John and Alexia Maxwell, a young married couple, twenty-seven and twenty-five respectively, who were planning to celebrate their one year anniversary in two days time.

For the occasion, John had surprised his wife with a week-long vacation at a private beach house.

The beach house belonged to one of John's closest friends, Felix Sinclair. And while he'd agreed to let the couple stay at the beach house for a week starting tomorrow, he was also going to be there.

And not just him. Another of John's close friends, Darius Quincy, would also be making the trip with the couple.

Darius and Felix had plans to catch a flight to go overseas at the end of the week, so the two of them meeting up had been the original plan, Felix had only included John and Alexia after the fact.

He told John that the couple were free to stay at the beach house until he and Darius leave for the airport on the evening of the last day of the week.

Alexia wasn't particularly thrilled about the arrangement, she'd have preferred a trip with just her and her husband. But she was also desperate for a vacation, and this was the only real option.

"Honestly, this feels more like I'm tagging along on a boys' trip than a couple's trip. But complaining about it isn't going to change anything," she thought to herself, glancing at her reflection in the mirror.

She had long, silky blonde hair that was currently tied up in a messy bun. She had deep green eyes, the color of emeralds.

Her complexion was on the paler side, she was looking forward to getting a bit of a tan on this trip.

She was in good shape, attending yoga classes every weekend. She had a slender, flexible build, around 5'7" in height. And while not the most curvy, her breasts and butt were firm and perky, making for an attractive figure.

"By the way, have you finished packing everything?" John asked her.

He had short, neatly-trimmed brown hair, combed across to the right. He had earthy dark brown eyes, with a pale, freckled complexion.

His face was clean-shaven, and he wore a pair of circular-framed black glasses. He was about average in height and build, a bit on the skinny side and slightly shorter than his wife.

"Yeah, I finished packing days ago. How about you?" She responded, as she glanced at her husband.

"Same. I don't need much, just a few changes of clothes and a couple of swim trunks."

"Hey, don't forget your toothbrush. I've packed enough toothpaste and sunscreen for both of us. So, make sure you've got everything else you might need. Oh, but you better not be bringing your work laptop," Alexia frowned sternly, narrowing her eyes at her husband, who sheepishly averted his gaze.

"Well, uh..."

"Come on, we are not taking a vacation just for you to end up buried in work the whole time," She responded apprehensively.

"Trust me, I feel the same way, but...you know what my boss is like. If he contacts me and I don't respond, I'll be in deep shit."

"You really need to find another job, this place is so exploitative. Seriously, how many unpaid hours of overtime have you put in? Not to mention all the weekends you've lost. I know it pays pretty well, but not nearly enough for the amount you're made to work," she sighed in exasperation.

John's job had been a point of consternation for the couple, it had put some strain on their relationship after several fights and arguments.

"We've been over this, Lex. The job market's a nightmare right now, you know that. It's not like you've had any luck finding a better job either," John pointed out dryly.

While he was employed as a software engineer at an IT company, Alexia was a part-time barista at a coffee shop. She had an art degree, but it was effectively useless in the small town the couple lived in.

"I'd really rather not fight about this again. I don't like it, but I'm going to have to let it go," she relented, taking a deep breath to compose herself, before responding, "Fine, whatever. Just please don't let work interfere with this vacation. We've gone far too long without some proper quality time."

"Yeah, I know, and I'm sorry about that. I'm only bringing my laptop just in case, I doubt I'll actually need to use it. I requested these vacation days for this week months ago, and I made sure to wrap up all the pending work I had on my desk," John assured her, putting his arm around her shoulders and giving her a kiss on the side of the head.

"Careful, don't jinx it," she smiled jokingly, before adding, "Oh, and you better be spending a lot more time with me than your friends."

"Of course, how about sixty percent with you and forty with them?" He replied with a grin.

"Wha-...come on, give me at least eighty!" She frowned indignantly, playfully smacking his chest with the back of her hand.

"Hm...okay, how about we split the difference and say seventy?"

"Fine, I guess that's fair," she nodded with a wry smile, pausing for a moment before adding as she moved closer towards her husband, pressing her body against his side with a seductive smirk, "How about we wrap up the night with a bang? Pun intended. Could be a good way to get ourselves in vacation mode."

"Oh, sorry, not tonight. I had a long day at work, I'm way too tired," John shook his head with an apologetic smile.

Alexia was more than a little disappointed by that response. It had been a little over three months since the couple had been intimate, much to her frustration.

"Yeah, but..."

"Hey, look, we'll have all the time in the world once we get there. Let's make up for lost time and then some, okay?"

"Well, I've waited three months, I suppose I can wait another day," Alexia thought to herself.

"It's a bit early, but let's call it a night. I'm really tired and we need to wake up early, Darius will be here at 7 sharp to pick us up."

"Yeah, okay. It's not like I have anything better to do, so yeah, might as well sleep," She nodded, doing her best to hide her disappointment.

Chapter 2: Darius

"Yeah...yeah, bro, we're ready and waiting. Cool, see you soon," remarked John with a smile, before hanging up.

"Well?" Alexia prompted him, feeling a bit restless and impatient to get going.

"He's close, he just got stuck in traffic for a bit thanks to a small accident. He should be here in five minutes."

"Okay, great. I can't wait," she smiled eagerly.

It was the next morning, a few minutes past 7 AM. The couple were packed, dressed and ready to go.

They were standing outside the apartment building they lived in, their luggage in tow.

Alexia was dressed in a white tank top and blue jean shorts, along with a pair of black sandals. She'd tied her hair up in a ponytail, and was practically bursting with excitement.

John was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned and over a red t-shirt, with a pair of light brown cargo shorts and gray crocs.

"Oh, he just texted, looks like he's a minute away, should be any second now-...hm? Hang on, dear, I have to take this real quick," frowned John, as his phone began ringing.

