Winner Takes All

by Katie Price

  ‘You’re right, Mon. I’m just over-thinking things as usual.’ Jas raised her glass. ‘Right, what are we drinking to?’

  She was about to make a toast when Luke approached, holding his phone in his hand. ‘Sorry I’m late, guys,’ he announced. ‘That phone call went on for much longer that I’d hoped.’

  ‘Luke!’ cried Lyndsey from the table. ‘You made it!’ A few of the cameramen got up to pat him on the back or shake his hand. Ken even gave him a hug. Luke was still staying in a hotel but would come by Villa Rosa every day to work from his laptop or answer Skype or conference calls back to the Channel 6 office. He’d quickly fitted right in. The entire crew seemed to have bonded with him and, especially as it was predominantly male, loved having another bloke on the scene to break up the monotony of catfights and bitchiness in Villa Valencia.

  ‘He’s made friends fast,’ Monica whispered to Jas. ‘Everyone sure does love him.’

  But Jas was mortified. It hadn’t even occurred to her that Luke would join them for dinner. Not only was she dressed entirely unsexily, she didn’t have any make-up on and felt immediately self-conscious.

  ‘You didn’t tell me he was coming,’ she hissed to Monica.

  ‘Why wouldn’t he come?’ Monica hissed back, then got up to greet Luke with a kiss on each cheek.

  ‘Here, Luke, take my seat and I’ll squeeze in next to Lyndsey. We have a few budget issues to go over anyway.’

  ‘Oh, come on, Monica, no work tonight,’ cried Lyndsey from across the table, but Monica shot her a look. Jas went bright red as Luke sat down next to her. Could Monica have been any less subtle?

  Typically, though, Luke alleviated any tension instantly and made some football-related joke to Ken, seated to his left, before turning to Jas on his other side. Luke was wearing stone-coloured chinos, a blue V-neck t-shirt, and as usual smelt divine.

  ‘What are we drinking? Ah, sangria, my favourite.’ He topped up Jas’s glass before filling his own. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask how you are. I know everything’s been a bit hectic here. I just wanted to check you were holding up okay?’

  How was it that no matter what Jas was feeling, Luke had the ability to relax and reassure her within a few sentences?

  ‘Hectic is one way of putting it.’ She smiled at him ruefully. The first round of plates arrived and were distributed around the table: squid, patatas bravas, ribs, chorizo and vegetables. They talked about work for a few minutes and, as always, conversation flowed easily. Jas thought it was like being back at the Italian restaurant in London Bridge all those weeks ago, where it seemed like even in a busy place packed with noise and people, she and Luke were the only ones there.

  The main courses and more jugs of sangria arrived.

  ‘You’re doing a terrific job, Jas,’ Luke said.

  Jas was already feeling the effects of the booze and didn’t even notice that by now she and Luke had instinctively moved so close to each other that their knees were touching. ‘I admit, it’s a lot of pressure. There’s stuff going on back home, too …’ She stopped talking, realising she’d said too much and that her looming divorce case was not a subject she wanted to explore out loud tonight.

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Nothing. I think I’m just missing my family a bit. I’m used to speaking to them every day and seeing Lila quite often but I haven’t heard from her in a while. That’s all.’

  ‘You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.’ And with that Luke stroked Jas’s knee and kissed her on the cheek. ‘I’ve really missed you,’ he whispered in her ear.

  Jas’s heart skipped a beat. Their eyes met. Neither of them turned away. It seemed to her it had been so long since they’d looked at each other properly like this, and in that moment Jas knew that she and Luke were each thinking exactly the same thing.

  Suddenly, Lyndsey lurched to her feet, wobbling ever so slightly. ‘Shots!’ she exclaimed, and several waiters arrived carrying trays of shot glasses filled with tequila, which they handed out to everyone.

  ‘Oh, God, I can already feel this beginning to get messy,’ Jas laughed.

  ‘Let’s make it a night to remember,’ announced Luke, looking directly at her before everyone at the table rose to clink their shot glasses and then down them. They all roared a toast and more shots were ordered. Thankfully, everyone was so tipsy and engaged in their own conversations they didn’t notice Jas and Luke holding hands underneath the table and talking into each other’s ear.

  ‘I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, Whiteley,’ he said.

