17 comments/ 51090 views/ 13 favorites Are You Sure About This? Ch. 01 By: Catalingus2005 "Are you sure about this?" she asked, appraising herself in the mirror. "I am," Dave Drake kissed his wife, Sharon, as he past by. He grabbed his car keys off the dresser, and turned. "You didn't think it was such an awful idea, either, not so long ago. Remember last week when we talked?" "I was drunk." He shrugged. "You'll be drunk tonight. You know Sam and Tina have been doing it for years." "I guess." "So who better to induct us?" Sharon Drake shook her head. Auburn hair brushed between her shoulder blades, and she brushed a loose strand out of her face. "I don't know," she shrugged. "I mean, Tina's my best friend." "And she's for it!" Dave quietly admired his wife's figure, gently enhanced by her little black dress, as he talked. His mind wandered to Tina's body. Thinner, with firm youthful breasts and toned, tanned legs. It excited him. "Honestly...who can you possibly count on more to look out for your best interest? If it's not working, they'll not only let us back out...they'll HELP us do it! It's even their house, so it's a safe place." Sharon thought for a moment. She had grown up with Tina, and hadn't ever thought less of her friend for choosing the swinger lifestyle. It was even fun to hear some of her friend's bawdier tales of seduction. But she was still disappointed, and uncomfortable, when her husband started getting more and more curious about it a few months ago. "Well..." she tisked, "I mean Sam IS really cute. And he's in much better shape than you, too." "Hey!" She laughed and ran out of the room, dodging the pillow he hurled at her in the process. - Swingers. It sounded so....slutty. Not when Tina talked about it. Not even when Sharon applied the term to her best friend. Then, it was exotic and exciting. A part of Tina's much more glamorous, exciting life. But when Sharon imagined naming herself as one, it felt...different. Still, she figured as they drove to the party, she was willing to play the game a bit. She'd already decided to extradite if it got too serious...let Dave have his little fantasy, and then go home before it got real. She knew she could count on Tina to help with that. When they arrived, there was general small talk with Sam and Tina before the couples traded spouses for some light flirting. Sam was calm, collected as always. Tina seemed pretty drunk, and laughed a lot. Sharon glanced back as Sam led her away, to see Dave watching her in return as he pulled Tina towards the bar. The two exchanged a wide-eyed smile. It was kind of exciting. Like being naughty children. And Sam WAS cute. The tall, muscled man with the deep voice had a surprising softness to his personality. She imagined it came from his work...he had to be able to win over clients easily. She was surprised to find herself thoroughly enjoying his attention. "Christ," she thought, "I've known this guy for years. Isn't it funny how this little idea makes him seem so...different to me." The only upsetting thing was glancing over half an hour later and seeing her husband so blatantly enjoying the attention he was getting from Tina. He was smiling and nodding as the other woman, wearing a low cut dress that showed off her superior cleavage, leaned in and patted his chest as she talked. Shrugging it off, Sharon turned to give Sam her full attention. - Dave smiled passively, listening to the drunken woman's meandering dialogue. Clearly Tina had started the party early. Now, she was imbibing quickly and was only embarrassing herself. This had been a mistake, he thought. That had been clear to him since he'd seen the gleam in his wife's eye as she sauntered off with Sam. The jolt it gave him may have held some excitement, but it was buried in a swamp of negative emotional responses. He glanced towards the other couple. She was over there, so focused on this other man that, unlike him, she didn't seem too concerned at all as to where her significant other was. As he watched, she didn't turn to look at him once. Worse still, Tina was only getting more incredibly drunk...in the way that turned all of her charms into crass turn-offs. Her heated flirting had melted into comments that would make a prostitute blush. She slurred words, eyes blinking erratically. She stumbled, even though she was standing still. This woman held nothing for him. Really, he was starting to realize, it had all been just a case of the grass seeming greener. The idea of sexual freedom, of that same careful exploration that new relationships used to bring. But the price was just too much. What a stupid fucking idea it all was. For a moment, looking at his friend's plastered wife, he felt sorry for them both. He was so lucky to have Sharon. And now she was on the other side of the party, flirting it up with Sam. A shot of jealousy slipped up his spine like a lightening bolt, short but hot. He opened his mouth to excuse himself, to find her and tell her how much he loved her. Suddenly, Tina was wrapping her arms around him. "So, hun, how'm I doing?" She leaned in to kiss him. He grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping her, and she looked up at him. Suddenly, he felt one of her hands snake between them. - "...so I watched him ransack his own office looking, knowing full well it was in his car all along." Sharon laughed. One thing she'd always liked about Sam: he was hilarious. He sipped his drink as she corralled her giggles, and then he rubbed her shoulder. She had to fight the urge to pull away. As cute, as funny as he was, she wasn't comfortable with the intimacy of it. He sensed that, and pulled back. "Sorry," he said. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable." "I know," she smiled. "I'm having a great time, I really am. It's just Dave..." she glanced in her husband's direction, and stared wide-eyed. Tina was leaning against him, one arm around his waist, and the other openly massaging his groin. He had a firm grip on her shoulders. The groping couple turned so that he was facing away, blocking Sharon's view, and then his head dipped down towards Tina's face. He was kissing her? Already? It was that easy for him? How much did she mean to him, if he could do it that casually...here in front of everyone?" "Are you ok?" Sam's voice, deep and resonant, made her realize she was staring with her mouth open. "Sorry, yeah," she blushed. "I guess I'm just not as ready as he is." "Don't worry about it," Sam smiled. "Look, this lifestyle...it's not about being unsatisfied with the person you love. Look at Tina and I...would you say we seem like a loving couple?" "Of course." "And yet here we are. If anything, this is a celebration of that. And it makes me appreciate her that much more." "Really?" She looked up at him, blinking away tears. He smiled, handsome as always, and put a hand on her cheek. "Of course," he said. She frowned, looking back towards her husband. Amazingly, he was stumbling up the stairs with his arm around Tina's waist. He said something to her as they disappeared into the darkened hallway, and she laughed. "Hey," Sam said, "if you're not ready for this kind of thing, we can still go and stop them." She said nothing for a moment, gazing off into the now-silent upstairs. Then she turned and smiled at him. "No. No, this is what he wants." "Is it what you want?" She finished off her wine in a single gulp and set it aside. "Would you kiss me?" She asked. He leaned in. - Tina was passed out. Dave had seen the warning signs when she'd groped him. He'd leaned in, asking how many she'd had, and she'd responded by trying to french him. In front of everyone. Looking around desperately, he'd seen Sam put a hand to Sharon's