have fun?”
My stomach fluttered. I took the phone down to the bed with me so I could stretch out my tired body.
“Well you know,” I teased, “a true lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”
“Is that right?” he chuckled.
“Sure is.”
“Ander and Brett told me you had fun,” he insinuated. “Lots of fun.”
“Well Ander and Brett have big mouths, then.”
“Maybe,” Senan allowed. “Or maybe they’re just keeping things real. Clear. Unclouded.”
“Then uncloud them for me,” I countered, rolling over onto my stomach. “I’ll ask the question again, one more time. Senan, what are we doing?”
The silence between us stretched for way too long on his end. I took it for discomfort.
“You wanted to learn,” he said eventually. “You wanted to be taught the the ins and outs of sex. Your words, not mine.”
I bit my lip. He wasn’t wrong.
“And so you’re learning,” he said. “We’re teaching you. Each of us in his own way.”
My stomach rolled. “Is that all, though?”
Somewhere on the other end of the phone, Senan paused again. The pause was different this time.
“No,” he admitted finally. “That’s not all.”
My hand gripping the phone relaxed. I set it down on the pillow before me, staring at it like it had a life of its own.
“What do you want, Chastity?” he asked.
Now it was my turn to be speechless. In the sanctity of my bedroom, you could hear a pin drop.
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
Thrown back at me, my own question seemed to weigh ten thousand pounds. I struggled with it just as much as Senan.
“I… I don’t know.”
“Maybe we don’t either,” he said. “Not now, anyway.” He paused again, then continued: “Or maybe in some ways we do.”
I felt suddenly foolish, interrogating him for no reason. Shaking him down for answers I wasn’t even willing to give myself. But that last part. That last sentence…
“Listen, what are you doing this weekend?”
The question came out of left field. It was the last thing I expected, but I was relieved he’d let me off the hook.
“No plans, why?”
“I talked to the guys, and we want you to come over Friday night,” said Senan. “If you can, bring a bag too.”
I could feel the heat inside me, rising again. Rousing the butterflies.
“An overnight bag?”
“Yes. With warm clothes. Outdoor clothes.” He caught himself. “Oh, and bring your new friend too.”
My gaze dropped to Ares, who was busy licking his paws. My heart was pounding now. Racing with excitement and speculation.
“Why?” I asked, my voice cracking. “What are you—”
“You’ll see.”
Forty-Three
CHASTITY
Friday couldn’t come fast enough, at least not for me. But as with most things you look forward to, the wait seemed like forever and a day.
Eventually it came, and I was more than prepared. I got work out of the way early and spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready. Prettying myself up for whatever the guys had in mind, as well as packing for whatever mystery awaited me in the form of my overnight bag. I took some supplies for Ares as well, including the little red ball with the bell in it that he seemed to be carrying everywhere with him. If he wasn’t so cute the constant ringing of the tiny bell might’ve driven me insane, but over the past few days I’d learned to tune it out.
When dusk fell I received a text from Senan, telling me they’d pick me up rather than have me drive there. I replied that was fine by me, and an hour later I was pulling my door closed and locking it tight.
“Let’s go, punk.”
Ares stared back at me from the cat-carrier, wondering what he’d done to deserve jail. I carried him down the steps and into the cold, along the walkway and straight to Senan’s car, idling silently at the curb.
“Back seat okay?” Brett smiled.
He held the door for me as I ducked inside, placing the carrier on the floor. Then he jumped in beside me, pulled the door closed, and the car rolled off.
My eyes scanned the front seat, where Senan and Ander were smiling back at me. All three guys were dressed totally casual. Whatever they had planned, it sure wasn’t fancy.
“So where are we going?” I asked finally, shimmying out of my coat. The interior of the car was warm and comfortable.
“About an hour and a half from here,” said Senan.
I chuckled. “That narrows it down.”
“Okay, ever been ice fishing?”
I blinked. “I—Ice fishing?”
“Yeah.”
“No, never.”
“Good,” laughed Ander. He threw an elbow over the passenger seat and winked back at me. “Us either.”
The car turned, then turned again,