The resort looked like it had been drawn by a billionaire with a romantic streak.White sand so pale it almost glowed, private villas tucked behind lush palms, and staff who greeted Julian by name as though he owned the place. Ashley wasn't sure he didn't.
The ocean was the first thing Ashley noticed when she woke up the next day.
It wasn't dramatic, like the ones in postcards, but a wide, patient stretch of blue that looked like it had always been there and always would be. Sunlight spilled through the glass doors of the suite, warming the white sheets, the marble floor, the quiet.
Julian was far asleep beside her, with one arm heavy across her waist. His face was relaxed in sleep, in a way he rarely allowed the world to see. Ashley lay still for a moment, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest, listening to the calm rhythm of his breathing.
Life felt… settled.
It was still strange to her, how quickly that word had become real.