cheek and wink at her as she leaned into it. Smooth bastard. If he didn't do something quick, this could get out of hand. Somehow, he'd managed to get Tina up the stairs before she threw up. "Is your husband planning anything inappropriate with my wife?" he'd asked as they climbed the stairs, and she'd just laughed. Almost as soon as they'd hit the bathroom, she'd barfed. Most of it went in the toilet...the rest was all over her clothes, which she promptly removed, falling over in the process. Then she barfed again. They spent nearly twenty minutes there in the bathroom, him holding her hair and feeling for all the world like an idiot. "Whadda fuckin' night!" she'd grunted at last, before falling asleep. Dave managed to host the nude woman into bed, covering her up. Then, he made a half-hearted attempt to adjust his disheveled clothes before going to find his wife and warn his friend. When he got to the top of the stairs, he stumbled in shock. There they were, seated on the couch, darting in for open-mouthed kisses in-between whispers and giggles. Their faces stayed close, noses almost touching, as they traded words and saliva. Sharon's eyes had that seductive half-closed focused gaze that signified heightened arousal. How could she have gotten this far this fast? Had she even bothered to look over at all? How could she have missed Tina's drunken near-collapse? How could she not understand that things had fallen entirely apart? Dave rushed down the stairs to get to them. Sharon leaned her head back, Sam's lips finding the sensitive parts under her jaw, and caught a glimpse of her husband's approach. She immediately jerked back, sitting up, blushing. Sam blinked confusion at her, until he saw Dave too. Then he smiled. "Well?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye. Dave wasn't sure what he meant, but he didn't have any interest in figuring it out. "Your wife is upstairs," he tried to sound casual, unaffected, "asleep. You might want to check on her. Honey, we need to leave." Sam frowned. "Is something wrong, Dave? It's only 8:30." "No," Dave lied. He was as embarrassed as he was hurt. This was all his fault, and now he was the party pooper. "Let's go." Sharon said goodbye to Sam, kissing him on the cheek. Dave ignored the heat in his own cheeks at that. Together, they left. - Sharon didn't know what to think. Had she done something wrong? Had Tina disappointed Dave? Vice versa? The next day, she and Dave sat and ate breakfast silently. Dave was moody...but why? He worked an 11-7 that day, so after he left she called Tina to find out the whole story. "Ugh," Tina grunted. "I couldn't really tell you." "Please," Sharon pleaded. "He caught me kissing Sam, and he seems upset." "First, he didn't catch you doing anything. It doesn't work that way. He was all over me, I remember THAT much. He put my hand on his cock and tried to kiss me. In front of everyone!" Suddenly her voice turned apologetic. "But he was just overeager...first timers often are. It's okay. Anyway, you were only indulging, just like he was. That's what swinging is....you weren't cheating, and neither was he." "But, did he..." A pause. "He was all over me, uhh...I remember going upstairs with him, he had his hand around my waist..." "And?" "And I woke up about ten minutes ago with a headache. My husband tells me that I was naked when he came upstairs, and that my clothes were in an entirely different room." "Does it feel like...you know?" A coughing laugh, hangover low. "Honey, I hurt all over, but if he was upstairs only twenty minutes I'm not likely to be able to tell. You know?" "Oh." She tried to hide her nervous disappointment. "Seriously...you don't think he got me all naked and then left? Were his clothes different when he came back downstairs?" Sharon bit her lip. "They were pretty messed up." "I'm sure we fucked." Silence. "Sorry. Had sex...whatever. Do you need me to come over? If you're having jealousy issues, I can..." Sharon giggled in spite of herself. "You'd better stay in bed. But what should I do?" "Honestly?" "Honestly." "This was all his sell. Fair?" "Fair." "And he almost certainly humped me, fair?" She flinched. "Yes." "And he didn't punch Sam for making out with you? In fact, seemed apologetic about pulling you away?" "Right." "Then I think you have it backwards." "What do you mean?" "Maybe HE feels guilt because he took it all the way and you didn't." "Meaning?" "He talked you into this, encouraged it, and then moved too fast. Right now, it's lopsided. He probably feels like he cheated. Until you sleep with Sam, Dave is the bad guy." "But then why did he pull me away?" "Who knows. Guilt. Embarrassment at being done so quickly. Panic. Could be anything." A pause. "Tina?" Sharon asked, "Could you put Sam on the phone." A chuckle. "Sure, hon. Love ya." Sharon listened to the shuffling sounds of the phone being handed over, and Sam's low greeting. "Sam, would...would you come over for...a late lunch?" "Sure," he said. "What time do you want me?" She blushed a bit. "Th...three hours?" "I'll be there." - Dave felt horrible. He wasn't getting any work done. What should he do? Sharon seemed to have really enjoyed the party...and all he felt was jealousy and guilt. He'd really fucked the whole thing up. He stared blankly at the papers crowding his desk, unable to give them any attention. If he admitted to Sharon that he'd had a change of heart, would she be mad? Would she feel like he'd set her up to be the bad guy? He supposed he had to say something...before the next time they saw Sam and Tina, anyway. He shivered to think of what might happen if he let the whole farce continue. By early afternoon he had made up his mind. He would leave work early...show up as a surprise, bringing flowers and letting her know that he realized it was all his fault. This whole mistake could be put behind them. It felt right. He left the office at 2:00, stopping only to buy flowers and rent a romantic movie his wife had been asking to see. He smiled as he drove, even letting a small unnoticed laugh out in his anticipation. Everything was going to be okay. - Sam arrived at the house at 2:00. After showering and shaving her legs, Sharon had spent an hour just deciding what to wear. She ran the gamut from dirty fantasies of opening the door in sexy lingerie, playing the casual seductress like Tina, to fighting nervous urges to wear bulky clothes and cover everything up. Each article she considered putting on, her mind flashed an image of Sam pulling off. She felt an alarmingly giddy excitement as she toyed with the options...like a schoolgirl getting ready for her first ever date. She took comfort in this feeling, scary as it was. Focusing on the excitement, she could beat the paranoia and fear. She wouldn't let her husband down. In the end, she went with a spaghetti string tank top that clung tightly, revealing the tiny paunch of her stomach but pushing her boobs up provocatively. She matched it with a short frilly skirt that showed plenty of leg. In a fit of boldness she had initially left panties out of the equation, but she chickened out when the doorbell rang. Hoisting low cut bikini bottoms up over her derriere, she stumbled down the hallway and threw open the door. Immediately she worried that the swiftness of her appearance made her seem to eager. Sam smiled, tall and strong, looking damn good. Ten years she'd known this man, and while he'd always been attractive it had never really effected her before. She wondered if she'd ever be able to ignore it, now. His smooth features, great personality, and fit body made him, she realized, out of her league. But not Tina's. She wondered if he desired her. What a typically bad time, she thought, to start getting insecure. "Afternoon," he nodded. "You look spectacular." He was openly appraising her, his eyes following not just her breasts and torso but even tracing the curves of her arms and legs. She blushed, smoothing her skirt nervously. "Thank you." Suddenly, Sharon realized she hadn't made anything for lunch. That was the only thing keeping this from being a straight-up booty call...from being something a little dirtier than she was comfortable with. For a moment she didn't know what to say. "You should invite me in," Sam whispered. "W..won't you come in?" She smiled, stepping aside so he could enter. "Thank you," he said, and did so. "You're nervous." "Oh, does it show?" She gave a nervous laugh. