Under My Skin (Skin Deep #2)

I haven’t seen the plans for his house yet, but Emma said they’re amazing. I’ve only seen the framework and bits and pieces that have been done from afar because I’ve never really wandered over there to check it out. Probably should do that sometime soon; especially now, given the circumstances I find myself in.

They’d convinced me. Actually, they really hadn’t given me a choice, but whatever. I’d agreed to give it a chance, so here I am, Allison Anne McCormick, in bed between my two…boyfriends? Lovers? What the hell do I call them?

They’d dragged me off to bed, laid me between them, and both proceeded to kiss me senseless, their hands roaming my body and making me writhe with want, but neither of them allowing their hands to touch anywhere near the parts of me aching so bad for it. I’d finally smacked them both away from me and curled up, refusing to talk to them or even touch them anymore. Then they’d both laughed and cuddled up to me, Brandon holding me against his chest while Jackson spooned me from behind. I have to admit that it was pretty nice…

I laid there for a minute, smiling at both of them snoring softly. In the night we must have moved around a bit, because Brandon was now flat on his back, my head pillowed on his chest. Jackson was still at my back but he’d turned the opposite way, his back pressed to mine. I realized I wouldn’t be going back to sleep, and other matters were becoming more urgent the longer I laid there, so I carefully maneuvered my way out from between the two of them.

I stood at the foot of the bed, feeling quite accomplished at having gotten out of the bed without waking them when Jackson rolled over. I waited for him to look at me, but realized that he was still asleep when he reached out his arm, apparently searching for me. When his hand hit Brandon, he shifted closer and threw his arm around his waist, holding him close and sighing in contentment.

O.M.G. I had to clap my hand on my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. I didn’t want to wake them up before I managed to get to my phone and get a picture of this. It was too good to pass up! I tiptoed out of the room, carefully opening and closing the door behind me, made a pit stop in the bathroom, and then headed out to the living room to grab my phone from the coffee table where I’d left it. I turned to head back in there when I heard a voice behind me.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

I turned back to see Emma standing at the kitchen counter, a cup of coffee in one hand and the newspaper in the other. I felt my cheeks flood with heat, but they quickly cooled when I reminded myself that the little witch had been in on the whole setup.

“Oh no, no, no, Miss Emma Marie Jensen. You don’t get to stand there with that smug look on your face like you caught me red-handed. You set me up, you bitch!” I said, giving her the evil eye. It didn’t last long though, because I couldn’t contain my smile.

“Okay, we can talk about this in a minute, but right now there’s a more pressing matter at hand,” I told her. She looked confused for a minute until I held up my phone, shook it at her and said, simply, “Blackmail time.”

In a move so fast it made me jump, she’d slammed her cup down on the counter and was at my side, ready for action. She really is the best friend in the world.

We crept down the hall, trying not to giggle and wake them up before we could get in there and take a picture. We got to the bedroom door and heard a faint click, click, click coming down the hall toward us. I shot a panicked look over my shoulder at Emma who’s own eyes were screaming ‘oh, shit!’ before she wheeled around to head Doug off. I didn’t want the huge yellow lab to jump in and ruin my photo-op. Because he’d be through that door and would Superman himself into that bed with them in a heartbeat.

Emma was back shortly, giving me a thumbs up. I nodded once and started pushing the door open again. Yes! They were still snuggled up together where I’d left them, only it was ten times better than before. Brandon had turned over and Jackson was now completely spooning him, his arm thrown over his waist and curled up around Brandon’s chest. If he would have been holding me that way in the bed, his hand would have been cupping my breast.

I looked at Emma, who was struggling to hold her laughter in, and grinned. It was taking everything I had in me not to bust a gut laughing, but I managed to bring my phone up and tap on my camera icon. I felt Emma move up to my side and noticed that she had her phone out, as well. I nodded to her and we both pressed the button to snap the pictures on our phones. I had my camera setting on silent, so there was no sound; however, Emma’s made a very loud snap/snick sound that I swear echoed in the silence.

She looked at me, wide-eyed, before high-tailing it from the room at a dead run, abandoning me without a thought. Humph. Maybe I take back what I said about her being the best friend in the world…

I slowly looked back at the bed, frozen where I stood, and saw Jackson’s head raised slightly off the pillow. He started to smile at me sleepily before he froze, and I could see the wheels almost turning in his mind. In slow motion, he turned his head to look beside him at who he had his arms wrapped around. I couldn’t help it anymore; I lost it, laughing so hard that I had tears pouring down my cheeks.

Jackson jerked back away from Brandon like he’d been burned, shoving him away in the process. Poor Brandon, still asleep (how I have no clue), went flying off the side of the bed and landed in a heap on the floor.

His head popped up over the side of the bed, his eyes narrowed and glaring at Jackson. “You dick! What the fuck was that for?” he yelled.

Jackson glared back at Brandon and yelled, “You were cuddling me, you asshat!”

Brandon looked confused and a little scared at this point as he got to his feet and sat on the side of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glanced over at me and his eyes narrowed again as I wiped tears away, still chuckling with glee. “Where were you, then? Was I seriously cuddling him?”

I opened my photo gallery and moved up to the side of the bed to show him the picture I’d snapped. I jumped back away when he jerked back, leaned over, and slugged Jackson in the arm. “No way, you sick fuck! YOU were cuddling ME! Oh, God!”

I started laughing again when Brandon shuddered, and then heard muffled laughter just outside the door in the hallway. I walked over and opened the door wider to see Emma standing there with Luke, both of them shaking with amusement and staring at Emma’s phone.

Luke shook his head, his shoulders still shaking, when he poked his head around the door frame and looked at Brandon and Jackson, who were both sitting on opposite sides of the bed, glaring at each other. “There something you need to tell us, guys?”

Brandon jumped up off the bed and ran for Luke, who had enough sense to take off running, pulling Emma behind him. Brandon shook his head, stopped beside me, pecked my lips with his, and headed into the bathroom.

I turned to find Jackson still sitting there, looking a little dazed and disgusted all at once. I couldn’t help it; he was too cute to ignore. I walked over to him and sat down on the edge of the bed facing him, leaning in and touching my lips to his.

“I’m sorry, Jacks,” I whispered. Of course, I had to go and ruin it by giggling again.

His eyes narrowed and he shifted, snatching me up and into his lap before I could move. “Really? You’re sorry?” he growled, lowering his lips to mine. He kissed me softly for a second before pulling back. “You’re gonna delete that picture, right, Allie?” he asked, threateningly.