“Don’t you think you were rough on Maggie?” Susan asked. “We’re friends. We should support each other.”
“But she’s seeing a married man,” Christina said. “People will get hurt, especially if he has children. Surely Maggie knows that?”
“Yeah, but are we sure Maggie and Connor aren’t together? They’ve both been disappearing a lot during the last month.”
“Greg told us to try Connor. Maybe we should ask Greg if he knows what’s going on.”
Susan shook her head. “I’m not asking Greg. I never liked the man when Maggie was going out with him. You ask him.”
Christina laughed and wrinkled her nose. “Ah-ah! Not me. We’re a pair of yellow-livered cowards.”
“Speak for yourself.” Susan tossed her head and sprang toward a vacant table, sliding into the seat seconds before two men.
“Coffee or tea or a cold drink?” Christina asked.
“I feel like a ginger beer.”
“Is there just the two of you?” the man asked. “Would you mind if we shared?” He was tall, dark and had a dimple when he smiled.
Never one to let a chance pass by, Susan returned his smile. “Sure. Grab a seat.”
His blond friend returned and grinned at Susan. “Thanks for sharing with us. It’s busy in here.” He slipped his arm around his friend’s waist as he spoke, and the dimpled cutie leaned into him. Gay.
Susan almost groaned aloud. It was true. All the good men were married or gay. Even if she made it through the initial rounds of the Farmer Seeks a Wife competition, there was no guarantee the men would meet her expectations. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” she asked the men.
“Sure.” The man with the dimple ripped open a pack of sugar and stirred it into his coffee, knocking the teaspoon against the edge of the thick white china cup before he put it aside.
“Where do I find a man?”
“You’re asking us?” Blondie’s blue eyes narrowed as if he thought Susan was playing a game at his expense.
Christina arrived in time to hear Susan’s question. “We’re asking everyone,” she said. “Good men are hard to find. You both look happy. Where did you meet?”
“We went to school together,” Blondie said.
“We’re doomed,” Christina said in a dramatic voice. “No hope for us at all.”
“That guy’s checking you out,” Dimples said.
Connor. Susan frowned, wondering if Maggie was right and they were overreacting.
“That’s our friend, Connor,” Christina said, waving. “We’re here to visit one of our other friends.”
Connor strode over to them, ignoring the women who stared after him. Dressed in jeans faded in interesting places and a tight shirt, with dark hair and dazzling blue eyes, the man was a major hottie. It hadn’t gone to his head. Susan had always liked that about Connor.
“Where’s Maggie?” he asked, glancing around the crowded canteen.
“She went home. Said she’d see us all at work tomorrow.”
“I thought she’d want a ride home,” Connor said, frowning. “Julia was upset, and the nurse gave her something to help her sleep. I might go home too.” He lifted a hand and turned for the door. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Connor,” Susan said.
“See you tomorrow,” Christina said.
“What’s wrong with him?” Dimples asked. “He looks straight.”
“He’s a friend. We have two other female friends and we all agreed not to hook up with Connor,” Christina answered.
“Not that Connor has ever shown interest in any of us. He goes for tall blondes.” Susan grinned. “Female tall blondes.”
“Why did you make an agreement like that?” Dimples asked.
Christina fiddled with her bracelets. “Because he offers a male opinion and is always truthful. We didn’t want to spoil that. Besides, we love Connor. The last thing we want is jealousy between us.”
Dimples and Blondie finished their drinks and left to visit Blondie’s brother before visiting hours finished.
“We might as well go home,” Susan said. “There’s no point visiting Julia again if she’s asleep.”
Susan fell into step beside Christina as they walked down the corridor to the elevators. “I keep thinking about what you said about jealousy and Connor. Were we acting like jealous bitches before with Maggie?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Secrecy and cloak and dagger stuff always irks me—an offshoot from Married Man. None of us are talking to each other anymore. It’s felt weird lately, like there are undercurrents.”
“I want to know one way or the other,” Susan said.
“And how are we going to do that if everyone keeps denying it?”
“I think we should follow either Maggie or Connor and see where they go, who they meet. That will tell us what we need to know.”
“And Julia and the baby?” Christina unlocked the car doors and climbed behind the wheel. “Don’t you think that would be underhanded?”
“Let’s eliminate one thing at a time and go from there.”
