Chapter 16
Sean
‘You were sensational tonight,’ Sean said. The others had gone home, and it was the two of them, alone in the still of the cask warehouse.
‘You weren’t so bad yourself, Butler.’
‘Ach, I was my usual average self. You, though. I’ve never been prouder to call you my wife. You were like sunshine, a hurricane and a snowstorm all in one.’
‘Just doing my job. I’m proud to be your wife. Thank you for dealing with the strip poker thing so…entertainingly.’
‘Thanks for your input.’
‘No brainer, although they wouldn’t have seen much, and I’m not especially interested in any of them with their clothes off.’
Sean chuckled lightly. ‘Me neither.’
‘You, on the other hand.’ Cherry hoisted herself up onto a whisky barrel, the muscles in her biceps rippling as she did so. ‘I could be persuaded.’
‘To play strip poker with me?’ He stepped towards the barrel. She widened the gap between her knees, and he positioned himself between them. ‘Here?’
Cherry recced the warehouse. ‘As long as we have the place to ourselves, then yeah. Here seems like a good place.’
‘I like your thinking.’
‘I could even be persuaded to lose.’ The emphasis she placed on those last two words was pure seduction.
Something soared through Sean’s chest, before zig-zagging lower. He could touch her, take possession of those perfect thighs with his palms. Pull her close so she could feel the chaos she caused.
But that wouldn’t be half as much fun as strip poker. Holding on a bit longer, really earning that right.
‘How about we change the rules slightly?’ Cherry ran her tongue along the inside of her lower lip.
‘Explain.’
‘It’s like this. We each draw a card from the pack. Whoever’s is the lowest takes off an item of clothing of the other person’s choosing. Makes it a little fairer.’
‘I see. It’s almost like you want to take your clothes off.’
‘My husband is learning.’ Cherry lifted the deck and riffled the cards before sliding off the barrel, brushing down Sean’s front as she went.
‘You still on form, Butler?’ It was clear she was referring to what she’d just made contact with rather than his poker game.
‘Aye. Never been better.’ Total lies. He was a tortured mess but would hold it together.
Cherry moved to the opposite side of the barrel, placing the deck face down between them.
Across from her, Sean was aware of the weight of his breath.
In all the years working at the cooperage, he’d never stood in this warehouse and been remotely aroused.
Until now. Until facing his molten-hot wife in the dim light of the cask warehouse, the draw of the cards the only thing between their being clothed or unclothed.
‘Do you want to go first?’ Cherry blinked soft and low.
‘No, you go?’
She laid down the first card from the top of the deck.
King of Clubs.
He was fucked.
Sean picked a card.
Seven of diamonds.
Cherry hummed. ‘Mm-hmm, Butler. Sorry about that.’
‘Aye, right. What you after then?’
‘I am after…this.’ She looped her finger around Sean’s chest. ‘Get it off.’
Without missing a beat, he pulled off his polo shirt and threw it onto the warehouse floor, glad to be rid of it amidst a Cherry-induced heatwave. And the way she looked at him, like she craved what she saw, fired him up hotter than the cooperage kiln on full heat.
‘Loser goes next.’ Sean flipped over the next card without being invited. The six of diamonds. ‘Is this deck rigged or what?’
Cherry revealed a five of clubs. ‘I guess not.’ A lascivious smile curved her mouth upwards. ‘Name your price, baby.’
Holy fuck! She didn’t need to take anything off. Calling him baby like that drove Sean to distraction.
‘The t-shirt.’ His command came out hoarse but assured.
And when she cast off the tee and threw it onto the floor next to his, a low growl tore through Sean’s throat.
Fuck. The way her breasts, soft and generous, rose like pillows inside the black-lace cups of her bra.
And the mellow tan of her beautiful skin – how did she get colour like that playing poker?
‘Have you been sunbathing nude while I’m at work?’ It came out with a hint of accusation.
She shook her head slowly. ‘Oh, no. No one gets to see these.’
‘No one?’
‘Except my husband.’
Sean took a deep breath to ensure he could stand upright. ‘Is that bra the right size for you?’
‘Yep, why?’
‘It’s like there’s a lot of breasts and not much bra.’
‘It’s a plunge bra, sweetheart. But maybe the plunge is what you’re most focused on.’
‘Could be. They’re beautiful, you know.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Welcome. Pick a card.’
Cherry’s French manicure slid over the top card. It didn’t matter what the card was; all their clothes were coming off tonight. There was no way anything but would be happening. The anticipation, though…
‘Ace of Hearts.’ Cherry traced the shape of a heart over the card. ‘You’re getting that belt off right now.’
‘I haven’t picked a card yet.’ Sean reached for the deck, selecting the Ace of Clubs, rendering them equal. He laughed, and the light in Cherry’s eyes was like a fireball. She was loving this.
