I want her to be your lover

Barbara and I planned a Valentine’s Day outing with Veronica and Charlie Malloy. We bought a package offered by a major hotel that included a suite, which had a living room between two bedrooms, dining and dancing at their roof top club, and flowers, chocolates and champagne as romantic accouterments.

Barbara and I’d been married for two years. Barbara was dynamic and smart, eager to make a success of her career, marriage, and life.

Charlie and Veronica were different. We tolerated Charlie only because he was Veronica’s husband. Barbara called him “an insufferable ass, a stereotypical overbearing insensitive male shit.” That summed him up nicely. We both liked Veronica, who was a sweet and loving woman. She was the best friend Barbara ever had.

Charlie, a salesman, was often out at night. Those evenings Veronica spent with us, joining us for dinner and staying until bed time. With each evening Veronica spent at our home, the three of us drew closer.

Sometimes I’d wonder what it’d be like to have them both. Don’t get me wrong. I loved Barbara and would never leave her, but having an affair with Veronica, with Barbara’s participation and approval, was my favorite fantasy.

Despite my fantasy, I wasn’t ready for the bombshell Barbara dropped on me. We were in bed a week before the big Valentine’s outing. She straddled me and her eyes were bright and eager.

“I’m going to give you a very special Valentine’s Day present,” she said, looking down at me.

“What’s that?”

“Veronica. I want you two to become lovers.”

“What?” I gasped.

“You heard me. I want you two to be lovers.”

“What are you saying? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Sure it does.”

“Is something wrong in our marriage, Barbara?”

“No!” she said. She gave me a dirty look as she swatted me on the chest. “How could you even ask? I love you more than ever. This is something totally different. I want you to have Veronica and I want her to have you, but I want you, too. There are polyrelations, you know, relationships with more than two people.”

“Let me up,” I said, pushing against her.

“No. We need to talk,” she replied. She tried to force me down, but I flipped her off me. We sat on the bed facing each other.

“Who is he?”

“Who?”

“The guy you’re fucking.”

“How dare you accuse me of that! I don’t have a lover!”

“Then you’ve found him but haven’t fucked him yet.” She slapped me. “Slap me again and I’ll redden your ass. I want to know what the hell’s going on.”

“Try reading my lips, you big dumb square head. I love you. I don’t have anyone else. I don’t want anyone else.”

“Then it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Why not? I don’t want another man, but Veronica does. She wants you.”

“I’m your husband.”

“You’ll still be my husband.” She crawled in my lap, her legs around my waist, arms around my neck. There was a sexy twinkle in her eye. “Come on. Be honest with me. If you knew without a doubt I didn’t want someone else – which I don’t – and if you knew I was being sincere when I said I wanted Veronica to be your lover – which I am . . . ”

“I’d have my head examined because I’d be nuts,” I said.

“I’ll admit it isn’t a scene out of a ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, but it might be a scene out of a wonderful life for the three of us.”

“Have you thought about it? Have you pictured me coming home for dinner and kissing you both like I kiss you? Have you visualized lying on the bed watching me fuck her? Or waking up on one side of me with her on the other?” I said.

“Yes and it’s what I want. She won’t be here all the time, but she’ll spend a lot of time with us, maybe more than she does now.”

“She’s married to Charlie. What about that?”

“They’re both old fashioned Catholics. He’d never ask for a divorce. She’d never agree to it if he did. She’s stuck in that loveless marriage. She deserves love, Karl.”

“But with us? In our bed? Look, Barbara, let me be completely honest. I’ve fantasized the scenario you’ve drawn, the three of us in bed together, but it’s a fantasy. In reality, I’m afraid of what it’ll do to our marriage.”

“It’ll make it stronger. Why don’t you think about it and we can talk more tomorrow.” She kissed me, then said petulantly, “Are you too upset to make love?”

Her hips started slowly moving, stroking my cock with her pubis. She drew her knees up beside her breasts. I lifted her to slip my cock in her pussy. We sat that way, trying not to move, kissing and stroking each other, until I couldn’t stand any more and laid her back. With only a few strokes, she orgasmed, her sweat, slick and sweet, oozing out and heat radiating from her.

“My man, my husband, fucking me, making me cum so good,” she murmured in my ear. She orgasmed again when I did.

It was magnificent as it always is with Barbara, but that night I dreamed of a threesome.

In the morning, she said, “Veronica’s coming over for dinner tonight. I don’t want to discuss her being with you.”

