Enlightened [Sexual Magic 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Free Page B

training area. Finding out he was also a lesser empath had been interesting. “Thanks, Susan.”
    He skirted her desk and headed for the lounge where he found Mason sprawled on a sofa, eating a peanut butter sandwich and watching the sports network.
    Mason lifted a hand in greeting when he entered. “Susan tell you about the Scry?”
    “Yeah. Pretty amazing. Makes, what, the fourth this year?”
    “Sounds about right. Weird that for so long there was nothing and now so many.” Mason slanted him a sidelong glance. “Almost as if the universe is trying to tell us something, don’t you think?”
    With a scowl, Griff grabbed a soda from the fridge and settled next to Mason. “Damn, Mace, don’t start that again. Your restlessness was the whole reason we took a break. I expected you to come back ready to go again.”
    His partner shrugged. “What we do is great, Griff, don’t get me wrong. I like helping people.” He gave a wide, white-toothed grin. “And you know I love the sex.”
    Griff’s gut twisted. “But?” he asked softly.
    Mason looked away. “I don’t know. It all still feels so superficial. Like there’s something more and we haven’t found it. Yet.”
    Though he didn’t give voice to his thoughts, Griff knew his friend was talking about Fi, Alec, and Kade. That triad was a freaking Hallmark commercial for togetherness. Griff took a pull off his drink and squelched a sigh. He knew the realities of marriage and commitment. They didn’t mean jack shit. He nudged Mason. “What time did you get in?”
    “Late. Close to three this morning. I slept on the couch so I wouldn’t wake you up.”
    “I wouldn’t have minded,” he said softly. “It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve seen you. You were gone early, too. Running?”
    “Yeah.”
    Griff studied his partner, noted the new air of ease on his face. “You look rested, though. I think your vacation did you good.”
    After nearly six years of constant clients, his partner had declared he’d needed a break. Clarissa and the Council agreed, and they’d been taken off the roster. Mason had taken the opportunity to hightail it to a fetish-themed destination resort where any and everything goes. He’d offered a ticket to Griff, but he’d refused it.
    Instead, he spent the three months restless and in need but had not sought anyone out. There was no one in his life he could meet for a booty call, anyway. When Clarissa phoned with a new job, Griff found a relief he’d not been expecting.
    “How was your trip to Pleasure Isles?” he asked his partner.
    “It was awesome,” Mason said. “Lots of tits, ass, and more sex than one person could have. Even us.”
    Griff raised his brow. “Really? I take it you accepted that challenge?”
    “Hell yeah,” Mason said. His forehead furrowed, and he shifted on the couch. “Although, I did have an encounter that weirded me out.”
    A wave of anxiety washed over him, but it dissipated quickly. Griff studied his partner with renewed interest. “That felt odd. What happened?”
    Mason sipped at his soda. “It was damn odd. I hooked up with a Domme—tall, sleek, and a bottled-crazy redhead. I should have taken that warning to heart.”
    Another shudder rippled over Mason and seeped into Griff. He studied his partner for a long silent moment, then gripped his thigh and gave a light squeeze. “Mace? Everything okay?”
    “Yeah.” Mason shrugged. “She was into some out-there shit. I mean, I like a good whipping as much as the next sub.”
    Griff squeezed again. “Yes you do.”
    Mason laughed. “Yeah, well, this was too much. She wouldn’t stop. If it hadn’t been for Noah and Madelyn, I think she would have flayed me alive. As it is, I still have stripes, and that was almost two weeks ago. Hell, if I still had a badge, I would have locked her ass up for assault.”
    Griff’s breath caught, and he leapt up. “What? Let me see.”
    “I’m fine,” Mason said and waved him back to the couch.