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  She loved Cole more than ever, more than the heady, exciting days when they’d been dating, more than the weeks leading up to (and the months beyond) their wedding and more and more every day that they spent together.

  Part of that love was having the freedom to be honest, about her own feelings and about her own desires. To accept that the pursuit of her own pleasure was congruent with their shared love.

  Part of what excited her about Anna and Tom, was that she saw that same love between them. They respected one another, there was no cruelty in their language, no worn down sense of duty. No Yes dear attitude. They still wanted each other, and yet like so many other married couples, they hadn’t buried their biological impulses. Their desires were still there, raw and on the surface.

  Elsie knew she was attractive, and yet some men stared at her with eyes like the dull edge of a spoon. Their impulses were so blunted by years of possessiveness, emasculation and jealously, that they no longer saw her.

  That wasn’t the case with these two, they wore their attraction on their sleeves.

  Elsie had seen the way that Anna had looked at Cole, and she had felt the way that Tom looked at her, as though he’d pinned her in place with a laser beam.

  It felt exciting. She wanted them; wanted to be a part of them.

  And she thought - hoped - that they wanted her too.

  She wanted them to touch her, and hold her.

  Kiss her and strip her.

  Take her, and make love to her.

  She wanted all of them together, and the more she thought about it the more she wanted it.

  She wanted Cole’s lips and Tom’s cock and Anna’s fingers. She wanted to watch as Cole made love to Anna, and fucked her, and made her cry out in lust.

  She wanted to see her beautiful new friend ride her own husband, to see how they touched each other, to feel their tenderness and their love as they writhed and moaned and thrust and came together.

  She wanted Tom to fill her and make her feel whole, to spill his seed inside her, and on her lips and on her chest.

  She wanted to be with them.

  She was touching herself.

  She hadn’t even realised.

  Her fingers were pressing against her clit through the fabric of her knickers, her wetness soaking through as she twisted and quietly moaned into her pillow, gripping it tight in her forearms.

  Cole was coming up the stairs but she didn’t care, it felt too good.

  She wanted Anna’s skin against hers as their husbands made love to them, one after the other, taking turns and making them both come, again and again.

  Cole’s footsteps drew closer as she pressed her fingers inside herself, urgently curling them up and pressing deep.

  The top step creaked, the door opened. She could only think in stills now, flashes of dirty pictures.

  Anna’s face, Cole behind her, his hard dick deep inside her pussy.

  Tom on his back, her riding him.

  Cole’s face as he came.

  Anna’s pussy dripping.

  All of them together...

  And then she cried out in pleasure, her head thrown back and her eyes closed as she came.

  She sensed her husband moving closer as she breathed, her whole body twitching beneath the covers, her forehead glistening with a sheen of sweat. She turned towards him, focusing as he held out a glass of water, and she beamed and laughed.

  ‘Sorry,’ she said sheepishly. ‘I got a bit carried away.’

  ‘Don’t apologise,’ he said, as his wife took the glass from his hand. ‘You don’t need my permission.’

  ‘How did you sleep?’ she said, sipping at the cool water.

  ‘Not bad, had a few nice dreams.’

  ‘What about?’ she sat up slowly to avoid hurting her ankle.

  ‘You first,’ he grinned.

  Elsie blushed and shook her head. ‘No, it’s silly.’

  ‘It might not be,’ he said, nodding with encouragement.

  ‘It’s pointless, it won’t happen.’

  ‘You don’t know if you don’t say.’

  Elsie looked into her husband’s eyes as he smiled back at her, searching. Then she shook her head and grinned.

  ‘Fine,’ she laughed. ‘I was thinking about Anna and Tom.’

  He broke into a grin. ‘As I said, I had a few nice dreams.’

  She grinned, leaning forward and taking his hand in hers. ‘They have kids though.’

  ‘Would it stop you, if we did?’

  She thought for a moment and then shook her head. ‘No, I guess not.’

  ‘Is there any harm in asking then?’

  ‘We can’t just ask them.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Hi, remember me? Your husband damn near broke my ankle the other day? Do you and him fancy fucking me and my husband?’

