Author's Note: Because it's Christmas. And, hell, why not?
It starts in the kitchen, after hours at Seaside. All the patients are gone for the day, but the doctors are still here – a few of them, anyway. Charlotte and Amelia and Pete are sitting on one side of the island, splitting a bowl of microwave popcorn. Cooper stands at the end next to them halfway through a microwave dinner. Sam is heating his leftover lunch.
Someone poses the question to the rest of the group: "If you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, what would it be?"
Everyone considers for a minute. It's a room half-full of miserable people. Amelia's only a few weeks out of rehab, and finally starting to get back into the groove. Pete is newly separated from his wife, Sam doesn't want the baby his girlfriend is determined to bring into their lives. Charlotte figures their Christmas wishes are likely to be depressing as hell. Here's hoping they go for material goods.
Thankfully, Cooper is the first to answer, half-muttering into his mug when he comes out with, "A threesome."
Sam snorts a laugh, shaking his head, and Amelia snickers before popping another few kernels of popcorn into her mouth.
"Don't we all," Pete mutters with a smirk, reaching for more popcorn.
Charlotte glares at Cooper, but it's not without a certain amount of levity. It's such a stupid guy response. "Seriously?" she drawls. "That's your answer? You can have anything you want, and you say sex with other people?"
"Not sex with other people," he defends. "Sex with you, and another person." He scowls then, and clarifies, "A girl person."
She makes a judgmental noise and lifts her brows once. "I'm not enough for you anymore, that's what you're sayin'?"
"That's not what I'm saying at all," he defends, and Charlotte glances around to see the others watching the exchange intently, amused as hell. Charlotte's pretty amused herself, so she doesn't mind. "You are absolutely enough for me. More than enough, even."
"Keep digging, Cooper," Sam teases, and Cooper reaches for a better excuse.
"All I'm saying is I think it'd be hot to see my very attractive wife make out with another woman, that's all," he declares with a shrug.
She's not sure what compels her to do it, but Charlotte lets one brow creep up slowly, shifting her leg surreptitiously under the table until her ankle nudges Amelia's as she asks him, "Oh, is that all you want?"
Amelia must get the message, because she hesitates for only a second before sliding her ankle over until it crosses Charlotte's. An unspoken agreement.
This is so mean – and so incredibly, wickedly kind at the same time. She can't keep the smile off her face.
"Yes. That's all I want," he says, laughing a little now that it's clear that he's not really in any trouble with her.
Charlotte's grin widens, and she gives him an exaggerated little shrug, then swivels her head toward Amelia.
Amelia is waiting for her, smirking, and as their lips meet Sam chokes a little. Pete lets out a low whistle from the other side of Amelia, and Charlotte knows they're objectifying themselves here for the guys, just a little, but hell, it's the holidays, and the office has been so damned depressing lately. If some meaningless tongue tangoing lightens the mood, she'll take one for the team.
Amelia's fully committed, her tongue sliding against Charlotte's. It's not the first time Charlotte's kissed a girl, but it's been a while, and she finds it delightfully new. Amelia tastes like salt, smells like flowers, and baby powder deodorant, and makeup. It's a far cry from the scratch of stubble, the scent of cologne and soap.
"Oh, that is just wrong," Sam announces, and she knows it's because he's known Amelia since she was young and this seems incestuous and weird. But this isn't for him, so Charlotte doesn't really care what he thinks.
Cooper's silent, but she bets herself he can't tear his eyes away. Bets her ass he doesn't want to.
She angles her head a little, her nose bumping Amelia's. They're no strangers to down-and-dirty sex, the two of them, and it shows in the kiss. It's nasty, intentionally so, all tongue, and Charlotte can't help sliding her hand over onto Amelia's thigh.
She doesn't go for home or anything, but it slides far enough for Amelia to get the giggles. It's all about to fall apart – and it's been just about long enough, so that's okay – but Charlotte wants to finish with a flourish, so she catches Amelia's lower lip in her teeth and bites, tugs, then lets go, and turns a smug smile on Cooper.
