Page 24 of Forbidden Game

I reach down and jerk my sweatpants back up. “Sorry, next time I go to Italy, I’ll make sure to visit a nude beach so my ass tans.”

“You have a nice butt,” Stevie supplies.

“Thank you.” I grin at her.

“Stephanie,” Aleks growls.

“What? I didn’t say anything about his penis.”

“Why can’t you guys ever be normal?” Sydney is beet red beneath her golden blonde bangs. Her embarrassment is adorable. I just want to pull her into my arms.

“You should all feel very privileged right now. Not many people get to see the big P.”

“Dude, did you just refer to your dick as ‘the big P’?” Jackson judges.

“What? It’s not like I gave it an actual name like Parker Jr or Lil’ P.” I freeze. “Wait. No.”

“Lil P,” Aleks hollers.

God-fucking-dammit. Why do I always dig my own grave?

“Quit while you still can, dude.” Jackson claps his hands around my shoulder.

“Sod off,” I grumble. “You still have to buy us Silver Fish.” I point my finger at Aleks.

His face instantly sobers into a scowl.

“Oh, I love Silver Fish,” Stevie croons.

“How perfect, we were just finishing our order. What do you want, love?” I hand her my phone and shoot her a conspiratorial smile, which she matches pace for pace.

She taps out her order and then offers the phone to Sydney. “You joining us, Syd?”

“They don’t really have vegan options, and I still have work to finish before Parker and I leave Friday. I only came up because I needed to give him his new mouse from Wyreless.”

She looks at me for a brief second before the redness returns to crawl up her neck and she looks at the floor.

I like how much I’m affecting her right now. That I’m seeing a glimpse of discomfort in her usual poised façade. Every day I break through a little more. She thinks I can’t get in because she changed the locks to her heart, but she forgets she gave me the keys once before. Nothing is going to stop me from getting them again.

Sydney shoves the box in my hands before spinning on her kitten heels and giving Stevie a quick hug. She throws the rest of us a fleeting wave.

“I’ll see you guys later. Behave.”

She’s almost out of sight when she pauses and turns back. Her eyes automatically skip to mine before they shift to Aleks, and she points a finger at him.

“I rescheduled your shoot for Monday. I’ll be taking you there personally. Don’t think for a second that I won’t chain you to your bed Sunday night to make sure of that.”

“I’d love to see that.” Stevie winks.

Aleks loops his arms around her midsection and pulls her against him, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Of course, you would, little dove.”

“Aleksander,” Sydney warns.

“Yeah, yeah, Syd. I promise.”

“Good.” She resumes her retreat to the elevator, and I follow her. I lean against the wall as she waits briefly for the doors to open. She steps in and eyes me warily while hitting the button for her floor.

“You can chain me up, too, love.”

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