Bobby walks into the bedroom, most of the boys stop what they're doing to raise their hands in the air and cheer. "Ayyye, Bobby," Ibrahim says, coming and jumping on the baker. Gary follows close behind, jumping on him too. All three of them fall onto the nearest bed with a scream of joy.
"So, good date?" Noah asks as he comes to join them, the other three boys following behind. He sits on the bed directly across from Bobby as Gary and Ibrahim get off, allowing Bobby to sit up.
"Aw, mate," Bobby says, collapsing backwards, his hands on his forehead. "Ahh."
"Oh, he is gassed!" Gary says, playfully rocking Bobby across the stomach.
"So, did you bake?" Rocco asks, kneeling on the opposite bed behind Noah.
"Aw, yeah, we did, I've got the bread – where's my basket?" Bobby looks about, lost.
"Here," Henrik says, picking up the woven basket Bobby dropped. "Whoa, that smells so good."
"Yeah, so, yeah, we baked some bread and, yeah," Bobby says, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders repeatedly, a faraway note to his voice, "and that's been the absolute best day I've had in the Villa."
Gary points to Lucas who's sat quietly on the bed across from them. "And that's the man who wants to ruin that!" As everyone begins laugh, even Bobby, Gary leaps across to the other bed, budging between Noah and Lucas and sliding an arm over Lucas' shoulders. "THIS IS THE FACE OF THE MAN WHO WANTS TO RUIN THAT!" Gary says, pointing to Lucas again.
Even Lucas cracks a smile as the others fall about laughing.
*
Daphs heads downstairs for the evening with Lottie and Hope. They take a seat by the beanbags almost immediately, indicating their private chat.
"So, you two, I wanted your opinion on something," Lottie begins, casting a dubious look around the Villa. She's sat so she's facing everything, with Hope and Daphs settling for having the Villa at their back. "It's about my situation."
Daphs raises her brows, intrigued. "Do tell."
Lottie smirks for a quick second. "So, as we all know I haven't had the most stellar start in here. I've been stuck in a friendship couple since day one, and don't get me wrong, I'm so grateful to Bobby, but come on, it's not why any of us are here, right? But recently," she smirks once more, "we've obviously had some fresh meat."
"Tell us all about it," Hope says, budging her beanbag closer. "You and Henrik, right?"
"Yeah, so Daphs, when you were out with your soulmate today, Henrik pulled me for a chat. He basically said that the compatibility challenge did shock him when you got the highest and I got second. He was all about how after being in here for a day and having a chance to get to know all the girls, he can firmly say that I'm the one he wants and he knew he was right to think we had potential before he came in."
Daphs sits open mouthed. "No way!" She says, her voice gassed and her eyes wide. "That's brill. How do you feel about him back?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. He's obviously got the body, the looks over all, and he's not a player, he's not a laddy-lad like some of the other boys in here, you know? Like, this is the first boy in here who I have felt both attracted to and like I can trust him straight away."
"So, what's the issues?" Hope asks, perplexed, but Daphs had a sneaking suspicion she knew...
Lottie sighed. "The issue is a bleached blond thickhead who doesn't know what's good for them..."
"What's Kitty said?"
"Not Kitty!" Lottie shrieks, snorting, as Hope slaps her hand to her mouth. "Gary!"
"Gary?"
"Gary," Daphs and Lottie say at once.
"You like Gary or, like, what's he said? What's happening?"
Lottie looks ashen faced. "So, I might have reason to believe that there is something there between Gary and myself. Daphs can vouch for that, I assume?"
Daphs nods, looking at Hope over the rim of her drink. Hope looks scandalised. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"
"I – cause – oh, because I've not been a very good friend to Hannah if I go and jump on Gary now, am I?"
"Hannah?" Hope says. "Babe, you knew Hannah for all of twenty minutes – no, don't give me that look – I get it, though, you were friends, and you want to be loyal, but surely if she was a good friend to you she wouldn't have an issue with you getting to know a boy that she knew for all of three days."
"It's not just that, but he's the reason she was dumped –"
Daphs sighed. "To be frank, Hannah was dumped because she didn't try with any of the other guys. I get it, it's loyalty or whatever, but, if Bobby had chosen me and Rocco had to pick between you and Hannah, would he not have chosen you? You, who had made time for him and attempted to get to know him? And who's to say if Hannah had tried with him, she might have been here chatting with us over you? That's how it goes in here, hun. You can feel guilty all you like, but all that's going to do is make you miserable. This is the summer of our lives, and you want to spend it worrying about someone who isn't even here?
