Your Bed or Mine? (21 page)

“He sticks out his tongue, eager for a taste.

“You lean closer, thrusting your breasts forward.

“He sticks his tongue out farther, trying to reach you.

“You back away, teasing him a little bit longer.

“His eyes are pleading now, begging for mercy.

“You saunter back in his direction.

“And …”

Alicia blinked when Zada pointed in her direction.

She’d been caught up in her own fantasy.

So caught up in the moment was she, Alicia didn’t even think twice before she said, “His eyes are pleading now, begging for
mercy.

“You saunter in his direction, knowing this is one man who deserves no mercy.

“His eyes widen in fear when you walk up to the chair he’s sitting on.

“You have his hands tied behind his back, his body secured to the chair.

“How long you’ve waited for this moment.

“How stupid of him to believe you when you asked him to drop by to sign papers. How stupid to believe threats from his big-shot
lawyer had finally forced you into selling the house.

“He screams at you, ordering you to release him.

“You pull the Taser gun out of your pocket again.

“He wisely settles back down.

“You stand there staring at the man who has stolen your dignity, crushed your self-esteem, and destroyed your faith in every
man you’ll ever meet again.

“Did he honestly think you would sell the house and give him half of the proceeds after the way he’s treated you? That you
would contribute one dime to a man who married you on false pretenses? Who set out from the day he met you to defraud, defile,
and deliberately humiliate you?”

“You lean forward.

“Smile.

“And spit directly in his face.

“His shocked look tells you he gets the message.

“This time, he screwed with the wrong blonde.

“You walk out of the room long enough to retrieve another big surprise for this monster who has betrayed you so badly.

“His face turns ashen when you walk back into the room with your Latino ex-pool boy, and his ex-lover.

“Poor Javier is another victim this man devastated when he showered him with empty promises, then carelessly kicked him aside
like a worthless piece of garbage.

“The monster yells ugly obscenities at both of you.

“You ignore him, ready to set your plan into motion.

“Javier seats himself on the monster’s lap, and turns the monster’s head sideways so his profile is unmistakable.

“The scene through the eye of your camera shows two men sharing a sensual kiss.

“Luckily, a picture has no sound.

“The people who will see this picture on every bulletin board at the hospital, will never hear the esteemed neurosurgeon screaming
in anger once the kiss is broken.

“Javier rises to his feet, mission accomplished.

“You link your arm with his and head to the nearest photo shop to make copies.

“You both laugh as you walk through the front door, but you can still hear the monster screaming in the background as you
slam the door behind you.”

No one said a word.

For two full minutes, no one said a word.

Alicia finally reached for her wineglass, and drank every drop in one easy gulp. “Well!” she said, looking around the table.
“You just can’t imagine how much better I feel. Thank you so much for letting me share that fantasy tonight.”

Jen, Tish, and Zada only stared at her.

Speechless didn’t cover the looks on their faces.

Another mission accomplished,
Alicia decided.

And I think they got the message loud and clear.

I’m one blonde you DON’T want to screw with!

She pushed her chair back and got up from the table.

But she paused at the kitchen door.

Turning back to face them, Alicia smiled brightly.

“I insist on holding the meeting at my house next week, ladies,” Alicia told them sweetly. “And don’t forget the sacred rule.
What we say at the meeting, stays at the meeting.”

Jen’s front door slammed shut.

Jen, Tish, and Zada hurried to Jen’s kitchen window.

Alicia was headed back across the street. Head held high. Back straight as a board. A don’t-screw-with-me stride to her step.

“I can’t believe it,” Jen said. “Edward? Gay? You could have knocked me over with a feather. The creep. He was constantly
flirting with all of us.”

Tish said, “Maybe Edward’s flexo-sexual. He can go either way.”

“Poor Alicia,” Zada said. “I hope that fantasy really was therapeutic for her. I can’t imagine how I’d react if I’d been betrayed
like that. I was ready to strangle Rick over a silly argument.”

“A
silly
argument?” Tish shook her head in disbelief. “Isn’t it amazing how four hours of foreplay can totally change your perspective
on things?”

