In which Lili is ding, Bobby is a neurotic mess, almost everyone gets dirty, and Hurricane Priya shakes things up. There's also naughty doings of a sort.
**
"What about 'Jaffa Cake'?" Rahim asked.
"I love Jaffa Cakes!" Chelsea trilled.
"I dunno. Define it," Bobby said, resting beside Rahim. It was a brutally hot day, and a group of them had gathered on the daybeds to escape the early afternoon sun. They'd been brainstorming a new bit of joke slang to try out on Jakub to see if he'd start using it. A man who ironed his socks that often was in desperate need of a prank.
Rahim scratched at his curated beard stubble. "Like someone who seems to be one thing but they're really another. You're on the pull and you meet someone who seems like a simple biscuit, but then you get to know them and find out they're actually a delicious cake. Like, 'That bird's a proper Jaffa Cake.'"
"I like the baked goods tie-in, but it lacks a certain... panache." He held up a finger. "Oh! 'Panache'?"
Lili, stretched out on her stomach at the end of the bed, tickled his toes. He squealed and curled up into a protective ball. "Woman!"
She laughed. "You can do better than 'panache', babe."
"We've been at this for so loooong!" Lottie said from the other bed. "What are the contenders again?"
"'Homebrew' was pretty good," Gary said, cuddled up behind her.
Sitting cross-legged on the other side of Lottie, Chelsea raised her hand as if she were in school. "I liked 'al dente'! That one's fun to say."
"No." Lili shook her head. "I think Bobby had it right earlier. 'Ding' is the winner."
He grinned at her. "It is the sexiest of all notification sounds."
"What's that one mean again?" Gary asked.
"It's like, when you hear the sound, you can't ignore it," he said. "You have to check your phone. So if someone is irresistibly sexy, you'll be like, 'Pal, she's ding'. It's such a satisfying sound too. Like... ding." He raised his eyebrows. "Am I right or am I right?"
Marisol frowned. "Outside the villa, what kind of monsters are going around without their phones on silent? I don't want to hear you dinging."
"You'd silence the sexiness of the ding?" He winked at her. "I think I know who the real monster is."
"Ding," Gary said. "Yeah, that's bants."
"Ding! Ding! Ding!" Chelsea chanted.
Lottie bopped her in the head with a pillow. "It's top secret, remember?"
"Sorrrrry," she giggled.
Rahim stood and stretched. "Anyone want to work out?"
There was a collective groan and Marisol shook her head vigorously. "The pool sounds better."
Everyone started to disperse. Gary knelt low in front of Lottie. "Lotta, hop on, I'll give you a ride to the pool."
She raised a suspicious eyebrow. "If you drop me in the water, I will hex you from here to forever."
He grinned. "I would never."
"Okay. I'm trusting you."
Bobby grabbed Lili's hand and started jogging. She laughed as he yanked her to the edge of the pool.
"Did we just exercise?" she asked.
"As far as I'm concerned, we did." He turned to look at her and his breathing nearly stopped. Her curls were falling out of her messy hair buns and her smile was wide and warm. She looked like an angel, glowing in the afternoon light.
Ask her. Ask her now. While she's awake.
He opened his mouth, just as a Gary shaped blur raced by, with Lottie on its back, screaming. "Don't you dare, you dickhead!"
The blur hit the cold water with the force of an explosive. An icy geyser shot out and hit everyone within a yard.
Bobby dodged most of it, but Lili was soaked. "Ya fucking blert!" she shout-laughed at Gary as water streamed down her face.
"Sorry!" Gary waved, looking proud of himself, even as Lottie tried to get him into a chokehold so she could drown him.
"Stay here, lass. I'll get you a towel." He raced to the villa and back and wrapped her in an oversized beach towel, pushing the wilted curls off her face. "I reckon you look totally ding."
She laughed as he led her to the bean bags, which were the only seats that weren't soaked with chlorinated water. Nervousness overwhelmed him, so he let his mouth flap about. "Sun, pool, and AstroTurf. The good life, right?"
"Innit! But it's not just any kind of pool."
"It's an infinity pool," he said. "That part's important. Ever stayed at a rental home with an infinity pool? It properly ramps the price up. What's so special about them?"
She used the towel to squeeze the water from her hair. "Well, it's pushed up against the ledge."
He paused and considered that. "I do like a good ledge. I guess it's like those rainfall showers. There's barely any difference, but everyone goes wild for them." Why the hell was he talking about pool ledges and rainfall showers? For fucks sake. Tell her what you feel. "Um, you ever thought about..." She looked at him with expectant eyes and he lost his words. "About um...sunflowers?"
