What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 9)

by Kristine Cayne

  “For a while now, I’ve wondered if we were doing the right thing in ending our marriage.” Aaron offered her a sad smile. “I do know I didn’t handle my mid-life crisis very well.”

  Even Connie had to smile at that. “You’re not even forty, Aaron.”

  “I put real butter on everything, Con, you know that. I’m not likely to see eighty at this rate.”

  Connie laughed, loud and genuine. The crack was a familiar recitation but she enjoyed it all the same, surprised with how naturally she slipped back into ease with her husband. Months of tension and ill will seemed to fade away so quickly, and when Aaron leaned closer again to brush her arm she thought the sudden rush of lust would ignite her insides.

  Then, the image of Min Aaron groveling before his mistress loomed large in Connie’s memory, and she took a step back, folding her arms over her tightening nipples.

  “How long is a while?” she asked with much skepticism.

  Aaron didn’t hesitate to answer. “Weeks, maybe longer. Maybe the day you left.” His voice was glum. “Hell, no sooner than Suzy started moving her things did I question the whole affair.”

  “Yet you still want to be with her?”

  His face fell slack. It wasn’t a no, but he didn’t address the question head-on. “Well, maybe that desire is more out of comfort than anything else. You know what they say about familiarity.”

  “It breeds contempt. By that logic, it makes sense that you were sick of me.” Connie knew she sounded hurt, and watched for Aaron’s reaction.

  “Well…” His voice trailed away; Connie detected further syllables but no distinct words. Her gaze caught the screen again, her attention drawn to the trysting Mins. Min Connie now sat on a cleared space on the desk, knees spread to one hundred and eighty degrees as Aaron bent low before her. Tiny Min hands stroked Min thighs, and the back of a Min head tottered from side to side in rhythm to squirming hips. Exactly how far ahead the game was from real life Connie couldn’t guess, assuming this would happen.

  That Aaron had admitted these doubts of his occurred sometime before Darla introduced DoMINion to her life gave Connie much comfort. Knowing Aaron had already met her halfway before she applied the game to manipulate their lives encouraged her to want the events onscreen to happen.

  She positioned herself in front of the screen, blocking Aaron’s view. She didn’t know what he would make of it. Besides, she had enough to think about right now.

  She turned to look at Aaron. “What was that you said?”

  “Bottles. Perfume bottles. Lotion bottles, makeup.” Aaron wrung his hands and paced away from Connie, eyes to the floor and heels digging into the carpet with each step. “The bathroom’s cluttered with them now. I’ve never seen so many bottles in my life, I had no idea one person needed so much to look presentable.”

  Connie finished for him, her gift of perception still strong. “Whereas all I needed was a tube of lipstick.”

  Aaron shook his head. “I always thought you looked great no matter what. I guess that’s what attracted me to you all those years ago. You take care of yourself, and let your natural beauty shine. Suzy … my God, it’s like a drugstore exploded on her, for all the creams and sprays.”

  “Really? What brought on the sudden change, the attraction to something different?” Connie asked.

  No answer. Either Aaron had not a logical one to share, or felt too embarrassed to admit that maybe it was his dick that wanted something new.

  “Maybe she’s trying to hide something, you know, with all that make-up,” Connie suggested, not without a hint of malice. She hoped the girl suffered a permanent body odor that no floral-scented body mist could conceal.

  Aaron shrugged. “Maybe, who can say? All I know is when I mentioned it one night she had a shit fit. I ended up on the couch, over makeup!”

  Connie bit her lip. That had been the argument she started? No sense dwelling on it, she supposed. Suzy hardly could be accused of becoming passionate over political debates.

  “Though, that was hardly the beginning of the end, I think that happened long before.” Aaron tried a step toward her again, and this time Connie didn’t flinch or retreat.

  “The other night I dared to suggest we slow down a bit, that maybe moving in so soon after you left wasn’t a good idea,” he continued, punctuating with a snorting sound. “Right then I realized my mistake in hooking up with her.” Aaron cast an uncertain glance at the open door. “I don’t even think I want to go home knowing she’s there.”