“Okay,” Christina said, merging with the traffic. “We might be making a big mistake, but at least we’ll learn why everyone is behaving so strangely.”
“Hey, babe. I missed you last night.” Maggie wiped the sleep from her eyes and smiled, his husky words coming from her phone working better magic than a morning cup of coffee.
“I missed you too.” It hadn’t taken long to become used to Connor sleeping with his arms wrapped around her. “It was cold last night.”
Connor laughed. “I didn’t wake up with cold feet on me. I’ll be busy today and won’t leave my office, but do you want to meet after work tonight? I have a project in mind. Can you meet me at Botany Town Center? I figure no one we know will see us there, and the pub does good meals.”
“It’s a date.” Maggie cringed the minute the words left her mouth. Friends with Benefits didn’t date. They had sex. “I’ll meet you at Whitcoulls,” she suggested, naming her favorite bookstore and stationer.
“Make it six to be on the safe side,” Connor said. “And make sure you take your cell so I can ring if I’m running late.”
“See you then,” Maggie said, hanging up with a smile. At least she had something to look forward to today.
The morning dragged at a pace slower than a snail’s. Things were uncomfortable in the lunch room with Christina and Susan, although, to their credit, they tried to act normal.
Susan pulled a magazine from her handbag, and Maggie glanced at it with disinterest until she noticed the cover—the issue with her mother and the rugby player.
“It isn’t fair. Look at Elle Walker. She clicks her fingers and men swarm around her,” Susan said, glaring at the cover.
Maggie winced, thankful her mother had reverted to her maiden name after the divorce.
“Who’s the rugby player?” Christina asked.
Susan flicked the pages of the magazine until she came to the story and color photos. They stared at them, Maggie unwillingly.
Christina glanced up at Maggie. “You know, you look like her.”
“Me?” Horror laced the word. “I’m nothing like her.”
Susan and Christina looked surprised at her vehemence.
“It’s your features. Your eyes are the same color, and you have similar shaped noses and faces.”
“I can’t see it,” Maggie said, desperate to change the subject and knowing her abruptness and harsh tone was attracting their interest rather than repelling it. She wished Connor and Julia were here. Without the buffer and with the unkind words between them, it was hard. Add a guilty conscience and the speculation about her blog and Maggie couldn’t wait for the work day to end.
“Do you know what time visiting hours are tonight at the hospital?” she asked.
“Seven to nine, I think. Are you going to visit Julia?”
“Yes. I have things to do first, but I should get there before nine.” Maggie stood and forced a smile. “I might see you there.”
Greg stopped her in the passage outside his office. “I want to talk to you.”
“Now? Can’t it wait?”
“No.” He grasped her arm and dragged her into his office, closing the door behind them.
She yanked away and glared at him. “Stop manhandling me.”
“What’s going on between you and Connor?”
“Nothing.” She saw by his face he didn’t believe her.
“I saw you the other night. Connor stayed the night.”
“You’re spying on me?”
“You admit it, then.”
Maggie backed away until a chair separated them. “My private life is none of your business.”
“None of my— It is. We’re on a break, that’s all. I thought you understood. I intend to marry you.”
Maggie wanted to scream. “Did you ever think of asking me?”
He broke into a broad grin. “Will you marry me?”
A snort escaped Maggie. “No, I don’t love you, and I know you don’t love me. I’m convenient, that’s all. Leave me alone or I’ll report you to management for sexual harassment.” Before he could reply, she stormed from his office and slammed the door after her.
In her office, she fell into her chair, anger pulsing through her and making her hand tremble noticeably when she picked up her pen. Jerk! What did she ever see in him?
The afternoon dragged too, and Maggie didn’t relax until she reached Botany Town Center.
“Hi, gorgeous.” The familiar husky voice stopped her by the mall center stage.
“Connor!” She flung herself at him, and he caught her, grinning and, seconds later, kissing her as if they hadn’t seen each other for weeks. Her hands crept around his neck and she held on, enjoying the strength of him, his taste and the feel of his lips beneath hers.
Gradually, he pulled back. “Wow, I like saying hello to you.”
Maggie slipped her hand in his and winked. “What sort of project brings you all the way out here? I’m curious.”
“You know curiosity killed the cat?”
Maggie wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a cat.”