She snorted. "What about them?"
"Like, I'm not that short, right? But I see a sunflower, and I'm like... Damn, son. That flower is bigger than I am. The flower is winning, and I'm losing." He closed his eyes. Jesus. He was monologuing on national telly about the height of sunflowers instead of asking the most wonderful girl in the world to be his girlfriend. Even after he died, his friends would never stop roasting him about it.
When he opened his eyes, Lili was staring at him with a bemused expression. "Mate, you are so not ready to hear about trees."
His tension eased as he laughed. How did she always know just what to say? Taking a deep breath, he reached for her hand and slid his fingers between hers. "Lil, I need to ask you something. It's important."
She sat up straighter. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, no. Everything is fine. It's just..." He clamped his mouth shut. Fuck. Fear was running through his veins hotter than lava, burning his courage to ash. The right words, the words he'd said just a few hours ago, kept disintegrating before they could touch his tongue and he had no idea how long he'd been sitting there frowning at her while he tried to summon more. He had to do it. Now. Right now. "Um, you're just so... and I..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I know things are... but I want to—"
The ping of her phone made him open his eyes. She looked at it and cast a worried glance at him, before sitting it screen down on her lap. "Don't worry about that. It can wait a moment, babe. Tell me what's on your mind."
He loved the way she always did that. Made him her focus. The most important thing in her world. He squeezed her hand tighter. "Sorry. I really want us to be—"
Her phone rang shrilly, making him wince. The producers made it extremely unpleasant to ignore the texts, that's why they dropped everything for them.
Noah and Rahim wandered over. "Was that your phone, Lili?" Rahim asked.
He pushed past the surge of frustration that bubbled inside of him and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Go ahead and answer it. I... I thought I had a good joke, but it didn't come together."
She gave him a concerned look, but her phone blared again, and she sighed. "We'll talk in a bit, yeah?" He nodded and she cupped her hands around her mouth. "Guys, I've got a text!"
He slumped down in the beanbag chair as the other islanders rushed over, crowding round to peek at her screen. "'Islanders, get ready to find out who scrubs up and who's ready to dish the dirt. Time for today's challenge. #getthoseskeletonsout.'"
"Oooh, dirty secrets?" Chelsea clapped her hands together. "This will be so fun!"
"Will it?" Noah looked anxious all of a sudden.
Lili stood and grabbed his hand. "Come on, babe." They headed for the challenge stage and she threaded her fingers through his. "Do you want to talk about what's on your mind?"
He was too wound up now. Too anxious, too afraid. But dammit, he would do it. Just not right then, all rushed between activities. "Nah. Maybe later."
"Okay." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
At the challenge stage there were two slides set up in front of inflatable pools. One was full of soapy bubbles and sponges. The other was full of thick mud. Jakub stared into the mud pool and wrinkled his already upturned nose. "That's ding."
"You're still using it wrong, mate." Rahim shook his head sadly. "Mud ain't ding."
Jakub's cheeks flushed. "Yeah, I know that. I was using it ironically, like." Bobby almost felt bad for the guy, but then he remembered what an ass he was to Priya on their date. And the way he ogled Lili every chance he got.
"You can't be ironic about ding," he said.
"It's a shame about the mud," Lili said, pointing at her glorious curves in the simple black bikini that made his pulse accelerate. "This outfit was ding."
"You're always ding, Lil," he said.
"Aw thanks babe!"
Jakub exchanged an uncertain glance between the both of them, saying nothing. Wanker.
Priya got a text explaining the challenge. Two piles of envelopes on the dais held secrets about their fellow islanders. Choose to open one and read the secret aloud and you had to take a mud bath. Resist temptation and keep it sealed, and the person whose secret remained inside, had to get handsy and wash you in the soapy clean water.
"Bring it on!" his competitive girl said, pumping her fist.
They lined up, boys facing girls. The first couple secrets were more cute than dirty. When it was his turn, his envelope said, 'Lottie'.
"If you open it, you'll have less chance of winning the challenge," Hope said.
"And you have to get covered in mud," Lottie reminded him. "Just saying."
Lili was biting her lip and he could see in her eyes how much she wanted to win. He usually played along with her competitive streak, but this was just too much fun. He gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry Lil, I can't resist."
