and she could stay here in this place with this man for as long as she wanted. She might want to for a really long time.
Bobby returned after a moment, still naked, carrying a tray and an ice bucket. The neck of a bottle sticking out promised champagne. He put both on a table and dragged the whole thing to the side of the tub. Next to two fluted glasses stood a fondue pot filled withâ
âChocolate,â she declared.
âYou didnât seem the fish egg type.â He filled the glasses and handed one to her.
âYou mean caviar?â
He climbed into the tub and touched the rim of his glass to hers. âFish eggs.â
âTechnically, thatâs what it is,â she said. âBut itâs really quite rare and . . . umââ
âFishy. Donât tell me you like the stuff.â
âWell, of course.â As Howardâs wife, sheâd had every luxury. Theyâd dined in the finest restaurants here and abroad. Such delicacies, the latest in adventurous cuisines. Truffles and the rarest of wild mushrooms. Sheâd even eaten flavor-infused foams. Luckily, the portions in most upscale dining rooms came in sizes small and smaller, so she hadnât had to worry about gaining weight.
âDonât you ever get hungry for macaroni and cheese, pot roast, that kind of food?â he asked. âFried chicken and waffles?â
âWaffles?â she repeated. âWith fried chicken?â
âOr barbecue. Ribs with sauce that runs down your fingers and onto your hands.â
âIt sounds messy.â
âIt is. Lifeâs messy,â he said. âEspecially sex.â
She took a sip of her champagne, the tiny bubbles popping under her nose. It tasted like sunlight.
âGood sex is definitely messy,â he said. âDo you want to have messy sex with me?â
âYes,â she said. âSure.â
âThat sounded convincing. Kind of like an engraved invitation.â He held up his fingers in air quotes. âMrs. Cassandra Whatzhername requests your presence at her deflowering.â
She swatted his shoulder. âI am not a virgin.â
âYou might as well be.â He took a long drink of his champagne. âHere weâve been at it for almost an hour, and you havenât taken my boner for a real ride yet. Weâre sitting here talking about fish eggs instead.â
âI put my mouth on your penis,â she said.
âYou gave me a blow job. You might as well use the right term.â
âYouâre being tedious.â
âTedious, huh?â He set aside his glass and climbed out of the tub. âIâll show you tedious.â
He might make fun of the word, but it described him perfectly. A reverse snob of the worst kind. Heâd put her down for her manners and her vocabulary. Maybe heâd prefer she belch and scratch her belly. Maybe heâd rather have beerâbad supermarket beer. He could be a jerk, if he wanted. Sheâd use his body and be on her way, and next time sheâd choose someone with a little more class.
Her stomach sank at the thought. She wouldnât get the same wild ride with anyone else. And although put-downs stung, the dirty talk and outrageous approach to sex turned her on like crazy. Maybe she should try to prove herself to him. Convince him she could get just as coarse as he could and enjoy it. If sheâd given him a blow job, sheâd call it that.
From behind her came the sound of a switch being thrown, and before she could realize what was happening, the bamboo curtains surrounding the terrace folded back, opening up the view. They retreated completely, leaving nothing but panes of glass separating them from public observation.
âWhat in hell are you doing?â She ducked her head as far below the side of the hot tub as she could without submerging her nose. Holy shit. She could be discovered here, and the evidence would show up in