Playing Around Poolside

Lacey Banghard dips her toes into a turquoise indoor pool, perched on the tiled edge in a black one-shoulder crop top and matching high-waisted bottoms that sculpt her waist and hug the swell of her hips. Her dark hair falls in loose, bouncy curls past her shoulders, her porcelain skin is almost luminous against the black fabric, and a swipe of cherry red on her lips is the brightest spot in the room. Behind her, a stone urn spills ferns beside a wicker lounger, and the conservatory roof lets grey English daylight wash down over the still water. Playing Around Poolside has the quiet, secluded energy of a spa you booked entirely for yourself, and Lacey looks like she owns the place.

She turns to sit side-on, and the curve of her hips and the long, smooth sweep of her legs steal the frame. The black top lifts over her head, the bottoms follow, and Lacey sits nude at the water's edge with her calves submerged, red-painted toes just visible beneath the surface. Her bare back tapers to a narrow waist before flaring into the generous line of her hips, and the pool's blue-green reflection throws ripples of light across her skin like watercolour. She gazes over one shoulder with a half-smile that says the water is warm and there is room for two. The invitation hangs in the humid air, and the stillness of the pool makes everything feel slow, private, and completely unhurried.