Free Doublecrossed by Susan X Meagher

having to admit this.
    “Holy God! Why not?”
    “’Cause I haven’t wanted to.”
    “Haven’t wanted to! You went through this whole negotiating thing. You’ve got permission!”
    “I have to want to, Terri.” She smiled and batted her eyes. “I’ve had offers, but I’ve never wanted to.”
    “Is Marina putting pressure on you to stay monogamous?”
    “Ha! She’s told me to sleep with people in Dallas since I don’t travel. She doesn’t mind if I sleep with a neighbor or a friend. Heck, she wouldn’t care if I slept with her mother. She’s fearless. She says jealousy's for people who don’t have self-esteem.”
    “She’s probably fearless because she knows you don’t want to,” Terri grumbled.
    “She doesn’t know.” Callie said softly.
    “What?”
    “She doesn’t know. I lie to her.”
    “That’s very, very strange. You’re in an open relationship, but you don’t want to use it. She lies about not sleeping with people and you lie the other way. Who’s on your list?”
    “People I made up. Stop looking at me like that! Don’t worry. I’ve never said I sleep with you.”
    “I’m not worried… Okay, that’s not true. I don’t want to be involved. I’d feel weird if she thought we slept together.”
    “She doesn’t think that. But she’s told me that I could. She actually wonders why we don’t.”
    “You’d be a big improvement over my last few mistakes, but I’ve never felt sexual towards you. You’re more like a sister.”
    “Exactly. But Marina doesn’t understand that. I don’t think she likes people she isn’t attracted to.”
    “That must be exhausting.” Terri sat there for a few moments, her gaze traveling past Callie’s head. “She must have an ego the size of Texas to urge you to sleep with your close friends.”
    “She’s very, very confident. If I found someone I liked better, she’d be fine. She’s never had a lick of trouble finding someone new.”
    “Obviously. But you’ve set this up so your girlfriend can sleep around. What’s in it for you?”
    “Other than embarrassment?”
    “Aww, shoot, I don’t mean to embarrass you.” Terri moved from her chair to sit on the edge of the couch where Callie lay sprawled out. “I just worry about you.”
    Callie took her hands and hugged them against her body. “I know that.” She placed a kiss on Terri’s hand. “I can’t explain why it’s worked, but it has up until now. I like having time alone and she likes traveling. We don’t share enough interests to be together all of the time, and to be honest, she wants too much sex too often for me. Having some other women carry the load has been good.”
    “How much does she want? I know you’ve got a very good appetite.”
    “I shouldn’t tell you everything,” Callie teased, gently biting Terri’s hand.
    “Too late to back out now. What’s she good for?”
    “Every day. Sometimes twice. And that’d be okay, but she wants full-out, sheet-drenching sex. No quick orgasms before you fall asleep kinda sex.”
    “Amazing.” Terri shook her head. “How many other women has she been with?”
    “That I know of?” she asked dryly. “Not many. Four or five—besides Angela. Every time she does it, though, it calms her down for a while. She needs that escape valve. And so do I.”
    “Do you think she’s a sex addict?”
    “Maybe. I’m not sure that’s a real addiction, but if it is she probably has it. To get a night off, sometimes I’ll stay out late playing pool so I know she’ll be asleep when I get home.”
    Terri leaned on Callie and moaned, “Why do you get too much and I don’t get any?”
    “I could lend you Marina.”
    “No, thanks. You’re much more my type, sis.”
    Callie pulled Terri onto her and kissed every part of her face and neck that she could reach, peppering the giggling, thrashing woman with kisses. She finally stopped and they stayed just like that for a few minutes, holding each other as their racing hearts