Chapter Eighteen
As I pullon a pair of jeans and turtle-neck sweater, I think back on what’s just happened. Sex with past boyfriends had always been about them, not once had they made sure I was satisfied. The orgasms Bryce and I had experienced were intense for both of us, but that isn’t the part that makes my heart ache the most. It’s the way Bryce held me after. No man before the brothers Freed has ever held me that way. All sorts of strange emotions are running though me, emotions that are alien, that I’m not ready to feel. I grab the hairdryer from the side table and tip my head forward, blowing the hot air over the strands that fall in front of my face, trying in vain to distract myself. These are dangerous thoughts. I must protect myself, and yet I keep letting them in. I’m clearly a glutton forpunishment.
“Louisa,” a voice says over the sound of the hair dryer. I almost jump out of my skin. I flick the switch off and turn to find Max staring at me. His cheeks are bright red from being in the cold. “Do you need a hand?” he asks, pointing to thehairdryer.
“It’s fine. I can do it,” Isay.
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “What I meant to say was, can I do it. Can I dry yourhair?”
I remember what he said about his mum before, that he used to brush her hair for her, that those were his fondest memories when everything else was pain and heartache. For whatever reason, he needs to do this for me. What would it hurt if I lethim?
“Sure,” I say,finally.
Max takes the dryer from my hands and slides behind me on the edge of the bed, his thighs pressed against the outside of mine. He runs his fingers through my hair as he dries it, making sure that the hot air doesn’t get too close to my skin. Like before he is gentle, his fingers massage my scalp as he dries it. I feel my body relax against him, enjoying thesensation.
It doesn’t take long until my hair is completely dry. I’m kind of sad about it. It feels nice to have him take care of me this way. Without saying a word, Max flicks off the hairdryer and lays it on the bed, picking up myhairbrush.
“Is this okay?” heasks.
“Uh huh,” I mumble as he runs his fingers over myscalp.
“You have the most beautiful hair, it’s likesilk.”
“Thankyou.”
For a long time, he pulls the brush through my hair, taking his time to get out the knots. A strange kind of tension fills the air. It is not sexual, more like something bonding between us. I don’t know, I can’t explainit.
“Believe it or not, I’m pretty good at a French plait. Would you mindif…”
“Sure,” I say quickly. To be perfectly honest, I want to explore what is happening and don’t want to break the spell that seems to have settled over usboth.
Max’s fingers work their way expertly through my hair. He gathers a small section at the top, then works his way down, pulling up strands and plaiting them. Eventually his fingers trail over the nape of myneck.
“Do you have a band?” heasks.
“Yes, in my wash bag. I’ll grabone.”
“It’s okay, let me.” Max hands me the end of my hair to hold onto. Then he clambers off the bed and grabs a hairband. I look up at him as he approaches. He is smiling happily as he ties the band over the end of myhair.
“Not bad, even if I do say so myself,” he grins, pulling me up. He presses a sweet kiss against my lips and pulls me in for a hug. He holds me there for sometime.
“Thank you,” he says, before pullingaway.
“Forwhat?”
“For being you, for letting us in. I’ve got a good life now. It’s even better now you’re init.”
“I don’t know what to say…” My voice trailsoff.
“You don’t need to say anything. Just know you’ve made quite an impact on us all. Come on, Hud and Bryce want to play some games. Believe me you don’t want to missthis.”
“Games? What kind of games?” My mind goes to a naughty place, and my cheeks flush a little at thethought.
Max bursts out laughing. “Not those kind of games, Icy. I’m talking about Monopoly, Cluedo. If you’re lucky, they might even insist on Charades. Although, I don’t think they’d take much persuading to play the games you’re thinking,” he says with awink.
“Ha ha,” Ilaugh.
Max takes my hand and pulls me around the bed and out of theroom.