  ‘Me neither,’ she confessed. ‘I really thought you hated me after … well, after how things were left last time. I felt so rotten, Luke. I really feel I should explain.’

  But he brushed this away. ‘Jas, I know we’re not exactly on holiday but we are in a holiday location. How about we don’t ruin it by getting into all that?’

  Jas was so relieved. While she felt that she owed him an explanation, a deep and meaningful chat was the last thing she wanted tonight.

  ‘So, what do you want to do?’ she asked quietly.

  ‘I want to get out of here immediately and go back to my hotel. Or your villa, whichever is closest.’

  ‘My villa is ten minutes’ walk away.’ Jas smiled as she spoke. She had to admit that this strong, decisive side of Luke was turning her on so much – and making her inhibitions fall away. If only she’d worn better underwear, or at least some make-up!

  Fortunately, Luke didn’t seem to mind. He threw a generous bunch of euro notes on the table. ‘We’re done. Those shots went straight to my head! I’m going to walk Jas back to the villa.’ All the production crew were by now well on their way to getting plastered and they waved Jas and Luke off cheerily, thankfully without asking any prying questions. As soon as they were out of sight Luke pulled Jas to him and kissed her more passionately than he’d ever done before. His hands clasped her waist so tightly her feet left the ground, while her arms wound around his neck.

  ‘You sure you don’t mind me dragging you away from your mates?’ he said when they eventually pulled apart.

  ‘I only wish we’d left sooner,’ she replied, and they walked away with Luke’s strong arm wrapped around her.

  Back at the villa and safely in Jas’s room, Luke shut the door and gently pressed Jas up against it, lifting her so that her legs wrapped around his waist. They kissed feverishly for a few minutes. She felt small against Luke’s tall, muscular frame, which made her weak with lust. She nodded towards the bed. Whether it was the heat of Ibiza, the buzz of the alcohol or pure lust, every second spent with Luke felt so right, like they’d waited all their lives for this very moment.

  They fell onto the bed and tore off each other’s clothes. Luke was on top of Jas, hands exploring every inch of her. As his fingers slid inside her she gasped and came so quickly it made her giggle, while he was all the more turned on.

  Groaning, he lifted Jas on top of him, leaning up to kiss and suck her nipples while she straddled him. Then he was inside her, moaning gently as she gasped again. The sex was every bit as good as Jas had imagined it would be. Feeling free and relaxed for the first time in months, she let her inhibitions go and was overcome with wild desire. Luke was just as turned on, hoisting her into different positions, kissing any part of her body he could reach as they made love, alternating between slow and sensual then downright dirty. Two more mind-blowing orgasms later, Jas fell back into the sheets. Luke pulled her close, wrapping his strong arms around her as they both fell into a deep slumber.

  Chapter 26

  Charlotte was too excited to sleep that night. The World Cup was long over so it was just a league match, but Camp Nou was the biggest stadium in Europe and a huge deal. She Skyped her dad to show off about the football match and he made her promise to tell him all about it afterwards. Then there was a quick phone call to Maya and Rafi, to send them her love. Then what felt like a hundred outfit changes with the help of Melody, who picked out a blue floral p
laysuit and gold sandals. Charlotte was so excited about her day trip she didn’t give a second thought to Gabriella and Dylan’s date.

  She woke up at 7 a.m. the next day, bounded out of bed, showered quickly and dressed in the outfit she’d carefully laid out the night before, her cross-body bag already packed with lip balm, suncream, Euros and her bank card plus make-up essentials: SPF lip balm, mascara, blusher and a small bottle of perfume. She threw in a deep red lipstick for good measure, just in case they hit a bar or two before flying home.

  Dylan was already waiting outside the villa with a taxi to take them to the airport. He was wearing chino shorts and the famous red and blue Barcelona FC shirt.

  ‘Where’ve you been hiding that?’ laughed Charlotte in the taxi. Ken the cameraman and Monica were in a taxi behind and would be shadowing Charlotte and Dylan’s date.

  ‘Hey, after Arsenal, BarÇa is my favourite team. I’ve always wanted to go to Camp Nou. This is like a dream come true for me!’

  Dylan’s genuine excitement was adorable. ‘And how on earth did you swing these tickets?’

