Husbands and Boyfriends

Peace Offerings

Jewel

"There's a conference coming up in a couple of months." His voice stopped me as I grabbed the doorknob.

Try as I might, I couldn't make the words fit into any relevant context. "Okay." Not looking back, I turned the knob.

"It's in Paris."

What was he getting at? "Okay," I repeated. "I'm not sure what you want me to do with that information." My attention was still focused on the closed door in front of me.

"Would you like to go?" The question was soft. If I hadn't been straining to hear over the racing beat of my heart, I probably would've missed it.

Pushing against the wood, I waited for the door to click shut again before turning to face him. "I take it that this is an industry conference?" An industry I wasn't part of. At his nod, I continued, "Then I'm not sure how my being there would do you any good."

"It wouldn't, but having Jack there would be beneficial. And I think it would do you a world of good to go with him. Think about it, a week's vacation in Paris. The city of lights. All expenses paid."

Fuck. The implications had me leaning back in search of the support provided by the cold wood. We'd never had our honeymoon. We were too busy and broke. But, if we had, I wanted it to be Paris. Still... There were some definite drawbacks to Aaron's proposal. "So I would what? Tour the city and do all the romantic touristy things while Jack sits through panels and workshops?" At second thought, it didn't sound all that great after all. "Thanks but no thanks. We'll go when we can both have a vacation."

"He won't have to sit through any panels or workshops that he didn't want to."

I took a step toward him. "And how would that work? The board will want some accounting of the money spent." As profitable as the company was, there was always someone looking to audit business expenses. "If Jack goes and doesn't make any contacts, doesn't learn anything, doesn't network there will be red flags."

Crossing his arms, one of his eyebrows lifted. "Astute observation."

"MBA," I said in answer. "There's more than a pretty skirt standing in front of you right now."

"Trust me, I see you." He ran his fingers through his short, dark hair. "I know I handled our last interaction wrong and I'm doing what I can to say that I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "Really, we're all good. Any misunderstanding was on my part. You don't owe me anything."

He held his hands up. "I feel like I do. And I can do this." He took a step towards me. "Please. Let me do this." Before I could argue, he continued. "I'll go as well. I'll sit through all the networking parties and the panels. Except the ones Jack really wants to sit through."

With a cock of my head, I took another step towards him. He would go with us? That thought made my stomach do funny things. The same things it did when Connor touched me. I shook the thought out of my head. He'd already rejected me once. This wasn't a proposition, it was a peace offering. "Doesn't sound like much fun for you."

"I'm the boss. I don't get to have fun," he said with a shrug.

If he were big enough to hold out an olive branch, I could be big enough to take it. "Okay." A genuinely surprised expression washed over his features before he nodded. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." He rested a hand on the small of my back as he spun me so I faced the door again. "I am really sorry I neglected Jack and I'm sorry I was so harsh with you. I'm glad we can put this behind us."

The quick change of personality left me a little light headed. "No. I'm sorry. I was out of line."

"Please. It's business. I get it." His thumb rubbed my bare back as he walked me to the door. "I didn't get to where I am by always playing by the rules and being a good guy. Jack should be thankful he's got such a great partner in his corner."

I stumbled as we reached the door. "Thank you." The words sounded every bit as confused as I was. Hadn't he just accused me of whoring myself out? My head hurt as I tried to make it reproduce his exact words. Unfortunately, too much had happened in too short of a time. Our encounter, as odd as it was, kind of blurred together into a surreal experience that refused to be parsed out in any logical manner.

"No. Thank you. I'm glad you sought me out and set the record straight. That was brave of you." His hand was on the door knob. He was two seconds from dismissing me. And I still hadn't figured out what had changed.

My brain clung to the bit about setting the record straight. The only thing I'd corrected was his belief that Jack had put me up to the proposition. Was that the missing piece to his change in attitude? "So when you thought Jack was behind my offer that was bad?"

"Not great," he admitted as he opened the door. With a firm hand on my back, he guided me back toward the party. "What would it say about me as a boss if my employees felt they had to bribe me to get promotions?" He shook his head. "Not great things."

"But since it was my idea, it was just business?"

"You were offering a service, yes, but Jack wasn't judging my competency as a boss." Was his proximity frying what was left of my ability to think straight or was he actually starting to make some sense? "That was the important part. Jack's opinion was the only one that mattered. As far as he was concerned, he thought I would enjoy fucking his wife. Can't blame him for that. Under different circumstances, I probably would have." His hand slipped to cup my ass and, without thought, I slowed to lean into the touch. "Hope to see you in Paris," he whispered into my ear as he squeezed my cheek. Heat flooded me at the intimate touch. "If not before." With a wink, he pushed me toward the party.

Shit. Had I seriously just done that? Had I encouraged Jack's boss to grope me after just being fingered by a bartender and fucked by my husbad? What was wrong with me tonight. With numb steps, I continued toward my husband. He was, amazingly enough, in the middle of what appeared to be a conversation with one of the other partners.

