CHAPTER ONE

The sun had set and the western Colorado sky was a deep indigo. Already, the brightest stars were visible and soon the whole expanse of sky would be black and thousands of stars would sparkle overhead as in the most ancient of days. Sy looked up to the heavens and wondered about time so immense and distances so vast the human mind could scarce comprehend it. The logical human mind was not meant to understand such things, Sy thought. The infinite was best approached with the heart, not the head.

It's like love, he thought. He understood his love for Amanda at a deep, visceral level. He could not explain it. Words seemed trite and insufficient. He had no aptitude for poetry but loved his wife with a poet's heart.

Sy thought Amanda the epitome of the feminine, of the good, and of the beautiful. Sy's friends kidded he was pussy-whipped but Sy never took offense. He was totally devoted to his wife.

Amanda was one of those women who garner lingering looks wherever they go. Men cast surreptitious glances and women turned their heads when she entered a room. Amanda noticed but never let her beauty go to her head. She was a friend to many and gracious to all. Sy's heart melted every time she smiled. In his mind, his wife set the standard for feminine pulchritude.

Sy smiled to himself. He knew his vocabulary was large but that didn't make him a poet. Pulchritude. That wasn't the right word. No, his wife was more than beautiful. She was a complete woman. Medium height, athletic build, long raven hair that extended down her back, and a full figure. Every day he marveled over his good fortune that Amanda was his wife.

He thought of his Boy Scout motto from long ago. Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. Mandy was all of those things, he thought. Didn't they let girls be Boy Scouts, now, he wondered? Mandy would have been a good scout, he thought, always prepared.

Sy remembered how Mandy had been ready for any contingency. When they were dating, Mandy had condoms in her purse for the times Sy forgot. She carried hand wipes, Band-Aids, and safety pins. She could recall the whole grocery list from memory if they made an unexpected stop at the grocery store.

She was a very smart woman, he thought. She was probably smarter than him, and that probably explained her rapid rise in the corporate world and her handsome income, which now eclipsed his own. Sy was proud of her but uneasy about their disparate incomes. Mandy could be his rival as well as his lover, he thought; the perfect wife who might take over a whole family, including him.

Sy looked at the sky again, now dotted with tiny stars and the broad, diffuse sweep of the Milky Way. Mandy was like the night sky, he thought, expansive and hard to fathom. When he looked into her eyes, he looked into the depths of the infinite.

Back inside his house, Sy paced the floor, back and forth. Again he peered out his living room blinds but outside, the street was still empty. He checked his watch. She should have come home by now. Where was she?

Two miles away in a grocery store parking lot, Amanda also checked the time and started her SUV. It was time to finish the drive home. She placed a strong breath mint on her tongue, mussed up her hair, and put the car in drive. She was tired. She had just spent twenty minutes killing time but she had done it for her husband. It was part of her tease and part of a game they were playing. It was the game.

Amanda's responsibilities at work meant it wasn't unusual for her to get home late. She had always called or texted if she was going to be late. But forty-five minutes late? Without calling or texting? Sy was checking his watch again when he heard the garage door going up.

She's home!

Sy went to the utility room and opened the door to the garage. He anxiously watched Amanda emerge from her car and she smiled at him. Right away he noticed her disheveled hair. She stopped in the doorway for a kiss.

“How was your day?” Sy asked, holding her close, taking in her warmth and floral scent.

“Okay,” she answered, pulling back to kiss Sy on the lips. It was a perfunctory kiss, meant to get past him and into the house. What she most wanted was to put her feet up and have a glass of wine. It had been a long week, made more stressful by the game.

“How did everything go? You know...” Sy asked with excitement. Amanda kissed Sy again, this time on the tip of his nose as she pulled away to walk toward their bedroom. She could tell he had noticed her minty breath and mussed up hair.

“I'll tell you all about it after I take out my contacts and get out of these heels. Pour me a glass of wine and meet me in the living room, okay?” she said over her shoulder, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor on her way to the bedroom.

Sy watched her walk away. Her trim figure and luscious bottom were well displayed in her black pencil skirt. Her raven hair billowed down her back in contrast with her tailored white silk blouse. Under the blouse, a thin white lace bra gave her breasts ample freedom to move and suggested the possibility of detecting a nipple if the fabric was pulled tight or the light just right. Amanda's breasts were beautiful, full teardrops, not overly large but proportioned perfectly for her medium frame. When her breasts were bare, her nipples were prominent nubs that pointed up and outwards.

She walked up the stairs and her long hair swung in counterpoint to the sway of her hips. Sy marveled again at his good fortune. She was such a sweet and gorgeous woman! Their love for each other had not diminished after eight years of marriage, nor had their carnal desires for each other.

Their careers were firmly established and they had been talking about starting a family. Sometimes they 'played the odds', as Sy liked to call it. Mandy could not take birth control pills so they relied on an old-fashioned diaphragm and spermicidal gel, a less than totally effective method. Sometimes, for added excitement, Amanda would 'forget' to use the gel or even 'forget' to use the diaphragm at all.

