Bound By Scandals

along the craggy Amalfi Coast. She could already hear Luke conversing with the captain up on deck. Hi

aded upstairs, finding Luke sipping espresso by

and kissing her forehead. “I was just telling Mar

the rail, inhaling the briny sea air. She would never tire of these g

issful moments too before the real world came crashing back in. She wished the

reets and lingered over lunch at a quiet terrace tucked away from tour

yours?” she finally asked, runn

ieve this dream escapade is nearly ove

bout what came next. The past two weeks had felt suspended out

said, infusing her voice with a confidence she only

to his lips. “You always know just what to say. Promise me

ooding! We still have one last perfect

r spark. “You took the wo

y for their last dinner, wearing a shimmering rose gold dress she bought in Milan. Lu

ma,” he murmured, pulling her close. “I thought you couldn’t

g too bad yourself, Mr. Wilson.” She playfu

yacht. Samantha gasped when she saw he had transformed the outdoor lounge into an intim

a loss for words, overwhelme

festa,” he said, smiling an

d capture this feeling in a photograph - the glow of the flames dancing across Luke’s face, the foreign constel

a realized she would miss this - the way he looked at her like she was the only person on eart

had fully blanketed the coastline. Luke pulled her to lay ag

sighed, absently tracing her finger in circl

ly before responding. “I wish I could freeze time he

o meet his eyes. “Hey, wha

ing up reflexively. “It’s just...with you I feel so fully myself

face in the flickering firelight. Samantha sta

old and unfer serious medication, leaving me a large inherita

how much loss must be in his past. She trac

ke confessed. “People see dollar signs in me, not me. No

isolation on the climb to success. The harder she worked,

myself into work, made it my whole identity. Hard to let s

He brought her hand to his lips in a tender kiss, h

, wrapped in Luke’s arms, all her fears about getting hurt melte

over conversations of life and love. With each shared

longer deny what was happening inside her. She was falling desperately, reckl

ours before dawn, bodies intertwined, she whisper