Cap pulled low, Tobey entered the plane first and took the seat by the window. I followed and took the seat next to him on the aisle as the passengers across from us openly stared. I purposely turned in my seat to face Tobey and block their view.

“How’s that?” I asked quietly.

“That’s good,” he said, leaning back against the window frame.

I pushed our bags under our seats with my feet as we waited for the seat belt light to go on. We’d waited until the last call to board so we didn’t have long to wait. We buckled in but remained turned towards each other slightly in our seats to obstruct the other passengers’ view of Tobey. One of the perks of flying first class is that they serve you refreshments immediately. The stewardess brought Tobey’s bottled water and my can of fruit juice just as the captain came over the intercom, announcing that we’d be taxiing out to the runaway in a matter of moments.

One of the other perks of flying first class is contending with the pointing and whispering of other passengers. I would usually ignore interruptions like this and sometimes I was probably even oblivious to it, but the people across from us had proceeded to babble to the people behind them that “someone famous” was in first class with them, and who was it, can you see, because this person could not see. I was really hoping that Tobey could not hear all this commotion. He was slumped back with his baseball cap nearly covering his face now, whether from exhaustion or for anonymity I didn’t know.

“Well, once that seat belt light goes off, I’ll stand up and see if I can get a better look,” I heard one of them say. “We’ll have to get an autograph, won’t we?”

“Fuuuck . . . “ This came from under the yellow Laker’s cap next to me.

I turned in my seat and faced the culprit then.

“Did you see them too?” I asked incredulously. “I can’t believe they’re flying coach!”

The lady next to me seemed confused. “Oh?” she asked. “Who’s that?”

“Didn’t you see them in the terminal?” I asked excitedly. “I’m sorry, I thought that’s what your friends were talking about, I heard someone mentioning autographs. Brad and Jennifer are on this flight, they’re sitting back there in coach, isn’t that wild?!”

Tobey kicked me lightly, not moving from under his cap.

“Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston?” the woman squealed. “Margo, did you hear that?” she called over the back of her seat to her friend.

“I heard, Diane! OhmygodIcan’tbelieveit!”

“I’m sorry, I thought you had seen them!” I said.

“Oh, we thought we saw someone,” Diane gushed at me. “But thank you for filling us in!” She turned to her friends now as they began making plans to use the rest rooms in the back of the plane during the flight.

I turned back in my seat now as the plane began to taxi it’s way out.

Tobey lifted his cap from one eye. “Don’t forget to mention me in your acceptance speech,” he said dryly.

“What acceptance speech?”

“When you win the Academy Award for that performance.”

The sun was setting the southern California sky ablaze as our plane readied for take-off. I bit my lip anxiously, never liking the first few airborne moments or the sound of the jet’s engines for that matter. Tobey straightened up in his seat and took my hand in both of his as the plane gained momentum and then that feeling of kissing gravity good bye as the belly of the plane lifted off of solid ground. It made my stomach do flip-flops every time.

Tobey squeezed my hand. “Just another minute and the light will go off,” he said, watching the seat belt light with me.

I smiled. This was like the end of the movie, Say Anything. But for us it was a new beginning.

Once the light dinged off, we unfastened our seat belts and I kicked off my flip-flops. Tobey flipped up the armrest that was between us and pulled my legs onto his lap. Neither one of us had slept much the night before, so we were wiped out. This flight would give us a chance to doze for about three good hours. I curled myself against Tobey, resting my head on his shoulder as he slid his hand up my pants leg and stroked my skin.

“Hey,” I said, taking his head – cap and all – into my hands. “We’re going to Hawaii!”

His twinkly eyes crinkled into a smile. “Yes we are,” he said.

And I kissed him. Right there, on the plane. With the stargazing busybodies seated right near us. I kissed Tobey Maguire on the lips, deep and passionately. We hadn’t kissed like that in – forever. With Tobey’s case of strep throat, smooching activities had been put on hold, and I realized then we hadn’t so much as really kissed in a very long time. Not since that day in my parents’ front yard.

