Your Bed or Mine? (13 page)

“No comment,” Charlie mumbled.

Rick frowned. “Now do you see why this wasn’t a good idea?”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Charlie said. “You’re off the hook now.”

“And not a moment too soon,” Rick agreed.

Joe shrugged. “Oh, well,” he said. “I guess it doesn’t hurt to have one wimp in a group of real men.”

He was clearly trying to piss Rick off.

It worked.

“I am
not
a wimp,” Rick said. “I didn’t turn the monitor off. Charlie did.”

“Does that mean you’re ready to face the music like we did?” Joe challenged.

“Whatever,” Rick said with disgust. “Turn the monitor back on, or leave it off. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Joe took him at his word and turned the monitor back on.

In time to hear Tish say, “Okay, Zada. Your turn.”

“I’ll pass,” Zada said.

Hallelujah!

There is a God!

Tish said, “Not acceptable, Zada. We’ve told you ours. Now, you tell us yours.”

“Okay, okay,” Zada groaned.

Okay?

Rick gulped.

“I do have one Rick-inspired fantasy I’ll share.”

Really?

Rick-inspired, did you say?

Zada said, “Remember that Halloween party we had last year?”

“I know exactly where you’re going with this,” Tish spoke up. “Rick wore that Zorro costume. Right?”

“Right,” Zada said.

Charlie and Joe laughed.

“Shut up,” Rick said. He leaned closer to the monitor. “I want to hear this.”

“Of course you do,” Joe said, laughing. “Now that you know Zada’s fantasy is all about you.”

Zada said, “You awake from a deep sleep, sensing someone else is in the room.

“You sit up in bed, clutching the sheet to your breast.

“As your eyes slowly adjust to the darkness of your bedroom, you tense.

“There. In the shadows. You see the silhouette of a man, dressed all in black.

“Black hat.

“Black shirt.

“Black cape.

“Sinister black mask, hiding his face.

“He moves toward the bed.

“You want to cry out, but you don’t.

“Your excitement quickly overrides your fear.

“He stops by the side of your bed.

“Dark blue eyes peer out at you through the mask.

“But the look in his eyes leaves you no doubt what this man has in mind.

“He reaches out and pulls the sheet from between your clutched fingers.

“Slowly. Methodically. Inch after inch, he pulls the sheet down until he has you fully uncovered.

“‘Who are you?’ you whisper.

“His only answer is to pull a sword from the sheath tied at his waist.

“The glint of the sharp blade flashes in the darkness.

“A small excited cry escapes your lips.

“His blue eyes never leave your face, but he toys with you.

“Lightly. Seductively. Purposely, he runs the tip of the cold steel in and out between the toes of your right bare foot.

“The sensation is incredible.

“The danger posed by the sharp tip of the blade more of a turn-on than you’d ever imagined.

“Upward the icy blade moves.

“Frightening you, yet tantalizing your tender flesh.

“Upward.

“Along the inside of your right thigh.

“Across your taut abdomen.

“Right up to the valley between your breasts.

“‘Take the top off,’ he orders. ‘Slowly,’ he says. ‘We have all night.’

“‘And if I don’t?’ you ask breathlessly.

“‘I’ll take it off for you,’ he threatens.

“Your hands shake slightly.

“Your fingers fumble with the buttons.

“Your silky pajama top slides away from your shoulders.

“His gaze travels downward.

“Now, to the lacy, black thong you’re wearing.

“His smoldering look says he still isn’t satisfied.

“The tip of the sword moves downward.

“Lower.

“Lower.

“Stopping at the strip of fabric between your legs.

“You close your eyes and bite down on your bottom lip.

“The thong is the only thing protecting the most intimate part of your body from the razor-sharp steel.

“The danger of it makes you shiver.

“The feel of the sharp tip tracing the intricate patterns on the see-through lace takes your breath away.

“You gasp, and open your eyes.

“‘Off,’ he commands. ‘Slowly.’

“Again, you obey.

“You lift your hips and slide the thong down slowly.

“Down past your thighs.

“Down past your knees.

“Slowly, you slip the thong off both feet.

“When you toss it aside, you’re fully exposed, completely naked under his penetrating stare.

“He admires you openly, his lust for you obvious.

“You want to look away.

