Free Mastered by H. L. Maxwell Page A

the shower.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “And...”
I hesitated, debating whether or not I should tell Jake about my
recent romps in bed.
    “And?”
    “And
honestly, for the first time in my life, I like how relaxed I
feel after...after I, uh, get ready for bed.” I dropped my gaze
to the rug in the living room, blushing at the thought of my recent
extracurriculars. Jake and I may have been friends for a long time,
but we'd never been those sorts of friends.
    “After
you ' get ready for bed '?”
    “Yeah,
you know. After I...you know.”
    “Um?”
He had a smile on his lips as he leaned forward, an exaggerated look
of confusion on his face. He had to have known what I was talking
about, but was determined to make me say it.
    “RELEASE,
Jake!” I yelled, throwing my arms in the air for emphasis.
“After I...release.”
    He
laughed a little, shaking his head, his eyes finally leveling on
mine.“Mags, are you talking about sex?”
    “No!
I mean, yes. Well, sort of. After Alex left me, Julie and Rach and I
all went shopping, and I got that vibrator, you know? As a joke.
Except it's not a joke because actually it feels amazing, and it's
only since I've quit that last horrible job that I've finally felt
like using it. I don't know why. I don't even know what made me want
to!”
    I'd
started rambling, and couldn't stop. “I was thinking so much,
about work and Alex and our sex life and my sex life and how I've
never really had one but have always wanted one, the passionate kind;
the kind that leaves me sweating, and panting, and aching, you know?
That kind! So now. I use my vibrator. I use it all the time. And you
know what, Jake? I LOVE IT! I FUCKING LOVE IT...a lot.”
    I
brushed my bangs off my forehead, suddenly aware of how hot my face
felt. Clearing my throat, I leaned back and tried to calm my racing
pulse. “Okay?”
    There
was a silent pause that went on so long I was just getting ready to
start spilling out apologies for my ridiculous outburst when Jake
laughed and ran the back of his hand across the dark stubble dusting
his jawline.
    “And
that's what's been keeping you so...occupied?” He was clearly
amused by my confession.
    I
felt my cheeks burn. “Yes.”
    “Well
then, little Miss Wells, it seems I've underestimated you.”
    “How
do you mean?” He had a glint in his eyes I wasn't used to, but
that I was pretty sure I liked.
    He
stood up, his eyes first meeting with mine, then slowly trailing to
the swell of my breasts, clearly visible in my haphazardly-buttoned
shirt, and finally dropping to the soft hairs of my pussy as I sat
with my legs tucked underneath me. Acutely aware of his stare, I
quickly shifted so my legs were tightly crossed in front of me. He
smiled.
    “Just
be ready at 8, Mags. And be dressed to impress.”

Chapter 2
    I
spent the rest of the day primping, something I hadn't done in detail
since Alex left. Hell, I hadn't primped much before he left,
which could have been part of the problem. For those last few years,
I had let myself feel un-pretty, and whether or not I was
still in-shape and always well-kept, I knew that my bouts of low
self-esteem hadn't helped my marriage.
    It
was time to reclaim my confidence. I stood in the shower, feeling the
heat from the stream hit my shoulders, run down the small of my back,
and trace its way over my thighs.
    Adding
more soap to my loofah, I dragged the scrubber up one arm, trailing
slowly over my collar bone, just under my neck, and then down to
scrape lightly against my nipples. Feeling them harden in response, I
let my hand that wasn't holding the loofah, slippery with soap, glide
easily along the nubs. I lightly tugged on one, then the other, as my
core began to warm in response. I tilted my head back into the shower
stream, letting the force of the water rub my scalp as my fingers
continued to pluck at my nipples. I couldn't explain why it suddenly
felt so right thinking about Jake while I played, but I knew
that night was going to be