by Amy Andrews
Her hips bucked then and she gasped. “I’m going to come.”
Knowing he wasn’t far behind, Mack picked up the pace. “Come.”
She writhed, her eyes closing.
“Open your eyes, Josie,” he commanded, clenching his teeth against the maelstrom gathering in his loins. “Watch me come, too.”
They flashed open, her gaze zeroing in on his dick, and heat slammed into his groin as if she’d put her mouth there.
“Oh God,” she whispered, arching her back, biting down hard on her lip, but she didn’t lift her eyes from his hand action.
“Let it…out,” Mack groaned, fighting his release for a moment, fighting the fire in his belly, his buttocks, his balls. “Only you and me…here. Time for that…screaming orgasm.”
And she did. She opened her mouth and shouted her release, gasping and crying out to Jesus and all the saints and angels. Her shoulder blades bowed as she pulled hard on her nipples, her buttocks clenching, her hips rotating.
Her gaze never leaving his dick.
And he followed her, crying out, locking his quads tight as the sensation swamping his groin threatened to take his legs out from under him. Heat streaked from his balls and exploded up and out of him.
“Yes, yes, yes,” she called as she watched the hot streams of cum surge out of him. Pleasure gripped him hard at her intense concentration, undulating through him over and over, keeping time with her, her ecstasy stoking his.
And when it was finally over, he could barely stand. Barely think about anything other than dragging air into his lungs.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” she huffed, reaching down and wrenching the Orgasmatron from her, gasping as it was withdrawn, then switching it off and tossing it aside.
Mack chuckled. “I didn’t realize you were that religious.”
“I am today.”
He grinned. “Hallelujah.”
Her eyes drifted lower, and he was conscious that he was standing there fully dressed with his dick, which was surprisingly still semi-hard, in his hand.
“Looks like you’re not done,” she said. “Could I persuade you to”—she brought her hands to her breasts again—“play hooky for the afternoon?”
His loins stirred. He had a feeling that she could persuade him to do whatever the hell she wanted.
He was late. He needed to get to an afternoon clinic that was waiting for him downstairs, and Sal would be annoyed. But Josie was very tempting, all laid out before him. “You are very, very bad.”
He tucked his very interested dick away, pulled his shirt over his head, and threw it over the mess on the floorboards. He didn’t want to risk slipping on bodily fluids and breaking his leg when he finally dragged himself out of bed.
“That feels good.” Josie sighed as Mack joined her, pressing her into the mattress, settling into the cradle of her pelvis. Her arms circled his neck, her legs locked around his waist, and heat suffused his groin as she clung and rubbed herself against him.
He groaned. “You’re killing me.” And then he was kissing her. Kissing her long and deep and hard. Kissing her like he hadn’t just been spent. Like he could go again and again. Like he was fifteen and invincible.
And he was hard again. So hard.
After six months of disinterest, his dick was finally back.
And God knew he would have stayed for round two and to hell with the clinic had the door not opened abruptly.
“Mack, we need your help. We’re dying down—”
…
Josie almost had a heart attack as Sal’s voice sliced straight through their careening passion with all the surgical precision of a samurai sword. Mack wrenched his mouth away, and they both looked toward the door in mutual horror.
Busted.
“What. The. Ever-loving. Fuck.”
Josie’s heart accelerated as Sal studied them like she couldn’t quite figure out what species they were. “Sal—”
She tried to get up, to displace him, but Mack refused to yield, trying to protect her modesty.
“I can explain…” Josie said. She opened her mouth to add, it’s not what it looks like but caught herself in time.
It was, after all, exactly what it looked like.
“Damn straight you can,” Sal snapped. “Outside. Both of you. Now.”
And then she turned on her heel, slamming the door shut after her.
They dressed in record time, without stopping to strategize or discuss the implications, so they could get out to Sal as quickly as they could. She’d been pretty pissed, and neither of them were game to keep her waiting.
