Page 60 of Taking the Heat

Beau the cowboy was drawing hearts in the sand while the princess from Jordan watched him adoringly. Pauline and Chase splashed in the shallows, collecting shells and spotting fish, while the world’s weirdest threesome, Babette, Lars and Mila, sat in a cross-legged circle, chatting happily.

It felt like Chris and I were the only ones who hadn’t spent the past day and a half shagging like bunnies on Viagra, until I saw Henry sitting slumped under an umbrella. He looked totally dazed and drained. Jen approached him, grinning widely and handing him a frosty glass of juice. I hoped that she’d found someone to spend naked time with—for her, I didn’t think the pitch-dark fantasy cabin encounters would be as satisfying as an afternoon delight.

Meghan came up and clutched my elbow. ‘Do you think we could talk for a moment?’

‘Sure,’ I said, shooting Chris an apologetic look as Megs drew me to the far side of the stage.

‘I don’t know what to do! I think if you could help me, then I’d know, you know?’ Her cheeks were almost as red as her hair as she fidgeted uneasily.

‘Nik and Callum?’ I guessed.

‘Yes! After they got into that fight, I was bloody fuming at them both. But then, during the storm, they were both so wonderful, caring for me. I thought spending some time with both of them would help, so I was with Callum all day yesterday and Nik last night.’

‘And …?’

‘And, now it’s worse!’ She clutched at the loose cotton of her cream skirt, wringing the material in her hands. ‘I love them both! I’ve made love to them both! And I can’t pick one over the other!’

‘Shhh …’ I hugged her tightly, letting her pour her frustrations into my shoulder. ‘You don’t have to pick anyone yet. There’s more than a week left—why not just wait and see what happens? Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Just let it go, enjoy the ride and figure the rest out later.’

‘Is that what you’re going to do?’ She looked at me with her luminous mocha eyes.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, aren’t you caught between Henry and Chris?’

I peeked over my shoulder to where the two men stood. Chris scowled at the sea, still radiating sexual tension, while Henry chatted away with Jen, his face relaxed and open. ‘I didn’t come here to fall in love—in fact, I’ve tried really hard not to—and I could fall for Henry so easily. But there isn’t really a choice for me.’

‘It’s Chris, isn’t it?’ She grinned at me, her expression sparkling.

‘It’s Chris. For as long as he wants me.’

***

The gong sounded, and we all drifted towards the stage. Instead of the familiar face of Miles, an elegant, angular woman in a power suit stood at the microphone.

‘Good day, contestants. I’m Maxine, the executive producer ofErotic Island. Before we recommence filming, I wanted to speak with you all off camera.’

I recognised her clipped accent from my acceptance phone call all those months ago. With her severe plum-coloured bob and sinewy figure, she exuded authority and efficiency.

‘First of all, our sincere thanks for being a part of the show. Worldwide, we have the highest TV ratings for a non-sporting show in history. More than one billion people tuned in to the last episode, which was the first date day. The televised feed is about a week behind our filming schedule, which is handy when unexpected events pop up.’

‘Like the cyclone that almost fuckingendedall of us?’ offered Clara.

‘Yes, thank you, dear.’ Maxine didn’t look very grateful for the interruption, moving on. ‘That’s the second topic I’d like to cover. You all deserve our deepest apologies for the other night. We were aware of the cyclone, but it wasn’t predicted to come anywhere near our shores. It changed directions at the last second, and escalated from a category three to a category four. We were caught out and we are truly sorry.’

General grumbling and dissent filled the air. Maxine raised her hands. ‘And to show the extent of our appreciation for your forgiveness, we’ve credited twenty thousand of your million-dollar prize into your bank accounts. Consider it a gift—one we hope will ensure your cooperation as the competition continues.’

Some iPads were produced and I quickly logged into my bank, feeling a rush of good will towards the violent storm as the numbers appeared on the screen. Seeing twenty thousand dollars under my name made me even more determined to have the rest of the bucks follow too.

‘Also, as most of you are aware, we haven’t enforced touch restrictions while the power has been down. I hope you’ve made good use of your time—’

‘Oh, yes! Thank you, I very much have!’ Jen’s excited voice rang out and everyone laughed.

‘Good to hear. But from now on, we will be even more stringent, so be warned. That’s it from me.’ She allowed herself a tight smile. ‘We’re making great television here, people. Keep it up.’

Stepping from the platform, she handed the stage to Miles. The cameras beeped on and the crew sprang into action as our hung-over host began to relay our newest instructions, in a slightly lacklustre tone.

‘Welcome back, contestants. Today’s challenge is a childhood favourite for many: Capture the Flag.’

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