Secret Lovers (Friendship Chronicles Book 1)

by Shelley Munro

  “Back to normal,” he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

  “Are you at there?” a harsh feminine voice demanded.

  “Susan? What’s wrong?”

  “I’ve been trying to get you since Saturday night. Where have you been?”

  “I went to visit my father,” Maggie lied. “Problem?”

  “Julia’s in hospital. Christina and I went around to her place and found her collapsed on the floor.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “She’s asking for Connor. Do you know where he is? I haven’t been able to reach him, either.”

  “He picked me up…uh…from the airport. He’s here. I’ll get him.”

  “Julia’s in hospital,” she murmured, handing him the phone.

  “Susan, it’s Connor. What’s wrong with Julia?” He froze, a scowl furrowing his brow. “A baby. Shit. Okay. Maggie and I will come now.” He hung up.

  “Did I hear right? A baby?”

  “Yeah, Susan said Julia is asking for me and got upset.”

  Maggie’s mind made the leap. “Is it yours?” she whispered, trying to keep her hurt balled up inside.

  Connor took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. The playfulness of the weekend had faded, leaving a stranger. “Julia is like a sister. It’s true we’ve spent a lot of time together in the past, but I have never, ever slept with her. Never.”

  The hurt seeped away under his intent gaze. Truth shone on his face and in his voice.

  “Okay,” Maggie said. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”

  “You know what happens to doubters?” Connor asked.

  “They get spanked?”

  No,” he said. “They get sent to bed with no supper.”

  “I’ll lose my beautiful curvy shape.”

  Connor grabbed her hand and gave her a swift kiss. “That would be a disaster. We’d better go. It must be serious if they’re keeping Julia in hospital. I’ll drive.”

  They walked into the hospital room together to find Susan and Christina already present.

  “We’ve been trying to ring you all day,” Christina said.

  “Susan said. I’ve been away for the weekend and turned off my phone.”

  “Connor?”

  “I’m here, babe.” Connor moved closer to the bed and took her hand. Maggie had never seen Julia without her make-up. Her face was pale, and huge purple circles beneath her eyes made her seem very fragile.

  Maggie watched them, working to maintain a passive face. She couldn’t let the surge of jealousy choking her inside free, couldn’t let the others see it.

  “I lost the baby, Connor. I wanted this baby.” She started to cry, and Connor dragged her into his arms, holding her and whispering soothing words to her.

  Maggie swallowed, figuring Julia would like time alone. “We’ll be in the canteen grabbing a coffee,” she whispered.

  Susan and Christina followed her from the room.

  “What do you think that’s about?” Susan asked.

  “I don’t know,” Maggie said.

  “How could Julia go behind our backs and sleep with Connor?” Christina muttered. “She promised.”

  Cripes. “I don’t think this is the time to hash it out now,” Maggie said. “We don’t know what happened. I didn’t even know Julia was pregnant.”

  Susan scowled. “I wonder if Connor knew.”

  “About our agreement?” Maggie knew Connor didn’t know about the promises they’d made regarding him.

  “That and the baby,” Christina said.

  “Discussing it now won’t help,” Maggie said. “It’s more important for Julia to recover. I’ve never seen her look so fragile. I’ve noticed she’s been quieter than normal. She still smiles, but she’s not the same party gal.”

  “You don’t think we should worry that Julia has broken her promise? What sort of friend does that make her?” Susan asked, a tart note in her voice.

  “Susan!” Maggie stared at her two friends in shock. How would they react if they learned about her and Connor? “Don’t you think she needs our support and understanding right now? Isn’t friendship about forgiving?”

  “Friendship is also about trust,” Christina said. “Something you know little about if you’re seeing a married man.”

  Maggie jerked, feeling as if the blow were physical rather than verbal. “That’s enough. I know you’re both upset and worried about Julia, but you’re out of line. I don’t think I’ll bother with coffee,” she said, proud of herself for keeping her voice even. “Tell Connor I’ll see him tomorrow at work.”