He fumbled for his belt, focus diminished because all he could think about was what was underneath that phenomenal plunge bra.
‘Do you want a hand with the belt, honey?’ Before there was time to answer, she was in front of him, unbuckling his belt without looking away from his face, yanking it tightly from his jeans. It clunked to the floor. ‘That’s better. Now, I believe I owe you.’
‘Aye.’ Sean motioned to her bra. ‘I need this gone, like, fucking last week. Show your husband, the only man who gets to see you.’
Reaching round, Cherry unclipped her bra and let it cascade to the warehouse floor.
Sean watched it dropping onto the dust and dirt.
But immediately, his eyes were ascending Cherry’s body to the most incredible pair of breasts he’d ever seen.
Journeying over the smooth curves and inhaling the olive skin, the perfect deep-honey coloured nipples, pert in the cool oaky air.
He reached out.
Reflexively, she caught his wrist. ‘No touching. It’s the rules.’
‘I must have missed the bit where we discussed the rules.’
‘Nonetheless, that’s one of them.’
Sean read her easily this time – her mask was nothing like the one she’d worn at the poker table. She was teasing, holding back deliberately.
‘Fine,’ he said. ‘That’s fine. Pick another card then. Back to the game.’
Cherry turned towards the barrel, away from him, showcasing hourglass curves he could lose track of time in and an intricate floral tattoo on her lower back.
‘Nice tat. Get to your side of the barrel, Paradise. Facing me.’
She did as he ordered. Sean was rock-hard looking at her. Stunning didn’t even cut it. Cherry was picture perfect. Those tits were going in his mouth later, no doubt about it. In his hands, in his mouth, his cock sliding between them.
‘You thinking filthy thoughts, Butler?’
‘Of course I’m thinking filthy thoughts. All yours pure, are they?’
‘Not exactly, no.’ Cherry chose the next card, Sean’s eyes flitting up and down between her face and her beautiful breasts.
Who gave a fuck what the card was? Not him. Not now.
‘King of Hearts,’ she said. ‘It’s like a sign.’
‘A sign of what exactly?’ Sean placed a card on top of Cherry’s. The Queen of Hearts.
‘Isn’t that funny?’ she said. ‘The queen on top of her king.’
‘Aye, isn’t it just?’
‘Jeans, Butler. Unbutton. No need to take them off fully.’
Holy crap. Sean reached for the buttons at his straining crotch. It would be nothing but a relief to get these loosened.
Cherry caught the softness of her mouth between her teeth, lids heavy like a drunken butterfly, as she watched him, his arousal more than obvious through his underwear.
She moaned.
‘Jesus. You turned on, Paradise? Turned on watching your husband turned on for you?’
A biting down and a shudder-sigh. Yes, then.
‘As it should be.’ Moving to her side of the barrel, he rested his hands on her hips from behind, dipping his mouth to the soft skin of her neck. He breathed her in – the potent floral scent like opium. Coasting upwards, he kissed softly under her ear.
Another moan stirred the air.
Hands braced on her hips, he brought her round to him, hoisted her onto the barrel, reaching for her breast.
This time there was no protest, only a whimper.
Sean slid the pad of his thumb over the tip of Cherry’s nipple, palming the other. So soft, so generous, so firm.
So his.
Plunging down, he sucked hard. Cherry’s tits were heaven. He could feast on them all day. He palmed her other breast. A firm, bountiful handful, made for him.
‘Oh, Seany.’ She grasped at strands of his hair, tugged as he swiped his tongue across the peak of her nipple, more blood rushing to his cock. He tightened the other between his thumb and forefinger, testing how far he could take it.
Quite far, it seemed.
‘Mmm, harder, Seany. That’s so good.’
She was going to have to stop calling him Seany, or he would shoot his load.
As if he was going to tell her to stop.
Breast still in his grasp, Sean dropped his mouth to Cherry’s. Kissing his wife at last. Devouring his wife. Possessing his wife. Their tongues hot and desperate together.
‘I need you so much, Cher. I really fucking need you.’
‘Take me.’
Jesus! Was this an offer to fuck her on this barrel? Seeing himself plunging in and out of his wife on the result of hours of his own labour would be nothing short of spectacular.
Sean flicked open the button of her jeans and unzipped them, a triangle of black lace visible now, hard to define in the dim light what was beneath it.
He reached for the waist of the jeans.
Like she knew what was coming, she toed off her Converse.
‘Lift,’ he said hoarsely, and Cherry hoisted herself up on her arms, affording Sean the chance to pull her jeans over that decadent backside and down those beautiful, tanned legs.
The panties were all lace and the only thing that stopped Cherry being completely naked.