“But it could earn you a spanking.” He tweaked her nose with the tip of his finger. “No threat.” He lowered his voice. “That’s a promise.”
A blush suffused her cheeks, if the heat in her face was any indication. She ducked her head before peeking up at him again. “A promise?”
“Yeah. You need to be on your best behavior, otherwise you’ll end up with a punishment.”
“So I can’t ask where we’re going?”
“Nope, it’s a surprise.” He grasped her hand and tugged her past three shops. He stopped in front of a lingerie shop. “In here.”
A surprised laugh erupted from her. “A lingerie shop? I don’t believe you. Most men run a mile when it comes to women’s undergarments.”
He dragged her inside. “I’m not most men.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “We will buy you some lacey bits of nothing. Special panties for spankings.”
Her heart stalled before kicking into a racy beat. “Spanking lingerie?”
“That’s right.” He stopped by a stand with boy-leg panties in a range of colors and fingered the navy blue cotton of the nearest pair. “So if I email or ring you and say wear the navy blue ones, it means you should wear a short skirt that I can flip up easily to spank your bottom.”
Maggie blinked, fire swarming through her body to settle low between her legs. “And if I wore a silky pair like this?”
“If you were wearing those ones, I’ll leave them on. They’re thin and you’ll feel every swat through the material.”
“And these ones?” She pointed to a pair of granny pants in a delicate pink.
“I think those would be perfect to wear under a school uniform.”
“Some role-playing?” she whispered, because an assistant was heading their way.
“Yeah, what do you think? We could spice things up a little. I enjoyed the story telling we did while we were on Waiheke.”
Her every fantasy coming true. That’s what she thought. “You’re the boss.”
“Does that worry you?” he asked, his blue eyes full of questions.
“I’m not doing anything against my will.”
The shop assistant strutted up to them. “Can I help you?” Her eyes scanned Maggie before zeroing in on Connor. “I’d love to show you our latest arrivals.”
“Thanks, but we’re good.” Connor waited until she walked away before turning his attention to Maggie. “Do you see anything you like?”
Maggie didn’t hesitate. “You choose for me and I’ll pick the sizes.”
“Done deal,” Connor said. “I’ve never been in a lingerie shop before. Do I get to watch you try them on? I’ve heard rumors about people doing it in the changing rooms.” He waggled his eyebrows, watching her closely.
Maggie giggled. “With eagle-eye shop assistant watching us? Listening? I don’t think so.”
“So you’ve never considered letting someone watch you?”
“Have you?” Maggie stroked the silk of an almost transparent pair of violet panties and glanced over her shoulder. “You’ve done it,” she said flatly, disappointment surging through her because she wanted to be the one who experienced firsts with him. Ridiculous, really, since she knew there were lots of women before her. Neither of them was inexperienced when it came to sex.
“I went to a party with some friends a few years ago. We drank a lot. The party lasted the entire weekend, and there was lots of sex.” He didn’t evade the silent questions in her eyes.
Her eyes teared up and, blinking, she turned away to concentrate on the matching violet bra. If she didn’t quit with her possessiveness, she’d lose him, the tenuous ties they had with their fuck buddy arrangement.
Connor grabbed several items and said to the shop assistant, “We’ll try on these.”
“Call me if you require any help,” the woman said.
With a curt nod, he grabbed Maggie by the hand and dragged her toward the changing rooms. A grandmother-type eyed them before shutting the door on her cubicle. Not private, but it would have to do. Connor opened the door of the end cubicle and pushed Maggie inside. He followed, closing the door on both of them and locking it.
Setting the lingerie aside, he dragged Maggie into his arms and held her quivering body. He ached to tell her how he felt, but he didn’t think she was ready for the truth yet, not with so many half-truths between them.
“I’m not seeing anyone apart from you, Maggie. I haven’t found anyone who matches up to you.” She was the only one for him. Not even her need for a little kink scared him off now.
“But I’m not blonde. I’m not even tall,” she mumbled.
“You’re intelligent and caring. And you have the sexiest curves this side of the Bombay Hills.”
“You have to say that. I’m your friend.”
“Friends don’t lie to each other. They’re the ones who can tell the truth.”
Her face closed up again, and he cursed. Damn. Wrong thing to say. When was he going to get this right? “We could tell the girls we’re seeing each other.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t think our arrangement is anyone’s business except ours.”
