The lovely 2brown-eyes has given this a read for me XOXO

LEG 7: Back in Business

"Tell me more about your work," Edward says as his palm caresses my bare shoulder. I'm shirtless, with my navy-blue lacy bra still covering my tits. "Do you have your own business?"

I take a deep, shuddering breath as his lips follow the same path. Even though he's only at my collar bone and shoulder, it's somehow more enticing. The fact that he isn't where I want him most ratchets up the anticipation level.

"I own my own building thanks to Grandma Higginbotham." I pause, arching my neck so his lips can discover all the needy skin there. "She left me a small inheritance when she died and I fulfilled her last request, which was for me to follow my dreams."

"You're tied to Arizona, then?" The question is soft, unassuming, but the implication sends a wave of chills racing across my skin. "You've made it your home."

My eyes roll closed as his fingers tickle across my breast, even as his tongue makes a pass across my thundering pulse. I'm lying as still as possible, keeping my hands to myself much like he did for me.

"I … maybe." I swallow a moan, breathing deeply. "I've expanded my business enough that I'm more of a figurehead than an actual participant. I mean, don't get me wrong, all the routines are mine, but I only teach them to my instructors. I rarely hold my own classes anymore."

"Those poor patrons," he murmurs, his lips ghosting the swell of my right breast. "To never get the privilege of your tutelage must be torture."

I laugh, partly because he's funny and partly because he's nuzzling a particularly ticklish spot on my ribs. "How will they ever survive," I play along, laying the back of my hand against my forehead. "It was horrid of me to bait and switch them that way."

He lifts his head, his pretty eyes lighting up in the dim glow of the bedside lamp. "Absolutely horrid." He smirks. "I'm sure it's grounds for a lawsuit."

"Shhh," I murmur, smiling. "Someone might hear you." His eyes stay on me for a beat too long, and I begin to squirm under the molten gaze. "What?"

"I just …" He huffs a breath, scooting up so we're eye level. "I feel so fucking lucky to have this time with you. I wouldn't trade it for the million."

I smile, locking my calf around his bare leg. "I've always thought running the race is as much of a prize as the cash itself if you make it to the final LEG, but you're right." I place my palms against his T-shirt covered chest, his heart thundering beneath them. "This, you, us, is more than I ever dreamed. Even when I agreed to the concept, nowhere in my mind did I think I'd actually …" I pause, my brows pursing as I consider word choices in my head. "Find anything worth keeping."

His head dips, and he places open-mouthed kisses along my collar bone, up my neck, and to my ear, his weight settling on me. "Every day with you is altering me just a bit more than the day before." He lifts his head, his eyes staring into my own. "I'll never be able to go back to my old life knowing you exist."

My fingers skate along his sides. "No one says you have to."

He rolls to his side and takes me with him. My leg is hitched over his thigh, and he pushes my hair over my shoulder. "I'm married to medicine," he says, sighing. "Before the race, I hadn't taken a vacation in years. Instead of dating, I was volunteering for extra shifts. And quite frankly"—his eyes roam my face—"you deserve more than that."

"I do." I remember the ultimatum from his ex. "But your dreams are important."

He brushes my jaw, his fingers lingering. "Maybe dreams change."

The air in the room is so condensed it makes drawing a deep breath an exaggerated act. My nearly bare chest heaves and Edward's eyes fall to the motion. "Maybe it has nothing to do with the dream and everything to do with the man."

His palm glides around my back and slides down to cup my ass, pulling me against him. "Oh contraire. I think it has everything to do with the woman the man is completely head over hills for."

"Can it really be so simple?" It feels like it with his hands and lips on me. "Can we walk away from this race and into a life together, win or lose?"

"Absolutely." His voice reeks of certainty, and he punctuates his words with a kiss to the corner of my mouth. "I was a huge fucking dick the other day, and there's no excuse that's good enough to explain it away, but that's not who I am." He palms his chest. "The man you see right now is me through and through, and this guy wants nothing more than to ride off into the sunset with you."

My stomach flips. "How can you know so soon?"