Neither liked condoms. An important part of their lovemaking, especially for Amanda, was savoring the exquisite sensations of her slick vaginal walls stretched by his rigid, bare penis. By squeezing and relaxing her pelvic muscles, Amanda could milk her husband's penis and in spite of his best efforts to hold back, cause him to ejaculate at her will. She loved to exercise that power! She loved to feel him tense up, hear his sudden gasps and shouts, and feel his hot seed spurt inside her and spread warmth throughout her pelvis.

Sy often pined like a lonesome puppy for Amanda when she was at work, or any time she was away from him. He wanted to follow her up the stairs but he held himself in check. In truth, he was always desperate for her. Sy knew he was clingy and he tried to give Mandy her space but the game, as they called it, had been driving him wild. Tonight she had promised she would tell him everything that had happened during the last four weeks since the game had begun.

When the game was new, Sy had pestered Amanda every day after work for details until finally, exasperated, she had told him to hold all his questions until the game was further along. If Mandy had a fault, it was her delight in teasing her husband and making him wait. It had been a long wait for Sy but tonight was the night she finally told him everything about the past month.

The game itself was simple. It had started with Amanda dressing better for work. She had spent money on new clothes and shoes. She had upgraded her hairstyle, make-up, and nails. She had received professional instruction at a downtown modeling school regarding style, make-up, poise, walking, and the subtle ways a woman could pose to draw attention to herself without being blatant. Sy had told her these were skills any businesswoman must have if she wanted to rise in the professional ranks. But Sy had also wanted to build her flirting game.

Glenn Talbot was a division vice-president and he reported directly to Mr. Simmonds, the president and CEO. Glenn occupied a tenth-floor corner office with an expansive view of the city and distant mountains. He was tall, over six feet, lithe, and had short, wavy blond hair with a touch of gray. His easy-going manner projected friendly authority without being overbearing. In social situations, he assumed an easy leadership role and put those around him at ease.

Amanda found him ineffably sexy. His mature angular face, soft hazel eyes, and his crinkly smile lines never failed to bring a smile to her face. She didn't hide it well and her boss was well aware of her regard for him. Ever since he had hired her six years ago, Glenn had rather successfully suppressed his reciprocal feelings for Amanda.

Glenn was married and had a daughter only a year younger than Amanda. He thought of Amanda as a daughter because it was safe and maintained professional decorum in their relationship. He strove to keep his feelings in check but in truth, Glenn's and Amanda's mutual admiration was keenly felt by both.

Amanda's abilities had been recognized early and she had quickly risen in the company. She headed her own department from her office located on the same floor. Amanda was loyal and she had looked out for her boss's best interests. On occasion, she had accompanied Glenn to meetings, both in and out of town.

Sy knew his wife held her older boss in high regard, just as he knew Glenn adored his wife. Strangely, that knowledge didn't upset him. Occasionally Sy wondered about himself. Aren't husbands supposed to be jealous of their wives, at least a little? But his wife's special relationship with her boss didn't anger Sy at all. If anything, and for reasons he didn't understand, he encouraged it. Hence, the game. It was Sy's idea that Amanda try to excite her boss's romantic interest. Although reluctant, Amanda went along to please her husband.

Amanda couldn't understand why her husband wanted her to flirt. Couldn't that lead to inappropriate behavior? Is that what Sy wanted? No, Sy explained, he trusted his wife to keep her behavior within bounds and he judged Glenn would do the same. Sy just wanted to hear about it and be an observer.

That didn't make sense to Amanda, so for the past two months, unknown to Sy, she had been seeing a psychologist. Sy denied it, but Amanda wondered if he was trying to establish a quid pro quo in order to have an affair with another woman. The psychologist said no, that's not what men like Sy wanted. Amanda worried. Was she woman enough for her husband? The psychologist assured her she was. That was not her husband's motivation.

Amanda came downstairs barefoot wearing her usual lounging-around-after-work-clothes, sweatpants and a loose-fitting sweatshirt. She had removed her makeup, which gave her a girl-next-door freshness, and her brown eyes were shining with mischief. She wore that intriguing smile that meant she had a secret she may or may not be willing to share. Sy knew he was going to have to work for it.

Amanda sat on one end of their leather couch and Sy handed her a glass of red wine. She motioned for him to have a seat next to her and when he sat down, she swung her feet onto his lap.

She took a sip of wine and said, “Rub my feet while I tell you about my day.”

Sy massaged her feet and looked hopefully at his wife. He knew better than to ask questions. She knew he wanted details but he let her tell it in her own words, in her own time.

Amanda took another sip, sighed, and smiled her naughty smile. She enjoyed playing with her husband, giving him a trickle of information and making him squirm with anticipation. He was so adorable and she loved him so much! He was every inch a man but she could always bring out the little boy in him.

“Well,” she began, “I'm going to have to dial it back a bit. You could say it was a success. Glenn noticed. So did Brenda and I'm sure the other girls did, too. You know how they talk.”

Brenda was the oldest of the office staff and while friendly, Amanda had always thought Brenda was jealous of her.

