Forcing herself to watch Mason and Yasmine walk out of sight, so that maybe her stupid brain would get the hint and cut it out with this wild crush, Audrey felt her stomach churn nauseously.She didn’t want to hang out or scene or find a Dom to flirt with.She wanted to go home, eat some ice cream, and maybe cry a little.Which was a ridiculous way to feel because it wasn’t like there was anything between her and Mason, other than her own imagination.
She didn’t want anyone to realizewhyshe was leaving, though, which meant she had to stay at least a little longer.
Her gaze drifted over the activities below, and her stomach did another flip.There was a man spanking a woman bent over a bench.Her cheeks were a bright, hot red, yet every time his hand came down, she moaned so loudly, it was audible where Audrey and the others were standing.
Another section had a woman standing against a large wooden X shape, leaning against it while a man used a flogger on her upper back and buttocks, both of which were exposed.Her darker-hued skin didn’t show the color of impact the way the woman being spanked did, but from the undulations of her body, it was clear she was enjoying it just as much.
Arousal stirred, clashing with the unhappy envy bubbling inside her.It was hard not to picture Mason doing the same things with Yasmine.Even if Yasmine hadn’t particularly liked kissing him.
Thanks to watching the scenes below, it took her a few minutes to realize that Claudia and Naomi were having a conversation off to her side.
“What’s wrong?”she asked, leaning toward them.They both looked concerned.It might not be any of her business, but she was dying for a distraction.
“Mason and Yasmine,” Naomi said, the side of her mouth quirking.
Welp.So much for a distraction.
“Oh, yeah, you noticed that, too?”Ashley said from Audrey’s other side, trapping her in the middle of the conversation.
“Noticed what?”Audrey asked.If she had to hear about Yasmine and Mason, she might as well understand what they were talking about.
“She had her dumping face on,” Claudia explained, which made Audrey blink.
“Her what?”
“Yeah, so when she talks about being cursed, she tends to leave a few things out.”Naomi leaned against the balcony, elbow propped up on the bar, and she sighed loudly.“Like the fact that she’s the one who has dumped every single one of her boyfriendsandpointed them in the direction of the person she thinks they’re going to end up with.”
“To give her credit, she’s got a knack for matchmaking,” Claudia said.“Even if it does cause her to sabotage every relationship she’s ever been in.”
“So, she’s not really cursed?”
“Cursed by self-fulfilling prophecies, maybe.”Ashley sighed.“I don’t know whether to be happy or not.She wants marriage and kids so badly, but she and Mason just don’t fit right together in my head.I wasn’t going to say anything because it seemed like a done deal, but…” She shrugged.
“He’s too reserved for her,” Claudia agreed.“She needs someone who will be passionate about her.I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mason be passionate about anything.It’s not that he doesn’t care, but… it’s like he’s always watching things happen around us rather than being a part of them.”
Audrey had noticed that, although she wouldn’t say he was completely removed from everything.And both Yasmine and Mason seemed reserved to her, so why was it bad for Yasmine if he was also reserved?She didn’t know why she felt the urge to defend Mason; it wasn’t like anyone was saying anythingbad,exactly.But she also didn’t know either Mason or Yasmine as well as Claudia, Naomi, and Ashley did.
“Do you think she’ll really go through with it?”Naomi asked.“Maybe they’ll just talk about it.They’ve already announced the whole engagement thing to all of us.It makes it a lot harder to back out now.”
“I just don’t understand why they didn’t test their chemistry before deciding marriage would work.”Claudia shook her head.“I guess that’s what they’re doing now, but it feels a little late.”
As much as Audrey wanted to defend Mason and say that he was a good match for Yasmine—for any woman, really—her stomach flipped over at the thought of them testing their chemistry.Doing the things that she was seeing on the floor below.
“You know how Yasmine gets.She probably thought it would work out.Check all the boxes and everything should run smoothly.”Ashley sighed.“If only it was that easy.I don’t know what to hope for.I don’t want another relationship not to work out, especially now that she’s engaged, but at the same time, can you imagine marrying someone who you have no chemistry with?”
“Especially since she said kissing him was like kissing her brother.”Claudia shuddered.“And not in the Cersei and Jaime way.”
“Oh, bleh.”Naomi made a gagging noise.
“Who?”Audrey asked, frowning.All three women turned to stare at her.
“You haven’t seen Game of Thrones?”
“Or read them?”Naomi asked, right on the heels of Claudia’s question.
“Um, no.”Definitely not the kind of television or books her mother would approve of.Just like romances.In fact, Audrey was starting to realize exactly how many things she’d missed out on that she actually liked because she was trying to do the things her mother approved of.“I guess I’ll add that to the list of things I need to do.”
“Absolutely.”Claudia beamed at her, eagerness lighting up her eyes with anticipation.“We’re going to have so much fun.There are so many things that you get to experience for the first time.”