"Soon?" He chuckles, his fingertips brushing my bare side. "We've been together 24/7 for six LEGS of this race in six countries and spanning just under two weeks. Let's think about that for a second." He pauses, trailing a lone finger from my shoulder to my wrist, his eyes on the movement. "That's probably about six months of regular dating if you ask me."

I tug my bottom lip between my teeth as I think through his logic. He's not wrong, but I'm not sure it all equals out either. It may even amount to more than a normal six months due to the stressful circumstances we find ourselves in. Either way, I'm right there with him, so there's no real reason to deny what is.

"It may even be seven," I tease, fully embracing his thought process.

"Or nine." He smirks, tickling my side, causing me to break into a fit of giggles.

He stills, and I open my eyes to find him staring at me so sincerely that my breath catches in my throat. "You're doing that thing again."

His nails dig into my skin as he grips my waist. He leans in, his eyes falling closed. The softness of his lips is the first thing that registers as they connect with mine. He's slow and careful, but I'm eager and out of control.

I lock my hands around his neck and my thigh tightens around his waist, pulling him to me. Our chests are pressed close, and my breaths are leaving me in heavy gusts as each pass of his lips becomes more intense.

I tingle all over, desperate for him to quell the ache. "Please," I whisper between passes, my hips rocking of their own accord.

He pulls away and I whimper, but then he rolls me to my back and settles between my spread thighs. The whimper turns into a moan when his jean-covered cock brushes against me. I grip his biceps, our eyes connected as he begins to thrust his hips.

I don't know if this is the right thing to do or at the right time, and I'm over trying to decipher it all. I want this, need it, and I'm prepared to face the consequences in the light of day if it's wrong.

"Faster," I murmur, rocking against his hardness. "More."

He groans, picking up the pace, and my eyes fall closed under the onslaught of sensation. "Open," he commands, shaking my shoulder. "I want your eyes on me when you come undone."

I fight the ecstasy and rip open my lids, allowing him to be my center as pulses of light start to dance in the periphery.

"So fucking beautiful," he rasps, punctuating his words with rough thrusts. "I'm close, Bella."

The gravelly quality of his voice is a plea, and I soar. My fingernails dig into his shoulders as he presses against my clit. I'm climbing, climbing, climbing until I freefall, diving over the cliff and floating through wave after wave of bliss as I sink back into myself.

His release is guttural, and his arms tense as his cock pulses against me. "Fuck," he grunts, all throaty and raw, and I almost come again just from the sound. "Damn that was hot."

"Smokin' hot," I echo through heavy breaths.

He drops down beside me, his thick thigh thrown across my legs and his arm across my chest. He presses soft kisses against my neck. "Please don't regret this in the morning."

I turn to look at him, and we're so close we're sharing the same air. "I won't," I reply, a bubble of emotion swelling inside me. "I think this was a perfectly timely step, and"—I pause, smiling—"I needed that so fucking bad." I shrug one shoulder. "I'd venture to guess we both did."

He chuckles, brushing my hair from my face. "I hope you aren't suggesting I was an asshole because I was sexually frustrated."

My mouth pops open, surprised he went there. "I wasn't, but were you?"

"Sexually frustrated?" He lifts a brow. "Abso-fucking-lutely. Who wouldn't be with you so near?" He palms my tit. "But it had nothing to do with me being a colossal dick."

"Uh-huh." I'm skeptical now. "And what did again?"

"Failure." He sits up, yanking his tee over his head. "I let it get to me in a way that I shouldn't have. How could all those other people see something I couldn't, ya know?" He tugs my leggings, and I allow him to pull them down and off my feet. "I have to be honest, though, if we're going to be together in the real world. When I lose someone, it affects me. I close in on myself and brood. I go over it a million times in my head, looking for anything I could've done to save them." He tugs me into a sitting position and pulls his tee down over my head. "As much as I don't ever want that to touch you, I expect it will at some point. I think it's something you should consider carefully."

"I don't think there's anything to consider," I say, opening his arms and straddling his waist. "It's too late to go back and pretend I don't know you."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He breathes an exaggerated sigh of relief. "I just …" He pauses, shaking his head. "I'm afraid it'll be too much."