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Would it make it easier if I take the lead here?" "Oh, please do." He reached one hand out to her. - Forty minutes later Dave Drake drove up to, and then right by, his own house. Sam's car was there? What the fuck was Sam's car there for? Only one reason came to mind, why this man might be at his house while he was away. This man who had tasted her lips, who had left her with flushed skin and heavily lidded eyes. He parked a block away, running back towards his home with fear and rage in his heart. "Please, Jesus, no," he stammered over and over as he ran. She wouldn't. Please say she wouldn't. Getting to the front of the house, he first peaked through the curtained window. No sign of any people. He could make out one of Sharon's snug-fitting tank tops lying discarded on the floor. A man's shirt lay nearby. He ran around to peer in the other windows, finding nothing. The main bedroom curtains, usually open during the day to allow for natural light, were shut ominously tightly. He put his ear to the window, and his heart collapsed at the sound of a female gasp. A clear, light-hearted gasp of pleasure. That was it. He was too late. His wife, following his own damn suggestions, was in their bed with another man. And enjoying it. Dave looked at the shadowy reflection in the window and saw the man who ruined everything. Dejected, angry, broken-heartedly, he made his way back to the car. For long moments he stared silently at the materials for his apologetic surprise lying limply on the passenger seat. Then, he started the car back up. Across the street, an old man walking his dog ambled up to the lamppost and paused for a moment while his terrier claimed it. He only experienced a moment's curiosity as the black SUV pulled away, revealing a dozen discarded red roses, all fresh and bright. - Sharon gasped again as Sam's soft lips grazed her neck, his hand exploring her torso with a casual certainty. The exposed, warm skin of his muscular chest brushed her peaked nipples, and she felt a rush of heat. Still, her hands went uncontrollably palm up to that glorious, hairless chest, and he stopped. Once again, he shifted from between her legs until he was lying next to her, propped up on one elbow. They were under the covers, still fully dressed from the waist down, and this was not the first pause they'd endured. "It's okay," he said simply, as though they were having a casual conversation. "No guilt." She wanted to say many things. How good he felt on top of her, how this was the most sexually excited she'd been in years, how badly she wanted it. How she couldn't. She just...couldn't. As easy as it had been to get this far, Sharon could not make herself allow him any further access to her. She couldn't do this to Dave. Not even FOR Dave. Instead, she sighed. The lighthearted arousal made it difficult to think straight. He didn't help matters, as he reached out with one finger to trace the curves of her still-exposed breasts and stomach. A flutter, almost like a pleasurable tickle, made her shiver. "You know," he continued, "I've been a part of this lifestyle for seven years. I know when a woman is interested..." she turned to look at him, and he traced her jaw with his finger, "...and when a woman is forcing herself to move faster than she cares to." She blushed, turning back to stare at the ceiling. "I do want it," she whispered. "I know." He lay down fully, then, his hand slipping around the back of her neck. "Come here." Are You Sure About This? Ch. 01 She allowed herself to be pulled where he wanted, his gentle grip guiding her cheek to his chest. She lay upon it and gently kissed it. He kissed the top of her head in return, and sighed. "You must be absolutely at peace with this decision, before you act. Promise me you'll wait until you are." "Maybe I'll never be." "You will be. I know you will. Let's get up." She was surprised how unashamed she was of her exposed breasts, heavier and less youthful than Tina's, of her less toned middle. Or even of her failure to complete the act. She WAS embarrassed, however, at the excitement she felt when her eyes darted south and found the proof of his excitement. "I have an idea," he said simply, ignoring her womanly appreciation. "What if we go and see my wife. Tina can give you a woman's perspective of all this...you know, there was even a time when she was uncertain if she could handle the lifestyle." "Really? Tina? She seems to in control of it all." He smiled to himself. "She's an amazing woman. Why don't we go see her." Sharon was impressed that he didn't feel awkward praising his wife, having just been in bed with another woman. Maybe Tina was right...maybe SAM was right. Could it be that swinging would actually enhance a relationship? "Yes," she said, "Let's." - The doorbell again. Tina opened the door dressed in a thick bathrobe with wet hair, looking surprised, as her friend's husband stood looking uncomfortable in the doorway. Then she smiled. "Hey, honey," she said, beckoning him in. "Sam ain't here." He stepped inside, wiping his shoes on the mat. "I know. He's with my wife." He was both surprised and disappointed when her response made it clear that this was old news. He'd hoped to have a partner in his sorrow. Instead, Tina suddenly let her bathrobe fall open and pressed her body against his. "Does the idea of them together make your mind wander?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Perhaps to me?" He stared wide-eyed, speechless as his mind locked on the feeling of her breasts against him. They were perfect. She craned her neck up for a kiss, and instinctively he leaned in. This would be a good revenge, wouldn't it? Sam was fucking his wife, so he would fuck Sam's. But...wasn't that what everyone intended anyway? Wouldn't that justify what was happening at his house? Her kisses tasted faintly fruity; she was a great kisser. He suddenly realized that his hands were on her. Beastly lust chewed the logic of his thinking to pulp. He struggled to analyze this all-important decision, even as their lips continued to dance and her hands pulled him into the living room. Then, those same hands were opening his pants, reaching in to cup his growing sex. He gasped at the pleasure of contact, and she slipped down on her knees. His pants fell to his ankles. There was gloriously warm breath on the head of his cock. A firm grip on its base. "We have to stop," he gasped. A tongue rolled swiftly, wetly across the underside of his tip. His hips flexed uncontrollably. "What, honey?" she asked absently, leaning in for more. "Please stop!" He stepped away, crouching to pull his pants up. The kitchen door opened. - Sam opened the door for Sharon, and she walked into the other couple's kitchen. Then, she froze. A mixture of shock and horror spread as she watched her husband stumble away from a kneeling, naked, surprised-looking Tina. Tina's hand fell off his hard cock as he moved, awkwardly pulling his pants up and