The sun was setting behind the ship, casting golden streaks across the deck and the endless ocean beyond. Emma leaned against the rail, sipping a cocktail that tasted like citrus and danger. Her sundress clung to her body, still damp from the saltwater pool, and her skin buzzed from heat—and something more.
Behind her, Alex slid an arm around her waist. “You’ve been staring,” he whispered.
Emma smirked. “So were you.”
They weren’t staring at the view.
Across the pool deck, on a pair of loungers, were the ones who had caught their attention: Jace and Callie. Jace was broad, bronze-skinned, tattoos winding up his arms. Callie was lithe and magnetic, with a laugh that carried over the breeze and a bikini that left very little to the imagination.
Now, as twilight settled in, Jace stood and walked over—shirtless, confident, every movement deliberate. “Hey,” he said, his voice low and easy. “Callie and I are heading back to our suite to cool off. We’ve got champagne. Private balcony. No swimsuits required.”
He didn’t need to say more.
Alex and Emma followed.
The suite was sleek and seductive—floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sea, the room filled with the golden haze of dusk. The bed was massive. The balcony curtains fluttered in the breeze.
Callie pulled Emma in by the hand and kissed her without hesitation—soft lips, then tongue, slow and confident. Emma melted into it. Behind them, Alex and Jace were watching, but not for long.
Jace stepped up behind Emma and kissed her shoulder while Callie undressed her, slipping off her sundress and letting it fall to the floor. Emma stood in lace and nothing else, surrounded by warm hands and hungry mouths.
Jace kissed Alex next—nothing shy or hesitant. Just pure want. Their mouths met hard, teeth and heat, a growl caught in Alex’s throat as Callie pushed him back onto the bed and straddled him, grinding against him through his swim shorts.
Emma dropped to her knees in front of Jace, licking a slow line up his length, tasting salt and skin. She looked up, meeting his eyes as she took him deeper. Behind her, Callie was riding Alex, slow and wet, her head thrown back in a silent moan as his hands gripped her hips.
They traded partners without a word—Alex sliding into Emma from behind as she bent over the balcony railing, Jace’s hands in her hair, her mouth wrapped around him. The sound of water lapping against the ship mixed with the slap of skin on skin, the moans, the whispered names.
Afterward, they all lay on the balcony, naked under the stars, the sea stretching into forever.
“We should cruise together more often,” Callie said, sipping from the champagne bottle, still glowing.
Emma laughed, her head on Alex’s chest. “We’re definitely not going back to the all-inclusive resorts after this.”