“I was just making a comparison,” Zada grumbled. “And when you compare your husband cheating on you with another
man
to an argument, I doubt anyone will disagree that an argument seems pretty silly.”

“Well, I don’t care if Alicia’s fantasy was therapeutic for her or not,” Jen said. “She scared the pure crap out of me.”

Tish said, “I agree. That glazed-over look in her eye was pretty freaking scary.”

Jen said, “Scary enough that I have no desire to sit through another one of Alicia’s fantasies again. Not next Saturday night.
Or any other Saturday night.”

Jen and Tish both sent Zada accusing looks.

“What?” Zada said.

“You know what,” they both said.

“Okay, okay,” Zada said. “I got us into this. I’ll figure out some way to get us out of spending next Saturday night at Alicia’s.”

“And if Alicia decides you deserve no mercy and pulls a Taser gun on you?” Tish teased.

Zada said, “I doubt even a Taser gun could stun me any worse than Alicia did tonight.”

“Amen to that,” Jen said.

“Scary,” Tish repeated and shivered.

“Enough about Alicia,” Zada said. She looked over at Tish. “Could I persuade you to wait thirty minutes after I leave before
you go home?”

Tish asked, “And that would be because?”

Zada said, “Because the minute you go home, Rick will know our meeting is over. I need a head start.”

“A head start for what?” Jen quizzed.

Zada didn’t answer. She walked across Jen’s kitchen and paused at the kitchen door. She took one last look back over her shoulder
and blew Jen and Tish a farewell kiss.

“Oh, yeah,” Tish said, laughing. “There’s definitely a lap dance in Rick Clark’s future tonight.”

Alicia would have been embarrassed over telling her neighbors her deepest, darkest secret, had she truly not felt better than
she had since the day she’d come home unexpectedly and found Javier in a much more compromising position than the one she’d
alluded to in her fantasy.

And it did feel extremely good, finally getting all that off her chest. Finally putting into words everything she should have
done to Edward, and didn’t.

But Alicia had decided long ago, he wasn’t worth it.

Edward was pond scum, pure and simple.

And thanks to the Housewives’ Fantasy Club, she’d finally found a way to get her revenge, if only by fantasizing about it.

That’s why she would be happy to host the next meeting. She wanted to tell Jen, Tish, and Zada personally how much they really
had helped her, simply by listening. Tonight just hadn’t been the right time to have that conversation.

The getting-even-with-Edward fantasy had come as a big shock to her, too. Just as she was sure it had been a shock to them.
The outburst had hit her totally out of the blue. She hadn’t planned to tell them anything about the true reason behind her
divorce. And she certainly wouldn’t have been prepared to answer questions if any of the three of them had asked for specific
details after she finished spilling her secret.

The reality of Edward’s betrayal still hurt.

Better to wait until she hosted the next Fantasy Club meeting, before she thanked Jen, Tish, and Zada properly, until she
had the right words formed in her mind. Until she’d had time to think about what she was willing to share if they did ask
for specific details about her divorce.

Alicia smiled.

Maybe she’d even turn the meeting into a lavish celebration. Hire a staff and have a fully catered buffet. Give each of them
a gift of thanks. A pricey bangle bracelet would be perfect, with
HOUSEWIVES
’
FANTASY CLUB
engraved right on the bangle.

Alicia almost felt giddy as she entered her house.

Knowing her life in Woodberry Park was going to be so different now, was even more exhilarating than imagining Edward’s picture
on the hospital bulletin board.

There’d be no more watching from her bedroom window.

No more exile.

No more being left out of the loop.

At last, she could look forward to new beginnings.

All thanks to the Housewives’ Fantasy Club.

And thanking Jen, Tish, and Zada properly was exactly what Alicia intended to do.

When Tish yelled down to the basement that she was home, all interest in the poker game ended. Rick and Charlie both bolted
from their chairs and headed for the outside basement entrance.

Even if they had yelled good-bye to Joe, he wouldn’t have heard them. Joe had already disappeared up the basement stairs looking
for Tish.

