Full Disclosure Ch. 05

Whew - you guys are brutal with transitional chapters that don't have hot nasty sex in them. I just want to take a second and say that this is an erotic novel with character development. It's gonna get hot and I'm sorry the last chapter felt slow and I got bad ratings from it. I just had to establish characters.

This chapter has some real moments with another slow build. But long-form sex scenes start next chapter. Skip this one if you must, leave my ratings alone lol!

Moving on, if a full STORY isn't your vibe and you just need a quick-jerk, this isn't really for you. To those who DO love development and story in their erotica, I hope you'll be satisfied. :)

Number 5: More Sinners than Saints

The costume shop was larger than Natalie had expected. Given that they had themed nights, special racks were highlighted in the front of the store holding angelic outfits filled with lace and feathers, red lingerie and leather, black capes, and so on.

"You guys just bring in themed clothes?" Natalie asked one of the sales women, who had been darting between her and four other girls scanning the racks.

"So many themes, these clubs," the woman replied in a thick accent, swishing her hand in the air. "There is large storage in the basement. We keep many outfits on hand to fit themes so no one will wear the same thing."

Natalie glanced to the side. "Yes, how embarrassing that would be," she said sarcastically as she pulled at a red ensemble that had a sheer bodysuit. Definitely not her thing. Though she was feeling a little less than angelic, she'd decided she wanted to go with the whites. The other four girls had been rummaging through the reds and blacks, which there were far more of, costume-wise. Maybe less people here wanted to play up the innocence.

Stopping at the fifth ensemble, she removed it from the rack. Instead of white like everything else on this rack, it was a very light gold brocade, breathtakingly complex in filigreed patterns along the silk. It stuck out due to its color, but not so far from the white as to look out of place. It was boned, but didn't look punishing to a waist the way corsets often did. Also unlike many corsets, it had thicker straps over the shoulders.

Below it hung a matching skirt. No, not a skirt really. A short draping of similar fabric over layers and layers of delicate white lace to make it stick out like a tutu. Straight out. This was not for a child's ballerina costume, and holding it up, it would not come close to offering any coverage.

Locating Elijah, who was browsing the single rack for men, she held it up. "What do you think?" she asked, sticking her hip to the side as she struck a pose.

Exhaling a breath, Elijah mentally placed her in the costume. She'd look absolutely stunning. "Gorgeous," he said. "Try it on."

Once she had, it was purchased without trying anything else, along with some white silk panties, garters and nylons. Angel wings were almost forgotten about until the saleswoman ringing them up asked if she wanted any, to which she quickly dashed over and grabbed the first set of long feathered wings she could find and added them in.

Elijah had been disappointed by the selection for men. Capes, priest robes, everything expected and not anything he actually wanted to wear. He had brought an elegant, expensive suit and decided that was as saintly/sinner as he'd get tonight. "Friday is carnival themed," he said as he gathered Natalie's bags from the register. "Maybe at least that way we'll find some multicolored feather hats or something."

"You always look incredible in a suit," Natalie noted, following him out of the shop. They walked by the sex shop, Natalie giving it a quick glance to find rows of vibrators and dildos proudly displayed right in the front, and she laughed to herself. This was Lalaland. "Also, I'll bet most guys won't dress up at all. You know how these things can go."

"Yup," Elijah agreed, then hit the button the elevator. Eying Natalie, he asked, "You're sure you're not hungry? We could still grab dinner."

Natalie shook her head. "I'll order some gross greasy club food," she responded. "I'd really rather just lay down for a few hours before we get dressed to go out."

Once in the room, Elijah set the bags down on the dresser as Natalie crashed face down on the bed. Too much sun, she determined. While you always felt good in it, the second there was downtime all energy seemed zapped.

She felt Elijah's weight beside her on the mattress and brought her arms up under her head to face him. He placed his hand on her shoulder, massing there for a moment as she closed her eyes before working his way down to her lower back. She was still in her green bikini, this one a string, but she'd been right; they needed a nap, not playtime, despite how easy it would be to get her out of it.

"I have to tell you something," Natalie said, pursing her lips to the side. His hand briefly stopped, resting on the small of her back, and she frowned. "Oh, just a little more," she asked, receiving a grin from him and his continued massage.

"What's up?" he asked her. There was no guessing what she may have to say to brace himself, as the spectrum of things to admit to at this resort was so wide, how could anyone begin to imagine them all? Instead he just braced himself for any worst-case so it would be handled with grace, as they'd promised before making the journey.

Holding his gaze for a moment, Natalie finally said, "I kissed Etienne."

So very far from the worst-case, Elijah almost laughed out loud. But it was stifled as he offered her a smile. "I thought you and that Frenchman seemed a little close," he said, bringing his head down onto the pillow. His massaging morphed into gentle strokes along her back.

"So you're okay with that?" Natalie asked.

Elijah shrugged. "I figured something may have happened when we got back, so I'm not hearing anything my mind hadn't already formulated," he replied.

"Well, it was after you'd gotten back," Natalie continued. "While you were playing volleyball. Just once, very short, nothing really to it."

After, huh? Well, that was ballsy. But credit where credit is due, for a man to kiss a woman with her husband down the way took a certain bravado he could respect. "Not before, huh?" he asked, regardless.

Shaking her head against her arms, Natalie smiled, immensely relieved. She had definitely suffered from a form of guilt that she'd kissed Etienne without Elijah's express permission, though that didn't really matter. Her rationalization had been accurate; it was just a kiss. Far worse happened. "Mostly we talked about travel," she explained. "It was nice to speak French. It's been awhile. Good to know I speak it well enough still, this out of practice."