  ‘Perhaps with a touch more subtly,’ conceded Cole.

  ‘Did you like them?’ she said quietly.

  He nodded and smiled. ‘Why don’t we invite them over? Maybe drop a hint in the message?‘

  ‘Like a secret code?’

  ‘I read that people who swap, sometimes ask others if they Know Ellis? It’s like the modern day version of pampas grass in the front garden.’

  ‘What does it mean?’

  ‘L, S. The Lifestyle... swinging.’

  ‘Oh,’ she giggled. ‘You read this?’

  He shrugged, pensive. ‘They seemed nice.’

  Elsie laughed. ‘Ok, I’ll text her. Shall we suggest Friday night? Or does that make us sound like a couple of losers?’

  ‘Friday night sounds good.’

  ‘No expectations though, I don’t want to push them into this. It’s not up to us, it’s up to them.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘And they have kids.’

  ‘And maybe one day, we could have a couple of our own?’ said Cole, hopeful.

  ‘If they’re anything like those two, then yes,’ laughed Elsie.

  She picked up her phone from the side table and held it in the palm of her hand, fingers poised over the keyboard, her lips pursed. She glanced up at her husband, who shrugged.

  ‘I mean, it’s just dinner. Right?’ she said. ‘If nothing happens, nothing happens.’

  ‘No harm done.’

  She nodded, and then grinned like a squirrel, tweaking her nose. ‘It would be fun if it did though, wouldn’t it?’

  Cole laughed and nodded as his wife began to type.

  Hi Anna, it’s Elsie! Thank you so much for everything you and Tom did for us yesterday. It meant so much. Please tell him I’m doing great, and the swelling has gone right down. Cole and I were just wondering if you’d like to come over for dinner and games this Friday evening? I feel like we all clicked and we’d love to get to know you both better. Tom mentioned he works at CHB? Does he know Ellis?

  Elsie stopped writing.

  ‘I can’t write that, it’s just absurd,’ she tapped the delete key. ‘What if he actually knows someone called Ellis and she says Yes and then we’re all excited thinking they’re into swinging and actually they’re not, they just think we have a mutual friend that we don’t?’

  ‘You’re overthinking this,’ laughed Cole. ‘Just send it without the Ellis line and we’ll see what happens. There’s no harm in just flirting naturally and seeing what comes of it, just like a normal date.’

  ‘I’d like that,’ she said, her shoulders sagging with relief.

  She pressed send and smiled and watched as the little Delivered line popped up below her message, then she placed it face down on her side table and smiled.

  ‘My turn?’ grinned Cole, mischievously.

  Elsie raised her eyebrows as her husband leaned in and kissed her, laying her back onto her pillow and wrapping his arms around her.

  ‘Your turn? Haven’t you had enough turns this week?’ she laughed as his hand pressed against her breast.

  ‘With you? I’ve never had enough,’ he laughed as his other hand slid
slowly up her thigh.

  As his searching fingers reached the very top, Elsie sighed and smiled.

  It had been an amazing week. But was this too far? Just a fantasy that could never be fulfilled?

  Did that matter?

  No.

  She smiled and closed her eyes as her husband’s fingers worked their magic, and let her mind drift away into a world of fantasy, hope and ecstasy…

  Beside her, her phone vibrated.

  Anna and Tom...

  *

  CHAPTER THREE

  THEY WERE LATE.

  Elsie could feel her heart pumping inside her chest, the thump thump thump echoing in her ears as she waited.

  She was nervous.

  Her chest churned with butterflies as she took a deep breath, desperate to calm the maelstrom of anxiety that was slowly taking over her body.

  The swelling in her ankle was almost gone now. It wasn’t completely healed - if she rotated it a shooting pain spiked up her leg - but she could put weight on it now and could walk just fine. Yesterday, she and Cole had taken a slow walk out to the lake and back. The ice had still been thick and solid, and a few people had been out skating; children’s faces smiling and laughing as the two of them watched, sat together holding hands on a bench that overlooked the scene.

  Lights flashed across the window.

