Protecting Her Heart Page 11
“Absolutely not,” Jane scolded gently, “we’ll keep you company. We’re just as happy to people watch, aren’t we Paul?” She gave her husband a little nudge, who in turn gave Luke a look that said, you know better than to argue with a southern woman. Luke chuckled and nodded, happy to avoid the wrath of Jane.
Chapter 20
Emma was on cloud nine. The evening had turned out way better than she expected. From the moment she bumped into Arran until he kissed her farewell, she felt like she was in a fairy tale. He had been so charming to her the whole evening, curious, thoughtful and delightfully attentive. He held her spellbound.
As amorous couples started making their way back to the private suites to do the things she assumed that ‘sophisticated swingers’ do, the dance floor began to open up. The energy of the room dramatically shifted from sexually charged to a more relaxed tone, softer somehow, and deliciously romantic. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor, practically floating through the crowd. He pulled her close to his chest, taking her hand and raising it to his lips for a kiss, then began swaying her to the rhythms of Marvin Gaye. He smiled down at her, his eyes locked to hers, wordlessly expressing his arousal.
She loved being in his arms, his body pressing up against hers, his breath teasing the flesh on her neck. Her blood pumped hot in her veins, quickly swelling her sex, urgently reminding her of her need. She could feel his cock hardening against her, his desire for her unmistakeable. He wanted her.
They danced for a long time, song after song, softly whispering to one another under the swirl of colored lights, giggling, teasing one another with carefully placed caresses designed to heat each other up, their bodies moving with sensual synchronicity. Arran made her feel desirable, sexy and more confident than she ever felt before, and if nothing else, she was grateful for that.
Before long, they were alone on the dance floor, one last song spun by a tired DJ. Her eyes searched the room, suddenly aware that she had forgotten about Luke. He was at the bar with Jane and Paul, his arm loosely draped across Paul’s shoulders, laughing as though enjoying a private joke. Jane still looked polished and put together, her smile beaming like a beautiful accessory. Then Luke glanced her way, his smile fading ever so slightly, and she felt a moment of regret for abandoning him all night.
In that same moment, Arran raised his hand and gently touched her face, lifting her chin so she could meet his eyes. He kissed her, gently at first, his lips softly brushing hers. She accepted him eagerly after patiently waiting all night for his kiss. His fingers laced in her hair and he plunged his tongue into her mouth, making it clear that his own patience had been tested. Although the kiss was not storybook perfect, it was delivered with a passion and intensity that Emma couldn’t deny. Surely, with more practice, they could improve on it.
He reluctantly pulled away from her, his dimples punctuating his handsome smile. He told her he wanted to take her home, his eyes filled with quiet confidence. Although part of her wanted to let him take her to bed and make love to her, something just didn’t feel quite right. Her body was aching for a man, hot, eager, and twisting with desire, but her heart was still holding her back, and she wasn’t sure why. She kissed him again, this time reigning his pace, then politely declined his offer, drawing an amused look of surprise from him.
He escorted her back to Luke and his friends and told her he wouldn’t leave without her phone number this time, that he wanted to take her to dinner somewhere romantic, just the two of them. She was so relieved that he understood, that he was willing to meet her heart where it needed to be met. A true gentleman. She gave him her digits and he pulled her in for one more kiss. It was soft and sweet, respectful of the company around them. When they parted, he turned and nodded at Luke before promising to call her.
She watched him exit the bar, her smile refusing to melt away. When she turned back, she was greeted with a curious look from Luke.
“You didn’t go home with him,” he said, more an observation than a question.
She shook her head, trying to read his face to determine whether or not he was disappointed in her. She knew he wanted nothing more than for her to finally move on from Andrew, find a warm body to ease her back into the land of the living, and she wanted that too, but she needed more time. She was happy leaning into it for now, and yes, she was toeing the water, but she still wanted to explore more adventures under Luke’s wing before immersing herself completely. She would get there eventually.