"Will you come home and treat me like crap until you get over the loss?" I ask because that's the crux of it.

A wide, toothy grin spreads across his face, and it confuses me until he speaks. "We're going to be living together?"

I giggle. He's so damn cute when he smiles like that. "Are you gonna be treating me like crap when something like that happens?"

"Absolutely not." He's still smiling, patiently waiting.

"Then, yeah," I breathe, my lips curving to match his. "At some point, we definitely will."

"Sooner rather than later, I hope," he replies, his bright eyes expectant.

"In LA?" Now his earlier questioning makes more sense.

"In whatever place works for the both of us."

"I don't know if Phoenix could ever be satisfying enough for you," I say honestly. "It's definitely not going to be like Los Angeles."

"I'm not so sure about that," he counters, his expression thoughtful. "All big cities have level 1 trauma centers, so I can go almost anywhere and still be effective."

My brows climb my forehead. "And you'd have no problem doing that? Leaving LA?"

"For you?" he asks, one corner of his lip lifting higher than the other. "In the blink of an eye."

I push forward and ram my tongue into his mouth without waiting for an invitation. Everything tingles again, but I refrain from running wild and take all my appreciation for him out on his tasty mouth. Our lips fuse together and our tongues tangle, mine a dominating force as I show him how much his words mean.

"Damn," he grunts as we separate. "We should probably put this away for the night before things go too far."

"I hate when you're reasonable," I pout, knowing he's one-hundred percent correct.

He places me on the bed and stands, motioning down south. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up."

My eyes fall without thought. "Sure thing."

He's only in the bathroom for a couple minutes, and he comes out with his jeans still on and grabs a white tank from his bag. "Come on." He tugs my hand so I'll climb from the bed. "Let's enjoy a few quiet minutes on the balcony before bed."

"Let me just …" I trail off, tossing my thumb over my shoulder as I back away. It only takes me a couple minutes to clean up and he's still standing in the same spot. I take his outstretched hand and follow, sighing.

Thoughts of leaving this particular LEG of the race behind make me a little sad. Nice and Monaco have been absolutely gorgeous, an unexpected treat. I don't see myself coming here again, so this is a memory I'll cherish forever.

The sound of the Mediterranean lapping at the shore brings an instant calm as we move onto the small metal balcony. It gorgeous out here at night, and I'm glad Edward made the suggestion.

He takes a seat and tugs me into his lap, our twined fingers resting on my bare thigh. "This is a beautiful part of the world," he murmurs, looking out over the nighttime scenery. "Probably a little too fancy for my blood but gorgeous nonetheless."

"My thoughts exactly," I reply, pulling my knees up and curling in his lap, my head against his shoulder. "A once in a lifetime visit."

He kisses my temple and holds me just a little bit tighter. "We can cross the South of France and Monaco off our bucket list."

I smile to myself. "We have a bucket list now?"

He chuckles, and it's this rough, gravelly sound that makes me flutter in all the right places. "I hope so," he replies, the lights reflecting in his clear eyes. "I want everything with you."

All these gooey feels erupt inside me, but I'm unable to share them because a voice I'd know anywhere interrupts our moment. "Good grief," Emmett says, and I'm guessing he's on the next balcony over. "You two are still at it?"

"It's the honeymoon stage, babe," Rose chimes, like them butting into our private conversation is no big deal. "They're just getting started."

Edward rests his cheek against my head, chuckling. "They're starting to scare me," he says. "Always lurking and shit."

"Oh, it isn't just them," Esme says from the other side. "Voices carry out here."

"Wait a minute," Emmett says, more alert now than before. "Just how long have you been out here, Esme?"

"It isn't just her," Carlisle speaks up, chuckling. "And we've been out here a while."

"Shit."

The hissed curse is the only sound I hear from Emmett, and it makes me giggle. "Oh, my. How the tables have turned."

"Shut it, you," he responds, chuckling. "We should all probably put this night behind us and get to bed. We have a race to run bright and early in the morning."

"Works for me," Tanya says, and it sounds like she's on the other side of Emmett due to his muffled groan.

"You too?" he asks, his voice rising an octave.

"And me," Jake says.