“Have you two talked about it?” I asked.

“Of course. We’ve been talking about it for months. Since Veronica finally admitted she wants an affair with you, she can’t talk about anything else.”

“Then why can’t we all talk about it?”

“I think it’s best if the tension builds until Valentine’s Day.”

My tension was high enough, but I agreed to wait to discuss it. When I got home that night, Barbara and Veronica were in the kitchen talking and cooking.

“Hi, honey,” Barbara said in sweet and loving tones.

“Hi, honey,” Veronica said, mimicking Barbara, but her tone was sincere, too.

I kissed Barbara hard, a demanding kiss, bending her backward with one hand playing with her ass. From the corner of my eye, I saw Veronica watching with desire written all over her. When I stopped, Veronica took a step toward us.

I kissed her as I had Barbara. Like Barbara, I felt her respond then go limp in my arms. I wanted to see Barbara’s reaction as much as I wanted to kiss Veronica. If Barbara objected, it didn’t show. She had an erotic, happy smile. At dinner, they both acted like they’d enjoy a wild fucking on the table. I knew I would.

We jumped into bed after Veronica left, but when I reached for Barbara, she stopped me.

“Let’s talk first. You kissed her tonight like you kiss me. Why?”

“To see your reaction.”

“And that’s all?” she teased.

“Yes. I still don’t believe you want to bring Veronica into our marriage.”

“Believe it. I’m not playing games with you. I liked seeing you kiss Veronica and you did kiss her, lover boy. I’ll bet she was wet.”

She rubbed her pussy against my leg as her nails teased down my chest.

“How did you feel about it?”

I didn’t answer.

“No games. No tricks. No other man waiting in the wings. I want her to be your lover. You want it, too. Don’t be afraid to admit it.”

My cock hardened at the prospects a fantasy would become a reality. Barbara felt my reaction. Grinning like a she-devil, she slipped my cock up to ride against her pubic bone.

“You do like the idea, don’t you?” she said, her tone sultry. “Sweet Veronica squirming for you. Her hot, soft body under you.” Barbara rubbed her breasts back and forth on my chest. “I know you love my breasts, but think about hers. They’re so different, so full, like soft melons. Think of those big breasts against your chest. They’re so big you can titty fuck her. Wouldn’t you love to feel them around your cock?”

“Please, Barbara.”

“Let go, Karl. Let your inhibitions go. Say it,” she whispered.

“Stop. You’re driving me insane!”

“She told me she wants your cock in her mouth. She wants to swallow your cum. She’ll do anything for you. All she wants is for you to love her. You want that, too. Say it, Karl. Say it.”

“Please,” I moaned.

Barbara slipped down my body. Her tiny hands curled around my wrists, holding my arms by my side as she engulfed my cock. I whimpered and my cock throbbed.

“I want you to have her. She wants you. Do you want her? Do you? Say it!”

“I want her!”

“Say you want to fuck her. Say it!”

‘I want to fuck Veronica.”

“Yes, Karl. You want to fuck her until she can’t walk.”

“Yes.”

“Until she can’t do anything but follow you around begging to be fucked again.”

“Yes.”

“Pretend I’m Veronica. Roll me over and fuck me while you pretend I’m her.” Barbara did a perfect imitation of Veronica when she said, “Please, Karl do me with that big cock of yours.”

Like a madman, I lifted Barbara in the air and slammed her on her back. Greedily, she held my cock at her opening and lifted her hips burying me in her. She jammed her feet on the mattress and dug her nails into my ass. She tightened her pussy.

“Let it go,” she whispered.

I exploded and my own scream echoed in my ears. Barbara cooed to me and stroked my sweating back. When we lay together cooled from the passion, she kissed me tenderly.

“That wasn’t so difficult, was it? You admitted you wanted to fuck her.”

“Yes. Yes, I do want to fuck her, but I don’t love her.”

“You might. I think you care for her much more than you realize. If it’s not love now, it’ll grow into it.”

“And that’s all right?” I asked.

“Yes. I know you love me more.”

“I want to ask this question again because I don’t think I heard the answer. Is it all right for me to love and have sex with Veronica?”

“Yes,” Barbara said.

“Do you love her?”

“I love her like a sister.”

“Is that all? Or do you want her?”

“I don’t have a sexual interest in her,” Barbara replied. “Veronica’s really straight. If you bring it up, she’ll freak out.”

“We’ll see because I’ll bring it up.”

