Page 63 of Phoenix Academy: Madness

"A fluffer," he repeats, brows crinkling. "You don't know what a fluffer is? They take all the sexual tension out of the room. You know—fluff it up."

If the Earth could swallow me whole, now would be a good time for a demonstration, because I'd like to be anywhere but here.

"Reggie," David says in a strangled voice, "you mean abuffer.You know, something that comes between two people to stop the tension."

"Oh. Huh." Reggie rubs his chin, while I try not to turn a shade of crimson so dark that I'm sure to catch on fire. "So what does a fluffer do?"

David looks at Reggie. Looks at me. Glances down at his feet. Stares resolutely forward, further down the path, as if longing to already be there.

Apparently he's not going to explain it.

Which means Reggie is staring expectantly at me.

I could lie—but then, knowing Reggie, he'll use the word again. And I think, based on the way his mouth is starting to curve up, that he's realized this is something sexual. Which makes me wonder how thehellhe doesn't know what the word means already. Sure, he and Xavier were raised upper class with nice parents and went to private schools all their lives, but I know he grew up with an internet connection and a dick he surely put his hand around more than once. He has to be fucking with me.

But he just tilts his head at me and asks, "Well? Aren't you gonna answer my question?"

"A fluffer..." I swear to god, if this is a prank, I'm cutting one of his appendages off. Not sure which one, but I have a favorite. "A fluffer is the person who—"

"Huh? Speak up!"

David makes a choking noise. Deciding to get it all over with, I raise my voice and half-shout at Reggie, "Aflufferis the dude on a porn set who jerks the guy off in between takes to keep his dick hard. Soyouwere saying that you wanted to put a hand on David's erection and keep him going longer, which is not the sameat allas a buffer and oh my god, are you kidding me."

Reggie bursts into laughter halfway through my overeager explanation, bending at the waist and cackling into his hands. His shoulders roll with mirth, his arms shake, and even his knees seem to tremble.

This whole time. Thiswhole timehe was fucking with us. I swear to every god in the earth and the sky, I will pay him back for this."

"You shithead." Scowling nearly as hard as David, I shove Reggie's shoulders, but he just laughs more even as he stumbles back. "I can't believe you did that! What an asshole."

"Can you blame me?" Straightening up, he flicks moisture out of his eyes and smirks at us both, even as David rolls his eyes at his antics. "You two were acting like you were marching to a funeral. Someone had to liven up the atmosphere, or I was gonna go crazy."

"Dumbass," David mutters. "I can't believe I actually bought that."

"Neither can I," Reggie admits, and I shove his shoulder again. He grabs my wrist and raises his brows down at me. "You got the first one for free, but the second shove is gonna cost you."

"Cost me?" I frown at him. "After what you've done, I get all shoves for free. I mean, what would I pay for them, anyway? You gonna shove me right back?"

Reggie smirks at me wickedly, and with the hand he's used to catch my wrist, he tugs me closer to him. His voice is low and warm as he suggests, "I was thinking of other forms of payment."

I swallow.

Look up into his eyes.

Swear, for a moment, that I can feel him purr.

Then David growls and says, "Not on your life, Reginald Black."

Chapter 30

This is gettingdramaticveryquickly. Licking my lips, I try to pull away from Reggie—maybe some space will calm David down—but he somehow manages to transform the movement into a spin that puts my back up against his chest.

Letting go of my wrist, he reaches forward to stroke the side of my neck as he murmurs in my ear, "Just leave it to me. I can calm him down."

"He doesn't look calm," I point out, as David tosses his head, his voice turning more and more into a growl. "He looks like he's about to turn because he can't control his wolf form. And last I checked, you're not his best friend—Xavier is."

"Technicalities." Reggie pats me on the shoulder and moves in front of me. "Like I said, I got this. When he gets like this he just needs a mild trouncing, and it shocks him back into being in control. So don't worry your pretty head—I want it still attached to your neck when we get the chance to finish what we started."

I roll my eyes, and by the time I'm done Reggie has flashed into panther form. It's dizzying how fast he shifts. With my extra senses, I can tell that his two spirits have switched seamlessly, one to the other, within the blink of an eye. It's how he's able to pounce on David before the wolf shifter has even completely transformed, taking him to the ground as his nascent fangs and muzzle snap uselessly in the air between them.

---