Hers for the Evening (8 page)

HOLY HELL. HIS HEAD WAS GOING TO EXPLODE, AND HIS COCK WAS a throbbing ache in his shorts. His hard-on raged even as he tried to concentrate on . . . polymer densities and R factors. Work issues, usually guaranteed to make him limp as a wet noodle, wouldn’t take root in his suddenly Neanderthal brain. He sat through lunch in a fog and sipped through wine tasting in a daze. He’d dreamed of setting Courtney on the bistro table, flipping up her skirt, and dining on her instead of the croissant sandwich he’d ordered. He imagined dragging her behind a barrel of chardonnay and pounding into her until her breathy, throaty moans rose in a crescendo of orgasm.

When Courtney first brought up this plan, he’d thought of it as her giving him away, tossing him at another woman as if he were nothing more than a piece of meat. He hadn’t counted on this visceral need sweeping through him. It wasn’t Robyn’s touch on his cock. Or her voice. It was the way she’d dragged Courtney into the front seat with her words, his wife’s eyes locked on Robyn’s dark, elegant hand in his lap. It was Courtney’s glazed look as she described the feel of his cock inside her and the force of his need as he scented her arousal. This was so fucking much more than he’d imagined. After lunch and three more wineries, where the ladies did the imbibing and he did the watching, the remainder of the drive out to the coast had been light and conversational. Courtney sat in front with him, programming the motel’s address into the GPS. Almost dinnertime, he pulled the car into the parking lot, the whitewashed cottages fronted by small patios edged with planters of bright flowers. Across the street, the ocean crashed along the shore and walkers on the wooden pathway held their hats against the wind rushing off the sea. In the backseat, Robyn gathered her hat and purse. “I hope you don’t mind if I arrange for my own room.”

Beside him, Courtney stilled. Her brow furrowed. After almost a quarter of a century together, he could read her mind. Something was wrong, Robyn didn’t want to play, he’d have a huge fight with Courtney, the whole weekend would turn to shit.

Courtney could catastrophize with the best of them. She drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly. “That will be fine.” She twisted her wrist to glance at her watch. “I have a surprise planned and we need to 51

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leave in about an hour. Since we ate lunch so late, I thought we could have dinner when we get back.” She raised a brow at Robyn. “Will that be okay?”

“Wonderful. I love surprises.” Robyn leaned between the seats and took Courtney’s chin in her fingers.

It was extraordinarily sexual, though Seth could never have pinpointed why in a million years. Yet the courtesan’s hand on his wife’s face excited him beyond measure, more than her palm on his cock.

“Now, Courtney, I don’t want any play going on while you and Seth are alone.”

“You don’t?” Wide-eyed and breathless, Courtney stared.

“No. I want to watch. Whatever you two do tonight, I want to be there to see it all.”

“Oh.”

Oh was damn fucking right. He wanted the audience.

“Promise?” Robyn had the most amazing voice, seductive, sexy, hypnotic. Courtney was mesmerized. Her answer was a dazed nod. 52

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8

SETH GOT TWO COTTAGES NEXT TO EACH OTHER AT THE BACK OF the complex, blocked from the ocean wind, secluded, private. Setting Robyn’s bag inside her door, he squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He hadn’t conceived of things going as well as they were. It was Robyn’s doing.

Courtney had already carried their bags in, and Seth retrieved the cooler.

“Do not open the box or the cooler upon pain of death,” she warned as he set the cooler by the front door next to a covered printer-paper box. Seth was pretty damn sure the paper had long since been cleaned out. “No peeking, I promise.”

The bed was huge, and a gas fireplace glowed in the corner. The coast was at least ten degrees cooler than it had been inland, and once the fog rolled in, the fire would be pleasant. She’d obviously picked the motel for romance.

“Do you like it?” She was almost hesitant.

“Yeah.”