Rick hurried across the street, the goofy grin back on his face. He hadn’t been privy to Zada’s fantasy tonight, but something
told him he was still going to like it.

That fact was confirmed when he opened the door.

Zada.

Standing at the top of the stairs.

Wearing nothing but a sexy red thong, red high heels, and the long strand of pearls he had given her as a wedding present.

“Well?” she said. “Your bed or mine?”

Rick said, “Technically, your bed
is
mine.”

She crooked her finger in his direction, then disappeared down the hallway. Rick and his goofy grin hurried up the stairs,
taking his clothes off as he went. By the time he made it to the bedroom, he was completely nude.

He realized he was in trouble when he looked around the room.

Lights off.

Candles glowing.

Al Greene singing something sexy about “Here I am baby, come and take me.”

Baby, oh baby!

Zada pointed to the chair she was standing behind.

Rick raised an eyebrow, but he headed for the chair.

He sat down.

Zada jerked his arms behind his back.

“Be careful with those,” Rick warned when he realized she was using the pearls to bind his hands. “Those are more expensive
than I think you realize.”

Zada walked back around to face him.

She smiled.

Seductively.

“Oh, I know exactly how expensive they are,” she said.

Rick tensed when she straddled him and the chair.

She stood above him.

Hands on her hips.

Another sexy smile on her lips.

“And because I do know how expensive my pearls are,” she said, “I’m counting on your full cooperation. One false move and
you could break them. And we wouldn’t want that? Now, would we?”

Rick gulped. “No. We wouldn’t.”

But Rick forgot about the pearls when Zada made a big production of running her hands suggestively over both breasts. His
focus turned to the nipples that instantly came to life.

Be strong. Be strong. Be strong.

Rick forgot about being strong, when Zada lifted her long, dark hair and held it on top of her head as she danced provocatively
to the music—this time, old Al singing something about “Oh baby, look what you’ve done to me.”

I can tell you what she’s doing to me, Al!

She’s killing me here.

That’s what she’s doing to me!

Those magnificent breasts, right in his face, almost close enough to taste. Until Zada purposely leaned back, completely out
of his reach.

Rick let out a sigh of relief when Zada stepped back.

Until she slithered right out of her thong!

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.

He was nude and at full attention.

She was nude and writhing right above his salute!

“Be careful,” Rick warned again.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

One more wiggle that close, and he knew he’d lose it.

Zada fisted his hair.

Rick’s eyes popped back open.

She pulled his head forward, covering his mouth in a blistering kiss.

Al belted out, “Love can make you do right. Love can make you do wrong.”

At that exact moment, love made Rick do wrong.

He jerked his hands free, pearls be damned.

His hands grabbed Zada’s waist, and he pulled her on top of him.

They both gasped when he slid deep inside her.

There was no way of stopping what happened next.

His hands, still clasped tightly around Zada’s waist.

Her head, thrown back.

Back arched.

Hips moving.

Faster.

And faster.

And faster.

And faster.

They both cried out.

Their simultaneous orgasm shook the earth and took them both straight to paradise.

Rick fell back against the chair, his heart still pounding. Zada collapsed against him, her head on his shoulder. They remained
that way, trying to catch their breath.

One second.

Two seconds.

Five full seconds.

“Oops,” Zada finally whispered. “What happens now? Do we both lose the game?”

Rick’s mind was still too foggy to answer.

But Al sang out loud and clear, “Let’s stay together. Whether times are good, or bad. Happy or sad.”

I couldn’t agree with you more, Al.

Rick slid his arms beneath Zada’s hips. He stood up from the chair, picking her up with him. Zada didn’t protest when Rick
carried her across the bedroom to
their
king-size bed.

O
n Sunday morning, Zada got up at 0500 hours, for the first time in her life. At first light, she even went on a run with Rick
and Simon—another first in the life of Zada Clark. A run that slowed to a jog after five minutes. Slowed to a walk after ten
minutes. And ground to a halt when she couldn’t take another step.