Stout (Men of Lovibond 2)

I stand and use my contortion skills to lower my zipper down my back. “I love this dress. It would be a shame to ruin it.”

He watches me struggle. “Want me to get that for you?”

Letting a stranger unzip me doesn’t feel right. “Nah, I’m good. I got it up by myself. I can get it down.”

My brain is screaming that skinny-dipping with a stranger is a terrible idea, but the liquor I’ve consumed convinces me it’s brilliant plan.

Beau removes his button-down and pulls his undershirt over his head. He tosses both and reaches for the button of his gray trousers. He pushes them until they’re crumbled with his boxer briefs at his feet.

What I’m about to do suddenly becomes a little more surreal. I’m questioning my actions. I hold the front of my dress, thinking it over. It’s not too late to turn back.

“You’re not changing your mind?”

“I’ve skinny-dipped plenty of times but never with a stranger.”

“This was your idea. Not mine.” He’s standing completely bare, illuminated only by a sliver of the moon.

“I know.”

“Listen, Peach. I don’t have to get a girl like you liquored up and naked to score some ass.” He waves his hand toward the resort. “There are plenty of women up there who’d be more than happy to give me whatever I want, so let’s just forget this.”

Beau reaches for his clothes, and I realize him leaving is the last thing I want. “No. Don’t go.”

I let go of my dress. The top catches on my hips so I push it down until it drops on top of my feet. Since I went braless, I’m standing before him wearing only my panties. “You didn’t even have to buy me dinner to get me naked.”

“You’re not naked yet.” He turns his back on me and goes toward the water. I’m grateful. I didn’t want to wiggle out of my panties while he pretended to not ogle.

I bolt into the water. The temperature has dropped with the night, but I drudge through so I’ll have its coverage. “This is a helluva lot colder than I expected.”

“The sand isn’t the only thing to cool after the sun goes down.”

I go out far enough to submerge my breasts. The girls pull the buoyancy card and float so I go in a little deeper.

“You have great tits. It’s a damn shame you don’t plan to observe the clothing optional choice.”

Is he kidding me? “I’d call this clothing optional. I’m pretty sure I can’t get more naked.”

Beau cackles. “You have the coverage of night and water. Not the same thing.”

“You seem to have no problem checking them out by moonlight.”

“That’s because I have excellent night vision.”

“So do predatory animals.”

“You consider me a predator?”

“I don’t know what I consider you right now.”

He goes under the water, disappearing for longer than I’m comfortable with. “Come on, dude. Not funny.”

I spin around to see if he’s hiding behind me. “Beau.”

No answer. This is so not funny.

“Beau,” I call out louder.

I see nothing. Hear nothing. My heart takes off in a sprint. “Beau,” I scream.

He bobs up directly in front of me, after what feels like an eternity, and grabs my waist. “Miss me?”

I push at his shoulders, making him stumble backward. “Asshole.”

He gains his footing and reaches for my midsection. “I’m sorry, Peach. Don’t go.”

My back is to him, but he holds my hips firmly. I imagine what it would be like if he took one step closer, maybe two, and our bodies touched.

Damn. It would feel so good to be touched again. It’s been so long.

This is crazy. Completely irresponsible. I’m showing no better judgment than the kids I teach.

“Why should I stay?”

“Because I like you. And I enjoy talking to you.”

“I think you like listening more than you like talking.”

Silence.

He doesn’t get to inquire about my personal life and spill nothing in return. “I think I should turn in for the evening. It was really nice to meet you.”

He releases his hold on me. I spin around to leave but stop when he calls out, “Her name is Erin.”

He has my attention. “And?”

“We were together for three years. Engaged for one. We were part of two separate polyamorous relationships over the last year and a half. Both went sour but the last one was the final nail in the coffin.”

Holy shit. He’s into poly relationships. I’m not sure about the ins and outs of what they do, but I know it’s the big time. It’s even too much for Meredith and Grayson. “Two women at once. I hear that’s every guy’s fantasy.”

“The sex part is a fantasy come true. Won’t lie. Being with two women was a sex fantasy realized. The relationship aspect, a total nightmare

I’m curious about this lifestyle. “How so?”

“What should have been a sexual partner in our bed quickly turned into a second woman in my life. She became a part of everything in and out of the bedroom.”

A triad relationship. I can’t begin to imagine how that works. Or maybe it doesn’t. He said it went bad.

“When I love, it’s wholeheartedly, and I demand the same in return. I have to be everything or nothing at all. I could never share. I’d be consumed with jealousy and tied in knots all the time.” I know firsthand from my experience with Drake’s infidelity.

“Erin was my primary and could be territorial when it suited her. Jealousy was an issue.”

I’m calling bullshit. “She couldn’t have been too territorial if she allowed you to bring another woman into your bed.”

“It wasn’t me. Erin’s the one who introduced Jenna into our lives.”

“Mind. Blown.” What kind of woman would do that? Maybe a bisexual one.

“It was great at first but then Erin’s job became more demanding. It consumed the majority of her time. Being alone with Jenna so often brought us closer.”

“Meaning more sex between you and Jenna without Erin.”

“Right. Erin despised us sharing something special that didn’t include her.” Sounds like she considered herself the hierarchy on the sex pyramid.

This is a no-brainer. “I can see where that would go over like a turd in a punchbowl.”

“You say some of the damnedest things.” Beau’s words are nearly drowned by his chuckles, and I’m reminded of how it feels to make a man laugh. No sneer. No smirk or cruel smile. Just a simple expression of amusement.

I spend the majority of my time with teenagers. After a while, a bit of their adolescent behavior tends to rub off. “I’m sorry. I sidetracked you. You were telling me about Jenna.”

“Right. Jenna was thinking long-term. She started talking about getting married and having children, so Erin forced her out of the relationship.”

That doesn’t explain the terrible thing Erin did. “But that wasn’t the end of it?”

“I thought it was. I expected to get married and put our poly life on the back burner for a while.”

I can see where this train wreck is going. “She brought another woman into your bed.”

“You’re half-right. It was a man the next time. Heath.”

If he didn’t already have my full attention, he’d damn sure has it now. “Dude-on-dude action. The plot thickens.”

“I don’t do dick. It’s pussy only for me.” Good grief. That mouth.

I don’t know jack shit about this multiple partner stuff, but I understand a scorned woman’s mind and how it works. “Heath was your punishment for growing close to Jenna.”

“That’s the understatement of the century. She sure gave me a taste of my own medicine.”

“I’m not sure that’s a fair statement since she’s the one who did the soliciting. But one thing’s for certain. Invite trouble inside and it will enter every time.”

“It gets so much worse.”

“You watched your fiancée have sex with another man. I can’t imagine it getting more unpleasant than that.”

“Erin was pregnant. It was mine. We know because the timing made it impossible for the baby to be Heath’s.”

I was wrong. It can get so much worse.

“I came home from work one day last month and Heath had taken her to the abortion clinic. The procedure was done before I knew about it. The kid was mine, and I didn’t get a say if it lived or not.”

He’s hurting, and I don’t know how to respond. Something inside me wants to comfort him, but to say “I’m sorry” feels so insignificant. So empty.

This man isn’t wounded over a woman. He’s grieving a loss sex won’t cure. “Are you sure you should be here?”

“I came to fuck ninety-nine different ways. This is definitely the place I need to be.”

He can’t fuck away this kind of pain. “How many of those ninety-nine ways have you gotten under your belt so far?”