buttoning them. He looked guilty, busted. Tina didn't. She casually climbed to her feet, a smile spreading on her face. Dave made no attempt to help her. "Hey, you two lovebirds," she winked. Sharon blushed. Dave turned on them, then, a strange look on his face. His expression turned oddly pleased, though there was something else there under the surface. "So," he gasped, tucking his shirt in, "you two finally finished screwing each other?" Sam shook his head, looking concerned. "I haven't slept with your wife, Dave. Are you okay?" A sad kind of hurt spread across Dave's face, his eyes darting between them. Tina came up, bathrobe once again closed, and put her arm around his waist. "Oh, he's been doing just fine," she smiled. He turned to her, that look still on his face, then smiled and kissed her passionately. "I have to go," he said to Tina only, then left. Sharon felt the urge to chase after him. Something was clearly wrong. Nobody said anything as he left, but Tina and Sam exchanged knowing glances. "Is he mad?" Sharon asked. Tina shrugged. "He came over thinking you two were fucking, and he was all wound up. Finding out you weren't clearly upset him." Sam nodded. "And here we walked in on him indulging a second time, and he finds out he's more the bad guy than ever. He probably just needs to be alone for a while." Tina eyed the two of them. "Anyway, why AREN'T you two fucking?" Sharon sighed, but Sam simply put his arm around her and admonished his wife, "Easy, now. We were hoping you might be able to calm some concerns." - Did they think he was stupid? Dave sped the whole way home. Of course they'd been fucking. It only added to the hurt to have them lie to his face so casually. And for his wife to show no hint of jealousy at finding him with Tina? Or when he kissed the other woman right in front of her? Did she care at all? Why HAD they lied? They must have seen that he was struggling with it all. The whole thing was probably a setup to have Tina seduce him. Why else would she come to the front door so underdressed? Was it all some misguided attempt to help him? He slammed his fist down on the steering wheel. This was ridiculous. And the truth was, he had started it all. He had brought them together. He had chosen not to admit his disapproval, his jealousy. And now he had allowed himself to stupidly get caught in a position that would only validate their actions. What to do now. The question dogged him as he drove home, leaving him pacing jerkily in the living room for hours. What should he do next? What would THEY do next? What were they doing NOW? How did he feel about it? Should he just go ahead with Tina, make it an even match? Should he admit his misgivings to his wife? How did she feel about Sam? Why wasn't she home yet? Yes, why? He looked at the clock. Hours had passed. The sun was setting. She must still be...there. Lewd visions ran through his head. The sound of her gasp, muffled by a window, splashed across his thoughts. He tried to swim away, but the rippling undercurrents kept the sound rhythmically lapping at his consciousness. It was three more hours before she returned home. By then, he was so blended by his confused hurt that he simply pretended to be asleep. - Sharon awoke the next morning with a plan. After a long talk with Tina, and a handholding walk with Sam, she had sat down with the both of them to scheme. What everyone needed, they thought, was a chance to start this over. To get back to where they'd been that first night, but to not let it get lopsided. Dave could see that his wife was indeed game, that she could make him proud, and Tina would avoid drinking heavily so that she could make sure he had a good time, too. But first she had to kick start this little mission. Dave sat at the breakfast table, looking a bit sullen as he ate his oatmeal. Sharon showered and came out dressed, tiptoeing excitedly over to Dave. She leaned over him from behind, kissing his ear. "Good morning," she said. "Morning," he said, not looking up. "I have something for you." She set a little pink envelope in front of him, and ran a finger seductively up his arm. "Now you have to promise not to open it until twelve thirty." She leaned in, her lips near his ear again. "Gonna be a good boy?" she asked in her best Tina impression "Alright." His tone hadn't changed, even if his breath had quickened a bit. She kissed him again, and then headed out the door. As she pulled out of the driveway, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed. "Hello?" "Hey, Sam. It's me." "Sharon. Did you give him the letter?" "Sure did. Are you ready for me?" "Been on..." his voice cut out. She paused. "Hello?" Her cell phone was dead. Again. Stupid charger never worked right. Oh, well. - He almost opened the envelope early. Oh, would that he had! Dave sat on the couch, dejected, reading the note and finally discovering just how wrong things had gone. It said: 'Honey, It's been obvious in the days since our first attempt at swinging that you have been unhappy. It's also been obvious why: we had an arrangement, and I failed to live up to it. You slept with Tina, I failed to sleep with Sam. You felt guilty. Tina gave you a blowjob, and still I had failed to meet my end of the bargain. Today, I am going to fix that. Thanks to the patient help of our friends, I am finally ready to live up to your expectations. At the moment you read this, I will be at Sam and Tina's house with Sam's cock in my mouth. I'll make you proud; he will enjoy it. Tonight, Tina will be visiting you for supper and affection, and you can know for certain that I am bestowing the same attention on Sam. I'm sorry it took me so long; I don't think I realized how important this was to you. But after tonight, everything will be well again.' A tear he hadn't realized existed landed on the paper. He'd been wrong. They hadn't done anything together. Until now. All he'd had to do was say something, say fucking ANYthing, and he couldn't even get that right. After the first time he'd read it, he'd rushed to call her cell phone. It went straight to voicemail...she'd turned it off. No point in dialing the mainline, then; she didn't want a phone call. She was...sucking somebody else's cock...working hard to make sure they enjoyed it. He lurched to the door, ready to sprint to the car. Then, he froze. What was the point? It would take twenty minutes just to drive there. Twelve-thirty, she'd said. Maybe, if he'd opened it then, he'd have had some small chance. But his brother had called, distracting him. He'd been late in opening it. It was already five minutes after one. - "Still nothing. I told you." Part of Sharon had spent the last half hour praying he would come. Or call. Or something. Not because she didn't want this...more, she wanted him to come stop it because she wanted it so badly. It still scared her a little. "Nothing," she repeated the word. Tina patted her friend's leg. "Look, I told you he wanted it. It's been clear all along. You wanted to wait, to give him a chance to respond to the letter. He hasn't. That can only mean he's okay with it." She winked. "Son of a bitch is probably jerking off right now." "Tina!" But they both giggled. "So now I'll leave you two alone," Tina winked, "and after a couple of hours of shopping I'll go over and rock his world. All will be well." Sharon felt a tingle, and she looked at Sam. He stood tall and silent, staring out the window pensively. He was more beautiful than ever. "Say," Tina said as she headed out the door, "if you two leave soon you could be at the beach house by supper time. I'll take the jeep in case you decide to go...the Lexus gets better mileage." Then she was gone. Sharon stood, walking over to