He's standing there, gobsmacked. Mouth hangin' open, just starin' at her. He clearly wasn't expecting that.
Charlotte props her elbows on the island, links her fingers, and settles her chin on them, grinning wickedly at her husband. "Merry Christmas," she tells him dryly, in a way she hopes makes it clear that's the best he's gonna get.
"Yeah," he manages, clearing his throat. "Wow. Okay. Yeah."
Amelia busts into a laugh next to her, Pete joining in a second later, and within a few minutes they're all in stitches. It was absurd, and showy, and not at all work-appropriate, but for just a few minutes the tension that's pervaded the practice for weeks has lifted.
.:.
That was Monday night, and now it's Wednesday. Christmas is in a week and a half, and Amelia is sitting at her desk, looking over a patient chart when Charlotte walks in, shutting the door behind her, and settling into the chair on the other side of the desk.
Something's up. She's jumpy. Anxious. Not traits you usually associate with Charlotte King. Amelia wonders if maybe something's wrong – between them, as friends. Charlotte welcomed her back with open arms after rehab, no apologies necessary, and Amelia's sort of been waiting for the other shoe to drop ever since. She knows Charlotte says she gets it – and she does, I mean, Amelia knows that if anyone really understands, it's Charlotte, but still. She said things. She pushed, and fought, and resisted all attempts for help, and she's not quite sure she deserves forgiveness. Even from Charlotte.
And now she's just sitting there, staring at her, like she's willing Amelia to say something. So finally, she does, asking her, "What's up, Charlotte?"
Charlotte takes a breath, hesitates, lets it out, and Amelia catches a flash of pink as she runs her tongue over her teeth, then finally asks, "You don't have feelings for Cooper, right?"
What the…?
Where the hell did that come from?
Amelia's brow furrows deeply, a look of total confusion settling on her face. "God, no. Where'd you get that idea?"
"I didn't," Charlotte assures, and Amelia can't tell through Charlotte's nerves if she means it or not. "It's just you kissed last year—"
"He kissed," Amelia clarifies, "I stopped. And it was meaningless – for both of us."
"Yeah, I know," Charlotte dismisses, shaking her head, and Amelia buys it this time. "I know that. I just wanted to make sure, because I'm about to suggest somethin' that won't work unless it's completely meaningless."
Amelia goes from confused to intrigued, capping her pen, and leaning back in her chair, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she asks, "Oh, really?"
Something that involves Amelia and Cooper. Something meaningless. After their little make-out sesh in the kitchen a few days ago, Amelia thinks she might know where this is headed. And holy crap, Charlotte can't be serious.
"Yeah."
But she is. Amelia can see it all over her. That's where this is going, and that's why she's so nervous. She's actually about to suggest this.
And then she does: "I'm thinkin' of maybe… grantin' his Christmas wish."
Amelia's brows lift slowly, but she doesn't say anything. She's kinda speechless, to be honest. This is a first for her – being propositioned for a threesome by someone who is arguably her best friend.
Charlotte must think Amelia's not convinced, because she rushes ahead, explaining, "It's not the first time he's asked – or, at least, brought it up casually in that way that suggests he really wants it. And I, uh… I don't want to see him with someone else. But if what he really wants is to see me with someone else…"
"That's a whole other animal?" Amelia finishes, all sorts of amused now. This is so not a conversation she ever imagined them having…
"Exactly," Charlotte agrees, smiling slightly. "And I could find someone, it wouldn't be that hard. And it's not like I haven't had sex with strangers before, I have, but… I don't know. It's sort of lost its appeal, I guess? The sex with strangers thing. Trust is important to me now, and… I want it to be someone who – who would understand if –" She stops, sighs, looks even more anxious than before, and noticeably more uncomfortable.
It doesn't take Amelia long to connect the dots. Charlotte may be comfortable having sex with Cooper again, but throwing a stranger into the equation when there's something in her relatively recent past that could flare up at an inopportune time, that takes some of the sexy out of the equation.
Amelia gets it. She wants her to know that. So she states the obvious in the kindest way she can: "Someone who knows your issues."