She groaned but gestured for him to go ahead. He grinned and tore open the envelope. "Titanic, Little Women, and The Secret Garden make Lottie cry every time."
Everyone stared at the tough, witchy Aussie. She lifted her chin. "Yeah."
Lili nodded. "Same, to be honest."
Without anyone saying he had to, Bobby clambered up the ladder and slid down. "Geronimo!" he yelled, flying into the mud. It felt amazingly awful. He stood up and helicoptered his arms, sending splatters of mud flying. Everyone screamed and ducked for cover. He returned to the line leaving a trail of muddy footprints on the deck.
Next, Lili's phone beeped. She picked up an envelope with Lucas's name on it. She held the envelope for a moment, then placed it down.
"Aw, boooo!" he called out. "Open it!"
"I wanna win!" she said.
"You're keeping my secret?" Lucas gave her a slimy smile. "This means I can wash you if you want."
Lili shook her head as she got back in the queue. "I'm clean enough right now."
She was the best girl.
The stack of envelopes grew shorter and soon it was Lili's turn again. She held up an envelope that said 'Bobby' on it.
"Oh, please please open it," he said.
She smacked it against her palm. "I mean we're not winning anyhow."
"Yessssss."
"But..."
"Boooooo," he called out.
"But if I don't open it...you have to wash me."
He paused. "When you put it like that, it's a win for me, isn't it?"
She sat the envelope down. "I just remembered that I'm in terrible need of a scrubbing after the Great Gary Cannonball."
"So, it's really a win for all of us then," Gary shouted. "You're all welcome." Lottie elbowed him.
Lili grinned and climbed the ladder, giving her bum an extra swish before she went down the slide, splashing into the clean sudsy water. She looked behind her at him as she twisted the sponge out over her head, sending the water cascading down her face and body.
Mmmm. He slid down, landing behind her with a thump, sending water flying everywhere.
She handed him a sponge. "Lather me up, babes."
"Oooh I like that word, lather. Lathhhhhher." He wasted no time in making a spectacle. He squeezed soapy water down her back and front and got up on his knees above her, so he could get a good view of her bikini-clad breasts swaying softly as rivulets of white soap trailed between them. Groaning quietly, he wrapped his arms around her and scrubbed her stomach. She tilted her head and looked up at him smiling, and he couldn't resist a quick kiss.
Everyone hooted and hollered through it, but the only sounds that truly registered were Lili's quiet sighs of pleasure. Glancing down, he could see that her nipples were hard and straining against the bikini. She was turned on by their little exhibition.
Jesus, she was perfect for him.
He gripped her hips and pulled her further up onto her knees. He was pressed tightly against her and he knew she could feel his cock against her ass. He took great care scrubbing her thighs. So much so, that he was certain, never in the history of the world had any woman have such clean thighs. The whole time, he was nuzzling her ear, softly whispering the things he wanted to do to her and surreptitiously rubbing himself against her. She reached up and guided his head to turn toward her and she kissed him.
It wasn't a quick kiss.
It blazed hotter than the sun bearing down on them. His arms tightened around her and he had to force himself not to cup her breasts. Not to pull on her nipples and bite her neck and pull aside her bikini so he could fuck her right there in front of everyone.
"Didn't you two get enough of that earlier?" Priya's wry voice cut through his fantasy.
"Apparently not," Marisol said. "And I for one am not unhappy about it."
Hope snickered beside her. "Enough foreplay, you two um, er..."
"Lust goblins!" Marisol shouted.
"Yeah, get outta there, you lust goblins!" Hope said with a smile, her ire at Lili seeming temporarily forgotten.
He groaned in her ear, making her shiver, and leaned to reach for the towels. With a little maneuvering he was able to get it tied around his waist. It didn't fully hide his raging stauner, but it was better than nothing.
Lili stood and water sparkled in the sun as it trailed off her body. Fuck. He toweled her off and pressed a kiss to her shoulder before helping her out of the pool and getting back in the queue.
"I know I keep saying it, but Jesus, you're a lucky fuck," Gary murmured, beside him.
He couldn't help the grin that stole over his face. "Aye, I know."
Lucas flexed his sizable pectorals and rolled his eyes. A better man wouldn't have smirked at him.
Bobby wasn't a better man.
Lucas scowled in response before crossing the stage to take his turn.
The rest of the game passed in a blur. Marisol got an envelope with his name on it and she gleefully tore it open. "Bobby believed in Nessie until he was thirteen," she read, her eyebrows rising by the word. "You're literally from Scotland. How did you believe in the Loch Ness Monster until you were thirteen?"
