Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
What a stupid fucking week.
The two women stood up, pulling me from my inner turmoil. “Bathroom break,” Brianna explained while Abby held up her ringing phone.
“So, how are you and Ian?” Alexandra asked once the women left.
“Fantastic,” Carina answered with a dreamy sigh. “Sleep deprived and worn the fuck out, but happy.”
“Babies will do that to you,” I said. “Where are they, by the way? Audrey promised me a new hairstyle the last time I saw her.” I laughed, remembering the stern little girl studying my hair with her own brown ringlets in her eyes. She’d explained how she would work me up with a wave of her hand but that she didn’t have time then, and I’d have to come back.
She may look like Ian, but that girl was all Carina.
“With the in-laws. They’re giving us a night to sleep.”
“Ohhh. Sleep…” Alexandra hinted.
“No, seriously. Just sleep,” Carina said, laughing. “Besides, we’re attending the charity event this weekend at Voyeur.”
“I can’t wait,” I groaned. “Alex, you going?”
“I’m not sure. It depends on if Hanna is going. Erik isn’t going to take any chance of running into his sister at Voyeur.”
We paused, imagining the fiasco, before falling into laughter.
“That’s a bummer, though. It’s supposed to be amazing. More taboo. More promiscuous.”
“How do you get more taboo than live porn?” Alex asked.
“Usually, the performances are behind closed doors, and any extra activity among members is held subtly or in the shadows. For that night, it’s whatever, wherever.”
“Oh, yeah,” Alex breathed.
“And the theme is Twelve Naughty Days of Christmas, so we get to dress up in slutty costumes,” Carina explained.
“I can’t wait,” I said. “I’ve had a French maid outfit I’ve been dying to wear. It will be perfect for three French hens.”
“So, you’re going?” Alex asked.
“Yeah. I volunteered to work that night.”
“Why do you work there again? Your day job pays you more than enough,” Carina said.
“Yeah, but it’s not as exciting or fun. Or sexy. And I get to do sexy things without the complication of a relationship. The real question is, why wouldn’t I want to work there part-time?”
“That’s a fair question—Oh.” Alex jumped with wide eyes before digging into her back pocket for her phone. “I should take this.”
She followed the same path as Abby and left me alone with Carina.
“Are you excited about the event?” I asked. “Anything special planned?”
“Actually…” she started.
“What? You can’t leave me hanging.”
“We don’t really have anything planned, per se. We were just talking about it, and one thing led to another. We got swept up into the idea and started talking about possibilities.”
“Ohhh,” I hummed. “Do tell.”
“I mean…” Carina blushed, and I scooted to the edge of the seat, needing to know now. “I don’t know. It’s just—I don’t know.”
“Don’t you dare back down now.”
“Ugh. Fine.” She huffed and rolled her eyes but kept going. “I don’t know. It’s just that Ian and I are both so possessive of each other, we said we would never share, but there’s something alluring about it. But when push comes to shove, we know that neither of us would be able to handle watching another man or woman touch the other.”
“Ian does go all caveman,” I agreed.
“And I would claw a girl’s eyes out if they even dared.”
“But…?”
“But we were talking, which is about all we can do with the kids sapping all our energy,” she deadpanned. “And we started creating this fantasy of him watching a…a woman touch me.”
“Oh.” The word slipped free, carrying my excitement and encouragement to tell me more.
“I don’t know.” She waved the thought away with a giggle. “The best part was when he very, very hesitantly asked me if I wanted to see a man touch him. The fear in his eyes…” She broke off into a fit of laughter, and I could only imagine.
“The man would do anything for you. He was probably scared to even offer.”
“Exactly, but I’ve been there and done that. No, thank you. Man or woman doesn’t matter. Ian is mine and only mine.”
“So, what about you? Did he like the idea of a woman touching you?”
“Yeah, but it was just the heat of the moment,” she dismissed.
“You know, you could always talk to Daniel and see if he could set up a special scene for you two?”
She paused, a small smile creeping along her lips. “Yeah. Maybe.”
“Babe,” Ian called from the kitchen. “The oven is beeping.”
Carina rolled her eyes. “Is there a fantasy at Voyeur that he can turn off the timer and pull the food out of the oven?”
“I mean…Daniel should at least try and create one. Women would be lining up.”
We both laughed and headed to the kitchen toward the group of men.
Toward Mr. Arrogant and Sexy.
And conceited, I reminded myself. Focus on the most likely inflated ego.
I hung on the edge of the kitchen, sipping my wine, wanting to observe instead of putting myself to the test under the fire of his gaze. But luck wasn’t on my side because as soon as Carina interrupted their man-talk, he turned, zeroing in on me.