Taking a deep breath, Elijah ran his fingers through her hair. "In fairness of full disclosure, Beth and Leah have been all over me," he admitted, raising a brow to gauge her reaction. As expected, she gave him none. If he'd thought he was in the wrong he'd never have done it in the first place. "At the bar, Beth was on my lap most of the time, Leah at the end. But mostly it was innocent. No kisses, no real touching outside of an arm around my neck, a waist..." He trailed off with another shrug.

Bringing her hand up to Elijah's cheek, Natalie stroked it gently before weaving her fingers through his dark blonde waves. "Those girls are obsessed with you," she said with a pensive smile. "And that's fine. I'm more okay with Beth, because I know and like her. I'm sure I'll like Leah once I get to know her more."

Still, Etienne's words rippled through her thoughts. It was completely true what he had said, that they were girls hoping to steal him away. Hoping they might be the ones that convinced Elijah they were better or sexier or whatever, as it was just the competitive nature of women. These girls didn't know that their marriage had been failing, and it wouldn't have mattered. They'd still be trying for him, just with different tactics.

Men were only slightly different. Just as competitive over a woman, if not more. But when one was taken, truly taken and unavailable, they were quicker to let it go, look to the next. Perhaps it was an element of fickleness, whereas women would hold on to what they wanted. Likewise it could have been respect, on a man's part, and for women, a lack of it.

Regardless there was a stark difference between the two, and Natalie had seen it time and time again, enough to stop caring that it existed. She supposed that, had she arrived here on her own back in her college days, she would have chased Elijah down as well. Running her fingers through his hair, it was hard to imagine what it must be like for anyone other than her; she'd had him. The unknown was whether or not she still had him.

After a two-hour nap, it was a rush to get ready. A shower was shared for efficiency, not for play, and by the time Natalie had finished drying her hair and dressing, it was ten, the club having been in full swing for two hours.

Elijah took Natalie in with their hurried exit. She'd picked the right ensemble, with her golden hair thick and curled in loose waves, making up for an absent halo. The corset had eyehooks down the front, pressing her breasts up against her chest reminiscent of the renaissance period, but it was the back that was truly something to admire. How the laces were strung together tightly with a reveal of skin from neck to just above her ass. And with that tiny little skirt, or whatever it was, from a few feet away there was a full view of her white silk panties. Straps made their way down her thighs, holding up sparkly sheer stockings, and she wore white sandal heels. And while she'd insisted they looked too casual for her outfit, it was irrelevant because it was the very last place anyone would look.

When they walked into the club, there was a box of accessories on loan for anyone who hadn't dressed the part, which Elijah really hadn't. His suit was extremely expensive, tailored for his body. Black, with a thin black tie complementing his white dress-shirt. But Natalie found him a pair of red horns and slid them over his hair, beaming with pride over this small victory of making him fit in a bit more with the theme.

It was only a minute or two of standing in line at the bar to order their drinks when they were attacked by the sorority sisters, this time the elusive fourth, Kendra, who had become preoccupied early in their vacation with a tall muscular man. Extremely muscular, Natalie noted. The sort of man other men might want to arm wrestle just to test their strength against this sort of mountain. Back at the large seating area they'd claimed early--a grouping of leather seats ranging from single to loveseat in size with a few tiny round tables in the center to hold drinks--Natalie met Torrance, Erin beside him, and admired the beauty of the dark-skinned man, who looked a little like Lenny Kravitz, only without the signature sunglasses.

The thumping bass made conversations a little tricky as they'd shout over the music. And per what she'd seen at the costume shop, she was the only angel, at least in this group of people. In the distance, there were angels in costumes that varied from full gowns to simple lingerie, but she felt special to stand out a bit from the rest in her romantic ensemble.

Beth wore black, also a corset, which complimented the roundness of her natural chest. Leah had gone bolder in red, wearing a sheer bra with multiple straps that crisscrossed in an intricate weaving over her back. Panties were not sheer, but a garter slung low on her waist covered the bulk of them regardless. The devil horns--similar to Elijah's, only sequined--stuck out from her thin blonde hair. These details were noticed by Natalie only to create a contrast, whereas they were studied closely by Elijah, both girls mouthwatering and available in a way Kendra and Erin were not.

With Natalie sitting beside him, Leah had joined them on the other side of the tiny rectangle settee, boldly placing her hand on his knee as the three talked about their afternoon, Elijah and Leah bragging about winning both matches in the pool. Natalie noticed how Leah flirted so brazenly it was almost surprising, though with her already formed preconceptions of what Leah was about, it was nothing short of predictable.

While waiting on their next round of drinks, half the group decided to go and dance, leaving Kendra and her bodybuilder behind, as well as Leah. Natalie was the first to return, however, wanting to keep an eye out for Etienne and Luc, as they'd promised to show up, and she wanted to be sure they'd locate the place they'd staked out as a home base through the night.

Unsurprisingly to Elijah, the second Natalie had left, Leah and Beth were a little more forward with their dancing, at times completely naughty. Leah rubbed her ass against his groin as she danced with him, his hand taking to her waist. When she would face his way, it was hard not to look at her chest, how the sheer red left little to the imagination and she was certainly the better for it. It only made the fantasies begin of a time where he may be able to tear a top from her and get at her magnificent tits. Fake was not a favorite of his, but on Leah they were exactly right. He couldn't figure out what it was about her that had him lusting for her. Probably that she looked like women he'd only ever seen in porn, and of course that fantasy wanted to be fulfilled. After all, they wouldn't put women in porn that looked like her if it wasn't an exaggeration of most women.

But despite the dirty dancing taking place, alternating between Leah and Beth, he was not nearly drunk enough to take any actions himself outside of skimming across their waists and stomachs as they'd dance against him.