"Don't talk about her like she's not real. She'll get offended." Everyone snickered, except Lili, which he appreciated. He was only half-serious, but he did rather like the idea of her existing.
Priya's phone chimed, letting them know that the challenge was over. Lottie and Gary were the only couple who hadn't read a single secret. They won themselves a night in the Hideaway.
Lili gave him a pointed look. That could have been theirs if he hadn't wanted to know everyone's secrets. "Oops." He folded his hands into the shape of a heart. "Forgive me?"
"I'll think about it," she said, looping her arm around his.
Half of them were muddy and half sparkling clean as they made their way to the garden. The mood was upbeat, probably because there'd been no fighting. All throughout the game Hope and Noah had been as relaxed and playful as they were in the first couple days in the villa. And now they were holding hands and laughing. Clearly they'd worked out their anger and made up. Which meant peace in the villa. He breathed out a happy sigh.
"Look what I've got!" Chelsea squealed. She ran toward them waving a handful of envelopes over her head. "Who wants to see what they say?"
"Isn't that against the rules of the challenge?" Marisol asked, flicking mud off her shoulder.
"The challenge is over babes. It's secret time." She gave a wiggle of joy and shuffled through the envelopes. Everyone cast bemused glances at each other, as she one by one, passed out the secrets to be read aloud. Most of them were still more humorous than dirty, including a particularly mortifying one about a gas attack Bobby had as a teenager. Thank god Lili thought it was funny.
"There were too many neeps in the Rumbledethumps!" he said, over her giggles. "It could have happened to anyone!"
"What the..." Lottie shook her head. "You know what, I don't even want to know what that means."
While Chelsea continued with the secrets, Lili stood in front of him and leaned against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the side of her neck, breathing in the commingled scents of chlorine, soap, and the faintest remainder of her sexy-cookie perfume. Now was the time.
"Do you want to maybe sneak away for a bit?" he whispered.
She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Absolutely."
He took her hand and quietly backed away from the group.
"Oh no, you're not leaving now, are you?" Chelsea chirped. "Because I just found this!" She raced toward them and slapped an envelope into his hand. "It's a Lili secret!"
Dammit to hell. He stared at the envelope.
Lili sighed. "It's probably stupid."
"But, now I'm curious. What dirty secret could you be hiding?"
"None," she said. "I don't really like keeping secrets."
"There must be something interesting in here." He stared at the envelope, wildly curious. But adrenaline was whooshing through his veins. Whatever it was, it couldn't be more important than asking her to be his girlfriend. He handed it back to Chelsea and wrapped an arm around Lili's waist. "I'll pass. I know everything I need to know about her."
"Aww." Lottie pulled a face. "Why are you two so gross?"
Chelsea shrugged and tore the envelope open before they could escape. She began to vibrate with excitement. "OMG! You're gonna want to know this! Lili you heartbreaker!"
Lili's brow furrowed and she stared at Chelsea in confusion. "What?"
"Well, come on then, what's it say?" Gary leaned over Chelsea's shoulder.
"'Lili's not one to brag, but she once dated—"
"Oh god." Lili lunged for the card, but Chelsea smiled wide and pulled it out of her reach. "'Once dated Scottish megastar..." She paused for dramatic affect. "Oliver Craig!'"
"The Oliver Craig?" Priya asked, looking gobsmacked.
"It was just a few dates." Her cheeks went crimson. "I don't even know how the show found out about that!"
Just a few dates. With one of the biggest pop stars in the world.
Chelsea shook the card. "There's more! Let me see. Scottish Megas—Oliver Crai—ah! 'It turns out she's quite the muse, as the biggest heartache single of the year was written about her."
With great force of will, he didn't allow his mouth to hang open. Everyone else gave in to it, their jaws slack.
"Noooo," Hope said. "'The One Who Got Away' is about you?"
She covered her face in her hands. "Yeah. But it was just a silly crush for us both. It never amounted to anything but snogging. The song's a bit of an exaggeration, like."
Bobby swallowed past the icy lump in his throat. He didn't like Oliver's minging music before, and even less so knowing he'd snogged Lili. And probably put his hands on her too, stroking her back, cupping her bum. Whispering sweet nothings in her ear with his smooth-bastard Edinburgh accent.
Hope hummed a few bars. "How does it go?"
"Oh no," Lili said. "Don't."
