Calculated Risk

by Rachael Duncan

  “Marcus, I need you,” I pant out.

  “I know, babe. I need you too.” He grinds into me to prove it. I gasp as his erection grazes over my bundle of nerves.

  He pulls the cup of my bra down to expose my breast before covering it with his mouth. My head falls back against the door as a moan leaves my mouth when he swirls his tongue around the pink bud. My hands go to his bare shoulders and my nails dig into them as soon as he captures my nipple between his teeth and gives it a little tug. I start to grind shamelessly against him, needing relief. He finally gets the point and moves his hand between us to pull himself free.

  “Hope you don’t like these,” he says.

  “Like what?” My brain is too frazzled to think right now, but as soon as I hear the sound of shredding fabric I know he’s referring to my panties. I shake my head. “I promise I’ll never wear panties again if you’ll hurry the hell up.”

  With a cocky grin, he positions himself at my opening and slowly sinks into me. My eyes roll into the back of my head as I savor every hard inch. What starts out as slow-paced quickly turns into something frantic. We’re both grabbing and holding on, knowing the inevitable crash is coming soon.

  I feel him tremble beneath my hands and know he’s close, but so am I. With one hand grabbing my ass, the other slides between us to play with my clit, and that’s all the extra stimulation I need to set me off.

  “Oh, God!” With eyes closed and head thrown back, my entire body tightens around him. When the final ripple tears through me, my whole body goes lax as I hang lifelessly around Marcus.

  “Fuck, you’re sexy,” he grits out, and with two more thrusts, he’s crashing over the edge too. He slides us down the door and I sit in his lap with him still inside me while he’s on the floor. “I can’t stand,” he says. I smile and bite my lip. Hell, he did most of the work and I’m exhausted after that.

  “Damn, we barely made it inside. Half a second longer and I might’ve been fucking you on the front porch.”

  I let out a small giggle. Looking at the pile of clothes on the floor and our current state, he might be right.

  “Come on. Let me take you to the bedroom and love you properly.”

  Lydia

  Eight months later . . .

  WHEN I WAS younger and pictured my life as an adult, this is exactly what I imagined. I have the love of a man I adore, a great job, a beautiful home, and awesome friends. Yeah, we’ve had some bumps along the way, but those are long behind us.

  Stacy pled guilty to all charges and will likely go to a mental hospital. Either way, she won’t be getting out any time soon. It’s a huge relief and gives Marcus and me a fresh start to our lives.

  “You know what I’d do if I could rearrange the alphabet?” Marcus asks me as I’m cutting flowers.

  I roll my eyes and shake my head. He needs to come up with some better material. I’ve heard this one a million times. “Put I next to U,” I deadpan.

  “Nope. Put the D in U.”

  My head turns around slowly to see him grinning from ear to ear. It’s nice to know he makes himself laugh. “You’re an idiot,” I joke.

  “Yeah, but you love this idiot.” He comes up behind me and kisses the side of my neck as I fill the last vase of flowers with water.

  Wedding planning was stressing me out with all the different requests from both of our families. It was getting out of hand and didn’t resemble the wedding either of us had envisioned, so we eloped two weeks ago. Without telling a soul, we boarded a plane and got married in Tuscany on top of a hill with vineyards to our left and the countryside to our right. It was absolutely perfect.

  To say our family and friends were shocked and disappointed would be an understatement.

  Pissed. Furious.

  That would better describe it.

  But tempers have cooled and today we’re having the reception we promised them. Except they don’t know that’s why they’re coming here today. We wanted to keep it low-key and intimate with only our closest family and friends. One look at Marie’s guest list told us that wasn’t happening if she had anything to say about it. So, it’ll be a little surprise for everyone.

  “Will you help me carry this stuff out and put it on the table, please?” I ask Marcus.