Tobey pulled away before I was ready. “Not here,” he breathed, flushed and grinning.

“OK, but it’s first on the agenda when we get to the hotel,” I whispered, lightly tapping the end of his nose with my index finger and giving the dimple in the corner of his mouth one more little peck.

We settled down in our seats again, my legs and feet tucked into Tobey’s lap and my head on his shoulder.

“Miss? Miss?” A light touch to my shoulder roused me with a start.

“Yes?”

“We’re preparing to land in a few minutes, you’ll need to get your seat belts on,” said the flight attendant.

“Thank you,” I mumbled my mouth dry from the close cabin air of the plane.

“Is their anything we can get for you before we prepare to land? You both slept through our dinner service,” she seemed seriously concerned, as if we’d be dismayed about missing out on airline food.

“Some water would be nice,” I told her.

Tobey stirred next to me and I disentangled my legs from his lap and sat up straight. As I did so, he slumped over towards me and woke with a start.

“You awake?” I asked, shaking his arm. “They’re getting ready to land soon.”

“Ooooh - ” he stretched in the seat and yawned loudly.

“Sweetie, we’re on a plane!” I whispered to him. “Scoot over so I can get this armrest down.”

We got ourselves situated and the flight attendant brought us each a cold bottle of water. Tobey gratefully accepted his and took a big gulp.

“I’m starving.”

“Yeah, the stewardess regretfully informed me that we missed their dinner service.”

He laughed. “Aww, damn, that’s a shame.”

“We have candy and chips in my bag - ”

“I’m fine,” he yawned again. “We’ll get something as soon as we get to the resort.”

The captain came on and announced we’d be landing in about five minutes and told us that it was a balmy 74 degrees at the airport with light southeasterly winds.

After a smooth landing, we made our way out of the jet way and immediately were met with warm gentle breezes carrying soft muted scents of orchids and king proteas. Maui’s airport in Kahului was only partially enclosed allowing the weary jet-lagged traveler a breathtaking view of verdant mountains and clear blue skies. Gigantic palm trees stood watch beyond the terminal. I’d never set foot on a tropical island so naturally I was dumb struck at the surreal tropical setting.

Mr. Roedel. A driver dressed in black stood at the gate carrying a small sign. Tobey gestured and gently guided me towards him.

“Are you Mr. Roedel?”

Tobey smiled at me.

“As in Jake Roedel?” I whispered.

“Well after killin’ fifteen men you’re afforded some luxuries in life,” Tobey quipped peering over his Ray-Bans.

I burst into laughter as the driver loaded our luggage into the Town car.

The drive from the airport took us past several stoplights and some major shopping centers. We passed a sign reading Monkulele Highway and it was the last thing I saw for miles as we drove on through fields of sugar cane. The private drive leading up to the Grand Wailea snaked its way through hidden rocky coves and cozy stone-filled lagoons. Exotic flowers and heavy vegetation formed the natural waterfalls and quaint bungalows. The aromas of the flowers and hypnotic movement of the car settled my excited nerves. Although the Medford trip was fun and Vince was charming, my analytical mind couldn’t help but wonder where my relationship with Tobey was headed. Did I join the visit with his father and brothers merely to take my mind off of what had happened that night in the club, or was it more than that? A chance to gain better insight into who this man was sitting next to me? Why he made the choices he made and his determination to become spiritually whole? Or was it –

Tobey took my hand and interlacing his fingers, turned my hand over kissing my wrist tenderly. My gaze shifted to meet his as he looked up at me over my hand. My disjointed thoughts were immediately gathered up and stored in the back of my mind. All that mattered at this moment was this extremely vulnerable, sensitive and caring man sitting next to me. I leaned my head onto his shoulder and sighed happily. I decided not to worry about the grand complexities of the future, I would simply relax and enjoy the present.