"Is there anyone else for Christ's sake?" He's loud now, exasperated. When silence greets him, he murmurs, "Thank fuck."

Most everyone laughs, and it brings a funny end to our late-night balcony meet-up. "Yeah, we're totally calling it a night," I say, reluctantly crawling from Edward's lap and tugging down his tee. I know they can't see me, but still, it feels weird being so scarcely dressed with everyone so near. "Good luck tomorrow, everyone."

"Night," says Esme.

"You too," Tanya yells.

"Keep it down over there," Emmett jokes.

"Mind your own business," Edward tosses back, laughing as he closes out their voices with the slide of the door. "We can't escape those nuts anywhere we go, it seems."

"Emmett is like a ninja spy." I pull back the covers on our bed, climbing inside. "He's always listening."

Edward's arms brace on the mattress as he leans down and gives me a soft kiss. "Right?" His lips make a quick pass, and he pulls back. "I'm gonna grab a shower."

My eyes roam his body, tempted to invite myself to join him. "Don't have too much fun."

He shifts, hiding his hardness from my ogling eyes. "I'll be back soon."

I sigh, switching off the bedside lamp and snuggling beneath the blankets. The lingering wetness in my panties reminds me of earlier, and I reach down and tug them from my legs, tossing them in the vicinity of my bag. I'll shower in the morning.

As I lie there, my mind drifts to naked Edward under a spray of warm water, and I close my eyes and bring it to the forefront of my mind. His large hands roam over the slick skin of his chest and arms before slipping lower, past his ink, past that delicious V, and to the promised land.

Everything blurs then and becomes more abstract. Maybe it's a subconscious thing, but I don't want to imagine his hardness, applying an image from somewhere, someone, else. I'll wait for the big reveal and instead imagine his grunts and moans. His head tossed back, rivulets of water streaming down his face, and his free hand splayed against the shower wall.

I drift off, him on my mind and following me into my dreams. And when he snuggles in behind me sometime later, I settle into a blissful sleep.

His watch alarms way too early, but we're up, showered, packed, and ready to go by the time Alec raps on the door.

"LEG 7 here we come," Edward says, both backpacks on his shoulder and his hand held out.

I take it and we exit our room. "Date seven," I correct, my cheeks burning.

He snorts. "More like month seven, remember?"

Emmett and Rose are just coming out of their room and overhear us. "Put it away," he whines, covering his ears. "I can't take much more."

Edward claps him on his shoulder. "No worries. We're about to leave you in the dust."

"You wish," Emmett replies, his dimples shining as he smirks. "We're only eighteen minutes behind you guys."

"Eighteen minutes is a long time in this race," I say, waving as we pass them and follow Alec to get to the starting spot.

"Not when we'll most likely see you at the airport," he calls, chuckling.

"Damn it," I mutter, looking to Edward. "He's probably right."

"Time to even us up again."

When we reach the starting point at four-thirty in the morning, Alice and Jasper are just jumping into a cab. Alec passes over our clue, looking at his watch. "You have seven minutes left."

They pass agonizingly slow, but the time finally arrives, and Edward rips open the envelope. "Fly to Windhoek, Namibia."

ROUTE INFO

Our couples will now fly for 10 hours over the length of the African continent to Namibia, home to what is considered to be the oldest desert in the world.

When they arrive, they'll sign up for yet another flight on one of six bush planes.

"Oh my God." I jump up and down, tears burning my eyes. "This is a true bucket list for me. I hope I get to see some lions."

Edward chuckles, shaking his head. "I don't know how I'd feel about that."

"Did you see the one episode with tigers?" I ask, assuming he didn't. When he shakes his head, I laugh. "Yeah. One member of the team had to weave through a bunch of chained tigers to grab the clue. It looked terrifying."

"Yeah, that'd be a negative," he says, poking me in the side. "Or Bella's job."

"I'm not sure I'd have the courage for that," I reply as we head toward the waiting row of taxis. "But I'd love to do some safari-type stuff."

"If not now, we'll add African Safari to our bucket list," he says as he shoves our backpacks into the trunk of a cab.