  She listened in, hearing a car meandering down the lane, slowing to a crawl as it neared the entrance to their driveway and her chest filled with excitement, but then she heard it accelerate away, the lights bouncing and then passing by and she sagged with disappointment.

  Should she text Anna?

  She might be driving though. Perhaps their babysitter was late? Or maybe they were lost? No, she’d said they only lived ten minutes away.

  She paced back and forth in the living room, her eyes on the curtains, drawn firm against the night.

  Cole was busy in the kitchen and she listened as he moved back and forth, the occasional clang and clatter of pots and pans ringing through the house. He loved to cook, it was a passion of his, and he loved to entertain. He was in his element right now and he probably hadn’t even noticed what the time was.

  If he was in here, he would say she was overthinking, and he would be right. There would be a reason, and whilst her head could accept that, her heart was struggling.

  She sat down, and the moment she did so, the doorbell rang.

  She shot back up - the remnant of the pain in her ankle making her wince - and straightened her red, long sleeve rib knit mini dress - the high rolled turtleneck gave little away but the thigh high slit complete with bare legs was positively gratuitous - then she quickly preened herself in the hallway mirror, grinning as Cole joined her side in his tight white shirt and blue denim jeans. Together they looked each other up and down buzzing with anticipation and desire.

  ‘Shall we let them in?’ said Elsie, resting the palm of her hand on her husband’s chest with a mischievous grin.

  ‘We probably ought to,’ he grinned.

  Elsie turned towards the door, taking hold of her husband’s hand and tugging him behind her as she pulled the handle down.

  ‘Hey,’ said Anna, bursting with friendliness as she peered in.

  She stepped forward and embraced Elsie in a tight, cold hug.

  Her breath billowed out in the light of the porch, her thick winter coat and ruffled scarf enveloping her new friend. ‘We’re so sorry we’re late, we decided to walk, and it took us a bit longer than we thought.’

  ‘You walked?’ goggled Elsie.

  ‘We’re only about twenty minutes away, well, apparently thirty in the snow at night, but it’s really not that far. Although we did nearly get run over by some crazy driver coming round the corner over there a minute ago.’

  ‘Oh no,’ said Elsie, her arms still holding onto Anna’s, her fingers pressed tight into the soft suede covering her arms.

  ‘I think our torches gave us away, thankfully.’

  Cole stepped back and gestured to them both. ‘Come on in... Get inside and get warm, we’ve got the fire going in the lounge and dinner is nearly ready.’

  He smiled warmly as Tom’s thick gloved hand shot out and shook his own firmly with a friendly grin.

  ‘Can I take your coat?’ he said, holding his arms out as Tom unbuttoned his jacket. Elsie did her best not to look, but she couldn’t help it, glancing at his chest innocently as he wriggled out, revealing a navy blue thick ribbed jumper which hugged his body tight and a pair of jet black smart jeans.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Anna, handing her own coat to Elsie who stood back to admire her choice of outfit. Her eyes widened as she took her in, dressed in a short black skater dress with mesh sleeves and a keyhole back that showed off far more of Anna’s soft skin than Elsie had been prepared for. The whole outfit however was pragmatically offset by a pair of thick woollen tights. For a moment she just stared, her eyes sliding over the curves of her new friend’s body. She looked incredible.

  ‘Don’t laugh at the tights,’ said Anna. ‘Practicality comes before narcissism, it’s minus four out there.’

  ‘Dinner’s around five minutes away if you want to head through,’ said Cole, directing them toward the dining room and thankfully interrupting Elsie’s mesmerised trance.

  ‘Come, sit with me,’ she smiled, recovering and grabbing hold of Anna’s cold hand, rubbing it and pulling her through whilst practically skipping away. ‘I love your dress.’

  ‘Beer?’ grinned Cole as the girls quickly disappeared.

  ‘Sure,’ laughed Tom, watching them go. ‘I’d love one.’

  ‘How’s the ankle?’ said Anna as she sat down beside Elsie at the table, the boys heading off toward the kitchen.

  ‘So much better, that whole rice thing worked really well.’

