“That’s a try for the Hawks. Connor Grey is having a good game today,” the announcer said.
“Go, Connor,” Julia screamed.
Maggie jumped up and down, cheering with the others. Something was up between Greg and Connor though. She’d seen them exchange words.
“They might win a game for a change,” Susan said.
Christina rubbed her hands together and tugged her bright red and white hat lower over her ears. “How much longer to go? I don’t know about you girls, but I could do with a cup of hot chocolate.”
“The weather is always horrid when the Hawks play,” Maggie said. “The sun will peek out the instant the final whistle blows.”
“Why don’t you all come to my place for hot chocolate and we can start our Maggie makeover?” Christina suggested.
“Good idea,” Julia said.
“I’m there,” Susan said. “I can’t wait to get my hands on Maggie.”
“Should we book a room?” Maggie asked, her chest heaving with silent laughter.
Susan punched her on the arm. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. But seriously. You’re very sexy, and by the time we’re finished with you everyone else will know it.”
“So you’d turn gay for me?” Maggie smirked at the shocked silence. Teasing her friends was fun.
“Would that mean I’d need to spank you?” Susan asked.
Maggie pretended to frown. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but yes. Probably. Spanking is now part of my psyche and non-negotiable.”
“Oh, hark at her. Spanking is part of my psyche.” Christina mimicked her with perfect nuance.
The four women burst into laughter and discussed who they’d turn gay for.
“Not the Prime Minister of New Zealand,” Julia said. “Oops, we’ve missed another try. What is wrong with the Hawks today? They’re going to win a game.”
“Better not let Connor hear you say that,” Maggie said. “He’d spread rumors about blue pubic hair.”
Susan and Christina giggled along with Maggie, but Julia didn’t.
“Are you ever going to let me forget that? The color is growing out, okay?” The testy note in her voice stripped their laughter away.
“I’m sorry, hon,” Maggie said, giving Julia a swift hug. “I didn’t mean to ruffle your feelings.”
Julia sighed. “Put it down to the time of the month. I’m sorry I snapped.”
The final whistle blew and the spectators and teams dispersed.
“Are we going to tell Connor we’re leaving?” Maggie asked.
“I guess we’d better. I’m not in the mood for fending off flirting males in the clubrooms,” Susan said. “It would be nice to have a girls’ afternoon.”
“Maggie, you look sensational,” Susan said, her tone one of awe.
Maggie turned, trying to take in the transformation in the mirror. “So you would turn gay for me?”
“In a New York minute,” Julia said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. “Spanking and everything.”
Maggie turned her attention to the mirror again. She couldn’t believe the difference in her appearance. The girls had talked her into having her hair cut. The hairdresser had fit her in at late notice and had worked wonders with her straight hair, taking six inches off the end, giving it a better shape and lighter highlights that shimmered under the artificial light.
“Your highlights will look beautiful in the sunlight,” Susan said. “But wait until we finish. Make-up and clothes come next.”
“Maybe I should try one thing at a time. The hair is change enough for now.”
“Don’t be a coward.” Christina propelled her from the hairdresser salon with a firm hand in the small of her back.
“But I need to pay,” Maggie said, digging in her heels.
“I’ve got it,” Julia said in a decisive manner. “This is my treat.”
Maggie found herself hustled down the busy street, full of Saturday shoppers. Cars crammed the hectic intersection, fumes heavy in the air when they paused at the lights for the pedestrian signal to turn green.
Susan sneezed when a bus sped past. “Tell me why this is a good idea again.”
“That’s what I want to know,” Maggie inserted before the others could answer.
“Forget it,” Christina said. “I’ve wanted to get my hooks into you for a long time and you’re not wriggling out of this makeover.”
“Light’s green. Let’s go,” Julia said, linking her arm through Maggie’s. “I’ve got her. She won’t get away from me.”
“If I’m naughty, will you spank me?” Maggie said in a loud voice.
“Really,” an elderly lady said with a sniff. With a withering stare in their direction, she led her young grandchildren across the road.
“Oops,” Maggie said. “I didn’t mean to offend anyone.”
“Too late,” Julia said, tugging on her arm. “Let’s go before the wee man blinks red.”