Sam. "What do you think?" he asked suddenly. "About what?" He looked at her. "Us." She smiled, truly ready at last. "I think," she wrapped her arms around him, "I'm going to enjoy this." She might have thought, if the question had come up, that her appraisals of Sam would focus on his differences from Dave. How he looked and moved physically, how he performed or intimated his wishes. How he made her feel. Instead, she found herself practically virginal in her blind fancying of Sam. As they kissed, her groping was innocently awkward. Efforts to remove his clothes, or even her own, stumbled. Her passion left her a blindly driven, wet creature, until finally he took her hand in his and led her up the stairs. He still wore his pants, if unbuttoned and hanging seductively low on his fit figure. Sharon wore only her panties. She watched his butt with an endorphin high as they climbed the stairs. - Dave took the off-ramp, headed towards his friend's house. He still wasn't sure what he was doing, what he COULD do, but he knew that he wanted nothing more than to hold his wife and never let her go. To tell her it was okay, he wasn't mad, that he didn't want to do this but he would never hold what she had done against her. He even held out a small, sick hope that it hadn't happened yet. - They landed on the bed kissing, and her hands tugged urgently at his slacks until he swiftly pulled both them and his underwear down. She watched his nudity, mesmerized, as he scooted up the bed, resting with one arm behind his head and smiling at her. He looked like a fantasy. Only then did her husband enter her mind, as she noticed that Sam's member was wider and rounder than his was. For the first time in years, she remembered how strangely narrow and pointy it had seemed to her when she and Dave had first been intimate. Dave was not lacking in that department, but Sam's nudity was a sudden long-overdue reminder that even a penis could be...pretty, in a way. Sam's looked smoother, less veiny. She liked the way it looked better than Dave's, she realized. The thought both unwound her certainty and increased her fascination. Quietly, slowly, she climbed up until she was on all fours straddling his legs. She watched the swelling penis with quiet contemplation, appreciating it but making no move to initiate contact. He was patient, but still she didn't move. At last, he asked, "Is something wrong?" She looked up, almost startled and suddenly nervous. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know," his low voice made her shiver. She looked down again, then back up. She liked the way it looked better than Dave's, she thought again. It upset her to realize it. It was something she couldn't take back, something she couldn't ever not remember. She hovered there, above it, torn and uncertain. Should she continue? Was this a mistake? Are You Sure About This? Ch. 02 Was this a mistake? Dave sat in the driveway, hand frozen inches above honking the horn. Clearly, in his wife's mind, what she'd done and was planning on doing was swinging. In other words, she wasn't cheating on him. She was doing it FOR him. It was what he'd wanted...or at least, what he'd convinced them both he wanted. And yet, at one point, it really had held appeal for him. That whole vision had been misguided, though. Right? He saw her in his mind, writhing atop Sam's body. A fit body, well built. He looked down at the pale, freckled skin of his narrow arms, the hint of belly under his shirt, and all he felt was anxiety and jealousy. Fear. He didn't want it. Not at all. What might happen if he were to honk right now? Were they together, planning their evening? Was she napping, as she often did after any kind of sexual activity? Would he wake her up? Would she discover that she'd been wrong all along? Would she be humiliated? Would she be furious with herself? With him? He slapped his own forehead. What was wrong with him, that he was becoming so incapable of decision-making all of the sudden? Each moment he sat here was a moment lost. He wanted to scream. All he could muster was a moan. - A moan escaped her. Gripping, for the first time in years, an unexplored version of what made males such fascinating and foreign creatures, Sharon felt that strange mix of firm strength and soft defenselessness that penises have. As she wrapped her hand around the one below her, she felt that long-forgotten form of desire that only exists early in a relationship. Sam moaned back at her, feeling her gentle touch, and she smiled as she lifted the flesh in her hand until it pointed at her. Leaning forward, she felt that rush of endorphins peak as, for the first time in 10 years, a penis other than her husband's brushed against her lips. It twitched in her grasp, pleasing her. She planted a gentle kiss on the underside, watching Sam intently, and hummed at the taste as she ran her tongue from the base up to the tip. The move left her mouth hovering, open, just above the organ. Here goes, she thought to herself, and let the first few inches slip into her. She had to hold her jaw a bit wider for this man than for her husband, and she hoped she wouldn't tire early. She wanted to do good. He reached down, running his hands through her hair. - Dave Drake ran his hands through his hair, and brought the one hand down towards the horn again. And again, he stopped it before it hit. No, he thought. That's not the way to do this. Hell, they probably wouldn't even pay attention to a horn noise...they'd just figure it was meant for somebody else. A driver cutting somebody else off, perhaps. No, not the horn. The front door. He unbuckled his seatbelt, his hands fumbling in his nervous haste. - She sucked, creating a seal with the lips she kissed her husband with, and felt the mushroom head swell a little between the roof of her mouth and her flattened tongue. She began a slow bobbing motion, allowing his tip to threaten to go just a little too deep on each slow drop, then pulling at him as she retreated. Obviously everything that had happened up to this point had been dubious, by the rules of marriage. To be so passionately engaged with another man was not exactly adhering to the vows directly. But this was a clear step beyond all that. It felt like it was in a whole other league...something beyond her ability to understand. How could it be possible that she was here, sucking on this other man's cock, with her husband's blessing? And how could she be enjoying it so much? Her hand pulled at the member as her lips retreated, leaving a trail of spit that clung to her bottom lip as she pulled off and looked up at Sam. The strand broke after a moment, but she could see that he'd enjoyed seeing it. Looking at his face, the taste of his cock still on her tongue, she felt that same heady lust she got from kissing him, from feeling his hands on her. Only now it was mixed with a sense of control...of being IN control. He smiled at her, eyes half-closed in a way that reminded her of her own reaction to pleasure, and she continued running her hand over the glistening shaft as she dipped down to work her lips and tongue over his testicles. Another moan from above got her thinking...as much as this was a step beyond the make out sessions from before, once he came there was no going back. A blowjob can be stopped...an incomplete act. But that one orgasm would cement this event forever. It was something she rarely did for her husband, but as she pressed her tongue to the skin below his testicles and ran her thumb over the head of his penis she knew that she WANTED this man to cum in her mouth. - Dave jumped out of his car, feeling good about his decision. Somehow, he couldn't believe that it was too late. Hell, he was sure