Page 16 of Mastered By Desire

“We’re not taking that stuff,” Leah says. “I don’t want it.”

“Well, I don’t want him to have it,” Danica says. “Call me petty, but?—”

“Petty,” I cough into my hand.

She smacks me. “How much room is left in Vincent’s truck?”

I glance around. “We could fit the couch and dining set with a little reorganization.”

In the end, I’m able to find room for the mattress, too. As I’m maneuvering it out the door, Danica looks up at the ceiling and says to Leah, “Did you buy the light bulbs? The toilet paper? Those are coming with us.”

Remind me to never get on my sister’s bad side.

Leah

I thought Dmitri and I could act normal. I thought we could pack up boxes and joke around like we usually do.

Maybe it’s the fact that my friends are helping me leave what I now realize has been an emotionally abusive relationship. Maybe it’s the fact I had Dmitri’s cock in my mouth two nights ago. But for some reason, we’re more somber than usual.

Before, I might have joked about Dmitri’s muscles by insisting he give me a piggyback ride while carrying heavy boxes.

He would’ve done it, too.

Now, I’m worried that any glance or touch could remind him I’ve been naked and writhing in front of him.

When he’s out of earshot, loading the last box into the truck to fit around the mattress, Danica pulls me aside.

“Sooooo. I know you’ve been preoccupied, girly pop, but how did that auction thing go?”

“Fine,” I say.

“Fine? That’s it?” She pouts. “I know they have a scary NDA. I don’t want you to break the rules, but…did you bang a stranger?”

I choke, then force a laugh to cover it. “The guy wanted me to rub myself on his leg. That’s all I’ll say.”

Hopefully, that non-detail is boring enough for her to lose interest.

“It was okay, though?” Her voice is full of worry. She’s asking more out of concern than intrigue.

“Yeah. It was good.”

Her concern breaks into humor. “It must have been, if it helped get you out of Mick’s clutches.”

“You hated Mick all this time, didn’t you?” Humor forgotten, I glare at the ground. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She turns me gently so I face her. She flips up her sunglasses. Her gray eyes have more blue in them than Dmitri’s. “I tried in the beginning. But he had me fooled for a minute, too, thinking he was an okay dude. Then once you’d really fallen for him, it was too late. Every negative thing I had to say—you always found an excuse for him. Remember?”

I look down because yeah. Now I remember.

“Hey, I’m not blaming you for his assholishness,” she says.

I huff out a mirthless laugh. “That’s not a word.”

“I know, but you look like you’re about to cry. I can’t stand that what I said hurt you.” She pulls me into a hug.

I take a deep breath, then another.

Behind me, Dmitri clears his throat. “We should get moving.”

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