  “Home is where you make it,” Connie said, and brushed her fingers over the mousepad, panning across the screen. What would it take to clandestinely arrange for two Min police officers to arrive unannounced and haul Min Suzy away? Discreetly checking the screen’s activity, she didn’t seem like much of a threat, gadding about the large house while her paramour and his former squeeze mated like rabbits just next door.

  “More and more, I’ve felt my home is with you, not her,” Aaron was saying. “Con, it was a mistake cheating on you with her, and an even bigger one letting you go.”

  Connie turned away from the computer. The sincerity of Aaron’s gaze stifled what derisive comments she had internally rehearsed should this moment ever happen.

  “I know, I know.” Aaron shook his head with a sad smile. “It’s cliche, but I can’t think of any other way to put it. My brain took a vacation, and my dick got a little power hungry when he took over.”

  “I don’t think it was hungry for power,” Connie muttered, eyes back to the screen now. Should the cops stop by here first, she wondered. The mouse pointer zig-zagged over Min trees and sidewalks, bouncing between the two houses as she decided the next move. She wanted to believe Aaron, and deep down she knew she still loved him. The guilt of messing around with Min Mark nagged at her as well, especially since it appeared Aaron, as represented by his own Min, was in the midst of ending his relationship rather than repairing it.

  And coming here to try and start over. For all the excitement of the past few days, Connie knew what she wanted. As much as she had enjoyed the interludes with her Min lovers, they didn’t compare to the touch of real skin, or loving endearments conveyed in English.

  “Nothing happened between me and that man you saw,” Connie said finally. “Nothing technically, anyway. You see…”

  “No,” Aaron cut in. “That’s your business. I don’t want to know anyway, any more than you want to know what’s gone on between me and Suzy.”

  You got that right.

  “What I do want to know is … are you going to play with that damn computer or talk to me?” Aaron snapped.

  Connie lifted her hand from the mouse. She turned to face Aaron completely. The Mins continued their lovemaking, oblivious. “Huh? Sorry.”

  Aaron chuckled and palmed her shoulders. The heat of his touch warmed her skin; her pussy throbbed in time to his flexing, massaging fingers. “That wasn’t really what I wanted to ask you,” he said. “I wanted to know if there was a chance … we could start fresh. I don’t expect an immediate reconciliation, but maybe in time we could come to love each other again, maybe turn out better than before.”

  He pulled her closer, close enough to embrace, yet their bodies did not completely touch. The old electric attention remained, however, that same amorous pulse still flooded her with desire. One forward motion would have her hands raking down his shirt to re-familiarize herself with the hard planes of Aaron’s chest underneath his crisp work shirt. As it was, her breasts, the nipples hardened to the point of pain, were about to make contact. His lips hovered dangerously over hers, moist and ready for a kiss.

  “I don’t know why I balked at asking you the other day at school,” he whispered. “Maybe I was afraid you’d say no. I … I just want us to have a home again. I want you to come home.”

  She might have allowed a kiss had he not said that word. She bowed her head slightly, far enough to prevent their lips from meeting. Behind them, she could sense the game continuing w
ithout her interference, and pictured Min Suzy clawing about the house with a possessive air. Connie willed the game to produce a legion of Minmites and roaches to infest the place and send her screaming into the woods.

  “Do we still have a home?” Connie murmured. “I though you didn’t want to go back.”

  “Home is where you make it. A wise woman once said that, about a minute ago.”

  Connie smiled, leaning further back to grasp the mouse. It was a shame, what she really wanted to do couldn’t be done now. Maybe she could solve their problem by having the house fumigated for one large, undesirable blonde being instead of creating new ones to wreak havoc.

  “I think I would like that,” she began. “I think, too, you’ll be surprised to know that we can go…”

  By now she had turned back to the screen, aiming the mouse for the command box. Her intent to manipulate Min Suzy disappeared upon seeing the Go! command flashing before her eyes, larger and bolder than before.