Alexia began to glance at his screen curiously, but he'd already walked away before she could get a look at the caller ID.

She let out a sigh as he answered the call and spoke out of earshot, before her attention shifted as a black sedan pulled into the driveway.

She perked up excitedly as the door opened and a familiar figure stepped out, giving her a wave with a cheerful smile.

"Yo, Alexia, it's been a while. You sure seem excited," he greeted her.

Darius Quincy, a twenty-seven year old black man. He had a shaved head, with black eyes and a dark brown complexion.

He had a neatly-trimmed goatee and a silver stud on the top of his left ear. He was tall, standing at around 6'3" in height, with a strong, muscular build.

He was wearing a black compression t-shirt with short sleeves, the fabric clinging to his torso and outlining his rippling muscles. He had on a pair of dark blue jeans and white running shoes.

He had a relaxed, laid back look on his face, his hands in his pockets.

"Mhm, yeah, I've really been looking forward to this," she nodded with a smile.

"Evidently so, you certainly look like you're raring to go," he grinned, his gaze trailing down her figure as he checked her out, before adding with a sigh as he glanced at John, "Oh, don't tell me-...work call?"

"Uh, I sure hope not," Alexia muttered, getting a bad feeling as she thought to herself, "Why's he taking so long? Please tell me it's nothing..."

A sense of dread and dismay began welling up inside her as John hung up and jogged back over, putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Hey, bro, good to see you," he greeted Darius, fumbling as they dapped each other up.

"Yeah, it's been a minute, good to see you too."

"We're good to go now, right?" Alexia asked her husband hopefully.

"I, uh...sorry, dear..."

"Huh? Sorry for what? What was that call?" She frowned, clenching her fists.

"There's a, uh...there's an emergency at work. The client of my last project just made a last minute request to be added, so my boss is insisting that I come to the office-..."

"Damn it, no! Are you kidding me right now?!" Alexia blurted out incredulously.

"Yeah, what she said. Come on, man, seriously? You could've just said that you've already left," suggested Darius with a sigh.

"Oh, I did. But he didn't care, he just said to turn back around and come straight to the office," John replied quietly.

"Okay, then at least ask to work on it remotely. I mean, you're a software engineer, man. It's, like, THE job for remote work."

"I said that too, but my boss is insisting that I work at the office. He's an old-fashioned guy, he-..."

"So, what then? We're just canceling our trip now?" Alexia inquired icily.

"No, that's-...no, we're not canceling. The request is fairly simple, I think I can finish it in a day or so. After that, I can head right over to the beach house. In the meantime, why don't you go on ahead of me with Darius? With how much you've been looking forward to this, it wouldn't be right if I made you stay behind too," He replied, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder with an apologetic smile.

"Damn it, the whole point was that this was supposed to be a trip with both of us! I don't want to go without him. But...I'll just be fuming and pissed off the whole time if I stay home...," Alexia thought to herself, before responding with a grimace, "Fine, I'll go. You said a day, so I swear, if you don't show up sometime tomorrow..."

"U-Uh, let's say two days, just to be safe? The day after tomorrow for sure," He smiled sheepishly.

"...fine. Two days. That's our anniversary, so you better be there."

"So, you're seriously staying behind, bro? You really need a better job," Darius sighed wistfully.

"Trust me, I'm not exactly thrilled about this either. I'll do my best to wrap up my work as quickly as possible. I'd like to at least get half my planned vacation in," John responded, before adding as he glanced at Alexia, "I really am sorry, dear, you have every right to be angry about this. Go on and have fun at the beach until I get there. I bet the time will fly and I'll be there before you know it."

"I'm holding you to that. Seriously, you better be there the day after tomorrow, or else...," she warned him sternly, her arms folded as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Mhm, I'll do everything in my power to make sure I don't miss our anniversary. I'll see you there, dear," he replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek, before adding as he glanced at Darius, "Alright, she's in your hands, my guy, counting on you."

"Heh, don't worry, I'll make sure she gets there safe and sound," he nodded assuringly, glancing at Alexia as he added, "Then, let's get going, shall we?"

"Sure, sounds good.”

Chapter 3: What a View

"You doing alright there, Alexia?" Inquired Darius, glancing at her in the passenger seat as she let out a huff while messing with the music, turning the knob and flipping through the songs.

"Huh? Oh, uh...yeah, I'm fine. Just a little frustrated, I guess," she replied sheepishly as she let go of the knob, feeling a bit embarrassed that he'd noticed her mood.

"Haha, I'd say that's perfectly understandable. If I were John, I'd prioritize my beautiful wife over my boss who has a stick up his ass," he laughed in an effort to lighten the mood.

"Thanks, I appreciate that. On a related note, plan on settling down anytime soon? Got anyone special in your life?"

"Who, me? Nah, I'm sticking to the single life for the foreseeable future. Not interested in anything serious right now," he shook his head.

"I see. That's a bit surprising, that you're single right now, I mean," she replied, as she snuck a glance at his bicep.

She quickly looked away as she caught herself, but her glance didn't go unnoticed.

"Heh, admiring my guns, huh? I do enjoy a good workout," he chuckled with a smirk.

"N-No, uh...I'm just not used to seeing big muscles in real life, that's all. And unironically calling them guns is so cringe, you sound like a teenager," she giggled teasingly, her gaze briefly darting to his bicep again as she thought to herself, "I wonder what they feel like...?"

"Haha, yeah, I guess so. And you've really never seen a muscular body up close before? What about any ex-boyfriends?"

"Well, I grew up in a religious household, and I was way too scared of my dad to sneak around and fool around or whatever.

And in college, I did have a couple of boyfriends, but nothing much happened with them. I was pretty shy and reserved," she sighed wistfully.

"Mind if I ask what attracted you to John? I mean, I love the guy and all, but, well...you're kinda out of his league," he replied with a wry smile.

