Page 41 of The Truth of Our Secrets

I’m so stunned I don’t move. There’s a very high probability I’ve become paralyzed. Her knees dig into the couch on the outside of my thighs, so she’s straddling me.

Self-preservation begs me to glance at Jayce to gauge my chance of survival. But I’m hypnotized by the sparkling aquamarine flecks in her eyes. Her arms loop around my neck and I resist grabbing her ass.

My body’s in flames and it’s tempting to throw another log on the fire. I don’t even know what that means. My hands are limp, a side effect of being paralyzed.

“You can touch me.” Her fingers thread through the hair at the nape of my neck.

I nod but can’t move anything else. Well, my dick is rock hard. That fucker didn’t get the memo that my body’s not working. She’s sitting on it, so there’s no hiding it. In fact, she squirms a little, adding friction, and the moan torn from my throat is hardly my fault.

Jayce’s deep inhales are audible, and he shifts so we’re touching from our shoulders to the waist. Every nerve ending is hyperaware of them.

This is the most intimate contact I’ve had in years and we’re fully clothed, sitting on a couch. My body’s anticipating the next step as if it’s a sure thing.

I’m having a stroke.

There is no next step.

They’re going to laugh like this is all a joke and tell me again that I have no poker face.

“Don’t be nervous.” Madyson leans down and gently presses her lips to mine. Gasping, I jerk back in surprise. My tingling lips crave hers. Her hair falls forward, creating a curtain between our faces and Jayce. But he sweeps her hair behind her ear so he can see us.

“Emmet, look at him. He’s not mad.”

I try to see him in my peripheral vision, but I need to turn my head. His eyes are blazing and his chest rises and falls, but she’s right.

He’s not upset.

It’s the same look he had in the bar before he knew who I was. Like he’s holding himself back from touching me. Every part of my body starves for his touch.

“See. Now kiss me and let’s show him an ‘I’m sorry’ kiss.” She grips my chin in her hand to bring my eyes back to her. “He’s hard to look away from.” My lips curl up at her mischievous expression. “He likes to watch,” she whispers before her lips are on mine again.

This is my fantasy come to life and I’m not wasting it.

Her kiss electrocutes my body back to life. One hand presses into the small of her back and the other circles her neck. Her silky hair tickles my hand and it’s as soft as I imagined it would be. I hold her in place and arch up, deepening the kiss. Her tongue traces my lips, and I gladly let her in.

She tastes sweet and flowery and distinctly Madyson. She hums into my mouth and I swallow her sounds. I’m so hard my dick is going to have indentation marks from my zipper.

When she moans, I realize Jayce is running his fingers through her hair. My chest heaves as if I’ve run a mile. I slow the kiss, not wanting to break contact, but conscious of Jayce’s proximity, taking me out of the moment with her.

She leans back, fingers cupping my jaw. Jayce’s lips immediately replace mine. This time I’m not the third wheel. Not with her hand on my face and his behind my head so he can lace his fingers through hers.

“You’ve done this before,” I blurt out before I’ve processed the thought.

Madyson squeaks in surprise, and it’s the confirmation I need. My head’s swimming with possibilities. Do they want me for the night, an hour, or as a friend with benefits throuple? I dismiss those thoughts. Jayce and I don’t like each other.

This is a one-time thing, and we’ll go back to hating each other. This is for Madyson because she asked.

She uses my shoulders to steady herself and climbs off my lap. “I think we did an excellent job of teaching Jayce the basics of how to kiss and make up. Now it’s your turn to kiss him.”

I’m staring at Jayce’s lips and don’t realize she’s talking to me. My eyes must get comically wide because they laugh and Jayce shakes his head.

“You’re right. Every thought is on his face.” Jayce leans back and does the man spread with his legs.

Madyson nudges me with her knee. “Should I explain it to you too?”

Since fantasies never come true in my life, I decide to ride this incredible night as far as it will take me. I half expect to jerk awake out of this dream.

With Jayce’s legs splayed wide, I can either sit on his lap sideways with my feet on the floor between his or hop on like I’m straddling a bull.

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