Mason is bat shit crazy, right? He can’t really think it could work with the three of us dating each other. Not a real threesome, as he keeps stressing, because apparently that’s freaking him out, whereas dating both Lucky and me is perfectly normal.

I should have said no, of course. I should have bowed out gracefully and leave those two to date together, because they make way more sense than me and Lucky. Or me and Mason, in all fairness. I’m not good enough for either one of them, and that’s so fucking obvious, I can’t believe neither of them has brought it up. I’m a convicted felon and a porn star—both should have them running in the other direction.

Well, technically, I was innocent, at least on the felon part. Doesn’t make my record go away magically, but it’s a small consolation to me at least. All I’m guilty of is being monumentally stupid and naive…and that will never happen again.

Which is why I know this three-dating thing or whatever we’re gonna call it won’t work. I know at some point, I’m gonna get dumped. By both of them. So why the hell am I on my way to hang out with Mason right now?

I’m debating with myself all the way, and even when I park my car and walk up to Mason’s door, I’m still telling myself I should turn back and forget about this. Then Mason opens the door, and he’s disheveled, his shirt crumpled, his cheeks flushed, and his lips swollen and wet…and my heart breaks.

Not because it’s Lucky he’s been clearly making out with, because he’s a good man and he’ll take good care of him, but because I know whatever we had is over. I can’t compete with Lucky…and I don’t want to. Hell, I couldn’t even choose between the two of them if I had to.

Words won’t come, and so I merely turn around and leave. I’m already halfway down the stairs when Mason calls after me. “Heart, no! Please, don’t go.”

I look up, and he’s so beautiful like this, all sexy and flustered and looking like he got worked over good. I send him a sad smile. “It’s okay, Mase. It really is. You should be with him.”

Mason runs down the stairs so fast, I automatically hold out my hands in case he trips. By miracle, he makes it in one piece.

“No,” he says with a look more stubborn than I’ve seen on him so far. “No, you can’t leave. We had a date.”

“Babe, you’re with Lucky…” I plead with him. “There’s no room for me in that arrangement and there shouldn’t be.”

“Don’t you like being with me?” he asks, and I swear his bottom lip quivers just a little.

“God, that’s not true, and you know it. I’ve always loved hanging out with you, and messing around with you was…perfect. That has nothing to do with it.”

I hear a sound above us, and Lucky slowly descends the stairs. He looks slightly less disheveled than Mason, but someone clearly messed up his hair. Not that it looks bad on him, but then again, I don’t think this man could look bad. Ever.

“I’ll go, Mason,” he says, shooting me an apologetic look. “I lost track of time; I’m sorry. I knew he was meeting you, but we got…distracted.”

I scoff. “Yeah, clearly.”

“I’m sorry, Heart. I didn’t mean to make you feel…whatever it is you’re feeling.”

Something snaps inside me. “How about rejected? ‘Cause that’s pretty close to how I’m feeling.”

“But…but I didn’t reject you,” Mason says, his eyes wide open.

“No, baby, but you will. Now that you have your confidence back, you don’t need me anymore. You and Lucky can build a real relationship.”

“Are you saying what we had isn’t real?” Mason asks.

How the hell do I answer that one? Of course, it was. It’s always been real, just not for him.

“Actually, I should bow out,” Lucky says. “You two were together before I showed up, and I don’t want to break up your friendship.”

“No,” Mason says. “I’m the odd one out. You two fit, somehow, and I’m just…me.”

“You’re perfect,” I say at the same time as Lucky says something similar.

Lucky sends me a tight smile. “It seems we’re at an impasse, then.”

“I’m not discussing this in the stairway,” Mason says with uncharacteristic resolve. “We’ll talk inside.”

Lucky and I both hesitate. “Mason,” Lucky says.

“No,” Mason says. “No one is leaving right now. We’re gonna talk this out like adults…and I cannot believe the words coming out of my mouth right now. When the hell did I become the sensible one?”

I can’t help but smile at that statement. “You always were smarter than you give yourself credit for, babe.”

“Thank you. Now let’s get back inside. We’ve given my neighbors enough of a show already.”

I obediently follow Mason back inside and so does Lucky. Who would have thought Mason would become the voice of reason here?

“You wanted to talk,” Lucky says to Mason after we’ve all found a spot to sit and have been staring at each other for half a minute or so.

“Yeah, but now that we’re here, I have no idea about what,” Mason says. “Sorry. Temporary brain fart, I guess? I’m not good at this.”

“Why do you feel you’re the third wheel?” I ask Mason. “I don’t get it, because you’re what brought us together.”

Mason sighs. “Because I think you’d get bored of me real soon…both of you.” Lucky inhales sharply as if to say something but then lets Mason continue. “Look, you only started hanging out with me because Troy asked you to…because he thought you could help me improve my…skills. You wouldn’t have looked at me twice if he hadn’t asked.”

I see where he’s coming from, but that’s not how I feel at all. Somewhere along the way, Mason became much more than a project or even a friend. He brings out a sweeter side of me again, a side I’ve pushed down ever since Terry fucked me over.

“I don’t know if I’d started dating you if Troy hadn’t pointed you out,” I say. “I’ll admit that. But Mase, you’re anything but boring, and I really like hanging out with you…the fooling around included.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t get that last part. You’re…you.” His cheeks grow red in that way that makes me want to kiss him silly. “You’re a porn star…not that I’m judging, because you’re really good at it…I heard.” He clears his throat.

I grin. “Have you been watching my videos, babe?”

“No…” he says slowly. “Maybe…just a few. They’re…good.”

I can’t help it, and I reach for Mason’s wrist and tug until he gets the hint and scoots closer on the couch. Then I move us around until he’s on my lap, my hands on his ass. “Which one was your favorite?” I say before teasing his bottom lip with my teeth.

I love making him too flustered to think. When he’s turned on, all his defenses come down, and he’s this rambling, flustered, adorable man who will answer every question you ask him.

“Of you and Rebel…” He cringes. “I shouldn’t have watched it, because he’s Troy’s boyfriend, but it was so freaking hot, the way he… God, his dick is big, right? But the way you took it was… Yeah, that one’s my favorite, I think.”

His cheeks are crimson now, and I melt on the inside. I don’t care that he’s seen my videos. On the contrary, I’m rather proud of them. And I have to admit, the one with me and Rebel was fucking hot. Hell, I watched it a few times myself…primarily to see how I look on camera and how to improve, since it was one of my first scenes, but also because damn, that was really good sex.

“I’m sorry,” Mason babbles again. “I shouldn’t have watched your videos, not after we became friends, but it was too hard to resist.”

“Oh baby, I have no problems with you watching me. It’s kinda hot, actually. But I didn’t know you had a subscription?”

He looks down. “I’ve had one for a long time… But Heart, when you get to have sex like that, with men who look like that, how can you like being with me?”

I lift his chin with my finger. “Because that’s my job, Mase. It’s just sex. I like it, of course I do, but it’s about my body, nothing more. Take Pixie, he’s super cute, right? But when he and I did a scene the other day, both of us had to work hard at getting in the right mood. He’s not my type and even though I like fucking him, he doesn’t make me hard instantly…”

I gently take Mason’s hand and place it between us on my crotch, where my half hard cock is paying attention to the conversation, but even more to the feeling of Mason’s body against mine. “Unlike you. I like you, both as a friend and to mess around with.”