“It’s not going to end no matter what,” Caroline said. “I promise you. It’s just going to keep evolving. We’re all in the process of changing our marriages. Look at me. I went from being plagued by guilt about my sexual desires to having a sex machine in the house! Marriage is supposed to be ever evolving, and you guys are on the right track.”

Piper snorted. “How is that thing, anyway? You’ve never told me how it went, and I forgot all about it.” She turned to Emma, leaning in close to whisper, “Jace bought an actual fuck machine, one with a dildo and a motor.”

Emma’s eyes got wide as she turned toward Caroline. “You mean to tell me you guys have something we don’t?” Then she began to giggle, which turned into full-on laughter. “We might have to call Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.”

“Stop it.” Caroline laughed along with her. “I can’t believe you don’t have one stuffed somewhere in the Pleasure Paradise. But, yes, we have one, and it’s awesome!” She covered her mouth and glanced around the restaurant before saying, “When we’re doing it, I totally buy that another guy is down there, while Jace is doing things to me up top that you can’t imagine.”

“Um, I think we can imagine,” Piper said, waving her fork between her and Emma. “This is us you’re talking to.”

“Well, yes, I guess you can,” Caroline conceded, still laughing. “But it’s working for us. We change it up a lot, but I’m so happy. I don’t think we’ll ever jump into sex with another couple again, but”—she leaned in, and Piper and Emma reciprocated—“I’ve been having these super-raunchy fantasies that include five guys.” She held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. “But, unlike before, I’ve learned to embrace my fantasies and that having them is healthy. It’s taken me a while, but I’ve even started sharing them with Jace.”

“He’s not the only one you’re going to have to share them with!” Piper exclaimed. “We have to hear this.”

“No way,” she gasped. “It would be too embarrassing for me to relay in public. But,” she hedged, “I’d be up for doing a fantasy-swap party if I wasn’t the only one spilling. We could call it Fantasy Club. What do you think?”

Piper glanced at Emma and nodded. “You’re talking about each of us relating our wildest fantasies out loud? Sounds like a great idea to me.”

“Yes, exactly,” Caroline said. “It would be sexy times without being physical. Then we all go home to our guys totally horned up.” She was blushing in earnest now, and Piper couldn’t help but be proud of her pal. Caroline had come such a long way. “But, if you guys think it’s silly, I totally understand. I’m sort of a prisoner of my own fantasies…so at the moment I think there’s nothing sexier.”

“I think it’s a fantastic idea,” Emma added. “A different way to spice things up for all of us. I’m also a fan of hot daydreams, and have them often.”

Piper took another bite of her pasta. “I only wish my issues with Michael could be solved with a hot daydream.”

16

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Michael sat at his desk, flipping the black business card Beth had given him between his fingers. It was Friday night, and he was ready to leave for the day. The office had shut down about an hour ago, with most people heading home for the weekend.

It was date night, and his turn to initiate the second thing on his top five. He’d finagled an almost-impossible-to-get reservation at the newest she-she-la-la restaurant in town by exchanging favors with one of his partners for his time slot tonight. The guy needed extra hands on a tough case he was working on, so Michael offered to chip in for a weekend in exchange for the table.

It was totally worth it for Piper.

He stared at the card a little longer, trying to decide what to do.

Michael had put the Sexual Underground on his list at number five, but if he and Piper were going to attend the meeting for new members—or whatever it was—it wasn’t going to fit perfectly into his time line. They’d have to go when the party was planned, and Beth had mentioned it was going to happen in the next week or two.

He was hard right now just thinking about it.

Piper might be skittish to try it, so he assumed they would attend only as observers. But he was willing to see where the night took them.

After their sexy hotel room romp with the strap-on, he wanted to surprise Piper with something like this. If she was uncomfortable, they could leave at any time. He actually couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she figured out where they were.

Michael turned the card over to read Beth’s info for the second time, then set it on the desk. He picked up his cell phone. Beth had said to call him after hours. It was only about twenty minutes after six, but it was also Friday night. She should’ve left the office around five thirty. If she answered, she answered.

If not, he’d try again later.

She picked up on the second ring. “Hello.”

“Beth? It’s Michael Collins.”

“Hi, Michael.” Her voice was animated. “I knew you’d call! I’m so glad you did.”

“I’m not sure Piper and I are in for sure.” His tone was cautionary. “I’m still making up my mind about the entire thing, but I’d like to get some details if I can.”

“Of course. Do you have a pen handy?”

“Yes, right here. I’m ready when you are.”

“The meet and greet is set for next Saturday night. Start time is eleven p.m.” She gave him the street address, then continued, “It’s a warehouse in the art district. It looks like nothing special on the outside, but there’s a big red number one above the door. There will be a bouncer inside. Don’t be intimidated. Your names will be on a list.” Michael jotted down the information. “We’re expecting quite a big turnout. This place has been recently remodeled, and it’s very elegant. There’s a huge main room with lots of comfortable places to”—she cleared her throat—“have fun. There are also lots of adjacent spaces to play. Everything kicks off with a cocktail party, so I advise getting there before eleven thirty. There’s lots of mingling. The doors lock at midnight, no late entry allowed.”

“Okay, I have it down,” Michael said. “How big of a crowd are you expecting?”

“The core group is forty-five members. Some are couples, some not. For this new meeting, half of us are inviting one person or one married couple. The headcount will be around seventy-five if everyone shows, which probably won’t happen. All new entrants will be asked a series of questions by one of the gatekeepers. If your answers aren’t satisfactory, you will be asked to leave. Don’t ask me what they are, because they always change, and I can’t tell you anyway. But I’m certain you’ll answer them correctly. Oh, and leave your phones at home. No electronics allowed whatsoever. No exceptions.”

“Gatekeepers? That sounds…extreme.” Michael chuckled. “Do they wear Dom masks and stand sentinel with whips in hand?” He was only half-joking. He needed to know what to expect. What he was envisioning would totally freak Piper out.

It was better to get the information right up front.

Beth laughed. “No whips. Gatekeeper is just a fancy term for the secretary and treasurer of the group. They’re also in charge of security. They pretty much look like an accountant and a librarian. But we embrace the ‘underground’ part in Sexual Underground. Information about this group is not meant to be public or shared casually in any way. If word gets out, there could be a serious problem with the police, or negative publicity in the media. You’re a lawyer. I’m sure you understand the security issues.”

He did.

The fact they took everything so seriously reassured him. In his line of work, he wouldn’t be able to be part of something like this that wasn’t secret. “I totally do. I need to ask you—are you the only one from the office who is involved with this group? I need a heads up if there’s anyone else.”