Seduction, page 14
Chapter 17
Monday
“You’re already blushing,” Bee said. “Tell me everything.”
“It was really intense.”
“Good intense?”
I nodded. Really good intense.
She smiled. “Same. Although it looks like you guys decided on metal instead of silk.” She nodded toward my wrists.
I was wearing a watch and lots of bangles, but you could still see the red marks on my wrists. James had kissed my wrists and ankles and every inch the hot wax had landed before we’d fallen asleep last night. But it didn’t hurt. The whole experience was…wow. I shrugged. “I didn’t mind the metal.”
“You kinky bitch.”
I laughed. “The hot wax was fun too.”
“Did you use nipple clamps?”
“No.”
“Oh. You should. They’re fun.” She took a bite of her cheeseburger. “God this is so good.”
The mention of God made me smile. I’d gone to bed thinking of all the ways I could sin next and have James punish me. Which was silly. I didn’t need to do anything bad for James to punish me. All I needed to do was put on a mini skirt and ask him to spank me. I tried to hide my smile around of bite of cheeseburger.
Mmm, this cheeseburger was almost as good as sex. Almost. Unlike James, this burger couldn’t claim me and drench me in cum. I almost laughed out loud. James and I had a great sex life. We had sex most days. But something about these five months of seduction was really getting to my head. It was like all I could think about was straddling his face.
“You know…” Bee said. “You two could always come to Club Onyx sometime. Just to check it out.”
I laughed. “No need. Club Onyx came to us.”
“What does that mean?”
“We have a sex dungeon now.”
“Fancy,” Bee said. “I’m pretty sure my bedroom is just classified as a sex dungeon.”
I laughed.
“Still,” she said. “You should think about it. It’s loads of fun.”
I nodded, even though I was pretty sure that was a big no from me. I didn’t need to go to some crazy sex club. My sex drive was plenty high. Besides, I’d barely even explored my new sex dungeon yet. I’d been bagged most of last night. And James and I hadn’t left the bed this morning until it was time for me to come here. I needed to explore and figure out a way to get James up on that table.
“It’s cool that James set up a sex dungeon,” Bee said. “That’s super kinky.”
“Actually Tanner and Matt set it up.” The truth just fell out of me. But I immediately wished I could take it back.
“Seriously? Even kinkier. I bet that drove Matt mad.”
I groaned. “Would you quit it? Matt does not have a crush on me. We’ve been over this.”
“Well if he didn’t before, he definitely does now. Guys love girls who can get freaky in bed. And…on sex altars.”
I threw a French fry at her.
“Hey.” She swatted it away. “Stop it, I just got a blowout.” She fixed her hair and then took another bite of her cheeseburger.
“Speaking of getting your hair done…any word from Daphne today?”
Bee shook her head.
“Yeah, me either.” I guess my fill-in bridesmaid duties were done. I sighed.
“It’s going to be fine,” Bee said. “Think about how much more fun a wedding is when you’re just a guest and not in the wedding party. We can get drunk and dance the night away with no responsibility.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Sorry,” she said. “I can get drunk. But we can both dance the night away.”
“Deal.”
“Do you know if they have a hotel picked out yet? I want to grab a suite before they’re all gone. Maybe I’ll snake the presidential suite from Rob and Daphne just because I’m bitter about not being asked to be a bridesmaid.”
I laughed. “I’m not sure. I kinda figured James and I would just stay at his old apartment.” It was close to the country club and it had been ages since we’d been there. I loved visiting campus. It reminded me of being young and in love. I looked down at my stomach. It reminded me of not getting bigger and bigger each and every day.
“Well if you change your mind, grab a suite too. Maybe we can hold the suites ransom until Rob at least asks Mason and James to be in the wedding. Really…who else is he going to ask? I’m so confused.”
“Well…Matt.”
“Yeah, but didn’t you say he was gonna have three groomsmen? Matt, Mason, and James. Boom. Done. In another life I should have been a wedding planner. Just kidding. I could not handle the stress of Justin’s job.”
“Me either.” I picked up a fry. “I have a question for you. Do you think Rob will be pissed if Tanner comes to the wedding?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, I thought so. Matt’s inviting him as his plus one. Something about bro-code and needing a wingman at a wedding.”
“Oh…Rob’s going to be so pissed.”
“Do you think I should tell him?”
“Absolutely not!” Bee said. “That’s Matt’s drama, not yours. If he’s crazy enough to bring Rob’s enemy to the wedding, that’s on him.”
“True. But as a good bridesmaid…I’d tell Daphne.”
Bee rolled her eyes. “It’s not happening.”
I sighed. “Yeah. I know.” I ate my fry and then lifted my glass of water. “To being normal guests at the wedding and having the time of our lives.”
“You know it,” Bee said and tapped her glass against mine. “Shit, is that the time?” She looked at her watch. “I gotta run! I have a meeting in ten.” She grabbed her wallet out of her purse.
“Go. I got this.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.” I waved her goodbye. Then I sat there awkwardly eating alone for a few minutes before pulling out my phone. I shot Daphne a quick text: “Need any help with any wedding planning today?”