Natalie was beginning to lose hope, ordering her third drink while adding a scotch for Elijah and a bottle of champagne for the group to share between their cocktails whenever they'd run dry to tide things over. Just as it was delivered and she began to knock back the 7&7, someone slid into the seat beside her. Expecting it to be Elijah, she reached for the scotch as she looked over, to find Etienne instead, and he placed his arm behind her on the back of the seat.

"You look like you're trying to drown some sorrow," he noted with a sly grin.

Natalie smiled back, astonishing herself by how much pleasure she felt that he had shown up. "Just working my way towards drunk," she said casually. "I've hit tipsy. Drunk is when I can finally let loose and dance it up."

Luc sat down on the other side of Etienne. "Glad we found you," he told Natalie, then took a drink from his glass of some blue concoction. A blue Hawaiian maybe? "Etienne and I made the rounds looking for you, and I told him maybe you'd decided to stay in."

"But I refused to accept that," Etienne finished with a wink, and she felt him begin to toy with a curl on the back of her head. "Then I saw Elijah and decided you had to be here."

"Je suis heureuse que vous n'ayez pas abandonné," Natalie said quietly, letting him know she was glad he hadn't given up on the search.

She noticed how his eyes travelled her body. "Comment pourrais-je? It would be impossible for me to give up. Je te kiffe, ma chère."

Natalie scrunched her brows. "I don't know that one," she noted.

Leaning in close, he whispered in her ear, "Je te kiffe. It means I desire you."

"Ah, not je te veux?" she asked.

With his fingers delicately tracing circles on her bare shoulder, he raised a brow. "That works too," he said. "But all I heard was that you desire me as well, not a question on how to say it."

Natalie blushed, the warmth of the alcohol assisting with that, as well as his feather-light touch on her shoulder. "Je te kiffe," she said in a low tone, taking him in. He, like Elijah, wore a suit, only gray and without a tie, his dress shirt instead casually unbuttoned at the top, and he'd forgone anything that could have been commandeered in the accessory box. "I like it."

"This is my cue to find someone for myself," Luc said with an eye roll, though he didn't appear upset. "I'll go get us some drinks and see if I find someone. What are you drinking, Natalie?"

"Seven and seven," she responded. "Though there are two lovely girls in our party, Leah and Beth, who are single. So if you're out of luck and return alone, perhaps you can snag the attention of one. Or both!"

Luc nodded and swiftly exited toward the center bar, leaving Natalie more or less alone with Etienne, as Kendra and her lover were preoccupied with each other across the way from them, which was quite a distance in this large rectangle of seating.

Continuing to sweep his fingers through her hair and across her shoulder, Etienne asked, "So you said it. Je te kiffe. But do you mean it?"

The warmth was magnifying, regardless that his touch made her flesh pimple with goosebumps. "I suppose I do," she said honestly, as there was no use in hiding it. If she didn't, she'd have scooted away to create some distance between them.

"And are kisses still allowed?" Etienne continued to press, his eyes low between them, Natalie fully aware that he was taking in every inch of her body. In this outfit, it didn't come as a shock; she knew attention would be drawn to her, and every other scantily clad woman in the club.

Still she swallowed heavily, allowed her gaze to scan the dance floor. They were allowed, as Elijah had put up no argument. But that didn't mean she wanted him to return here finding her making out with some guy. Until the express permission had been given, she felt it best to instead vie for the option that included Elijah first before she took things up a notch in private, which would also take a very clear permission.

But with Elijah nowhere to be found, likely still dancing it up in the front near the DJ booth, she decided to acquiesce in this simple request. Bringing her hand to his chest and toying with where his shirt was unbuttoned, she said, "Anything in moderation," then leaned in to kiss him.

He cradled her head as they kissed, the hand that wasn't caressing her cheek stroking her thigh just above the stockings where it was nothing but bare skin. She was instantly aroused by the touch, and a need formed; an intense desire to pull him closer, kiss him deeper. Oh yes, the alcohol had definitely set in, or she wouldn't be kissing him this deeply now. There was an unbridled passion with their kiss, a recklessness to it that was intoxicating.

To her amazement, Etienne was the one who pulled back first, smiling pensively at her as he wet his lips. "I need to back away or I'll lose control," he admitted shyly, his fingertips still stroking the skin of her thigh, each caress travelling infinitesimally higher up and less on the top, instead daring to venture between. "I want to be sure this will remain acceptable, given your situation. I'm discovering that you're hard to resist."

As it turned out, his timing had been perfect, as it was maybe thirty seconds later that Elijah returned with Leah and Beth in tow, Terrance taking up the rear. Etienne quickly removed his hand from her legs, though kept his arm slung behind her on the back of the settee.

Elijah had a slight sheen on his forehead as he crashed down beside Natalie. "Had to take a break," he told her, running his fingers through his hair. "And I'm parched."

"You're in luck," Natalie said, gesturing to the little round table. "I ordered you another scotch, and added the bottle of champagne so we wouldn't dry out between visits of our waiters."

"Such excellent planning," Elijah cooed, then took his scotch back as though it were a shot. "Because this is not enough." He grabbed the bottle and began to unwind the foil while Leah sat to his left, Beth beside her shuffling the empty champagne flutes. "Good to see you, Etienne. Where's your friend?"

Etienne had coolly created a bit of space between him and Natalie. "Off looking for women with the promise to return with drinks," he said, then looked over his shoulder out at the club restlessly. "And he's taking a bit too long. I'll hunt him down."

And the Frenchman disappeared, leaving the four behind. They were in the corner of the rectangle, Natalie on one side alone now, Elijah and Leah and Beth to her left. She looked at them with a large smile. "How was dancing?"

