The walk from the dock to the villa took less than five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Becky’s sundress clung to her skin in the humid evening air, already half-unbuttoned from impatient hands on the path. Ryder carried her easily the last stretch, her legs locked around his hips, while Mason, Caleb, and Adrian followed close behind with the bags. No one spoke much. Words had been used up in the vows, in the goodbye to Micah, in the long flight filled with teasing promises. Now only need remained.
The villa rose before them like something out of a fever dream—wide teak decks, floor-to-ceiling glass walls that folded open completely to the breeze, and an infinity pool glowing soft turquoise under low exterior lights. Beyond it, the ocean stretched dark and endless, the sound of wav