As if on cue the car pulled up to the door of the main lobby. Tobey tipped the driver and after meeting the bell captain, we were led into the Napua Tower. The sandal-shod captain escorted us to the 8th floor and unlocked the double doors to our suite. The elegant marbled foyer gave way to a sunken living room with an adjacent glassed-in lanai overlooking nearby Kihei and the vast ocean beyond it. The king-sized master bedroom featured bamboo and a sea shell motif along with a large bath and Jacuzzi. It took all my strength to keep my mouth from hitting the floor. Never in a million years could I have even dreamed such accommodations existed.

Keep cool, Natalia, I told myself.

Tobey talked with the captain for a moment then tipped him as well. After closing the door he sighed, “Well, what do you think?”

“I – I - ” I was trying to keep my eyeballs in their sockets for one, and I still couldn’t take in the whole of my surroundings. “You could fit two of my apartments in here,” I breathed.

I turned around, taking it all in. By this time the mint I’d been sucking on fell out of my mouth and stuck to my shirt. Tobey let out a surprised laugh at my shocked reaction.

“Tobey! This is – I can’t believe this,” I breathed. I crashed into him smothering his lips with appreciative kisses. “I can’t believe you . . . how did you do all this?” My arms were wrapped tightly around his neck while Tobey embraced my waist, hugging me tightly.

“I just wanted to do something really special for you, Nat,” he said.

I pulled back a moment locking our gazes. “Thank you. This is beyond special,” the tears began to well up in my eyes. Hot tears. He seemed to provoke such intense emotion from me. I was a little surprised. Then suddenly we both looked down noticing that my mint had now fastened itself to his shirt and we both began to giggle.

“It’s OK, baby,” he said quietly, brushing his fingertips under my eyes. “So what do you want to do now?” He walked over to the mahogany desk dropping his sunglasses and wallet down.

Regaining my composure, I collapsed onto my back on the king-sized bed. “I’m starving, for one,” I said. “But I want to see the ocean,” I said excitedly, sitting up again.

“Well, it’s the holiday, we can get in at one of the restaurants if I give my real name, but they’re gonna be packed,” he said. “We could order room service and eat out there on the lanai.”

“That’s a plan!” I said hopping up. “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!” I glanced at Tobey. “We’ll get you a tofu one.”

His laughter was like music as he caught me in his arms and spun me around.

“I’m so happy, Natty,” he whispered into my hair.

“Me too,” I sighed. And I really was.

We proceeded to unpack our belongings while we waited for room service. The master suite had a large, cedar-lined walk-in closet that was near the master bath so we both put our things there. The adjoining room with the other bed was at the opposite end of the suite, on the other side of the living room area. Tobey immediately offered to sleep in that room so I could have the suite to myself.

“It’s so far away,” I mumbled, turning things over in my head.

I wanted more than anything, really, to crawl under the covers with Tobey and sleep soundly all snuggled in his arms. My concern was that it didn’t seem completely fair to him. How would he feel about that? You can snuggle and caress the package, Tobey, you just can’t untie the ribbon and enjoy the contents. I wasn’t at all comfortable with sacrificing his needs in order to meet my own. There didn’t seem to be a happy medium.

“I could do a San Diego and sleep in that chair,” he offered, pointing to the easy chair in the corner of the room.

“Tobey, I - ”

“I was just trying to make you laugh,” he shrugged.

“I know,” I sighed, hanging up my tank tops and a skirt.

“You know how we talked about being really open with one another last night?” he asked. “Come here, Nat.” He took me by the hand and steered me to the foot of the bed where he sat me down. He crouched in front of me and took my hands in his.

“I want you to understand, Nat, that I do not expect anything from you that you are not ready or comfortable enough to give. I didn’t bring you here to seduce you or get our relationship back on a physical level. I can wait until you’re ready for that,” Tobey said, gazing into my eyes. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be with you in every way possible. I am dying to take you in my arms and make love to you. But not until you’re ready for that.”

