Authors: Karen Stivali and Karen Booth and Lily Harlem
2SpiceRack_bundle (7 page)
Karen Stivali is a prolific writer,
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Karen Stivali
Long-Distance
Lovers
with Karen Booth
Print Books by Karen Stivali
Ellora’s
Cave Publishing
Decadence
ISBN 9781419945298
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Decadence Copyright © 2013 Karen Stivali
Edited by Jillian Bell
Cover design by Syneca and Michelle
Cover photography by Alexander Tihonov and
Forewer/shutterstock.com
Electronic book publication July 2013
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A book in the Spice Rack series
Olivia and Brian once had a sex life worth
bragging about, but after nine years of marriage, the sizzle has fizzled.
Longing to reclaim their passionate past, Olivia purchases The Spice Rack, an
adult novelty item “guaranteed to spice up your love life”. A zealous first
round of play prompts Brian to read their cue for next time—
share your
deepest fantasy and ask your partner to fulfill it
.
Brian whisks Olivia off to Manhattan to
pursue the fantasy he’s never revealed—another man pleasuring her while he
watches. Olivia never imagined her husband was concocting this scenario in his
handsome head, nor that he’d choose Michael, their smoking-hot college friend,
to help him out. Venturing into uncharted waters, Brian must contend with a heady
mix of jealousy and arousal while Olivia surrenders to a man who’s fired up to
have his chance with her. When three becomes two again, Brian’s only desire is
to reclaim his stake on his wife, and Olivia can’t wait to give him everything
that’s his.
A Romantica®
contemporary erotic romance
from Ellora’s Cave
Karen Booth
“Non-fat sugar-free vanilla latte,” the
barista shouted over the din of early-morning customers at the Bean Scene.
“That’s me,” Olivia said to her regular
Wednesday coffee companion. “You need anything while I’m up?”
Jessica settled back in the overstuffed
armchair near the windows overlooking Main Street. She blew on her hot
chocolate before sneaking a sip. “Nope. I’m good.”
Olivia took the white ceramic mug and
saucer from the counter, careful not to ruin the artful feathery design in the
foam on the surface of her coffee. She eased into the chair next to Jessica. “I
look forward to this every week. Thank goodness the girls finally went back to
school today or I would’ve been stuck at home. I swear the cold that’s been
going around is the worst.”
“They both got it?” Jessica asked, setting
down her mug.
Olivia nodded as she took another sip of
her truly unsatisfying coffee. Next time better to order something with real
sugar and whipped cream. “Of course. That’s the routine with twins. One of them
gets it, the other one always does.”
“It’s all kids. Mine pass that stuff around
like candy.”
Jessica absentmindedly stared out the
window for what seemed like the tenth time. She was usually chattering at warp
factor five, sharing recipes, the latest gossip from the carpool lane, details
on a bargain-hunting shopping spree. It was probably the product of having
three kids and a crazy life because of it. Today she was so…calm.
“What’s up with you?” Olivia asked. “Did
you get a massage or something?”
Jessica’s green eyes sparkled in the
midmorning light of the café. A smile played at the corner of her lips.
“Remember last Friday? When you watched the kids for us? Eric treated me to a
special day. A really special day. I’m still on a high from it.”
“Special day?” Olivia cocked an eyebrow.
Eric had made it sound as though he was taking Jessica out for lunch and maybe
some shopping.
Jessica could no longer contain her grin,
which had bloomed as readily as the pink on her cheeks. “He called it Mother’s
Day.”
“But Mother’s Day is in May.”
“Exactly.” Jessica bit her lower lip in a
way that could mean only one thing.
Sex.
“Oh my
God. Tell me. Everything.”
“What? I’m not telling you everything.
Let’s just say that Eric knows how to pamper me very well. In every way.” She
tilted her head and crinkled her lips as if Olivia was supposed to be satisfied
with nothing more than a few broad strokes.
“Come on.” Olivia dropped her shoulders,
envy bubbling under her skin. “Just tell me. Brian and I have the most
run-of-the-mill sex life right now. It’s driving me crazy.”
“No way. Your husband is so hot it’s
ridiculous.”
“Hot and overworked. Not that I’m helping
that much. I get so wrapped up in taking care of the kids and the house.”
“When was the last time you had sex?”
Jessica whispered while shielding her lips with her hand.
Olivia didn’t have to think back very far.
“Last night. Not our best showing.”
“What happened? Failure to launch?” Jessica
winced.
“What? No, not that. It’s just…we were in
the middle of foreplay and he got a text.”
“So?”
“He checked his phone.” There had once been
a time when Brian couldn’t have been distracted from sex by anything…flood,
plague, locusts. None of it would have kept him from giving Olivia everything
he had in the tank. And then some.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Why on earth would he do that?”
