He didn't have to wait long. Mai's room was just next door, the walls incredibly thin. Stepping out of the shower, he could hear Sai's voice through the wall, hear every word he said clearly.

"What did you expect? You changed your number again."

"Yeah. Why didn't you take then hint?" Mai smoothly responded.

After a brief pause there was a soft thud on the adjoining wall. Sasuke took a deep breath and waited for the slightest indication that she was in trouble.

"Don't touch me, Sai." Mai spoke calmly but her heart was racing. He had backed her up against the wall, there wasn't an inch between them.

She had done everything she could think of to shake him off, ignored him, changed her number, she'd even gone so far as to sit down with the guy and nicely explain why they couldn't be together but it never worked. He just couldn't let go. She slapped away his hand when his fingers moved to caress her cheek. In the year he and Ino had been together she hadn't allowed a thing to happen between them. She wasn't that type of friend. She quickly grabbed the towel that was slipping from her naked body, slapping him had jerked it loose.

Sai's eyes became heavy with arousal, it had been so long since he had seen her naked. Someone else had the privilege now.

"He doesn't know your body like I do. He doesn't make you scream or leave you begging for more like you did with me."

Images of the way she and Sai used to make love flashed into her mind, the intensity, the limits they pushed. She had to admit, it was good and even though her current boyfriend was an amazing lover he certainly wasn't as attentive to her needs as Sai had been. Her silence was all he needed to brush his lips over hers. Overcome by thoughts of them together, she had a moment of weakness and didn't move away.

"Do you miss my touch?" He whispered against her lips, sliding his hand over the curve of her hips.

Her eyes fluttered closed.

"Do you want it now?" He breathed, his voice heavy with desire. His fingers followed the route he was all too familiar with, he had lost count how many times he had fantasised about sliding his hand up her inner thigh and letting his fingers feel how wet she was for him.

Her eyes flashed open and she suddenly punched him in the stomach. He stumbled backwards, holding his abdomen and laughing.

"If I tell him about this, he'll kill you." She said, frowning. Resorting to that threat was the only thing she could think of to keep some distance between them.

"Probably." He shrugged, heading towards the window. "But I don't think you'd do that to me."

Her room was on the ground floor, the drop barely a foot. He jumped through the open window and made his way around the building. Mai closed it firmly behind him, catching sight of her own reflection in the glass. She hadn't even realised she had been smiling. Sai's advances were annoying but there was still a thrill in having a man desperately craving her affection, if they were both single she might have let him have his way if he worked hard enough for it.

In his mind, Sasuke was trying to piece together everything he had overheard. The only things he knew for sure were that Sai clearly wasn't over Mai and that she had a boyfriend. Her comment about Sai's life being at risk by hitting on her didn't sound like a joke, it made him wonder who she had gotten involved with.

He left his room and paused outside of hers, wondering if he should check if she was okay. After confronting one unwanted man in her bedroom already he decided against it. Just as he passed by she yanked open the door, nearly making him jump.

"Oh. Hey." She greeted him warmly.

"Hey. You ready?"

He felt relief wash over him, she looked fine, the sparkle in her eyes was still there. Either she was extremely resilient or she was just used to guys becoming obsessed with her. Probably the latter, he decided. She was an easy girl to fall for.

The entire group hit the beach. The guys left it to the girls to find a good spot on the sand, then they set up some parasols and lay out the beach towels. Ino, Sai, Sasuke, Sakura and Mai stayed on the the sand while the others made a dash for the ocean. Mai found herself between Sasuke and Sai, their respective partners in their opposite sides. If she was bothered to think about it, she might have found the situation a little awkward but it was too hot for that. With only a bikini covering her modesty she felt sure the boys would be sweating more than her anyway.

"What do you think of this one?" Sakura asked her husband again, showing her husband yet another almost identical selfie.

"Looks good." He sighed, accidentally missing the enthusiasm out of his reply this time.

"You don't like it?" She gasped, taking offence from his lack of interest.

"Let me see!" Ino shrieked, suddenly clambering over her boyfriend and Mai to grab Sakura's phone.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, he wasn't sure how he was going to get out of that one for a moment.

"Your hair looks messy, that's why. Let me take one." Ino began snapping away, something that began to get on Sai's nerves as well as Sasuke's.

"I'm going to get us all some drinks." Sai carefully placed his sketch pad on his towel and got to his feet.

He had barely taken a step when someone he didn't recognise at first came stampeding over towards them. Mai half opened her eyes, checking what the commotion was. The middle aged guy didn't look familiar to her either.

"I've got my eye on you two. Any funny business and you're off the beach!" He shouted, jabbing his finger through the air accusingly at Sai.

Sai swatted his finger away, if he wasn't in the company of ladies he might have broken it off. Mai leapt to her feet, it wouldn't be good if Sai lost his temper. Judging from the stranger's red shorts, she assumed that he was a life guard.

"Have we done something wrong?" She asked gently.

The man's face gradually got redder as he struggled to put exactly what they had done wrong into words.

"Yes! You were both naked!" He finally spat out.

Realisation slowly dawned on Mai, she was starting to remember a certain night of passion she and Sai had shared on a beach. They had just been driving, not even paying attention to which beach they stopped at, she hadn't even noticed it was the same one they were on now.

Ino and Sakura jumped up, eager to hear more. Sasuke silently moved behind Mai, ready to intervene if needed. He knew just dropping his profession into the conversation would settle things down.

"That was years ago." Sai chuckled, finding the whole thing hilarious.

Mai snuck a glance at Ino and was relieved to see that she could see the funny side. She had her arm around Sai's waist and was howling with laughter.

"We'll be on our best behaviour this time." Mai assured the life guard, without feeling the need to mention that they were no longer even a couple.

"O-okay." The life guard replied, flustered.

He seemed far more embarrassed speaking to Mai, something she was quick to ignore but for some reason Sai wasn't.

"You seem a little nervous making eye contact with the lady. Could it be that she's the reason you remember us?"

"Sai, stop it."

"We were here most of the night. It took you a while to stop us." He continued, ignoring Mai.

The man was lost for words, coughing and spluttering, trying to utter a response. Sakura was still doubled over laughing but Sasuke and Ino were both looking at Sai suspiciously. Mai nudged him with her arm and he quickly replaced the smile that had faded and dropped his little interrogation. He almost revealed how possessive he was of Mai.

"Just kidding. We're not together anymore, it's this one you have to look out for." He beamed and pulled Ino into a kiss.

Smooth, Mai silently remarked to herself.