  ‘Don’t laugh, but I got up in the middle of the night when they went on sale and waited in the online queue before spending a small fortune on them. I knew it would be right in the middle of the show but figured it was the perfect date for someone special.’

  At that, he and Charlotte smiled at each other.

  ‘You flirt,’ she said, playing it completely cool even though her stomach was flipping. ‘And the flights, did you pay for them, too?’

  ‘Nah, that was all Jasmine. She’s amazing. She blagged the flights for free in return for a credit on the show. She’s behind all the other incredible dates. I know she has a great team with Monica being here and others back in the UK office, but Mon told me that most of them are arranged through Jas’s contacts.’

  ‘I know. She’s fantastic. She’s doing so much for all of us, including hanging out and listening to our problems when she should be off having fun with Luke.’

  ‘Luke the lawyer?’

  ‘Haven’t you noticed the chemistry between them? I didn’t at first but seeing them yesterday, hanging around our villa with all of us, they seemed like the most perfect, loved-up couple. Definitely the hottest I’ve ever seen too. I’m certain something is going on there.’

  ‘You think they’re the hottest couple?’ At that, Dylan leant across and planted a quick kiss on Charlotte’s cheek, making her face flush beetroot red. Fortunately he was distracted then by the taxi pulling into the terminal. ‘Oh, look, we’re here!’

  The seats allocated to them on the flight meant Ken and Dylan were sitting together at the back, and Monica and Charlotte right at the front. ‘It’s perfect.’ Monica winked at Charlotte. ‘It’ll give him a chance to miss you for a couple of hours.’ Charlotte tried to brush away the comment but just the thought of Dylan missing her made her smile.

  After they landed there was time for a quick stroll around Barcelona and lunch before heading to Camp Nou. Monica suggested a tapas restaurant off La Rambla, a famous street in the heart of the city that was bustling with tourists, street performers, shops, restaurants and bars.

  They ordered a selection of meats and cheeses, a glass of sangria each, and Dylan whipped out his iPhone, typing a message.

  ‘Sorry, I know it’s rude,’ he said. ‘I just want to check in on my mum. She’s got Ruby while I’m away.’

  ‘Ah, I was wondering why they let you have a phone and not any of us but I guess it makes total sense if you’ve got a daughter back home,’ said Charlotte.

  ‘Yeah, I speak to her twice a day on Facetime. I miss her so much. But she seems happy enough being looked after by her nana, who’s spoiling her rotten no doubt. Mum lives back in Perth and doesn’t get to see Ruby as much as she’d like, so she’s happy to share her with my ex for a few weeks. Would you like to see some photos?’

  ‘I’d love to.’

  Charlotte looked on as Dylan scrolled through hundreds of images of his beautiful blue-eyed girl.

  ‘She’s gorgeous, Dylan. You must really miss her.’

  ‘I do, terribly, but Mum’s coming out here with her in a couple of weeks and staying for the last week of filming so I’ll get loads of time with her then. It’s important that whoever I end up with has a good relationship with Ruby.’

  ‘I wish I could show you pictures of Rafi. My phone is full of them. He’s the sweetest little boy and the closest thing I’ve got to having kids of my own. For now, anyway.’

  ‘You want children?’

  ‘Some day, definitely. With the right guy. I love the idea of being a mum and having a family … a husband.’ She stopped talking then, feeling embarrassed and wishing she hadn’t sounded quite so full-on, but Dylan smiled.

  ‘That’s lovely, Charlotte. Family is important. I’d love for Ruby to have a little brother or sister before there’s a massive age gap.’

  ‘Is that why you wanted to come on this show?’ Charlotte hoped desperately that he genuinely had been hoping to meet someone special rather than simply chasing the fame game.

  ‘For sure. It’s one thing meeting people out and about, but when you’re offered the chance to spend eight weeks in Ibiza with fifteen gorgeous women, you’re hardly going to turn down that opportunity.’

  Charlotte immediately felt silly. Of course, she was just one of many vying for his attention.

  He shook his head, looking a bit shamefaced. ‘I sounded like a real prick just then. It’s not just about hooking up for me, I hope you know that, Charlotte.’ He placed his hand on top of hers.

  ‘I guess I don’t know what to think,’ she admitted. ‘There are so many beautiful women, as you say, and you’ve had alone-dates with so many of them.’

