“A taste test?”

  “Yes.” I lead him to the couch and make him sit. “I’ll let you taste something. You’ll tell me what it is.”

  “And we’re doing this because…?”

  “It’s going to be fun,” I answer. “Don’t you want to have some fun?”

  “I do, but—”

  I silence him with a long, firm kiss, one which leaves both me and Ryker out of breath. I take a moment after to catch mine.

  “See. Isn’t this fun?”

  “Fine,” he says. “I’ll play along.”

  “Good.”

  “But no feeding me any weird stuff, okay? No exotic stuff. No vomit-flavored jellybeans. Nothing too spicy.”

  “There will be none of that.” I place my hands on his cheek and try to hold his gaze through the mask. “I won’t kill you. I promise.”

  “Promise?”

  “In fact, I’m quite sure you’ll like everything I’ve prepared.”

  Ryker shrugs. “Okay then.”

  I give him another kiss, just to ease any of the worries he has left. As I do, I loosen his tie and start to unbutton his shirt.

  Ryker pulls away. “What are you doing?”

  “Making things more fun,” I answer. “Besides, you don’t want to get anything on your shirt, do you?”

  “Okay.”

  I step back and pause to admire my handiwork.

  Damn. Even with a mask on, I can still see Ryker’s perfect features. In fact, it seems to accentuate his chiseled cheeks and his square chin. And his bare torso is just… candy. I can see his dark nipples standing out against his pale skin, which is coated by just a thin layer of hair. I can see the dips and curves of his chest, the ridges of his abdomen.

  I lick my lips. I want to taste. I want to sit on his lap and have his cock inside me right now. My pussy is tingling just from the thought of it. But no. Not yet.

  I made the effort to come up with a game plan. I have to stick to it.

  I head to the kitchen to change into my outfit—my apron. Just because Ryker can’t see me doesn’t mean I don’t have to look sexy. He’s in his ‘costume’. I have to wear mine, too. Then I grab the food I’ve prepared for the taste test.

  “Ready?” I ask Ryker as I come back to the living room.

  “Yup.”

  I start with something easy—the brownie I got from the bakery.

  “Say ‘ah’.”

  Ryker opens his mouth. I put the brownie in. He chews.

  “Brownie.”

  “Excellent,” I praise him. “Now, this.”

  I give him a large crumb of blue cheese. I know some people find it weird, but I have a feeling Ryker doesn’t mind the strong flavor.

  “Blue cheese,” he says with an expression of mild distaste.

  My eyebrows furrow. “You don’t like it?”

  “I don’t mind it with crackers or chicken. On its own, I’m not a fan.”

  “Okay. Sorry about that.”

  Maybe I should give him some wine to wash it down.

  “Just give me a second.”

  I go back to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of dry Riesling. Make that two glasses. I finish one. Then I carry the other to the living room and bring it to Ryker’s lips.

  “Drink,” I tell him.

  He obeys. I let him finish the whole glass before I take it away.

  Ryker licks his lips. “Is this part of the taste test?”

  “Yes.”

  “So I’m supposed to say what wine it is?”

  “If you can.”

  He pauses. “Sauvignon Blanc?”

  “Nope. But you’re close.”

  At least he named a white wine variety.

  “Hmm.” He purses his lips. “Ah. Riesling?”

  I smile. “Impressive.”

  Then again, I suppose rich men know their wines.

  “Let’s move on, shall we?”

  Ryker nods.

  “Say ‘ah’.”

  He opens his mouth. I get the cherry from the bowl and put the stalk between my lips. Then I let him trap the cherry between his. Our lips meet just before the stalk breaks off. I brush mine against his before pulling away. Then I take the stalk out of my mouth.

  “So?”

  He swallows. “Cherry.”

  “Very good.” I clap my hands. “Now, this.”

  I grab the strawberry and let him take a bite. As he does, the red juice trickles down his chin. A drop falls on his stomach.

  Perfect.

  “Oops.” I try to sound surprised even though I meant for this to happen. “Let me clean that up.”

  I kneel between Ryker’s legs. As I do, my gaze falls on his crotch. He still isn’t hard. I have to applaud his self-control.

