Page 84 of Holiday Home 4

“Thanks,” Liam said flatly.

“But how best to do that?” Avril posed the question, then tapped her lower lip. “I doubt he wants to hear us prattle on about our day for the next hour or two. Me neither, honestly.” She imitated a yawn, hand covering her mouth.

Anna’s eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at her best friend. From his side, Liam was a little busy being impressed by how good Avril was at keeping them both in the shot. They’d pushed their shoulders up against each other, but he was used to FaceTime calls with his parents, in which he’d see two-thirds of one of them, then maybe a fourth of the other—and which one ofthem was which would alternate regularly. Avril didn’t seem to have that issue.

“I can tell you have something in mind,” Anna said warily.

“Duh, I’m always good atcreatinga good time.” Avril glanced toward him, and he saw her scheme coming alight like a floodlight powering on, dimmer at first, then brighter, then brighter. However, her primary attention ultimately rested on the woman in the room with her. “Before you came in, I was about to get out of this sports bra. He was practically pleading for me to do it, even.”

“Avril!” Anna whispered frantically, almost as if she were hoping he wouldn’t hear what her roommate had so blatantly announced. Unfortunately for her, he’d heard it all as clearly as if they’d been having this conversation on either side of him. These weren’t the Skype calls of the early 2010s. There weren’t any hiccups in the audio or the video, which was how Liam saw Anna’s fervent blush.

“Don’t be so prudish,” Avril continued. “Guy is alone, guy is horny, hot girl is on the other end of the call. Youhaveto know how it goes. Surely, you aren’talwaysdressed when you two are FaceTiming.”

Liam knew Anna was doomed. She wasn’t a great liar, not when she was this worked up. And if Avril knew how to do anything, she knew how to lather up her best friend.

“I—what, no—it’s—”

“Anna, sweet Anna, your face is as red as the stop signs we both know you’ve never even once thought about running.” Avril patted the back of her roommate’s hand. “Now, details! Spill. Give them here.”

“I’m not talking about that stuff!” Anna huffed, blanching because she knew she was making it that much more obvious.

Anna had let him see her topless over the phone a few times, and each time had been wonderful. Once, even, she’d let himguide her through playing with her breasts—all the way to the finish. The camerawork had gotten a bit spotty at the end, but the audio had made for an unforgettable memory.

“Okay, fine, don’t talk about it. No words, butactions.You take off your top, I’ll take off mine, and we can fulfill one of Liam’s most secret but desired fantasies.”

A good boyfriend would have stepped in, much as he had before, and helped Anna out. It was hard to do, fending off Avril when she had momentum. Which she usually had. He ought to have announced that Avril needed to knock it off, that he wasn’t hoping—even if it meant lying—for what Avril was recommending, and that would be that.

But would Anna go for it? He kind of wanted to find out. Just this once, he let himself stay as a spectator. He’d make it up to Anna, apologize, especially if things turned sour or sullen.

Avril didn’t let up, even as Anna’s frantic defense faltered.Especiallyas it faltered, in fact. She mentioned how they’d seen the other topless so many times, which made Liam slightly jealous. She mentioned how it didn’t have to be a regular thing, just this one time. She also mentioned how they’d showered together once or twice, back when one of their showers hadn’t worked right. He kind of wished Avril had explained why, even with just one working shower, they needed to showertogether.In his mind, he imagined Avril as oversleeping, needing a shower, and begging for Anna to let her hop in. He definitely couldn’t see it going the other way.

“Why do you do this to me?” Anna sighed.

“I’m doing itforyou,” Avril said. “For both of us, actually. It’s only fair for me to make it obvious that I’m benefiting. In a few days, we’ll be hanging out in one of the most romantic places on Earth. Do wereallyneed to keep pretending around one another? It’s been three months. Every time one of us wants a kiss, are we going to have to distract the other one with somedumb ‘look toward the sky, it’s Superman’ ploy? Then we sneak in the fastest locking of lips in the west? Or… the east, I guess. Go far enough west, and it becomes the east.” Holding out her hands, Avril shrugged. “Doesn’t sound all that fun to me, not anymore. Three months was enough, thanks.”

Anna didn’t reply, which they all knew meant she didn’t have a strong rebuttal.

“Just try it out, see if it feels alright,” Avril finished. “You know Liam will love it. We could make him so, so happy, fix all his complaining. It’s not like we’re going to start making out for him. He’s notthatdeserving of a good time.”

Anna buried her face in her hands and stayed like that for several seconds. Avril took that time to glance at him and blow a soft kiss. He felt a little bad for not using that moment to finally relieve Anna of the pressures that Avril had just put upon her.

“Just thisonce,” Anna muttered into her hands.

Holy shit,Liam thought.

“Holy shit,” Avril said, sounding amused and surprised. “Hey, there we go, Anna! I knew you had it in you. I’m so impressed.”

“Please, don’t be,” Anna said, finally removing her face from her hands. She was as scarlet as he could remember seeing her.

“Sooo, should I go first?”

“At the same time, and don’t say anything as I undress,” Anna growled.

Holding her hands up in surrender, Avril nodded. Then Anna began to go forward with a suggestion that Liam could never have seen her going along with even just a few weeks before. He knew he’d be a hypocrite if he pretended to be anything but excited. Unstoppably excited.

Having just come in, Anna had a bit more to take off. Staying good to her nod, Avril waited until Anna had removed her cardigan and, after a moment, did the same to the croppedtee she’d been wearing under it. Setting both down outside of Liam’s view, Annabelle Royce, in nothing more than a bra, waited for Avril to give the go-ahead.

Liam’s decency finally surged past the linked arms of his lust and craving, as it probably should have done minutes ago. Before he let things reach the point of no return, he rediscovered his voice.

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