  ‘Charlotte, that’s the game.’ He looked around but the cameras were off briefly while Ken and Monica were having their own meal.

  ‘Can I be honest with you? The flirting, the banter … Jasmine told me I needed to ham it right up. It’s just for TV. She wants me to fall for someone in the villa, and for them to feel the same way, but in the meantime everyone has to get dates. Surely you know that?’

  He was completely right. But was Dylan spinning Charlotte the same line that he was spinning to Gabriella last night? And Alex the night before? Charlotte so wanted to ask about those dates but knew it was none of her business.

  ‘Dylan, you don’t have to explain anything to me. It’s a reality TV show, I know the rules.’

  ‘Okay, but I want you to understand I’m really not that sort of guy. We can talk more later. Let’s get the bill and make our way to the stadium. It’s going to be a great game.’ Camp Nou was so big and grand it took Charlotte’s breath away. She’d only ever seen matches played at Tottenham’s stadium before this. There was really no comparison. Almost 100,000 seats and every one of them full of loud, cheering supporters, waving flags and chanting at the tops of their voices.

  The atmosphere was electric. Even though the teams drew 1–1 it was a heart-pounding game. Dylan and Charlotte grabbed hold of each other every time Barcelona tried to score and jumped up to hug each other when they succeeded. She wasn’t particularly rooting for either Barcelona or Real Madrid but, as they were in the home section of the Barcelona stadium and it was Dylan’s second team, it felt only right to cheer for them.

  Afterwards, they headed back to La Rambla where Dylan ordered a jug of sangria and two shots of sambuca in a quaint bar off a side street from the main strip.

  ‘I’ll be wasted, especially with all this adrenaline running through my veins!’ Charlotte protested, laughing.

  Dylan pulled her in for a friendly hug. ‘Come on, we’ve got just over an hour before we need to get a taxi back to the airport and I want to make the most of being with you.’

  She had no idea if this was for the cameras or not, but she was loving every second of being in his company.

  Chapter 27

  While Charlotte was busy having her feet swept off th
e ground in Barcelona, Jas was wading through emails and holding planning meetings back at Villa Rosa, her mind wandering off every so often to her night of passion with Luke. Though she had plenty of work to keep her occupied, she bit her lip every time she had a flash of him gripping her waist, thrusting inside her, kissing her neck or stroking her hair as she fell asleep. That morning, he had kissed her goodbye and slipped away before the rest of the house woke up.

  The open-plan kitchen and living room at Villa Rosa had been turned into a makeshift office with equipment lying about everywhere and laptops, headphones, running-order scripts, notepads, phones, cables and empty coffee mugs strewn all over the table and breakfast bar. They referred to it as the ‘office’ and whoever wasn’t out filming would be working in it. As Lyndsey came in with a sore head but full agenda, Jas brushed away all thoughts of Luke for the next few hours.

  ‘Jas, have you seen the footage from last night’s date with Gabby?’ Lyndsey asked, taking her headphones off. ‘I’m watching it now.’

  Jas sprang up at once, having clean forgotten about the date with one of their most volatile characters. ‘Shit, no, not yet! Will I be disappointed?’

  Lyndsey smiled, peering at Jas over her thick-rimmed glasses. ‘You will not. There’s some chit-chat while he’s cooking on the barbecue but this is where it gets really interesting. Halfway through the second bottle of prosecco.’ She pressed play on the monitor and handed Jas the headphones so she could listen. The shot showed Dylan and Gabriella in his hot tub, giggling like schoolkids and sipping wine straight from the bottle. Gabriella swished back her long hair so it fell into the water and let the drips cascade in Dylan’s direction. He laughed nervously before leaning in for a long kiss. It was certainly steamy.

  Jas slammed her hand on the table in satisfaction. ‘Just what we wanted.’

  ‘Check out her interview this morning about it.’

  Gabriella sat on the terrace with the Ibizan hills as a backdrop. ‘Last night our relationship went to a whole new level,’ she began. ‘The connection between Dylan and me is insane. I know he’s out with Charlotte today, and obviously there’s still a long way to go in the competition, but I’m pretty confident that my place is safe. I can see myself marrying him, no question. He’s mine.’