The Face of Scandal Read Online Free

trust Dylan with a hot skillet.” With a sudden burst of energy that was mostly just willpower, Hazel pushed herself upright. “Come on. He needs someone to keep an eye on him.”
    Sadie arched a skeptical eyebrow. “Really?”
    “Oh, yeah. He’s hopeless on his own.” Hazel pulled her up by the hand, noticing in passing that Sadie was wearing one of her shirts and a pair of boxers borrowed from Dylan. Like an unpinned grenade, she flung the flare of envy that stirred in her chest wide, hoping the shrapnel wouldn’t embed in her flesh.
    Sadie was her friend. That took precedence.
     
    * * * *
     
    Dinner at the loft was rarely formal enough to call for setting the table or trotting out the cloth napkins. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Ward and Dylan wanted to make an effort when they had guests. Dylan couched the suggestion in a vague, “I just think it’d be nice.”
    Ward, for his part, stopped at claiming that he’d been raised right, which apparently meant proper suppers and digging out the good silver. It didn’t stop him leaning against Hazel’s flank as she arranged the cutlery and whispering, “I’ve always been fond of this table,” in her ear.
    A shiver raced down her spine at the innuendo that edged his voice.
    “I bet you are,” she volleyed once Ward had retreated and she could breathe again. It was too late to pretend she hadn’t felt the full force of his quip.
    She remembered the last time they’d used the table quite clearly. It hadn’t been for its intended purpose. Barely twenty-four hours ago, Hazel had tasted the wood while Dylan had moved inside her, his thrusts picking up speed.
    Discreetly, she pressed a hand to the joint of thigh and hip, sighing on the delicious flicker of pain that flamed beneath her skin.
    “I gotta admit,” Sadie blurted once they finally sat down to enjoy the fruit of Dylan’s labors. “I really thought this was going to be so weird.”
    “Why?” Ward asked nonchalantly, passing her the bowl of sautéed kale and artichoke.
    Dylan anticipated her answer. “Because of you. She was warned.”
    Hazel nodded, sucking her cheeks in to fight off a rebellious smile. Teasing Ward was generally a safe pursuit. He wasn’t quick to take offense and he gave back as good as he got. His weak spots were easily avoided. As long as Hazel didn’t bring Dylan into her jokes, Ward would put up with a lot.
    But Sadie didn’t know that and instead of rolling with the needling, she scoffed, “No, you guys… Just, everything. My best friend is dating two dudes. You gotta admit that’s weird.”
    “It’s a little unorthodox,” Dylan agreed.
    “And crowded, right?” Sadie pressed, gesturing with her fork. “I totally get the appeal, but the logistics seem so complicated. Like, how do you decide who does the dishes or who gets to pick the channel when you watch TV? Hard enough with two people—”
    Hazel reached for her glass. “We manage.” There wasn’t much she could do to bring an end to Sadie’s queries. Once something caught her interest, she was like a dynamo, churning away to dig up all there was to know about that thing—that someone.
    It was how she had eventually pried Hazel’s secrets from the tight clutch of her hands. “ I know something happened. You can tell me. I won’t judge.”
    To her credit, Sadie had been a woman of her word.
    Hazel all but cringed as her best friend rounded on Ward.
    “You went to college with Dylan, right?” she asked, blunt and shameless.
    “ He went to college with me ,” Ward replied.
    “So you guys hooked up back then or what?” Sadie swirled her fork through the emerald strips of kale on her plate. She didn’t seem convinced by the texture and had yet to take a single bite. “I mean, no judgment. I’m all about free love and all that. Guy on guy? That’s cool. Not my usual thing, but if Hazel likes it, that’s what matters, right?”
    Less than accidentally, Hazel tipped over her glass. Water