I climb in the back seat beside James. "This bucket list is getting better all the time."

He chuckles, settling in beside me. "Anything we do is going to be amazing."

"Looks like there's no more trouble in paradise," Alec says from the front seat, his camera aimed right at us. "I take it we've completely moved past the drama?"

I look up to Edward, and he smirks before staring straight into the camera. "Apparently, I just need to get laid."

I poke him in the side, breaking into a fit of giggles. "Careful there," I say, trying to hold in my laughs. "This wouldn't be a good look if it got out."

"Come on," Alec whines, bringing the camera down to glare at us. "Give me a serious line for the show. The audience wants to know."

"Fine," Edward huffs, tapping his chin. "Bella and I are normal people who're naturally attracted to each other and we've met under some very tense circumstances. Neither of us is perfect, and we're okay with that." He pauses, looking to me. "I was a pain in the rear, I apologized, and she's forgiven me." He looks back to the camera. "I feel like the luckiest guy in the world."

"Ditto," I breathe, trusting him with my heart more and more with every passing second.

"Now that's more like it," Alec says, bringing down the camera. "In my opinion, it's better to address it than ignore it."

"I'm sure it won't matter," I say, rolling my eyes. "I'll be the villain either way."

Edward looks to me then, his brows furrowed. "Why would you say that?"

"The only people who will care to assign blame are women," I say, explaining it like he's a child. "And they will most definitely side with the hot hunky doctor over the evil seductress."

He tosses his head back and lets out a beautiful laugh before bringing his eyes back to mine. "Bullshit."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Care to make a wager, hunky guy?"

"Seriously?" He's still smiling like I'm being ridiculous. "Okay. Sure, but how will we know?"

"Social media of course."

"Oh, definitely," James says, leaning up to make eye contact with Edward. "The audience will definitely make their thoughts known."

Edward scratches his chin, his smile gone now. "It doesn't sound very healthy to read that stuff."

"I can take it," I say, shrugging. "I expect it."

"Well, fuck." His shoulders slump. "I don't know what to say about that. Do you really think that's what's going to happen?"

I sigh, feeling sorry for him. "I'll have my champions, so it won't be completely one-sided."

"But still." He stares straight ahead, and I can see his mind whirring.

I grab his chin and turn him to face me. "I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty."

"I know." He takes my hand and presses a kiss to my palm. "I just haven't thought much about audience response in general."

"Right." I laugh. "You're a guy. It's not how you function."

"Airport," the taxi driver says, halting our conversation.

ROUTE INFO

All teams will be on the same flight, which leaves at 9:55 am.

The flight is long, with two layovers, but it's daylight when we land. We're the 3rd team to make it through customs with Alice and Jasper and Emily and Leah right ahead and Tanya and Jake breathing down our necks.

There are guys with signs waiting as we exit the gate and Edward and I grab the guy holding the number three sign, barely beating Jake and Tanya to him.

The small planes leave in five-minute intervals, and though it's terrifying, it's also the most amazing thing ever.

I'm in freaking Africa!

By the time we land, we're right on the heel of the plane before us, and Jake and Tanya are circling overhead. Our clues are under the windshield wipers on a row of large, Ford trucks.

"Ready?" Edward asks. At my nod, he rips the clue. "Drive yourself to the bushman village and on your way, pick up a salt lick."

ROUT INFO

After traveling almost twenty-four hours from Europe, our teams will now take on their first challenge here in Namibia.

At least our clue contains directions, so I'm able to lead Edward the right way. It's especially helpful when we see Leah and Emily take a wrong turn, pushing us into second place with Jake and Tanya directly behind us and another truck behind them.

"San Village," I say, pointing to a sign. "Go that way."

Edward turns in the right direction, his head swiveling "There they are." He points to where Alice and Jasper are just pulling away. "Salt licks."

He pushes the truck into park and hops out, opening the bed and grabbing one of the larger blocks. Jake is right there beside him and by the time he gets back behind the wheel, Emmett is hopping out of his own truck.

"Let's go, babe," I say, encouraging him. "I see another team headed this way."

