Played: Chapter Four - Jake

Jackie’s eyes widened and her face flushed. There wasn’t much that caused her to become speechless. Not that she was a jabber mouth. Normally, she was careful with her words, doling them out like precious jewels. It was one of the many things that made her perfect for this assignment. There was scant chance she’d let something slip with a careless word.

Not that I’d tell Mike. I still was against her involvement.

“Think about it,” Mike said in that intent way he had when he was hell bent on convincing me his plan was a good one. “No one would expect the three of us to be anything other than what we say. For it to work, we’d have to apply for a marriage license, and you’d have to marry one of us for real—”

“Me. She’ll marry me.” The words shot out of my mouth before I could censor myself.

“—but the marriage would be annulled once we return to the States. Due to the unconventional nature of our relationship, it’s only natural we’d seek a place where we could be ourselves without being judged by outsiders,” Mike continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “We’d all wear matching wedding bands. Your last name would be a hyphenation of both of ours.”

“Wouldn’t they expect my identification to match?” she asked, coming out of her shock.

“Not necessarily. Most couples leave their wedding and go straight to their honeymoon destination. The bride handles the process of changing her name after they return,” Mike said, having thought of all of the angles.

“What about sex?” she asked in her composed manner. “No offense, but I’ve never had sex with two men. Even if I had, casual sex just isn’t my thing.”

My cock hardened at the thought of at last being able to strip her to the skin, pull her under me, and take what I’ve craved for years. Not that it would happen. I had a strict non-fraternization policy with my employees. It didn’t matter how many times thoughts of having Jackie stole into my dreams and fantasies, I wouldn’t act on it.

Mike shot another look in my direction, inviting me to chime in. I raised an eyebrow, a silent reminder this plan was his baby. It was his job to convince Jackie to play along. I just hope she wouldn’t quit over it. Jackie was a civilian. The very nature of this request constituted sexual harassment. In this age of the #Metoo movement, Mike played a dangerous game.

Mike sighed heavily. “I won’t lie. We can forgo penetration, but there will be nudity and sexual contact. The orgasms will have to be real. We’ll be under constant surveillance, and one thing we can’t fake is sexual satisfaction. It shows in the eyes, the facial expression, and the looseness of the limbs. We’ll have to assume everyone there is watching, assessing, and monitoring to see if we’re really who we say we are.”

My thoughts derailed as carnal images filled my mind. Jackie, reclined on her back, thighs splayed with my head buried between them. Would she be sweet? Salty with a hint of musk? There was nothing like the taste of a woman’s pleasure.

“Which reminds me, are you on birth control?” Mike asked, yanking me out of my daze.

Jackie uncrossed one smooth leg and flexed the toe before lowering her foot to the floor. “I have an IUD implanted.”

“Both Jake and I get tested regularly for sexually transmitted diseases. It’s a holdover from our military days. We can bring you the test results, and we’d like a copy of yours,” Mike added, like it was an afterthought.

The unease she felt showed in Jackie’s stiffly erect posture, though her expression remained neutral. “If intercourse isn’t part of the plan, why do we need it?”

“Contingency planning. Like I said, sexual intercourse with actual penetration isn’t the goal, but shit happens. Not to mention, most newlyweds dispense with condoms. Men prefer the feel of their women, flesh-to-flesh. Rubbers numb the sensations. It’s all about appearance and expectations,” he said.

Jackie nodded her understanding, stood, and crossed to the window. Our office was a corner suite on the twelfth floor of a downtown high-rise. The gold and pinks of the setting sun made an impressive picture of the cityscape, but I didn’t think she was enjoying the view.

“It’s a lot to ask of you. We can find someone else,” I said into the quiet.

“There is no one else,” Mike argued. “Jackie knows us. Not just as her employers, but as friends. You can fake sex, but you can’t fake the kind of intimacy that comes from long-term acquaintance.”

“I don’t want her in danger. More importantly, I don’t want her quitting because things became too awkward with us. Not many women would be comfortable with seeing their employers naked or having them see her. I told you this was a bad idea,” I said.