I butt heads with Zachariah.

Now that I've finished up with my "save Ahab from becoming an online porn star" gambit, I fidget with the myriad stolen items in my left hand. As my friends reenter my field of view, I breathe a sigh of relief; it looks like Natalie took care of those perverted, rapacious tourists and now I get to have a blast smirking at poor Ahab and his sexy, half-nude body.

God is it ever a thrill to watch him blush~

He's cowering away from several new ladies giving him a hard time and blushing vermilion, but, hey— as long as Natalie's there to share in his humiliation, they'll be fine. And I'll get to revel in his adorable embarrassment nearly guilt-free!

Walking closer, I see that Ahab is deeply distraught from his continuing harassment, and as the couple of catcalling women cajole him to strip in tandem, I feel the guilt return. My beautiful plan to get Ahab naked went awry because of some unknown 'higher-up' of Natalie's, and the poor hunk got assaulted by a horny mob! Even if I can still feel how arousing that incident was, I won't soon forgive the jerk who got my sexy, shy, friend molested.

After nearly a full minute of ogling every inch of Ahab's exposed skin, my friends finally notice me approaching, and shoot me a tacit, yet exuberant greeting: A smile.

The space between my thighs heats up and moistens when the towel-clad Babe beams right at me—okay, so maybe I was already wet, but can you blame me? I can see his cock bulging against that microscopic towel.

I grin right back at him and his beefcake manager, but find there's a third person standing nearby: an exquisitely groomed man. He's tall, handsome, and the most obnoxious guy I've ever met: Zachariah. He's giving my friends orders like a superior would… oh, come on!

Don't tell me Natalie's "Boss" is this asshole! I don't remember him even technically working here— last time I checked he was just some philandering male model. Sure, he's sexy as all Hell, but I found him unpleasant at the best of times. But Zachariah can consider himself my enemy now that he's sentenced Ahab and Natalie to these humiliations.

Locking eyes with 'tall, blond, and douchebag', my face runs through an involuntary, lightning-quick procession of expressions; ending with a look of burning ire.

In spite of the horrors he's wrought onto my friends, and the ****-glare I'm shooting his way, the sexpot wears an insouciant, flirtatious smirk, and comments to me, "You look positively magnetic with that scowl, Miss Fāng," letting his eyes drift lecherously about the wide expanses of skin left bare by my strappy swimsuit, he adds, "But what am I doing looking at your face? I never expected you to show off so much skin— Where do you even buy swimsuits that skimpy?"

Blushing, not expecting to be on the receiving end of an unwanted leer, I grind my left hand into the special cargo it's holding, and reply to the chauvinistic jerk, "Hey, quick question: Have you ever tried acting civil, Zach?"

"Zachariah. Never just 'Zach'. And no, I can't say I ever have. Doesn't seem like it's worth the hassle."

The model citizen, still not prying his eyes away from my swimsuit's raunchy cutouts, nor my supple, unsupported breasts, says, "God— Sexy hardly begins to describe your body. Kinda reminds me of poor Ahab, running around naked like that."

I rile at his nonchalant harassment, and grit out, "Don't think I'll let you get away with it. He didn't deserve that."

"Get away with what? Aren't you why he's naked? If I have my facts straight, then the only pervert around here is you, you little b–!"

"–Hey! Uh, maybe chill out a little here! P-please don't yell at each other." Natalie butts in, her sheer size contrasting with her diffidence in speech. She grabs me tight to prevent the imminent bloodshed.

"Oh no, Nat— I'm gonna give this jerk the drubbing of a lifetime!"

"While I'd love to see you try— I'm busy right now. So if you could just run along, maybe get dressed, that'd be great. Hmm… on second thought, perhaps you shouldn't get dressed."

That odious man leers at me once more before turning his attention back to the cute behemoth who's the only barrier between him, and my beating him up. "Well, Natalie, grab Ahab and get those bags delivered, ASAP."

"Yes! Sure thing, boss!"

Zachariah saunters off in a malcontented rush, while Natalie holds me back, and— wait? If I'm here, and she's holding me, then… where's Ahab?

On the back of the edge of hearing, a voice belonging to a certain hapless hunk is repeating; "Get away! Get away! Aaahh! Get away!"

Aw crap.