Love in Troubled Times

by Gayle Riley

  “Finally,” he growled, closing the small gap between up by pulling me into his arms by the small of my back. “I get to have you all to myself.” His authority was enough to make me melt into him, and he trailed his fingertips delectably down my throat, paying special attention to my hardened veins where he would be able to tap in and suck out the succulent blood that kept my body going even in death.

  “Yes,” I told him as his hand settled on my groin. “I am all yours.”

  “Say it again,” he told me with a stronger tone.

  “I’m all yours. I am your queen, your lover, your wife,” I told him. He snarled at me, and I found myself aching for him, wanting him to explore every inch of my new body with his.

  Maurice tore away at the corset, popping each hook with his solid fingers. I found myself completely bare in front of him, and I hissed at him playfully before running him into the wall, leaving a circular dent where his head hit. I began to remove his clothing piece by piece, savoring this moment where we would come together as husband and wife for the first time. There would be no drunken influence and no third person to get in our way.

  Finally, I got to look at his bare body with new eyes. There was no way I could keep my hands off of him now. But as I went in for a kiss, he disappeared out from under my grasp, landing on the bed with his swiftness. He wanted to play games.

  I grinned mischievously at him before chasing him, landing in a crouch on the bed. But he already flew to the window, wrapping himself up in the black curtains.

  I growled angrily at him, letting him know I was none too happy about this wild goose chase. I wanted to feel him inside of me. I was a greedy queen, and I needed him to fulfill my desires.

  Then, before I could go for him, he came at me, crashing us both down onto the bed. I could feel the springs collapsing below me, but I didn’t have a care in the world at that moment. The two of us wrestled, each of us wanting the dominant position on top before he pinned me down and plunged his hard shaft deep inside my wanting center. I gasped in ecstasy, getting all of the best sensations and none of the pain. My body was made for these moments now; ideal for sinful pleasures behind closed doors with my new forever husband.

  We continued our struggle of sorts, sometimes with me working my hips on top of his and others with him holding me down against the failing mattress. We exchanged blood over and over, mixing our essences just as we had our lives.

  My orgasms and my screams shook the whole room as I quivered to completion all night and then all morning long. I didn’t know how long we had gone without rest, but I didn’t think I needed it. I didn’t want to close my eyes and find that it had all been one amazing dream or delusion.

  But Maurice coaxed me after the millionth time into the sweetness and complete darkness of a vampire’s sleep; much like being dead. But I found that I often dreamed; dreamed of his touch and his lips, until we awoke the next night to discover each other all over again.

  THE END

  Bonus 11 of 30

  My Cowboys

  Description

  Aida Donaldson is bored. She married a rodeo cowboy for the adventure but then he got injured and put his money into owning ranches like his father. He was rich for sure, giving her everything that money could buy. But money couldn’t take away her restlessness in her life or her infertility problems. When she confides in one of her friends about her boredom in life and in her marriage to Kenneth, she mentions going to a sex party and possibly considering becoming a swinger. She is willing to try anything at this point and is instantly excited by a man named Stanley Warner, a young rodeo champ with an adventurous sexual appetite.

  Chapter 1

  Aida finished putting her clothes back on and threw the disgusting hospital gown into the sterile container. She was thrilled to be back in her red pencil skirt and white open-shouldered silk blouse. Her earrings swayed as she put on her spiked red high heels. She looked around at the familiar, boring office walls. The pale blue color was supposed to soothe and calm your nerves. After hundreds of visits to this same office, it just made her sad and angry. Although it was really Kenneth she was angry with.

  When Aida and Kenneth had first decided to seek medical help for their infertility, they had both entered this office eagerly. After the first year of tests, counting the days in her cycles and crying at their failures, Kenneth began making excuses not to come with her to the appointments. He no longer found the time to be involved, especially after the doctor announced that the tests showed Kenneth wasn’t at fault.

