“Madison.” Damiano’s voice holds warning.
“I—” I shake my head.
The vibrator starts up. It’s soft this time, like a tentative brush of fingertips against my skin. My body tenses, primed for the pleasure unfurling through my limbs.
Abruptly, it stops.
I clench the edge of the couch, fingers digging into the cushions.
“Madison.” Seth eyes me from the phone screen. “How would you evaluate your behavior?”
“It was wrong.” I give them my most apologetic look before glancing away, ashamed. The sun has fallen completely, the sky dark beyond the balcony doors. “I shouldn’t have been rude, and I shouldn’t have ignored your calls or texts.”
“I think she’s sincere,” Seth says to Damiano. “What do you think?”
“I’m sincere!” I hurry to say. “I am. It wasn’t right of me to be cold, when you were both just trying to protect me.”
“Good girl.” Seth winks.
Vibrations resume between my legs. Once again, they’re soft and gentle. I want to close my eyes and enjoy them, but I’m hyperconscious of Landon sitting across from me, his book in hand.
He isn’t really watching me, but he isn’t reading, either.
“Feels good?” Seth asks.
I nod. “Yes, Sir.”
“I’ll give you a little more.” Damiano smiles, his dark eyes roving over my body as I try not to squirm on the couch.
Someone knocks on the door.
“That’ll be our dinner.” Landon stands and goes to the door.
The vibrations stop. I’m relieved—I don’t want to have this thing buzzing away inside me while an unsuspecting food server is trying to do their job. I mouth, “Thank you,” to Seth and Damiano, who smirk at me from the phone.
At the door, Landon looks through the peephole. He’s so tall, he has to bend slightly to do it. His hand is at his holster, at the gun tucked there. Slowly, he eases open the door and lets the server in. She’s bubbly and smiling, and I seriously doubt that she’s an assassin, but Landon keeps his eyes on her and his hand carefully at his side, ready to intervene should she suddenly attack.
All she does is wheel the little table to the couches and lift the covers from the food trays. She says something in Spanish.
I smile at her and say, “Gracias,” wishing I’d taken Spanish in high school instead of French.
She and Landon exchange a few words, then she’s out the door and he locks the deadbolt.
“Shall we?” Landon joins me at the table.
Every few bites, the vibrator starts and stops. There doesn’t seem to be any rhythm to it. I shoot questioning looks over at Seth and Damiano, but they just grin and keep a conversation going throughout. They ask Landon if he has any plans to visit Low Vice once we go home. I listen to the three of them talk about their travels, and different things they’ve experienced in faraway places.
At one point, they let the vibrator go on so long, I’m worried I might come. I gulp down a glass of sangria, trying to cool my heated flesh, but all it does is make me feel floaty. It lowers my inhibitions. Maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible if I had an orgasm in front of Landon. He obviously consents—the guys wouldn’t have planned all of this if he wasn’t willing.
But before I can come, the buzzing ceases. I exhale, relieved, and try to get a grip on my pounding heart.
Finally, we’re finished with dinner. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I managed a few bites. Landon rolls the cart into the hallway before returning to his book.
“What do you want to do now, sweetheart?” Seth asks over the phone.
I fake a yawn. “I’m pretty tired. It might be time for bed.”
Damiano’s smile is wicked. “Are you sure? Because…”