“OK,” I breathed, shaking. “I want to be ready, Tobey. I do. But I just get this – this little hot ball of fear in my stomach when I think of it, and - ”

“I know, honey, I know you do,” he said softly, squeezing my hands in his. “But you know I would never do anything to purposely hurt or frighten you.”

“Of course.”

“I know the other bedroom is at the other end of the suite, it’s kind of far. If you’re scared of the nightmares, then let’s figure something out.”

I nodded my head as he smoothed my hair back from my face.

“We can share this bed and I’ll just sleep on top of the covers and promise not to lay a finger on you,” he offered.

I let out a little uncomfortable laugh now. “Oh, no,” I told him. “If we sleep in here together, you have to promise to hold me all night long and keep me safe and warm.”

A huge grin slowly spread across his face then. “I would love that,” he whispered, taking me into his arms and softly kissing my mouth.

Then he wobbled for a second, crouched down like he was, lost his balance and fell over, taking me with him. We burst out laughing just as room service arrived with our evening meal.

We sat on the lanai, opening its double doors so we could enjoy the calm breeze and sound of the ocean as we ate our late evening meal. We sat in silence for a while, taking in the romantic view. Even though it was 10:00 in the evening, it never seemed to get completely dark out; the horizon took on deep blue and turquoise hues.

“It’s midnight LA time,” Tobey announced. “Happy 2002.”

“I hear it’s supposed to be a big year for you, Mr. Maguire,” I said, stretching lazily on my chaise.

“You know,” he said thoughtfully, “I heard the same thing about you, Miss Bowman. Someone’s going to be graduating from a University and getting her teaching credential in a few months.”

“It’s kind of weird, isn’t it,” I asked, “how all these things are going to happen for us at relatively the same time? Spider-Man comes out on May third and I graduate on May twelfth. Isn’t that bizarre?”

Tobey gazed steadily at me, his blue eyes calm and luminous in the evening light.

“There are no accidents, Natalia,” he said softly.

The hour was drawing late, but we were determined to stay up and see in the New Year Hawaii time. We both donned ball caps and took the elevator down to the main level, seeing holiday revelers as we went. I was surprised to see the shops still open as we passed them on the main level of Napua Tower. I thought of my two ugly bathing suits I had brought along and bit my lip, looking into a shop window at the array of beach towels and cover-ups they had on display.

“Do you want to go in?” Tobey asked.

“If that’s OK,” I shrugged.

“Sure,” he said, “whatever you want.”

The shop was bright and cheerful, filled with the usual souvenir type merchandise – I’d definitely have to find a cute T-shirt to take home to Monica I told myself. The swimwear was over in the far corner, and they had several on display. I wandered in that direction, looking at the two-piece suits and wondering if I could feel comfortable in one of those.

“Oooh, bikinis,” Tobey said behind me.

Why had I ever thought he’d mind looking at these with me?

“I need a new bathing suit,” I said quietly.

“OK,” he agreed. “You see one you like?”

“I don’t know,” I sighed. A lot of them were cute, and some of them were plain lewd. “No butt floss,” I said adamantly.

“Awww,” Tobey pretended to pout.

I picked my way through one of the racks, the colors all jumping out at me. Lime greens, oranges, fuchsias. Nothing was subtle enough.

“That one is pretty,” Tobey said, looking at one displayed on one of the racks on the wall.

“Which?” I asked and he nodded his head towards the one in the center of the wall. It was white with soft tropical flowers in shades of pink placed to one side of the bandeau top. The flowers on the boy-short bottoms were placed to the opposite side. I immediately liked the colors, but . . .

“Oh, Tobey, it’s white,” I said. That meant it could turn transparent at the slightest drop of water. I took a hanger with a pair of bottoms and inspected them. They were completely lined in flesh tone fabric. Hence no transparency.

