachat.’
‘Youshouldgo.Icancoverforyou.I’llsayyoucouldn’tsleepandwenttodoaworkout.’
‘Youdon’tmind?’Annarolledoutofbedandpulledonapairofsandals.Shewasalreadydressed

inshortsandacroptop.

‘Coursenot.Havefun!GetKatetotellyouwhenandwhatthenextdatesare.Andtheeliminations.

Possiblywho’sgoinghomenext…’

Anna hid her smile. There was no way Kate would divulge any behind-the-scenes information.

Her sister refused to share that type of detail even when Anna wasn’t on the show in question. The
suspensewasKate’sfavouritepart.Inthefewconversationsthey’dhad,Katewouldlethersentences
trailoffinthehopethatAnnawouldbeghertocontinue.

Sneakingoutsidewaseasy.Everyonehadretreatedtotheirrooms,exceptforagroupdrinkingin

Yvette’sroom.Thenightskywasbrightwiththemoonandstars,providingenoughlightforAnnato
spotKate’sblondehair.

‘Thereyouare,’Katehissedfromtheshadows.
‘What’sgoingon?’Annasaid.‘Ithoughtyouweren’tallowedtotalktome.’
‘Imissyou—andyouclearlyneedrescuing.’KatepulledAnnaintoatightembrace.‘Itmustbe

drivingyouinsane,nothavingleftthehouseforaweek.’

‘Ithas.I’mveryclosetohitchhikingaridetotheairport.’
‘Thoughtso.Therefore,Iamtakingyoutothepub.’
‘There’sapubnearby?’
‘Absolutely.Wecandrinksomecocktails,haveachatandstillgetyoubackinplentyoftimefor

youtoengageinsomebeautysleepbeforetomorrow.’

‘Issomethinghappeningtomorrow?’
‘Yep.Thebigannouncement.’
‘Whatisit?’
‘AsifI’mgoingtotellyou,’Katereplied,tappingAnnaonthenoselikesheusedtowhenthey

wereyoung.

As they emerged onto the street, Anna forgot about the show and let herself appreciate a night

awayfromitall.Witheverystepthesmellofseaweeddissipatedandtheairfeltcleanerandatight
constraintliftedfromherchest.

Kateglancedacrossather.‘Howareyoudoingwiththeshow?Apartfromtheboredom.’
‘Whatelseistherebesidestheboredom?It’stheworst.Can’tIgohomenow?You’renotusing

meindatesanymore…’

‘Aw, I’m sorry!’ Kate’s sympathy was undercut slightly by the grin on her face. ‘Luke seems to

reallylikeyou.’

‘Ohyeah?ThenwhyamIsittinginthevillabymyself?’Annaraisedaneyebrow.Thegesturewas

lostinthedarkness.Ithadbeenaweekofdatesfortheotherwomen,punctuatedbyaliveshowwhere
Sandrawenthome.Annahadspenttheentirenextdaypractisingherboxing.God,shewassopissed
thatshewasstillthere.EvenmoresothatithadbeenaweekofmissingoutonLuke’scompany.Not
thatsheshouldcare.

Afullmonthhadpassedsincefilmingstarted.Thatwasamonthawayfromhercafé.Thedaysshe

wasstuckinthevillablendedtogether.Theeasiestwaytokeeptrackofthedayswastheliveshows,
everySunday,gettingherhopesupaboutgoinghome.Butshehadn’tbeeninthebottomthreeagain.
Theexpertsjustpubliclyhumiliatedhereachweek,instructingAnnatokeepopeningupandtotell
Luke how she felt. Meanwhile, it was getting harder and harder to make decisions about her
renovationsviatextmessaging.

‘You’renotalone.Therearestillsevenpeopleleft.TheproducersaremakingLukespendtime

with other contestants. We need some suspense. The show doesn’t work if everyone thinks you’re
goingtowin.’

Anna bit down on her lip. The longer she stayed on the show, the more she felt like a proper

contestant.EverytimeMasonLockiershowedup,herhopesrose.Shekepttellingherselfshewasjust
bored—itwasjusttheshow,designedtomakeherthinkaboutLukeWestwood.Andshewas bored.
Butshealsomissedhiscompany.WasthisStockholmSyndrome?

‘HowcanIstillbethefavourite?Ihaven’tbeenonadateinages.’
‘Areyoujealous?’
‘No!’Annacried.Theconversationwasgettingentirelytooserious.EverytimeAnnarepliedina

light tone, Kate kept pulling it back. ‘Do you remember the part where I came on this show as a
favourtoyou?OrhowI’mnotinterestedindatingyourfamousathlete?’

‘Youlikehim.’
‘Yourippedmeawayfrommylife,cutmeofffromnormalcivilisation.Howareyousurprised

that I enjoy spending time with him? There’s nothing else to do! You chose a man who is fun and
interesting.Wasn’tthatthepoint?’

‘Soyouareattractedtohim!’
‘Kate!Areyoulisteningtoyourself?Thisisatelevisionshow.Yourwholejobismanipulatingthe

contestantstofallforLukeWestwood.’

‘Andit’sworking.’
‘Fine,Ihaveacrush.Thatdoesn’tmeanI’mgoingtomarryhim,orevenmakeittothefinale!’
‘Why not? You haven’t been going on the dates because we haven’t needed to send you on the

dates—Lukeaskstheothercontestantsaboutyou.Theyalltalkaboutyou.Theaudiencelovesyou.As
hardaswetrytopromoteoneoftheothers,youarethefavouriteonthisshow.Weshowafulltwo
minutesoffootagefromSandra’sfamily—likewhatBendidforyouonthefirstliveshow—andshe
stillgoeshome.’

Never,notonce,hadsheimaginedherselfinthefinale.ButAnnawassavedfromreplyingbythe

appearanceofasmallwoodenbuildingwithawideverandawherethreegroupsofpeoplesippedon
beersandcocktails.Top40musicdriftedfromaradiointhecornerofthebar.

‘Soyou’refilmingthembitchingbehindmyback?’Annaasked,steppingintothepub.
‘It’snotasbadasitsounds.’
They headed for the bar. A blackboard covered in colourful chalk drawings hung over the

counter. There was a sketch next to each special. Anna wasn’t usually a big drinker, but she
desperatelyneededanightoutwithhersister.

With the chaos of the drink menu, Anna didn’t notice the patrons sitting at the counter. So she

didn’t see it coming when Kate gasped and shoved her to the side so she was obscured by a heavy
table.

‘Ow,’Annacomplained,rubbingherheadwhereithadhitthecornerofachair.
‘Stay down,’ Kate hissed, her lips barely moving. She straightened and plastered a smile on her

face,thenapproachedthebar.

‘Kate!’ said a familiar voice, sounding delighted to see her. Obviously, whoever it was hadn’t

witnessedKate’sunprovokedviolence.

‘Joe!Whatareyoudoinghere?’Katemovedfurtheraway,distractinghimfromwhereAnnawas

hiding.‘IthoughtyouweregoingtotalktoLuketonight.’

‘Ihave.’Themanpaused.‘Areyouherealone?’
‘Y—yes.’Katestutteredherreply.Aneonsignwouldhavebeenlessobvious,butJoedidn’tseem

tonotice.

‘Wouldyouliketojoinmeforadrink?’Joe’svoicegrewsofterandmoredifficulttohearover

theotherpubpatrons.Peekingaroundthetablelegs,AnnawatchedasKatefoughtherinstincttolook
backtowhereshewashiding.Herkneeswerestartingtohurt.Theywerepressedupagainstthehard
floorboards.Herthighsweren’tthathappywiththeircurrentsituationeither.

‘Oh,I’mgood.Thanks.’
‘Didn’tyoujustwalkin?You’regettingadrinkanyway,aren’tyou?Whynothaveitwhilesitting

atthebarwithme?’

Thedirectorwasunusuallyinarticulate.Annaguessedithadlesstodowiththedrinkingandmore

todowithKate.

‘Um…Sure.’
JoeguidedKatetothebar.Hedidn’tnoticeasshelookedoverhershoulderandmouthedaword

atAnna.Itwasn’ttoohardtofigureoutwhatshewantedAnnatodo.Aftertheallureofanightaway
fromherprisoncell,goingbacktothevillawasnotgoingtobeeasy.Still,Annacouldn’tletherself
getcaughtoutsidetheLoveEliminationbubble.NotwiththemoneyandKate’scareerhangingover
herhead.

Assoonasthedirectorturnedtothebarmanandordered,Annadashedfortheentrance.Shekept

herbodyatacrouchuntilsheroundedthecorner—andslammedintoahardsurface.

‘Ouch!’ Anna forgot she was trying to be inconspicuous. Thankfully the din from other

conversationsdrownedoutthepainofbeingknockeddownforthesecondtimethatnight.

‘Areyouokay?’
AnnalookedupandsawLukesmilingdownather.
‘Shit.Youneversawmehere!’Shetriedtoslippasthim,buthesnakedanarmaroundherwaist.
‘Toolate.Whatareyoudoing?’
Hertraitorousskinbrokeoutintogoosebumpsathistouch.Sheclosedhereyesandprayedhe

wouldblamethenipofcoldinthenightair.Hedidn’ttakehisarmback.Hisbreathtouchedtheside
ofhercheekandmadeherskintingle.Itwouldn’ttakemuchforhimtoleandownandkissher.His
lipswerecloseandhersachedattheideaofpressingagainsthis.

‘Katesnuckmeoutforadrink.’
‘Ah.DidJoeseeyou?’
‘No.Kate’sintheredistractinghim.’
‘Wouldn’ttakemuch.Thepoormanisheadoverheels.’
Annagnawedherbottomlip.Hersisterandthedirector?Ifsheweren’tsowaryofgettingKatein

trouble,she’dcrawlrightbackinandspyonher.Couldtherereallybesomethinggoingonbetween
KateandJoe?Iftherewas,whatdidAnnathinkaboutit?Partofherfeltbetrayed.Themanwasthe
ultimate puppet master. Anna could never like him. She’d seen him play on the vulnerabilities of
everysinglewomanontheshow.

‘GivemeasectosaygoodbyeandI’llwalkyoubacktothevilla,’Lukesaid.Heslippedpasther

tothebar.

Annashookherheadandemergedfromherstupor.Herheartbeatfaster.Shescurriedfromthe

verandaanddownthestreet.Itwasn’tlikeshecouldgetlost.Therewasonestreetandtwoturnsinthe
entirejourneyandshe’dalreadytakenoneofthem.

Abouttwenty-fivemetreslater,sheheardfootstepsthuddingbehindher.
‘Hey,waitup!’Lukecalled,fallingintostepwithAnna.Shehadtoconsciouslystopherselffrom

swooningatthesightofhimjoggingtoherside.

‘ItoldKateyouwereheadinghomesoshewon’tworryaboutyou,’hesaid,ignoringthefactthat

she’dattemptedtoditchhim.

‘How’dyoudothatwithJoethere?’
‘Morsecode.Ijustknockedonthetable.’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Yep.Sheknowsmorsecode,right?’
‘Ofcourse.Whatself-respectingproducerdoesn’t?Howelsewouldtheyconveysecretmessages

inmeetings?’

‘That’swhatIthought.Butjustincase,Isaidthat“we”weregoingtowalkback.Joethinksitwas

justaslipofthetongue.’

AnnathoughtaboutLukeslippinghistongueintoher.Allshecouldmusterinreplywas,‘Good.’

Itwasn’tveryenthusiastic,butitwasthebestshecoulddounderthecircumstances.SheblamedKate,
whohadspenttheentirenighttryingtoconvinceAnnathatshewasattractedtoLuke.Which,inturn,
hadbroughtallofAnna’slustfulfeelingstothesurface.Notthatshewouldeveradmittothem,nor
thenightsshe’dspentthinkingaboutLukeoflate,tohersister.

‘Wheredidyouevencomefrom?’
‘Thebathroom.’
‘Oh.’
UsuallyAnnawouldbescroungingforsomethingtosayinthepresenceoftheoppositesex,but

not with Luke. It was strange for her to feel so comfortable with someone she barely knew. It had
takentwoyearsofworkingsidebysidewithBenbeforeAnnagrewcomfortableenoughtotalkto
himabouteverything.NotthatshecouldshareanythingtrulypersonalwithLuke.Thecameraswere
alwaysthere,broadcastingherwordstothenation.Exceptfortonight.

‘Areyougoingtohavetroublesneakingbackintothehouse?’heasked.
‘No.I’mprettymuchaprobynow.’
‘Iguessyouare.Noonehasnoticedyourearlymorningexcursions?’Theywalkedslowly.With

Luke,Annawasinnorush.Heseemedtofeelthesameway.Hewalkedcloseenoughthattheirfingers
brushed.

‘Hadiehas.Shefoundoutaboutthephoneprettyearlyon.Butwehaveadeal.’Annaresistedthe

urgetocatchhishandinhers.‘Sheusesittocallhermumforupdatesandtotalktoherson.’

‘That’sgood.Shemustbemissinghimlikecrazy.’
‘Sheis.’
FromthecornerofhereyeshecouldseeLukedrinkherimageinasifheweretryingtofigure

herout.Hedidn’tlookawayuntilAnnamethiseyes.Eventhen,hedidn’tseemfazedbybeingcaught
out.

‘Areyouhomesick?’heasked.
Anna gave the question some thought. ‘Not in the way Hadie is. I don’t miss anyone. The only

personreallyimportanttomeishere.’

‘Me?’Lukeasked,nudgingherribswithhiselbow.

Annarolledhereyesandcontinued,‘AndIcanstillchattomybestfriendonthephone.Idon’t

missmyapartmentoranyothercreaturecomforts.ButIdesperatelywanttogetbacktomybusiness.’

‘Itlookslikeyouhavesomereallygreatfriends.Thatguydoingyoursocialmediaaccountsis

almostaspopularastheshowitself.’

Anna groaned. ‘Ben. I wish he hadn’t done that. It would’ve been so much easier if I’d flown

completelyundertheradarandgonehomethatfirstweek.’

‘But then you also wouldn’t have met your favourite chef,’ Luke said. He slung his arm around

herwaist,hishandonlyinchesaboveherarse.ItsenthotshocksthroughAnna’sbody.

‘IsitBen?’heasked.‘Doyouhaveasecretcrushonhim?Isthatwhyyoudon’twanttolikeme?’
Annawould’velaughedattheideaofhercarryingasecrettorchforBen,buthermindcaughton

the idea of Luke wanting her to like him. Did he want her to fall for him, like the show intended?
Nothing about his behaviour so far had convinced her that he was serious about Love Elimination.
He’dadmittedtobeingropedintotheshow.Justlikeher.Andoutofallthesingle,gorgeous,well-
balancedwomenKatehadcast—aswellastheoverlyenthusiasticones—hehadchosentospendhis
timewithher.Hedidn’tseemtobetryingveryhardtowootheothers.

‘Nope.Ijustdon’thavetime.Ihaveadreamtofulfil,’shesaid.‘Whataboutyou?Areyoufalling

inlovewithanyofthewomen?Surelyyou’vegotsomefavouritesinmindforthefinalfour?’She
couldn’tresistpokingforinformation.Sheneededtoknowiftheshowwasacompletewasteoftime
for everyone. Did Hadie have a chance at winning Luke Westwood’s heart by the final episode? Or
withanyamountoftime?

A deep frown etched itself into his forehead. He looked five years older and ten times sterner.

Annawantedtoreachoutandsmooththecreases.

‘Don’tyoustartonme,too.’
‘Whatdoyoumean?’
‘That’s what Joe dragged me out here for. The promise of beer at the cost of divulging my

feelingsabouteachofthewomenandchoosingafinaltwo.’

‘You’re picking the final two already?’ Anna’s voice came out higher and sharper than she’d

intended.Thatwouldmeanthatheknewwhenshewouldbegoinghome.Eventhoughthey’dtalked
aboutherdesiretodojustthat,paincutthroughherstomach.

‘No.That’stheproblem.’
‘Areyouhavingtroubledeciding?MaybeIcouldhelp?’Theofferslippedfromhermouthbefore

hermindhadtimetovetit.

‘Idoubtit.’
‘What’stheproblem?’
Hestoppedandlookedather.Annastoppedtoo.Someoneneededtoslapsomesenseintoher.It

should’vebeenKate.Whatwasthepointofhavinghersisteronsetifshewasn’tgoingtokeepAnna
grounded?

‘Iwasseriousaboutwantingtofindarealrelationship.SomeonethatIcanseemyselfwithinthe

long term,’ he started, talking so slowly that Anna wished she had a remote to fast forward the
conversation,likeKatedidwhenshewaswatchingcompetingtelevisionshowsforresearch.‘Butthat
doesn’t mean I’m ready to settle down, get married, stop travelling, have children. Every single
woman,exceptyouandYvette,hasaskedaboutthosethings.’

WhenAnnadidn’treply,hecontinued,‘TheywanttoknowifI’mwillingtomovetoSydney,or

whetherI’llhavetimeforthemwhenI’mtrainingtheboysintheleaduptothebigcomps.’

‘And you don’t want to leave your job,’ Anna finished for him. The knowledge shouldn’t have

beensurprising.Itshouldn’thaveaffectedherinanywayatall.Butitdid.Herheartfeltlikeitwas
beingsqueezed.

‘Notyet.It’sjustthatIonlyhaveacertainnumberofyearsleftonmycareer.’
Hestartedwalkingagain,soabruptlythatAnnahadtorushafewpacestohisside.
‘Even though you’re a coach now?’ she asked. She didn’t understand how the man next to her

could be too old to snowboard. He seemed strong, young, invincible. And she couldn’t imagine
havingadreamthatyou’dgrowoutof.Itwascrazy.

‘Yeah. Up until a few months ago, I was still competing in the smaller competitions. But I can’t

keepupwiththeyoungguysanymore.Iwasinjuredinafallafewyearsback.Mykneegotbustedup
prettybad.Iwantedtoenjoysnowboardingforabitlonger,butit’snotgoingtogetanybetter.’

‘Shit,Luke.I’msosorry.’Annadidn’tknowwhatelsetosay.Shebitherlip.‘Doesithurtnow?’
‘Itdoesn’tbothermetoomuch.UnlessIstraponasnowboardandjumpdownacliff.’
‘Andyouhaven’tthoughtaboutwhatyouwanttodo,afteryoufullyretire?’
‘I’ve thought about it plenty. Especially when I was in hospital, and again in rehab, thinking my

knee would never work properly again. When competitions got hard and I wanted to quit. Or even
before,whenI’dwakeupandnotrememberwhatcountryIwasin.’

AnnawascutupinsidejustthinkingofLukebeinginjured.Shecouldn’timaginehimbeingstuck

in a hospital bed for any length of time. She shook the image from her head. It was clear he didn’t
wanttotalkaboutitfurther.

‘Thathappened?’sheasked.
‘Yeah.Quiteoften.SometimesIwasevensober,’hesaid.
‘Itmust’vebeenquitethepartylifestyle.’HadiehaddoneGooglesearchesonLukeWestwoodthe

weekbefore.Shehadn’tbeenabletoresist.NorhadshebeenabletoresistshowingAnna.Therewere
plenty of gossip articles and compromising photos of him splattered over the internet. There were
tonsofphotosofashirtlessLukeWestwood.

‘Attimes.MostlywhenIhitadulthoodandwasinmyearlytwenties.Buteventhen,Istilltrained

hardandneverslackedona5amstart.’

‘That’sawful.IcomplainalldayifIhavetogetupbeforesixthirty,’Annarepliedbeforethinking

abouthowitmightcomeacross.ButLukeonlygrinned.

‘Oh,trustme.Icomplained.’Helaughed.‘OnetimeIputupadartboardwithmycoach’spicture

inthemiddle.Veryclichéd.’

‘Diditwork?’AnnatriednottoimagineLuke’sarmmuscletensingashelinedupadart.Itwas

thephotos.Nogoodevercameofgooglingthemeninyourlife.

‘Notabit.Ihadtothrowitawaybecauseacleanerreportedit.Thehotelstafffearedthedamageto

thewallswhenImissed.’

‘Didyoumiss?’
‘Ofcoursenot.I’maneliteathlete,’herepliedwithmockoutrage.
‘Didyoualwaysliveinhotels?’Annaknewsheshouldstopaskingquestionsabouthislife.She

shouldn’twanttoknoweverythingaboutthegorgeousmanbyherside.Butshedid.Maybetheycould
remainfriendsaftertheshow,ifsheplayedhercardsright.

‘WhenIwascompeting,yes.EitherthatorIlivedattheinstitutewherewetrained.’
‘Andnow?Doyoustillliveinhotels?’
‘Yes.ButI’mthinkingImightbuyonewhenIquitcompeting.’
‘Wow.’
IthadbeenawhilesinceAnnathoughtaboutLuke’swealthy,privilegedupbringing.Heobviously

workedhardtobesuccessfulinhiscareer.Andhehadtalent.Youcouldn’tbecomethenumberone
professionalsnowboarderintheworldwithouttalentandhardwork.Butthefactthathecouldhave
vaguebusinessaspirationsandjumpstraightinto‘Oh,Imightbuyahotel’madeherwanttoscream.
Daddy’s money had to be financing that. Whereas she was still scrounging for coins that may have
rolled under her bed or between the cracks in furniture to renovate her café. Even with the money
she’dsaved—andwouldgainfromtheshow—itstillwouldn’tbethecaféofherdreams.Forthat,she
wouldneedlargechunksofcash.LiketheamountsatLuke’sbeckandcall.

‘Iknow…I’manathlete.WhatdoIknowaboutbusinessorhotels?’Forthefirsttime,hisvoice

lostitscockyself-confidence.

‘No, it’s not that,’ Anna rushed to say, pushing aside her jealousy. ‘It’s just lucky. You can just

decidetodosomething,orbesomething.Youhavethefreedomtodowhateveryouwant.’

‘Thanks.’ThewayhisvoicewrappedaroundthewordmadeAnnawanttokisshim.Therewasa

warmthlowinherbelly.‘Idon’tforgetit,ortakeitforgranted.ButIcan’tchangeiteither.It’swhat
I’vegrownupwith.’Lukeseemedtopickhiswordscarefully.

‘Iknowthat.’Andshedid.Lukedidn’tseemthetypetothrowhisprivilegearoundorboastinthe

faceofthoselessfortunate.Itdidn’tchangetheinsurmountablegapbetweenthem.

‘Howdidyousaveupforyourcafé?Howlongdidittake?’
‘It’s been eight years. I started when I was sixteen, taking on just about every job that came my

way.MostrecentlyI’vebeenworkingtwojobs:inasupermarketandinacaféthatdoesalotofgreat
organicsweets—whichhasbeenawesome.’

‘That’sinsane.Doyoueversleep?’
‘Itdoesn’tleavemuchtimeforhobbies,that’sforsure.’
‘Whataboutboyfriends?’
Annacockedherheadtotheside.‘Areyouaskingaboutmydatinghistory?’
Lukegrinned.‘IguessIam.’
‘Why? Are you interested in joining the list?’ Anna’s heart actually fluttered at the thought of

datingLuke.Ifsheweren’tonarealitytelevisionshowandwasn’tsobusywithhercafé,hewouldbe
theperfectcandidate.Notforalong-termrelationship—she’dneverhadoneofthose.Buttheycould
havefuntogether.Ifonlyshehadtimetoseeamovie,grabdinner,hostasleepover.

‘Oh,youdidn’trealise?We’vebeenonseveraldatessofar.Wemayhaveevensurpassedthethird

date.Beforeyouknowit,we’llbecountingmilestones.’

Annachuckled.Herhandstwistedatherside.‘Inthatcase,I’vehadoneseriousboyfriendwhenI

wasnineteen.IthoughtthathewasTheOne.Alas,hewasnot.Hedidn’tlastlong.’

‘Really?Butnoonesincethen?’
‘No one recently, or for long. I have been kind of busy …’ She thought about her sad lack of

relationships.Itwasn’tjustmen.Shehadtwoproperfriendsandoneofthemwashersister.‘PlusI
findithardtogettoknowpeople,ortrustthem.I’mnotreallyapeopleperson.’

‘Youseemtodojustfineontheshow—’
‘Noway!TheonlypersonwholikesmeisHadie,andI’msupplyingherwithaccesstoherson.

Theresteitherdespisemeorfeelentirelyindifferentaboutme.Almostallofthemignoreme.’Anna
bitherlip.She’dsaidtoomuch.

‘I like you,’ he said, as if it meant nothing at all. As if she wouldn’t run the words through her

mindagainandagainwhenshecrawledintobed.

‘Well,thanks.’
Evenwiththeirslowpace,theyfoundthemselvesatthevillatoosoon.Annawantedtohufflikea

petulanttoddler.Sheneededtocreepbackintothevillaandplaybytherules,buttalkingtoLukewas
the most social interaction she’d had all week—since Kate was busy and Hadie had been on every
date.Anditwasn’tjustthat.Shemissedhimwhenhewasn’taround.Withoutthecameras,shecould
relaxintohiscompany.Thisconversationwasoneofthebestnightsofthiswholecrazyadventure.

Theystoppedoutsidethedirttrackleadingtothecast’svilla.‘Youshouldgetbackinside.’Itfelt

liketheendofadate.Thatpartwherethemanwalksthewomantothedoorstep.Whentheysharea
firstkiss.TherealisationmadeAnna’sbreathingspeedup.Luketookastepforwards.Hestoodclose
toher,reachedouthishandandloopeditaroundherwaist.Annastumbledintohisembrace.

Then she caught herself and skirted back a few steps. ‘Thanks for walking me.’ The moment

calledformorethanatoken‘thanksforescortingme’comment,butshedidn’tknowhowtoexpress
howmuchsheneededaproperconnectiontoanotherhumanbeingwithoutpullingdownthebarriers
betweenthem.Thosebarriersneededtostayinplace.Alreadythecast,crewandnowKatebelieved
thatshewasaseriouscontenderintheshow.

‘Anna,wait…’
‘I have to get back.’ Anna barely kept from tripping on her own feet in her bid to escape.

‘Goodnight!’

CHAPTER

AloudrappingonthedoorwokeLukethenextmorning.Beforeheanswered,thedooropenedanda
streamofpeoplerushedin.Lukebarelyhadtimetorubthesleepfromhiseyesbeforehairandmake-
uphadsetupinthemiddleoftheroom.

‘What the hell? Get out!’ He was about to walk out, when he spotted the lone camera in the

doorway.‘Turnthatthingoff.I’minmyundies,forChrist’ssake.’

‘Youweresupposedtomeetmeintheboardroom,’Joesaid.‘Wehad10amontheschedule.I’ve

beenwaitingforhalfanhour.’

Tobehonest,Lukehadlookedattheschedule.Buthe’dalsoseenthelookontheotherman’sface

with Anna’s sister sitting next to him in the pub. He’d thought there’d be a pretty good chance the
directorwouldbetoodrunk,ordistracted,toremembertheearlymorningstart.Theideawasclearly
toogoodtobetrue.

Lukegroaned.‘Whydidn’tyoujustsendsomeonetowakeme?’
‘Everyone’sbusysettingupfortheelimination.’
‘When?’Heopenedhiseyesandblinkedatthebrightnessoftheroom.Oneofthehairandmake-

uppeopleflungopenthefinalsetofblindsandLukeflinched.Anotherpulledarackofwhatlooked
likeunderwearthroughthedoor.

‘We’refilmingintenminutes.Butfirst,whodoyouwanttosendhome?Don’tsayYvette,Hadie

orJessica.’

‘Fine,’hegrowled.‘Tallulah.’
‘Good.Andafteryousendherhome,we’llannounceatriptoHakuba.’
‘What?’ Luke stared at the other man. His muscles itched for the chance to get back on his

snowboard. Filming Love Elimination was the longest he’d been away from the snow since he was
sixteen.

‘We’reflyingyoualloutthisevening.’
Hecontrolledadeepbreath.‘Whenwereyougoingtotellme?’
‘This morning. Half an hour ago.’ Joe dropped a pile of papers on the coffee table. ‘Get ready.

Filmthesegments.Dotheeviction.We’llhaveyoubackinyournaturalhabitatsoonenough.’

The snow. He’d be back on the slopes with a board under his feet. Even better, Anna would be

there.Theideagavehimthestrengthtothrowbackthecovers.

‘Good. We need a few more sexy shots. Just some running up and down the beach. Emerging

fromthewater.Shavinginthemirror.’

Acrewmembergrabbedapairofswimtrunksandlaiditoverhisunderwear.Lukecringedand

snatchedtheSpeedos.Hestalkedintothebathroomandslammedthedoorbehindhim,ignoringthe
crew’sprotestsabout‘showershots’andleavingthedoorunlocked.

***

Anna looked like a baby duck trying out its feet for the first time. She’d lift one ski then the other,
shake the snow from it and return it to the ground. Her heavily gloved hands fumbled with the ski
poles. She’d have to be dressed in more layers than in the entire season of filming thus far. Luke
grinnedatthesight.

‘They’resolongandheavy.Canyoubelievehowheavytheyare,Hadie?’Annaexclaimed,trying

towalktowardsHadie.Theskisrefusedtomovewithherlegs.

Withtheeaseofsomeonewhospenthalfhiswakinghoursontheskifields—thoughusuallyhe’d

haveaboard,notskis—Lukeglidedtowardsthepair.