She got that crooked little grin of hers. “I’ve never told you, but I had sex with another woman. It wasn’t bad.” She laughed. “Tell you what I’ll do. If Veronica agrees to it, so will I.”

She waited as I thought it all over. “Any other questions?” she asked.

“I don’t know. This is mind blowing.”

“Oh, come on, Karl. Be honest. You’ve fantasized about this.”

“I’ve fantasized about the three of us, but that’s not reality. It’s strange thinking of it that way. I know I like the idea of fucking Veronica.” I laughed. “And I like the idea of making a cuckold out of Charlie.”

“You haven’t heard the best part yet. Did you know they’re trying to have children?” I shook my head. “That asshole Charlie knew it couldn’t be him. He made Veronica take the fertility tests.”

“Holy shit! Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Yes, I am, baby. She told Charlie she was the problem and that the treatments cured her. She plans to fuck you without protection and get pregnant. Charlie will think they’re his; his ego won’t let him believe anything else, but they won’t be his. Veronica’s children will be yours.”

“Unbelievable. This really is becoming a man’s fantasy. Say, what if I want both of you pregnant at the same time?”

She laughed and tweaked my nipple. “I knew you’d like this. All right. We’ll let you get us both pregnant at the same time. If you’re really nice to us, we’ll let you do it on the same night, but I want to wait until her second pregnancy. I’m not ready right now. Oh, Karl, your cock’s bursting. Want to see two women waddling around with your child in their bellies, stud?”

“Damn right, I do.” I’d rolled her over. She’d locked her legs

around me, her heels on my ass.

“Think, Karl, you’ll be between Veronica’s legs ready to plow your cock into her. Feeling it slip in her wetness . . . like this.”

I slammed into her. She wrapped her arms tightly around me. “That’s it, lover. Fuck me. Fuck me hard and fast as you think about your fantasy becoming real. You can fuck me anytime you want . . . and you can fuck Veronica, too.”

Veronica was at our house every day that week. I didn’t touch her again and I didn’t touch Barbara in her presence. The sexual tension was thick as molasses and Barbara kept it that way.

When we’d slip into bed at night, she tease me. “Thinking about me or Veronica?” “Want me to dye my hair? That way you could have two blondes.” “I wonder if she’s a moaner or a squealer?” Barbara would laugh when I went wild.

By Valentine’s Day evening when we arrived at the hotel, the three of us were remarkably calm, although maybe we were numb. Charlie started drinking highballs as soon as we got there. He ignored Veronica and started flirting with Barbara, who seethed, but encouraged him to drink the place dry. I asked Barbara to dance after dinner was over.

“Why don’t you dance with Veronica?” she said. “I’m going to sit here and drink with Charlie.” There was a twinkle in her eye.

I led Veronica to the dance floor as the band played a slow number. She came easily into my arms.

Barbara was five nine and model slim, her figure molded by diet and exercise to produce a lean hard body. Veronica was about five four. She was soft, plush, not fat, but significantly different, with an hourglass figure, round above and below.

“You smell nice,” I said.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you. You don’t use cologne, do you?”

“No. It’s all me.”

“Charlie bathes in cologne. I’ve told him I like a natural scent.”

Barbara’s an excellent dancer, but prefers the fast, hard numbers where she can shake and shimmy. Veronica melded to me. When she felt my cock growing against her belly, she rubbed against it and smiled in a most sensual and delightful way. We were dancing when Barbara waved at me and pointed to Charlie. He was three sheets to the wind.

We returned to our suite. Charlie staggered into the living room and said, “I want a drink.” Veronica poured eight ounces of bourbon in a glass, then helped Charlie guzzle it down. We got him onto his bed where he passed out for the night.

Their bedroom was deathly silent as the three of us realized the time was here. Veronica looked unsure. Barbara hugged her and said, “Change and come over to our bedroom. Don’t make him wait. He wants you as much as you want him.”

In our bedroom, Barbara was frantic, quickly cleaning and arranging, setting the scene for a seduction. She lit the candles, folded the bed back just so, and turned on the radio to a soft station. I watched her as I undressed.

“Wear your boxers and nothing else,” she said sharply. “I want her to see that great body of yours as soon as she walks into the room.”

“Barbara, relax. Everything will be okay.”

“She’s an old-fashioned woman in many ways, Karl, and she’s a one-man woman. After you fuck her, you’ll be her man.”

“Why is this so important to you?”