Luke shrugged his shoulders and smirked at her. She was certain his inner dialogue was lovingly scolding her, saying ‘Mimi, Mimi, Mimi’.
“That’s ok, sweetheart, he’ll call soon,” Jane comforted, noting the exchange between the two friends, her eyes seeing more than they did. “That ole boy was hotter than a pepper sprout. You had him so turned round, he didn’t know whether to scratch his watch or check his ass.”
Everyone looked at each other and cracked up, unaccustomed to hearing southern charm-isms in the Pacific Northwest. Emma was grateful for the comic relief, the attention no longer focused on her.
“On that note,” Paul teased, putting an arm around his petite wife, “I’m going to get this little lady home. Her southern comes out when she’s horny, and I’d like to cash in on that.”
“You know I’m a sure thing, baby,” she purred, giving him a theatrical kiss. They were just too cute for words, Emma thought, hoping one day for a relationship like theirs.
“Give me some sugar, honey,” Jane said, holding her hand out to her. Emma slipped into Jane’s embrace, surprised when the pretty blond gave her a tender kiss on the lips. It was sweet and delicious, from Jane’s honeysuckle scent to the unexpected fullness of those soft red lips gently pressing against her own. She found herself softly moaning as Jane pulled away. It was curiously arousing.
Paul, far less assertive than his wife, spun Emma around and gave her a platonic hug. “It was great to meet you, Emma. Hopefully, we’ll see you again soon,” he offered sincerely.
“Yes,” she cooed, still recovering from Jane’s enticing kiss, “I’d really like that.”
Luke laughed heartily and wrapped an arm around Emma to escort her away. He knew first hand how captivating Jane could be.
Chapter 21
Emma carried two cups of coffee into the living room, set them down on the table, then curled up on the sofa beside Luke. “Let’s smoke some weed and have a sleepover,” she suggested, wrapping a blanket around herself. She had changed into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, happy to be rid of her bra. Her feet were tired but she was wide awake otherwise, surprisingly amped up. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Luke to crash on her sofa. He had done it several times since she had moved out on her own, usually after too many martinis and a gaming marathon. ‘Call of Duty’ was their favorite.
“You want to get high, do you?” he smirked, as though amused by her naughtiness.
“Sure, why not?” she urged, picking up her coffee.
“Because I don’t happen to have any pot. You’ll need to give me a heads up next time.”
“Hmmm, well that sucks,” she mused, gently blowing on her coffee.
“But I will crash here. Hope you have more than granola for breakfast,” he teased, grabbing a throw pillow and casually lying down, adjusting his legs behind her.
“I’ll make you eggs, smart ass. Now tell me, did you enjoy tonight? Was it good to catch up with your friends?”
Luke looked at her thoughtfully, as though considering her question. “It was. I haven’t seen them for at least six months.”
“They seem like a special couple....and Jane...wow!” Emma giggled, suddenly recalling the kiss.
“Ya, she’s something else,” Luke agreed, “I knew you’d hit it off.”
“Straightforward, smart, beautiful, funny?” What’s not to like?
Luke nodded, “Yes, you two have a lot in common.”
Emma smiled at him warmly, pleased by his compliment. “What a sweet
thing to say, but Jane has a lot more confidence than I do.”
“True, but she’s also older than you and has much more life experience,” he assured. “So what about you? How was your night?”
“It was good. I’m still in a bit of a fog. There’s so much to process,” she admitted, certain he wanted her to be more specific.
“That’s for sure. And Arran?” he prodded, leading her down the path. She grinned at him coyly before taking a sip of her coffee, minding not to burn her tongue.
“He was nice.”
“Nice?” Luke chuckled, raising his brows in surprise.
“Yeah. Why, you don’t think he is nice?”
“I don’t really know him well enough to make that assessment. You seemed to enjoy his company though. Why didn’t you go home with him?” Luke asked cautiously, carefully reading her face.
Emma shrugged her shoulders softly, “I knew you were going to ask me that.”
“Of course you did,” he smirked. He raised his brows again, waiting for an answer. Emma knew he wouldn’t let her skirt around him.
