The sun hung heavy in the sky, dipping toward the horizon. The contestants lounged on plush seats, half-drunk cocktails sweating in their hands, eyes locked on Lana, the AI cone that had already set their lives on fire.

Taz sat in his usual spot, broad shoulders relaxed, arms resting on the back of the couch, tattoos flexing against his tanned skin. He wasn’t the type to get worked up over a new contestant—not like the others. He’d seen the giggling, the wide-eyed looks whenever someone walked in with the promise of temptation. Didn’t faze him. Nothing did.

Then he saw her.

The sound of heels clicking against the wooden deck sent a ripple through the group. Conversations stalled. Glasses lowered. Eyes widened.

Taz’s grip on his drink tightened.

She stepped into view like a storm rolling in, voluptuous, effortless, fucking ethereal. Long, thick hair cascaded down her back in waves of temptation, full ruby lips curling into a smile that could make a grown man weak. And those dimples? A sin all on their own.

Every guy in the cabana forgot how to breathe.

Taz?

He didn’t move, didn’t react, but his icy blue eyes darkened. A flicker of something—**something dangerous—**passed through them as he watched her glide forward, hips swaying in that devastating, slow-burn way that promised trouble.

Lana’s voice cut through the stunned silence.

“Everyone, meet your new guest.”

A collective groan and a few expletives rang out. They all knew what this meant. Another test. Another temptation.

She took the empty seat across from Taz, skin glowing under the setting sun. For a moment, her gaze flickered over the group before locking onto him.

And fuck, he felt it.

That pull. That goddamn undeniable, inescapable pull.

She smirked. “Don’t look so tense, boys. I don’t bite.”

Taz exhaled sharply, rolling his tongue against his cheek.

“Shame,” voice low, rough. “That’s the only reason I’d be interested.”

And Taz?

For the first time since stepping foot on the island, he might actually be in trouble.