"Amazing!" Leah cooed, resting her hand on Elijah's knee. Natalie's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the balconette bra she wore, the sheer red that did nothing to hide her nipples. Of everyone in their party, while they were all scantily clad, Leah had kicked it up a notch to nearly obscene, albeit extremely sexy. "This guy can really dance."

"A few more drinks and I'll be out there with you guys again," Natalie responded. While she was tipsy, in order to really let loose she'd need a bit more to drink. Taking a large sip of her 7&7, her eyes travelled to Beth, whom was appearing as a third wheel. Fourth wheel, as it were, but with the three lined up, Leah had swiveled toward Elijah, essentially leaving her back toward Beth, who had scooted so far forward on the set to be included that it was wonder she hadn't slid off the end. "What are you drinking?" Natalie shouted at her. This was a situation that would need to be remedied.

Holding up a nearly empty glass, Beth shouted back, "Long Island!"

"Elijah, baby," Natalie said, laying her hand on the knee Leah didn't have her grip on. Leaning forward she continued. "Beth needs another long island, and I wouldn't mind a 7&7. I haven't really seen our waiter..."

"I've got it," Elijah responded, rising from the black leather seat. Natalie's hand snatched his, and he glanced down, saw her widened eyes as she gestured her head to the side.

Elijah leaned down and Natalie whisper-shouted over the noise, "Beth's looking pretty left out. Take note of it, I feel bad for her."

Glancing over his shoulder at Leah and Beth, he knew it was the case even though they were now talking. Whenever he was around, Leah stole the spotlight. Easy to do, with how precocious she was, how forward, not to mention outgoing without any qualms over butting into conversations to redirect the attention on her. In addition, she was definitely the hottest of the four friends. Had dressed the sluttiest, had the sexier body, even though they were all beautiful in their own right. And while any man could be attracted to all of them, even he was falling prey to Leah's more 'obvious sex appeal'.

Nodding at Natalie, he brushed his hand through her hair. "You're right," he said, cradling the back of her head. "I'll make a bigger point of including her." He kissed her lips, tasted the tart mix of her drink. With his forehead pressed against hers, he asked, "And if it leads somewhere?"

"Not necessarily tonight," Natalie said, gently shaking her head. She had every intention of getting tossed, and while some alcohol could enhance, she didn't want to moderate her intake. "Let's see how it feels later. But yes, eventually."

Elijah smiled, kissed her once more, then left to make an order at the bar as Natalie leaned back, placing an elbow on the back of the seat, surveying the area. With Elijah removed, Leah and Beth were definitely best friends. They were immersed in conversation. Across the way, a man and woman had sat down to chat with Kendra and her guy, whom Natalie still couldn't remember if his name had been said when they'd been introduced. And making their approach were Terrance and Leah with drinks in hand, immediately greeted by the couples and sucked into their conversation.

She turned her attention to surveying the club, which was packed. The music thumped with deep bass, the dance floor crowded with people jumping and yelling and moving to the music. Seating was around the outer walls with the large bar in the center of the room. Everyone looked happy. There was the occasional pair here and there that were taking things further than she might in public; fifteen feet or so over a guy with two women, one on his lap, the other at his side with whom he was making out with, which wasn't the element that crossed the proverbial line. It was that the woman to his side had her hand massaging his groin while he was groping breasts and asses freely. Another pair at the bar, the guy was sitting on a stool with his hand so far down on his partner's ass that his fingers were definitely at work between her legs as they made out.

But, to each their own. And it was pretty dark. Still, only at this resort would people dare to get so intense with their public displays, and Natalie couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it.

"Hey, Natalie!" Leah suddenly called out, tapping Natalie on the knee with more force than was actually necessary. Natalie raised a brow, pulled her legs further to the side so they'd receive no further torture. "Have you two always had an open relationship?"

"Or is it just here?" Beth asked, eyes as eager and curious as her friend.

Natalie inhaled deeply, kept her eyes wandering the surrounding area in case she'd need to excuse herself. "Mostly," she replied, uninterested in carrying on the conversation. Why couldn't they just talk to her like they had the first day, when it had been about college and sororities. Or even shared interests would have been fine, for fuck's sake.

Well, there was the shared interest here in this club.

Exhaling the air with a huge sigh, she turned to Leah and Beth. "We've been together for eight years," she told them, her tone holding an air of warning to it; a 'don't fuck with me' tone, albeit still speaking loudly over the thudding bass. "Lots of shared experiences in college, some not so shared. Once we married though we've been exclusive, with only..." she trailed off there. No reason really to get into the one and only threesome they'd had since they were married. Waving her hand in an erase-gesture, she shook her head. "Yes, we've always had an open relationship. We just had many years where we didn't take advantage of it."

"What's it like?" Beth asked, her curiosity genuine. Natalie got the impression that Leah didn't give a shit one way or the other how Natalie felt about it, but Beth had been authentic from the beginning. What Leah didn't know was that Beth's authenticity gave her the 'in' to joining them at some point.

Natalie's eyes warmed toward Beth, and directed her response at the brunette. "It's actually wonderful," she admitted, applying the word only to the earlier years. "It's exciting being with other people, and we found at times when we couldn't be together, it was nice to still share physical experiences with others while still loving each other. I'm not sure it would work for most people, but for us, it ultimately strengthened what we had when we could be together."

Beth's brows furrowed together. "I think I'd be too jealous," she said, barely audible. "Like if I was married or had a boyfriend. I think I'd get jealous."

"Initially there is jealousy," Natalie admitted. "And then you find that the jealousy can be just as exciting. It sort of drives you to get wilder, enhancing the experience instead of detracting from it. And after awhile, the jealousy ceases to matter entirely, because I always knew that no matter what happened, he was mine. I'm not sure how it was for him though."

