Amara enjoyed the morning breeze that blew every now and then. She sipped her tea, staring at the view of the beach below. There was a knock on her door, disturbing her peace.

She opened the door, meeting Primo's handsome face. He was in a grey hoodie, black running shorts, and compression pants. It emphasized his well-toned legs that Amara had to double-check.

"Ama?"

She tore her gaze away from the impressive muscles. "What?"

"Come with me. Let's go run."

Amara frowned. Where did this eagerness come from? "Uhm. Why" She turned around, going back to her balcony. "Just because we're engaged, doesn't mean we need to act like a couple."

There wasn't any response that the girl peeked at him. Primo had a blank face, eyes downward. His jaw clenched and unclenched.

Amara sauntered to him, squeezing his hand. "Primo?"

He shook his head. "So, you can't go with me?" His eyes were bright and imploring. "Friends do this too, you know."

Great. He really knew what to say to get her agreement.

Amara sighed. "Fine."

An hour later, they were walking down the beach. Primo had run to his heart's content while she followed after him in a lazy walk. They roamed the town after that with Amara replicating Nicolo's words about the place's history and whatnot.

They were eating cannolis as the sun rose higher.

"It's kinda nice here, isn't it?" Primo said as kids ran past them.

She shrugged, eating the last of the tube-shaped pastry. "This is delicious! We should've bought a lot."

Primo chuckled. He grabbed her hands and wiped her fingers with his handkerchief. "Do you want more? I'll buy it."

Amara raised her brows in utter surprise. "You sure?"

"Yeah. Wait here."

She watched as Primo turned to the corner they had come from. Nothing changed between them but somehow, Amara found herself relishing everything he did for her. It was nice to be pampered once in a while.

Primo came back with more snacks for her. They sat on the sand and she started eating though she grew more and more conscious with his fervid stare. "What?"

"Nothing," he mumbled.

"Why are you staring then? Do you want to eat?" Amara said.

"Yeah. Feed me." The sparkle in his eyes was a telltale sign that he was adamant about teasing her.

Amara rolled her eyes and offered him the half-eaten cannoli on her hand. He took a bite, the filling making a mess on his lips.

She reached out, wiping the excess on the edge of his lips with her thumb. Amara smirked at Primo's shock and teased him some more. She licked her finger. "What? We can't waste it."

"Amara..." His tone was far from teasing. "Should we talk about this?"

"About what?"

"I don't know. I..." He shut his eyes, running a palm over his face. Primo shot her a tortured look. "Our kiss... I couldn't get it out of my mind."

Amara crossed her arms, something like anticipation churned in her stomach. "And?"

"It comes back to me every time I look at you."

"So? Should I cover my face?"

Primo chuckled despite the tension on his shoulders. He swallowed hard. "I don't know. I'm sure you don't feel this way." He clicked his tongue. "Forget I said anything."

The cogs in her mind whirled again. She also enjoyed kissing him. "So, should we become friends with benefits?"

"Don't call it that!" he mumbled in distaste.

Amara smirked at the redness of his ears. She shifted closer to him. "I get what you want, Primo. We're engaged so it's only natural we're gonna spend more time together. It's fine with me."

"What?" Surprise and elation colored his tone.

"We'll be fine as long as nobody gets greedy and asks for more than what the other could give," Amara said. She clasped his hand to hers, meeting his ocean blue eyes. "Don't worry, Primo. No matter what happens, I'll never ask you to be my boyfriend."

His breath hitched, eyebrows scrunching as the idea filled his head. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She shrugged. "It still depends on you though. Let's—Shit!"

"What?"

"Let's go." Amara grabbed his hand and ran back to the house. She hoped Nicolo wasn't awake yet.

But he was.

Nicolo leaned against the gate with folded arms. Irritation was palpable on his face and it doubled as Amara and Primo stood before him.

He flicked the girl's forehead. "I told you that you cannot go out without me."

Amara opened her mouth to explain but Primo spoke instead. "Are you saying I can't protect her?"

Nicolo slowly turned to him. His eyes narrowed, lips quirking. "Yes. That is what I am saying."

"Do you want proof then?" Primo barked back.

"Primo! Stop it!" Amara tugged at his sleeves.

"Okay then." Nico marched inside. He kicked the chairs from last night to sides, clearing a space in the lawn. He curled his finger with a conceited smirk on his face.

Amara groaned as Primo stepped forward to the man's challenge. She saw her father and Marcus on the porch. She ran towards them. "Dad! Stop them!"

"Ten thousand on Nico," Marcus muttered.

The boss laughed. "Call."

Of fucking course.

Amara grunted in frustration. She took one last look at where the boys were exchanging punches before going inside the house. She didn't care anymore. They should just fight until they die.

She wasted her time in the parlor, reading a book while Adele brought her tea. She asked not to be disturbed so the room with cream walls, wide windows, and sleek wooden furniture was all hers. It was fun until Primo came in and slumped beside her.

"Is your pissing contest over?" she asked, flipping a page.

"Amara..."

Amara swiveled at him. He was breathing hard, head resting against the sofa. Half of his face was covered by the hood though she could see the small cut on his bottom lip. "Are you okay?" She yanked the hood down, revealing his face. His eyes were closed. "You didn't have to care about his opinion. You know we're gonna break up, right?"

"I want to protect you," he mumbled. "Regardless of the fact that we are dating or not." He opened his eyes, revealing a pair of gleaming sapphires. Conviction sparked within his irises. "At least allow me to do that."

Amara nodded. "Fine."

Their eyes locked, neither of them knowing what to say. Primo licked his lips as he sat straight. "So... about earlier..."

"Yeah?"

"Does the offer still stand?"

"Depends." She tilted her head, her raven locks falling on her shoulders. Amara placed a finger against her smirking lips. "Do you still want to kiss me?"

He grinned at her, showing the dimples on his cheeks. "Yeah."

"Oh?" Amara crawled closer, pressing her soft body to his side. "Where do you want it then?"

Primo clutched her hand and brought her slender fingers to his lips. "Right here."

✘✘