  Maggie stalked away without looking back, her shoulders and neck tense, her hands curled into fists at her side. According to Connor, he and Julia had never slept together. Julia didn’t deserve their bitter words.

  She did.

  It was true Susan and Christina could be a little judgmental. She knew and accepted their flaws because they had so many other good qualities. Susan volunteered at a women’s shelter and worked tirelessly in raising funds for them. The women there loved her, while Christina was enthusiastic and optimistic. She was resourceful, and Maggie knew she’d done free makeovers for some of the women at the shelter. Everyone had a few character faults. She wasn’t Ms. Perfect. Once they realized how meanly they’d behaved, Maggie was sure they’d apologize. Besides, she wasn’t entirely blameless. Maybe she should do what her conscience bid her, to protect her heart and maintain her friendships.

  Walk away from Connor.

  Easier said than done.

  Maggie sighed as she stepped outside into the growing darkness. She heaved another sigh and crossed the road to wait at the bus shelters.

  Why was love so bloody difficult?

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Don’t you think you were rough on Maggie?” Susan asked. “We’re friends. We should support each other.”

  “But she’s seeing a married man,” Christina said. “People will get hurt, especially if he has children. Surely Maggie knows that?”

  “Yeah, but are we sure Maggie and Connor aren’t together? They’ve both been disappearing a lot during the last month.”

  “Greg told us to try Connor. Maybe we should ask Greg if he knows what’s going on.”

  Susan shook her head. “I’m not asking Greg. I never liked the man when Maggie was going out with him. You ask him.”

  Christina laughed and wrinkled her nose. “Ah-ah! Not me. We’re a pair of yellow-livered cowards.”

  “Speak for yourself.” Susan tossed her head and sprang toward a vacant table, sliding into the seat seconds before two men.

  “Coffee or tea or a cold drink?” Christina asked.

  “I feel like a ginger beer.”

  “Is there just the two of you?” the man asked. “Would you mind if we shared?” He was tall, dark and had a dimple when he smiled.

  Never one to let a chance pass by, Susan returned his smile. “Sure. Grab a seat.”

  His blond friend returned and grinned at Susan. “Thanks for sharing with us. It’s busy in here.” He slipped his arm around his friend’s waist as he spoke, and the dimpled cutie leaned into him. Gay.

  Susan almost groaned aloud. It was true. All the good men were married or gay. Even if she made it through the initial rounds of the Farmer Seeks a Wife competition, there was no guarantee the men would meet her expectations. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” she asked the men.

  “Sure.” The man with the dimple ripped open a pack of sugar and stirred it into his coffee, knocking the teaspoon against the edge of the thick white china cup before he put it aside.

  “Where do I find a man?”

  “You’re asking us?” Blondie’s blue eyes narrowed as if he thought Susan was playing a game at his expense.

  Christina arrived in time to hear Susan’s question. “We’re asking everyone,” she said. “Good men are hard to find. You both look happy. Where did you meet?”

  “We went to school together,” Blondie said.

/>   “We’re doomed,” Christina said in a dramatic voice. “No hope for us at all.”

  “That guy’s checking you out,” Dimples said.

  Connor. Susan frowned, wondering if Maggie was right and they were overreacting.

  “That’s our friend, Connor,” Christina said, waving. “We’re here to visit one of our other friends.”

  Connor strode over to them, ignoring the women who stared after him. Dressed in jeans faded in interesting places and a tight shirt, with dark hair and dazzling blue eyes, the man was a major hottie. It hadn’t gone to his head. Susan had always liked that about Connor.

  “Where’s Maggie?” he asked, glancing around the crowded canteen.

  “She went home. Said she’d see us all at work tomorrow.”

  “I thought she’d want a ride home,” Connor said, frowning. “Julia was upset, and the nurse gave her something to help her sleep. I might go home too.” He lifted a hand and turned for the door. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Bye, Connor,” Susan said.

