Husbandry Read online

  His head fell back against the tile with an audible thunk. “That’s my girl. Just like that.”

  He was long enough I couldn’t swallow him completely, but my encircling fist made up the difference. I bobbed up and down, wriggling my tongue and using it to produce more friction. With my free hand, I grabbed his balls and massaged the stones inside.

  I sucked so hard my cheeks hollowed. His briny flavor intensified in my mouth, and he released a moan I was sure he hadn’t meant for me to hear. I used his whole cock as a straw to slurp up the delicious treat down at the bottom.

  “More. Give me more.” He didn’t sound so cool and collected now.

  The idea of making my powerful husband lose control had my labia swelling so full they ached. My core bloomed for him, anxious for the same treatment my mouth was getting. Intent on tipping him over the razor’s edge, I quickened my pace and deepened my suction until I was light-headed.

  I glanced up his body. High color rode his cheeks, and his lips were parted. The instant he caught me looking, though, he took back the reins. One second I was doing him, and the next his grip on my head tightened so that he was in charge of the taking. Each thrust shot to the back of my throat, forcing me to concentrate on my breathing. Then he shoved deep one more time and emptied his balls with a short bark of triumph. I had no choice but to swallow, though I would have done so regardless.

  Victory didn’t belong solely to him. I caught the faint quiver in his legs when I stood back up. I made sure to run my hands all the way from his ankles to his flat nipples as I straightened.

  “So?” Leaning into him, I grazed his lips with a soft kiss.

  His mouth hitched up at one corner. “Your turn.”

  Without warning, he spun me around so that I had to catch myself by gripping the towel bar. He kicked my feet apart, positioning me like an arrestee about to get frisked. I received a quick cavity search with his fingers in my pussy.

  “Feels like you got yourself all hot and bothered, wife. Do you like sucking my cock that much? Does it arouse you?”

  Two could play at this game. “It certainly worked for you. I can still taste your cum on my palate.”

  “Dirty girl.” His voice was so husky he almost spoke in a growl. “Let’s see if we can clean you up.”

  I heard him grab something behind me. When I tried to turn, he caught the back of my head and made me face the wall again.

  “Stay still,” he ordered. “I don’t want to miss a spot.”

  My hands tightened around the towel bar until my knuckles paled. I wasn’t sure I was going to survive this.

  His left arm snaked around me, and I was rewarded with the slow, slick glide of a bar of soap coasting over my skin. It started out cool, but my body heat soaked into it before he’d moved it a full foot. Charles lathered my thighs before he moved higher. He turned my curls into froth and circled my navel until my belly contracted with every pass. Then he moved up to my breasts, which I thrust forward for his attention.

  The steamy air around me warmed my throat and lungs until I felt like a pot ready to boil over. He lingered forever at my breasts, rubbing that slippery bar of soap around and around and paying special attention to the undersides and sensitive tips. I closed my eyes and let my head hang from my shoulders.

  Between one pounding heartbeat and the next, the soap was gone and I was given a rinse. I lifted my lashes to see he’d grabbed the spare showerhead—the detachable one that could be angled any way he wanted. He cleaned the suds from my chest and dipped down to where I needed him most.

  With a flick of his thumb, the water switched from rain to pulse, beating my mons with rhythmic spurts of water. I cried out as he brought it right up against my sex so that my defenseless clit was pounded head-on. I imagined this was what men felt when they ejaculated—this uncontrollable flood that was indistinguishable from the pleasure.

  He pressed against my back and let me feel his cock, which was already semiaroused again. Then he reached from behind with his free hand to slip three fingers inside me. He thrust them deep, giving my channel something to hold on to. The unexpected pressure was almost enough to send me over the edge. His knuckle striking my G-spot was more than enough.

  With a gasp, I came so hard I saw spots. My sheath clenched around his fingers, holding on to them for dear life. I couldn’t tell how much of the moisture spilling to the floor was my cum versus the water. He didn’t remove his fingers or pull the showerhead away until I begged for mercy.

