Page 116 of Oblivion

“Yes, it absolutely does. Tell me I heard you wrong.”

His amber gaze squinted. “What did you hear?”

“Dante!”

“Fine.” He threw out his arms. “I said,it gives you something new to masturbate over.”

“Why would you even say that?”

“Because…” He huffed and rolled his shoulders, and his expression was all forms of apologetic. “I heard you masturbating last week.”

I swear the blood drained from my face before fire burned in its place.

“Youheard me?”

Guilt swept through. “Yeah, I did. I wasn’t spying, I just,fuck—I came out here and heard a noise, then when I got to your door, I realized you were… you know.”

“Oh, myGod!”I covered my blazing face. “Why are you even telling me this? That’s so fucking embarrassing!”

I was on my feet and running up the stairs, only to become a thousand times more mortified when Dante yelled, “Babe, it’s natural and completelyfine.If it’s any consolation, it set me off too.”

“Ah!” I screamed. “Stop fucking talking, Dante.”

His roaring laughter chased me down, finding me from behind the closed bedroom door. Burying my face in my pillow did absolutely nothing to escape the mortification. I literally felt ill knowing he’d heard me masturbating—overhimno less.

A quick knock sounded on my door, and it slid open.

“Penny, c’mon, the more you hide, the worse the embarrassment will be. Honestly, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine! You have no idea much I want to shrivel up and die right now.”

He chuckled and sat on the side of the bed. “I can assure you, I certainly do. There’s no embarrassment like cracking a boner at Christmas dinner, then getting caught by your mom jerking one out after abruptly leaving the dinner table. I’m sure she still prays for my soul every Sunday.” Another deep laugh followed, then his hand landed on my waist. “C’mon, up you get.”

“No.”

“Yup. Over you come.”

Despite my efforts to stay on my stomach, Dante flipped me onto my back, then ripped the pillow from my grasp. He pinned my hands at my sides and started tickling me.

“I’m not stopping until you open your eyes and look at me,” he declared above my shrieking laughter.

No matter how hard I kicked and squirmed, he was relentless. Finally, and only when I was on the verge of peeing, I forced my eyes open and confronted the situation head-on.

“Fine, fine, okay. Stop now!”

“There,see.”He grinned down at me, wolfish gaze lit, but without the immaturity I expected to encounter.

“Not so bad after all, eh?”

“I still like the dying option.”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. I’m not going to hold it against you. If anything, it gets me hot knowing you do that.”

The evil bastard refused to let my wrists go so I could hide my flaming face. “I hate you right now.”

“But you’re less embarrassed, right?”

I contemplated that, and was surprised to find that I was, indeed, less humiliated than minutes ago.

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