  “See you tomorrow,” Christina said.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Dimples asked. “He looks straight.”

  “He’s a friend. We have two other female friends and we all agreed not to hook up with Connor,” Christina answered.

  “Not that Connor has ever shown interest in any of us. He goes for tall blondes.” Susan grinned. “Female tall blondes.”

  “Why did you make an agreement like that?” Dimples asked.

  Christina fiddled with her bracelets. “Because he offers a male opinion and is always truthful. We didn’t want to spoil that. Besides, we love Connor. The last thing we want is jealousy between us.”

  Dimples and Blondie finished their drinks and left to visit Blondie’s brother before visiting hours finished.

  “We might as well go home,” Susan said. “There’s no point visiting Julia again if she’s asleep.”

  Susan fell into step beside Christina as they walked down the corridor to the elevators. “I keep thinking about what you said about jealousy and Connor. Were we acting like jealous bitches before with Maggie?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. Secrecy and cloak and dagger stuff always irks me—an offshoot from Married Man. None of us are talking to each other anymore. It’s felt weird lately, like there are undercurrents.”

  “I want to know one way or the other,” Susan said.

  “And how are we going to do that if everyone keeps denying it?”

  “I think we should follow either Maggie or Connor and see where they go, who they meet. That will tell us what we need to know.”

  “And Julia and the baby?” Christina unlocked the car doors and climbed behind the wheel. “Don’t you think that would be underhanded?”

  “Let’s eliminate one thing at a time and go from there.”

  “Okay,” Christina said, merging with the traffic. “We might be making a big mistake, but at least we’ll learn why everyone is behaving so strangely.”

  “Hey, babe. I missed you last night.” Maggie wiped the sleep from her eyes and smiled, his husky words coming from her phone working better magic than a morning cup of coffee.

  “I missed you too.” It hadn’t taken long to become used to Connor sleeping with his arms wrapped around her. “It was cold last night.”

  Connor laughed. “I didn’t wake up with cold feet on me. I’ll be busy today and won’t leave my office, but do you want to meet after work tonight? I have a project in mind. Can you meet me at Botany Town Center? I figure no one we know will see us there, and the pub does good meals.”

  “It’s a date.” Maggie cringed the minute the words left her mouth. Friends with Benefits didn’t date. They had sex. “I’ll meet you at Whitcoulls,” she suggested, naming her favorite bookstore and stationer.

  “Make it six to be on the safe side,” Connor said. “And make sure you take your cell so I can ring if I’m running late.”

  “See you then,” Maggie said, hanging up with a smile. At least she had something to look forward to today.

  The morning dragged at a pace slower than a snail’s. Things were uncomfortable in the lunch room with Christina and Susan, although, to their credit, they tried to act normal.

  Susan pulled a magazine from her handbag, and Maggie glanced at it with disinterest until she noticed the cover—the issue with her mother and the rugby player.

  “It isn’t fair. Look at Elle Walker. She clicks her fingers and men swarm around her,” Susan said, glaring at the cover.

  Maggie winced, thankful her mother had reverted to her maiden name after the divorce.

  “Who’s the rugby player?” Christina asked.

  Susan flicked the pages of the magazine until she came to the story and color photos. They stared at them, Maggie unwillingly.

  Christina glanced up at Maggie. “You know, you look like her.”

  “Me?” Horror laced the word. “I’m nothing like her.”

  Susan and Christina looked surprised at her vehemence.

  “It’s your features. Your eyes are the same color, and you have similar shaped noses and faces.”

  “I can’t see it,” Maggie said, desperate to change the subject and knowing her abruptness and harsh tone was attracting their interest rather than repelling it. She wished Connor and Julia were here. Without the buffer and with the unkind words between them, it was hard. Add a guilty conscience and the speculation about her blog and Maggie couldn’t wait for the work day to end.

  “Do you know what time visiting hours are tonight at the hospital?” she asked.

  “Seven to nine, I think. Are you going to visit Julia?”

