I pull my pink satin bathrobe snugly around me and knot the belt tight. So much for another birthday. Except for a card from my youngest son, Justin, and a kiss from my oldest, Peter, the day has been largely uneventful. And that’s the way I like it. Nothing can stop the slow creep of age, so why the big reminder?

Still, it would have been nice if Dan had at least remembered my birthday. Although why should this year be different from any other?

“You coming to bed, babe?” Dan calls out. “Don’t forget to turn off the lights. And make sure that faucet isn’t dripping again.”

I look up into the mirror and catch a glimpse of Dan climbing into bed. He’s wearing the skull print PJ bottoms I bought him for Christmas and the AC/DC T-shirt from the last concert we saw together, just before Peter was born. Except for a slight greying of his hair, and slightly less definition in his broad, muscular chest, he looks just as handsome as he did when he swept me off my feet at the bar where I was celebrating my twentieth birthday.

Me on the other hand . . . same shoulder length auburn hair, same green eyes, but my curves are more curvy, and I’ve added an extra plus to my usual plus size.

I check the tap, turn out the light, then join Dan in bed, carefully leaving a pillow-size space between us. I always leave my robe on until Dan has turned out the bedside light. After fifteen years of marriage, we seldom touch anymore. We sleep on opposite sides of the bed. Rarely have sex. And only hold hands at church on Sunday.

“Goodnight.” I fiddle with the belt on my robe, waiting for Dan to roll onto his side and plunge the room into blissful darkness.

“I have a birthday present for you,” he says. “It’s under your pillow.”

“You remembered my birthday?” I rip the pillow away and snatch up the pink envelope beneath, making no effort to hide my excitement. I can’t remember the last time Dan bought me a birthday present, and I stopped reminding him five years ago because it hurt more to see the guilt on his face than it did to just pretend it was any other day.

“I always remember, Kylie. I just . . . never know what to do anymore. I don’t know what you like.”

“You’ve lived with me for fifteen years.” I tear open the pretty pink envelope—was it chance or did he remember my favorite color? “How can you not know what I like?”

“You’ve changed,” he says. “I’ve changed. We’re like strangers sharing a bed.”

His words send a chill through my veins and I freeze mid-tear. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying open the envelope.”

With much less enthusiasm I pull out the card and stare at the gold “Happy Birthday” written in script across the front. No age, although I suspect they don’t make cards for thirty-five year olds. No “wife” or “lover” or even “friend” below. No pictures of flowers or balloons. As far as cards go, it is about as generic as they get.

“Thank you.” I muster a smile and fall back on the good manners my mother taught me when I was young and naïve and full of dreams about love lasting a lifetime.

“Open it.”

“Maybe I’ll save some of the fun for tomorrow.” I place the card carefully on my lap. If he’s just scrawled his name inside, I might burst out crying and Dan has never handled strong emotion very well.

“Please,” he says. “Just look inside.”

Dan isn’t the begging type. Or the asking type. At least he wasn’t when we first met. He was dominant, possessive, the epitome of an alpha male. And he totally rocked my world. Now, he’s a good provider, a good father, but as emotionally closed off as he used to be open. As a result, his plea moves me to reconsider.

“Okay.” I open the card, and plaster a smile on face that should see me through whatever I find inside. “It was very thoughtful . . .” My words trail off as I read the coupon taped inside the card.

THIS LOVE COUPON ENTITLES THE BEARER TO ONE MÉNAGE

My heat stutters in my chest and my stomach sinks. Would he be this cruel? Who would want to have a ménage with me? “Is this a joke?”

“No joke,” he says. “Although it’s just for one night.”

“Does this say . . . ménage? As in ménage a trois? As in three people in a bed? Together?”

Dan shifts in the bed, turning toward me. “You said you wanted to spice things up in the bedroom.”

“By ‘spice things up’, I meant actually having sex, or taking off our clothes with the lights on, or kissing before bed,” I say. “I wasn’t really thinking of inviting someone else to join us.”

“Things haven’t been good between us for a long time.” He rubs his palms over the blanket covering his thighs, a tell tale sign that he’s agitated. Although right now, he’s got nothing on me.

“I couldn’t possibly let a stranger see me naked.” I close the birthday card and try to tuck it back into the destroyed envelope. Maybe he had too many drinks after work. Maybe one of the other attorneys in his office put him up to this.

“Not a stranger.” He takes the card from my hand and carefully removes the coupon. “Aidan Steadman.”

“Aidan Steadman?” My voice rises to a shriek, and not just because I know Aidan, but because he is about the hottest thing to hit our town in forever, and the least likely person I could ever imagine with a thirty-five year old, married mother of two like me. “The kids’ new dentist? He’s coming to our house to have a ménage? Are you crazy?” I put my hand on Dan’s forehead. “You are a little warm. Maybe you have a fever. Peter had that terrible cold last week . . .”

“I’m not crazy.” He opens the card and pulls out the coupon. “I’ve already talked to him about it and he’s really excited.”

“I’ll bet he is,” I mutter. “How old is he? Twenty-five? Thirty? And he has nothing better to do with his time than hang out in bed with us?”

“Kylie.” His voice takes on an admonishing tone. “Don’t be so negative.”

“And just how did that conversation go?” I take a stab at mocking Dan’s deep voice. “Hey Aidan. Thanks for doing that emergency filling for Peter. And hey, do you want to come over on Saturday for dinner and a ménage with my wife?”

“No dinner,” Dan says. “He’s got plans.”

“Plans for another ménage? He’s a dentist, Dan. Dentists aren’t kinky.”

Dan’s lips quiver in a smile. “Apparently he is. That’s why he got divorced back in Ohio. His wife wasn’t into that stuff.”

“And we are?” I push myself off the bed, and tighten the belt on my robe. “Come on, Dan. What’s gotten into you? Last year, when I wanted to buy a vibrator, you told me they were unnatural. You can’t deal with toys in bed, but you can deal with another man?”

“Aidan.” He follows me across the bed and sits on the edge, his gaze on me.

“Aidan,” I repeat. “The ménage king of our lovely Tolmie, Indiana.”

“He likes you, babe.” Dan tugs on my belt and draws me over to him. “He thinks you have nice teeth.”