  But I have a feeling that isn’t going to last much longer. In fact, I’m going to make sure of it.

  I lean forward and swipe the drop of strawberry juice off Ryker’s skin, right above his navel, with the tip of my tongue. It’s just one drop, and one lick should be enough to clean it, but I keep licking. And not just there.

  With the tip of my tongue, I start to trace a circle around his navel.

  “What are you doing?” Ryker asks.

  I hear the tinge of worry in his voice, but also the excitement.

  “Cleaning you up,” I answer as I continue with the circle, which eventually becomes a spiral, closing in on Ryker’s navel.

  He draws in a sharp breath, then places a hand on my shoulder.

  “You don’t have to—”

  He gasps as I dip my tongue inside his belly button. His fingers dig into my skin. I grin.

  “Just enjoy,” I tell him. “We’re still playing the game.”

  “Are you sure this is part…?”

  He stops in the middle of rubbing my shoulder.

  “Are you… naked?”

  I guess he thinks that because he’s finally realized my shoulder is bare.

  I chuckle. “Almost.”

  Ryker takes his hand off me. He tries to remove his mask but I grab his wrist and pin it to his side.

  “Like I said, we’re not done yet.”

  I give his belly button one more lick. Again, he gasps. I lean forward to kiss his nipples and drag my lips across the muscles of his chest. His hair tickles my chin but I bear with it, planting one wet kiss after another. I feel his cock throb against my stomach.

  I move back to his. I see his erection begging me for attention but I ignore it. I trace the lines between the muscles of his abdomen and they quiver. I suck on one of them and his stomach grows rigid.

  His cock is rigid, forming a tent in the front of his pants. If I don’t hurry, it might just break through.

  Maybe I should pick up my pace.

  I get off my knees and cradle Ryker’s face so I can lick the stain of strawberry juice on his chin. Then I brush the tip of my tongue across his lips. He parts them and I push my tongue in. I can still taste the strawberry on his.

  I guess we both taste like strawberry.

  I cup his cheeks and let our tongues mingle until my knees start trembling. Then I pull away.

  “You know you still haven’t told me what that last one is,” I tell Ryker.

  “Strawberry,” he says.

  I clap my hands. “Great.”

  “So can I take the mask off now?” he asks as he touches it.

  “No,” I whisper in his ear. “Not if you want to get your reward for getting a perfect score.”

  His hand drops. I grin.

  I thought so.

  Now then, time for Ryker’s treat. And mine.

  I take off his belt and unbutton his pants. Then I kneel between his legs. I pull the zipper down and take his hard cock out of his briefs. The smell of his arousal hits my nostrils and sends a shiver down my spine. The sight of his pre-cum leaking from the tip of his thick cock makes my mouth water. I swallow.

  I wrap my fingers around it and start licking. First, I lick the tip, gathering every drop of the sticky substance oozing out of him. Then I spread that down the length of his cock while tracing every vein. Ryker hisses. He clutches my shoulders.

  I cradle his balls and give them a reverent kiss. Then I suck on them, gently at first, then applying a bit more pressure. Again, he hisses. His nails dig into my skin.

  Was that good or too much? I don’t want to waste time asking, so I just get back to licking his cock, which I’m sure Ryker likes. Fresh pre-cum oozes from the tip. This time, I let it coat my lips. Ryker shudders.

  I open my mouth so I can suck on his cock. As soon as I trap the head between my lips, Ryker lets out a curse. His hand jumps to the back of my head and tugs my hair. I suck and another shudder goes through him.

  I take as much of him inside my mouth as I can and wrap my fingers around the rest. Then I swallow around him. Ryker hisses. His blunt nails bite into my scalp.

  I swallow one more time. Then I start to move my head. Ryker’s hand moves to the top of it. He strokes my hair as my lips rub against his cock. I move faster and he pulls. I ignore the pain and keep going.

  I know he’s close. I can tell by the sound of his strained breathing, by the occasional trembling of his thighs, by the clenching of his fingers.

  “Claire.” Ryker says my name in a shaky whisper as he tries to push me away, pleading.