“Dial it back? Why? What happened?” Sy asked, setting her foot in his lap and taking up her other foot and continuing the massage.

Amanda went on. “Today at lunch I was in the break room waiting for the microwave and Brenda came up to me. She said, 'You've been looking pretty hot lately. Nice outfit'.”

Amanda took another sip of wine. Already the glass was half empty and the wine was making her feel relaxed and expansive.

“And this is bad because...?” Sy asked.

“It's girl code. She was telling me I looked like I was on the prowl and she didn't approve. And Glenn said something, too, just as we were about to leave.”

“Oh?” His anxiety went up and he wanted to hear more.

“I stepped into his office just to check with him before I left, you know? He gave me this huge smile and came around the desk so fast I thought he was going to grab me. I actually took a step back but he whizzed right by me, checked the outer office, and closed the door.”

She took one more sip and her wine glass was empty. She held it up for Sy and he took it into the kitchen for a refill.

“And...?” Sy asked from the kitchen. Amanda remained silent and Sy knew he had to play by her rules. He brought her the second glass of wine and sat down to resume massaging her feet.

“Mmmm. This is such good wine. I'm starting to relax, now,” she said.

“Go on,” Sy said expectantly. “I'm dying to know.”

Amanda smiled and her eyes twinkled. She cocked her head at Sy and said, “I know, Babe. Patience.”

She continued. “Well, he was standing by the door and I was maybe ten feet away. He looked me up and down. He just blatantly stared at me. He said, 'Damn you look hot, Mandy!' "

Amanda stopped to look at her husband. How was he taking it? As far as Amanda could see, he was eager to hear more.

“I mean, that's what you wanted, right? He was obviously looking at me in a sexual way. It made me feel kind of weird, like I was naked or something. Then he started walking toward me.”

Sy was spellbound. This was indeed what he had wanted to happen, and now it had.

“So he came over and stood right in front of me, real close. For some reason he looked taller than usual. I mean, my head barely comes up to his chin, anyway. I was looking up at him and he was looking down at me and I felt a little afraid. Sure, it was just Glenn, but I'd never seen him like this, so intense. Plus, everyone else had already gone home and we were all alone in his office with the door closed. He put his hands on my shoulders and pulled me in close, nuzzling the top of my head. He put his arms around me and said something like, 'Sweet Mandy, you are so precious and I value you so much. I love you like a daughter. I couldn't do my job without you', stuff like that.

“I felt funny, like I wanted to cry and for Glenn to hold me. I put my arms around him, too, and hugged him back. He felt warm, even hot. It felt naughty to press my breasts into his chest. I told him I loved working for him and was so grateful he had given me a job. Then he said we had to watch out for Brenda and the other girls, that they were watching us, and that I should tone it down a little. I mean, the stuff I've been wearing. Anyway, he said it had been driving him crazy, watching me.”

Amanda looked intently at Sy. She felt embarrassed, like she had told him a deep secret. She felt flushed and she knew it wasn't just the wine. Telling that story had hardened her nipples and made her feel warm and tingly.

She took another sip of wine and looked far off into space. Sy waited until he couldn't stand it any longer.

“What happened next?”

Amanda smiled and looked back at her husband. “Nothing. I said goodbye, walked out his door, got my purse and coat, and came home.”

“Nothing? That's it? No kissing or touching?”

“No kissing, no touching. Well, he did kiss me on the top of my head but that hardly counts as kissing. I didn't kiss him back."

“So, nothing else? You came straight home, right?”

“Right,” she said.

Strictly speaking, adding a twenty-minute delay to heighten the drama didn't count against coming straight home, did it? she thought.

“So why were you forty-five minutes late?” He wondered about her mussed hair but wasn't yet prepared to ask her.

Amanda gave Sy a hard look and he shrank back, instantly regretting his question. Secretly, and for reasons he didn't understand himself, he had rather hoped something more had happened.

Anger briefly flashed in her eyes and Amanda said, “Look. This is YOUR deal. I'm doing this for you. I don't understand it but nonetheless I'm doing it for you, so you've got to trust me. I'm trying to give you what you want but you've got to let me do it my way, on my timetable.”

Sy just nodded 'yes'. She took another sip of wine and continued.

“Consider this. One, Glenn is married and so am I. Two, there's an office full of people watching us. Three, I'm thirty and he's fifty-six, nearly Dad's age. I want him to take me seriously at work and not treat me like I'm some immature bit of fluff." She paused and allowed her voice to soften.

"So Babe, be patient and let me try to give you what you want. I'm willing to do that, you know, give you what you want. Isn't that good enough?”

Sy nodded 'yes' and stared at his wife. He knew he was on thin ice, pushing Mandy to flirt with her boss and maybe pushing her to do more than that. Moments passed and then he spoke again.

“Please, I'm sorry, Mandy, I didn't mean to accuse you of doing anything or holding out on me. I don't understand this myself, why I feel this way, why I'm pushing you to flirt with Glenn." He stopped and looked down at her feet in his lap. Her feet were so lovely and he caressed them. This was so hard for him to say.

