All in all there were four married couples - Chelsea and Max, Marty and Belle, Debbie and Brian, Elsie and Frank - and four singles - Alan, Sam, a sweet girl called Laura who was also a nurse, and Sophie.
Apart from Debbie, Sophie thought she liked the women at the table. Belle was friendly, Laura was shyly sweet, Chelsea was a laugh, Elsie was a chatterbox, but Debbie was, well, a frigid bitch. Hey, first impressions weren’t good for Debbie, and her continued barely hidden contempt wasn’t lost on Sophie.
Taking a seat right beside Sophie, Alan placed a tin of Diet Coke before her. “Okay like this or do you want a glass?”
“No, this is fine, thank you.” Surprised but pleased at his courtesy, she smiled briefly at him before looking across the table at anyone, because if she looked too long at Alan her gaze would fall to his mouth and the memory of that cream-filled kiss that still had the power to make her toes curl.
Elsie was chatting about books, her husband talking to the men about cars. Somehow the table had managed to shift into two halves - the women at the bottom half talking about books, the men at the top half talking about cars, so two conversations were able to go at once.
Invariably the talk turned to books and genres, and sure as God made green apples the talk turned to Sophie’s books and the erotic romance genre.
“Hot,” Elsie pronounced. “That’s all I can say, hot hot hot.” She fanned one hand in front of her face.
“I know!” Chelsea grinned. “Some of those scenes from Fire had me thinking about sneaking into the Fire Station to have my bad way with the firemen.”
Debbie’s smile grew fixed.
“But then I remembered that I was married.” Chelsea winked.
“Playroom,” Belle said suddenly, her cheeks a delicate shade of pink. “That was a little revealing.”
“A little?” Elsie laughed. “Oh my God, there was nothing little about what was used in that playroom!”
Game face on. Cool and in control, Sophie smiled. No one could faze her. She had to remember to bring Ghost a present back, his coaching had been a blessing. “Thanks.”
“As for Heavy Handed,” Chelsea added, “that spanking scene! I know I shouldn’t have found it sexy, but holy cow, punishment has surely never been hotter.”
“Huh,” Belle mused. “I haven’t read it yet. I couldn’t imagine a spanking being, you know, sexy.” She cast a furtive sidelong look at Marty who, even though he wasn’t really listening, must have sensed her gaze because his fingers started caressing her shoulder idly.
Belle smiled, all soft and dreamy, and snuggled closer to him. He automatically shifted to accommodate her.
That gesture just warmed Sophie’s heart. How easy they fit together, he attuned to her mood. Now that was love.
“Taming Mandy,” Laura said suddenly, surprising Sophie. “That had some very revealing scenes.”
“Oh, tell me about it.” Elsie grinned. “Oral sex was never so good!” She glanced sideways to where her husband sat oblivious. “Though Frank did learn a thing or two.” She giggled, her cheeks going rosy.
“Glad to be of service.” Sophie laughed.
Laura leaned over the table. “How much of what you write have you done, Sophie?”
“Whoa, Laura!” Chelsea whistled. “Looking for pointers? And I do mean ‘pointers’.” She made air quotes with her fingers.
Laura just smiled.
Hmm, seemed like sweet, shy Laura had a backbone after all. It was always the quiet ones.
Debbie looked coldly across the table at Sophie. “Yes, just how much is real, Sophie? How much have you done?”
“I only write what I know,” Sophie replied coolly.
“Really?” Debbie’s smile was anything but pleasant. “So the oral sex…?”
There was no help coming from Chelsea, she was hanging onto every word. Belle was blushing a little, but there was a knowing look in her eyes right before she dropped her gaze to the table. Well, well.
“Come on,” Elsie said. “No holding back. Any tips for beginners?”
Oh boy. Not good. Sophie raised her brows. “I don’t think this is quite the place to discuss this, do you?”
“Can’t see why not,” Elsie retorted. “We’re all friends here.”
Sophie cast a glance sideways, nearly doing a double take to find that Alan was leaning towards her, his arm across the back of her chair, his head turned away as he spoke to Max. Holy cow, when had that happened?