  When he finally released me, I struggled to unclench my hands from the towel bar. Charles had to steady me for a moment. Once I was sure I’d keep my balance, I turned around and gave him a quick kiss. I didn’t give him the chance to turn the caress into something more. Having met my morning limit of excitement, I stepped out of the shower to towel off.

  From there, we fell into our normal routine as we moved around the bathroom and closet getting ready. Our morning preparations would be easier once Chuck installed additional sinks and a bigger closet, but we were in sync enough to keep from bumping into each other. Chuck was snoring noisily when we left the bedroom to go down to breakfast.

  Chad’s absence in the kitchen was glaring. Most of the time, he was already there waiting for me with a kiss. Though he’d often be wearing only silk pajama bottoms, he’d have the table set, the coffee brewing, and maybe even a freshly picked flower lying in front of my placemat. Not this morning.

  Today the kitchen was cold and empty, and I had to flick on the lights when I entered. The tide of guilt and sadness that had assailed me last night flooded back, threatening to drown me.

  Charles got the espresso maker going before he turned to face me with a shrewd look. “Chad isn’t going to forgive you so easily.”

  “No, he isn’t.” I tried to hide my wince. “Does this mean he told you what happened?”

  “I ran into him when I got home last night.” Charles’s expression turned inscrutable. “He ranted for a while and quoted Wordsworth’s ‘A Complaint.’ Something about your love ‘not taking heed’ of his needs, or something like that.”

  “And here I thought men only had one need.” Although I knew I was in the wrong, I couldn’t help feeling defensive and out of sorts.

  It was funny, really. I’d gone into this marriage worried I wouldn’t be able to satisfy the sexual demands of three such virile men. Now I realized that was the easy part. They were all fantastic lovers, so keeping up with them was a pleasurable challenge. The trick was meeting all their other needs—the desire for children, workaholic ambition, and wanting to meet my family.

  Charles smiled, though the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Oh, we men have lots of needs. Sex just takes top priority. Once that itch is scratched, our other needs tend to surge to the forefront. So I’m afraid you’ll have to soothe more than our dicks.”

  “Sorry.” My spirits dropped so low I stared at my feet, waiting for the floor to open up and swallow me. “I shouldn’t have said that. I also should never have cropped that photo. Despite how it looks, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just haven’t figured out how to tell my parents about you guys yet.”

  When he didn’t say anything, I lifted my gaze to meet his again.

  “Are you mad at me too?”

  He appeared to think about his answer. “No, I’m not mad, though I’m definitely annoyed. Cutting us out of our own wedding photo is beyond insulting, no matter what your reason. You are mine, Fila, as much as you’re Chuck’s and Chad’s. We claimed you as our wife, and you made a promise to us in return. I expect you to keep that promise.”

  “I’m sorry.” I suspected I’d be saying that a lot in the near future.

  Charles grinned, and this time his eyes twinkled with it. “Lucky for you, sex is a top priority with me. Our little shower game this morning has made me easygoing. I’ve decided to forgive you.”

  “I don’t know about easygoing, but I’m glad you forgive me.” I should have been relieved, but I
knew I had a long way to go. “Do you think great sex will work on Chad?”

  He filled his espresso cup and took a sip. “He’s not going to divorce us, if that’s what you’re worried about. Chad is more sensitive about these sorts of things, though. I suspect you’ll have to earn his forgiveness the old-fashioned way before he’ll let you get close enough for great sex.”

  “The old-fashioned way?”

  “Grovel.” He saluted me with his cup.

  Damn. I was afraid he’d say that. Although I’d swallow my pride and grovel to Chad if it would make things right, I knew that wouldn’t be enough. When I got home from work today, I’d have to do something really difficult. I was going to have to call my mother.

  * * * *

  The thought of contacting my folks tied me in knots the rest of the day. As a result, I wasn’t very productive at work, which only made me feel worse about myself. I wandered into the break room for a glass of water, hoping to clear my mind.