"When I was dating Jeremy, I was really pissed when he wanted a threesome," Leah began, bringing in her own experience. "I mean, it was really fun, but weren't you pissed when he asked for one?"

Natalie snorted in the back of her throat. Her features contorted in sarcasm, she replied, "I was the one who asked for it." This caught Leah by surprise. Beth too, upon glancing over. "I was also the one who said we should sleep with other people when I spent a summer in France," she added, just to further their shock, pleased that the effect had been achieved.

Less pleased upon noticing that Leah looked at her as though she were a slut who just wanted to fuck around, which in the next moment made her pleasure grow further. Such a double standard, and what was sluttier anyways? Two people agreeing to have meaningless affairs on the side when they knew they wouldn't see each other for long spans of time? Or college girls off at a sex resort to hook up with single and married men alike?

Her opinion on Leah had been formed; she didn't like her. It didn't mean Elijah had to stop liking her, if he did at all, though she wasn't sure of his feelings on the matter. It would mean that Beth was Natalie's priority, if offered the choice, and she knew without a doubt a full on threesome would happen, probably more than one.

Sweeping her eyes around the bar once more, she felt relieved to see Etienne approaching carrying two bottles of tequila. Behind him was Luc and two girls, each holding four shot glasses in each hand, which were quickly slid onto the circular table.

"We started to order a round of shots," Etienne explained, then placed the bottles down on the table, scooting the glasses over to make room. "And then we realized we had no idea how many to order. This should give us forty, yes?"

The shots could not have been more welcome in this moment, as far as Natalie was concerned, and she smiled at him with gratitude as he sat down beside her, working the top off of one of the bottles. "About that," Natalie agreed, then looked up at Luc and the two girls; both angels, neither dressed as classy as herself, as far as sexy-chic went when it came to what was ultimately just lingerie. "And Luc, you've returned."

"The man on a mission," Etienne told Natalie, then patted the seats beside him. One of the angels quickly slid down, eyelashes batting at Etienne, which he didn't seem to notice. Luc followed, then the other angel took up the end of the rectangle, having to squeeze in to find room. As a result, everyone scooted down so they were all hip to hip. "Luc returns with Jessica and Melaina."

Natalie waved, Jessica the girl between the two Frenchmen, Melaina at the end. Etienne, while pouring the golden liquid into shot glasses, leaned closer to Natalie and said in a hushed tone, "Je crois que Jessica a l'impression erronée que Luc l'a amenée pour moi."

The incorrect assumption Jessica was procured for Etienne by Luc. Incorrect had been accentuated heavily when he'd shared this, and Natalie grinned. She was absolutely smitten by Etienne, and it seemed he only had eyes for her. There was an element of worry, though. If nothing came of it, she had the distinct feeling he may end up hurt.

"Si vous étiez intéressé, je ne vous retiens pas," Natalie said regretfully, hating to tell him that if Jessica did interest him, she would never stand in the way. And she noticed that there was an element of pain to be had, herself, by saying this. She hoped Elijah would be willing to give Etienne a chance, as much as she was willing to allow another woman.

Their threesomes in the past, after all, had not been exclusively the addition of a woman. Elijah had confided once that watching her be fucked by another man had been exhilarating, whereas many men might be averse to a male third. She thought that if he hadn't felt this way, she might not have been so keen to allow women in return.

With a wink, Etienne said, "Je te kiffe. Seulement toi."

Unable to respond, Natalie certainly agreed. As for any of the men here, she too desired him. Only him. Well, and Elijah, but that was a given. Of the strangers, it was only Etienne.

The shots poured, Elijah returned just in time, as they were being passed out around the group, even kindly offered to the six across the way who were members of their group, albeit doing their own thing. He took a place between Leah and Beth this time, with his body swiveled closer to Beth, which pleased Natalie; he'd heeded her advice, and she felt it more necessary after the derisive look she'd received from Leah earlier.

Another round of shots quickly followed until both bottles were emptied, and Natalie finally felt the level of intoxication she hoped to maintain throughout the rest of the evening.

Elijah made more of a point to give his attention to Beth. He'd had Natalie's permission and direction, and he was very ready to take their play to the full extent now that they'd settled in here. Beth would be the first, knowing she was safe. Natalie already approved and, while maybe it wouldn't happen tonight, it would happen soon.

He did find himself bothered once more that Natalie and Etienne spoke almost exclusively in French, finding it borderline rude considering no one other than Luc could understand them. But it would have been an unfair double standard to place on her not to find someone she could flirt with when he'd been flirting and touching both Leah and Beth all day. While carrying on a conversation with Beth and Leah, he watched Natalie and Etienne with more speculation than before, wondering his level of willingness as far as they were concerned.

But if Natalie made the request, he didn't see why it couldn't be Etienne. He seemed like a nice, genuine guy, at least when he spoke English. He briefly imagined what it would entail, should Etienne join them at some point. The first time Natalie had suggested another man, his immediate reaction had been no, no way in hell, out of the question. But once it had happened, he'd found watching her with another man had turned him on, and upped their play the night after when he'd "punished her" for enjoying it so much.

Ultimately, it had been a lot of fun, though it was rarer than taking in another woman, certainly preferable for him.

A half hour later, the entire group took to the dance floor, group entailing this splintered half while those coupled up stayed behind groping their respective partner. And as they danced, switching partners every few minutes, the alcohol had made them all more daring with their moves, grinding against one another while laughing and overall having a great time.

With her arms around Etienne, Natalie watched Elijah again with Leah, her back against his body with his hands sliding around on her stomach. His head was buried in her hair near her neck, and Natalie suddenly asked Etienne, "Do you find her beautiful?"

