Page 25 of Hot Summer

Ada laughed, her whole body shaking a little with the effort. “Right? He looked like he was gluing himself to her.”

“If it makes you feel better, I don’t think Tia enjoyed it,” Sienna said. “She was wiping her mouth when he finally pulled away.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Ada said. “I had to, too.”

“I’m not surprised,” Cas said. “It sounded like you were making out with a waterfall.”

Ada snorted and dropped one of her hands so it came to rest on Cas’s thigh. The contact was sharp, instant, and it sent a pulse of want through Cas. Even through the sticky foam coating her skin.

Ada left her hand there for a long second before she pulled away and sighed again.

“Honestly, he’s just fucking rude and careless, and it’s pissed me off.”

“And now you have to share a bed with him and not smother him in his sleep,” Sienna said.

Ada groaned. “I’m sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“You can bunk with me,” Cas said. “Femi won’t mind.”

Ada laughed. “I’m sure he wouldn’t, two gorgeous girls snuggled up on either side of him.”

“That’d probably be his dream,” Sienna said.

“Attention, lovers.” The speaker was directly next to them in the garden, and the voice was loud. Sienna screamed. “One by one, you’re going to make your way into the confession hut and share your thoughts about today’s challenge. No one is permitted to shower until after their confessional has been recorded.”

The groan that went through the villa was palpable.

Cas had just finished settling into the round rattan chair when a speaker on the wall opposite crackled to life. “Hey, Cas, it’s Chloe. Are you ready to talk about the challenge?”

“Yeah.” Cas crossed her arms, tucked one foot up underneath her. It was unsettling, talking to someone you couldn’t see. “Definitely.”

“Perfect.” Cas could hear the rustling of papers over the line. “So what did you think of the challenge today?”

Seeing as she was still covered in a layer of grime so thick Cas was sure she’d need a chisel to get it off, she wasn’t thrilled about it.

“It was really fun!” She smiled at the camera and hoped the truth wasn’t etched into her face. “It was great getting to know everyone; I think it really helped us bond.”

“Did you learn anything surprising about your fellow lovers?”

Cas thought for a moment before she barked a laugh, falling back into her chair. “I was surprised that Reece has had a foursome.”

“Why was that surprising?”

“He just seems so... innocent.” It was the nicest way to say that Reece seemed like he still curled up with a stuffed animal every night. “I didn’t expect it of him.”

“What did you think about Brad’s kiss with Tia?” Chloe was quiet for a long minute, but when Cas didn’t speak, she clarified. “Did you think that Tia chose Brad on purpose?”

“Well, she had to guess who she thought fitted just like the rest of us. And Brad defo seems like he’d brag about sleeping with people, so I can’t say I was surprised she thought it was him.”

“You looked annoyed during the challenge, though, would you say that’s fair?”

Fuck, had she? She needed to control her damn face.

She paused for a long moment, weighing her words carefully before she spoke. “I... was just more concerned about how Ada was feeling.”

“How is she feeling?”

Cas grit her teeth together. “I think that’s more for her to say. I don’t want to speak for her.”

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