“Shush,” she muttered, aware of the two plum-sized patches heating her cheeks. “It’s a secret. I don’t want everyone to know.”
Christina picked up her drink, golden bracelets jingling with musical grace. “Since when were you interested in spanking, Maggie?”
“Yeah,” Julia demanded. “How long has this been going on?”
Susan lifted her brows, her gaze darting from Christina to Julia and back to Maggie. “Does Greg spank you?”
“Um…” Oh, heck. She’d guessed they’d have questions. Greg was her boyfriend. Solid, dependable and boring. How was she going to tell him? True, she was a spanking novice, but Maggie refused to chicken out. Shewouldexplore spanking. It wouldn’t be like the fad diets she tried and failed.
Her spanking interest—or sickness, depending on how a girl looked at the subject—began with a book and some in-depth soul-searching along with a bottle of wine. She’d hauled her drunken self off to bed and, after reading more of the erotic romance, she’d had the best orgasm ever. Yeah, if she could scale those heights by herself, a real extravaganza lay ahead with a male lover. Right there, she decided to explore her wild side and the naughty spike of pleasure that jolted her right to the core every time she considered a swat on the ass. The fiery heat…
She could see the curiosity filling Susan’s blue eyes, the nosy interest mirrored in Christina and Julia’s faces. “You asked foronesecret. I’ve given you one and you have to promise not to tell anyone.” Maggie had no idea where she’d dredged up this new courage. It reminded her of her teenage years, and she liked its return. The inner Maggie cheered, enjoying the nonplussed expressions on her friends’ faces.
“What about Connor? We can tell him, right?” Julia toyed with her straw, cocking her head to the side as she studied Maggie. “He would’ve been here if his rugby coach hadn’t called an extra training session.”
“No!” More heat climbed into Maggie’s cheeks. “Not unless you tell him your secrets too.” A glower through narrowed eyes served as a warning, an attempt to enforce her will.
She cringed inside. Her recent behavior would appall her father and stepmother who still reeled over the scandal of Penisgate. More gossip about their daughter would send them over the edge. What had come over her lately? Maybe a vitamin deficiency or something. In addition to thinking about spanking and researching kink, her fantasies had sprung into full sexy Technicolor. They featured Connor, and it wasn’t his cooking skills that grabbed her attention.
It was wrong.
“You can’t tell Connor.” Her friends would kill her if they learned about her fascination with Connor, especially since they’d agreed over a year ago he was off limits. His friendship and insight into the male mind was more valuable than momentary pleasure. Not one of them had experienced male friendship on this level before. Besides, the inevitable breakup would tear the Tight Five apart. None of Connor’s relationships lasted long.
Her crush on him was wrong on so many levels because she was still involved with Greg. But a bad girl struggled beneath her skin, trying to kick her way out in a bid for freedom. Her pointy boots were like sharp weapons, pricking at Maggie’s conscience.
“You can’t spill a delicious secret like this and not give us details. Please,I’m begging you,” Christina said. “I’ll give you a free makeover in exchange for details.”
“And I’ll contribute to the cost of the makeover.” Julia lifted her glass and toasted Christina. “Your fledgling business can’t take the entire cost of a freebie.”
“I’ll add cash too. See? That’s how bad we need the juicy facts.” Susan lifted her glass, empty except for one ice cube. Frowning, she tipped the ice into her mouth and crunched it loudly. She swallowed without removing her attention from Maggie. “We need more drinks. Wait right there, Maggie, and don’t say another word until I get back.”
Susan grabbed a tray from under the table, stacked the empties on it and pushed through the throng of customers to get to the bar. Julia and Christina stared at Maggie in fascination. They gawked for so long she raised her hand to check for an extra nose.
“Stop staring at me. I feel like a specimen on a microscope slide.” Maggie shot to her feet. “I’ll go help Susan with the drinks. It’s my turn to buy, anyway.”
“You’re not going anywhere until you answer our questions.” Julia grabbed her arm, her brows scrunched together. “Where’s Greg tonight?”
“He’s at rugby training with Connor,” Maggie said, sitting back down. “They’re on the same team, remember?”
“Does he know about the spanking? Heck, I can’t imagine him with a flogger or a paddle—” Christina broke off, her eyes widening. “Does that mean you’re—” Part of a chortle escaped before she slapped a hand over her mouth to block the rest.
“You’re not spanking Greg, are you?” Julia asked, finishing her friend’s sentence.
“No one’s spanking anyone yet,” Maggie snapped, wriggling on her seat as arousal sped through her body. The merest thought of a perfectly placed thwack brought a rush of excitement. Not with Greg, though. Imagining Greg and spanking in the same sentence made her head ache. A big time problem, since he was her boyfriend. How did a girl broach the subject with her guy?Honey, I want you to spank me.Nope, it wasn’t something that came up in everyday conversation.
Susan arrived back with the tray of drinks in time to overhear Maggie’s reply. “Why not?” Her friend shunted a margarita across the pitted wooden tabletop and tossed two bags of peanuts and a bag of crisps at them. “Tell us why, Maggie, and don’t leave out a thing.”
Her friends’ expressions told Maggie she had no chance of escape until they received an explanation. She dragged in more air, which did nothing to still her skittish nerves. Best to spit it out so they could move on in conversation.
“When I flew to Wellington to visit my father and stepmother two weeks ago, I forgot to take my e-reader with me. I was running late and grabbed the first book I saw with an interesting cover.” She grinned, remembering the hunky guy on the book jacket. “I didn’t realize I’d purchased an erotic romance until I boarded the plane.”
“You read romances in a public place?” Julia demanded, shocked. “Why didn’t you read on your phone?”
Maggie shrugged. “The cover wasn’t graphic. Quite tasteful with a naked back and a sexy tattoo. Besides, I don’t care what anyone thinks about my reading material. I’m not apologizing for enjoying genre fiction.”
Not even to Greg, she finished silently. His snide remarks irked her. These days she kept her erotic books out of Greg’s sight. It was easier than listening to a lecture about literary fiction.
“Don’t forget we know you,” Christina said, wagging a bejeweled finger in Maggie’s direction. “You don’t like talking to strangers, and shoving your nose in a book is a way to ignore people.”