The carpet was thick, the comforter soft as goose down, and the bed covered with huge throw pillows. They could toss them on the rug in front of the fire and toast the night to come with the wine he’d purchased. Courtney opened her bag on the suitcase rack and unpacked, setting her cosmetics case in the bathroom, hanging a light jacket in the closet, laying things in the drawers beneath the TV cabinet. She was avoiding him.

“She said we couldn’t play, not that we couldn’t talk about it.”

“Oh, I’m just putting stuff away.” Her voice was unnaturally high. Seth took her arm, stopped her midstride between the case and the drawers.

“What’s wrong?”

Staring at the steel blue carpet, she swallowed. “I didn’t think we’d be alone.”

“You and me?”

She nodded. “I’m embarrassed.”

He laughed, short, sharp. “What the hell for?”

“You told her I screamed.”

“You do.” He tipped her chin up with one finger, but her eyes only made it as 53

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far as his nose. “It’s fucking hot,” he whispered.

“You never say fuck.”

“I never say it in front of the girls, but I should be saying it more in the bedroom.” They used to talk and laugh all the time during sex. These days it had become mostly a silent affair until Courtney screamed in orgasm. He hadn’t noticed when they stopped having fun during sex. The July Fourth barbecue, when she’d sucked him in the car, was the first time in a long time that sex felt more than rote. He began to understand some of what she’d been missing all these months, why she’d planned this naughty excursion. To gain his attention.

“Do you like her?” For the first time, she met his gaze, her eyes a soft, worried brown.

“She’s nice.”

“Do you think she’s sexy?”

“Very. You’re sexier.”

She scanned his face. “Did you like her stroking your cock?”

“I liked you watching. I liked having her ask all those dirty things. I like the way she talks and makes it all about us.”

Courtney nodded slowly. “She’s very good at what she does.”

He trailed a light finger along her jaw. “Then let’s enjoy what she’s offering.”

“I am enjoying it.” She sighed. “I’m just nervous, too. About my surprise.”

He wrapped his hand around her neck, drew her close to his chest. “Your surprise is going to be perfect.”

Yet he wondered. How far could he let this thing go?

IT WAS THE ODDEST SENSATION. COURTNEY HAD ACTUALLY FELT

uncomfortable alone in the room with her husband. They’d crossed a line. Or rather, she’d pushed them over it. He’d kissed another woman in a sexual sense, even if it was little more than a peck. That same woman had stroked his cock through his shorts. Courtney had been unutterably turned on by it. Which made her certifiable.

She could be damaging her marriage. This could be an event they would never get over. Like that movie Indecent Proposal where Demi slept with the rich guy for one million dollars. Her marriage fell apart. Sometimes life could be exactly like a movie.

Or . . . this could be the hottest experience they ever had. 54

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That was the problem. Her emotions were stymied. She couldn’t decide. She didn’t know what she wanted, or what was best. All she could think of was his voice when he said being inside her was fucking hot. He hadn’t used that tone in years.

She’d do anything to hear it again.

So here they were, on the road to her surprise, her heart fluttering in her chest, Robyn sitting in the back again. Courtney still wore her sundress with a cardigan over it, but Robyn had changed into a black caftan printed with bright pink flowering fuchsias.

“Turn at the next signpost.” Courtney pointed ahead as Seth drove. Maybe she should have changed, too. Robyn was stunning in her flowing black and fuchsia outfit, her skin a lovely chocolate brown.

“The castle?” Seth spun the wheel and headed through the gates. “We’re taking a tour?”

Courtney couldn’t decide whether his tone implied derision or wonder. “Not a tour. Something special. Private.”

Seth quirked an eyebrow. From the backseat, Robyn made a sound of approval. “Very interesting,” she added. “This will be a first for me.” Her voice dipped. “I love firsts.”

The castle had been built by some newspaper mogul back in the thirties. It was ostentatious, a modern marvel, a museum. There were daily tours. While it was a popular attraction, the restoration efforts were funded not by the price of the tours but by benefit functions and special events. When she’d seen the special offer on a website, she couldn’t believe it. It was expensive, but she couldn’t help herself, she had to have it for her surprise. Once she got it in her mind, nothing else would do. It would totally blow Seth’s mind, and hopefully be a one and only for Robyn.