“Well thank God for that. It might ruin the mood if I had cavities.” I pull to a stop between his spread legs and a thrill of arousal shoots through me. Before our sex life succumbed to the rigors of babies, work and exhaustion, Dan always had to be in control in the bedroom. I hadn’t slept with many men before him, but his dominance aroused me, and although our play never went beyond soft restraints and the occasional slap on the bottom, he opened me up to possibilities I would have been more than happy to pursue if I hadn’t gotten pregnant so damn fast and he shut it all down.

Over the years, the play times became fewer and sex became mechanical, with the sole purpose of getting us both off as quickly as possible so we didn’t lose any precious sleep. By the time the boys hit their teens, we had drifted apart so far, I figured there was no going back. And why rock the boat? We were comfortable together. Wasn’t that all that mattered?

“Kylie.” He tugs on my belt and my robe falls open to reveal the cheap satin nightgown that does little to hide the evidence of my post-baby spread. “I feel like I’m losing you and I don’t know what else to do. I picked up one of your romance books last month and saw the three people on the cover . . . we talked about having someone else join us when we first got together . . . you said it was one of your fantasies . . . I figured if you were still interested enough to read about it . . .

“It’s not real.” I snatch the ends of my belt from his hands and tie my robe tight. Fifteen years ago, I loved my curves, but now I wonder if my curves have driven Dan away. Maybe he doesn’t find me attractive anymore and he needs to go to this kind of extreme to get off.

“Neither are we.”

“It was a nice thought,” I say. “But it’s just not going to happen. I know you—”

“Tomorrow night.” His low, commanding tone startles me and I shiver, remembering the days when I thought I could come just from the sound of his voice. “The boys are having a Saturday sleepover at the Richardson’s house. Aidan will be here at eight. Make sure you have something nice to wear.” His lips quiver at the corners. “Or not.”

My mouth drops open in a most unbecoming way. Who is this man and where did he dredge up the sex god he used to be fifteen years ago?

“What if I say no?”

He rounds the bed and flips back the covers, then settles back on his pillow as if it were any other night and not the night he gave me a ménage for my birthday. “What if you say yes?”

The next day on my drive to work, I try to convince myself that last night’s conversation with Dan was a dream, that he didn’t give me a ménage coupon for my birthday, that Saturday night is going to be like every Saturday night for the last few years where we order pizza, watch a movie with the kids, and are in bed with the lights off by ten.

My self-delusion works until I am seated at my desk, trying to concentrate on a new contract for the hospital workers’ union, and Mimi, the irritatingly cheerful hospital admin secretary, pops her head in the door.

“Morning, Kylie. Your husband called. He said he sent you a text this morning from the airport changing your Saturday meeting to seven p.m, but you didn’t respond. He needs confirmation by noon.”

“I’ll text him, thanks.”

“Also, the state health inspectors called to confirm that they’ll be here on Monday.” Mimi brushes back her sleek, red bob with her perfectly manicured nails. “Will you need me to work over the weekend? I’m looking for overtime hours so if you need someone to help make sure everything is in shape for their visit . . . or did you and Dan have plans?”

Just a little ménage-a-trois with the kids’ dentist. Or not, since I now have an easy way out of a difficult situation.

I force myself to smile, although I suspect the effect is more of a grimace. “Actually, I was just thinking I should be here on the weekend to run a final check on the hospital systems and operations and I could definitely use the help.”

“Great!” Her face brightens and she tugs down her tight, red dress as she leaves my office. Slim and pretty, with bright green eyes, a perfect figure, and a way too cheerful disposition, Mimi is highly sought after by the male doctors and staff at the hospital. If Aidan Steadman is looking for something to do with his Saturday night, he would be better off posting his picture on Tinder and hooking up with someone like Mimi, who spends more time flipping through pictures of eligible men on her phone than she does actual work.

Now that I’ve made a decision about Saturday, I pull out my phone. Dan left early this morning for a business meeting in Denver and won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon, which I’m sure factored into his surprise attack plan. But now that I’ve got a way out, his absence works to my benefit because I can put an end to the whole crazy idea by text without having to deal with a face-to-face confrontation.

State inspection on Mon. Have to cancel Sat night

Irritatingly, Dan answers right away. Like he had his phone in his hand and was just waiting for me to text him.

U said you were ready for that inspection last week

Just want to double check

U said you were double-checking this week

Can’t be too careful.

You’re afraid

Things aren’t so bad. Why shake them up? Let’s just do pizza & movie when I get home

Let’s do something different

Chinese food and board games? Visit my mom?

He’s bringing toys

What kind of toys?

Seven o’clock tomorrow night. Come and find out

I manage to get through the rest of the day without typing “ménage”, or “kinky dentists” into the search engine of my hospital computer. After work, I pick up the boys for hockey practice.

“I’m starving,” Peter says as he climbs into the vehicle. Despite Dan’s protests, we had to buy a mini van to fit all the hockey equipment and the vast quantity of food needed to sustain two teenage boys on hockey road trips. “You didn’t give me anything for lunch.”

“Cooler is in the back.” I glance up at him in the rearview mirror. Our oldest boy is a spitting image of Dan, from the thick brown hair, to the dark eyes, and from his height—already six feet tall—to his athletic build. “And I gave you three sandwiches for lunch, a thermos full of soup, four pieces of fruit, two bags of carrots and a bag of chips.”

“I ate it for my morning snack,” he says reaching for the cooler. “Then I had to borrow money from Justin to buy something for lunch.”

“I ate my lunch for lunch.” Justin, who inherited my light brown hair and hazel eyes, beams at me in the mirror while at the same time punching his brother in the ribs to divest him of the cooler. “But it wasn’t enough. Maybe we should stop for a pizza.”

“I’ll give you money for pizza at the Richardson’s tomorrow night,” I tell him. “And don’t hit your brother.”

“What are you going to do without us?” At thirteen, Justin is caught between wanting to go out with Peter, and still enjoying spending time at home with Dan and me.

I choke on my coffee—a necessity for hockey moms who spend long hours standing around in a freezing rink. “Not getting into trouble like you.”

Peter snorts a laugh. “They’ll watch a movie and be in bed by ten. That’s what happens when you get old.”

“Mom’s not old,” my lovely Justin says. “She’s ten years younger than dad. He’s the old one.”