"Not the first time I've heard that, and I have the same response every time...appearance is secondary to me, there's more important things to look at. With John, he was just really sweet and thoughtful. But this job, especially his piece of shit boss, has really been testing us, it's been a rough few months-...oh, uh, sorry, didn't mean to dump our issues on you," she apologized sheepishly.

"It's cool, I get it. Think you missed out, though. College is the best time to have some fun before settling down, bet you'd have had a great time if you'd gone wild," he grinned teasingly.

"I, uh...in hindsight, I guess maybe. But I'm happy with where my life is right now."

"Oh, I'm sure. You've got a loving husband and it hasn't even been a full year since you got married, bet you two can hardly keep your hands off each other."

"Y-Yup, of course," she nodded, grimacing slightly as she thought to herself, "Well, that's a lie. But I probably shouldn't tell him that."

"By the way, think it'll be another couple of hours or so before we get there. There's a cozy little restaurant overlooking a cliff by the sea, about five or so minutes ahead, wanna stop and grab a quick bite to eat?" Darius suggested as he glanced at Alexia.

"Oh, that sounds good, I haven't eaten anything yet. I could definitely go for a bite," she nodded eagerly.

"Cool. Felix said that he'll have lunch ready by the time we get to the beach house, so let's have something light," he replied, adding as he caught her glancing at his bicep again, "Hah, you really are curious, aren't you? You can have a feel if you want."

"Huh? I, uh...I don't think that's...," she trailed off awkwardly.

"It's no big deal, just an arm. Basically the same as shaking my hand."

Alexia didn't quite agree with that notion, but she didn't want to make a big deal out of nothing. That aside, the sense of temptation that she was pretending wasn't there, she found it hard to resist.

"I guess you're right," she mused, as she reached out and placed her hand on his muscular bicep.

She gulped slightly as she felt it, tracing her fingertips across his skin before planting her palm against it firmly.

"Wow, you're really going for it, huh?" Darius chuckled, putting on a nonchalant look on his face.

"H-Huh? Oh, uh...sorry," she muttered, her face heating up slightly as she pulled her hand away.

She felt a bit of guilt, before shaking her head to brush it off, convincing herself that it was no big deal.

"What're you apologizing for? It's all good," he replied casually.

"I-I can't believe I did that. And...why did it feel so good? Jesus, I know it's been ages since I last had sex, but getting worked up over touching a man's arm? John better wrap up his work quickly, I really need to get laid," she thought to herself, quietly taking a deep breath to compose herself.

Darius glanced at her as she calmed down, smirking to himself as he watched her fidget awkwardly.

"Damn, seems like she's pretty pent-up. The hell's John doing? If I was with such a bombshell, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off her. Careful, bro, your wife's liable to get stolen if you take her for granted," he thought to himself, stealing a glance at her thighs.

He turned his attention back to the road, before she could catch him staring.

"Woah, what a view," she suddenly remarked as a stretch of ocean came into sight.

She leaned over and peered out the open window at the sparkling, serene surface of the vast stretch of water.

"Yeah, sure is," nodded Darius, sneaking a glance at her ass, her back facing him.

"Can't wait to get to the beach, I could really use some sun."

"Mhm, you do look a bit pale," he replied, before adding, "Oh, there it is, the restaurant I mentioned."

"Oh, sweet, my stomach's starting to rumble," she smiled as she sat back down with a gleam in her eyes…

Chapter 4: It Almost Dripped

"This is a really nice place, especially considering that it's out in the middle of nowhere," remarked Alexia, looking around the restaurant as a waiter led the two of them to a private balcony.

Darius had opted for it, convincing Alexia by telling her that the private balconies had an amazing view of the sea.

Which was true...

"Here we are, right in here. Press the bell when you're ready to order," the waiter smiled politely.

It was a fairly small space, with a wooden sliding door. There was a couch just barely big enough for two people set up in front of a table placed by the railing of the balcony, overlooking the sea.

"Uh, seems a bit cramped, doesn't it?" Remarked Alexia hesitantly, as Darius took a seat on the couch.

"You think so? You're pretty slender, I think there's plenty of space," he replied, as he patted the spot next to him.

"*I guess it's no big deal, I'm just sitting,*" Alexia reasoned, before sitting down.

It was certainly a bit of a tight fit, her leg and side pressed against Darius's.

While Alexia did her best to act nonchalant, Darius picked up one of the menus and pored through the options.

"So much to choose from. Any recommendations?" She asked him as he handed the menu back to her.

"I'm going to go for the chicken spring rolls and a kiwi mocktail. Why don't you go for something different, we can mix and match," he suggested in response.

"Oh, good thinking! I have no idea what's good, though," she replied uncertainly, skimming the menu.

"Hm, let me see...," Darius muttered as he leaned in.

Alexia tensed slightly at how close he was, shifting awkwardly as she caught a whiff of his cologne, feeling the sensation of his arm pressed against hers.

"Anything you've tried before that was really good?" She asked him, playing it cool.

"Yeah...go for the steak bites. You get these really tender steak strips that come with an amazing garlic butter dip. It's to die for," he recommended, giving her a pat on the shoulder as he moved away.

"Oh, that sounds great. Okay, I'll go for that. And a chocolate milkshake," she decided as she glanced at the drink options.

"Classic, can't go wrong with a good milkshake," he nodded approvingly.

Having decided on their order, Darius pressed a button with a bell icon on the wall. The waiter soon returned and took their order, setting down a plate of complimentary french fries.

The pair snacked on the fries while waiting for their order to be prepared, which didn't take too long.

The waiter promptly returned with their order right as they polished off the pile of fries, setting down the sliced steak strips and spring rolls, along with their respective drinks.

"This smells incredible," Alexia sighed eagerly, her mouth watering as she picked up a fork and stabbed it into one of the strips.

She dipped it into the sauce and took a bit, letting out a content hum as the flavors coated her taste buds.