‘It’seasiertowalksideways.Likeacrab,’hetoldAnna,hidingasmileasshelookedupathim

with narrowed eyes. She searched his face before looking back down at her feet and following his
advice.Herskisflewupintotheairandlandedeasily.Or,atleast,easierthanbefore.

‘Ihaveskiedbefore.Itwasjustsolongago.Iwasakid,’shesaid.Annaliftedherskisafewmore

timesandpushedforwards,skiddingtheskissidewaystopulltoaquickstop.Sheturnedbackwitha
triumphantsmilethatcauseddimplestoappearonhercheeks.Thenshespunbacktothesmallslope
and began to ski. There would be no teaching Anna the basics, laughing as she stacked it over and
overagain.Lukewould’vebeendisappointed,exceptthatsheseemedtobetheonlywomaninthecast
whowasuprightandmoving.Whichmeanthecouldpotentiallytacklesomeoftheharderslopes.It
wasabuilt-in,legitimateexcusetofavourher.

‘Whereareyougoing?’Lukecalledafterher,reachinghersideintwoforcefulsteps.
‘Nowhere. I’m experimenting,’ she replied. Her skis hit his boots with the sharp edge as she

manoeuvredherselfaround.‘Oops,sorry!Outoftheway!’

Whenshewasfinallyfacingdownwards,Annapumpedherarmsandpushedoffusingthepoles.

Herlegsbentintothebootsandshetuckedherbodyintoitself.Asquicklyasshebuiltupspeed,her
anklesdriftedoutwardsandthetipofherskispointedtogetherintothe‘pizza’movehetaughtkidsso
theycouldstop.

Withaturnjustasawkwardasthefirst,Annamovedbacktofacehim.Shetrudgedbackupthe

hill,takingfourtimesaslongtocoverthetwoorthreemetresthanitdidtoslidedown.

‘Whenwasthelasttimeyouwereonthesnow?’Lukeasked.Afterafewrunsshe’ddefinitelybe

able to progress to harder slopes; if she was fast enough, perhaps they could get away from the
camerasandhaveanhonest,interestingconversation.Ormaybesomethingmorethanaconversation.

Hewonderedwhatshetastedlike.Although,ifhewashonestwithhimself,hedidn’tthinkshe’d

kisshim,despitetheobvioussparksbetweenthemandthewayshe’dreactedthenightthey’dbeenat
thepub.Herwallswerehigherthananyone’she’deverknown.Theywerehigher,even,thantheones
he’dbuiltaroundhimselfattheheightofhisfame—whencameraswerefollowinghimtoputoutthe
trash.Wouldtheyevercomedown?

Theproducershadbeenwhisperinginherearontheplane.Lukehadseenitandwantednothing

morethantopushthemoutoftheaircraft—withparachutes,ofcourse.Buthecouldguesswhatitwas
about.She’dneversharedanythingpersonal.Shehadn’tevenanswerednow,whenhe’daskedabout
herlastskitrip.TheproducerstoldhimthatifAnna’spersonalityorhistorywascomingacrossto
audiences,itwasbecauseofherfriendathome,theonerunningherTwitterandInstagramaccounts.
Thatcommentmadehimwanttoslaptheproducerwholetitslip.

Annaspunaroundagainandthistimeshestoppedwithaswiftturn,herskispushedclosetogether,

paralleltoeachother.Itwasamuchmoresophisticatedtechnique.Asawkwardasshelookedmoving
around on the skis, when she was actually skiing, some of those gangly movements became fluid.
Thislatestmovebroughtherthighjustinchesfromhisandherhandnotmuchfurther.

‘Okay, they’re ready for us!’ Joe interrupted, yelling into a loud speaker. ‘Everyone to the

chairlift!’

Althoughtheyreachedthechairliftatthesametime,Annawasshuffledforwardstoachairwith

Jessica.Lukeshotascowlatthedirector,whohadengineeredhimtostandnexttoYvette.Assoonas
herbonyarsehittheseatandtheirfeetliftedintotheair,herfakenailsdugintohisjacket.Hehadto
peelheroffhisarmsohecouldpulldownthesafetybar.Onceitwassecured,shelatchedrightback
onlikealeech.Hehopedhisfrownwasinterpretedasareactiontothecold,andnothisfrustration
withthewomannexttohim.Evenahundredmetresabovetheground,thecamerasweregettingtheir
closeupsfromthesmalllensattachedtothechairlift.LoveElimination had gone all out to prevent
anysortofprivatemomentduringtheday.

Theteamhadtakenhimthroughtheirplansthenightbefore.Eachofthecontestants(andLuke)

hadbeenriggedupwithmicrophonestuckedintotheirscarvesabovemanylayersofclothes.There
wereabouttenlonecameramenonskiswithGoPros.Cameracrewssatatthebottomoftheslope,at
thetop,ateachforktoanotherslope(incasesomeonewentdownthewrongone)andatseveralother
checkpoints.Hewasunderfirminstructionsnottorunoffwithoutacamera,especiallyifhehadone
ofthewomenintow.Lukelookedforwardtofindingoutwhetherthatwouldbepossible.Solongas
itwasn’twithsomeoneotherthanAnna.Orperhapsthat’swhyJoehadsentherupinadifferentseat.
Smartman.

‘It’ssocold!’Yvettechattered.Lukebarelykeptbackanumberofsmart-arsereplies.Whatdidshe

expect?Theywereskiing.Itwashardlygoingtobethewarmbeachweathershe’dcometoexpect.

‘Pullyourscarfuparoundyourmouth.’Again,hehopedhiswordswereinterpretedasusefuland

kind,ratherthanasubtlewayofhimgettinghertoshutup.Notthatitwouldn’thelp.

He pushed the safety bar up and prepared himself to jump off. ‘Get ready. Jump and point your

skisinadownwardsangletomatchtheslopewhenIsay.’Hegaveherinstructionslikehewouldone
ofhisnewbiesnowboarders,backwhenheusedtoteachafewkids’classes.‘Okay,jump!’

Shewhimpered,butdidashesaid.Asecondlater,Lukemadehisownleapandskiddedpastherso

shecouldn’tgraborfallintohim.Tohercredit,shegotallofthewaydownandoutofthewayofthe
coming skiers before she stacked it. But when he reached out a hand to drag her upright, her
exaggeratedlysweetsmilehadhimdoubtingthefallhadbeenanaccident.

Incontrast,AnnaandHadieleanedbackagainstawoodenbeamthatmadeupafenceafewmetres

from a steep drop. Snow covered Hadie’s clothes, and was embedded into the folds of her clothes
howevermuchshetriedtobrushitaway.Dropletsfellfromherhairandblondestrandsclungtoher
face.Farfrombeingsympathetic,Annawaslaughingharderthanhe’deverseen.Tearsescapedthe
cornerofhereyes.Thecrinklesaroundhereyeschangedherfaceinanentirelydifferentwayfrom
whenshefrowned—andhe’dbeenonthereceivingendofaheftyamountoffrowns.

Annastraightenedasshesawhimapproaching,leavingYvettetocatchup.‘Youshouldhaveseen

it.You’dbelaughingtoo,’shegasped.

‘Snowiscold!’Hadiewhined.‘Andhard.Ithoughtitwassupposedtobesoft.’
‘Onlyinthemovies.’Lukecouldn’thelpsmilingeither.ItwaseasytoimagineHadietumblingto

theground.Inhisheaditplayedoutlikeaslapstickroutineinslowmotion.

‘Lukey,’ a voice called behind him. Anna and Hadie hastily moved off towards the edge of the

slope,extinguishinganydoubtaboutwhowasapproaching.

***

LukegaveAnnasixrunsofthegreenslopebeforeheskiddedtoherside,sneakingintothechairlift
lineonlythreepeoplefromthefront.Nobodycomplainedthankstothenumerouscamerasonthem.It
didn’tevenseemtooccurtothem:curiositywonoutoverirritation.Theywerefascinated,peering
over and around each other to catch a glimpse of whoever these people were. A few people had
recognisedLukeforhissnowboarding.Heusuallymovedaroundtheslopesquiteanonymously,until
hehitthebarsorcafés.Buttheentourageofcamerasmeanthewasfarfrominconspicuous.Itgave
fansthecertaintythatitwas,indeed,thefamousLukeWestwoodandthecouragetoaskforaselfie.
Therewerealsothosewhoobviouslydidn’thaveaclueaboutwhohewas,butwerehappytosnapa
shotanyway.Annaseemedutterlybamboozledbytheconceptofposingforaphotowithastranger.

‘Feelingconfidentyet?’heasked.Annajumped.Shehadtoturnaroundentirelytoseehimpastthe

beaniepulleddownoverherearsandthewispsofhairflyingacrossherface.Shegavehimasmall
smile.Thetemptationtogetcloserwasalmosttoogreattobear.Lukeitchedtoleaninandpushthe
hairfromherfacebeforekissingher.Wouldshekisshimback?Therehaddefinitelybeenalookof
lust in her eyes when she’d seen him shirtless, just as he’d perved on her bikini body or her tight
sportsshorts.

‘Didyouwanttotryabluerunwithme?’hecontinuedwhenshestillhadn’treplied.Ithurttohold

back,tokeephislipsfromhers.

Shestaredathim.‘Um…sure?’
Shesoundedanythingbut.Still,itwascloseenough.Hecouldn’twaitanylongertoeitherstepup

thedifficultyortrytoditchthecameras.

‘Don’tworry,’hesaid.‘Iwon’tletyougetintoanytrouble.’
He would be there to yell instructions if she forgot how to slow down or had a crisis of

confidence.Usuallywithnewbiesitwasthelatter.Notthathedealtwithmanynewbiesthesedays.It
wasjustafewclasseshereandthere,inbetweentraininghiselitesnowboarders.Healwaysenjoyed
helpingpeoplediscoverhisgreatestpassionforthefirsttime.Plustheywereusuallypeoplewhohad
noideawhohewas.

‘I’ll be fine,’ she said as they stepped onto the chairlift. They slid themselves onto the seat and

swungintotheair.

‘Do you feel like you’re back at home, after being in the tropics for so long?’ Anna teased,

glancingathimfrombeneathherlong,sexyeyelashes.

‘WoulditsurpriseyouifIsaidIhatedthecold?’
‘Doyou?’
‘No.I’musedtoit.’
‘AreyoufrustratedtobegoingbacktoQueensland?’
‘I’ve actually really enjoyed it. The heat has been great: seeing the ocean, swimming every

morning.It’sbeenquiteaholiday.’

‘Mmm…metoo.NotthatI’vedonemuchswimming.’
‘Whatdoyoudowhenyou’renotondateswithme?’
‘Mostlycook,read,usethegymorwritenewmenusformycafé.’
‘Doyougetbored?’
‘Ofcourse!I’musedtoabusyworkinglifeandjugglingeverysecond.Iamlosingmysanityon

thisshow.Youmustbethesame?’

‘When was your last holiday?’ he asked, ignoring her question. He wanted to know more about

her.Hewantedtogetatthesecretssheheldontosotightly.

‘WhenIwasthirteen.’

Theyreachedtheendofthechairliftandjumpedoff.Whentheymadeitclearoftheslope,Luke

tookAnna’shand.Heletgoafewsecondslater,becauseitwasnotatallpracticaltoskiwhilehand
holding. They pushed through the snow towards the start of the slope, both hanging back from the
edgewhentheyreachedit.

‘DidyougowithyourparentsandKate?Where’dyougo?’
‘Yeah.WelearnedtoskiatFallsCreek.Mydadtaughtus.’
‘Whatareyourparentslike?Idon’tthinkI’veeverheardyouspeakaboutthembefore.’
‘Neitherhaveyou.’Annacoveredherdiscomfortwithteasing,butLukesawthroughtheact.Her

parentswereobviouslyasoftspot.Whosefamilywasn’t?

‘Fine.I’llgofirst,’Lukesaid.‘Butnotuntilwegetontothatrun.Comeon!’

***

Luke shuffled forwards and, with a glance back to make sure she was following, launched himself
downtheslope.AtfirstAnnadidn’tthinkshe’dbeabletocatchup.Adrenalinshotthroughherbody
andherhandsshookwiththeforceofit.Herdescentwasslowandcautious.Inmoments,Lukehad
effortlesslyslowedhimselfandwaitedforher.Theyskiedabouttwometresapart.Itwasascloseas
Annawascomfortablewith,giventhedangerousobjectsontheirfeet.

Astheyreachedtheforkinthepath,Lukesteeredoffthecoursethatthecastandcrewhadbeen

instructedtofollow.Annahadn’tevennoticedthealternateslopeonthefirsttworuns.Shelookedatit
now and it didn’t seem much steeper. Luke skidded to stand at the sign announcing the harder
difficulty level. Anna struggled to pull herself to a stop, employing some gradual weaving to slow
herspeed.

‘I’llstickwithyouthewholetime,’hesaid,reachingouttorubherback.Withsomanylayersof

clothes,Annabarelyfeltit.Butitstillwarmedherinmorewaysthanone.Aflushrosetohercheeks.
Shewasenjoyinghisattentiontoomuch.

‘Okay.Let’sgo.’
Thistime,Annapushedofffirst.Shetooktheruncarefully,skiinghorizontallydownthesteeper

surface. Each shift in direction was wide and deliberate. Luke called out encouragements every few
turns.Forthefirsttime,Annacouldimaginehimasacoach.Sheguessedhe’dbeareallygoodone:
funandsupportive,butalsodrivenanddemandingfulleffort.

Theydidn’tstopuntiltheyreachedthebottom.WhetherthatwasLuke’splanornot,Annadidn’t

know.Butshedidn’thavethatmuchcontrol.Herthighsscreamedattheeffortneededjusttoremain
upright.Acoupleoftimesherskisdriftedtopointforwards.EachtimeLukespotteditandyelledout
soAnna could correctthem before shestarted bounding straight downthe hill likea character in a
comedyfilm.

Shebreathedasighofreliefwhentheyreachedthebottom—adifferentlylevelledareathanthe

onethatconnectedtotheeasyslope.Lukeskiddedtoahaltbesideher,takingthelastfewmetresat
highspeed.Hesnappedopenthelatchesandjumpedoutofhisskis,grabbingthemandhoistingthem
overhisshoulderbeforeAnnacouldprocesswhathewasdoing.Sherushedtofollow,buthergloved
fingersfumbled.

‘Here.Letmehelp.’Inaflash,LukewasgentlypushingAnna’sfingersaside.Heflickedthestraps

loose,allowingAnnatostepoutontothesnow.Thenheliftedherskisaswell,joiningthemwithhis
own.‘Howaboutacoffee?’

‘No’obviouslywasn’tanacceptableanswer.NotthatAnnawantedtorefuse.Therewasnocamera

crew or GoPro-clad stalkers where they were. Finally she’d be able to interact with Luke without
camerasinherfaceorthethreatofgettingcaught.Annatrudgedthroughthesnowafterhim.They
lefttheirskisoutsideacaféandhustledintothewarmth.

Theplacewasn’tnearlyasfullastheoneontheeasyslope.Itwasalsoalotquieter,sinceitwas

completelydevoid of youngchildren. Anna foundthem a seat inthe corner andwaited for Luke to
grabtheirdrinks.Thefactthatthespotshechosewascosyandromanticwasacoincidence.

‘Goodchoice.’Lukeplacedatablenumberinfrontofthemandscootedontotheseatbesideher.

‘So,parentsarethetopicoftheday.Right?’

Therewasnowaytoavoidit.Annajustnodded.
‘I’ll go first,’ he said. ‘Here’s the CliffsNotes version. My mum died when I was two. She was

pregnantwithmysisterandtherewerecomplicationsthatkilledthemboth.Idon’trememberherat
all.Myfatherwasheartbroken.Hestillhasn’tgottenoverher.’

Anna sucked in a breath. The revelation tugged at her heart and tears clogged up her throat. He

knewwhatitwastoloseaparent.Shetookhishandinhersandrubbedsmallcirclesonhispalm.

‘Soyouwereraisedbyyourfather?’sheasked,hervoicegentle.
‘Plus a few nannies. And I went to boarding school from Year 8.’ Luke’s voice was dismissive,

brushing off the question and his answer. Did he not care? Or was he so hurt that he couldn’t talk
aboutithonestly,evennow?Anna’sheartfeltheavythinkingaboutit.Perhaps,likeher,Lukewasn’t
closewithhisonlyremainingparent.

‘Whatwasthatlike?’
‘Itwasnormalforme.Ididn’treallyrealisethatmyupbringingwasinanywayunusualuntilhigh

school. Then I got serious about snowboarding at sixteen and left school to be privately educated
whileIwastrainingandcompeting.’

Annatriedtoimaginehimasachild.‘Doyouregretitatall?’
‘Notreally.Ilovesnowboarding.I’vebeenexceptionallyluckytocompeteandtravelatthelevelI

have.Mydaddidhisbestandgavemeagreatlife.’

‘Still.Youmissedoutonsomuch.Anditmust’vebeenharddealingwiththepressureandmedia

soyoung.’

‘Maybe.’HeranahandthroughhishairandavoidedAnna’seyes.‘ButIwon’tberevealingmy

emotionalbaggageontheshow.’

‘Damn. All I wanted was a little drama. You owe me that after a week of utter boredom.’ Anna

couldn’thelpjokingaround.Shewantedtoseehimsmile.Herrewardcamequicklyasheflashedher
agrin.Hewassohandsomeittookherbreathaway.

‘Nope.Sorrytodisappoint.’
Theypausedtosipattheirdrinks,takinginthecaféaroundthem.Thecamerasstillhadn’tfound

themandnoonewaslookingtheirway.Forthefirsttimeinalongwhile,Annadidn’tfeellikeshe
wasbeingpokedandproddedintoaninvisibleline.Thisfeltlikeadate,notacontrivedproduction
foraTVshow.

‘Howaboutyou?’heasked.‘What’syourfamilylike?’
Anna stopped, cup raised halfway to her lips. Did he sense how much of her history she was

hiding?Therehadtobeawaytobehonest.‘Well,I’vealsolostaparent.Wehavethatincommon.
MydaddiedwhenIwasfifteen.’

‘Anna … I’m so sorry.’ He reached out and clasped her hand. His thumb rubbed circles in her

palm.Theactionwarmedherlikenohotdrinkcould.Itwaseasytojustsitthereandlethimsoothe
her.

‘What’syourmumlike?’heasked,leaningacrossthetablesohewasclosertoher.
Anna pressed her eyes closed for a moment and took a deep breath before answering. ‘We’re

estranged.’

ItwastheclosestLukewouldgettoananswer.Theonlypersonshe’devertoldabouthermum,

andthoseawfulyearsbeforeAnnaranawaytojoinKateinSydney,wasBen.Andwhenshetoldhim,
shehadn’tbeenriggeduptomicrophones.Annawashopefulthatbypushingthemicrophoneunder
her jacket and scarf, she’d managed to muffle the sound. Though there was no telling what the
technologycouldcapture.

She cupped her hands around her drink and took a sip. The scalding liquid slipped down her

throat,coatingitwithmilkychocolate.ShelookedupatLukeandcaughthimsmearingfrothacross
hisupperlip,formingawhite,ediblemoustache.Shegiggled,surprisedbythetouchofchildlikefun
aftersuchanintenseconversation.

‘What? Is there something on my face?’ he asked, tilting his head and flashing her a trickster ’s

grin.

‘Actually,thereis.’
Heleanedinuntiltherewereonlycentimetresbetweenthem.‘Maybeyoucouldfixthatforme?’
‘Oh,noway.I’mnotfallingforthatcliché.’
Lukedidn’tgiveherachancetosayno.Hedippedhisheadandthedistancebetweenthemshrank

until his lips brushed against hers. They were soft and warm and entirely irresistible. Anna stopped
thinking about the show. She forgot the threat of the cameras finding them and the microphones
clipped under their clothes. She forgot everything except the temptation to open her mouth to him.
The feel of his breath, the taste of chocolate, the texture of the froth on her upper lip. His tongue
caressedhers.

Thebestthingtodowouldbetopullaway.Annaknewshecouldn’tletitgoon.Itwasn’tfair.This

kisswasn’tforthecameras.Itwasn’tpartoftheact.Theirconversationhadtranscendedthetypeof
informationshewaswillingtoprojecttotheworld.Shewasplayingwithfire.

Luke’shandscuppedherhead.Hepulledherintohim.Annafoundherownhandslinkedbehind

hisneck,unsurewhichofthemplacedthemthere.Itwasinstincttocurlintohim.Tosurrenderher
mouthandpressherbodyagainsthis,theirwintergeargettingintheway.Hertonguemetwithhis.A
burning,needysensationspreadthroughher.

Neitherofthembrokeawayuntilacoldbreezeblewthroughthecafé,accompaniedbythesound

ofadoorslamming.Annaglancedtowardstheentrance,suddenlysurethatshewouldseethecameras
turnedonthem.Italmostwould’vebeenarelief.Shecould’vejustifiedthekissing.Withoutthecrew,
itwasanormalkissmotivatedbynothingotherthanattraction.

Itwasonlyamiddle-agedman,notafullcameracrew,butitfreedAnnafromthestrangetrance

shewasin.

‘We should go,’ she mumbled, unwilling to meet Luke’s eyes. His hand hadn’t moved from the

backofherneckand,tobehonest,shedidn’twantitto.

Lukerefusedtoshift.‘Wehaven’tfinishedourdrinks.’
Shecouldstillfeelhisbreathonhercheek.Insteadofpullinghimbackintoher,Annareachedfor

herdrinkandtookalargegulp.Thehotchocolatehadbarelycooledeventhoughitfeltlikeanhour
since she’d taken the first sip. She could probably have counted the minutes that had passed on one
hand,butshecouldn’tsparethebrainpower.Hermindwasoccupiedbythemaninfrontofher.

‘I have to go,’ Anna said. Her chair scraped against the wooden floor as she hurriedly shoved

herselfbackwards.She’dmadeamistake.Theknowledgefloodedthroughher.Itwasn’tjustacrush.

Ifshecontinuedonwiththeshow,she’dfallinlovewithLuke.Maybeshewasalreadythere,buther
denialwouldkeepitfromhurting.Allsheneededwastoleave,togohometoherbusinessandonly
seeLukewhenshepassedamagazinestand.Surelywithonlyfiverealcontestantsleft,plusher,Kate
couldgethereliminated?Sheneededanoutandsheneededitnow.

CHAPTER

Lukedidn’ttrytokissheragain.Theydidn’tevenspeakastheycaughtthechairliftbacktotheeasier
slopeswherethecameracrewswerewaiting.Buthewatchedher.Shefelthiseyesonheranditmade
herinsidesburnwithequalpartsdesireandanxiety.

At the top, the camera crew pounced and Anna was dragged away for an interview. Any

opportunityLukehadtomentionthekissorherreactionhadpassed.Annacouldletherselfbreathe
again.Exceptdoingsoonlyinvitedthestabbingpainofthecoldairintoherthroat.

Thecrewdirectedhertostand,sheltered,behindthewallofthecaféforaninterview.Lukehad

already been dragged off. She had watched the back of his head rise in the chairlift, beside Rachel.
Theairstilledaroundherasshewaitedwhileahairandmake-uppersonrushedforwardstofixher
hair.Shewouldtellthemnothing;justthatsheandLukehadskiedtheharderslopeandthencaught
thechairliftbackupthemountain.

AproducerAnnadidn’tknowverywellstoodbehindthecamera.‘Anna,’hesaid,smilinglikehe

washerbestfriend.‘WasthatyourfirsttimekissingLukeWestwood?’

Anna’sstomachdroppedoutfromunderher.Themanwatchedherreactionlikeascavengerbird,

asicklysmirkonhisface.Hehadhercorneredandtheyknewit.

‘Wouldyousayyou’refallinginlovewithLukeWestwood?’heasked.Ithadtobeclearthatshe

wouldn’t be answering his questions. Anna pursed her lips shut. Isn’t that what celebrities and
politicians did when they didn’t want to answer—just say ‘no comment’ or push the cameras from
theirfaces?Annacouldn’ttrustherselftospeaknow.Shewasn’tgoodatlyingandshecouldn’ttell
themthetruth.

‘Doinginterviewsispartofthedeal,Anna.Giveussomethingwecanworkwith.’
A hiss slipped through her lips. Anna’s chest constricted and she no longer noticed the cold air

bitingathernose.Itwasthefirsttimeshefelttrulyvulnerableinfrontofthecamera.Sheknewher
face was giving away her secrets: that she liked Luke, but that she wouldn’t talk about it. If she had
been talking to Ben, she would pick apart her feelings, ask for advice, circle around the problems
betweenherandLukeuntilshefelttheyhadfoundasolution.Butthiswasn’therbestfriend,thiswas
aproducerandthecamerawasgoingtobroadcasthereveryvulnerabilityAustraliawide.

‘Anna.Justtellushowyoufeltwhenhekissedyou.’Theproducerwentbacktoplayingthenice

guy.Itwasn’tasconvincingthesecondtime.Whenshedidn’tanswer,hecontinued,‘Finethen.Just
tellthecamerathathekissedyou.That’sallweneedfornow.Wecantrythisagainlater.’

‘Hekissedme,’Annawhispered.
‘Ican’thearyou.’
‘Hekissedme,’shesaid,louderthistime.Thenshewalkedawaywithoutwaitingtobedismissed.

It didn’t help to recognise the strange loneliness in her heart. She couldn’t allow herself to be that
closetoLukeagain,withthecamerastheretocensoreverywordandmovement.Shecouldn’ttrust
herselfaroundhim.

***

‘Hadie!’ Anna called. She’d just finished five or six runs by herself, not including the GoPros
recording her every movement. Hadie was the first fellow contestant she’d seen in that time. The
familiar bob of blonde hair—snagged in the tight scarf around her neck—flew down the last few
metresoftheslope.

Asshereachedthebottom,HadielookedupandcaughtsightofAnna.Shewaved.
‘I’mgettingthehangofit,Anna!’
‘Youreadyforabreak?’
‘Sure.’TheyremovedtheirskisandHadiefollowedAnnatothecafé.Jessicawasalreadyinthere,

warmingherhandsaroundamug.Whenshesawthemwalkin,sheraisedahandandbeckonedfor
themtojoinher.TheyeachorderedtheirdrinksandpulledbackachairatJessica’stable.

Itwashardtoconcentrateontheconversationwithacameramansittingtwotablesover,pointing

his not-so-discreet lens in their direction. But Hadie and Jessica managed to ignore it while they
complainedgoodheartedlyabouttheirsorebodies.

‘This is torture! We don’t even get to spend much time with Luke.’ Hadie massaged her thighs

underthetable.

‘Oh,IthinkAnnaisprobablydoingokay,’Jessicasaid.
‘What do you mean?’ Hadie ceased her massage and looked at Anna. Combined with Jessica’s

penetrating gaze, the look made Anna feel like she was being interrogated by her parents—at least,
howithadbeenbeforeherdaddiedandeverythingfellapart.

‘Hejustwantedtotryaharderslope.AnditjusthappensthatI’mthemostconfidentskieroutof

allofus,’shesaid,tryingtodistractthemfromthetruth.Herthoughtswererunningdarkerthanusual
andshefeltlikeshemightjustexplode.Shecouldn’thandleanotherinterrogationlikethatpost-kiss
interview.

‘Thequestionis,whyaren’twesnowboarding?’Annastirredhercappuccino.‘WhywouldLuke

chooseskiing?’

‘Becauseit’seasier.That’swhathetoldme,’Jessicareplied.
They sipped their drinks, savouring the fact they weren’t out in the cold, then they went for

seconds.Or,inAnna’scase,dessert.Thelemoncurdtartwasbetterthansheexpectedittobe.Shewas
enjoying its bitterness when Liu Kun walked in, brushing the snow from her shoulders. Liu Kun’s
facesplitintoagrinasshespottedthem.Jessicadraggedachairfromthetablenexttothemandthey
allshuffledalonguntiltherewasroomforonemore.

‘Thanks!’LiuKuntooktheseatJessicaofferedher.‘Hey,canyoubelieveYvetteisstilloutthere?’
ItwaseasytolaughattheimageofYvetteskiingslopeafterslope,tryingtokeepupwithanelite

athlete,butofallofthem,sheprobablyhadthebestchanceofsucceeding.Herdetermination,plusthe
timeshespentinthegym,gaveherahugeadvantage.Notthatsheneededanymoreadvantageswhen
allAnnawantedwastogohome.

Anna had checked her Twitter and Instagram accounts the night before, finally succumbing to

curiosity—notthatshecouldpostevenifshewantedto.Benhadcreatedthemandnomatterhowhard
shetried,shecouldn’tguessthepasswordstoshutitdown;he’dobviouslypredictedherplantostop
theconstantflowofpicturesandinformationabouther.ButshecouldcheckBen’s,herfollowersand
what he had been sharing. It was then that she discovered that the hashtag #TeamLuna was trending
worldwide—as was a whole Tumblr centred around ‘Luke and Anna’s wedding’, which was full of
entirely photoshopped images of them as bride and groom. Her fans had planned her special day

morecarefullythanarealbridewould.Thecommitmentscaredher.Allshewantedwastofadeback
intoobscuritywhenthisdebaclewasover.Wouldsheinsteadberecognisedas‘thatgirlonthedating
show’whenshereturnedtoherreallife?Herdessertcaféshouldbethestar,nother.