It only took a minute for her one-word response to come back: “Nope.”
Bee was right. None of us were going to be in this wedding.
***
I had to wait for James to go to work the next day in order to get a proper look at our new sex dungeon. It was way more intense than I’d even imagined. There were drawers lined with all sorts of toys. I lifted up what I thought might be the nipple clamps that Bee had mentioned at lunch yesterday. They looked very painful. I tossed them back in the drawer and closed it.
I ran my hand along the wooden altar. The craftsmanship on this thing was masterful. I’d compliment Matt on it, but I was literally never going to mention him knowing about this ever again. Hopefully he’d never mention it again either. Fingers crossed. I wasn’t ready to die, and I’d definitely die of embarrassment if he ever brought this up again.
The room was pretty straightforward. I didn’t know what all the toys were for. Or the chains hanging from the ceiling. But I was sure I’d find out soon. I couldn’t help but laugh. In a few months we’d have a crib in here. I put my hand on my stomach. “What do you think, little dude? Are you a fan of the aesthetic?” I shook my head. “I didn’t think so.”
I sat down on the altar. “What do you think is going on with Uncle Rob and Aunt Daphne?” I looked down at my stomach, like he could actually respond to me. I needed some advice. Daphne was pretty much ghosting me. And Rob was ghosting James. We’d both offered to help since we had the time, and they’d both refused. Maybe I’d insulted Daphne somehow? I had kind of shoved Justin on them. But I was trying to help. And Rob loved Justin. That couldn’t be it.
We’d also shoved the Hunter Creek Country Club on them. It was probably the combination of that and Justin. But I was just trying to help my future sister-in-law. Rob was one of my best friends, it was silly that we were being iced out of this.
“Maybe I should surprise them by bringing them dinner or something? They’re probably crazy stressed, right?”
No reply from my belly.
“Yeah, I thought it was a good idea too. Let’s get to it.” I groaned as I stood up. I was sore from the other night. And this extra weight wasn’t doing me any favors. I kind of just wanted to take a nap. But…I had to make sure Rob and Daphne didn’t hate us for some reason.
I wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
“What are you searching for, honey?” Ellen asked.
I smiled. “I was thinking of making dinner for Rob and Daphne. I can drop it off so they have time for wedding planning stuff tonight. Do you know if we have any chicken?”
Ellen waved her hand through the air. “I’ve got it. And what a lovely idea.” She practically pushed me out of the way.
“I can make it, Ellen.”
“Nonsense. Just relax. Relaxation is good for the baby.”
Relaxation was boring for me and the baby. But I knew Ellen wouldn’t let me help. “Thanks, Ellen.” I wandered into the family room. Actually…I was pretty tired. Maybe just a quick nap. I yawned and lay down on the couch.
***
“Penny,” James said, his fingers brushing through my hair.
I slowly opened my eyes. “You’re home early.”
He raised his eyebrow. “No, I’m actually late. It’s past 6.”
“What?” I quickly sat up. Wow, I must have really been out. “We have to go. We’re taking dinner to Rob and Daphne’s place.”
“We are?”
“Mhm. To make sure they know we’re not meddling and just trying to help. And then Rob will ask you to be his best man and everything will be wonderful.”
James smiled. “That sounds like meddling.”
“No way. It’s dinner. And it’s just for them. We won’t even stay.”
He raised his left eyebrow again.
“Stop it,” I said with a laugh. “I’m not meddling.”
“Rob can choose whoever he wants in his wedding party. Daphne too.”
“I know that.” But Rob was certainly in the wrong for not asking James. And I was going to fix it. Meddling be damned. “Let’s get going.”
“Or…we could stay in just the two of us,” James said. “I think Tanner and Matt left a lot of surprises in the nursery.”
“If you ever mention Matt or Tanner again in the same sentence as nursery or sex dungeon, I’m going to lose my mind.”
He laughed.
“I’m totally serious,” I said. “I’ll have to tie you up and torture you sexually as punishment.”
He laughed again.
Which was appropriate. Because in my snooping I definitely hadn’t found a way to overpower him and get him shackled. The sex dungeon was clearly designed by men. Hmph. I knew I could ask Bee to help me plan something out. But I kind of wanted to include Daphne too. To make her feel like she was part of the family. Not that a sex dungeon screamed “welcome to the family.” Oh well. It would certainly be a bonding experience.
“Let’s head over,” I said and stood up. “We’re on a mission.”
“Meddling,” James coughed.
“I am not.”
He stood up and pulled me in closer. “You are.” He pressed his lips against mine, barely holding back his smile. “Meddle away. I love watching you try to fix everything. It’s very cute.”
“I promise you’ll be thanking me in thirty minutes when Rob asks you to be his best man.”
“Mhm.”
I was right about this. Rob was just stressed out by all the last-minute stuff. He’d relax with a homecooked meal and remember to pop the question to James. Easy peasy.
Chapter 18
Tuesday
Rob had only recently moved back to town. And just like everything Rob did…he didn’t think twice about his living arrangements. He’d moved right in with Daphne.
I loved their place. But I knew Rob was already checking out new real estate. The place felt like Daphne. It did not feel at all like Rob. Rob was more of a penthouse kind of guy. Not a basement apartment kind of guy.