Charlotte rolls her eyes, at herself more than anything, then takes a breath and nods.
"So…" There's a different kind of tension between them now – something darker and more unpleasant – and Amelia wants to rid the room of it, so she grins coyly and states the obvious: "You want to have sex with me?"
"I want my husband to watch me have sex with you," Charlotte corrects, smirking now too. The smirk fades slightly as she adds, "But I don't want you to have sex with him."
"Totally understandable," she assures her. Considering their little slip-up last year, it kinda goes without saying.
"I'm not sayin' y'all can't kiss or touch or anything, but—"
"No penetration."
"Exactly." Charlotte relaxes into the conversation a little, some of the tension finally dissipating now that it's all out in the open "I'll make sure it's still worth your while. I have a… very extensive collection of toys. You'll get your brains screwed out just fine."
Amelia feels her eyes widen slightly. She's not gonna lie, she's wondered a time or two what kind of kinky home collection Dr. Charlotte King, Sexologist, might have. Mostly for recommendation purposes, though, not because she ever thought she might actually get in on that action. And now it sounds like she might – like she definitely will, all she has to do is give the okay – and Amelia has to admit there are certain parts of her that are perking up and paying attention.
"So, will you do it?" Charlotte asks, finally getting to the point.
"Sleep with my sexologist best friend and her freaky husband? I can't say it's not an intriguing offer."
Charlotte laughs a little, shaking her head. "Amelia, come on. Straight answer."
This is such a bad idea. But when it comes to bad ideas, it's certainly not her worst, and it's some good, safe, clean fun, right? Where's the real harm? As long as it's meaningless, and it is.
So she goes for it: "Sure. When?"
"Tonight?" Whoa. Okay. That's a little short notice. Not that she can't, but… wow. "I know it's kinda sudden, but his parents are comin' for Hanukkah, so we obviously can't do it then, and we're doing Christmas with Mason this weekend. We don't have a lot of other free nights."
"Oh. Okay, um… Yeah, tonight."
"He's gonna be with Mason until close to bedtime, shouldn't be home until sometime around ten. You could come over around nine, we could, I don't know… plan things out?"
She's rushing through her words, like she's afraid Amelia's going to back out. But she's not.
Amelia hasn't had sex since… she doesn't want to think about that. About what happened. And this is good. This could be good. It's safe. It's meaningless. It's a game. A good way to ease back in.
Amelia nods, and tells Charlotte, "Nine o'clock it is."
They smile nervously at each other for a second, and then Charlotte nods resolutely, stands, and leaves.
Wow.
Just wow.
.:.
Cooper arrives home to a dark, seemingly empty apartment. Scratch that, it's not dark. It's just dim. Candle-lit.
There are a few on the coffee table in the living room, and he can see the flicker of plenty more from the bedroom. It's mood lighting.
Cooper's pulse picks up a little; mood lighting is always a good sign.
"Charlotte?" he calls out, and he hears a rustle from the bedroom and then she appears in the doorway. Cooper's mouth goes dry. She's wearing nothing but a skimpy, sheer bra and… thong? He can't tell from the front, but he's hopeful. The material is cherry red and sparse – just a trim triangle between her legs, and the same up top, held together with thin lace. She has a matching robe, same sheer red, and her hair is curled and mussed, her eyes done all smoky, red lips smirking at him.
"Hi, there," she greets, and he must be staring like an idiot if she looks this smug.
He sets his bag down on the sofa, and grins.
"'Hi, there' yourself."
He keeps walking toward her, and she slinks her way toward him. They meet somewhere around the end of the couch, and she winds her arms around his neck, presses her body against his. He's already half-hard and she's barely touched him.
She's showered and perfumed – smells clean, and sultry, and, God, so good. He tells her so, and her smirk widens into a grin.
"Thank you."
Her voice is all low and smooth – she's in a hell of a mood, and he knows what that means: this is going to be amazing.
He can't keep his hands off her, skimming them over her hips, up her back, beneath the material of her robe. He kisses her once, deeply, and then she pulls back and murmurs, "I have a surprise for you."
"Oh, yeah?"