Forfearofgettingcaughtwiththecontraband,Annahadn’tlookedanyfurther.
WhatdidsurpriseAnnanowwasthewayshewasacceptedintothisgroup.Shehadn’tspentalot

oftimewithanyofthecontestantsrecently,exceptHadie.HerpopularitywithLukemadeherapariah
inthehouseandifthewomenknewthefullextentofit,theywouldbealotmorecruelthantheywere
now.YetLiuKunhadn’tblinkedatAnna’spresenceandJessicahadwelcomedhertosharethetable.
Annadidn’tknowwhattomakeofit,butshewasn’tabouttoquestionit.Thewomenseemedtohave
forgivenherforanypreviousfavouritismandAnnawasrelieved.

‘Has Luke kissed any of you?’ Liu Kun asked and Anna’s attention immediately returned to the

conversationwithasinkingfeeling.

‘Why?Didyousnagakisstoday?’Jessicasaid.
Anna fidgeted in her seat, keeping her eyes locked on her plate and stabbing at the remaining

crumbsofpastry.Sheshouldn’tcareabouttheanswer.

‘No.Thefurthestwe’vegoneishandholdingandapeckonthecheek.’
‘I’vekissedhim.’Hadiehungherhead.Shelookedlikeapuppywhoknewitshouldn’thavepeed

initsowner ’sslippers.

‘Metoo.’Jessicawaslessremorseful.
A sudden pain shot through Anna. She wrapped her arms around her waist and held herself

together. She willed herself not to give anything away, but her body wanted to scream and cry and
flingtheremainsofhercoffeeintotheotherwomen’sfaces.Shecouldhardlybelieveshecaredso
much.Butshedid.TheimageofLukekissingtheothercontestantswouldn’tshakefromherhead.

LukeWestwoodwasplayingwithher.Seducingher.Playingrightintohervulnerabilities.Hewas

kissingotherwomen.Makingoutwithallofthem.Andworstofall,histactichadworked.Shefelt
awful.

‘Anna?’Hadieasked.AlleyesturnedtoherandAnnachokedonacrumbshehadsuckedoffher

finger. If her eyes became watery, they would blame it on that. As she spluttered for air, Jessica
answeredforher.

‘I think that’s a “yes”. They’d probably go further if the cameras weren’t on us twenty-four-

seven.’

AtthecommentAnnacoughedsohardshethoughtshemightfaint.SheshookherheadbutJessica

ignoredher.Somuchforforgiveness.

‘Iwouldnever!’Annafinallyspatout.
‘What about when he took you on that foodie heaven date? To meet that chef you really like?’

Jessicasaid.‘Thatscreamed“opportunitytogetintoAnna’spants”.’

‘What?’ Anna squeaked in shock. ‘He left me alone with the chef, remember? It’s not like that

betweenus.We’rejustgettingtoknoweachother.’

‘Okay, I believe you,’ Jessica said, smiling. Did she not hate Anna? Was that just her style of

gettinginformationoutofothers?Annacouldn’teventrustherowninstinctsanymore,thankstothis
whole experience that was people pretending to be something they weren’t and manipulating others
intogivingthemsomespecificreaction.

‘Butyou’vekissed,’LiuKunsaidandAnnablushedbrightred.‘Soit’sjustmewhohasn’tlocked

lipswithhim?’

‘IbetYvettehasn’tgotnearhim,’Jessicasaid.Itdidn’tseemtocomfortLiuKun,butitmadethem

allgiggle.

‘No, she would’ve planted one on him with or without his consent. Probably without. She’s

probablyalso“accidentally”feltthepoormanup.’Hadiegrinnedatthem.

‘Thisismean.Shemighthaveherqualities…’LiuKuntrailedoff.‘Ithinkshe’sreallyheretofall

inlove.She’sjustabitdesperate.’

‘Amen,’Jessicacried,holdingherhandstotheceiling.
Anna kept quiet about what she saw on that first group date: Yvette stealing the first kiss before

anyoftheothershadachancetoevenspeaktohim.WithjustYvette,Jessica,Rachel,LiuKun,Hadie
andAnnaleft,thecontestwasgettingserious.Shewasn’tabouttoaddfueltotheirillwillforeach
other.

Theydrainedthelastoftheirdrinks,butdidn’tmove.‘Whendoyouthinkwecanheadbacktothe

hotel? I’m beat.’ Jessica looked to the window apprehensively. Anna agreed with the sentiment
entirely.She’dhadenoughdramaforoneday.Afewmoreslopeswoulddonothingtoimproveher
mood,notifshehadtowatchoutforLukethewholetime—andshecouldn’trunintohimagain.Not
nowshe’dfoundoutabouthimkissingotherwomen.

It was a television show and they were all playing exaggerated versions of themselves and

following a script nobody knew except the director. But it still hurt. Anna’s insides ached with the
knowledge that she wasn’t special. That what she thought was between her and Luke was really the
manipulationofthecrew.Iftherehadbeenanysemblanceofdoubtaboutleavingtheshowaftertheir
moltenkisstoday,itwasgonenow.ShewasfallingforLukeWestwoodbuthewasnotfallingforher.
Hewasplayingthefield,liketherich,gorgeous,playboyathleteshefirstexpectedhimtobe.Andit
killedher.

CHAPTER

‘What do you mean, no?’ Anna demanded. Pitching ideas, begging, demanding and threatening—
noneofitworked.Theanswerwasthesame.Katewasn’tevenlisteninganymore.Herphonehadher
attention.

‘No, Joe will not agree to a dramatic exit where you reject Luke. No, I won’t convince Luke to

sendyouhome.’

‘Why?Tellmewhy!’Annacouldn’tunderstandhersisterrefusingtohelphernow.Goingonthe

show in the first place had been a favour and now she was being held hostage. They were halfway
throughthesecondmonthoffilming.Itwashightimesheleft.

‘Becauseyou’resoclosetotheend.Whenyouwin,yougetthering.Itwillpayoffachunkof

yourloan.Andifyou’returningthatdowntoleaveit’sbecauseyouremotionsaregettingintheway
ofyourbusinessmind.Whichmeansthatyou’refallingforLuke.Soyoushouldstay.’

‘That’scrap.’
Kate looked up. ‘I have a job to get back to. Now, can I trust you to play this out?’ Her phone

beepedandherattentionwasdivertedonceagain.‘Ihavetogo.’Withthat,shestrodefromtheroom.

WhenthedoortoKate’shotelsuiteopened,AnnaglimpsedJoeonthecouch,documentsspread

aroundhimandhisshirtopentohisbarechest.

***

Annashookasshedressed,fingersfumblingtoclosetheclaspofherbracelet.Notbecauseshewas
nervous, but because her anger wasn’t fading. She would have to ride Love Elimination out to the
finale,ifthat’swhatLukeWestwoodchose.Orshewouldloseherpaycheque.

ThedressAnnachoseforthelatestevictionwasadarkcharcoalgrey.ItwastheonlydressAnna

hadpickedoutonhershoppingspreewithhersisterthatKatehadletherbuy.Ithuggedherbody,but
it also had a high, elegant neckline and capped sleeves. They’d been instructed to dress in formal
attire,ignoringtheweather,andtobepreparedforhairandmake-up.

Whenthemake-upartistsappearedtheybuzzedaroundherlikefliesintheoutback.Theirhands

flittedaroundherfaceandtwistedherhairuntilithunginloosewaves.Thetriorushedawaytothe
next contestant before Anna had time to decide whether she liked her hair or if the shade of
foundationthey’dappliedsuitedherskin.NotthatanypartofLoveEliminationwasaboutwhatshe,a
contestant,liked.Annasighedandmadeherwaytothehotel’sballroom.

‘Welcome!’MasonLockiercalledwhenallthewomenhadfiledin.Hisvoiceechoedacrossthe

vastspace.Thecrewexplainedhowthey’dleavethroughtheoppositedoorifLukeselectedthemto
stay.Lukewouldhaveonelastdancewiththeeliminatedcontestant.

Anna couldn’t help but roll her eyes. A romantic dance with the woman he was sending home?

WeretheytryingtomakethepoorwomanevenmoreinlovewithLukethanshealreadywas?Then

sherealisedthatitmightbeher.Wouldbeher,ifeverythingwentright.

Determinationwasclearineachcontestant’seyes:everysinglewomanwaspreparedtofightfor

LukeWestwood.Notthatthereweremanyleft.Justsix:Hadie,Jessica,Yvette,Rachel,LiuKunand
Anna,theonepersonwhohadn’twantedtobetherefromthestart.Theywerenervous:fidgetingor
jiggling on the spot, glancing at each other or avoiding eye contact. They all thought Luke was
perfect.Morethanthat.Eachwomanthoughthewasperfectforher.

TheonewhoshouldbegoinghomewasAnna.Shewasafraudandasthecompetitiongotcloser

totheend,shefeltherliesdiggingdeeper.Theyplantedthemselvesaroundeverythingshesaidtothe
other women, feeling all the more real after a two-hour chat to Jessica—who was actually really
interestingwhentheygottalkingaboutherlife.Jessicacouldbecutthroat,butshewasjusttryingto
protect herself and her chance for love with a kind, successful, handsome man who also wanted to
settle down. Or, at least, that was what the show’s producers told her—and all the women—Luke
Westwood wanted. Meanwhile, Luke was kissing them all and telling Anna that he wasn’t ready for
marriageorkids.ThatwastheonlypartAnnacouldstilltrusttobetrue.

‘Withoutfurtherado,let’sgetoursuitorinhere.Comeonin,Luke!’
Hewalkedinlikeamanbornwithalltheprivilegeintheworld,wearingasleek,closelyfitted

suit.Annawantedtofaint,andshewasn’texactlythetypeofwomantoswoonatthesightofaman.
But this man was even more beautiful in a suit than he was in ripped jeans or board shorts. The
collaredshirtwasbuttonedathisneckandatiepressedagainsthisjugular.Annafeltastrongurgeto
pull the tie away and unbutton the shirt until she could see his neck, and then his abs, and then the
shadow of hair leading down into his pants. She’d seen it on the beach and on the yacht date. The
imagewasimprintedintohermemory.

‘Wow,’Jessicabreathed.
Annabitdownonherliptokeepherreactioninside.ButLuke’seyesmethersandsheknewthat

hereadherdesire.Justlikehe’dfeltitearlier,whenhekissedher.Whenshekissedhimback.

Sheshookherhead.Thegesturewassupposedtobeimperceptibletothecameras,butnottoLuke.

Shehopedhewouldseeitandknowthatshedidn’twanttostay.

‘LukeWestwood.There’snogettingoutofthedramaticannouncementtoday.Tellme,whowould

youliketostayontheshow?’

A jolt ran down Anna’s spine. She hung her head, looking at the ground so she didn’t have to

watchLuke.Ifshelethereyesmeethis,shemightjustmelt.

‘Willyoupleasestay…’
Anna couldn’t help glancing up. Luke smiled as he withheld the name for a few seconds. He

clearly couldn’t take himself, or this moment, seriously. Even if five of the six women before him
weredesperatetoheartheirname.Asifbeingsavedfromeliminationwouldamounttobeingloved.

‘Hadie.’
HadieskippedforwardsandthrewherarmsaroundLuke.Hergrinstretchedacrossherfaceand

happinessexudedfromhereverypore.Annawasgladherfriendhadbeenchosenfirst.Ifanyonewas
towinLoveEliminationandLuke’sheart,Annahopeditwasthefun,loving,trustingyoungmother
whohadbecomeherbestfriendontheshow.

Hadielefttheroomandthetensionroseoncemore.
‘Whoisnextandwillnotbegoinghome?’Masonprompted.
‘ThenextpersonI’dliketostayis…LiuKun.’
Yvetteletoutasmallwhimperashernamewas,onceagain,notcalled,andAnna’snervesgrew

stronger.IttooktenmoreminutesforLuketocallthefinaltwonames:JessicaandYvette.Eachtimea

namewasspoken,thewomaninquestionmovedtoLuke,embracedhim,saidafewwords,andleft
theroom.ThenMasonsaidhislineandtheprocessstartedagain.Untilthereweretwopeopleleft.

AnnaandRachelwereinstructedtostandsidebyside.Thestunningredheadheldunusuallystill.

Theyhadn’tbeencloseinthevillaafterthosefirsttwoweeks,butRachelwasoneofthefirstpeople
Annahadmet.SowhenshereachedoutandgrabbedAnna’shand,holdingontoitastheyfacedLuke,
Annasqueezedherhandback.

This time Anna let her gaze run free. If all went to plan, this was the last time she’d see Luke

Westwoodinperson.Photosinmagazinesorontheinternetcouldn’tcomparetowhathewasactually
like.Inreallifehecommandedtheattentionofeverywomanintheroom.Itwasn’tjustthefactthathe
wasonadatingshow.EvenKate,whoAnnahadcometosuspectwassleepingwithJoe,lookedLuke
overappraisingly.

Mason adopted a sombre expression. ‘It’s time to choose. Who will be saying goodbye and

leavingLoveEliminationtoday?’

‘Rachel.Youareabeautifulfirecrackerofawoman.Ihavelovedgettingtoknowyou.Youmake

melaughandalwayskeepmeentertained.’Henoddedather.RachelclutchedAnna’shandlikeitwas
alifeline.‘ButIfeellikethere’ssomethingmissing.’

‘Anna.’ Luke turned his hypnotic eyes to Anna. She took a sharp breath. ‘You are gorgeous,

naturalandkind.YouarethepersonIcanopenupto,evenwhenI’mnotinacamera-friendlymood.’

Annaclosedhereyesandtookabreath.Thiswasthemomentshe’dbeenwaitingfor.
‘ButI’mworriedwewantdifferentthings,’hesaid.
It was nothing she hadn’t thought a million times over. Though it surprised her that it had

occurred to Luke. Their romantic relationship was always false. He never had to consider her as a
seriousprospect.Nevertheless,shenoddedandtriedtolookdevastated.Strangely,itwasn’tdifficult
toactthepart.

‘ThepersonI’msayinggoodbyetotoday,is…’Lukesettledhiseyesoneachofthem,oneafter

theotherandbackagain.WhenhelookedatAnna,shefeltherresolvebreaking.Shewouldmisshim.
Maybeshewouldaskiftheycouldbefriendsaftertheshow.Evenifthecamerascaughtherdoingit.
Evenifherejectedherrequest.

‘Rachel.’
Rachelburstintotears.Annafroze.Allthoughtofwhatshewassupposedtodoifhernamewasn’t

calledfledhermind.She’donlypreparedforthepossibilityofdancingwithLukeandtryingnotto
crinkletheluxuriousfabricofhissuitwithherhands,tryingnottocryasshegaveherfarewells.He
had put her in the final two for the first time. Surely that had meant she was going home? Had he
changedhismindatthelastminute?Hadheseentheregretonherfaceanddecidedtokeepheronthe
show?

‘Anna.Pleaseexittheroom,’Masonsaidsoftly,asthoughtryingnottospookeitherwoman.
ItonlyoccurredtoAnnaaftershespunonherheelandleftthatshehadn’tacknowledgedLuke.

Unlikeeveryotherwoman,shehadn’thuggedhimandwhisperedherthanks.Itwouldbejustanother
thingfortheviewerstoanalyse.Anotherpieceofevidencetosuggestthatshewasn’tarealcontestant.
Thatshedidn’tcareaboutwinningtheheartofthehot,one-timeinternationalathleteandmega-rich
bachelorthatwasLukeWestwood.

‘Anna! Oh, I’m so glad you’re still here.’ Hadie rushed forwards. Anna nodded as her friend

embracedher.Shewasinadaze.Theairaroundherwasanimpenetrablefog.

‘That’s everyone. You can all head back to your rooms now.’ Joe rubbed his hands together.

‘We’llsendarunnerforyouinthemorning.Tomorrowwillbeanotherfulldaysoyoushouldallget

somesleep.’

‘It’sgoingtogethardertopredictfromhereon,’Jessicasaidquietly.Theyallglancedaroundthe

room, eyeing each other. For Anna, it was always hard to guess who was leaving and who was
staying.Lukehadn’tfallenforanyofthem.Theproducershadtheirownfavourites.Thewholething
wasasham.

***

A knock on the door sidetracked Anna’s thoughts. Anna sighed. It was late. Company was the last
thing she wanted, but clearly she couldn’t be trusted by herself. Without any distractions, her mind
kept returning to the moment when Luke’s lips touched hers. How his rough, unshaven chin chafed
againstherskin.Howhistonguetracedherlowerlipandslippedintohermouth,burningafierytrail
thatshefeltallthewaydownherbody.

The knock sounded again. She shook her head, as if it would help to clear the memory, and

openedthedoor.Thatsamefacelookedbackather.Luke.Onlythistimehewasn’tcoveredheadto
toe in snow gear. A loose-fitting T-shirt hung over his body, matched with fashionably distressed
jeans.Shehadafullviewofhismuscledarmsandthesightlitaburningneedinsideher.Shecouldn’t
lookaway.Noteventodemandwhyhe’dbreaktheshow’srulestosneaktohersuite.

‘Hey,’Lukesaid.
The word was akin to someone dousing her with a cold bucket of water in an unforeseen and

unappreciatedicebucketchallenge.Shestartedtoclosethedoor,buthejammedafootbetweenthe
woodandtheframe.

‘Please,Ijustwanttotalk.’
‘Youshouldn’tbehere,’Annahissed.
‘Exactly.Sopleaseletmeinbeforesomeonesees.’Whenshedidn’tbudge,headded,‘Comeon,

Anna.Beforeoneofthecrewdecidestowanderdownthiscorridor.Orworse,afan.Onceyousign
one set of goggles they never stop coming. They’re like sharks that have scented a drop of blood
thousandsofkilometresaway.’

Farfrombeingsneaky,hehadn’tevenbotheredtolowerhisvoice.TherewasnothingAnnacould

doexceptgrabhimbythearmandpullhiminside.

Onlywhenthedoorclickedshutdidsheallowherselftobreatheagain,ornoticehowclosethey

werestanding.Lukereachedupandbrushedastrandofhairfromwhereitstucktoherlipandtucked
itbehindherear.WhenhisfingersfellfromherfaceAnnashuffledback,feelingasifatrancehad
beenbroken.

‘Whatdoyouwant,Luke?’Shehatedthathervoicesoundedbreathyandunsure.Itwashightime

sherememberedthatthiswasallanact,anelaborategameshowconstructedbypeople,includingher
sister, to entertain the masses. She was a small-business owner from Sydney and he was an
internationalsnowboardingcoach.Helivedwhereverthemountainsweretallandthesnowwasthick.
Theywerenevermeanttowork.Hell,shehadn’tevenmeanttobeontheshow.Butthismanmadeher
wanttocompeteforhisattention,toscreamandshoutwhenhewentonadatewithsomeoneelse—to
beghimtorunawaywithher.

‘IwanttoknowwhyyouranoffafterIkissedyou.’
HeatfloodedAnna’scheeks.Shelookedattheground.Shecouldn’tbetrustedtomeethiseyes.

Not like this, in the privacy of her hotel room with no cameras or microphones. Not after that
afternoon.

‘Whydidyourunaway,Anna?’heaskedagain.Thequiet,patienttonetiedknotsinherstomach.

Shepressedherhandstoherabdomenandtriedtofindtherightwordstosay.Asifheknewitwould
foilhersearchforanadequatelie,Lukesteppedforwardsandplacedahandonhercheek.Hecoaxed
herfacetoturntohis.

‘Why?’
‘Becauseitwasgettingtooreal,’Annawhispered.‘Becauseitfeltreal.’
‘Whatifitis?’
Annafeltthewordslikeablowtoherchest.‘Itisn’t.’
‘Why not?’ He was everywhere. His body seemed to surround her, stealing her breath with his

intoxicatingscent.‘Becauseit’saTVshowandthecameraswererolling.’

‘Andwhataboutnow?Therearenocameras.Noonetowatchuskeepuptheact.’
‘We’renotkissingnow.’
Inlieuofareply,hecuppedAnna’sfacewithhisfreehandandleaneddown.
Thiskisswashungryandurgent.Luke’steethbitherlipandhistonguefoughttoconsumeevery

inchofhermouth.Itwarmedhertoeveryedgeofherbody,andtuggedherheartintoherthroat.His
hands dropped from her neck and explored the length of her back. Without her giving them
permission,Anna’sfingerstracedLuke’swaistandpushedunderneathhisshirt.Theyfeltalongthe
ridgesofhisabsashiskisssuckedthebreathfromherbody.

His hands moved over Anna’s arse and squeezed. Just as she squeaked in protest, they dipped

further to grab her thighs and lift her. Her hands flew to his neck and her legs wrapped around his
waistbutshedidn’tbreakaway.Alllogicalthoughthadevaporatedthemomenthismouthclosedon
hers.InsteadsherevelledinthefeelofhishairthroughherfingersasLukeswiftlycarriedhertothe
couch.Hedroppedherontotheplushmaterialandloweredhimselfontoher,hisweighttrappingher.

Gravitymadehisshirthangawayfromhisbody,givingherperfectaccesstohisrock-hardabs.

There was a completely separate hardness against her thigh. A hot tingling shot into Anna’s lower
regions. She grabbed the hem of Luke’s shirt and ripped it over his head, forcing him to tear his
mouth and hands away from her for a second. In that brief moment, she considered the wisdom of
sleeping with a man who was dating four other women on national television. But the sight of him
shirtless drove all other thoughts from her mind. He was, quite honestly, perfection. If there was a
‘hotathletes’calendar,hewouldbefeaturedeverysinglemonth.Anditwouldcosttopdollar.

Their mouths met again and Luke’s hands trailed further down. Every lustful thought she’d had

abouthimresurfaced.Shewantedhimnaked.Now.

Anotherknocksoundedatthedoor.
‘Ignoreit,’Lukegrowledinherear.
Theknockcameagain.Thistimeitwasaccompaniedbyavoice.
‘Anna?’Hadiecalled.‘Areyouthere?Icouldreallyuseafriendrightnow…’
‘Anna …’ Luke whispered in her ear. But all her doubts had come rushing back when Hadie’s

voicehaddriftedthroughthedoor.Hadiehadlefthersontocomeontheshow.Shedeservedbetter
thanthis.Theotherwomenwereemotionallyinvestedinhim.Itwasn’tagametothem.

Shamefloodedin.‘Putyourshirtonandstayquiet,’shetoldLukeunderherbreath,thenshewent

tothedoor.

Annaonlyopeneditupafewinches.EnoughthatHadiecouldseeher;notenoughforHadieto

seeLuke.

‘Youokay?’Annaasked.
Hadie’s eyes were puffy and red. Her cheeks were swollen and her arms were wrapped tight

aroundherwaist.‘Notreally.Mattyissick,hehasabadcold,andI’mhomesick.’

‘Aw,Hadie.’
The woman nodded tearfully and pushed the door, walking into the room before Anna had a

chancetoregisterwhathadhappened.Shewouldhavemadeaterriblebouncer.

AnnaturnedtoseeLukepullinghisshirtbackon.Ifonlyhe’dbeenalittlefaster.Therehadbeen

plentyoftimeforhimtofishhisshirtfromthefloorandcoverhimselfupbeforeHadiehadcomein.
TheycouldhaveavoidedthelookofshockandhurtonHadie’sface.

‘Nothinghappened.Iswear.’Annaheldupherhands.Theotherwomenhadprobablygonejustas

farasshehadwithLuke.Probablyfurther,asmuchastheideahadherbloodburningandbubbling.
Hadn’tabikini-clad,almostnakedYvetteclimbedalloverLukeatthecatamarandate?Thathadbeen
waymoreskin-to-skincontactthanAnnaandLukehadeverachieved.Notthatthejustificationskept
theblushfromAnna’scheeks.

‘Anna’stellingthetruth.Nothinghappened.’
Hadie’snarrowedeyesmetAnna’s.‘Itdidn’tlooklikenothing.’
Anna panicked. ‘We were just talking.’ Even if Hadie had been a completely impartial, trusted

friend who was not in any way affiliated with Love Elimination, she probably couldn’t admit to or
explainwhathadjusthappened.

‘Aboutwhat?’
Theypaused,eachwaitingfortheothertospeak.FinallyLuketookasteptowardsHadie,hisshirt

stillaskew.

‘I knew Anna was having a hard time being away from home right now. Homesickness, you

know?’

‘Hewasjustcheckinguponme,’Annaadded.ThemomentshesawHadie’sface,sheknewthey’d

madeamistake.

‘Youarehavingahardtime?’Hadiealmostscreamed.ShejabbedherfingerinAnna’sdirection.

‘Try being away from your two-year-old son for the first time. Try leaving him with your aging
motherjusttogoonsomestupidTVshowtofindthemanofyourdreams,onlytofindoutthathe’s
onlyhadhiseyesononegirlfromtheverystart.’

‘Hadie—’
‘Ishould’veneverdonethis.It’sallasetup,isn’tit?Youwerechosenbeforetheshowevenbegan,

oryoukneweachotheralready,oryou’reanactresswho’sjusthappenedtostartshackingupwith
himontheside?Aretherecamerasinherenow?Isthisallpartofyourscripteddrama?’

‘No!It’snotlikethat.Noneofthatistrue.’Anna’sheartbeaterratically.
‘Hadie,it’snotlikethat,’Lukesaid.
‘And that’s why you have a phone. And why you keep sneaking away for long periods of time.

Justtellme,areyoumeetingwiththeproducersorLuke?Orboth?’

‘I’mnot.’
‘Tellmethetruth,Anna!Justtellmethetruth.HaveIbeenwastingmytime,beinghere?Doyou

evenwantarelationshipwithhimatall?’

‘Okay,fine!’Annatookadeepbreath.‘Luke,youshouldprobablyleavenow.’
‘MaybeIwanttohearwhatyouhavetosay,’hereplied,droppingbackintothecouch.Hetapped

thepillowbesidehim,gesturingtoHadie.AnnawaiteduntilHadiewassittingonthecouchwhereshe
andLukehadbeengettinghotandheavyonlymomentsbefore.

‘Doyouwantacoffee,tea,hotchocolate?’sheasked,moretobuytimethanoutofhospitality.
‘No.’

‘Okaythen…’Annasatdown,theplushcouchadaptingtohershape,andtriedtofigureouthow

to tell Hadie the truth but not get herself, or Kate, in trouble. Not to mention dealing with Luke’s
reaction.

TheironlyhopewasHadiekeepinghermouthshut.Afewdaysago,Annawouldhavetrustedher.

At this point, Hadie was her third closest friend—after Ben and, weirdly, Luke. The thought caused
Annatopause,distractedfromthesituationinfrontofher.Sheshookherhead.Hadiewastheonly
femalefriendshehadthatshewasn’trelatedto—andrightnow,Katedidn’tfeellikeafriendatall.

‘You’rerightthatI’mnotanormalcontestant.’Thetruthspilledout.Onewordbecameasentence,

andshespokeuntilallhersecretshadbeenrevealed.Theotherwoman’seyesgrewwideasAnnatold
heraboutbeingropedintotheshow,howhersisterisaproducer,andhowLukehadfoundout.

‘Butyou’restillhere,’HadiestatedasAnnafinished.
‘OnlybecausetherewerepeopleLukewantedtogetridofquickly.Andthen,apparently,Ibecame

popularontheoutside.Sotheycutmeoutofthegroupandsingledates,hopingtheviewerswould
forgetaboutme.’

‘Sotheshowisrigged?’
‘Someofit,’Lukejumpedin.‘Notentirely.Ihavetokeepsomeofthewomenherefortheratings,

butthewinnerwillbesomeoneIchoose.AndIgettokeepmyfavourites,obviously.’

‘Doyouchooseyourowndates?’Hadieasked.
‘Most of the time. But I often get a shortlist from the producers and I’ll choose from that,’ he

repliedevenly.‘Areyouokay,Hadie?’

He reached over and rubbed her back. It was the polite, friendly thing to do. It’s what Anna

would’ve done. But Anna’s heart tightened, reacting before she could tell it that she didn’t care. It
painedhertowatchLuketouchinganotherwoman.

‘ShouldIleaveyoutwoalone?YouwantedtotalktoAnnaaboutsomething,right?’
‘Yeah.Thanks,’shemumbled.Lukenoddedandswiftlylefttheroom.
Themomentthedoorclickedclosed,Hadiespoke.‘Lukepickedyouforthefirstdate,’shesaidin

a flat voice. It was so unlike her that Anna moved to where Luke had been sitting and squeezed the
otherwoman’shand.

‘Yeah, because he wasn’t sure who he liked best yet. So he went with the one person he knew

wouldn’tgetattachedordrawmeaningfrombeingthefirstoneinvitedonasingledate.Me.’

The look of uncertainty hadn’t shifted from Hadie’s face. If anything, the crinkles of her frown

deepened.

‘Hewenttosomuchefforttohelpyoumeetyourfavouritechef.Hewastryingtowooyou.’
‘No. I just really wanted to go home and work on my café renovations—instead of wasting my

timeonadatingshowwhenIwasn’tinterestedinlove.Buttheywouldn’tletmebeevicted,soLuke
tookpityonmeandtriedtomakeituptomewiththatdate.’

