Natalia rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “I once dated the Zelders…separately. They’re wonderfully fun and extremely close. They are stalked by reporters but manage to remain surprisingly private. You’ve earned their trust if they’ve allowed you any access at all.”
“I redesigned the marketing for their second season – which they still use – as well as the new websites for each of the girls and the brothers.” She grinned. “I charged them a mint.”
“Good girl. They can fucking afford it.” Hudson crossed his hands over his stomach.
“Speaking of being able to afford it, I was stalking your corporate website last week because I was bored out of my goddamn mind. It’s fine for what it is but I can do it better.” He raised his brows in surprise. She winked at Natalia. “For the ridiculous spa day you treated me to, I’ve already started re-working yours for the club.”
Natalia tilted her head. “You’re designing a new website?”
“Oh yeah. You need to think bigger. I can’t wait to show you the Members Only section I’ve been tossing around in my rather scattered brain lately.”
“You will do both websites and I will put you on retainer.”
“Bossy. I’m charging you a fortune and you’re going to love cutting the check.” She stared off into space for a moment then touched her temple. “Where was I? Oh, yes…the backstage story about the Zelders and the Johannsons.”
Her companions watched her anxiously. “I’m fine. You know the smack on my noggin causes a little disconnect sometimes. The doctors found no long-term damage.”
A waiter interrupted them to ask if they wanted refreshments. Hudson ordered two bottles of wine and two bottles of sparkling water with lemon for Brie.
At her pout, he said gruffly, “Too many medications. You aren’t allowed alcohol.”
The drinks arrived and she sipped hers happily. Giving Hudson fits gave her the giggles. Natalia gave her a knowing smile and she cleared her throat.
“It all started when Madeline Johannson wrote this naughty little play based on the sisters’ dating history. It was wonderfully flip about love in general. They knew they wanted to perform it in New York. They had to find the perfect place…”
“Backstage” coming in 2014!
Hello, darling!
Have you checked out my website yet? Here’s a sample of one of the free stories I post there regularly. If you subscribe, you’ll get a free story emailed to you. In the meantime…enjoy “Date Night” – one of my personal favorites.
Much love,
Shayne
Date Night by Shayne McClendon
They always met at the little Chinese place around the corner on Friday nights. Sabrina would rush there from the library, Parker from his studio. It was their standard date night dinner followed by a concert or a movie, dancing if they were feeling especially energetic.
Joel was at his grandmother’s until Saturday afternoon where he would be spoiled rotten and given far too many cookies. He was almost four now and the light of their life, a happy, steady baby who had his father’s calm and his mother’s laughter.
Today, Sabrina felt worn out. As she stared out the window and waited for her husband, she took in her appearance in the glass. Fine lines bracketed her mouth and the corners of her eyes; she hadn’t had her hair colored in a while and she wondered how many of her grays were showing.
Clothes had never mattered much to her in the grand scheme of things but even she could tell the blouse she was wearing didn’t flatter her figure. The baby weight had stayed with her and her doctor assured her it was because she’d been a late-in-life mother. When Joel was less than a year old, that made sense…but he was almost four. How long could she blame the pregnancy for being thirty pounds overweight?
She didn’t feel lazy. Parker worked longer and more erratic hours than she did so she happily took care of the bulk of the daily stuff. Groceries and cleaning, dinner unless he made his signature Indian food. Last year, she’d returned to the library full time, wanting Joel to have socialization with children his own age. He loved the little pre-school they’d enrolled him in.
She’d had nothing in common with the other at-home moms who talked about every booger and bowel movement as if it held the secret of life. When she found herself humming Sesame Street while eating one of Joel’s toddler cookies, Sabrina realized she needed some adult socialization of her own.
Her own reflection stared back at her as she tried to remember the last time she’d done her nails or given herself a facial. She couldn’t. Then she struggled to remember when she’d last kissed Parker for no other reason than wanting him and she couldn’t remember that either. When was the last time they’d done anything spontaneous?
Sex between them had always been wonderful but lately, she fell asleep first – even when she meant to wait up for him. It had been…two weeks? No. Almost three since the last time they’d been together. She remembered a time when three times a day was slowing down for them.
Suddenly, she thought about the women he saw every day during recording sessions. Young women with fit bodies and designer clothes who were likely far more fun and carefree than she was.
It was suddenly glaringly obvious that she was older now, heavier now, less exciting than she used to be. And right there in their regular booth in the middle of their regular date night restaurant, tears started falling and she couldn’t make them stop.
She didn’t know what to do; she couldn’t leave and she was embarrassed by her public display.
“Sabrina…” Parker was kneeling beside her, his hands cupping her cheeks as his thumbs smoothed away her tears. “Come on, baby.” He tugged her to stand and grabbed her laptop bag as he slipped his arm around her shoulders.
At the front counter, he picked up a bag of carryout and led her outside. He slowed his longer strides to keep her from running in her heels and held her hand.
