Four of Hearts (12 page)

When she offered her body to him some time later, sinking into her was like coming home after months wandering lost at sea. Her love caressed him, filled in the empty places he’d lived with for so long. That she loved him too was a miracle beyond comprehension. She gave herself freely. He took, and in return, he offered her everything he had, everything he was.

He fought off the sense of impending doom. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do with her by his side. As he took her body, he gave his in return, and he knew beyond any doubt he’d do anything to keep her.

Candace was through trying to understand him. After their first sexual encounter with Richard and Fallon, Ryan had retreated into his shell, and it had taken her a week to coax him back out. This time was different. This time he wouldn’t leave her alone. On some level, she knew it was a good problem to have, an attentive husband, but on another level, she wanted some time alone.

For two weeks, Ryan had dogged her steps like he was attached to her by an invisible cord. She couldn’t shower without him in the shower with her, or standing guard in the bathroom. The one time he left the island to check on the resort construction project, he’d insisted she go along. He was beginning to remind her of gum on the bottom of her shoe.

“Ryan, go away.”

“I’m okay here. Don’t mind me.”

“How can I not mind you? You’re making me nervous.” She waved the knife she was using to cut up the fruit for their lunch. “Go to the beach. Come back in half an hour. Lunch will be ready then.”

“I like watching you.”

Candace slammed the knife down on the counter. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when you get back. I promise.”

The man was beyond exasperating. He slumped in the kitchen chair and crossed his ankles and his arms. “I don’t want to go to the beach. I want to stay here.”

Candace walked around the kitchen island, pulled out another chair and sat. “Ryan, tell me what’s going on. Richard is e-mailing every day wondering when you’re going to do the Employee Performance Reviews. You follow me around like you’re stuck to my shoe. I’m not complaining about you being an attentive husband, but really, Ryan, is it necessary to be with me every second? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I just feel uneasy about being away from you.”

She gentled her voice and leaned in close. “I’m not going anywhere.” His eyes were hard, distant. “There’s something else going on. I can see it in your eyes. What are you afraid of?”

“I’m not afraid of anything. It’s. . . I don’t know. I can’t shake this feeling that our lives are changing and. . . I. . . I don’t want it to change.”

“Is this about the time we spent with Richard and Fallon? Are you afraid that changed things between you and me?”

“No. If anything, I love you even more than I did before, but yeah, this started then. I can’t explain it.”

“That was a special time, for all of us. Our relationship with them is different now because of it, but not in a bad way. I love you, Ryan. I love you more than I ever thought possible, but a part of me loves Richard and Fallon too. I wish we could all find a way to be together, but. . .”

“Don’t go there. We aren’t going there. I made promises to you, and I’m going to keep them.”

“Is that what this is about? Are you afraid your feelings for Richard and Fallon are the same as breaking your promises to me?” His silence confirmed her analysis. “Don’t you see? The promises we made to each other are still valid. Nothing in those promises prohibited us from loving beyond just you and me. I know you won’t act on your feelings without my consent, and you know in your heart I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. That’s how strong our love is. I’ll do anything to keep you, even deny my love to expand to include Richard and Fallon.”

“I don’t want you to deny your feelings. I want you to have everything. I’m trying to wrap my head around this, but our lives are changing in a way I don’t understand. I can’t lose you. I can’t.”

Candace sank to her knees between his, and took his hands in her own. His hard eyes pleaded with her to understand. “You’ll never lose me. I would give up anything, but you. You are non-negotiable.” She flashed her wedding band at him. “I have a no-trade agreement. You’re stuck with me.”

He pulled her to his lap and held her tight. “Same goes. No-trade.”

“Good. Now, when the ship arrives on Friday, I want you on it. You’ve put off the Reviews long enough. Fallon and I have fabric samples and paint chips to sort through for the resort, so she can spend the week here with me. She doesn’t have any classes booked for a few weeks, so it’s a good time for her.”

* * * * *

Fallon caught the first tender to the island on Friday, along with the catering supplies needed to feed a couple thousand passengers for the shore day. She could have asked one of the parasailing boats to take her around the island to Candace and Ryan’s house, but the walk was short, if you knew where you were going. She’d made the trek many times, and welcomed the few minutes of solitude. She and Richard maintained a similar home on their own island, but with construction on the resort on the other side of their slice of paradise, peace and quiet were a thing of the past. A week alone with Candace was just what she needed, especially with Richard behaving like a cave man.

Candace greeted her with a cup of tea and homemade scones served on the lanai. “Where’s Ryan?”

“He went for his morning run. He got a late start today, but he should be back soon.”

“I can’t imagine what would detain Ryan so early in the morning,” Fallon teased.

Candace blushed. God, she was cute when she was flustered. “Well, I’m not telling.”

“Richard was refereeing another Drew vs. Bree fight when I left. He would have been stuck to me like glue otherwise.” Fallon closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath. “It feels so good to be here. Richard has been a barnacle on my backside the last two weeks. I love him, but there might be such a thing as too much togetherness.”

“Richard, too?” Candace asked. “Ryan has been the same way. We had a good talk about it, and he’s better, I think. At least he went for a run today. He hasn’t done that since the last time we were on the ship.”

“Any idea what’s up with them?”

“I think our partner exchange freaked Ryan out. He was afraid he was going to lose me, or something. I’m not entirely sure, but I made it clear I wasn’t going anywhere. It seems to have helped.”