Not old enough, apparently, since he’s the one all raring to go for a kinky Saturday night.

“I think my filling cracked.” Justin taps his newly bristled jaw. “I heard something when I was eating my carrots this morning. Can we go back and see Dr. Steadman?”

My breath catches in my throat, and I imagine I am in Edvard Munch’s painting, The Scream. “No.”

“No?”

“I’m busy at work,” I tell him. “We have the state inspectors coming to the hospital for a visit on Monday. Your dad can take you when he gets home.”

“But it’s sore.”

“I’m sure it will feel better tomorrow.” Desperate, I play the competitiveness card. “Peter once had a filling fall out and he walked around in pain with a hole in his tooth for three weeks without complaining.”

“That’s true,” Peter says, nodding. “I’m too badass to feel pain.”

“I’m badass,” Justin complains.

“Then stop whining and suck it up.” Peter grabs the cooler and pumps his fist in victory.

One hour and two coffees later, I am huddled on the bench beside my friend, Barb, watching the boys play. Her husband ran off with his secretary three years ago, and left her with two kids and ten years worth of debt. Not one to take things lying down, Barb moved in with her mother, hired a private investigator and a lawyer, and is now dragging that bastard’s ass through the court. Her oldest son is Peter’s age and they play on the same team.

“I think it’s about ten degrees colder in here today,” she says. “I can’t feel my fingers or toes.”

“That’s because you’re wear fashion boots and no gloves.” I hand her my coffee and she takes a little sip, then fluffs her blond curls—her new signature move to indicate she’s on the hunt.

“Who are you freezing your hands off for this time?” I ask, retrieving my coffee.

“I met the new coach after practice last week.” She smiles and counts off his attributes on her ungloved hand. “He’s forty, divorced, no kids . . .”

“I thought you were after the Vice Principal of the high school.”

“That was last week when I didn’t know he was dating Moira from the diner.” She leans back against the bleacher and sighs. “He’s no Doctor Steadman, but I tried it on with our new drop dead gorgeous dentist when I took Lily for her checkup last week and he wasn’t playing ball. I think he might be seeing someone already.”

“He’s only been here for three months.”

“Have you seen him?” Barb’s voice rises in pitch. “I mean, half the single women and gay men in town suddenly needed dental work when he moved to town fresh out of dentist school. He could have had his pick. All that thick, dark hair, the blue eyes, the chiseled jaw, the bit of scruff . . . he looks like Chris Pine, except a bit younger.”

“I didn’t notice.” Well, I did, but only in passing. Although I’ve fantasized about other men, I’ve never wanted to be with anyone else but Dan. If I met him for the first time today, he would still take my breath away. But maybe I don’t do the same for him. I had assumed Saturday night was just about me. Now Barb has made me wonder if it is about him.

“Liar,” Barb says, interrupting my train of thought. “You have ovaries just like the rest of the women in town. No way you didn’t notice him. Even little girls notice him. My Lily wants to marry him, but I’m going to get there first.”

I fake my way through another hour of conversation without succumbing to the urge to text Dan and tell him Saturday is definitely off. Then I take the boys home, feed them and help them with their homework. After they’re asleep, I crawl into bed and make the call I’ve been dreading all day.

“Are you gay?” I blurt out after he answers the phone. “Is that what this is all about? Were you afraid to tell me so you plan to show me instead?”

Dan barks a laugh. “No, sweetheart. I’m not gay.”

I lower my voice although there is no way the boys could here. “I don’t think I could watch you with another man.”

“Aidan and I won’t be touching,” he says. “It’s just about you.”

My hand drifts down over my curves. “And you’re okay with another man touching me? When we were first together, you went crazy when guys even talked to me in the bar. You almost broke someone’s arm when he asked me to dance. You would have gone ballistic if I had asked to have someone join us in bed.”

Dan sighs and I imagine him lying on his hotel bed in his pajama pants, his chest, deliciously bare albeit his dark hair is now slightly peppered with grey. “I’m older now, Kylie. I’m not as passionate about things as I used to be. I want you to be happy and I when I saw the book you were reading . . .”

Not just one book. I’ve been on a ménage reading kick for the last year, although I’m not about to share that with him.

“Have you done anything like this before?”

Silence

“Dan?”

“Before we were together,” he says. “I was heavy into the kink scene, but all that changed when I met you. I couldn’t imagine sharing you, or wanting to do the things I did with other women with you, although I know you were willing to try. But then you got pregnant, and I didn’t feel that I needed it anymore. You and the boys were everything to me. And now, here we are.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” And how could I have lived with him for so long and not know this about him?

“It was in the past,” Dan says. “And I was never unhappy with how things were between us. Just lately, I feel like I’m losing you and if I was that man again, the man you fell in love with . . .”

“I still love you.”

“Then let’s try this, sweetheart,” he says. “For both of us.”

Of course, everything goes wrong on Saturday and I am stuck at work until six making sure things are fixed up for Monday’s inspection. With no time left to shop, I race home only to walk into an empty house. I check my phone and find two missed messages from Dan. His plane was delayed, but he’ll be home by seven-thirty. He’s already talked to Aidan. We should start without him.

How are we supposed to engage in a ménage with only two people? What am I supposed to wear for the hottest man in town? Somehow I don’t think my hot pink department store lingerie from five years ago is going to cut it—much less fit. And how does this kind of thing work? Should Aidan and I just strip off our clothes and get down and dirty on the coffee table until Dan shows up?

I can’t even imagine how awkward this is going to be. So I don’t. Instead, I pretend Barb is coming over for a chat. I change into my sexiest pink bra and panties, yoga pants and a fitted, V-neck T-shirt. Although I’m not comfortable with my curves anymore, I am always looking for an excuse to show off my breasts.

I feed Rusty, our Labrador Retriever who we rescued from the pound five years ago. Then I whip up an avocado dip, cut up some veggies and put Dan’s favorite beer in the fridge.

By the time the door bell rings, I have almost forgotten about the ménage.

By the time I reach the door, my heart is pounding and I’m sweating like I’ve run the marathon. Twice.

I take a deep breath.

Let it out.

Open the door.