He presses the gas and spins dirt on the other two guys as we hightail it out of there. The road is narrow, and we follow along it at a safe speed until we see a sign for us to park and another that leads us to race down a path. We leave our backpacks behind as we hoof it toward the sound of drumbeats.

The path opens up to a small village with children running around and grass huts and men carving fresh meat. "Wow," I say, mystified. "This is amazing."

"There's our clue." Edward points to a basket off to the side.

There are large eggs with something written on them. I lift one. "Who's feeling grassy?"

I spy Alice across the way, and it looks like she's about to build a hut. I pass the egg to Edward. "I think this one is for you."

"Works for me." He takes it and cracks it on a nearby rock to retrieve his instructions. "Help the bushmen build a grass hut to earn your next clue. Follow their instructions and methods and be as helpful as possible."

ROADBLOCK

Namibia's indigenous sand people are known as bushmen and have been surviving in this hostile environment for more than 2,000 years.

Teams can now learn one of their survival skills by helping them build a shelter. Starting from scratch, they must use sticks and dried grass to build a traditional sand hut.

When the bushmen hut has been properly built, they'll receive their next clue.

Edward goes up to the line of waiting men and chooses one to be his teacher while I join Jasper on the sidelines. "This one looks rough for Alice," I muse, watching her grunt in frustration. "Sometimes being first to a ROADBLOCK isn't advantageous."

"Yeah," he says, snorting. "Sucks for us."

I pat his shoulder as Tanya joins us. "You have a good head start, so there's that."

We all watch, cheering on our teammates, as Leah, Esme, and Emmett join us. Edward is clearly in the lead with Jake in second. It looks like Alice is still holding on to third as she's found a groove, and Carlisle is fourth, Emily in fifth, barely started, with Emmett already nipping at her heels.

Esme and Rose are interacting with the local children, teaching them hand games, while their counterparts are sweating as they work on the huts. Overall, it's a long and arduous process, but Edward finishes first with a good lead on Jake, who's almost allowed Alice to catch up with him.

I nudge Jasper's arm. "She's kicking ass out there."

He smiles, and it lights up his usual dark face "She sure is."

"Good luck, everyone!"

Edward and I step to the side, and he rips open the clue. "Drive yourselves to ranger headquarters and look for the head ranger to receive your next clue."

We race back to the truck, enjoying the biggest lead of the day. "Way to go, babe!" I cheer, grabbing his shoulder from the back seat. "Who knew doctoring would translate so well to hut-building."

He eyes me in the rearview. "It's the drive for perfection more than anything."

"Whatever it is," I say, winking, "keep it up."

He chuckles. "No problem."

The drive isn't very far and a sign depicting "Ranger HQ" guides us right to where our next task awaits. "Grab the salt lick," I say as we file out of the truck. "We have to turn it in."

We again leave our bags and race to the guy behind a table. Once we place the salt lick down, he thanks us and offers the next clue.

"DETOUR," Edward says after ripping it open. "Track or Pack."

DETOUR

Namibia is the second least densely populated country on earth, giving wildlife here free range. This DETOUR lets our teams get up close to two of this country's iconic animals.

Elephants and wild dogs.

TRACK gives our couples the chance to play the role of a game warden, using telemetric technology to locate an elephant. Once they've found the magnificent pachyderm, a field guide will hand them their next clue.

The biggest predators for the endangered African wild dogs are humans. PACK gives our couples a chance to help keep them alive by feeding them. They must prepare a meal of wildebeest meat, drive it into the wilderness, and then serve up the delicious food to the hungry dogs. When the dogs have had their dinner, teams will receive their next clue.

"Which one you want, oh wildlife lover," Edward asks, looking at me.

I tap PACK. "I love elephants, but I don't want to get off on a wild chase for one. At least with PACK, the criteria is defined and we can control it."

"Good call," he agrees, nodding. "I have some experience with cutting things also."

I bark a laugh. "I guess slicing chunks of wildebeest could be similar to operating on humans."

He tosses an arm across my shoulder as we make our way to the meat station. "I meant processing a deer," he says, wincing. "Hunting isn't my thing, but I did go with my uncle once before I went off to college." He shivers. "Never again."

