A therapy session?

By the time Luncindra's friends packed up and left, the sun was casting long shadows across the beach.

The air was thick with salt and warmth, and while the games had been fun, I wasn't exactly looking forward to what was shaping up to be chitchat.

I was here for something straightforward no fluff, no emotional entanglements. Just vacation fun.

Yet here was Luncindra, sitting beside me on the sand, the volleyball forgotten between us, chatting as if we were on a first date.

"You're good at volleyball," she said, leaning back on her hands. The muscles in her arms flexed slightly, catching the light. "But I'm guessing that's not your only talent."

I smirked at her attempt at flirtation, but inside, I sighed. Yeah, I've got talents, all right. One of them is getting people out of their clothes without needing small talk.

"You could say that," I replied vaguely, fiddling with a stray thread on my towel. Maybe if I didn't feed into the conversation, she'd steer things where I wanted them to go.

Luncindra chuckled, her amber eyes scanning my face as if she were trying to unravel some mystery about me. "You've got a good vibe, Rhiannon. Confident but not arrogant. It's refreshing."

"Thanks." My tone was clipped, but she didn't seem to notice—or maybe she didn't care.

"So, what brings you to this beach?" she asked, tilting her head. "You here with family? Friends? Solo escape?"

"Family," I admitted reluctantly. "It's a vacation thing. Nothing too crazy."

Her smile widened. "That's cute. I like that you're close with them."

I held back a groan. This wasn't going anywhere near where I wanted it to go. "Sure," I said, noncommittally.

"What about you?" I asked, half hoping that shifting the focus to her would somehow speed things along.

"Me? I'm just here for a bit of fun before heading back to my usual grind. I work a lot, so it's nice to take a break, you know?"

I didn't know. I didn't care, either. But I nodded as if I did.

She stretched her legs out, her toned muscles catching my attention despite my irritation. "You seem like someone who doesn't settle for the boring stuff. Am I right?"

"You're not wrong," I said with a sly smile. Finally, I thought, maybe we're getting somewhere.

"So what do you look for in people?" she asked, her tone suddenly softer, more sincere.

I blinked, thrown off by the shift. "Uh… I don't know. Someone… interesting, I guess?"

Her smile turned thoughtful. "Interesting. I like that. I think that's what I look for, too. Someone who makes me curious. Someone who keeps me guessing."

The words felt like a trap. They weren't about volleyball or drinks or fleeting fun. They were about… something more. I stiffened slightly, my instincts screaming danger.

"You seem like you're not used to opening up," she said, her voice gentle now. "But I think there's a lot more to you than you let on."

I frowned. "You don't even know me."

"Not yet," she replied, her grin teasing but her tone serious.

What is this? A therapy session? My patience was running thin, but her confidence was unsettlingly attractive. She leaned in a little, her amber eyes locking onto mine, and my breath hitched despite myself.

"I think you're trying to figure me out, too," she said, her voice dropping to a low, intimate tone.

"I wasn't—" I started, but her lips quirked into a knowing smile that made my denial feel hollow.

"Relax," she murmured. "You don't have to say anything."

Her hand brushed a strand of hair away from my face, her fingers warm against my skin. My pulse quickened, despite the annoyance bubbling under the surface.

Finally, I thought, as she leaned closer. This was the part I'd been waiting for. No more talking, just—

Before her lips could touch mine, a volleyball came flying out of nowhere, smacking into the sand between us with a loud thud.

"Seriously?" I growled, whipping my head around.

Standing a few feet away was Rowena, casually holding another volleyball under her arm. Her smirk was as infuriating as it was knowing. "Oh, sorry," she said, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "Didn't see you there."

I narrowed my eyes at her, my frustration boiling over. Of course, it was Rowena. Of course, her sisterly instincts had kicked in to ruin what little progress I'd made.

Luncindra sat back, looking between us with a raised eyebrow. "Friend of yours?" she asked, amused.

"Unfortunately," I muttered, brushing sand off my legs.

"Older sister," Rowena corrected, tossing the ball in the air and catching it with a practiced hand. "And you're welcome, by the way."

"For what?" I snapped.

"For saving you from whatever bad decisions you were about to make," she said with a wink.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. Could this day get any worse?