The meat was fresh and tender, perfectly salted with a slight, peppery kick to it. The sauce was a creamy, buttery garlic dip, with a hint of mint.

"Here, try this," offered Darius, holding out one of the spring rolls.

"Mm, thanks. And to make it a fair trade...," she trailed off with a smile as she placed one of the steak strips on his plate and took the spring roll.

A delightful crunch rang out as she bit into it, a light, savory minced chicken enveloped in the crispy, flaky roll.

The food didn't last long, the two of them wolfing it down in no time, the drinks disappearing soon after.

"Seems you really enjoyed the food," smiled Darius, as Alexia dipped her fork into the near-empty sauce container and licked it.

"Yeah, guess I was hungrier than I thought. Honestly, I could go for another serving," she grinned sheepishly.

"We really should save room for lunch. Trust me, when Felix is in charge of food, you're gonna be eating real good. But also, I get it, I wouldn't mind a bit more to eat right now too. Hm...oh, how about some mango slices? Shouldn't fill us up too much, and it'll be a nice bit of sweetness after all that savory."

"Mango, huh? Yeah, okay, count me in," she nodded eagerly.

Darius rang the waiter again, who promptly returned to take the order. He was quick to come back with a platter of mango slices, setting it down on the table.

"Mm, wow, perfectly sweet and juicy, so good," Darius sighed contently as he picked up one of the slices and took a bite, quickly leaning forward over the platter as drops of the juice trickled down his chin and dripped off.

"Haven't had good mango in a while, I-...," began Alexia, before trailing off as Darius held out a slice towards her, right by her lips.

"Well, then, go on, before I devour the entire platter," He grinned in response.

"A-Ah, yeah, okay," she nodded, hesitating for a moment before opening her mouth and taking a bite.

She closed her eyes with a slight smile as the decadent sweetness washed over her tastebuds, promptly taking another bite.

"Woah, careful, it's going to drip!" Darius suddenly exclaimed, jamming the last bit of the slice into her mouth, pushing his fingertips past her lips.

"M-Mmph...," she responded, her voice muffled as her heart skipped a beat, a slightly startled look on her face.

Her mind blanked for a moment, and without thinking, she found herself licking his fingertips.

"Close one, it almost dripped on your top," he replied, subtly smirking to himself as she averted her gaze, trying to play it cool, but not particularly convincingly.

She had a tinge of red across her cheeks, her gaze darting about slightly as she tried to compose herself. All of which Darius pretended not to notice.

Chapter 5: The Beach House

"Just a couple more miles to go, we'll be there soon," remarked Darius.

"Awesome. It's been way too long since I last had some beach time, I really need this," smiled Alexia excitedly.

"Well, be sure to make the most of this week. We'll have the entire beach to ourselves, just the four of us-...oh, uh, my bad, I guess it'll be three for now," he replied sheepishly.

"I'm still really annoyed that he isn't here. No, it's fine. Come on, don't let it sour your mood. I can't enjoy this vacation if I'm sulking the whole time," Alexia shook her head, reasoning further,"Yeah, I should stay positive, look on the bright side. I'm going to be staying at a private beach house! And this is a good opportunity to get to know my husband's closest friends better."

She'd met Darius a number of times, since he lived in the same town, but besides a bit of polite small talk, this was the first time she'd properly interacted and conversed with him.

As for Felix, she'd only met him a couple of times, one of which was at hers and John's wedding. Thus, she'd hardly ever spoken to him at all.

"Oh, here we are. Hang on, I'll let him know we're here," said Darius, taking out his phone as Alexia's eyes widened slightly.

They'd stopped in front of a tall white metal fence, gilded with an elegant golden floral pattern across the bars.

There was a wide gate ahead of them, with an intercom that had a camera next to it. And beyond the gate and fence, was a lush green yard, with a wide stone driveway leading up to the house. It was a two-story building with white walls, it had a rooftop and a garage.

And behind the house, was the beach. Alexia perked up as she heard the faint sound of the waves crashing in the distance. She peered out the car window, but she could only catch a glimpse of the sandy shore behind the house.

"Wow, this is basically a small mansion," remarked Alexia in bemusement, staring at the house wide-eyed.

"Oh, yeah, Felix is rich rich. Dude's old money, his family is crazy loaded. And after he got his inheritance from his grandfather, which was more than enough money that he'd never need to work again, he did exactly that. He quit his job and has basically been on permanent vacation mode ever since," Darius informed her.

"Damn, John told me that he's rich, but I didn't think he was this rich..."

The gate then slid open, Darius driving in and cruising along the driveway. As the garage door raised open, Darius steered the car into the space and parked it.

As he turned the car off, he and Alexia opened the doors and stepped outside. Alexia stretched her arms out with a sigh.

A smile spread out across her lips as she caught a whiff of salt in the air, a sense of excitement welling up inside her.

She then turned her gaze across as a door on the left wall of the garage opened, a figure with a cheerful smile bounding over.

"Yo, Darius, it's been ages! How've you been, man?!" He greeted his friend with a grin, dapping him up and pulling him into a bro hug.

Felix Sinclair, a twenty-eight year old white guy. He had wild, messy dark blonde hair that was spiked and pushed back.

He had dark blue eyes, a similar hue to that of a sapphire. He had a fairly tanned complexion. He was slightly shorter than Darius, at around 6'2".

And while he wasn't as muscular as his friend, he was in great shape too, which hadn't gone unnoticed by Alexia.

His build was more athletic and agile than muscle-bound, a well-toned, strong figure.

He wasn't wearing much, he was shirtless with a pair of white shorts. Alexia couldn't help but glance at his abdomen, before averting her gaze as she gulped slightly.

"I've been alright, and it seems you're doing good too, my guy. It's good to see you."

"Mhm, the feeling's mutual, dude," responded Felix, before adding as he glanced at Alexia and approached her, "Hey, Alexia, haven't seen you since the wedding. Looking good! Come on, bring it in!"