“Hmmm,” I sighed, looking them over. I liked the tie they had at the waist and the boy-short style, they looked comfy. I loved the pink flowers. I reached up to retrieve a top and could hardly reach them.

“Let me help,” Tobey offered.

“Yeah, you’re so tall,” I teased him.

“I’m taller than you.”

“Two inches.”

“Three!” he said indignantly. “What size?” he asked me, pulling a bikini top down.

The tops came in bra sizes, the one in his hand was a 32B.

“Uhh, no,” I said, handing it back. “Is there a 34C?”

“Yeah,” he said, stretching, “there you go.”

A saleswoman had seen us struggling apparently and came over just then. She showed me the fitting rooms and said I could go in whenever I was ready.

The fitting rooms were lined up on the far wall. I stationed Tobey outside the door of the one I chose and went in. I quickly undressed and stepped into the bottoms first. They were a nice fit and looking in the mirror I realized I’d forgotten the recent weight I’d lost. My hips and thighs had never been this trim. I slipped out of my shirt and bra and tried on the bikini top.

“Everything OK in there?” Tobey asked.

“Umm, I think so,” I said, turning and bending, making sure nothing was handing out of the suit where it shouldn’t. I cracked the door open and peeked out at Tobey. “Come in here,” I whispered at him.

His eyes grew large and he turned to look behind him. I grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and dragged him into the fitting room with me, closing the door behind him.

“OhmyGodNatthatlookssofuckinghot!”

So he bought me the bikini.

Hand in hand we strolled past the reflecting pools located behind Napua Tower, towards the beach. I wanted to smell the salt air and feel the sand between my toes. We would celebrate the New Year with a quiet stroll on the beach, just the two of us.

“This place is incredible, Tobey,” I breathed, taking in my surroundings. Gardens spread over the resort grounds as far as I could see. “It smells so clean here,” I said taking in a big breath.

“Oh I know, it’s nothing like LA, huh?”

We walked along the Wailea Beach Walkway, and then made our way onto the sand of the beach. I stopped and pulled my flip-flops from my feet, feeling the warm sand underfoot. We hadn’t been the only couple with this idea, there were a few other random couples strolling around as well. Tobey led me westward, away from most of the other people.

“I want to go by the water,” I said.

Foamy white waves lapped at my toes as I splashed around the shoreline, soaking the hems of my pant legs. I threw my shoes down in the sand and chased a retreating wave, just to come running back when it returned and chased me.

“C’mon, play with me,” I said, pulling on Tobey’s arm.

He sat down in the sand to remove his shoes and socks and I helped pull him back into a standing position once he was barefoot. I dashed off then, chasing after another wave. Tobey wandered out, bending to dip his hand in the warm water as the waves lapped at his jeans. He flicked his wet fingers at me, spraying me ever so lightly

“Oh, please,” I scoffed. “That’s the best you can do?”

Another wave came in just then and I gave it a swift kick, sending salt water raining down over Tobey. My laughter rang out in the night as he came chasing me along the shoreline. We frolicked and played at the water’s edge, there under the azure night sky on Maui, while zillions of stars twinkled down on us, the gods in their heavens rejoiced.

* * *

”I’m soooo tired,” I said, flopping down on our bed when we got back to our room shortly after midnight.

“Well it’s after two AM LA time.”

“I’m so excited thought I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep!”

“Take a warm shower for a couple minutes, that will help relax you,” Tobey suggested.

“Mmm, sounds nice. Do you want to go first?”

“Oh, actually I can use the other bathroom in the adjoining room.”

“Cool,” I said hopping up. “Let’s see who finishes first.”

I started up the shower in the huge master bath – everything was covered in marble and the Jacuzzi tub was definitely big enough for two. Hmmm. That sent certain thoughts racing through my mind. I stripped my clothes off and tied my hair up as I stepped into the glass-enclosed shower. Yes, this was definitely relaxing. I poured some shower gel into my hand and lathered up my arms and legs, my breasts and tummy. I closed my eyes and imaged they were Tobey’s hands on me. I willed myself to breathe in deep as I thought about that. Then I realized I was smiling. I hurried to rinse off and grabbed a towel to wrap myself in.

