Dark Taste of Rapture Read Online Free PDF

Why do something for yourself when plenty of people wanted—and needed—to be paid to do it for you?
    God, I’m such a giver .
    “Oh, and the next time you want to go the master-slave route,” Ava said, “I need at least a month’s warning to work on my biceps.”
    “Consider this your warning. I want to go the master-slave route for the rest of our lives.”
    A snort. “Did I mention that I loved the pretend hurt over my death threat? Classic!”
    “What I can say? I totally missed my calling as the best actress in the world.”
    A calling she’d missed because she’d never actually planned to work.
    Noelle would have gladly financed Ava’s entire lifeof leisure, saving her friend—and herself—from ever having to get a job. But Ava actually enjoyed earning her own way, so Noelle always went along for the ride.
    They’d worked in a bakery, at a used car lot, inside a makeup factory, and as interns at her brother’s law firm. Sad truth was, Noelle would rather toil herself into an early grave than be without her best friend.
    Codependency, thy name is Noelle . Did she care? God, no. She just loved Ava.
    “So?” Ava prompted. “What gives?”
    Noelle pushed out a breath. “Well, you know my family has always viewed me as a useless doll.” Not just her immediate family, but her cousins, aunts, and uncles, and anyone else associated with the Tremain name. They fed off each other, delighting in sharing humiliating stories about the things she’d done and said.
    “Useless, but so beautiful.” Ava nodded. “Yeah. Continue.”
    She beamed. “I knew you thought I was hot.”
    “Dude. If you had a penis, I’d freaking marry you.”
    A genuine chuckle left her. “Anyway, I was just giving Jaxon a taste of what he expected.”
    “Lesbos,” MG muttered as she walked past them, heading toward the … enzyme showers.
    “Tranny,” Ava threw at her.
    Ugh. Group showers. Sure, you could remain fully clothed in an enzyme stall, and the dry mist would even clean your shoes, but Noelle preferred to strip and sing in private.
    At home, she bathed in water. The real deal, which was hugely expensive, but she didn’t care. There was something so soothing about the patter of liquid against porcelain, the spray of hot water against skin, the enveloping, invigorating steam that filled your nose, your lungs.
    Ava snuggled closer. “What else?”
    “Plus,” Noelle continued as if there’d never been a lag in the conversation, “I thought it’d be prudent to lower Hector and Dallas’s expectations. You know, start at the bottom and fly our way up.” Thereby making it easier to prove themselves.
    What’s this? Trying to prove yourself already? Tsk, tsk .
    AIR wasn’t a potential boyfriend. She could make an allowance, but only this once. And only because Ava wanted this so badly.
    “Normally I’d agree with your methods,” Ava said, “but we kinda need their support if we’re going to pass this thing.”
    “Oh, we’ll more than pass. We’ll crush this place.” Delicate fingers smoothed the hair from her brow. “You’re right. We’re too awesome to do anything less. Plus, we’ve got good old-fashioned lust on our side. I think Dallas was imagining your body twined around his like a pretzel. Hence his asinine question about pretzels and Jaxon’s swift retaliation.”
    “Nah, Dally was just showing off in front of his friends. Which is why I went with Oh, my God , as if I really thought he meant the food, but afterward, I felt like I should have brought it down a notch and said OMG .”
    The corners of Ava’s mouth twitched with her amusement. “Would have been priceless, and I would have broken a few ribs from laughing. As it was, I just peed a little.”
    “And the other guys? How’d they react?” Not too obvious, not too eager . “I was too entrenched in my role to notice.”
    “Jaxon was embarrassed by you. Sorry. And Hector was disapproving.”
    No disappointment. You knew they felt that