Page 55 of Tossing It

“That starts tomorrow, too. Try almost dying and see how much muscle you get to keep,” I joke. “It’s coming back slowly, but surely. I don’t look like a skeleton anymore.” Eating normal, square meals fixed that almost immediately, but I’m still a shell of the person I used to be. It’d be a lie if I said I didn’t worry about Malena not finding me attractive anymore. The muscles and bulk were my identifier—a huge part of how I viewed myself, and where my self-confidence came from.

“Yeah. I’ll be there for you. We’ll get you back to normal in no time.” Aidan smiles.

“You okay, man? You’re acting twitchy and you’re not even drinking.”

He smirks. “I’m good, man. I’m good. Taking some time away from the drink, that’s all. Working on my abs.” He lifts his shirt and flexes.

“You’re such a douche canoe. Get out of my house.”

“I saved your life. You can’t tell me what to do anymore.”

“Fair. But it’s bro code to tell me what’s really going on.”

“Woman troubles,” he says, jutting his chin up.

Pressing my lips into a firm line, I nod. “Well fuck. That’s a bitch.” One that I’m out of the loop about. I don’t like it at all. Mentally, I add grabbing a beer with my friend to the never-ending to-do list.

“Such a bitch,” he replies.

Malena walks into the kitchen carrying a stack of platters. “That’s it. We’re calling it,” she says. “Grab these Aidan.” Malena pushes the stack of plates into Aidan’s hands. She doesn’t think I can carry a stack of glass platters. It’s embarrassing. Luckily, Aidan doesn’t give me grief, he merely brings them to the sink and turns on the water to begin washing. Good friend mode. Thank fuck. It’s almost time I show her how capable I am.

“Tonight was great, right?” I ask, testing the waters.

Wrapping her arms around my waist, she puts her face against my chest. “It was. It was a welcome back party for you, too. We have so much to celebrate. Now I’m ready to celebrate just us two.” My dick hardens as I place my chin on the top of her head. “All the stragglers are headed back to the Caroline and Tahoe’s Bed and Breakfast.”

Aidan coughs. “Platters are clean. I’m leaving before you guys hump in the kitchen.”

I laugh. “Malena wouldn’t risk breaking me by humping anywhere except an acceptable, cushioned surface.”

“Speak for yourself,” Malena says, leaning away to meet my gaze. “Thanks for helping, Aidan,” she tosses over her shoulder. “You really kept everything moving along tonight.”

“Anything for my favorite couple,” he says. Aidan heads to the front door, promising to give me the full scoop on his woman troubles at work on Monday. As I close and lock the door, I’m still trying to process the fact that he cares enough to be bothered by another person. One person. He’s the king of lettingeverythingroll off his back.

“We’re turning a corner. Bronze Bay is good for the soul,” I pipe up when Malena closes the sliding door to the deck. She locks it and places the security bar in place. “This place changes lives.”

“Ruins them, too, but I won’t go down that path tonight when we’re on a high,” Malena says. The humidity is ratcheted up tonight, leaving a dewy glow on her skin. Her brown eyes flare when they meet mine. “A high that’s bound to get better.” She walks over to the entertainment system in the living room and turns off the party playlist and selects another one.

She spins when the familiar song starts, gaze locked on mine. Biting her bottom lip, she throws her arms up in the air to sing out the famous first sentence. She’s not a small town girl, born and raised in Michigan, though. She’s my girl. My brown eyed, fighter of a woman.

I take her into my arms and lean down to kiss her as she sings the lyrics against my mouth. “You’re taking the eleven P.M. train to our bedroom,” I say, checking the time. She pulls me down the hallway to our master. Not her mother’s old room, and not the newer wing of the house that used to be her room. That’s Luna’s lair now. We took one of the rooms that has only been used as a guest room. Together we chose what we liked best, mixing and matching our things, and ordering new stuff when we didn’t agree. It looks like modern and beachy threw up and the vomit ended up being Leif and Malena Andersson.

“You sick of sleeping in the other room?” Malena asks, dragging her lips across the neck of my shirt.

“If you’re asking if I’ve missed sleeping with you, the answer is kind of. Having a big bed to myself is pretty ace after the twin bed at the hospital, if you’re asking if I missed fucking you, in our room, in our bed, then the answer is fuck yes. Every second you were in here and I was down the hall, I thought about creeping in.”

“Two days. It’s only been two days since you got home and we got married,” she says, laughing. Even as she jokes her hands glide under my shirt, taking it up. I pull it over my head to help her. Her fingers splayed on my chest, I hold my breath. Her hands are reverent.

“Two days too long,” I counter. “I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

She turns her confused gaze up to meet mine. “Why in the world would you think that? It’s been just as hard for me, Leif.”

“I don’t look like I used to,” I admit.

She winces, raising one brow. “I love the way you look. I’ll love any way you look. That has no hand in my libido. I’m madly in love with you. That erases any pre-conceived notions the world has with regards to looks and expectations.”

“But I do look different compared to before.”

“I’m in love with this,” Malena says, putting her hand on my chest. “And what’s inside your mind,” she adds. Sliding her hand down my body, she grabs my package. “This too. It still looks and feels the same to me. You are my wildest dream made real.” She shakes her head. “Don’t ever think you’re not everything to me. You’re perfect.”

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