“Yeah.” Chelsea drew her attention back with a light kick to the shins. “Come on, little cousin, you’ve been holding out on me for years. I don’t forgive that easily. Your punishment is to reveal some of the tricks you know.”
More than aware now of Alan’s presence, Sophie shifted a little uncomfortably.
Debbie’s eyes narrowed in satisfaction. “Or is there something you wish to confess, Sophie?”
Sophie’s eyes narrowed. Bitch. “Got a problem, Debbie?”
Debbie’s gaze drifted over Sophie, and Sophie knew exactly what the blonde cow was inferring without saying a word. How could a woman of Sophie’s generous proportions possibly know anything about lust, sex, or intimacy with a man?
Well, time to twist Debbie into a knot. Sophie might not know everything personally, but she did her research well and she wasn’t stupid. And Debbie didn’t know just what Sophie got up to - which was nothing, but hell, she could lie with the best of them. Thank you, Ghost.
“Oh,” Belle began, “let’s not bother Sophie. I’m sure she gets tired of talking about some things.”
Awww, how sweet was Belle?
“I’m sure she’d enjoy sharing her knowledge,” Debbie retorted, her perfect teeth showing.
Wow, what a bitch. Well, she asked for it.
Sophie smiled, took a sip of Diet Coke and rested her forearms on the table. “What, exactly, do you want to know about oral sex, Debbie? What don’t you know?”
Debbie flushed.
“Everything,” Chelsea said boldly. “All the extras. Leave nothing out.”
“Fine. First off, remember that the underside of the man’s penis is extremely sensitive.” Sophie played her fingers along the Diet Coke can. “Lick it with just the tip of your tongue. Play with it, but only use the tip. Speaking of tips,” she added on a drawl, “don’t forget that little slit in the top of shaft head. Don’t want it to feel left out.”
Debbie’s cheeks were bright red with embarrassment and a touch of fury. “Anyone could know that from a book.”
“Sure, but only experience can really let you know how to play with…” Sophie winked. “It.”
Chelsea laughed, Elsie grinned from ear to ear, and Belle just nodded. Laura was hanging onto every word.
“Cute,” Debbie said coldly. “Like I said, anything you can get from a book.”
Sophie looked her right in the eye. “A man’s sac is sensitive. Fondle it, roll the balls, pull it gently from the body just enough to cause sensation. If you’re really good, you can take one ball in your mouth. If you’re into sucking sacs, of course.” The words were coarse, but she said it sweetly.
Chelsea’s mouth dropped open. “Really?”
“Sure.” She took several mouthfuls of drink.
Debbie was looking anything but pleased. “Sounds…”
“Dirty?” Sophie smiled widely. “Oh yeah, it’s down and dirty. But it gets better when you swallow that shaft.” She dropped her eyelashes, peering sultrily through them at the avidly listening women. “Deep throat it.”
A strangled sound came from further down the table and she glanced sideways to see that the men had all fallen silent and were listening as avidly as the women. Oh shit. Game face, game face! Just don’t look at Alan. She could feel him looking at her, his nearness suddenly almost suffocating. Not to mention that his arm was over the back of her chair and he wasn’t just leaning towards her, no, she had his full attention.
Chapter 5
Sam just looked stunned. Oops. She sent him
an apologetic look, but he just blinked back.
Obviously believing that she wouldn’t dare go further, Debbie drew herself up, linking her hands loosely on the table and smiling disbelievingly. “I’ve heard you’re into spankings.”
“Now where did a nice girl like you read that?” Sophie shot back.
Chelsea laughed outright. “Have you been sneaking peeks at raunchy books, Deb? Shame on you!”
“Spankings aren’t fun,” Debbie replied, almost snapping the answer before regaining her decorum. “It’s brutality.”
Oh boy, this was going to be fun. Sophie smiled slowly, arching her brow upwards. “Well now, that depends on who’s the bad girl and who’s giving the spanking.” She licked her lips slowly, deliberately. “And what happens afterwards.”
Debbie’s cheeks flamed.
The table was silent, and then Chelsea leaned forward again. “So this deep throating-”
“Chels,” Max said warningly.
“Oh, come on, Max. I don’t know if I’m doing it right.”