Noah stepped forward. "'Like honey on my tongue,'" he sang, in a surprisingly melodic baritone. "'One taste, then you were gone.'"
Lili's eyes widened. "That's about kissing, I swear! I hate that line!"
"'Oh, the one who got away,'" Hope joined in, her voice smooth as warm caramel. "'But time must fly, I miss the way she'd say hello, I hate the way she said goodbye.'" Hope collapsed against Noah laughing and he gave her a fond squeeze.
"Oh my god, please stop!" Lili said, laughing. "That song follows me everywhere!"
Lucas's brow furrowed. "Do you still talk to him?"
She hesitated. "Um, sometimes. He's a mate now, living the high life. But we do keep in touch."
"Does he still loooooove you?" Priya asked.
"No! He never... He's just a friend!"
A prickling sensation made its way through Bobby's body, like the first hint of frost bite. It was bad enough fighting off the villa guys who wanted Lili. But a handsome Scottish millionaire with fancy cars, who'd written Lili a love song? How the hell was he supposed to compete with that?
"Why didn't you lock that down?" Priya asked. "Rich famous guys aren't as easy to catch as you'd think."
"I wouldn't go out with someone because of that. Anyway, he wasn't rich or famous when we met. He was a busker." She twisted her hands together. "But he got a record deal and a tour. With my busy schedule and the distance, it seemed best if we just stayed friends and nothing more. It was never exclusive. Just two months and a handful of dates. He's dramatically romantic about the whole thing, but truth be told, we barely knew each other, like."
Two months. Bobby chewed on those words like gristle. Two months and a handful of dates. That was more than what they had. A lot more. He peeled apart everything she'd said. Dramatically romantic. Busy schedule. Distance. Barely knew each other.
Is that what she'd say about him once he returned to Glasgow and she went back to Merseyside?
"Well if you don't want him, pass him on to one of us," Priya said with a smirk. Rahim glared at her and pinched his lips together.
Chelsea's big blue eyes ping-ponged between everyone as she held up another envelope. "These secrets are so fun! Oooh! This one is about Noah!"
Noah froze and his eyes darted anxiously from the envelope to Hope and back again. "I think we're all done, Chelsea," he said gravely.
"What? Why?" Hope said, laughing. "You've told me your secrets!"
"I just think this isn't... going to be productive."
Hope's smile wavered. "What does it say?"
Noah pressed his fingers to his temples. "Why does it matter?"
"Maybe I shouldn't read it," Chelsea said.
Hope, never taking her eyes off Noah, crossed her arms. "Read it."
"I can't say no to my girls." Chelsea sighed and pulled the card out. "It says, 'Noah dated a girl for an entire year, when he wanted to break up after one month. He'd hoped that she would eventually dump him, but she never did. He might still be dating her if she hadn't moved all the way to Newcastle."
Hope's velvety skin turned ashen.
"Don't make this a big deal," Noah said.
"Don't make this..." Hope stared at him. "How can you say it's not a big deal?" Her voice was tight and quiet. "Is this what you've been doing with me?"
"No. You're being ridiculous."
"So you keep telling me." Hope whole body shook. "How long have you wanted to pie me off?"
"I—I don't."
"I mean, you sort of do," Priya said, sounding amused. She stepped forward, arms crossed over her ample chest. "Right?"
"Priya—" Noah said, a warning in his voice. "Don't."
"I'm saying it. Obviously, you have a history of not ending things, so let's get it out in the open so you can both be happier." She spun toward Hope. "Noah told me this morning that he was thinking of picking someone else at the next recoupling."
Everything went silent, as if a blinding vein of lightning had lit the summer sky above them, and now they all waited for a violent thunder to follow.
"You're choosing Priya?" Hope said through clenched teeth.
"It's actually between me and someone else." Priya swung her gaze toward Lili. "You can all guess who."
Lili stiffened beside him. "Hope I swear, I didn't know—"
Hope held up a hand and turned to Noah. "When were you planning on telling me about this?"
Noah lifted his chin. "As soon as I decided what I wanted to do. But for the record, I never said I was going to choose either of them. Just that I was... thinking about it. I didn't want to mess up what we have over something I wasn't sure about."
She laughed bitterly. "You're waaaaay beyond messing things up, babe."
"It was just a conversation. It's not like I kissed her," he said, acid dripping from the words.
Lucas took a step forward. "Hey, that wasn't her fault, that was on me."
"He knows what it was," she hissed. "I'm—" Rage and hurt, all jumbled together, flashed in her eyes. "I'm done with this." She turned and marched toward the kitchen.
