Chapter 35 – Sparks Unleashed
The chaos of challenge day—crew members darting with clipboards, cameras angling for the perfect shot, and contestants nervously shuffling in designer shoes. Alexis had tried to steel herself, telling herself that this was just another performance, another scripted moment, another opportunity to stir just the right amount of chaos. But her pulse betrayed her, quickening the instant she saw him: Dante, leaning casually against a column, the sunlight hitting his jaw in such a way that it seemed sculpted by an artist who had no respect for reality.
She tried to focus on her strategy for the challenge. Today's task was a partner exercise—something that looked innocent enough on paper but was designed by the producers to force contestants into close proximity and awkward interactions. For the cameras, it was pure entertainment. For Alexis, it was a nightmare. Her stomach twisted. Fate had chosen her partner with surgical precision: Dante.
"Of course it's him," she muttered under her breath, tugging at the strap of her dress like it might give her courage.
Dante caught her glance and raised an eyebrow, lips quirking in that familiar half-smile that both infuriated and captivated her. "Ready to lose?" he teased, his tone light, but the glint in his eyes suggested he knew exactly what he was doing.
Alexis clenched her jaw. "You're about to find out how devastating I can be," she shot back, forcing a confident edge she didn't entirely feel.
The first part of the challenge required them to navigate a small obstacle course while carrying fragile objects—vases, candlesticks, and other delicate décor that could not touch the floor. The catch? Each pair had to perform a sequence of tasks in rhythm with the music blaring from hidden speakers, and any slip would earn the entire team a public deduction. For Alexis, it felt like the producers had designed the challenge specifically to make her sweat, and for good reason.
From the start, it was a precarious balance. Her elbow brushed against his as they lifted a tall, wobbly vase together, and sparks shot through her chest like static electricity. She wanted to pull back, to maintain the distance that had been her shield for so long, but every instinct seemed to betray her.
"Careful," Dante murmured, just above the music, his fingers brushing hers as they adjusted the vase. The contact was brief, fleeting—an accidental graze—but it sent a jolt straight through her.
Alexis's mind betrayed her again. Why does it feel like my entire body is conspiring against me? She took a deliberate step back, trying to create space, but the obstacle course had other plans. A narrow bridge required them to pass side by side, each step forcing their bodies closer than either would have chosen.
"I think we're officially violating at least three personal boundaries right now," she muttered under her breath, keeping her voice low enough that only she and Dante could hear.
He chuckled softly, a sound that immediately made her heart flutter. "I think I like it," he whispered, and she felt it in her chest before she registered the words with her mind.
The cameras were everywhere, but for a moment, Alexis was convinced they were invisible. She caught a glimpse of her rivals peeking around corners, snapping subtle photos with their phones, and a twinge of panic hit her. Not because of the cameras, not because of the audience, but because of him.
They reached a particularly narrow walkway that required Alexis to maneuver past Dante while carrying an ornate candelabra. Her hand brushed against his arm. Too long. Too deliberate. Her breath hitched, and she cursed internally for every fluttering thought that rose unbidden.
Dante noticed. Of course he noticed. He always noticed. And for a split second, his sharp gaze softened. The air between them thickened, heavy with unspoken tension.
"Alexis… are you okay?" he asked, just loud enough for her to hear, his voice carrying an undercurrent of concern that made her stomach twist.
"Fine," she snapped, a little too quickly, then immediately regretted it. Fine. She was never fine. Not when he was near. Not when her body betrayed her with every accidental touch. Not when her heart refused to stay in its cage.
They continued through the course, each step a careful dance of proximity and restraint. Alexis's mind oscillated between panic and exhilaration. This is ridiculous. You're acting like a teenager. Control yourself. But control had flown out the window the moment he was paired with her again.
Then came the moment that set everything aflame.
They reached a platform with a narrow railing that required one of them to step aside to let the other pass. Alexis went first, misjudging the distance. She stumbled slightly, and Dante's hand shot out instinctively, catching her just before she toppled over.
The proximity—his warmth, the feel of his hand against her waist, the way his breath ticked over her shoulder—was electric. Her heart slammed in her chest, her head spinning.