  And this time it said GO Home.

  Wow. Truly an intuitive game, this was. What possibilities did going home present were she to execute the command? Go! happened only at specific times—after midnight, the witching hour, allowing for the release of repressed fantasies. Here, GO Home seemed to imply something less … temporary. Yes, the overall sting of lust prickled her skin, but the sensation engaged feelings of warmth, permanence.

  She could go home with Aaron, which deep down inside was what she really wanted. Perhaps they could indulge in the domination play, but Connie realized her heart wouldn’t break if they didn’t. To have Aaron with her again, back at the house or as part of this simulated universe, was the ultimate fantasy come true.

  “Con, what’s wrong?” She sensed Aaron moving behind her. His hardened crotch pressed her backside. He appeared to be leaning over one shoulder to see as well. “What are you doing with that computer that’s so damned important?”

  She studied the scene finishing onscreen before her. Min Aaron gave one last thrust into Min Connie before pulling her into a tight embrace. They leaned against their desk, panting and kissing, and casting quick glances outward.

  Looking at Connie. Winking and smiling, urging her silently.

  “Hey,” Aaron said, surprised, “that’s looks like us…”

  “Aaron,” Connie grasped her husband’s wrist with one hand and depressed the mouse button with the other, “we’re going home.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Aaron’s voice was muddled, and echoed in her ears. “What the fuck just happened?”

  When lucidity regained hold of Connie she gave one last contented sigh as the orgasmic sensation of the transfer faded. She found she was seated and leaning against the front door of Min Connie’s cottage, legs spread wide and palms planted behind her for support. Aaron slumped against the opposite wall in the small foyer, looking dazed and, Connie guessed, feeling equally aroused as a result of being sucked into the game. She couldn’t remember disengaging contact with him.

  “You all right, hon?” The words came in a breathy whisper, and when Connie moved to stand she discovered she hadn’t quite regained her game legs yet. Down she went against the door; this trip had taken more energy from her than the previous ones. Perhaps having two people transfer required more from both of them.

  “I’m fine, I guess. Where the hell are we?” Aaron’s head bowed and Connie followed his gaze to his crotch, tented upright between his thighs. “How in the hell did that happen?”

  “Well, you were halfway there before I hit the Go! button,” Connie said, smirking. “I’d like to think I inspired the rest of it.”

  “Go where? What button? What is this place?” Aaron took a deep breath and tried his own legs. His back pinned against the wall, he pushed upward into a semi-standing position. “What did you do?”

  “You ever play video games?”

  “Not a whole lot. Maybe a game or two of Asteroids while waiting for pizza, but that was twenty years ago.” Taking a tentative step, Aaron regained confidence in his strength and helped Connie to stand. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “We’re in a video game.”

  “What?” Aaron jerked from side to side, as if looking for triangular, two-dimensional warships coming to spit white pellets of death at them. “That’s impossible. That only happens in movies.”

  “Well, not quite. You see, I’ve been playing a game this past week called DoMINion. It’s like Asteroids, except there are no ships or lasers … or asteroids.” A nervous laugh did nothing to sway the frown from Aaron’s face, and she nodded toward Min Connie’s living room in a silent suggestion that they sit. “Apparently, it’s much more than that.”

  “Nice place,” Aaron remarked as they lounged on the sofa. Connie tucked into one corner, memories of the night she coupled there with Aaron flooding to the forefront. Quickly she corrected herself—that had been Aaron’s doppelganger, not the real thing. Would Aaron be equally willing?

  “So, what about this video game?” Aaron prodded, looking uneasily about the room. No doubt he noticed the angular, plastic quality of the decor, to say nothing of the odd cleanliness of the place.

  “Well … as I said, we’re sort of in the game,” Connie said, watching for a reaction.

  “Sort of?”

  “More like completely.”

  “This can’t be.” Aaron’s eyes widened. “Science fiction, perhaps, but this is real life. You don’t get sucked into video games. No, this has to be some kind of virtual reality.”

