Friends with Benefits

by Anne Lange

  His concern traveled the phone line and whispered in her ears.

  She smiled. “Yes, Tyler, I’m fine.”

  He chuckled, the rumble sexy and deep. “I’ll be home around dinnertime tomorrow.”

  “OK. I love you, Tyler.”

  “I love you too, baby. Night.”

  Angela hung up and relaxed into the mattress, satiated. They’d never had phone sex before. Another fantasy fulfilled.

  Chapter Ten

  The following morning Angela lay in bed, the crisp cotton sheet wrapped around her waist, her tank stretched across her breasts, her arms flung over her head as she listened to the sounds of hammering and the occasional curse out in her backyard. She remembered the flirting, the sex in the pool, the sex in the kitchen, and then sex over the phone with Tyler. She’d never masturbated for her husband before. At least not with him in hearing distance. She’d never had sex so often in one day before. She giggled like a schoolgirl.

  In the early days of their relationship, she and Tyler had been more adventurous, but even then it had been contained to the car, or maybe a secluded spot in the park. Once or twice they had done it on the beach late at night while they kept one eye open. She couldn’t recall a time when they’d done anything as naughty as what she’d done yesterday with Connor.

  Would he regret any of it? She was squeamish at the thought of looking him in the eye today. She knew she wouldn’t be able to without blushing scarlet from head to toe. And she still had dinner to look forward to.

  Opting for quick and easy, she’d decided on grilled steaks and baked potatoes with a small salad. She could prepare both the salad and potatoes this morning while the steaks marinated for the day. Then as soon as Tyler arrived, he and Connor could spend some time getting to know one another while she cooked dinner. With the meal planning out of the way, she had the rest of her day to sit in the sun and fantasize about her handyman.

  Mid-morning had rolled around by the time she showered, prepped for supper and made coffee. With the biggest pair of sunglasses she could find, she sucked in a healthy dose of bravado and went in search of Connor, a coffee mug in each hand. When she turned the corner, the impact of seeing him again was like hitting rewind on a tape recorder.

  Today, he wore another pair of cut-off denim shorts and no shirt. Unlike yesterday, she didn’t have to wonder how soft they felt, or how his skin would feel under her fingers. She couldn’t help dragging her eyes up his body, devouring every inch. Clearing her throat, she alerted him to her presence.

  He glanced over his shoulder to acknowledge her, then turned back to finish his task before setting aside the drill.

  “Morning.” He reached for the coffee. “Thank you.”

  The man smelled delicious—clean soap and a mild aftershave.

  “No problem.” She glanced around at the work he’d accomplished. “At this rate, you’ll be finished well before dinner time.”

  “Should be,” he said. “There’s not much left to do. I plan to work straight through lunch so I can get it done.”

  “That’s great.” She paused, unsure about her next words. “Um, I was wondering if I could ask you something.” She swallowed, bracing herself to ask her question. “Connor, my husband and I, we…” How did she ask this of a stranger? “That is, we’ve been thinking about acting out some of our fantasies. And…well…I was wondering if you’d be willing to help me fulfill one of his.”

  Was Connor blushing? He coughed and turned away so she couldn’t be sure. “Angela, I don’t know about that. I haven’t seen the man at all since I’ve been working on your deck. Is he aware of what’s happened between you and me?”

  “He is.”

  Connor spun back to face her, his eyes round. “You told him?”

  “Yes, of course. When I spoke with him last night.”

  Connor’s shoulders relaxed, but he gave her a questioning look. “And?”

  She dropped her gaze to her feet and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “And nothing. He urged me to explore one of my fantasies. And I did. Now I want to do the same for him.”

  “And what fantasy would that be exactly?”

  “A…um…ah…a threesome.” She whispered the words, and then held her breath.

  “What was that?”

  She looked up to see his brows raised. He’d heard.

  “A threesome. He told me he’s had one before, and he enjoyed it. So I was wondering if you’d be willing to join us.” Warmth flooded Angela’s cheeks. She squelched the urge to cross her fingers.

  Connor turned his back to her. “I’m not so sure meeting the husband of the woman I’ve fucked twice in the last twenty-four hours is such a great idea. Strangers are supposed to remain strangers, Angela. That’s the whole premise of that particular fantasy.”

  “You’re not exactly a stranger anymore.” She fidgeted. She decided to ignore the fact he hadn’t answered her question about the threesome. “Tyler will be home by dinner time. We’d really like you to join us. I’d like it. It will give you time to clean up, and then you two can do the male bonding thing while I get the food ready.”

  A strange expression came over his face, but he raised his cup and took a sip of coffee before she had a chance to see it fully materialize. “I know he’ll want to thank you himself after he’s seen the work you’ve done. And don’t forget to put together a bill so we can pay you.”

  Connor choked on a mouthful of his drink.

  “Are you OK?”

  “Yeah.” He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “Um. I’m still not sure about this. Don’t you think introducing me to your husband will be a little awkward?”

  “Yes, but as I said, he already knows. It’s not as though I cheated on him. I went into this weekend with his encouragement.” Butterflies moved into her stomach. Perhaps that was all she could handle, all she should focus on, the two of them meeting, nothing more.