They needed damage control. And they needed to start on it straight away.
Why, oh why, had she even thought they could get away with it?
The whole purpose had been to not get Sal involved, yet here they were, hastily dressing like guilty teenagers, while Sal waited outside like an irate father cleaning a shotgun.
“Are you okay?” Mack asked as he opened the door.
Josie shook her head. She’d had the most mind blowing twenty-four hours of her life—she should have known that the universe would want its pound of flesh in return. This was all her fault for thinking she could stay. For being greedy.
“No.”
He slid his hand on her waist, preventing her from pushing past him. “It’s none of her business.”
She speared him with a frank look. “Of course, it is. It’s Sal.”
“We’re not doing anything wrong.”
“I know,” Josie said. And she did know it. Logically. It just suddenly felt wrong. “Let’s get this over with.” She pushed against his arm, and he dropped it, standing back to let her pass.
Josie grappled with what she was going to say as she headed out, her heart thundering, a feeling of dread sitting like a batch of bad prawns in her belly. She didn’t want to lose her best friend. Not over sex.
No matter how damn good it was.
Sal folded her arms the second they appeared in her line of sight and let them have it.
“Of all the stupid, idiotic, ill-conceived things to do, this dumbarse liaison has got to take the cake. Were the two of you dropped on your heads suddenly?”
Josie figured the question was rhetorical and that Sal, who was pacing now, wouldn’t want her spiel interrupted. She knew from old that Sal was rarely stopped before she’d gotten everything off her chest.
“I mean, I can’t possibly think of a reason why you two would think falling into bed with each other was a good idea. Or that you could somehow keep it from me. Did you think for a second that I wouldn’t figure it out? Do I look stupid to you?”
Her hands on her hips, Sal glared at them, and Josie felt suitably chastised. She snuck a look at Mack, who had his hands shoved in his pockets and was scowling at his sister with what appeared to be belligerence.
“Well, do I?” she asked, and Josie gathered the question hadn’t been rhetorical this time.
“Of course not,” Josie murmured.
“Do I?” Sal repeated, looking directly at her brother this time.
“No. But you are acting stupid,” he said.
“Mack,” Josie chided.
Sal glared at him but ignored his jibe. “What the hell are you two thinking?”
“You said we needed rebound sex,” Mack pointed out calmly.
Sal looked at him as if he was the class idiot and had just said the stupidest thing ever in the history of stupid things uttered out loud. “Not with each other,” she yelled.
“Why not with each other?”
“Because it’s going to end in disaster, that’s why.”
“No. It won’t. It’s just two weeks of sex. We’re working through the list. Simple.”
Sal gaped. “The list? You’re working through that ridiculous list we compiled when we were drunk? With one of your oldest and dearest friends? Do you really think sex is the way to keep things simple?”
It was Mack’s turn to fold his arms across his chest. “
We know what we’re doing. We’re not kids. And, by the way, you’re not our mother.”
“Oh my God.” Sal looked at Josie, then back at Mack again. “I can’t believe how naive you’re being.”
Like a spectator at tennis, Josie’s head pinged back and forth as she watched them trade verbal blows. Hopefully, they’d run out of steam, and she could be the voice of reason. But at least one thing had become clear—she didn’t have to worry Sal would try to match them up.
Mack swore under his breath. “I’m twenty-nine years old. I’m hardly some lovesick teenager with his first crush.”
“Well, you’re sure as shit acting like one.”
“You’re just mad you didn’t think to set us up first.”
Sal’s eyes nearly popped out her head, and she appeared to almost choke on her tongue. “This isn’t about just you and Josie, you know. It’s about her and me, too. It’s about all three of us. It’s going to end, and I’m going to have to choose sides, and our friendship as we know it will never be the same again. It’ll be over.”
Josie stepped forward. She couldn’t be quiet now. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Sal, losing either of their friendships. She placed her hand on her friend’s arm.