“I don’t know,” she began casually, “I thought about it.”
“And?”
“I wanted to, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been with anyone and I’ve built it up so much in my head...maybe I just got cold feet,” she admitted, looking at him anxiously. “I liked him, Luke. He’s hot, and obviously has a ton of charisma, but something held me back. Maybe I just need time to get to know him.”
“Like another date?”
“Yes, maybe. I’m sorry, I know I’m all over the place. Be patient with me?” she implored, hoping he didn’t think she was being prissy.
“Mimi, I’m the last person you need to worry about. I know you probably better than anyone, and I’m not judging. I do want you to have fun but there’s no agenda here,” he insisted, reaching for her hand. “You’ll work it out.”
She allowed him to take it, grateful for the reassurance. “I am having fun. This past month has been so good for me! It has been a trip hanging out with you! I don’t want it to end,” she offered sincerely, pleased to see an encouraging smile his face.
“It’s been cool for me too. It’s been fun exposing you to all this for the first time. You’re making it all exciting for me again.”
“Speaking of hot, tell me about Cabo?” she flirted, anxious to hear more about Jane and Paul.
“Cabo was hot,” he smirked, playing coy with her, “must have been ninety or a hundred degrees.”
Emma groaned and tried to give him a good-natured slap on the thigh, which he easily dodged. “You know what I mean, spill it, and don’t leave out the good bits.”
“Didn’t you get enough wanking material for one night?” he teased, nudging her with his foot.
“I saw enough material tonight to last a lifetime but I’m feeling greedy. Besides, is there a ration on smut these days?” she quipped back, shoving his foot away playfully.
“I hope not,” he laughed, hoisting himself to a sitting position. “Okay, I’ll share, but I warn you, it’s naughty.”
“Perfect!” she said, sitting back, tucking her long legs under herself.
“Well, you already know I went to Cabo with Sara. She and I were friends with benefits and I’d never been to Mexico, or a hedonist resort, so I thought, why not?” he began.
Emma, knew better than to interrupt with silly questions. Luke was always a great storyteller, and did so with great flourish and detail.
They had only arrived at the resort that morning, he went on to explain, and had spent the day at the beach, drinking mojitos, sunbathing, and playing volleyball with some of the other guests. Sara had cozied up to a few people that afternoon, and they’d invited her to come to the pool party later that evening, so they all agreed to meet.
It was a foam party, and the courtyard was packed. Every guest in the resort seemed to be there. Luke, tired of walking around looking for Sara’s friends, convinced her to sit down with him. That’s when he saw Jane and Paul, sitting at the only available table, all nice and cozy, clearly enjoying the festivities. Jane was obviously beautiful, and Paul looked harmless enough, so he approached them.
“As you can imagine, Jane was very welcoming. She was her funny, charming self and before long, I was deep into a conversation with her and Paul. I liked them right away but Sara wanted to ditch, so we decided to part ways for the night, she could do her own thing and I’d do mine.”
Luke spent the better part of the night with his new friends, flirting and drinking and enjoying their company. He was very attracted to Jane, equally drawn to her sexually as well as intellectually, but was also cognizant that Paul was part of the equation. They were a packaged deal. He had threesomes before, but they were always with women, him being the lucky recipient of most of the attention. He wasn’t sure of the dynamics or the protocol in this particular set of circumstances.
“I liked Paul well enough, but didn’t want the man’s dick in my mouth,” Luke insisted, his laughter punctuating his firm position on the matter. “I didn’t really know how to delicately ask what the expectations were, if you know what I mean,” he continued, “I mean, Paul seemed straight, but I had to be sure.”
Emma giggled, picturing her friend’s dilemma. Luke was an adventurous soul, but dipping a dude was not on his bucket list as far as she could tell.
“So what happened?” she asked, anxious for him to continue.
