Pose

Izzy lets the warm water settle around her thighs. She stops thinking about the camera, about the angles, about getting it perfect. She just focuses on the feel of the water against her skin and the fading heat of the evening sun on her shoulders.

She pushes her hair back from her face, then wades deeper. The water rises to her hips as she turns, facing Marcus fully. Her hands find the water's surface, dragging through it slowly, and she lets her body move without direction — a sway of her hips, a tilt of her head, a slow breath that softens her shoulders.

"Better?" she asks, her voice carrying across the quiet yard. She doesn't wait for an answer. She glides backward into deeper water, floating for a moment, then rises, water streaming from her shoulders and chest.

The white bikini is soaked now, nearly translucent in the low light, clinging to every curve. She catches Marcus watching her, and this time she doesn't cross her arms. She lets him look.

"You're doing great," he says from behind the camera. "Keep going. Just feel the water."

She does. She trails her fingers along the surface, kicks her legs gently, rolls her shoulders. She turns her back to him, arching slightly as she reaches for the edge of the pool, then glances over her shoulder with a small, knowing smile.