  Aida was fine with coming alone for a while. The excitement over the possibility of having a baby hadn’t worn off yet. But after six years with no one to share the ups and downs with, Aida begged Kenneth to once again accompany her to the visits, hoping his presence would get the doctor to offer more drastic tries. Kenneth had promised to find the time, yet once again, business took first place, and she was alone.

  “I bet he schedules his meetings during my appointment times on purpose,” muttered Aida to herself, as the doctor returned to the room.

  “Let me guess; there still is no clear reason for me not getting pregnant.” The doctor had his usual sad but kind expression when he stated, “You are a little anemic, and you are low on vitamin D, but nothing else is off. I’m sorry to say there is still no viable reason for your infertility. You need to be patient. Getting upset and stressed will only make things more difficult.”

  “Patient! Are you kidding me? It’s been six years. I think I have been more than patient. Are you sure it’s not Kenneth’s fault, or maybe I should be blaming you. For years, we have been paying you an exorbitant amount of money with no results. Maybe you don’t want me to get pregnant so we will continue paying for your extravagant lifestyle.” Aida knew she was out of line the instant the words left her mouth. Tears ran down her face unheeded as she apologized for her tirade.

  The doctor took it all in stride. He had encountered many distraught and overly emotional women in his profession. Aida was actually calmer than most of them.

  Aida stared out the window of the high-rise building while she waited for the nurse to bring in the prescriptions and directions the doctor was writing. It was a cloudy day, going along well with her low spirits. People were rushing along the hot, humid Houston streets without ever looking up to see the faces above. Where were they all going in such a hurry?

  Aida felt she had been everywhere the city had to offer more than once, and now she was just bored. It was amazing how lonely and boring a huge city could be, even when you had tons of money to do whatever pleased you. The big problem was that nothing pleased Aida anymore, not even Kenneth.

  The nurse quietly entered the room, trying not to disturb the calm and soothing atmosphere. Aida wanted to laugh. The room was full of her anger, tension, frustration and boredom. It was as far from soothing as it could get. She wanted to scream and shout, but chose to grab the papers from the nurse’s hand, lift her beautiful head high, throw her silky hair over her shoulder, smile and sway her hips gently as she left the building. Once again, putting on the false face of the rich and happy wife of billionaire Kenneth Donaldson.

  Instead of heading straight for the parking valet and home, Aida decided to go on a shopping spree. She needed a stunning dress for the Cattleman’s Ball next month. Her favorite boutique was just a block away. The perfect dress was waiting just inside the door. The copper strapless dress would hug her curvaceous figure like a second skin. The slit on the leg went so high that she would have to walk very carefully, but perhaps it would spark something in Kenneth’s imagination. As Aida headed for the dressing room, she spied another quite different dress hanging nearby. It was a very tiny, daring black dress that sent shivers of excitement down her spine. On impulse, she took it to the dressing room. The dress for the ball was a perfect fit, and she already had shoes to match, so it was a definite yes. Aida then gleefully slid the tiny black dress over her head and actually blushed at what she saw in the mirror. The f
ront was cut down to her navel, letting her ample breasts be on display and the hem fell just below her rounded bottom. There was little left to the imagination. Feeling quite naughty, Aida went out of the dressing room to look in a larger mirror. She heard a wolf whistle before she reached the mirror and turned to see a tall, handsome, forty-something man staring boldly at her chest.

  “Ma’am, the things you do for that dress should be illegal in all states.”

  Laughing, Aida sashayed up to the man and put her hand on his chest whispering, “What’s important sugar is whether it does anything for you.”

  The man’s eyes darken as he replies, “Step into the dressing room with me and I will gladly show you what it’s done.” Aida was surprised to discover she was tempted until she heard her cell phone ringing with Kenneth’s ring tone and came back to reality.

  “Sorry darling, but duty calls. I need to answer that and head home. Thanks for the offer.” Aida winked as she returned to the dressing room shaking with excitement and a little fear.