  “Sure.” We each grab a box and carry it outside to the back yard, which has been transformed into our reception area. It reminds me of the mini campsite Marcus had set up for us that one evening. Lights are strung between the trees, tall glass lanterns with candles are scattered throughout the space, and a large, farm-style table sits in the center. A small table off to the side has our cake and a bouquet of flowers sitting on top of it. We may not have done this the traditional way, but we’ll still have the traditional elements involved.

  Marcus had already set the table for me, so I unload the vases of white roses and baby’s breath from the box and place them down the center of the table for the finishing touch. “Perfect,” I say.

  “I agree,” he says, looking at me. Standing up on my toes, I give him a quick kiss.

  “I have to get dressed real quick before everyone shows up. They should be here any minute now.” I’m about to walk away, but he pulls me back to him.

  “I think we have time for a quickie, what do you think?” He flashes his famous smile that gets me every time, mischief clear in his eyes.

  “Your quickies are never quick. Stay down here in case someone shows up early.” He pouts, making me laugh before I remove his hands from my hips and walk away.

  I slip into a white cocktail dress that reminds me a lot of my wedding dress. With a high neckline of lace, it’s fitted through the bodice and flairs out at the waist, stopping just below my knees. Just like my first dress, this one has a deep V in the back, giving it a sexy edge. My hair and makeup are already done, so I slip into my peep-toe heels, and head back downstairs to welcome our guests.

  Roughly thirty minutes later, and everyone has arrived. Aside from our parents, the girls are all here, along with Marcus’s brother and a few guys from his work. Everyone is mingling in the kitchen and living room, wondering why they’re all here.

  “How about we take this outside to the back yard?” Marcus suggests to our guests.

  Marie is the first one to react. She lets out a gasp as she looks around at the beautiful setting before us. “It’s gorgeous back here, but what’s going on?” she says.

  “I know you guys were a little upset we eloped, but we couldn’t have a reception without you guys there, so we’re throwing one tonight,” I tell her.

  I was a little worried this would upset her even more since she didn’t get to help plan this either, but my apprehensions are put to rest the moment she wraps her arms around me in a tight embrace. Once she releases me, everyone else files out through the back door.

  “I still can’t believe you denied me the right to be your bridesmaid,” Scarlett says.

  “Sorry,” I say with a shrug, but she knows I have no regrets. I’d do it all over again if I had the chance.

  The evening progresses without a hitch. There’s dancing under the lights and music in the air. Everyone is laughing and having a great time, and that’s all I could ask for. After we eat, we do our first dance, cut the cake, and throw the bouquet. Paige catches it, but is adamant she’ll be the last of us to get married.

  As luck would have it, Sean snags the garter toss, not that he had much competition. There was only one other guy here not married. You would’ve thought he won the jackpot. Marcus said he had a thing for Paige at the bar that first night, but she shot him down. Poor Paige. The look on her face as he snatched it out of the air was priceless, and if she thought he was going to be decent about it, she was wrong. Using his teeth, he slid the garter up her leg until it was firmly in place mid-thigh. I thought she was going to gouge out his eyeballs. The rest of us got a kick out of it at least.

  “Where’s Nate? I thought he was home for the weekend?” I ask Charlotte once everything has settled
down.

  Charlotte rolls her eyes. “He got called away last minute. He left late last night.”

  My expression softens as I touch her arm to comfort her. “I’m sorry.”

  She shrugs as her mouth turns down. “It is what it is, but I’m not sure how much longer I can live like this. If I wanted to be alone, I’d be single.”

  She usually brushes off his absence, so I’m a little worried when she makes this comment. “What are you going to do?”

  She looks into my eyes and very calmly says, “I’m going to ask him for a divorce when he gets back.” My eyes widen. I’m not sure why I’m so shocked since I’ve known for a while that she wasn’t happy. “I want what you have. I want to be excited for my husband to come through the front door. I want to feel like what I say is important. I want to be valued and not there for convenience.” Her eyes well up with tears as she looks down, trying to maintain her composure. I wrap my arms around her. “I deserve that,” she whispers, her voice cracking at the end.

