My eyes went wide. “What are you doing?” I asked, glancing around nervously. Are we really doing this? Here?


    “I think it''s time for a swim,” Emily said, her grin turning positively wicked. “You should join me.”


    My heart was doing a drum solo in my chest as I watched her. Naked Emily. Right here. I wasn''t sure I could handle this. But then she gave me this playful little wink and slipped under the water with a splash, leaving me standing there like an idiot with my clothes on.


    Fuck it. I ripped off the rest of my clothes in record time and dove in after her. I surfaced next to her, gasping, the cold water a welcome shock to my system.


    “Isn''t this refreshing?” Emily exclaimed, laughing as she splashed me.


    “Yeah,” I said, a wide, goofy grin spreading across my face. “It feels amazing.” And you look amazing. My brain was short-circuiting again. Naked Emily. Naked Luca. Waterfall. This is insane. But also... kind of perfect.


    We swam around for a bit, enjoying the cool water, and, yeah, okay, enjoying the fact that we were both naked. Then Emily suggested we try out the waterfall. Hell yes. Together, we made our way over, our bodies brushing against each other every now and then. The roar of the waterfall grew louder and louder, like some kind of crazy loud natural soundtrack to this whole insane scene.


    “Ready?” Emily asked, her voice buzzing with excitement.


    I nodded, feeling more alive and free than I had in… well, maybe ever.


    <hr>


    We took one deep breath and dove under the cascading water. The force of it was incredible, pushing and pulling at us, but in a good way. A really good way. We surfaced on the other side, below an overhang of sorts, laughing and shouting like little kids. This was just like New Hampshire; it felt like home. The waterfall was massive, a stunning backdrop to our own private show. The wall of water was now behind us. We drifted closer, and I gently brushed my hand against Emily''s cheek, then leaned in for a kiss. Finally.


    The moment our lips met, it was like a bomb went off inside me. Desire, raw and intense, coursed through my veins. Her body, warm and slick, pressed against mine as we swayed in the water, the waterfall drowning out everything else.


    My hands had a mind of their own, roaming over her naked skin, tracing every curve, every dip. She moaned softly into my mouth, her arms wrapping around my neck, pulling me closer, deepening the kiss. Our mouths clashed like wild, hungry hippos. God, it had been a long time since we had some privacy.


    Her bare breasts pressed against my chest, and I could feel her nipples hardening under my touch. It was driving me insane, making the kiss even more intense, making the hardness between my legs almost painful.


    Emily broke away, breathless, her lips red and swollen. She looked into my eyes, that mischievous glint back, then dove under the water again. With a grin, I followed, and we were suddenly playing this crazy game of underwater tag.


    Our laughter echoed in the small space behind the waterfall as we chased each other, all flashing limbs and splashes. At one point, I caught her by the waist from behind and pulled her close. We surfaced, gasping for air, our bodies pressed together, catching our breath.


    “I''ve never been skinny-dipping like this before,” I said, my voice drowned in the roar of the water.


    “Me neither,” Emily replied, with a playful giggle. “But I have to admit, it''s quite liberating.”


    We found a small, dry alcove by the wall under the waterfall. I lifted myself up, watching Emily glide through the water like some kind of water nymph. God, she''s beautiful. The constant roar of the falls faded into the background, like white noise meant just for us, wrapping around this stolen, secret place.


    Emily swam closer and pulled herself up beside me, her slick body pressing against mine. Her fingers traced soft lines down my chest, sending shivers everywhere they touched. Then she kissed me, slow, deep, hungry. My mind went blank. I was lost.


    I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her as close as humanly possible, I was hopeless. I wanted more, needed more. All of her.


    Emily broke the kiss, her breath hot against my ear. “You like that?” she whispered, her voice husky and low. The words, the idea, sent a jolt of pure electricity through me. I nodded, eager, my eyes wide. Yes. Fuck yes.


    Emily smiled, playful, wicked, and gently pushed me back, straddling my waist. Her eyes locked on mine, searching, teasing, daring. Every nerve in my body was on fire. She leaned down, brushing her lips along my jaw, my neck, my shoulder, until I was practically vibrating beneath her.