“It’s best for all of us,” she said.

“Are you absolutely sure you want me to do this?” I asked.

She took my hands in hers and looked up at me. Fire and steel were in her eyes.

“Yes. Very sure. I want you and Veronica to be lovers, not just for tonight, but for a very long time. I want you to make her pregnant, not once, but as many times as she’ll allow.”

“You’ve thought about all the consequences?”

“Yes, I have,” she said firmly.

“This can’t be undone. There’ll be no going back. If, as you said, I’ll be her man, then she’ll be my woman, just like you’re my woman. I’ll treat her like I treat you. No favorites.”

“I know that. That’s the kind of man you are. Don’t worry, Karl. I understand and it’s what I want.”

“Then relax and let me do it. I’m fairly good, you know. After all, I corralled you.”

She burst into laughter. “No, lover, I corralled you and I’m so glad I did. You’re perfect for me and I love you deeply.” She kissed me like a woman kisses a lover going off to battle, as if her passion is limitless and her fear great.

Barbara answered Veronica’s knock. Veronica was wearing a long red nightgown, which was both demure and sensual. She looked radiant and ready without a hint of hesitation.

Barbara hugged her. “Go make love to a man who loves you,” she said as she gently pushed Veronica toward me. Barbara slipped out the door and closed it behind her.

Veronica’s face was serene with a glowing warmth. She took two quick, small steps, stopping a foot away. She looked up into my face.

“I’m married to Charlie and we’ll never divorce. That’s the way I was raised to believe,” she said. “But I’ll never love him and he can’t give me children. I want love and children.”

“I’ll give them to you,” I replied.

“I knew you would.”

Her arms crossed across her breasts, each hand slipping a spaghetti strap off her shoulders. Her arms opened, hands falling beside her with her palms toward me. The gown caught on her breasts, her erect nipples stopping its descent. I covered her breasts with my hands and her eyes widened as she pushed against my palms. The gown slipped away.

As we kissed, she whispered, “Please, Karl, don’t make me wait any longer.”

Quickly we were on the bed. She opened her legs, pulled me between them and guided me into her. She was neither a moaner nor a squealer. She was a whisperer, gently nudging little sound bites of love in my ear.

“So good . . . Harder . . . Oh, I love it . . . Yes, baby, yes.” Mutterings of enjoyment. “That’s it . . . Do me so good, oh, so good . . . I’m going to cum . . . Oh, oh, oh!” Her pussy spasming on my cock hurried me toward my own reward.

Hands behind her knees, I spread her widely and pounded hard. Her face was ecstasy. “Give me your seed,” she whispered. I drove my cock deep and stopped as my pump began, emptying me to fill her so her belly would grow.

Barbara peeked in and I read her expression. When I motioned to her, Barbara shook her head, but after one glare from me, she slipped in and sat on the bed by us.

I lay back, propped myself up on the stacked pillows and drew Veronica next to me. Her head was on my arm, hand on my chest, and one leg over mine. Barbara looked at me questioningly. “Get undressed, Barbara, and join us,” I said nonchalantly.

Barbara looked confused and a little embarrassed as she hurriedly undressed. She tried to cover herself as she shyly slipped into bed. She lay against me, mirroring Veronica on the other side. Veronica took Barbara’s hand, entwining their fingers.

“You’re right. He’s so good,” Veronica said. “Thank you for letting me love him, too.”

“You’re welcome,” Barbara replied, but her voice was tight.

As I looked down at these women with me, I wondered why Barbara created this threesome, for I saw in Barbara’s face her own doubts and fears oozing to the surface of her emotions. I doubted she realized the full consequences of the actions she set in motion. I wondered if she’d be with me in a year when the fruit of my coupling with Veronica cried lustily in its crib.

I decided to push the issue. If this newly made group were to fall apart, I wanted it to be now, not later. I wrapped my hand in Barbara’s long black hair, raising her face to look at me.

“I want to fuck Veronica again. Suck my cock to get it ready.”

Silent resistance gave way to acceptance. She wrapped her fingers around my soft cock and sucked the head into her mouth, tasting her friend and me on it. They watched each other as my cock, so recently emptied, surged to readiness from Barbara’s oral caresses.

“Roll over, Barbara,” I said, patting the bed.

Barbara, who’d been so sure of her plan, hesitated and trembled. Her eyes were wide. I positioned Veronica over her with Veronica facing Barbara’s feet.