“Hi Kylie.” Aidan Steadman smiles and I almost melt into a puddle on the floor. He looked hot in his office, wearing his dentist coat with the little tools lined up in pocket, but standing on my front porch wearing a pair of low rise jeans, his abs rippling beneath his tight black T-shirt, a duffel bag in his hand, all ready to have sex with me and Dan, he takes my breath away.

And my voice.

My mouth opens. Then closes again. Rusty rushes in to save the day by sniffing at Aidan’s crotch, as if he knows that’s why Aidan’s here. I force my lips up into a smile and will the ground to swallow me up.

Finally, I manage to squeak. “Come in.”

Aidan gives Rusty a pat and then steps inside, closing the door behind him.

“Sorry about Rusty. He always sniffs strange, new things . . . I mean people. He sniffs strange people. Well, not strange people. Strangers. He sniffs strangers.”

Shut up, Kylie. My cheeks heat and I look away.

“No problem,” Aidan says. “I’ve had dogs all my life. I’ve just bought a German Shepherd pup. I’m picking it up next week. My wife kept our Collie after the divorce.“

I’m not sure if he’s happy because he hated the Collie and his wife, or sad because he liked the Collie and hated his wife, or liked the Collie and liked his wife, so I just nod. “I have snacks.”

Aidan makes himself comfortable while I race to the kitchen and contemplate sticking my head in the oven and turning on the gas.

“Nice place,” he says, when I return with the beer and veggies and dip.

“We’ve been here since Peter was born.” I perch on the edge of the loveseat, while a betraying Rusty curls up on the couch beside his new best friend. “We redecorated this year. Since I’m the only woman in a house full of guys, I had to give up my dream of pink and chintz and settle for dark leather, wood, and browns and creams.”

“I see a woman’s touch in here.” Aidan plucks a carrot from the veggie plate. “Those paintings are beautiful. Lots of color.”

My cheeks warm with a small burst of pride and I glance up at the colorful landscapes on the wall behind me.

“I painted them when I was young and wild and thought I’d be able to make a living as an artist.” I ease back on the chair. “Then we were faced with the reality of having two small kids and I went into hospital administration instead.”

“It happened to me, too.” Aidan crosses one leg over the other and I try not to stare at the significant bulge in his jeans.

“I used to be in a jazz band, but just as we were making a name for ourselves, my dad was killed by a drunk driver. I had to get a real job to look after my mom and sister. My grandfather was planning to retire from his practice and he said he’d wait for me to finish dental school so he could hand it over to me.”

“I’m sorry about your father.”

Aidan shrugs. “I still miss him, but it’s made me more relaxed about life. I take each day as it comes. Try to enjoy myself. I don’t hang with people who bring me down, don’t hold onto things that don’t make me happy.”

I assume he is talking about his ex, not that I would ever ask. But maybe that’s the mistake Dan and I have made. Once we drifted apart we should have cut it off and sought our happiness elsewhere, instead of in bed with a stranger.

“So, does this make you happy?” I gesture vaguely around the living room, taking in everything from the family pictures, to the afghan my mother made for our wedding, to Rusty dozing on the couch. “I mean, you could be at the local bar picking up any of the single girls who I hear have been panting after you since you arrived.”

Aidan laughs. “I liked to try to new things, have new experiences. I’m pretty much up for anything. And I’ve been with lots of couples before. I like the dynamic.” He leans forward, his elbows on his knees, his beautiful blue eyes fixed on me. “I’m just here to have fun. You want to have some fun, Kylie?”

All the air leaves my lungs in a rush, but just as I am about to blurt out something stupid, the door opens and Dan calls out, “Hello.”

Aidan gives a little shrug, like he’s disappointed Dan’s here, and for the briefest of moments, so am I.

“Sorry I’m late.” Dan crosses the room and presses a kiss to my cheek before shaking hands with Aidan. “Who wants another drink?”

“Me.” I cringe inwardly at my over-exuberant voice, but there is no way I’m going to get through this sober.

Dan looks over his shoulder and grins. “Gin and Tonic? You want a double, sweetheart?”

“Two doubles. Maybe just give me the bottle. Or better yet a drip feed.”

Dan pours the drinks and joins us in the living room. We chat about the town, Aidan’s decision to make a clean break after his divorce, the state of the nation’s teeth, and home renovations. I have several drinks. We eat all the snacks. On the surface, it all seems very normal, and yet at the back of my mind I keep wondering: when is it going to happen? How is it going to happen? Why am I the only person in the room who isn’t relaxed?

“Well,” Dan says after about thirty minutes of friendly talk. “Should we go upstairs?”

“I’ll grab my bag.” Aidan takes his glass and the now empty plate of veggies to the kitchen and returns with his duffle bag.

Dan holds out his hand. “Come on, sweetheart.”

“I can’t move,” I say. “I think I’m frozen to the seat. You go on without me. I might just catch-up on Game of Thrones.”

“She’s very tense,” Aidan says coming up behind me. He drops his bag and puts his hands on my shoulders. “Relax, Kylie. We’re just going to have a good time.” He kneads my muscles with warm firm hands. And, oh God it feels so good. I look up at Dan to make sure he’s okay with this and he nods.

“Good idea,” he says. “Kylie has trouble relaxing.”

So I roll with it.

Aidan massages my shoulders and my neck. Then his hands move down my arms. I try not to think about the fact my arms are fleshy, not toned. Or that my body is soft and not hard and fit like Mimi’s. Or why he would rather spend his evening with us than with one of the hordes of singles desperate to get into his pants.

My tension eases and I sink into my seat.

“Good girl,” Aidan murmurs. And although he’s about five years younger than me, and I’m not really a girl, his words make my blood hot and my insides quiver. Not because Aidan said them, but because it’s how Dan used to talk to me, and nothing ever got me wetter than his dirty talking.

Dan perches on the arm of the couch, and drums his thumb on his thigh. If this was any other time and any other place, I would say he was agitated, but he’s the one who arranged this evening, so maybe he’s just impatient to get started.

Aidan sweeps my hair to the side and softly kisses my neck. “I was with a couple one time and the woman got so stressed she passed out in the kitchen,” he says. “We had to find something to relax her before we could begin.”

“What was it?” I look back over my shoulder and he gives me a warm smile.

“Cat videos.”

Laughter bubbles in my chest. “You won’t have to go to those extremes with me. I’m not the fainting type.”