"Oh, um...," she began, trailing off as he pulled her into a friendly hug.

She tentatively placed her hands on his bare back, feeling a bit awkward as he held the hug a bit longer than she'd expected.

Her mind drifted for a moment as she took in the sensation of his firm, toned body, before snapping out of it as he let her go.

"Man, heard about John, sucks that he couldn't make it with you guys. He'll be here in two days, right?"

"He'd better. Our anniversary is in two days, if he misses it, I swear-...," began Alexia, before trailing off and changing the subject as she cleared her throat, "Ahem, sorry, didn't mean to vent. On another note, thank you for letting us stay here for the week, Felix, I really appreciate it."

"Oh, don't even mention it, it's no big deal. A beach house isn't much fun solo, so I welcome the company. Make yourself at home, you're free to do whatever you want while you're here, so don't hold back," he grinned, patting her shoulder.

"Careful, I just might take you up on that," she replied with a laugh.

"And I insist that you do, haha! Alright, let's unpack the luggage and stuff you two brought, I'll help," Felix smiled, as Darius popped open the trunk and began taking their bags out.

"Shouldn't take long, we've just got a couple bags each, with nothing heavy," remarked Darius, picking up his bags as Felix grabbed Alexia's.

"Oh, you don't have to, I can carry them myself," she replied, feeling bad.

"No way, you're a first-time guest, at least let me do the bare minimum in hospitality," he insisted, before adding, "Come on, I'll give you a quick tour of the place and show you to your room. And after that, let's have some lunch and head out to the beach!”

Chapter 6: What’s a Casting Couch?

"This is a really nice place, thank you again for letting us stay," Alexia smiled gratefully.

"You really don't need to thank me, I'm happy to have you. And I'm definitely on-board with making this a regular thing," Felix responded with a thumbs up.

He'd just finished giving Alexia and Darius a tour of the beach house. Darius had already been here a few times, but he didn't want to be left out.

The front door opened into a spacious living room, with black couches set up around a stained wood coffee table.

To the right of the living room was a large kitchen with a kitchen island, and a door leading down to the basement.

The basement was a pretty wide space, it had been set up with beanbags in front of a massive TV on the back wall with a console hooked up to it. Filling out the rest of the space in basement was a minifridge, a snack shelf, a poker table, a pool table, and an ice hockey table.

Back to the living room, the right side led to a short, wide corridor where some of the bedrooms were.

On one side of the corridor, was a master bedroom with an attached bathroom, and on the other side of the corridor, two more bedrooms with a bathroom in between.

The living room had a wooden spiral staircase leading up to the upper floor. The upper section of the beach house had a dance floor in the middle, with a disco ball hooked to the ceiling above it and large speakers surrounding the space.

To the right of the dance floor was the same as the lower section of the house; three bedrooms in the same layout as the ones below, for a total of six rooms.

And to the right of the dance floor, was a wide balcony with a large hot tub. It had a couple of empty coolers laying on the floor around it.

And finally, the rooftop. It was a wide open space that was mostly empty, except for a barbecue grill and some chairs around a couple of small tables with beach umbrellas.

Felix's room was the master bedroom on the lower floor of the house. Darius had put his things in one of the other bedrooms on the lower floor.

As for Alexia, she'd been given the bedroom with the attached bathroom on the upper section.

"Okay, now that the tour's over, how about some lunch?" Suggested Felix, as he began heading to the kitchen.

The scents of savory meat and a slight sour tang of cheese wafted through the air, both Darius's and Alexia's mouths watering as they caught a whiff.

"Sure, I could eat," nodded Alexia, gulping as her mouth salivated.

"Yeah, no objections here. Whatcha got cooking?" Darius inquired curiously, as Felix knelt down in front of the oven and pulled out a tray.

"Guess you could call them fancy cheese steaks. Heh, let me regale you with the recipe. So, I made these footlong sourdough subs and toasted them with garlic butter.

Then, I laid down a bed of caramelized onions on the bottom buns, cooked and sliced up some premium steaks and loaded the slices on top of the onions, and then loaded the meat up with three different cheeses, yellow cheddar, pepperjack and mozzarella.

And finally, some crushed up bacon bits. Oh, also made some curly fries for the side. As for drinks, hm...since we're going to the beach after we eat, probably shouldn't get too wasted yet. I got these flavored beers the other day. They're about mid-strength, strong enough to get a good buzz going without getting us too drunk."

Alexia and Darius stared in bemusement and anticipation as Felix concluded his explanation and began plating the food. He sliced each of the subs in half, piling on a generous heap of fries next to the subs.

He then headed for the fridge, opening it up and kneeling down in front of one of the lower shelves, which was filled to the brim with beer cans.

"What flavors you got?" Darius asked him, as he walked over and took a look.

"Apple, ginger, passion fruit and kiwi. I can vouch for all of them, but my personal favorite is kiwi," replied Felix with a smile.

"Cool, I'll go for passion fruit, it's a flavor I really enjoy," decided Darius, after taking a moment to mull over the options.

"Apple sounds good to me," chimed in Alexia.

The three of them then picked up their plates and drinks, heading into the living room and sitting on the couches.

Darius took a seat on the couch to the left of the coffee table, Felix sitting across from him on the couch to the right of the table, while Alexia sat down on the couch in front of the table.

Each couch was wide enough to fit about three to four people, but why cram into one when there's enough for one each, right?

Of course, the two men would have no qualms about sharing a couch with Alexia. But to do so now would only make her uncomfortable.

"Man, what's with the black couches? Giving real casting couch vibes, bro," chuckled Darius, before adding with his mouth full as he took a bite of the sandwich, "Holy fuck, this is good."

"What's a casting couch?" Wondered Alexia curiously, before shrugging as she tossed a curly fry into her mouth.

