Body Shots (Masters of Pleasure 2)

“Of course. It’s just . . . it’s been nice having someone around.” Mollie shrugged. “It was hard getting used to the silence after Alex passed away. His laughter and that deep voice of his always filled the place. I still miss it.”

Crystal hadn’t considered how difficult it must have been for Mollie to live alone after so many happy years of marriage. “Maybe it’s time you did a little dating, too,” Crystal said, taking her eyes off the road for a brief moment to look at Mollie. “He wouldn’t want you to be alone.”

“I date,” Mollie said, as she stared out the windshield.

“Not much,” Crystal said, hoping she wasn’t putting her nose where it didn’t belong. “And you don’t usually go on a date with a guy more than twice.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Mollie sighed. “It’s time I made some changes of my own, huh?”

Crystal chuckled. “We’re quite a pair.”

“We might be a mess, but at least we have each other,” Mollie said.

“Damn straight,” Crystal agreed. No doubt, she never would’ve survived these last few months without Mollie by her side.

The next morning, Crystal woke feeling tired and sluggish. She thought that just maybe it had something to do with getting practically no sleep. After looking at the two apartments with Mollie and realizing that neither of them were within her budget, she’d taken Mollie out to eat as promised. Once they got back home, they’d stayed up late into the night talking about everything from men to politics. By the time she’d gotten to bed it’d been in the a.m. hours. But as soon as her head hit the pillow, she’d tossed and turned the rest of the night, thinking of Mac, then Trent, then Mac. Around and around. She’d had crazy, erotic dreams and woken sweaty and more tired than ever.

She showered and ate a toasted bagel with strawberry jam for breakfast, then decided it was way too nice outside to sit in the house and work on the computer. Instead, she slipped into her two-piece swimsuit and went out to the back patio to catch some sun for a few hours.

Crystal squirted some sunscreen on and rubbed it in before turning on her stomach on the lounger. Several minutes later, she checked the time on her cell phone and realized she’d been out longer than she’d intended. She turned over and adjusted her bikini top. She smoothed on more of the protective lotion, then lay back down and closed her eyes. Within minutes, Crystal felt a hand pressed against her belly. Startled, she opened her eyes and jerked upright. The face staring down at her belonged to her ex. Please, God, tell me this is just a nightmare.

“Hello, wife,” Richard said, as if they weren’t divorced and he actually still had a right to call her that. “You should’ve waited on me. I would’ve massaged the lotion in real good—and in all the right places, too.”

“Richard, what are you doing here? Our time together is over. You can’t just pop up here as if you have some kind of right to do so, and don’t call me ‘wife.’ I’m not your anything anymore.” She was angry that he’d had the audacity to come here unannounced and unwanted. She only hoped the little tremor of fear wasn’t detectable.

“Aw, Crystal, don’t be upset. I just wanted to see how you were. Of course, I can see you’re just fine. Have you lost a few pounds? Whatever you’re doing, it’s definitely working for you,” he said, as he looked her up and down.

“The only thing I’ve done is get away from you.” When he started to protest, Crystal rode right over him. “I’m warning you, Richard, I want nothing more to do with you. Our marriage was a huge disaster. I’ve moved on. Leave me alone.” She swung her legs to the side of the lounger and stood. She needed distance between them, before he decided she should be punished for speaking to him in such a tone.

As Crystal started for the door, she heard another voice chime in, this one deeper and definitely pissed. “You heard the lady, Richard, get lost.”

She turned and saw Trent standing next to the patio, his legs spread wide and fists clenched at his sides. He looked very big and very angry. She was so relieved to see him that she could’ve hugged him.

“Just who the hell are you?” Richard asked, clearly too stupid to realize when he should cut and run.

Trent stepped closer to Richard

. “I’m the guy who’s going to rearrange your face if you don’t leave right now. Crystal asked you nicely, but I won’t.”

Richard puffed up his chest and pointed toward Trent. “Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m her husband so I’m not going anywhere.”

Trent’s brow arched as he looked over at her. Crystal groaned. It was turning out to be a lousy day. “He’s my ex-husband. Big emphasis on ex.” Crystal aimed the last part at Richard, hoping he would just make things easy by simply disappearing into a puff of smoke.

“Go inside and get dressed, Crystal. I’ll handle your visitor.”

Trent clearly didn’t want Richard anywhere near Crystal. Considering the way she shook like a weak little kitten, getting out of Dodge didn’t seem like a bad idea. Besides, she was beginning to feel very much like chum in a churning water of sharks. As she turned back around and opened the back screen door, she heard Trent say, “You blew it with her, asshole. She doesn’t belong to you anymore. She’s mine now, and I don’t allow other men to upset her. If I ever find you here again, you’ll wish you were dead by the time I’m finished. Do we understand each other?”

The she’s mine part sent butterflies to flight inside her stomach, but Crystal didn’t wait to hear Richard’s reply. She let the door close behind her and went upstairs to change into a pair of shorts and a shirt. On the way up the stairs, she thought she heard a car start up and pull away. Was it wrong to feel excitement at Trent’s parting words, she wondered? Mine. She felt as if she should be upset by his domineering manner, but instead her heart was beating a million miles a second, and her blood was suddenly sizzling. Clearly, she wasn’t much of a feminist.

When Crystal came back downstairs, she was wearing a pair of crisp white shorts and a red halter top. Trent groaned. The tiny shirt and shorts weren’t any better than the bikini she had on a few minutes ago. At least now, they were alone. He could look his fill and not worry about anyone else doing the same. He decided it was time to get down to explanations. The little hellcat had been married? He felt unaccountably jealous over that thought.

She walked over to her refrigerator and got out a big pitcher of iced tea. Upon retrieving two glasses, she scooped some ice into them and began to pour out the cold liquid. Trent peered down at the table and was struck by how large and strong it appeared. He tested its strength with his hands and recognized that it was as sturdy as it looked. A devilishly kinky thought came to mind. Would the big wooden table hold the two of them? He looked back at Crystal, feeling his temperature rise as he imagined it. Crystal moved with an easy grace and she was such a natural tease, yet she had seemed to have no clue at all. God, Trent was such a goner.

Crystal knew Trent would be curious about Richard, but she didn’t want to get into the mess of her marriage. She didn’t understand it herself. Still, she knew without a doubt that if he started asking questions, she would end up telling him all the gory details, every nasty little bit that even Mollie wasn’t privy to. She was just too lousy at lying, and she had a feeling Trent would see right through any fib she tried to pass off on him.

“Is this table made of oak?” She turned to see him staring at the thing.

Dumbstruck, she said, “Uh, I really don’t know what it’s made of. It’s Mollie’s.”