“No you’re not.” He rounds the loveseat and offers a hand to help me stand. “You’re very grounded, Kylie. Very self-assured. Very beautiful. Very real. To be honest, you make me nervous.”

“I make you nervous?”

My gaze flicks to Dan to check if there’s some joke that I’m missing. How could I possibly make a sex god nervous? But Dan isn’t laughing. In fact, he’s looking curiously unsettled.

“Yeah, you do.” He looks over at Dan. “Is kissing okay?”

Dan’s corded throat tightens when he swallows. “Sure.” His voice thickens. “If Kylie’s good with it.”

I lick my lips, imagine kissing Aidan’s perfect mouth.

Oh God. I forgot to brush my teeth.

“Some couples draw the line at kissing.” Aidan steps closer, nuzzles my neck. “Some at sex. Some at anal, although then we can’t do any double penetration.”

I gag on my tongue.

“Do you want to discuss limits in advance?” Aidan asks. “Or just as we go along?”

Since Dan is being uncharacteristically quiet, and I am now feeling more relaxed after my gin, massage, and nuzzle, I step in. “If we start talking about it in detail, you’ll need more than cat videos to get me off the floor.”

Aidan laughs and cups my jaw. “You on the floor I wouldn’t mind, but I do like my partners conscious.” He leans in and kisses me lightly. His lips are warm and firm and he smells strongly of cologne. Unfamiliar.

Hesitantly, I trace my tongue over his lips. His mouth opens and he lets me explore, taste the faint traces of gin and avocado dip on his tongue. With a soft groan, he slides his hand around my neck and draws me closer. When I am pressed tight against his deliciously hard body, he kisses me again, deeper this time, his tongue tangling with mine. Exploring.

Heat floods my veins. I haven’t kissed another man since my first kiss with Dan over fifteen years ago. And although he wants this, it feels wrong without him. Aidan must sense this, too, because he motions Dan over.

“Come over, Dan. You stand behind Kylie and we can tag team.” His relaxed demeanor, and his ability to joke around in what could be an incredibly awkward situation, do much to ease my tension, especially when I catch sight of Dan’s rigid jaw.

“You okay?” I ask as he joins us.

“Yes. Of course.” He slides his arms around my waist and drops his head to my shoulder, drawing in a shuddering breath as he pulls me toward him, and away from Aidan. Possessive. In a way he hasn’t been in years. But his touch feels right, like coming home.

Dan brushes his lips over my ear. “Did you like kissing him, sweetheart?”

Although I suspect he doesn’t want to hear the truth, I will not lie to Dan. We may have drifted apart, but I have always been honest with him. “Yes.”

His arms tighten around me and he hisses out a soft breath. Before I can say anything, he cups my jaw in his firm grip and forces my head back. Pulling me against him, he leans down and kisses me long and hard, like he’s trying to erase Aidan’s kiss, marking me.

Heat sears through me in a massive wave. I don’t know this dominant man kissing me.

Or maybe I do.

“Let’s go upstairs where we can be more comfortable.” Aidan picks up his bag, and, after Dan releases me, gives me a last, lingering kiss before we follow Dan up the stairs to the master bedroom.

I try not to look at the pictures of my boys and Rusty on the walls around the landing. I try not to think about what’s going to happen when we step through the bedroom door. But with my panties wet and my nipples aching, it’s hard not to be just a little curious about what’s to come.

Once we are all in the bedroom, Dan closes the door. “Just in case the kids come home,” he says.

But I’m not looking at Dan because Aidan is pulling off his T-shirt and his body is definitely something not to be missed. His tanned, toned muscles are so defined he looks shrink-wrapped. My gaze drifts from his broad shoulders to the taut pecs, and over his chiseled abs to the long cuts in his hipbones that point directly at the bulge in his jeans. Barb is right. No woman could be unaffected by a body like that.

“A lot of first timers prefer to be blindfolded.” Aidan reaches into his duffle bag and pulls out a length of black cloth. “You’ll feel less self-conscious and you can focus more on sensation. But it’s entirely up to you. It’s a trust issue. I’m just as happy looking into those beautiful green eyes.”

Trust. Do I trust Dan? We may have been caught up in the minutia of our lives, but yes, I trust him more than anyone else. And wouldn’t it be wonderful to be freed from worrying about where people are looking and what they are thinking and trying to catch glances of myself in the mirror and then wishing I hadn’t?

“I’ll give it a try,” I say.

I turn around so Aidan can tie the scarf around my head. The last thing I see before my eyes close is Dan’s strained and unsettled face.

“Dan.” My hands fly up to the blindfold, but Dan catches them before I can rip it off. He draws my hands down and wraps his arms around me, trapping my arms by my sides.

"I’m okay. You’re okay."

My heart is thudding so loud I can barely hear his words. "Maybe this isn’t such a good idea."

I hear the creak of the floor, the rustle of the bag, the crinkle of plastic, the slide of a zipper. Panic seizes me, and all the air leaves my lungs in a rush.

"Oh sweetheart. I can feel your heart pound. Breathe for me." Dan’s lips whisper over my hair and he tightens his arms around me until I relax.

"I can't do this," I say.

"Are you sure? It's only if you want. I can ask him to go."

I rest my head against his chest. "A long time ago, you said you didn't share."

"I also said I would do anything for you,” he murmurs. “Grant you any wish. Make your fantasies come true. Although I didn’t think it would be so hard. After seeing him with you downstairs, I’m going to have to make a few rules.”

"What rules?"

"It's only about you.” He slides his hands under my T-shirt and slowly pushes it up. I gasp as cool air brushes over my heated skin, and then I feel Aidan’s warm hands on my back, undoing the clasp on my bra.

Aidan strokes my cheek, and I shiver, every muscle stretched taut in anticipation, every sense heightened, my pulse pounding in my ears. What is he going to think when he sees beneath my clothes? What if decides to walk away and find a young hard-bodied Mimi to spend his night with? How humiliating would that be?

“The only touching that goes on involves you,” Dan murmurs as he eases my shirt over my breasts. “But I’m in control. Anything you feel, you'll feel because I made you feel that way. Any touch, any kiss, is because I want it to happen. And nothing happens without your consent. You say stop, it stops. You say go, he goes. In the end, this is about me giving you what you want and you getting off on it.”