“That could be what’s bugging Richard, but I don’t think so. I wear his collar for heaven’s sake. Where does he think I’d go?” She fingered the gold band around her neck. Every time she touched it she remembered her bond with Richard. The collar, more than her wedding band, symbolized what he meant to her.

“Beats me. Men are unfathomable creatures.”

“No we’re not,” Ryan said from the door. He placed a long, slow kiss on Candace’s lips. “Did you miss me?”

“Only a little,” Candace teased.

Ryan turned to Fallon. “Good morning, Fallon.” He placed a kiss on her cheek. A tingle of awareness ran through her at his touch. Was it her imagination, or did his lips linger a fraction longer than was customary? Before she could decide, he moved to Candace’s side and pulled a chair close, winding his fingers with hers. “Where’s your unfathomable creature?”

The women shared an understanding look as Fallon explained about Drew and Bree’s latest altercation. “I’m sure Richard will be here as soon as he figures out I left the ship.”

“His loss is our gain.”

“She’s not lost, she’s mine.” Richard loomed large in the doorway. His voice gave way his displeasure at her leaving the ship without him. “I told you to wait for me.”

What was there to say to that? She knew he’d expected her to wait, and she’d chosen not to. “As you can see, I made it just fine, all on my own. I’m not six. I don’t need a babysitter.”

Richard’s eyes met hers. There was something primal in the way his gaze raked over her. A shimmer of awareness shot through her.

“You need a spanking. Stand up, Fallon.”

An invisible current charged the air around them. Time slowed. Her fingers found the collar around her neck and she knew she would obey, even before she pushed her chair back and stood.

“Over here.” Richard pointed to a spot in front of him. Fallon’s heart raced. “Drop your shorts and bend over.”

Oh God. Her ass would be displayed for Ryan and Candace. Her pussy flooded at the thought of what was about to happen. Would Ryan and Candace join them? She stifled a groan as her fingers fumbled on the button at her waist. She managed to slip it from its moorings and slide the zipper down. Her turquoise crew-issue shorts fell to her ankles and she bent over, bracing her hands on her knees. A warm breeze fanned her damp and swollen tissues. She hung her head, anticipating the first bite of pain that would quickly morph to pleasure.

“Jesus, Richard,” Ryan spoke. “What the hell are you doing?”

Richard’s hand smoothed over the globes of her ass in a soft caress. Her heart lodged in her throat and her pussy creamed. They’d played at spanking many times before, but not like this. This was spontaneous, and. . . real. . . and arousing as hell.

“I’m spanking my wife. What does it look like?

“Richard,” Ryan warned.

“She’s my wife. She was supposed to wait for me.” Richard stated, and then she understood. It was just as Candace had suspected. Richard was afraid of losing her, and in his own way, he was staking his claim in front of Ryan. She was more than willing to let them both have anything they wanted, as long as it involved her.

His hand landed with a smack that reverberated off the still air. The sting subsided as Richard soothed her heated flesh with a soft caress. He landed another solid smack on the other cheek.

“That’s enough.” Ryan stepped between them. “Candace, take care of Fallon. Richard and I are going for a walk.”

Fallon stood and watched, mouth gaping as Ryan escorted her husband down the path leading off the lanai. She jumped when Candace laid a soft hand on her heated ass.

“Are you okay?” Candace asked.

“I’m fine, and more than a little sexually frustrated,” she admitted. “What just happened here? I was about to get some really good sex, and Ryan just took off with my husband.” Candace’s hand soothed the tender skin where Richard had spanked her.

“Did you know Richard was going to do that?”

“Yes, I knew. He’d promised me a spanking this morning, but I left before he got around to it. Did Ryan think Richard was mad at me?”

“I think so. He didn’t have the same angle I did. I saw the way Richard looked at you. He was something, but mad wasn’t it.”

“Horny? Possessive?”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.”

“Your hand feels good,” Fallon flexed her hips, pressing her ass harder against Candace’s hand. “I could use a good massage, since I’m not going to get what I really want.”

“Let’s use the hammock.” Candace indicated the canvas sling hanging near the edge of the lanai. “I’ll get some lotion from the house. It’ll help take the sting out.”

Fallon stepped out of her shorts, pulled off  her polo top, and stretched out on her stomach in the hammock. The day was heating up quickly, but in the shade, the cool air felt good on her ass. Richard had landed two good ones, and she had been looking forward to him soothing the hurt away.

Candace returned and stretched out beside Fallon on the doublewide hammock. She propped on one elbow and squirted cool lotion on Fallon’s ass. “Oh God, that feels good.” Candace massaged the lotion in. “Don’t stop,” Fallon encouraged.

“Your skin is so soft. I love touching you.” Candace squirted more lotion and continued the massage to the small of her back, and over her ribcage to her shoulders.

“I love it when you touch me. Your hands are so gentle.” Candace traced one finger along Fallon’s spine to the small of her back. When her hand closed over her ass and squeezed, Fallon turned her head.

Their eyes met and held. Fallon’s heartbeat rippled like a palm in the summer breeze. She hardly dared breathe.

Candace dipped her head and her lips touched Fallon’s; light at first, then firmer. Fallon returned her kiss. When Candace swept her tongue across the seam of her lips, Fallon opened for her. Their tongues dueled, exploring, tasting. Fallon twisted so she was on her side, facing Candace, then they rolled as one. Fallon pulled Candace half on top of her and slipped a hand under her top.