They crossed the road and headed for Smith and Caughey, a well-known Newmarket institution. A wave of perfume greeted them when they entered the make-up department.
“Where to?” Maggie asked, accepting that her friends wouldn’t let her change her mind. She hoped Connor liked the result. Connor. Holy Hannah. What was she thinking? It didn’t matter if he liked the result or not. They were friends and casual lovers. That was all. She was taking part in the makeover because she wanted it. She wasn’t going through this for a man.
“Over here,” Christina said. “I have a deal I’ve worked out with this company. I enjoy their products and they do both skincare and cosmetics. They don’t do animal testing on their products either. What?” she said. “I care for animals and the environment and want to do my bit.”
“Of course you do,” Susan said.
“We’re impressed you’re incorporating that sort of thing into your new business,” Julia added. “Some businesses go for the easiest and quickest way to make money.”
“Not me,” Christina said. “I made a list before I started. I’ve always used natural cosmetics and I wanted to continue. It was important.”
“You’ve never mentioned it before,” Maggie said.
“You said nothing about spanking before,” Christina countered.
Julia licked a finger and pretended to mark an invisible scoreboard. “Touché. We all have our secrets and hot buttons we don’t discuss in case people laugh or tease us.”
Christina stopped in front of a make-up counter and pushed Maggie onto a high stool. “We have to pick up this conversation again. Next time we have drinks at the pub. I don’t care if it’s a Friday night or not.”
Julia chuckled, but Maggie thought her response held uneasiness. It made her wonder what was going on in Julia’s life. She thought about Friday night drinks and shuddered. She knew there was one secret she’d never spill, no matter how many margaritas she drank.
An assistant arrived, a bright smile on her face. Christina explained what she wanted, and Maggie found herself under the spotlight again.
An hour later, she stared in the mirror in shock. Although she wore make-up, she had done little with it or purchased new products in ages. “I didn’t realize it would make such a big difference.”
“You look gorgeous,” Julia said. “And I know just the outfit to top off your new look. Susan and I have scouted clothing for you.”
A whirlwind shopping trip later, they went back to Maggie’s apartment and collapsed with a bottle of wine and Thai takeout.
Julia waved her glass of wine in the air. “Maggie, I didn’t know you were so curvy. You’ve got a great figure.”
“No wonder Greg doesn’t want to let go,” Susan said.
“I guess I fell into bad habits,” Maggie said. “Thanks so much to all of you. I wouldn’t have done this without your prompting. I’d like to propose a toast. To Christina for making the initial suggestion, and to friends for helping me to carry it through.”
“You don’t need to toast me,” Christina protested. “You’ll be my walking advertisement.” She raised her glass, making her golden bracelets jingle. “To friends.”
“To friends!” they chorused. Their wine glasses tinkled as they clicked together.
The ring of a cell phone broke in on their chatter and laughter. Susan, Christina and Julia dived for their handbags and Maggie chuckled. She knew it wasn’t her phone because it sat on the kitchen countertop and wasn’t making a sound.
“It’s mine,” Julia said. “Hi, I’m not in at the moment. Leave a message after the—” She broke off and listened, her smile reaching her eyes. She looked beautiful in that moment. Happy. Maggie realized Julia had smiled little lately. Standing abruptly, she walked from the kitchen, leaving them staring after her.
“What was that?” Susan whispered.
“Shush, I can’t hear,” Christina muttered.
“You can’t eavesdrop on a private conversation,” Maggie said. “It’s not nice. How would you feel if it were you? Let Julia have her privacy.”
Christina frowned. “But I want to know what’s going on. She isn’t secretive like this.”
A loud sigh sounded from Susan. “Maggie is right. Julia will tell us when she’s ready.”
“I tell you, we need a margarita session soon. All this suspense is killing me. How is your spanking blog going, Maggie?”
Maggie laughed. “Oh, no. You can’t turn this on me. Besides, you read my blog and don’t deny it. You know I’m heavy into research, and that’s as close as I’m getting to my spanking.”
Julia returned to the lounge, her eyes bright and cheeks glowing. “I have to go.”
“Where?” Susan asked.