“Jesus!” Sam leaped up. “Chels, please!”
“Oh, grow up, Sam. I’m sure you’ve been sucked off before.”
“Holy cow! Max!”
“Yeah, him too,” Chelsea said, totally uninhibited. “Tell him, Max.”
“What? No, Sam, I didn’t…I mean, we did…oh shit.” Face in his hands, Max was unable to look at either his wife or his brother-in-law.
Marty was grinning from ear to ear.
“Nice,” Alan drawled. “I’ve never seen Max speechless before.”
“It’s my sister,” Sam declared. “She’d shock the shit out of anyone.”
“Hey, just telling it like it is,” Chelsea retorted.
“No more,” Max growled. “I’m warning you, Chels.”
“Or what? You’ll spank me?” She stood up, her eyes laughing wickedly. “I dare you!”
Max leaped up and ran for her.
Chelsea shrieked and took off, disappearing around the corner of the house, Max in pursuit.
Worried, Sophie bit her lip. Sam just shook his head at her.
“Relax.” Alan’s hand dropped onto her shoulder as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Chels is always stirring Max up. He loves it.”
Relax? With Alan so close she could smell his tantalizing mix of aftershave and man all mixed up in one delicious scent? And feel the warmth of his body? Relaxed was the last thing she felt. Game face on, Soph!
Sophie cast a smile at him only to find his eyes fastened on her, all hot and - sweet baby Jesus, was that a hint of lust? Her loins almost quivered in response. Shifting her gaze before she could disgrace herself by throwing herself at him, she found Debbie glaring at her. So she smiled coyly back and leaned into Alan.
Give the man credit, he didn’t push her away but just let her lean into him. His fingers started drawing slow circles on her arm and her eyes nearly went out of focus.
From the side of the house came shrieks of laughter and growled threats, then silence for about a minute followed by giggles. Sam shook his head again when his sister and brother-in-law came tumbling back around the house, Chelsea with her hair falling out of the now loose bun and Max’s shirt pulled out from his pants. Max grinned at Sam and sat down while Chelsea draped herself on his lap, still giggling.
“I need meat before I can stomach anymore,” Sam announced.
“Amen brother,” Frank agreed, winking at Elsie. “Gotta get my strength up.”
Elsie blushed and simpered. Belle shared a secret look with Marty, both of them grinning. Yeah, Sophie had no doubt there was nothing wrong with their love lives.
At least they had one.
Poor old Brian she wasn’t so sure about, married to Debbie. Going by the wistful looks he was casting towards her, he was lucky to get anything. Probably had him booked in for a monthly conjugal visit. In the dark. Touching only what he was allowed to. Under her nightgown which probably covered her from neck to ankle and had elastic around the bottom to ensure it didn’t creep up during the night and give her husband a sneaky feel.
Seeing Sam head towards the kitchen door, she stood up. “I’ll help you bring the food out.”
“I’ll help, too,” Belle said, getting up.
Alan drained his can of Coke and pushed to his feet. “Geez, I guess I’d better look productive seeing as you’re all our guests and everything.”
“Good thinking,” Marty agreed. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always hungry,” Belle retorted.
He waggled his eyebrows at her, causing her to blush and laugh.
Within no time the meat was sizzling on the BBQ, the salads and desserts were on the table, the paper plates and plastic cutlery positioned in front of everyone. Drinks were renewed and everyone apart from Sam, who was working the BBQ, sat down to chat.
The phone rang and Alan went in to answer it, returning to the door a mere minute later to call out, “It’s for you, Soph.”
Wondering who it could be, she walked to the house, pausing at the door to allow Alan to shift and let her through. She couldn’t help but glance up when he murmured with obvious displeasure, “It’s a man.”
Sometimes she just couldn’t figure him out.
Returning to the table, Alan couldn’t get the caller from his mind. A male caller, this Ghost bloke she had mentioned a few times. What did he want? Even more, what did he mean to Sophie?
God, Sophie. What she’d come out with at the table had almost had him showing everyone what an impressive boner he was capable of getting. No doubt so did every other bloke at the table. That wasn’t a good thing, not if they were getting it by listening to his Soph.
