Then laughter erupted from the far corner of the garden—loud, unfiltered, and very much not ladylike.
He turned.
Sofia, the only one wearing a vibrant shade of red, Alejandra, Ilias’ sister and cousin, and another woman were all bent in half laughing like they were about to collapse. No fake giggles. No polite chuckles. This was real, belly-aching, mascara-running hilarity.
His eyes zeroed in on Alejandra. Operation“Figure out if Alejandra López Romero might possibly flirt back”started now.
She wore a white maxi dress that clung to her body like it had been tailored by the gods. Sweetheart neckline, a small cut-out under her bust showing off the golden skin of her firm abdomen. Her collarbones caught the light every time she moved. Her long, black hair was wild and wavy, like she’d just stepped out of the sea. She wore gold earrings and a simple bracelet around her right bicep that somehow made her look even more like a sun-kissed warrior queen.
Callum immediately ducked behind his wine flute, suddenly extremely interested in the bubbles.
Don’t be a fucking creep, Callum.
And yet, there he was, very much creeping.
He hadn’t felt like this in years. Alejandra was the kind of woman who made everything around her feel electric.
“Hello, nerd trio,” Ilias appeared suddenly, grinning like a golden retriever who’d just crashed a dinner party. He was one of those rare guys who could walk into any room and make it lighter, easier. He threw an arm around Callum’s and Asma’s shoulders. “You having fun?”
“We just got here,” Leif said.
“I mean, in Tarifa. You should’ve come surfing. You had three Olympians ready to teach you,” Ilias joked. “I mean, I’m amazing. Ale and Amira can be dictators, though.”
Callum smiled to himself.Alejandra can dictate me any day.
“They sound fun,” Asma joked.
“Mmmh, I don’t know about that,” Ilias replied with a wink. “Oh, and if you see some old man taking photos of you from behind a bush, it’s Ale and Carlos’ dad. He got a new camera and acts like he’s ten.”
They all laughed, then Ilias wandered off again.
“I’m gonna grab some food,” Callum said, keeping it casual, even though by the looks both Asma and Leif sent him, hewasn’t beingthatsmooth. He'd spotted Alejandra at the buffet, alone, stuffing her mouth.
This was his moment.
Play it cool. You are cool. You are awesome. You are a catch. Great sex material. Award-winning cuddler. Probably.
“Refueling after surfing?” he asked as he stepped beside her.
Alejandra looked up mid-bite, her cheeks full, eyes flashing with surprise and then with mischief. Green. Bright. Extremely dangerous.
She swallowed—God, even that was attractive—and tilted her head up at him.
“Takes a lot of energy,” she said. “And you? Recovering from too much tanning?”
She passed him a plate without being asked, and he grabbed it with a quiet thanks.
“I spent half the time under an umbrella,” he replied. “Didn’t want to end up like Leif. Guy’s basically a lobster.”
Alejandra chuckled, and something in his chest tightened at the sound. “Those burns look painful.” Her gaze had found Leif and Asma talking with Carlos and Amira. “Still thinking surfing’s not for you?”
“I haven’t said it wasn’t for me,” he said, scooping couscous, jamón, and focaccia onto his plate. The food was a beautiful mash-up of Moroccan, Spanish, and Italian flavors. Just like Sofia and Ilias.
“Then what was it?” she teased, cocking an eyebrow.
“I prefer the ocean calm,” he said quietly. “I’m more of a swimmer than a surfer.”
“Too bad. Surfing’s fun,” she replied. Then, “So what do you do when you're not busy nerding out?”