That's all he needs to hear to go fully erect. Surprises from Charlotte – these kinds of surprises anyway – are never bad.
"Oh, yeah," she agrees, kissing him again and walking them backward. They bump into the bedroom doorframe and stay there for a second, mouths meeting hungrily, his fingers skimming under the thin strips of fabric over her hips, back toward her ass, and yes, thank God, it's a thong. He cups her ass and squeezes, pulling her more tightly against him – and then he hears it.
Someone just cleared their throat.
Someone who isn't Charlotte.
Cooper breaks the kiss, turns his head toward the sound, and his cock throbs.
There on the edge of their bed, where there was nothing a minute ago, is Amelia Shepherd. In nothing but black lace.
Cooper's jaw drops, and Charlotte presses in close to his ear, and whispers, "Merry Christmas."
He turns his head back to her so fast their cheeks whack together, hard. Charlotte laughs and brings a hand up to rub her cheekbone lightly, and Cooper apologizes, then lowers his voice so it's just between them. "Are you serious?"
She nods slowly, intentionally. "I am."
"We're all gonna…?"
"Mmhmm."
Cooper's a second away from pinching himself to make sure he's not dreaming when Charlotte gives him a little shove toward the bedroom. He decides that if this is a dream, it's one he definitely doesn't want to miss.
But it's not a dream, this is really happening, and he's not sure what exactly he's supposed to do here. Does she want him to go for Amelia, or is she just trying to move everything into the bedroom, or…?
Thankfully, as she follows him to the bed, she tells him, "But there are rules."
"Okay," he agrees eagerly. He doesn't care what the rules are, he'll follow them.
"You want to see me have sex with another woman, that's what you'll get."
Oh, sweet Jesus, yes, thank you.
He's close enough now to spy the handful of sex toys laid out on the bed, and all of a sudden he's not getting enough blood to the brain. He's dizzy, pleasantly so, and he sits on the bed next to Amelia as Charlotte continues.
"But you only have sex with me."
Cooper nods.
"You can touch her. You can kiss her. But this," she reaches down and cups his erection, giving it a little squeeze. The contact is electric, pleasure ricocheting through him like a pinball. "This is mine. And only mine."
"Yeah, yes, of course. Anything you want."
She'd gone all serious when she laid down her ground rules, but she smiles again now, satisfied, and murmurs, "That's what I like to hear. Now scoot on up the bed," she orders, and oh God, she's using her bossy Chief of Staff voice now. The one she always used to use when she was tying him up and driving him crazy. "First, you just watch."
Cooper nods dumbly again – he can't believe this is really happening – and kicks off his shoes before scooting back until he's resting against the headboard. Charlotte's watching him, her fingers twirling lazily in the ends of Amelia's hair. Amelia's hands are under Charlotte's robe, resting on her hips, and her eyes are steady on Charlotte's cleavage, right in front of her face. Cooper sees her swallow anxiously, and it makes him feel just a little more settled.
He's not the only one slightly out of his depth here.
And then he's all settled in, and Charlotte turns her gaze from him to Amelia, stepping in closer, until there's hardly any space between them, and ducking her head. Their lips meet lightly once, twice, another time, and Cooper has to crane his neck to get a good view.
Charlotte tilts her head to deepen the kiss, and her hair falls forward, blocking their faces. He can't help the little whimper that pops out of him, but then Amelia's hand is lifting, tucking the blonde locks back behind Charlotte's ear, and Cooper can see a hint of tongue between them as the kisses get more intense.
Amelia's hand skims toward Charlotte's shoulder, down her back, tugging a little bit of robe with it, and Cooper never realized a bare shoulder could be so hot. Charlotte's shoulders roll slightly, and the robe slides like water, slips down until it's hooked at her elbows. Amelia fists the fabric and gives Charlotte a little tug, and then they're tipping back, back, and gravity finally yanks them to the bed in a little tumble. Their foreheads bump, and they snicker at each other, and for a second it's like he's not even there. It's voyeuristic and amazing, and Cooper's fly feels way too tight.