  “Yes, you do. Whatever you decide, I’m here for you, okay?”

  She nods and I release my hold on her. She blinks a few times and shakes her head. “Look at me babbling on. This day is about you, not me.”

  “Oh, stop it. You’ve been bottling this up for forever. You needed to let it out.”

  “Thanks, now let’s join the rest of the party, shall we?” Charlotte puts on a brave face and takes my hand as we walk toward the other girls, Sean, and Marcus.

  “You’re disgusting,” Paige says with a frown.

  “What?” Sean replies, taken aback by her insult.

  “Putting aside your little display from earlier, do you even remember what you said to me at the bar when we met?” He looks around the room like the answer will magically appear. She doesn’t make him think long before filling him in. “You told me I should sell hot dogs because I already know how to make a wiener stand.”

  He has the decency to look embarrassed, but my head goes back and I let out a laugh. “Oh God, is this a Riley family tradition or something?” I ask.

  Marcus chuckles and says, “Where do you think I get all my material from?”

  “And here I thought you were charming all on your own.” His only response is a shrug.

  “I couldn’t give away all my secrets. I’ve gotta leave you a little mystery, don’t I?” he says with a smirk.

  I shake my head while smiling. “Come up here with me. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  “Does it involve you being naked?” he asks in a low, deep voice.

  “You’re insatiable, you know that?”

  He puts his hands up before letting them drop. “Hey, I’m a guy with a wife who’s hot as hell. I think it would be weird if I didn’t want in your panties twenty-four seven.”

  All I can do is laugh at his ridiculousness. Grabbing his hand, I pull him up onto the deck before addressing our guests. “Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” All chatter slows to a stop before I continue. “Thank you so much for coming tonight. It means the world to us to have all of you here, and I hope you know how much you all mean to Marcus and me. Before it gets too late, I wanted to give Marcus a small gift.” I glance at Marcus real quick to see his eyebrows drawn in, in curiosity. I run over to a bush and pull out a small box I had hidden in it.

  Handing it to him he gives me a puzzled look before untying the ribbon. When he lifts the lid, his eyes meet mine. “Shoes?” I nod as I bite my lip. “Baby shoes?” His voice rises in excitement as the meaning behind them starts to sink in. I nod again.

  “Look under them,” I tell him.

  He lifts the shoes to find the ultrasound picture the doctor had given me last week. “Holy shit. Is this my baby?” His eyes are wide in total awe as he looks at me.

  “It’s certainly not the milk man’s,” I tease. “I’m only ten weeks along now.”

  He keeps looking down at the picture in his hand, then back up at me, nothing but pure happiness exuding from his face. Tears spring to my eyes seeing his reaction and my heart soars when he takes the one step that separates us and kisses the hell out of me.

  Giving myself to Marcus was a calculated risk. He once told me the greatest risks often lead to the best rewards, but I’d disagree. The risk was never being with him, it was being without him. My heart has always been safe with Marcus even though it took me a while to see it. As I look up at the man I love, I couldn’t be more thankful for each event in my life because it ultimately led me here.

  Right where I belong.

  For a sneak peek of Charlotte’s book, turn the page.

  Releasing early 2017.

  Please note the following excerpt is unedited and subject to change.

  TONIGHT IS A rarity because Nate is actually home for dinner. For that reason, I put in a little extra effort in my appearance before preparing his favorite dinner, chicken parmigiana rollatini.

  Nate is married to his job, and I feel like his mistress most days. If he’s not out of town, he works long hours and stumbles in not a minute before seven. It’s pretty lonely around here, and even when he is home, it’s like he’s not.

  Standing in my stilettos, I bend over and pull dinner out of the oven as soon as it beeps. After plating each dish, I smooth my hands down my little black dress, grab our plates, and bring them out to the dining room where Nate is waiting.