Connor nodded, not agreeing, but deciding not to push her right here. But it was obvious he needed to push up his romancing. The last thing he wanted was to lose her to another man.
“Try these on first,” he said, handing her the violet lingerie they’d studied earlier.
“I don’t know, Connor. I need hold and lift, otherwise I will sag in my old age.”
“Try it on anyway,” he said.
She glanced at the labels, her mouth dropping open for an instant. “How did you know what size I needed? I thought we agreed I’d choose sizes.”
“I did my research before I came.”
“How?”
His grin brought a flush to her face, and he wanted to follow the blush to see where it ended. “I have powerful skills of observation.”
Maggie moaned—an embarrassed groan that made him want to wrap his arms around her and comfort her.
She averted her gaze, then focused on him again, fierce and indignant. “Do not tell me you scoped out my lingerie drawer.”
“I scoped out your lingerie drawer.”
“I have granny pants in there.”
“Granny pants have their particular charms.”
“Not if they have a granny in them,” she muttered.
There was a startled silence before he snickered. “Thank God I haven’t thought of that before. Try these on,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
Grinning widely, Connor backed out of the changing room, shaking his head when he heard the bolt shoot home. He headed for the shop assistant who was standing behind the counter.
“I’d like a selection of panties in different colors and styles. Twelve pairs, please.”
“G-strings as well?”
“Please.” He shot a glance toward the changing rooms. “And two full pairs.” He should have felt out of his comfort zone in this women’s domain. He didn’t, and knew it was Maggie’s influence. He followed the sales assistant around, and she sought his approval of each style and color before she added it to a gift box she’d retrieved from beneath the counter.
“Perfect,” he said. “I’ll check on my girlfriend and we’ll probably add more sets before I pay.”
“Take your time,” the woman said.
Connor strode to into the changing room. “Maggie, open the door.” He’d suspected she’d refuse. She surprised him, opening it immediately.
“Wow, you look amazing.” The violet lingerie did things for her. Him too. He slipped into the changing room and let his gaze slide across her breasts and down across her belly. He caught the faint shadow of her sex. Lifting one hand, he stroked the tip of one breast. She gasped, and he watched with satisfaction when her nipple pulled to a tight point. “How does it feel?”
“Surprisingly comfortable.”
“Should we take them?”
“Yes. I was sure I wanted them, so I broke the rules and tried them on without my own panties underneath.”
“Okay.” He cupped her ass and kneaded it, loving her swift intake of breath. He liked keeping her off-balance, so she never knew when to expect a swift swat on the butt. He didn’t mind it when she did something outrageous as an excuse to earn a spanking, but today he had in mind something different. “I intend to spank you when we get back to your apartment.”
Her eyes rounded. “Why? I haven’t done anything.”
“Do I need a reason?”
“N-no.”
“Expect a spanking, then.”
Connor left the changing room with the set of violet lingerie and a grin on his face. For a man who’d hesitated about hitting a woman, he thought he was doing well. He never felt as if he was spanking her in a bad way. If he ever did it in anger, he’d cross a line. This way, the way that Maggie wanted, made for some hot loving. And afterward, when they cuddled or made love, he’d never felt so close to a woman. The crazy thing was, he could imagine a future with her.
He paid for the lingerie, and Maggie joined him.
“Ready for dinner?”
“I thought you’d changed your mind and we were going home.”
“Not yet. Anticipation is a good thing, babe. What you’re going to do is sit, eat your dinner and consider the coming night.” He stopped her outside the pub and placed his mouth on hers. A slow set of nibbles and licks that drew a groan. Maggie gripped his shoulders, and he took the kiss deeper until a childish giggle reminded him they were in a public place. Even so, he pulled away slowly. “Anticipate,” he reminded her as he opened the door and ushered her inside the English-style pub.
“Did you see that?” Christina asked with a trace of shock in her voice.
“Maggie and Connor… How could she? She denied everything. She stuck up for Julia…”
Together they watched the couple enter the pub, Connor’s hand dropping to rest on Maggie’s butt.
“They’ve been doing this for a while. Look how comfortable they are touching each other,” Christina said.
“She promised. She lied to us! Now I know why things have been weird between the five of us recently,” Susan snapped, taking three steps toward the pub.
Christina yanked her to a stop. “Not now, when we’re angry. Tomorrow.”