“But you can’t.

“Those dark blue eyes keep holding you captive.

“He lowers the weapon and places the sword on the bed.

“In a low, sexy voice, he whispers, ‘You are the slave, I am your master. Always.’

“He takes off the hat and sails it across the room.

“His billowing black cape falls to the floor.

“He pulls the shirt over his head.

“You can’t help it, your pulse races at the sight of his bare, muscled chest.

“Your gaze drifts downward to the tight black trousers that fit him like a second skin.

“In anticipation of what’s coming next, you lick your parched lips.

“He doesn’t disappoint you.

“He steps boldly out of the pants, daring you to look as long as you like.

“You accept the challenge, and stare at him openly.

“The fact that you do, excites him even more.

“‘Lie back on the bed,’ he orders, but the urgency in his voice finally betrays him.

“You smile inwardly, knowing the truth.

“
You,
not he, are in complete control now.

“When it comes to sex, he is
your
slave.

“You are
his
master.

“Always.

“‘Leave the mask on,’ you command.

“He obeys his master and does as he’s told.”

“‘Obeys his master’ my royal ass!” Rick grumbled. He reached over and switched off the monitor. He looked at Charlie. Then
at Joe. “Is that typical Zada? Or is that typical Zada?”

Charlie shrugged sheepishly.

Joe said flatly, “Leave me out of this.”

“Can you believe that?” Rick said, talking more to himself than he was to Joe and Charlie. “Zada can’t even have a fantasy
without making sure I know she’s completely in control.”

“Whoa!” Joe said. “Zada had no idea you were listening to her fantasy, and don’t you forget it. If the girls find out we were
eavesdropping on them, we’ll all end up in divorce court.”

“Amen to that,” Charlie said, looking rather nervous.

“I may be anal,” Rick said, “but I’m not stupid.”

“Keep it that way,” Joe said. He looked over at Charlie. “And that goes for you, too, Mr. Jen-Tells-Me-Everything.”

Charlie winced. “Hey, don’t make me feel any more guilty than I already do.” He motioned to Rick, who was sitting there with
a forlorn look on his face that matched his own. “Rick feels just as guilty as I do about eavesdropping on the girls. Don’t
you, Rick?”

Rick didn’t answer.

Joe said, “I don’t think guilty is what Rick’s feeling right now. I think he just figured out that what Zada said is true.
When it comes to sex, the woman is always in control.”

Charlie looked over at Rick. “You didn’t know that?”

Charlie seemed shocked.

“I’m a slow learner, okay?” Rick grumbled. “But Joe’s right. I just realized trying to intimidate Zada with sex is like playing
a game of Russian roulette with all six bullets in the chamber.”

“What kind of game did you say you were playing?”

Rick froze at the sound of Tish’s voice. He was glad he was sitting with his back to the stairs; Tish couldn’t see the guilty
look on his face.

Joe and Charlie weren’t as lucky.
GUILTY AS SIN
might as well have been stamped in big block letters on their foreheads.

Thankfully, Tish didn’t seem to notice. Nor did she press an answer to her previous question. Instead, she placed a new snack
tray on the table, and removed the empty tray in one simple swoop.

“Joe!” she scolded, glancing over at the monitor. “I told you to keep the monitor on.”

She and Joe reached for the monitor at the same time.

Joe was smart enough to knock it to the floor. He finally came up with the monitor, thankfully changed back to the correct
channel: The picture on the screen showed the twins, snoozing peacefully in the their bedroom.

“I thought you meant to keep it on until they went to sleep, sweetheart,” Joe said, sending Tish a passable
innocent
look.

Tish rolled her eyes and held out her hand.

“Sorry,” Joe said, handing over the monitor.

“Men,” Tish grumbled as she headed back up the stairs.

Joe eased himself out of his chair and walked to the foot of the stairs. When he was sure Tish was out of hearing range, he
looked back at them and said, “Was that a close call? Or was that a close call?”

“What that was, was a great save,” Charlie said. “Knocking the monitor on the floor so you could switch the channel back to
the twins’ room was brilliant.”

Rick looked around the room. “Wait a minute. There isn’t a camera installed down here, is there?”

“No, thank God,” Joe said.

Rick still wasn’t convinced. “And you really don’t think Tish suspected anything?”

