One after the other, the girls stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around each of them as they shivered slightly from the coolness of the air conditioning on their wet bodies.

Alice, her curly hair still dripping wet, spoke up as she walked out, "I swear, that was the best shower I've ever taken in my life. I feel so clean.”

Rachel agreed, "I know, right? I don't think I've ever felt so good after a shower. The hot water felt like a godsend.”

Noelle, her long hair drying quickly thanks to the strong air conditioning, nodded. "I completely agree. That shower was like a gift from the gods. I almost don't want to put clothes back on.”

Alice shook her head. "Oh, I'm so not putting clothes on. I'm going to sleep stark naked tonight. This feels way too good.”

Rachel chimed with a wicked grin on her face, "Y’know what? Now that you mention it, I think I'll join you. Screw clothes, we're sleepin’ au naturelle tonight.”

Noelle already began pulling back the sheets of her bed. "Count me in too.”

Rachel threw off her towel and climbed into bed. "Seriously. We'll be sweating our butts off again tomorrow, so we need to make the most of this comfort while it lasts. Plus, sleeping naked is just so freeing. It feels incredibly good.”

Noelle snuggled under her sheets. "Exactly. There's nothing better than the feeling of bare skin against cool sheets, especially high-quality sheets like these. And who knows, since there's only one bed and we're all naked anyway…we might as well cuddle together. That's always comfortable too.”

Zalgo's eyes nearly popped out of her head at what she was hearing, blinking rapidly while gripping her towel. "Uhh...I mean- being nude is one thing, but cuddling too?!”

Rachel, already lying on her side facing Alice, noticed Zalgo's hesitation. She patted the empty space between her and the other girls. "Don't worry, Zalgo. It's totally relaxed and comfortable. We don't bite, we promise. It's not anything sexual or whatever. We're just really close friends and don't have any problem seeing each other naked and stuff.”

After a moment of contemplation, Zalgo gave in to her curiosity and her hesitations. She let her towel drop to the floor, leaving her completely exposed, and cautiously padded over to the bed, feeling a rush of excitement and a little bit of nerves.

The girls all smiled warmly at her as she approached. Alice was the first one to reach out and take her hand, pulling her to lie down next to her.

"There you go," she encouraged gently. "Just settle on your side here. We'll take it from there.”

Zalgo obeyed, lying down on her side next to Alice, feeling a little awkward but also strangely exciting. Noelle reached over to grab the sheets and pull them over all of them, cuddling up to Zalgo from behind. Zalgo's pale skin slid against Alice's deep mahogany tone as she tried to get comfortable, creating a sharp contrast between the two that couldn't be ignored.

Rachel, pressed up against Zalgo's backside, chuckled before reaching up to flip the light switch off. The room was immediately plunged into darkness, the only source of light being the faint glow of the streetlights seeping through the blinds from outside. The room became quieter as well, the only sound being the girl's breathing and the rustling of the sheets as they adjusted themselves in the bed.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"All right, now we are really getting cozy. This is what I'm talking about," Rachel murmured into the darkness.

Noelle yawned slightly as she held onto Zalgo from behind, her arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer until their bodies were pressed tight together. She snuggled her face into the crook of her neck, feeling the softness of her skin.

Meanwhile, Alice rested her hand on the curve of Zalgo's hip, feeling the smooth skin beneath her fingers.

Zalgo froze for a moment, her breath catching in her throat as she felt Alice's hand on her hip. The touch sent a jolt of electricity up her spine, and she found herself holding in a gasp. She'd never been touched this way before, and the intensity of it took her by surprise.

"U-um, good night, everybody...!" she blurted out in a fit of embarrassment.

The girls chuckled at her outburst, their voices soft and amused in the darkness.

"Good night to you too, Zalgo. Sweet dreams," Alice replied with a soft smile, her hand remaining on Zalgo's hip as she slowly closed her eyes.

