Whiskey & Wildflowers

Chapter 6

For the second time in three days, Josie woke to the sound of someone swimming in the pool. She'd tried sleeping in the bedroom again next to her partner, but after what felt like hours of tossing and turning, she gave up and headed back to the daybeds. She had always been the type that needed just the right conditions for sleeping, and being in a room full of other people and beside a person she wasn't interested in cuddling up with weren't it.

Hopefully, there would be a recoupling soon. That night would be perfect, but if not, maybe she'd invite Lucas to join her outside anyway. The rules about sleeping with the person you were coupled up with only extended to the bedroom; the sofas in the living room and the daybeds outside were fair game for sleeping with anyone.

And maybe, with a little privacy, they could even get to know each other in more ways than one. Between being almost a week in the villa and some time before that in a Mallorcan hotel room by herself thanks to show policy, it'd been a while since she'd had any action, and she was feeling it. They weren't even allowed to pleasure themselves, no doubt to encourage them to have sex while they were in the villa. And despite the cameras following their every move, she was ready and willing, assuming Lucas was, too.

She'd considered whether or not it would harm her sponsorship prospects, but she figured sex sells. It certainly hadn't negatively affected anyone from the previous season, so she assumed she was in the clear. She could deal with a few haters if she really needed to.

Whoever was in the water was quietly swimming laps, and Josie sat up in the bed, resigning herself to the fact that the opportunity for sleeping in was long gone. Her heart fluttered when she saw it was Lucas, and heat filled her as she watched his muscular body cut through the water with graceful strokes. If she was feeling a little thirsty before, this sight didn't help.

Fishing her phone out from under the covers, she opened the camera app and changed it to video, recording him for a few laps. If she had access to the internet, she would upload it to her stories with a witty caption, but that would have to wait.

For a brief moment, she wondered how many followers she'd gained since the show aired, but quickly shoved aside the thought when she noticed Lucas had quit his laps and was swimming towards the pool stairs. Biting her lip, she watched as he stepped out, water dripping off his body as he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back off his forehead. The only thing that would've made the sight better is if it were in slow motion... and put on a loop so she could watch it over and over again. If only she'd still been recording.

Lucas noticed her and grinned as he grabbed his towel to wipe himself off. He worked it over his hair as he walked towards the daybeds.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked. "I was trying to be quiet."

Josie shrugged. "Maybe, but it's okay. You're a nice sight to wake up to."

"Oh, yeah? Is that something you'd like more of?"

She laughed softly. If only he knew where her thoughts had been since waking, he would already know the answer to that.

"Perhaps that can be arranged," she replied with a smirk, and she patted the space beside her on the bed. "Care to join me?"

"I better not. I'm all wet."

"A little water never hurt anyone."

"Maybe not, but I'm trying to stay on everyone's good sides. I'm still the new guy, after all."

"Eh, Lottie's bark is worse than her bite; don't worry about her."

Lucas chuckled. "Her bark is pretty bad, and something tells me we haven't seen the worst of it."