  “Yes. I have things to do first, but I should get there before nine.” Maggie stood and forced a smile. “I might see you there.”

  Greg stopped her in the passage outside his office. “I want to talk to you.”

  “Now? Can’t it wait?”

  “No.” He grasped her arm and dragged her into his office, closing the door behind them.

  She yanked away and glared at him. “Stop manhandling me.”

  “What’s going on between you and Connor?”

  “Nothing.” She saw by his face he didn’t believe her.

  “I saw you the other night. Connor stayed the night.”

  “You’re spying on me?”

  “You admit it, then.”

  Maggie backed away until a chair separated them. “My private life is none of your business.”

  “None of my— It is. We’re on a break, that’s all. I thought you understood. I intend to marry you.”

  Maggie wanted to scream. “Did you ever think of asking me?”

  He broke into a broad grin. “Will you marry me?”

  A snort escaped Maggie. “No, I don’t love you, and I know you don’t love me. I’m convenient, that’s all. Leave me alone or I’ll report you to management for sexual harassment.” Before he could reply, she stormed from his office and slammed the door after her.

  In her office, she fell into her chair, anger pulsing through her and making her hand tremble noticeably when she picked up her pen. Jerk! What did she ever see in him?

  The afternoon dragged too, and Maggie didn’t relax until she reached Botany Town Center.

  “Hi, gorgeous.” The familiar husky voice stopped her by the mall center stage.

  “Connor!” She flung herself at him, and he caught her, grinning and, seconds later, kissing her as if they hadn’t seen each other for weeks. Her hands crept around his neck and she held on, enjoying the strength of him, his taste and the feel of his lips beneath hers.

  Gradually, he pulled back. “Wow, I like saying hello to you.”

  Maggie slipped her hand in his and winked. “What sort of project brings you all the way out here? I’m curious.”

  “You know curiosity killed the cat?”

  Maggie wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a cat.”

  “But it could earn you a spanking.” He tweaked her nose with the tip of his f
inger. “No threat.” He lowered his voice. “That’s a promise.”

  A blush suffused her cheeks, if the heat in her face was any indication. She ducked her head before peeking up at him again. “A promise?”

  “Yeah. You need to be on your best behavior, otherwise you’ll end up with a punishment.”

  “So I can’t ask where we’re going?”

  “Nope, it’s a surprise.” He grasped her hand and tugged her past three shops. He stopped in front of a lingerie shop. “In here.”

  A surprised laugh erupted from her. “A lingerie shop? I don’t believe you. Most men run a mile when it comes to women’s undergarments.”

  He dragged her inside. “I’m not most men.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “We will buy you some lacey bits of nothing. Special panties for spankings.”

  Her heart stalled before kicking into a racy beat. “Spanking lingerie?”

  “That’s right.” He stopped by a stand with boy-leg panties in a range of colors and fingered the navy blue cotton of the nearest pair. “So if I email or ring you and say wear the navy blue ones, it means you should wear a short skirt that I can flip up easily to spank your bottom.”

  Maggie blinked, fire swarming through her body to settle low between her legs. “And if I wore a silky pair like this?”

  “If you were wearing those ones, I’ll leave them on. They’re thin and you’ll feel every swat through the material.”

  “And these ones?” She pointed to a pair of granny pants in a delicate pink.

  “I think those would be perfect to wear under a school uniform.”

  “Some role-playing?” she whispered, because an assistant was heading their way.

  “Yeah, what do you think? We could spice things up a little. I enjoyed the story telling we did while we were on Waiheke.”

  Her every fantasy coming true. That’s what she thought. “You’re the boss.”

  “Does that worry you?” he asked, his blue eyes full of questions.

  “I’m not doing anything against my will.”

  The shop assistant strutted up to them. “Can I help you?” Her eyes scanned Maggie before zeroing in on Connor. “I’d love to show you our latest arrivals.”

  “Thanks, but we’re good.” Connor waited until she walked away before turning his attention to Maggie. “Do you see anything you like?”