  ‘I’m so pleased,’ she said, tilting her head and reaching out her hand, placing it gently on Elsie’s thick sleeved arm. For a moment she found herself wishing she’d worn a strappy dress instead. ‘Tom’s been worrying all week, and in all honesty I’ve been slightly afraid to ask in case you told me it was broken or something terrible.’

  ‘No, it’s fine. Alice’s sister was right, just a sprain.’

  ‘To tell you the truth, I’ve been really excited about this all week.’

  Elsie blushed and laughed, Anna’s hand was still lingering on her forearm. ‘Me too.’

  ‘It’s not just wanting to see you two though, it’s just so rare that we actually get to go out and have a night away from the girls.’

  A night? Thought Elsie, hopeful as her hand withdrew. ‘I bet it is,’ she smiled. ’Is that why you walked?’

  ’Let the wine flow,’ laughed Anna theatrically, nodding at the bottle on the table.

  Elsie reached out for it and poured them a glass each, raising hers up toward her new friend.

  ‘To new friends and new experiences,’ she said. No harm flirting.

  Anna smiled and looked down for a moment as she nodded and clinked, then she glanced up and made eye contact with Elsie as that smile caught her unawares again.

  As the silence grew and the butterflies flooded into her chest, Cole and Tom appeared in the doorway.

  ‘Are you girls ready to eat?’ said her husband, holding two plates of steaming food in his hand. ‘Or would you like a few more minutes?’

  *

  ‘Thank you so much for this,’ said Anna as the two men continued to bring more dishes, glasses and cutlery through. ‘I feel like this is entirely the wrong way round, we should be entertaining you by way of apology.’

  ‘Don’t be silly,’ said Elsie. ‘Besides, it’s not like that, there’s nothing to apologise for. I wanted to see you, both of you - we did, I mean.’

  ‘That’s so sweet,’ said Anna as Tom laid out another serving bowl in front of her and then sat down.

  ‘You have such a beautiful home,’ said Tom, his smile as loose and charming as the lilt of his voice.

  ‘Thank you,’ blu
shed Elsie, resisting the urge to twirl her hair around her finger.

  ‘Do you know when it was built?’ he said, leaning forward.

  ‘I do actually,’ she said excitedly. ‘Most of it was built in the mid seventeenth century - the main parts I mean, all the half-timbre construction - then the stable was added about sixty years later and converted by the previous owners into a conservatory. The fireplace actually predates the cottage, that was built in the early sixteenth century and the cottage was later constructed around it.’

  ‘So was it part of another building?’

  ‘I think so, yes.’

  ‘That’s fascinating, I wonder what it was used for?’

  ‘Tom’s a history buff too,’ said Anna, smiling as she squeezed his arm.

  ‘It’s Elsie’s hobby, I think it’s largely the reason she fell in love with this place.’

  ‘It’s grounding,’ she said. ‘It gives me a sense of connection. I feel like I’m a part of its history, and a curator of its past.’

  ‘A welcome presence, within a conscious space.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said smiling, surprised that Tom had understood so readily.

  The table fell silent as the two of them looked at one another. After a moment Anna picked up her fork, knocking it against the side of her plate and making a loud ding noise which startled her, making her drop it.

  The four of them laughed, a relief from the momentary awkwardness.

  ‘I was thinking,’ said Elsie, hesitantly as she pulled her knees together under the table. ‘That whilst we eat, we could break the ice, and play… Never Have I Ever...’

  ‘Oh my goodness,’ laughed Anna. ‘I’ve never actually played that.’

  ‘Really?’ said Elsie softly. ‘I lost count of how many times we played it at Uni.’

  ‘You and I went to very different Uni’s,’ said Anna as she picked up her knife and fork again. ‘Mine now seems rather boring.’

  ‘Do you want to play?’

  ‘Do I want to feel eighteen again?’ she grinned. ‘That was a rhetorical question. The answer is fuck yes.’

  ‘Brilliant!’ said Elsie, clapping her hands. ‘Ok, so we each take turns and we start by saying, never have I ever…’