He told her that Jane had invited him to their room, they had a suite with its own Jacuzzi and a fully stocked bar. At first, Luke was apprehensive, but when Jane excused herself to visit the ladies room, Paul took the opportunity to clarify a few things. He explained to Luke that he and Jane had never had a threesome with another man and that while Jane was very keen on the idea, he had some reservations. He wasn’t a jealous man, he said, quite the contrary. Paul trusted his wife, just as she trusted him, they were quite in love and enjoyed a very close bond with each other. They were just two open-minded, sexual people that took great pleasure from exploring their naughty natures within the comfort of their marriage. They only played together and while Jane was sexually ‘fluid’, Paul made it quite clear that he preferred women. Luke was happy to hear that.
“He told me that it was all about Jane, and if I was okay with that, so was he,” Luke reminisced, his memories evoking a nostalgic smile. “You know me, I’m all about pushing boundaries, so I saddled up!”
As soon as they got back to Jane and Paul’s room, Jane suggested they warm up in the hot tub. When she slipped her sundress over her head, and dropped it to the floor, Luke knew who was in charge. The woman was fearless, and knew exactly what she wanted. She had a rocking body, as he recalled, a Botticelli beauty, flawlessly curvy. He watched her walk towards the patio, her blond hair swinging playfully down her back, accentuating the most beautiful ass he had ever seen, shaped like a perfect heart. He had never really been an ass-man until he saw that booty. She was renaissance personified, a sultry work of art.
He joined them in the Jacuzzi. His cock, anticipating the pleasure to come, was already fully committed. Jane sat between her two lovers, accepting a kiss from each of them. Her eager mouth, sweet from mojitos, was intoxicating. Luke, normally assertive and commanding, took a passive role. He didn’t want to overstep the boundaries, being an invited guest and all. He was surprised how easy it was acquiescing to Jane, letting her call the shots.
“Truth be told, it was a turn on,” Luke admitted, shrugging his shoulders, not a hint of regret in sight. That was one of the things Emma loved about him, he never felt the need to apologize for who he was. She admired that.
Emma felt her own arousal surging as Luke’s story heated up. She squirmed under her blanket, imagining a scenario in which she was sandwiched between two beautiful men, both of them equally invested in her pleasure. It sounded delightfully daring, and she couldn’t help but envy Jane.
With a flourish, Luke continued his carnal account. H
e told her that Jane was the perfect balance of naughty and nice, the epitome of southern charm with the fiery instincts of a siren. She had the innate ability to direct the scene without either of her men feeling excluded, and without missing a single beat.
Their foreplay was almost as hot as the jacuzzi they played in and before long, they needed more space to accommodate their sinful seduction. Jane led them into the bedroom and climbed on the expansive king-sized bed, inviting both partners to join her. Paul climbed up on the mattress beside her, kissing her tenderly on the mouth, but Luke had been patient enough. She had thoroughly worked him up in the hot tub and the only thing he wanted at that moment was a taste of sweet southern pie.
“So from the end of the bed, I grabbed both of her legs and firmly pulled her towards me, knees up and flat on her back,” he chuckled, winking at Mimi impudently, as though proving his prowess.
Jane liked his assertiveness, he said, because she let out a squeal like a cowgirl at a rodeo. He took one look at Paul to get the nod of approval and then buried his face between his wife’s legs. Her juices were still hot from the jacuzzi, tangy and sweet like smooth southern bourbon, and Luke couldn’t get enough of her. He lapped and sucked on her pussy and brought her to one explosive orgasm after another. The whole time, Paul was whispering in her ear, telling her how hot she was, how he adored that she was so naughty and of course, how much he loved her.
“Then, right when I had her on the edge of madness, she begged Paul to fuck her. He said, ‘step aside junior’ and took my place,” Luke laughed, “then, as though she weighed nothing, he flipped her on her knees and started kissing her doggy style. She insisted I climb up on the bed in front of her, so of course, I obliged. She took my cock into her mouth and sucked me like a pro, taking me all the way in. Every time her husband slammed into her, my cock went deeper and deeper into her throat, her moans vibrating against the tip of my cock.”