Bedding The Best Friend (Bedding the Bachelors, Book 4) Read Free

the clerk who was ringing up her new toy to see Paige holding up a roll of shiny black tape, which almost exactly matched the color of Paige’s long, straight tresses. Annie’s cheeks heated and she gave her friend a “keep your voice down” stare.
    It was a stare Paige either didn’t read correctly or simply chose to ignore. Wiggling the roll, she raised her brows and singsonged, “It says it’s perfect for kinky couple’s play.”
    Annie barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Kinky couple’s play sounded good. It would sound even better if Annie was actually part of a couple. Even then, given her inexperience with kink in general and her plans for the weekend in particular, including having sex with a stranger, she couldn’t help envisioning that tape and her body taking part in a high school gym prank or something straight out of a horror movie.
    Still…
    It had taken her two days to work up the nerve to walk into Sweet Sensations, the city’s best sex store according to Paige. She was supposed to be having an open mind here.
    “It could be fun to put on,” she conceded. “But pulling it off?” She mock shivered.
    “Here you go,” the clerk said. The young woman had dyed red hair, piercings, and visible tattoos that contrasted with her vintage baby doll dress. She easily emanated the hipster “I’m not really trying” vibe that ran rampant in San Francisco’s Mission District. She handed Annie a discreet white-handled bag, smiled, and jerked her chin at Paige. “If you decide on the bondage tape, it doesn’t yank out hair or leave a sticky residue, so it doesn’t hurt when you pull it off. It also comes in all kinds of fun colors.”
    There was that word again. Fun . Annie had to admit, she’d had fun today. It was, after all, the first time she’d visited a sex shop, and Paige was always good company. The upcoming weekend in Vegas was supposed to be all about having fun, too. Specifically, it was Annie’s opportunity to stretch her bad-girl muscles and complete her carefully planned naughty list.
    So why did thinking about it make her want to throw up?
    Because you’re set in your boring, nice-girl ways, Annie. That’s the point. You need to go against your instincts and be the bad girl for once.
    Bad girls have more fun.
    They also don’t waste their time lusting over their best friends.
    You’ll see.
    That’s what her naughty side was telling her. The stronger part of her personality, her inner nice girl, wasn’t convinced. She’d spent the last two months transforming herself. Not by being bad, exactly, but by doing things she normally wouldn’t. Like getting Lasik surgery so she could ditch her glasses. Highlighting her mousy brown hair. And starting to take diet pills when her slow-and-steady weight loss regimen had hit a wall. Now her eyesight was perfect, her hair looked awesome, and she’d lost over twenty pounds.
    Unfortunately, she was still in love with Ryan as much as ever, and she’d barely even seen the guy. That’s why she’d made her naughty list.
    It was time for drastic measures.
    Annie took the bag from the clerk and said, “Thanks for the, um, tip.” With a quick glance behind her, she saw the line had gotten even longer while she’d been paying for her purchase. Sweet Sensations was packed with men and women both young and old. Trying to appear nonchalant, she walked over to Paige and studied the display that touted the many functions of bondage tape. Restraint was just the beginning. It could also be used as a gag, collar, or harness, and to make boobtubes, dresses, and miniskirts.
    “Talk about serving multiple purposes,” Annie whispered.
    “I’m buying you a roll,” Paige declared loudly.
    Annie laughed nervously. “Seriously, Paige? I’ve spent the past thirty minutes with my eyes as wide as saucers, and I just bought my very first sex toy, and you think I’m ready to graduate to BDSM?”
    “It says right here on the label that it’s