"Who?"

Gesturing her head at Leah and Elijah, Etienne spun her around, then took up the side she'd been on so Natalie now had her back to her husband. Natalie watched Etienne study the scene with his hands on her waist, never missing a beat.

After a moment, he nodded. "I find her sexy," he said.

Natalie felt nothing, just affirmation of the truth. She, too, agreed Leah was beautiful, but she knew men would desire someone with her body in a way that surpassed just "beauty". She also appreciated his candor. It reinforced how much she trusted him.

His eyes stayed locked in the distance, clearly still studying Leah. "She is not a type I'd desire. But it is fair that he does. She moves well, her lingerie is, ahh... provocative?" He glanced to Natalie to see if he had the right word, to which she nodded. "She would be fun, but there is nothing more to her than that. She lacks, ahh... substance?"

Again, looking for affirmation of the word, though instead of nodding, Natalie just laughed. "All true," she said.

"Would you allow it?" Etienne asked her, searching her eyes.

"It's not up to me to allow," Natalie said, then shook her head. "Well, that's not true. I have every right to tell him no to anyone. But how fair would that be? If he asked, I'd say yes, though I'd insist I was there. I don't think I'd like it much if they were alone together."

Etienne's eyes widened. "Oh, so the two of you..." He paused, thinking through the English of it, then gave up. "Vous pouvez baiser quelqu'un d'autre, chacun seul?"

Laughter escaped Natalie in a sudden burst. "We haven't for a long time," she told him. "It was something we only did when we knew we wouldn't see each other for weeks or months at a time. But yes, we can fuck another alone. Though I don't believe it's on the table just yet."

"But I can hope," Etienne asked, leaning closer to her ear as he said this, his lips brushing her skin.

Instead of answering, Natalie spun in his arms, raising a hand over her head to clasp it around his neck. Really it was that she didn't want to answer. Because she did not want to hope. If she did fuck someone alone, it should be Elijah, and only Elijah. But Etienne was awakening an urge inside of her that she hadn't felt since college. The urge to be with someone without Elijah. To experience a different man for her pleasure without the necessity of making it a three-way. And she was reminded of how close she'd grown to Philippe when she'd been in France, and just how passionate they'd been. Lust had morphed into love, though not rivalling her love for Elijah. She had cared about him.

The similarity of that situation to this one was striking.

But in watching Elijah with Leah, whom he had clearly found an interest in that surpassed poor Beth, she did not feel that if Elijah asked her if he could be alone with her for a night that she could say it was okay. And she knew then that she would have to get her feelings in check. How could she think that way about Etienne when she doubted she would be okay with Elijah and Leah alone?

If he was not here, if they were on their own vacations and she never knew who he was with, it wouldn't matter. But they were here together. That was the element that made it different.

"I think I need a drink," Natalie said abruptly, removing herself from Etienne's arms. She turned to him, frowning. This was something that would take careful consideration, even though the situation may never present itself. The fact that the dilemma was there made it worth thinking about, as it was important to what she and Elijah needed to discover.

If they should still be married or not.

"I'll join you," Etienne responded, though his features asked it as a question even though it had been a statement.

Though she felt the need to separate from him to clear her thoughts, with how drunk she felt, perhaps it was best if she tabled it and continued to try and just have fun. Nodding her head, Etienne took her hand and they walked back to the table.

"Your wife is leaving with her French lover," Leah said as she spun to face Elijah. He'd been too into dancing with her to really notice anything else, and immediately registered just how drunk he was that such a thing had happened. But he turned, saw Natalie hand in hand with Etienne walking back to the settees.

When they did sit down and hailed a waiter, he felt relief that they weren't sneaking off together. But still, the hypocrisy was there. Natalie shared something with Etienne that was not just about lust, he knew enough about women to understand that they operated differently. Their attachments were generally based more on emotions instead of the more based needs of men, and Etienne was filling a void for his wife, and he wondered exactly what it could be.

No need to wonder too much; he hadn't made himself emotionally available for so long, it had only been recently when they'd both agreed to try harder, to fix this, that he'd offered himself fully to her. But he was too drunk to consider it much, he'd have to have a clearer head to think about what it could mean for them. He knew a frank and honest discussion needed to happen, but it couldn't take place until tomorrow when they were sober.

Definitely best not to bring Beth back with them tonight. They needed to wake up together in the morning so he could ask the questions with a clear head, and Beth waking with them would only delay something he felt was important.

As for now, however...

"Let them drink together," he said, turning his attention back to Leah. "It's what we're here for."

Biting her lip seductively, Leah ran her hand down his arm until it laced into his. "I want to show you something," she said, then began to gently tug him toward the bar.

He followed, eyes on the skin of her lower back, the crisscross patterns of the straps of her sheer bra over her magnificent shoulder blades. They continued past the bar until he was following her under an arch. It briefly struck his mind that this may not be the best of ideas, but he continued none the less out of sheer curiosity.

There was a long hall with a few people entering doors or exiting, brushing by them, until they reached a door that was open, and Leah turned into it with a seductive glance at him over her shoulder.

Perhaps if Elijah hadn't taken the shots, drank the scotch, kept himself at a level of 'buzzed' instead of crossing the line to drunk, he might have understood before she shut the door behind him. But they had entered a dimly lit room with red leather benches along the side walls, a chaise against the back, no larger than a walk-in closet.

He felt Leah's arms snake around his stomach, starting from behind until she'd walked around in front of him, pressing her body against him. He'd long lost the jacket and tie after first dancing, and he had no idea at what point the horns had fallen off, but he'd unbuttoned the top two at his neck and slid his sleeves up from the exertion on the dance floor.