James and I made our way down the steps of the duplex. Which, I guess was actually a triplex since the basement had been converted into their apartment? Was a triplex even a thing? Either way, it was super cute.
“Do you think she’s pregnant?” James asked at the exact same time I rang their doorbell.
“No. And keep your voice down.” Their apartment was tiny. And I bet the walls were perfectly fine, but not exactly thick.
“I think he probably knocked her up.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?”
James smiled. “Who else is saying it?”
“Justin. He won’t let it go. Bee too. Rob does everything spontaneously, including proposing. He just loves her.”
“And the baby he put inside of her.”
I laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Wanna bet?”
I looked up at him. “On whether or not this is a shotgun wedding or that you’re ridiculous?” I shifted the casserole dish in my arms.
“The shotgun wedding thing. I’m not ridiculous in the slightest.” He grabbed the casserole dish from me.
I glanced at the door. I never backed down from a bet. But…I was sure they were just about to open the door. And the last thing I wanted them to overhear when they were already stressed out was that people thought they were getting married out of obligation. “Oh, it’s so on. But drop it right now.” I nodded toward the door.
James put his finger on the doorbell. I could hear the ring throughout their apartment. Yup, thin walls.
But no one came to the door.
“I guess they’re not home,” James said. “Which is good, because I’m hungry and I really want to eat this.” He lifted the foil on the edge.
I swatted his hand off it. “We’ll just leave it for them.”
James looked down. “There’s probably rats here. We can’t just leave a dish of food. It’ll attract more of them.”
“You are just as bad as your brother. This apartment is so cute. Just because you’re used to high-end everything doesn’t mean this place has rats!”
Daphne opened up the door just at that moment. A frown cut across her face.
Oh, fuck. I was defending her apartment, but I was pretty sure the end of my sentence was just: “This place has rats!” I cleared my throat. “Hey! I was just telling James how much I love your apartment.”
She nodded, but I could tell she looked hurt.
“I mean it,” I said. “You heard the end of my sentence, but I was actually saying that your place doesn’t have rats.”
“It’s true,” James said. “I think you may have just heard the end of what she said and it was completely out of context. I was the one that thought there might be rats if we left this dish on your doorstep.” He lifted up the casserole dish. “We brought you dinner. We know you must be crazy busy with all the planning.”
“Oh.” She smiled, immediately believing him. “How thoughtful of you.”
Not how thoughtful of you guys. Just James. Gah. Yeah, I was definitely not going to be a bridesmaid.
“Shit,” Rob said and groaned.
I peered over Daphne’s shoulder. Rob had just hit his elbow on a doorjamb as he was pulling on a shirt.
Okay, wow, we’d definitely just interrupted them banging.
“Anyway,” I said. “We just wanted to drop this off and get out of your hair. Unless you needed help with anything?”
“Hey, guys,” Rob said. “Did Ellen make that or did you?” he said and looked at me.
“Ellen.”
Rob smiled and grabbed it out of James’ hands.
“I’m not a bad cook,” I said.
“I didn’t say you were.” He peeled back the foil and reached somewhere to the right and suddenly had a spoon.
Yes, their apartment was tiny. But cute, I swear it!
“I just really love Ellen’s cooking,” he said and ate a spoonful of the chicken pot pie. “So freaking good. It’s actually perfect, because we just depleted a whole lot of energy.” He winked at Daphne and her face turned crimson.
James cleared his throat. “Okay, well, enjoy. Catch you guys later.”
“Unless you need help with anything,” I added. “Wedding related or…anything. We’re always here for you.”
“Nope, we’ve got it all handled. We’ll see you this weekend though. I think it’s Mason’s turn to pick the place.”
It was Tuesday. They weren’t planning on seeing us for four more days? They really didn’t want our help? It felt like my stomach dropped. Daphne hates me. I just nodded. “Sounds good. See you this weekend, guys.”
“Thanks again,” Daphne said with a wave and a smile before the door slammed in my face.
I felt tears welling in my eyes. I quickly ran up the stairs and back to the sidewalk. Ian was parked, waiting for us, but I just needed a minute. So I walked straight past the car.
The autumn night air was finally chilly. So I could feel the hot tears slide down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away.
“Penny, where are you going?” James said and caught my wrist.
“I looked like a complete ass.”
“I love your ass.” His hand squeezed one of my butt cheeks.
“Very funny. Daphne hates me.”
“That’s definitely not it.” He touched the side of my face. “Penny, are you crying?”
“I love her apartment. And she thinks I’m an elitist monster. And I’m not. I just want to be her friend. And I freaking hate being hormonal. I’m acting like a crazy person. People don’t get along with their sisters-in-law all over the world and I’m acting like it’s a huge problem. God, I am elitist!”
“Baby.” He pulled me in closer. “Everything is going to work out. I promise.”
“What if we never see Rob anymore because she turns evil and keeps him away?”
James laughed. “They come to every hangout we have and every party we host. They’re family. We’re all family. Nothing will change that. Just don’t scream ‘rats’ next time you see her.”
I punched his arm.
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