Chapter 3

Once he’d pulled the car into a spot before my favorite Italian restaurant, Bobby flashed me a huge grin and ran his fingers along my bare thigh. The faux-rustic structure was faced with large rough-hewn brown and tan stones, shaded by a broad dark-wooden pergola. Flanked by towering cypress trees, the ebon-framed wood doors beckoned with tempting aromas each time they opened.

“God, you look so gorgeous,” he said while pushing his fingertips beneath the hem of my short red halter dress.

“Stop it, Bobby!” With a smile, I smacked at his hand. “You’ll get me too hot and bothered. And I won’t be able to enjoy my meal.”

“Hot and bothered about who?” Like Groucho Marx, his eyebrows flicked up and down.

“Jesus, Bobby. You’re incorrigible,” I said before pushing open the door and launching into the chilly night air. In a flash, beneath the thin, clingy silk, my nipples tightened.

When Bobby stepped onto the asphalt, his gaze swept the lot as he stretched before finding me. A quick glimpse of my chest had him returning to my face with a grin and his eyebrows raised. At that point, I gulped. I shouldn’t have worn so revealing a dress, but I remained a bit tipsy. Nonetheless...

“It’s cold out here, sheesh,” I said while rolling my eyes. “That’s it. God, you’re such a child sometimes.”

While still chuckling, he swept me onto his arm to guide us towards the entrance. Right outside the door, waiting patrons occupied two wooden benches or stood around talking. With my blood-red heels click-clacking across the quiet lot, several glances tracked our approach. Well, my approach. At one lingering gaze from an older, distinguished man behind his wife’s back, Bobby flashed me a grin.

“You’re so beautiful, my sexy wife,” he whispered into my ear.

“And you look very handsome tonight, my kinky husband.” I giggled when his fingers tickled me through the curve-hugging dress.

Once a hostess had seated us in one of the smaller, dimmer-lit booths along a stone wall in the expansive, red-carpeted dining room, Bobby and I exchanged gazes. Time slowed when he shifted, and his grin widened. As I followed his glittering, mischievous eyes, my heartbeat raced. It was the older man from outside. After giving us a quick scan, he purposely sat such that his wife’s back was to us. And he had a good view of me.

“No,” is all I muttered.

Just then, the waiter arrived to take our drink orders. Tall, young, and fit, he also let his dark pools spend a few extra seconds on me as I grinned up at him. Once he’d left, I unrolled my napkin and took a deep breath.

“No, Bobby.” While shaking my head, I still avoided looking across the table. “Just stop it. Now you’re making me uncomfortable.”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” he said in a lowered voice while raising his palms.

Right as he was about to say more, the server returned with a bottle of red wine and glasses. Again, he lingered on me before taking our orders and departing. As Bobby poured, once more, he flashed that grin. So much for contriteness.

“I mean it. Really, Bobby. What do you think I’d do?” I made a subtle gesture at the older man, whose eyes thankfully were elsewhere. “Flash my tits at him?” After pursing my lips, I sighed. “Or the waiter? What? Right here. In a crowded restaurant. You’re nuts.”

Instead of answering, my husband slid a wineglass towards me and smacked his lips before lifting his in salute. After raising my own, he flashed me a softer grin. “To the sexiest wife a man could possibly have.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that.” After a chuckle, I sipped while gazing at his twinkling eyes.

As we ate, Bobby caught every sidelong glance from the older man, but remained quiet. Instead, we discussed his upcoming work projects and the storm swirling in my office because of our new management team; the usual stuff. It wasn’t until we were halfway through our shared tiramisu that he gazed at me. His eyebrow lifted.

“Would you?” he said while leaning closer.

“What? Give me a clue, Bobby,” I replied before sliding a forkful of the dulcet dessert between my lips.

“Show your tits to Jake?” His cheeks reddened. “I mean for real. I know you were playing in the pool when you said that.”