  Over and over, I tried to anticipate the conversation with my mom. So far, the best I’d come up with was, “Oh, yeah. Mom, I’ve been meaning to tell you that Chuck isn’t my only husband. I’ve got three of them—one for every occasion.” Yeah, that would go over big. If only I could think of a segue.

  With a groan, I dropped my head on the table. Just then, one of my coworkers, Liz, passed by on her way back from lunch. She stopped in front of me.

  “Are you okay, Fila?”

  Forcing myself to sit up straight, I tried to give her a smile. My first impulse was to tell her I was fine. Though I was closer with her than with anyone else in the office, neither of us had ever talked much about our personal lives. We usually stuck to everyday chitchat. That’s probably what I should have done now, but I wanted very badly to confide in another female.

  I told her the truth. “My husband and I had a fight last night.”

  “Uh-oh.” Liz grabbed an empty chair and pulled it closer. “Did he forget to take out the garbage, or was it about something more serious?”

  “I wish it were as simple as taking out the garbage. Chuck always takes care of chores like that. No, this was more serious. And it was all my fault.” I didn’t expect the burn of tears that suddenly assailed me. I had to blink hard. “I did something really stupid.”

  “You cheated on him?”

  “What? No!”

  She returned a smile. “I didn’t think so. You’re not the type. Maybe you flirted with another guy, then? Had lunch with an old boyfriend?”

  “It was nothing like that.” I was too shocked by her suggestion to work up a decent case of outrage.

  “In that case, it couldn’t have been too stupid.” Her tone mollified me, as did the sympathy I saw shining in her dark brown eyes. “Trust me. Infidelity is about the only deal breaker for a man. Anything else can be worked out, especially if you fight dirty with some sexy lingerie and chocolate syrup. Men are simple creatures.”

  I gave her what I suspected came out a lopsided grin. “According to Charles, men are more complicated than we think, but only after they fill their minimum sex quota. That’s their top priority.”

  “Really?” Liz threw back her head and released a boisterous laugh. “Oh, I like that. Now I’ve got to meet him. You should bring your hubby to work someday and do a little show-and-tell.” She appeared to sober. “Hey, does that mean you two are still talking? Because if you’re still talking, then the fight couldn’t have been that bad.”

  “Charles and Chuck are still talking to me. It’s Chad who’s furious with me.”

  “Come again?” Liz’s mocha skin wrinkled between her brows.

  The moment of truth had arrived, giving me heart palpitations. I’d set out to make things right in my life, though. That started with embracing my married life instead of treating it like a shameful secret.

  “I only had a fight with one of my husbands: Chad. Charles wasn’t too happy with me either, but he and I already made up, and Chuck was the only one I didn’t hurt.”

  “You have three husbands?” She couldn’t have looked more dumbfounded if I’d stabbed her between the eyes with a pen.

  “Yes. They’re genetically identical. Not clones, because they’re all original, but…yeah. We came together through Genetic Harmony Inc.”

  Liz’s sudden silence made me nervous. I waited in suspense for her to snap out of it, but she just sat there with that baffled look on her face.

  My stomach twisted. If a friendly coworker was horrified by my polygamous marriage, what hope did I have that my mother would accept it? This was a nightmare.

  “I can’t believe it,” Liz finally mumbled. She scrutinized me as if she was just seeing me for the first time. “You seem so straitlaced.”

  I fidgeted with the water glass in front of me. “You’re disgusted, aren’t you?”

  “Of course I am. You’re a hoarder!” She threw up her hands. “Do you know how long I’ve hunted for Mr. Right? Now I find out you have not one, but three studs at home. It’s just not fair.”

  Her reaction startled a snort out of me. “Are you saying you’re jealous?”

  “Insanely. Three gorgeous, lusty males in bed? I’m surprised you can even walk.”

  “Liz!” I slapped my hand over my mouth and felt my cheeks burn fiery red.

  “Just saying.”

  “Well, that part is pretty great,” I admitted. “There’s only one of me to go around, though, so sometimes I’m spread a bit thin.”