And then Charlotte shifts, trying to adjust herself, since she's still half off the bed – and not in the easy way that Amelia is – and her gaze flicks to him for a millisecond. It breaks the spell, and he's well aware again that this is a show, for him.
"Scoot back," he hears her whisper to Amelia, and it's not teasing or sexy. If anything, it's amused. Like this isn't going quite the way they planned. "I'm fallin' off the bed here."
She says it low, and under her breath, trying to keep it quiet enough that he can't hear her, but the room is silent. So quiet he can hear the shift of skin on fabric when Charlotte levers up and Amelia slides herself back. They're giggling again, to themselves, then Charlotte unceremoniously lifts Amelia's knee and nudges it to the side, climbing up on the bed. She glances at Cooper again, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, and he can't help but laugh at her. He was meant to – he knows that. There was something in the way she did it – something lighthearted and mischievous. The heavy, expectant tension of a minute ago is gone, and Cooper realizes that this is meant to be fun. Sexy, sure, and sinful and tempting, and all that, but fun, too.
For a minute, they all just grin at each other. Amelia on her back, half-splayed, Charlotte on her knees, one on each side of Amelia's, Cooper fully dressed, with his thumb hooked in his belt. "This is crazy," he tells them, grinning, and Charlotte quirks a challenging eyebrow.
"You wanna stop?"
"No," he insists, shaking his head vehemently. "God, no. Not what I meant. I just meant—"
"You're about to watch me screw your wife, and it's a little weird?" Amelia supplies, shifting her bent leg until it's hooked around Charlotte's nearest calf.
"Yeah, that," he chuckles.
"Imagine what it's like for the one who got propositioned to be the trois in this little ménage," she points out, and he has to give her that one.
"Look, if y'all don't want to do this—" Charlotte starts, shucking her robe, but before she can get any further, Amelia grabs a wrist and yanks her forward.
Charlotte catches herself with her hands on either side of Amelia's head, and the younger doctor shakes her head slowly, her voice dropping seductively when she echoes Cooper's, "Not what I meant." Then she hooks a finger in the front of Charlotte's bra and gives her a little tug, adding, "C'mere."
Charlotte smirks slowly, slides her gaze to Cooper and holds steady on him as she lowers herself onto Amelia, legs tangling, torsos meeting, breasts pressing together. The things his wife can do to him with just a look are unreal, he thinks, as the mood suddenly shifts back to erotic and forbidden. When she finally breaks his gaze, it's to turn her mouth to Amelia's, and Cooper is entranced by the slide and press of red lips against pink, the wet slide of tongue, the white of Charlotte's teeth as she bites gently at Amelia's lower lip.
He knows that bite. She gives him that bite all the time.
God.
This is… yeah, this is exactly what he wanted for Christmas.
And then Amelia's hands – the one he can see, at least – find their way between their respective layers of lingerie, and cup Charlotte's breast. She does something he can't quite make out, and Charlotte inhales sharply, her hips grinding down against Amelia's. Which, of course, makes Amelia arch up against her, and it becomes a slow, steady back and forth as Charlotte opens her mouth wider and dips deeper into Amelia's.
Cooper's pants are feeling way too tight now, so he unhooks his belt, and reaches for his fly. Charlotte must've heard the flip and clink of leather and metal, because she turns her mouth from Amelia's suddenly, and eyes him suspiciously. She glances down at his hands, frozen on his zipper, then back up at him, giving him a look that clearly asks what he thinks he's doing.
Cooper throbs again. He's missed this Charlotte – this is the Charlotte that used to truss him to the bed and flog him and make him beg. This is the Charlotte that did all sorts of dirty, nasty things with him. To him. For him. She's been slow to re-emerge in the last year, and he's been okay with that; he understands her hesitation when it comes to control, and violence, and restraint during sex. But, God, he's missed her, and he falls immediately back into his old habits, asking her, "May I unzip?" Her brows raise expectantly, and he adds, "Please?"
Her tongue swipes over her top lip as she considers, and Cooper watches its path. Finally, she permits, "You can unzip. But no touching. I told you – right now, you watch."