"Dammit." Noah scrubbed a hand over his face and chased after her.
Everyone stared at Priya and she shrugged. "Someone had to say it."
"And it had to be you, didn't it?" Lili asked softly. For a moment, she studied Priya like a specimen under a microscope. Without another word she turned and marched toward the villa, her usually graceful gait rigid.
He followed behind her. In the bedroom, she dropped heavily onto their bed and stared at the ceiling, taking slow breaths.
"'Ohhh, the one who got awaaaay,'" he sang, as he sat next to her.
Her chest rose and fell with a laugh and she smacked him in the arm. "Shut it." Her hand intertwined with his. "That went downhill fast, didn't it?"
"Like an avalanche." He kissed her shoulder. "How are you doing?"
Her mouth pinched up. "I'm frustrated and... a little angry. I resent my name being dragged into that mess. Noah never talked to me about it, and if he had, I would have told him absolutely not." Her troubled eyes found his. "Not just because of Hope, but I don't want—" She frowned. "Never mind. I can't think right now." He sensed there was more and didn't say anything. Just squeezed her hand and waited.
"And Priya..." she huffed out an angry sigh. "She did that on purpose."
"She does love drama," he said.
"It was more than that. She could have handled it a dozen different ways, and yeah, it's not shocking that she'd choose the one that causes the most drama. But she didn't have to bring me up at all."
He sat back and tried to follow her logic. "I don't understand."
"I think Priya is trying to... to come between us, like."
"Lass, I told you that I don't want Pri—"
"No. I mean, I know. But she likes you."
"Course she does, she's my friend. I know the last few days have been tough and Priya's been a part of that, but she's not trying to steal me away. We wouldn't even be together if it weren't for her."
Lili's brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"
"When Priya was deciding who to choose, she saw that you and I had sparks. We talked about it more than once." He stroked his thumb over her lips. "She picked Rahim, because she knew how much I wanted to be with you." He tilted her chin up and kissed her.
She softened for a moment and then broke away gently. "That's quite sweet actually. But that was also day two. You don't think her feelings could have changed? She isn't happy with Rahim. You're the only one she really gets on with. And..." She bit her lip. "I don't want to bring this up, but she was going to kiss you on the terrace the other night."
"She didn't go anywhere near my terrace," he said. She didn't look amused and he shifted, feeling uncomfortable in his skin. "Sorry. I hear you, I do. Priya's a little destructive and I—" He rolled his tense shoulders. "Yes. She was making a move. But she was just looking for some kind of ego boost. It's not because she has feelings for me. She's looking for the total package, Lil. Looks. Charm. Money. I only have one and a half of those."
"Stop it." Lili rubbed her hands over her eyes. "Maybe I'm going crazy."
"No! You're not. She's been acting off for days, but I'm pure positive that it's not because of me."
"Bobby, you don't see yourself the way other people do." She shook her head. "You think you're some kind of, I don't know... some kind of consolation prize, when you're really the big win. No matter how mixed up I'm feeling right now, I meant what I said earlier. You are gorgeous inside and out. Smart. Funny. Sexy. And you spend most of your energy making everyone else feel cared for. You are the total package. Priya sees that just like I do. She's not stupid."
He studied her dark serious eyes and swallowed. Every time he thought he'd caught his balance, she tipped him sideways. Blinded him. Made him dizzy and scared of never having this feeling again. She made him want to be the guy she was describing. God, he needed her in his life.
"Lil..." He tried to speak but the words wouldn't come. His frustration throbbed like a heartbeat. Growling, he kissed her. She gave a squeak of surprise and then wound her arms around his neck. The kiss went on for a beautiful eternity. It didn't require words or spilling his soul. He sucked on her lower lip and she whimpered. He loved how that sound was his. How in these moments, she was his. His heart. His world.
She broke away and smiled. "What was it you wanted to talk about earlier, babe?"
Without answering, he tilted her head back and kissed her neck, sucking on the delicate skin there. He had no idea what to say. Finding out about Oliver Craig had melted his courage like a snowflake in the summer sun. All along he'd been terrified that Lili would say no. But now... what if she said yes? Eventually they would be leaving the villa and returning to their busy lives. What if time and distance and mad schedules destroyed them, until all they had left were memories and sleepless nights and heartache? He'd be more alone than ever before, lost in the shadows without her light.
He'd be just another dramatically romantic eejit who fell for the girl who got away.
