After watching her companion panic, arguing so rigorously with her about staying away from him, there was something singularly nerve-wracking about how eerily calm he became when he’d told her to take her clothes off. The first time he said it, he was exasperated with her, irritable and somehow that was okay. That made sense. But when she hesitated, rooted in place after hearing such a daring demand, it left his mouth a second time and the words came easier, his emotions in check. He’d said it the way you might tell someone to simply pass you the remote to the television or to scoot out of the way because they need something from the cupboard you’re standing in front of.
And in that moment, staring into his determined gaze, it felt reasonable to Azalea.
Skin contact with a companion sho