Aidan glides his hands up my body, lifting my arms as Dan removes my shirt. My hair swings down over my bare back in a soft, gentle caress and Aidan presses a kiss to my shoulder. “Lovely.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Dan slides my bra down my arms and off, leaving me exposed. I grit my teeth, fighting against the urge to cross my arms and hide.

“Turn around, sweetheart. Let Aidan see you.”

My cheeks flame and I shake my head, bury my face in his cool, cotton shirt.

“Turn, Kylie.”

Damn him and that dark, rich commanding tone he used only when were having the kind of sex that left bruises on my thighs and my pussy sore and aching in the most delicious way. A voice I haven’t heard in years. A voice I know better than to disobey.

It is his voice, and the firm press of his hands on my shoulders, that send a rush of heat to my pussy. Not the gorgeous man standing beside me. Not the deliciously illicit thrill of having my fantasy come to life. This is what I missed. What I craved. What I lost.

Licking my lips, I turn, grateful for the blindfold so I don’t have to see Aidan’s reaction to my partially unclothed body.

“You have beautiful breasts, Kylie.” Aidan cups my breasts in his warm hands, kneading them gently. Then he circles my left nipple with his fingers, and rolls it into a peak. He increases the pressure until my lower half turns molten, then moves to torture my other breast. “I could play with them all night.”

My fists clench by my sides, and a delicious shudder runs through me as he finds my lips again. Slowly, gently he sucks my tongue into his mouth until an ache burns through my body and my knees tremble.

But Dan is there to catch me, his body hot and hard against my back, his hands tight on my hips.

"You okay there, green eyes?" I can almost hear Aidan’s grin, and I manage a smile. He knows exactly what he’s doing, how to touch and where, slowly ramping up the intensity, tearing away my inhibitions. And yet, my body doesn’t respond to him the way it does to Dan. His touch warms me, but Dan sets me on fire.

"I think so."

“You can touch me, too.” Aidan uncurls my clenched hands, as if he knows what I’m thinking. “Or would you rather punch me?”

“Touch,” I whisper, raising my hands to his shoulders.

He is shorter than Dan, not as broad. His muscles bunch beneath my palms, smooth and hard and fitting with his lighter frame. He smells of body wash and cologne, fresh and clean. Such a contrast to a dirty girl like me.

His mouth travels along my jaw and down my neck. "So sexy," he whispers, "It was hard to keep my hands off you when we were waiting for Dan."

"My sexy." Dan kisses my nape. His hands settle on my hips and he pulls me against him. He is wearing only his boxers now, but there is no mistaking the steel of his shaft pressing into the cleft of my buttocks.

Aidan moves in closer, pushing his hips against me. His erection, hard beneath his jeans, presses into my belly and he smooths his hands up and down my arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake. "All warmed up now? Are you wet for us, Kylie? Should I check?"

My cheeks heat and Aidan laughs. "I love it when she blushes."

"You should have seen her when we were first married and I spanked her ass," Dan says. "My girl enjoyed being punished."

"I would have liked to see that."

"Undress our guest, sweetheart,” Dan says. “I'm guessing he's getting hot with you in his arms." His warmth disappears from my back and I hear the scrape of a chair. Blindly I reach for Aidan. His chest is smooth, and not furred like Dan's, cool to touch. I lean in and press my lips to his pec.

"Ah, sweetness." Aidan brushes his fingers through my hair, tugging my head back. "You have lovely soft lips. I need another taste." He thrusts his tongue into my mouth and my hands tighten on his shoulders as I try to keep my balance

"I’ve changed my mind about that,” Dan says from behind us. “Her mouth is mine."

Aidan’s tenses every so slightly and then he pulls away. "Of course."

“On your knees, sweetheart.” Dan’s voice is louder now, but I can’t tell if it’s because he’s closer or if he raised his voice. “Take off his clothes.”

I drop to my knees and tug on Aidan's belt, then push his clothes over his narrow hips and down his legs. He feels leaner than Dan, his legs more muscular and less hairy. I wrap my hand around his cock and slide up and down his hardened length. He is hot and heavy in my hand, his shaft thinner than Dan’s and yet no less substantial.

"Not yet." Aidan gently removes my hand, and then pulls me to my feet. "Otherwise this will be over before it begins."

Dan laughs. "That was me the first time I was with her. She was the sexiest woman I'd ever been with. Still is."

I like the way they talk about me, as if I'm here but not here, like I'm privy to their secrets.

“Your turn to undress her,” Dan says. “It’s not fair that she’s the only one wearing clothes.”

Whether it’s his tone, or the way Aidan’s muscles tighten, I sense something has changed, the dynamic of the room shifting. Where only half an hour ago, Aidan was clearly in control, Dan is now pushing back in a way that has clearly put Aidan on edge.

“Hold on to my hair, green eyes.” Aidan guides my hands to his head and I stroke my fingers through his thick, soft hair.

“Why?”

“Because this is the hard part.” He gently eases my yoga pants and panties over my hips and down my thighs. A tremor runs through my body as I imagine what he sees, what I never look at in the mirror, what I always try to hide. My fingers tighten in his hair, but if I am hurting him, he doesn’t let on. Instead, he guides my feet, helping me step out of my clothing until I am totally naked, more exposed than I’ve ever felt in my life.

And then Dan is back, his arms around me, his familiar body supporting mine.

"Suck her nipples," Dan says. "She's very sensitive. It makes her wet."

"Pleasure." Aidan's lips, warm and wet close around my nipple and a delicious shiver runs up my spine. So hot. So wet. He nips the aching peak and pain sizzles straight to my clit. I moan, the sound shocking me. I barely know this man.

"She would look lovely in clamps," Aidan murmurs, his lips vibrating on my breast.

"Yeah, she would. I still owe her a birthday present."

“I thought this was my birthday present.” I look up at Dan, but his gaze is focused on Adam who is swirling his tongue around my nipple. He licks and sucks until my nipples are aching peaks. Then he he slides his hand down my belly and cups my sex, his fingers gliding through my labia.

"She's soaked," Aidan says. "And so close. I could get her off with one stroke."

"Lay her down on the bed and spread her legs,” Dan says. “I want to see her pussy."