"Yes, ma'am," he murmurs, wasting no time in tugging his zipper down, giving himself a little more room. Then he drops his hands to the bedding, fists them in the sheets, because he knows it's gonna take a hell of a lot of willpower to keep from touching himself while they keep up their little show.
Satisfied with his obedience, Charlotte turns her attention back to Amelia, who had been watching the whole exchange with a certain degree of surprised amusement. Clearly, they're no strangers to role-playing, but, c'mon, what do you expect?
Charlotte presses her hips down hard to draw Amelia's attention back to her, and the brunette's jaw drops. Charlotte takes advantage, kissing her mouth once, before wandering down to her throat, her collarbone. Amelia's breathing goes deep, her eyes fluttering shut. Her fingers slide through Charlotte's hair, down to her shoulders, toying with the straps of her bra as Charlotte slinks down further. Cooper watches his wife's tongue trace soft, pale skin, following the lace edge of Amelia's bra.
He sees their legs shift in his peripheral and glances down just long enough to see that Amelia now has a thigh wedged firmly between Charlotte's. When he looks back, Charlotte is tugging at black lace, freeing one dusky pink nipple and drawing it between her lips.
Cooper and Amelia moan in unison.
This is hotter than he'd thought it would be – and he'd thought it would be pretty damned hot. It's not like he's never seen two women go at it before – he's seen plenty of girl-on-girl porn – but this is different. This is his wife, and his friend, and they're in his bed, all dolled up, for him. The room smells like perfume and candle wax, and it's warm and dim, and his wife just laved her tongue across another woman's nipple and he's not sure this won't be incredibly embarrassing for him really soon.
Because Charlotte's hips are rocking against Amelia's thigh, and she's getting more aggressive with her – fingers cupping and squeezing, teeth coming out to nip and scrape lightly, and Amelia arches her back, pushes her chest further into Charlotte's face, and it doesn't slow the blonde down for a second. She just adjusts to accommodate, and keeps going. Amelia is gasping, and chuckling, and she pushes her thigh up hard, and Charlotte drops her forehead to Amelia's collar and gasps, grinding back against her, and –
"Charlotte, I need to talk to you," Cooper blurts. "Right now."
The girls freeze for a second, then Charlotte nods, and disentangles herself, crawls over to him and straddles his lap to block out Amelia and give them a little privacy.
Her brows rise expectantly, and he drops his voice to a whisper and admits, "This is gonna be over really fast…"
Her smile spreads slowly, smug and satisfied, and her hands go between them to toy with the open edges of his fly. "Like what you see?"
He nods. "A little too much."
"You need to pull one off first?" she asks, softly but still a little louder than he'd like. He'd kind of like Amelia to think he's got some stamina – because he does, usually. "Because I'm gonna want this-" She wraps her hand around the bulge in his boxers. "After I'm done with Amelia."
Cooper swallows hard and nods, shifting his hips to get a little bit of friction from her. "Probably a good idea."
Charlotte gives him an amused eyeroll, and he'd be offended if she wasn't in this particular mood. She lets go of his cock and sits back, waving a hand at him permissively. "Go ahead, then."
Cooper lets out a breath and takes his erection in hand, giving it a slow, lazy stroke and letting his eyes wander over Charlotte's lace-clad torso. He only gets one more pull before she scowls and orders, "Stop."
She's gotta be kidding.
"Stop?"
"Stop." She turns her head toward Amelia, then beckons her with a crook of her finger. Her gaze slides back to Cooper and she says, "Why don't you let Amelia take care of that?"
Cooper's brows lift. He's not so upset about the stopping anymore.
As he nods, the two of them switch places, until Amelia is straddling his lap and Charlotte is kneeling behind her. Amelia looks to Charlotte, an unspoken question in her eyes. "It's fine," Charlotte assures. "But Cooper – eyes on me."
Amelia scowls, then, asking, "So I'm, what? Just –"
"Trust me," Charlotte cuts her off. "Just trust me." She looks back to Cooper and says, "You look at me. And only me. You don't look at her." Her lips curve into a smirk and she winks as she tells him, "You'll do plenty of lookin' later."
