Swap (5 page)

Or maybe not, he thought as he caught sight of a love bite behind her ear. He smiled as the heat roared in his veins. The colorful bruise was small but primal. Anyone who saw it would know that she had been taken.

He shouldn't be proud of the mark. He had gone too far last night. Aidan rubbed the sleep from his eyes and swallowed back a sigh of regret. He had tried to hold back, but all he managed to do was let it build up until he was out of control.

Aidan propped up on one arm. Mia whirled around and saw him before he could say good morning.

“Oh, you're awake,” she said in a high, startled voice. “I'm running late. Would you lock up for me?”

“Sure.” He noticed she wasn't making eye contact. Her gaze darted everywhere else in the room. That was never a good sign. “Are you okay?”

She gave a guilty start and dared a glance in his direction. “Me? Yeah. Sure.” Mia looked away and gave her full attention to tying her white shoes. “Why do you ask?”

Aidan wanted to tell her there was no reason and to let it go. But he couldn't. He had overheard Mia's conversation with Jamie last night.

He knew Jamie wanted to swap because Mia had only had one sex partner. He clearly remembered Jamie's words: Are you worried that you're going to ruin things with Aidan, or are you afraid that you might want something more than what Aidan can provide?

It was Mia's answer that had floored him: Both.

Up until last night, he thought Mia and he had shared good communication. It was an essential part when playing with bondage. Obviously, Mia could tell him anything in bed, but out of it was a different matter.

“You've been acting differently since you helped Jamie pack last night,” Aidan said, treading carefully around the subject. “Did you guys get into a fight?”

“No.” She dragged the word out. She paused, looking straight at him as she gnawed her pink bottom lip. Aidan knew she was debating about telling him. He waited, his heart pounding hard, before she looked away. “I'm just going to miss her,” Mia replied. “That's all.”

Aidan's shoulders sagged as disappointment weighed down in his chest. She wasn't going to tell him.

Mia leaned forward, and he inhaled her clean, vibrant scent. She gave him a brief kiss on the mouth, her soft lips clinging against his before she stood up. “I have to go. Lock up when you leave, okay?”

“Sure.” He barely got the word out before she was gone. She couldn't leave fast enough.

So she wouldn't tell him about Jamie's plan. Aidan exhaled sharply. If she didn't tell him, how could he convince her to go along with it?

Aidan fell back on the bed, tucked one arm under his head, and looked up at the ceiling. He had to come up with a plan, and quickly. He didn't know how long he would be able to hold out before making a mess out of things.

The moment he had heard Jamie say, “How do you feel about swapping?” his body had clenched. He had become instantly aroused, and his cock had grown heavy as images flickered before his eyes.

The idea of swapping appealed to him, but not for the obvious reasons. Jamie was sexy and, from what he heard, an imaginative lover. Having sex with Mia's best friend would be a unique event, but he wasn't panting for Jamie.

He had always wanted Mia, but he'd waited to make his first move until she was ready for him. He had loved the way she went after him, and he was thrilled that he got to be the one to introduce her to a sensual world. Watching Mia's sexual awakening had taken his breath away, and she'd only just begun the journey.

But if Mia swapped with Jamie, then Aidan had an opportunity he couldn't miss. He could finally fulfill his secret fantasy—the one thing he couldn't tell Mia.

After all, how would Mia react? What would she think of him if she knew? Could he tell her that he wanted to watch her have sex with another man?

Aidan instantly imagined Mia with another man. She would writhe underneath the stranger, begging for more. Her high gasps and keening cries would reverberate through him.

Aidan rubbed his hand against his stiffening cock and hissed through his clenched teeth. He stared up at the white lace canopy, but his mind was traveling back a couple years.

He still remembered the night that had changed him forever. He had been at a wild party celebrating his soccer team's win. Eventually he had realized he hadn't seen his girlfriend Lacey for a while.

After a search through the house, asking everyone if they had seen Lacey, he decided to look out in the yard. There was no one out in front, but by the time he walked along the side of the house, he heard primitive grunts and moans.

