Chapter 2

**Rowan**

I strolled into the kitchen, greeted by the morning sun peeking through the French doors. The light spilled across a spread of fresh fruits, crepes, and bacon laid out on the white marble island. Swirls of gold were woven into the stone, glistening in the light.

Anita, dressed in her usual apron and hairnet, was already waiting with a plate in hand.

“Good morning, Rowan,” she said with her warm Hispanic accent.

I grabbed a handful of blueberries and started picking through the crepes and bacon. “This looks bueno, Anita. Muchas gracias! You’ve gotta tell me how you make these crepes.”

Richard invited himself in, wearing a sleek, steel-colored suit. “If she did that,” he said with a grin, “she wouldn’t have a reason to come to work. Frankly, I don’t think I could live without this breakfast,” he flirted.

Anita laughed, already holding his plate warm and ready. “I love cooking for your family. A couple of the homes I cook for don’t even see my food. Simplemente se queda ahí luciendo bonito (It just sits there looking pretty). But here? I cook it extra bueno,” she smiled.

She turned to me. “And what did I just say?” she playfully quizzed.

I smirked, already chewing. “You said how pretty I was,” I laughed. I just had to tease further. “You thought you could get me this early? Aprendí eso hace años (I learned that years ago).”

She grinned, “Has aprendido bien (you have learned well), Rowan.”

Richard quietly watched our humor. “Got anything exciting planned today, Rowan?”

I glanced outside at the pool surrounded by lounge chairs, and the manicured green lawn curing in the sun. “Since summer vacation just permanently started ... I think I’m going to spend the day doing absolutely nothing. Poolside,” I smiled.

He smiled, “Well, I’ve got a hot date with a few colleagues and, wow, just look at the time,” he shuffled.

The air shifted — just slightly — as a tall, elegant figure glided into the room, her presence unmistakable. Victoria entered, perfume preceding her.

“Oh, I can assure you,” she trifled, wrapping herself around Richard for a quick kiss, “they’ve got nothing on me, my darling.”

Richard grinned like a man already halfway down the knees, teeth wide as she let him go. He didn’t even bother saying goodbye as she unhooked him. He just left smiling. Gross.

Victoria turned to me with a gasp, her brows drawing together in a way I wouldn’t dare let her know. “Rowan, what in the world happened to your arm? Look how dry your skin is. Is that a burn?”

I glanced down, startled. My skin was rough and irritated—faintly red and flaking along my forearm. How did I not notice this before? It didn’t itch. It didn’t hurt. Still, the sight unsettled me.

“I just remembered,” I said quickly, forming the lie on the fly. “I was out in the sun a few days ago and, well, it was a windy day. Played a lot of volleyball at the beach, uh, yeah and...” I fumbled.

She frowned. For all her dramatics and scolding, she was clearly concerned.

“I have to head out to work,” she said, adjusting the strap on her purse. “Make sure you apply something soothing from the medicine bin. Several times throughout the day. And if it’s not better by tonight, we’re going to the doctors,” her tone left no room for argument.

I forced a casual smile. “I swear it’s nothing. Doesn’t even hurt. I’ll take care of it. Go do your boss lady thing,” I waved her out the door.

Anita handed her a macchiato as she left—treating her departure with more formality than she gave Richard’s. Once Victoria’s heels clicked off into the distance, and the chauffeur tucked her in the car, I stepped outside through the French doors and onto the stone patio. The chill of the stone nipped at my bare feet, a reminder that the morning was still young.

“Need anything before I head out? I’m wrapping up,” Anita called out.

“I’m good!” I shouted back. “Ve a disfrutar tu día! (go enjoy your day!)”

I eased into the firm patio chair and dug further into my breakfast as the birds sang to each other in the treetops above. A gentle breeze blew me the sweet scent of jasmine from the nearby garden, relaxing any tension. The air brushed the gentle crispness of morning across my skin, creating a playful tingle. The scene was of an artistic perfection — and yet, the unease lingered. The redness on my arm. The strange night with Alex. I remembered her words, and they haunted me because I started to feel the same. The feeling that something inside me had begun to change.

It was nearly afternoon, and the sun blistered overhead. Sweat dripped down the center of my chest—it felt like my skin was crying. My damp hair clung to the nape of my neck, sticking to the cushion beneath me.

Brantlee pulled me in.

His lips fit mine perfectly, like puzzle pieces meant to meet. The closer he got, the more intimate we became—our sweat mingling, heat compounding. I felt him hardening against me, as his thighs pressed into mines. His grip was firm, his body heavy and yet he moved around me with grace—like the Earth in orbit, pulled by some invisible force. In this case, lust.

I opened my eyes to meet his—gray, intense. Beautiful.

I took his hand. “Hi,” I whispered.

He blushed. “Hi,” he said, that perfect smile blooming as he studied my face.

For a moment, nothing else existed—just the silence between our bodies, the shared breath, vulnerability, and the hunger. Then, like a void consuming every fiber of my being, he pulled away the rest of me.

After, I rolled over, separating myself from Brantlee. I glanced over at him, how his spine shown through the musculature of his back. His skin radiant from the light reflecting off it. Gently, I eased off the lounge chair, eyes drawn to the shimmering pool. The water inviting me for a swim. I dipped a toe in as the water devoured it—cool and satisfying—and jumped in!

At first, it was bliss. The briny water enveloped me in a weightless, cleansing embrace—but suddenly, a burning sensation exploded across my skin! I opened my eyes in agony as I sunk to the bottom, the divine burning sensation changing me from the inside-out. Just as quickly as the pain came, it went, vanished. A strange calm settled. I remained suspended in the cool, cerulean space, drifting along the bottom. I could see clearly—crystal clear. No haze, no blur. I could feel the vibrations of the ripples from the wind, the warmth of every shaft of sunlight cutting through the surface. I moved my arms and legs, my whole body effortlessly.