At the bathroom sink, I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I pulled my hair loose and shook out the slightly damp waves. Toweling off, I reached for my low rise black briefs and a gray ribbed tank top.

The bedroom had grown a bit chilly, the doors to the lanai were open to the breezes coming in off the shore. I turned the bed down, preparing to snuggle in under those deep covers. I felt two arms come from behind me then and pull me in close.

“Are you happy?” Tobey whispered against my hair.

“Very,” I said, inhaling his scent of Ivory soap.

He let me go and went to turn out some lights, leaving just a bedside table lamp on. I sat at the foot of the bed and watched as he methodically put his folded dirty clothes into the hotel laundry bag – mine were still strewn on the bathroom floor – and placed his cell phone in it’s charging cradle for the night.

“I left a message for Leo, letting him know we’re here and things are good,” he said. “He’ll tell Monica.”

“Oh shoooot,” I said, “when I talked to my parents this afternoon, my mom asked me to do the same thing.”

“You can call in the morning.”

“Yeah, I will,” I said, as Tobey came and sat next to me. “What are we going to do tomorrow?”

“Whatever you’d like,” he said.

“I think tomorrow, I just want to lay on the beach and sip iced tea and oogle cute cabana boys,” I said. “But I definitely want to see the whales while we’re here, too.”

“Cabana boys?”

I laughed. “Yeah,” I said. “You know – eye candy.”

Tobey chuckled. “Well, about the whales, we’re here at the perfect time for that. They spend the winters here, so we should be able to see lots of ‘em.”

“I was teasing about the cabana boys,” I said.

“I know.”

I leaned forward then and kissed him softly on the lips. “Remember,” I whispered, “on the plane I said this was first on the agenda?”

“We forgot,” Tobey whispered, giving me another soft kiss.

“Well,” I said, “I have time now.”

Tobey laughed and cupped my face in his hands. Our lips met with a sweet urgency and I ate up those kisses as if I was starved for them. I moved to lie back on the bed, pulling Tobey there with me.

“Nat,” he said, pulling away, looking into my face.

“I just want to keep doing this,” I whispered. “I just – I want to make out with you, Tobey.”

There was that slow, huge grin again. “OK” he agreed, eyebrows raised in eagerness.

I pulled his head down and this time our open mouths met, Tobey’s tongue teasing the inside of my lip. Yes, I thought. More. This was what I wanted. Lots and lots of soft kisses that reached down inside me all the way to my toes. Coming up for air was torture, I just wanted those kisses. Tobey’s mouth roamed to my neck for a moment and I caught my breath.

“Do you want to get under the covers?” he asked, rubbing my arm. “You’re cold.”

“OK,” I sighed.

We crawled to the head of huge sleigh bed and pulled the covers up around us. I nestled myself against Tobey, seeking his warmth now.

“Mmm, could you take off your T-shirt?”

“Yeah. Sure,” he said.

I helped him pull it over his head, then pulled him back under the covers with me, snuggling against his bare chest.

“I just need to feel your skin,” I whispered. His back was smooth under my hand and his heart was beating against my ear.

“Well maybe you should take your shirt off too,” he teased.

“Hmmm,” I sighed lazily. “You think so?”

He shrugged. “It seems fair.”

“Hmmm,” I murmured again, then sat part way up. “This is still just kissing and cuddling,” I said firmly.

“Oh, that’s fine,” Tobey agreed.

I slipped the ribbed tank top over my head and settled back down next to Tobey again, skin on skin.

“That was good, Natalia,” he said. “Those clear-cut boundaries. Very good.”

“You like me when I’m bossy?” I giggled, pulling him close.

“I do,” he said. “And bossy with bare breasts is even better.”