“Mack and I have talked about it. We both know where we stand. We’re scratching an itch, and then I’m going to London, and we’ll resume our regularly scheduled program. It’s just a…fling. And we’re both fine with that. We didn’t plan it; it just kind of happened, but neither of us want to lose our friendship or screw with the dynamic all three of us have. We’re not going to lose sight of that.”
Sal looked from one to the other for long moments as if they were going mad. Then Josie felt the tension give beneath her palm as the muscles in Sal’s arm relaxed. She sighed. “I think that might be easier said than done, Josie.”
“You seem to manage flings all the time.”
“Yeah, but that’s me. I’m all frozen and fucked up inside. You two…” She shook her head. “You’re babes in the woods.”
Josie thought it wretched that Sal could be so matter-of-fact about the emotional wasteland inside her, and she wanted to hug her friend hard. But they weren’t quite ready for that yet. “We’ll be fine,” she assured. “I promise.”
“This is all my fault,” Sal muttered. “That stupid list. I shouldn’t have bullied you into it.”
“Hey.” Mack smiled. “Don’t knock the list. I, for one, am very grateful you’re a big, bossy bully.”
Sal gave him one of her sweet, poisonous smiles. “You’re a pervert.”
Mack grinned. “Yes, I am.”
“Well”—she looked from Mack to Josie—“I still think this has potential disaster written all over it, but…”
It was all Josie needed to hear. She gave a little whoop, then dragged Sal into an enthusiastic hug. “Thank you, thank you,” she said.
“Yeah, yeah,” Sal muttered. “Just don’t make me say I told you so.”
“Promise,” Josie agreed.
She pulled out of Josie’s embrace. “Were you guys ever going to tell me about it?”
“It only just happened last night,” Josie hedged.
“So, you were planning on it?”
Mack raised an incredulous eyebrow. “Why on earth would we do that?”
Sal grinned in her crazy, self-deprecating way. “I guess I did go a little nuts.”
She punched him lightly on the arm, and then they hugged, and Josie breathed a little easier. It seemed like Sal had mostly come around. Lucky for them, it just wasn’t in her nature to sulk or give the silent treatment when things didn’t go her way.
Sal broke away from her brother’s embrace. “We really have to go back to work now.”
Mack nodded. “Yep.” He turned to Josie, and she blushed again as she remembered what they’d been doing only a few minutes ago. “See you tonight. We should all go out to dinner,” he suggested.
Josie nodded enthusiastically. An evening together—all three of them—to get things back on track. To show Sal nothing had really changed between them. That despite the recent addition of hot, wicked sex, they were all friends, first and foremost.
Sal glanced at Mack. “You buying the drinks?” she asked.
Mack sighed. “Sure.”
She grinned. “I’m in.”
He smiled. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Sal said as they walked to the door.
Josie watched them go, grinning, too, now that things seemed to be back on an even keel between them. Mack’s wavy hair disappeared out the door, and her heart gave a funny little flutter.
It had never done that in regard to him before. Mack was just Mack. But sex had ripped away her blinders, and she knew he’d never just be Mack again, no matter how many times she told herself she could have her fling with him and then walk away.
It took her a few seconds to realize Sal was still standing in the doorway, looking at her. Josie ordered her heart to behave and shot her a smile. Her friend smiled back, but it was distracted at best, and Josie could tell she had something to say.
“Sal?” Silence filled the space between them, forcing Josie to fill it up. “I don’t want it to be awkward between us. I don’t want you to feel I’m ignoring you while I’m here.”
“I don’t care about that.” There was another long pause, and just when Josie thought she was going to have to prompt Sal again, she spoke. “Don’t break his heart. You’re my best friend, and I love you. I’d hate to have to hate you.”
And then she was gone, leaving a sober Josie in her wake.