“His company’s in the middle of a huge deal
right now.”
“Did you smack him upside the head?”
“No, but maybe I should have.”
Actually,
he used to like it when I gave him a little swat.
Olivia took a long draw
of her latte, wishing last night had merely been a scene from a bad made-for-TV
movie. “He put his phone down and told me we were going to have to make it quick.”
“You’re kidding.”
It felt as if a dark cloud were forming
overhead. Listening to herself say these things out loud make it seem so much
worse. Maybe things were really going off the rails. “I don’t mind quick if
it’s hot.” She picked at her nails. “We weren’t always like this. Our sex life
was pretty spicy at one point.”
“Oh yeah?” Jessica arched her eyebrows.
Olivia nodded. “Yes. It made Brian and me
really connected. I just want that back.”
Jessica patted Olivia’s knee, which didn’t
feel like comfort so much as confirmation that her sex life was inching toward
pathetic. “I think I can help.”
Olivia sighed. “I don’t really see what you
can do, but thanks. It’s okay. It’ll get better. Soon. I hope.”
“No. I’m serious. I can help. Have you
heard about the Spice Rack?” Jessica set her mug on the table and dabbed at her
mouth with a napkin. “It made my big day with Eric so much fun.”
Olivia had a vague recollection of her
younger sister receiving the Spice Rack at her bachelorette party a few months
back. “Isn’t that like a sex game? I’m not sure Brian is up for that. He can be
playful, but maybe he’ll just think it’s hokey.”
Jessica shook her head while grinning like
the Cheshire cat. “Sweetie, you have no idea. It’s way more than that. Trust me
on this. Brian will love it.”
* * * * *
Brian Saunders opened the front door to a
smell both familiar and shocking.
Is Liv roasting a chicken?
The
heavenly aroma teased his nose as he set down his briefcase and keys on the
table in the foyer. The idea of his favorite meal, on a Thursday night no less,
followed by playoff hockey on TV was a welcome relief after a hellish day at
work.
The metal clang of pans mingled with a
distant strain of music, bringing him to a dead stop outside the dining room.
Candles?
What the hell? Our anniversary isn’t until June.
He proceeded with caution
to the kitchen, wondering what could possibly be wrong.
Did she run into
something with the car?
As much as the fragrance of dinner had
surprised him, Olivia’s attire was the last thing he expected on a weeknight.
Bent over, she was sure enough pulling a roast chicken from the oven, but his
eyes were more drawn to the seductive curves of her hips and ass in a short
black skirt. As she straightened, the creamy skin of her back was revealed and
he realized she was wearing the dress with the tie at the neck. His favorite.
Interesting.
And sexy.
The view was spectacular even though it made him highly
suspicious. That particular view was usually jeans and a sweater.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, coming up behind
her.
Olivia jumped. “Shit, Bri. You scared me.”
She set her hand against her now heaving chest. “I didn’t even hear you.”
Brian reached past her to pluck a cherry
tomato from one of the artfully plated salads on the kitchen counter. “I’m
sorry, hon. What’s all this about?” he asked, popping the tomato into his
mouth.
Olivia drew in a deep breath and smiled,
but it struck him as forced. “You’ve been working so hard. I wanted to make
your favorite dinner.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, leaving
behind a heady waft of her perfume.
Her slinky dress draping over her feminine
curves called to him the way a cold beer did on Friday night. He just hadn’t
realized until that moment exactly how thirsty he was. He caressed her hip with
his hand. “Sounds great. I like the dress even better.”
Her teeth dug into her lower lip. Her
chocolaty-brown eyes softened as she leaned into him. Waves of sandy-blonde
hair swept across one rosy cheek. “Good, because that’s dessert.”
“My favorite.” He dug his fingers into the
hair at her nape and pulled her mouth to his. She didn’t hesitate to surrender
to the kiss, her soft lips parting and her tongue eagerly seeking his. The
distinct flicker of electricity below his waist told him to slow things down or
the chicken would get cold. “I look forward to that part very much.”
At Liv’s direction, Brian brought the
salads and a bottle of wine to the dining room.
“Where are the girls?” he asked as she
followed with the rest of the meal.
“They were exhausted after school. They’re
already in bed.”
“It’s a bit early, isn’t it?”
Olivia shook her head and set the platter
of roast chicken and vegetables before him. “Have you noticed how late you’ve
been getting home from work lately?”
With a shake of his wrist, he checked his
watch as he took his seat. “Is it really eight thirty?”
Her lips spread into a thin line. “I timed
the chicken to be ready at eight. I figured that was a safe guess.”
“Glad I set the DVR to tape the hockey
game.”
“Hockey? Tonight?”
He filled a wineglass for Olivia.
Make
sure she knows you’re not a complete ass.