"Mandy, for some reason I imagine you and Glenn together, kissing, touching, and...doing even more than that." He let out a long sigh. "I can't help it, it just comes into my mind and it's so exciting for me." He looked up at her to gauge her reaction. She was studying him intently.

He smiled at her. "Thank you for doing all that stuff, teasing me and flirting with Glenn. I love it and I love you telling me about it. I like it when you tease me and keep me guessing. I trust your judgment but please, don't keep any secrets from me. Okay? Tell me everything.”

Amanda sighed, thinking back to what Dr. Mueller had said. Learn to play his game. Keep the fantasy going for him.

She softened her face and gave him a kiss.

“Look at the bright side, Sy. He told me I was hot. He hugged me and I hugged him back. He put his arms around me. Me, your wife! And he kissed my hair. That's not bad for a first time.”

What had Dr. Mueller said during Amanda's last appointment? The fantasy can be just as strong as reality. Give him a little and you can get back a lot.

“I love you, Sy. I don't understand you but I do love you. Let's just have fun with this but let me do it my way, okay? Just be patient because I'm new to this, just like you. And I promise, I'll tell you everything.”

“Okay. This game makes me anxious, you know? Kinda jumpy, but I love the feeling,” Sy replied.

“Aren't you jealous of Glenn?” she asked.

“Yeah, I'm jealous, insanely jealous, but I kinda like that feeling. It's like freezing cold and burning hot at the same time. I don't understand why I like it so much."

"So you do get jealous of Glenn, don't you? Doesn't it make you angry thinking of Glenn...doing things to me?" Amanda asked. "I mean, he's definitely got ideas now, after all my flirting."

Amanda was still trying to get her head around Sy's reasons for pushing her to flirt. Deep down, she suspected Sy wanted her to have sex with Glenn but she dared not say it aloud or even allow it to become a single thought. Better it remain an amorphous idea floating at the edge of her consciousness.

"Yeah, I get jealous and I get angry and I get anxious and tied-up in knots. Thinking about it can drive me mad but it gets me incredibly aroused. I mean, I know I should hate it, but I love to hate it...I know I'm not making sense," he said with a sigh. He stared at his wife, eager for her understanding, but all he could see in her face was concern.

"Babe?" she said. "Look, let's just play around with this, just you and me together, okay? I'm done flirting with Glenn. We'll just keep this for bedroom play, for fantasy. Okay?"

Sy nodded and Amanda kissed him and whispered, "Tonight I'll leave my diaphragm out and we can play the odds again, Babe. I know you like that. The possibility of a baby when we make love is so exciting. I'm mid-cycle this week so our chances are pretty good."

She sat up.

“One more thing,” she said, switching gears. “Glenn and I are going for a run in the morning on the Case-Western trail. Probably about five miles, maybe six, depending on which loop we take and how we feel. I should be back home by eleven at the latest."

“Sure, that's fine, have a good time,” Sy replied. A run? Alone with Glenn? Sy felt his stomach flip again. Truly, he didn't know if he loved it or hated it.

“Oh, and then I have an appointment for about an hour. Then let's you and I meet for a late lunch at the Lemon Grass, okay?” she said.

“Of course,” he replied, wondering who the appointment was with, and why.

The oven timer went off and the casserole was done. Sy got up to make a salad and Amanda set the table. He had a lot to think about.

The game had produced results. Glenn was hot and bothered and so was Mandy. Is that really what he wanted? He thought it was. He had an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach and a buzzing, disoriented feeling in his head. Finally, after two years, something was afoot. It might not be much but it was something. Sy hoped it was what he wanted, but in truth, he wasn't sure what he wanted.

Amanda wanted to play the let's make a baby game again. Sy liked the game and they had both agreed it was time to start their family. They could easily afford it now and both liked the idea of chance in their lovemaking. It seemed more natural.

The thing that made Sy most jealous, and it surprised him that it did, was Glenn calling his wife “Mandy”. Mandy was his pet name for his wife. Yet, the jealousy was accompanied by an excitement he couldn't understand. It was the same excitement he felt when he thought of Glenn kissing Mandy's hair. Finally, Glenn had made a move on his wife.

***

Amanda pulled into the Case-Western trailhead parking lot and saw Glenn standing behind his white pickup truck. He was holding onto the tailgate and swinging a leg to and fro, warming up with dynamic stretching. She joined him at the tailgate to stretch, and greetings were exchanged.

“Six miles okay with you, Mandy?”

“Six is fine, Glenn. Party-pace and no racing,” she replied, smiling.

“Okay, let's do the Spencer Creek loop.”

They started out, at first fast-walking, but after one hundred yards they started a slow run and gradually picked up the pace.

They ran in silence, enjoying the brisk morning air. The leaves were turning colors and fallen leaves littered the old railroad right-of-way, now a paved bicycle and running trail. At the two-mile mark, they left the main trail and took the Spencer Falls Loop Trail, running now on a single-track trail that headed deeper into the woods.

