He keeps playing with my hair, his face relaxed. "I feel tired."
"Max." I blink at him. "Because I feel kinda emotional."
He wipes at a tear beading on my cheek. "I can see that."
"Do you feel emotional?"
"I wouldn't use the word emotional."
"Use another word then?"
He laughs once. "Well, I'm becomingirritated."
I can't help but smile. "A different word."
"Agitated."
"Max."
"Happy, Little One." He kisses the tip of my nose. "I'm happy."
The Legend, Luca "The Butcher" Butcher
"You're what?"Toni's voice sounds through the speaker as I riffle through my suitcase to find a pair of strappy sandals and my favourite playsuit, the one with the zipper at the front.
"I'm going to watch a boxing match. It's a thing, apparently. They're into boxing. I wasn't going to hang out with them during the day. I mean, it's kinda a buck's week, but Max actually wants me there. He invited me."
"Oh, I'm so jealous. I love watching two men sharing blows... obviously."
"Your innuendos have no bounds." I get dressed and lean over to wrap the spaghetti straps of my sandals around my ankles. "Toni?" I pause for a moment, staring at myself in the mirror. Blushing cheeks, moist skin, and wild natural waves cascading down my shoulders... "We were careless last night."
"Don't tell me."
"I mean... He didn't wear a condom."
"So now you have officially had sex with everyone he has." He makes a sound of disgust. "That's a lot of fanny."
I stare at my reflection, my brows drawn together in contemplation. "Can I get the morning after pill here in Bali? Aren't they super religious?"
"I don't know, darlin’. You can always take it when you get home."
"No, I googled it. It has to be taken within seventy-two hours or the chance of it working can drop to below fifty percent."
"I'm so glad I don't have to worry about that side of things."
"Toni..." I shake my head slowly and smile at myself in the mirror, thinking about Max and me last night. The way his whole face was soft with affection when he'd said he washappy.That hefelthappy. "You were right. I'msoobsessed with him. I want to be around him and smell him and hear his jerky comments all day. I'm in serious trouble."
My body feels different. Before Max, I couldn't care less about intimate affection. It was never really something I'd craved. But I'm an addict now. I crave Max. His approval. His mere attention. His rough, manly hands on my soft skin and that deep, manly scent. That fricking smile... I sigh just thinking about that smile. That sweet crooked smile that tells me he's just a boy, a boy who is enjoying a girl.
"Tell me about the sex?" Toni presses.
"No..." I stiffen as if he can see me. "It's private."
"Nothing is private between me and you."
"No. I don't want to."
"Please.I've waited so long to talk about sex stuff with you because of the whole asexual pigeon thing, and now you won't cough up the goods? It's not fair."
