Chapter One
Things I didn’t knowI didn’t want to see until I saw them:
How hot dogs are made.
The Black Friday line at Walmart.
My brother’s best friend, in my bedroom, with my vibrators and other assorted toys scattered at his feet.
Jax had been around almost as long as I could remember. Hanging out with my brother since they were in kindergarten and I was a year too young to join them. There was a span of time when he wasn’t welcome, but since we’d made things right, I didn’t mind having Jax around. With his short brown hair, piercing hazel eyes, and a physique that didn’t need a rubber suit to show off the definition, seeing him—the looking—was fantastic.
“Who knew little Dee Dee had a wicked side?” A smirk tugged up the corner of his mouth.
No one else had called me Dee Dee since high school—nearly a decade ago. It was Sadie, or Mercedes if the occasion was formal. But sometimes when Jax said it, I could pretend it was a pet name and not just a long-time habit.
“Anyone who’s watched the outtakes on her Patreon.” Grayson’s voice came from behind me.
He was referring to one arm of my business. I made costumes based on characters from video games, movies, and whatever else caught my eye. Usually anime. It was why my short hair was currently lavender. My last outfit had been Ayane from Dead or Alive. YouTube let me share how-to videos, print-on-demand gave me a way to sell books, and Patreon let the fans support my hobby. In exchange, they got access to some of the sillier, more sweary outtakes from my vids.
Jax tapped his chin. He perpetually had two days’ worth of stubble on his face. I swore, even right after he shaved... stubble. “Those are probably my favorites. Closest we get to seeing the real Sadie.”
I crossed the short distance to Jax, and took the now-broken cardboard box from his hands. “I’ve got this. Thanks.” I tried to keep my tone even. To pretend I wasn’t utterly embarrassed by the assortment of battery-operated latex on the carpet.
I was moving today, and my brother was supposed to help me. He’d had to take a last-minute weekend meeting with a client, and asked Jax to step in. Since Jax was dating Grayson, and Grayson had the pickup truck to haul most of my stuff, that meant I got both guys for the price of one.
I liked Grayson’s company too. His wit. How incredible he looked in the cosplay armor I designed. His mind, of course.
At least it wasn’t my brother who had picked up the less-than-secure box of toys. I shoved them back in their temporary home. I’d used more than one of these when I fantasized about being with Grayson. Or Jax. Or both. They liked to invite other people into their bed and share, and my imagination liked being that person.
While I couldn’t imagine personally loving someone and being able to share them with another person, my mind could run a marathon with the idea being with both men at the same time. My favorite accessory was probably the U-shaped toy where the textured end slid inside me, and the suction end vibrated against my—
“I’ll help.” Jax’s hand brushed over mine when he knelt next to me, and sparks danced along my skin. “These are a lot of fun with a partner.”
I— What? He had to be teasing me. A glance showed his expression was playful.
“I have them for when thereisn’tanother person.” I could do this. I could talk about sex toys with a straight face. Without giggling like a kid. The heat flooding my face said I must be tomato red by this point, but I wasn’t backing down.