Amanda led the way, ducking the stray branches over the trail and jumping over roots and rocks. They were gaining elevation and breathing hard.

Glenn admired Amanda's Spandex tights ahead of him. She was uphill from him and her luscious ass seemed right in front of his face. It was full and womanly, not too large, but certainly not small. Hips for bearing children, he thought. He smiled to himself. He was in the zone now, that place where runners get a little giddy and feel they could run forever.

Glenn watched Amanda's wriggling bottom and thought of yesterday, when he had put his arms around her. She was so soft and warm and her scent was so intoxicating! He had reacted without thinking and nearly slipped his hand down to cup her ass! Fortunately, he had stopped himself in time. Merci!

He stared at her bottom again and imagined it bare. He imagined the sacral dimples above her delightfully undulating globes, and her smooth and perfect skin. He imagined her narrow waist and her strong, muscular back, and her ebony ponytail swinging with her stride. In his mind he could see her shapely legs, the muscles and tendons straining and working hard as she climbed the hill. He could see the continuous expanse of her flawless skin, now naked to his imagined gaze from the tops of her socks to the nape of her neck. He'd like to see that! A naked trail run! The men would look ridiculous with their penises flopping to and fro, he thought with a grin. Then his lurid thoughts returned to Amanda, now totally naked and bent over his office desk. He gripped her hips with his hands, his erect penis hard as an iron bar as he drove into her over and over again, as hard and fast as he could, her hanging tits swinging wildly in synchrony with his thrusts, the slap of skin against bare skin echoing in his office. He could feel his onrushing climax surging toward him like a...

KABAM! OOOFF! and Glenn was lying face down on the trail; he'd tripped on a root. Amanda backtracked and helped him up and asked him if he was okay while she helped him brush off his clothing.

“I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, catching his breath. "I just got distracted and didn't watch where I was going,”

Presently they resumed their journey, walking for a time before resuming a slower running pace.

"I got distracted!" Bad choice of words, he thought as he ran. She must know I was looking at her!

Amanda gave him a wry, sidelong glance and let him take the lead. He slowly resumed their normal pace and she took the opportunity to stare at his strong legs and firm runner's butt. Glenn was a natural athlete, lean and sinewy, and despite his age, he slipped through the forest with the grace of a jungle cat. Watching him, she saw a very attractive man. She knew full well where Sy's fantasies were leading her.

She wondered, Could I really...do it with Glenn? What would it be like?

Would he be demanding and dominant? Or would he be considerate and gentle? Or maybe a little of both, as the occasion required? She smiled to herself, thinking, Stop with the fantasy, Mandy! You're getting yourself worked up! She was attracted to older men; confident, experienced men who took charge. But Glenn? Her boss? He was so much older than her!

Twenty minutes later they were at Spencer Falls, looking down fifty feet into the pool below the falls, and reminding each other not to get too close to the edge. Then, after an uneasy silence, Glenn spoke.

“Mandy, about yesterday...I hope I didn't come on too strong. I do love you like a daughter, but only like a daughter. I don't want to upset you or upset our working relationship. Or upset your marriage, heaven forbid. You mean a lot to me.”

He paused for a moment before he said, “You could report me, you know. I did cross a line and I'm truly sorry.”

Similar scandals had been in the news lately and he was concerned she might report him to HR. He didn't think she would, but he wanted to clear the air.

“Of course not, Glenn. I didn't mind at all. It was kind of nice, actually,” she said, turning her head to smile. Her smile lingered on Glenn and her face felt hot. They started walking again, following the loop trail back to the main path.

“Tell me what's been going on, Mandy. About a month ago, you started dressing differently and acting differently. Were you flirting with me or was that just my imagination?”

“You noticed?” Amanda replied with a smile.

Glenn gave her a long, inquisitive look. “So that was for me? For my benefit?”

“Partly,” she said, maintaining her enigmatic smile.

“Partly? Who else?” Glenn mentally reviewed the men in their offices. Most of them were middle-aged and wouldn't be attractive to Amanda; at least Glenn didn't think so. They walked on in silence for a while.

“You enjoyed it, too? Is that what you meant?” he asked.

Amanda stopped and turned to Glenn. “Yes, I enjoyed it, but I did it mostly for Sy. He encouraged me. He asked me to do it, actually. He likes to show me off and I go along with it.”

Glenn paused to let that thought sink in. Oh, my! She's a bit of an exhibitionist and perhaps a bit submissive, too? And her husband likes to watch? Is he a voyeur? Glenn thought.

Glenn thought of Sy and the times they'd met socially. Sy was quiet, but in Glenn's opinion didn't seem passive or submissive. He had seemed like a normal guy. But he had put her up to this, hadn't he?

“Just be careful, Amanda. Don't give Brenda any ammunition. We're friends and running buddies out of the office, but in the office, you and I have to act like Caesar's wife, all business. Just tone it back a little. You're a smart girl, you know what I mean. Sy will be fine if you explain it to him.”

“He is. We've already talked about it."