  I stop. There’s no way I can refuse him when he says my name like that. Besides, I’m running out of patience, too.

  I pull my mouth off his cock and climb onto his lap. I take his mask off and kiss him as I let my fingers run wildly through his hair.

  His hands grip my waist. Gradually, he lowers it so I can sink onto his cock.

  I let out a gasp as the tip slips in. Then I grip his shoulders and hold my breath as the rest of him enters me inch by inch. It’s thick, so thick I can feel myself getting stretched. And it’s so long that by the time it’s completely inside me, I can feel it reaching somewhere deep in my belly. I let my breath out slowly as I savor the sensation and take a moment to get it back.

  Then I start to move. I lift my hips to leave just a quarter of his cock inside me, then let them drop slowly, moaning in the process. Without the rubber between his cock and my insides, I feel the friction more. I can feel him more, and it’s amazing.

  I do that a few more times so I can get used to having Ryker’s cock inside me. Just when I think I’ve done that, he moves his hips, giving a powerful thrust, and the air gets knocked out of my lungs. I throw my head back as shivers go down my spine.

  It’s just the first thrust of many. Ryker continues to move his hips. Somehow, I manage to move mine as well and we get caught up in a dance. The couch creaks. The sound of bare skin slapping against bare skin fills the room.

  “Ryker!”

  I wrap my arms around him as the pleasure takes over me. My whole body trembles. My head turns to mush.

  Beneath me, Ryker goes still for a few seconds. Then his hips start jerking again. I feel him start to quiver.

  “Claire!”

  He pushes me off him just a second before his cock spurts. Drops of cum land on the front of my apron as his features twist in pleasure. His fingers dig into my hips.

  Afterwards, he goes still as he gasps for air. I don’t move either. I’m still too tired to. Plus I’m mesmerized by the sight of his cock, which is still half hard, cum trickling down its length. It’s enough to send heat bubbling through my veins again.

  Ryker leans back. “Looks like I got your apron dirty.”

  “It’s fine,” I tell him as I glance down.

  In fact, I quite like the look of it.

  He touches my cheek. “Are we done with the taste test?”

  “Yes,” I answer as I gaze into his eyes.

  That’s one thing the mask took from me, I guess—being able to look into his brown eyes. But I can do that now.

  “Good,” Ryker says.

  He runs his hand down my arm.

  “Because I haven’t had my fill of you in this outfit yet.”

  I glance at his cock, which is all stiff again, and grin.

  “Then by all means, tuck in.”

  Chapter Ten

  Ryker

  “Aren’t you going to eat?” Joel asks me.

  He points to the plate of grilled meat, seafood and vegetables that we’re supposed to be sharing. I realize I haven’t touched it. I’ve been too busy chugging down my beer.

  “It’s fine,” I say. “You can finish it all. I’m not hungry.”

  I was, but now that I’m with Joel, I can’t bring myself to take a bite. How can I share a meal with him when I’m screwing his sister?

  Well, not screwing. That sounds… quick. And dirty. And half-assed. The sex Claire and I are having? Not quick. Well, sometimes it’s quick, but then we do it again… and again, so it gets kind of long. And it’s not half-assed. Definitely not. It’s… incredible, in fact. We both get so caught up in it that we can’t seem to stop until we’re both exhausted. And I mean exhausted. The last time we did it, I overslept and was almost late for work. Dirty? A little bit. Especially that last time with the strawberry and the apron. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I didn’t like it at first, but it turned out to be a good thing. A very good thing.

  So no, not screwing. Just sex. Great sex. With my best friend’s sister.

  Fuck.

  “Is everything okay?” Joel asks.

  “Yeah,” I lie.

  I can’t believe I’m making a habit out of lying to my best friend. I don’t like it. I don’t want to think about it.

  “How about the preparations for the wedding?” I ask. “How are they coming along?”

  “They’re coming along.” Joel pops a piece of grilled lamb inside his mouth. “We chose our cake.”

  I set my bottle of beer down and raise an eyebrow. “You did?”

  “Well, Natalie did. She’s the one who knows all about cakes.”

