Four of Hearts (9 page)

“Don’t ask for things you can’t control. Given our present luck, it might not fall where you want it.”

“What are we going to do, Richard?”

“I don’t have a clue. Fallon seems to think this isn’t unusual. She says people love more than one person all the time. If you have a dozen kids, you love all of them. Same goes for brothers and sisters. She says it’s only society that says you can’t love more than one person in a sexual way. When she says it like that, it makes sense.”

Ryan let the idea roll around in his head. “It doesn’t make our situation any less fucked up.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

Ryan gave up on the coconut ending all his worries and sat up. “No offense intended, but I don’t love Fallon. At least not, that way. I love her like. . . well, I was going to say a sister, but that isn’t right either. I’m sure I’d have no trouble having sex with her, but love her? No.” He shook his head to emphasize his point. “Not like I love Candace.”

“I understand. No offense taken. I feel the same way about Candace.”

“So what are we going to do? Ignore the wives? Neither one of them are the type to let something go.”

“We could do it. All at once. Together. Maybe once would satisfy their curiosity and then we could go back to normal, whatever the hell normal is. How would Candace feel about you. . . you know. . . with Fallon?”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Ryan took Richard’s silence as an affirmative. “You’d have sex with Candace? And you’d let me have sex with Fallon?”

“I think so. I’m sure I could hold up my end of the bargain with your wife, but at this point, I can’t guarantee I won’t kill you for touching Fallon.”

Ryan nodded. He hadn’t expected anything less. “Ditto. And I have no idea what Candace would think about me. . . ” he waved his hand in the air, “you know. . . with Fallon. I guess I’ll have to ask her about that.”

They sat in silent contemplation for a long while. Finally, Richard spoke. “Next week? You two can come aboard when we stop at the island, that is, if Candace agrees to the plan. We’ll work out the details then, but I think we could get the deed done before we get to Miami. Then you and Candace can get off there.”

“That sounds cold.”

“What did you expect? I didn’t bring flowers and chocolates to seduce you with.”

“I don’t know. I’ve never planned a wife swap before, so sue me if I find this approach a bit calculating.” He shook his head. It was all too fucking unbelievable to be real. “I can’t believe I’m even considering this. Look, let’s get this clear. This is a personal deal. It has nothing to do with us as business partners. No matter what happens, we can’t fuck up that relationship, too.”

“Agreed.”

The tide crept closer and they got to their feet and continued down the beach. “What else did you want to talk about?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t know what this means, but Bree got an email from one of her friends at the FBI. It seems they’ve lost track of Vernon Cannon.”

Ryan went on alert. Vernon Cannon was anything but stable. Ever since the
Lothario’s
maiden voyage, he’d been trying to get them to sell the ship to him, and he wasn’t subtle about it either. He’d hired arsonists and a computer hacker to do their worst, hoping he’d drive them to sell, and bring the price down at the same time. Nothing about this sounded good.

“Lost? How do you lose an Oklahoma oil baron?”

“I don’t know. He could be vacationing some place off the grid, or he could have gone underground for another reason. Until we know more, I thought you should know.”

“Thanks. He’s never been one to do his own dirty work, but I’ll be extra vigilant, just in case.”

“Wouldn’t hurt. Don’t say anything to Fallon about this. I don’t want her to worry.”

“I won’t, which means I won’t be telling Candace. She has a direct pipeline to Fallon.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Fallon looked up from the decorator’s interior sketches of the new resort as Richard and Ryan returned from their walk. Ryan’s face was a blank mask and told her nothing. She let her eyes move to her husband, walking a pace behind Ryan through the patio door. He smiled, winked at her and held up four fingers low enough Candace probably wouldn’t notice. Fallon smiled back and ran to throw her arms around Richard.

“Really?” she asked against his neck.

“Uh huh,” he confirmed and pulled her outside with him for a thorough kiss. “Next week, if we all agree.”

“No problem. Candace is okay with it.”

“You told her?”

“Of course I did. I couldn’t keep it from her, she’s my best friend, and I love her.”

“Did she tell you what she wants?”

“Yes, she did. I can’t wait. I want to see you with her. Are you
going to restrain her? I think she’d like that, maybe just her wrists. . . ”

“Whoa! Hold on a minute. We have to think about this. Damn, it never occurred to me that she might want something more. . . something kinky. Shit, Fallon. What do you want from Ryan? I don’t think I like the idea of you submitting to him, not the way you do with me.”

Fallon wrapped her fingers around Richard’s arms and rubbed her hands up and down, soothing as much as she could. “It’s okay. I don’t want the same kind of sex with Ryan that I have with you, and I don’t think Candace wants the same kind she gets from Ryan either. If you two were alike, it wouldn’t be so exciting to swap. I want to see what she has with Ryan, and she wants to see what I have with you, so show her a little. You don’t have to take her into subspace, just give her a taste. Dominate without taking her deep into the lifestyle. She’s too green for that anyway.”

Richard stilled her hands, clasping them in his own. “I can do that. She responded well to the rope bondage, but it will be different when the man in charge isn’t her husband.”

“I’ll be there for her, and so will Ryan.”

“Who’s going to be there for me?”

“Me, who else? I love you. I love you so much, I want to share our love with our best friends.”

Richard’s eyes held hers for a long moment. She knew him well. He had reservations about this, but he trusted her judgment too. “I love you too. I love you enough to share our love, but I don’t want you to get hurt. There’s no guarantee that Ryan and Candace will return your feelings. Have you given any thought to what that will do to you, to them, if they don’t feel the same way?”

