Free What Caroline Wants by Amanda Abbott Page A

clicking them together absentmindedly. “So”—she directed the sticks at another sushi roll—“what if I told you I didn’t want to let the conversation go? That I don’t really want to forget about what happened here the other night?” Then she conveniently popped another roll into her mouth so she wouldn’t have to answer for a minute.
    “Huh?” Piper said, taking a swig of her water, her head angled at Caroline. Then she coughed and had to pound on her chest. When she was more composed, and could get the words out, she sputtered, “What did you just say? I don’t think I heard you right. You want to continue this conversation?”
    Caroline swallowed, but couldn’t help grinning at her friend, who was still trying to clear the errant liquid out of her lungs. “Maybe I do.” She took a sip of her own water. “I’ve got something to tell you.”

    * * *

    Jace couldn’t focus on his work. All he could think about was his wife. She’d been distant all week. They’d talked about what had happened with the swing a little more and had come to an agreement. He wouldn’t bring up other people again, and they both promised to move forward.
    Caroline had insisted she was fine, but he knew better.
    They hadn’t had sex in days. He’d tried to coax her down to the basement bedroom to try out the bed with the mirrors, but she’d mumbled some reason or another for why she wasn’t up for it.
    What Michael had said about not being able to go back to ordinary was beginning to plague him. He’d made a promise to Caroline not to infuse anything extra into their lovemaking, but he couldn’t help thinking that the next time they had sex it would be stale, both of them knowing what it could be, but neither of them mentioning it.
    That could be the first nail in the coffin.
    He ran a hand through his hair right as his phone rang. He plucked it up, hopeful it was his wife. “Hello, this is Jason Stratton.” A regular customer from Nebraska was on the line, an old farmer who bought from the company regularly. “Oh, hi, Buck. Yep, I can check on that, no problem. I’ve been just fine, and so has the missus. I’ll tell her you said so. Yep, the weather is nice up here. Let me check on that shipment, and I’ll call you back within the hour.” He hung up.
    Jace had to find a way to busy himself with work so he wouldn’t call Caroline again. He had already tried her twice in the last hour, but she wasn’t answering. It wasn’t like her, and he couldn’t imagine she was drunk in the kitchen with Piper again. But it was only two hours until quitting time. He just had to get through the rest of the day. It was Friday night, and he’d just made reservations for a nice dinner date out. Once he got home, he’d convince her to go out, and once they got there he’d beg her to tell him what the real problem was so they could fix it.
    They had to get back to some kind of normal—he cringed—soon, or it was going to make him crazy. But, truth be told, he’d do anything to keep his wife happy—even if it was ordinary.

    * * *

    “Run that by me again.” Piper rinsed her hands under the faucet. They’d finished lunch and were cleaning up. “You’re scared of what, exactly?”
    Caroline had decided to trust Piper and confess everything that had been swirling through her mind this week. As well as last week. The feelings inside were wearing her out, and this wasn’t something she could confide to Jason—yet. She wanted to get it all sorted out in her own mind before they had that conversation.
    It had taken her a few tries, but she’d just finished describing her explicit daydreams to Piper, along with all the emotions and feelings she’d been grappling with every time her mind had wandered in that direction. “What am I not scared about?” Caroline finally answered. “I’m terrified of everything. I just told you I wanted another man’s lips on my…body. It’s all I can think about! Each time, the daydream