…

As sunbeams shined through the curtains onto the girls, a quiet yawn sounded out, the yawn belonging to Alice. She was the first to stir in bed, her eyes fluttering open to glare at the sunlight seeping through the blinds. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily. She chuckled quietly, watching their peaceful faces as they slept. She found herself thinking that sleeping naked really had been a good idea. It felt so free and comfortable, and their bodies were so warm against hers. She looked at her hand, noticing it still resting on the curve of Zalgo's hip. As she continued to gaze at the girls, she realized how the curves and contours of their bodies, pressed up against hers, felt incredibly sensual.

As if sensing her thoughts, Rachel stirred behind her, her sleepy eyes fluttering open and meeting Alice's gaze. She gave Alice a sly grin, as though understanding exactly what was going on in her mind.

"Good mornin’, naughty girl," Rachel teased, her voice still rough with sleep. "Thinking some pretty X-rated thoughts this morning, aren't you?"

Alice chuckled, knowing she'd been caught. "Oh c'mon, Rach. It's too early for your teasing.”

"It's never too early for teasing," Rachel replied, her tone still playful.

She raised herself up on one arm, climbing out of the warm bed as the cold air from the AC hit her bare body. Eager for something to do, she quietly rummaged through the drawers beside the bed, picking up a clear bag with pajamas inside of them.

"Woah, they have PJs in this place?!”

Alice, intrigued, sat up and looked at the bag Rachel held. "Yeah, looks like they do. Lucky find."

Noelle, woken up by their voices, groaned and sat up as well, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "What's going on?"

"Rach found some PJs," Alice answered, looking amused. "And she's acting like she just won the lottery.”

Rachel shook the pajamas in excitement, feeling the smooth cotton fabric. "Hey, it's not every day you find free pajamas in your hotel room."

Noelle chuckled at her enthusiasm. "It's just clothes, Rach. You're acting like it's something amazing."

"Oh, it IS amazing," Rachel retorted. "Have you felt how soft these are? I'm definitely stealing a pair.”

"You are such a weirdo," Alice teased, a wide smile on her face. "Only you would get this excited over a pair of pajamas."

Rachel smirked and rolled her eyes. "Hey, I appreciate the little things in life.”

Noelle, now fully awake, looked down at herself, realizing she was still very much naked. "Uh...we probably should put on some PJs too," she suggested, chuckling at the reminder of their nakedness.

Rachel nodded in agreement, already pulling out another pair of pajamas from the bag. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I don't think the hotel staff would be too thrilled to find us walking around naked.”

Alice, realizing she was also still exposed, laughed softly. "Alright, alright. Pass me a pair, Rach."

Rachel tossed her a pair of pajamas, and soon the girls were all dressed in their new attire, the soft fabric feeling nice against their skin.

"Well," Rachel piped up, breaking the silence. "What do we do now? Since we're all awake and dressed."

Noelle shrugged, fiddling with the edge of her pajama shirt.

Alice suggested, "We could order some breakfast, I guess. Gotta eat well before going out to help that dragon, all in the scorching heat waiting for us as soon as we open the door.”

Rachel nodded, agreeing that breakfast was a good idea. "Yeah, food does sound good. Who's going to order it though?"

Noelle spoke up, volunteering to make the call. "I'll do it. I can order us all some food and get it brought up.”

"Sounds like a plan," Alice agreed, giving Noelle a grateful smile. She couldn't help but feel a pang of hunger in her stomach. The anticipation of food eased her thoughts.

While Noelle placed the order, Rachel plopped herself down on the bed. “Can we watch TV while we wait?”

Alice nodded, grateful for the distraction of something to watch. "Yeah, might as well watch some television. I'm sure there's something on."

Noelle finished placing the order on the provided hotel phone. "Alright, order is in. The food should be here soon."

She wandered over to the bed as well, settling herself down comfortably next to Rachel.

When a loud knock on door signaled that their food had arrived, all three of the girls were snapped out of the lull of mindless TV watching. Alice breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the food would be a sufficient distraction from her wayward thoughts. Noelle got up to answer it, returning with a cart full of food. The girls gathered round eagerly, the hunger in their bellies temporarily taking precedence over everything else.

They began eating heartily, the delicious food satisfying their appetites and temporarily taking their minds off other things. As they ate, the girls started to chat, discussing their plans for the day and what they thought about the task of helping the dragon.