Glenn raised an eyebrow at that remark.

“You seemed to enjoy it, Glenn. Did you enjoy my flirting?” she asked with a coy smile.

“You know I did, Mandy," Glenn said. He turned and began running again with Amanda right behind him.

This could be an interesting game, he thought. He'd been attracted to Amanda since he'd hired her but he'd been careful to keep his feelings hidden. He didn't want to create trouble at work or hurt her marriage, and he certainly didn't want to look like an old fool smitten by a beautiful young woman.

Fooling around with a young subordinate at work was strictly forbidden by company policy. But if Sy had encouraged Mandy to flirt, or whatever it was she was doing, then he might allow himself to rethink the situation. Such affairs were not unknown in the company and if uncovered, tended to be handled on an individual basis. It might be risky but certainly not deadly to his career, should they be found out. Charlie Simmonds, the CEO, was a personal friend and sympathetic to such dalliances, Glenn knew, as long as they were kept discreet.

They headed back down the trail and Glenn had to discipline himself to keep his eyes away from Amanda's shapely legs and bottom.

***

That afternoon Irene Mueller, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, listened to Amanda with studied calm. Dr. Mueller was a slim, attractive woman of sixty with a sharp mind. She had spent half her life practicing psychology with an emphasis on marriage and sexual issues. There wasn't much she hadn't heard.

Dr. Mueller's office was an old house in a part of town undergoing gentrification. Young couples were buying old houses and restoring them, staving off decay and bringing new life to the area. Small businesses were opening to serve the new residents: hardware stores, florists, restaurants, and coffee shops. Every day the neighborhood seemed to improve.

Dr. Mueller's office was a safe harbor, a place to talk without fear. Her office reflected her personality. The colors were warm, with natural lighting and natural fabrics. The furniture was leather and the carpets, wool. Half-closed Venetian blinds fronted by sheer curtains reduced the level of light, and traditional floral draperies hung on each side of the windows to create a cozy, inviting space. An oriental ceramic lamp placed on an end table gave soft, warm, illumination where Amanda sat.

This was Amanda's fourth session in two months. Dr. Mueller saw her situation for what it was: A wife trying to come to terms with her husband's cuckold fantasies.

Dr. Mueller knew of Sy's sexual proclivities. Amanda had told Dr. Mueller about the game and Amanda's willingness to indulge her husband. Now a new issue had arisen: Amanda's own nascent feelings for her boss, a man with a strong personality who had captured Amanda's imagination despite their difference in age.

"Let's explore your feelings about Glenn," Dr. Mueller said.

"Well, he's my mentor and he's patient with me. He's kind, gentle, and I think he's a good friend, even though he's my boss."

Dr. Mueller turned to look at Amanda. "So, do you see him as a father figure or as a potential lover?"

"Oh, no! Not as a lover! Glenn's my boss, and...uh...a friend, a good friend. That's all. But Sy keeps pushing me to flirt with him, to make him something more, I guess."

"Has Sy asked you to have sex with Glenn?"

"Well...uh...when we're making love? Sy will pretend to be Glenn and I...uh...sometimes I pretend to come home after a night with Glenn. I mean, it's exciting for both of us. But it's all pretend. It's just fantasy and I do it for Sy. He wants me to do it."

"Do you have romantic feelings for Glenn? Feelings of love, perhaps?"

Amanda hesitated for a long moment. The hesitation spoke volumes to Dr. Mueller. There might be something more going on than Amanda was willing to admit, even to herself.

"Well, he's been good to me, he gave me my first job, helped me get promoted, and...well, we're running buddies. I like him...I mean...I really respect him and look up to him. But I'm not in love with him, no. I mean, he has a daughter my age!"

"So more as a father figure, a mentor, a protector for whom you have strong feelings of friendship. Is that about right, Amanda?"

"Yes," Amanda answered. It was true, she did have strong feelings for Glenn. But surely not love!

“Amanda, you know your husband's cuckold fantasies won't go away. He might suppress them but they will always be there."

"Yes, I know. Sy keeps pushing me. I've got to do something."

"Lead him, Amanda. You have to take charge. Play along with his fantasy but always lead his thoughts back to you."

They spoke for the rest of the hour, then made another appointment in four weeks.

***

That night Amanda slipped into bed next to Sy. She was wearing a soft silk-blend nightie she had begun calling 'my boyfriend's shirt', much to Sy's delight. The electric blanket had been on for a time and the bed was toasty warm. She lay on her left side and placed her right hand on his chest, then his belly, then she ventured further down. She found his erect penis and wrapped her cool fingers around the shaft and began stroking.

“Oooo, did someone start without me?” she teased, softly kissing his lips. “Would you like to hear what Glenn and I did this morning?” She was taking the lead.

“Oh, baby, what did you do?”

Amanda could hear the excitement in his voice.

“Well, let's just say that Glenn got distracted looking at my ass and he fell on his face."

She momentarily stopped stroking his penis to explore his scrotum with a feather-like touch.

“Uhhh...oh, fuck, Mandy!” Sy gasped. “Why was he looking at your ass? Was it bare?”

