Indulgence (Taking Chances #1) by Jeanne McDonald Read Free Book Online Page A

right?”  My stomach muscles hurt from all of the laughter, but the pain was nothing in comparison to the relief I felt.
    “Yep.” She smacked her lips.  “You forgave him the moment it happened, but it was nice to see the real Addison come out to play.”  
    I chucked her chin and smiled.  “That really did feel good.”
    “Oh, I bet, but can I ask you something that’s really been bugging me?”
    “Didn’t you just ask me something?” I countered.
    “Fuck off, Bitch,” she laughed. “But seriously.  I know what you were probably thinking tonight, but what I really want to know is, are you still in love with Jacoby?”
    I opened my mouth to respond, but she continued, cutting me off. “I don’t mean love him.  I know you love him.  You’ll always love him.  There’s a bond between you that no one can deny. But are you really in love with him?  Like toe curling, heart shattering, breathtaking in love with him?  I just don’t see how, after this past year, you could be.”
    Her question took me by surprise.  I had to stop and think about what she said.  I knew I’d accepted Jacoby for who he was, but I’d never considered my true feelings for him to be anything other than being in love.  We’d been together for so long, it was hard to conceive feeling differently for him.  However, Amber had a point.  I loved him—I always would—but if I were truly honest with myself, I wasn’t in love with him.  And it was quite possible that I’d never been in love with him.  We were us , and us was all I knew.
    She patted my thigh and sat up.  My silence was answer enough for her.  “That’s what I thought.”  She gave me a quick wink and bounced up off the bed.  “Now, let’s get you ready.  You have a date with destiny tonight.”
    I sat up, chuckling. “I don’t think getting laid classifies as destiny.”
    “Stranger things have happened.  You’ll never know unless you take a chance.”
    Stalling, I added, “I never pegged you as a romantic.”
    Amber gave me a playful wink.  “I’m not, but I’ll say just about anything to talk you into going with me.  C’mon.  Take a chance.  It’ll be fun.”
    The idea was still a bit unnerving to me, but I was warming up to it.  How many people could say they’d done something like this?  While I was intrigued by the whole notion of a night of illicit sex without consequences, that good girl in me was nudging me to say thanks but no thanks.
    “Trust me,” Amber beseeched me.  “I would never let anything bad happen to you.  We’ll go, have some fun, and make a night of memories you’ll never want your children or grandchildren to know about.”  Rolling my eyes, I laughed.  Only Amber could make light of something like this. She extended her hand out to me.  “It’s New Years Eve.  A night to take chances.”
    I stared at her open hand, considering the facts.  I was young, single, and it was New Years.  I had nothing to lose.  
    Amber wiggled her fingers in a reminder that I was leaving her hanging.  “To taking chances,” she offered.
    With a soft chuckle, I clasped my hand in hers and gave it a good squeeze.  Inhaling deeply, I smiled and nodded.  “Okay.  To taking chances.”
     

Chapter Four
    “You look nervous,” Amber teased.
    “Do I?”  
    Of course I was nervous!  Who wouldn’t be?  I was about to spend the next ten hours, completely nude, with strangers who were all congregated for the sole purpose of promiscuous sex. One might think that fact alone had me nervous, but the truth of the matter was, I was just as concerned about the constant nudity as I was having sex with complete strangers.  So what if our faces were covered?  People I didn’t know from Adam were about to see me in my birthday suit.  How the hell did I get myself caught up in this again?  
    “You don’t need to be,” she mused.
    “That’s easy for you to say.”
    The cold evening air caused goose bumps to form