“Not a chance,” Joe said with a big grin as he headed back to the table. “If Tish suspected we were listening in on their
conversation, she’d still be down here kicking my butt all over this game room.”

Charlie said, “And not without good reason.”

“Don’t get sanctimonious on us now, Charles,” Joe said. “No one twisted your arm to stay and listen.”

Charlie ignored him and looked over at Rick. “Were you serious, Rick? Are you really thinking about changing your strategy
and backing off on turning up the sexual tension?”

Joe said, “Maybe you should rent that Zorro costume before you back off on the sexual tension, Rick. Zada said seeing you
in that costume inspired her fantasy. Who knows? Show up as Zorro and she might even forgive you for walking out on her and
call off the divorce.”

Charlie stared at Rick, waiting for his reply. “Would that even be an option for you, Rick? Would you be willing to give your
marriage another chance if Zada agreed to call off the divorce?”

For the second time that day, Charlie had quizzed him about calling off the divorce. Rick decided to ask why. “Has Zada said
something to Jen to make you believe she wants to call off the divorce?”

“No,” Charlie said with a sigh. “Just wishful thinking on my part.”

Rick let out a sigh himself.

He looked back at Joe.

“There’s one big problem with your Zorro idea, Joe,” he said. “If I show up in Zada’s bedroom in the Zorro costume, and she
asks how I knew about her fantasy, what do I say? Do I have your and Charlie’s permission to confess we were listening on
the kids’ monitor tonight?”

Joe choked on a nacho.

Charlie turned as pale as a ghost.

“Forget playing Zorro,” Charlie said.

Joe snorted. “Like Rick dressing up as Zorro to act out Zada’s fantasy was ever going to happen anyway.”

Rick frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Joe laughed.

So did Charlie.

“I’m not that straitlaced, you morons,” Rick told them.

“Yes you are,” the morons said in unison.

Tish walked back into the kitchen and placed the monitor on the kitchen counter.

“Well?” Zada demanded.

“Mission accomplished,” Tish said with a big grin.

Jen glanced at the monitor of the sleeping twins.

“How do you know?” Jen asked.

Tish laughed. “You should have seen their faces when I walked into the basement. Joe almost had a heart attack when I reached
for the monitor. I’m sure the big dummy knocked it on the floor only so he could switch the channel back to the boy’s room.”

Jen said, “That still doesn’t prove …”

“No?” Tish said, cutting her off. “Then how about me overhearing Rick say he’d just realized that trying to intimidate Zada
with sex was like playing a game of Russian roulette with all six bullets in the chamber?”

Zada squealed. “You’re a genius!” She hurried over to give Tish a big hug.

Jen wasn’t as jubilant. “I can’t believe Charlie Marshall sat there and listened in on our conversation.”

“Oh, please,” Tish said. “Would you really want Charlie to be that emasculated? Would you rather he had come running up the
stairs with the monitor to tattle on those bad boys down in the basement who were going to listen to our fantasies?”

Jen didn’t answer.

Tish said, “Look, they’re all three really great guys, but they’re only human. And we set them up. Don’t try to tell me we
wouldn’t have done the same thing if the situation was reversed.”

“I might have been tempted,” Jen admitted. “But I wouldn’t have gone through with it.”

“Well, I would have listened, just the way they did,” Tish said. “And I sure would have liked to have been a fly on the wall
so I could have seen the look on Joe’s face when I started describing a scene that was very familiar to him.”

“That really was clever of you,” Zada said, “suggesting you and Jen should make the boys squirm by describing something private
you had done with them in the past.”

“Yes, that was pretty clever of me,” Tish said grinning. “But you’re the one who deserves the applause. Your performance was
spectacular.”

“Unless Zorro shows up in her bedroom,” Jen said.

Zada laughed. “We’re talking about Rick, remember?”

“Yes, we are,” Jen said. “Rick. The same guy who just let you know that sex was the strategy he was planning to use to win
the game.”

Zada said, “It doesn’t matter. Rick Clark would never dress up as Zorro to fulfill any woman’s fantasy. I’m positive about
that.”

“You hope,” Jen said.

“Besides,” Zada added, “how would Rick show up as Zorro without exposing all of them for eavesdropping?”