2SpiceRack_bundle (9 page)

He grabbed at the edge of the sofa cushion
as tension rippled beneath the surface of his skin, rocketing out of him as he
called her name. She stilled herself as his body clutched and relaxed, many
times over. Carefully she let him go and pressed her lips to the soft skin of
his hip.

“Incredible, honey,” he said, reaching down
to cradle her head in his hands. He leaned forward and placed a single kiss on
her nose.

She rested her elbows on his thighs and
peered up into his eyes, which were so peaceful in icy blue. He rarely looked
that relaxed anymore. A few hours into their weekend and things had already
been better than she could have hoped for. “What do you want to do now? Maybe a
nap?”

“I was thinking shopping. We can discuss
the rest of the weekend while we’re out.”

“What are we shopping for?”

“Lingerie.” He bit his lip, leaving behind
a tiny red mark. “Very unusual lingerie.”

“These bras cost more than a trip to the
grocery store,” Olivia whispered, thumbing her way through the racks.

“So?” Brian answered, tracing his fingers
along her spine. “I make plenty of money and you deserve it.”

“But you don’t need to treat me to this.
The hotel and the weekend away is enough.”

“This isn’t just for you, you know.” He
pecked her on the nose before handing her a lacy dark-purple teddy along with
several other selections he’d made. “Now let’s get your cute little ass into
that fitting room.”

They strolled to the back of the store
where the manager, Chantalle, had perfectly set the stage for a man to spend an
absurd amount of money on his wife or girlfriend.

The softly lit dressing room had
black-and-white flocked wallpaper in an ornate brocade pattern along with a
high-backed velvet upholstered chair that had the unmistakable look of a king’s
throne.
Clearly, they’ve done this before.
Champagne was on ice, two
glasses waiting.

Chantalle hung the array of intricate
garments on hooks and placed several pairs of panties on a long upholstered
bench. “Please let me know if I can be of any assistance. You will otherwise
not be disturbed.” She stepped toward the door but turned. “Mr. Saunders, the
item you inquired about is on the settee.” With that, she quietly closed the
door.

Brian poured a glass of sparkling wine for
Olivia and one for himself. “Cheers. Here’s to an amazing weekend with my very
hot wife.” He took a sip, which softened the apprehension that had cropped up
yet again. His plans for Saturday might not happen. He still hadn’t heard back
from Michael and there was no Plan B.

Olivia smiled and kissed him deeply, slipping
her tongue between his lips. “Don’t forget my hopelessly handsome husband. He’s
what makes this weekend truly amazing.” She downed the rest of her glass,
showing him a glint in her eye. “Shall we get this show on the road?”

Brian settled himself in the chair, which
had a remarkably comfortable feather cushion, and watched as Olivia began to
undress. She stood before a full-length mirror, her back to him, their gazes
connecting. Her rich brown eyes smoldered as she tilted her head and began
unbuttoning her blouse. Her movements were hypnotic as she drew him in further
with every inch of skin revealed. Roomier pants might have been a better choice
for their shopping excursion.

Once she’d disrobed, she tried on a series
of teddies and short nightgowns in a tantalizing mix of lace and straps and a
rainbow of muted colors. She looked incredible in each one although he was
frankly just as happy with her completely naked. Olivia set aside several that
she’d ruled out and had two in her “maybe” pile.

“Bras and panties next, I guess,” she said.
“Although I have tons of underwear, honey. Do I really need all of this?” She
held up a lavender lace bra and held it against her pert breasts.

He cleared his throat and shifted in his
seat. “I think you need something for tomorrow night. And there’s a special
pair of panties at the bottom of that pile. I was hoping you’d wear those
tonight to dinner.”

Her forehead crinkled with curiosity and
she turned to flip through the stack of thongs, leaving the mind-boggling
curves of her ass on display. A giggle bubbled out of her when she found what
he’d requested from the shop manager.

“This?” she asked, turning with wide eyes.
A wide black-lace waistband with nothing more than a string of pearls
connecting the front and back draped between her hands. “Brian Saunders, you
naughty, naughty boy,” she purred, slinking closer to him. “Is this what I
think it is?”

He poured himself another glass of
champagne, feigning nonchalance when the truth was the thought of her wearing
it sent expectation racing through his veins. “You tell me.”

She rocked her hip to the side and looked
down her nose with a disapproving look that was disturbingly hot. “I wear this
and the little strand of pearls rubs back and forth against, uh…” she bit her
lower lip, “my most delicate places. The more I move, the more rubbing.”

