complicated.”
“I guess it must be hot to have a sexy wife that other guys want to get with.”
“Something like that.”
“So you’re hoping she’ll actually do it tonight?”
Hugo felt his heart thumping at what Lucy was saying. Did she have the inside track on what Madeleine was planning to do this evening?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I guess I’m of two minds. I do kind of want her to do it, so she has this experience, so we can fulfill this fantasy after so many months of thinking about it. But… I don’t know… when I first started wanting this to happen, I kind of pictured being there. I kind of want to see it—at least the first time.”
“You want to see it? You mean watch her with another guy?”
Hugo realized this fantasy relied on the date approving the presence of the husband, and also that the presence of a third person would affect the dynamics of the relationship drastically.
“I know having a husband in tow isn’t exactly going to make a date as hot for her, though,” he said. “So I guess I just have to deal with her doing it all somewhere out of sight, and hoping that she’ll tell me all about it afterwards.”
“You ever tell her you want a threesome some time?”
“I’m not sure it’s quite as simple as that,” he said. “I guess it’s difficult to explain—but the sex is just part of this. I mean, I don’t want her to fall in love with someone else, but I don’t really want her just going out, banging some random guy and then coming back home, either.”
“What do you want?”
“Well, ideally, I guess I want someone worthwhile to date her—you know, flirt with her, ask her out, take her to dinner, get to know her. Then gradually work up to the point where they’ll sleep together.”
Lucy drew in her breath. “And you’re not worried she’s going to fall for a guy like that?”
“I know that’s the risk. I suppose that’s my big fear in all this, other than the obvious one about her safety. But I just… I don’t know. I guess you think of the whole idea of swinging, and it just seems so tacky.”
“It does come across as kind of tacky.”
“I want it to be more special than that for Madeleine. You know, have her whisked off her feet, charmed, seduced, dazzled.”
“You know, you surprise me more and more every day, Hugo.”
“I just want other guys to really appreciate her, how special she is. And for her to feel adored, to have a guy really work to get her in bed, so she really feels valued—and when she does have sex, it’s the most incredible thing.”
Hugo heard their Maid of Honor sigh on the other end of the line.
“Jesus, I have to get married,” she said after a pause where she was apparently collecting herself. “I have to get married now, and I have to get married to a man like you, Hugo Finnell.”
Hugo laughed. “Sounds like you need to start using that dating site Madeleine found.”
“It’s that or Craigslist,” Lucy said. “Seriously, though. You’re okay? You know you can always talk to me about any of this stuff, right?”
“Right.”
“And if you want to stop Maddie without hurting her feelings, because you’ve decided actually it’s not right for you—you know I can help you?”
“Thanks, Luce.”
“For the record, and I hope this doesn’t spoil anything for you, I don’t think she’s going to go all the way tonight.”
“She told you?”
“She said if the guy was really right, she wanted to take things slowly. She might go a little further than flirting, but I think she wants the same kind of experience that you want for her—you know, not just a quick in and out.”
“But she is planning on, you know… if the guy lets her take it slowly?”
“Going the whole way? Sure. If everything’s right, and you’re still okay with all this.”
“Oh, well,” he said. He felt relieved knowing Madeleine was going to take her time and really enjoy dating again, yet part of him worried that
Piers Anthony
M.R. Joseph
Ed Lynskey
Olivia Stephens
Nalini Singh
Nathan Sayer
Raymond E. Feist
M. M. Cox
Marc Morris
Moira Katson