Athicksilencefellbetweenthem.Hadie’sthoughtsandemotionsranacrossherface.
‘I’ll be going home this week,’ Anna reassured her, not expecting the pang in her stomach. She

toldherselfthatitwasHadieandtheadventurousdatesthatshe’dmiss.AndherfriendshipwithLuke.
A small part of her hoped they’d stay in contact after he fell in love and married one of the other
contestants,makinglittlehumansofhisowntojoinhiminthesnow.

‘Butyou’vefalleninlovewithhim.Haven’tyou?’HadiesetherunwaveringgazeonAnna.
‘What?’Annastared.‘No.Ofcoursenot.’
‘Yes,youhave!’
‘Noway.I’mnotlookingforahusband,orevenacasualhook-up.AndevenifIwas,LukeandI

aresodifferent.’

‘Don’tlietome,’Hadiesaidinabossy-mumkindofway.ItwasthefirsttimeAnnahadheardthat

voicefromherusuallygentleandexcitablefriend.‘Andno,you’renot.Youhavedifferentcareers,
sure.Butyouhavetonsofthesameinterests.Youseemtolookattheworldthesameway.Andyoufit
together.That’sprobablywhyyou’rethefavouritetowin—andwhytheproducerswon’tletyougo
home.’

Annasquirmedintheseat,resistingtheurgetopullatthethreadededgesofthecushions.
‘Infact,yoursisterprobablyarrangedthiswholeshowtosetyouup.’
‘Hadie—’
‘Shechosewell.Youtwoaregreattogether.It’sprettymuchtheultimateblinddate.’
‘That’sridiculous!Itwasalast-minuteaccident.IamnotinlovewithLukeWestwood.Trustme,I

willbegoinghomeatthenextopportunity,’shesaid.‘Don’tgiveuponthis.You’rethebestperson
leftonthisshow.Lukehadbetterpickyou.He’dbeluckytohaveyou.’

‘He’s not interested in any of us, Anna. He only spends time with us when forced,’ she replied.

‘Wheneverwe’reongroupdates,you’retheonehelooksfor.’

‘That’stotallywrong.’
‘No,it’snot.I’mnottheonlyonewho’snoticed.Prettymuchalltheotherstalkbehindyourback.

Especiallywhenyouwereoutonthatsecondsingledatebeforemostofushadhadourfirst.’

‘Coincidence. And there’s nothing better to do in the villa than gossip, speculate and over-

analyse.’

‘Ifit’ssoridiculous,thenwhywasheinyourhotelroomtonight?’
Therewasnoeasyanswertothat.Thetruthwas,Annadidn’tknow.WhathadLukewantedfrom

her? Was he just after a quick lay? As angry as she had been that morning, learning about his
promiscuous kissing, she didn’t think he was the playboy athlete she first assumed him to be. So
maybe he really liked her? A flicker of something warm lit inside of her. She extinguished it as
quicklyasitappeared.Theywouldn’twork.Theycouldn’t.Evenifheregoneededalmostasmuch
convincingasHadiedid.

WhenAnnadidn’tanswer,Hadiethrewheraguardedlook.‘Maybeyouneedtodoalittlemore

analysingyourself?Figureoutwhatyou’refeeling,beforeit’stoolate.’

CHAPTER

Asmallcrowdlinedthestagebehindthecamerasfacingthewomen.TheywerebackinAustraliaand
halfway through the second month of filming. Doing this for the billionth time did nothing to
improveAnna’smood—northatofanyoftheotherwomen.Hadiebitherlip.LiuKunlookedlike
shewantedtofaint.Jessicatappedherhandsagainsthersides.

Annawasn’tanybetter.Shecouldn’tkeepherselffromglancingatthescreensbehindher.Would

theyplaythesoundfromherkisswithLukeeveniftheyhadnofootageofit?Wouldshebefacing
questionsaboutit?Herhandsshookasshewipedthemonherdress.

‘Takeaseat,ladies.’
The audience cheered, calling out their names, some with greater frequency than others. Anna

cringedeachtimesheheardhers,butHadie’snamewasbeingyelledlouderthaneverbefore.Aswas
Yvette’s.AsachantinYvette’sfavourstarted,AnnalookedacrossandsharedagrimacewithJessica,
sittingnexttoher.

Thelightsdimmed.‘Attention!’avoiceboomed.‘Westartfilminginthree,two,one…’
Fourassistantsheldupplacardsandtheaudiencewentwildwithapplauseandwolfwhistles.The

screenlitupwithimagesoftheirhost,MasonLockier,andthestaroftheshow,LukeWestwood.Both
wavedtotheliveaudienceandthecamerasbeforeLukedescendedthestepsandtooktheloneswivel
chair opposite the women. He looked across and met Anna’s eye, offering a raised eyebrow and a
smilethatprovokedaheatinsideherstomachandlower.Achasmlaybetweenthem.

‘Welcome.Tonightwehaveatreatforyou:anotherinterviewandepisodescreeningwithourfive

remainingcontestants!Seetheirreactionsastheywatchlastnight’sepisodeplayoutonthescreens
behindme.’

Thecrowdyelledandapplaudedoncemore,eveniftheyheardthesamespieleveryweek.
‘Now,shallwegetstarted?’
ThescreensburstintolifeandtheLoveEliminationthemesongblastedfromeveryspeaker.They

watched credits: the eliminated and current contestants, interwoven with shots of Luke. Shirtless.
Running.Snowboarding.Posing.Laughing.Grinning.TheimagestookAnna’sbreathaway.Sheonly
rememberedtoinhaleasthetitleappeared.

Fromthere,itonlygotworse.Onthescreen,Lukeflirtedwitheverysinglewoman.Yvettesank

herhandsintohisarmandplacedakissonthecornerofhismouth.JessicaandLukestoodamere
centimetreapartatthetopofaslope.LiuKunfellintothesnowandalaughingLukehelpedhertoher
feet.ThentherewasHadie:sharingasliceofcake,learninghowtoski,acceptingahighfive.They
wereadorabletogether.Annawasshowndisappearingdowntheoff-limitsslopewithLuke.Ifshestill
heldit,thepositionasmostpopularcontestantfelloutfromunderherasshewatched.Itwaswritten
alloverthefacesoftheaudience.

Annahadbecometheresidentbadguy.
Then they showed footage from the hotel and Anna’s heart jumped into her throat. The screen

showed Hadie sneaking into the pool room. She had the prohibited mobile phone with her. Anna
grittedherteeth.WhywouldHadiedothat?Whywouldn’tshejusttakethecallinherroom—inthe
bathroomifshewasworriedaboutcameras?TheyheardHadietalkingtohermother,thenherson.
Music swelled as Hadie broke into tears. Her every sob was synchronised with the melancholy
backingtrack.Atimerappearedinthebottomright-handcornerofthescreen.Itjumpedforwardsby
threeminutes,ten,fifteen—showingexactlyhowlongHadiesattherecryingaftershehungup.How
longittookhertorecoverfromhearingherson’svoice.

PainbitinAnna’schest.TheywatchedHadieleavethepoolroomandAnnaknewwhereshewas

goingnext.ToAnna’sroom—toherclosestfriendontheset.Thepersonwhohadlentherthephone.

Theepisodeended.Thelightsreturnedtofullbrightness.Annacouldn’thelpbutglanceatHadie.

Her face was hard, eyes staring straight ahead and lips pressed into a thin line. A few rogue tears
escapeddownhercheeks.

Masoncluckedhistongue.‘Itseemswehavearulebreakerinourmidst.’
Thecrowdbooed,butAnnadidn’tseetheplacardholdersdoinganyprompting.
‘Itlookslikewe’regoingtoseetwowomenheadinghometonight.’
Annagasped.HerheadspuntowardsHadie.Theotherwoman’sstonyexpressionhadn’tshifted.

ShesimplynoddedatMason.

‘Hadie. It has been a pleasure having you on the show. But as you know, phones are expressly

forbiddenonLoveElimination.Youhavehadanunfairadvantageovertheotherwomenhere,women
whoarealsomissingtheirfriendsandfamily.Somewhohavetakenleaveorquitjobsthattheylove
ordependon.Noexceptionscanbemade,howeversadthismomentmaybe.’

‘No,’ Anna breathed. She meant to say it louder, but the glare of the cameras and stare of the

audiencesappedatherbravery.

‘Doyouhaveanyfinalgoodbyes,Hadie?’Masonasked.
Hadiesliddownfromherchair.‘Thankyou,Luke,formakingmebelieveinmenwhocanlove

andacceptmeand my son. You have been nothing but supportive, kind, considerate, understanding
andgenerousingettingtoknowaboutmeandmyson.You’vebeenwonderful.ButIknowyouare
notfallingforme.Youhaveeyesforanotherwoman.’

Annastumbledtoherfeet.‘No.Youcan’tevicther!’
TheaudiencewhisperedtoeachotherandMasonturnedhisgazeonher,asdidthecameras.
‘It’s not her phone. It’s mine.’ Anna looked wildly around the room, trying to catch everyone’s

reaction at once. But she got stuck on Luke’s face. His frown was deeper than she’d ever seen it.
Despitethechaosaroundthem,hiseyesdidn’tmovefromher.

‘Anna,youdon’thavetoprotectme,’Hadiesaidwithasadsmile.
‘Please, it’s my phone. Hadie only used it to call her family.’ Anna ripped her eyes from Luke.

Thiswasit.She’dbeencaughtbreakingtherulesandhercontract.Themoneywoulddisappearand
Kate’scareerwouldcrumble.Butitwasbetterthanthealternative:lettingHadietakethefall.

‘Stop—’ Hadie started but Mason cut in, telling people to settle down until even the quietest

murmursoftheaudienceceased.

‘Now.Oneatatime,’hesaid.‘Anna,youcanspeakfirst.’
‘It’smyphone.Ihadittomanagemybusinesswhileontheshow.Hadiefoundoutaboutitwhen

wewereroommates.Iletheruseittocheckuponherson,solongassheagreednottoreportit.’

‘And Hadie. What do you have to say to this?’ Mason asked. Though the crowd noise had

increasedinvolume,theyquietenedtohearHadie’sresponse.

‘AnnaworkedoutthatIwascontactingmyfamily.Iaccidentallyletitslipafewtimes.Shesaid

she’dkeepmysecret.Sheunderstoodhowmuchmysonmeanstomeandhowharditwastoleave
himbehind.ButshealwayswarnedmethatgettingkickedofftheshowwouldmakeeverythingI’ve
givenupredundant.Shedoesn’twantthetimeI’vebeenontheshowtoallbefornothing.’Hadie’s
voicecracked.‘Annaismybestfriend.AndI’msotouchedthatshewantstosacrificeherownshotat
loveforme.ButIwon’tletherdoit.’

HadielookedstraightatAnna.‘Itwasn’tamistaketocomeontheshow—ortostaythislong—

becauseImetyou.Butit’stimeformetogo,Anna.Whereasyouneedtostayandseewhathappens
betweenyouandLuke.’

Theaudienceeruptedwithprotestsagain.NoonewantedHadietogohome.Annawastouchedto

hearyellinginherfavouraswell.SheusedthetimeittookMasontosilencethemagaintocompose
herfeatures.

‘It seems that regardless of whose phone it is, both of you knew about it. Since we can’t prove

whoownsthecontrabanddevice,youwillbothbeautomaticallyupforelimination.Lukewillonlybe
abletosaveone.Pleaseproceedtotheupperstage.’

At least this part of the show had been rehearsed. The women had been instructed on where to

stand at the end of the evening, when the next elimination was planned to take place. Anna went to
standononemarkerandHadietooktheother,slidingherhandintoAnna’sasshegotintoposition.
Theydidn’tdarespeakwiththemicrophonesontheirdresses.

Hadie squeezed Anna’s hand. It did nothing to quell the whirlwind inside her stomach. The

combinationofHadietakingthefallforAnna’swrongdoingandtheverypublicwayinwhichitwas
occurringmadeherwanttovomit.

At Mason’s prompting, Luke joined them at the stage. He seemed as uncomfortable as the two

women.

‘Luke,whowouldyouliketosendhome?’
How they managed to pull out the ominous eviction music so quickly, Anna didn’t understand.

Unless,ofcourse,thesoundtrackwasalwaysplannedtoescortHadiefromthestage.

‘I’msorry,Hadie.It’sbeenapleasurehavingyouhereandgettingtoknowyou.Butyou’reright.I

haven’tfalleninlovewithyou.Andyoushouldn’tbesneakingphonecallstoyoursonfromhotels.
Youshouldbeathomewithhim.’

‘Goodbye,Hadie,’Masonadded.
Annabarelyheardhim.Sheflungherarmsaroundherfriendandheldhertight.
‘This is good,’ Hadie mumbled into Anna’s ear, over and over. Each time she repeated it, Anna

lostconfidenceinthewords.

‘Howisitgood?’
‘I need to go home. And as afraid as you are to admit it, you and Luke are head over heels for

eachother.Youdon’tneedtoprotectme.Thisismychoice.’

Thenshewasgone.AsecondlaterMasonusheredAnnabacktoherseat,andshewasaideddown

the stairs by Luke’s outstretched hand. The touch of his skin did nothing to balance her, instead it
almostsentherreeling.ButshestayeduprightandherfacebecameashardenedasHadie’shadbeen.

Lukeshould’vesentherhome.Itwasherphoneandheknewit.Hadiewasarealcontestant.She

wasthebestpersonontheshow.Itwasn’tlikehecouldkeepwhittlingawayatthewomenwhowere
actuallyinterestedinarelationshipwithhim.ThiswasthefinalfouranditwashightimeAnnawent
home.

‘How do you feel about Hadie’s sudden departure, Yvette?’ Mason asked, moving on with the

show.Annahadbeenbracingherselffortheinterviewpartbutnowshewasentirelyoff-kilter.

‘Shebroketherules.Andshe’sright.SheandLukewouldneverhaveworked.Sheshouldhave

gonehomealongtimeago,’Yvetterepliedinavoicesheclearlythoughtwassexy.

‘Howaboutthatscreening?Howdoyoufeelaboutwhatwasshowntoday?’
‘LukeWestwoodlooksasdeliciousonscreenashedoesinreallife.’
NowAnnareallyhadtofightfromthedesiretoscreamatiradeofinsultsatthewoman.Yvette

had nothing but lecherous, nasty comments to contribute. She truly was the bad guy. And yet, she
wasn’t even universally hated—she had a fan club of her own. That it was stronger than Liu Kun’s
supportbasemadeabsolutelynosense.

‘Anna,’Masonsaid,turningtoher,‘wouldyouliketotellusaboutwhathappenedafteryouand

Lukedisappeareddownthebluerun?Youweregoneforquiteawhile…’

‘Wehadcoffee,afterLukemanagedtocoaxmedowntheslope,’Annastammered.‘Itwasalot

harderthanheledmetobelieve.’

‘That’s all that happened? Because I heard something quite different …’ Mason wiggled his

eyebrows.Itmusthavebeenacuetothesoundtechnicians,becausethenextmomenttheunmistakable
soundofkissingplayedoverthespeakers.Thesoundwasnotattractive.

PanicfloodedthroughAnna’sveinsandmadeitshomeinherchest.Herbreathingshortenedand

herclammyhandsshook.Whenshewasreallyangry,herbody’sfirstinstinctwastocry.Itmadeher
lookweakandshehatedit.Thistimewasnodifferent.Thecamerasmadeeverythingworse.

‘MaybeIshouldaskLuke?’Masoncontinued,turningtofaceLuke.Annalookedoverathimtoo.

Thatkiss—theonethatsoundedlikeaslurpingchildintheaudioclip—hadoverwhelmedhersenses.
Ithadbeenhot,promisingandallencompassing.She’dfeltthatkiss—andtheoneinherhotelroom
—to the tips of her toes. Even just remembering the touch of his lips, Anna’s skin tingled. At least
nowthepublichumiliationwouldkeepherfocusedonwhysheneededtoleave.

‘You’vefinallykissedthelovelyAnna.Howwasit?’
‘Itwasamazing.Annaisbeautiful,’Luke’svoicequietenedwithemotionandAnnafeltherheart

shudderundertheweightofit.

‘Itseemsyouhaveafavouriteontheshow.Whatdoyousaytothat?’Masonasked.
‘ThewomenallhavegreatqualitiesandIhaveaconnectionwitheachofthem.’
‘Soit’ssafetosayyou’dliketotakethemallhomewithyou?’Thecommentgotahissfromthe

audience.

‘Ofcoursenot.’
‘Thenwhygetattachedtomultiplewomenwhenyouonlywantone?’
Theaudienceseemedtoholditsbreath.LiuKunleanedforwardsonherstoolandalmostfelloff,

catchingherbalanceatthelastmoment.

‘I’mreadytomakeacommitment.’Lukepickedhiswordscarefully,likeapoliticiandefendingan

unpopularpolicy.‘Iwanttogettoknowthesewonderfulwomensothatinthefinale,Iamstanding
nexttothewomanIlovewithoutasingledoubtinmymind.’

Itwastherightanswer.Therewerejusttwoproblems.One:Annadidn’tbelievehimforasecond;

he’dspentfartoolongwithhertobeentirelyseriousabouttheLoveEliminationprocess.Two:Anna
wasstartingtopictureherselfinthefinale.Thesituationwasgoingstraighttoherhead.

So much so that she barely heard the names of the women up for elimination when they were

announced.Annareactedtohernamebeingcalledwithoutemotion,climbingthestairsforthesecond
timethatday.ThistimeitwasYvettenexttoher.Theotherwomandidn’ttakeherhand,didn’teven
giveAnnaaglance.

Luke said his goodbyes to both of them. All Anna could think about was how much she now

wantedtheprizeoftheweirdestcompetitionshe’deverknown.ObviouslyStockholmSyndromehad
takenhold—whatshereallyneededwastogohome.Maybebeingawareofthatwouldstopherheart
yearningforwhatitcouldn’thave.Luke.She’donceheardthatgettingoveramanshouldtakehalfas
longasyou’dbeentogether.SinceLukeandshehadn’tactuallybeentogether,maybeitwasjustthe
distancesheneeded?

Standing there next to Yvette, listening to Luke farewelling them, she didn’t know what to wish

for.

‘Yvette.I’msorry,butyou’renottheoneforme,’Lukesaideventuallyandgaveherapeckonthe

cheek.

Theshowcametoacloseandtheywerefinallyallowedtoleave.Yvettewouldn’tbepollutingthe

housewithhersneersanylonger—justasHadiewouldn’tbemakingeverydaytolerable.Asshewas
usheredbackstage,Annafelttheweightofeverythingthathadhappenedpressingdownonher.

‘Anna.’ Luke snagged her arm and pulled her into a musty curtain that curled around her body.

‘Areyouokay?’

She glanced around; there wasn’t anyone within earshot. ‘Why didn’t you send me home?’ She

couldn’tkeepthedespairfromhervoice.

‘Isthatwhatyouwanted?’
‘Yes.’Shethoughtshesoundedsure,evenifhermindwouldn’tstopitsfuriouscontradictions.
‘Wecan’ttalkaboutthishere.I’llmeetyouonthebeachtonight.’
‘I’m not going to sneak out of the villa to meet you. We’re done with these off-camera

appearances.Justsendmehome.’

She moved to leave, message clearly delivered. It wouldn’t help for him to see the tears in her

eyes and she couldn’t hold them in any longer. Her heart was breaking. It was all too much. The
constantexposure.Hersister ’sbetrayal.Hadie’sdeparture.Thekisses.

Lukestoppedher.Hespokesoftlyinherear.‘I’mgoingtowaitforyou,Anna.AllnightifIhave

to,’hewhispered.‘Please.’

Withoutanswering,Annapulledaway.Shefoughtherbody’sinstinctstoturnandlookback.Right

atthatmoment,allshewantedwastocrawlintoherbed,callBenandcry—butthephonewasgone,
andsowasherconnectiontotheoutsideworld.

CHAPTER

‘Add just a hint of a pout, Anna.’ The photographer aimed the lens at her. ‘That’s it! Keep moving
now.Slideintothatnextpose.’

Clearlyshe’dbeenmistakenforamodel.She’dbeendressedincoutureandgiveneyelashesthe

lengthofhernewacrylicnails.Thephotographerinstructedhertobehappy,sad,devastated,hopeful,
heartbroken,angry…Shestruggledwitheverysingleemotion.Withthedressdiggingintoherribs
andscratchingherbarelegsunderneath,theonlythingshefeltrightnowwasuncomfortable.

‘Thisisthelastone.Givemesomethingfantasticforthefinallook.’
Annafacedtheplainwhitebackdropandtwistedbacktolookatthecameraoverhershoulder.She

softenedherfacetohidethetwingeofpaininherspine.

‘Excellent!That’sgreat,Anna!’Heleftthecameraandhurriedtothelaptopwhereseveralofthe

crewflickedthroughthephotoshe’djusttaken.Whiletheytalkedamongthemselves,Annatuggedthe
dressupatitssweetheartneckline.Thehardboningonlyshiftedfromthebottomofherribstothe
middle.Shewoulddefinitelybesportingsomeprettyunusualbruisestomorrow.

‘That’sawrap!Thankyou,Anna.Youcangetchangedandheadovertotheinterviews.’
Iftherewasonethingworsethantwohoursofposing,itwasbeinginterviewedaboutherfeelings

for Luke Westwood. Anna swallowed and nodded, tottering from the set to wardrobe, where two
youngwomenrushedherbehindacurtainandstrippedthedressfromher.AllAnnahadtodowas
concentrateonnotfallingover.Asitturnedout,thatwashardenough.

Oneofthewomenheldupacocktaildresswithfarfewerrufflesthanthelast.Evenifitwasn’tas

bad, it certainly wasn’t the comfortable shirt and jeans combo Anna had worn to WestMedia’s
headquartersinSydney.

‘Wherearemyclothes?’sheasked,staringatthedresslikeitoffendedher.
‘You’vestillgottheinterviewtogo,’thesecondwomansaid,takingthedressfromhercolleague,

unzippingit,andholdingitattheheightofAnna’sthighs.Annaswallowedasighandsteppedintoit.
Thehemlinesatonlyafewinchesunderherarse.Therewasnomirror,soAnnajusthadtotrustthat
shelookedokay.

Hairandmake-uphadtheirturnnext.TheypulledAnna’shairoutoftheupdothey’dputitinto

forthephotoshootandscrubbedoffthesmokeyeyes.Fromthebrownhuesonthepalettebeforeher,
Annaguessedshehadamorenaturallookthistime—exceptforthebrightpinklipstickwieldedatthe
veryend.Herhairfellpasthershoulders,leftinitscurlystate.

Finallyshewasguideddownacorridor,passingLiuKunwholookedmoreglamorousthanshe’d

ever seen her on the way, and into the interview room. The chaos from the photo shoot area was
inaudible here, replaced by an almost eerie silence. Anna forced herself to take long, deep breaths.
Followingthecrew’sdirections,shesatonthecouchinfrontofyetanotherbackdrop,crossedher
anklesandlockedherhandsinherlap.

‘Hi, Anna. I’m Roz,’ the interviewer said. The woman had a friendly, kind voice, a short bob

haircutandareadysmile.Annawould’veguessedhertobeaboutfortyyearsold.‘Justrelax,andtry
to be honest and open. You’ll be fine.’ She paused, then began the interview. ‘How are you coping
withtheshow?You’vesaidinthepastthatcompetingwiththeotherwomenisdifficultforyou.’

‘Itishard.Butthelongeritgoeson,themorenormalitfeels,’Annasaidslowly,asthoughtesting

eachwordasitcameout.She’dgivenupontellingthetruthatthispoint.Thewholeshowwasabout
playingapart;herswouldbecomposedandelegantbusinesswoman,andkickarsecook.

‘We’ve seen you and Luke grow close over the last few episodes. Can you tell me a bit about

that?’

Annasmiledbeforeshecouldstopherself.Thisiswhatshe’dpreparedforsincethemomentthe

excursiontoWestMediatofilmpromomaterialsforthefinalewasannounced.Thecameraswould
notbecatchingherunawaresanymore.‘He’sagreatguyandIenjoyspendingtimewithhim.’

‘Surelyyoucangivemeabitmore?Whatdoyoulikeabouthim?’
‘He’s so carefree, fun to be around, good humoured, considerate, kind …’ Anna listed Luke’s

qualities, carefully controlling her tone as she did so. She didn’t want to be seen as a gushing
obsessivewhentheinterviewwenttoair.

‘Areyouinlovewithhim?’Theinterviewerlookedupfromherclipboard.Annaregisteredthe

question,butherattentionwascaughtbythefigurethathadslippedintotheroomandtakenadiscreet
placeinthecorner:Luke.Washeallowedtowatchtheinterviews?Surelyitwasn’tconducivetothe
contestantsbeingtrulyhonestandopenabouttheirfeelings?

‘AreyouinlovewithLukeWestwood?’theintervieweraskedagain.
‘Um.’UndertheintensityofLuke’sstare,Annalostthepoiseshe’dbeensoproudof.Onlywhen

shelookedbacktotheinterviewerdidsherememberherrehearsedanswerandrushtodeliverit.‘I’m
stillgettingtoknowhim.’

‘Butyoucareforhim?’
‘Ofcourse.Itwouldbeimpossibletobeinthissituationandnotgrowtolikehim.’
It was consistent with her ‘I’m here to fall in love’ character, and also true enough to her own

feelings.ButwithLukewatching,itfeltlikeamonumentalconfession.

‘ThenwhydidyouvolunteertoleaveinsteadofHadie?Don’tyouwantLuketopickyouinthe

finale?’

Annatookadeepbreathtoslowthehammeringofherheartandclaspedherhandstogetheruntil

theystoppedshaking.‘Hadiewasmybestfriendinthehouse.Wewereroommates.TimewithLukeis
great,butit’sonlyeverafewquickdatesorhastymomentsofconversation—there’snoprivacy.’Or
atleast,that’showitwasforalltheothercontestants.Annapushedasidethememoriesoftheirstolen
time together on the beach or the night he walked her back from the pub. ‘But Hadie and I were
togetheralmosttwenty-four-seven.Igrewtoloveherlikeasister.She’sabeautifulandkindperson.
ShedeserveslovemorethananyoneIknowandshehasahardtimefindingit.’

Theinterviewernoddedandflickedapageoverherclipboard.‘Whowouldyouwanttowinifit

isn’tyou?’

‘I’mnotsure.They’reallgreatpeople.’
‘IfyougetintothefinaleandLukeasksyoutomarryhim,wouldyousayyes?’theinterviewer

asked. Either she was oblivious to Luke having entered the room, or she didn’t care. Perhaps she
thought his presence would produce juicier answers. Regardless of her motivation, Anna wasn’t
interestedinplayingthegame.

‘No. It’s too soon. We haven’t known each other that long and I want to live with my partner

beforewegetengaged.’

AnnalookedstraightatLuke.Ifonlyhehadtelepathicskillssohecouldinterpretwhatshemeant.

Don’tpropose,obviously.Butalsothatheshouldn’tchooseherinthefinale.Sheshouldn’tevenmake
it into the finale. Liu Kun and Jessica fantasised aloud about where they’d live with Luke. Liu Kun
could write her romance novels from anywhere and Jessica was already a reasonably successful
modelwhotravelledtheworld,refusingtoputdownroots.Eitherofthemcouldfitintothelimited
spaceLukehadonofferforthewomanofhisdreams.

‘Okay,Anna.Thankyouforyourtime.Youcanheadbacktothestudio.’Shenoddedatthedoor.
Anna’smouthfellopenandshestumbledasshestood.‘It’snotover?’
‘No,there’sanotherphotoshoot.WithLuke,’acrewmemberexplained,usheringherbackinto

thelargerroomwithLukeintow.‘It’llbeusedforpromotionofthefinale,justliketheearliershots.
ButwealsohaveTheAustralianWomen’sWeeklyheretogettheirpicturesforthefeatureonthefinal
couple.’

‘Oh,forGod’ssake,’shecouldn’thelpmuttering.
‘Tell me about it.’ Luke weaved around a cluster of crew members. Anna’s breath caught as he

gaveherawrylook.They’ddressedhiminafittedsuit,midnightblackwithamatchingnarrowtie.
Anna’skneeswentweak,evenifLukealsoworeadeepfrown.

‘You’reneededbackinwardrobe.’TheirguidepushedAnnaintherightdirection.
‘What? I can’t just wear this?’ Anna waved her hands over the cocktail dress. The sound of

gigglingfromtheoppositecorneroftheroomdistractedAnnafromhercomplaint.Onlywhenshe
lookedupdidsherealiseLukehadslippedaway,joiningtheothercontestants,whoworesweeping
formalgowns,LiuKuninyellowandJessicainred.

Annaignoredthetightfeelinginherchest.SowhatifLukehadn’tspokentoher?Itwasprobably

dueto her determinationto be kickedoff the show andleave him withtwo equally smitten women,
neitherofwhomhewanted.

Shewalkedintowardrobeandoneofthewomenheldupabluedress.Annasteppedintothegown

andjoinedtheothers.Shepoutedandsmiled.Shelinkedarmswithherfellowfinalists.Shehugged
Luke,adrenalinrushingthroughherbody,whileLiuKundidthesameonhisothersideandJessica
actedasthejealousfourthwheel.

