The bathroom door opened, and Camila stepped back into the room.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
She crossed the space between us and wrapped her arms around me without saying a word, pressing her cheek to my chest like she'd done it a hundred times before. I held her instinctively, my hands settling at her back, grounding myself in the simple truth of her being here.
"I forgot my stuff to shower," she murmured, almost sheepish.
I smiled against her hair. "It's all in the bag. Take whatever you need."
She nodded, lingered just a second longer in my arms, then pulled back and disappeared into the bathroom again.
The door clicked shut.
That's when my chest tightened.
I stepped out onto the small balcony, the night air cool against my skin. Above me, the sky was clear—stars scattered generously, like they'd been waiting to be noticed. The ocean moved somewhere beyond the trees, steady and eternal.
My mind betrayed me, drifting where I hadn't invited it tonight.
I'd imagined her before. thousands of times, if I was being honest I imagined taking her, her curves, her moans I imagined eating her pussy and pulling my name from her lips as she came for me . But not tonight—never tonight—but the thought of being close to her in that way had lived quietly in the back of my mind for a long time. Because we'd never crossed that line. Because wanting her didn't mean I wanted to rush her.
That wasn't why I brought her here.
I brought her here to breathe. To rest. To be held without expectation.
And now fear crept in—unwelcome and sharp.
What if she thought this was about sex?
What if Julia thought that?
What if Camila, who overthought everything, had already started wondering?
(The truth was, that thought hadn't crossed her mind at all.While Anthony was murmuring his fears , Camila just wanted another hug.)
I stared up at the stars, trying to quiet myself, reminding my heart that good intentions didn't need defending—only patience.
The bathroom door opened softly behind me.
I turned as Camila stepped out, freshly
showered, curls twisted up into a loose bun. She wore one of the sleep dresses from the bag—pink, silky, falling just above her knees. It wasn't provocative. It was soft. Comfortable. Her.
I was clearly the problem because she looked so perfect and sexy my mind wondered for a moment,
And I questioned my own intentions
She looked around the room first, then spotted me.
She didn't rush.
She came up behind me slowly and slipped her hands around my waist, resting her forehead lightly against my back. I felt her warmth immediately, felt my shoulders drop without permission.
I turned to face her.
God.
She looked beautiful—not in a way that demanded anything, but in a way that made my chest ache.
"Can I have a hug?" she asked quietly, voice small and sincere.
I didn't answer with words.
I pulled her into my arms, holding her close, careful and steady, my chin resting against the top of her head as the night wrapped around us.
And just like that, everything else faded.
I held her for a long moment, the ocean wind brushing past us, her warmth steady against my chest.
"I'm going to take a shower," I said softly, mostly to ground myself. "If that's okay."
She nodded, then hesitated.
"Before you do…" Her voice dropped. "Could I have a kiss?"
The request caught me off guard—not because I didn't want to, but because I wanted to too much. I leaned back slightly, already shaking my head.
"Camila, I don't want you to feel—"
I shifted past her, reaching for the bag on the bed, needing the movement, the distance. "I just don't want to make this—"
She stepped closer.
Before I could finish, she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips—soft, brief, almost questioning.
It unraveled me.
I reached for her instinctively my arms griped her neck, pulling her closer, the kiss deepening before I could stop myself. My tongue sliped into her mouth,The world narrowed to her warmth, her breath, the way she fit against me like she always had. My hands held her firmly but carefully, like I was afraid she might disappear if I let go.
When I pulled back, my forehead dropped to her shoulder as I forced myself to breathe.
"I really need to shower," I murmured, half-laughing, half-exhausted. "Before I do something stupid."
She smiled, dazed, as I gently lifted her and set her back onto the bed. I didn't give myself time to think after that—just grabbed my things and headed for the bathroom.
The door closed behind me, and I let out a long, steady breath.
Cold water. Focus. Control.
This wasn't about losing myself.
It was about not rushing her.
sat there for a moment, heart racing, fingers still tingling.
I hadn't expected that.
The kiss replayed in my mind—how quickly it shifted, how much he'd held back even when it was obvious he didn't want to. I hugged a pillow to my chest, smiling to myself, still feeling the echo of his presence.
The shower turned on.
I lay back against the bed, staring at the ceiling, amazed at how something so small could leave me feeling so undone.
Anthony's POV
The bathroom door clicked open again, and I stepped out, letting the steam settle behind me. My hair was still damp, water dripping from my fingertips, but I felt… steadier. More grounded. I shook my head lightly, trying to push away the lingering whirl of desire, reminding myself why I'd brought her here in the first place: for this—quiet, ordinary closeness.
Camila was on the bed, curled up in one of the pillows, her phone lighting up her face as she scrolled through some game. The soft glow highlighted her features, her curls falling in lazy waves around her shoulders, her legs tucked beneath her. She looked so completely absorbed and unconcerned with anything else that I had to pause and breathe.
I leaned against the doorframe, just watching for a moment, letting myself settle into normalcy. The kiss from earlier was still there, tucked behind my ribs like a reminder of what could be—but it wasn't pressing. Not here, not now. I centered myself on her, on the warmth of her presence, the way the room smelled faintly of her shampoo and lavender from the bathroom.
"Hey," I said softly.
She glanced up, eyes bright, then grinned. "Hey yourself."
I smiled, stepping fully into the room. "You're really absorbed in that game, huh?"
"Hmm," she said, not looking up again, but her voice had a playful lilt. "Maybe."
I laughed quietly, the sound echoing lightly in the small room. "Mind if I join you? I promise I'm terrible at it."
She shrugged, patting the bed beside her. "Sure. I could use some company."
I sank down next to her, letting the comfort of the bed and her quiet acceptance settle over me. We didn't need words for a while, just the gentle tapping of her fingers on the screen, the occasional smirk or hum of satisfaction from her. And slowly, deliberately, I reached out and draped an arm over her shoulders. She leaned into me, shifting so that her head rested against my chest.
The moment was deceptively simple, but it felt monumental. My heartbeat slowed. My
chest loosened. Everything unnecessary—the tension, the fear, the flickers of what-ifs—drained away.
"You feel like watching something?" I murmured after a while, pressing my cheek gently to her hair.
"Hmm… yeah," she said softly, still warm against me. "Something cozy. Nothing scary. Nothing sad."
I nodded. "Got it." I reached for the remote, flipping through options until we settled on a light comedy, the kind that didn't require thinking, just laughing. She nestled closer, curling her legs against mine.
As the opening credits rolled, I let my fingers trace small patterns along her arm, breathing in the rhythm of her quiet presence. It was ridiculous, in the best way, how much peace I felt just holding her here. No expectations. No pressure. Just… us.
And for the first time tonight, I realized I could sit like this indefinitely, content to simply be near her. The rest—the desires, the fears, the questions—could wait. Right now, it was enough.
Her hand found mine, lacing our fingers together. I squeezed gently, careful not to overthink it, and she sighed, a tiny, satisfied sound that made my chest ache with calm.
We leaned into each other, the screen flickering light across our faces, and I let myself just… breathe. Centered. Present. Here.
It didn't take long she fell asleep in my arms
I watched the steady rhythm of her chest rise and fall and all i could do was watch her .