She rose, breathless. He pinned her to the wall again, one hand at her throat. “Now be a good girl and touch yourself for me.”
Her breath caught. Slowly, her hand slipped between her legs while her eyes stayed fixed on his. Mano watched her without moving, his hand still wrapped around her throat.
Water still glistened on their skin as they stepped out to dry off. Ranya dressed slowly, while Mano pulled on athletic shorts and dropped onto the bed.
“Did you see the pool? We should go later.”
Mano shifted on the bed, barely opening his eyes. “Sure.”
“And we’re going out tonight. So maybe pool around six.”
“Fine.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Keep it down. I need to rest.” He pulled the white sheet to his waist, his chest exposed to the warm afternoon light.
The hours passed. Outside, the hotel stayed calm, the sound of cicadas humming faintly through the windows.
By five, everyone drifted into the small hotel restaurant for something light. The break had left most of them refreshed, and planning dinner felt easy.
After they ate, the group wandered toward the pool. Sunlight shimmered across the water, warm and clear. Some lounged under umbrellas, others stretched out on chairs.
“I’m going to sunbathe,” Ranya said, standing up. She returned a moment later in a sarong and lay beside Mano.
Twenty minutes passed in lazy conversation and the sound of water lapping. Eventually, Anna and Christina got up to change as well. Ody talked with Steve and Antony while Mano lay back with his eyes closed, relaxed under the heat of the sun and the quiet breeze.
“Boys, are we getting in?” Anna asked.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Ody said, heading to change. On his way back, he saw Mano still stretched out. “Mano? You coming in?”
“Yeah,” he murmured, dragging himself to his feet. They each disappeared into their rooms.
Mano tied the knot on his swim trunks when a knock came at the door. He opened it, expecting Ranya, but Ody stood there instead, wearing only his swim trunks.
Mano frowned. “What?”
Ody hesitated for half a second, like he almost reconsidered being there. “Are you ready for the pool?”
Mano blinked. “Yeah. I was just about to head out.”
Ody didn’t move. He stood there, eyes fixed on Mano with a tension that didn’t match the casual question he just asked.
Mano noticed and his expression sharpened. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” Ody said, too quickly.
Mano crossed his arms. “Then why are you standing at my door like you forgot how to talk?”
Ody exhaled through his nose, annoyed at himself, at Mano, at whatever was hanging between them since yesterday. He stepped inside without waiting for an invitation and shut the door behind him.
Mano took a step back. “What the hell are you doing?”
Ody looked at him for a long moment. His jaw tightened, his eyes steady. “I want to test something.”
Mano’s confusion flickered into irritation. “Test what?”
Ody took one step forward. “You said seeing me naked wouldn’t freak you out.”
Mano scoffed under his breath, trying to play it off. “Why would it,” he said, a faint smirk forming even though his shoulders had tensed.
Ody didn’t buy it. “I don’t know. You tell me.” He closed the distance between them with slow, deliberate steps.