ThentheytookturnstoposeasacouplewithLuke.Annawatchedaseachofthewomenpressed

themselves against him. At the end of each session, the photographer instructed them to kiss. Anna
swallowed hard as first Liu Kun, then Jessica, locked lips with Luke. Each breath she took was a
daggertoherchest.

Beforesheknewit,itwasherturn.ShepracticallystumbledintoLuke’sarms.Shelethimhold

her.Theylookedateachotherliketheywereinlove;likehe’djustchosenherinthefinale.Hegot
down on one knee with a ring in his hand. Anna let all her repressed feelings rush to her face.
Feelingsthatshehadn’tletherselftrulyacknowledgeuntilnow.

Shelovedhim.Shewasinlovewithhim.Theideaofhimononekneeforher,madeAnnawantto

cry.

‘That’sperfect.Now,wejustneedthefinalkiss,’thephotographercalled.
Luke’s eyes caught hers. Anna couldn’t have looked away if she wanted to. He leaned forwards

and Anna found herself arching upwards. Her lips parted and his pressed down. Both arms slipped
around her waist. Anna lost herself. She raked her hands through his hair before remembering that
theywereinaphotoshoot.

Asifsensingherhesitation,Lukeslippedhistongueintohermouth.Everythingexploded.Every

nervefloodedwithlightandwarmthandlonging.Annameltedintohim,mouldingherbodyintohis

until Luke was everywhere, touching every part of her and still his mouth pulled her deeper, his
tonguesettingfiretoherdesire.

By the time he broke away, Anna had long since relinquished the ability to control the kiss or

herself.

‘Allright.We’refinishedhere.’
Everyone was staring at them. The usually busy crew had all stopped, eyes wide and locked on

Anna and Luke. Shock and hurt played across the faces of the other contestants. The photographer
grinned.Althoughthey’dpulledaway,Luke’shandrestedonAnna’slowerback.

‘Lunchhasbeenpreparedintheboardroom.’
‘Icanguidethem.’Lukebrushedoffthecrewmemberwhoapproachedthem.Heledthewomen,

stillintheirover-the-topformalwear,throughthebuildingwithsurprisingfamiliarity.

‘Didyouspendalotoftimehere?’Annaasked,notsurewhetherhe’danswer.
‘Yeah,asakid.Mydadpracticallylivedattheoffice.Iusedtohangoutheresometimes.’Their

fingersbrushed.Annafoughttheurgetograbhisandholdon.

‘Didyoueverwanttoworkhere?’Jessicaasked.Shetookthreequickstepsandcaughtuptothem.
Thecorridorwastoonarrowforthemall.Annadroppedback.Insteadofthecameras,itwasLiu

Kun and Jessica holding Anna in check. Their presence was more sobering than any lens. She was
ruiningeveryoneelse’shappinessbymessingaroundwithLuke.Bypretendingshewasacontestant.
Byfallinginlovewithamanonnationaltelevision.Amanwholivedontheothersideoftheworld
andwhohadanincomethesizeofasmallcity’sbudget.

‘Sometimes.Butit’snotforme,’LukerepliedtothequestionthatAnnahadalreadyforgotten.
Heledthemintoaroomlinedwithtablespushedupagainstthewallsandpiledhighwithplatters

offood.Anna’sstomachrumbledatthesight.Shegrabbedaplatetoserveherself.Severalcouches
were positioned at one side of the room, angled so the cameras would have a good view. With
nowhereelsetosit,shetookaseatinthecornerandrestedherplateonthearm.Sheignoredthecrew
memberadjustingthecameraandtripodtopointinherdirection.

AminutelaterLukeclaimedtheseatnexttoher,histhighagainstherswithonlythethinlayersof

her gown and his suit pants between their skin. A flush rose to Anna’s cheeks. She pursed her lips
together. The camera was watching and the other women glared. The food lost its flavour in her
mouth.Shewasactinglikealovesickschoolgirlcrushingonanactorinafilm.Lukewashandsome,
kind,funny,attentive.Hewasquicktosmileandlovedtoteaseher.HewasaproductofKate’sgenius
casting:amananywomancouldfallinlovewith.AndAnnahaddonejustthat.

Thefantasywastoopowerfultoignore.Ithadtakenheroverastheyposedtogether,likeareal

couple. Everything felt right when she was in his arms. But that was exactly the problem. Anna’s
futurewasinSydney.Herdessertcaféwasallshe’deverwantedsinceshewasalittlegirlstandingon
a chair making cupcakes with her father. Luke was a snowboarding coach. He needed snow. He
neededtotravelwithhisathletes.Hislifewasn’tcompatiblewiththatofacaféownerwhospenther
time baking and dreaming about new ingredients and techniques, watching cooking shows and
scanningthroughPinterestforpresentationideas.

Annatunedoutthemeaninglessconversation.Itwasthefirstfilmedmomentofpeaceinalong

time,withLukeathersideandnopressuretohaveadeep,earth-shakingmomentofconnectionor
heartbreaktoentertaintheviewers.Theproducersleftthemalonetotalk.Asnoneoftheanecdotes
theysharedwereparticularlyfunnyorinsightful,Annawasalmostpositivetheinteractionwouldn’t
makeitintoanepisode.

Eventhecameracrewseemedrelaxed.Afewofthemindulgedinthefood.Thatis,untilanolder

stately man appeared in the doorway. Anna noticed him immediately; he was in her direct line of
sight.AndshefeltthemomentthatLukecaughtsightoftheman—hestiffenedbesideherandplaced
hishandonherleg.

‘Dad!’Lukestood,placinghisplatehastilywherehe’dbeensittingandmovingforwardstogreet

his father. Instead of the embrace Anna expected, Luke stretched out his arm. There was a strange
intensitytotheirhandshake.‘Whatareyoudoinghere?’

SothiswasTysonWestwood.Themediamogulhadtobeaboutsixtyyearsold.Hissuitlooked

like Luke’s, at the height of fashion. His hair had a trendy cut. Other than that, there was nothing
familiarintheman’sface,figureorheight.Annastared,tryingtofindthepartsofhisfatherinLuke.
Even with them side by side, Anna found nothing. Luke must take after his mum, just as Anna took
afterherdadineverysingleway.

‘My assistant told me Love Elimination was filming here today.’ He had a deep voice, with an

authoritativetonethatAnnahadn’theardinLuke.‘IthoughtIwouldcomemeetthelovelyladies.’

TysonWestwoodstrodetothecouches,ignoringthecrew.Hisintroductionstoeachofthemwere

stilted, clipped and professional. There was nothing warm about him. Anna suddenly understood
Luke’s reservations when he talked about his relationship with his father. Tyson’s speech was so
careful and measured it could have been scripted. It was only the startled crew that proved his visit
wasunpremeditated.TheymovedaroundhimlikeinternsaroundaCEO.Everythingabouttheman
washard.Eventhelinesonhisface.Annacouldn’timaginethemanbeforeherdealingwithachild,
muchlesshisown.ShewonderedifLuke’sentirechildhoodhadbeenashardasAnna’sintheyears
afterherfatherdied.

‘YoumustbeAnna,’TysonWestwoodsaid,claimingherhandforafirmhandshake.‘I’vehearda

lotaboutyou.Accordingtomystaff,mysonhastakenaparticularlikingtoyou.’

Had Luke not spoken to his father about the show? Anna’s brow furrowed before she could

remembertokeepherfaceblank.

‘Doyouwatchtheshow,MrWestwood?’sheasked.
‘No.Idon’tgettime.ButIlookforwardtogettingtoknowthewinningwomanafterthefinale.’

HeglancedatLiuKunandJessica,asifincludingtheminthesentiment.

Annaexhaled.Sheshouldn’tbethisnervous.Itwasn’tlikesheandLukeweredating,orthatshe’d

bearoundtoseewhohechoseinthefinale.Inalllikelihood,she’dneverseeLuke’sfatheragain.

‘Youmustn’tseeeachotheroften,withallthetravellingLukedoes,’Jessicasuggested.‘Doyou

gettowatchhimcompeteatall?’

‘No.’ He didn’t expand on his answer. If he’d been perfectly friendly before, he was definitely

warynow.AnnasawLukeshifthisweight.

‘Idon’tknowifIcould’vewatched,’Jessicacontinued,asifoblivioustothesocialtemperatureof

theroom.‘Itseemsfartoodangerous.Iwould’vebeenscaredtodeatheverytimetoseealovedone
atthetopofthosemassivemountains.’

Did she not know about Luke’s accident? About his injuries? Anna’s heart went out to the man

onlyametrefromher.HadheonlytoldAnnaaboutitbecausehecaredforher,maybemorethanthe
others? She was sure it wouldn’t be a secret, not to anyone who took the time to google ‘Luke
Westwood’. Anna wondered whether the same could be said of the relationship between father and
son.Lukehadn’ttoldhermuch,butwouldshehavefoundtheanswersifshe’dsearchedforitonher
phone—beforeithadbeentakenawaywithHadie?

AflashofcolourenteredtheroomanddistractedAnna—ayoungblondewoman.Herbrightpink

dresswasremarkablysimilartotheoneAnnahadbeenforcedtowearfortheinterview.Itcertainly

didn’t fit with the black pants and Love Elimination shirts worn by the crew members. Besides, the
womanlookedtooyoungtobedoinganythingbutcoffeerunsoransweringfanmail.

Annafrownedassheguessedthereasonthewomanwasthere:shehadtobeanothercontestant.

Had the producers decided Anna, Jessica and Liu Kun weren’t making for exciting television? Or
perhaps with Anna’s reluctance to finish the show, they knew they needed someone for Luke to
connectto?Ifthatwasthecase,Annathoughtthey’dchosenpoorly.

Tyson Westwood trailed off midsentence when he saw the beauty. She gave him a flirty wave,

wigglingherfingersinhisdirection.

‘Ah, Becca. Was I keeping you waiting?’ Tyson Westwood held out his arms. To Anna’s utter

astonishment, the young woman crossed the room, stepped into his embrace and planted her lips
firmlyonhis.Brightpinklipsticktransferredontotheolderman,likeshewasmarkingherproperty.
Heonlychuckled.

AnnasawLuke’sbodystiffen.Eitherhedidn’tknowabouthisfather ’sloverorhedidn’tapprove.

Fromhisexpression,Annaguesseditwasacombinationofthetwo;Luke’sfacegavetheimpression
hewasbeingstrangled.Annawantedtoreachoutandtakehishand,buthewastoofarawayandthe
cameraswerewatching.

‘No,no.Iwasearly.Yourassistanttoldmeyouwerehere,’Beccasaid.
‘Wellthen,comemeetmysonandthewomenfromLoveElimination.’
Becca kissed each of them. Anna didn’t move as the woman touched her lips to Anna’s cheek.

Lukeseemedtobefrozenmidwaybetweenherandhisfather.Theonlypartofhisbodytomovewere
hiseyes,astheygrewwiderandwider.

‘It’sapleasuretomeetyouall.Especiallyyou,Luke.Yourdadhastoldmesomuchaboutyou.’

Beccafinallybackedaway,onlytoplaceherarmaroundTyson’swaist.

‘That’sweird.He’snevermentionedyou.’Luke’ssharpreplycamehardandfast.
‘Onlybecausehewantedtotellyouinperson,’Beccacutin.Anna’seyeshadn’tleftLukebutshe

was sure she sensed the hardening of his father ’s expression. Had they forgotten they were being
filmed? The rest of the room watched the exchange like a tennis match. Tyson didn’t seem like the
type to let his personal life air to millions of viewers—or even talk to his own son about it,
apparently.

‘Howlonghaveyoubeentogether?’Jessicaasked.AnnaglaredatherforengagingwithTyson’s

loverwhensheshouldbeonLuke’sside.TheywereallsupposedtobedatingLuke,competingfor
hisaffections.Surelytheyshouldalsosupporthimashewasconfrontedbywhatlookedtobeafrilly
golddiggertargetinghisfather?

‘Almostayearnow.’
‘A year?’ Luke growled. The scowl on Luke’s face was entirely unfamiliar. Even in his worst

moments,Annacouldn’tremembereverseeinghimsoangry.Withnootherdistractions,Annawas
left to think desperately for an innocuous question she could ask Becca. One that was polite and
wouldn’ttipLukeovertheedge.Possiblyonethatcalmedhimdown.

‘Howdidyoumeet?’LiuKunaskedsuddenly.
‘Wemetonline,’Beccareplied.HereverysecondglancewenttoTyson,buttheoldermanseemed

contenttoglareathisson.Whateversilentexchangetheywerehaving,itdidn’tlookgood.

‘Whatwebsite?Sugardaddyformedotcom?Ihearthat’swhereGeoffreyEdelstengetshishook-

ups.’

***

‘Luke Michael Westwood.’ Luke flinched at the use of his full name. His father seemed to be
strugglingtokeephisvoiceeven.‘MayIhaveawordoutside?Withoutyourmicrophone.’

His father gave him a steely look and spun on his heel, striding for the door and out into the

corridor. Not even Anna’s widened eyes could break through the building turmoil inside Luke.
Ignoring the pretty blonde who’d suctioned herself onto his father, Luke followed him, ripping off
hismicrophoneasthecrewstoodback.

TysonWestwoodwalkedfarenoughdownthecorridorthattheywereoutofearshotfromeven

themostsensitivemicrophonesusedonLoveElimination.Thenheturnedandwaited.They’dbeenon
suchgreattermssinceLuke’saccident.Inlessthanfiveminutes,allthatgoodwillwashedaway.

‘Spititout.’Hisfathercrossedhisarms.
‘Spitwhatout?’
‘Whatevervilethingsyouhavetosay.Hurryupaboutit.BeccaandIhavelunchreservations.’
The simple statement set off an explosion in Luke’s stomach. What self-respecting woman

allowedherselftobecalled‘Becca’?Itwasanameappropriateonlyforthree-year-oldsandtweens
ontheDisneyChannel.

‘You’ve finally decided to replace Mum—and you chose a gold digger younger than your own

son,’Lukegrowled.

‘Don’ttalkaboutthingsyoudon’tunderstand.It’snotlikethat.’
‘Thenexplainittome.What’sitlike?’
‘I’mgoingtoaskhertomarryme.’
Lukefelthisfacegoslack.‘Issheevenoldenoughtoconsenttothat?’
‘Enough,Luke.’Hisfather ’svoicewasdangerouslyquiet.
‘You know marrying her doesn’t mean she isn’t a gold digger, right? It means she’s succeeded.

She’sgotherhandsonyourmillionsandasurebestsellerforhertell-allbiographyafterthequickie
divorce.’

‘Luke—’
‘Whenwereyougoingtotellmeaboutyourchildbride?’Lukekeptgoing,ignoringtheflashin

hisfather ’seyes.‘OrwasIgoingtofindoutinmymorningpaper?’

‘Iknewyou’dreactlikeachild.Beccaisnotgoingtoreplaceyourmother.’
‘I’dhopenot.It’skindofweirdtohaveastepmotheryoungerthanyouare—andaftersomany

years.’Lukeknewhesoundedlikeabrat.Hecouldn’thelpit.‘Howoldisshe?Twenty-one?Twenty-
two?Tellme,amIgettingwarmer?’

JustwhenLukeexpectedhisfathertoblowup,eitherthrowingapunchorcuttinghimofffrom

thefamilyfortune,TysonlookedoverLuke’sshoulder.

‘Anna.Maywehelpyou?’
Luketwistedsofasthisspinecracked.Thereshestood,lookingmorethanalittleflushed.
‘I—I was just trying to find the bathroom,’ Anna stuttered. When neither of them spoke, she

pointeddownthecorridor.‘It’sthisway,isn’tit?’

‘Yes. Here, I’ll escort you. Luke should be getting back to the other women.’ To Luke’s utter

shock,AnnashuffledaroundLukeandtowardshisfather.‘Luke,I’llspeakwithyoulater.Pleasetell
BeccathatIwillmeetherinthelobby.’

***

TysonWestwoodexudedpower.Itwasn’thardtoimaginehimdisciplininghisson,evenasonwho

wastwenty-sevenyearsoldandhadasuccessfulcareer.Atfirsttheywalkedinsilence,Annaslowing
herpacetoTyson’s.Heseemedinnohurrytoguidehertothebathroomandrushbacktohisyoung
girlfriend,ifthat’swhatshewas.

‘MysonisconcernedthatI’mdatingagolddigger.’
Anna blinked. What was she supposed to say? Luke had only said what the rest of them were

thinking.Themanwasfierceandimposing,buthewasnooilpainting—itwasobviousthatLuke’s
goodlooksmusthavecomefromhismother—andwasmorethantwicetheageofhisgirlfriend.

‘It’ssomethingwe’llalwayshavetodealwith.ManywomenhavechasedLukeforhismoneyor

fameovertheyears.That’swhyheagreedtotheshowwhenIsuggestedit.Thewomenherewereall
lookingforlove,notpursuingagoldmedallisttheyspottedinagossiprag.They’vegonethrough
multiple rounds of interviews and none of them knew Luke was going to be on the show before
filmingstarted,’hecontinued.‘Allexceptyou,thesisteroftheproducer.’

Heobviouslywasn’tasking.Heknewexactlywhoshewasandwhyshewasreallythere,evenif

hewaswrongaboutherknowingwhoLukewas.Katedidn’tshareproductionsecretswithhersister.
ButTysondidn’tseemlikethetypetoacceptexcuses,soAnnakepthermouthfirmlyshut.

‘Andyetourlast-minutefill-inisinthefinalthree.You’vebeenonmoresingledatesthananyof

theotherwomenandthebettingoddsarethehighestinyourfavour.Morethanthat,peoplewantyou
towin.You’repopular.’

Sincehestillhadn’taskedheraquestion,Annaremainedsilent.Sheschooledherfacetoremain

neutral.

‘So what I want to know is: are you interested in my son’s money, so he can finance your little

café?’

‘No!’
‘Thenwhatareyoustilldoingontheshow?’
‘Lukehasn’tsentmehomeyet.’Herhearthammeredinherchest.Shewasn’tgoingtobetherein

thefinale.Whycouldn’tTyson—whoknewwhyshejoinedtheshowandwhohersisterwas—seethat
shejustwantedtoleave?

‘Andwhyisthat?’
‘Idon’tknow.You’llhavetoaskhim.’
‘Areyouinlovewithhim?’
Annahesitated.‘No.’
It wouldn’t matter to Tyson Westwood how she felt. A man like that only cared about

consequencesandresults,andAnnawouldnotbethewomanathisChristmastablethatyearorany
other.SheandLukecouldn’tbetogether.Theywerefromdifferentworldsandtheywanteddifferent
things.Talking to Luke’sfather only madethat clearer. Luke waspart of aworld of much younger
women,Rolexwatchesandseeingyourlifeplayoutintrashymagazines.

TysonWestwooddidn’tseemtobelieveherwhenshesaidshedidn’tlovehisson,ifhiscritical

stare was anything to go by. But he stopped and indicated a discreet door. Only then did Anna
rememberwhyshewaswalkingwiththemediamogulinthefirstplace.

‘Itwasapleasuretomeetyou.’Heofferedhishandandtheyshookoncemore.Annabitherlip

and escaped into the bathroom, desperately hoping she would be alone once she was inside. She
couldn’ttakeanymorequestionstoday.

CHAPTER

‘Sothat’sit?Weflewoutforaphotoshootandsomeinterviews,andnowwehavetoleave?’Jessica
gesturedattheairportthroughthewindow.They’dstayedovernightinaSydneyhotelwithindividual
rooms,restrictedswipe-cardaccess,andnoneofthedramafromtheirlasttriptoJapan.

Their vehicle pulled up against the kerb and Anna got out first, almost ploughing straight into

Lukeasshedidso.Hewrappedhisarmaroundherwaist.

‘Luke!’
‘JustwhoIwaslookingfor.’HesmiledandAnna’sheartconstricted.‘Whereareyougoing?We

haveadateplanned.’

Hisfacialhairwaslongertoday,likehe’dskippedshavingthatmorning.ItkickedAnna’sdesire

intooverdrive.‘Wedo?’shestammered.

‘Ofbloodycourse,’LiuKunmuttered,justloudenoughforAnnatohear.
Luke pushed her suitcase back into the boot of the limousine before helping the driver to lift

Jessica’s and Liu Kun’s luggage onto the sidewalk. He guided Anna back into the limousine and it
pulledawayonceagain.Behindthem,thecamerascircledaroundthetwocontestantswhohadbeen
unceremoniouslydumped.

‘Wherearewegoing?’
‘I loved being in the snow with you. Showing you that part of my life.’ Luke’s eyes flashed

towardsthecameraattachedtotheceilingofthelimousine.‘SoIthought,maybeyou’dliketoshow
metheplacesthatareimportanttoyou?’

Itwasovercooked,soAnnaknewitwasmeantforthecamerasandnother.Thiswaspartofthe

act.Annaplayedalong,turningherheaduntilherlipswerecentimetresfromLuke’s.

‘Okay,wellthenIguessI’mthenavigator,’shesaid,usingherbesthuskyvoice.
‘So,wherearewegoing?’Unlikeherfeebleattempt,Lukecoulddosexy.Histonehadherinsides

melting.

‘Um.’Wordscaughtinherthroat.ItwashardtothinkwhenLuke’saftershaveoverwhelmedher

senses.Warmthradiatedfromhisbody.Hewasintoxicating.

‘Whatwouldyouliketodofirst?’Lukespokeinhushedtonesandinchedcloser.Annaglancedat

thedelectablemanacrossfromher.Whatwouldhetastelikeifshekissedhimrightnow?

WhatevershewasgoingtosayflewfromhermindasLukeshuffledacrosstheseat.Thistimeit

wasAnnawhoinitiatedthekiss.Itwaswhatshewantedsoshegaveherselfpermissiontobereckless.
Sheshovedherlipsagainsthis,partingthemwithhertongue.Urgencygavewaytoaburningwithin
her. Luke brushed the hair from her face and deepened the kiss. It was slow and deliberate. All her
tensionmeltedaway.

The limousine jolted as it hit a speed bump. Already off-balance, Anna pitched forwards. Luke

cuppedhishandaroundAnna’sheadastheyfellinatangledmesstothefloor.

‘Ow!’shecried,evenasshelaughedattheridiculousnessofthesituation.Sheclimbedbackonto

theseatandpulledLukeintocontinueakissthatshefelttohercore.

‘No,don’tstop,’AnnawhisperedasLukepulledaway.Shetuggedonhisgorgeoushair.
‘We’reoncamera,Anna,’hewhisperedsoquicklyshehadtostraintomakeoutthewords.
‘Aren’twesupposedtobepretendingthatwe’renot?’
‘Youdon’twantyourpersonallifeonnationaltelevision.’
They spoke quietly, with their lips pressed against each other ’s skin. If the microphones were

pickinguptheirconversation,hopefullyitwouldn’tbeusable.Notthatherhopeshadheldtrueinthe
past.

The limousine screen rolled down and the driver tilted his head back. ‘Where am I taking you,

folks?’

With only a moment of hesitation, Anna gave the address for her café. Then she leaned back,

grinned and let her excitement build. This was it. She would be seeing the product of all those
expensive bills and tedious building plans. Would it match her expectations? Or had Ben been too
distractedbyherInstagramandTwitteraccountstoberenovatingherbusiness?

Ifshehadtosharethismomentwithsomeone,shewasgladitwasLuke.Whateverelsetheywere,

shehopedtherewasfriendshipbetweenthem.Hewouldbehappyforherandhecertainlyunderstood
working hard towards a childhood dream. This time it would be her achieving everything she’d
alwayswanted.

***

Just as Luke was ready for the show to end, it became all the more serious. He was running out of
waystoanswertheirinterviewquestions:Wouldyoubewillingtomoveforher?Areyoufallingin
lovewithher?Whydoyoubelongtogether?Eachquestionwasaskedthreetimesover.Onceforeach
woman.Itwasn’tjustfilmingforLoveElimination.Hehadradiointerviewsscheduledalmostevery
dayinthelead-uptothefinale.

He’dmadehisdecision.Therewasnocompetition.Annawastheonlyonehewantedinhislife

afterfilmingended.He’dspenthistimeinthesnowquestioninghismotives,overandoveragain.Did
heonlywantherbecauseshewasn’tinterestedinhim?Washethatfickle?Orwasitsomethingmore?

He loved her. It was that easy. She was beautiful inside and out. She made him smile and he

couldn’t tear himself away when she was around. The way she kissed him, he was sure she felt the
same.Hejustneededtoconvincehertogivehimachance.Therewasaboutaweekleftoffilming.
Beinginherworldwouldbeagreatstart.

‘What’sthefirstthingyou’regoingtocookinyournewkitchen?’heasked.Hewantedtolearn

everything about her. Even when she was talking about food in a way that went over his head, he
wantedtohearthesoundofhervoice.

‘Agreat,bigcelebratorycake.’
‘Numberoflayers?’
‘Six.’
‘Flavour?’
‘Whatever everyone wants. The top six flavours, as voted by guests invited to the pre-opening

nightpartyI’mgoingtothrow.’

‘That sounds great. Will I be one of those guests?’ He was pushing the boundaries, but her

hesitationwasbrief.

‘Ofcourse.Whatflavourwouldyoulike?’

He loved her instant confirmation and imagined himself in her café on the night it opened. The

happinesshesawinhernowwouldbenothingcomparedtothenightherdreamscametrue.

‘Hmm … I should choose something to stretch your skills,’ he said. ‘What about rockmelon

flavoured?’

‘That’ssorandom.Doyouevenlikerockmelon?’Itsoundedlikewindchimes.
‘No,’Lukesaid.‘Butyoushouldtryitanyway.Iwouldbeincrediblyimpressedifyoupulledit

off.’ He smiled and stuck his tongue out, fully aware that he was acting like a teenage boy with a
schoolyard crush. When he took her hand in his, it wasn’t because the cameras were rolling or
becausetheproducerstoldhimto.Maybehewasn’treadyformarriageandbabies,buthewasready
forAnna.Hewasreadytocommittoawoman.

***

The car jolted as it pulled to a stop. It was like going to a fun fair with her family, anticipating the
tasteoffairyflossandtheviewfromthetopoftheferriswheel.Lukewrappedhimselfaroundher,
embracingherfrombehind.

‘Thisisit,’sheheardherselfmurmuring.‘Thisisreallyit.’
Fromtheoutside,hercafédidn’tlookmuchdifferent:itwasstillabrickbuildingwithalargebay

window,althoughthefittingswereeitherneworpainted.Seeingthatmadeitreal.Herheartsathard
andheavy,concernwedgedinherthroat.

Without another word, she went to the door. Her hands shook and fumbled with the key that

refusedtofitintothelock.Foramomentshepanicked,thinkingthatBenhadchangedthelockssince
she’dlefttofilmLoveElimination.Luketookthekeyfromherhandsandguideditintothelock.

‘Thereyougo.’Helefthertoturnit.
Andthenshewasinside.
Theplacewasn’tfinished,butitwasextremelyclose.Thelook-alikehardwoodfloorshadbeen

laidandthedentsandcracksintheceilingandwallshadbeenpatchedup.Alongcounteranddisplay
cabinetwerefittedononesideofthespace.Withacoatofpaint,thetablesandchairsAnnahadher
eyeon,andsomeotheraccessories,thecaféwouldlookexactlyassheimaginedit.Thecameracrew
crowdedinafterLukeandthecaféfeltnosmaller.Asuddenburstofhappinessfloodedthroughher.
She’dfoundtheperfectspaceandnowitwasevenstartingtolooklikeit.Itwouldonlylookbetter
whenitwasfilledwithpeople,payingcustomers.

‘Justwaithereamoment—Luke,Anna—whilewesetupthecameras,’acameramancommanded

ashisteamspilledintothecornersoftheroom.

Grabbing Luke’s hand, Anna rushed through to the kitchen. She needed to see it and she didn’t

wantthecamerascapturingthemoment.Shealsodidn’twanttowaitanylongerforthismoment.

There were giant holes where the fridge, ovens and dishwashers were supposed to go, but the

cabinetrywasmostlyinplace.Again,thefloorsandwallsandceilingsweredone.Itlookedjustlike
she’dimaginedwhensheplannedit.ShecouldhardlybelievethatBenandhertradieshadgotitso
right.

‘Anna,thisisincredible.’ThesoundofLuke’spridefilledtheroom.
Annatookadeepbreath,savouringthesmellofbrandnewcabinetry.Herheartswelledandher

grin grew wider. There were taps and sinks. Counter space. Anna knew exactly where she would
stand,howshewouldmoveaboutthekitchen,perhapswithawholeteamathercommand.Fornow,it
wasLukebyherside.

‘That’soneorderofmudcakeandtwocherrytarts!’hesaid,positioninghimselfontheopposite

sideofthecounter.

Annalaughed,pickingupthepieceofpaperhe’dslappeddown.Itwasafadedreceiptforacoffee

fromhispocket.‘Whatisthis?’

‘That’syourfirstorder,chef.Howwouldyouliketoproceed?’
With only a moment’s hesitation, Anna raced around the kitchen to pick out the invisible

ingredientsshe’dneedifsheweretocookthemadessertrightthenandthere.Shespedthroughthe
bakingpartinthirtysecondsandmimedhandingLukeaplate.Itfeltlikebeingakidagain,jumping
fromimaginaryteapartiestosmearingtheicingonherfather ’scupcakes.

