Carnal Surrender before the Lake

The sun set over Lake Como in an explosion of liquid gold, fiery peach, and deep violet, casting long, romantic shadows across the ancient stone terrace of Villa Bellagio. Below the balustrade, the calm, glassy water of the lake reflected the snow-dusted peaks of the Alps like an inverted mirror of heaven. Inside the master bedchamber of the palazzo, beneath soaring frescoed ceilings depicting Apollo and Daphne, the boundaries of…