"I can see how that would be a turn off," I reply, nodding. "Everything in you wants to save life, not take it."

"Exactly."

At the meat station, there are three large carcasses handing by their legs. All the skin is removed, and the "butcher" gives us an example of how he'd like the meat cut. "No bones," our guide says as we pick up our machete-like knives. "It is our main concern."

Edward walks up to the carcass and chops off a huge chunk, meeting me at our table. "We need to cube this." He cuts off a nice chunk and passes it over. "Decent sized cubes work best."

We hunker down and get to work, Edward making sure we have a constant stream of meat. We have a five-gallon bucket to fill before we can be considered done, and our bucket is two-thirds full before Alice and Jasper show up next.

"All right," I cheer, air high fiving. "Did you kick Jake's ass?"

"They were right behind us, but I think they chose the other DETOUR."

"Shit," I hiss. You just never know which DETOUR is the most advantageous, but one of them usually is. "Let's get this done. I don't want to lose the lead."

Edward picks up the pace, chopping the meat as fast as he can and calling for a check as soon as it's full. Hyenas are pacing the fence line only twenty feet away, and I feel so alive I could explode.

Just as we're being approved, Emmett and Rose show up at the meat station and we pass Esme and Carlisle headed toward the TRACK task as we jump into a truck. The driver rides into the park.

Elation swells inside me as the wild dogs come into view. They look like their fur is painted on, and I want to pet one. "Look!" I clap my hands excitedly. "They're so gorgeous."

Edward smiles at my enthusiasm and follows our guide's instructions to spread the meat so they won't get into small skirmishes. Once the bucket is empty, I'm forced to leave the beautiful sight behind and head back to Ranger HQ to read our next clue, which should be the pit stop.

We're all running so close, I have no idea who will be last, and it doesn't really matter. At this point, losing any of us will be a sad day. For the first time, tears burn my eyes as I think about the pit stop, and I realize right then that Edward really was on to something.

These, now seven, LEGS are more like months. The relationships I have here are real. The friendships are true and deep. I care about every single one of these people, and to see any of them lose their chance at the prize makes me sad, even if it does heighten my odds.

How strange.

The truck skids to a stop and Edward jumps down, holding a hand to help me. The driver hands him our clue, and he rips it open. "Drive yourselves to the next pit stop!"

PIT STOP

Rising nearly a half a mile above the Namib Desert is Spitzkoppe. These unique gold granite peaks were formed after 130 million years of erosion. This ancient landmark is the pit stop for this LEG of the race.

The last team to check in here may be eliminated!

"Do you think we're still in first place?" I ask Edward as he passes over the clue.

"Oh, heck yeah," he replies, leading us back to our parked Ford truck. "There's no way another team passed us with the lead we had."

"I hope you're right," I say, guiding us out of Ranger HQ.

Not too far down the road, there's a sign that says Spitzkoppe. "Turn here," I say, pointing to the sign. "Holy shit, we might actually win again."

He fist pumps, meeting my eyes in the mirror. "We're gonna be unstoppable moving forward."

"From your mouth to the race gods' ears," I say, smiling because we're in sync and we both know it.

The roads are dusty and narrow at first before we exit the wildlife park. "It's 215 kilometers," I say, pointing to the sign as we leave the gate. "How many miles is that?"

He tilts his head before meeting my eyes in the mirror. "About 130 miles give or take."

"Shit," I hiss, not liking the distance. "Too much space for something to go wrong."

"Nah," Edward says, turning where the next sign indicates. "We're going to be careful and not push our boundaries." He glances to the dash. "Looks like we have enough gas, so no stops."

"If we don't get lost."

He flashes his eyes to mine in the mirror. "Zip it."

I smile, saluting. "Yes, sir."

"Smartass."

The drive goes by faster than I thought it would, and throughout the trip, there's no sign of any other teams. We miss a turn once, but we're able to immediately turn around and get back on track. It cost us two minutes at most.

"There's a sign," I say, pointing to the direction it's telling us to turn. "Oh look! It must be over there."