"I've got you," he said, low and steady, but there was a tremor in his voice she hadn't heard before.
Alexis swallowed hard, fighting the urge to lean into him, to let herself melt into the safety and intensity of the moment. She wanted to recoil, but every nerve ending in her body demanded the opposite. Her pulse thundered in her ears, her thoughts a chaotic mess of desire, guilt, and longing.
Why does he still have this effect on me? she thought, panic lacing the edges of her rationality.
"You always seem to show up just when I need saving," she muttered, her voice barely audible over the music.
Dante's lips curved in the tiniest, knowing smile. "Some things never change," he murmured, his gaze locking with hers, electric and unnerving.
The moment stretched impossibly long, the world narrowing down to the two of them: a stolen touch, a fleeting spark, a shared heartbeat. For a second, Alexis let herself imagine what it would be like if this weren't a challenge, if they were free of cameras, producers, and rival contestants scheming around every corner.
But reality slammed back when the platform wobbled slightly under her weight. She lost her footing again, and this time, Dante reacted instantly, pressing his body flush against hers to steady her. Their faces were inches apart, her cheek brushing his chest, his arm securely around her waist.
The proximity was unbearable. The cameras caught every millisecond, every accidental caress. She could feel the heat of his body through the fabric of her dress. His hand, strong and steady, rested where she had no right to want it to. Her breath hitched.
"You okay?" he asked, voice rougher this time, and there was an edge to it—a mixture of worry and something else she couldn't name.
"Y-Yeah," she stammered, even though she knew she was anything but okay.
Dante's lips twitched in a grin, but it didn't reach his eyes entirely. There was an intensity there, a storm barely contained. "Careful, Alexis," he said softly. "Don't make me start worrying about you in more ways than one."
Her stomach did a literal flip. She wanted to laugh, curse, protest, and melt all at once.
Finally, the challenge ended with a triumphant—if precarious—balance of all the objects. The producers erupted in applause, the cameras flashing like wildfire, but Alexis barely noticed. She was acutely aware of the lingering warmth of Dante's hand, the way their fingers had brushed repeatedly, the slow, deliberate glance he had given her when no one was watching.
And then she felt it: the unmistakable gaze of a rival contestant lurking behind a pillar, phone in hand, recording every nuance. Vanessa. Of course. Her smile was razor-sharp, eyes glinting with calculation.
Alexis's heart sank. The intimacy of the moment had been stolen before it could even exist fully. She had felt the spark, the connection, the undeniable chemistry—but now it was fuel for someone else's fire.
Dante followed her glance and caught Vanessa's smirk. His jaw tightened imperceptibly, protective instinct flaring. "Ignore her," he murmured, but his tone carried a quiet warning.
Alexis nodded, forcing herself to pull back emotionally, but the echo of their closeness lingered in every nerve. She felt the heat of him, the intensity of their shared heartbeat, and the impossible, undeniable pull that neither rules nor reason could contain.
As they walked back toward the lounge area, the mansion around them buzzing with contestants and cameras, Alexis realized something terrifyingly thrilling: nothing about this was scripted. Not the heat between them, not the sparks, not the way her chest ached with every glance.
And Vanessa's presence guaranteed that this moment—their stolen, perfect, catastrophic moment—would not remain private.
Alexis's stomach twisted with anticipation and dread. The slow-burn flame she had spent weeks trying to contain had ignited, and she had no choice but to ride it, knowing that the next move in this dangerous, heart-throbbing game of love and sabotage would determine more than just her position in the competition.
Dante glanced at her, his hand brushing hers "accidentally" as they rounded a corner. She could feel the sparks reigniting, unstoppable and consuming.
The challenge had ended, but nothing had truly concluded. Their private storm had only begun, and somewhere in the shadows, Vanessa was already plotting her next move—one that could destroy or elevate every connection Alexis had just dared to trust.
Alexis took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The fire between them was real. The chemistry undeniable. And the next chapter—unwritten, unpredictable, and dangerously alluring—was waiting.
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