"Well, I host a bunch of parties from time to time, they get pretty wild, and consequently, messy. Don't need to worry about stains and stuff on a black couch," Felix replied with a wry smile.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit jealous, my life's a lot more tame and uneventful," remarked Alexia sheepishly.

"Then, let's fix that. You've got all week, throw away any reservations and go wild!" Felix encouraged her with a grin.

"Uh, I don't know about going wild, but I guess we'll see," she responded, before adding, "Also, you've got sauce all over your mouth."

Chapter 7: Just Harmless Compliments

"Hm, which one should I go for?" Alexia pondered with a frown, as she glanced between her swimsuit options.

She was in the bedroom Felix had prepared for her and John. It had a queen-sized bed with a canopy, a large closet, a desk and a full-length mirror.

Alexia picked up one of her swimsuits and held it over her naked body as she stared at herself in the mirror.

She couldn't help but feel conflicted. While not exactly skimpy, her swimsuits were pretty revealing, showing off a lot of skin.

She hadn't thought much of it since she'd expected her husband to be here too, but wearing so little in front of two men without her husband present gave her pause.

And yet, she wasn't just conflicted. The thought of Darius and Felix seeing her in such an exposed state, it excited her.

"I-It should be fine. I mean, I was going to wear these in front of them anyway, it's not my fault that John isn't here. And besides, he never said anything about having a problem with how revealing my bikinis are, so...yeah, it should be fine!" She justified and convinced herself with a nod.

She picked out a reddish pink bikini and put it on, before tying a light red, sheer sarong around her waist, knotting it by her left hip.

She checked herself out in the mirror, nodding to herself with a smile, happy with how she looked.

"Looking good, if I do say so myself. But, well...yeah, this is a lot of skin show. Hm, I brought a couple of hoodies, should I put one on? No, if I do that, it'll be obvious that I'm trying to hide my swimsuit, which'll only draw more attention. Let's just play it cool, walk out all casual and nonchalant. Yeah, no big deal."

As she made her decision, she tied up her silky blonde hair in a ponytail, before putting on a sunhat and grabbing her bottle of sunscreen.

She then put on a pair of flip-flops and headed out of the room, making her way down the stairs and to the living room, where the guys were waiting.

"Alright, I'm ready, sorry to keep you guys waiting," she greeted them.

"Oh, damn, I'd say it was more than worth the wait," responded Darius, eyeing her body and checking her out.

"Yeah, what he said. Looking hot, Alexia," Felix nodded in agreement, his gaze trailing down her figure.

Alexia felt her face heat up slightly at the attention she wasn't expecting to get, their intent stares getting her a bit flustered.

"Wh-What am I getting so hot and bothered for? Come on, it's just harmless compliments, no big deal," thought Alexia as she composed herself, before responding, "Oh, thanks, you guys. That's sweet, I appreciate the compliments."

She then glanced at them, the pair having changed too. Felix was still shirtless, with a pair of tight, dark red swimming trunks that went halfway down his thighs and clung to his skin.

Darius was wearing an unzipped white hoodie, and a pair of black trunks, skin-tight and more close-fitting than Felix's.

Alexia couldn't help but glance at the bulges that were being barely contained by the pair's swimwear, and despite herself, compare them to her husband's more...modest package.

"No, thank you, you're giving us a great view," replied Darius bluntly, as Alexia snapped out of it and averted her gaze.

"Couldn't agree more. Now, then, let's head out, shall we? I'm gonna go get my surf on, but I know you two don't surf, do you?" remarked Felix, as he glanced between the two of them.

"Oh, I just plan to sunbathe today, get a bit of a tan going. I might get in the water later in the day, but probably not till tomorrow," Alexia responded with a smile.

"Guess I'll join ya. Heh, not that I need any extra color on my skin, but I can't surf, so yeah" Darius grinned sheepishly, before adding, "I'll take a dip in the water later."

"Well, I was planning on us playing some beach volleyball, but three people aren't enough for that," Felix sighed in response.

"Volleyball, huh? Sounds fun, I played for my school's team, though it's been years since I last played," remarked Alexia, a nostalgic look on her face.

"Huh, in that case, let's play anyway. Like, one v two. Yeah, we can take turns teaming up with Alexia, while the other plays solo. Whoever's solo gets to touch the ball three times, so they can receive, set and spike by themselves," suggested Darius creatively.

"That...actually sounds like it could be pretty interesting. Whoever's solo will obviously be at a disadvantage, but...heh, that could be exactly what makes it fun! Alright, then, let's give it a shot later!" Nodded Felix with a grin.

"Yeah, I like the sound of that too. And we can play two on two once John gets here," replied Alexia with a smile.

"Sounds good, we can play us against you two," Darius responded, as they began heading for the beach.

"No way, that'd be an absolute slaughter, my husband isn't exactly, uh, you know...the most athletic or sporty guy," she reminded them sheepishly, as Felix pulled the sliding glass door open and stepped out onto the deck.

Alexia took a deep breath as she hopped off the deck and onto the sand, closing her eyes and focusing on the sound of the waves as the pleasant warmth of the sun kissed her face.

"Oh, yeah, that was that one time we dragged him to play basketball with us during college, since we didn't have enough people. He proceeded to somehow pull every single muscle in his body and got a fever for, like, five days," recalled Felix wryly, picking .

"Dude really needs to start working out. You clearly do, don't you, Alexia?" Inquired Darius, glancing at her body.

"Yeah, I do yoga and cardio a couple times a week," she nodded, as Felix picked up a surf board off the deck.

"Makes sense, you're in great shape," he remarked, before adding as he began to jog towards the shore, "Alright, guys, I'm gonna go ride the waves, let's regroup in a bit! Feel free to grab whatever you need!"

He gestured to a pile of various items on the side of the deck, including rolled up blankets, beach umbrellas, shovels, buckets, and so on.

"He sure is, uh...energetic, isn't he?" Mused Alexia wryly.

