No Strings

    Luca had lied - the water was freezing. Sienna surfaced beside the yacht gasping while Matteo howled with laughter nearby.

  

  "You said it was warm!" she shouted at Luca.

  

  Luca looked entirely unapologetic as he treaded water beside her. "I said Monaco was warm."

  

  "You're the worst."

  

  "And yet you jumped."

  

  Yes, she had. Sienna swam with the others back toward the lower swim platform attached to the yacht and Matteo hauled himself onto the platform first and held his hand out to help Sienna up.

  

  "Oh absolutely not" Luca muttered as he climbed onto the platform before her in one smooth movement and knocked Matteo out of the way to offer help to Sienna. She took his hand and he helped her onto the deck and almost directly into his very bare and muscled chest. And once again, Sienna forgot how breathing worked. Her dress clung to her skin now, which would've been humiliating if Luca wasn't looking at her like he was trying not to touch her.

  

  "The sexual tension is becoming unbearable." Matteo pointed dramatically between them.

  

  "Drown quietly," Luca replied, not taking his eyes from Sienna's.

  

  Emilia appeared above them holding towels. "Honestly, you two flirt like divorced people forced into couple's therapy."

  

  Sienna laughed despite herself

  

  "You're staring," Luca said casually.

  

  "I'm assessing how much head trauma caused your personality. Why are you staring?"

  

  "Be honest," Matteo interrupted. "You think he's hot."

  

  "I think he's deeply irritating."

  

  "That wasn't a denial," Emilia sang.

  

  Sienna grabbed one of the towels Emilia tossed down and wrapped it around herself before moving up the stairs to the upper deck. The night air hit her skin immediately and no matter what Luca said about Monaco, she was cold.

  

  "You're shivering," Luca said.

  

  "I'm wet because of you."

  

  His mouth curved slowly. "Dangerous phrasing, wrong party girl."

  

  "Oh my God. You really flirt with everyone."

  

  "No," Emilia corrected from above. "Usually he's worse."

  

  "Helpful," Luca muttered.

  

  The group eventually drifted upstairs toward the quieter lounge area while staff magically appeared with fresh towels and drinks.

  

  Billionaire life remained absurd.

  

  Sienna curled into the corner of one oversized couch while Matteo and Emilia argued over music nearby. Luca disappeared briefly before returning a few minutes later wearing a dry black shirt and carrying something in his hands.

  

  He tossed it toward her.

  

  Sienna caught soft fabric against her chest and blinked down.

  

  A hoodie.

  

  She looked up slowly. "You own hoodies?"

  

  "I contain layers."

  

  "It probably costs more than my rent."

  

  "Most things here do."

  

  She rolled her eyes but pulled it on and shimmied her wet dress down. She stepped out of it and laid it over the back of a chair.

  

  This felt dangerously intimate.

  

  The sleeves hung past her hands slightly, the hem hit her mid thigh and it smelt like him. And when she glanced up again Luca was watching her with an expression that felt more dangerous than the flirting.

  

  Matteo suddenly stood from the couch. "I'm stealing Emilia before I witness emotional attachment."

  

  "We're not emotionally attached," Sienna answered immediately.

  

  "Sure," Emilia said dryly.

  

  The two disappeared toward the upper deck, leaving sudden quiet behind them.

  

  Sienna immediately looked toward the hallway. "I should probably go."

  

  Luca sat across from her, one arm stretched along the back of the couch.

  

  "You always say that before staying longer."

  

  "That's because you're strangely difficult to escape."

  

  "I could block the exits if that helps."

  

  "See? Murderer behavior again."

  

  His laugh was quieter this time and the atmosphere shifted now the others had gone. It was closer and Sienna became aware of everything all over again. The soft music, the ocean gently lapping at the side of the boat, the fact she was wearing Luca's clothes, the way he was looking at her.

  

  "You're thinking loudly again," he said.

  

  She exhaled slowly before meeting his eyes.

  

  "This can't become a thing."

  

  Luca went still.

  

  "A thing?" he repeated.

  

  "You know what I mean."

  

  His expression stayed unreadable now, all easy charm stripped away.

  

  "Sienna—"

  

  "I'm serious." She tucked damp hair behind her ear. "You're fun. I like being around you. But I know how this works."

  

  "And how does it work?"

  

  "You flirt. Women fall in love with you. Monaco turns it into entertainment. Then everybody gets hurt."

  Something flickered briefly across Luca's face and Sienna couldn't quite place it.

  

  "You think I hurt people for fun?"

  

  "No." Sienna's voice softened slightly. "Not at all. I just think you don't let things become real."

  

  Luca leaned back slowly against the couch, studying her.

  

  "What exactly are you afraid of?" he asked quietly.

  

  The question landed harder than she expected. Sienna looked away toward the dark windows overlooking the marina.

  

  "Nothing," she lied.

  

  Luca didn't call her out directly.

  

  "You know," he said after a moment, "most women would be thrilled to hear I don't want anything serious."

  

  "That's because most women haven't met enough emotionally unavailable men."

  

  A surprised laugh escaped him.

  

  "There she is."

  

  Sienna smiled faintly despite herself before shaking her head.

  

  "I mean it, Luca."

  

  His gaze held hers steadily now.

  

  "No strings," she said firmly.

  

  Something unreadable passed through his expression again before the familiar teasing smile finally returned.

  

  "Fine."

  

  That shouldn't have disappointed her, but her heart grew slightly heavier.

  

  "We'll keep things simple," he continued lightly.

  

  "Good."

  

  "No emotional attachment."

  

  "Exactly."

  

  "No jealousy."

  

  "Obviously."

  

  Luca nodded thoughtfully.

  

  "So if I kissed you right now, that would be completely casual?"

  

  Sienna's heartbeat immediately betrayed her.

  

  "You're impossible."

  

  "And yet," he murmured, eyes dropping briefly to her mouth, "you're still here."

  

  That was the dangerous part.

  

  Because she was.