Delicate places. She has such a
frustrating way with words.
“Exactly. And that’s
what I want you to wear to dinner tonight. We’ll pick out a bra to go with it.”
He took a long sip and sat back in the chair. “You’ll be so turned-on by the
time we get back to the hotel, you’ll let me do virtually anything to you.”

“You know I’ll let you do anything to me,
Bri.” She dropped to her knees and took his hand. “Just being with you like
this turns me on. You know, this means so much to me, to feel wanted and
desired. Every woman wants that.” A tear collected in the corner of her eye.
“It’s easy to be wife and mom. It’s the sex kitten role that I’m not always
sure of.”

“You’re always my sex kitten. I just need
to do a better job of reminding you.” He watched a smile crop up on her face.
She grasped his fingers and pressed them against her cheek. “I love you, Liv.
You’re my everything. You know that, don’t you?”

She nodded and the tear trailed across her
flushed, pink cheek. “I do. Deep down, I do. I don’t know why I need the
affirmations. I don’t know why I need things to be more exciting between us. I
only know that I felt closer to you when we were pushing the limits a little.
Together.”

Her eyes became an impossibly richer shade.
Memories swirled in his head, of youth and new love and the unquestioning trust
he and Olivia had shared from the beginning. There was no denying he’d been
taken aback the first time she’d asked him to tie her to the bedpost with a
silk tie, but as they learned to let go and enjoy each other, each new fantasy
fulfilled had brought them closer. She’d taught him not to fear the parts of
him that wanted things that might be considered outside the norm. She’d taught
him to embrace even the fleeting thoughts.

“So you’re ready to push the limits a
little more? The way we used to?” he asked.

“I want to, even if it’s only a weekend
away every now and then. I never want us to lose that part of us.”

I don’t want to lose that either.
“And you trust me, implicitly.”

“Of course. No question.”

“Okay, here goes.” He let out a slow
breath, his stomach wobbling. “I’m hoping you’ll help me fulfill the fantasy
that the Spice Rack brought up. I’ve had it for a long time but never shared it
with anyone.”

Her lower lip jutted out. “Okay. Tell me.”

“I mean it. Every time it cropped up in my
head, I told myself it was too much.”

“Tell me. I can’t stand the suspense.”

“I want to share you with another man.”

The flutter from her lashes came
rapid-fire. For an instant, he wondered if she was having a stroke. “You mean
like a three-way?”

He shook his head and laughed with relief.
At least she hadn’t shown any signs of recanting her promise to trust and love
him always. “No. I have no interest in being in bed with another man. I want to
watch another man please you sexually. And watch you please him.”

Olivia knew Brian was dead serious, but her
gut reaction was unbalanced at best. Part of her wanted to squeal as if she’d
just won the lottery, part of her grappled with the idea of doing anything
physical with another man, let alone in front of her husband. “You do?
Seriously?”

His brow furrowed. “Yes. Is that too
weird?”

“No.” She wished she could hide the look of
pure surprise that she knew still painted her face, but on the list of possible
fantasies, this was kind of a whopper. “It’s just that I never would have
guessed that was your big fantasy. I figured all men wanted a three-way with
another woman.”

“Nope. Not me.”

She nodded, still coming to terms with the
concept. “Interesting. What exactly is the appeal of this scenario?”

“I want to be able to watch another man
make you come, to watch the look on your face and to see in his eyes how much
he wants you.” He emptied his glass and took a deep breath. “It’s an ego thing,
really. I can admit that. I want to watch, knowing that you are mine.” He took
her hand and raised it to his lips. “All mine.”

Her mind was still struggling to picture
the scenario. “Are we talking full-on sex?”

“A lot of men are into that, but I don’t
know if I can handle taking it that far. I want to share you but actual
penetration is too much, if that’s okay with you.”

Strains of Brian’s ringtone sounded. He
held up his finger and fished the phone from his pocket. “Sorry,” he muttered
as he eyed the screen.

“Really? Your phone? We’re kind of in the
middle of something.”

“Shit. Okay. I gotta get this.”

“Work?”

“No. Tomorrow.” He pressed the screen with
his finger. “Hey. Thanks for getting back to me.” Brian avoided her eyes,
picking at something on the leg of his pants. “Wow. Okay. Great. That’s really
good news.” His face flushed a deep shade of crimson. “I mean, thank you.”