it WASN'T too late. A blowjob was a big deal, it would be hard to get over, but they hadn't had SEX yet. If he could just talk to them, he could clear up the whole situation...hurt nobody's feelings. He almost laughed as he headed up the walk. Imagine him sitting there panicking, and he still had HOURS to stop them before they made love. A blowjob. Okay. They could get past this. Hell, there was no way she let guy cum in her mouth. She hated that. On the rare occasion that she did give him a complete blowjob, as opposed to during foreplay, she would almost inevitably pull back when he announced his impending eruption. Then she would grab a nearby Kleenex and milk him into that, preventing any mess whatsoever. This was a strangely comforting thought, . For some reason, that barrier between his wife and Sam was important to him. Very important. He made his way to the door. - Sharon opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of it all as she worked. Glistening flesh, wet with her saliva, tilted this way and that according to her own movements. Beyond it, heavy breaths drew a muscular torso in and out, and a man's face tilted upwards with eyes closed and mouth open in pleasure. "Soon." It was the only word Sam said, but it spoke volumes. Sharon had been running her open mouth up each side of his shaft in alternating strokes, her tongue out to catch his sensitive crown on each run-by, but now she dove deep, pulling half his penis into her mouth and bobbing fast in long pulls. Her hand clung tightly to him, just below her lips, extending the area of stimulation. He was gasping, his hand on her head. His buttocks flexing. Thin, salty fluids seeped out of him, a warning of what was about to happen. His breathing held short, deep animal grunts that pleased her. For some reason, at this moment a little voice in her head reminded her that it wasn't too late to stop. 'You can never take this back,' it reminded her. She thought about that. Where was Dave right now? How would she feel about all this when she saw him next? What should she do? Should she stop? Was this the wrong thing for her to be doing? What did Dave want? What did SHE want? The penis swelled in her mouth, one final warning. - Dave turned away from the front door, walking the perimeter of the house around to where the driveway curved into the garage. The jeep was gone. It had just registered in the corner of his eye as he marched up to the door, but it took a few moments for him to realize what it meant. He held his face up against the garage window, even though the vehicle was always outside in good weather. Just the Lexus. Nothing else. Sam ALWAYS drove the jeep. He loved it, even though it was old and he could afford much nicer vehicles. Tina, on the other hand, couldn't stand the thing as a general principle. She thought it was too rough, the seats uncomfortable. She wouldn't have driven it off.... Shit, he thought. Sam wasn't even there. And that meant Sharon wasn't either. He looked back in the garage. Tina's purse, often left on the small table near the entrance to the house, was gone. Nobody was here. Where would they be, though? He thought for a moment, checking his watch. Too early for supper. Butterflies took flight in his stomach. How could he stop them if he couldn't FIND them? For a moment he considered setting up camp right where he was until they returned. But would they return? Sam and Tina were wealthy. They had a little beach house a few hours down the road. They could afford a night in a fancy downtown hotel. They liked to spend time in fancy clubs, coming home late. No, he couldn't stay here. Then it hit him. Tina was supposed to be coming over to see HIM later. Even if Sam didn't drop her off, she would have the number to his emergency cell...the one he only used for clients. The one he ALWAYS HAD WITH HIM. As long as they called immediately, everything should be fine. Right? Right. He climbed in the jeep, started it up, and headed home. Everything would be okay. For some reason, the image of Sharon pulling away from a blowjob and hurriedly grabbing a Kleenex, her face squinted up in that slightly-squeamish blanch, entered his mind. And, equally inexplicably, the image was of great comfort. - The first blast flooded her mouth in one long, thick spurt. He practically roared as he came. She didn't even have time to think as she swallowed quickly and the next blast started. It was shorter, though still ample, and she was able to keep it in her mouth rather than struggle to keep up. Sam's orgasm continued to subside into a drawn out series of flexing, gasped spurts that offered far more reasonable amounts of his release. Sharon held his tip in her mouth, eyes locked on his, surprised at the heat and pride of the moment. Surprised to have no trouble with the semen in her mouth, to not have to fight an urge to gag. Surprised to feel sexy and, if anything, more aroused than before. And, especially, to feel no guilt. As he sighed contentedly, she made a show of swallowing noisily took a few final pulls from his softening sex, as though hungry to collect all of what he had to offer. She was pleased to see the effect this display had on him. Then she crawled up and laid her head on his chest. "Wow," is all he said. "Mmm, thank you." She kissed his pec. "That was the best...I...the best ever." She smiled. "What about Tina?" "She'd agree, if she'd seen it." They both laughed. They lay for a moment, silently. She thought about his sperm in her belly, tried to remember the last time she'd done that, and suppressed a little burp. She tried to remember a time, any time, when she had enjoyed it that much. Suddenly, unexpectedly, she remembered a boy she'd dated her senior year of high school back in Kansas. A track runner, who had also a bit out of her league as she gained weight throughout the year they dated. But he had on occasion visited family in nearby Nebraska, always returning with some of the fantastic pot his uncle grew. For whatever reason, whenever they got high off that stuff, she had always felt a strong urge to go down on him...and it had always been amazing. Needless to say, he'd made it a point to visit his uncle whenever he could. She giggled at the memory. That was four years before she'd met David. Sam stroked her hair and asked, "How do you feel?" "Great," she snuggled against him. "No guilt?" She stopped, quiet for a moment. "I don't know," she said honestly. "But I know I want to continue." "Sure?" "Absolutely." She hoisted herself up on her elbows, and looked at his handsome face. "Anyway, if something goes wrong, Tina will call, right?" "Yup." "Good," she settled back on his chest, twiddling her hair with one finger, and asked mischievously, "Are we going to the beach house?" "Do you want to?" "Oh yeah." "It's really more of a cabin," he reminded her. "It's not very impressive." "Will you be there?" "Well, that could be arranged I suppose." "Then I'm sure I'll be impressed. What time is it now?" "Almost two-thirty." "Then we can lay here a while longer?" "If you want to," he patted her head. "I am," she admitted lazily, "most content." "Very well," he grabbed the alarm clock, "we leave in an hour." - Time past with grueling slowness. Dave's certainty faded as the sun drew lower on the horizon. He checked the clock, as he had been every five minutes ever since getting home. Seven o'clock. Jesus. Tina sure was taking her time getting there. What the fuck was the woman doing? Dave paced anxiously. Finally, the doorbell rang. He rushed to answer. "Been waiting for me?" Tina winked. "Get in!" he practically yanked her through the door. "I need your help." "Sure," she said, surprised. "What's wrong?" "Can you call your