    Time slowed.


    Our bodies found a rhythm, slow and electric, every movement sending sparks across my skin. She moved with this quiet confidence, like she knew exactly how to undo me, one kiss, one press, one slow grind at a time.


    We didn’t rush. We didn’t need to.


    Just the warmth of her skin, the sound of our breathing, and the waterfall crashing behind us. It was wild and soft, chaotic and perfect.


    We held on tight, riding every wave of heat and emotion until everything broke wide open, like stars behind my eyes. And then... stillness. A quiet, glowing stillness.


    “That was awesome.” I kissed her neck as she collapsed on top of me, breathing heavily, a beautiful, sweaty, satisfied mess.


    Emily collapsed against my chest, breathless, warm, her fingers still tangled in my hair. I kissed her shoulder, my heart still thudding like I’d just sprinted a mile.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    For a while, we just lay there, listening to the falls and the rush of our own hearts. It was perfect.


    <hr>


    I looked out towards the waterfall, and for a second, I thought I saw something… movement, out in the water. What the…?


    “Let’s go, Em,” I said, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable.


    “Do we have to…?” she mumbled, nuzzling my neck, clearly not ready to leave our little paradise.


    We took turns standing under the waterfall, letting the cold water pound down on us, washing away the sweat and, yeah, the evidence of what we''d just done. It felt… cleansing, somehow. Then we swam back to each other, the feel of the water on our bare skin still a novelty, still a thrill.


    After a while, I spotted them. Danny and Zoe, also swimming in the lagoon... and heading our way.


    “Crap,” I muttered, suddenly feeling naked and exposed. Well, because we are naked and exposed. Under the bright moonlight, there was no hiding anything. And the idea of Danny seeing me like this… with Emily… shit.


    “Don’t be a hypocrite,” Emily teased, her voice light but with a definite edge. She clung to me, her bare legs wrapping around my waist as we floated, her body pressed against mine in a way that was definitely not helping the situation. “Hey, you two!” she called out, way too loud for my liking.


    Zoe and Danny swam over, but Danny pointedly avoided looking directly at me. His cheeks were a little red, and I had a feeling he knew we''d seen them earlier. Awkward.


    “Hey, you guys!” Zoe said, all bright and cheerful, completely oblivious to the tension radiating off of Danny. Or maybe she just didn''t give a shit. It was Zoe, after all. It looked like clothes were optional in this little lagoon over four light years away from Sol. I was not complaining, no sir.


    "What a perfect evening to go for a swim," Emily said, her grin positively wicked. She was totally enjoying the power she had over us two guys at this moment. I mean, we were all swimming around completely naked, and Danny, I was pretty sure, was convinced we had seen him fucking Zoe. But neither of the girls seemed to give a shit. In fact, they seemed to be relishing it.


    "Should we head back to camp?" Danny asked, his voice a little strained. He was looking hopefully towards the shore, anywhere but at me, really.


    "Nah, let''s stay out here for a bit longer," Zoe replied, hanging off Danny’s neck, her legs wrapped around his body. Subtle, Zoe. Real subtle.


    "I''m with Zoe on this one," Emily said, that grin still plastered on her face. Her breasts were pressed against my chest, clear as day. I was starting to feel like a goddamn exhibit in a museum. "We can''t waste such a beautiful night."


    <hr>


    I mumbled something that sounded like agreement, and we all started swimming around again. I noticed that Danny was being quieter than usual, which, for Danny, was saying something. Emily noticed it too, of course. She swam over to him, her breasts just… hanging there. Zero shame. Or maybe she was doing it on purpose. I wouldn''t put it past her. In fact, I was pretty sure she and Zoe had planned this whole thing.


    "What''s going on?" she asked him, all innocent-like.


    “Did you guys… see us?” he asked, looking down, then quickly darting his eyes to the side, like he was trying to spot a shark or something.


    Before Emily could answer, I jumped in. “Yeah, we did… we tried to give you space… Sorry about that, we didn’t mean to intrude. We meant to give you time.” Smooth, Luca. Way to throw yourself under the bus.