They parked in the lot, entering the fancy new arched building as most people were leaving, the last public tours over for the day. At the ticket window, she presented her e-mailed instructions and in less than ten minutes they were on a small shuttle bus heading up the winding road to the massive castle on the hill.

Their docent, a short woman with round cheeks and a florid complexion, recited the rules. “You will have two hours. Please be back at the bottom of the stairs where we drop you off. As advertised, you will be the only people on the 55

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hill. Your access is limited to the area described in your confirmation. There is no running water on the hill and no restrooms.” They’d used the facilities before they left the visitors’ center. “Anything that we’ve left out for your use, you may leave where you find it. Otherwise, please take everything with you when you exit the hill.”

Seth and Robyn shared a look. They had no clue. Courtney was glad the docent carefully didn’t blow the surprise. This was going to be fun. Her strange nervousness in the cottage had all but vanished. The van rounded a curve, revealing a magnificent view of the castle, its golden spires sparkling in the sun. They had almost two hours before sunset. Courtney snapped a couple of photos on the digital camera. “Documentation,”

she said when Robyn glanced at her as if she were a tourist. Well, goodness, she was! This was once in a lifetime and ungodly expensive. The Italy account would now fund a tapestry restoration, and this weekend would be with her forever, like tandem skydiving or zip-lining through the jungle. The docent gave them the virtual tour. “You can see some of the bison on the slope there. We also have zebra, Barbary sheep, and sambar deer remaining on the ranch from the days when this was Mr. Caine’s animal preserve. Over there, you’ll see the polar bear cages. The arbor”—she pointed to the right—

“was a two-mile-long horse trail beneath the lilacs.”

The scrubby hillside gave way to flowering bushes and fruit trees, their branches drooping beneath the weight of luscious oranges and lemons. Finally the shuttle pulled up at a set of concrete steps leading to a marble frieze of Roman gods.

“Everything you requested is at the top of the stairs.” The lady gave Courtney a severe smile. “Remember, two hours. The van will be waiting here.”

Courtney felt like Cinderella whose carriage would turn into a pumpkin in only two hours.

Seth held her hand as she exited the van. “You’ve outdone yourself this time, baby.”

“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” She grinned as he courteously extended his hand for Robyn.

The evening was quite warm. Down by the ocean, the breeze had cooled everything off, yet up here on the hill, the sun was brilliant and the air surprisingly still.

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The van pulled away. They were alone in paradise. Seth grabbed her hand, stared at the frieze in marvel. “How did you manage this?”

“Secret.” She didn’t want him asking how much it cost. Then she took Robyn’s hand. “Let me show you our surprise.”

Robyn’s hand was cool while Seth’s engulfed her with heat. Her sandals slapped on the concrete stairs, and they stepped onto the marble decking beside the magnificent blue pool.

“The famed Bacchus pool.” Robyn’s voice dripped with awe. Marble statues surrounded the olympiad pool: dolphins, cupids, gods, goddesses. A small temple had been erected on one side, hodgepodged together from various ancient ruins with differing column styles from Ionic to Doric. Three cushioned rattan chairs sat by the pool, the sun beaming on them, each laid out with a plush bath-sized towel. Champagne chilled in a silver bucket, and three champagne flutes stood at the ready.

She held out a hand, encompassing the pool and the cozy setting.

“Champagne and an evening swim.”

“I didn’t bring a suit,” Seth said, his eyes sparkling.

“Neither did I,” Courtney answered. “We’ll have to swim in the buff.” She laughed. “The water isn’t heated.”

He shuddered. “Uh-oh, shrinkage.”

She pressed up against him, putting her hand to the front of his shorts. “You don’t have to worry about that, sweetie.”

Robyn wandered to the edge, slipped off her sandal and dipped her toe in.