Chapter 23

 

They’d barely spoken all day. It was Saturday and he’d spent most of the morning in the garage working on the truck. They hadn’t had a Maintenance night on Friday, and that sad fact weighed on him. It just didn’t feel… right. There was too much between them though, a new tension hanging in the air that had to be resolved before they could move forward. Or wherever the hell they were careening toward next.

He waited until Hayden was down for a nap before taking her by the hand and leading her to the bedroom.

Leaving her standing in the middle of the room, he pulled off one of the large cream throw pillows, dropping it on the carpet at the side of the bed. He took a seat on the mattress before it, jabbing a finger at the floor and meeting his wife’s eyes.

“Clothes off. I want you kneeling and at attention. We have some talking to do, you and I.”

She paled, her throat working, but her fingers were already pulling up the cute blue patterned hoodie she liked to bum around in on the weekends. He watched her peel it off, pleased to see she wore no bra underneath. Skinning down her yoga pants and panties before him, her cheeks blushed a fetching crimson as her heavy breasts swayed before him, his cock beginning to stiffen at the pleasing jiggle of the round globes as she freed each of her feet from the tangle of clothing.

Folding her legs beneath her, she took her position upon the soft pillow.

He didn’t say a word for a long minute, instead, staring at her, savoring the way her breasts heaved in time with her quick, shallow breaths, the broad, lush curves of her hips, her fetching blush and those beautiful, luminous eyes bringing his cock to full mast.

“I’m so sorry, Troy.” She looked surprised, as if the words had spoken themselves against her will. But she pressed on anyway. “I know I… I feel like I’m ruining everything. All I want to do is help Hunter.”

“You and I — we’ve always been honest with one another, always accepted each other. Our needs, our desires. It’s worked — better than any man could ever hope for a marriage to work.” He could feel the tension rising in his muscles as he spoke the words, but he had to get it out. And he had to be sure they understood one another, no matter how difficult and awkward it felt.

“Do you… are you saying it’s not going to work anymore?” Her lips trembled, and he wanted to kiss them savagely.

“I want to know what it is you really want out of this… whatever the fuck this is turning into.” He fixed her with a glare. “Do you have feelings for him? More than friends?”

Her sweet lips moved silently, then she swallowed hard. “Yes. I… I’m afraid to tell you what I want.”

“There’s no room for any of that shit. Not now. If we’re going to make this work.”

Her eyes went wide, a hint of a smile at her lips. “You mean, you think…?”

“Tell me all of it. I want to know, Lacey.”

She took a deep breath, his cock twitching at the way it made her breasts move. Her pink nipples were very, very hard.

“I always hurt for him, seeing how she’d fucked with him. She wasn’t what he needed. He needs a woman who accepts him — all of him. He deserves that. He’s such a good man… who needs to know there is a good woman out there for him.”

“And you’re that woman?”

She flinched, but nodded. “I want to try to find out. If…”

“And do you want him separately? Like… I don’t know. On the side?” He hated even saying the words, the awfulness of the idea making his teeth grit. He had to be sure though.

“No!” Her hands, flat on her thighs, moved, twisting against her skin as if they wanted to free themselves to express their true desires. “I would want… both.”

It was at once a bittersweet ache, and a profound relief. What was more, the prospect didn’t horrify him. Not one bit, actually. He wasn’t at all sure what that meant, but knowing she still needed him… was a weight lifted from his shoulders he’d never let her know existed.

“I don’t do guys. So, if that’s what you’re thinking, then we’ve got a problem.”

She allowed herself a tiny giggle, blushing. “I… wouldn’t want that either.”

“Greedy girl then?”

She dropped her head, but nodded. “Yes, sir.”

He could practically feel the heat radiating from between her thighs, the scent of her clear on the air.

The hardness of his erection hadn’t abated at all. He could do this. The thought of another man handling her… it had been swirling in his mind ever since their visit to White Valley, the allure of it something that still surprised him. There was a time when he’d been so possessive, so territorial with his Lacey. Her body, her heart, her soul — all of it — was his. And no one else’s.

Now? While he still felt the truth of that, he knew he’d evolved. What he’d seen and experienced in White Valley had simply shone a spotlight on that evolution. She was still his — but that didn’t mean the thought of loaning her out didn’t make his cock hard.

But if they moved there, it would be so much more than that. And he wasn’t sure he was ready — even now — for all that meant. He’d commanded Lacey’s body, her submission, her surrender.

He’d be commanding a lot more of that if they became residents of that very special little town in the mountains.

“We’ve seen them before. Triads — they usually don’t work.”

“I want to try.” Her voice was so soft, quavering. He wondered if it was fear or arousal.

He looked upon her then, the momentousness of the moment seeming to make the very air still. He loved her more than a man like him knew how to express. And even if she was his possession, even if he commanded the strictest surrender of her body to him… it didn’t change one fact.

He’d do anything for this woman. He’d die for her — a thousand times over. She was the only thing — and she was his everything.

No matter how odd the idea still felt, even at that moment, she was right — as she so often was. Hunter did need to know there was hope, that there was still a chance at happiness. Maybe even at love.

And she was right about another thing too. The woman he needed? It was the one kneeling at that moment in front of her husband. One of the most amazing women in the world.

Both men were lucky sons of bitches.

“I’ll make you a deal, Lacey.” He breathed in slow and steady. “If you agree to move to White Valley, then we see if Hunter is interested in—”

“Yes.” She put both hands over her mouth, then pressed them to her thighs, beaming at him. “I’ll do it.”

He allowed himself a smile at her appealing eagerness, but she had to know what it meant.

“There’s no guarantee Hunter will accept — or that he’ll agree with any of this.”

“He will.” Her eyes sparkled. “I hope.”

“If he doesn’t accept… you and I are still moving. You prepared for that?”

“I know. I... still want to try.” Her eyes were bright with tears. “Hunter needs me. He needs us.”

He almost nodded, knowing that her words, as alien as they should have seemed, held the truth.

“This is the most important part, Lacey, and I’m not sure you’ve thought this through all the way. If we propose this to him. There’s no going back, once he knows… our friendship won’t ever be the same, no matter what he says. Are you prepared to risk that?”

Are you?

Her eyes shone bright, tears brimming as she said the words. “His heart is broken, Troy. Our friend. I’ll risk anything for the chance to make him happy again. To show him what life can be like with someone he’s meant for. Someone made for him.” A tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away. “I’ll take that chance — if you’ll take it with me.”

He held out his hands, needing to feel her, to hold her. “Come here, Lacey girl.”

Tears streaming down her face, she sprang into his arms, clinging fiercely to him, her lush body fitting to his with sublime perfection.

Troy wasn’t sure how long he held her, listening to her soft weeping, his shoulder wet with her tears. The whole idea was insane. It was dangerous, even foolish.

But they were going to try anyway. His friend deserved that much.

Gently, he pulled her back enough to look down into eyes grown even more gorgeous with her tears. “We have to be careful with this. Take it in stages.”

She nodded, wiping at her eyes.

“I gotta couple ideas.” He glanced down pointedly at her buoyant breasts pillowed against his chest. “But it’s going to mean using that hot body of yours.”

Lacey’s smile was equal parts coquettish and winning. “Just tell me what you want me to do, sir.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “You’re such a good girl.”