Irresistible Bachelors: Books 1-5 by Landish, Lauren (bts books to read TXT) 📕

that’s tearing through my brain. How am I supposed to win this competition when I’m starting to have feelings for my opponent?Anthony

After we finish the meditation session, my body feels relaxed even as my mind whirls. I’ve spent the last thirty minutes trying to clear my thoughts, to let it happen, like Wesley said. Instead, the whole time, my thoughts keep going to Hannah. Feeling her presence next to me, I had to stop myself from reaching out to take her hand. So while my body is ready for whatever we’re going to do next, my mind is a jumble of thoughts, most of them about how much I want Hannah. I kept feeling the pulse of our hearts as we were in the lagoon, how she looked in the sunlight both before we went in the cave and after. Most of all, I remember how she felt, how soft her skin was, how her eyes widened the first time I slipped my fingers inside her. I remember what my orgasm felt like, and how I wished there wasn’t a condom to get in the damn way. I’m surprised I’m not tenting my shorts like a teenage Boy Scout at this point.

“Meet outside after dinner,” Wesley says, getting to his feet. “I’m going to be introducing you to the clearing house before bed.”

“The clearing house?” Hannah asks, getting her shoes on. She glances at me, and I can see the way her t-shirt molds perfectly to her body, my mouth going dry again in an instant. “What are we clearing?”

“You’ll be clearing yourselves,” Wesley replies. “It’s special to me. It’s a place meant for the cleansing of both mind and body.”

“Wash your ass!” Mo Mo screeches, although for a moment there, I thought the bird said watch your ass. Good advice either way.

Wesley leaves with a smile, ignoring Caleb, who keeps trying to stammer another question. Cassie follows him out, saying something about how she’s glad she doesn’t have to listen to Cookie Monster anymore.

Hannah shakes her head, and after a glance my way, she leaves the room.

I want to follow her, but I control the urge.

“Any idea what the fuck he’s talking about?” Caleb asks as we leave and go back to our room. “Any company I’ve ever worked for, he’d be out on his ass after failing a piss test, I’m sure of it. And the bird thing is just . . . shiver me timbers,” Caleb jokes as he covers an eye with his hand as a makeshift patch.

I laugh at him. “Actually, in some ways, I like the bird. It gives him character.”

“I don’t know,” Caleb counters. “Cindy Crawford having a mole gives her character. The Rock having a bionic eyebrow gives him character. Wesley Mobber having a foul-mouthed parrot that uses his shoulder as a perch for most of the day just means he’s probably got a lot of parrot shit in that hair of his.”

We both laugh. “I know you think he’s—”

The ringing of my phone interrupts my thought, but seeing that it’s Oliver, I answer. In the background, I can hear babies crying and Mindy singing to them, trying to calm them down. While she’s not bad, Roxy definitely inherited the singing genes in the family. “Hey, what’s the progress?”

“Consider it handled,” I say simply. Oliver doesn’t need to know about what Hannah and I got up to. I had enough problems dealing with Caleb’s looks during our break. “We’re winning his games, but he hasn’t said how many there are.”

“That’s good fucking news!” he exults. I can hear Mindy saying something to him, and he chuckles. “Sorry, honey, you’re right.”

“What is she saying?” I ask, smirking.

“She’s not happy,” he says. “With both my language, and also . . . she’s been talking to Roxy about all of this. She thinks someone’s going to get hurt with Hannah being practically family and friend.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

“Just do your best, but be fair. We’ll figure something out to make it right if you win,” Oliver says. “Call me if anything changes. I’ve got to go give Mindy a hand.”

Oliver says farewell, and after he hangs up, I let out a sigh. Mindy’s right—someone could get hurt.

“What was that for?” Caleb asks. “Never, in all my life, have I seen someone so sad to be winning. I would’ve thought you’d be ecstatic.”

If it were anyone besides Hannah, I would be happy. But the thrill of winning and competition is starting to fade away, replaced by a need to see Hannah smile, to hear her softly call my name as I kiss every inch of her body. It’s being replaced with a need to have her with me, to make her mine.

I can’t tell Caleb that, though. He wouldn’t understand. “I just want this to be over. Hopefully, this cleansing or whatever we’re doing works. I need a total mind wipe and the meditation wasn’t working one bit. I kept focusing on how my little toe was falling asleep.”

Caleb chuckles. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Me, I’m hoping it’s like those bathhouses, some nice girls who know how to give a great lomilomi massage and a very happy ending.”

I can’t help it, I laugh. “You’re a pervert, you know that?”

“I’m just kidding, man. You know I’m not like that.”

Dinner is, for the first time since we got here, very quiet. I try to keep my eyes off Hannah while we eat, but it’s impossible, especially as she starts giving me glances too. My body is tingling, my cock growing in my shorts and a burning ball of something I’m not ready to acknowledge in my gut.

After a quick washing up, we meet outside. The sun is setting, and I’m reminded just how late sunsets are in summer. The girls changed during their prep time, both of them wearing bikini tops and light skirts, while Caleb and I are wearing tropical weight shirts and cargo shorts. Just the sight of Hannah has my