What Caroline Wants (19 page)

She blew out a breath. “Okay. I can do this.”

“Care, it’s going to be great. Let yourself enjoy the ride.”

Caroline nodded as she pulled out of his arms. “I hope they have liquor, and plenty of it. I’m going to need a few stiff drinks. But,” she added hastily, “I don’t want to get drunk like last time. You’re going to have to have my back on that one.”

“I won’t let you get wasted. I promise.” Jace led her out the door and locked it behind them. They walked to the garage and got into the SUV. He glanced over at Caroline as she buckled herself in. “You’re my hero, you know that?”

“What? Why?” She looked up, startled. “Because I like kinky sex?”

“No, because you’re open to trying new things. So many people would be opposed to even thinking about doing what we’re doing. I’m just glad I married someone with an open mind who appreciates life as an adventure.”

“I didn’t know I liked adventure until I met you,” she told him. “If you’re going to thank anyone, it’s you who should be getting the pat on the back, not me.”

“Care, you are who you are,” he said as he backed out of the driveway. “I could be the same person with a dozen other women, and they wouldn’t be anything like you. Your mind is more open than most, and you have a bunch of other attributes that make you completely special to me. That’s why I fell so hard for you after our very first date.” He turned onto the street. “I don’t know if you remember some of our first conversations that night, but we debated about a number of things. And at first you held on to your parents’ viewpoints, but the more we talked, you showed an interest in broadening your perspective. I adored you for that, and almost asked you to marry me right then. Do you know how many people
can’t
do that? Millions. It’s so much easier to remain steadfast than to keep learning and changing and evolving.”

“I might be readily able to change a viewpoint based on data, but you can’t simplify matters of love like that,” she replied. “It’s a lot easier to look up facts than it is to dissect your own heart. I understand intellectually that what we’re doing tonight is not wrong, but that doesn’t matter. My heart knows the difference.” She reclined against the headrest. “This is about emotion, not hard facts.”

Jace nodded. “I’ll give you that. But your heart, and the way it feels, is based on the norms we grew up with. If you were born into a community that did this regularly, and thought it was great, there would be no issues. Why? Because we’re not doing anything wrong. Just remember that.”

15

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I
t turned out Emma and Pete lived in one of those expensive communities where the homes were big and fancy. Jace pulled up in front of a beautiful brick house with well-tended garden beds and a wide stone pathway leading up to the front door.

Caroline angled her head to get a better view. “Seems nice. Looks like Emma spends a lot of time outside.”

Jace pulled into the driveway and parked in front of the closed garage door. Pete had instructed Jace to park there. “Yep.” Jace turned off the car. “It would be a bit different if it looked like a run-down crack house, wouldn’t it?”

Caroline shot her husband a look. “That’s not funny.”

“Well, what did you expect?” He chuckled as he got out of the car.

“I don’t know what I expected,” Caroline said, opening her door. “But I definitely got a ‘free love’ vibe from them, which, to me, would point to an older home in a newly gentrified part of the city. Not a McMansion in the suburbs.”

“I’m not sure how much ‘Mc’ is in this mansion,” Jace said as he came around the side of the car to help her out. “It looks pretty nice.”

“It doesn’t matter. The suburbs always have that ‘Mc’ feeling to me. But, you’re right, this is definitely nicer than most. It doesn’t feel cookie-cutter, that’s for sure.”

Jace slung his arm around her shoulders as they followed the winding path to the front door. “I wonder if she plants all this herself,” Caroline commented. “We talked about gardening briefly when we met, but she didn’t elaborate on anything specifically, only that she enjoys it.”

“Maybe that’s how we break the ice tonight?” Jace suggested. “You can have her show you her garden.”

“I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot of her
garden
, and if it’s as well manicured as this, I’ll be impressed.” Caroline was cut off mid-giggle as the front door opened.

