Take the Chance (Top Shelf Romance #9) - Brittainy Cherry Page 0,328

who doesn’t know what this stuff is?” Sunny frowns.

“It’s okay not to know,” I tell her.

“But all of you know.” Sunny sits up a little straighter and flips her hair over her shoulder. “I want to know then, too.”

I look to Poppy and Lily, who both shrug. They spend more time with Sunny than me. They would know what could potentially upset her, which is not something I want to do to a pregnant woman—especially not one as sensitive, and obviously naïve, as she is. I’m almost sad that I’m taking this little piece of innocence from her. “I guess a ball gag is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a rubber ball that goes in your mouth.”

Sunny looks horrified. “Isn’t that dangerous? You could choke!”

God, I love her. “It has straps attached to it, so you can secure it at the back of your head,” Lily explains.

Sunny blinks a few times. “Why would you strap a rubber ball to your face? I don’t get it.”

“Maybe a picture would help.” Violet performs a quick search on her phone, but I grab it from her before she can show Sunny the image. I would like it to be the least potentially scarring ball gag picture out there—which seems like an oxymoron. I find one that doesn’t look too awful and show it to Poppy first. Her eyes flare, but she tips her head to Lily.

I pass the phone to Lily, who grins. “I think my question is, who wears it? You or Darren?”

Sunny throws her hands in the air. “Will someone show me what it is!”

Lily holds the phone out to Sunny. “Remember to keep an open mind.”

Sunny peers at the small image on the screen. She frowns and brings it closer to her face. She twists her hair furiously around her finger until she’s either at risk of knotting it or ripping out the entire chunk. “Wouldn’t it be hard to talk?”

Lily coughs. “I think that’s kind of the point.”

Sunny looks from the phone to me and back to the phone. “But . . . why?”

“So no one can hear her scream.” Violet’s grin is evil.

“Don’t be a jerk!” I jump in. “It’s about trust, and heightening the experience. When you remove the ability to communicate through words, your partner has to be able to read your body and your reactions. Just like if you remove sight, it heightens touch, smell, and taste. You focus on feeling and being in the moment.” I’m fidgeting with my pearls, nervous about the way they’re all looking at me, maybe judging, seeing me differently. “Not that I have personal experience or anything.”

“Wait, what do you mean, you don’t have experience? Does that mean Darren is the one who wears the ball gag?” Violet’s eyes light up.

I snort. “I’d have better luck getting a porcupine to wear a T-shirt.”

“So what do you do with it if you don’t use it?” Lily looks like she might be interested in taking that ball gag off my hands.

I don’t want to explain where it all came from, but I’ve kind of boxed myself into a corner. I mean, some of the stuff I bought myself, but the majority came in the form of gifts—not from Darren. Violet and Darren know about my mother’s unconventional career, but I generally don’t broadcast that she’s a Dominatrix. Usually I say she’s in the entertainment industry, which is categorically true.

I have never worn that ball gag. It was one of my mother’s gifts that ended up in my this sounds interesting pile on the heels of a super-smutty read. It always sounds so hot in books, but then when I tried it on, I didn’t like the way the rubber tasted, and it was awkward. Also, I don’t like not being able to talk. And I couldn’t stop drooling, which is completely unsexy, so it went in my box of no thanks toys. It’s a big box.

“We use some things.”

“Like the mask with no eyeholes?” Sunny asks.

“Well, no, not that either.”

“Wait a hot damn minute!” Violet slaps the arm of the couch. “Does this mean Darren doesn’t actually have Area 51 access?”

“Oh, he definitely has Area 51 access, but I get why you don’t want Alex in there.”

“It’s not that scary. You just need to work up to it,” Lily says.

“Hold the fucking phone, you let Balls and his giant dick in your backdoor? How does that even happen?” Violet looks shocked.

“Lots of patience and lube,” I reply.

Lily smiles. “Exactly. How