‘Waiter! These are ready to go out.’ Anna used her best top chef voice, which was really just a

poorimpressionofDonatMonque.‘Please.’

‘Waiter?No,no.I’mheretoperformaveryspecialduty.’
‘Really?Andwhat’sthat?’
‘Myjob,’hestartedslowly,edgingaroundthecounter,‘istokissthecook.’
Hisarmreachedoutandsnaggedherwaist.Annaletherselfbereeledin.Everytimehetouched

her,shefeltatwistinginherstomachandarushofdesirethrougheverypartofher.Sheletherself
enjoy the moment. None of her newly discovered feelings had faded. A part of her heart was
dedicated to the man before her, standing there, looking so handsome in his tight jeans and button-
downshirt.

Lukekissedher.Asparkofstaticelectricityzappedatherskin.Shekissedhimbackharderthan

before. He wrapped his hands around her arse and hoisted her onto the counter. Anna wanted to
protestthetreatmentofhercabinetry,butshewastoodistractedbythebulgeinhisjeansandthefeel
ofitagainstherashepressedbetweenherlegs.Annaletherhandsrundownhisback,feelingthecoil
of muscles and kneading her fingers against them until they loosened. They moved tighter, closer,
withoutknowingwhowaspullingthemtogether.Shewantedtofeelhim.Everyinchofhisbeautiful,
coarseskin.Theroughnessofhisstubblescratchedatherchin,butshedidn’tcare.

‘Cameras,’Lukegruntedagain.Henoddedtowardsthedoorbehindher.
Havingthecamerasthere,filmingtheplaceandherconversationswithLuke,remindedAnnaof

oneofherreasonsforsigninguptoLoveEliminationinthefirstplace:publicity.Sowhatifherheart
was on the line on national television? So what if she had made herself vulnerable? This could be
worthit.ThecaféandLuke.

Hecaredabouthermorethantheotherwomen,Annawassure.Asearingjealousyfloodedher

eachtimeshethoughtofhimwitheitherofthem.Shecouldn’tbearthethoughtofmoreevictions—
theshowhadbeendrawnoutenoughalready.Lukewasneverinterestedinplayingtheirgames;he
shouldjustwhiskherawayfromthesetandthecameras.Theycouldfigureouthowarelationship
mightworkwithoutthenationwatchingtheirfumbledattempts.

With the positive we’ll-be-together-forever vibe the show encouraged it was easy to push aside

thoughtsofwhatalong-distancerelationshipwoulddotothem.Thosethoughtswereeveneasierto
ignore when his lips were on hers. Or his hands. When Luke was around, Anna simultaneously
relaxedandforgothowtobreathe.

‘Idon’tcareaboutthecameras.’Annanippedhislowerlip.Sheslidhertongueintohismouthand

ahotheavinesstookoverherbody.Theirplay-actinginthekitchenhadlitsomethingwithinher:a
desiretopullhimcloseandnotletgo.Sheforgoteverythingbutthetasteofhim.Hefilledhersenses,
his hands burned trails on her skin. They covered her, exploring every part of her body except the
onesyearningtobetouched.

The café was everything she wanted it to be, and so was Luke. Being here with him had Anna’s

mindflittingthroughfantasiesofthemtogether,intherealworldbeyondthecameras.

‘Now, how about you take me home?’ Luke said in a deep, gorgeous voice that had her insides

tingling.

CHAPTER

Annaglancedatthecameracrewbehindher,thenbackattheapartmentbeforeher.Therewasnoway
they could film inside her tiny home. Compared to the Love Elimination villa, the apartment she
sharedwithhersisterwasacardboardboxonthesideofthestreet.WithAnnasavingallherpennies
andKatespendinghersondesignerclothes,therewasn’talotleftoverforrent.Besides,Sydneywas
expensive.

‘Thisiswhereyoulive?’Lukesquintedattherundownbuilding.
‘I know it’s not much—’ Anna started, immediately defensive of her apartment. Because it was

home,evenifitdidn’thaveajacuzziorproperheating.Noteveryonecouldaffordtotraveltheworld
infive-staraccommodation.AndithadbeenherrefugesincethedayshefinishedherYear12exams.

‘No.It’sgreat.’LuketurnedandtookAnna’shandsinhis.‘Iwanttoseewhereyoulive.It’sjust—

didyouknowthere’sagnomeinyourwindow?’

Burstsoflaughterspilledfromthemboth.‘MeetHenry!He’soursecuritysystem.’
‘What?’
‘Well,thecracksinthewallsanddeadplantshelptoo.See,weseemtoopoorformostthievesto

botherwith.Butwe’realsoaneasytarget.That’swhywehaveHenry.Whowouldbreakintoahouse
withafriendlygnomewavingatthem?’

‘That’sabsurd,’Lukesaid.
‘Ohyeah?Wouldyourobus?’
‘Maybeyoushouldshowmeinside,soIcanmakeaninformeddecision?’
Whilethey’dbeentalkingoutsidetheapartment,thecameracrewhadcircled,gottentheirshots,

andgrownboredoftheconversation.TwoofthemscurriedintothehouseaheadofAnnaandLuke.

Joe appeared from seemingly nowhere, making circling motions with his hands until Luke and

Anna moved along the pavement and entered the house. The door was unlocked. There were more
cameracrewinsidethanhadarrivedwiththem;somanythatAnnadidn’trecognisetheroom.Itdidn’t
help that all the furniture in the apartment now was new. Their own couch was so faded and torn it
lookedlikeafewscrapsoffabricstretchedoverwoodenplanks.Theyalsohadfold-outchairsthey’d
boughtonsalefromKmartforwhenpeoplecameover.TheknotinAnna’sstomachsqueezedtightas
shepeeredaroundtheequipmentandpeopledressedinblack.

‘Anna.’
ThevoicesentacoldshockdownAnna’sspine.Shedidn’twanttobelievewhatshewashearing.

SheclosedhereyestightandgrippedLuke’shandwithallherstrength.Thensheturnedtofaceher
motherforthefirsttimeinsixyears.

‘Mum,whatareyoudoinghere?’
HermotherlookedyoungertodaythanshehadthedayAnnaleft.Backthen,thedarknessunder

hereyesseemedstainedontoherskin.Evenwiththeentireroombetweenthem,itwasclearthathair
andmake-uphadworkedmiraclesonthewoman.Herwispyhairhadbeentwistedintothickbrown

curlsandonlythefoldsinherneckgaveawaytheyearsshe’dagedsinceherhusbanddied.

‘Kate invited me. Aren’t you going to introduce us?’ Leanne asked, like they were a normal,

loving family. Like Anna might actually want to introduce the man she loved to her mother. As if
nothinghorriblehadhappenedbetweenthem.

Hermother ’seyesflickedbetweenAnnaandLuke.Afiercetantrumofyellingandcryingtoreits

wayupAnna’sbodyandfoughtagainstherself-control,almostwinning.OnlyLuke’stightholdand
deepfrown kept herfrom exploding. Shewondered if he’d hada hand inthis. But no—he couldn’t
haveknownandhecertainlydidn’tlookhappytobemeetingthefamily.ThiswasKate’sidea.Itwas
hersister ’sbetrayalthatledtotheirmotherstandingintheirapartment.

Everybirthday,ChristmasandMother ’sDay,Katewouldcalltheirmother.Shewouldsendfestive

greetings and love, then hand the phone to Anna. Kate was still trying to reconcile them. Only now
she’d switched the phone for an in-person sabotage. A small part of Anna admired her sister ’s
determination.Therestofherseethedwithhurtandanger.Herwholebodytensedandshecouldfeel
thepoundingofherpulseinherhead.KatehadmovedtoSydney,desertingtheirfamilybeforethe
smelloftheirfather ’saftershavefadedfromthehouse.Annahadbottledherangeragainsthersister,
justlikeherangeratherfatherfordying.Shecouldfeelitnow,fightingtogetout.Itsatheavyinher
chest.Katehadn’tseenhowtheirmotherhadretreatedsofarintoherselfthatshehadnotimetoask
Annaaboutherday,orwipethetearsfromherface,orstockthefridge.

‘Hi, Anna. Hi, Luke!’ Kate strode towards them, dressed in sleek black pants and a statement

yellowtopwithabeadedcollar.Eithershedidn’tnoticethecoolnessintheairbetweenthem,orshe
ignoredit.‘Iwasjusttryingtodecideonsomewine.Wouldeitherofyoulikeaglass?’

Even though they weren’t technically on set, Kate was doing her producer duties: trying to get

them drunk or at least tipsy enough to entertain the cameras. Anna’s fists curled at her sides. Kate
wasn’t stupid. This wasn’t about an honest attempt to reconcile her family. This was about ratings.
Aboutherjob.

‘I’llhelpyoupickone,’shesaid.Withoutwaitingforhersistertoagree,Annastalkedfromthe

roomandintoKate’sbedroom.

The walls were thin, so they didn’t usually have a lot of privacy, but a cameraman and Joe

following them into the room was on an entirely new level. Anna spotted the microphone on her
sister ’scollar.AnythingshesaidwouldberecordedandplayedonscreensaroundAustraliawithina
week.Annacursedunderherbreath.Whyevenbotherhavingtheencounterinaseparateroom?Luke,
theirmotherandtherestofthecrewwouldseeitsoonenough.

‘Whatdoyouthinkyou’redoing,invitingMumhere?’Annagrowled.Evenwiththeaudience,she

couldn’tholdback.Herangerburstthroughher.

‘Thisisafamilydate.ThewholepointisthatLukemeetsyourimmediatefamily.Asmuchasyou

trytoforget,she’syourmumtoo.’

‘I haven’t spoken to her in six years.’ Anna spoke the words slowly, as if by buying time she’d

keeptheangrytearsfromhereyes.‘AndI’mnotarealcontestant,remember?’

‘Anna,youareoncamera.We’renotlive,butyoucannotrefertoyourunusualstartontheshow,’

Joecutin,lookingdeeplyregretfultohavetointerruptwhatwasotherwiseadramaticsceneforthe
nextepisode.‘Besides,Ithinkyoucandroptheideathatyou’rejustafill-in.You’renotanactressand
evenifyouwere,I’dstillbelieveyourchemistrywithLukeWestwoodisreal.Socutthecrap.’

Annashothimalookofpurefury.Washeevenallowedtospeaktoherlikethat?Nowonderthey

madeeveryonesignnon-disclosures.

‘Now,playbytherulesladies.And…ACTION.’Joeduckedbackbehindthecamera.

‘Youneedtogetoveryoursilly,teenagehurtfeelings.Shedidn’tpayenoughattentiontoyou.So

what?Mumwasgrieving.Shelosttheloveofherlife.’

‘That’swhatyouthinkofme?Shedidn’tspeaktomeformonthsatatime.Weneverhadanyfood

inthehouseunlessIboughtit.Ihadtocoaxhertoeat;makeherhaveashower;forcehertogetoff
the couch or out of bed. I thought she was going to die, except for the fact that she answered your
calls and pretended to be a normal person. Only you didn’t call very often, did you?’ Anna’s voice
grew louder with each passing sentence. ‘Once a week at the start. Then it became once a month,
everytwomonths.’

WhenKatedidn’treact,Annaploughedon.
‘Thathappyfamilyhomeyouremember?Itdidn’texistafterDaddied.YouwanttoknowhowI

gotsogoodatsavingandbudgeting?Ifitweren’tforDad’slifeinsurance,Iwould’vegonehungry.
Wewould’velostthehouse.Mumdidn’tcare.’

‘Whydidn’tyoutellme?’
‘ItoldyouMumwasdepressed.Iaskedyou—no,Ibeggedyou—tocomehomefortheholidays.

Butyousaidyouneededtodoworkexperienceifyouwantedtogetajobaftergraduation.’

‘Iwould’vecomehomeifI’dknownhowbaditwas.’
‘YouknewIwasunhappy.ItoldyouthatIhadnofriends.Thattheyallditchedme—didn’tknow

how to deal with the poor sad girl who lost her father. I told you that Mum stopped going out with
friends,quitherjob,stoppedheryogaclasses,spentherlifewatchingdaytimetelevisionorstaringat
thewalls.’

‘Butyoudidn’tputitlikethat!Youdidn’tbegorscreamorcrylikeyouarenow!’Tearsflowed

fromKate’seyes.‘Thisisthefirsttimeyou’veeverbeenangryatmeleavingyoualonewithMum.
Why,Anna?Whydidn’tyoutellmeatthetime?’

‘Becauseyouwerehappy!Youwereachievingthings.’UncontrollablesobstumbledfromAnna’s

mouth.Tearsspilleddownhercheeks.Asfastasshewipedthemaway,morefollowed,rollingoffher
chin.‘Youweretopofyourclass!Youhadn’tevengraduatedandyouwereworkingforWestMedia!’

Thedoorsqueakedasitopened.Theirmumstoodinthedoorway,hereyesgluedonthecrewand

nothertwodaughtersinthemiddleoftheroom.‘Anna,stop.You’reoncamera.Wecantalkabout
thislater.’

‘Idon’twanttotalkaboutthislater.’
‘Shewasprobablydepressed,Anna.It’snotherfault,’Katepleaded.
‘Don’tyouthinkI’veconsideredthat?Iwanttojustforgive.Iwanttostopcarryingaroundthis

angeratherand—andthismistrustoflove.’Annatookadeepbreath.‘Youweren’tthere,Kate.’

‘I’ve changed, Anna.’ Leanne twisted her hands together, pulling them into herself. ‘We can talk

aboutitaftertheyfinishfilming.’

There was no way Anna would be speaking to her mother, who’d had years to talk. When her

father died, he didn’t have a choice in leaving. But Leanne had pulled away, only ever making an
effortforKate.Ithurtherheart.

Luke pushed his way into the room, stopping in front of Anna. Seeing her tear-stained face, he

wrappedherupintoahugandleaneddownuntilhislipsbrushedherear.

‘Areyouokay?Doyouwanttogetoutofhere?’
‘Yes,’Annawhisperedback.‘Ineedtoleave.’
‘Noone’sgoinganywhere.Luke,Anna—youarecontractuallyobligedtotakepartinfilmingas

andhowweseefit,’Joesaidinafirmvoice,ignoringthefactthathewaslisteninginonaprivately
whispereddiscussion.‘Now,everyonemovebackintothemainroom.It’stoosmallandcrowdedto

filminhere.’

Grabbing the bottle of wine and glasses she spied on Kate’s dressing table, Anna balanced the

items and rushed from the room. Luke followed, never more than an arm’s-length away. Finally
demonstratingthegoodsensetokeeptheirdistance,Kateandtheirmothertookaseatononesideof
the kitchen counter. Luke took the bottle from Anna’s shaking hands and poured her a glass. She
downeditinthreegulpsandheldouttheglassagain.

Lukeraisedaneyebrow,butdidn’tsayanything.
‘Please.’
Whenhehesitated,oneofthecrewmembershurriedforwardswithashotglassinhand.‘Here,

Anna.Totaketheedgeoff,’theguysaidbywayofexplanationforthetequila.Itwasthefirsttime
she’dacceptedthestrongliquoralwaysonsetandsheimmediatelyregrettedit,despiteknowingthat
she was imagining the fuzziness in her head—the alcohol couldn’t have hit her bloodstream the
minuteittouchedhertongue.

‘Anna. Luke. Take a seat at the counter,’ Joe instructed as his team manoeuvred all the cameras

intoposition.Therewasacameraperperson—forclose-ups,Annapresumed—plusafewotherswith
their lenses twisted back, which appeared to be getting the wider group or couple shots. It was
standingroomonly.

‘Now,’Joestarted,‘doIhavetoscriptthissceneorcanyouconverselikeanormalfamily?Talk

about Anna’s life outside Love Elimination. Ladies, I want you quizzing Luke and Anna about their
relationship.Action.’

‘WhatwasAnnalikeasakid?’
Lukeplayedthedotingboyfriendwell.Itwaseasytopretendtheywereahappycouple.Whenhe

leaned over, putting his hand on her arm and whispering sweet nothings in her ear, some of the
tensiondrainedfromherbody.Ofcourse,thealcoholmightalsohavebeenhelping.

‘Annawasadorable.SheusedtorunaroundthehouseinDisneyprincesscostumestwenty-four-

seven.ThefunniestonewasAriel—completewithamermaidtail,’Katesaid.

‘Shealwayswantedtobeinthekitchen.Herdadwouldbalanceherontopofastoolandshe’dbe

drowninginanadult-sizedapron.Doyouremember,Anna?Idon’tknowwhereitwentafter…after
…’Hermumtrailedoff.Thewordshadcaughtinherthroatanditwasclearthattheyweren’tcoming
out.Evenafteralltheseyears,shecouldn’tacceptherhusband’sdeath.

Annashovedtheburstoffurybackdown,untilitwasburieddeeponcemore.
‘It’shere,Mum.’Katecrossedtothepantryandpulledthedooropen.Theapronusedtobeadark

blue-grey,butithadfadedandfrayedovertheyears.Anna’sdadhadtaughtherhowtosewwhenit
first split. She was six years old. When the holes were too big to sew, they had covered them with
brightfabricpatchesshe’dpickedout.

‘Why?’
‘Whywhat,Mum?’Kateasked,smilingasshepulledtheapronoffthenail;they’dhadtobuya

hammerjusttodriveitintothedoor.SheswishedthefabricaroundAnna’sbodyandtiedthestraps
around her neck. There was a brief moment when Anna forgave her older sister. Sentimentality
washedthroughher.

‘What is your dad’s apron doing in this apartment? You can’t just take it. That was your dad’s

apron,’Leannesaid,hereyesglazingover.‘Itbelongsinhiskitchen.’

‘Youdidn’tevennoticeitwasmissing,’Katemurmured,evenasAnnanudgedhertoshutup.
‘Giveitback.’
‘No,Mum.Dadwould’vewantedAnnatohaveit.Healwayssaidhewasjust“keepingitwarm”

forher.’

‘Hewasmyhusband.Youdon’tgettodecide.Idecide.’Thewoman’swholebodyshook.Shewas

secondsawayfromexploding.‘Give.It.Back.’

‘Youhaven’tchanged.’Annalookedintohermum’sfranticeyes.Herhopeslippedaway,justas

sherealiseditwasthereinthefirstplace.Shegotoutofherstoolandmadeforthedoor,untyingthe
apronandthrowingitoverthenewcouchasshewent.Thecameracrewweretoobusyturningthe
camerastocatchherexpressiontorealisethattheyshouldbetryingtocatchherbeforeshemadeit
outthedoor.BythetimeJoestartedshoutingorders,she’dcrossedtheroom.

Anna ran past the limousine and the vans, then around the corner. Her hair whipped across her

face and her feet slapped against the pavement. The muscles in her thighs burned. She ran until her
breathrakedthroughherthroatandherstomachclenched.Herheartbeatinherearswassoloudthat
shedidn’trealiseshewasbeingfolloweduntilshestoppedtocatchherbreath.

‘Anna!’
HerbodyrespondedtoLuke’svoice,butwhensheturnedthecrewmembertrailingjustametre

behindLukegotafullbodyshotofher.HeheldhisGoProateyelevelandwatchedherthroughits
lens. Her red, swollen cheeks and bloodshot eyes would be all too clear from that distance. It was
anotherbetrayal.Asecondlaterasleekblackcarpulledupnexttothemasiftheywereabouttobe
abducted.Alargercamera,oneoftheonestheyusuallypropupontripods,pokedoutofthewindow.

Lukecaughtuptoherandpulledherintohisarms.Annapushedhimaway,stillgasping.
‘No.Idon’twantthemseeingthis.’
Hedidn’tsayanything.Hejustgrabbedherhandandtookoff.Togethertheyran.Twoalleyways,

two shops, a supermarket. They lost the cameras. Luke ripped the microphone from her clothes,
dumpingitinthesupermarkettrashalongwithhisown.

Theyslowedtoawalk,andAnnafounditeasiertobreathe.Eventuallyshestartedtalking.
‘It’sliketheybothdied.’Shelookedupatthesky.‘Mymumswitchedoff.Shejustoptedoutof

life,onlywakinguptoscreamatmeifIdaredtomoveanythingofDad’s.’

Everywordtoppledoveritspredecessor,liketheyweretryingtodrowneachotherout.‘WhenI

left, I took a handful of photos, everything I wanted to keep from my room, and that apron.’ Luke
tookherhand,butAnnacouldn’tdealwiththekindnessinhisface.Shekepthereyesonthesky,even
asthetearsthreatenedagain.‘Shedidn’tevensaygoodbye.Istoodinfrontofherandbeggedherto
lookatme.Butshewouldn’t.Couldn’t.’

Lukepulledhertoastop.Heranhishandsalonghershouldersandherthroat.Thenhekneaded

her lower back. Anna arched her neck. Not because she was avoiding his gaze, but because of the
warmthpoolinginsideher.

‘Iremindherofhim.Becauseofthat,shepretendedIdidn’texistforyears.Whenmydaddied,

everythingfellapart.’

‘IsthatwhyyoumovedtoSydney?’
‘Yes.’
Lukedroppedtothegroundatthefirstpatchofgrasstheyfound,andleanedagainstatreetrunk.

HetuggedonAnna’shandsothatshecollapsedontopofhim.Withbarelyanyeffort,hepulledher
betweenhislegs.Hewrappedhisarmsaroundherandheldontightuntilsherelaxedintohim.

‘Howoldwereyouwhenyoumovedout?’
‘Seventeen—just after graduating high school. As soon as I could.’ Anna inhaled. She’d never

been to this park before. Working two jobs didn’t leave much time for frolicking. It was beautiful.
Small,butspottedwithlargeleafytreesandlushwithgrass.Theexplosionofgreensettledafeeling

ofpeacewithinher.

‘Katedidn’tknow?’
‘Itoldherparts.Noteverything.There’snothingshecouldhavedone.Shewasstudyinginterstate.

Ididn’twanttoworryher.’

A secret part of her had always wondered if Kate would have returned. Would her sister have

rescued her if she’d known? If Anna had screamed and cried like she had today, would Kate have
come back? And if she couldn’t have fixed their mum—and Anna knew, even back then, that she
couldn’t—wouldshehavewhiskedAnnaawayfromthatawful,emptyhouse?Itwould’vebeenahuge
responsibility.

‘Buttheytalknow.Kateandyourmum,Imean.’
‘Yes.KatewasalwaysMum’sfavourite.IwasDad’s.’Closinghereyes,Annarecalledthelasttime

shehadseenherfather.Itwashisbodyatthefuneralthatsheremembered.Howcoldandpalehisskin
becameindeath.Onlywhenthatimagefadeddidsheseeherselfinthekitchenwithhim,baking,or
himintheaudiencewatchingherschoolrecitals,orjustteachingherhowtowhistle.

‘Wereyouclosebackthen?’
She would’ve cried if she dared let her emotions spill out without restraint. ‘She was my best

friend.ThenshemovedinterstateandImissedhersomuch.Ididn’thavealotoffriendsafterDad
died.’Annawhisperedheranswer.

‘Thatmusthavebeenreallyhard,’hesaid.
‘Yes.’ Anna’s whole body concentrated on the feel of his breath against her neck, so close it

intertwinedwithhers.SheleanedherforeheadintoLuke’sneckandsighed.

‘Areyouangryatherforleavingyou?’
‘I didn’t think so. When I finished school, I moved straight into Kate’s apartment and she

welcomedmewithopenarms.Ineverfeltresentful.Todaywastheexception.MaybeIsuppressedall
thosefeelings?MaybeIjustneededherbymysidemorethanIneededtobeangryather?’

They stayed there for hours, talking about everything and nothing. The only topic they didn’t

touchonagainwasAnna’sfamilylife.Lukeseemedtorealisethatshewasemotionallyspent.Every
time the conversation drifted towards anything resembling her mother, father, sister or even high
school,Lukeshiftedit.

Onlywhenitstartedtogetcolddidheshifthisweightandpullouthisphone.Itsprangtolifewith

anever-endingseriesofmessagesandmissedcallnotifications.

‘You’repopular,’Annaremarked,unsureofwhetheritwasinvasivetolookatthescreen.
‘It’sthecrew.MostlyJoeandKate.’
‘Isupposethey’rewonderingwhereweare?’
‘Shit.’Lukefumbledatthescreen.‘Anna,I’msorry—butwehavetogoback.’
‘Can’twejuststayherealittlelonger?’
‘They’rethreateningtosueyouforbreachofcontract,Anna.Theywantthemoneyback.’
Anna’ssenseofcalmcracked.Heralmostcompleterenovationsflashedacrosshermind.Shewas

soclosetohavingeverythingshewantedandnowshewasthrowingitaway.Forwhat?Forthemanin
frontofher?Itwouldneverwork.Itdidn’tmatterthatshelovedhim.Evenifhelovedher,theylived
inseparateworlds,milesapart.

‘Come on.’ Luke lurched to his feet, then grabbed Anna’s arm and pulled her to him. Her body

slammed into his and only the threat of her impending financial crisis kept her from following up
withherlips.She’dgivenuptryingtofighttheattractionlongago.Ifshewastogohome,shewanted
totakethememoriesofhislips,hishands,thetightnessinhisjeanswhenhepressedagainsther,with

her.

CHAPTER

ThedirectorshovedascriptintoAnna’shands,thenLuke’s,andtookaseatoppositetheminthelimo.
Hegesturedatthemannexttohim,whohadatripodproppedonhislapandwasholdingitsteady
withhishands.Thelightonthecameraflickedonandthedriverstartedthecar.

‘What’s this?’ Luke demanded as Anna bowed her head to read the first page. He had to tug his

gazefromhereyelashes.Herbeautyblewhimaway.

‘Ascript.YouandAnnaaregoingtofollowitsowecansavethisepisodefromthetrainwreckit

hasbecome.’

‘The audience is not going to believe it when we look down to read every few seconds,’ Luke

replied.Hewantedtoscrunchitupandthrowitinthedirector ’sface.Thefinalecouldn’tcomesoon
enough.Hethoughthisexperiencewiththemediaasaneliteathletewouldpreparehimforfilming.It
hadn’t—thishadbeenworsethananythinghe’dexperiencedbackthen.Butdespitetheexperienceof
thepastfewweeks,hecertainlyhadn’tneededascripttofallinlovewithAnna.Ifthecrewcouldn’t
capturewhatwasrightinfrontofthem,theyweren’tverygoodattheirjobs.

‘You’regoingtomemorisealineandsayittoAnna;makeitheartfelt.We’llfilmaclose-upof

youandthenyou’llsayitagainwhilewegetAnna’sreactiononcamera.Thenwe’lldothesamefor
Annauntilyou’vemadeitthroughthewholegoddamnscriptandI’mhappywithyourresponses.’

‘We’renotactors,Joe.’
‘No,butyoubothsignedcontractsforthisshowandyouwillhonourthem.’
‘Justtrysuingme.’Lukeglaredatthedirector.Themanwasanidiottothinkhecouldchallenge

him.Annasqueezedhisthigh.Theonlyreasonhedidn’twalkawayfromtheshownowwasbecause
of her. He might be able to afford a lawsuit, but she certainly couldn’t—and he didn’t think she’d
acceptachequefromhim.Besides,heneededthetimetoconvincehertheycouldbetogetherinthe
worldoutsideLoveElimination.

‘WhataboutAnna?She’llprobablylosehercaféiftheshow,andthatcheque,fallthrough.You

don’twantthattohappen,doyou?’

Itwasn’teasyforhimtoconcede.Lukewasusedtowinning.Theonlypersonhe’deverbowedto

washisfather.TodoitinfrontofAnna,firsttohisfatherandnowtoJoe,hurthisego.Hewantedto
fightforher,notbackdown.Butthat’swhatsheneededhimtodo.Theonlywaytoprotectherwasto
gothroughwiththeepisode,playthegame,andsendherhome.

‘Fine,’Lukesaid.HepulledupthescriptanddeliveredthefirstlinetoAnna’sconfusedface.
ThescriptforcedAnnatoexplainthefamilydateinablow-by-blowstyle.Thelinestuggedather

emotionsuntilthereweretearsinhereyesagain.Lukewaswillingtobettheywerefromhumiliation
andfrustrationattheirsituationthistime,andnothermotherorsister.Hisfistgrewtighteruntilhis
knucklesturnedwhiteandthemusclesinhishandspasmed.

Bypagefour,Lukehadlongstoppedreadingahead,sohedidn’tseeitcomingwhenshesaid,‘I

loveyou.’Hisheartstoppedandwhenitstartedagain,itpoundedtwiceashard.

‘Greatreaction,Luke,’thedirectorsaid,beforeturninghisattentiontoAnna.
Ittooklongertogetrightthananyotherline.Thedirectorhadherdeliverthewordssixtimes,

each time giving her instructions for how to say it, until he was satisfied. She bit her lip, her voice
shookandsherefusedtolookLukeintheeyeuntilthefinaltake.Buteachtimeshesaidthewords,
theystabbedthroughhischest.Hewantedmorethananythingforthemtobetrue.Hedidn’trealise
howmuchuntilshesaidthem.

***

Thelimousinepulleduplongbeforetheywerefinishedfilmingandallowedtostepoutside.Bythat
time,Annaneededtopeesodesperatelyshemighthavestoppedbesideatreetorelieveherself.Doing
thatcouldbenomoreembarrassingthanreadingJoe’sscript.