He could only imagine what she could get up to in his bed. She had experience, no doubt she could blow his mind, among other things, yet…yet the thought that she’d learned the techniques from someone else, from some other bloke, that didn’t sit well.
Oh, he wasn’t going to be a hypocrite and say she was a slut for sleeping around and being experienced, far from it. She had needs, rights, just like he did. He was certainly no pure boy, hadn’t been for years. But somehow just the thought of someone touching her, being inside her, it was just…wrong. Bloody wrong. Enough to make him want to howl at the moon wrong. Enough to make him want to claim her, throw her on the table, take her roughly, cover her with his scent then stand there smiling in triumph because every other bloke in the vicinity and beyond would know who she belonged to now.
Man, was he going nuts? Yeah, he was, and it was all thanks to Soph.
He needed a beer. Getting up, he headed back into the house. Going into the kitchen and taking a can from the ‘fridge, he looked towards the hallway where her voice was coming from. Even as he turned his head, his eyes narrowing, her voice dropped to a whisper.
Now how strange was that? She was obviously hiding something. Whispering naughty things into this Ghost’s ears, perhaps?
Shit, he should just walk away, but instead he placed the can on the bench, his feet moving of their own accord, his ears straining to hear as he left the kitchen and approached the lounge. Stopping just short of the doorway, he listened unashamedly.
It wasn’t what he expected.
“I’m telling you, Ghost, she was trying to trip me up!” She was obviously listening to the reply, because her words came to him with pauses. “Yeah, she was…asking all these questions…uh-huh…so I said, well, you know….and then Chelsea started with Max - no, not sex! Geez! I mean, she started goading Max and…no, I’m not giving you all the details.” She laughed softly, the low tone making Alan’s innards churn a little. Whether from nausea because it was aimed at another man or disturbing because her low laugh did funny things to him, he wasn’t quite sure.
He was about to back away when she continued talking, her voice even more hushed. “It was close, Ghost. What if she trips me up? What if I accidentally let it slip?”
Let it slip? Alan frowned. Let what slip?
“I�
��m worried,” Sophie whispered. “What if they find out that I’m making things up, that I haven’t really done all this erotic love making, that I’m not experienced?”
Well, hello. Alan’s ears perked up. She hadn’t done it all? Sophie wasn’t experienced? What the-
“God, I haven’t made love to a man, not even a vibrator! ...I know, too much information, sorry…”
Alan’s eyebrows shot upwards. Wow. Double wow.
“If they find out I’m a virgin, my reputation as an experienced erotic romance writer is shot to pieces.”
One word rang in Alan’s ears. Virgin. Sophie was a virgin? But everything she said, she wrote…
“I know its all fantasy, Ghost. It’s also my livelihood, as you know….yes…I have to maintain that game face. Yes, I know I shouldn’t fret... You’re right…I know all I have to do is play the game, maintain the façade. You taught me well. I just can’t help but worry….uh-huh…uh-huh…”
Virgin. Sophie Willow was a virgin. Alan grinned slowly.
“Okay, Ghost, okay. Game face on. I’ve got my game face on. Yes, I am the sex goddess. I know it all, I’ve done it all.” Sophie laughed. “Yes, I’ll ring you if I panic or need help. Thanks Ghost.”
Alan didn’t hear anymore. Instead, still grinning widely, he leaned one shoulder against the wall and crossed his ankles, waiting.
Sophie Willow, virgin. Erotic romance writer, virgin. Air of experience, but virgin. Oh yeah, that tasted sweet, so very, very sweet.
He heard her put the phone down and waited. When she came around the doorway and turned into the hall, her eyes widened at the sight of him, her lush, pink lips parting.
Virginal lips that had never wrapped around a man’s shaft and sucked him dry. No, those lips were as pure as driven snow.
“Well, well, well,” he drawled. “If it isn’t little Sophie Willow.” He smiled, a flash of white teeth as predatory as he felt. “The Virgin Sex Queen.”
Her face went white.
“So, Sophie.” Alan wagged a finger at her. “Got something to tell me?”
The Virgin Sex Queen Page 12
