The afternoon sun scorched over Chloe's backyard, casting long shadows across the turquoise pool. The three of them had cornered him the moment he stepped through the gate—Lottie in a black two-piece that hugged her curves, Yujin in a modest white one-piece that somehow looked filthier for its innocence, and Chloe in her signature pink polka-dot bikini, already dripping from her latest dive.

"So," Lottie said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, "we've been talking." Her voice carried that bratty edge he knew too well. "And we decided you've been playing favorites."

Yujin smiled—that sweet, angelic smile that never quite reached her eyes. "She means we're tired of sneaking around separately. It's inefficient."

Chloe giggled, water droplets glistening on her sun-kissed skin. "We figured, why fight over you when we can share?" She stepped closer, close enough that he could smell the chlorine and coconut on her. "Unless you're scared."

The challenge hung in the air. Lottie raised an eyebrow, Yujin tilted her head, and Chloe bit her lip. Three pairs of eyes watched him, waiting.

"First one to make him lose control wins," Lottie declared, her voice dropping. "Losers have to watch."