Madeline's POV.
At first, I didn't realise I was being hugged.
I was rambling, saying whatever sat at the tip of my tongue, my chest feeling lighter.
I just said things I never planned to voice out, and my head naturally fell on his chest.
But then he did something unexpected: He wrapped his arms around me, making me feel the kind of security that I had always wanted.
It took me a few seconds to process that I was being held by him, and Liam Fernandes was embracing me.
Soon I pulled back my breath, hitching, I was too shy to look up at him.
I turned away, pretending to focus on the trees or the path or anything that wasn't him. My arms folded across my chest on instinct.
"I—sorry," I apologized.
But Liam didn't say a word about it. Didn't tease or ask or even question. Just quietly said, "Come on," and began walking.
I followed, grateful he didn't look back. Grateful that he didn't make me explain what I couldn't even explain to myself.
There was a villa up ahead and I trailed behind him, heart still racing.
It was surprising how close the runway was to the villa.
It took us around 15 minutes to reach the villa as Liam pushed open the big black gates.
I stepped on the clean wooden floors, the villa smelled like fresh grass and soil, maybe because it was surrounded by greenery.
But something felt off. Why was it so quiet here?
I glanced around, trying to find any human trace, ''Why is there no one around?''
Liam turned around, clearing his throat, ''It will just be us, I suppose.''
I blinked, ''Wait, what?!''
I took my phone out of my pocket, perfect, no signal.
I tried moving around, lifting my phone towards the ceiling, hoping that it would fetch me some network, but Nope.
My stomach dropped, ''Oh my god, there is no network.''
Liam shrugged, ''Well, that's a little inconvenient.''
'Little inconvenient?!'
'That was all he had to say?'
I was on panic mode now, we were on an island with no human contact, I was not freaking Bear Grylls to get excited over this idea.
''Liam, are you...Do you even understand how dangerous this could be? There is no Wifi, no signal...
''Madeline,'' he cut me off, his voice seemed slightly irritated, ''Just give me a minute,''
Saying that he walked towards the drawer above which the TV was placed, a folded piece of paper sat on the drawer.
He picked it up, unfolded it, and scanned it in silence.
"What is it?" I asked, 'Why did it feel like we were on a mission?'
"It's a letter from my mum," he said. "She says she wants us to 'enjoy each other's company' for the next two weeks."
I gawked at him. "Two weeks?!"
"She's stocked the fridge, apparently. And left emergency numbers. But the landline works."
My legs felt weak as I plopped on the couch nearby, "This is a setup. She set us up."
Liam didn't respond immediately. I glanced towards him and saw him still reading, looking both amused and betrayed.
"Did you know about this?" I asked.
"No," he said flatly, dropping the letter onto the table.
Liam then walked away and opened a door which probably led to a bedroom.
I was still freaking out about the whole ordreal when he came back his hands in his pocket, ''So...there is only one bedroom.''
I blinked, ''Sorry, what?''
He nodded, pointing his thumb towards the room he just entered, ''Queen-sized bed, a wardrobe, a window, and that's it.''
It wasn't like I hadn't shared a room with him, but when it was just the two of us, my thoughts ran wild, after all, we were just humans.
'A man and a woman.'
'A man and a woman on an isolated island.'
Liam walked forward slowly, like a leopard towards its prey. My thoughts went wild as he stood right in front of me. I looked up at his face.
He slowly bent down and picked up my luggage.
My cheeks burned hot, 'what was I thinking?'
I felt the air shift. The villa was suddenly very warm.
He raised an eyebrow, casually smug. "You okay?"
"Yes," I replied too fast, my voice unnaturally high. "Yes, totally. Why wouldn't I be?"
He didn't answer, he just smirked faintly, like he was enjoying this way too much for someone who didn't know about this setup.
"You can bring your luggage in there," he added. "Unless you're planning to sleep on the couch."
"I might," I muttered.
He shook his head as he carried one of my bags, ''You don't have to, I will take the couch, I feel more comfortable there.''
''Yeah, I know,'' I replied as the image of him and Alexandra suddenly flashed inside my head.
Liam paused dropping the luggage as he turned towards me as if he understood what I implied.
He took a step closer.
"Is that what you think?" he asked quietly. Not cold, not defensive, but something else entirely.
I swallowed. "I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to."
His voice was lower now. His eyes locked on mine.
I could hear the beach waves faintly in the distance, the rustle of trees. But all of it dulled in this moment.
He stepped even closer.
My pulse jumped. My arms folded across my chest, not because I was cold, but because I didn't trust myself.
"You always do that," he said, eyes scanning my face.
"Do what?"
"Assume the worst."
"I don't assume. I just… remember things." I muttered, looking anywhere but him.
He was standing so close now, I could smell the faint trace of his cologne, crisp, warm.
Like wood, fire and sex.
His fingers brushed my hips. Barely a touch.
I froze.
He didn't move back.
Instead, he leaned in, not enough to cross a line, but enough to blur it. His mouth was next to my ear, his voice a low murmur.
"You really think I'd bring you here… just to think about her?"
I stopped breathing.
My chest ached with the effort of keeping still, pretending like I wasn't affected. Like I hadn't thought about him and her for weeks now.
But before I could say anything, he pulled back.
Not far. Just enough to give me space to inhale, exhale, think straight again.
And then, just like that, he stepped away completely.
He walked off without another word, leaving me standing there in the middle of the room, warm and flushed and stupidly breathless.
Hot and bothered.
He didn't even look back.