by S. Valentine
“And your boyfriend, he’s quite something.” She giggled.
Gabi didn’t understand how Paula’s husband, in earshot, wasn’t annoyed with her confession to obviously fancying Darion.
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Oh, it’s like that, is it?” Paula nodded vehemently, as if she totally understood what Gabi meant. “So, what are you into?”
“Erm, you mean like, hobbies?”
“Well…” Paula twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “If you can call them hobbies.” She threw her head back with a soft laugh.
“Honey, Carol’s over there,” Elliot interrupted, nodding toward a tall, slim brunette, who was locked in a passionate kiss with a man. “The woman you’ve been messaging.”
“Oh, right.” Paula lifted her head to get a better view. “What do you think of her?”
“She’s very attractive,” he answered, looking at the brunette as his finger rubbed his chin.
Gabi glanced behind her, wondering where Darion was. She scanned the room once more, and noticed two women sitting on the cushions on the floor, kissing. The men that they were with were sitting there watching, appearing to be enjoying the show. Gabi’s nose wrinkled in confusion as they all vanished into another room.
When Darion returned, she felt herself relax a little. He resumed his position next to Paula, Gabi once again sitting on his lap.
“So, Darion,” Paula purred seductively, “have you ever had a foursome?” She flirted openly.
Gabi rubbed her rigid neck, outraged at such a personal question. She clamped her lips together, unsure of how long she’d be able to bite her tongue.
“There isn’t much I haven’t done,” he confessed. “How about you?”
“Oh, not yet, but I’m easy.” She grinned. “I was saying to your beautiful companion how attractive you were. So…” She sat up straighter. “Have you both discussed what level you’re willing to go to? Me and Elliot…” she paused, letting out a small groan as his hand was now up her skirt, “we have no objections to anything, except Elliot. His boundaries are women only.”
“Same,” Darion said. “And I’m sure Gabi has no objections.” He glanced at her questioningly.
Gabi ignored him. She didn’t know what was going on. She noticed a nearby couple petting heavily. Her forehead creased in confusion as she noticed another man openly caressing a woman’s breasts, whilst she kissed another woman. Eagerly, they vanished through another door.
Oh my god! Gabi’s palms grew sweaty. Her heart banged against her chest. Her stomach churned, as a sick feeling of anxiety spread through her. Darion bent down to kiss her shoulder gently, a soft trail making its way up her neck. Usually, she wouldn’t have minded his touch. Yet here, it felt dirty. She recoiled, noticing Paula’s hand sliding up Darion’s leg, and then begin to stroke his visible erection. Elliot was hungrily kissing Paula’s neck.
“I need the toilet.” Gabi jumped to her feet.
“You okay?” Darion asked, his tone soft and concerned. “If you feel uncomfortable, I told you, we can leave.”
“No, stay here.” You look like you’re having fun. She silently fumed.
She quickly paced past couples who were getting intimate with one another. She felt like she would vomit. She didn’t understand it. It was a swinger’s party! She had never met a swinger in her life. She didn’t understand how these people were about to willingly have sex with other people, whilst their partners watched, or joined in. Darion had taken her there without even advising her it was a fucking orgy. She felt her blood pressure rise. She had to get out of there.
She yanked the door open and raced toward the elevator, pressing the button several times, willing it to open before Darion caught up with her. As soon as the doors opened, she fled inside. She made out Darion’s worried face just as the doors closed. Gabi threw her head back, resting it on the wall. She hastily wiped the tears away that trickled down her cheeks. Wasn’t she enough for him? He wanted several women. Was she terrible in bed? Her mind clouded with sickening thoughts. He couldn’t care about her, if he could easily have sex with another woman in front of her, or allow her to do so with another man. He had definitely crossed the line this time. There was no way in hell that she would ever see the pervert again.
Chapter
Twenty-One
Darion
Darion raced down the stairs as fast as he could. His heart pounded in his chest, he had a painful stitch in his side, and he desperately needed to catch his breath. Yet it was imperative that he caught up with Gabi. He needed to explain himself. He should have informed her that it was a swinger’s party, but he thought he would surprise her. He stupidly thought that she would be cool with it. She had been so fun lately, opening up to him, exploring new things, having sex in public places. Plus, she hadn’t complained about their ‘open relationship.’
He’d assumed that she would’ve been aroused at watching other couples. He hadn’t wanted to have sex with another woman, nor she to do so with another man. Just them. Together. Being watched. Losing their inhibitions.
He couldn’t understand why she had run off. Perhaps it was the fact that Paula had started to touch him. Maybe she had become jealous, unable to handle it. He should have discussed rules and boundaries beforehand. He scolded himself for forgetting.
Darion wasn’t unfamiliar with swinging. Experiencing it had lit a spark in his past marriage, which kept them feeling alive. He and Eva had even visited a luxurious swinger’s resort abroad, fulfilling every fantasy. It had aroused him to see his wife getting pleasured by someone else.
They had met couples who had been swinging for ten years or more, and had never endured problems—couples who truly loved one another, who believed that life was short, that you only lived once. They treated it as a normal night out. Some even had children who were none the wiser. It was a little kinky secret between them. Darion and Eva had had a solid relationship at the time, and had strongly loved one another. He would have died for her. She was his everything. They had been two consenting adults willing to participate in swinging. What could have gone wrong?
