Luca Hale tried to focus on the Family Guy episode blaring across the massive TV screen, but the steady rush of shower water echoing through the penthouse made it impossible.

His whole body felt restless, wired with an energy he couldn’t shake. Peter Griffin was mid-fight with a giant chicken, yet Luca barely registered it. He pushed up from the leather couch and started pacing between the living room and the open balcony, like a caged animal.

’Did she seriously forget to grab a towel?’

He paused near the hallway. Should he just bring her one? Every master suite in this Golden Water Bay penthouse had its own private bathroom and walk-in shower. Yet Naomi had chosen the guest restroom off the main hall. It felt deliberate.

Combined with how openly affectionate she’d been all afternoon, the message seemed clear: she was trying to push a usually disciplined guy like him into making a move.

They had been intimate once before she left for France, but it had been rushed and over too quickly. It was her first time, even if she’d tried to play it cool he still saw the sheets after. No surprise he was desperate for a proper second chance.

’Screw the restraint,’ he thought, drawing in a sharp breath. He picked one of the empty master suites down the corridor, stepped into its bathroom, and took a long, freezing shower.

Thirty minutes later, Luca emerged in fresh silk pajamas, hair still damp, feeling far more in control. The cold water had done its job. He was heading toward the mirror to fix his hair when a sharp electronic click cut through the quiet. Every light in the penthouse died at once.

The sudden darkness left him disoriented. He narrowed his eyes, relying on the pale moonlight spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows. That’s when he noticed her... a soft, blurred silhouette standing motionless in his bedroom doorway.

A faint, intoxicating fragrance drifted across the room on the breeze. It wrapped around him, impossible to ignore.

"Naomi... Naomi?" His throat tightened. ’What game is she playing?’ The cold shower had barely cooled the heat in his veins.

She stayed quiet for a long moment, leaning against the doorframe. Then came a soft, shaky sigh. Her voice trembled with nerves and raw vulnerability.

"Luca... why didn’t you come over and peek through the glass?"

Luca’s mind blanked. ’???!!! Was I actually supposed to play peeping tom?’

"Naomi, you’re—"

He never finished the sentence. A warm, fragrant breeze swept in as she rushed forward and pressed herself into his arms. The second their bodies met, he realized she was completely naked. No trace of clothing this time. Her skin felt like warm silk under his hands... slender waist, perfect curves, that breathtaking face and figure he was finally seeing clearly in the moonlight. It hit him like a freight train.

"Hmm..."

"Naomi!"

"Luca... please. Take me."

Her flushed face burned against his collarbone, cheeks glowing deep crimson even in the dim light. Luca couldn’t believe this was the same shy woman who blushed at the smallest things in everyday life. Tonight, she had found courage that left him stunned.

The moment he gently laid her down on the cool silk sheets...

His phone exploded with a loud ring across the room, shattering the moment.

"Lu... Luca... your phone..."

"I’m not answering it."

"Hey... just pick it up. What if it’s something important from the office?" Naomi nudged his chest gently, her voice soft. She knew how much he sacrificed his packed schedule just to be with her. A call this late probably meant real trouble.

"Alright, fine."

Frustrated and still flushed with heat, Luca snatched the phone without checking the screen and barked into it, "Who the hell is this? What’s the emergency?"

A booming laugh answered him. "Hahaha! Fourth brother, I knew it! You blocked my number, but you didn’t think I’d just use Evelyn’s phone, did you?"

Julian Cruz’s voice filled the room, loud enough for Naomi to hear every word from the pillows. Luca’s expression darkened like a storm cloud. Naomi tried, and failed to hold back a burst of laughter beneath him.

"You absolute piece of trash!" Luca growled, teeth clenched. "Get off my line right now. If you call me again tonight, I swear I’ll ring your phone every single night of your honeymoon until you’re eating trash for breakfast!"

He slammed the end call button and hurled the phone across the floor.

Turning back to Naomi, he found her grinning up at him, shoulders still shaking with silent giggles. A wicked spark lit in Luca’s eyes. He licked his lips, flashing a predatory smile.

"Your pretty mouth seems to enjoy laughing at me, huh? Let’s see if it can still make those sounds in a few minutes."

"Luca, no, no... wait! I admit it, I was wrong!" She gave him an exaggerated, adorable pout, hands pressing lightly against his shoulders.

"Too late for apologies, sweetheart. You started this fire tonight."

A soft spring breeze rustled the leaves outside the penthouse windows. Under the quiet, starlit San Fierro sky, the only other sound was a distant kitten’s meow echoing up from the alley below.

Meanwhile, across town, Julian stood in his apartment looking utterly baffled. "What the hell is wrong with Luca’s temper? Even if he doesn’t want the property papers back, did he have to explode like that over one call?"

Evelyn, standing beside him, rolled her eyes and snatched the phone from his hand before he could redial. She shot him a deeply exasperated look.

"If you call him again tonight, Julian, you might actually end your friendship for good."

"Huh? Why?"

She shook her head, too tired to explain the obvious.

The next morning, golden sunlight spilled across the San Fierro horizon. Luca woke slowly, stretching with deep satisfaction. After weeks of restraint, he finally felt whole again.

Naomi was still curled peacefully against his side, tucked under his arm. Her elegant features were soft in sleep, long lashes fluttering occasionally. She looked so beautiful and relaxed that Luca couldn’t resist. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her smooth forehead.