He slowed down and saw a couple sitting on the steps leading to the back porch. The harsh light from a single lightbulb glared on them. He immediately recognized the woman's deep red hair. It was Lacey. The man, wearing a red-and-black soccer uniform, was one of his teammates.

Lacey leaned back on the short steps, her legs splayed wide and her denim skirt bunched up to her waist. Her discarded panties were next to her feet. She arched her throat and moaned with unabashed pleasure.

Aidan stepped out of the shadows, needing to see more. The raw jealousy he had felt at first disintegrated as fast as it had bloomed. The look of ecstasy on Lacey's face sparked something hot and dangerous inside him.

He watched his teammate kneel between Lacey's legs and drive his face between her thighs. He was wild and messy, which Lacey obviously enjoyed. Her moans and hoarse encouragements mingled with the smacking of lips and slurps.

As Lacey tossed her head from side to side, she caught a glimpse of Aidan. At first she jerked, sensing trouble, but Aidan had raised his finger for her to be quiet. She lay still, her body tensing as her lover shoved her shirt up and kneaded her breasts.

Aidan mouthed the word “more” and stroked his cock. Lacey's eyes widened in shock, but Aidan watched as understanding dawned on her. It was a mix of relief and dread when she realized he liked watching her with another man.

Her sly smile sent a chill down his spine, but he was too far gone to worry about it. Aidan couldn't stop her or walk away. He needed to watch the pleasure chasing across her face.

As Lacey leaned back on the steps and urged her lover for more, Aidan knew his needs didn't make sense. He had claimed her as his own. He wasn't a guy who shared easily. Why did he need to see this?

He almost came on the spot when the first orgasm rippled through Lacey. She tilted her head back and cried out. Aidan could have sworn the moan echoed in his body. He gripped his cock as he watched his teammate pushing down his shorts.

Lacey wrapped her long legs around the man. Aidan couldn't see it, but he knew the moment his teammate plunged into her. He felt the hot sensations kick the small of his back before they exploded inside him.

He watched his friend pump into Lacey. Lacey met each thrust with a buck and roll of her hips. Every move she made was for Aidan's benefit, giving him the performance of a lifetime.

And suddenly his teammate's rhythm grew chaotic. He couldn't hold back anymore. Aidan heard his friend's hoarse grunt as he pulsed into his girlfriend.

Aidan quickly stepped back into the shadows as his friend immediately withdrew. Aidan continued to stroke his hard cock as he watched his teammate stagger back into the house to join the party. Lacey lay on the steps under the porch light, her bunched-up shirt and skirt exposing her body to him.

Aidan walked toward her. His arms and legs felt heavy, as if they were no longer under his control. He stood before Lacey, taking in everything from her juicy pink core to the red streaks on her breasts and the wicked smile on her face. He slowly pushed down his shorts and knelt down. Grabbing Lacey's knees, he thrust into her wet heat, determined to give her the same pleasure she found with another man.

Everything had changed from that night. Lacey thought his silent acceptance was a sign of weakness. She believed it changed the dynamics of their relationship, giving her all the power. She couldn't have been more wrong.

And maybe he was weak. Aidan considered the possibility as he looked away from the canopy and sighed. He rolled to his side and sat up on the bed, the icy-cold gust from the air conditioner buffeting his hot skin. Why did he find the ultimate pleasure by watching? Why did he want to see his lover taken by another?

What would Mia think if he agreed to the swapping? She had once confessed that she liked to be tied up because too much sexual freedom made her go out of control. Would she act like Lacey? Would she think his voyeurism meant she had carte blanche to take any man anytime? He didn't want that.

What he wanted was to watch Mia find pleasure any way she could find it, as long as she included him. He wanted to set the boundaries for her, knowing she would follow his rules. If she sought his permission, he would grant it.

It was as simple and as complicated as that, Aidan decided as he got up from the bed and stretched. He staggered into the kitchen and saw Caleb at the table drinking coffee.

“Hey,” Caleb said by way of greeting. The guy looked as exhausted and out of sorts as Aidan felt. Caleb wore a wrinkled T-shirt and pale worn jeans. His hair was uncombed, and the whiskers on his long, narrow jaw gave him a scruffy look.