  “And? What did she pick?”

  Joel shrugs. “Would you believe she doesn’t know?”

  My eyebrows furrow. “What?”

  “She said she was blindfolded. She asked Claire to blindfold her and then she randomly picked three flavors.”

  “She asked Claire to blindfold her?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  So that’s where Claire got that idea.

  “I guess we’ll find out what she picked when we cut the cake open,” Joel says.

  I shrug. “At least you have one more surprise to look forward to on your wedding day.”

  Joel nods. “That’s what she said. To be honest, though, I don’t want any surprises. I just want us to get married, get it over with.”

  No surprises. So no telling him about me and Claire. Got it.

  “What about you and Claire?” he asks.

  A lump forms in my throat as I stiffen.

  “What did you come up with about the wedding shower?”

  “Oh, we’re still bouncing ideas off each other,” I answer. “We don’t have anything definite yet.”

  That’s because when we’re together, we spend most of the time in bed, and by the time we’re done, we’re too tired to talk about anything.

  “I bet Claire wants a hundred different things,” Joel says. “Remember her seventh birthday?”

  I grin because I do.

  “She had a unicorn, a magnifying glass, a fairy and a butterfly on her cake,” I recall out loud. “And she was dressed like a… princess detective? Or was it a witch?”

  Joel laughs. “Promise me she’s not going to have clowns in cowboy outfits for our wedding shower.”

  “Nah. I think she’s outgrown those.”

  “I hope so.”

  I touch my chin. “I can’t promise she won’t show your baby pictures, though.”

  Joel’s eyes grow wide in horror. “No way.”

  I say nothing as I drink some beer.

  “She can’t do that.”

  I shrug. “I think she has the pictures already.”

  “No.” He shakes his head. “You have to get those pictures away from her.”

  “I can’t,” I tell him. “If I do, she’ll kill me.”

  “So you’d rather I die of embarrassment?” Joel asks. “Since when have you been on her side and not mine?”

  “I’m not,” I say defensively. “I…”

  I pause to gather my thoughts. Joel taps his fingers on the table.

  “I think it’s only fair that everyone gets to see your baby pictures. After all, Natalie is showing hers.”

  “She is?”

  I nod even though I don’t know the answer. It’s the only way I know of to subdue his temper.

  And it works. Joel’s forehead doesn’t look all wrinkled anymore. He lets out a breath as he takes a gulp of beer.

  “You know, Claire wants your wedding to be a success as much as you do,” I tell him. “Even your wedding shower.”

  “I know,” Joel says as he sets his bottle down. “She’s grown into a fine woman.”

  “That she has,” I say without thinking.

  As soon as I finish speaking, I realize the mistake I’ve made. I hold my breath as I wait for Joel to notice it, too, to ask me the question I’ve been dreading to hear from him. But he just moves on to a different subject as he keeps eating, which just makes me feel worse.

  Joel has no clue I’m having sex with his sister.

  And I don’t have the heart to tell him.

  ~

  “You should tell him,” Ethan tells me when we go drinking two nights later. “You’re feeling guilty not because you’re going out with Claire, because nothing’s wrong with that. You’re feeling guilty because you’re keeping something from Joel that you feel he has a right to know. Maybe he does. Maybe he doesn’t. But that’s how you feel, and knowing you, that feeling is not going to change. So just tell him.”

  I turn my head the other way to look at Asher. He puts down his martini and shrugs.

  “What Ethan said. You’re feeling guilty. That’s between you and your conscience. The only way to make the guilt go away? Clear your conscience. So yeah, tell him.”

  Wow. I never thought the day would come when Asher would talk to me about conscience. Now, I feel even worse.

  I almost wish I didn’t tell my brothers about me and Claire, but at the same time, I’m glad I did. I’m already keeping it a secret from my best friend. I don’t want to keep it from my brothers too. At least, now, I don’t feel so alone. I’m still the man who’s sleeping with his best friend’s sister, but I’m also the man with two brothers telling him the right thing to do. And they’re both right. I should tell Joel, not just out of respect for him and our friendship but also for my own peace of mind.