But Leah was unbuttoning one more, and he reached up, placing his hand over hers. It had caught up, his fuzzy mind recognizing that that hallway had held many rooms just like this one. Private rooms, for activities that couldn't happen out in the club.

"I can't," he said reluctantly, shaking his head as he stared at her. Still he made no effort to back away, not just yet.

"You can," she whispered, leaning in and kissing his neck. Her body pressed further against him, enough that he knew she could feel his growing erection. "I know you want to."

With her height and the addition of heels, she was able to take his earlobe into her mouth as his shoulders slumped, the urge to fight it slowly evaporating, though knowing entirely that he absolutely could not stay.

Or could he?

A kiss. Some touching. He'd done the touching, and when telling Natalie, she'd had no problem with that. Natalie had kissed Etienne, and he'd told her that was acceptable. Perhaps a little of both with Leah would be alright.

Gently sliding the back of his fingers down her upper arm, he wanted to. She was right. He wanted to shove her onto that chaise in the back of the room and make her scream. But he could hold back. He determined that he could keep his word despite being drunk, he would absolutely not betray Natalie's trust. But fifteen minutes of fooling around? A half hour?

Natalie was off speaking in French with a man he knew she desired, and she had been drinking enough that he figured he wouldn't be missed.

And he decided.

Flattening his palm against her chest just below her neck, he pushed her back. She frowned at him, her lower lip creating a pout as she looked at him through lowered, long sexy lashes. His mouth slowly formed a grin as he continued to press onward, taking small steps and keeping his hand in place until he saw the recognition in her eyes that he was not pushing her away. He was coming with her.

Forcefully spinning her around just before they reached the settee, he swept at her hair on both sides until he could take it all in one hand. Then, holding it and gently tugging downward, he brought his mouth to her ear. "This what you want?" he whispered, pressing his groin against her ass.

"Yes," she moaned.

He attacked her neck, sucking and gnawing at her flesh as her moans grew louder, her ass pressing harder against him. With his free hand that wasn't gripping her hair, he snaked it around her side, finally able to do what he'd wanted to when she'd been upon his lap in the pool.

Once his left hand covered her breast over that racy, sheer balconette, he gave it a firm squeeze, able to feel her nipple against the palm of his hand. While he had a personal preference for natural, particularly his wife's smaller breasts that would flatten when she'd arch her back, he was no stranger to fake and enjoyed as much, just in a different way.

He wanted her bra off, immediately, and backed away, then remembered the way the multiple straps wove together, crossing over her shoulder blades. Removing both hands from her and backing up a step, he said with a laugh, "I don't even know where to begin on this," he said, then gripped the back and gave it a snap.

Leah spun to face him, then stared down at her chest. "It clasps in the front," she said, stroking the tops of her breasts with her middle fingers. He noticed the metal clasp between and smiled. "You do it," she added, gently sucking on her lower lip.

Taking a step forward, he fingered the metal clasp with both hands, found how it locked together and released it. He gradually rubbed his way up to her shoulders, and with careful deliberation, pulled the straps down her arms until the bra fell from her body to her feet.

He then took a moment to admire the view, lingering in what it did to his growing erection. Her breasts were magnificent. Though unnaturally round, they still had a teardrop shape without an underwire holding them up. Her nipples were dark and large, pointy, and he needed to savor every second, as this little tryst couldn't escalate to much more.

It was clear that she was proud of them, as she stood with her shoulders back, presenting herself to him without any reservations. He began by stroking the sides, making his way under before covering them with his hands, his eyes transfixed on nothing but their shape and his motions, the fact that he was finally able to freely grope her in privacy.

Roughly, he pinched her nipples and pulled, listening to the little cry she made, but still unable to look anywhere else. God he wanted her, he was crazed by it, and finally, could no longer stand it. Lust took fully over and he removed one hand only to wrap it behind her back and pulled her against him. While roughly groping the tit he still held, he kissed her, this new body to explore at his disposal.

And explore it he did, his hand snaking down her back and beneath her red panties so he could grope her ass as well, squeezing it. He was not delicate with any of it, the kissing, the groping, sheer need and lust driving his every motion.

Shoving her down onto the settee, he fell to his knees before her so her breasts were at eye level, and he began to nip and suck at them, squeezing them as he did so, taking a nipple between his teeth and glancing up to see the face she made as he bit. She did not disappoint, her jaw falling open, head tossing back and bracing herself with both hands on the leather as she let out a cry.

How far could he take this? What could he get away with? He knew Leah would put up no fight should he rip the rest of her clothing off and fuck her through the night, but that was out of the question.

Rising until he was face to face with her again, he began to position her on her back, lengthwise as he crawled above her. He raised her hands above her head, then held them together with one hand.

"I'm not going to fuck you," he said, his tone carrying a cruelty. Something about her made him want to punish her, for she'd been openly pushing for his attention from the moment they met. She hadn't cared that Beth was interested and she certainly didn't give a shit that he was married. "You're going to beg me to, and I'm not going to care."

Sliding his free hand over her breasts, giving a squeeze to each, he then travelled further down until he was able to slip his hand into her panties. She was clean shaven, which should have been expected. His middle finger drew a line between her lips. "But I want you to fuck me," she whined. "Make me your fuck toy on the side. No one needs to know."

He tilted his head. "Natalie will always know, because I'll tell her," he said, then kissed her roughly. "She'll know what a slut you've been around me. She might even tell me not to see you anymore. Do you want that?"

Leah shook her head in horror. "No," she cried as he continued to tease her smooth lips. "No, I need you," she pleaded.

