I nod and rise to my feet and Maxx politely turns away to give us a second.
My arms twine around Chas’ neck, and his lips find mine, working against me with fervent heat. Want. Desperation. Nothing about what happened with Maxx last night has changed the way he feels for me, the desire with which he craves me. Nothing.
“Later, I kind of do need to know everything that happened with you guys,” Chasm says against my mouth. “I’m so jealous, I could fucking spit. I know how Parrish felt now, when he watched the two of us.”
I bury my face against the side of his neck and breathe in his scent as he strokes his fingers through my hair, giving me a kiss on my temple before he finally, reluctantly pulls away.
“Shit, if I had time, I’d fuck that memory of Maxx right out of you.”
“Kwang-seon McKenna!” I hiss, but my entire body has just gone up in flames, and I’m damn dear dying to see him act that out. He laughs again, offers up a little wave, and leaves, closing the door behind him.
Maxx turns back to me, cocking his head to the side and offering up one of his beautiful smiles. They’re like the opposite of Justin’s. Yes, they’re both confident. Both pretty. But X has a fierceness not for himself, but for those that he loves. It’s tempered with kindness and compassion, and it’s so beyond attractive that I feel a flutter in my lower belly.
“Should we do some more research?” I ask on the tail end of a yawn.
“No, Kota. You need a break. You’re not a machine. And we have a clear plan in place for Parrish. Let’s do something else.” He mulls ideas around for a minute. “Come lay on Parrish’s bed with me and we’ll watch a movie on my laptop—that sick fuck can watch us through the camera all he damn well pleases.”
“A K-drama?” I ask excitedly, and Maxx gives me a look.
“How about … Dirty Dancing? It’s my sister’s favorite movie. Have you seen it?”
I shake my head. I’ve heard of it, but never watched it before. It’s from the eighties, right? Like a cult classic or something? Maxx lets that smile take over his full face, turning it into something cocky and glorious and irresistible.
But I meant what I said.
For now, he remains a forbidden fruit.
“Oh, you’ll love it. The main character reminds me of you. Feminist, sexy, and the dancing is equal parts hilarious eighties stuff and like, super impressive shit.” He opens my bedroom door and holds out a hand to usher me into the hallway.
We end up lying side by side with only our arms touching, the laptop propped on a pillow at the end of the bed. GG thumps around in his cage as we both take turns pretending to watch the movie while the other glances over and studies our partner.
Did Maxx really think watching a movie as sensual as Dirty Dancing was going to help our situation?
By the time it’s over, I’m practically panting, and my entire body aches with newfound need.
“That was great actually. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did, but … well, it’s a new favorite for me.”
“I’m glad,” he replies, and then he leans over and cups my face with his left hand, pressing his forehead against mine. We both close our eyes, sitting there in silence for nearly five minutes before I finally find the courage to pull away. “Go take a nap, Kota.”
“You do the same, X.”
Our gazes linger on one another until his door is closed, and I’m slipping into my bedroom alone.
If I weren’t exhausted to the point of collapse, I might have never fallen asleep. I might have stayed awake throughout the rest of the afternoon, the evening, and into the night, and I might’ve dreamed of three gorgeous boys until I was nothing but a melted puddle on the mattress.
I’ve always loved idioms, so let’s hear it again: love … is a double-edged sword.
Fuck you, love. Fuck you.
I’ve never particularly thought of clothing as ominous before, not until I wake up the next morning and find myself staring at the Whitehall Prep uniforms in my closet. The thought of going back to that school makes me queasy. But how else am I going to get away from Tess, right? I’ll go to school, and sometime today, I’ll text Justin and let him know that I’ll be going with the boys after classes are over.
It’s the best plan I’ve got for our little gumshoeing expedition.
“Fuck.” I slide the hangers across the mostly empty rack. Slacks today? Or … or a skirt.
My mind strays back to memories of me and Chas in the hedge maze. The skirt made things so much easier. But, maybe things shouldn’t be easy today. We have work to do. Although you still have to stay on campus for lunch anyway, so …