  “If you’re sure.” He shrugged. “Dinner sounds great. I’m looking forward to seeing your husband.” His gaze skated away from hers as he surveyed the deck. “And, don’t worry. I think we can come to a mutually agreeable amount.”

  “I think he’ll be pleased. It would have taken him many weekends to get done what you’ve completed in two days.”

  Connor snorted, catching her off guard. “I’m glad I had the time to help.”

  He turned around and handed her his empty mug. His dark eyes zeroed in on hers for what seemed like an eternity. “I’d better get back to work if I’m going to finish before he gets home.”

  Wrapping both hands around the mug, she shifted, preparing to head back inside the house.

  “And, Angela?”

  She twirled to face him in time to catch the odd glint once again in his eyes. “Yes?”

  “About the threesome?” He looked out over the yard. “Why don’t we get through dinner tonight first, and if you’re still interested, I’m in.”

  The fact that he seemed to be avoiding looking at her gave her pause. “OK.”

  “How about I finish the work here? The sooner I get this done, the sooner you’ll have your hot tub.”

  “Sure. Tyler will be home around dinnertime. I’ve got some work to do. If you need anything, let me know.” She tried to catch is gaze, but he seemed focused on the tools.

  Since she’d taken care of dinner, and Connor appeared intent on finishing the job, Angela decided to devote a little time on cursory housework and then her own work. If Connor could concentrate on the job, so could she. She headed back inside to spend the next few hours trying to keep her mind off her sexy handyman and the implications of what tonight might bring.

  * * *

  Tyler would be home any minute now. Angela paced the front room. She smoothed her hands down her dress. Connor had completed the work outside as promised and then disappeared. By the time she’d gone outside to offer him lunch and a cool drink, he’d been gone, all signs of construction work cleaned up and a beautiful, fully-enclosed
hot tub oasis left behind. To her delight, he’d even managed to maneuver the tub into place on the deck. It now sat with a hose snaking across the deck and over the edge filling the tub with sun-warmed water. Another couple of days and it would be ready for use.

  Confused and a tad hurt he hadn’t said a word to her, she tried not to worry about it, deciding instead to assume he’d gone home to shower and change.

  Or had he disappeared to avoid her and Tyler?

  Maybe this was a mistake. A huge mistake. Not all men considered threesomes erotic. Perhaps Connor had no interest in joining her and Tyler in that way, and rather than be honest, decided to simply slip away instead.

  Her thoughts switched to her husband, and those butterflies swooped to life. Going from fun after-sex pillow talk to the real thing seemed awkward. Would Tyler’s presence change things?

  The image of Tyler and Connor, of their hands traversing her body, kneading her breasts, or the two of them taking her…she shivered as molten heat flowed through her to settle between her thighs. Thinking of two tongues, two sets of hands, and two cocks filled her with unleashed desire, generating an ache that she felt certain only those two sexy men could fill. She gulped. Thinking about it was one thing; acting on it, quite another.

  The front door opened. Angela jumped, her hand flying to her neckline as her handsome husband strolled in.

  “Honey, I’m home.” He dropped his bag on the floor.

  She took a deep breath, though it did nothing to calm her, and walked straight into his welcoming arms. “I’m glad you’re home. How was the trip?”

  “OK. I sure missed you, though. Mom says hi.”

  Taking her hand, he hauled her over to the sofa and plunked down, pulling her so she landed in a heap in his lap. He rearranged her until she sat comfortably across his muscular thighs. Then he nuzzled his face into her neck, while he trailed his fingers along her thigh to just under the edge of her dress.

  “Mmm. I really missed you. Those phone calls heated me up, made me imagine all sorts of kinky things.” He tongued a ticklish spot on her neck, and she giggled.

  “Let me get you a cold drink and we can catch up before I take you outside to show you—” Angela paused and blinked. She forced herself to concentrate on the reason she wanted to take her husband outside. “I want to show you Connor’s handiwork.”

  “He’s got everything done?” Surprise lit Tyler’s eyes.

  “Yup. The man’s a pro. He worked through lunch today to finish it. I’m hoping he’ll be back for dinner. I invited him, and he said he’d come. I think you’ll like him.”

  Tyler smiled, and his eyes darted away for a quick second before returning to meet her gaze. The corners of his mouth twitched almost as though he fought a smile. “I’m sure I will.”

  He brushed her lips with his, and with a firm hand on the back of her head, held her in place while he pushed his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers. He groaned and tipped his pelvis up, grinding his thick, rigid erection against her.

  She’d love to spend the time making out with her husband, but their guest would soon arrive. If he was coming.

  She nudged him away. “Come on. I want you to see it before he gets here.”

  He flopped back against the sofa. “Fine,” he said with a feigned sigh.

  Angela climbed from his lap, and he followed her into the kitchen, where he stopped to retrieve a beer from the fridge. They continued outside and around to the hot tub enclosure. Angela preceded her husband through the arched gate and turned to gauge his expression.

  Tyler wandered around. The tub, that until today had been stored inside the garage, now sat in the center of the deck. The gardens along the left side and a bench along the right made the small area appear cozy and secluded.

