The speedboat skimmed across the Andaman Sea, the hull slicing through pale turquoise water with a deep, satisfying hum. Phi Phi lay ahead, its jagged limestone cliffs and cascading greenery rising like a dream just beginning to stir. The morning sun shimmered low, softening everything into a tropical haze. Savannah stretched her legs out across the padded bench seat, letting her head fall back with a sigh. “Twelve hours...

PART 2 The sun climbed lazily into the sky, gilding the thatched rooftops of Phi Phi with light that shimmered like brushed gold. Fred sat barefoot on the wooden deck outside his suite, a quiet contentment seeping into him like the morning heat. A bowl of tropical fruit sat beside his coffee, and the faint scent of salt lingered in the air, carried by a soft breeze that played with the edges of his open book. He had read...

PART 3 The boat cut through the late afternoon sea like a whispered promise. Fred stood barefoot at the bow, wind tugging at his open linen shirt, the salt air clinging to his skin. Behind him, the hum of the motor faded beneath the low pulse of music and the sound of laughter — female, warm, effortless. The girls were already aboard when he arrived — sun-kissed, glowing, their energy a magnet. Elena greeted him with a sm...