“No, Babe, my ass was in my running tights. We were running uphill and he was right behind me. He tripped and fell flat on his face. He said he was distracted but why do you suppose he was distracted? I think he was watching my ass. I think he was undressing me with his imagination. Would you like Glenn to see my bare ass, Sy? For real? I'll show him if you want me to."

She was turning up the heat. Another moment went by and she added, “He had an erection. I saw it.”

“You saw it? Did he take it out?” Sy gasped, incredulous now.

“No, but when I helped him up I could see it through his running tights. He looked pretty big, Sy. Maybe I should have asked him to show it to me. I bet he would. Next time maybe I will. I'm curious if I could get my fingers all the way around it.”

Amanda took a moment to smear Sy's pre-cum around his glans and then she resumed slow-stroking his rigid shaft. Sy's breathing was coming in fast, shallow, gasps and Amanda slowed her stroking almost to a halt, expertly holding him on the edge of an orgasm.

“Uhhh...Oh, baby! You better stop or I'm gonna cum!” Sy panted. She took her hand away from his penis and pulled back the covers to watch his cock bob up and down.

"What a handsome cock, Babe. It's so cute bouncing up and down like that. Are you really close?"

"God, yes, Mandy! Please stop for a moment, okay! Please?"

"You don't want to come? Do you want me to stop? Is that what you want?" she teased, squeezing the head of his penis between two fingers, digging a nail into the underside of his glans and pinching hard.

"UHH! Ohhh, fuck, Mandy! You're torturing me, here!" he cried. He was shaking.

"Get a grip on yourself, Sy. I expect my men to keep control of themselves. I'm sure Glenn can control himself. Now, put your hands under your ass and push your cock up in the air for me. Keep it there or I'll stop altogether."

The words had come suddenly from her mouth as if another person was speaking. Where did that come from? she wondered.

Sy pushed both hands under his buttocks and made fists, pushing his hips up and launching his penis straight up like a flagpole. It was still pulsing, bouncing up and down.

“If Glenn took his cock out I'd want to touch it, Sy. I'd want to wrap my fingers around it, like this."

She very lightly grasped his cock and felt him shudder.

"Should I, Sy? And if I touched his cock I might want to suck it too, 'cause you know how I am."

She began lightly scratching with her fingernails along the length of his shaft and circling around his cock-head.

“You know he'd want me to suck it and you know I'd do it, too, 'cause you know what a slut I am. I'd suck him deep and beg for his cum. How long do you think he'd last if I did that? You know...before he spurted in my mouth?"

Sy gasped twice and Amanda sensed the time was right. She jacked his turgid shaft at a fast pace.

"I want Glenn to feed me his cum, Babe. I want to get all of it.”

Sy arched his back with a shout and began ejaculating warm streams of semen that covered his belly and reached to his chest. Amanda put her mouth around the head of his penis and jacked his shaft to collect the rest in her mouth. She felt his penis pulse again and again and then soften as he came down from his sexual high. Turning to look at Sy, she opened her mouth, showed him his white seed, and then she swallowed. She opened her mouth again so he could see it was gone. She moved up to his face and kissed him, driving her tongue into his mouth.

“Can you taste him, Babe? Glenn just blew a giant load in my mouth and I swallowed it all.”

Amanda went back down and licked the semen from Sy's chest and belly until she had another mouthful. Moving to his face she fed it to him, pushing her slippery tongue into his mouth.

“Taste him, Babe. He tastes pretty sweet, don't you think?” she teased, suppressing a giggle.

Sy breathed hard and panted, “Fuck, Mandy. You are such a fucking slut! You've been doing this to Glenn behind my back, haven't you? Have you been sucking his cock, you little slut?”

"No, Babe. This is just our fantasy play, remember?"

"Fuck! You make it seem so real!" he gasped, and Amanda smiled inside. It was definitely a hot fantasy!

They lay together, holding each other close for long, quiet minutes. Amanda resumed her cock play and his semi-hard penis was soon rigid enough to mount. She pulled her nightie over her head and now naked, swung a leg over his hips and grasped his penis to line it up with her opening. She settled all the way down and began to grind her clitoris against his pubic bone, first going in circles and then rising up and down his shaft, over and over.

Sy watched in amazement, mesmerized by her swinging breasts and jiggling belly. Her hands were on his chest and he felt her hot breath on his face and felt her fleshy bottom slap against his thighs. He savored the velvet slickness of her cunt and the intensity on her face. Amanda's eyes were tightly shut and her mouth formed an 'O'. Panting rapidly, she bent forward, chin on her chest, muscles straining, and began a high keening sound that blended into a series of gasping shouts that went on and on and on.

***

Sy woke early in the morning to an empty bed. He pulled on his bathrobe and walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and finding his favorite coffee cup full of hot water. He poured the hot water into the sink and filled his pre-warmed cup with coffee.

Amanda was sitting at the kitchen table dressed in gym clothes, reading her tablet. She turned to greet her sleepy-eyed husband with a big smile.

