Riley smirked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Only if I could find one with a bigger cock than yours.”
The whole group laughed at that.
The vodka did its work. Bodies loosened, voices got louder, and the boundaries that once felt so firm started to blur. Riley caught Ethan staring at Cole’s chest more than once, and at one point, Ethan reached for a shot glass and his arm grazed Cole’s thigh. Neither of them moved away.
Riley let the moment hang. Sometimes, the best thing you could do was not say anything at all.
After the bottle was gone, they all drifted in the pool, lazy and limp, letting the hot water leech the tension from their bones. Riley stretched his legs, letting his knee rest against Ethan’s. It was nothing, but also everything.
He didn’t know how the rest of the trip would play out, or if Ethan and Cole would ever say what they really wanted. But for now, it was enough to just be here, naked, open, surrounded by people who knew exactly who he was and didn’t need him to change a thing.
The sun inched lower, shadows climbing the cliff walls. Harper floated face up, tits to the sky, content. Jack rested his chin on the ledge, gazing at her with rapt devotion. Cole, for once, looked relaxed.
And Ethan—he just sat, eyes half-closed, letting the water carry him.
“You good?” Riley asked again, softer.
Ethan didn’t answer right away. When he did, his voice was almost a whisper. “Yeah. I’m really good.”
Riley squeezed his knee, held it for a second longer than necessary, then let go. He watched the sun until it blurred his vision, the light refracting through the steam, turning everything gold.
If this was what it meant to be alive, Riley decided, he’d take it.
Even if he had to do it naked.
By the time the sun slipped behind the cliff rim, the pool’s spell started to break. Harper climbed out first, unselfconscious as ever, water rolling down her ass in glistening streams. She snatched a towel, squeezed the bulk of her hair, and then stood with her arms crossed, letting her tits catch the golden hour.
Jack and Ethan lingered in the water, legs bumping under the surface. Cole, having dried off, was already fussing with the gear bags.
“Coming out, city boys?” Harper called, toweling her legs with brisk, practiced efficiency.
“I think you’re both just scared you’ll get stuck in the cold with your dicks out,” Riley said, over his shoulder. “I’m at peace with myself, but it’s a personal choice.”
Ethan glanced at Jack, who was blushing furiously.
“I’m only getting out if you promise not to stare,” Jack said, a little too earnest.
Riley grinned. “You wish.”
Ethan surfaced in and made for the rocks, shivering as the air closed in around them. Ethan grabbed his towel, huddling in it with the urgency of a man fleeing a crime scene.
It took less than thirty seconds for everyone to realize that Jack wasn’t leaving the water.
“Problem, Jack?” Harper asked, eyes glinting.
“I’m soaking up minerals,” Jack replied, keeping his lower half resolutely submerged. “It’s good for blood pressure and… stuff.”
Riley caught on instantly. “Sure, man. Happens to the best of us.”
Ethan smothered a laugh. “You can wait it out, but it’s probably not going down anytime soon.”
Jack shot him a look. “Says the guy hiding in a towel burrito.”
Riley waded in a little, put on his best deadpan. “If you want, I can walk in front of you for cover. Just don’t poke me in the back, okay? Or maybe do?”
Jack flipped him the bird. “It’s fine. Give me like two minutes.”
“Should we time it?” Harper joked.