“Parker, I…I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
Stopping under a street lamp, he turned to her, “Baby, you have always been the worst liar.”
He dropped a smiling kiss on her lips and tugged her up the steps in front of their narrow brownstone. The one they’d bought when they’d been told they couldn’t have children. The one they’d poured all their love into…and then received the gift of Joel anyway.
The moment the door closed and locked, Parker pinned her against the foyer wall and dropped his mouth over hers. She was dizzy and holding his arms for balance as she felt him sliding her boring business skirt up her thighs, pushing down her panties. His hand between them, opening his pants before he gripped her ass in both hands and lifted until they were lined up and her legs gripped his waist.
Then he was there, driving deep, and he was so hot and hard and she loved him.
Always a lover who turned her inside out, she realized this was the first time they hadn’t made love in their bed in years…maybe since their son was born…and her climax slammed into her and stole her breath within moments. Her body locked around him and his name was a moan in the quiet house.
“Again, Sabrina.”
His words were rough against her lips as he increased the strength of his thrusts, powering into her stroke after stroke until she was mindless with pleasure. Strong fingers tightened on her ass as the walls of her pussy closed around his shuttling cock like a vice, her chest connecting forcefully with his as the second orgasm rocketed from her womb to her heart and back again.
Sabrina couldn’t contain her scream as she felt Parker’s come coating her, heard his groan of pleasure/pain as his arms clenched around her.
His head was beside hers, both of them slightly damp with sweat, their breathing fast, and their hearts thumping. Parker’s grip on her didn’t ease; his words were warm against her ear. “I love you more today than I did the day we married. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy.”
Leaning back, he st
ared down at her and even in the dim light, she was mesmerized by the blue. “We got busy…we got lazy. We forgot how much we both rely on this.” His hips pressed between hers and he was still hard. She sucked air sharply through her teeth. “I forgot to let you know, Sabrina.”
Barely audible, she whispered, “Let me know what, Parker?”
“How much I enjoy fucking you. We’ve made love since Joel was born and how I have missed fucking you until you’re screaming.” He stepped away from the wall and her arms and legs tightened around him. He picked up the bag of food on his way to the living room. Lowering to the couch, she straddled his lap and he handed her one of the takeout containers and chopsticks.
She felt his hands on her blouse as she put the first bite to his lips. He took it, chewing with a smile as he rocked his hips up and made her gasp. He separated the sides of her shirt and smoothed the backs of his knuckles over the tops of her breasts. “Such quiet clothing on the outside and yet I always know you’re wearing sexy underthings.”
Bite by bite, she fed him, watching his face as he ran his hands over her body. When his palm cupped the softness of her belly, his fingertips touching the stretch marks no amount of cocoa butter had prevented, she stiffened and his eyes held hers for a long moment.
“Life, Sabrina. You grew a human being in your body and brought him safely into the world. I didn’t do any of the work. I didn’t gain the weight. I didn’t go through the pain. I didn’t have to heal or breastfeed Joel when he arrived. That was you, baby.” He took the food from her hands and hugged her close. “Your body is so good to me. It treats me so well.” Turning, he laid her back against the couch and pressed more fully into the cradle of her thighs. “I love your body. You should love it, too.”
Trapping her wrists over her head in one hand, he touched her everywhere as he fucked her and Sabrina felt her earlier sadness drifting away as he replaced it with his love.
They always met at the little Chinese place around the corner on Friday nights.
From now on, they’d be getting their food to go.
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Check out the book that started it all!
The Barter System
Some people will go to great lengths to get their research…
Riya O’Connell requests applications from men around the country willing to participate in the research she needs for her dissertation on Male Sexuality. She narrows down her thousands of submissions to eight men. In return, Riya will give them…whatever they want.
Ultimately, Riya discovers where her heart truly belongs…and gets an education she didn’t plan on.
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About Shayne McClendon
Shayne McClendon is an indie author who has received rave reviews for her premiere novel “The Barter System.” Other projects recently released are “In the Service of Women,” “Yes to Everything,” “Damaged,” “Being Delightful,” “The Hermit,” the second story set in “The Barter System” world - “Hudson,” and many more.
Shayne believes love crosses all boundaries, social castes, races, genders, and belief systems. If you are lucky enough to find soul-deep love, you should fight for it. She currently lives in Oklahoma wrangling teenagers, opening doors for her pets, and running her content writing company. She dreams of peace, quiet, travel, and always having plenty of coffee.
Shayne loves to hear from her fans. You can contact her by email at [email protected] or stop by her Good Girl Facebook page. Visit her web page Always the Good Girl and subscribe for your free story!
Shayne McClendon’s work is available at all major e-book retailers.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
Sneak Peek of Backstage by Shayne McClendon
Date Night by Shayne McClendon
About Shayne McClendon
Hudson Page 24