Page 10 of Gin and Lava

“I have feelings, you know,” I say, self-mocking.

“So you claim.”

“Look, I wouldn’t actually do that,” I say, motioning to the Flambé terrace, to which she gives me a shifty eyebrow.

“No? Don’t you have a reputation to uphold?” She throws my words back at me.

“I mean, yes,” I admit, “I would finger you under the table, for sure. But …” I gesture to the other guests. “It’s Ned’s wedding, and I doubt he’d appreciate you orgasmically yelling my name while he cuts the cake. I don’t want to upstage the groom on his wedding day, especially with my giant cock.”

“You’re insane.”

“I know. It’s a hard life. But someone’s got to live it.”

Naomi smirks at me, then crosses her arms over her chest. “Okay, be honest with me for one second. Have you actuallydoneany of the bullshit you talk about?”

I shrug. I’ve said so much BS in my life I wouldn’t even know where to begin. “I’ve had sex before,” I say hotly. “Ifthat’swhat you’re asking.”

“You think I’m trying to determine if you’re a virgin?” Naomi asks, looking at me with a skeptical frown.

“Shit, I don’t know,” I shrug, before nudging her back with my shoulder like she did earlier. “I don’t have any clue what you think. Plus, Nanna Reese could have told you anything.”

“And you think Nanna Reese told me you’re a virgin, and that’s what gets me hot?”

“Why don’t you tell me what gets you hot,” I counter. “And I’ll do that.”

She’s quiet for a long moment, looking at me like she might put all the pretense aside and tell me exactly what gets her all worked up.

That’sthe booze talking.

“Is it hot out here, or do we live in Hawaii?” I ask, standing up and walking away from the highboy tables and toward the terrace railing. I look down the side of the Atlantis Resort, then out along the shore. You can see all the way down the coast from up here.

A second later, I feel Naomi lean against the railing next to me. It takes me a second to brave looking over at her, and when I do she’s staring out at the ocean, watching the moonlight roll against the waves. Her long blonde hair catches the breeze and she really does look like a supermodel—soft and pretty.

The music from the reception echoes in the air behind us and I could say something crass to break this moment, but it’s nice just standing here with her.

“Nanna Reese said you were lonely and that you needed a friend,” Naomi says softly, turning her attention back to me.

I check her eyes for that crinkle of amusement to see if she’s pulling my leg.

“Really?” I ask. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“That’swhat got you hot?”

“I didn’t say it got me hot, Mason.”

“Then why’d you walk over with that crazy grin on your face?”

“No, it was the look of panic onyourface that did that,” she admits. “I mean, you saw Nanna Reese talking to me, and it was like she’d told me your favorite sexual position or something.”

“It’s doggy style.”

“Of course, it is.”

“I’m an open book, Naomi. You ask and I’ll tell you.”

Naomi rolls her eyes at me. “You looked like you were about to have a heart attack,” she continues. “I couldn’t help but play with you a little bit.”

---