A thrill of excitement ripples through my body. Is this Dan? My Dan? Talking dirty the way he used to do? Need coils deep in side me, making my body heat and my sex throb.

Aidan eases me back and lays me down on the soft coverlet. My hands clench, bunching the cool silk as he pushes my legs apart.

"Open for us, green eyes,” he croons. “Show us that pretty pussy.”

“Dan.” My breath comes out in short pants as I try to rein in the growing tide of arousal.

"I’m here, sweetheart. I like seeing you like this, all spread out for our pleasure."

A chair creaks and I hear Dan's heavy footfalls on the carpet as Aidan’s hand slides down over my mound, slicking through my labia before pressing into my wetness.

“She likes her birthday present,” Aidan murmurs. He strokes through my folds and back up to circle my clit. Over and over, with the same slow pace, never touching where I need him to go.

Oh God. All my blood rushes downward and I rock my hips seeking just the smallest bit of friction to push me over the edge.

“Poor baby. You’re hurting aren’t you?” Aidan pushes two fingers inside me and I arch off the bed, a thin whine escaping my lips.

"You might want to hold her," he says, pulling out. "She's right on the edge, and I still haven’t had a taste."

The bed bows as Dan climbs on behind me. Then he pulls me back against him. His cock, hard and throbbing presses against my back.

"You doing okay?" His voice rumbles through me, warm and comforting.

"I need to come," I whisper.

"I know you do. But we want to take you just a bit higher. Now, open for him, sweetheart." Dan nudges my legs apart. "Show him how wet you are." His hand circles my neck loosely and he tips my head back, my cheek to his cheek, my every breath at his mercy.

My words catch in my throat and I strain against his firm grip. Although at the back of my mind I know I can end this with just one word, my vulnerability sparks a firestorm through my blood turning my insides into molten lava.

Dan hooks my legs over his, holding me open. "Tease her," he commands.

"My specialty."

Aidan works his thumb through my folds and nudges my clit. My hips shoot up and Dan presses his free hand against my chest, holding me down.

“Bring her close,” Dan says, as he toys with my nipple, his other hand still loose around my neck. “But don't let her go over." His voice is firm with authority and there is no longer any doubt in my mind who is now in charge.

The bed dips and Aidan’s shoulders press against my thighs. He blows softly on my mound, and then slides a finger over one side of my clit. I gasp and he slicks my moisture around the engorged nub, over and over again, never touching where I need him the most.

I wiggle and squirm on the bed, straining against Dan’s powerful grip. But Dan is strong, unyielding. And with each failed attempt to get free, I feel a thrill of excitement that only heightens my arousal. This is what we had before, what drew us together, what I have so desperately desired but could never put into words. What I have missed the most.

“Almost there,” Aidan whispers and then he licks right over my clit.

“Ahhh.” My head thumps against Dan’s chest and he grabs my hands and pins them to my stomach.

“Easy, sweetheart.”

But it’s not easy. Not when every touch of Aidan’s tongue makes my body tighten, my legs shake and my clit throb. “No more.”

Aidan pushes his finger into me and I wail, my pussy clenching around him. “More.”

“Thought so.” Aidan chuckles and then he sets his mouth on me again, licking and sucking as his fingers pulse in and out of my vagina, his five o’clock shadow scraping over the sensitive skin of my inner thigh. Dan rolls and pinches my nipples, murmuring soft words of encouragement that I would find sweet if my entire body wasn’t focused on the burning need for release.

Finally, Aidan draws my clit gently between his teeth and thrusts his fingers deep.

My climax comes hard and fast, crashing through me as I let out a long, wailing cry. Dan holds me and my world splinters as pleasure ripples out from my center to my fingers and toes.

"Beautiful," Aidan whispers as he removes his fingers. "So responsive."

"We'd better slow things down." Still cradling my body, Dan helps me to sit, then he pulls off the blindfold.

Aidan gives me a cheeky smile, his blue eyes warm as I blink, adjusting to the light. "Hello, green eyes."

“You’re even prettier in person,” I tease, no longer feeling shy or inhibited about my body or what we’re doing tonight.

“I’ll be you say that to all your ménage partners.” Kneeling between my legs, Aidan tears open a condom packet and sheaths himself. Dan goes rigid behind me and hisses out a breath.

“No sex.”

Aidan’s eyebrows lift and he glances down at me. “Kylie?”

Until now, I’ve just been going with the flow. I haven’t thought about the difference between touching and kissing, oral sex and penetrative sex, but clearly there is a big difference for Dan. Should there be a difference for me?

In just two days, my world has changed, and even more in the last few hours. We have emerged from the cocoon that we wrapped around ourselves when our children were born, afraid of going back to who we were in case we lost touch with who we thought we were supposed to be.

And yet we have stayed together because the core of who we are, what first bought us together, is still there. The fire. The excitement. The thrill of giving and taking control. We are walking the edge like we used to do. Together.

“No sex,” I say. “But I’m up for anything else.”

Dan’s arms tighten around me and in that moment we are no longer lost. We are found.

Seemingly unphazed by our limit, Aidan shrugs and glances up at Dan. “You want to do this the old fashioned way?”

“Turn over, sweetheart.” Dan releases me and helps me onto all fours. “Take him in your mouth.” He threads his fingers through my hair, tugging my head back as Aidan guides his cock toward my mouth.

Up close, Aidan’s cock seems impossibly large and I hesitate, just flicking my tongue over his crown, tasting latex and the heat of his desire.

“Open.” Dan slaps my ass so hard I lose my breath. Pain sheets across my skin then turns into a burn of pleasure that centers in my clit.

“I want to do that until your ass is red and swollen with my handprints,” Dan murmurs. “I want you to go to work and think of me every time you sit down. Now suck him, or I’ll do just that.”

Taking a deep breath, I wrap my lips around Aidan’s cock, drawing him into my mouth. His hand glides through my hair, his fingers tightening on my head.

“Very nice, green eyes. You can go harder. I won’t break.”

Balancing carefully with one hand, I wrap the other around his shaft and work it in counterpoint to my mouth. Aidan groans as I lick and suck, increasing my pace until he takes over, holding my head still as he pumps into my mouth.

