The next day flew by in a haze of sightseeing and sex. After they got up and saw the royal couple off, they went right back to bed and stayed there for a good long time, followed by an afternoon spent exploring the city. They climbed the tower they’d skipped before, poked around in shops lining the pretty cobblestoned streets, and ate and drank until Dani was full to bursting. After a nap, they ordered an array of munchies from room service for dinner and dined outside on Max’s balcony, watching the sun set.

And now they were rolling around making out like teenagers on Max’s bed.

Damn, Max could kiss. Kissing Max made Dani realize how much she loved kissing for its own sake. They kissed for what felt like an hour, gradually losing their clothing but in unspoken agreement that they were in no hurry to move things along.

Dani wasn’t sure when she’d had so much fun. Well, that wasn’t true. She’d had this much fun in Riems, before Max’s parents got home.

Okay, no. This was more fun. Because of the sex. With Max.

Honestly. She was like a starving woman being ushered into an all-you-can-eat buffet. And Max was a feast. He was a generous lover, always attentive to her pleasure. It felt like they were in sync, like, as cheesy as it sounded, they were moving and thinking and breathing as one when they came together. It had never been like that for her. Not that she’d never had good sex, but this kind of immersion, this total attunement with another person, was new. She figured it was because she and Max were such close friends, because he knew her better than anyone.

Getting it on with the Depraved Duke had a lot to recommend it.

Once, watching him sleep, she entertained a little flash of fear that something about this, something she couldn’t quite name, was going to come back to bite her. Was it because they were such close friends? Because he knew her better than anyone? No. Life wasn’t a rom-com. People didn’t lose friends in real life, at least not friends like Max, because they slept with them. She dismissed the fear as quickly as it had arisen, aided by the fact that he suddenly woke up and grinned at her.

“Come here,” he said, pulling on her arm. She had been sitting up in bed, reading while he napped.

“Ahh!” She laughed as she lost her balance and tumbled forward, but quickly sobered as she landed against his chest. She had forgotten how good it felt to touch someone. To exhaust yourself with someone.