Touch of Love

Copyright © 2013 by Ellen Wolf

Cover and internal design © 2013
by Ellen Wolf

The characters and events described in this work are entirely fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

‘I was thinking we could have a threesome.
I was thinking about it for a while now…’

Elly
blinked, struggling to find a proper answer to the outrageous words. She wished she had it, preferably something really sarcastic. But her head was empty, and as she stared openmouthed at her fiancé, the silence between them stretched uncomfortably. It was seven in the morning on a late spring Sunday, and they had just finished making love. Apparently, while she was still floating on cloud nine, Brad had other, more important, things on his mind.

‘A threesome?’
Finally, she managed to drag out a sound, however croaky it was. ‘Are you insane, Brad? If you really imagine I’d just agree, you must be crazy.’

‘Why?’
He shrugged dismissively, then relaxed his broad, perfectly sculpted shoulders, which were tanned to a golden brown. ‘Doesn’t everyone want it? I mean, it’s not like I want to cheat on you, Elly. You’d be there, too, of course.’

‘Wow, how very generous of you
.’ She jumped out of bed, eager to put some distance between them. ‘I mean, that’s just fantastic. Did you have someone specific in mind, or is it an open audition?’

‘Jeez, don’t get all grumpy on me
.’ He sat up in bed, the white sheets slipping lower and offering her a glimpse of his six-pack. He was sculpted like a god; she had to leave him that. At any other time, she would have trouble looking away, but not then.

‘I had someone in mind,
yes.’ His golden eyebrows pulled together as if he were scolding a slow student who failed to catch on to one of his brilliant ideas. ‘I mean, what’s the point of thinking about it if I don’t have a plan, right?’

Of course, he had it all mapped out.
He didn’t receive awards for outstanding performance as a financial planner for nothing. She felt very tempted to sprint to the living room and grab one of those ugly, chunky trophies and smash it in front of his very eyes.
Planning and predicting is his life,
she thought bitterly as she looked for her robe.
Damn, I need something to cover up.

‘So who
’s the lucky lady?’ She found it, then made fast work of tying and double-knotting the sash around her slim waist.

‘Lucy.’

At her inelegant choking sound, he paused for a second, his handsome face a picture of innocence. ‘Come on, you said yourself that she had the hots for me, remember?’

‘I was teasing you!’
She felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She could imagine how she looked. She didn’t have his ability to remain gorgeous no matter what. Brad Jackson always looked good, period. While changing a tire, making love, or waking up in the morning, or even after hiking for three days, he just managed to pull it off. She had a nagging suspicion that it had something to do with his vast array of cosmetics and the hours he spent in the gym.

‘I was kidding, Brad.
She’s my friend, remember? She said you were hot, and I was stupid enough to tell you. Does it mean I want us to have sex with her? No.’ She felt like scratching his handsome face till he bled. His little arrogant smile that was just too self-confident to be truly handsome was driving her crazy.

‘Well, I just thought that if we were to look for someone to share this experience with, she
’s perfect.’ Brad wasn’t giving up, and his eyes remained stubborn.

As
Elly realized he was serious, the heat of her anger subsided and was replaced with numbing coldness. She could feel it in her palms and feet, seeping into her bones and slowly flooding her whole body. Her fiancé really wanted to have sex with her friend, and what was even worse, he expected her to give him permission.

‘She is pretty
and healthy, and we know what to expect.’

I
n disbelief, Elly felt as if her energy had been drained
. Maybe it’s just one of his stupid jokes?
He was talking about Lucy as if she were a new car he wanted to test-drive.

‘
She also has a boyfriend,’ she couldn’t help interjecting, but her argument sounded pathetic to her own ears.

‘I am sure we could persuade her to make an exception
.’ His lips stretched into a wry grin, making her even madder. He knew that he had a way with women. He was good-looking enough to turn plenty of heads when they went out. ‘Don’t you think that she might be tempted if I asked nicely, Elly?’

‘You
’re making me sick.’ She had to get out of there, and she needed to go quickly. She felt stubborn tears forcing their way into her eyes and threatening to spill over.
I’ll be damned if I let him see how miserable I am.
‘Think about what you just said, and once you’re ready to be normal again, let me know.’

She walked
into the bathroom, slamming the door.

She turned on the water and splashed her hot face. Her teeth chattered as she tried to get a grip on herself,
angry at herself for being so weak. Brad was being an idiot. Maybe he was suffering from the pre-wedding jitters? With only six weeks to go, maybe he was a little freaked out. But somehow, she knew deep down that there was more to it than just a case of cold feet. He truly wanted to do it and probably didn’t see anything wrong with sharing it with her.
Well, I’ll have to make him see he’s wrong.

She brushed her hair
, then left the bathroom, ready to confront him right away. To her surprise, Brad was dressed. The tan sweatshirt and hip-hugging jeans he’d chosen brought out his golden hair and blue eyes.

‘I’m not in the mood to put up with your
sulking.’ His nasty tone of voice annoyed her even more than his words did. ‘I’m going to grab some coffee.’ She must have looked a mess, because his eyes softened marginally, and he added, ‘I’ll bring you one, too, if you’re good.’