"Yeah, he's pretty hyper, no idea where all that energy comes from," Darius chuckled.

"Also...is it just me, or are some of the things in this pile for building sand castles?" She inquired in bemusement.

"Sure looks that way. I get it, though. No matter how old you get, the masculine urge to dig a big hole in the sand never quite goes away. It's in the same vein as finding a cool stick," he grinned jokingly, before adding as he picked up one of the blankets and a beach umbrella, "Alright, let's head out there, shall we?"

Chapter 8: Want Me to Get Your Back?

Alexia sat down as Darius spread the blanket out over the sand, before he erected the beach umbrella behind the blanket, the dome of the umbrella angled in the direction of the sun and casting a shadow over the blanket.

"Sorry, mind angling it bit across? I'd like some sunlight on this side of the blanket," Alexia requested sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah, of course, my bad," he smiled apologetically, before making the adjustment.

He then sat down beside her with a sigh and opened a cooler. He'd headed back inside to get the cooler and stacked a few beer cans in it, atop a pile of ice.

As he cracked open a beer and took a swig, Alexia began humming to herself as she applied her sunscreen on her arms.

She spread some on her face as she finished covering her arms, before moving down to her torso, steadily coating her skin.

She glanced at Darius's bare torso as she moved down to her legs, taking a moment to admire his physique.

She quickly looked away as she came back to her senses, but Darius had noticed her staring in his peripheral.

He then glanced at her, grimacing slightly as the sight of her skin glistening with the sunscreen stoked his urges.

"Want me to get your back?" He suddenly offered, in a casual tone as he sipped on his beer.

"Huh? I-I, uh...," Alexia stuttered and trailed off as her mind blanked, caught off-guard.

"It's hard to properly apply on your back by yourself, you're bound to end up with an uneven tan. Go on, roll over and leave it to me, you deserve to relax, Alexia. You're in good hands," he replied, as he held his hand out towards her, prompting her to hand him the sunscreen.

"I-I guess he has a point, I don't want to get an uneven tan. And it's been a rough few months, I think I do deserve to relax. Yeah...yeah, it's no big deal, he's just applying sunscreen on me, nothing more. It's not like I'm doing anything wrong," Alexia lied to herself, quietly nodding and laying down on her front as she handed the bottle of sunscreen to Darius.

"Damn, she actually agreed? I mean, I know I'm the one who brought it up, but I didn't think she'd actually go for it. Heh, well, I'm certainly not complaining. Let's see how far I can push this," Darius thought to himself with a smirk.

He moved closer, getting behind her. Her thighs were sandwiched between his knees, his bulge lightly poking her buttocks.

He squirted a few drops of sunscreen onto his hands, spreading it across his palms before leaning forward and placing his hands on her shoulders, his bulge pressing more firmly against Alexia's perky ass.

"H-He's so close...mm, and his hands are so strong...," she thought to herself as he began applying the sunscreen on her shoulders.

"Woah, your shoulders are crazy stiff. Here, let me give you a massage, should help loosen up your muscles," remarked Darius, as he gave her shoulders a firm squeeze.

"O-Oh, you don't have to, that's-...that...ohh, wow, th-that feels really good...," Alexia groaned as he began massaging her shoulders.

Her back arched slightly as he kneaded her shoulders firmly, pressing his fingers into her skin and working out the knots and kinks she'd built up.

"Hm, looks like your back is pretty stiff too. Want me to go ahead and massage the rest?"

Alexia hesitated for a moment, her heart racing slightly.

"I, um...I wouldn't want to trouble you..."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all."

"Well, in that case, um...I'll take you up on that offer," she replied quietly.

"Alright, then, I'll continue on," he grinned, picking up the sunscreen bottle.

Alexia let out a slight gasp as he dripped some of the sunscreen onto her upper back, before slipping his hands under the strap of her bikini top and spreading the sunscreen across her skin.

"Y-Youre, um...you're really good at this, huh?" She uttered, a slight shudder running down her back as her breathing began to grow heavier.

Meanwhile, in the background, as Felix rode his surfboard along a wave, his eyes widened as he glanced at the two of them.

He let out a yelp as the distraction made him slip off the board and crash onto the water, a loud splash ringing out, but neither Darius nor Alexia noticed.

“Woah, holy shit! What's going on over there? Fuck, dude, Darius...man, I'm so fucking jealous! Damn, I certainly wasn't expecting this. Well, it'd be a dick move to interrupt and spoil my guy's fun, so I'll keep hanging out here a while," Felix thought to himself with an amused smirk, as he pulled himself back onto the surfboard.

Back on the beach, Alexia was struggling to keep her cool as Darius massaged her back. He pressed the heels of his palms firmly against her skin and slowly dragged them down her back, sliding his hands back and forth.

His bulge, now raging erect, was firmly lodged between her buttocks, throbbing against her ass. She, of course, could clearly feel that.

The more he massaged her, the closer he moved in, getting bolder and bolder. But she didn't say a word. And her silence was as good as an invitation, like she was encouraging him not to stop.

Alexia squirmed as Darius squeezed her hips, kneading her sides firmly in his strong grasp, his large hands enveloping her skin.

She tensed as he lightly brushed his fingertips against her skin, inadvertently clenching her buttocks and squeezing his erection.

"N-No, I...what am I...what am I doing...? Th-This is...this isn't what I...,” she thought shakily, her mind muddled as her guilt over the current situation and the pleasure of how good it felt clashed.

Darius noticed her confliction as she began to shift uneasily. He bit his lower lip and took a quiet, deep breath to quash the arousal surging through his powerful frame.

"Fuck, I really don't want to stop, but I think I've pushed my luck far enough...for now. Yeah, better to leave her all hot and bothered rather than push things too far and freak her out," he thought to himself reluctantly, taking his hands off her and getting up.

"Huh? Oh, he...he stopped...," Alexia thought in surprise, as Darius turned around and took a few breaths to get his throbbing erection down.