Aidan grunted in response and shuffled to the refrigerator. He opened the door and grabbed the milk jug, giving Caleb a sidelong look. Did Caleb know about the idea to swap? Aidan wondered what his reaction had been.

He had gotten to know Caleb during the past year, since he was often around the house. Mia was under the impression that Caleb was deep and dark. Aidan rolled his eyes at the idea, shut the door, and grabbed a bowl from the kitchen cabinet. Just because the guy chose not to talk about himself didn't mean he was deep or dark. Just private.

Jamie enjoyed the fact that her lover was a rule breaker and every exotic fantasy rolled into one man. Caleb wasn't exotic, Aidan decided as he found a spoon and walked to the kitchen table. He simply knew how to play Jamie.

Aidan knew what Caleb was like. He had learned about Jamie's on-and-off lover over the year, and one thing he knew was that the guy wasn't impetuous. Caleb was watchful, and he hung back before he entered a situation. The guy didn't talk much about himself, but when he had something to say, everyone knew his was the voice of experience.

He sat down at the table and shook some cereal into the bowl, giving Caleb another look. Caleb had probably swapped women before. Aidan bet it wasn't a novelty, and if that was the case, what would make him agree to do it again? He wouldn't decline the offer, but he would have an end game of his own.

Aidan needed to know what everyone was planning to get out of this scenario. He couldn't bring it up with Mia or Jamie. Caleb was the best person to approach.

Aidan decided now was as good a time as any to ask, “Is Jamie still planning to swap sex partners?”

Caleb choked on his coffee. “You know about that, huh?” he spluttered.

Aidan shrugged his shoulders and poured the milk. He tried to mask his annoyance. Why had they informed Caleb and not him? “Mia's not going to go for it.”

One corner of Caleb's mouth tilted in a smile. “Wanna bet?”

“Yeah.” He spooned some cereal in his mouth and chomped down hard. He didn't taste a thing, too busy wondering why Mia was hiding this information from him.

Caleb paused for a moment and then shook his head. “Aw, this is too easy.”

Aidan glanced up. “What are you talking about?”

Caleb slowly set his coffee mug onto the table. “Mia agreed to it this morning.”

Aidan's spoon slipped from his hand and fell into the bowl. Milk splashed over the rim and moistened him on his hand. “She did?” Aidan asked very quietly as he reached for the spoon and held it tight.

Why had she changed her mind? It was because of last night. Aidan was sure of it. He had been too dominant. Damn. Aidan gripped the spoon harder and felt the metal give.

“Jamie and Mia think the only obstacle is convincing you.” The tone in Caleb's voice alerted him. Damn, the guy really did see too much. Aidan kept his eyes on the bowl of cereal so Caleb couldn't see his expression. “Is that right?”

“I told them they might be overestimating the problem.” Caleb paused to take another sip of coffee. “What man wouldn't want the free pass to have sex with his lover's best friend?”

Was that what Caleb thought? Aidan would let Caleb continue to operate under that mistaken belief. “You already agreed to it?”

Caleb nodded. “Jamie thinks I'll be doing her a favor.”

That just showed how smart Caleb was. Aidan wanted this guy as his ally. “Why do you want to do it?”

Caleb appeared surprised by the question. “Despite what you think, it's not to get into Mia's bed.”

Aidan knew he should feel a spurt of jealousy, but all he could think of was Caleb and Mia in bed together. Her slender body would arch underneath Caleb's. She would grab his ass, her fingers digging into his tight muscles. Caleb would thrust into her, the sound of wet flesh and low growls echoing in the room. Aidan clenched his hand, bending the forgotten spoon.

“Settle down.” Caleb stared at the bent utensil in Aidan's fist. “I'm not interested in Mia. I want Jamie.”

Aidan tossed the spoon onto the table. “You have her.”

“For another couple of days,” he said with a hint of bitterness. “Then she's heading off to who knows where, and I don't plan to be left behind.”

“Oh, I get it. You think if you instantly agree to swap partners, you gain brownie points. She'll know that you aren't holding her back or judging her.” Aidan cast Caleb a look of admiration. “That might work.”