“I’m meeting up with a…a friend,” Julia said. “I’ll see you at work on Monday.” Quickly, she gathered her handbag and gave a wave. The rapid tap of her high heel sandals signaled her retreat.
No one spoke until the click of the door closing told them she’d gone.
“What was that about?” Susan demanded.
“No idea,” Maggie said. “No doubt we’ll find out eventually.”
“She looked so different,” Christina said. “It’s made me realize how quiet she’s been lately. Do you think it’s a man?”
“Yes,” Susan said. “Do you think Connor will know anything?”
“If he does, the man won’t tell,” Maggie said. “He’s as tight as a clam with secrets.”
“I’ve noticed a real swagger in his step recently,” Susan said. “They’re close. You don’t think…”
“Julia and Connor?” Christina laughed and then looked thoughtful. “I don’t think so. Surely we’d pick up on it if there were something romantic between them.”
Guilt roared through Maggie, and she bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from saying something. Anything. Good grief, if the girls found out about her and Connor…
“Besides,” Christina added. “We made a pact about Connor. I like having a male friend. I don’t want that to change because stupid feelings or hurt creates a roadblock.”
“None of us do,” Susan said. “I like the way he’s honest when we ask him tricky questions.”
And he was that way with her, Maggie thought, guilt almost overwhelming her. He was honest and truthful, yet she couldn’t offer the same frankness when it came to her needs. Everything she read said candid communication was the most important thing between partners. She would have said the same even if spanking wasn’t in the equation. The couples who stayed together were the ones with excellent communication.
“I don’t think Julia and Connor are together,” Maggie said, knowing she was floundering in dangerous territory. “I think it’s someone else.”
“Do you know something?” Susan asked.
Maggie sucked in a breath and let it ease out. It did nothing to slow the rapid beat of her heart. When she glanced down, she noticed the tremor of her hand and placed her glass on the coffee table. “No. All I know is that Julia looked happy. I’m pleased for her and I hope whoever was on the other end of that cell phone realizes how great she is.” A quick glance at her friends told her they’d bought her comment and suspected nothing about her and Connor.
Her cell phone rang and she rose, retrieving it from the kitchen. A swift glance at the screen told her it was Connor. She stabbed the answer button, trepidation causing butterflies to stomp around the pit of her stomach.
“Hello.”
“What are you wearing, babe?”
She closed her eyes on hearing his husky voice, thankful that she had her back to Christina and Susan. Searing heat emblazoned her cheeks, signaling her culpability to a sharp-eyed scrutineer.
“No, Greg,” she muttered. “I can’t go out with you. I have friends with me.”
“Who?” Connor asked, his voice sharp and miles away from the lover of seconds before.
“Susan and Christina.”
“I’m at home and would love to see you. Come over when they leave.”
“I don’t know.” Clear doubt shaded her words, propelled by a heavy dose of remorse.
“Please. I want to see you.” He hung up without another word.
Maggie walked back to the lounge to join Susan and Christina, praying they didn’t ask too many questions because she loathed lying. In that moment she hated Connor and the position he’d put her in with his friends with benefits deal.
“Is Greg still bothering you?” Susan asked.
“Yes,” Maggie said, answering with relief. Greg couldn’t accept her rejection. Anxiety replaced her momentary relief when Connor drifted into her mind again.
Susan flicked her long hair over her shoulder and scowled. “Maybe you should complain at work. Place a formal charge.”
Maggie picked up her glass. Her hand quivered but she hoped they put it down to the phone call. “A complaint for what?”
“Sexual harassment,” Christina said. “He’s bothering you at work and during your personal time. He shouldn’t get away with it.”
Maggie stared at her friends, her hand gripping her glass so tight it was a wonder the stem didn’t snap. “But that would ruin his career. He’d have to leave and find another position.”
“But he’s using the job to get to you,” Susan said. “He’s not going to stop until you make him. Christina is right. You need to file a grievance.”
Maggie didn’t think she could do that. She’d talk to him first. Hopefully their last chat had put an end to his hopes for a future with her. “I’ll think about it.”
“You should.” Christina put down her glass and yawned. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m exhausted. I have a client to take care of tomorrow and need my beauty sleep. I think I’ll head home.”
“I might go too,” Susan said. “Will you be okay if we leave you alone?”
