"Cassie even said it's… freeing." He smirks, like he's just won at marriage. "You'd be amazed at how easy it is once you stop pretending that monogamy is the be-all, end-all."
He turns, rinses, and shuts off the water. On his way to the stall, he dries off and wraps the towel around his waist in one smooth motion..
I follow quickly, now more interested than ever. I'm convinced that if Cassie's on board, Melly will be too.
As Rod dresses, he's still talking, something about boundaries and respect. Whatever. I've stopped hearing most of it. I'm thinking about the blonde again, the way her hair curled and bounced as she cheered us on, the fullness of her mouth when she smiled at me. I can almost smell her perfume, sweet and sexy.
Rod slaps my shoulder. "You listening, man?"
"Yeah." The lie slips easily from me, even as my pulse jumps at the memory of her laugh. "Boundaries… respect." I parrot the words back without thinking, my mind still on her.
"What are you so preoccupied with?" Rod stares at me with the shadow of a smirk.
I bark out a startled laugh. "I have to admit, I'm… intrigued. That blonde." The words slip out before I can take them back.
A look of shock crosses Rod's face. "Yeah?" He sounds incredulous. "But Melly comes to all your games."
"She didn't come to this one," I raise my brows, letting my words hang.
"Are you insinuating that you'd like to meet Mandy?"
"Mandy?"
"The blonde."
I rub the back of my neck, as a jolt of desire runs through me. A heat spreads low in my body. "Yeah… Mandy. I could do that." I wipe sweat from my hands on the towel covering my thighs, my muscles stiffening. I don't even try to hide it now, I'm practically drooling.
Rod chuckles, shaking his head. "Man, you're ready to get in on the action, aren't you?"
"She's got my attention," I say simply.
"I… " He looks around almost guiltily. "I guess I could introduce you two tonight. But you really need to talk to Melly before you start anything. She has to be on board if you really want to stay together."
"Yeah!" I wave my hand at him. "Details."
I just want a little extra attention. Melly is still my wife and always will be, no matter what. She's solid, reliable, and we can handle it. Like Rod said, everyone does stuff like this. It's meaningless. And Mandy? She's a knockout. Not the same as Melly's classy beauty, but wow, a real temptress. A little fun never hurt anyone. I work hard, and play hard too. I've earned it. Melly will get it.
[End of Flashback]
A cold sweat breaks out as I bend over and vomit hard onto the concrete floor of the tunnel. That was the first night I had sex with someone besides Melly. I thought I was the king of the world, but now it tastes bitter in my mouth. Remorse and regret thrum through my body, jagged and painful.
I stagger as Rod grabs my arm to steady me. A few of the weaker-stomached guys gag as everyone steps back in disgust.
“Did you really think I'd spend Christmas away from Cassie if we were in a good place?”
No, this can't be real.
I wipe my mouth. “I can't lose her.”
“Pull yourself together, Kingston.”
I jerk my arm free, grip Rod by the collar, and shove him against the wall. “What's your motive, Rod?” I yell as our fellow hockey players jump in to pull me away.
“What are you talking about?” he shouts.
“This… this was all your idea, to open my marriage,” I seethe, spitting.
“I didn't force you to jump in headfirst like a clueless moron.” He shoves me back into the guys holding me. “Your ego's so big, you saw what I was doing and couldn't wait to get a taste. The hordes of puck bunnies had you salivating.”
