Page 106 of Exposed

“What?”

But he didn’t have time to respond because Mason opened the door. He was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and no shirt, the same outfit he’d usually worn around his house back in high school. I swear it was like no time had passed at all.

“Sorry about that,” Mason said. “We lost track of time. And I keep losing the keys.”

“To your door?” Matt asked.

“Ha. No. Hey, sis.” Mason pulled me into a hug.

Why was he so sweaty?

Matt tried to walk around him, but Mason let go of me and stepped in front of his brother to block his path.

“One second. You good, babe?” Mason called over his shoulder.

“No! Damn it, Mason, I can’t unlock them myself!”

Mason laughed. “If you’ll excuse me for one second. I left my wife in a bit of a bind.” He walked down the hall and turned into the open kitchen.

“Um…what is happening?” I asked.

“This should be entertaining.” Matt grabbed my hand and pulled me after Mason, instead of giving him a few seconds like he’d asked.

My eyes grew round as we turned into the kitchen.

Bee was sitting on the counter in a short, silky black dress. It would have been a pretty normal sight. Minus the fact that her hands were above her head, some kind of leather shackles strapping her to the cupboard above her.

Mason grabbed the key from her hand and put it into the side of the shackles.

Bee’s hands fell free and she wrapped them behind Mason’s neck. “How many times do I have to tell you that I can’t get free by myself?”

“That’s kind of the point, baby.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Hmm.” He grabbed behind her knees, pulling her to the edge of the counter. “You know what else you said was impossible? Making you come three times in three minutes. And I just proved you wrong.”

Oh my God.

“Told you it was a sex thing,” Matt said.

Bee yelped and slid back from Mason. “Oh, hey guys,” she said. “I didn’t realize Mason had already let you in.” She hit his shoulder and then tried to fix her hair.

As if fixing her hair could erase whatever we’d just seen.

Mason laughed. He grabbed Bee around the waist and pulled her off the counter. “Welcome to our home. You guys want a drink?”

“Yes, get them something to drink,” Bee said. She opened up the cupboard she’d just been tied to and pulled out some wine glasses. “You guys handle that while I go talk to Brooklyn.” She looped her arm through mine and pulled me out of the kitchen and into the family room. If you could really call something with a perfect view of Central Park a family room. The sun was just starting to set and the sky was turning pink. It was breathtaking.

“Sorry about all that,” Bee said as she plopped down on the couch. She rubbed her wrists that were red from the shackles.

I laughed. “It’s fine.” Actually…all of that somehow made a lot of sense. Mason always seemed so…in control.

“Right.” She waved her hand through the air. “You know how the Caldwell men are.”

“Mhm.” Matt had never tied me up before. But after the other night in the shower…I wondered if maybe he did like that. I crossed my legs. I kind of wanted to find out.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it the other night when Penny and Daphne raided your house. I had a meeting run late. But Mason has filled me in on a lot. I’m so happy you’re here. But so sorry about the circumstances that brought you back.”