In the distance, large red peaks are jutting from the ground in sharp contrast to the dry desert surroundings. The narrow dirt roadway brings us closer and closer, and I finally spot Phil camped out on one of the lower, smoother rocks.

"There he is," I yell, tapping Edward's shoulder.

"On it," he says, pulling up at the marked spots.

We leave our bags behind and start the trek. It's a maze, and I can totally see it being a foot race for the other teams as they come in closer together than we are. We finally find a path that leads us up to him and hop on the map.

"Edward and Bella," Phil says, looking between us. "You are team number one."

I leap into his arm, squealing. He holds me tight, his warm chuckle in my ear enough to drive me wild. I pull back and look into his eyes for only a beat before pressing my lips to his. Our mouths don't open, but the kiss is long and hard and signifies who we are completely.

"There's more," Phil says, disrupting our moment. "You've also won five-thousand dollars each."

I slide down Edward's body until my feet touch the rock. "Awesome."

Phil lifts his brow. "I take it the relationship aspect is going better?"

"It's the best," I say, looping my arm around Edward's waist. "Not only with Edward but everyone else also. This is the best experience of my life."

"I get that a lot," Phil replies, waving behind us. "Another vehicle is pulling in. Let's see who's second."

We all watch as Jake and Tanya work their way toward us. While they do, another truck pulls up and out hops Alice and Jasper. The two teams take two different routes and it's a race to join us. Somehow, the sneaky dark duo navigates the rock better than #teammuscleheads and beats them to the mat.

"Alice and Jasper," Phil says, waving Jake and Tanya over. "You are team number two." He swivels to the other team. "Tanya and Jake, you are team number three."

"We'll take it," Jake says, giving the thumbs up. "We improved this LEG."

Phil looks between the three teams. "You'll be roughing it tonight," he says, motioning to the base of the rocks behind us. "As you can see, we have a campsite all set up. Tents for each team. There are outdoor showers, dinner will be served later, and we have a protection detail to keep an eye out for you."

"Oh wow." I'm smiling widely. "Sleeping in the bush for the win."

Phil chuckles. "I don't think this qualifies as the bush but definitely in the African wilderness."

I shrug. "I like that better anyway."

Edward tosses an arm across my shoulder. "Let's go check out our digs."

FINAL TEAM CHECK-IN

As we know, Edward and Bella come in first place and win five grand each as a prize. Alice and Jasper come in second for the third time in a row, and Jake and Tanya score with a third-place finish. They were the first team to complete the TRACK detour.

It's another twelve minutes before another team shows and it's Carlisle and Esme, who mastered the TRACK detour to make a respectable fourth-place finish.

Emily and Leah, who performed the TRACK detour, passed #teamblond(e)bombshells on the road with a flat tire to make up ground they lost early on. #teamfitasafiddle come in fifth.

Emmett made the drive to Spitzkoppe, and along the way he nailed a dried limb with the tire, resulting in a flat. He had to change to the spare, and they lost a spot on the race, causing them to come in last place.

"Emmett and Rose," Phil says, sighing. "I'm sorry to tell you, you are the last team to arrive."

Rose wipes a tear. "It was dumb luck," she says, gathering herself. "I tried to warn him, but I was too late."

"It's okay, Rosie," Emmett says, turning to wipe her eyes. "We've had the most amazing adventure, and we've made friends that will last a lifetime." She burrows into his wide chest, sniffling, as they turn back to Phil. "Lay it on us."

Phil shakes his head. "I'm pleased to tell you that this is a non-elimination LEG. You will encounter a SPEED BUMP in the next LEG that only you will have to complete."

Rose starts crying in earnest then, and Emmett closes her in his large embrace.

Race Tidbits: Aly and Steve, the last place finishers for this LEG on the show, did have a flat to come in last much like Emmett and Rose.

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get this to you. The bad news is I still haven't finished LEG 8 (not sure what's happened to my mojo). Next week I'll be giving my girl ceceprincess' next OF "Ruined by the Bachelor Marquess" a final read-through, so I probably won't get much writing in, but I will do my best to get you LEG 8 as soon as I can. I don't like to leave my readers hanging.

There are only 5 LEGS left after this one. Please be patient.

See you as soon as I can :)