Island in the stream

With DESERTED ISLAND, DREAMY EX! hitting US shelves this week, here's a snippet from Jared and Kristi's first day on the island:

“You ever use Twitter before?”
Kristi shook her head, trying to sneak a peek over Jared’s shoulder as he fiddled with his iPhone.
“No time. Work keeps me pretty busy. I email. Facebook page. That’s about it.”
His eyes never leaving the screen, he said, “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
Her scoffing snort had him darting an amused glance her way.
“What’s so special about informing the world what you’re up to in less than one hundred and forty characters?”
“It’s the challenge, to make your tweet interesting in so few words.”
Typing quickly, he finally laid his phone down, his stare loaded.
“Surely you know how much guys like a challenge?”
“Guys or just you?”
He chuckled. “Last time I checked I was a guy. Or would you care to verify—”
“Stop that!” she hissed, jerking her head towards one of the not-so-hidden cameras. “We’re live.”
Dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, he leaned forward and spoke behind his raised hand.
“Viewers love this sort of thing. A bit of light hearted banter, flirting. Good for ratings.”
He wiggled his eyebrows until the unimpressed twist to her lips relaxed into a smile. “Sex sells, baby.”
Okay, so he was hamming it up for the cameras. Not that she could blame him. There was something so weirdly unnatural about all of this. As to why anyone would be remotely interested in watching the two of them have dinner or quibble over the last Tim Tam was beyond her.
But she couldn’t deny Elliott Barnaby was a genius; and the one salient fact, she was in this for the money, and the promotion.
Faking a huff, she tossed her hair over her shoulder like any screen heroine worth her salt.
“I’m not your baby.”
“You were once.”
He whispered it so softly the cameras wouldn’t have a chance of picking it up, her skin prickling with alarm as he scooted closer, his warm breath fanning her neck as he murmured in her ear, “Want to recreate some of the old magic?”
“No!”
Her body made a mockery of her instant refusal, heat flushing her skin rosy as she inadvertently leaned into him, practically inviting him to slip an arm around her and cradle her close as he used to.
“Liar,” he whispered, his fingertips trailing across the back of her neck and sending a quiver of desire through her as he casually draped an arm over her shoulder, appearing to the whole world as if they were best buddies.