“Of course not. I’ll watch it
tomorrow.”
“Good,” Olivia said. “Oh, I forgot to tell
you, it’s looking good for the freelance job with the new Italian restaurant
that’s opening uptown. I submitted my portfolio and they seemed to like it.”
Brian finished a bite of chicken. “That’s
great, honey. When do you find out?”
“They said by the end of the weekend. Maybe
Monday.”
“Is it all graphics or would you be
creating original art?” Graphic design had been her field of work before the
twins were born, but fine art, especially painting, was her first love. Her
artistic abilities boggled his analytical mind and were most certainly
underutilized.
“Probably some of both. They need a logo
and menu design. Possibly some help with their website.” Her smile told him she
was enthusiastic but not ready to celebrate. She’d spent the last six months
trying to find a way back into anything creative, meeting brick walls at every
turn.
“Well, I’m really proud of you no matter
what happens,” he said. “And I should have said this earlier, but you look
amazing tonight. Dinner is incredible too.” He eased his hand across the table
and she twined her delicate fingers with his.
Her face flushed as she drank the last of
her wine. “Thank you. I just want to make you happy.”
“You always make me happy.”
She began to draw circles in the palm of
his hand with the tip of her finger. The gracefully light touch was maddening.
“I’m hoping to make you especially happy tonight,” she purred.
His cock instinctively stiffened at the
tone of her voice. He leaned forward and lifted her fingers to his lips. “Oh
yeah?”
“Have you ever heard of the Spice Rack?”
His vision narrowed. “Wait. Are we back to
talking about dinner?”
She shook her head and giggled, another
sound that had blood flow rushing to his groin. “No. It’s something fun for us
to use in the bedroom.”
Bingo.
“I’m
listening.”
Olivia stroked his wrist with her thumb,
distracting him. “Well, it’s a set of jars and there are three types—sweet,
savory and spicy. You choose a jar and read the suggestion inside and then…”
“Then I tear off your clothes and ravage
you?”
“Maybe. We have to see what we get. And I
don’t think they’re that specific anyway. I think they’re more open-ended.”
His throat tightened in anticipation of
what might be in store for them, courtesy of the mysterious Spice Rack. “You
know what I think?”
“Tell me.” Her dark lashes fluttered as she
unleashed an impish grin.
“I think the dishes can wait.”
Olivia clutched her husband’s hand and led
him down the hallway. This was easily the most playful prelude to sex in a
while. They stumbled over the threshold of their bedroom. Her entire body went
warm and tingly as he tugged her against him and softly slapped her ass before
cupping it with both of his hands.
That’s the Brian I adore.
“I love it when you do that,” she huffed
into his ear. She drew his tender lobe into her mouth and gently nibbled.
“Do what? Smack your ass?” he asked, half
laughing as he went for the tie at the back of her neck.
Olivia reared her head back. “Not so fast.
The Spice Rack.”
He arched his dark eyebrows but his
crystalline-blue eyes narrowed. “Whatever that piece of paper says, it had
better involve you naked.” He tightened his grip on her, pressing his impressive
erection against her hip.
Twisting, she broke free from his grasp.
“It will eventually,” she quipped as she retrieved a box discreetly labeled
“the Spice Rack” from their dresser. She lifted the lid to reveal a set of
glass jars with shiny chrome lids. Excitement bubbled through her and she
dragged a finger along the jar tops. “I think I get to pick first. Since I
bought it.”
“Sounds fair to me,” Brian murmured as he
placed his hands on her hips and softly kissed her neck.
She unscrewed the lid, slid the small paper
scroll from the jar and read, “Dress for your partner in a way that you know
will turn them on.”
“Perfect. You already did that.” Again he
pulled the tie of her dress, this time succeeding.
Olivia clutched her top to her chest.
“That’s not what it means.” She smacked his hand. “Now shut your eyes for a
minute so I can pick something out.” She lunged for their bedroom door and
locked it, then headed to the closet. Thumbing through the hangers, she found
what she was looking for.
Perfect.
With a spring in her step, she made
her way to the bathroom. “I’ll be right back. Why don’t you get into something
a little more comfortable?”
Brian sprawled on the bed, wearing an
impatient smirk. “I was hoping to get into you.”
She stifled a laugh. “Just be quiet and
take your clothes off. I’ll be right back.” She closed the bathroom door but
quickly opened it again. “Actually, put on some music. Something sexy.”
Olivia slipped out of her dress and plucked
the barely there nightie from the bathroom vanity. She threaded her arms
through the skinny straps and turned in the mirror. The red silk hardly covered
more than her nipples and stomach—the delicate black lace of the hip-skimming
sides, the trim along her breasts and the hem revealed virtually everything else.
The sum total of the garment was something deliciously dangerous.