  She nodded in understanding. “I hadn’t thought of that. So what was this fight about, and why is Chad the only one mad at you. Or was it Charles?”

  “Charles was only annoyed. Chad is the one I have to make things up to.” I explained what I’d done with the wedding photo.

  Liz remained silent until I was finished. “I get why you did it, but you’ve only made things harder for yourself. You should have bragged about the three of them loud and proud from the get-go. That would have given your family time to get used to the idea and accept it. Now that you’ve covered it up so long, it’s awkward. Everyone will be hurt you lied, which taints the whole news about the marriage.”

  That was pretty much what I had concluded, though hearing her voice the problem made it more real. She wasn’t making me feel better.

  Liz seemed to realize that. “Cheer up. It won’t be fun, but a little confession is good for the soul. If they love you, your family will come around eventually, and you’ve got three warm bodies to help comfort you along the way. That’s more than most people have.”

  She was right. I was being a baby about this.

  “There’s just one thing I want to know.” She leaned forward with an eager expression.

  “What’s that?”

  “Tell me more about this Genetic Harmony. Can I find three hunky men there?”

  Some of the weight lifted from my shoulders. I left off worrying for a while as I told her all about the matchmaking company, doing a good job of giving them a referral.

  Once Liz left to get back to work, though, my mind returned to my upcoming call to my mother. Although my coworker’s reaction gave me hope, I knew better than to assume my mom would accept the news so easily. Back at my desk, I decided to do what Chad had suggested. I checked my home messages.

  Sure enough, my mom had left one of her typical long, rambling recordings, chattering excitedly about receiving the wedding photos. She also made sure to chastise me yet again for not inviting her to the ceremony. Before she hung up, she ended with a remark Chad had failed to share with me. She said she and my dad were thinking of coming for a visit. It was definitely high time I had a talk with her.

  I dived back into work, tackling as much as I could through what remained of the afternoon. When quitting time arrived, I was anxious to get home and deal with my more pressing issues. Unfortunately, I was forced to take public transportation and walk part of the way since I didn’t have my car. I had hitched a ride with Charles so I could leave Chad our second vehicle. It
was the least I could do after hurting him so badly.

  The house was silent when I came through the door.

  “Hello? Chuck?” When there was no response, I climbed the stairs. “I’m home. Are you up here?”

  Still no answer. He must have run to the hardware store or something. It was so rare for me to have the house to myself.

  I quickly changed into casual clothes before I sat at my computer. The first thing I did was resend my wedding photos, undoctored, to my mom. I included a quick note:

  Sorry these didn’t go through right the first time. Chad and Charles shouldn’t have been cropped out.

  Okay, so I didn’t mention that I was the one who’d cropped them out. Let her think it was a computer error. I was trying to be honest about my relationship, but that didn’t mean I needed to air my dirty laundry. At this point, I figured a little selective wording wouldn’t hurt—what PR people called “spin.”

  With the photos resent, I drew a deep breath for courage. I picked up the phone to call home and paced as I waited for one of my parents to pick up.

  “Hello?” my mother answered in a cheery tone. She had to know it was me from the ID, although maybe she thought Chuck could be calling.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Fila, how are you? You must have gotten my message.”

  “I just listened to it this afternoon.” No need to tell her why I’d taken so long to get to it. She knew how bad I was about checking things like that.

  “I was so excited to finally see those pictures. You know Chuck always sounds so nice on the phone, but I didn’t have a face to go with the voice. Isn’t he handsome? The two of you look perfect together. You in your lovely wedding dress and him in his suit.”

  “Chuck is gorgeous,” I agreed. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and hoped she didn’t hear it. “I’m sorry I didn’t send the pictures to you properly the first time. I just zapped them over to you again, this time with Chad and Charles in frame.”

  “Chad and Charles?” My mother’s voice held a tiny note of strain. “Really, Fila. I wish your husband would make up his mind what he’d like to go by.”