‘Threemorelines,’thedirectorremindedherasshelookedlonginglythroughthewindowatthe

hotel.Allshewantedtodowasruninsidefortwominutes.Surelytheyhadabathroomintheground-
levelrestaurant?Reluctantly,sheturnedbacktothecamera.

‘Anna,’LukereadastheycapturedAnna’sreaction.‘Willyoustayinmyroomwithmetonight?

Nocameras.Justus.’

At least the shock on her face was genuine. Her eyes travelled down to the page so fast she felt

dizzy.‘Theywanttoleaveusalone?’

‘Theimplicationisthatwe’llhavesex.Isn’tit,Joe?’Lukeforcedthewordsoutliketheydisgusted

him.

‘Yes.Wealreadyhavesomeshotsoftheroomalldressedupwithcandlesandroses.We’llgeta

shot of you walking in together and kissing as you shut the door. Then we’ll get interviews in the
morning,whereyou’llbothsayyouhadthebestnightofyourlives.’

Anna’sheartpoundedinherchest.Ofcourseshe’dthoughtaboutsexwithLuke,butneverhadshe

imagined it could actually happen, not even after that night in her hotel room in Japan. It was a
television show. They couldn’t even trust a kiss taking place kilometres from the nearest camera to
remainprivate.

‘Youwantustosaywehadsex.Onnationaltelevision?’Annaasked,unabletokeepthefearfrom

hervoice.

‘Allude.Youdon’tneedtoconfirm,ordeny,anything.’
‘Won’t the audiences think I’m the worst kind of scum for sleeping with one of my three

girlfriends?’Lukecommented.

‘Notifyouinvitethemallinandwekeepitvagueaboutwho,ifanyone,yousleptwith.’
Shehadtoplaythepart,goalongwiththeactaslongastheywereinfrontofthecameras.There

was no other option with the money for her café under threat. She couldn’t pay it back; the whole
cheque had already been spent on tradies’ wages and materials. But at least she could control how
quicklythistorturedraggedout.

Theycontinuedshooting.Annahadneverbeensomotivatedtoperformwell.Sheplayedherpart

so convincingly that Luke’s eyebrows were permanently furrowed and the director had a grin
plastered across his face, stretching from ear to ear. When they got up to the suite, Anna grabbed
Luke in a fast, hot kiss. A crew member pushed the door back and Anna and Luke fell against the
frame.Theyshuffledintotheroom,neverbreakingcontact.Anna’sbodyheatedunderLuke’stouch.

Followingthedirector ’sinstructions,Annapushedthedoorshutwithfrustratingslowness.Surely

theycouldhavesloweddownthesequenceinpost-production?Butno,theyneededAnnaandLuketo

actouttheslow-motionkissanddoorslam.Exceptnothingabouttheirkisswasslow.Itcouldn’tbe,
eveniftheytried.Everytimetheirmouthsmet,somesortofanimalisticdesirerippedthroughher.
She bit and sucked his bottom lip, explored his mouth with her tongue and always, always wanted
more.

As soon as the door closed, Anna broke contact and sprinted for the bathroom. Luke’s laughter

followedher;asdidJoe’soutragewhenheopenedthedooragainandfoundAnnahaddisappeared.

***

Three takes of them sitting on the bed looking all cosy. Two of Luke winking at the camera and
pushingitoutoftheroom,withoutdamagingthelensorruiningthequalityoftheshot.Oneruined
take:AnnagigglinginthebackgroundofLuke’sclose-ups.Thecrewweresatisfied.Withthefinal,
resoundingclickofthedoor,AnnaandLukewereleftalone.

‘AreyouthinkingwhatI’mthinking?’Lukeaskedinalow,gravellytone.Anna’sbodytensedin

immediateresponse.

Nowthattheywerealone,Annaregrettednottakinghertimewithfilming.Shewasn’treadyfor

this.WhatwouldshedoifLukestartedkissingheragain,hishandstravellinglowerandpeelingher
clothesawayfromherskin?Couldsheresisthim?Didsheevenwantto?Theideaofhisnakedbody
hadkeepherawakeinthevilla.Itsenthotflushesdownherspine.

Anna followed his eyes as they flicked sideways. There was a radio in the corner of the room.

Annagrinnedandtogether,theyranfortheobject.Lukedroppedtothegroundandtrailedthecordto
thepowerpoint,flickingitonasAnna’sfingersfoundthedial.Music.IthadbeensolongsinceAnna
hadheardit.

Anna wasn’t the type to obsess over music, glued to headphones and playing it at every

opportunity like Ben. Her time was more often spent in the quiet of the apartment or talking to
customersatwork.Musicwassomethingshetookforgranted.

‘Whatdoyouwanttolistento?’sheasked,settingtheradiotoherfavouritestation.Apopsong

shedidn’trecognisefilledtheroom.

‘Thiswilldo.’Lukestoodandheldouthishand.‘Anna,willyoudancewithme?’
She smiled widely and her nervousness fled. She stopped thinking about whether Luke expected

them to sleep together and just danced. They waltzed for a few seconds, but it was dance music.
Beforetoolong,theywereboppingaroundlikecompletefools.Annalearnedsomethingnewabout
thesmooth,sexymaninfrontofher:Lukewasnotagooddancer.Buthiscarefreegoofinessmadeit
fun.Hersidesachedfromlaughing,especiallywhenhedroppedtothefloortoshowher‘theworm’,
whichhe’dlearnedtodoonthecompetitioncircuit.

‘Ah,shit.’Lukewinced.Onehandpushedhimupintoasittingpositionandtheothercuppedhis

rightknee.

‘Areyouokay?Isityourinjuredknee?’Thewordsrushedoutofher,filledwithfranticworry.
‘Yeah,I’mfine.’
The pain hadn’t faded from his face. Anna sat beside him, running her hand down his shoulder

andarm.Theysatlikethatforalongtime.

‘If you hurt yourself dancing in a hotel suite, how on earth do you manage to snowboard?’ she

askedgently.

‘Idon’tdosomuchanymore.It’smostlystandingatthetoporbottomoftheslope,orwalking

aroundthegym…’

‘I don’t believe you.’ No one who just sat around giving advice had a body like him. His flat

stomachwaspunctuatedbyafirm,definedsix-packthatAnnacouldnotgetoutofhermind.

‘Snowboardingismylife,Anna.Idon’tknowhowtodoanythingelse.’Lukesoundeddefeated

morethandefiant.

‘Butit’scausingyoupain.’
‘I’mtwenty-seven.I’mnotaninvalid.’
‘I didn’t mean that. You’re smart, charismatic, hardworking … you could do anything you put

yourmindto.’

He didn’t reply for a moment, then Anna felt his muscles relax under her hand. ‘Let’s not talk

aboutitanymore.’

Heleanedinandkissedher.HislipspartedherswitheaseandAnnagaveintothesensation.His

mouth travelled across her cheek and down her neck and his hand gripped her thigh, pulling her
closer.Ifsheletthisgoon,shewouldloseherself.Allshewantedwashim.Butitwouldn’tberight.
Lukewasdatingtwootherwomen.Moreimportantly,ifshesleptwithhimtherewouldbenowalking
away.Herheartwouldbreakandithurtenoughasitwas.

‘No. Stop,’ she gasped, pulling her neck from beneath his lips. Instead of raking her hands

throughhishair,asherfingerswantedsodesperatelytodo,shetuggedhisheadback.

‘What’swrong?’
‘Itisn’tright.We’reonatelevisionshow.Whatwe’refeelingisn’treal.It’swhattheywantusto

feel.’Tearsthreatenedtospillfromhereyes.‘You’redatingtwootherwomenandthey’reprobably
inlovewithyou.’

LukecaressedAnna’sface,usinghistouchtoturnhergazebacktohim.‘It’salmostover,’hesaid

thenhesitated.‘Iloveyou.’

Emotion squeezed at her chest, making it almost impossible to breathe. The shock must have

showedonherface,becauseLukegrabbedherwithbothhands.

‘Anna,Iloveyou.I’mnotreadingfromascriptandIdon’tfeelthiswaybecauseoftheshow.’
‘Luke …’ Anna’s heart betrayed her. It only wanted him. It wanted her to throw herself into his

arms.

‘Justtellmeifyoufeelthesameway?’
‘Weliveindifferentcountries!’Shefoughttokeepholdofreason.
‘We’llworkitout.’
‘How?You’vemadeitclearyou’renotgoingtostopsnowboarding.Didyouexpectmetogive

upmycafé?YouknowhowhardI’veworkedforit!Ididn’tcomeonthisshowtofallinlove;Icame
forthemoneytorenovatemycafé.’

‘I have money, Anna. More than I know what to do with. I’ll buy you a new place, up in a

snowfieldsomewhere.Hotchocolatesanddessertsarereallypopularwithskiersandsnowboarders.’

Annawantedtoscream.Howcouldhepossiblyunderstandwhenhe’dhadeverythinghandedto

him?She’dworkedherarseoffforhercaféanditmeantmorethananythinghecouldbuy.Shetook
twostepsback,puttingsomespacebetweenthem.

‘Idon’twanttothrowmoneyattheproblem.’
‘That’snotwhatI’msaying.’
‘Luke,Ijustwanttogohometomycafé.It’sallI’veeverwanted.’Sheforcedthewordsout.Each

onecutatherinsides.‘Ican’tdealwiththecamerasanymore,withallmyvulnerabilitiesbeingon
nationalTV.’

‘There’s only a week left of the show,’ he said. His breathing was uneven. He covered the two

stepstowardsher.‘Justgiveusachancetoworkthisout.YouaretheonlywomanI’veeverwantedin
mylife.’

‘Please.I’mdone.Okay?Ineedtogohome.’
‘Anna—’
‘Promiseme,Luke.Promiseyou’llsendmehomeatthenexteviction.’
‘That’swhatyoureallywant?’
Itkilledhertosayit,butshedid.‘Yes.Sendmehome.’

***

‘I’msendingAnnahomeattonight’seviction,’Lukeannouncedashewalkedintotheboardroom.He
leanedonthebackofthechairinsteadoftakingaseat.Thedirectorandproducerssittingaroundthe
conferencetablelookedupathim.Hewantedtogetbacktothepoolandswimlapsuntilheforgot
whathewasabouttodo.

‘That’sfine,’Joereplied.
Lukejuststared.AfteralltheseweeksoffightingforAnnatostay,Joechangedhistunewithout

anargument?Lukedidn’tunderstandit.

‘She’s still rating relatively well. Shouldn’t we keep her until the finale?’ one of the producers

asked.

‘No.It’lldragthiswholesituationonlonger.Weneedtocutherloose.’Joeshuffledthepaperson

thetable.

‘Whatsituation?What’sgoingon?’Lukedemanded.
‘People put two and two together,’ another producer answered. ‘They know Anna’s sister is a

producerandthey’renothappy;they’resayingAnnacheatedtogetontheshow.’

‘Shedidn’tasktobeontheshow.’
‘Weknow.Butshe’sgettingpaidalotmorethantheotherwomen,’Joereplied.‘It’sbetterifshe

leavesnowandweredirectthehypetowardsthefinale.’

‘Annawillstillgetthemoney,right?Shehasn’tdoneanythingwrong.’Lukethoughtofthefear

andpaininhereyeswhenshethoughtthatchequewouldbetakenaway,andcomparedittothejoyof
seeinghercaféforthefirsttimeafterrenovations.

‘Shewillifsheleavesnow,asinstructed.’Thedirectornodded.‘Takeafolder.Readtheschedule.

Memoriseitbeforetonight.Wedon’tneedyouhere.’

***

Eventhoughtherewereonlythreeofthemleft,theeliminationceremonyseemedtotakelongerthan
anythathadcomebefore.Notthatanyofthemcouldknowforsurewithoutaccesstoaclock.The
absenceoftimestillmadeAnnaanxious,madeevenworsebecauseshehadn’tseenLukeforaweek.
Theproducershadkeptthemallseparated—interviewingthewomeneverydayabouthowtheyfelt.
Annasawitworkingontheothers,sawthemgrowingmoreagitatedandinsecureasthetimeapart
fromLukepassed.Itworkedonhertoo.Therewasnowayforhertoknowwhetherhe’dstaytrueto
hispromise.

‘Tiltyourhead,Anna!’oneofthecrewmemberscalledout.‘Justalittlemoretotheleft.’
Apparently if you were side-on to the camera, only the whites of your eyes showed. Why they

wouldtellherthisattheveryendoffilming,Annacouldn’tfathom.Sheonlyhopedthatshehadn’t
lookedlikeazombieinearlierepisodes.

‘Jessica,you’reslouching!Pullyourstomachin.Youhaveabeergut.’Onlyintelevisioncould

thedirectoryellatoneoftheircastmembersforlookingfat.Anna’sangerchurnedinherstomach,
hurtingnoonebuther.Ifonlyshecouldyellback,scream,quit.

‘Everyonelooknervous.’
Twistingherfaceintotherequestedemotiontookwhatfeltlikehoursoftrialanderror.Itwasn’t

just nervousness. The director also wanted hope, fear, sadness, joy … By the end, he was getting
honest-to-Godpainfromthesix-inchheelsshe’dbeenforcedtowear,exacerbatedbytheunevensand
underherfeet.Annakeptremindingherselfthatshe’dbegoinghomethatnight.Thatshewouldn’t
havetoendureitanylonger.

Finally,thedirectormotionedatthetreeline.‘Mason—you’reon!’
Theywereshootingwiththewomenlinedupinfrontoftheinkyblackoceanwiththepalmtrees

behind Mason, standing opposite. It was sometime after 9 pm, long after the sun had set. The only
lightcamefromtheindustrialspotlightssetupinthetreesandbehindthecameras,illuminatingthe
entireareaandconfusingeverybirdinthevicinity.

‘Goodevening,ladies,’Masonbegan.‘My,whatajourney.Jessica,we’veseenyougetdownand

dirty with our suitor. Liu Kun, audiences have watched you take risks outside the pages of your
novels.AndAnna,we’vewatchedyouopenupyourfragilehearttooursuitor.’

AsurgeofannoyanceflashedacrossAnna’sfacebeforeshecouldstopit.Whowrotetheselines?

Annawantedtoslamacheesecakeintheirface.Itwassimultaneouslynauseatingandhumiliating.

‘Thisweek,LukeWestwoodhasmetyournearestanddearest.Heknowswhereyoucomefrom

andwhatyouwantfromyourlife.Withsomeofyou,heevenknowshowyoufitunderthecovers.’
MasonwinkedandAnnadidn’thavetopretendtobeangryorjealous.

‘For all of you, what you want is Luke on one knee at the end of this journey.’ He paused for

dramaticeffect,runninghiseyesoverthethreewomenbeforehim.Didn’tanyonetellhimthatthey
had already filmed their reactions? ‘The question remains. How does Luke feel about you? Let me
introduce,forthelasttimebeforethefinale…LukeWestwood!’

LukeemergedfromthetreesjustasMasonhad.TheywerefilminginthesamespotAnnahadrun

intoLuke,offset,thatfirsttime.Inthoseprivatemomentsawayfromthecamera,she’dgottoknow
him.Nottherich,successfulathleteinthegossipragsorthecookie-cutterniceguyfromtheshow.
Sheknewhimliketheothercontestantsdidn’t.Andheknewher.

Heknewshewantedtogohome.
Evenifshe’dchangedhermind,itwastoolatenow.Notthatshehadanyregrets.Sheshouldhave

left long ago. Her café was close to complete. She was needed at home. It wouldn’t have worked
between them even if they’d tried. Luke travelled like a nomad, living wherever the snow was best
withhisteambyhisside.Therewasnoroomforherlifeandshewasn’tthetypeofpersontogiveup
herdreamsforaman.Besides,theywouldneverknowiftheirfeelingswerereal.Theshowhadbeen
successfulforareason—StockholmSyndromewasalegitreality-televisionstrategy.

Whenshegothome,Annawasgoingtotakealong,hotshowerwiththemusicpumpedup.Then

she was going to walk down to the local shop, buy the ingredients for one of her favourite recipes
withherownmoney,andcookit.Nothavingtomanoeuvrearoundanyotherwomenwouldbebliss.
If he wasn’t working, she’d call Ben and yell at him. The Twitter account was not yet forgotten or
forgiven.

‘Luke,tellus:whichluckyladyisgoingstraightthroughtothefinale?’
Anna closed her eyes for a brief second, preparing herself. Before she could open them again,

LukehadcalledJessica’sname.Justonemorenameandshe’dbefree.

Annawouldn’tmissthecameras,butshewouldmissLuke.Shewantedtoknowallhisemotions.

Shewantedtomakehimhappy.Shelovedhim.Shewasinlovewithhimandnowitwastimetosay
goodbye.Shebitbacktearsandlookeddirectlyintohiseyes.

‘SoitcomesdowntoAnnaandLiuKun.Oneofyouwillbeleavingtonight.Luke,tellus:whodo

youchoosetojoinJessicainthefinale?’

LukelookedatAnnaandsheopenedhereyeswide,mouthingjustonewordtohim:Please.Ifthe

camerascaughtit,theywouldthinkshewasbeggingtostayontheshow.BeggingforLuketochoose
her.Onlyhewouldunderstandwhatshereallywanted.

A strange expression that Anna couldn’t decipher crossed his face. After this he would pick a

partner.Maybehewouldevenproposeinthefinale,justlikethecrewwanted.Andshewouldnever
seehimagain.

‘Luke?Whodoyouwanttostay?’Masonprodded,althoughLukehadprobablybeeninstructedto

wait. None of their emotional reaction shots from earlier would compare to the footage the crew
weregettingnow.Annacouldn’thideanymore.Inthefaceofactuallysayinggoodbyetothemanshe
loved,she’dreachedherlimit.

‘LiuKun,’Lukechokedout.‘Willyoujoinmeinthefinale?’
Anna didn’t see the other woman’s reaction. She couldn’t tear her eyes from Luke, even as he

lookedtotheotherwomanandtheysharedtheirmoment.AsLiuKunleftandMasongavehisfinal
spiel, not an inch of her body moved. She’d forgotten how to operate anything but her eyes as she
memorisedeveryinchofLuke’sbody.Especiallyhisface.

OnlywhenMasonpromptedhertomovedidAnnadoso.Shestumbledforwardstosaygoodbye

toLuke.Itcouldn’tfeellikejustthetwoofthemonthebeach.Notwiththelightssobrightitfeltlike
anindoorstudio.Butdespitethat—anddespitetheirwordsthelasttimethey’dseeneachother—Anna
foundherselfrushingintohisarms.

‘I’mgoingtomissyou,’Annawhisperedintohisear.Lukewrappedhisarmsaroundherwaist.
‘Anna.’ His voice stammered and he stopped, squeezing her tighter. It felt like there were

mountains of words left unsaid between them. What do you say in that situation? None of it was
normal.

‘Goodluck.’Sheforcedherselftotakeslow,evenbreaths.Withaswiftmovement,sheplacedone

lastkissonLuke’scheekandpulledaway.Annarushedthroughthetrees,towardstheroad,beforethe
crewhadtimetocatchupandleadheraway.

***

Annastaredstraightahead,notseeingthecameras,thecrewortheleatherinterioroftheblacksedan.
Her mind was occupied with Luke’s face as he’d called Liu Kun’s name. The man had been drool-
worthy in his fitted Hugo Boss suit. It made her wish she’d given in back at the hotel. Perhaps she
could’vesleptwithhimandstillwalkedawaywithherheartintact?

‘Anna,canyoutellushowyou’refeeling?’
Nowshewouldneverknow.She’dneverknowwhathelookedlikewiththosepantspooledonthe

floor.TheideasatuncomfortablyinAnna’sstomach.Ifsheopenedhermouth,shefearedloudsobs
wouldemergeinsteadofwords.Soshekeptherlipssealed.

‘Whatdoyouthinkaboutwhathappenedtonight?’
Ofthedirector,producerandcamerapersonoppositeher,noneshowedanysignofempathy.Anna

concentratedonkeepingherfaceblank.Sheknewenoughaboutrealitytelevisionshowstoknowthis

wastheemotionalgoodbyeinterviewthatmarkedtheendofherjourneyontheshow,andaspikein
ratingsforLoveEliminationifherreactionwastearfulorspiteful.

‘Did you expect to be going home tonight?’ Joe asked, his voice growing impatient even as he

fought to sound conversational and kind. While he was talented at managing the show and keeping
everything running smoothly, he really wasn’t made for this. Instead of wanting to confide in him,
Annawasperfectlyhappytoignorehim.

It shouldn’t be taking so long to get to the airport. As time passed and Anna leaned her head

againstthewindow,spottingtheoccasionallandmarkunderstreetlights,sherealisedthattheyweren’t
evendrivingintherightdirection.

‘Whereareyoutakingme?’
Afteramomentofsilence,Joespoke:‘We’regoingtokeepdrivinguntilwegetourfootage.’
‘You’rekidnappingme.’Itwasn’taquestionandtheydidn’tanswer.
‘LukeisawonderfulmanandIhopehefindshistruelove,whoeveritmaybe,’Annasaid,pulling

herlipsintoasadsmile.Itwasforced.Shedefinitelydidn’thaveacareerinactingonthehorizonif
thecafédidn’tworkout.

‘Howdoesitmakeyoufeel,thinkingofLukewithanotherwoman?’
‘Iwishhimallthebest.’ShesoundedlikeaHallmarkcard,butitwasbetterthanlettingthenation

see her shattered heart. Anna had fallen for him—and now she could go home and analyse those
feelings.Inprivate.Thelogicalpartofherbrainthoughtthatthefeelingswouldfadeawaywithoutthe
showforcingthemtogetherwithitsromanticdates,candlelightandflowers.Hopedtheywould.

Thedirectorfrowned.‘Cutthecrap,Anna.’
‘That’sallyouget.’Annaspokeslowlyandcarefully,thinkingabouteachsentencebeforesaying

italoudandtestingwhetheritcouldbeeditedtosoundliketheheartbrokenorangryinterviewthey
wanted.‘I’mjustgoingtokeeprepeatingmyselfuntilyouletmegohome.Soplease,justcallitquits
andputmeonaflight.’

‘Wecan’tdothat,’Joesaid.‘Justgiveusonesentenceofhowyou’rereallyfeeling.’
‘I’mhappytobegoinghome,’shedeadpanned.
‘Anna,youhaveadecisiontomake.OptionA:yougivemeagood,heartfeltinterviewrighthere

and now. Option B: I call Kate and you give her a good, heartfelt interview. Option C: Kate fails—
eitherbecauseyoudon’tspeaktoherorbecausesherefusestogettheanswersoutofyou—andIfire
her.’

ThatgotAnna’sattention.Butashardasshestaredintohiseyes,shecouldn’ttellwhetherhewas

serious or bluffing. She considered disregarding her sister ’s wants and needs just as Kate had
betrayedhersduringfilming.

‘Fine,’Annaconceded.Shetookadeepbreathandthoughtabouthowherwholeselfached.‘I’m

goingtomissLuke.Alot.’

‘Okay. That was good, Anna. Thank you,’ the producer said. ‘Now can you tell us how you felt

whenLukecalledLiuKun’snameinsteadofyours?’

‘Ithurt.’
‘Didyouexpecttobegoinghometonight?’
‘Idon’tknow.’Itwasparttruth.Althoughshe’dbeggedLuketosendherhomeandalthoughshe

wassureitwastherightthingtodo,partofherexpectedLuketokeepherthereanyway.

‘Were you nervous before the elimination?’ the producer asked. Compared to Kate, he was a

terribleproducer.Hiscompassionwasentirelyunbelievable.

‘No.’Theymadethatstupidcirclingmotionuntilshekeptspeaking.‘Itriednottothinkaboutit.

There’snopointstressingoversomethingthatmayormaynothappen,right?’

‘DidyouthinkaboutwhatitmaybelikeifLukeproposed?’
‘No.’
‘Whynot?’
‘I guess because it’s all so surreal. Who expects to have their perfect proposal on a reality

televisionshow?’Shestumbledoverherwords.

‘Haveyoubeeninlovebefore?’
‘Once,’Annamurmured.BeforeLuke,she’ddatedaseriesoflosers—untilshedecidedtogiveup

on men. But without being cheesy, she understood the songs about love now. Particularly the ones
aboutheartbreak.

‘DidyoufallinlovewithLuke?’
Annaclosedhereyesforafractionofasecond.Shedidn’twanttocryinfrontofthecameras.

Notnow,whenshe’dcomesoclosetomaintaininghercomposurethroughouttheseason.

‘Yes,’shewhisperedhonestly.
It was too late. A tear slipped from beneath her eyelid. It was followed by another, and then

another.Annawipedatthem,buthermouthstilltastedlikesalt.Shehadfailed.

CHAPTER

WithKatestillonset,theapartmentwasempty.NotthatAnnaspentanytimethere—everymoment
was committed to her café and forgetting Luke Westwood. So she cooked. Meringue, mousse,
cheesecake, tarts, macaroons … She produced high-end deconstructed desserts for the menu and
smallerbakedgoodsforthecabinets.Aftermonthsofuncertainty,Annalockedinamenu.Shedidn’t
includeasinglethingshecookedwhileonLoveElimination.

Sheboughtcushions,vases,fakeflowersandcandles;mostfromopshops,butsomefromactual

stores. The café was hip, trendy and completely finished, with the last of the kitchen and heating
systeminstalledunderherwatchfuleye.Withonelastflourish,Annahungherframedliquorlicence
onthewall.Theplacewasreadyforopeningnight.Thelastpieceofthepuzzlehadrecentlyfallen
intoplace:thecafé’sname,DessertsForMyFather.

Theonlythingthatwasn’treadywasAnna.Shewasdistracted.Advertisementsfortheshowwere

everywhere.TheSydneyphotoshootwasputtogooduse,becauseLiuKun,JessicaandLukewereon
every bus stop, billboard and online news page. Even going out of her way not to see them, Anna
spottedoneeveryfewhourswheneversheleftthehouse.OnthedayoftheLoveElimination finale,
sherushedhome,tryingtoavoideachoneandpretendingnottoknowitwasairingthatnight.

Whenshegotbacktotheflat,Katewasthere.
‘SorryforbringingMumontheshow!’hersisterhurriedtosayforthehundredthtime.Hertexts

andemailshadallstartedandendedwith‘I’msorry’sincethedaythey’dfilmedattheapartment.

Annadumpedherbagonthecounterandfloppeddowninastool.Shedidn’tevenfeelangryany

more. All she felt was tired. Her lower back ached from lifting trays and her eyes were bloodshot
fromlackofsleep.

‘It’sfine.You’reforgiven,’Annamumbled.‘Let’snevertalkaboutitagain.’
She wasn’t mad. She understood being manipulated by Joe and the producers, and it helped that

KatewasnolongerworkingforLoveElimination. Despite being the one to save the day by having
Anna step in, Kate had been let go in the media maelstrom that followed the family date. Her own
loverhadfiredher.Nowbothsisterswereheartbroken.

‘Shouldn’twetalkaboutthis?’
‘Ireallydon’twantto,’Annasaid.‘NotbecauseI’mstillangryoranything.Ijustwantmysister

andbestfriendback.’

‘IthoughtBenwasyourbestfriend?’Kateteased.
‘Ohyeah.Mybad.’Annagrinned.
‘Okay.’ Kate’s forehead creased. ‘Are you hungry? I bought Thai and there’s enough for three

here.’

‘Ravenous.’
Katearrangedtheplasticcontainersonthecounter.Whenthey’dbothpiledtheirplateshigh,Kate

grabbedthemandcarriedthemtothecouch.

‘Canyougetuseachaglassofwine?’shecalledoverhershoulderasshepickeduptheremote.

By the time Anna joined her with their drinks, the first strains of the Love Elimination opening
sequencebegantoplay.Luke’sfacefilledthescreenandAnna’sheartstuttered.

‘No,Kate.Idon’twanttowatchthis.’
‘It’sthefinale.’
‘Exactly.Idon’tneedtoseeLukeprofesshisloveforanotherwoman.’ItwastheclosestAnnahad

cometoconfessingherfeelingstohersister,thoughsheknewKatehadprobablyseeneverybitof
footagefromtheshow—includingAnna’sfarewellinterview.

‘Trustme,Anna.Youneedtowatchit.’
The music died out and the title screen was replaced by Luke’s face. From there, it wasn’t a

consciousdecision—Annacouldn’tlookaway.Shewantedtoreachthroughthescreenandtouchhim.

Lukewasjustashandsomeonthetelevision,evenifitdidn’tpickupallthenuancesofhisface;

liketheshadowofunshavenfacialhairorthedefinedmusclesbeneathhissuit.Everyexpressionwas
forced—fromthepensivegazeashelookedoutfromhisbalconysomewhereinBaliwherethefinale
wasfilmed,tothesmilesashesharedonelastdatewitheachwomanintheluxuriouslocation.

AnnawatchedasLiuKunandJessicareceivedlast-minuteadvicefromtheexperts,mostlyurging

themtoexpresstheirlovebeforeitwastoolate.Thewomenwrotespeechesanddeliveredthemwith
tears.LuketoldthemhowspecialtheywereandAnna’severyinstincttoldhertoleavetheroom,but
thesightofLukeheldherthere;asdidKate,whokeptmurmuring‘trustme’overandoveragain.