  “Wow, Angie, this is more than I expected. It’s perfect.”

  Relief rolled through Angela at the pleased expression on her husband’s face. “He did a great job.”

  “I couldn’t have done better myself. How did he get the tub in here?”

  “Honestly, I don’t have a clue. I came out this afternoon, and he’d already left. The tub was in place and the water on.”

  Tyler moved forward to check the water level, then walked over to the spigot to turn it off before removing the hose from the tub.

  “He worked hard, and added a few extras I hadn’t considered.” Angela continued. She nodded toward the bench and a table that straddled the corner of the tub. She pictured a couple of flowerpots and maybe a string of lights along the top of the fence.

  “Typical.”

  “Excuse me?” She looked at Tyler for an explanation, but he waved the strange comment away.

  “So when’s he coming back? I can’t wait to thank him for this.”

  Would he still be thankful coming face-to-face with the man who had sex with his wife? Those damn butterflies had doubled in population. She glanced at her watch, noticed her hand shaking. “Any time, I would expect. I told him to come for drinks before dinner. I, ah, wanted to give you two a chance to meet and work out the payment.”

  Her husband chuckled.

  “What’s so amusing?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Connor had a similar reaction whenever I mentioned you. What’s so funny about him being paid?”

  “Oh, I’m sure I’ll never be able to repay him for the true value of the work he’s done here. He’ll cut the cost. Significantly.”

  “Why would he do that? Is it some sort of guy-thing?”

  “Something like that.” He came over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I love it. He did a great job, and I’m sure we’ll come to a mutually agreeable solution to pay him for his time.”

  “That’s odd.” Angela leaned back and stared at her husband.

  “What is?”

  “He said almost the exact same thing. Word for word, I think.”

  Tyler kissed her. “Why don’t we go for a quick dip in the pool before our guest arrives?”

  Angela dropped her gaze to his chest, right where the top button lay open, a few chest hairs sticking out. She rubbed the spot. Her insides tightened. “Tyler, what do you hope happens tonight?” She needed to hear him say it.

  He tipped his head to the right, tucked his fist under her chin and lifted her head until they were eye to eye. He looked at her straight on, his gaze not wavering one bit. His eyes sparkled with lust. “I hope we can convince your contractor to play with us. That’s what you want, isn’t it, Angie?”

  “Yes. I mean I…I think so.” She tried to drop her chin, but he held steady.

  “We don’t have to.”

  “I know.”

  He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I love you, Angela. You know that don’t you?”

  “Yes.” And she loved him more than words could say.

  “I’d never put you in harm’s way, or in a risky situation, or want you to do anything you’re not comfortable doing.”

  “I know that, too. I’m just a little nervous. This is all so strange. What happened over the last few days, while you were away—it feels as though I may have betrayed you in some way. And that’s the last thing I want to feel.”

  “Think of it as though I were here. I told you on the phone; I wanted you to have that particular fantasy. There’s nothing wrong with that. I knew what was going on, and I encouraged it.”

  “Okay, but what now? What if he’s not interested?”

  “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that, honey.”

  “Why not? You might not even like him.”

  “Trust me.”

  They’d just stepped back into the house when the doorbell rang. Angela jerked, feeling as though she’d been zapped with electricity.

  Tyler squeezed her. “You OK, sweetie? You have a funny look on your face.”

  No. No, she felt far from fine. Her husband was about to come face to face with her weekend lover. Her stomach turned. She panicked. She should call a halt to th
e whole evening right now. She would tell Connor she had changed her mind. She’d ask him to leave. She’d never have to see him again.

  She trembled, and Tyler tightened his embrace, and then placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

  “It’s OK, honey. Nothing has to happen that you don’t want to happen. Just say the word.” He leaned back and gazed into her eyes for a long moment.

  The doorbell sounded again. Angela swallowed, although her throat seemed dry as toast.

  “Ready?”

  She bobbed her head in a single tight movement. Tyler released her and moved toward their front door.

  “Connor.”

  Tyler paused, and glanced over his shoulder at her tiny shriek. “What?”

  “His name. It’s Connor. Connor Jones.”

  Tyler flashed a smile. She wrapped her arms around her middle, but her feet remained glued to the floor. This was it. She took a deep cleansing breath.

  He reached for the doorknob and turned it, opening the door and stepping back to greet their guest.

  Chapter Eleven

  Connor wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as he stood at Tyler’s front door, shuffling from one foot to the other, clutching a bottle of wine in his right hand. He’d been standing there a solid five minutes. Angela had no clue about his connection to her husband. To her, their meeting and everything they’d done over the last couple of days had been spontaneous. He worried the eventual confession might piss her off, or worse, leave her feeling manipulated.

  But he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share a beautiful woman, to provide her pleasure and be part of something that would be remembered, he hoped with fondness, in years to come. It had been too long since he’d had this kind of opportunity, and he felt honored Tyler would share his wife with him, if only for one night.

  Connor reached out and rang the bell. It took a few minutes before the door opened. Tyler greeted him with a welcoming smile, but he saw Angela hovering in the background, a blended expression of expectation and fear on her beautiful face. He could only imagine the thoughts going through her pretty head.