The Sextet - Entanglements [The Sextet Anthology, Volume 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) by Cheryl Brooks, Mellanie Szereto, Bethany Michaels, Elizabeth Raines, Niki Hayes, Morgan Annie Page A

arrested for assault and criminal confinement.”
    “Not unless I pressed charges—and I wouldn’t do that.”
    Trish snickered. “I certainly hope not, but your mother would kill me—and I wouldn’t blame her if she did. That is, if she ever found out about it.” Brenda Vidal was a good friend and neighbor, but everyone had their limits.
    “I doubt she would ever be that upset with you. I mean, she likes you a lot.” He dug yet another hole. “Maybe you could put a gag on me so I wouldn’t make any noise.”
    Trish squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to erase the mental picture of Aidan gagged and spread-eagled on her bed—naked—and completely at her mercy. A thought like that had never occurred to her, but she now understood the meaning of the word lust. Oh, my God… “Absolutely not.”
    “Okay, then. What if I promise not to yell?”
    Trish rolled her eyes. “Do you really think you could do that?”
    “I’m sure I’d make some noise, but yeah, I could keep quiet enough that nobody would hear me—outside your house, anyway.”
    “No,” she said firmly. “I’m sorry, Aidan. But…no.” I’m not going there. No matter how…titillating the idea might be.
    Aidan dug three more holes in silence. When Trish finally stole a glance at him, he was biting his lip, shaking his head. Her heart went out to him.
    “Aidan, I’m sure you’ll find someone—a girl who’ll love you just the way you are. You just have to be patient and keep trying.”
    “I know. I keep telling myself that, but”—he stabbed the spade into the ground—“how many twenty-five-year-old virgins do you think there are?”
    A virgin? She almost said it aloud until she remembered his comment that no one had ever done more than look at it. It would be pretty hard to lose your virginity without ever being touched. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine getting that far with Aidan and not touching him. He must’ve dated some complete idiots. “I have no idea, but there are probably more than you think. Look, just because you haven’t found someone yet doesn’t mean you won’t.”
    His anguished expression had Trish wishing she’d kept quiet. “I know that. I just hate the idea of being ruled out because of something so stupid.”
    “Maybe they’re the ones who’re being stupid. Like you said, you have a lot to offer a woman. Don’t sell yourself short.”
    “I’m not short, I’m hairy,” he mumbled.
    “Funny, I thought you were Aidan.”
    He responded with a faint glimmer of a smile. Obviously her feeble attempt at humor wasn’t working. She glanced down at her box of marigolds and at the holes Aidan had dug. “Looks like I’ll have to buy more flowers.”
    “Sorry,” he said with a sigh. “Got carried away, I guess. Want me to fill them back in?”
    “No, I just didn’t get enough plants. This is the first time I’ve had to do this by myself. I should have asked Mom how many I’d need.”
    “I could have told you,” Aidan said quietly. “I helped her lots of times.”
    And I can’t bring myself to do one simple little thing for him. Any sexual excitement Trish might have been feeling dissipated. This problem was obviously hurting him more than a pair of tweezers ever could. Pulling off her gloves, she got to her feet. “I’ll probably regret this, but I’m sure I’ve got a belt or two we could use. Come on in the house.”

Chapter 2

    Aidan wrestled with his conscience as he followed Trish into the kitchen. He hadn’t begged her—hadn’t even been the one to suggest it, at least not in the beginning—but he still felt…weird. The pain factor played a minor role in the second thoughts plaguing him. What he dreaded was seeing the look on her face when he showed her the source of his difficulties. Never having made a study of such things, Aidan had assumed all guys were similar. Obviously, he’d been wrong.
    Trish washed her hands in the kitchen sink while Aidan waited his turn. He hadn’t been