“Oops.” Ember giggles.

“What the hell was that for?” I ask, rubbing my head.

“That was for having a penis.”

“Why am I being punished because I have a dick?”

“Because you’re breathing and thinking about using it. That’s where it all begins,” she sobs, and I watch as she drops her head to her hands as her hair falls into the almost melted container of chocolate ice cream.

“I’m just going to go … uh, somewhere, anywhere.”

Ember’s chest moves as she silently giggles, but she just waves me off as she moves from the chair she had been sitting on to the couch where Nikki is wailing and pulls her hair out of the ice cream. I see her look at her wrists for a hair tie and not wanting to stick around longer than necessary, I rip the one holding my hair in a bun and toss it in her lap on my way out of the room.

What a fucking mess.

With nothing on TV, I decided to pick up one of the books Ember is always reading. I used to make fun of Dani for reading ‘mom porn,’ but this shit is shockingly good. I’ve already made some mental notes of shit I plan to do to Ember. If she enjoys reading it so much, she’s had to have thought about reenacting some of the scenes.

I had been thoroughly enjoying some bum fun when the door opened and a very tired looking Ember walked into the bedroom. Her white tee shirt was streaked with what I’m hoping is chocolate ice cream. Her bare feet are silent as she turns to pull her shorts down her legs, giving me a great view of her ass.

“How is she?” I break the silence, and she jumps a good foot in the air.

“I thought you would be sleeping,” she says tiredly.

“I decided to do some light reading instead.” I hold up the book, and she just shakes her head with a small laugh. “I thought about getting a highlighter but didn’t want to piss you off by marking your book up.”

“Thank you for that,” she sarcastically drones.

I put the book down, making sure to mark the page I’m on, and pat the bed. “Come on, you look tired.”

“I’m exhausted. Things just got worse when you left and she’s been crying between mouthfuls of ice cream for the last two hours. I finally had enough and crushed up a Benadryl in her wine. She passed out thirty minutes ago.”

“Is that safe?”

“Yeah. I called the twenty-four-hour pharmacist and asked if it was okay to take a Benadryl after a few glasses of wine. She’s just going to take a good, much-needed nap.”

She climbs into bed, one of her arms going over my stomach and her head dropping to my shoulder. She shifts a few times, bringing one leg up and over mine until I can feel the heat of her knee near my balls.

“I don’t know this ex of hers, but is this something that came as a shock?”

I feel her finger push against my nipple ring and I remind myself why I need to calm my dick and be the sensitive boyfriend who listens instead of just fucks his woman every time she breathes near him.

Easier said than done.

When she gives it another tweak, I almost forget all my good intentions.

“I’m honestly not shocked. I’ve always wondered why she stayed with him, but she didn’t have the best life growing up and I think she stuck around out of fear of being alone.”

“I could kick his ass for her.”

Her laughter tickles my skin, and I have to clench my jaw not to shiver like a little girl.

“That’s sweet, honey, but I think her honor is safe and all that.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

Ember lifts off my chest and shifts so that her lips press against mine.