Still on her knees at Brian’s feet, Olivia
slumped back on her haunches.
Tomorrow?
Her eyes narrowed as he finally
looked at her and cracked a very odd smile.

“Will nine work for you?” His head bobbed
up and down. “Yes. Good idea. Our hotel. Neutral location.”

Oh. Wow.

“Yes,” he continued. “She and I actually
just talked about it and she is definitely onboard. Do you want to talk to her
beforehand? You’ll have to tell me how this works.”

Beforehand? Okay then. He’s talking to
the guy. Oh my God. We never even talked about the other person.
Panic took hold but she sucked in a deep breath, reminding herself
how much she trusted Brian with everything—her life, her love, her body.

“Sure. I understand. You two can talk
tomorrow. After she’s had a chance to think everything over. Okay, man. Thanks.
Bye.”

Brian tapped his screen and twisted his lips.

“Well?” Olivia blurted. “Who were you
talking to? Was it, you know…” Her eyes bugged and her voice trailed off as she
wasn’t exactly sure what she was supposed to call this person.
Our partner?
My date? The other man?

Brian nodded. “You mean our guest? For
tomorrow night?”

She straightened her posture and folded her
hands in her lap. “Okay, yes. Our guest.”
That’s as good a label as any.

He laughed softly and bent forward, drawing
her chin up with his finger. “You’re nervous, aren’t you?”

Moisture had certainly gathered on her
palms. “I guess. A little.” A deep breath left her lips. “But no, I’m good.
I’ll be fine.” She again focused on his face, the square cut of his jaw lined
with sexy scruff. “So, how does one find a man to pleasure his wife? Yellow
pages? Classifieds? Please don’t tell me Craigslist.”

“No, silly. I wasn’t going to invite some
stranger to touch you. It had to be someone I trust and who knows what they’re
doing.”

“You know someone who does this for a
living?”

“Will you slow down for two seconds? No, I
don’t. It’s Michael.”

“Michael, as in Michael? From college?” It
felt as if she was two steps behind him and couldn’t catch up.
Michael?

“Yep. He has personal experience with this
scenario. He’s done this before.”

“Wow. Okay.” Now it not only felt as though
she’d caught up with what he was saying, she’d run headlong into his words.
“And he was up for this even though he knows us?”

Brian chuckled. “He’s had the hots for you
for years. It didn’t take much convincing.”

* * * * *

The
click-clack
of Olivia’s
stilettos on the marble lobby floor only made it more apparent how odd her gait
had become while wearing her new underpinnings. There was no question the
pearls were doing exactly the task they were meant to perform. With each step,
every shift of body weight, even the slightest wiggle, the pearls rolled
against her tender skin and sent waves of electricity ribboning through her
body.

Brian was almost always impeccably dressed
but tonight, in a dark-gray Italian suit, he made her chest flutter and ache.
She’d convinced him not to shave and the five-o’clock shadow had filled in,
giving him an indescribable edge befitting their weekend getaway.

The doorman opened the door just as Carson,
the bellboy, was wheeling in a luggage cart. This time she was quite aware of
his eyes on her, but he quickly shied away, cheeks blazing red again.

Brian wrapped his arm around her
possessively. “Beware of Carson, Mrs. Saunders. Bellboy has a thing for you.”

“Oh, stop it.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her as the doorman
showed them to the car he’d reserved for the evening. Driving in the city was
something he’d never enjoyed.

She couldn’t help but giggle as she scooted
across the seat and the pearls gave her yet another new sensation. This whole
exercise was funny and exhilarating on several different levels.

“How’s it going with the new, uh, clothes?”

“I’ve had three orgasms since we stepped on
the elevator,” she whispered into his ear.

“Really?” he asked, his eyes wide in
astonishment.

“No.” She shook her head. “But it’s
definitely getting the juices flowing if you know what I mean.”

He patted her hand as the driver sped away
from the curb. “Excellent. Then they’re worth every penny.”

She pulled him closer and rested her head
on his shoulder, taking in his masculine scent—sandalwood, citrus and
unadulterated man. “I love you, Bri,” she whispered.

“And I love you, Liv. With all my heart.”

They arrived at the restaurant a few
minutes late for their eight-o’clock reservations, but the maître d’ made no
mention of it and escorted them to their table, a circular booth in a private
corner. The clatter of fine stemware and china along with a low hum of
conversation and music filled the room, soft lighting and the flicker of
candles setting the stage for their romantic dinner.