  “How could I have accomplished that without the proper equipment, Aaron? You were in Darla’s living room with me. I held your hand and pushed the button. We are here.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “Believe it. Darla brought this simulation video game home, where you create people and give them jobs and help them live their lives. I played it and found some funky commands that sucked me into the game. Now you’re here, too. This is your beautiful home, and this is your beautiful wife.” Connie couldn’t resist twisting the Talking Heads song, if only to hope that Aaron would appreciate some levity. As it was, she couldn’t really tell what was going on in his head. His voice registered shock, but his gaze held this odd expression of awe and fear.

  “No,” Aaron whispered.

  “Where else could we be?” Connie pointed out. “You were there with me. Certainly you felt the pull of the computer, too.”

  “Is that what that was? A computer.” Aaron tried to cross his legs but his still raging erection prevented such comfort. “Amazing what computers can do. Remind me to buy one for myself when we get back. If we get back, and how do we get back?”

  “Good question. Last time I did this…”

  “You’ve done this before?” Aaron demanded. “Without understanding the possible dangers of being … being…” He ran a hand through his hair. Connie noticed his skin reddening at the hairline. “Are there dangers? There must be.”

  Connie shrugged. “Not really. Just that the game mirrored real life at some points, and at other points I sort of helped real life along through the game. Which brings me to another point.” She shifted further away, wishing she could be on the other side of the armrest for protection, just in case. “Any recent arguments you have had with Suzy might have been, well, influenced.”

  “Influenced.” Aaron frowned. “Let me guess, you made us into little people, didn’t you? Played us like Barbie dolls.”

  Connie nodded. “And myself, and Darla and some other people.” She coughed on purpose and hoped Aaron wouldn’t bring up Mark. “I was just using the game to work out my frustrations over the split, and thought it would be fun to see you get yours.” It surprised her to see a sad smile curl Aaron’s face at this. Perhaps he didn’t blame her for doing such a thing?

  “Anyway,” she continued in a meeker tone, “that first time, I made Min versions of you and Suzy and programmed them to fight all the time. You, rather your Min, slept on the couch…” />
  Aaron paled. “And this was recent?”

  “Few days ago.” Connie studied his face. It shouldn’t have surprised her, given all the other coincidences with the game. “It happened, didn’t it?”

  Aaron nodded. “We haven’t shared a bed in days, Suzy and me. That first night, too, I dreamed of you. You and me.” His eyes, soft and loving, revealed the rest of the dream.

  “Did you?” Connie maintained a poker face, the images of her and Min Aaron more vivid.

  “I hadn’t realized how much I missed being with you. I’ll spare you details of what it’s been like with Suzy—”

  Connie resisted an eye roll.

  “—but the dream felt so real. I didn’t want to wake up,” Aaron continued.

  “Neither did I,” Connie murmured.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” Connie rejoined quickly.

  Aaron only stared, his gaze punctured her conscience and demanded to know the meaning behind her earlier admission. She squirmed in place as the stare curled into an amused yet sharp grin. “In the course of my adventures with the game, I might have…”

  A brow raised. “Might have?”

  “Did,” Connie corrected, “enjoy a pleasant evening with your Min. On this couch.”

  Aaron jumped slightly, momentarily inspecting the sofa cushions before settling back into a slouching position. “You had sex with one of these, these beings?”

  Connie nodded. “More than one. I was angry with you for dumping me, angry with myself for not getting on with my life, and frustrated for being so horny that resorting to this type of cybersex seemed natural. The last few times I came here, there seemed to be a pattern with the game. I could access this reality after midnight, have my fun, and would transport home in my sleep, waking in my own bed.” She chanced a look at Aaron, relieved he didn’t appear upset. Some emotion, however, would have made her feel wanted, at least.

  “Mad? Jealous? Anything? Bueller?”

  “I’m not mad at you, Con. I have no reason to be. I broke up with you, and I should have expected eventually you would meet another man. I just didn’t think…” Futile hand gestures finished the sentence as he looked around the Min house, still registering disbelief.