"Sweetheart," he said as he wrapped an arm around me. "Lindsey was just telling me about a conference coming up in Paris. He's certain that this is his year. Isn't that great?"

No. Not only was it not great because Jack's voice had that strained tone it got when he'd hit his social threshold but it also wasn't great because...well...we were going to that fucking conference. I forced myself to smile as I looked up at the tall blond man. "Yes. Fantastic." I nearly grimaced at the clipped tone of my own voice. By the sideways glance Jack gave me, I wasn't the only one who had heard it. I glanced over at Jack. "Would you like a drink, dear?" With that question, Jack would know I wasn't all right. Getting a drink was our escape phrase. If he needed a break he would offer to get me one. I'd never, in all our years of marriage, offered to get him one, however.

"Please," his voice was soft as he took a longer look at me. "Scotch. Neat."

I nodded. "Coming right up."

The party disappeared into the background as I made my way over to the bar. The man standing behind the slab of marble and wood smiled politely and took my order. Still, I was thankful when my traitorous body didn't respond to him. For a moment I was worried that I was going to be rubbing up against every man I saw from now on. I shook my head to clear the heat that spiraled through my core as the image of rubbing up against Aaron popped into my head.

Nope. Must just be Aaron. As I slipped the bartender's tip into his jar, my mind started to wander to the other bartender I'd stood in front of this evening. Connor. The fog of desire started to solidify in the pit of my stomach. Okay, Aaron and Connor, I corrected.

Thankfully, when I turned, I almost ran into Jack. "Are you doing okay?" he asked as he took his drink from me.

"Aaron just hit on me." I rubbed my temple with one hand as I did my best to keep my mind from playing out anymore erotic scenes. The last thing I needed was to start picturing myself between Aaron, his hands on my ass, and Connor, his hands on my breasts. I moaned as the image seared itself into my brain. If this continued, I would need more than a drink to relax. Being fucking in the backseat of a car was fun upon occasion. I didn't think I would find the second time in one night to be as pleasant, however. "I think. Maybe."

"Maybe he's having second thoughts," Jack said with a soft laugh. "Serves the bastard right."

"Lindsey isn't going to Paris," I continued, ignoring his words. "We are."

Jack paused, his drink halfway to his lips. "What?"

"You heard me. Jack is sending you to Paris and I'm expected to accompany you." Taking his drink back from him, I took a sip. The liquid's warmth chased away the cloud fogging my head as it slid down my throat. "Oh, and he's going as well."

To my surprise, his eyes danced with excitement as a bright smile spread over his expression. "Fuck." Taking back his drink, he took a gulp of the scotch. "That's fantastic, Jewlie."

A shiver of hunger swept through me as he used my pet name. The name he most often used when he was about to orgasm inside me. The heat of the scotch began to meld with the desire pumping through me. My breathing became rapid and my pulse throbbed in my ears.

Jack's smile froze as he stared down into my face. I didn't have to wonder what he saw. The hunger had consumed too much of me to be contained. "Damn. You're practically glowing, Jewlie." A small moan escaped me at the repeated use of the name. He leaned down to ask, "If I felt your pussy now, would you be ready for me?"

I managed a stiff nod as he grabbed my hand. "Wait, I can't do the car again tonight." I mean, I probably could if that was the only option. I would just rather not.

"Don't worry, I've got something else in mind."

Powerless to stop him, I allowed him to lead me through the party. We nodded and said hello as needed but did our best to avoid getting wrapped up in any conversation. Every second he held my hand, he rubbed the rough pad of his thumb along the sensitive skin on the inside of my wrist.

By the time a heavy door clicked behind us, I had lost all ability to think. "Fuck, Jack. I need you." Turning, I pulled the tight hem of the skirt up. It clung to my body above my hips giving Jack full access. I wanted nothing more than him to slam his cock into me. For him to take me from behind. But he had other thoughts. He dropped to his knees behind me. I barely had time to grab onto the back of a chair and brace myself against the onslaught of his tongue.

Panting, I closed my eyes and buried my face in the soft upholstery of the chair as I leaned over to give Jack better access. "Yes, God." I ground back against his face. "Right there." He'd found my clit and was flicking his tongue over the tight bundle of nerves ruthlessly. "More. Please, Jack. I need more." The words came out in a broken whine. Pleading. I had been reduced to begging for my husband to bring some end to the need devouring me.

As he slid one finger into my core, the world exploded. Gone was the discomfort, the hunger, the desperate need. In that one brief moment, my body floated in a cloud of contentment. "Yes. Yes. Yes."

He was on his feet and supporting me from behind just as my knees gave out. "That's my Jewlie. All better now?"

My eyes still closed, I let out a rumbling sigh of happiness. "Yes. Thank you."

With a soft kiss on my cheek, he said, "Sorry about the intrusion, Mr. Dickerson. As you could see, it was a kind of an emergency."

My heart stopped. The moment of bliss dissipated. Mr. Dickerson? Was Jack teasing me? Surely he was. There was no way he would've eaten me out in front of his boss. Would he? Taking a fortifying breath, I straightened my shoulders and opened my eyes.