You’re a bloody monster. Don’t you dare, I can’t— Keep going! Stop, I’m— There, there! No! Sweet mother of…”
When I shattered for the third time, he finally let me rest. Every part of me was broken. I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to be whole again.
“You’ve got quite a mouth, haven’t you?”
“Sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
“I meant it as a compliment.”
“You’ve ruined me. I mean that as a compliment too.”
“Really? Ruined you?” Alaric nuzzled my neck, sweet and tender. “But I’m just getting started. Care to demonstrate your riding skills, Ms. Stafford-Lyons?”
“Maybe, I…” He flexed his hips, and that glorious cock pressed into my stomach. “I guess I could give it a go.”
“Hold on… Let me find my wallet. I’m kicking myself for only bringing one condom now.”
“I…I’m on the pill.” Was that too forward? “And I got tested for everything after the hooker incident, so if you want to…”
“The hooker incident? Piers?”
Ah, crap. A flood of icy air drenched the room. “I’m not certain whether he did or he didn’t. But probably.”
“Beth, don’t run away from me. We can talk about anything, okay? It can’t be worse than what we saw earlier.”
“It sure felt that way.” Alaric wrapped me up in a hug, and I knew at that moment that he was right. We could talk about anything. I took a deep breath. “It happened three years ago. Our marriage was already on the rocks. We hadn’t had any luck in trying for a baby, and I’d taken to reading self-help books. One of them suggested ways to spice up a stale relationship, so I talked to Piers, and he agreed to give it a go.”
That had been some conversation. A hurried negotiation over breakfast while he answered emails and munched on toast. I should have realised. Realised that if he couldn’t give me his attention for something so important, our marriage was doomed and there was no saving it.
“The book said that we should each tell the other our deepest sexual fantasy, and then we’d act it out. Piers said he’d go first. He…he wanted me to dress up and meet him in a hotel room. Like a prostitute. Trashy outfit, slutty shoes, a coat over the top. And when it was over, he gave me money and kicked me out. I’ve never, never felt as worthless as I did that day.”
“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry he did that to you.”
“Thirty freaking pounds! That’s all I meant to him.”
I loved Alaric’s soft kisses. The fluttery ones that danced over my cheeks.
“You’re priceless, Beth.”
I wanted to believe that. I really did, but… “It gets worse.”
“How can it get worse?”
“Well, it was my turn, wasn’t it? So I confided in him. I told him one of my deepest, darkest fantasies, and he laughed. Said I was disgusting and he wasn’t a fucking faggot.” I quickly remembered Alaric’s sexuality. “Sorry. I’m so sorry. That’s just what he said, and with such venom.”
“From that comment, I can guess what you want, and I’ll give it to you. Not today, but I’ll give it to you. What else?”
“What else? Nothing. That was it. I knew that was the beginning of the end, and I never slept with Piers again.”
“Piers is your past. This is your future. I meant what else did you want to do? You said you told him one of your fantasies?”
“Oh, I can’t…”
“How can I make them come true if I don’t know what they are?”
“We’ve only just met.”
“Then we should start as we mean to go on, don’t you think?” Those soft brown eyes locked onto mine. “If it doesn’t involve kids or animals, I’m probably gonna be good with it.”
“Well, one of them sort of does involve animals.”
Alaric raised an eyebrow, and I covered my face with my hands. He gently removed them.
“Beth…”
“Fair’s fair. You have to tell me one of yours first.”
“Okay. I want to nail my secretary over my desk. Think you can help with that?”
“Yes, Mr. McLain, sir.”
“Fuck. Tomorrow I’m buying a desk. Your turn.”
I hurriedly shook my head to clear the image of myself sitting on Alaric’s blotter with my legs spread. If I’d still been wearing my knickers, I’d have been able to wring them out by now.
“I want a man to catch me unawares in the hay barn. To bend me over a bale and take me from behind while we’re still wearing our clothes. Then we just walk out as if nothing happened.”
“Seems as though we’re gonna have a busy day tomorrow.”
“Are