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“It would be our pleasure,” Oliver said, sitting beside me on the loveseat.
Diego, not one to be ignored, motioned to the other side of the bench seat, and I scooched toward Oliver to make space for him.
Suddenly, I was in the middle of two very attractive men with whom I’d felt sparks. Their warm bodies were pressed along my sides, and the looks they were throwing each other over the top of my head made it increasingly harder to breathe the longer it went on.
“So, tell me about yourselves,” I said, trying to get us moving in the right direction instead of sitting through some kind of caveman display of dibs. “I talked to Oliver a bit this morning, so I know what he does for work. What about you, Diego?”
Those dark eyes found mine, and a smile graced his lips. “I’m a mechanic.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed, recalling the conversation Oliver and I’d had in the kitchen that morning. “Oliver knows about engines.”
I was proud to have found some common ground for them, but Diego didn’t look too pleased with my offering.
“That’s nice,” he bit out. “I work on airplane engines. You might have seen theTop Gunreenactments my colleagues and I do on TikTok. What about you?”
“I know nothing about engines,” I said. I hadn’t seen the reenactments he mentioned, but I could easily picture him in a flight suit unzipped to his waist, giving a peek at his tanned skin below.
Oliver chuckled a low laugh and rested a hand on my thigh. A kaleidoscope of butterflies took off in my stomach. He was sexy and unassuming, like someone I could find peace with after a crazy day at work.
“I think he was asking what you do for work,” Oliver offered, garnering a clipped nod from Diego as he stared at Oliver’s hand on my leg.
“Oh! I own and design my own clothing line,” I said for what felt like the millionth time that day.
“Mmm, did you design this dress?” Diego asked, running his gaze over me and making those damned butterflies take off again. This time, they felt like a swarm of bees vibrating in my stomach, shooting off frenetic energy.
“Yes,” I said confidently. It was an emerald off-the-shoulder piece that hugged my breasts and flowed elegantly down to the floor. The material was soft and light, something I insisted on for my fabrics.
“Gorgeous,” Diego said, leaning closer.
“So, Sophie,” Oliver said, pulling my attention away from Diego and putting it firmly on him. “What kind of guy are you looking for?”
I knew they hadn’t seen the footage filmed at the sound stage before we got to the island, but repeating it all made me feel vulnerable. We were all here to try our hand at love, but talking about it so openly felt odd.
“I, uh… I guess I want someone who can keep up with me. I don’t really have a certain type—I never have. But I work crazy hours and travel for photoshoots or meetings, and I make sure I still get to see my friends in what little free time I have. I want someone who won’t get jealous that I work a lot or demand more from me than I can give.” I looked between the two of them.
Oliver nodded. “I can understand that. Your career is your priority right now, and you want someone who won’t mind your schedule. It was the same for me when I was finishing up my PhD.”
“Yeah, surprisingly, that’s been a deal breaker in the past.” I laughed, feeling a little self-conscious that I talked about work the way most people talked about their loved ones. It wasn’t an obsession as much as it was a passion. People should love their work! But not every partner was going to feel the way I did about my job.
“My sister is the same. She works for a law firm, and with the hours she pulls, she struggled to meet someone who understood the demands of her job. It’s fucking messed up how it’s totally fine for a man to work a job with sixty-plus hours a week, but when a woman does the same, people think it’s crazy,” Diego said, looking enraged on behalf of all of womandom.
Femdom?
No, that was something else.
“I know, and it’s not just other people thinking we’re insane for our hours. Literally, I just caught myself thinking it might have been selfish for me to come on the show, knowing that when this is over, I won’t be able to give the relationship the same level of focus I can while we’re here,” I confessed. Was it inconsiderate of me to want to connect with someone, knowing my career would be my primary focus for the foreseeable future? The most I could do was be upfront about it and hope whoever I paired off with understood that.
Diego gave me a soft smile. “That’s the difference, though. You came into this knowing your priorities and limitations off the island. Being honest and realistic in what you can and can’t give is important, and it’s up to whoever you date to decide if that works for them. No one will be blindsided when you get home if you talk about all of that here. Don’t feel guilty about chasing your dreams.”
I appreciated his understanding of the situation and the lingering guilt. I knew he was right, and it made me feel better hearing it from a potential partner’s lips.Soft, scruff-framed, lickable lips I wanted to kiss again like right the fuck now. Dammit, Sophie! Focus!It wasn’t up to me to worry about rejections from an imaginary future partner. I wasn’t responsible for anyone’s decisions but my own.
“Thanks, Diego.”
“Okay, so we know you’re looking for someone laid-back and not demanding. What else?” Oliver asked.
“Fun, attractive, kind. A sense of humor is a must, but all of those feel generic. What I really want is to connect with someone. For us to understand each other down to our cores. I hate fighting and will absolutely not enter a relationship with someone who has an explosive temper. I’d prefer to take time to ourselves before discussing anything bothering us. Blowing up doesn’t benefit anyone.”
“That sounds like personal experience,” Oliver said.
