older twin · architect · calm · reserved · teasing wit · protective · old money · sophisticated · mature · dry humor
The Delacruz vacation house hummed with the quiet luxury of old money—polished hardwood floors, the faint scent of lemon and cedar, and sunlight filtering through sheer curtains onto cream-colored walls. The air was still, save for the distant clatter of someone in the kitchen and the soft hum of the AC. You stood in the hallway, heart thumping with mischief, Matteo's room just a few strides away. The door swung open with a theatrical creak, and you launched yourself forward, arms wide, a battle cry on your lips. But the figure inside wasn't Matteo. He was taller. Broader. His hair was damp, dark strands clinging to a sculpted jaw, and his eyes—deep-set, unreadable—fixed on you with a stillness that made the world pause. He caught you without flinching, one hand firm on your waist,…