"Gary is here, babes," Daphs continues in her strong words of reason. "Gary and I haven't spoken about you two outright, but we don't need to for me to know how much he fucking likes you. He's holding back because you are. He ain't happy with Marisol, and she ain't happy with him. I don't want to see him go because you were both too scared to be happy, babes. Live for you."
"Pfft, go Daphs," Hope beams, trailing off with a bubbling laugh. "Exactly what she said! Look, I don't know what's been going on behind the scenes here, and I thought you were going to say you and Rocco were thinking of coupling up – I always thought there was something to be explored there – but yeah, if you and Gary like each other – I'll admit, he isn't my favourite person – but if there's something there for you both, isn't it worth trying?"
Lottie nods, looking like her mind has been made up. "I won't lie, I was more focused on Rocco for a while, even after he chose Daphs at that last recoupling –" she rolls her eyes, "but I've been watching his behaviour in here and I'm not best pleased with it. I think I was right on the first day when I said I had dodged a bullet with him. To be frank, I don't think he's in here for the right reasons.
"But realising that didn't exactly leave me with many other options. Bobby is obviously going to pick Daphs, Rahim has Priya, Hope – you and Noah are invincible – so what? Gary?" She huffs a sigh. "I think I've been avoiding this so long that nothing else makes sense. Now that I've spoken about it, I don't even know why I brought Henrik up un the first place."
Hope and Daphs nod. "Have a chat with Gary, hun," Daphs says, "and be honest."
"Should I go now?"
"Yes, crack on!" Hope says. "What are you waiting for?"
Lottie cracks a smile and gets to her feet. "Thank you, girls, I really needed this."
As she disappears, Hope and Daphs catch Noah. He raises a hand, flagging them down. "Excuse me, Daphs, I'll talk to you later," Hope says, glowing. She heads off in Noah's direction and his gaze shifts across to Daphs, a questioning look that confirms that to Daphs that he had wanted them both to go over. Daphs ignores it, knowing she can speak to Noah another time.
When Hope isn't around.
Not that that makes a difference.
Daphs spots Marisol and Rocco sat together on the steps of the pool, both their feet submerged bravely in the freezing water. They're laughing as Daphs approaches, and Daphs realises too late that they might be having a moment together –
"Oh," Rocco says, looking round a split second before Daphs can turn away and go find someone else. "Hey, Daphs, you joining us?"
"Oh, it's Daphs," Marisol says, inching awkwardly away from Rocco.
"Hey, you guys, what's going on?" Daphs asks, resigning herself to potentially be third-wheeling. She sits down next to Rocco, tucking her feet behind her.
"Oh, not much," Rocco says, "I was saying about how the Villa lights reflecting the pool remind me of this one lake I went to in this Swedish valley –"
"Just another one of his travel stories, Daphs, I don't know if you would be interested," Marisol cuts in. "We thought we'd slip away from everyone easily enough. It's so crowded in here now."
"Certainly is," Daphs says. "Don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone to go, but I could be doing with sleeping in an actual bed."
"You know you can jump back in any night you please, Daphs," Rocco smiles at her. Daphs slides her eyes to Marisol who looks a little stunned. "It's your bed as much as mine."
"But I won't be sharing it with Bobby, that's the thing," Daphs smiles coyly.
"I'll keep my hands to myself. Promise," Rocco grins, oblivious. He holds his hands up jokingly. "Bobby and I are all good now, he's a decent guy."
"Yeah, I caught up with him earlier," Marisol says, "he can't stop grinning since your date together."
Daphs eyes light up. "You two must be excited for your date tomorrow. Anything in particular you're hoping for?"
"I wouldn't mind doing something with my hands like you guys did today," Rocco says, grinning. "What do you say, Marisol? You wouldn't mind a little time getting hot in the kitchen, just us?"
She grins back. "I've always found it fascinating watching couples work together in a kitchen. It's really telling of how well they might work together as a couple, I think. It's fair to say you and Bobby are a good team, right, Daphs?"
"A reasonable assumption," she says. "He honestly makes me feel like I'm the luckiest person in the Villa."
Marisol has a soft smile for her, but Daphs swears there's a tinge of sadness in Rocco's. Is he jealous, envious? Does he want that with Daphs, or just want her to feel that way regarding him? Or does he just want someone – anyone – to feel like that about him? Does he want it for himself? A girl to make him feel like he's hit the jackpot? Maybe he feels all of that, a twist of emotions and wants and needs that doesn't mesh with one another, or maybe it's none of that at all.
