Tucking my phone into my pocket, I started toward the back door when I heard a soft thud in the room next door. And then another, harder thud and the sound of someone cursing softly. My stomach twisted, and my old training kicked in as I walked to the space beside the couch and pressed my ear to the wall.
There was silence…and then there was a moan. It was soft, but it was noticeable. Then there was a vibration noise I recognized almost immediately, followed by a harder grunt. Holy fuck. The person wasn’t in danger. They were having sex. With toys in the mix.
Wrenching away, I hurried to the back door and almost brained myself on the concrete, tripping over the edge to get outside. It had been so fucking long since anyone had touched me that just the sound of a man moaning and a buzzing vibrator had my dick a little hard.
Without a soul around to see me, and the only lights the pale fairy ones along the pathway, I palmed myself until the feeling subsided. Jesus, I didn’t need to be jacking myself off to the sound of two strangers playing with vibrators as they got laid.
I had porn for that. Good porn. A pricey subscription with all the videos that catered to my tastes.
Shoving my phone into my pocket, I decided to walk the pathway to the cabana since obviously my neighbors weren’t going to be using it for a while. There was a switch to turn theoverhead lights on, but I didn’t bother, instead leaning against the side of the hot tub and pulling the lid off.
The smell of chlorine was overwhelming for a moment, but the breeze quickly took it away, and I dipped my fingers in. The warm, gentle bubbles felt amazing, and if the guy and his girlfriend or wife or whatever weren’t going to use it after they were, well,finished, I would.
My back would thank me for it.
Moving past the cabana, I started a few steps toward the sand, though I didn’t venture past the walkway. I had a thing for the beach at night—I loved the way it was dark and endless, so long as that dark and endless couldn’t actually touch me.
My feet curled against the edge of the wood, toes tipping into the sand. It was cool and soft, and a little wet from an earlier rain shower. In the distance, the waves were a little stronger than before, and I caught a scent of briny seaweed. Somewhere off the water, there was a splashing sound like something breaching the low waves.
I was not about to go investigate.
Instead, I turned back up toward the room and made my way, saying a small prayer that my neighbor and his partner weren’t going to be at it all night. I held my breath as I stepped inside, fighting the urge to press my ear to the wall again. It was blessedly silent, so I took that as the okay to turn on the lights and settle in.
The app informed me that my order was on the way, so I flicked on the TV, set a blanket on the couch, then paced in front of the low table until I heard the knock.
“Room service!”
I tried not to look too eager as I flung the door open and smiled at the tired woman standing there holding the tray. “Thank you.”
She nodded, not as apathetic as the bellhop, but not exactly thrilled to see me either. “Just sign, please.”
There was a spot for a tip, but I had a feeling people would appreciate cash better, so I used the rest of what was in my pocket—almost exactly twenty-five percent of this sale—and shoved it beside the receipt.
That earned me a slight smile as she took it back and walked in a few steps to set my tray on the table. “Let me know if you need anything else. I’ll be on the phones until two.”
I nodded, though, and closed the door behind her, distracted by the smell of a freshly prepared burger. Fuck, I was starving. My appetite had been literal garbage since leaving my job and dealing with my parents, and this was the first time I felt like I could take any real joy in eating.
My stomach rumbled, and I rubbed my hands together, reaching for the tray.
BAM! CRASH!
“Motherfuck!”
Ignore it, I told myself.This is your vacation. You are not a hero. You’re just a man, and it was probably a sex accident, which you do not need to be part of. Tune it out, Ryan.
Walk away.
Except now I could hear a soft whimpering cry and another thud against the wall.
It took five seconds, and I cracked, walking over to the wall panel and pulling it open. I hesitated, curled my fingers into a fist, and knocked. “Hello?”
There was a heavy silence, then a ragged voice. “Yes?”
“Are you okay over there?”
“I don’t…I’m…” Another beat of silence. “I think I might need help.”
Fuck. Fuck. “Are you hurt?”
