Page 8 of Primal

I looked down at the tattoo before meeting Mason’s eyes again, trying to figure out if he was joking or not. He shook his head, indicating it was true.

I bit my lip hard to stifle laughter. I didn’t want to fight with Joey on our first night here, and he’d be pissed if I shared a laugh with Mason at his expense.

“Whatever,” Joey said, folding his arms across his chest. I had to wonder if he was just trying to hide the tattoo now, but I wasn’t going to ask him. “I call bullshit.”

I wondered what the tattoos his co-workers got meant. Glancing at Mason again, I could see he found this whole thing pretty damn funny.

“Let’s go upstairs, babe,” Joey said, not even bothering to whisper in my ear. Apparently, he was tired of socializing. “Tonight is when I start making things up to you.”

I doubted his ability to actually do what he claimed, and I was not about to let him disrupt my meal just to prove a point. I took a quick glance at my plate, and Mason must have sensed my reluctance because he spoke up before I could say anything

“Poppy needs to finish eating,” he said. “I don’t want the food to go to waste.”

Joey’s eyes seemed to have trouble focusing on Mason, and all I could think about was the whiskey dick if I went to bed with him right now. He needed a little time to sober up if he wanted to have sex.

Maybe that would also give me a chance to get my head wrapped around sleeping with him again without feeling repulsed by what happened last week. I didn’t want to picture that skinny redhead riding him while we were in bed together.

“Come on, Poppy,” Joey said, getting off his chair and swaying on his feet for a moment. “Let’s go break the bed.” He laughed at his own words, oblivious to the fact Mason and I didn’t join in.

I shook my head. You go ahead. I’ll be up after I finish dinner.”

Joey’s laughter cut off, and he looked annoyed as he forced himself to focus on my face. That whiskey must have been strong, because he was trashed.

“Whatever,” he mumbled.

He stormed off towards the stairs, tightly gripping the handrail as he ascended. It crossed my mind that I should go assist him, to make sure he safely reached our room and got into bed. That's what a good girlfriend would do.

But that really wasn’t me anymore. Not after what he did. I needed a little space from Joey. Ever since I caught him cheating, he’d been up my ass every single day, monopolizing my time as much as possible. I knew it was because he didn’t want to give me the time and space to think things through. Then, I might come to the conclusion that what he’d done wasn’t forgivable.

“You want to tell me what the hell is going on with you two?” Mason asked, and I jumped at the closeness of his voice. He’d come around the island to sit next to me on the stool Joey just left.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “It’s…complicated.”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Don’t try to avoid the question with a vague response. Now, tell me, what’s going on? Why did he say he had to make something up to you?”

I bit my lip, considering whether or not I wanted to tell Mason the truth. I knew what happened was a reflection on Joey’s character more than anything else, but that didn’t stop me from feeling embarrassed about it. Did he cheat because I’m boring in bed? Or because I’m too curvy for him? Am I just not special enough to be faithful to?

I couldn’t help feeling low when these thoughts circled my mind, and I didn’t want Mason to look at me and wonder why I was such a loser that not only did my boyfriend cheat, but I was giving him another chance.

But I needed to talk tosomeoneabout it or I might explode.

“Well, it happened last week…” I told him every ugly detail of what happened that day, including how stupid and heartbroken I felt.

The whole time, Mason quietly listened, providing support and comfort just by being near.

Well, he provided another reaction inside of me, but it was one I was trying desperately to ignore.

This was far from the first time I’d felt a surge of sexual attraction for my stepfather. I was seventeen when he married my mom, and I immediately noticed how attractive he was. I could just imagine how it would feel to be in his strong arms, pulled against his broad chest while his full lips dominated mine.

Of course, I felt guilty for those thoughts. It was so wrong, so inappropriate. I’d be completely horrified if my mother or Mason ever realized what went through my head. It made my last year of high school hell, and it was part of the reason I was so eager to live in the dorms when I went to college. I needed to get the hell away from my sexy stepdad before he realized how much I wanted him. It would have been so embarrassing.

Now, I was twenty-three, and I still wanted the man.

As I finished my story, I found I felt better. Just talking about it eased some of the heartache that lingered from that day. I wasn’t sure what that meant about my relationship going forward, but I was already here with Joey. I supposed I owed it to both of us to give this a shot. I cared about him for a reason, after all. He could be a good guy.

“You know your boyfriend is a dick, right?”

Mason’s blunt words startled a laugh out of me. They contradicted the thoughts I just had about about Joey, but I couldn’t help finding amusement in the way he stated his opinion.

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