SIX YEARS EARLIER
Golden late-afternoon light spilled through the cabin’s glass walls, turning everything around us warm and soft.
Curled against Enrico’s solid, heat-warmed chest, my face tucked into the side of his neck, I watched the leaves outside sway lazily while his hand slowly traced the bare skin of my back.
His body was still warm beneath mine, our heartbeats easing down, almost syncing. I closed my eyes for a moment and smiled at the feel of his fingers gliding along my spine—mapping invisible paths—while my breathing deepened, full and satisfied.
“What are you thinking about?” I murmured, lifting my head slightly to look at him.
Enrico smiled—one of those rare, small smiles he seemed to save only for me. A smile that made my chest ache with happiness too big to name.
“How beautiful you are,” he said, so sincerely my heart tightened in the sweetest way. “And how empty my life was before you.”
I stroked his face and let his words settle inside me. I brushed my lips over his, eyes closing as I breathed in the scent of us—sex, intimacy, something uniquely ours.
“I could stay here forever,” I whispered, eyes still closed, soaking him in with every sense.
His low laugh vibrated through his chest, echoing inside me like the sweetest melody. When I opened my eyes, his gray gazecaught me immediately—intense, bright with a tenderness that made my heart race even after everything we’d just done.
“Then let’s stay,” he said simply—his deep voice heavy with unspoken promises.
A wide smile burst out of me, spontaneous, overflowing.
“I’d say yes instantly if you were serious,” I teased, propping myself up on one elbow and letting the sheet slide down, exposing my skin to the gentle sunlight spilling in through the window.
Enrico’s eyes followed every small movement with open fascination, drinking me in like he was trying to memorize every inch—every curve, every detail.
It was reverent.
Worshipful.
And it made my stomach clench in a delicious way.
“I’ve never been more serious in my life, Valentina,” he murmured, his strong fingers lifting to touch my face with surprising softness, tracing my jawline. “Where have you been my whole life?”
The question came out like something deeper than curiosity—almost a quiet ache.
I smiled, leaning closer until the tip of my nose brushed his, my hand resting on his chest, feeling the strong pulse under my palm.
“Well,” I said, trying to look thoughtful, “if we’re considering the first twenty years… I’d say I was—technically—in my father’s—”
His laugh exploded, deep and full, and my whole body reacted to the sound.
Enrico slid his hand to the back of my neck and pulled me closer, his face still lit with that rare, beautiful smile I knew belonged only to me.
“You’re impossible,” he said, voice rough with laughter, eyes bright with genuine amusement.
“Impossible to resist, you mean,” I countered, feigning innocence as I bit my lower lip and challenged his stare.
He stole my lip from between my teeth, speaking against my breath, warm and irresistible.
“Yes.” His mouth brushed mine. “Exactly.”
Then Enrico kissed me for real.
Slow.
Deep.
