My skin pricks with goose bumps. “Oh, okay, thanks,” I say, trying to sound casual—but, oh my God, the size of that box sure looks familiar. I pop up off the couch, intending to shoo Dax away, because, oh my God, if that box contains what I think it does, there’d better not be any markings on the outside to give it away.
“And, of course, I already opened the box for you, sis,” Dax continues, “just to be super-duper helpful.”
A weird screech of anxiety escapes my throat.
Dax chuckles. “Whoever this J.W. Faraday guy is, he’sawfullygenerous—and somewhat of a perv, too, it seems.”
“Youopenedit?” I blurt angrily.
“Of course, I did. I’d never make my sister open a big ol’boxall by herself with her own two fragile hands. I’m agentleman.” He opens the already-cut flaps of the box with a wide smile and pulls out a humongous assortment of dildo-attachments, all packaged together in a clear plastic bag. “So many dicks to choose from, Jizz. I don’t know how you’ll decide.” He places the dildos on my coffee table with a wide smile.
“Oh my God,” I say, my cheeks burning. I can’t breathe. I’ve never been so embarrassed in all my life. But Dax isn’t done with me. He reaches inside the box, pulls out the main event, and places it carefully on the floor.
At the sight of my brand new Sybian, my face explodes with instant heat, both from excitement and embarrassment, but I force myself to remain calm. Dax might have no idea what a Sybian is, I tell myself—I’d certainly never heard of one before last week when Josh rented one for me.
“This is the first time I’m seeing a Sybian in person,” Dax says, standing over it with his hands on his hips.
I throw my hands over my face, completely mortified. I can’t believe my baby brother’s here to witness this gift from Josh. Nightmare.
“It’s really quite the feat of modern engineering,” he says.
I don’t reply.
Dax laughs. “So who the fuck is this guy, Jizz?”
I still don’t reply.
“Aw, come on. It’s just me.”
As I often do, I decide my best defense is a good offense. “I can’t believe you opened my personal stuff, Dax!” I yell, throwing my hands up in outrage.
But Dax completely ignores my outburst—a tactic I’ve seen him employ too many times to count (and a tactic I’ve copied and used to great success myself). In fact, he’s smiling serenely at me. “I think Sybians cost like fifteen hundred bucks,” he says. “Gosh, you must have done something awfully nice to J.W. Faraday to make him wanna send you such an expensive gift.”
I open my mouth to yell at him, but nothing comes out. I’m so freaking embarrassed, I can’t speak.
Dax bursts out laughing. “Oh, looks like I hit the nail on the head, huh? Well, whatever you did to the guy, you apparently did it very, very well.” He buckles over laughing.
“You’re so gross, Dax. Stop it.”
But he won’t stop laughing.
“Stop it.”
Nope. He’s thoroughly amused.
“You had absolutely no business opening that box.” I march over to him in a huff and punch him in the shoulder. “Did the label on the package say ‘David Jackson Morgan’?No, it didn’t.”
He scoffs. “Close enough—it was stamped ‘Personal & Confidential.’ Hell, the damn thing might as well have said, ‘Open me, Dax.’”
I can’t help but smile broadly, even through my pissiness. That’s my line, of course. Dax and I have always shared a brain.
Dax shrugs. “Seriously, a guy can’t see a big ol’ box sent to hissister, addressed to ‘KatherineUllaMorgan,’ no less,andmarked ‘Personal & Confidential’ and not openit, for crying out loud. Gimme a break, Jizz—I’m but a man, not a saint.”
My irritation is softening. Goddamn my baby brother, I can never stay mad at him for long. “Just don’t tell everybody about this, okay? It’s really personal.”
He scoffs. “Of course not. I’d never tell any of our brothers about any of this.”
I laugh. “You tell them everything, Dax, especially Keane.”
