“Yes, it did,” Pete said, grabbing a drink off the tray. It looked like a Jack and Coke. “But it all turned out perfect in the end.” He raised his glass. “I propose a toast to our gathering tonight. To new friends and new experiences.”
* * *
Jace held his glass aloft and clinked it against everyone’s, saving his wife’s for last. He knew she was still jittery, but she was acting like a champ. Once he tapped her glass, she gave him a small nod.
So far, so good.
He wasn’t sure where they would be doing everything later, but they definitely needed this time to relax and get used to the idea.
Like she’d read his mind, Emma went to the fridge and brought out a plate of food and announced, “Let’s go sit in the den.”
They followed her down to the couch. Pete dimmed the lights as he followed. Jace sat on one end of the sofa and patted the seat next to him for his wife. Caroline didn’t hesitate to sit, and as she did, he laid his arm across her back and tried to relax himself. He’d been so busy making sure she was okay, he hadn’t thought of how he’d feel once he was here.
He was more nervous than he thought.
It was kind of surreal to think they were going to be filming these people having sex in an hour or two. He was both excited and worried. If it didn’t go well, they’d have to find a way to make a quick exit.
The deal he’d made with the Slaters was no phones, computer uploads, or new technology. He had no problem agreeing to those terms—it would be disastrous to have their recording somehow accidentally shared. So he’d gone out and purchased a camcorder that ran on a small disc that fit into a DVD player or could be hooked directly to a TV.
The other agreement was no duplicates, and the Slaters could ask for the disc back at any time.
Pete had told him they’d done the video-recording thing a few times before. He’d also hinted that if they did it first, maybe Jace and Caroline would be up for it next. Jace had been noncommittal and hadn’t told Caroline that part. That would’ve sent her packing, and they wouldn’t be here right now. He’d see how this went and then figure out the next step.
Emma was discussing her job at the dance studio. Jace nodded along as he studied the room. They had a lot of family pictures and personal mementos on the walls. That made the Slaters more relatable in his eyes. Caroline shifted positions and scooted to the edge of the sofa, leaning over to grab an appetizer. They were little cups filled with something that Emma had set on the table in front of them.
“These are delicious,” Caroline said. “What are they?”
“Oh, they’re just a crab and mushroom concoction I came up with. The mix is easy to fit into the cups, and they look pretty,” Emma answered, smiling.
“They’re wonderful,” Caroline said, taking another one and settling back on the couch. “I wish I could cook more adventurous things. I mostly stick to the basics for ease.”
“Once I started keeping ingredients on hand, I was much more comfortable reading a recipe. It gets easier the more you do it.” She laughed. “Just like everything else, I guess. I haven’t always been into cooking. It’s taken a little perseverance on my part. Can I offer you another drink?”
Caroline glanced down at her glass, and Jace saw that she was shocked she’d finished it already. He rested his hand on her back again and stroked, letting her know it was okay, whatever she wanted to do. She glanced at him with one eyebrow raised before she turned back and answered, “Sure, I’ll take another one. Why not?”
Before Emma could get it herself, Pete stood. “I’ll get it. Gin and tonic, right? Anyone else?”
Jace swirled his glass. He was almost done. What the hell? “I’ll take another one as long as you’re up.”
Pete chuckled over his shoulder. “I think the drinks will be flowing freely tonight. I might just bring the bottles over here so we can reach them easily.”
“But we’re agreed not to overdo it,” Emma called. “I don’t think any of us want to be drunk for this.”
“No,” Caroline said quickly. “I imbibed a little too much at the restaurant, and I apologize for that. I definitely don’t want to do a repeat.”
Pete brought over new drinks, but left the bottles at the bar.
He leaned over the couch and handed them to Jace and Caroline. “Here you go.” As he came around to the front and settled in by his wife, he said, “Speaking of dinner, I hope you guys enjoyed your after-dinner dessert at Bella.” He winked. “We certainly did.”
“We did, too.” Jace nodded as his wife politely coughed and took another sip of her drink.
“We’re so glad,” Emma said. “We were worried when you left so quickly, and when we didn’t hear from you for a few weeks, we thought maybe we blew it. It was great to get your call. You never know when you meet a new couple for the first time. We thought maybe we scared you away by being too bold.”
“Nope.” Jace shifted, tugging Caroline a little closer. He knew talking about sex like this wasn’t her favorite thing, but it was inevitable. “We enjoyed the show immensely, but we had to leave in a hurry because we were…more than ready to go, if you catch my drift.”
“I bet that made for an interesting ride home.” Pete grinned, taking a sip of his drink as he sat back.
“Well, we didn’t exactly make it home, so yes, you could say it got very interesting.” Jace smiled at the couple as Caroline fidgeted. “We’ll just leave it at that.”
“Well, cheers to coming in the car.” Pete held his glass in the air before he took a drink. “I love it when a car ride takes a turn for the better.” He leaned over and kissed his wife’s cheek, who playfully shooed him away with her hand.
“You’re so naughty.” Emma laughed. “But we’ve definitely learned to get the most out of a car ride. Um”—she cleared her throat—“maybe you guys can tell us a little bit more about how you ended things?” Jace felt Caroline blanch next to him. Emma immediately noticed it and waved her arm. “But no pressure! I was just thinking it might help get us all in the mood. I love sexy banter. But if you don’t want to, it’s no big deal. Really. We can take our time as well.”
Jace couldn’t see Caroline’s full expression, because she had leaned up to grab another bite of food, but he assumed she was blushing.
Emma’s request had been innocent enough. After all, they were going to see them at their most intimate very shortly. He turned to his wife, who had just sat back on the couch, taking a gulp of her drink, finishing it in one draw.
In that split second, Jace decided to comply with Emma’s request to share. A little dirty talk would set the mood, and it would also serve as a litmus test for Caroline. If she couldn’t take the banter, she wasn’t going to be cut out for the rest of it, and they could make their excuses and leave.
Jace inclined his head toward the Slaters. “I don’t mind giving you a rundown. It was a great evening. Caroline started by touching herself before we left the parking lot and ended by climbing onto my cock in the driver’s seat. She came at least five times, but had the biggest orgasm while she was riding my dick. It was one of the best sexual moments I’ve ever had, thanks in part to you two. I’ve never seen her so primed and ready to go. I get rock hard every time I drive by the spot where we did it, so it’s an experience that keeps on giving.”
Caroline turned to him, her mouth gaping. She coughed into her fist and whispered, “That’s too private to share.”
“I’m setting the mood.” He rubbed her back as he nodded to their hosts. “We’re about to watch Emma and Pete have sex. It doesn’t get much more private than that.” He kept rubbing her back as he directed the next comment right to her. “You were so fucking wet, I almost came the moment you slid onto my cock.”
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