Chapter 15

"Do you think this is what actual nurses wear?" Cas asked, glancing at Ada in the mirror. They were wearing matching white bodysuits with red trim, the fabric so tight that Cas could swear it was see-through. The only nod to the fact that they were allegedly nurses was the cheap plastic stethoscopes around their necks and the floppy paper hats they'd pinned in their hair.

Ada had oscillated between tying her hair up and leaving it down, and her hair was now falling around her shoulders in loose, beach-combed waves as a result. But what was really catching Cas's attention, though, was the way Ada was essentially trying to shove her breasts inside a top that was clearly not made for anyone with actual tits.

"I hope not. I can't imagine it'd be easy to get blood out of white fabric like this."

Sienna snorted. "I'd be more concerned about being on the ward with my nipples out than trying to remove bloodstains."

After the chaos of the first week, their second and third were relatively peaceful. There was some drama going on with Lexi and Charlie and Delilah, the new girl, but Cas had more or less been avoiding it—getting involved wasn't going to do her any favors. An approach that seemed to pay off because she and Lexi were tied for last place at the third week's rankings.

It wasn't really an improvement, but it felt like one.

In true Hot Summer form, though, they'd taken the first opportunity to put them all through something guaranteed to amp every single bit of drama up to eleven.

The dance challenge was notorious—every summer, they trotted the women out and got them to grind over every man in the villa in tiny outfits that aggressively threatened the possibility of a nip slip at any moment.

Gyrating in these was going to take a lot of special effort.

Ada seemed to be reading Cas's thoughts.

"I have no idea how we're supposed to dance in these."

Lexi frowned as she tied her hair up into a top knot tight enough to make a ballerina jealous. "Is dancing different in tight clothes?"

"No, I just—" Ada did an experimental body roll, and Cas watched as the top slid down, nearly causing Ada's tits to pop out.

Ada gestured down at her chest.

"I'm sure they'd blur it," Tia said.

"Yeah, but the last thing I need is Brad getting an eyeful and—"

She stopped, seeming to catch herself. No one spoke for a few heavy beats, so it was just the sound of spandex and hair spray as people didn't ask while very viscerally wanting to ask.

"He seems like he likes you," Tia said carefully.

"No, yeah," Ada said. She was nodding and agreeing, but it sounded more like an attempt to move the conversation along rather than an actual agreement. "We were talking about that in the beach hut on Saturday when I was debating partnering up with Leo...." She hesitated for a long moment, and then her eyes flicked to Cas's in the mirror.

It made sense now why Ada had stayed with Brad for so long. She'd been stuck with him last week, but had still decided, for some godforsaken reason, to re-partner with him for week three. Cas hadn't understood at the time, but of course Ada was still giving him a shot when she had producers in her ear encouraging her to.

Cas shifted closer to Ada and subtly nudged her toe against the side of Ada's foot. Tried, when Ada met her gaze, to communicate that she supported her no matter what.

Ada flashed Cas a grateful smile.

"I'm kind of glad you didn't," Delilah said, laughing awkwardly as she tugged down the hem of her skirt. Cas was sure she was—being partnered up with Leo, a pairing with absolutely zero interest on either side, meant she was able to spend as much time as she wanted causing problems with Lexi and Charlie.

"Are you going to give him the cold shoulder during the competition today?" Sienna asked. She was swiping mascara onto her bottom lashes, her eyes wide and her mouth popped as she tried to get the right angle.

Ada shrugged, combing through her hair with her fingers.

"I think so. I've got to dance with him, obviously, but I don't want him thinking that it's an invitation in, like, any way, shape, or form."

"You still need to figure out how you're going to dance at all in that thing," Lexi said. She was grinning, borderline giggling as she pointed at Ada's slowly lowering top.

"Maybe it'll have to be a lot of hip movements," Ada said. She gyrated her hips so she was almost grinding against the dressing table, sinking a little weight into her knees so she dipped a few inches in height.

Tia whooped and whistled. "Yes, girl!"

Ada's grin was immediate. Infectious.

She rolled her body again, and though the top tugged lower, it stopped just short of actually revealing full nipple, instead pressing against her breasts so that they swelled perfectly over the top.

"Holy shit." Cas hadn't meant to say it, had really only meant to think it, but the words were out of her mouth before she'd even had the ability to stop them.

And then Ada winked at her, she winked, and Cas was sure that she'd died and gone to sapphic heaven.

"Grind on every single one of those boys when we get to the ring," Sienna said. She rolled her own body in the chair, her hips nearly making contact with the dressing table.

"And then skip Brad and watch his head explode," Cas added.

Ada laughed and clapped Cas on the shoulder, her fingers pressing into Cas's exposed skin.

"I think we might have a plan, girls."

If Cas had thought she'd seen enough when they'd been practicing, it was nothing to the actual competition. It was more awkward than Cas had anticipated, largely because, despite the music they always played over these scenes in the edit, there was absolutely no music playing during the competition itself, but there was still something almost unbearably sexy about it, especially once they all got over the awkwardness of dancing around without any music on.

Cas's approach hadn't been well thought out—she skimmed her body across each of the boys, traced her tongue down a few throats, but with each turn she took, with each pass of her hips, she felt herself leaning into it just enough that she knew she'd get away with having a passable performance on social media.

Or, at least she hoped she would.

Where the real joy came, though, was watching the other girls dance. And Ada in particular.

Watching Ada's body move as she glided over the boys who couldn't keep their eyes off her.

Cas felt herself getting drawn further and further in. She was mesmerized by the curves of Ada's body, by the slow, sinuous way she moved. She looked so sweet and innocent most of the time, and the contrast was making Cas's pulse skyrocket.