My mouth found his once more and we sank into the lingering kisses again. It surprised me, how much I wanted this contact, how much I needed it, how comfortable I was with it. At that moment, I would have been willing to spend the next 12 days under those covers, topless and kissing Tobey.

His kisses lingered at my neck then hesitantly moved to my collarbone. I rolled onto my back and stretched out.

“It’s OK,” I whispered, pulling his head towards me again. “It’s kissing, it’s OK.”

His breath was hot on my neck as he left trails of tiny kisses down to my shoulder. I arched my back like a cat, stretching to fold one arm under my head. I let the other arm rest lazily across my stomach.

Tobey leaned over me, gazing down over my body. “God, Natalia, you’re so beautiful,” he sighed.

“To look at me it hurts?” I asked.

He grinned. “Yeah, actually. It does. I never fully understood that before.”

I took his hand and pulled him back to me, needing more of those kisses. I nibbled at his bottom lip before he continued on to my shoulders and then – finally – my breasts. He grazed against my body with the slow, hesitant, teasing kisses that covered my skin with goose bumps. His fingers lightly trailed down where his kisses had been, causing me to utter a small moan. I swore he was determined to get past the kissing and cuddling rule, but I didn’t much care as his tongue was now working it’s way around my belly button, along the waistband of my cotton low-rise panties. My back arched, he knew the spot low on my tummy was my one absolute weakness. Now his mouth connected with the edge of my panties at the top of my thigh, and his fingertips were sliding up, under that elastic, into those panties. The kisses stopped then but the fingers were still there.

“Ummm - ” I said shakily.

“Nat, what’s - ”

The fingers hit their mark and I gasped.

“Woooah,” I heard him whisper. “Nat, what’s going on?”

“Uhhhh,” I sighed, telling myself I owed Monica a big huge smack in the head. “Well - ”

Those fingertips were trying to nonchalantly explore my Brazilian bikini wax, and in the process sent my temperature soaring.

“Oh, please don’t,” I sighed. Those sneaky fingers were so dangerously close to all sorts of things.

The fingers retreated but lingered along the elastic leg band of my underwear.

“Everything’s so soft,” Tobey whispered, leaning over me to kiss me on the mouth. “Can I see?”

“Uuuuuuh-uuuuum,” I stammered. “It’s just uhhh, a b-bikini wax - ”

That slow, lusty grin. “Is it all gone?” he whispered.

Oh shit, Monica was right!

“Uhh, almost,” I breathed.

“A Brazilian?” he whispered, eyebrow cocked.

“Uh-huh,” I sighed shakily.

“No shit!” And that big silly grin.

“Uhhh, Monica made me,” I stammered.

Tobey let out a joyful laugh at that. “No fucking way!”

I had no clue the absence of pubic hair could please a person so much.

“You have to let me see, Nat!” he pleaded. “I won’t touch, just let me see.”

“Oh my God,” I muttered. I raised my hips from the mattress as he slowly pulled the panties off.

“Christ.”

“Oh jeez, Tobey,” I moaned.

“Well, don’t be embarrassed, Nat. That’s fucking hot!”

“It hurt like hell,” I whined. “And yesterday when we got home from the salon, there was all this leftover wax stuck in my ass crack.”

Tobey snorted. “No wonder you were so moody.”

“It’s not funny,” I whined, trying not to snicker even as I said it.

“So is that my New Year’s gift?” he asked now.

“Are you done peering at my nether regions now?” I asked. “I would like my underpants back please.”

“Nat,” he rubbed my back as I sat up to pull on my underwear and tank top again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

I shrugged and reached to turn off the bedside lamp. “I’m playing. I’m glad you like it,” I said.

“I’ll like it even more when I get to play with it,” he said, pulling me into his arms now.

I snuggled in deep, pulling the covers up to my nose.

“Are you cold?” Tobey asked. “I can close that door - ”

“No,” I sighed, sinking down into my pillows. “I want to smell the ocean while I sleep.”

~