  Chapter 2

  Aida fell down on her huge bed with a sigh. What a morning she had. Another doctor’s visit with only vitamins and a new diet plan to boost her vitamin D and red blood count and a close encounter with a handsome older man that left her blood tingling and her mind spinning. To calm herself, Aida looked around the room at all the beautiful things Kenneth has provided for her. The bedroom ceiling seemed miles away and the chandelier as sparkling, showing off the diamond jewelry she carelessly left lying on the marble topped dresser. She could see through the open bathroom door that she once again forgot to turn off the television that was actually a part of the huge vanity mirror. Aida rose and took her new purchases into the closet that was larger than their first apartment. Floor length designer dresses in a rainbow of colors covered a large portion of one wall. A built-in set of shelves was overflowing with high end shoes and purses. There were special drawers made just for her jewelry and silky undies. She loved her home and all the beautiful things in it. She even still loved Kenneth, but missed the fun and craziness they shared before all the money rolled in.

  “I need a nap if I’m going to get through tonight’s party,” Aida muttered aloud. She stripped down to her undies and crawled into the big bed alone. Her mind wandered to memories of the good old days and she fell asleep dreaming of the rodeo life that she loved. Kenneth was covered in dust and sweat as he pulled a jean clad Aida onto the horse with him and laid a heart stopping kiss on her. He fondled her ass while he sat her in front of him on the saddle. Although he had won that previous night’s rodeo, he was still practicing for the cutting horse competition next weekend. Aida’s dream continued to the grassy field where Kenneth made love to her repeatedly before going back to practice. Aida’s dream skipped ahead to the nights when they couldn’t afford a hotel room and slept in the back of the truck under the stars.

  There was nothing better than sex under the stars with the added excitement of being caught by someone. Parties around a campfire, drinking beer and whisky while singing country songs played on an old guitar by a sexy bull rider, who you just happened to be in love with, were better than the champagne and caviar snob fests that were now a weekly ritual.

  Aida was awakened from her dreams by the constant ringing of her phone. Caller ID showed it to be Emily Carter, her best friend and confidant. Aida grabbed the phone and answered with, ” Hell, you woke me up from the best dreams I’ve had in a long time. I was about to jump my hot and sweaty cowboy right in the middle of a love song.”

  “Sorry darlin’, but we have appointments for hair and nails before tonight’s big party. We’re gonna be late if you don’t get your head out of the past and your tight tush movin’. Come on now, get up and get dressed. I’ll meet you there. Same time, same old place.” Emily hung up before Aida could get in another word.

  Aida jumped up, slid into some leggings, a long t-shirt and ballet slippers, and headed for the door. She was in a bit of a hurry, not because she was excited about yet another boring party, but because she had so much to tell Emily.

  The salon was packed as usual, but Aida and Emily were special customers and were always given the star treatment. A private room and a large staff that catered to their every need, who were also discreet about the things they heard said between the ladies, made this salon a popular place among the Houston elite.

  While having their hair curled and their fingernails and toenails painted to match their dresses for the party/fundraiser, the girls settled in for a gab session. Emily was excited about a trip to England with her husband for their tenth anniversary. She liked to joke that her husband would buy Buckingham Palace for a vacation home if she asked him. “He would buy it for me just so we could have sex in every room,” she stated laughingly.

  “What’s up in your world, Aida? One minute you look sad and in another you have a sly, secret smile. Come on girl, spill the goods.”

  Aida started with the doctor’s appointment saying, “The fertility specialist was no help once again and Kenneth was a no show. That explains the sad face. I might not feel so bad about it if Kenneth actually acted like he cared. I miss the old days when we had sex just for fun. Maybe it would be best to give up on the idea of a baby before we lose each other completely.” Emily felt so bad about Aida’s longing for a baby even though she didn’t quite understand it. A child was never something Emily dreamed of.

  “I’m so sorry that nothing has changed in the baby pursuit, but you don’t really need to completely give up. How about you just have sex for fun without protection and just let whatever happens be okay? Maybe taking the pressure off will help.”