“Really?” Though the fork in my hand trembled, I shot him a glare. “You’re still hooked on that. I was drunk. It was hot—”

“And Pete had just inspected every damned inch of my fine wife,” he added with a leering grin.

“Yeh, Bobby. That too. Okay. Fuck. It was—”

“Admit it, baby. You were horny, weren’t you? With him staring at you.”

The image of him standing surrounded by glittering blue water gazing at me appeared. God, I’d never noticed how soul-piercing Pete’s eyes were before. And his reaction. Although he’d appeared so calm, once he’d left the pool, there was no mistaking his arousal.

“Yes, okay, you jerk. Yes, it was hot. And maybe I got a bit too imaginative. But that’s all.”

With a slow nod, he ate another chunk of dessert before pointing the empty fork at me. “So, would you?”

“No, Bobby, I wouldn’t. Jake’s only your fantasy, remember? We agreed. Nothing more.”

“But that was before.” As his brows knitted, Bobby’s eyes glistened. “I mean, like you said, Pete’s our neighbor. But, um, Jake’s—”

“—my subordinate, Bobby. I could get fired. So, no.” Though I fell silent, his expression didn’t shift. “No, Bobby. Fantasy only.” Still, he stared. As his green eyes bored into me, I lifted my glass and took a long sip. The excellent, bold wine didn’t calm me. My voice was low. “And maybe a little teasing, but only ... Well, what we’ve been doing. The sexier clothes.”

After a quiet chuckle, he lowered his fork to scoop another chunk of tiramisu. “We? You haven’t needed much encouragement.”

“You know what I mean, honey.” The wine glass quivered in my hand. “I’m not doing anything more. Got that?”

“Okay, baby.” After a long sigh, he nodded. “I’m sorry—”

“No. No, you’re not, Bobby. That’s the problem. You’re simply disappointed.” After placing my fork on the empty plate, I glided my hand close enough to run my fingertips along his hand. “But really. A single drunken mistake is one thing. Ruining my career is another. Let’s stick to fantasies, okay, hon?”

“And a little teasing?”

At the flash of his puppy dog eyes, I sighed and nodded. “Yeah, alright. Fine. It’s not like Jake’s complaining.”

“Well, duh.” Bobby chuckled. “What guy would? Look at you. Drop-dead gorgeous. And all mine.”

The thing is, right then, I didn’t picture Jake. Instead, it was Pete’s probing gaze in my mind. And those rippling muscles and his ... When a tremor rippled through me, Bobby’s eyes twinkled.

“Babe. Let’s skip dancing.” My nails clawed the back of his hand. “I need you to fuck me. Special time, right? I’ve been so naughty.”

And I had been. That last image had been of Pete’s straining swim trunks.

After setting a speed record getting us home, Bobby chased me up the stairs, dodging my flying heels. Already my panties were soaked and thighs slick. While dashing into the bedroom, I tore the dress over my head. With a groan, Bobby raced to the closet to pull out our gear. After ripping the soaked lace away, I tossed them. Even as the panties splatted against the far wall, I crab-walked backward into the middle of the mattress and spread my limbs wide.

When Bobby reappeared, holding a box, his eyes were a mix of pure lust and apprehension. The former as he inspected my writhing frame stretched over the slick, purple-flowered comforter. But the latter anxiety heightened when he glanced into the open box.

But bless him. After tugging out the worn t-shirts and nylon rope we used as bindings, he moved from limb to limb. Although he gulped each time, he slipped them around my ankles and wrists.

“Hurry, babe. Mmm, I need this so bad.” As I twisted my pelvis towards him, my pussy squelched. “Mmm, your ... Your sexy wife’s been, hmm, so very naughty.”

As much as he didn’t enjoy it, his eyes told me he’d try his best. He always did. And each long, swirling drag of his shaking fingertips along my arms and legs sent shivers up my spine. Every time he cinched the rope tight to a bedpost, he flashed me a narrow grin.