เข้าสู่ระบบAbigail’s POVThe bass vibrated through my bones, loud enough to drown out thought.That was the point.Lola was somewhere in front of me, arms thrown in the air, hair wild, laughing too loud and not caring who heard. Carmen stood beside her with a drink she kept forgetting to sip, eyes scanning the crowd like she was mentally drafting a spreadsheet titled Why this is a terrible idea.And me?For once, I wasn’t thinking.I let the music pull me under. Let the tequila warm my chest. Let the night blur the sharp edges of everything that had happened earlier. The dinner. Mateo. Christian’s eyes on me like he’d carved my name into his ribs.Lola climbed onto the booth seat, arms in the air, screaming the lyrics like they were written just for her. Carmen filmed her, shaking her head, lips twitching with amusement.“You’re going to lose your voice,” Carmen shouted over the music.“Worth it!” Lola yelled back.I laughed, tipping my head back as the crowd surged around us. Someone brushed my
Christian’s POV The numbers on my screen blurred for a second before snapping back into focus.“Christian?” Miles’s voice crackled through the speaker. “You with me?”“I’m here,” I said, rubbing my thumb against the edge of my phone. “Go over the revised offer again.”A pause. Then a sigh. “For the third time?”“Humor me.”He launched back into it anyway. Valuation adjustments. Risk mitigation. A restructuring clause that would keep Castillo Group in control without triggering the board’s paranoia. I paced the length of my room, bare feet sinking into the plush rug, gaze flicking to the balcony doors and then away again.This was supposed to help. Work always helped.“Look,” Miles said, his tone softening, “you’re technically on vacation.”“I’m not built for technically.”“That’s not what I meant.” Another pause. “Your father showing up didn’t help, did it?”My jaw tightened. “Stick to the deal.”“Right,” he said carefully. “The Singapore arm wants assurances you won’t restructure le
Abigail’s POV Mateo settled into his chair like he owned the room. Not arrogantly. Not loudly. Just comfortably. As if his presence was expected. As if the tension he brought with him wasn’t thick enough to choke on. The table went unnaturally quiet. Forks slowed. Glasses lifted with too much care. No one laughed. No one even pretended this was normal. I wasn’t sure whose hand was shaking more, mine or Lola’s. I studied him from the corner of my eye. It was my first time seeing him in person, and I didn’t understand how one man could make an entire family stiffen just by walking into a room. He wasn’t unattractive. Worse, he was a splitting image of Christian. The resemblance hit hard enough to unsettle me. The bone structure. The posture. The way he occupied space without trying. Of course they looked alike. Father and son. Salt-and-pepper hair. Sharp jaw. Easy smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He looked like the kind of man people trusted instinctively. The kind who co
Christian’s POV Waking up felt like surfacing from deep water.For a few seconds, nothing made sense.Warm sheets. Sunlight bleeding through the curtains. The faint scent of salt and citrus still clinging to the air. My arm stretched across the bed, palm brushing cool fabric instead of warm skin.I frowned.Abigail.Hot flashes from earlier came flooding back. The pool. Her pulling me close until space became meaningless. Me possessing every inch of her body. The way she’d whispered my name like it was a secret she shouldn’t have known.I pushed myself upright, dragging a hand through my hair. My muscles protested, pleasantly sore. Outside, the sky had shifted into soft orange hues, the sun already beginning its slow descent. We had slept afterwards and through most of the day.The other side of the bed was empty.Cold.“Abigail?” My voice came out rough, thick with sleep.No answer. I stood, showered quickly, letting the water rinse away the lingering heat but not the images. By t
Abigail’s POV Without another word, Christian hauled me up, my legs wrapping around his waist instinctively. His mouth crashed into mine, hot and full of sin and vigor, making all my previous kisses with him pale in comparison. It felt like he'd been waiting to do this all his life.I moaned into his mouth, the sound muffled against his lips. My hands pulled him closer, pressing our bodies together until I could feel his hardness throbbing against me through the thin fabric of his briefs. I tugged him even nearer, but it still wasn't enough—my body craved more, demanded it.For a moment, I forgot we were in the pool, out in the open where any of the house staff could see us. But I couldn't give a damn. This wasn't a good idea—in fact, it was a terrible one—but with Christian's mouth on mine, nothing else mattered.His tongue delved deeper, exploring every inch, and I moaned louder, my fingers digging into his shoulders. I yelped when he grabbed my ass with brutal force, his finge
Abigail’s POV The sun warmed my shoulders, the water lapping lazily against my skin as I floated with my eyes closed, letting quiet fill the morning.By the time I woke, the house had emptied. The staff said everyone had gone into the city.Vacation had officially begun.A shadow slid across my face.My eyes snapped open.Christian stood at the edge of the pool, blocking the sun.My breath stuttered.I thought everyone had gone out.My gaze moved before my brain could stop it.He wore nothing but dark swim briefs, water droplets still clinging to his skin like he’d just come from the ocean. His torso was all hard lines and shadows—tanned shoulders, a chest that looked carved, abs ridged and defined in a way that made my fingers ache.I swallowed. Once. Twice.“Checking me out, Miss Davenport?” His mouth tilted, slow and knowing, like he’d already won a game I didn’t remember agreeing to play.“Keep your ego on a leash, Mr. Castillo,” I said, somehow steady. Under my breath, I muttere