They only had one rule: he and Eva were only to enjoy the company of another person whilst the other was present, purely to fulfil each ones fantasies and to satisfy. If one was absent, then it was classified as cheating. The rule had been broken.
He only had casual relationships since then. He allowed women to do as they pleased, as could he. If he allowed a woman such as Gabi to be with other men, then he couldn’t get hurt. If he never made her his girlfriend, he wouldn’t care what she got up to. At least in an open relationship there wasn’t a risk of being lied to, or deceived, or made a fool of.
He punched a wall, the concrete digging into his flesh. He fell to the steps, his head between his knees, trying to regain his composure. He had really loved Eva. He had ached for her for a long time. Meaningless flings didn’t fill the void, yet they took his mind off her for a night or so.
He hadn’t spoken to the bitch since they’d split. He had spoken to her lawyers, though. She wanted half of what was hers—The Black Door. Darion had ran the gentlemen’s club for years, long before he had met her, yet she had talked him into renovating the upstairs and making more money. She had put in the same costs he had, including payments toward the mortgage, giving her joint ownership. He had been like a lapdog, so into her that he would have done almost anything.
When they’d divorced, she had agreed with him that as long as he kept the club open and gave her half of what money it brought in, that they didn’t need to sell the place, and the arrangement had suited them both fine, until now. She had since gone back on her word and wanted the club sold, and was apparently having financial problems. Not that he believed her. She wanted to spite him. Eva wanted to take away all of his hopes and dreams, everything he had worked so hard for. And the worst part was that he couldn’t afford to buy out her share. The partying, drinking, and gambling over the years hadn’t been
kind to his pocket. He even had payments outstanding on his vehicles.
He pushed Eva out of his mind, and rubbed his hands up and down his face. He had hoped to have a fun night with Gabi, but his plan had failed. He wouldn’t be surprised if she never wanted to see him again.
***
Gabi
Gabi strode down the road, her shoes pinching her feet. Although she felt the beginning of a blister, she hurried her pace regardless. She wanted to get away from Darion, and quickly. The streets were pitch black, except for the glow of the street lamps. The rain lashed down fast and heavy, drenching her clothes and hair. She didn’t have a clue where she was. She had never been to this town before. She surveyed the roads, hoping a taxi would drive by.
Everything was her fault, she decided. Gabi had wanted excitement and adventure. She was the one who had been feeling sorry for herself, stuck with Lawrence, daydreaming of something more. She had gotten more than she’d bargained for tonight. How Darion thought that she would be relaxed with him fucking another girl was beyond her. She hated the fact that he flirted and had done god knows what with Gina, not to mention anyone else, however he wasn’t her boyfriend; she could hardly tell him what to do. Why had she walked into the club that night? Why had she set her sights on someone like him?
She saw the beam of car headlights nearby, and turned her head to see a black Audi. Shit! It was Darion. She quickened her pace. She heard the engine stop, and the sound of a car door being opened and closed.
“Gabi,” he yelled. “Please, hear me out.” The desperation was apparent from his trembling voice, and the sound of his footsteps grew closer.
“Fuck off,” she screamed back angrily. “Don’t come near me, you fucking pervert.”
“I’m sorry,” he cried. “I didn’t expect you to sleep with anybody else, nor for me to. I just wanted you to get a feel for it. Open your eyes to something new.”
Gabi began to sprint. Stealing a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw that he was near. She ran faster. She didn’t want his sleazy hands on her. She raced past several buildings, and crossed the road, making her way to what appeared to be a park. She quickly slipped off her heels, her feet sinking in the wet grass. The rain showed no sign of stopping. She shivered; her exposed back was especially cold.
“Gabi. Don’t run from me. I want five minutes, that’s all.”
She tripped over as he caught one of her legs. Her face hit the grass, her nose sinking straight into the dirt. She quickly rolled over and sat up, wiping it away. She was unable to control the sobs that exploded from her, the hot tears pouring down her face.
“Leave me alone. You humiliated me tonight.” She drew in a breath, and then another, feeling a little faint and sick to her stomach. “I don’t even know who you are.”
“Let me explain. I went about it the wrong way, I’m sorry.”
She wiped the tears with the back of her hand, and brought her head up to meet his. His wet hair stuck to his forehead, his drenched shirt clung to his body, the outlines of his ripped muscles beneath it visible through the damp fabric. His knuckles were covered in deep cuts, the blood of which was also smeared on his face. The light from the moon flickered in his wide, worried eyes. She had never met anyone so extremely sexy before. Gabi hated herself for being so attracted to him, especially now.
“Gabi.” He sank to the ground next to her. “Will you listen, please?”
“Whatever,” she snapped. “Say what you will, but you will never see me again.”
“I’m sorry.” His shoulders drooped, his arms hanging limp by his sides. Usually so confident, all she saw now was a vulnerability that surprised her. “I should have told you what sort of party it was.” He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “For some reason I thought you’d enjoy it. I told you I’d bring excitement to your life. I told you when I met you that you wouldn’t be the same woman if you kept seeing me.” He didn’t look at her. “You were starting to open up, doing some crazy things. I thought you liked it when I took control. I really thought that you’d have fun.”