“Barbara, hold her lips open and guide me between them. And, Barbara, when I’m ready to cum, take me in your mouth.”

I saw her apprehension as one hand daintily found Veronica’s pussy and her other hand touched my cock. I so wished I could have seen Barbara’s face, but it disappeared beneath me as she put my cock head against Veronica’s pussy.

I did feel Barbara’s presence. Her nails dug viciously into the tender inside of my thigh and I sharply called her name. I heard her sob when Veronica moaned from my initial penetration. Later, I felt Barbara’s touches on my legs, her stroking of my perineum, scraping my ass with her fingernails.

When I was ready, I pulled out of Veronica. Barbara pulled me between her lips. I couldn’t see her face, only the white length of her arched throat, her breasts, her body under Veronica. Veronica had collapsed on her when I pulled out. Her pussy rested against Barbara’s breasts and her honey dew glistened there. Veronica was slowly stroking Barbara’s leg.

Veronica groaned as she pushed up on all fours, and sat back on her heels. She was looking down into Barbara’s face.

“Kiss her,” I said softly to Veronica. Slowly, she leaned over until their lips met. Veronica’s hand fell to Barbara’s stomach, then slowly slid to her breast to cup and squeeze before Veronica broke the kiss.

I helped Veronica slip into her gown and kissed her before sending her to sleep next to her husband.

Barbara sat cross legged on the bed, watching champagne swirl in the glass in her hand. I poured myself a glass and sat by her. I touched my glass to hers.

“To us,” I said lifting my glass.

She gave me a wry grin. “Who’s us?”

“You and I, of course.”

“No. There’s three of us now. I’ll drink to we three.”

We drank the toast to the three of us. She emptied her glass and held it out for me to pour another.

“Was it what you expected?” I asked.

She sighed. “No. You’re always strong and demanding in bed, although your demands surprised me. I expected her to be sweet and loving. She’s like that.” Barbara gave a short laugh. “I certainly didn’t expect her to be so loving to me. You’ll get to see us make love after all, Karl.” She took a sip of champagne, staring at me over the glass.

“And?” I said.

“I was surprised by me. I felt so possessive of you. I didn’t know I’d feel that deeply. Seeing you with her hurt. It hurt a lot.”

I kissed her. Her mouth was cool from the champagne.

“I’m glad to hear it. Sharing me with Veronica made me wonder if you loved me at all. I hope it hurt like hell.”

“It did. It still hurts, but it’ll go away in a few days.” A solitary tear slipped down her cheek. “I love you more than I realized, more than I can say.”

She grabbed my hand and her nails dug into my palm with a fierce urgency. “We made a deal before we married. We agreed that either of us could have an affair if the other one knew in advance and we talked about it.”

“I remember.”

“I don’t want that. I’ve been faithful and I always will be. I’ll never have an affair.”

“That agreement was your idea. I’ve never had an affair until Veronica.”

“Veronica doesn’t count. I suggested it.” I didn’t reply. “Karl, please,” she begged. I pulled her into my arms. “Don’t make me say it.”

“I thought you prided yourself on not being jealous.”

“Oh, God, I was so jealous of Veronica . . . and so angry.”

“At me?”

“No. At myself. I’m the one who set this up.” She shook her head as if trying to clear her mind. Her fist clenched. She said emphatically, “I can handle you with Veronica. I know I can.” She looked at me with a pleading expression. “Someone else, I don’t think . . . ”

I kissed her again. “I’ll never have an affair.”

“Thanks,” she whispered. We held each other, her head against my chest.

“What else is bugging you?” I asked.

“I was surprised how intensely submissive I felt. I guess it was being one of two women in your bed, of watching you fuck her, of swallowing your cum with her taste on my lips.” She grinned wryly and wrinkled her nose. “Of course, you made sure the pattern was set. Both of you over me with that close up of your cock going in and out of her pussy left little doubt. And having her kiss me was icing on the cake.”

She shivered and sighed. “I was so proud of being equals in our relationship, so proud of never being jealous.” I saw fear in her eyes. “Does pride goeth before a fall, Karl?”

“You haven’t fallen.”

“Oh, I hope not.” She looked frightened again. “Is that the way you want me, Karl? Submissive to you?”

“When there’s three of us, it has to be that way. I won’t be dominated. You knew that when we married.”

“When it was just the two of us, it was fifty-fifty.”

“It still is when it’s the two of us, but when Veronica’s involved, she gets half of your half.” She nodded. “Do you want to go back to only us two?”