"Bobby?"
"Hmm?" He had no idea how long he'd been sitting there with his lips pressed to her pulse, lost in thought.
"What did you want to talk about?"
He forced a laugh. "I don't even remember now."
"You said it was important."
He slid his hand into her still-wet hair and kissed her. "Must not have been."
She pulled back, her eyes full of concern. "Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it."
"I know." He had to get her off the subject. Putting a gentle hand on her chest, he pushed her back onto the bed, and then trailed his fingers down her stomach and lower, stroking through her wet bikini. She gasped and arched into his touch.
"I'm allowed to explore my options!" Noah's voice cut through the silky tension between them like a dagger and they jerked apart.
Hope stormed into the bedroom, her face still streaked with mud from the challenge, Noah hot on her heels. "Whatever," she said. "Go explore them, then."
"Will you stop walking away? I want to talk about this."
"Then you should have talked to me before talking to fucking Priya!" Hope shouted. "You humiliated me!"
Lili grabbed Bobby's hand and looked at him with huge eyes. He looked for an escape but there wasn't one. Hope and Noah were blocking the only way out, and they seemed oblivious to their trapped audience.
"I didn't know Priya was going to do that!" Noah threw his arms out. "That's not on me. I would never have embarrassed you in public."
"No." She spun and put her hands on her hips. "Of course not. But in private you'd tell Priya you were thinking about switching, and then a few hours later you'd shag me senseless." She jabbed a finger at their bed. "How could you?"
Noah took a step backward and swallowed. "I'm sorry. I didn't... think of it like that. This place is—it's making me..." He shoved his hands through his hair. "I—I want this to work. I think you're amazing. But things were getting so bad with us and I just wondered if they should really be this difficult. And then this afternoon it felt like you weren't pushing me away for once. I... I got caught in the moment."
"Caught in the moment. Right." Hope's breath hitched and she reached into her cubby and pulled out a handful of clothing. Tears trickled down her face and she swiped them away angrily with her free hand. Tucking the clothes under one arm, she shoved past him, and headed upstairs.
"Hope, wait..." Noah turned and followed her.
In the sudden silence, Lili's hand shook in his. The whole thing was too much for anyone, but for someone who'd grown up with people yelling and swearing and hurting everyone around them, it was far too much to handle. He knew because he was shaking too.
He pulled her trembling hands up and kissed them. "Come on, lass, let's get out of here."
She nodded and followed him outside. The sun was making its way to the horizon, taking some of the heat with it. Despite the cooler breeze, most everyone was in the frigid pool, staying far away from the Battle of Nope, so the beanbags were empty. He sat on the yellow one and patted his leg. Lili slid onto his lap and rested her head on his shoulder, her body quaking.
"Poor Hope," she whispered. "I can't believe Noah would do that to her." He stroked her hair and she looked up at him. "I know it's not about me, but I feel so guilty. I'm the one who encouraged them to keep fighting for something that I knew was broken." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I just wanted them to be happy."
He squeezed her tight. "None of this is your fault. You did what a good friend would do. You told them to follow their hearts. Where their hearts led them isn't your responsibility."
She was quiet at that, playing with his hair, twisting his locs around her fingers. Finally, she sighed, and he felt the tension leave her body. "There's something I don't understand. Why would Noah tell Priya of all people? Everyone knows she can't keep a secret."
"I'm sure that's why he went to her and not you. Give the secret to the person most likely to spill it and it spares him the trouble. Priya is willing to say what everyone else can't. Anyway, it proves a theory of mine."
"Oh, I like it when you theorize."
He nuzzled the top of her head. "I know this will sound dafty, but I think Priya and Noah would make a great couple. A better one anyway." She gave him a skeptical look. "Hear me out," he said. "Priya will say what he's afraid to say. She's as bold as Hope, which he likes, but she's less...touchy and intense. She'd pull him out of his shell without overwhelming him and in return he'd keep her grounded."
Lili thought a moment. "That... that actually makes sense. I don't know why I couldn't see that. And Hope would do better with someone more fun and confident, like. Someone more ambitious."
"Exactly." He stroked her hair. "A guy who makes her feel proper safe when she's insecure. That's not Noah."
"Why are you so good at this?"
"I dunno. But my mates don't call me the Champion Matchmaker of Glasgow for nothing."
She smacked a playful hand on his chest. "They do not."
"I swear it. I've been the best man in so many weddings, I have a rainbow collection of kilts."
"Mmm," she said.