  My smile as I enter the room dies on my lips when he doesn’t even spare me a glance. I watch him with a combination of disgust and disappointment as he shovels food into his mouth while his eyes never shift from his phone.

  I repress the sigh that threatens to surface and try to engage him in conversation. “Your mom called today. She wanted to know what our plans were for Thanksgiving.”

  “Oh, yeah?” he responds, still looking down at the piece of technology I’ve grown to loathe.

  “She wanted to know if you were going to spend that weekend at the office or if we were coming down to visit them.”

  “Sounds great, honey.”

  He never brings his eyes up to meet mine, making me feel insignificant, but this is how it always is.

  And I’m sick of it.

  Setting my fork down and pushing my plate out of the way, I fold my arms and rest them on the table. “I’ve also decided to pick up prostitution as a part-time gig. You know, give myself some extra spending money around the holidays.”

  “Good.”

  As soon as that word is out of his mouth, I snap. I’ve spent so much time holding back my feelings, hoping things will get better.

  They’re not.

  It’s time to take control of my life and my happiness, and if that means I have to do it alone, then so be it.

  “I want a divorce.” I expected to feel heartbroken after I utter the words, but I don’t. I feel relieved.

  “Okay, sweetie.”

  I slam my hand against the middle of the table to get his attention, an uncharacteristic move on my part. He startles and finally looks up at me. “Did you hear a damn thing I just said to you?” My words drip with anger, but I doubt he picks up on it.

  “Of course,” he insists.

  I cross my arms over my chest and arch a brow at him. “Then what did I say?” I challenge.

  “Uh, you mentioned my mom.” His eyes dart around, like the answer to my question lies in this dining room somewhere.

  “Let me fill you in on what you missed. I want a divorce.” My face goes void of emotion as I stare at the man I swore to dedicate my life to.

  His mouth parts like all the wind has been knocked out of him. Disbelief crosses over to pain as I stare into his light blue eyes. It’s like a dagger to the heart to be the one to hurt the man I’ve loved my whole adult life, but I can’t be the one suffering to spare him his feelings.

  His expression can only be described as soul shattering as neither of us says anything after my declaration, but the longer we sit in silence, the harder it becomes not to back down.

  His mou
th opens and closes several times, like he’s about to say something, but all he does is shake his head slowly with wide eyes that eventually tear up.

  I have to look away. The heartache written all over him is something I’ve been feeling for quite some time, but it’s different when you know you’re inflicting that emotion onto someone you love.

  Oh, God.

  Can I go through with this?

  IT TAKES A small village to publish a book, and I don’t know what I’d do without the awesome people that help me. A simple thank you hardly seems like a big enough gesture to describe my gratitude for everything you do, and I hope you know how much I truly appreciate your help.

  To my awesome beta readers Judy, Jody, Laura, Robin, Alexis, and Isabelle. Thank you for picking apart my work, suggesting improvements, and helping me work through my self-doubt. You ladies are amazing and I’d be lost without you.

  Thank you Nichole Strauss and Christine Borgford at Perfectly Publishable. Nichole, I can always depend on you to help me fine-tune my story and make it the best it can be. Christine, you exceed at making my final product look polished and flawless. To both of you, thank you.

  Marisa, I say it every time you design a new cover for me, but this one is my favorite. Thank you so much for bringing my story to life.

  Lauren, your photos are absolutely stunning. Thank you for another fabulous cover photo.

  Judy’s Proofreading, you’re the best. Thank you for being my last set of eyes and catching the little things that fall through the cracks.

  To my two girls and husband, you are my motivation. When I’m up late at night writing or editing, I do it with you in mind. Thank you for your understanding when I have to work, and your encouragement to keep pursuing my dreams. I love you, guys.

  Last, but not least, a HUGE thank you to the bloggers and readers. Because of you, I’m able to keep doing what I do. If you’re a new reader, thank you for taking a chance on me. If you’ve read my books before, the fact that you’re reading more means the world to me. Thank you so much and I really hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.