“Jesus Christ,” I groan, yanking my underwear higher as best I can with one hand. “Cooper, for the love of God, uncuff me.”
Cooper’s face turns beet red as she fumbles with the key. “I was… uh, we were just—”
Vivian waves her off, her lips twitching as she struggles to stifle a laugh. “No need to explain. I mean, I’m curious, but…”
Leo grins as he turns to Vivian, his tone serious. “I feel like we’ve been doing date night all wrong, love.”
“Totally,” she agrees without missing a beat. Her gaze shifts to me. “You’re leaving those handcuffs behind when you move out, right?”
Cooper finally manages to unlock the cuff, and I yank my arm free, rubbing my wrist. “Fuck.” I shake my head, a reluctant chuckle escaping despite the mortification. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Leo grins, handing Isla to Vivian. “I’ll grab the luggage, babe. You put her to bed.”
Vivian whispers something to Leo, kissing him softly before turning to us with a wide grin. “Just pretend I’m not here,” she says breezily, scurrying past us to the stairs.
“Right. Don’t stop on our account,” Leo says, smirking as he heads toward the stairs. “Carry on. Just try to keep it down.” He pauses mid-step, his smirk growing wider. “Oh, and Cooper? I think you’re missing a vital piece of your outfit.”
I follow his gaze to the edge of the wall, where her underwear lies in a crumpled heap.
Cooper buries her face in my shoulder, groaning. “Oh my God. I’m mortified. I can never look at him again.”
I shake my head, chuckling despite the embarrassment as I step into my pants. “At least you weren’t the one handcuffed to the railing in your underwear.”
“But I don’t know them. This is so much worse for me.”
I pull her into a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You have nothing to worry about. They won’t make it weird. They’re cool, I promise.”
She peers up at me, a mortified laugh escaping her lips. “You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?”
“Not a chance.”
She smacks my arm playfully, and I pull her closer, pressing a kiss to her lips. “Let’s keep the handcuffs in the bedroom from now on, okay?”
Chapter 36
COOPER
I slide back into bed, curling up next to Ryan. Is there anything more annoying than having to pee in the middle of the night? As I settle under the covers, the memories of last night come rushing back, vivid and mortifying.
Easily one of the most humiliating moments of my life. Even after exhausting ourselves in the sheets, it took forever to fall asleep. I just kept replaying it over and over.
Ryan’s already over it. We couldn’t stop laughing as we went to bed, because—let’s face it—itisfunny. Hilarious, even. But for me? Mortifying. I barely know Leo and Vivian. I’ve met them once, and they walk in while I have Ryan handcuffed to their railing.
Now, I’m the kinky, sad girl with the shitty ex, semi-living in their house like an awkward, unwanted houseguest. Exactly the kind of impression I was hoping to make.Perfect.
I roll over, sleep nowhere in sight. Tapping my phone screen, I squint against the brightness. Almost five. Ugh. A sigh escapes me as I drop the phone back onto the nightstand.
Ryan’s been keeping Leo in the loop, reassuring me they’re more than happy to have me here, but still… God. I press my palms to my forehead, trying to quiet my restless thoughts.
Fifteen minutes of tossing and turning pass like an eternity.
Fuck this.
I slip out of bed, grabbing leggings and a sweatshirt. If I’m going to be awake, I might as well make it worth it—with coffee.
Tiptoeing downstairs to the second floor, I make my way to the kitchen. The bedrooms are all on the third and fourth floors, so I don’t really have to worry about waking anyone. Working quickly and quietly, I pull out the espresso machine, froth my milk, and pour it over the steaming shot.
“Good morning.” Leo’s voice startles me, his British accent carrying through the quiet kitchen. I whirl around just as he pulls a shirt over his head, his skin still glistening from a workout.