Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
“I thought that was you. Small world, huh?”
She clearly had no idea what to say. “Yup.”
“I just finished having dinner with Angela and had to come back because, like an idiot, I left my credit card.” He smiled and put a hand on his hip, like he was settling in for a chat. “How’s your dad? It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”
She looked like the cat who’d swallowed the canary. “He’s good.”
Oh.
Earlier, she’d clocked him and had darted to the restroom so he wouldn’t spot her. What if he told her father he saw her out on what looked like a double date . . . and she’d been much younger than everyone else?
There was no avoiding him now, and once more, he glanced at the table, perhaps waiting for her to introduce him.
But she didn’t.
“Right,” he said, trying to disguise his awkwardness, and raised his hands in faux surrender. “Anyway, I didn’t mean to interrupt y’all. It was nice seeing you, Charlotte. Say hi to your folks for me.”
“Sure,” she lied.
As he shuffled off toward the exit, she turned to me, and although she didn’t say anything with words, the look she gave spoke volumes. Well, that wasn’t great.
No, it wasn’t, but there was nothing we could do about it now.
“He used to work with my dad,” she offered to the group.
Shannon and Patrick nodded politely but didn’t ask any questions. Most people who lived this lifestyle liked their anonymity and assumed the same of everyone else. You didn’t ask personal questions and understood people shared only what they were comfortable with.
Most of the time, this was a protective measure. Even if you were careful, there was still risk involved, and no one wanted a disgruntled partner, looking for revenge, to ‘out’ them and blow up their lives.
I cleared my throat and strove to change the topic. “Do you want to talk about boundaries? You already know ours.”
Because I’d already told them Charlotte and I weren’t having sex, so that was off the table for her. They’d probably found it odd but had no comments about it. Maybe they’d assumed it was a safety thing, and I wasn’t allowed to be with her while active with other sexual partners.
“Sure,” Patrick’s focus slid from me to Charlotte. “We don’t have many. As long as it’s approved, we can be with other people, and it’s fine to do that behind closed doors.” He got a wicked glimmer in his eye. “Sometimes that’s hotter.”
Shannon chuckled softly. “Really the only rule we have is no kissing other people on the mouth. Typically, that’s just for us. But—”
“We’ve talked about it, and we’d be willing to waive that rule for you, Charlotte, if you wanted to kiss Shannon.” He leaned forward, setting his elbows on the table. “She’s never played with another woman before.”
My brain buzzed, but it wasn’t steam at the idea of Charlotte being with another woman that caused my disorientation. It was a loud disapproval echoing in my head. “No.”
Everyone turned to look at me in surprise.
Well, I was just as surprised myself. “No to Charlotte kissing other people,” I clarified, “not the other thing.” Fuck, I was all out of sorts. “That’s my boundary, for uh, the same reason y’all have it.”
Charlotte’s stunned voice was breathy. “Kissing is only for us?”
“Yeah.” I tried to play it casually, but it was so fucking weird to me I was willing to share her in any other way—
But not this.
Her expression softened, her eyes melting, and beneath the table her hand came to rest on my leg. It was like she wanted a connection to me, and I was happy to oblige, encasing her hand in mine.
Shit, the idea of us remaining simply friends—even with benefits—became hazier every time we were together. How much longer could I keep lying to myself that I didn’t want more?
The couple across the table from us must have sensed the moment between us because they fell silent. They sipped their drinks and patiently waited for it to pass. And when our attention finally returned to them, Shannon wore a faint smile.
It was like she knew something I didn’t.
“I’ve never been with another woman either,” Charlotte said. “But I don’t know if I want to. I mean, maybe?” She frowned and peered at Shannon like she was worried she’d offended her. “You’re really hot, so don’t think it’s you. I just don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
Shannon grinned and shook her head. “No, no. You’re new to this, and I’m sure it’s a bit overwhelming, and we got ahead of ourselves because it’s one of our fantasies. Forget we mentioned it.”
“And since we’re talking about fantasies, we have something we’d like to ask,” Patrick chimed in. “We fully expect you to say no, but I’m bringing it up just in case you’re interested.” He glanced around, checking to see if anyone nearby was listening. “We have a date with a friend next week. He’s a guy we’ve played with several times before, although he’s been too busy the past few months. We finally got our schedules to align.”