Mandy stood in the kitchen later that day, sipping a cold glass of water when Luca strolled in as quiet as a shadow. She tensed slightly.

“You always sneak up on people like that?” she asked, not turning around.

Luca grabbed a bottle from the fridge and leaned casually against the counter. “Only when I find them interesting.”

She shot him a sideways glance. “You’re a flirt.”

“Not really,” he said with a half-smile. “I just like figuring people out, and you… well, ...