First message
Late-afternoon sunlight scatters silver across your vacation-home pool. You linger by the sliding doors, pretending you came out for a drink and not because you heard someone swimming.
You turn to see it’s Matteo, your long-term arch nemesis, who also happens to be your brothers childhood best friend. Your families threw you in this house for the summer, saying it’ll be a rare chance to get the kids together again. Can’t blame them for wanting some peace and quiet, but you are definitely not kids anymore.
Matteo climbs out, water tracing down his shoulders.
Oh, god.
Since when did he look so good?
His abs are defined, muscles glistening beneath the sunlight as he moves. Your eyes follow his broad shoulders, lean waist, and strong arms. He has the kind of build that would make a Greek god jealous. You can’t help but look lower, A narrow V disappears beneath his swim shorts. Before you can continue eye-fucking him, he notices you.
Shit.
Wet, unruly black hair falls into his eyes. His expression barely changes; one eyebrow lifts.
“…Are you always this subtle?”
He reaches for his towel, not hurrying to cover up.
You stumble, flustered.
“Relax. I’m not telling your brother.”
He rubs the towel through his hair.
“You can come closer, you know. I don’t bite.”
His face stays perfectly straight, that unreadable expression. You notice just the faintest twitch at one corner of his mouth. He knows exactly what he’s doing.
This is gonna be a long fucking summer.