Chapter 1

The café was tucked just off the sand, shaded by woven parasols and surrounded by swaying palms. The last heat of the afternoon clung to the air—heavy, indulgent, laced with the scent of sea salt and coconut oil. Everything seemed to glow under the slow descent of the sun, a lazy, molten light pouring across the beach.

This was a known spot—unofficial, but understood. A place where certain couples went to see and be seen, and maybe leave with more company than they came with.

Linda sat back in her chair, legs stretched long, one ankle crossed over the other. Her black bikini was barely visible beneath her sheer sarong, skin bronzed and glowing. Her silver-blond hair was pulled up in a messy updo, a pair of oversized sunglasses perched low on her nose. Beneath them, her face was breathtaking—lush lips, sharp cheekbones, a smirk that hinted at all the wicked things she knew. She carried the raw beauty of a woman in her mid-thirties, seasoned and magnetic, sipping her beer as the bottle beaded and slipped slightly in her fingers.

Across from her, Jon leaned back, tanned chest bare, his open linen shirt clinging to his arms. Thirty-six, sculpted, and entirely at ease. His face was ruggedly handsome, with a dusting of stubble and calm, playful eyes that missed nothing. The light caught the veins in his forearms as he toyed lazily with the condensation on his glass, muscles shifting with the slow, quiet strength of a man who never needed to prove himself. He scanned the beach like a hunter half asleep—until

Linda said, casually, without turning her head:

“Look left. At the edge of the water.”

Jon turned, and stilled.

A young couple had just stepped off the sand. Barefoot, laughing, completely at ease in their bodies. They weren’t touching, but they moved with the kind of synchronized ease that made them hard not to watch.

The girl wore a deep red bikini—small, snug, and low-cut in both directions. Her hips were generous, her waist narrow, and her breasts full enough to stretch the thin fabric. Her skin was golden, kissed deep by the sun, and her long, dark brown hair fell in a sleek, center-parted curtain down her back, glossy and straight despite the heat. She had the kind of smile that stopped conversations.

The boy walking beside her—same build, same skin tone, same eyes—was just as arresting. Shirtless, in faded board shorts slung low on his narrow hips, his chest lean and smooth with a faint line of muscle running down to a flat stomach. His long hair was tied back lazily, strands falling into his face, framing high cheekbones and a full mouth that looked like it had been kissed into softness. His jaw was delicate, his eyes alert but calm, and when he glanced toward the café, he caught Jon watching him.

He didn’t look away.

“They look ... alike,” Jon murmured.

Linda’s smile grew wider behind her glass. “Mmhmm.”

“You think they’re...?”

“Could be. Could also just be perfect together.”

They were coming closer now, weaving through the crowd with beer bottles in hand, barefoot and casual but very aware of the attention they were drawing. Jon sat up a little straighter. Linda pushed her sunglasses up onto her head.

The girl was the one who made the first move. She caught Linda’s gaze and gave a subtle tilt of her head toward the two empty seats at their table.

“Mind if we join you?” she asked, voice warm and low, lips full and parted in a slow, curious smile. Her eyes sparkled with something warm and wicked—like she already knew this was going to be fun.

Linda’s answer was smooth. “Please do.”

They sat—Tina beside Linda, the boy beside Jon. Close enough that their bare thighs brushed now and then.

“I’m Linda,” she said, offering her hand.

“Jon,” he added.

“Tina,” the girl said with a lazy grin, sliding her fingers into Linda’s and holding just a second longer than necessary. Teo echoed the motion beside Jon, his own lips just as plush, his gaze quiet but alert, following Tina’s lead with subtle reverence.

“Teo,” he said softly, voice lighter, watching Tina more than anyone—but his eyes still flicked between Jon and the beer in his hand.

Jon offered his bottle in a silent toast. Teo tapped his against it, mouth curling in a tiny, knowing smile.

Looking at them made Jon and Linda’s hearts pound—like watching something beautiful and dangerous drift in on the tide.

“You two from around here?” Linda asked, her eyes already tracing the smooth line of Tina’s collarbone, the way her bikini top pressed tight over her chest.

“Not far,” Tina said. “Just a short break. We come here when we want to relax ... or stir things up.”

Linda raised an eyebrow. “You two come together?”

“We always do,” Tina said, playful but coy.

Jon laughed, but there was something careful in it. “You match almost too well. Like you could be related.”

Tina smiled like she’d been waiting for that. “We are.”

Teo leaned in slightly. “Twins.”

There was a flicker in Jon’s eyes, something dark and curious. “That explains the symmetry.”

“You don’t mind, do you?” Tina asked, voice low, lips barely moving.

Linda’s smile was slow, rich, and hungry. “Not even a little.”

Tina leaned back in her chair, the wooden slats creaking faintly beneath her as she crossed one leg over the other. Her knee brushed Linda’s under the table. She didn’t move it.