She didn't notice, as she shook her head and took a moment to calm down, the intense heat of arousal that had welled up inside her steadily fading as she composed herself.

"Alright, that should do it. Unless you want me to do your legs too?" Remarked Darius, as he sat back down on the other side of the blanket and cracked open another beer.

"O-Oh, no, that's okay. I feel great, my body feels so light. Thanks, Darius, it's like all the tension and stress just disappeared, think you might have added on a few more years to my life," she laughed jokingly, in an effort to play it cool and hide how flustered and aroused she'd gotten.

She was relieved that things hadn't escalated any further, but also guilty and mortified at herself for letting it get as far as it did.

And yet, there was a small part of her that was...disappointed.

Chapter 9: Having Fun?

"Hey, guys! How've you been enjoying the beach so far?" Grinned Felix, jogging over with a wave.

"Yeah, it's great. The weather's perfect and I've got a good buzz going," Darius greeted him with a lazy smile.

Alexia's gaze trailed down Felix's wet body, water dripping off him as he glistened under the sunlight, his hair slicked back.

"What about you, Alexia? Having fun?" Felix asked her.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, of course! I'm having a blast," she smiled as she nodded.

"Really glad to hear it! So, guys, how about that volleyball game we talked about?" Suggested Felix eagerly.

"Oh, I'm way too comfortable lazing here right now, I can't get up," Darius shook his head sheepishly.

"Honestly, I'm feeling pretty lazy myself," added Alexia with a wry smile.

"Actually, how do you still have energy to spare? You've been surfing for, like, two hours," remarked Darius in bemusement.

"Yeah, and? I mean, I've worked up a sweat, but it's not like I'm totally drained," he shrugged in response.

"Uh-huh, and my question is how-...eh, never mind. Let's just chill for a bit, we've still got plenty of time before it gets dark. We can play in a while," suggested Darius, adding, "Come on, crack open a beer or two and relax."

"Hm, guess that does sound pretty good. Alright, you've convinced me," Felix chuckled as he took a seat and grabbed a beer can.

"Want another one, Alexia?" Inquired Darius, nodding at the cooler.

"Should I? I'm already pretty tipsy, but...ah, what the heck, I'm on vacation," she decided, before responding, "Sure, I could go for one more."

The three of them took it easy and relaxed for a while. Darius and Felix shared some stories about them and John during their college years.

Lexia had attended the same college, but she was a freshman when the three of them were seniors. And she didn't meet John until his final semester, she didn't get acquainted with Darius and Felix until some time after they'd graduated.

They continued chatting and drinking for a while as they lounged on the beach, relaxing under the pleasantly warm late-afternoon sun, with a gentle breeze blowing across.

Time flew as they continued chatting, until eventually, Felix began to get restless. The other two reluctantly got up and stretched out, getting ready to get their game started.

The volleyball net had been set up a short distance away, Felix rushed over to the deck and picked up a volleyball, looking eager.

Alexia began warming up, stretching her limbs out. Darius glanced at her ass longingly as she bent down and touched her toes.

He considered offering to help her stretch, before reluctantly deciding against it, feeling he'd pushed his luck enough already.

"Okay, so, one on two, huh? Who's going solo first?" Inquired Felix, as he approached the other two.

"Well, you're a lot better at this than I am, so how about we go with me and Alexia against you for the first match?" Suggested Darius, after taking a moment to think it over.

"Yeah, sure, works for me."

They then took their places on either side of the net, Felix taking the ball to serve first.

He tossed the ball up and jogged forward, leaping up and slamming the ball over to the other side of the net.

A triumphant grin began to spread out across his face as the ball honed in on an open spot. Suddenly, his eyes widened as Alexia rapidly dove across and received the ball, bumping it back up into the air as she hit the sand with a thud.

Darius blinked in bemusement, before snapping out of it and shuffling across to get under the ball as it began to plummet back down.

Alexia sprang back onto her feet and approached the net as Darius set the ball. She sprang up as the ball looped across the air, before swinging her arm as the ball dipped into her arc.

She slammed the ball down on the other side of the net as Felix began to rush forward, but it was too late, the ball thudding against the sand before he could reach it.

"Yes!" Alexia pumped her fist triumphantly, thinking to herself with a smile, "Looks like I've still got it, nice!"

"Holy shit..."

"Yeah! Way to go! That was awesome, Alexia!" Grinned Darius, as he jogged over and held his palms out, Alexia cheerfully giving him a double high five.

"Heh, looks like I'm going to have to lock in here," remarked Felix, a gleam in his eyes as he welcomed the challenge.

The game then continued on, going more or less evenly as Felix took things more seriously.

While she'd retained some muscle memory, it had been a really long time since Alexia last played the sport, so she was understandably rusty.

But she was still good enough to make it a tight contest, and with the advantage of it being two on one, she and Darius managed to stay just ahead of Felix.

"Alright, one more point and we win, don't let him score!" She exclaimed, a focused look on her face as Felix sprang up to spike the ball.

As he struck the ball and launched it towards one of the back corners of the other side, Alexia rushed across as fast as she could, straining her legs and diving for the ball with all the force she could muster.

She just barely managed to reach the ball and knock it up into the air. She slammed onto the sand with a thud and slid forward, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she rapidly scrambled back onto her feet and shot towards the net to spike the ball as Darius set it for her.

She leapt up towards the ball and slammed it with her palm, grimacing as she spiked it towards a spot within Felix's reach-...

"Huh? What the...? He didn't go for it? Why?" She frowned as the ball hit the sand.

Felix didn't move a muscle, his attention instead focused on Alexia.

"Hey, did you let me win? Not cool, I-...," she began indignantly.

"Huh? Oh, uh, no...that's not it. I just ...

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My Husband's Friends

Author's Note

Chapter 1: It’s Not Like I Have Anything Better to Do