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 labelkinky. 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. Thatissick. 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 wastethison 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.
