Emily pinched her palm, responding, "Why are you rushing me?" She reached out to take the sunscreen Lucas handed her. Despite squeezing a generous amount into her palm, she hesitated to touch him this time.

Taking a deep breath, Emily slapped her hand onto Lucas's back, her face determinedly stoic as she spread the sunscreen. His body's warmth was notably higher than his face, perhaps because her approach was too forceful, causing Lucas's back muscles to tense immediately—hard like stone, resistant to any pressure.

Startled, Emily stared at the red handprint she'd left and quickly apologized, "Sorry... did that hurt?"

"It's fine," Lucas replied in his muffled voice, tinged with a hint of nasal sound. "Go ahead."

Adjusting her mindset, Emily pictured how she'd apply lotion to her younger brother and worked to distribute the sunscreen gently. She began at his shoulders, smoothing it along the spine down to his shoulder blades, ensuring an even application across his broad back.

The air grew thicker with heat, the scent of citrus and ocean enveloping her, as a sea breeze swept through, intensifying the warmth. She stared at his bare, fair, expansive back—an unspoken temptation that stirred her imagination. Emily tried her best to suppress her burgeoning curiosity.

Taking a breath, she squeezed more sunscreen, rubbed it onto his lower shoulders, and continued from both sides inward, her thumbs meeting in the center. Her hands traced down the curve of his waist, spreading the lotion across his lower back.

Moving downward to the hips, Emily didn’t realize when she'd bitten her lip. Sweat adorned her brow, her cheeks a flushed crimson. A simple sunscreen application felt more strenuous than a full massage.

"You can handle the rest," she murmured, her voice unexpectedly husky, her throat dry as if scorched by a mysterious flame or parched from trekking across a desert.

She reluctantly tore her gaze away from Lucas, suddenly recalling, "I forgot my sun sleeves... I'll grab them."

Once inside, Emily leaned against the door, her breaths deep and rapid, struggling to extricate herself from the overpowering atmosphere. She slumped to the floor, silently lamenting with her face buried in her hands. Her cheeks burned feverishly like she had a fever.

A tumult of guilt and embarrassment surged within, but more so, an unspeakable longing. She was doomed, finding herself seduced by the body of a younger man...

Lucas still stood in the living room, gazing down at the noticeable bulge in his beach shorts. Her warmth lingered on his back, as did her softness. She was unaware of how much effort it took him to refrain from turning around to embrace her as she touched him.

His growing greed for her was anything but satisfied—it only increased. Yet, now wasn't the time to indulge. Maintaining a stoic façade, Lucas pulled up Nick's social media. It worked like ice on his heated feelings, cooling his impulsiveness.

He mustn’t act rashly! Lucas grimaced inwardly; their progress had been swift enough—sharing food, touching. He had to remain patient.

Applying sunscreen elsewhere, his gaze lingered on the door she had closed. Her sudden departure, the hurried breaths—it was a promising sign, an indication they were nearer to the shared goal.

...

With their unspoken procrastination, they stepped out well into the afternoon. Nevertheless, the weather was ideal for a day out—not too hot under the cloudy skies.

Guided by a simple "we're here, might as well" mindset, Emily enthusiastically indulged in all the amusement rides. Although it was Lucas who suggested the outing, he didn’t have any particular rides he wanted to try—he merely followed wherever she wished to go.

Emerging from the water coaster, Emily was dizzy, needing Lucas to steady her. “And you love it, even if you’re bad at it,” Lucas remarked, seating her on a nearby bench, placing a towel over her dripping hair. His tone was dismissive, but the gentle way he dried her hair spoke volumes.

Emily accepted the towel, towel-drying her hair while slumping over the bench. “You’ve got to try everything in life at least once, right?” she mumbled. Lucas gazed at her soaked, pitiful appearance, his heart softening. His mind toyed with, "Then maybe try me," but he swallowed the words, choosing instead, "Where next?"

Mentioning the wave pool jolted Emily's energy. Lucas agreed. “Sure.” Reaching to steady her, he saw she rose by herself, off to the wave pool with unstoppable enthusiasm. Lucas withdrew his hand, slightly disappointed.

The wave pool stretched wide, teeming with pre-summer vacationers. Lucas took in the sight, nearly declining to enter until Emily fearlessly plunged in, prompting him to follow suit.

The gathering inevitably led to jostling. With Emily’s beauty on display, Lucas noted the crowd subtly pressing towards them. Frowning, he examined the crowd, then seized Emily's wrist.

Curious, Emily looked up. Lucas exuded an icy calm that dispersed the bolder individuals before breathing, “Hold tight, it’s crowded.”

“Okay.” Emily drew closer for security as Lucas led them to a less populated spot.

Settling, cheers erupted—here came the wave. Emily half-turned in time to see it, quickly raising her phone in its waterproof pouch and tugging Lucas's fingers, “Quick, a picture!”

Lucas obliged, bending down as she snapped the shot, the wave crashing over them. Nearly unsteady, Emily stumbled, but Lucas's grip on her waist saved her from plunging into the water. His sturdy frame and strong arms offered reassuring safety.

She patted his arm appreciatively, “Thanks.”

Lucas’s eyes remained fixed on her left dimple. Before he could respond, her expression shifted, alerting him just as Emily fiercely swung her phone pouch’s strap backward, chastising, “Don’t touch what’s not yours!”