She needed to breathe and calm down. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this quite yet. She just needed to watch the movie and enjoy the company. Though it wasn’t helping her state of mind that Colby had moved her long, flowy skirt to her knees and was idly stroking her calves as they watched the movie. And Keats had shifted behind her to where she was now basically lying against his chest. His knees were spread wide in that relaxed guy pose, and his cargo pants were situated in a way that had her imagination drawing pictures, especially when he’d discreetly adjusted himself a few minutes ago.
Dammit.
She forced her attention back to the movie, finding that the film was at the mandatory sex break in between the zombie attacks. The heroine and her boyfriend were locked inside a house and all was quiet for now. So, as per B-horror-movie protocol, clothes had come off. The woman was presently naked and astride the guy, rolling her hips and tipping her head back, making the oh-right-there face. Of course, they were showing none of the rather good-looking guy except his hands and face. A little grumble escaped her.
“Everything all right?” Colby asked, sending her a look of amusement.
“It’s annoying that all they ever show in movies is the girl. I mean, sure, she’s pretty and has a nice body. But would it kill them to throw the female viewing audience a little man ass or something? That guy has a good one. Boy parts shouldn’t be off-limits.”
Keats’s chest bounced gently beneath her as he laughed, and Colby’s dimples appeared.
“It’s unfair,” she concluded.
“Agreed. Horribly sexist,” Colby said, trying to look serious. “I do have Internet access on this TV. I could pull up some gay zombie porn for you. There will be man ass and boy parts galore.”
She sent him a sidelong glance. “Please, God, tell me that doesn’t exist.”
“When it comes to porn, everything exists,” Keats assured her.
She turned her head to look up at him and gave him a poke in the arm. “Speaking from experience?”
He gave her an oh-please look. “You do realize I’m male and grew up in the age of the Internet, right?”
“Wait, are you even old enough to watch porn?” she asked, blinking innocently.
Colby barked a laugh.
Keats pinched her side, and she yelped before falling into her own laughter.
“Low blow, George,” he said, but his smile was warm.
“Ha!” Colby said from the other side of the couch.
Georgia turned to face him.
He pointed the remote at the TV and announced triumphantly, “Would you prefer The Sucking Dead or 28 Dicks Later?”
Georgia was already a little giggly from a night of nervous tension and the beer, so at the sight of the two movie posters displayed on the screen, especially the one with the very shapely green male behind, she lost it. She slipped out of Keats’s hold as she bent forward, her shoulders shaking with laughter.
“Only nine ninety-nine. Yeah, we’re totally getting this,” Colby said, lifting the remote. “And I’m opening up the account in your name. Georgia Lawrence, lover of gay zombie ass.”
“Don’t you dare!” She went for the remote, launching herself at Colby. He lifted the remote out of her reach, and she landed half across his lap. He locked an arm around her waist, dragging her against him and giving her a flash of teeth. “Hey, I’m giving you what you asked for.”
“All I wanted was male nudity, not zombie ass,” she said, still stretching for the remote, but he tossed it over her head to Keats.
“Hit Buy, Keats,” Colby called on a laugh.
“Oh my God, the zombie fucks people back to life and that turns them into zombies,” Keats said, apparently reading the description. “Do you think he walks around saying ‘Asssss’ instead of ‘Braaaains’? Because if that’s the case, we need to watch this. I mean, how could we not? It’s like an obligation.”
She sent Keats a look of mock betrayal. “You are not siding with him. All I asked for was a little equal-opportunity nudity. Is that too much to ask?”
“Hey, I’m fond of nudity of all types,” he said with a grin, and reached behind him. He tugged his shirt over his head with one quick motion and tossed it aside. “There, it’s evened out now. Topless girl in the movie, topless guy for your viewing pleasure.”
But she was slipping out of Colby’s hold as soon as the shirt hit the floor and moving to Keats’s side, the purple bruises draining all the humor from her. “Oh my God, Keats. You didn’t say it was this bad.”
She laid her palm against the purple blotches, concern flooding her, but anger building as well. How could someone do this to him?
Keats sucked in a breath at her touch, but he put his hand over hers. “A