Dan presses his chest against my back. His body is hot and heavy and his cock glides easily between my thighs. “You’re going to take us both at once, sweetheart,” he whispers in my ear. “We’ll all come together. Open for me.” He kicks my legs apart and his hand slides over my hip and down my stomach. His fingers circle my over sensitive clit, and I moan against Aidan’s cock, my muscles tightening as my arousal spirals out of control.

Sensation builds on sensation. Dan's light touches on my clit, his cock pressed against my swollen entrance, Aidan's shaft thrusting into my mouth, the slow tightening of his hand in my hair, the scents of sex and sweat the rasp of our heavy breathing, the sight of Aidan’s body moving back and forth as he pumps his cock into me.

"I can't." I pull away, gasp for breath.

"Trust me,” Dan says. “I've got you." His lips brush my cheek and then his voice drops. “Take him, sweetheart. And take me.”

Aidan grips my hair and pushes into my mouth as Dan pinches my clit and thrusts his thick cock inside me.

Too much. Too much sensation. Too much pleasure. I tip over the edge, screaming my release around Aidan’s shaft. My vision dims and I arch as my climax tears through me, ripping my body apart with shards of exquisite pleasure.

"Jesus. Fuck. She’s hot." Aidan thrusts so deep I choke. He lets out a ragged groan and I feel his climax, his cock pumping in my throat.

He pulls out just as I am on the verge of panic and I suck in a deep breath. Dan pulls out with a low groan, that tells me he hasn’t had his release.

“Dan?”

“Later, sweetheart.”

I collapse on the bed, roll to my back. Aidan and Dan settle down on either side of me. Dan is still erect, his shaft hard and hot to the touch.

"I was surprised when you called your limit, Dan." Aidan runs his hand idly over my body, tracing my curves, my breasts, the soft down of my needing-to-be waxed mound. "You're damn possessive. I didn't pick that up when we first met."

"I didn’t know I still felt that way,” Dan says. “After that first kiss, it took a lot of restraint not to pick you up and toss you through the window."

"Well, then I'll enjoy it while I can." Aidan leans over and brushes a kiss over my cheek.

They touch me while we chat about the town, the people we know, sports and vacations in which we share an interest. Hands on my breasts, fingers on my pussy, lips on my skin. The entire experience is almost surreal. Dan's shaft, hard and hot, presses into my side, and soon I am wet, throbbing, and needing to come all over again.

"Play time is over," Dan says abruptly.

Aidan gives me one last kiss on the cheek. "I didn't think you'd make it this long." He pulls on his clothes and gives me a wink. "Best I've had without doing the deed."

"Thank you for coming." I don't know what else to say. Miss Manners doesn't cover ménages in her books.

He looks over at Dan and nods. "Thanks for sharing her. Call me anytime."

After the door closes, Dan cups my jaw with his hand. "First and last time. I can't handle sharing you again."

He slides out from under me and sheaths himself with a condom from the dresser. Then he lunges over me, his forearms braced on either side of my head, his body strong and hard above me.

"You're mine, Kylie. Part of me got off watching you get off, but the other part wanted to tear him apart limb from limb. You belong to me. Your body, your soul, your pleasure. Mine.”

Exhilaration soars through me. He wants me, loves me. Just the way I am.

“And you’re mine,” I whisper, but he is caught up in the moment, soaring on his alpha high.

“You don’t kiss other men,” Dan lifts my chin and gives me a look that makes my stomach quiver. “You don’t want other men. You don’t fuck other men. Especially men like him." His mouth descends on mine, hard and rough. Claiming. Possessing. “I should spank your ass for the way you kissed him, but I want you too damn bad.” He tweaks my nipple, then gives it hard pinch. “I was going to be gentle, make love to you once we were alone, but I can’t. I need to know you’re mine, Kylie so I’m going to take you hard and I’m going to mark you so you never forget.”

His words, his tone, the raw need and desire in his voice, all make my insides melt and my folds swell and throb. “Yes.”

"Fuck." He lifts my leg up to his shoulder, spreading me wide, and then he thrusts into me so hard my back arches off the bed. "Look what you fucking do to me,” he growls. “You drive me out of my fucking mind." He buries his head in my neck, gently biting the sensitive skin, then he sucks it hard between his teeth. Pleasure mixes with pain and I gasp with his every groaning thrust. Heat spreads through me, beating back the last of the chill that settled in my heart over the last few years. My hands slip from his shoulders, unable to grip. My eyes close, unable to see. I am surrounded by him. Taken. Possessed. Loved.

"Let it go, sweetheart. Let it go for me."

He slides his hand between us to stroke my clit, his fingers rough on my sensitive tissue and the fierce coil inside me comes undone in a blinding surge of electric pleasure. My hips buck against his hand and he strokes me into another violent release that strips me of everything but the feel of his thick cock filling me, pounding against my womb.

“Kylie.” He gives a deep growl and stiffens, his fingers tight on my hips as he climaxes with short, hard jerks inside me.

For a long minute, he doesn’t move, then he covers me with his body, taking his weight on his forearms. “I gave you a damn good hickey,” he says. “You’re gonna have trouble hiding that from the state inspectors.”

“I’m more worried about hiding it from the boys.”

He gives a satisfied grunt, then rolls to his back, pulling me into his side. I rest my head on his broad chest, nuzzling his salt and pepper hair. Was it only two days ago that I lay far away on the other side of the bed, clothed and waiting for him to turn off the light?

“I’ll aim lower next time.” His fingers brush over the sore spot on my neck, already sensitive to touch. “I plan to keep you permanently marked.”

“How about something simpler?” I lean up to nuzzle his jaw, rough with a five o’clock shadow. “Like a pendant that says, ‘Keep off’ or ‘My woman.’”

“Maybe for your next birthday.” He caresses my breast, glides his hand over my curves, brushes his fingers over my mound. The way he touches me—soft, lingering, almost absent caresses—makes me feel beautiful. Desired. Loved.

“This one is going to be hard to beat,” I whisper.

“’cause you got a dentist?”

“No.” I lean up and kiss him, soft and sweet. “Because I got you.”

Thanks for reading Naughty Wishes. I hope you enjoyed it!

---

If you would like to check out an excerpt from Against the Ropes, the first book in my bestselling MMA fighter erotic romance series, please read on.