Page 168 of Alphas Like Us

“This is your first time doing this?” I ask to be sure, pulling off mytrunks.

Maximoff watches me. “Yeah. Firsttime.”

And he chose me to be here for it. Time and time again. He could’ve picked anyone in the entire world, and he wanted me. My chest rises. That feeling never getsold.

Maximoff suddenly sprints to the pool and dives in a perfect gorgeous arc. But he tucks his right arm to his chest. I’m right behind him, diving into the coolwater.

When I breach the surface, we find each other. Our legs lacing, wet beads rolling down ourfaces—

Chiming.

That noise abruptly cuts into the moment. Must be text messages. I set my phone tosilentwhen we reached the villa, so it’s notmine.

“Answering those?” I askhim.

“No. It’s just family group chats.” He guides us towards the corner of the pool. “They’re probably talking about that article.” He leans in to kissme—

Chiming.Again.

Andagain.

Maximoff rolls his head back in aggravation, and then glowers at the phone that vibrates next to the plate of pineapple. “Ignore it,” he tells me, water lapping around us as wemove.

“I am,” I say. “A lot better than you are.” My shoulder blades hit the stone edge, this end of the pool about eight-feet deep, and I cup his ass while he’s up against mychest.

He rakes his hand through his wet hair. “Pretty sure I’m not even thinking about itanymore.”

Morechimes.

Nowpings.

He’s forcing himself to keep eye contact and not glance at hisphone.

My smile stretches. “Want the gold star now orlater?”

“Never.”

That was a firmnever.As much as I like stoking his irritation, I’d rather train his concentration off the relentless chimes and pings, and also several beeps. The disturbance is really grating Maximoff and not in a goodway.

At the corner of the pool, I hoist myself out of the water and take a seat on the stone edge. While I lean back on my hands, his mouthparts.

I’m exposed, beads of water dripping down my inked body and hot sun beating on myskin.

And I ask him, “What’s your favorite tattoo of mine? And if you saynone, then I’ll just think you’re coppingout.”

Maximoff is staring off intospace.

I kick water athim.

He wipes his face and shoots me a middle finger. “I’m thinking, asshole. Give me acentury.”

I laugh. About to banter back, but he distracts me by swimmingcloser.

Maximoff fits his body between my spread legs. And he clutches both my tattooed knees, and then his hands run up my thighs. Resting his forearms on them, he braces his weight on me, using my body as a support so he won’t have to treadwater.

Our gazescement.

Fuck, Maximoff.My nerves prick hot. “Need me to repeat the question, wolf scout?” I ask, voicehusky.