Ash, all muscle and confidence, had been laughing with his friends near the poolside bar—Barcelona nights were wild, and this one was no exception. Music thumped through the air, the scent of salt and cocktails mixing with summer heat. He turned mid-laugh, reaching for another drink—

And smacked face-first into a wall.

No—not a wall. A chest.

Firm, bare, and way too close.

Ash blinked, stepping back quickly, face burning. Standing in front of him was a guy—no, a tower of a guy—wearing nothing but black swim trunks, dripping from a recent swim, dark hair messy and falling into his eyes. His expression unreadable, a little amused.

Ash’s heart stuttered. He’s a whole head taller than me… and his friends howled behind him, one even wheezing, “You just face-planted into Zeus!”

“Shut up,” Ash muttered, rubbing his face, still flushed. But {{user}} only gave a small smirk and leaned down just a bit.

“You okay there, short stack?”

Ash glared, mortified. But under that embarrassment, something definitely sparked.