“I’ve thought about it. We should probably all sit down and talk about our expectations before we take our clothes off. That way, if anybody wants to back out, they can.”

Richard groaned.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Fallon asked.

“Men don’t talk about sex, they just do it.”

“Well, this time I think you’ll have to talk about it. It’s the only way we can proceed. We all have to understand what we’re doing.”

“I know how to fuck.”

“Don’t be crude, Richard. You know I’m right.”

“Yeah, I know you’re right, but could you just pull out my toenails with a pair of pliers instead?”

Fallon took a step back, her hands still encased in Richard’s. She tugged him forward. “Let’s go talk to them then. Lunch is ready. We can discuss it while we eat.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now. I want to get this out in the open so we have time to think about it. That way, when they come aboard next week, it won’t be awkward.”

Richard let her pull him toward the house. She smiled at his muttered comment, “Awkward doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

* * * * *

Candace loved fruit salad, but the bowl in front of her was largely untouched. She’d managed to eat a few bites of her sandwich, but her stomach felt like a flock of parrots had taken up residence inside it. Ryan and Richard were both on their second sandwiches. As Fallon chattered on about polyamorous relationships, Candace caught on to their ploy. You couldn’t talk if your mouth was crammed full. If her stomach hadn’t been fluttering so, she would have joined them. As it was, she bore the brunt of the conversation.

“Don’t you think so, Candace?”

“Uh. . . .”

Fallon gave Candace one of those, ‘I can’t believe you weren’t listening looks’, and threw her napkin on the table. “Okay, I get it. None of you want to talk about this.” Three sets of eyes turned to her. “But we’re going to. I know this isn’t conventional, but none of us has ever been conventional, except maybe Candace. No offense intended.” Fallon shot her a look that had apology written all over it. “But she learned the error of her ways. We all want this, don’t we?”

Candace nodded her head. Ryan looked at her. His cheeks were puffed out with a mouthful of sandwich. She kicked him under the table and he jerked, choking on the wad of bread and crab salad in his mouth. He managed to garble out an affirmative before he downed the rest of his beer. She smiled and patted his arm. She almost felt sorry for him.

“Richard?” Fallon prompted.

“Uh huh,” he responded with a head nod. “Sure.”

“Well, since we’re in agreement on that at least, then let’s discuss the particulars.”

It was almost comical how the two men at the table seemed to shrink at the possibility of having to discuss sex with anyone, let alone their wives. Candace took pity on them. “I’ll tell you what I want. I want Ryan to see what I look like when I come. All of me, not just my face. The only way he can do that is to be a spectator.” She turned her attention to Richard. “That’s where you come in. I’m not a sub like Fallon. Ryan can tell you I can take charge if I want to, but that isn’t really your style, so I’m open to some light bondage. Nothing more than what we did before.”

“That’s good, Candace. That’s what I’m looking for, open communication. Richard?” Fallon said. She waited for him to look at her, “Is that okay with you?” He nodded and crammed another chunk of sandwich into his mouth. “Ryan?” Ryan looked at Fallon. “Are you okay with that?” He glanced at Candace and she raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Okay then. That leaves me. Ryan,” he swallowed hard and turned to Fallon. “I’m a sub. Richard tells me what to do in the bedroom, and I obey, but I don’t need that from you.” Candace almost laughed as Ryan’s shoulders slumped in relief. “I want to experience what you can make me feel. Candace says you’re a considerate and tender lover.” Ryan glanced at Candace and back to Fallon. Fallon continued, “Not that Richard isn’t,” she smiled at her husband, then returned her gaze to Ryan, “but clearly you have a different style. I think we could be good together, and then there’s the whole thing with Richard watching. I agree with Candace on that. I think he’ll enjoy seeing me come.”

“So, I don’t have to tie anybody up, or you know. . . ” he mimicked a spanking with his hand.

“No. No bondage, no discipline, unless you want to.”

Ryan was quick to respond. “No. I don’t want to.” Candace knew her husband still hadn’t come to terms with the things he’d done to Fallon the previous weekend. She’d point blank asked him if he’d enjoyed it, and he hadn’t denied it. But that didn’t mean he was ready for a repeat.

“I think we have a grasp on this now,” Fallon continued. “We can use our stateroom. We have everything we could possibly need there. Since part of the reason for this is to allow the men to watch, then simultaneous is out of the question. Why don’t we flip a coin to see who goes first?”

“Jesus,” Richard exclaimed.

“You have a better idea?” Fallon asked.

“No. It just seems. . . cold.”

Ryan snorted. “Told you so.”

“Candace?”

“Fine with me. Why don’t we do that right before? The not knowing will build anticipation.”

“Exactly,” Fallon raised her soda glass to Candace in a mock salute. Candace returned the gesture. Richard and Ryan slunk lower in their chairs. It was going to be an interesting week.

* * * * *

Richard had to admit, the roses, champagne and chocolate were a good idea. Ryan had emailed him with instructions to make sure the flowers were brought onboard in Miami. He’d even gone into detail about the lighting and music. It had taken some doing to set the mood without Fallon knowing in advance, but the look on her face when she saw it made it all worthwhile. They’d flipped a coin this morning. He and Candace were going first. He couldn’t help noticing his soon to be lover’s flush of color when she too saw the romantic atmosphere in the bedroom. She was lovely. He’d always thought so, but Ryan had seen her at the same time he had, and staked his claim first. Not that Richard would have done anything about his interest then. He was hopelessly in love with Fallon at the time, and trying everything he knew to get her attention. Still, he wasn’t blind, or gay. You’d have to be both not to desire Candace Callahan.