"And that's why I'm not going to fuck you," he told her clearly. "But I did tell you I'd make you beg for it."

Abruptly he slid his hand further between her legs and rammed his middle finger inside of her depths, enjoying another cry from her. He did not pause. He didn't want to. More than anything he wished he could fuck her, right here, right now. Instead he assaulted her pussy with his finger, able to see how much she enjoyed his rough play.

"Oh god, please Elijah," she moaned, her head tossing from right to left. "Please, I'll do anything."

"Anything?"

"Anything!" she yelled.

He grinned. Natalie liked Beth, and if he was going to ever fuck this stunning creature, she would have to be on board. Removing his finger, he brought the hand to up and slid it into her mouth. The fact that she sucked it so hungrily made him reconsider everything. Fuck, he should not have drank this much.

He would not cheat.

In awe of her, he drew his finger back, her teeth scraping it in the most evocative way. Jesus, she really was made for this. "Right now she's ready to invite Beth to our room. Do you want that?"

Leah shook her head.

Elijah laughed. "I want that," he said casually. "But you're right. I want you as well. Natalie likes Beth, but I'm very observant. She is unsure about you. Make her sure."

Vigorously nodding, Leah stammered, "O-okay, I'll make her sure. But can't we... just us?"

"Only time will tell," he said, then rose from her, taking to his feet. He straightened out his shirt, admiring the lust-driven body still sprawled on the leather. He liked that he could play dirty with her, liked how she quivered as she tried to rise. "Now you have a taste of what you can get. If you want more, well..."

With a shrug, he turned away and, without looking back, opened the door and walked out, shutting it behind him before walking down the hall to return to the rest of the group. He felt satisfied by their encounter, despite the raging hard-on in his pants, which he readjusted after someone walked by so no one would see.

Though he knew it wouldn't go too hidden. He was well aware of his size. When he saw the group across the bar, Natalie talking to Etienne, he became purpose driven in his gait, speeding up until he reached the tables.

Cutting into their French without caring what he interrupted, he placed his hands on her knees and kissed her. Once he broke it, she looked up at him in surprise, brows narrowed.

"I'm ready to leave," he said. Glancing at Etienne, the guy had scooted back a few inches, which he appreciated. The man, while obviously taken with Natalie, understood and respected their relationship. "We'll stay if you like, but maybe we can go take a walk?"

Natalie turned to Etienne. "I'm sorry, I think he's right. It's probably a good idea to call it a night."

The regret in her voice went noticed by Elijah, but it didn't matter. He'd been allowed to kiss, he'd been allowed to touch, and he'd just finished doing both. But he'd kept his promise; he would not fuck someone else unless it was discussed first. And after being so turned on, he needed to.

"J'espère vous voir dans la matinée," Etienne said to Natalie with a warm smile.

"Je vous promets que oui," Natalie responded, rising from the seat and taking Elijah's hand.

He didn't really give a fuck what they'd just said. It was irrelevant, though he hated that they'd had an exchange in French right in front of him like that, making him wonder what they'd tried to hide with that final dialogue.

It was a race to the room, Elijah pulling Natalie behind him as she struggled to keep up in her heels. Once there, he shut the door.

"What is going on with you?" she asked, whirling around to him.

His eyes narrowed, and he wasn't sure exactly where his anger came from, but it was there. He'd played dirty in that room with Leah, the image of her writhing below him flashing through his head for a moment before he grabbed her hand once more and placed it over his groin. "This is yours," he said firmly.

In return, Natalie's eyes narrowed right back. "How'd something like that happen?" she asked, her tone carrying a trace of accusation.

"We're allowed to kiss," he said, then cradled her head, stepping closer to her. "And we're allowed to touch," he added, bring his hand down and snapping the eye-hooks one at a time to open her corset. "And I will not fuck anyone but you until we do it together. So fuck me."

Natalie nodded without a change in features. Though she felt relief. Sitting with Etienne, they'd touched; his hand stroking her leg, hers toying with the back of his neck. Their conversation had been benign, but a few kisses were had while Elijah had been off dancing.

It didn't matter how he'd ended up hard, the fact that he'd come to her warmed her. The corset was now free, and Natalie stripped the skirt she wore, allowing it to join the corset on the floor. Gripping his shirt, she pulled him toward the bed. "I'm ready to fuck you," she said, unsnapping the garter's straps to pull her panties down. Eying him levelly, thinking of Etienne, she added, "And I think we're both ready to fuck others." She paused for effect. "Tomorrow."

Elijah ripped open his pants, staring at his wife as she leaned back on the bed, propped up by her elbows. He unbuttoned his shirt as quickly as he could, then grabbed her legs, yanked at her. Flipping her onto her stomach, he slid his finger inside of her, finding she was already damp.

Knowing it was probably due to Etienne in addition to the fact that he was ready for some rough play, he grabbed a fistful of hair, bending over her and raising her head. "You ask me how my erection happened when you're this wet?" Elijah asked, probing his finger around her depths, meeting her tone of accusation from before. "I agree. Tomorrow," he said through his teeth. "If you think you can after I'm done here tonight."

He was pleased to hear her high-pitched laugh, glad she was as into playing rough as he was. Rising, he swatted her butt once before kneading it, then twice more in rapid succession. He watched as she writhed, raising her sexy ass up higher, presenting herself to him.

Poising himself, he said, "Tell me what you want."

Natalie turned her head over her shoulder, barely able to look at him. But she was able to make eye contact. "I want you to fuck me," she said, meaning it. "From now until morning."

In the second before he entered, she thought briefly of Etienne. He had asked to see her in the morning, to which she had promised he would. But as Elijah gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh, he forced his way into her depths as her vision blurred, and Etienne was promptly forgotten.