husband for me?" "Sam?" "Sam. Wherever he is, I need to talk to him RIGHT NOW!" "Okay, hon, sure. Something up?" She looked nervous, uncertain. It was not a look she wore well. He was reminded again that her beauty was incredibly delicate, seeming to abandon her at just the wrong times. "I have fucked everything up royally," he ran his hand through his hair, "but I'm about to fix it. Just call him!" She pulled her cell phone out and dialed. - Ocean waves roared against the beach. Seagulls sang the great water's praises, and in the distance ships worked to keep it lit. A row of cabins sat nestled together amongst the large resorts, expensive and elusive yet infinitely humbled by the towers that surrounded them. Of those cabins, only one offered any light. Some were weekend getaways that not every weekend would share, but most of the others were victims of wealthy indulgence...just toys to be bought that lost their luster as soon as they were acquired. A few were nothing more than something to be casually mentioned at parties and manipulated with accountants. Some of them still received their benefactors with some amount of frequency...every three months, every four. Some hadn't held a heartbeat in a year. But the one cradled two heartbeats, close together and getting closer yet. And outside that cabin, on the gravel driveway next to a parked Lexus, Sam Price's emergency phone rang unheard where it had fallen when he climbed out of the car. - "No answer again." Between Dave's strange behavior and her husband's failure to answer the one line he always answered, Tina was getting more anxious with every second. "Can you just tell me what's going on?" "Where are they?" Dave asked instead, returning to his pacing. "Dave! Dammit!" "I never touched you!" he roared suddenly, turning on her. She backed away, but he made no move to attack. Instead, he sighed and fell into the armchair behind him. "At the party. I never touched you. You were drunk. I held your hair while you puked and I put you to bed, because I realized I'd made a mistake. The whole thing. A mistake. I couldn't go through with it. So I broke up their little make-out session and I wish it had ended there." She stared, realization sinking in. "You mean we never..." "Never." "And you pushed me away when I tried to...oh, God, Dave. I'm so sorry. I didn't know. THEY don't know. You have to believe it." "I know it," he pointed at the letter from that morning. Tina recognized it; she'd seen it written. "They're at the beach house," she said, half-collapsing onto the couch. "Call that number, then!" "We don't have a landline there." "Why isn't he answering his fucking cell?!?" He pounded on the armrest, looking small and helpless. "I can only think of one reason," she half-whispered. He stared at her, his jaw clenched. "Then let's go." "It's almost two hours drive." She put her head down on her hands, almost crying. "God, I'm so sorry. It's my fault." "It's not. It's mine. Now let's GO. I'll drive." "Dave...it'll be 9:30 before you ever even arrive. It'll almost certainly be too late." "You don't know that." "I do! I know my husband, and..." she buried her head in her hands, "I know your wife is going to go through with it all because I helped her talk herself into it." "We have to try. You have to try. For me." She nodded. "Okay." - "That was delicious," Sharon said, as she rinsed her plate. "Thank you. It's nothing special, really...Tina taught me." Sam came up behind her, and she snuggled back against him. The whole drive down, as they'd talked and laughed, she was struck by how intense their connection was becoming. She knew she should be worried about that, just as she should be worried about how her husband would respond when he learned that she'd swallowed Sam's semen, that it had been in her belly. Or wherever else it may end up before the night was over. She giggled to herself, and his firm hands rubbed her shoulders. "What's so funny?" he asked. "I guess I'm just excited," she said, not worried at all. She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I didn't expect to feel this...way about you." "I know what you mean," for a moment, a sadness past over his features. Then it was gone. She bit her lip. "Should we be afraid of this?" He stroked her hair. "Yes. But I'm not." "No, me neither. Tomorrow?" "Maybe." She shrugged it off. "Maybe. Right now I don't think I can feel anything but want." They kissed, and his hands slipped underneath her shirt. - "How much further?" "Forty minutes. At the speed limit." "Goddamn it!" Dave was definitely not going the speed limit. But still he felt it wasn't fast enough. For the first half hour of the drive they'd talked, sorting out the errors and miscommunications that had led them to this moment. Even for casual swinger Tina, a taste of jealousy emerged from the thought of the one-sided affair they were now desperate to stop. Worse, she feared that she may have helped in the downfall of her best friend's marriage. Now, they only spoke of how much further they had to go. Each one prayed silently that they'd get there before it was too late. - Sharon fell onto the bed, bare but for her panties. She watched hungrily as Sam lifted his shirt over his head. Wow, she thought, watching his body's movements. He unbuttoned his pants but left them on as he climbed over her. Hands found the back of her neck and cupped her right hip. Lips found the base of her neck. She hummed and craned her head to the side, offering her throat as though to a vampire. The mix of lust, anticipation, and pleasure was euphoric, more so as his kisses dropped below her collarbone and his fingers began tracing up her thigh. - "You'll really piss me off if you get us both killed, Dave!" Tina clung to her seatbelt as the car turned the corner so hard, it seemed destined to roll. "Now where?" he asked, ignoring the comment. So close, now. So close. "In four more blocks you'll take a left." "And then?" She looked over at him. "Maybe ten minutes." "FUCK!" - His tongue, at last, stopped teasing and made contact. Sharon gasped, arms flying out seeking resistance of any kind, as his lips and tongue began exploring her sex. One hand found the wall, palm pressing hard against it. The other gripping the headboard above her. Her entire body moved like the waves on the ocean. Legs that might have tentatively opened any other time had spread easily, and her calves now spasmed in tiny kicks. A low moan escaped her, and as his tongue expertly massaged her softest spots her first rippling orgasm spread through her. Leaving the headboard, her hand dropped down to rest on the back of his head, which was dipped between her legs as though in worship. - "Come on, Mike. He's with me," Tina begged. "Sorry, ma'am. Community rules. No vehicles in after eight." Dave stared blankly, face red with rage. "I'm going fucking in," he said quietly. Are You Sure About This? Ch. 02 Tina put her arm on his shoulder. "We're just two blocks away." Turning back, she pointed to the row of parking spots by the entrance. "Can we park here and walk?" "Certainly, ma'am," the guard smiled. - At the final possible moment, her fingers tightened on his tricep. He froze, supported above her with one hand. The other was dipped between their bodies, maneuvering that all-important part of him so that he was pressed gently against her entrance. She felt the promise of it there, being moistened by her own body, ready to take her. She wanted it to. But just as he'd tensed for that final claiming push, he'd felt her fingernails and hesitated. