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“Hi! My name is Viv!” the other said, giving me a hug. She looked amazing. Her dark skin, accented with body glitter across her decolletage, shone in the sunlight, while her neon green bikini drew the eye to her stunning assets. I was already taking notes to add that color to our swimwear line for next year.
Then I was introduced to Kayla, a loud Brit who seemed like she was going to be the life of the party; and Gia, an olive-skinned beauty with long, chocolate brown hair.
Quickly counting the people on the beach, I realized I was the last one to arrive.
Hot damn. Everyone here is gorgeous.
The guys circled us moments later. One of them held out a flute of champagne for me, and I took it with a polite grin.
“Diego,” he said, smiling warmly and tapping his glass against mine.
“Sophie,” I replied, my voice a little breathless after the morning’s events. I maintained eye contact as I sipped my drink. I remembered reading that in some countries, they believed if you didn’t look someone in the eyes as you toasted and drank, you’d get seven years of bad sex. There was no way I was tempting fate in my circumstances.
His dark hair and eyes were perfect complements to his tanned skin. He had a broad chest and thick torso, not stacked with rippling abs like you’d find on flexing thirst traps, but he was built.
We shared a quick hug after I metaphorically picked my jaw up off the ground and turned to his left.
The guy beside Diego was tall as hell and had beautiful dark skin. I raked my eyes over his body, tracing the tattoo of a beast of some kind on his pectoral—which was basically the size of a dinner plate. When I finally made it to his face, I found a bright smile and welcoming eyes.
He came in for a veritable bear hug and wrapped me in his sun-warmed arms. “I’m Zander,” he said cheerfully.
Next, I found myself in the arms of a redhead, my feet barely touching the ground as I was passed over like a hot potato. He was tall and lean, with artfully messy hair, freckles dotting his shoulders, and dark blue eyes.
“I’m Aaron,” he said once we disengaged.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Sophie,” I answered.
Much like the rest of the guys, he wore board shorts that hung low on his hips, showing off that little V leading to the promised land. There was nothing like a finely crafted Adonis belt to make a girl go stupid.
Okay, fine.Me.It mademego stupid.
This was a lot of hugging, and I was blaming the lack of personal space for my erratic thoughts.
Then I met Daniel—a Spaniard with a beautiful accent and a puka shell necklace. And finally, Oliver—who seemed to be the quietest among them. He had black-framed glasses, script tattoos on his arms, and a British accent that made my knees weak. It differed from Kayla’s, but I wasn’t well versed enough in their accents to even venture a guess about who was from where.
Holy hell. I did not expect to find so many of them this attractive. But then again, this was a new dating show. Of course, they were going to choose hot contestants. Attractive people equaled better ratings.
The producers clearly made it a point to choose contestants who ranged in size, build, ethnicity, and features. There was great variety among our small-ish group, and I was honestly looking forward to getting to know everyone.
After all, we were trapped on an island together for the foreseeable future. I told myself coming on this show was a way to bring some publicity to the brand, but maybe, just maybe, this could also be a chance for me to connect with someone. If any of their personalities were as good as their packaging looked, I was in trouble because a couple of these guys were certainly my type.
CHAPTERTHREE
Sophie
“That’s a wrap on the introductions!”a cameraman called from the side. “Next up, our host will join us to go over the rules of the show. So, when he arrives, be sure to show your excitement. Even though you received a copy of the rules with your contracts, pay close attention. We’ll be zooming in on your faces to get reactions, and don’t forget to cheer again when he wraps it up. Then you guys can head into the villa to explore while the stationary cameras watch.”
The cameraman pointed toward another pathway leading to the beach, and all of us turned to watch as Troy Hannen, TV personality and minor celebrity, strode along the planks toward his mark. He looked camera ready in a tan summer suit and open collar.
“Hello, hello! Welcome toLove on Display!” he said enthusiastically, spreading his arms wide in greeting. We all cheered, and Diego, the guy who had brought me the champagne, slung an arm around my shoulders.
Ooh, I was in trouble.
“I’m your host, Troy Hannen, and we are here on a beautiful secluded island where the ten of you will form connections and get to know one another while our viewers at home watch.” He turned toward a different camera and addressed the viewers.
“Audience, it will be your responsibility to observe our participants and vote. Your choices will give couples the push they need to deepen those connections over the next four weeks. Episodes will be uploaded Monday through Friday, and voting closes Friday at 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.” Troy looked back toward us as we clapped along. “The viewers will choose a couple, and those two will spend the weekend at a nearby island without cameras, giving the lucky winners time to connect without the pressure of being observed. We hope that the time away will lead to genuine connection and closeness.”
One guy—Aaron, if I remembered his name correctly—thrusted his hips. Aaaand, there was one less connection I wanted to make. Sure, sex was a real possibility on a remote island with a sexy housemate, but I had a feeling he had just lost a lot of female viewers’ admiration with that frat-boy move.
