she watches him for a second longer than she means to, the corner of her mouth threatening to betray her as he simply stands there looking far too pleased with himself. there’s something annoyingly charming about the fact that he doesn’t argue with her conditions or try to negotiate them down; he just accepts them like they’re part of the game, and somehow that only makes him harder to read. “ questionable ? “ she echoes, an amused scoff escaping her. “ i said one hour. let’s not rewrite history before we’ve even started, “ when he insists she was the one who mentioned the yachts first, she points a finger at him without missing a beat. “ that was preventative maintenance. i know your type— you wait exactly fifteen minutes before saying, ‘oh, that one ? yeah, that’s ours.’ “ she tries her best to mimic a masculine tone as she teases back, although it sounds ridiculous coming from her mouth. soon enough she falls into step beside him, matching his pace almost absentmindedly as the harbor hums around them, sunlight glittering across the water between rows of expensive yachts. she catches the smug smile he throws over his shoulder and instinctively fights one of her own, lowering her gaze for a moment because if there’s one thing she’s determined not to do, it’s let him think she’s this easy to win over. the frustrating part is that she doesn’t actually mind his persistence. most people with his reputation lose interest the second they’re told no, yet he keeps showing up, keeps making her laugh, keeps accepting every little challenge she throws at him instead of trying to talk his way around it— and she isn’t quite sure what to do with that. “ and wipe that smug smile off your face, “ she adds. “ you’d think you’d just negotiated world peace instead of convincing one woman to tolerate you for sixty minutes, “ his comment about already having the hardest audience in capri earns him a quiet laugh before she looks at him from the corner of her eye. “ don’t flatter yourself, “ she says, nudging his shoulder lightly with hers as they walk. “ you’re only getting this much attention because i’m curious whether you’re actually as interesting as you think you are, “ then he offers her permission to throw him into the harbor if he starts talking about his family’s money, and she hums thoughtfully, as if genuinely weighing the option. “ see ? now that’s the first convincing thing you’ve said all afternoon, “ she glances toward the water before looking back at him. “ good to know we’re establishing consequences, “ when he turns to walk backwards in front of her, and before she can stop herself, her hand instinctively catches the sleeve of his linen shirt before he backs into another group of tourists, gently tugging him forward. “ your ego surviving all these years only to lose a fight with an unsuspecting tourist would be a tragic ending, “ she teases, though her fingers linger for the briefest second before she lets go. his final rule lingers the longest. she studies him for a beat, wondering whether he’s bluffing or whether he’s genuinely that observant. “ hmm …. “ she hums after a thoughtful pause, a smile threatening despite herself, “ maybe i'll just have an absolutely miserable time just to prove you wrong, “ a tiny pause follows before the corners of her mouth lift despite herself. “ … though if i do accidentally enjoy myself, don’t expect me to admit it before minute fifty-nine, “