“Welcome.” Emma stood in front, Pete just behind her. Emma wore a gauzy dress in pale pink, and even from where Caroline stood, she could tell the color accentuated, rather than competed with, Emma’s red hair and complexion.

Caroline had forgotten how really stunning the redhead was.

She swallowed, trying not to feel intimidated while she straightened her shirt and brushed an errant piece of hair behind her ear. She’d worn it down tonight.

Jace pressed her forward, guiding her up the top two steps onto the concrete landing, no doubt sensing that Caroline needed a little boost now that reality had set in. Caroline hazarded a few quick glances over her shoulder as they went. She hadn’t even thought of the neighbors!

What if they knew that Emma and Pete were swingers?

And that Jace and Caroline were their new playmates? Even though it was nine at night, the sky was dusky, edging toward full night, but still bright enough to see if someone tried hard enough. With relief, she noticed that the plots of land in this development were big, and the homes were set back.

Caroline took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face.

Emma seemed genuinely happy to see them, and Caroline didn’t want to come off as surly and rude. Jace reached around her and extended his hand to Pete, who had come shoulder to shoulder with his wife in the doorway. “Thanks for inviting us over,” Jace said politely.

Thankfully he left off: So we can videotape you having sex.

Pete shook his hand and smiled, stepping back to usher them in. “Of course, we’re happy to have you.”

“Yes, come on in. I have drinks in the kitchen, and I made some light nibbles, just in case you’re hungry.” Emma led them into the house.

Caroline and Jace followed. The space was immense, opening to the ceiling at least two and a half stories high. A winding stairway to the right led up to a balcony overlooking the entryway. All the floors were wide-plank hardwood stained dark. The formal living room was to the right, but they went left, passing through a dining room to get to the kitchen and den area. Once they crossed into that space, there was a sunken room on the left and an open kitchen on the right. The sunken den had a huge L-shaped leather sofa covered with jewel-toned throw pillows, and a massive TV mounted on the wall over a beautiful limestone fireplace. It was likely that’s where the Slaters spent most of their time.

To the right, the kitchen was large, with an island twice as big as the one in Jace and Caroline’s home. The entire place was decorated warmly in rich yellows, browns, and greens, including the green-and-rust-veined granite countertops that went perfectly with the walnut cabinets.

“Your home is truly beautiful,” Caroline commented as they came to a stop in front of the island. There were a few stools, but she didn’t know if she should pull one out and sit yet or not, so she stayed put.

“Thank you,” Emma said as she headed across the room to where Caroline spotted a small bar area with a sink and glasses. Emma plucked up a tray and brought it over to the island. “It’s been a work in progress for years. Before we moved out here, I’d told Pete there was no way in hell I’d ever live in the suburbs. But Pete grew up in them, and he was adamant about it, so we did a lot of research, and when we found this area, we both fell in love. There is so much space out here. Great trails with lots of little ponds and lakes. It’s also very quiet. It’s an association, but you can bring in your own architect. So that’s what we did. We had to follow some guidelines to make sure we didn’t stick out too much, but we ultimately got what we wanted.”

“It really is gorgeous,” Caroline said as she took a sip of her drink, taking solace in the pine scent of the gin. “We’ve been renovating an older home for the last four years, but I never thought to go dark. But it’s really warm and inviting in here. I love it.”

“Thank you,” Emma said, offering Jace a scotch.

He took it and grinned. “I grew up on a farm,” Jace said, “and when we ventured into the big city and saw the grand old homes, I knew that’s what I wanted someday. It’s been a labor of love restoring it.”

“I’m sure it’s wonderful,” Emma said. “I love old homes, too. It took Pete a lot to convince me to move here.”

“Yes, it did,” Pete said, grabbing a drink off the tray. It looked like a Jack and Coke. “But it all turned out perfect in the end.” He raised his glass. “I propose a toast to our gathering tonight. To new friends and new experiences.”

* * *

Jace held his glass aloft and clinked it against everyone’s, saving his wife’s for last. He knew she was still jittery, but she was acting like a champ. Once he tapped her glass, she gave him a small nod.