Daphs goes to bed that night on the sofa again, Bobby wrapped up with her. He makes up for them by the time she comes downstairs, pulling her through before she can set foot in the bedroom.
Alone, they don't waste any time. As soon as those covers are over them, Bobby's lips are on hers, his tongue in her mouth. Daphs has purposely kept her nightwear light; a crop top that rolls up nice and easily, and a fresh pair of lacy, black underpants over her bottom.
The lights go out and Bobby's hand snakes up her top. He rolls so that she's under him, his weight pressing down on one arm as the other squeezes her chest, rolling her heavy breasts in between his fingers, his thumb grazing over her nipple, gently pinching it.
He pulls the covers over their heads, sealing them in darkness as his mouth found her chest; he pushes her top up further, getting Daphs to remove it completely. He takes a breast in each hand, pressing them together as he rolls his face in them, covering them with kisses, taking her nipples in his mouth and suckling, his tongue flicking over the nubs continuously.
Daphs rolls her hands through her hair, grabbing chunks and gently pulling as she lets the smallest wisps of breath escape her mouth, her hips rolling like a gentle wave in the ocean, the feel of Bobby pressing through their clothes against her making her almost desperate.
With the strength of her thigh muscles, Daphs catches him around the waist; she gently budges his shorts down, the waist band lowering enough to give him the hint.
Bobby pulls from her; Daphs excitement soars as she thinks he's removing his boxers, but instead he sinks further down the sofa, his head hovering between her legs.
Bobby runs two fingers up the outside of her thighs, stealing them under the waist of her lacy underwear. He hooks his thumbs and slowly, slowly, peels them down, stealing a moment to press his mouth against her while her pants are still on; it's like he's biting with no teeth, his breath heavy and hot, the touch of teasing.
He lowers them more, exposing her to him completely. As he takes his time to run her underwear down her legs, he kisses the area below her belly button, his breath rolling hot across her stomach.
With her chest left alone, Daphs has taken one hand to them herself, copying Bobby's teasing touches. She opens her legs wide, the invitation to begin as desperate as it can get.
Bobby kisses her stomach; he sticks his tongue inside her, drawing it slowly, deliberately upwards, lapping at the wet mess he's made of her. As his tongue touches down, the breeziest touch of her clit, Daphs lets out a breathy little gasp, her hand shooting down to his hair.
She can feel him grinning, delighted by what he's doing to her; if he decides to stop, they both know Daphs will be begging him in seconds to not leave her like that.
He kisses her lovingly, making way for his tongue again. Daphs can feel him positioning himself for the long haul, relief filling her as she realises his teasing is stopping.
Her lips tremble and softly she bites down on them as she keeps herself from calling out; his name is on her tongue as his tongue is on her; her mind is full of him as he takes her and makes her his own for the moment.
Daphs could scream his name, gasping, her mind on nothing but him and the purest feeling of pleasure, but she keeps it to herself as he takes her further; faster; coming –
Coming –
Daphs gasps, unable to control herself. "Bobby."
She has fistfuls of his hair locked in her grip, his mouth goes harder on her until he feels her slackening; her whole body relaxing, floating; gone. He leaves one last kiss on her before he sidles back up her body, coming face-to-face with her. He plants a deep kiss on her lips, his mouth wet and tasting deliciously of her. He kisses harder, making her taste herself. Daphs presses into him, the kissing driving her wild again. Her hands run all over his body, finally twisting their way across his back and squeezing them together as tightly as they'll go.
He doesn't break the kiss as he shuffles his boxers off. Bobby only breaks off, leaning his forehead against hers, as he enters her, their eyes locked on each other through the darkness.
Daphs shifts her right hand down, trailing her fingers along her wet pussy, brushing them lightly against him as he shifts in and out; as Bobby speeds up, his body heaving over hers, Daphs presses the tip of her index finger to her clit, the smallest of movements turning into a tidal wave.
She raises her legs, bringing her knees higher and higher as Bobby reaches that sweet spot inside, his tip running along it over and over and over and over –
He snakes his arms under her knees pinning her legs back and smacking her g-spot as he does so. Daphs can't keep herself quiet as he goes even deeper inside her and within minutes she's floored – she's done – her hips roll without her being able to move them – her lips tremble – her whole body does –
Bobby keeps going as Daphs extracts her hands. He presses his forehead to hers again, his breath growing shorter until – he groans, stiffening –
There's a moment when he squeezes her tighter, forcing her down with all his weight as he's unable to keep himself steady – and he releases, his breath heavy.
He shakily gets off her, rolling onto his back, his breath uneven.