The Sun in My Eyes

3 Dare in the Daylight

"I got a text," Gary yelled, even though they were all in the same garden, swilling mediocre champagne. Well, everyone except Lili, who'd turned down champers for a fruity mocktail. "Gonna play Truth or Dare over at the fire pit," Gary read.

Hope smirked. "This is my game, you guys! Let's go!"

And so they did. It seemed that most of the show's footage was going to be the group scurrying from one location to another while sweaty cameramen chased after them.

Two piles of cards sat on the bench seat. One marked truth and one dare. Rocco whinged about wanting to make up his own dares. Probably because they'd all involve the girls getting naked with him as their spiritual chakras aligned or something equally appalling. Bobby usually liked everyone, but he didn't care for Rocco at all.

He took a seat next to Marisol who gave him a pretty smile. "Don't you love these kinds of games? You can learn so much about people based on their choices."

"Yeah, they're great," he said, not meaning it at all. He hated stuff like this. It made him anxious. Even more so with Marisol analyzing his every blink and twitch.

"I choose dare!" Hope took it upon herself to snatch up the first card. Lottie pulled a face and whispered something to Lili, who shrugged and laughed.

"Give a foot massage to one of the other islanders," Hope read, looking a little less excited for the challenge.

He couldn't stop himself from laughing at Noah and Hope's expressions. "Wow! Getting right in there!"

Across from him, Hannah tinged green. "Ugh, gross! I don't think I could touch someone's feet on the first day I met them!"

Lili laughed and leaned over Lottie to give Hannah's hand a squeeze. "You always have the right to say no. Especially to feet. Choose truth on your turn, or this game is going to traumatize you."

"What, and miss out on all the fun?" Bobby said. "'Suck someone's toes' might be in there too." He gave Lili a wink.

"Gross!" Hannah gagged.

Lili crossed her shapely legs and pointed a foot at him. "Spare us your fantasies, mate." Her voice was warm with amusement. Her high heeled sandal exposed a long graceful foot and shiny black toenails, which was an interesting choice. He would have assumed she'd go bright pink, like her personality.

He let his gaze linger on her foot before he looked up and wriggled his eyebrows at her. "If you only knew..."

She threw her head back and laughed and he forgot to breathe for a moment. His hands started to sweat. He wasn't actually a foot guy, but he'd massage hers if the card came up for it. And do anything else the card said, honestly, if it meant he got to touch her.

It wasn't creepy if the game made him do it. Right?

Ibrahim watched the exchange and edged into the quarter centimeter of space he'd left between himself and Lili. He wrapped a huge, possessive arm around her.

Marisol pierced Bobby with her assessing gaze, but she didn't say anything. Which was good, because he had no excuse for his blatant grafting. He wasn't this guy. Except right now, he was.

Hope cleared her throat to draw attention back to herself. She announced that Noah would receive the foot rub.

Bobby clapped. "Come on, big man, get those piggies out!" Noah turned and everyone squashed in tighter so he could put his massive feet in Hope's lap.

Lottie turned to Lili. "You know what they say," she stage-whispered as she separated her hands by 25 centimeters. Lili covered her mouth and laughed.