Olivia snatched the piece of paper out of his hand and read it for herself. It was all right there in black and white.
“Indeed, it is for real, Chuck,” TJ said with another sly grin. “We thought this would keep things interesting. Like I said in our meeting: your chemistry is incredible. Now!” He paused and reset with a breath. “I’ll leave you two to unpack and get settled before we do our first interview. We want to get it out of the way today in case you don’t last the night.” He said it like they were cast members in a slasher film whose fate was in the hands of a deranged madman—which, when Olivia thought about it, felt appropriate seeing they were locked in a house of horrors that had just gotten a hundred times worse.
Chuck snorted. “Thanks for your faith.”
TJ simply smiled. He checked his smartwatch. “Let’s meet in an hour for the interview. We’ll set up out back since there’s no furniture to sit on in here to easily get you in the same shot.” He gave them a mocking wink and stepped away.
“Perfect,” Parker said as he reappeared. “Let’s cut there for a second.” The cameramen who had been following them the whole time lowered their cameras. “Do you guys have any questions?” he asked.
Olivia was in too much shock to speak.No touching?Yes, of course they’d agreed tono sex, but no touching? At all?
She glanced at Chuck to see him smooth his hand over hisstubbly jaw as if he knew how much she enjoyed the soft scratch of it against her face, her chest, her thighs, and was thinking the same thing about how high they’d just raised the stakes on them.
“Um, yeah,” Chuck said to Parker. “This no-touching thing. What kind of money are we talking here?”
Parker grinned. “As the challenge said, that depends on the severity of the infraction. So, let’s just say, if you’re going to do it, make sure it’s worth it.”
Olivia flushed at the worditand everything it implied. They should have seen this coming. She felt like a contestant on a dating show who’d been duped into flying to a private island fully stocked with eligible, chiseled bachelors only to be told they were all off-limits. There were at least five shows with the same premise, all hinging on forced proximity but no hanky-panky.
Not that she wanted to touch Chuck. Because she didn’t. They were broken up. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t going to happen. And now her prize money was at risk if it did happen, and she suddenly wanted to turn around and run out the front door because all of this was a terrible idea.
She turned to Chuck with a glare. “You better behave yourself.”
He flinched. “Mebehave myself? The rule applies to us equally, Liv.”
“Yeah, well, you’re the one more likely to break it.”
A smug, playful little grin curled his mouth, which she admittedly wanted to kiss right off his face. “Am I?”
She grumbled and turned away from him to see Parker waving over Tyler.
“Tyler is going to be your gofer,” Parker said. “He’ll be incharge of delivering your groceries each day for whatever you decide to eat together. I had him put some basics in the pantry and fridge for breakfast and whatnot, but dinner has to be together, at the table or bar. No exceptions.”
“Yes, Mr. Stone?” Tyler asked when he reappeared from the hall.
“Come here and give Olivia and Chuck your number so they can tell you what to shop for.”
“Oh sure!” he said with the adorable eagerness of a puppy. He recited it, and they both added it to their phones.
“Thank you,” Olivia said.
“Of course, Ms. Martin.”
“You can call me Olivia.”
“Okay,” he said with a faint flush to his cheeks. He glanced at Chuck like he might make the same offer, but Chuck ignored him and headed for the entryway.
“Do you need help with your luggage, Mr. Walsh?” Tyler called after him.
Before Chuck could respond, Parker stepped in. “Let’s let them do that on their own, Tyler. Benny!” Parker called to the nearest cameraman and made a circular motion with his finger pointing upward. “Let’s keep rolling.”
If Olivia thought they’d be left in peace to unpack, she’d been sorely mistaken.
Benny the cameraman lifted his equipment, and when she returned to the entryway to find her luggage, she saw another member of the film crew step in the front door.
Olivia hurried after Chuck, hoping to talk to him before they were on camera again. “Why are you being so rude to Tyler?” she whispered, and reached for her suitcase.
“What? I’m not being rude,” Chuck said, and slung one ofhis bags over his shoulder. He gripped another by the handle and turned toward the bedroom. He would have to make multiple trips to get them all.