I AM MY STEPBROTHER'S OBSESSION
and Luca's hand found the small of my back, light but sure, guiding me toward the car, and the words just died somewhere in my throat.
The villa complex sat scattered along a cliff above water so blue it looked fake, whitewashed buildings with dark wood shutters, the kind of quiet that isn't empty so much as expensive. A woman in crisp linen met us at the check-in pavilion, all soft voice and softer smile, already scrolling through something on a tablet.
"Villa Fourteen for you both," she said. "Ocean-facing, shared terrace, the honeymoon suite configuration you requested... very private, no one above or beside you for the whole stay."