  “It’s not just the baby. Kenneth and I are both bored with our sex life. I guess that’s normal after several years of marriage and the lifestyle changes that money brought. That brings me to the secret smile you caught on my face. Let me tell you about the boutique this morning.” Aida went on to explain about the sexy dress and her encounter with the handsome stranger.

  She expected Emily to be shocked that she would consider having sex in a changing room with a man she didn’t know, but Emily smiled and said, “You should have gone for it. I would have.”

  “No way Emily, your husband would kill you.”

  “Actually, he wouldn’t. We’ve been going to sex parties and swinger’s clubs for a couple of years now. It’s fun and keeps us excited to be with each other. I think our marriage is stronger because of it. Y’all should try it. It’ll put some zip in your life.” Emily waited for the shock to wear off of Aida’s face. When Aida remained silent, Emily decided to let her mull it over while she ordered some champagne and snacks, another perk at this salon.

  As they were leaving the salon, Aida whispered, “I think we might want to try it. Maybe just me seeing it the first time before I try to talk Kenneth into it.”

  “No problem. We’ll pick a night and give you a call. Don’t look so worried. It’s fun and you learn all kinds of new things. Even if you just watch, you’ll get ideas for you and Kenneth at home. See you tonight,” Emily called as she climbed into her Mercedes.

  Chapter 3

  Aida was nervous. Tonight was the big night. She would be attending her first sex party as the guest of Emily and her husband. She kept reminding herself that it would just be a trial run, no action necessary. Kenneth was in Dallas taking over a ranch that was in foreclosure. Kenneth was ruthless in business. He kept his feelings for the poor souls losing their ranches out of the equation. He believed this ranch was riddled with pockets of oil and that he stood to add millions to his bank account. Sometimes Aida missed the poor, compassionate Kenneth she used to know, but there was a big part of her that was proud of the intelligent business man he had become. She certainly enjoyed the money.

  The decision of what to wear was difficult. Aida looked at the tiny, sexy black dress she had bought at the boutique, but decided against it. For her first time at one of these functions, she didn’t want to draw the attention that dre
ss would bring. Emily had told her the party would begin as a regular dinner party so she chose a simple blue dress with a key hole back and a skirt that swung loosely well above her knees. Aida left her dark hair flowing about her shoulders and used makeup to bring out her large eyes.

  The result was a restrained sexiness that she felt was a good compromise.

  When Aida entered the party, her nerves calmed a bit upon seeing a normal looking group having cocktails. The men wore suits and most of the women were dressed as she was. There were a few overtly sexy dresses, with low necklines, cutouts in strategic places and sheer fabrics.

  Dinner was delicious. The food ranked right up there with any five-star restaurant and the wine loosened Aida up a little so that she could look around without panicking. As dinner came to an end, the servers cleared the table, closed the curtains over the panoramic windows and lowered the lights. Aida was surprised to see a wall slide open, revealing curtained cubicles. Even more surprising were the sterling silver bowls being set around the room. Many contained condoms in a variety of styles while others contained sex toys and even mink-covered handcuffs. The guests lost no time with small talk. People were pairing off and heading for the cubicles.

  Emily was being led from the room by an older gentleman who stopped briefly to pick up some condoms and a pair of the mink handcuffs. Her husband was entering another cubicle with two young women that were already half undressed and in the process of removing his clothing as well. Aida felt herself blushing and her hands were shaking a little. As she continued looking around she caught glimpses inside some of the cubicles. One contained a netted swing hanging from the ceiling with a nude woman climbing into it. Another revealed a man being tied to the headboard by what appeared to be a string of pearls. Looking away from the curtains, Aida realized that not everyone felt the need for privacy. In a corner of the room, she saw a couple clearly fondling each other’s privates without regard of who might see. There was also a topless woman lying on the long dinner table allowing men to drink expensive champagne from the hollow spot beneath her bare breasts.