“No. Not really. Anyway, you were right. We can’t go back.”

“Why did you do it?”

Her eyes were hot coals. She looked away and downed her champagne. I poured her another glass.

“I told you,” she said. “It’s best for the three of us.”

“And when you said it, you lied to me.”

“What does that mean?”

“I know when you’re lying.”

“Why would I lie?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. What drove you to set up this threesome?”

Her expression revealed, only for an instant, anger like I’d never seen from her.

“Barbara, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Damn it. You’re hiding something. We agreed: no secrets.”

Her knuckles were white, her teeth clenched. She willed herself to be calm. She downed her champagne, set the glass on the side table and took my hands in hers. Her face showed the self- satisfaction of a hard-fought victory.

“All right. There is something. I’ll tell you, but Veronica must never know. I don’t want to hurt her. ” I nodded. “This day I claimed my victory over Charlie Malloy.”

She released my hands and looked away, seeing a picture in her mind.

“You know I played around a lot before we married. You’ve never asked the details and I’ve never asked about yours. Let me tell you about one particular night. I was in one of the pick up joints when a good-looking guy came onto me. I left with him. No big deal. He wanted to fuck and so did I. That’s why I was there.”

She turned to look at me. Her expression made cold chills go down my spine.

“You know I like it rough sometimes, but this was violence, not sex. After we fucked, he beat the hell out of me. Beat me up for no reason! Then he held me down and fucked me again. He raped me, Karl.”

Her voice was like a demon from hell. She looked away again and struggled to regain her composure.

“I ended up in the hospital. I didn’t know who he was until Veronica introduced me to her ‘wonderful’ husband. Then I knew. I knew the man who raped me was Charlie Malloy.”

“Didn’t he recognize you?”

“That night my hair was the color of Lucille Ball’s. My nose was different, too. The sorry bastard broke my nose, Karl. I told you I had a nose job, but what really happened was they reconstructed it to look like I wanted. So I looked different and he’d been drinking. He’s never shown any signs he knows who I am.”

“Why didn’t you go to the police?”

“I was too embarrassed when it happened, so I didn’t go to the police. When I found out who he was, it was too late. There was no evidence.”

“Let me beat the shit of him! I’d love to break every bone in his body.”

“I thought about that. Since I can’t prove he raped me, you’d end up in jail. I don’t want that. You’re the best thing in my life. No. This is a better way.”

Barbara laughed and lay back on the pillows. She folded her arms under her head.

“Every time I’ll see him I’ll know his wife loves my husband, his children were fathered by my husband. The three of us are closer then he’ll ever be to anyone. That’s my revenge, Karl, seeing him and knowing he’s a sad, sorry, cuckolded asshole in a loveless and childless marriage.”

She grinned and lay back on the bed. “Isn’t it a perfect plan? We all get what we want. You get your fantasy, two women loving you and having your children. Veronica gets love, children, and great sex to boot. I get my revenge on Charlie.”

“Charlie doesn’t get what he wants.”

She sat up, shaking with emotion as her eyes burned me.

“Yes, he does. He gets exactly what he wanted the night he raped me. He gets the fucking of his life.”

As I watched her, her certainty wavered. A tiny line appeared against the corner of one eye. A cloud slipped across her face.

“Let me tell you what I want, Barbara. I want you happy and eager, you positive and warm. You totally in love with me. You ecstatic in our relationship. I want that more than I want Veronica and you in my bed.”

“That’s not changed. Oh, God, Karl, I love you more than I ever thought imaginable. This night’s been such a shock to me, but I’ll be your positive and happy wife again and I’ll be one of your two women. I won’t let jealousy mar our good times.”

“Did you get everything you wanted, Barbara?”

“Do you still love me, love me like I love you, like you used to love me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me what Charlie did to you? Couldn’t you trust me?”

Her face crumbled. Collapsing against me, she cried, holding on for dear life. For long minutes, her tears bathed my chest and she heaved in her sorrow.

I said, “Everything changed tonight. Veronica’s in our relationship now. You schemed hard to bring her in. It was so important you deceived us both.”

She shook her head.

“Barbara, we’re three now.”

“But you love me! I’m still your wife!”

“Let’s go to bed, Barbara. I’m very tired.”

“For God’s sake, tell me you love me! Tell me I didn’t do all this only to lose you!”

“You didn’t lose me. I still love you.”

“Then I’ve got all I want.”