Page 3 of Hold Your Breath

“Fuck off, Jace. You two were supposed to stay in the truck.”

“And miss this?!” Jace throws back. “Can anyone say awkward?”

“As amusing as this is for all of you, could someone untie me, please?”

“Will you explain this situation first?” Micah presses, and I grunt.

“What if I promise to explain it when I’m not naked?”

Micah smirks and nods. He moves closer to me and kneels, placing a rough palm on my leg, and I swear he inhales. Fuck me, my stepbrother is kneeling between my spread legs.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were turned on,” he whispers.

I don’t dare answer—the way my skin burns beneath his touch, if I say no, I would be a big fat liar.

The other two watch on as Micah unties me, and when I’m finally free, I rub my wrists and close my legs so fast my thighs clap together, and the heat from my cheeks is almost painful. All three men are simply standing in the room while I’m naked. I have never bared myself like this to anyone before—well, except the douche nugget who will get a piece of my mind later.

“Get dressed,” Micah demands. “We are going out for drinks, and you have some explaining to do.”

I open my mouth to argue that I have better shit to do, but I only have a date with the View4U app. It’s a video platform where you pay to subscribe and watch all things kinky. I might be inexperienced in the bedroom, but I want to experience new things.Unfortunately, as my self-confidence is lacking, watching is the next best thing.

Ignoring him, I grab my dressing gown from the back of the desk chair and wrap it around my body.

“Maybe we should ring Carol and ask her what she thinks about this situation,” Micah goads.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

He pulls his phone from his jeans pocket and unlocks the screen.

I cross my arms over my body, calling his bluff.

His phone rings, and I figure he is calling one of his buddies until I hear my mom’s voice.

“Hey, Mikey. Is everything okay?”

He raises a brow. I mouthfine, and he smiles. “Yeah, everything is great, Carol. I was just checking in to see if you needed me to bring anything to the house for Easter.”

I suck my lips between my teeth. The biggest offense toward my mother is offering to bring food to a dinner she is hosting.

“Just your charming self. And what about those roommates of yours? You have been promising to introduce us.”

I hate family gatherings. My family is all about appearances, and I don’t care too much about dressing up to go to Micah’s estate simply to watch the cousins’ kids run around finding chocolate eggs and spendingthe rest of the day on a sugar high. Then add in the tedious conversations asking when I’m going to settle down and have kids, as if that is all I’m good for. At twenty-four, I don’t even know if I want to have any, and I only found my dream job a year ago. I have time to figure it out later, but the way my aunts carry on, you would think I’m nearing forty.

Micah clears his throat. It’s interesting that he doesn’t want my mom to meet his friends. “I will have to see if they are available and let you know.”

“I know you boys must be busy working at the firehouse. They can bring their girlfriends as well.”

Jace chokes on a suppressed laugh, and I turn my gaze to him. I wonder what’s so funny about them bringing girlfriends.

“I will let you know.”

They say goodbye, then Micah snaps at me, “You have two minutes to get dressed.”

“Zac, if you don’t stop staring at the girl, she’ll get a complex,” Jace says, and their friend flips him off.

“One minute and thirty seconds,” Micah says, and this time it’s me flipping him off. I head over to my walk-in closet and close the door to give myself some much-needed privacy. I quickly grab a pair of leggings, a long plaid shirt that is long enough to be a dress, a belt, and my black boots.

Once I’m dressed, I look at myself in the mirrorand deem my outfit acceptable enough. I fix my bangs and twist my hair up into two little buns on the top of my head—the same ones my mom says are childish, but I think look cute.

---