A whoosh of relief almost floored Maggie. She’d wondered how she’d get rid of her friends, even though shame filled her with every thought. Her need for Connor, for his touch and companionship, raged hotter than her self-reproach.
“Maggie? Will you be okay?”
With a start she returned to the conversation, castigating herself yet again for letting Connor sidetrack her thoughts. “Why shouldn’t I?”
“Wasn’t Greg coming over?”
“I told him you were here and were spending the night. I don’t think he’ll turn up because I was sharp with him.” Lies. All lies. Could she dig herself a deeper trench?
Susan cocked her head. “Are you sure?”
She reminded Maggie of an inquisitive bird. “I’m sure. Besides, I want to handle Greg. I don’t want group participation.”
Christina pushed her glasses up her nose and grinned. “But group participation is so much fun.”
Maggie’s brows rose in surprise. She hadn’t misinterpreted Christina’s comment, had she? A faint tinge of color appeared on her friend’s cheeks. No, she hadn’t. Interesting. It seemed she wasn’t the only one harboring secrets.
Susan snorted. “You’d run a mile if a man suggested he bring along another party—either male or female—for a sexual fling.”
The color in Christina’s cheeks deepened, and Maggie thought she looked pissed now rather than amused.
“Not everyone follows a traditional path,” Christina snapped. “We all want different things, like Maggie with her spanking. It doesn’t make us weird, and don’t get me started on kinky. I hate the label kinky. Wanting personal fulfillment, no matter what form it takes, makes us human. And before you say it, I don’t mean non-consensual sex in any shape or form. That is sick. I’m talking about relationships in the normal sense. Dreams, hopes, aspirations—a person shouldn’t push them away, and that includes sexual things.” Her chest rose and fell with each rapid breath, her gaze sharp like a sergeant-major conducting drills and looking for mistakes.
The three women were silent for a long moment. Maggie wasn’t sure where to look until sympathy filled her in a crashing wave. If Christina wanted to move into untraditional sexual practices, that was fine with her. It wasn’t as if she was thinking along conventional lines. The Tight Five had supported her when she said she was into spanking. The least she could do was support Christina in turn.
“Good for you, Christina,” Maggie said, breaking the yawning silence. “Do you want to talk about it? Are we allowed to ask questions?”
Christina gave an uneasy laugh, picked up her glass and realized it was empty. Maggie noticed her unsteadiness when she replaced the stemware on the coffee table. “I think I’ve had too much wine. It’s loosened my tongue.”
“You can’t leave us hanging like this,” Susan protested, her features glittering with curiosity.
“Yes,” Maggie said before Christina answered. “She can. Christina knows we’re here if she wants to talk.”
“Thanks.” Christina stood and hugged Maggie, the pressure of her hands on Maggie’s shoulders telling of her gratitude. “I must head home.” She glanced at Susan. “Do you want to share a cab?”
“I need to do laundry and sort out a few things before I visit my parents tomorrow.” A grimace slid across her face. “I promised I’d make a bacon and egg pie to take for lunch.” She wrapped Maggie in a hug. “It was fun watching your makeover. You look stunning. Our Christina does an excellent job.”
“She does,” Maggie agreed, infusing her voice with warmth. “I feel like a new woman. I keep seeing a stranger in the mirror.”
Maggie walked her friends out and, with final hugs and kisses, they departed. After closing the door, she glanced at her watch. Just before nine. Connor had said to come over no matter how late her visitors left. A sliver of guilt slipped into her mind again, but she quashed it. Christina was right. She wanted to spend time with Connor. She wanted to explore spanking. Tonight, she’d tell him what she craved from their relationship. The worst thing that could happen was he’d say no.
Connor answered the door with a smile on his face. Maggie. He yanked open the door and gaped.
“Maggie?”
She smiled, a wide, bright grin that did nothing to hide her apprehension. “Who else were you expecting?”
“I don’t know—the Easter bunny?” Holy hell, what had she done to herself? She looked incredible. Amazing. Not that she hadn’t looked great before.
“Wrong time of year. Try again.”
“You look beautiful.” An understatement.