    Emily looked at me, a flicker of something in her eyes. Understanding, maybe? She glanced over at Danny, and I could practically see the guilt radiating off of him.


    "It''s okay," she said, her voice surprisingly gentle. "We understand. We were just having a bit of fun ourselves."


    Danny let out a sigh of relief, like she''d just lifted a ten-ton weight off his shoulders.


    "We''re good?" Danny asked me, finally making eye contact.


    "Yeah, man, don''t worry about it," I said with a smile, then punched him on the shoulder, maybe a little harder than necessary. "We''re all human."


    "Hey, what the fuck, man," Danny said, but he was smiling now, and he splashed me playfully.


    I splashed him back, and we swam off, wrestling around like a couple of idiots.


    <hr>


    “Boys…” said Zoe, watching us go with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. We''d moved further away, leaving her alone with Emily.


    “So,” said Emily, turning to Zoe with a knowing smile, “how was it? Was that it? Your first time?”


    Zoe smiled and nodded, the warmth of the water and the company of her friends easing away any remaining nervousness or embarrassment. She leaned against Emily as they swam slowly around in the warm, calm waters.


    "Yeah," she admitted with a shy smile. "It was... amazing."


    "I could tell," Emily said, grinning at her friend''s flushed cheeks. "You were practically glowing when we saw you earlier."


    Zoe blushed even deeper but couldn''t stop smiling. Good for her.


    Meanwhile, I''d managed to pin Danny underwater. “Do you yield?” I yelled, when I finally let him up for air.


    “Okay, okay, I yield,” Danny said, gasping and laughing, splashing me again. “You pervert! Put some underwear on. God!”


    <hr>


    Emily leaned her head against my shoulder, letting out a contented sigh. “We should do this more often,” she said. “Just... take a break. Get away from everything, even if it’s just for a little while.”


    “Agreed,” I said, my voice low as I stroked her hair, still damp from the water. And smelling faintly of that weird alien moss. Whatever, still hot. “It’s easy to forget what it’s like to have a quiet moment. We’re always moving, always looking for the next thing. It’s nice to just... stop.”


    After some time, we all made our way out of the water and lay down on the moss to dry off under the stars. Emily and I put our underwear back on before joining them. Thank god for small mercies. At least now I won''t get arrested for indecent exposure. Zoe and Danny had strategically chosen a different spot to sit than where they had initially been found. Probably for the best. Don''t need a repeat performance, thanks.


    We lay there for a while, close together, letting the sound of the waterfall fill the silence. It was a brief reprieve, and we all knew it wouldn''t last. Soon enough, we’d be back to the grind, back to the constant vigilance that came with exploring a new world. And probably almost getting killed by some giant alien bug or something. But for now, we had this.


    Emily lifted her head, tilting her face up to look at me. “You think we’ll ever get a chance to relax? Like, back on Earth, where we could just... take a vacation and not worry about anything?”


    I thought about it, my brow furrowing. Earth. Right. Like that''s ever gonna happen. “I hope so,” I said finally, because what else was I gonna say? “But even if we don’t, I think we’ll find ways to make it work. Little moments like this. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just... enough.”


    She smiled, leaning in to kiss me softly, the mist from the waterfall cool on our skin. “I can live with that,” she murmured against my lips. “For now.” Me too, Em. Me too.


    We lingered there a little longer, stealing a few more moments before the responsibilities waiting back at camp could intrude. Finally, I pulled back, glancing in the direction of our campsite. “We should head back soon. Don’t want to leave Ryan and Joey alone with the grill for too long. Who knows what those two assholes will end up cooking.” Probably something that''ll give us all food poisoning.


    Danny laughed, helping Zoe to her feet. “Good point. Joey was never a good cook.” You can say that again.


    The air shifted.


    Just as I bent to grab my boots, the jungle behind us breathed. That’s the only way I can describe it, like the trees exhaled. A low, tremoring gust that made the leaves shiver.


    Then...


    ROOOOOAAARRRR.


    A sound like the world ripping open.


    It echoed off the cliffs, drowning the waterfall. It felt deep and close.


    We froze.


    Not a single bird chirped. Not a single insect buzzed.


    Zoe whispered, “What the hell was that?”