Then he shifts his gaze from me to Alex, tipping his daiquiri in greeting.
“Hola, Alex.”
“Gabriel,” Alex replies, tone clipped and dry as he reaches for his beer. “Are you in the hot tub?”
I close my eyes and groan into my glass of bourbon. Gabriel is going to eat him alive with that question.
“Ah, so observant,” he purrs, stretching lazily into the frame. The view tilts as he adjusts the camera, steam curling around him. “I would show off the red Speedo you like so much… but currently, I happen to be wearing my birthday suit.”
He grins into his drink, then lifts his eyes—gray, with a playful shine. “Which, I might add, happens to be someone else’s favorite attire.” His voice dips lower. “And for their eyes only.”
He winks.
Alex shifts beside me, stiffening. His jaw tightens.
And me? I suddenly feel very warm—and not in a good way.
We’re in big trouble.
“And who might that be?” Alex asks, voice cool as sea glass. He sets his beer down and leans back in his chair, arms folding slowly across his chest like he’s settling in for a fight.
I brace myself, draping an arm across the back of Alex’s shoulders, a possessive gesture I don’t even pretend to hide, and cringe as I’m forced to watch this ridiculous performance unfold. If I could reach through the screen and throttle Gabriel, I would. Then again, knowing him, he’d probably enjoy that.
Gabriel grins—smug, shameless. “Noah, of course,” he says, and then turns the screen with a flourish, revealing a smooth chest, a pair of long legs, and a face too pretty for his own good.
Alex stiffens beneath my arm. He doesn’t say a word. Doesn’t blink. Just stares.
At Noah.
“So nice to see you, Noah,” I say, breaking the silence before it chokes us. I give Alex a gentle squeeze, a silent warning to stay cool. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the hot tub with Gabriel.”
Noah smiles—soft, sweet, and just a little too perfect. “Hi, Elijah.” His voice is gentle, but I notice he doesn’t acknowledge Alex. Not even a glance. Between the two of them, I’m not sure who looks more uncomfortable.
“Gabriel insisted on speaking to me while we soak,” Noah adds, shifting slightly in the water. “And… heiswearing a bathing suit. As am I,” he says quickly, like it matters.
“Not for long!” Gabriel cackles offscreen, then pops back into view, grinning like the devil himself. He dangles a tiny turquoise Speedo from his finger. “Matches his eyes, don’t you think?”
Alex bolts, heading straight for the ocean.
I take another long drink of bourbon.
We’re officially past trouble.
This is war.
I snatch up my phone and start after him, my pace quickening into a jog. “Play nice,” I call out to Gabriel, the warning sharp in my voice. There’s no hiding the distaste. He can hear it. Hell, he can see it—written all over my face, etched in the fury behind my eyes.
I glance ahead and then back at the screen. “Noah, it was lovely seeing you again,” I say, voice cool but sincere. “Help yourself to anything in our home, love.”
Gabriel’s still smiling. I shoot him a look that could level cities. And then I end the call with a hard tap, cutting off the video mid-grin.
By the time I catch up with Alex, he’s storming ahead, jaw set, fists clenched.
Yeah. He’s angry.
ALEX
“I’ll be fine,Elijah. Just… give me a minute.”