Cooper nods, and trains his gaze on Charlotte. She's looking at Amelia, and there must be some kind of silent protest going on, because after a second Charlotte makes a face that clearly says "get to it," and he hears Amelia sigh, feels the rush of her breath against his shoulder, and then her fingers wrap around him and start to move slowly.
Charlotte shifts until she's right up against her, until all he can see of her is her face over Amelia's shoulder, and her arm as it moves around, and – "Eyes up, Coop. You look at my face, and only my face."
Damnit.
He nods, does as she orders, and Amelia's hand is still moving painfully slowly. She's teasing him, and he's not exactly thrilled about it – he was hoping to just get this one out of the way so they could get on with the show.
And then he hears Amelia suck in a breath, sees her torso stiffen slightly as a wicked smirk forms on Charlotte's mouth. Amelia lets out a breathy little chuckle, and mutters oh, like she suddenly gets it, and then Cooper gets it, too.
He glances down to where Charlotte's hand is tucked into Amelia's panties, but before he's even had a chance to take in the sight, Charlotte's barking at him, "Hey! Eyes up."
He obeys, clenching his jaw as Charlotte shifts a little, reaching further around Amelia. The brunette moans softly, her breasts arching toward him, and his gaze flicks to her – "Cooper!" – and back to Charlotte.
She does something that makes Amelia grunt softly and tighten her hand around Cooper, then tells him, "What part of 'eyes on me'—"
"I know, I know," he mutters, glancing at the ceiling for a second, then taking a deep breath, and looking back to Charlotte. "You're really mean, you know that?" he teases, and she grins at him.
"I bet Amelia'd beg to differ."
Amelia moans sharply, her voice breathless when she agrees, "Definitely," and Charlotte gives Cooper her I-told-you-so look. Then she leans her head in close to Amelia's, so close he can see both their faces now – Amelia's biting her lip, eyes half-open and trained on him – at least, he thinks that's where she's looking. He's deadlocked on Charlotte's eyes, the way he knows she wants him, so Amelia's face is still a little out of focus. Still, he can see her mouth fall open, and then Charlotte whispers into her ear, loud enough to make sure Cooper can hear. "Match your rhythm to mine."
Oh, God.
This is…
Amelia nods, her hand moving a little bit faster, and Cooper's back to thinking this won't take long. He may have his eyes on Charlotte, but he can picture the way her fingers are moving in and out of Amelia, can feel the rhythm she's keeping through the strokes of Amelia's hand. And Charlotte has this look now – confident, and powerful, and sexy as hell. She glances between the two of them, back and forth, keeping tabs on the two lovers she has wrapped around her finger (literally and metaphorically). She's in control of everything, and loving every second of it.
Amelia stops for a second, and Cooper frowns, but stops himself before looking away. He keeps his eyes trained on Charlotte as Amelia lifts her hands and licks her palm, then spits into it, and when she wraps it around him again, it moves more smoothly, sliding easily up and down his shaft. Less friction, more heat. Perfect.
And then she moans again, her breath going heavier, and the speed of her strokes against him picks up sharply. Charlotte just teases her tongue against the corner of her mouth, and smiles.
"Good?" she asks quietly, and both he and Amelia answer in the affirmative.
That smile grows even smugger, and Amelia's hand starts to move faster. Her hips are moving now, he can tell by the way she's moving in his peripheral. She's fucking back against Charlotte's fingers, and then Charlotte hugs up even closer, and – he glances down to watch her tuck her other hand under the scrap of black covering Amelia's crotch.
"Stop!" Charlotte orders sharply, and Amelia stills. When Cooper brings his eyes back to his wife's, she's looking straight at him, and none too pleased. "Where'd I tell you to keep those eyes?"
"On you." He swallows heavily, wondering how much trouble he'd be in if he pumped his hips up into Amelia's slackened grip. He needs more. He needs to come.
"Then why exactly were they between Amelia's legs?"
