Chapter 26: Lazy Intimacy

The midday heat held them under its spell as they dozed in the shade, the rustling of palm leaves and distant waves the only sounds around the cabana. Eventually, one by one, they stirred. Faith was the first to sit up, stretching with a long yawn and a contented smile as the sun caught the sheen of her skin. She looked over to see Kacie still curled on her lounger, a hand draped over her stomach, and Paul reclined in his chair with his head tipped back, eyes closed.

As if sensing her gaze, Paul opened his eyes and turned to her with a slow smile. “Nap well?”

“Like a stone,” Faith replied, rising to her feet and brushing her hair from her face. “I think it’s time for some lunch.”

Kacie stirred at the sound of their voices, blinking up at the two of them. “Food sounds perfect,” she murmured, sitting up and stretching languidly.

Paul reached for the phone on the patio table and called room service, ordering a light but satisfying spread—grilled chicken skewers with lemongrass and chili, fresh lumpia, a large platter of sliced tropical fruits, garlic fried rice, and a cold seafood salad with calamansi dressing. For drinks, he asked for three tall mojitos and a bottle of chilled white wine to be brought along.

While he waited, Faith and Kacie disappeared into the bedroom, laughing softly as they went. Paul slipped on a fresh pair of bathing trunks, adjusting the waistband and running a hand through his hair as he checked the setup outside.

The staff arrived quickly, discreet and polite, delivering the trays through the garden gate. Paul exchanged a few friendly words with them before thanking them and setting the food out on the patio table under the shade of the large umbrella.

Not a minute after the door clicked shut behind the departing staff, Faith and Kacie returned—both still nude, glowing from their earlier nap.

Kacie smirked when she saw Paul’s modest attire. “Really? You put clothes on?”

Faith grinned and leaned against the doorway, her bare shoulder catching the light. “Take them off, love. We’re not going anywhere.”

Paul laughed and obeyed, slipping the trunks off and tossing them onto a chair. He poured the wine, handing glasses to each woman, then lifted his in a toast. “To indulgence. And no pants.”

The afternoon unfolded with lazy grace. They sipped their drinks slowly, enjoying the sweet tang of mint and lime, and grazed on the food, feeding one another pieces of mango and grilled shrimp. The fruit was cool and sticky, the lumpia crisp, the rice fragrant. Every flavor felt like the sun itself—bright and vivid.

After eating, they drifted between the pool and the loungers, occasionally dipping in to cool off, then returning to stretch out on towels, dozing or chatting in pairs.

Paul sat with Kacie at one point, feet dangling in the water, talking quietly about her business and how she’d built her modeling agency from scratch.