Chapter 1: Arrival

The warm Philippine sun was beginning to lower in the sky as Paul and Faith stepped through the carved wooden doorway of their private cabana at Kandaya Resort. The scent of saltwater mingled with frangipani on the breeze, and beyond the villa’s floor-to-ceiling windows, the azure ocean glimmered in the distance. Their two-bedroom sanctuary was modern yet earthy — polished stone floors, gauzy curtains that danced with the breeze, and a wide-open living space that flowed seamlessly to their private garden, where a hot tub bubbled beside the turquoise pool.

Faith moved ahead, her slim frame silhouetted by the shifting sunlight. She was stunning — 5’8”, confident in her skin, and utterly magnetic. Her dark hair was styled in her usual undercut, both sides of her head shaved clean while the rest coiled in a mass of curls piled high. She had a way of owning every room she entered, from her sharp English wit to her unapologetically firm nipples that pressed against the fabric of her thin top. She turned and smiled at Paul — that beautiful, knowing smile that always left him undone.

Paul followed her in, duffel still slung over his shoulder. Fit and handsome in his late forties, with warm brown eyes and tousled hair that hadn’t lost its boyish charm, he paused at the threshold of their bedroom. A sprawling king-sized bed awaited them, draped in crisp linen and a white canopy that fluttered in the breeze from the open glass doors. Candles had already been placed at intervals around the room by the resort staff — a welcome gesture, but one that promised far more than just relaxation.