Page 32 of The Baking Games

The digital clock's bright red numbers feel like they're burning my retinas. It's after midnight. I sigh and roll onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. My mind just won't shut off. It's a whirlwind of thoughts, making sleep completely elusive to me.

Tomorrow is the main baking challenge. Someone is going to get sent home. The pressure is mounting, and it's only the first week.

I also miss my sister so much—her smiling face, her stupid jokes, and just the comfort of having someone around who loves me. Not being able to call her or contact her at all while sequestered in this house is already taking its toll.

I can't help but feel guilty for abandoning the person I raised for this opportunity, even if it's just temporary. Even if she's the one who wanted me to go. But this is my chance, our chance. I have to tell myself that multiple times daily, and I'm still not sure I believe it.

Winning this competition would mean financial security and so many opportunities for both of us, but that doesn't make being apart from Sadie any easier right now.

I know I won’t get any rest while my mind is whirling like this. I quietly slip out of my bed, pull on my swimsuit, and throw on my robe. Maybe a soak in the courtyard hot tub will help me clear my head before the long day of baking tomorrow. The house is silent as I tiptoe down the hallway and go through the doors into the courtyard area.

The warm night air blows across my skin as I make my way across the fake grass toward the hot tub. It's tucked over in the corner beside some potted palm trees and flowering hibiscus plants. To my relief, the area is completely deserted. Everyone is asleep, getting ready for tomorrow's activities. I will get some precious solitude to soak and hopefully clear my racing mind. I shrug off my robe, bend down to do a forward stretch, and then step into the hot tub, sinking into the steaming water with a contented sigh. I let the heat slowly unknot all my tense muscles, including my lower back, which has been bothering me since I fell off the kitchen counter into Rhett’s arms.

I lean back and look up at the stars in the night sky. It's the only sense of the outside world that I have now. Our windows are all covered, and we can't leave the house without being chaperoned. We're completely sequestered like a bunch of prisoners, but we all signed up for this.

This quiet moment is just what I needed after the chaos of the week and the excitement of the nursing home visit. My mind goes back to the unexpected scene of me and Rhett sitting there, diligently painting the fingernails of elderly ladies. Most of them just wanted to see him up close, I think.

Who would've thought that the brooding ice man had such a gentle side? The tranquil silence is suddenly shattered by the sound of footsteps on the grass behind me. I turn with a startled look, my hand to my chest, when I see none other than Rhett himself appear. He's dressed for a run, wearing his sneakers and shorts but no shirt.

Dear Lord in heaven, he has a nice chest. I never considered what might be under that clean apron he wears in the kitchen.

I forgot this is something that he apparently likes to do regularly at night. So much for my solitude. Our eyes meet, and he looks at me with a half-smile, clearly as surprised to see me here as I am to see him.

RHETT

The digital alarm clock numbers had been mocking me for what seemed like hours. I couldn't stand to hear Connor talk in his sleep anymore. He laughed, flung his arms in the air, and occasionally snored. I don't know anybody who could sleep next to that man.

I don't get much sleep these days, anyway. I haven't slept more than four or five hours in a row in ages. My mind will never turn off. It's constantly strategizing, analyzing, and fixating on something.

With a frustrated sigh, I throw off the covers and quickly put on my running gear, minus my shirt. The nighttime summer air is hot and humid. A late-night loop around the courtyard is my go-to solution for insomnia. Okay, not one loop, probably dozens of loops. I like to hear the rhythm of my feet pounding against the fake grass and let it drown out the endless stream of thoughts.

I lace up my shoes and quietly leave the room, going downstairs through the courtyard doors. It's a warm night, and it hits me as soon as I walk outside. I begin to stretch my calves in the corner of the courtyard area, and that's when I see her—Savannah. She's slowly making her way across the grass with a robe loosely tied around her slender figure. She must be having trouble sleeping, too. I halt mid-stretch because I can't stop my eyes from trailing over her as she unknots that robe and lets it slip off her shoulders. She bends over and stretches for some inexplicable reason, and I feel my cheeks flush.

In the dim moonlight, I can make out the curves of her petite body in a modest, pale blue bathing suit that somehow manages to be both insanely alluring and totally casual at the same time. I have to actively force my eyes away before they linger too long, cursing myself for even noticing her. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to see me as she settles into the steaming hot tub. I should just continue on my usual route, not make this awkward, but then her eyes suddenly look over and meet mine.

"Well, well, look who's up burning the midnight oil," she says, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you need your beauty sleep?"

I chuckle, crossing my arms in a feeble attempt to seem unbothered. "I think I'm already beautiful enough."

She lets out a low laugh, sliding further into the hot tub and sighing. "I'll keep my opinions to myself," she says. "Soaking in these steamy bubbles is such taxing work. Way worse than running around in a circle." I open my mouth to retort, but I can't think of anything to say. She finally speaks again. "In all seriousness, I can't sleep knowing the big competition is happening tomorrow."

"Trust me, I get it," I say. "My mind doesn't exactly hit the off switch these days."

"Well, if you want to stop pacing around like some kind of jungle cat and actually relax for once, you could join me," she points toward the hot tub.

Everything in me wants to take the invite, the alien desire to let my guard down, even if just for a moment, but my tough guy image and self-preservation win out. "Yeah, I think I'll pass on that," I say dismissively, trying to ignore how her damp red hair is curling adorably around her face.

"One of these days, Rhett Jennings, you're going to let your guard down and actually have a relaxing moment. I hope I'm there to see it."

"I appreciate the invite," I say dryly.

"Your loss, but I do appreciate you gracing me with your sparkling presence, even if just for these few moments."

"Don't mention it," I mutter, waving my hand.

I turn and start my laps around the courtyard. I can still feel her amused gaze following me as I run round and round. This is the first time I've ever felt like a complete idiot running in circles. She is so easily seeing through my prickly exterior, and I don't like it one bit. I might need to run a few extra laps just to work off the restlessness she has firmly planted under my skin.

CHAPTER 10

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