“Thanks. Christina and the others did a makeover today. My bank account is looking sick, but other than that, I enjoyed myself.” She sashayed into his apartment, balancing on heels that put a dent in their seven-inch height difference. His gaze dropped to the gentle rock of her hips, the faint bounce of her ass, and lust roared through him. Was she wearing a new outfit? He couldn’t wait to see what she looked like under the coat.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked, not wanting to be rude and jump her straight away. His mother had brought him up right.
“No thanks. I’ve had enough wine tonight. If I have any more I’ll fall asleep.” She loosened the belt on her black and red coat until it dropped free and unfastened the buttons. “I wouldn’t want to waste this on sleep.”
Connor froze. His mouth dried of every trace of spit.
“Do you like?” she asked in a saucy tone, cocking one hip with sexy attitude.
“Hell, yeah,” he croaked, staring at the wee bit of nothing she wore “I think red is my new favorite color.” He prowled the distance separating them and pushed the black-and-red coat off her shoulders. It slipped down her arms and dropped to the floor with a whisper of crisp fabric.
She might as well have been naked because the lacey bra and panties she wore covered little. They were enticement rather than functionality. He tucked a lock of her dark hair behind one ear, still trying to take in the transformation from Maggie to siren. He ran his hand over her collarbone and across her shoulder, his attention on her beautiful breasts. The red lace was translucent and a real turn-on. As he touched and skimmed his hands across silky skin, her nipples hardened, pulling to tight crests that begged him to kiss.
“Come to bed,” he said, his voice husky and full of desire.
She smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He grabbed her hand, wanting to go slow despite the urgency thrumming through his veins. Even so, he couldn’t prevent a surge of impatience when he grabbed her, swinging her into his arms and striding for his bedroom. He tossed her on his bed, part of his mind thinking how right she looked there.
His.
He couldn’t muck this up between them. Not when it felt so damned right.
Connor followed her down to the bed and plundered her mouth, nipping. Tasting. Seducing.
“I want you so bad,” he muttered.
“So, what’s stopping you? Take me. I’m all yours.”
If only she meant that.
He licked the sweetness of her mouth, pushed his tongue in at the corner of her lips until a choked, breathless sound escaped her. His hands mapped her body, committing her to memory while he continued to make love to her mouth.
When he lifted his head, they were both breathing hard.
“This lingerie is more thought than covering,” he said, tugging on one of the shoulder straps.
“Yeah, great, isn’t it? It makes me feel sexy and feminine.”
“Newsflash, you are sexy and feminine, babe.”
“Prove it.”
A lazy invitation and it lit a match under his libido. Urgency took over and he removed the bra in seconds flat, latching onto a nipple and sucking hard. His cock throbbed and he ground his erection against her leg, groaning around her nipple at the resulting surge of pleasure. So damned good.
Maggie whimpered, and he would’ve stopped, but she grasped his head in her hands and arched into him. With his control at breaking point, he tried to go slow, but her silent encouragement urged him onward.
He dragged down her panties, the sound of ripping of lace making him freeze. “Hell! I’m sorry. I’ll buy you new ones.”
Maggie groaned. “I don’t care. I want you inside me. Now.” She struggled to kick the torn panties off her legs and puffed out an exasperated breath when she failed.
“Let me.” Connor grasped the flimsy material and ripped them right off. Maggie parted her legs and he moved over her, surging inside her with one quick thrust of his hips. Her snug walls gripped him.
Hot. Tight. So perfect.
Fire exploded in his groin, forcing him to move. Clenching his butt muscles, he plunged into her, sheer need driving him. He surged, retreated, stoking the pleasure firing his body, his famous control history.
Maggie bucked and moaned beneath him, arching and taking every one of his hard thrusts. The slap of flesh against flesh filled the air along with the tart, spicy aroma of arousal.
Primitive hunger gripped him, and he couldn’t stop the plunge into pleasure. His balls lifted and his climax burst through him. He thrust hard then stilled, his heart hammering against hers as he gave into the firestorm.
Connor came back to himself and realized he’d placed all his weight on Maggie. Cursing under his breath, he lifted onto his elbows. Then he realized two other things. One, he’d taken her like a Neanderthal without care for her pleasure and two, they hadn’t used a condom.