“What? Enjoy watching you fuck another woman, right before my very eyes?” she asked, a note of disgust in her voice. She wiped her dress down, which was covered in dirt, ruined.
“I should have discussed the steps and levels of activity with you first, and whether you’d be comfortable with it.” He paused. “I didn’t want another woman. I just wanted you to get an experience of swinging. See if you liked it enough to try it sometime.”
“Have you done this before?” The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it. She wished she’d never asked when his expression hardened.
“A few times,” he confessed.
Gabi swallowed the lump in her throat, and wrapped her arms around herself defensively. Her features were tight with disapproval. She was utterly gobsmacked. Darion, the man she had adored only a short while ago, had enjoyed swinging, and orgies.
He touched her chin, turning her face until she had no choice but to look at him. “I found it fun, liberating. I’m not ashamed of it, Gabi.” He fixed her with a look, his face dark and possessed. “Everyone has different fantasies. I just happen to be open-minded, and willing to explore it all. Everything.”
She looked away from him, bringing her face up to the sky. She was relieved to see that it had stopped raining. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she took in the scenario. There they were, sitting in the muddy grass, her with dirt over her face, him with blood on his, both of them freezing cold in wet clothes, discussing swinging at 4 a.m. What a crazy world. It wasn’t so long ago when she was lying in bed with Lawrence, staring at their neatly prepared work clothes, listening to the alarm clock tick, and hating her life.
“What does swinging involve?” she asked carefully, avoiding eye contact, not even sure if she wanted to know.
“Well…” He reached for her hand, but she withdrew. “For starters, you need to be open with one another, especially when it comes to communication. Me and…” He paused. “Me and one of my ex-girlfriends were comfortable with it.”
He took the cigarette box from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it after it was in his mouth. “We followed rules, no separating, no sex unless we both agreed, and safe sex always.” He blew out smoke. “We would always ask the other before we did anything. Who could play with who, how far we could take it, where we could do it, you know like the same bed, same room, whatever. We frequently communicated, so it was never a problem.” He thudded the ground with his fist. “Well, almost,” he corrected himself, focusing on the ground.
“What happened?”
“Why does it matter?” he asked. “You weren’t open to trying it, you said you wouldn’t enjoy it, and you don’t wanna see me again. So, none of this matters, Gabi.” He climbed to his feet.
“You didn’t warn me,” she yelled. “A swinger’s party isn’t something you just fucking spring on someone.” She stood up, anger flooding her.
“I said I’m sorry.” He headed for the street. “I don’t know why I expected you to enjoy it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she snapped. “You think I’m boring? Close-minded? Vanilla?”
“I didn’t say that.” He shook his head, dropping the cigarette butt to the ground. “Come. I’ll take you home.”
She followed him in silence toward the car, her heels in her hands. Her feet were now black from the mud. She wondered whether Darion minded her ruining his immaculate car. Oh well. She no longer gave a damn.
She noticed as he wiped his face hastily. Gabi’s brow furrowed in confusion. What happened with his ex-wife? She knew that he had been talking about her. His expression had been so pained, like he’d break down. If she wasn’t so angry with Darion, she may have felt sorry for him.
Back in the car, the silence continued. She had so many unanswered questions and thoughts whirling around in her head. Did she want to see him again? She had heard that threesomes were more common than people
tended to think, but orgies, swinging parties? Was it normal? Were people doing that now? Had the ‘free love’ of the sixties returned?
Darion’s bloody fingers gripped the steering wheel. The pressure caused the cuts to reopen and bleed. His chest rose and fell with his loud and heavy breathing. He gritted his teeth like he always did when he was agitated. He didn’t look at Gabi once.
He drove faster than ever, like a maniac. The car skidded past corners on the wet roads. Gabi grabbed the handle of the door, hoping that they wouldn’t crash. He was scaring her. She tried to look out of the window, but it was complete blackness, plus he was driving so fast that she doubted she would have caught sight of anything. Her heart felt as if it would burst out of her chest as fear pulsed through her. She willed for him to slow down.
Did he want to get her home so fast? For some reason, even after everything, she realised that she didn’t want to go home.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
“Darion, slow down,” she screamed as they swerved around another corner, and she slid in her seat.
She could see nothing but fields and trees for miles. She had no idea where they were. She kept picturing them crashing, and being stuck in a ditch. Maybe she was overreacting. He’s a good driver, she tried to reassure herself.
“Darion,” she repeated. “You’re scaring me.”
He showed no signs of slowing down, keeping his foot firmly on the accelerator. Gabi looked at him, her mouth agape. He seemed to be in some sort of daze, his unblinking eyes staring through the windscreen, as if he wasn’t actually seeing the roads.
“Darion.” She slapped him on the arm as hard as she could.
“What the fuck,” he exclaimed, coming out of his possessed state. He veered off the road, until he came to a deserted spot near some trees. He slammed on the brakes, and pulled up the handbrake forcefully. “Gabi, what are you playing at?”