"You're picturing me in a kilt right now, aren't you?"
"No."
He shook his head. "You're a terrible liar."
"I really am." Her laugh was warm against his skin. "So Champion matchmaker, huh?"
"Aye."
She ran a tickling finger along his jaw. "What kind of person do I need?"
He sat up and studied her. "Turn your head." She followed his instruction. He spun his fingers counterclockwise. "Now the other direction." She turned the other way, her lips quirking. "Hmm, yes." He stroked an invisible beard and jutted out his lower lip. "You're a tough one. Let me see your hand." She held it up and he traced the long line that creased her palm. "Ah, here it is. You definitely need someone funny. And loyal."
"I do. I really do."
"He should be hard working and care about others."
"An absolute must."
"Clearly he's got to speak Scots, Miss 'One Who Got Away.'"
She threw her head back and laughed. The world went still, and he forgot whatever funny thing he meant to say next. "You need someone who thinks about you constantly," he said softly. "A guy who worships your laugh like a religion."
In the pulsing sunset her dark eyes shone bright, turning nearly amber. "Bobby..." She seemed at a loss for words and it was all he could do to stop himself from baring everything to her. He couldn't. Not when he had to face the inevitability of losing her when they left.
"Oi!" Lottie suddenly appeared, and threw her wet arms around Lili's shoulders, pulling her so far backward she toppled off the beanbag entirely. Lili shrieked with sudden laughter as Lottie dropped to the ground and snuggled her. "Bobby, I know how hard it is for you to stop snogging this one for ten seconds, but the girl council needs a chat." Behind her Chelsea and Marisol approached.
Lili gave him an apologetic look, while Marisol gave him a side eye and a shoo-ing gesture. Relief and disappointment collided like an icy meteor hitting the earth. "Well, I know when I'm not wanted," he said as he unfolded himself from the seat. Chelsea plopped down where he'd been, and the girls gathered around her. He turned and headed for the pool, but a soft hand slid into his, tugging him back.
"So this lad," Lili said. "Finish telling me about him."
He'd used up all the energy he had for earnestness, so he went back to what he was good at. Being ridiculous. "Oh, he'll be a real catch. Great in bed. Willing to bake you whatever pastries you want. He'll even have a boatload of freckles for you to enjoy. But, most importantly," he shuffled closer and looked into her eyes. "He'll have the mad desire to smack your arse every time you bend over but be gentlemanly enough not to act on that impulse unless you say he can."
A tiny smile came and went as her teeth scraped along her lower lip. He could see her mind working, debating whether to force him to go back to being serious. He almost hoped she would. Call him out. Pull him from the hell inside his head and make him say exactly what he was most afraid to. Tell him that they were going to make it and that he'd never regret her because she'd never break his heart.
"Lili, come on!" Lottie hollered.
Just like that, the moment was lost. She sighed and shook her head at him. More stinging disappointment, like a shower of meteorite rubble after the impact, rained down on him.
She started pulling her hand from his but stopped. "Now that I think about it, I've already met that guy," she said quietly.
He studied her. "Have you now?"
"I have. But he's got me bare confused. I don't know what I'm supposed to think anymore."
Of course she felt that way. Despite the banter and the great sex, there was nothing holding them together. He cleared his throat. "What kind of numpty would do that to you? It's Oliver Craig, isn't it?"
"No. Oliver is..." She thought a moment. "For me, he's a biscuit. A nice sweet biscuit. The numpty I'm talking about is more than that. He's a proper Jaffa Cake. He just can't see it."
His heart battered furiously against his rib cage. She turned but he gripped her hand tighter, pulling her back. "Lil, um... I... Do you..." She tilted her head and waited. "I um... it's..." He shook his head. "Is that a no on the casual arse slapping, then?"
Why? Why was he allowed to speak? Fuck his life.
She rolled her eyes. "Bobby—"
Lottie grabbed Lili's arm. "Seriously, we need to figure out how to handle all this drama and we don't have much time to talk before Priya and Hope kill each other. Come on."
Their hands broke apart as Lottie yanked her away, but Lili looked back at him and god she was lovely. Not just because the retreating sun had turned her bronze skin to liquid fire, but because she was the light he wanted surrounding him, the storm he wanted to get swept up in. But what would that storm cost him in the end?
Biscuit or not, if Oliver Craig wasn't worth the trouble of a long-distance relationship, Bobby McKenzie didn't stand a chance.
Jaffa Cake?
Nah.