Finally the time came for Luke to decide. The gorgeous garden was lined with tulips. Anna’s

favouriteflower.Annacouldn’thelpwonderingifitwasdesignedforher,thinkingthatshewouldbe
thefinalwomanstanding.Andifthatwastrue,wasitLuke’sdoingoranassumptionbythecrew?

Liu Kun was rejected quickly. Her farewell interview was barely audible. The poor woman

genuinelycaredaboutLukeandshewasagoodperson—oneofthefewpeopleAnnahadconsidered
afriendontheshow.

‘Ireally,reallydon’twanttoseethis,’Annatoldhersister,thoughshecouldn’tlookawayfrom

Jessicanegotiatingthecobblestonepathwaythroughthegarden.Itwasseriouslymagical,evenifthe
producershadbeenworkingonthesetformonths.

‘Yes,youdo.’KategrabbedAnna’shandandclungtoit.
AndsoAnnawatchedasJessica,inabeautifulcobaltbluedressthatfloweddownherbodylikea

waterfall,stoodbeforeLukewithjustenoughroombetweenthemforhimtobenddownononeknee.

Hisspeechwasfluentandlitteredwithcompliments,asifhewerereadingfromascript.Except

thatthewordssoundedlikehisown.Withthatrealisation,atightnesspulledatAnna’schest.HadLuke
told them all that he loved them? But this was reality television—she had to doubt everything she
thoughtsheknew.

Afteratypicallydramaticpause,Lukefinishedhisepicspeech.‘I’msorry,Jessica.Afterbeingon

theshow,IknowwhatIwant.’Hetookadeepbreath.‘Ihaven’tfalleninlovewithyou,orwithLiu
Kun.I’msincerelysorryforwastingyourtime.’

Withthat,Lukewalkedofftheset.TherewasnotearfulgoodbyefromJessica—thewomanwas

angry.

Forherpart,Annawasconfused.SheturnedtoKate.‘Whatjusthappened?’
‘He’sinlovewithyou,Anna.I’msureofit.That’swhyhedumpedLiuKunandJessica.Theonly

partIdon’tgetiswhyhesentyouhome.ButI’msurethere’sareason.’

‘HesentmehomebecauseIaskedhimto.’
‘Youdidwhat?’

‘Iwantedtocomehome.’
‘Whywouldyougetyourselfeliminated?Themanisperfectforyou,andhe’sclearlyheadover

heelsforyou.’KaterarelyraisedhervoicetoAnna,evenasachild.Butshedidnow.

‘Hesaidhelovesme,’Annawhispered.Herwholebodyachedwhenshethoughtofthatmoment.
‘So,again,I’llask:whyonearthdidyouleave?’
‘Because we’d never work out! We’re completely different. He travels non-stop. He lives in the

snowinahundreddifferentcountries.Mycaféishere,andIjustwantedtocomehometoit.’Anna
swallowed hard. ‘Besides, I didn’t want to be followed by the cameras or plastered over every
magazineandmorningshowinAustralia.’

‘Firstly, being all over the media would’ve been a good thing! You’d have your man and be in

prime position to promote your café. Which you would’ve come home to just a week later, by the
way,’Katesaid,juttingherfingeracrossthecouch.‘Now,don’tyouthinkit’stimeyoustarttaking
chancesonmenagain?Iknowyou’vehadacrappyrunandthatMumfellapartafterDaddied.Iget
thatnow.ButAnna—it’stimetostartliving.’

‘That’snotwhatthisis.’
‘Yeah?DidyouevenbothertotalklogisticswithLuke?Figureouthowitmightwork?’
Annahesitated.
‘No,Ididn’tthinkso.’Kateexhaledloudly.Thefightseemedtoleaveherbody.‘Youshouldgoto

him.Askforasecondchance.’

‘Anddowhatwiththecafé?’
‘Postponetheopening.’
‘It’snextweek,Kate.’
‘So?Whatifhe’stheloveofyourlife—yoursoulmate?’
‘It’satelevisionshow,Kate!WhateverIfeel—felt—wastheresultofStockholmSyndrome.’
‘As if you were locked up! Don’t think I didn’t know: you were sneaking around with Luke the

wholetime.Allthosemeet-upsonthebeach?Thetimehewalkedyoubackfromthepub?Plusyou
had your phone and a full kitchen. It was barely any different from you being at home,’ Kate said.
‘Yourfeelingsforhimaren’tgoingtofade,ifthat’swhatyou’rethinking.Youwon’tbeabletotalk
yourselfoutofthem.’

‘Eveniftheydon’t,thecaféismydream!It’sbeenmydreamsinceIwasatoddler,helpingDad

from my stool. I shouldn’t have to explain myself, Kate! How hard did you work to get into the
televisionindustry?You’reoneoftheyoungestproducersthenetworkhas.’

‘ButIwouldthrowitallawayforlove.Truelove.’
‘You’rearomantic!That’sprobablywhytheyassignedyoutoLoveEliminationinthefirstplace.

ButI’mnotlikethat,Kate.’

‘That’satotallie.You’rejustscared.’
‘Leaveitalonenow.’Annapushedherselftoherfeet.‘It’sdone.’
Kate didn’t argue, she just watched as Anna dumped her plate in the kitchen and escaped to her

bedroom.ThecaféwouldopennextweekandAnnawouldhavetwicethedistractions.Andhopefully
LoveEliminationwouldfadeintoadistantmemory.

***

Lukeskiddedtoastopatthebottomoftheslope.Hewasdone.Eventhenewsnowfallwasn’thelping
to clear his mind, not with the persistent ache in his knee. According to his doctor, it wasn’t going

away. Neither were the cameras. It’s not like he was even recognisable with his snow goggles and
heavyjacket.He’devenlethisbeardgrowout.

Steppingoffthesnowboard,Lukehikedtowardsthecarparkandtriedtoignorethestares.
‘Luke!Whydidyouwalkawayfromtheshow?’someoneyelledafterhim.
Allhewantedwasahotbath,anideathatflewoutthewindowtheminutehesawtheblacksedan,

themotorstillrunning,blockinghishiredcar.Hebalancedhisboardonitstipandknockedonthe
dark,tintedwindow.

‘Excuseme.Canyoupleasemoveyourcar?Ineedtogetout.’
ThewindowwounddownandLuke’sfatherleanedout.‘Getinthecar,son.’
Lukepushedahandthroughhishairandgroaned.‘Ican’t.Ihavemyboard.’Hemovedtowards

hiscar,callingoverhisshoulder.‘Movethecar,Dad.Please.’

To Luke’s amazement, his father emerged from the car and pulled the back door open. ‘Put the

boardinthecar,Luke.’

‘It’llruintheseats,’Lukeprotested.
‘I don’t care about the upholstery, Luke. We need to talk. Now get in the car,’ Tyson Westwood

demanded.‘Now.’

With no other choice, Luke circled to the front passenger seat and rubbed his hands against the

heatingemanatingfromthevent.

‘Nowtellmewhyyouletthatwomangetaway,’hisfatherdemandedasheguidedthecarontothe

road.Itfeltalotlikebeingkidnapped.

‘Whatwoman?’
‘AnnaHobbs.’
Hisheartstilljumpedatthesoundofhername.Itfuelledthedesireinhim,theinstincttojumpon

aplaneandflytoherside.‘Idon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout.’

‘Don’t lie to me, boy. I didn’t need the director ’s explanation to work it out. You should never

havesentherhome.’

‘Sheaskedmeto.’
‘YourmotherpracticallyranawaythefirsttimeIaskedherout,andBeccathoughtIwastryingto

hireher.Butyoufightforawomanlikethat.’

‘Oh,yeah?How’sBecca?’Hewasbeingsarcastic.Mostly.
‘She’stooyoungandbeautifulforme.She’ssmart,fieryanddoesn’tputupwithmycrap.Iknow

youdon’tbelieveanyonecouldlovethiswrinkledoldman,butBeccadoes.She’snotagolddigger.
Shehasmorethanenoughmoneyofherownandthinksshoppingisawasteoftime.’

‘Goodforyou,Dad.’Lukepressedhisfingersaroundhisinjuredknee.Itached,eventhoughthe

slopehadbeeneasyandhe’donlybeensnowboardingforafewhours.Heneededanewcareer,had
even handed in his letter of resignation two days after filming the finale of Love Elimination. He’d
always thought he’d miss the snow and snowboarding like losing a limb, but it had barely been a
nagging itch as he spent time with Anna. The feelings he had now, without her at his side, were a
hundredtimesworsethannotbeingabletohittheslopes.

‘Wherearewegoing?’
‘Totheairport.Anna’scaféisopeningtonight.I’vebookedyouaflight.’
‘Dad,I’mnotfive.Youcan’tcontrolmeanymore.’
‘AsifIcouldevercontrolyou.Notevenwhenyouwereatoddler.’Tysonstoppedatatrafficsign

andlookedacrossatLuke,hisgazeharsh.‘Theteamdoesn’tneedyou.Theyhavemorecoachesthan
therewerewomenonLoveElimination.Youneedtorealisethatyoucan’tgoonlikethisforever.’

‘Dad—’
‘No,youlistentome.Isatnexttoyourhospitalbedforweeks,firstthinkingyouweregoingto

die and then that you’d lost the ability to snowboard. You got through. You’ve had a few more
competitions.You’vecoachedatthehighestlevel.Inallthattime,Ihaven’tonceseenyouashappyas
youwereontheshow—withAnna.’

Lukekepthiseyesgluedtohisknee.Withhisdad’swordsechoingbetweenthem,hecouldn’thelp

thinkingaboutthepaininhismuscles.He’dalreadyquit,buthehadn’tworkedouthisnextstep.And
honestly, that had been the big question his whole life: what would he do after his snowboarding
career?

‘I’vealreadyhandedinmyresignation.’Itwasthefirsttimehe’dsaidthewordsaloud.Hisfather

wasthefirstonetoknowandLukecouldn’tshaketheideathatitshould’vebeenAnna.

‘That’sgood.I’mproudofyou,’Tysonsaid.‘NowwhataboutAnna?’
‘Howdoyouknowabouthercaféopeninganyway?’
‘Twitter.’
TheworldhadcertainlychangedwhileLukehadbeenonsetifhisfatherwasnowtweeting.
‘Becca’steachingme,’Tysonadded,bywayofexplanation.
Lukebreatheddeeply.‘Shedoesn’tthinkitwillwork,’hesaidwithoutbotheringtoclarifywhohe

meant.Hisfatherdidn’tgetwherehewasbybeingslow-minded.

‘Thenyou’llhavetoshowhershe’swrong.Youhavethewholeflighttofigureoutaplan.’
‘Whataboutmyrentalcar?’
‘I’llgetsomeonetoreturnit,’hisfatherrepliedeasily.Theperksofbeingmassivelywealthy.
EvenifLukewantedtoargue,hedoubtedhisfatherwouldturnthecararound.Andhewasn’tsure

whathewanted.ExceptforAnna.Hethoughtofherwhenhewokeupinthemorning,whenhewas
snowboarding,andwhenhefellasleep.Heknewhe’dneverstopthinkingabouther.

CHAPTER

OpeningnightwaseverythingAnnadreameditwouldbe.Itwasthefirsttimeshehadseenthesign,
DessertsForMyFather,litup.Apermanentgrinstretchedacrossherface.EvenifKatehadtodrag
her out of the kitchen to watch it be switched on. Anna and Ben had cooked for a week, preparing
dessertsthatateamofwaiterswouldserveonwoodenplatters.Itwouldbestandingroomonly.

Two hours later, there was a line around the block. Reporters crowded around the door and the

redcarpetKatehadlaidoutontheground.Thenoisewasunbelievable.Anna’smouthhungopenas
she stood at the entrance and people started arriving. Reporters yelled questions about Love
Eliminationfromallsides.TheywantedtoknowwhetherLukehadcontactedher,whatshethoughtof
thefinaleandwhethershe’deverwantedtofallinloveontheshow.Accusationsflewabouthernot
beingontheshow‘fortherightreasons’.

Kate had it the worst. Instead of questions, it was abuse. They demanded her resignation, not

knowing she’d already been fired. Her bias hadn’t been popular with the public. Under L

OVE

LIMINATION

FINALE

, the second highest ranking news story, was L

OVE

LIMINATION

ASTING

CANDAL

The weirdest part was, Anna didn’t seem to be universally hated. Her Twitter followers were in the
hundreds of thousands and when she’d started sharing Instagram snaps of her newest creations, her
@DessertsForaccountgrewatthespeedofherpersonalaccount.Onlythistimeitwasn’tBen’squick
wit that had people following, it was her own pretty pictures and recipes. Of course, they always
wantedtoknowaboutLukeWestwoodandtheshow.Butjustasmanyseemedgenuinelyinterestedin
thefood.

Atexactly8pmthecafé’sdoorsopened.Annashouldhavebeenabletobreatheeasily,sinceher

part—thecooking—wasdone.Nowshegottowatchasherfriendsandcustomerstastedherdesserts.
The room was soon packed, people were eating, and the food was not going to run out. She was
surrounded by happy chatter, compliments on the food and groans of satisfaction. Everything was
perfect.

‘Thefoodisdelicious,Anna!’Hadieraisedhervoiceaboveallthechatter.‘Andthisplacelooks

fantastic.’

Anna’s face glowed from the praise and the heat of the room. ‘Thanks, Hadie. I’ll come talk to

youinasecond.Ijustneedtocheckthekitchen…’

Herfingersitchedtohelpout.Theonlywayshecouldstaycalmwastocheckonthekitchenevery

fifteen minutes. So she did. She darted around an emphatically gesturing man and barely kept from
bumpinginto a tall,hard body. Thescent of the figure’saftershave washed overher as she dodged
him.Herbodyrecognisedthescentandherheartbeatincreasedbeforeshelookeduptoconfirmwhat
hersensesalreadyknew.

‘Hi,’Lukesaid.
Anna just stared at him, her mind completely blank. The café was so crowded she couldn’t step

back.Herbodywaspressedagainsthis,anditdidn’tmindonebit.

‘Whatareyoudoinghere?’
‘I’mgettingyouback.’
Annastoppedbreathingforjustasecond.Hewashere.Forher.Itwaslikeluciddreaming.
Afewheadsturned.TheplacewaspackedwithfansofLoveElimination.Inamomentofclarity,

Anna realised she didn’t want to have this conversation in front of anyone else. She wanted to be
alone.JustLukeandher.

She tugged his arms, pulling him through the café until they were standing in one of the

storerooms off the kitchen. She closed the door behind them and flicked on the lights. The room
wasn’t exactly small, but it felt claustrophobic with Luke there. He filled up the space. There was
nowhereforAnnatoescapehissmellorwarmtouch.

‘Thecaféisbeautiful.DessertsForMyFather…It’sreallysomethingspecial,Anna.’Hisvoice

soundedlikehoney.

‘Thanks.’
Hesuddenlysteppedforwardandtookherchinbetweenhisfingers,tiltingherheadtomeethis

gaze.‘Anna,IloveyouandIwantyouinmylife.Theshowisover.Thecamerasaregone.AndIstill
loveyou.Please,givemeachance.’

‘Long distance?’ she asked. It was never something Anna thought she’d try. She had always

thought people with long-distance relationships were kidding themselves. It couldn’t work forever.
ButnowsheknewwhatitwasliketoletLukego.Thepainwasenormous.Insufferable.Shewouldn’t
beabletocomebackfromitasecondtime.

‘No. I was thinking maybe I could move here.’ He caressed her cheek. ‘I want to see your face

everysingleday.’

Annablinked,sureshe’dmisunderstood.‘WhatareyougoingtodoinSydney?’
‘I’mnotsure.IwasthinkingImightdoadegreeinbusiness?’
‘No more snowboarding?’ Anna’s mind spun, producing fantasies of what it could be like for

them.Datinglikenormalpeople.Seeingeachotherafterahardday.Movingintogether.Wakingup
withLuke’sarmaroundherwaist,withhisnakedskinagainsthers,hislipsagainstherneck.

‘Onlyonholidays—andI’msuretherewillbeplentyofthose.Butno.I’mstartingfresh.’
‘But you love snowboarding.’ She wanted to accept it, but she couldn’t imagine Luke working

behindadesk.Nothappily.Shedidn’twanttobetheonetodestroyeverythinghe’dworkedforand
allthathaddefinedhimforsomanyyears.

‘Yeah,Ido.ButI’mtoooldandtooinjured.It’stimetofindmysecondcareer.’Thehandthathad

beencaressinghercheekmoveddowntoherneck,thenherarm.‘Itwasalwaysgoingtohappenand
I’mready.’

Herheartfeltlikeitmightburstoutofherchest.Shegrippedhiswaisttoholdherselfsteady.‘Are

yousure?’

‘Yes. You know, by the end of filming, I barely even missed it. I got used to summer and not

snowboarding every day. Besides, coaching was never really what I wanted to do—competing was,
andIhaven’tdonethatinyears.’

‘Soyou’regoingtostudybusinessinstead?’
‘Anddateyou,awayfromthecameras.Ifthat’sokaywithyou?’
Anna grinned, flinging her arms around him. ‘It is. It most certainly is,’ she said, completely

forgettingaboutcheckingonthekitchen,thepartyoutsidethestoreroomandeverythingelseasshe
crashedherlipsintohis.Sheslippedherhandsunderhisshirtandranherfingersalonghisabs.Her
breathcameinshortspurtsashekissedheroverandoveragain.Theonlytimeshebrokeawaywas

towhisper,‘Iloveyou,’inhisearwithnoonelisteningexcepthim.

EPILOGUE

Threeyearslater

The hotel launch party was just as big as any Luke had attended. Guests were escorted through the
luxurious lobby and up the state-of-the-art elevators to reach the top floor. They’d called it The
Rooftopanditwasjustthat:thetoplevelofthehotel,enclosedbyglassandkeptwarmbyinvisible,
but powerful, heaters. The hotel sat in the hub of Perisher, Luke’s favourite Australian snow
destination.

Lukescannedthecrowd.Everyfewmomentssomeonewouldstopandoffertheircongratulations,

and Luke would give his thanks and move quickly away. Speeches were about to begin. Where was
she?Hischestconstrictedastheminutestickedon.

Finallyhesawher,hiddeninacornernearthestageandconversingwithhisfatherandBecca.
‘Thereyouare!’hecalled,joiningtheirhuddle.
Hisfatherglancedathiswatch.‘Whatareyoudoingtalkingtous?Getupthere.’
Lukegrinned,butotherwiseignoredhisfather.InsteadhegrabbedAnnabythewaistandkissed

heronthelips.‘Forluck,’hesaid,restinghismouthclosetoherear.Ashiverranthroughherand
Lukehadtoforcehimselftostepback,ratherthanhoistheroverhisshoulderandcarryhercaveman-
stylebacktotheirsuiteonthelevelbelow.

‘Youhavelipstickonyourface.’Annalaughed,wipingthesmudgeoffhisface.
Lukecouldn’tbelievehowbeautifulshelookedtonight.Thelongreddressplungedtohernavel.

Herhairwassweptupontopofherhead,leavingherneckexposed.Hehadtotearhimselfaway.He
gaveherhandonelastsqueeze,mountedtheplatformandgrabbedthemicrophone.

The crowd took a full minute to quieten. Luke’s heart swelled with pride—already he’d had

severalcorporategroupsrequestingmoreinformationonthehotel’spackagesandfacilities.

‘Ladiesandgentlemen.WelcometoTheWestwood.’Hepausedasacheererupted.Anna’svoice

roseabovethecrowdandLukegrinned,lookingforherface.

‘I’llkeepitshortandsweettonight,’heannounced.‘Thankyouallforcomingandthankyouto

allthosewhoplayedapartinitscreation.’Heretrievedalistfromhispocketandread,thenlistedthe
namesoftheVIPguestsandthankedthemindividually.Itwasacustomhe’dalwayshated,buthewas
takingnorisksofoffendinganyonetonight.

‘Mostofall,I’dliketothankAnnaHobbsforherconstantinspirationandsupport—andalsofor

themostdeliciousdessertcaféintheworld.YouwillfindDessertsForMyLove,thesecondinthe
DessertsForfranchiseafterthesuccessofDessertsForMyFatherinSydney,onthegroundlevel.’

HemetAnna’seyesandlethimselfbecaughtupinthem.Thatblushinhercheeksmadehimwant

toreachoutforheronceagain.Hegavetherestofthespeech,raisedhisglassforatoastandclimbed
down from the podium. With the official part of the evening complete, Luke could finally grab a
drinkandjoinAnnafortheparthe’dbeenplanningforayear.Ifonlyhecouldgetpasttheconstant
attention.Everythirdpersongrabbedhisarmtogivetheircomplimentsoraskaquestion.

By the time he made it back to the corner, Anna was gone and Becca was whispering in his

father ’sear.Lukepulledafaceofdisgust,makingsurehewasinhisfather ’seyelinewhenhedidso.

He’dactuallygrowntoadorehisfather ’sfiancée,butmockingthembothwastoomuchfuntogive
up.Beccawouldalwaysbethechildbrideofthefamily.

LukesteeredawayandwentlookingforAnnaonceagain.
Anarmgrabbedhimasheheardhisnamecalledout.ItwasAnna’sidol,DonatMonque,thathad

stoppedhim.‘Tellyourwonderfulgirlfriendthatherfoodisimpeccabletonight.’

Lukegrinned.‘I’lltellheryousaidso.’
He kept moving through the crowd. It didn’t take long to find her. Despite strict instructions to

leavethecarefullyselectedkitchenstaffalone,hefoundherrearrangingwebsofsugarovercaramel
andbananadomes.

‘Ithoughtyouwerebannedfromthekitchen.’
Shejumpedatthesoundofhisvoice,spinninglikeshe’dbeencaughtcommittingacrime.Luke’s

chestseizedasthedresstwistedaroundherbody.Shewasalwaysgoingtotakehisbreathaway.

‘Icouldn’tresist,’shesaid.‘Besides,Isawyousneakingawaywiththatsheikhforaprivatetour

oftheconferenceroom.’

‘Hepracticallyownsacountry.’
‘And you were rearranging the flowers before the guests got here,’ Anna teased. So what if he

might’vefixedonestraypetal?Annacouldn’tresistfiddlingwitheverysingledessertbeforeitwas
plated.Ifshehadn’ttouchedit,itwasn’tperfect.

‘I’vebeenthinkingaboutthenameofthecafé…’hestarted,lettinghisvoicetrailoff.Hegrinned

atAnna’sresponse,thefurrowingofherbrow.‘It’stoovague.Itcouldmeananyonethatyoulove.’

‘Soyou’resuggestingwechangeittoDessertsForLuke?We’realloverthemedia.Ithinkpeople

know we’re together.’ She gave him a cheeky smile and moved towards him, running her fingers
along his arm. She didn’t see what was coming. Although they’d spent the past few years together,
learningeachother ’sexpressions,theywerestillconstantlysurprisingeachother.

‘Noteveryonefollowsrealitytelevision“news”.Infact,thesedaysit’sconsideredgoodtastenot

toknowthenameorfateofthepastrealitycastmembers,’hesaid,drawingoutthefun.

‘Pleasetellmeyou’rekidding.Thatyoudon’tactuallywanttochangeit.’
‘I’mnotjoking.’Lukekepthistoneambiguous,stringingheralongthatlittlebitfurther.‘Ieven

haveanideaforthenewname.Iwasthinking,DessertsForMyHusband.’Thenhepulledtheringout
ofhispocketandbentdownononeknee.

‘Anna,willyoubemywife?’
Her beautiful blue eyes widened. For a moment she just opened and closed her mouth like a

goldfish.Luke’shandsshookastheyheldtheringuptoher.

Whenshespoke,itwassounexpected,thegrinonLuke’sfacewidenedevenfurther.
‘You know, sometimes I wonder how this handsome, successful, charming man ever became a

suitoronarealitytelevisionshow.Butdeepdown,you’recompletelycheesy.Youlivefortheover-
the-topromanticgestures,don’tyou?’

‘And you fell in love with the guy from the reality television show, just like all the other

contestants,’ he countered. ‘But any one of them would be squealing and smiling and crying right
now.’

Annalookedupfromthering.Hereyesweredamp,herlipsturnedup,creatingdimplesinher

cheeks.

‘Thereyougo,’Lukesaidsoftly,notwantingtobreakthevulnerabilityandemotiononherface.

‘Yougottwooutofthree.Now,willyoumarryme?’

She was perfect. Everything he’d ever wanted but had never known he needed. His life with her

wasmorethansnowboardinghadevermeanttohim.Allthatwasmissingwastheringonherfinger
andadorablecarboncopiesofthewomanheloved.Hecouldn’twaittoseeherswollenwithhischild.

‘Yes,’shewhispered.‘Yes,yes,yes.’
Hesweptherintohisarmsandherbodymouldeditselfaroundhim.Hekissedeveryinchofher

face,thenmovedhiskissestoherneckasshewhisperedheransweroverandoveragain.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thankyoutoallthewonderfulpeoplewhohelpedthisbookbecomeareality.Ihearwritingcanbea
lonely business, but I was constantly surrounded with encouraging words, beta readers and firm
reprimandswhenIprocrastinated.Firstly,amassivethankyoutoVictoriaPurmanwhosementorship
taught me to always ask ‘what if?’ and kept the words ‘emotion, emotion, EMOTION’ running
through my head. Her generous feedback made me a better writer in every way and her company
madewritingthisbookmorefunthanIcouldhaveimagined.Ifyouhaven’t,youshouldtotallyread
herbooks—they’reamazing!SpecialthankstoPreesan,whobringstheromancetomylifeandwas
bymysideeverystepoftheway.Thanksalsotomyfamily.Tomymumwhosatmedownandtold
me I was being stupid to give up the things I loved—writing and theatre—after Year 12. She’s the
reasonIenrolledinanartsdegreeandfoundmywayintowritingandtheromancecommunity,where
I’vefoundsomuchhappiness.TomydadwhoaskedmehowmanychaptersI’dwritteneverytimeI
sawhim,andwhohelpedmeshapeLukeWestwood’ssnowboardingcareer.

WithoutthesupportofCarclewandSAWritersCentre,thisbookwouldn’thavecomeintobeing.

ThankyouCarclewfortheresourcestodedicate2015towritingLoveElimination.Abigshoutoutto
SAWritersCentrewhereIfoundmyhome.ToVanessaJones,whofirstinvitedmetovolunteeratthe
Centre;toSarahTooth,whoalwaysgivessuchgreatadvice;andtoallthepresentersfromwhomI
learned how to write. Thanks also to South Australian Romance Authors and Romance Writers of
Australia,whomakeuptheromancewritingcommunitythatIlovesomuch.Finally,thankyoutothe
wonderfulteamatHarlequin—particularlythoseIhadachancetoe-meet:SueBrockhofffortakinga
chance on a new writer, Rachael Donovan, Annabel Blay, Laurie Ormond, Julia Knapman and my
fantasticeditor,KylieMason.Youhavemadepublishingthisfirstbookanabsolutedreamcometrue.

ABOUTSARAHGATES

Sarah Gates is an Adelaide-based writer. She wrote her first book at sixteen—a tragic love story
inspiredbyNicolasSparks.Nowinhertwenties,Sarahhasturnedtowritingcontemporaryromance
novels full of glamour, handsome men and happy endings. Love Elimination is her first published
novel. Sarah is an undergraduate student of Law and Arts (with a major in Creative Writing) at
FlindersUniversity.Whenpeopleaskifshewantstobealawyer,shelaughs.She’sperfectlyhappy
writingandworkinginmediaandmarketing.SarahtravelsaroundAustraliatoteachworkshopsand
attend writing festivals. Sarah spends her time watching theatre, dancing and binging on reality
television.

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FirstPublished2016
ISBN9781489210647

Exceptforuseinanyreview,thereproductionorutilisationofthisworkinwholeorinpartinany
formbyanyelectronic,mechanicalorothermeans,nowknownorhereafterinvented,including
xerography,photocopyingandrecording,orinanyinformationstorageorretrievalsystem,is
forbiddenwithoutthepermissionofthepublisher.

Thisbookissoldsubjecttotheconditionthatitshallnot,bywayoftradeorotherwise,belent,
resold,hiredoutorotherwisecirculatedwithoutthepriorconsentofthepublisherinanyformof
bindingorcoverotherthanthatinwhichitispublishedandwithoutasimilarconditionincludingthis
conditionbeingimposedonthesubsequentpurchaser.

Allrightsreservedincludingtherightofreproductioninwholeorinpartinanyform.

Thisisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,places,andincidentsareeithertheproductofthe
author ’simaginationorareusedfictitiously,andanyresemblancetoactualpersons,livingordead,
businessestablishments,events,orlocalesisentirelycoincidental.

Publishedby
HarlequinMira
AnimprintofHarlequinEnterprises(Australia)PtyLtd.
Level13,201ElizabethSt
SYDNEYNSW2000
AUSTRALIA

®andTMaretrademarksofHarlequinEnterprisesLimitedoritscorporateaffiliates.Trademarks
indicatedwith®areregisteredinAustralia,NewZealandandinothercountries.

Cataloguing-in-PublicationdetailsareavailablefromtheNationalLibraryofAustralia
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Document Outline

Title Page
Dedication
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About Sarah Gates
Copyright Page

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