Chapter Thirteen
Much to Josie’s relief, they had a fantastic night out. They ate at one of the local Irish pubs where they drank pints of lager and ate beef and Guinness pie, because Sal insisted Josie needed to get into the swing of the pub scene.
Then they moved on to a karaoke bar in the city where they sang and laughed until they were hoarse.
It was just like old times, and Josie reveled in it. There were no awkward moments, just teasing and banter and reminiscing over jugs of Long Island Ice Tea. Talking about their childhood escapades and funny vet stories before moving on to all the sights Josie had to see while in London. Mack drew maps on table napkins, and he and Sal filled in all the tourist must-do’s from Paris to Prague.
Josie couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed herself so much.
With her clothes on, anyway.
They followed a merry Sal up the stairs after the taxi deposited them home, and Josie grinned as she whirled into the apartment, made a beeline for the stereo, turned the music up loud, and announced, “Let’s dance,” as she proceeded to twist and twirl and gyrate in that rhythmically sensual way of hers.
Josie had always envied Sal’s rhythm.
The clock nudged one a.m. The only dancing Josie wanted to do involved being naked and horizontal. She glanced at Mack; she didn’t need to be psychic to know it was the only dancing Mack was interested in, too.
He was looking particularly hot in jeans and a button down shirt tonight, and she’d spent a significant part of the evening imagining peeling his clothes off with her teeth.
His hand had stroked up the inside of her thigh for the entire cab ride, stoking that fantasy a little bit more. Back and forth, back and forth. Maddeningly slow. Maddeningly perfect.
She was so damn wet right now, so turned on, she was going to come in about 2.5 seconds.
And even that was too long to wait.
“I think I’m going to hit the sack,” Josie said.
“Me, too,” Mack agreed.
They smiled at each other then, and Josie felt like the three or so meters between them didn’t exist. Sal eyed them both and collapsed on the lounge, plonking her feet up on the coffee table. “You’re going to do unspeakable things to each other, aren’t you?”
Mack grinned. “Absolutely.”
Sal shook her head but smiled as she looked at her brother. “Eww. Gr
oss.”
“Which reminds me.” He strode over to where Sal sat and whisked the book she’d propped her feet on out from underneath them. He did a quick flip through the fascinating, illustrated pages. “Now, we’re set.”
Sal shoved her fingers in her ears. “La la la. Not listening.”
Josie’s belly dropped as he strode toward her with purpose, a wicked gleam in his eyes. He reached for her hand, and she slid it into his. She liked how their joined hands fit together—warm and easy—and how it felt incredibly intimate in front of Sal. More intimate than the unspeakable things ahead promised by the lazy stroke of his thumb against her wrist.
“Night,” Josie called to Sal over her shoulder before Mack tugged her toward his bedroom.
…
The next afternoon the bed arrived, and Josie had it all made up and waiting for when Mack got home. She’d gone out and bought white sheets and a white, antique-style duvet with decadent lace trim to try and dilute some of its masculinity.
And it did, somehow managing to give the bed an air of innocence—ironic, considering the depravity that was going to occur in it over the next week and a bit.
Josie liked the contrast, however. There was something rather sexy about putting such a feminine stamp on a bed so utterly male.
She’d also bought some cupid-shaped bed lights and strung them through the wrought-iron of the headboard. Corny maybe, but definitely very cute.
Luckily, Sal was going out on a date, so they had the place to themselves. Thinking of what would happen in the bed had occupied her mind all day. By the time Mack texted at seven o’clock that night, she was sprung tight.
Coming up now. Be naked. Be horizontal.
Josie flew into his room, switched out the light, and shut the door. She walked over to the bed, flipped on the cupids, ripped off her clothes, carefully peeled back the gorgeous duvet, folding it neatly back on itself several times, and then lay in the middle of the mattress.
…
Mack opened the door a minute later, his heart almost crashing to a halt in his chest at the sight of Josie, gloriously naked, her body bathed in soft pink light. He glanced at the lights strung through the headboard.
