Page 78 of His Captor

Mace made a sound. “Whether he can or not remains to be seen.”

I wanted to argue, probably just for the sake of arguing, but it was a pool party, and we were there to have fun, not speculate about someone else’s business that we had nothing to do with.

“I’m getting peckish,” I said. “When do we eat?”

Mace laughed. “I’ll fire up the barbeque now.”

He leaned in to kiss me, then let go and walked off to the other end of the pool deck, where the fancy barbeque I’d given Mace as a housewarming present stood.

“I love him so much it’s obscene,” I said with a happy sigh.

“Yes, we know,” Simon said. He, too, rolled his eyes at me. I was, like, the king of receiving eye-rolls these days.

A second later, Simon grew serious and turned to me, hunching slightly and drawing me in to practically huddle with him.

“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about,” he said in a low, guilty murmur, his cheeks flushing red.

“Oh yeah?” I asked, grinning. “This has to be good, because you’re blushing.”

Simon looked so embarrassed he might sink into the floor. “I made an account on the Dark Fantasies Club app,” he whispered, barely moving his lips.

I burst out laughing, which drew momentary attention and had Simon glaring at me. “I knew you were just as kinky as I am.”

“Shh!” Simon hushed me, grabbing my arm. “Dad and Papa are here. I don’t want them getting wind of this.”

“Yeah, I know that feeling,” I said, trying to sober up a little. “So you’re actually going to go for it? What’s your fantasy?”

Simon flushed even hotter. “I want to…I want to pretend to be….” He lowered his voice to a whisper so quiet I almost didn’t hear it. “A sex slave.”

I nearly choked on a laugh as I tried to suppress it. I clapped a hand to my mouth until I thought I could speak without snorting, then said, “You kinky bastard, you.”

“I don’t want anyone to know,” Simon said, so red he looked like the beach ball Ari and Gloria and the kids were playing with in the pool. “Which is why I’m heading out to Norwalk in two weeks to do the fantasy.”

“To play,” I corrected him. “You’re going to Norwalk to play. You’ve got to learn the terminology if you intend to really get into this.”

“I don’t know if I’ll get into it or not,” Simon said. He hesitated, then continued with, “I just want to give it a try.”

“I support you in whatever you want to do,” I said with a smile, clapping my hand on his shoulder. “And I’ll definitely serve as your second.”

“I’m not having mybrotheract as my second in a dirty sex game,” Simon said, his eyes going wide. “I was going to ask Ari.”

I tried so hard not to giggle. “I’m sure Ari will say yes.”

“Okay, good,” Simon said, writhing with awkwardness. “I just wanted to let you know that’s why I’ll be away for a week.”

“A week? That’s a long scene.”

“I want the full experience,” Simon said.

“Well, good for you,” I said, pulling my brother in for a hug.

After that, I deliberately steered the conversation around to mundane things until Simon’s color went back to normal and he relaxed. He actually started to have fun after a while, too.

Eventually, Rachel came over with her boyfriend, who I liked, and as Simon fell into conversation with them, I left them to go get Mace.

“Are you ready for some thick, delicious meat?” Mace asked once I reached him at the barbeque.

I laughed out loud, then practically threw myself around him. “I love you so much,” I told him. “No one else would ever be willing to put up with me the way you do.”

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