Page 71 of Tickled Pink

I didn’t expect to like it so much.

We showered in silence. I got out first, leaving him to his thoughts. I put my boxers back on and got into bed, thinking we’d talk some more when he joined me, but that didn’t happen.

I slept deeper than I have in weeks.

And now it’s morning.

I roll over to check his side of the bed. It feels larger than usual, the Phoebe-shaped void filling the space between us.

Us. Me and Max. Max and me.

He’s lying on his back, his eyes open on the ceiling.

“Hey,” I say, turning onto my side to face him.

Max swallows. “Hey,” he says, his eyes never leaving the ceiling.

I hope for him to say something more, but he stays quiet.

I clear my dry throat. “You sleep well?” I ask, filling the silence.

“Uh… yeah,” he says. “Like a baby.”

“Yeah. Me, too.” Still, he doesn’t look at me. “Max, are you okay?”

He blinks. He swallows.

“Max.”

Finally, he looks at me with a brief smile. “Yeah,” he answers. “I’m more than okay.”

I exhale with relief as I sit up. “Good.”

“Are you?” he asks me.

“Uh…” I chuckle at the bottle of Jack on my nightstand. “Yeah. A little light-headed, but fine.”

“Good.”

I move to stand up.

“Thad,” Max says, making me pause. “Thank you.”

I settle, turning back toward him.

“Last night…” He takes a breath. “It meant a lot to me. I can’t find the words to be more specific than that right now, but… I want you to know that.”

I shift toward the center of the bed. “I know what you mean,” I say.

Max looks at me, curious. “Yeah?”

I nod. “Maybe one of these days, I’ll write a poem about it, but…” I chuckle. “Not today.”

He turns onto his side to face me. “You don’t regret it?”

“Me? No.” I shake my head. “I don’t regret time between the sheets, you know that.”

His gaze falls to my bare chest. Only for a second, but it’s enough to make my cock quiver.

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