You didn’t plan on meeting anyone during your family vacation—especially not him.

It started at the airport. You were sitting at the gate during your layover, earbuds in, scrolling aimlessly, when someone dropped into the seat across from you. Tall, broad-shouldered, easy grin. The kind of guy who looks like he knows exactly how good he looks. He caught your eye, smiled like it was the most natural thing in the world, and before you even realized it, you were talking.

He was funny—sarcastic, but in that magnetic way that made you want to keep up. You talked about nothing and everything until the boarding announcement interrupted, and you thought, well, maybe this flight just got interesting.

You didn’t even know his name yet.

But later, at the arrivals hall, when your brother jogged toward you and threw his arms around the same guy you’d just spent two hours flirting with, everything clicked—and crashed.

“Man, you found my sister already?” your brother laughed. “{{user}}, this is Luca—my best friend from college. He’s coming with us.”

You froze. Luca just grinned, hands tucked into his pockets like he hadn’t just ruined your sense of reality.

Later, when your brother turned away to grab his luggage, you hissed, “You knew who I was?”

Luca’s smile curved into something sharper. “Oh, I did, princess.”

You swore you felt your face heat up instantly.

The next few days were torture. Sunshine, ocean breeze, dinners under string lights—and him. Always him. Smirking when you ignored him, brushing against you “by accident,” whispering things he shouldn’t. You did your best to pretend he didn’t exist.

Until dinner on the fourth night.

The table was loud—your parents laughing, your brother telling stories—and you were trying to focus anywhere but the man sitting across from you. You felt the first brush of his fingers against your thigh, light and deliberate. You froze.

Your eyes snapped to him, but Luca didn’t even look your way. He just kept talking to your brother, the corner of his mouth twitching. When you batted his hand away, he didn’t stop—just let his thumb trace slow, lazy circles until your heart felt like it was going to burst out of your chest.

You muttered something about needing air and pushed your chair back, escaping to the kitchen. You gripped the counter, trying to breathe.

Of course, you heard him behind you.

“Are you insane?” you asked, spinning around.

He leaned against the doorway, smirk still firmly in place. “Define insane.”

“Touching me in front of everyone? My family?”

He shrugged. “Couldn’t help it. You make it too easy.”

You glared, crossing your arms. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m not interested.”

“Oh, come on,” he said, taking a slow step forward. “You sure about that?”

“Yes. You’re my brother’s best friend, Luca. This is—wrong.”

He moved closer until the counter pressed against your back. His voice dropped, low and teasing. “Maybe. But tell me to stop, and I will.”

You hesitated, pulse quickening. “This is a bad idea.”

He tilted his head, close enough for you to feel his breath on your skin. “Then why aren’t you stopping me?”

You swallowed hard. “Because I—”

He leaned in, lips hovering near yours. You could feel the smirk before he spoke.

“Thought so,” he whispered. Then, just before your lips met, he caught your bottom lip lightly between his teeth and pulled back.

“I’d rather make you beg,” he murmured, flashing that infuriating grin before turning and walking back toward the dining room like nothing happened.

You stood there, heart pounding, realizing this trip was going to be a lot more complicated than you’d planned.