So far, so good.

He wasn’t sure where they would be doing everything later, but they definitely needed this time to relax and get used to the idea.

Like she’d read his mind, Emma went to the fridge and brought out a plate of food and announced, “Let’s go sit in the den.”

They followed her down to the couch. Pete dimmed the lights as he followed. Jace sat on one end of the sofa and patted the seat next to him for his wife. Caroline didn’t hesitate to sit, and as she did, he laid his arm across her back and tried to relax himself. He’d been so busy making sure she was okay, he hadn’t thought of how he’d feel once he was here.

He was more nervous than he thought.

It was kind of surreal to think they were going to be filming these people having sex in an hour or two. He was both excited and worried. If it didn’t go well, they’d have to find a way to make a quick exit.

The deal he’d made with the Slaters was no phones, computer uploads, or new technology. He had no problem agreeing to those terms—it would be disastrous to have their recording somehow accidentally shared. So he’d gone out and purchased a camcorder that ran on a small disc that fit into a DVD player or could be hooked directly to a TV.

The other agreement was no duplicates, and the Slaters could ask for the disc back at any time.

Pete had told him they’d done the video-recording thing a few times before. He’d also hinted that if they did it first, maybe Jace and Caroline would be up for it next. Jace had been noncommittal and hadn’t told Caroline that part. That would’ve sent her packing, and they wouldn’t be here right now. He’d see how this went and then figure out the next step.

Emma was discussing her job at the dance studio. Jace nodded along as he studied the room. They had a lot of family pictures and personal mementos on the walls. That made the Slaters more relatable in his eyes. Caroline shifted positions and scooted to the edge of the sofa, leaning over to grab an appetizer. They were little cups filled with something that Emma had set on the table in front of them.

“These are delicious,” Caroline said. “What are they?”

“Oh, they’re just a crab and mushroom concoction I came up with. The mix is easy to fit into the cups, and they look pretty,” Emma answered, smiling.

“They’re wonderful,” Caroline said, taking another one and settling back on the couch. “I wish I could cook more adventurous things. I mostly stick to the basics for ease.”

“Once I started keeping ingredients on hand, I was much more comfortable reading a recipe. It gets easier the more you do it.” She laughed. “Just like everything else, I guess. I haven’t always been into cooking. It’s taken a little perseverance on my part. Can I offer you another drink?”

Caroline glanced down at her glass, and Jace saw that she was shocked she’d finished it already. He rested his hand on her back again and stroked, letting her know it was okay, whatever she wanted to do. She glanced at him with one eyebrow raised before she turned back and answered, “Sure, I’ll take another one. Why not?”

Before Emma could get it herself, Pete stood. “I’ll get it. Gin and tonic, right? Anyone else?”

Jace swirled his glass. He was almost done. What the hell? “I’ll take another one as long as you’re up.”

Pete chuckled over his shoulder. “I think the drinks will be flowing freely tonight. I might just bring the bottles over here so we can reach them easily.”

“But we’re agreed not to overdo it,” Emma called. “I don’t think any of us want to be drunk for this.”

“No,” Caroline said quickly. “I imbibed a little too much at the restaurant, and I apologize for that. I definitely don’t want to do a repeat.”

Pete brought over new drinks, but left the bottles at the bar.

He leaned over the couch and handed them to Jace and Caroline. “Here you go.” As he came around to the front and settled in by his wife, he said, “Speaking of dinner, I hope you guys enjoyed your after-dinner dessert at Bella.” He winked. “We certainly did.”

“We did, too.” Jace nodded as his wife politely coughed and took another sip of her drink.

“We’re so glad,” Emma said. “We were worried when you left so quickly, and when we didn’t hear from you for a few weeks, we thought maybe we blew it. It was great to get your call. You never know when you meet a new couple for the first time. We thought maybe we scared you away by being too bold.”