“Sleep well, Babe?”

“Like a baby,” he replied, smiling and bending down to kiss her offered lips.

"If we keep going like that, we might very well get a baby," she said.

"Oh? Something to tell me?"

"I was bare last night, Sy, no diaphragm, no jelly. Pretty good time of the month, too."

"Oh, Mandy, that's so exciting, thinking of you pregnant and getting all firm and round! I like it when we make love and there's a chance."

He marveled again at his wife's beauty and imagined her pregnant, her breasts full, her face aglow, her belly round with their growing child. In the stark light of morning, Sy questioned his crazy desire to share her with another man. That wasn't normal and Sy winced. Only a fool would do that but there it was again - that wicked feeling.

What if Mandy changed her mind and wanted to have sex with Glenn? Would he stop her? Would Mandy let him watch while she made love with her boss?

Amanda rose from her chair and Sy put his coffee cup down and reached for his wife to hold her close. She smelled freshly showered and her hair carried that delicate, distinctive, floral scent he loved so much. She seemed to him an angel, too good to be true.

“God, Mandy, that was so hot last night! I came so hard you made me see red spots. I thought I was going to pass out,” he whispered in her ear.

“Did you like that? Did you like me coming home after a date with Glenn? Freshly fucked and full of his cum?”

Sy stopped cold and looked at his wife. She wasn't smiling.

Sy was thunderstruck by the coarse language coming from his wife's mouth, especially so early in the day. Mandy was not like that. Could she still be horny after last night?

“Yes, I liked it,” he said as his face grew hot.

“I liked it, too. It makes me so fucking hot, thinking about it. You, my husband, giving me away for Glenn to fuck. He always fucks me real good and he cums deep inside of me. He cums a lot and always more than once. And then there's always that chance, Sy. Glenn could knock me up."

She was staring at him, unblinking. She was not smiling. She was tense and challenging. Was she teasing him? No, she wasn't teasing. Sy had never seen her like this; so intense, so vulgar, so blatantly sexual. The heat built in his face.

"Then I come back home to you late at night, or maybe late the next morning. I'd be a mess, all haggard and tired and smelling of sex. You'd be frantic," she said, spitting out her words.

"You'd strip me and fuck me as soon as I got home, reclaiming me, putting your cum in me and pushing out Glenn's cum. But maybe it would be too late, Sy. Maybe Glenn had already knocked me up."

She still hadn't smiled.

He stared at his wife. Who was this crazy woman? A sudden rush of sexual excitement blindsided him and knocked him breathless. A sudden loud roar filled his head and an unstoppable urge overwhelmed him.

“FUCK, MANDY!” he growled.

He picked her up and carried her back to their bedroom, her arms and legs kicking in protest, and he tossed her onto their messy bed. He grabbed her sweat pants and pulled hard and Amanda's bare vulva was before him. He dropped his bathrobe and Amanda spread her legs, stretching them wide for Sy as he knee-walked between them, aiming his rigid pole for her cunt. He found it sopping wet. He wiped his cock head up and down her slit, found her entrance, and plunged in, forcing himself into her with one mighty shove. She was hot, tight, and slippery.

“Aieeeeee!” she cried out but Sy knew he hadn't hurt her; she was far too slippery for that. His rigid penis bottomed out and he held himself tightly against her, and savored the intense pleasure of her sex. Then he began fucking her with long, hard strokes, pounding her as hard as he could. He wanted one thing and one thing only: To fill his wife with his semen and push Glenn's semen out. He wanted to reclaim his wife. He wanted to fuck her better than Glenn and knock her up.

Sy reached his forearms beneath Amanda's shoulders and he grasped the sides of her head with his fingertips to hold her head immobile. He pulled her tight against his chest as if to squeeze the breath out of her. Her face had a startled look and her wide eyes looked up into the face of her crazed husband, her mouth open in surprise.

His hips pounded her, hard and fast, over and over, and Sy felt a powerful sensation like a tight fist grow in the root of his cock. With overwhelming suddenness his pelvic muscles spasmed and his semen jetted out and shot against her unprotected cervix, spasm after spasm, bathing her insides with hundreds of millions of wriggling sperm cells, each intent on finding her vulnerable egg to penetrate and impregnate her.

Sy cried out and collapsed, completely spent and gasping for breath. Beneath him Amanda was gasping, too, overwhelmed by her husband's ferocity. She felt his hot breath on her neck and felt his body relax. She closed her eyes to savor their intense closeness. In a few minutes, Sy rolled off of her and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

End of chapter one. Thanks for reading. Constructive criticism is welcome but remember, it's just amateur fiction. These characters exist only in my mind and they aren't real. They do whatever I tell them to do, but sometimes they talk back.

Many thank-yous to my anonymous internet acquaintances who attempted to explain to me the inexplicable: Why they share their wives and how it feels to do it.

Thanks to Ausfet, robertl, and Rob in Holland for their proofreading and editing suggestions.

Thanks to William R. in the UK Midlands for providing feedback and suggesting a title.