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I don't know." She said truthfully, looking up at him with surprise. "Nothing, I think." "We can still stop." His ragged breath said otherwise. "I'm ready," she promised. He searched her face, looking for the truth of it. "I will wait as long as I need to. You know that." She smiled. "I know." "But I need you to answer honestly. To say what you feel, what you're heart is telling you should happen. Are you, Sharon, truly ready?" She bit her lip, looking over his shoulder for a long moment. - "There! There's the Lexus!" Dave sprinted over to the cabin, towards the one window that still held light. The bedroom window shone with the flicker of candlelight. Tina blinked at that. Lighting the candles was a special thing she and Sam kept for themselves. Dave reached the window, and his face contorted in horror. - Her response, one word long, hung between them. Then, she reached down and repositioned him, and he pushed. She felt the heavy member slide through her grip and into her body. The feel of it stunned her. Claimed at last. Whatever ambivalence her mind held, her body was ready and eager. He slid deep in that initial thrust...deeper than she'd felt in a long time. She cried out in pleasure. Had that been a small orgasm? Or had it been a large rush of sensation? She couldn't tell. But she instinctively shifted her hand from his penis to his buttocks and pulled, encouraging the penetration. He dropped onto his elbows, his hips rocking softly in and out of her as he kissed her lips. Each gentle push ended with an insistent drive deeper, further into her, until his balls pressed against her. He held there for a few moments, kissing her face and neck, and then his arms wrapped around her tightly and he began to take her in full. - "We're too late." Dave sunk to the gravel, head in his hands. A sob escaped him. "Too late? They're done?" Tina walked towards the window. Stumbling over something, she reached down and picked up her husband's cell phone. "He's inside her. He's inside my Sharon right now," he wept. "What! Then it's not too late! Stop them! Come on!" She moved towards the window again. "You didn't see her face. In ten years, I've never seen anything like it." Tina turned on him, furious. "You're giving up." "So what if I am?" he sulked. She stared at him. "You asshole! This isn't just about you! Don't you think Sharon would want to know the truth? Don't you think her heart is still with you? Do you think any sex, with anybody, anywhere is enough to change that? To change her feelings for you? WHO DO YOU THINK SHE IS DOING THIS FOR?" "Oh. It was for me. It was. At first. It's for him now." Dave wiped a tear off his cheek. "So he wins, obviously. I mean, he's FUCKING her. I'll still be here, though. When it's over. I'll still love her." He broke down. "I will." "And what about me? What about Sam? What about the future? Do you know how much you are throwing away? How much this changes things? I've been friends with that girl since the seventh grade. Do you think that stops because of this? Are you prepared to see Sam, for HER to see Sam, at parties and get-togethers after this? After they've fucked?" She kicked dirt at him. "We. Can. Still. Stop. It." A loud female cry built and broke from inside the small cabin. Tina's eyes went wide. For a long moment neither of them spoke. Dave wiped tears from his eyes and stared out at the water. Tina shivered as she watched the man slouched, twisted, like crumpled paper. He didn't move, didn't look at her. Tina sighed, looking up at the sky and wondering how much time was passing as she stood out here like an idiot, trying to convince her best friend's husband to stop her getting fucked. The ocean waves covered most of the noise emanating from inside, thankfully, but occasionally the faint wordless sound of a human voice could be heard, grunting or gasping. At last, Dave shook his head and spoke. Enough minutes had passed that his sudden words surprised her. "It's no worse if they finish it than it is that they started at all," he said to himself. "Do you believe that?" she asked quietly. "Do you really?" A pause. "No." "Then stop it." He didn't move. "Please!" "Why don't you?" he spat. "If you care so fucking much!" "Dave, you have to understand women. If I stop them while you sit out here and do nothing, that will play out in your wife's head for a long time to come, and it'll be upsetting. Far more upsetting than if we go away and come back later...and just tell them we didn't make it in time." He stared ahead. "Will you stop it?" she asked. He seemed to tense, as though to stand. Then, as another female cry floated out into the night, he sank down defeated. "No." "For God's sake, much longer and they'll be DONE!" - Much longer, and he'd be done. There hadn't been much creativity to their love making this first time. That could be saved for future opportunities. This initial bout was mostly a sweaty, passion-driven, animalistic affair. Like breeding. They had rolled over so she could ride atop him for a while, but mostly he lay thrusting madly between her legs, her hips rising to meet and encourage his driving pushes into her body. Sharon was lost in the joy of it. Two orgasms had swept through her, one appearing fast and explosive. The other had shaken her to her toes, climbing up her body and stealing her breath as she rode him. Their combined sweat and her arousal served to make their skin slick, and it made them feel almost as one as they ground and pushed against each other. Sam was making those same noises from before, at the house...signifying an approaching eruption. A brief moment occurred where, somewhere far back in her mind, Sharon noted that they'd not bothered with protection. But she neither felt anxiety nor shock at the idea of it. She made no move to correct it, either. Instead, lost in her passion and pleasure as he began approaching his climax, she wrapped her legs around him and anticipated his seed in her womb. His throaty noises built. His thrusts sped up and stayed deeper, not pulling back as far. Sharon felt her own body climbing to another earth-shaking orgasm, and she hungered for it. And then someone knocked hard on the window. There, through the pane of glass, was her husband, looking for all the world like a lost puppy. Tina appeared, too, anxiety etched on her face. Sharon froze. Sam froze. The whole world froze. - An hour later, they all sat quietly together. The stories had been told and retold, cleared up and then told again from a new perspective. Sharon had been devastated to learn that her attempt at sharing her husband's fantasy had actually turned her towards an improper affair, cuckolding a man who deserved better. The guilt and shame melted all the passion from her, shook her to her core. She had locked herself in the bathroom for a long while, sobbing uncontrollably, finally allowing Tina in to talk to her. Eventually they emerged, both faces ragged from crying. Sam had dressed silently, then gone to sit with Dave. He'd been apologetic, shamed, and Dave had been terse but understanding. He knew as well as any of them how fully he had helped this mess get this complicated. Still, he couldn't deny a sharp jealousy that wouldn't leave his stomach. He doubted if it ever would. Tina was the only one to notice that Sharon wouldn't look at Sam, when she finally emerged, but would frequently glance at him as they all sat and talked. She was the only one who knew Sam well enough to recognize the meaning of his concerned stare, to know the significance of the candles he'd lit for Sharon. She saw the absolute love Sharon and Dave shared in their embrace, saw Sam's flinch. Saw Sharon pull back a little too early, saw her eyes snake briefly towards her lover. Tina, alone among them all, was becoming aware of just how complicated life had just become.