The door closed behind him with a soft clicking s
ound, leaving her flabbergasted. Never in the two years they had been together had he treated her so badly.
For God’s sake, I’m a total pushover.
He’d walked out on her, as if it were her fault that she was mad.
Did he really expect me to agree with his harebrained idea?
She regretted not telling him exactly what she thought and making a bigger scene than his dramatic exit had been. At least she would’ve had the satisfaction of letting him have it.
Then he’d have a good reason to run…

She refused to mope
around and wait for him to come back, probably bringing her a cup of coffee as his peace offering. She dressed quickly in a simple button-up blue dress. She had no plan where to go, really, but that didn’t stop her from slipping into a pair of low-heeled sandals and grabbing her handbag. His words kept replaying in her head, boiling her anger with renewed strength.
‘If you’re good.’ How dare he make it look as if I’m crazy to get mad.
She would show him exactly how good she was. She fumed as she walked down the stairs, the sound of her steps breaking the early Sunday silence.
He probably didn’t take the keys,
she thought smugly as she pushed open the entrance door and stepped into the sun-filled street. For one second, she felt guilty, hesitating before walking on toward the park. She was usually so well behaved. It wasn’t like her to leave him dangling. She was uneasy imagining him returning with two cups of coffee, only to find the door locked. He would be furious, for sure.
But he brought it on himself,
a tiny voice in her head reasoned, and her slowing steps picked up speed once again.

She cros
sed the street and entered the park. It wasn’t particularly big, but it had enough old trees and neatly trimmed hedges to offer privacy. Colorful flowerbeds bursting with tulips and daffodils and strategically placed benches gave it the illusion of being much more spacious than it really was. It was mostly empty that morning. Only a few lone runners sprinted ahead of her, then disappeared around the bend—which was for the best, because she was crying, even though she hadn’t planned on doing so.

‘What a jerk,’ she mumbled to herself, desperate to recapture
the anger that had kept her sane so far. Anger and resentment might not have been the most constructive emotions, but at least they made her stronger.
Which is much better than this weepy mood.

She wiped her face with the back of her palm, rubbing away the moisture. She
needed to pull herself together before she got to the little restaurant at the other end of the park. She was planning to be gone for at least an hour. He would get the chance to see how good she really was.

The bench, neatly tucked away in the shade of a big chestnut tree
, looked inviting enough to make her slow down. She figured she could use a few minutes to catch her breath and decide what to do with the rest of the day.

She leaned
back and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the early sunrays on her skin.
How long has it been since I’ve stopped to relax, anyway?
The last few weeks blurred into a marathon of busy days and even busier evenings as the preparations for the wedding gained momentum. But she worried she was making herself so busy to avoid thinking about those unpleasant little slips that had marred Brad’s almost-perfect record as a boyfriend. His confession about the threesome hadn’t been his very first faux pas. She felt her teeth chatter again, along with a sob rising in her throat and forcing its way out, regardless of her clenched jaws. She cried, scared of losing something that had seemed like a done deal for so long that she couldn’t even imagine living without it.

‘
Hey, I hate to ruin your moment here, but could I borrow your phone?’ A masculine voice cut into her miserable whimpering.

She looked up, too shocked and embarrassed to do anything but stare at the man in front of her
. His proximity to her sent frissons of fear down her spine. The park was empty, for the most part. If she screamed, nobody would notice. And he certainly didn’t look like someone she would like to meet in such a secluded spot, even at the best of times.

Standing six
-foot-four, at least, he towered over her, his unkempt black hair giving him an air of wildness more suited for a survival camp than a little park in downtown Chicago. His clothes looked all right, however. He was wearing an expensive shirt that would have looked twice as good if it weren’t so impossibly wrinkled and pants that must have cost an arm and a leg before being covered with leaves and grass clippings.

D
oes he sleep here in the park?

‘I don’t think so,’ she started cautiously,
questioning if she could sprint away without being caught. His muscular chest and arms, which were visible under the thin fabric of his shirt, told her he could stop her if he wanted to, offering little hope of escaping easily.

‘Look, I’m not some kind of a criminal attacking
women, if that’s what you think.’ His tanned face broke into a brilliant smile.

Is
it even possible to have teeth that white?

With his black eyes and equally dark five
-o’clock shadow, he looked like a pirate from one the movies her nieces forced her to watch. He was dangerous yet attractive—just the perfect lethal combination that probably made it easy for him to approach any woman.
Well, not me, and especially not today.

‘Why don’t you use your own phone?’ she asked aggressively, annoyed with the unexplained desire to have him smile again. ‘
Or did you lose it?’

‘I did
.’ He grinned, raking long fingers through his dark mane. ‘Along with my wallet.’ He stepped a bit closer, his tall figure blocking the sunshine. She needed to get up and run, before it was too late.

‘I am sure you can go to any of the shops and ask for a phone.’ She
rose from the bench in what she hoped looked like a confident motion. ‘People are quite nice around here.’

‘No kidding
.’ The light teasing tone of his voice made her pause, her body making the decision without consulting her brain.

‘I didn’t mean to scare you
. I’m sorry.’ He sighed, his dark eyes turning somber as he looked her over. No doubt her tense muscles gave away her anxiety. ‘Yes, you’re right. Just thought I’d rather not walk in looking like this and have someone call security.’ He looked down at his crumpled shirt, and as she followed his gaze, Elly noticed a few small bloodstains on his abdomen.

She felt positively nauseous.
What kind of guy is this?
You don’t really need to know,
she told herself instantly, eager to disappear and forget the whole surreal event.

‘Hey, don’t faint on me
.’ He was more perceptive than she’d expected. His dark eyes rested on her face. ‘I didn’t murder anyone if that’s what you suspect. I just got a tattoo, that’s all.’

To prove his point
, he reached down and pulled up his shirt, offering her a good look at his toned, golden abs and the fine dusting of dark hair following the line from his navel to the black hem of his underwear. He wasn’t lying. Reddish angry skin surrounded a few inked words.
Cogito ergo sum
. I think, therefore I am.