Ada took extra time with Leo, like she knew that that was the perfect way to set Brad's teeth on edge. Cas was torn between watching Ada grinding on Leo and watching the way that Brad's body very intensely began to betray him, from the firm set of his feet on the ground to his crossed arms and furrowed brow that gave away every single thought in his head.

Ada had just skimmed her hands along the inside of Leo's thigh, eliciting a sharp, thrilled laugh from his mouth, when Brad huffed and pushed himself to his feet.

Standing there, a few feet away, it felt like watching a car crash in slow motion.

Ada didn't notice at first, just leaned down and ghosted her lips over Leo's before moving to plant a kiss on his jaw at the last second, laughing as he came forward to chase her for an actual snog.

For that flash of a moment, there was an unbeatable power on Ada's face. An awareness of her raw sexuality, of her appeal. She could have everyone in this villa chasing after her if she wanted. It wasn't a look Cas had ever seen on Ada's face, and it was like a wire had sparked to life under her skin.

As Ada straightened, she realized just how pissed off Brad was. Cas expected her to speak to him, to ask him what was going on or otherwise give him a platform to vent his grievances, but Ada just raised her eyebrows, impatient and almost amused, like he was a toddler throwing a fit in the middle of Sainsbury's. In response, Brad huffed angrily, said, "Fuck this," and stormed off.

Ada's face was a perfect mask of indifference as Brad jumped over the rope surrounding the platform and stalked off toward the villa. Cas was sure that, before long, producers would be calling out to him through the Voice of God to convince him to get back into the ring.

Or maybe they wouldn't. This was, after all, the exact kind of drama that they lived for.

As soon as Brad disappeared, a slow smile stretched across Ada's face.

"Well, I was due to give one more lap dance, so..." She held her hand out to Cas who was standing closest to the end of the bench where the boys were sitting.

"Cas, would you like to be my guest of honor?"

Cas didn't know what to say. Couldn't have said anything anyway because she felt like she'd swallowed her tongue. She half shrugged, half nodded, a very poor attempt at a casual response, and Ada's smile gleamed, her teeth flashing in the sun. Cas's attraction to Ada had never been sharper than it was in that moment. She felt it viscerally against her skin, the way it was tearing through her veins, the way it multiplied and twisted over itself as Cas placed her palm on Ada's.

For all Ada's talk about not being able to manage this challenge gracefully, the way she spun Cas into her seat was the very picture of ease. Cas fell back against the bench with a heavy thud, and though Cas heard everyone shouting gleefully (Femi was wolf whistling like his life depended on it), it was almost as if she was underwater as Ada approached her, her steps slow and deliberate, something almost predatory in her gaze. Ada streaked her tongue along her bottom lip, and Cas felt a spike of desire through her gut. She pressed her palms into the bench, her fingers curling over the edge, her knuckles white with the effort of restraining herself.

Cas's legs parted with each step Ada took toward her, like the steps themselves were a tether pulling at Cas's knees. Ada swept forward, her hair sliding over her shoulder and tickling Cas's arm, which jerked with the effort of keeping still. She longed to bring her hands up to Ada's waist, to press her fingers into Ada's skin and mold herself to Ada's curves.

Ada slid her stethoscope along Cas's collarbone, the pressure so light that Cas could barely feel the cool plastic against her skin. It was a simple move, but more than enough to put Cas at the brink, her flesh breaking out in goose bumps as Ada teased her.

"Well," Ada muttered, her head tilting curiously to the side. "You have a racing heart, Ms. Morgan."

Ada pressed the disk to Cas's chest and Cas had to physically bite back a moan.

"Hmm." Cas felt more than heard Ada's disapproving hum. "I don't like the sound of that at all. I'm going to need to give you a more thorough examination."

As she said it, her free hand skirted over the outside of Cas's left thigh, her fingertips catching on the hem of her shorts. Cas arched her body toward Ada, desperate and needy and out of her mind. Ada's hand curved around Cas's hip, and just when Cas thought she was going to draw their bodies together, Ada pressed her back down into the bench.

Ada leaned down and whispered into Cas's ear, drowning out the sounds of the boys oohing and whistling beside her. "Stay still."

Cas swallowed, her mouth stone dry, and nodded.

Cas was just aware enough of everyone else to keep a lid on her real reactions. She knew the boys were watching her, she knew she was being recorded on a dozen hidden cameras that would later be edited together and sent out for a million people to see.

It was enough self-awareness that she managed to maintain some sense of her dignity, but inside her head, Cas felt like she was melting down.

There was no denying that there was real chemistry between them. Cas couldn't be imagining it, couldn't be making it up, because it seemed like it was written all over Ada's face. Like she was just as into this as Cas was.

Half of Cas's mind told her she was delusional, but if she compared this moment to the way Ada had danced with the boys, there was a real energy to her movements that had been missing before. It was the gentle way that she traced her hands over Cas's body, the way she teased her, and the way she smiled, all cheeky and proud and victorious, whenever Cas exhaled shakily or shifted in her seat, desperate for some actual contact.

Ada snaked her body over Cas's in a final move, their whole bodies flush together for the first time, and the heat of it made Cas feel like she was going to explode. She could feel Ada's breath on her neck, her lips ghosting over Cas's skin, and before she could stop herself, Cas moved her hands to Ada's hips, holding their bodies together for a beat that was simultaneously far too long and far too short.

At that moment, the bell rang, signaling the end of Ada's turn. Ada laughed brightly, her grin all over her face, and reached down to take Cas's hand. Cas followed easily, her body jelly, as Ada lifted her to her feet. She nearly wobbled as she settled her weight onto her heels again, but she had just enough dignity left to keep from going face-first onto the decking.

Ada dropped her hand as she turned back toward the girls who were all hooting and shouting and carrying on. Cas watched as Ada skipped back to the queue—literally skipped—like she didn't have a single care in the entire world.