Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men 9)

Because someone’s bare ass had just fucking mooned me from my couch.

A scream followed, and then Sasha yelped, “Oh my God, Juli! What’re you doing home?”

Chad. I’d just seen Chad’s ass. Lovely. I was never going to be able to look him in the eyes again.

“What’re you doing home?” I demanded right back, peeking through my fingers enough to see that the couple had yanked a throw blanket over them and covered all the naked parts.

“We were skipping class so we could get nasty on the couch,” Chad answered bluntly, only for Sasha to slap his naked arm with a loud whack.

“What a coincidence,” Colton spoke up congenially from behind me. “That’s what we were doing. Please say you have some extra condoms? We got nothing.”

“Colton!” I hissed, whirling around to gape at him.

But from behind me, Sasha screeched, “Colton? Did you say Colton?”

“She did.” He shimmied past me into the apartment to smile and wave at her. “Hi, you’re the roommate I didn’t meet the other morning, but you know my name. That must mean you guys talked about me after I left.” Lifting his eyebrows, he glanced meaningfully at me before turning back to Sasha. He seemed totally comfortable about the fact that we’d just walked in on her having sex. “Please tell me you were pro-Colton and encouraged her to try me out.”

While Chad burst out laughing, Sasha’s mouth dropped open. It took her a few tries, but she finally answered, “Actually, yeah we did encourage her, even though she insisted there was absolutely nothing there.”

“Oh really?” He glanced at me with a contemplative arch of the eyebrows before he turned back to Sasha and nodded. “Well, thank you for your support…”

When he drew out the ending as if asking her to supply him with a name, she blushed and said, “Sasha.”

He flashed his panty-dropping grin and then freaking winked at her. “Thank you, Sasha. I owe you big time.”

Chad burst out laughing, slapping his knee and leaning into Sasha because he was so overcome. After wiping a few laughter tears from the corners of his eyes, he asked me, “Who the fuck is this guy?”

“A dead man,” I ground out, punching Colton in the shoulder. “What the hell? How could you tell them what we were going to do?”

His eyebrows lifted in question. “What? Were we supposed to keep that a secret? Because I think they’re going to figure it out in about ten minutes anyway when I start making you scream.” Then with a conspiratorial grin toward Chad, he added, “Though my goal is really five minutes.”

This time, Sasha and Chad both hollered with surprised laughter.

Steamed beyond all anger because oh my God, this entire moment was so utterly embarrassing and he was just being so blasé about it, I fisted my hands at my sides and growled, “The only thing you’re going to make me do—in about five seconds—is kick your ass right back out this door.”

The bastard didn’t even look concerned. In fact, I swear his gaze heated with hungry primal intent. His nostrils flared and eyes twinkled naughtily as he stepped toward me. “Is that so?”

‘That is so fucking so,” I assured him, my jaw clenched tight.

He grinned. “Game on, baby doll.” And he picked me up, freaking picked me up, and tossed me over his shoulder in the fireman’s carry.

“Colton!” I screamed, too afraid to kick or slap him in fear he’d drop me. I mean, I was staring at the floor!

He gave an affable wave to Sasha and Chad and started for the hallway. “Carry on,” he told them. “We’re getting out of your hair now.”

“Thanks,

” Chad called, only to add, “oh, hey, man. Here you go.” He tossed something our way, and Colton let go of one of his hands holding my leg to catch it one-handed, which made me shriek and clutch his torso for dear life.

By the time I could focus on what Chad had thrown at us, Colton was grinning and holding up a strip of condoms, saying, “Awesome. Thank you.”

And down the hall we went.

“So why were you so against the idea of your roommate knowing about us?” he asked as he entered the room and toed the door shut. “Because, you know…a girl doesn’t tell her friends about something for only two reasons: because she doesn’t deem it important enough or because she’s ashamed of it.” He bent down and helped me back onto the floor, then he helped me straighten until I was facing him. “Where does that leave me?”

The blood was still rushing from my head from hanging upside down. It was hard to concentrate. I wanted to be all upset that he’d just picked me up and entered my room without my permission, but I was still rocking some crazy attraction for him, and yet my skin felt all flushed and tight from the embarrassment I’d gone through in the front room. I wasn’t sure how to feel or react.

But when I focused on his face and saw the tinge of worry, I just couldn’t make him think I was ever ashamed of him.