“All in the name of safety, I assure you.” He scooped me into a hug when we hit the first landing, his arms lashed around me while he kissed my cheeks, my forehead, my lips. “Just think of me giving you all that heat,” he whispered. “It’s going to be intense. Overwhelming, even. Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself while you’re taking it all.”
My fingers in his thick, dark hair, I pulled him down for a kiss that said all the things I was too scared to say out loud. And then, “What if I promise to be very, very good?”
“Fuck,” he groaned against my lips. “That’s it. I can’t play anymore. I’m throwing you over my shoulder. Don’t say another word until we’re in your room.”
I didn’t let him carry me, though we did scramble up the stairs, laughing and clawing at each other the whole way. Something inside me—though not my heart because that wasnot where love lived—flipped and flopped as he backed me up against the wall, dragged his fingers up my neck and into my hair, and kissed me like he had scary things to say too.
“Straight to bed with you, young lady,” he said as he unlocked the door.
With my cheeks pink and a smile filling my face, I stepped inside—and into complete mayhem.
Right there, in the middle of my living room, was Mason, stark naked and banging my sister over the arm of my beautiful, custom upholstered sofa.
“Oh my god,” I said, paralyzed in place and incapable of looking away.
Behind me, I heard, “What’s wr—oh, shit.”
“Oh my god!” Brie cried when she saw us. “Mason! Fuck! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.”
Then, somehow, it got worse.
Another beat passed before Mason appeared to recognize that they had company and everyone was screaming, and when he did, he plucked Brie off the arm of the sofa and tucked her behind him. But there was a small ottoman behind him, which she tripped over, leaving her sprawled on the floor, legs sticking up like the back alley of a mannequin factory.
Mason, still naked and exceptionally aroused, went to help her, but with his jeans and underwear tangled around his ankles, there was no hope. He pitched backward as he tried to find his footing, and went flying onto the sofa.
I watched, too stunned to form words beyond quiet shrieks, as he twisted and rolled on my sofa, kicking at his jeans and flailing to find his way out. By the time it was over, there were several stains I didn’t want explained and not a single inch of upholstery unacquainted with his genitals.
Brie, who’d pulled on Mason’s shirt while on the floor, wrapped him in a throw blanket when he was finished fighting my furniture. We’d be burning the blanket later. The sofa too.
“I’m really sorry,” Brie said. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”
“How was it supposed to happen?” I asked. “Were you confused about this being the middle of my living room?”
Brie brought her fingers to her temples. “Could you just do me a favor and skip the lecture? In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t need any more shit tonight.”
“Dude,” Henry said to Mason, a whole bunch of words packed into that one.“What the fuck?”
“Youdon’t need any shit tonight?” I repeated. “I had the same night you did, in case you forgot that part. Do you thinkIneeded to walk intothis?”
“I think I might’ve messed up a nut,” Mason said, cupping himself over my blanket.
“That’s not what I’m fucking talking about,” Henry replied. “What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve been separated for two weeks and—andthisis what you’re doing?”
“Thisis a beautiful, intelligent woman who deserves your respect,” Mason replied.
“Don’t stand there and pretend you’re sad about anything that happened,” Brie shouted. “It went exactly the way you wanted.”
“That isnotfair,” I shouted back.
“What am I supposed to be doing?” Mason asked, holding up his left hand and pointing to his empty ring finger. “I’m free. No reason to sit around. Florrie sure as hell isn’t doing that.”
“You’re fucked up is what you are,” Henry replied.
“Forgive me for processing my emotions,” Brie said. “You should give it a try sometime.”
“Do you really think that hooking up with a guy you barely know five minutes after your absentee father affirms once again that he’s too busy being an asshole to take part in your life is a good way to process emotions? Because if you truly believe that, there’s not much more for me to say.”
“Then, for once in your life, don’t say anything else,” Brie cried, flinging her arms out wide. She jostled Mason’s grip on the blanket in the process and it hit the floor, giving us yet another visit with his anatomy.