"I wanted to see—"
"I told you," she interrupts, not in the mood to hear excuses. "You'll have plenty to look at later. This is about you gettin' off, so we can get on with things. Now look. At. Me."
"Yes, ma'am," he mutters again, eyes back on her face.
She goes from stern to satisfied, then Amelia jerks in her arms, gasping. "You want me to keep going? God, yeah…."
"Mmhmm," Charlotte confirms, nipping lightly at Amelia's shoulder, her eyes on Cooper the whole time.
Amelia's hand starts to move again, quick and sharp, and he knows she's still matching Charlotte's rhythm between her legs, can tell by the way her sharp inhales and satisfied "ah"s match the movements of her hand exactly.
Charlotte's still watching him, unwilling to break his gaze now. Like an obedience test. They stay locked on each other as she trails her tongue over Amelia's neck, sucks kisses there, scrapes her teeth lightly against sensitive skin. She turns her mouth against Amelia's ear, and keeps her voice low enough that Cooper doesn't quite make out her words. But he doesn't have to, because Amelia's grip tightens, focusing on his head.
Cooper groans and drops his head back, eyes falling shut.
"Cooper," Charlotte urges, "Eyes on me."
He blinks them back open, and watches her mouth I love you and Come for me, and he nods eagerly, and focuses on the pleasure. Keeps his eyes on her face, but tries to imagine the tableau she won't let him take in – her fingers pumping quickly in and out of Amelia, her fingertips no doubt flickering over her clit. Amelia's panting heavily now, her grunts of pleasure coming faster, rising higher.
He's close – so close – and then Amelia cries out and drops her hand to his hip, fingers squeezing tight. He can't help it, he tears his gaze away from Charlotte's to watch Amelia come, her eyes squeezed tight, lips moving in silent curses. And then Charlotte's hand jerks harder, and Amelia lets out an, "Oh, fuck!" her nails digging into Cooper's skin.
Charlotte lets out a low chuckle, then relaxes a little, as Amelia slumps a little onto her haunches, satisfied and smirking.
He needs to come. Now.
Unfortunately, Amelia's hand is still on his hip, and his erection is unattended. He slides a hand in to take care of it, but Charlotte's "nuh uh" stops him before he can get a grip. She draws her hand out of Amelia's panties, and, God help him, lifts them to Cooper's lips.
"Taste," she murmurs, and Cooper lets his tongue flick out, the unmistakable taste of female clinging to Charlotte's slippery fingers. God, this night is just awesome. "That's the closest you're gonna get," she reminds him as he sucks one finger into his mouth, his teeth scraping against her as she draws it out slowly.
Then, she drops her hand to his cock and grips, tugging at him just the way he likes. Cooper shuts his eyes and nods his encouragement, and then he feels Amelia's hand join Charlotte's. He opens his eyes just long enough to watch both their hands jerking him off, and then he feels that tight coil of pleasure in his belly unfurl, and he comes, spilling over their fingers.
Another satisfied chuckle comes from Charlotte, and she gives him another tug or two before he slumps back into the pillows. Cooper watches as she makes a show of bringing her hand to her mouth, licking his come from her fingers; Amelia just wipes her fingers on the sheets.
"Well, that was fun," the brunette begins casually, continuing, "But if you ask me, we are still wearing entirely too many clothes." Her gaze flicks to Cooper as she adds, "Especially you."
He chuckles, nodding. "I wouldn't object to any full frontal nudity. Especially from you two."
"Well then," Charlotte smirks, scooting back to give Amelia some room to disentangle herself from Cooper. "Why don't you wriggle on out of those clothes. And then…" She reaches for his nightstand, fumbling for a second before pulling out something he's all to familiar with. She tosses the cock ring at him and finishes, "Put a ring on that thing. I'm gonna want it good and ready for me in a bit." Cooper tugs his shirt off as she tells him, "Amelia and I will find a way to keep ourselves busy in the meantime."
Cooper likes the sound of that – likes the sight of it even better when Amelia declares that Charlotte's the only one who hasn't gotten her rocks off yet, and wastes no time stripping her out of that red thong and returning the favor Charlotte just paid her. Cooper's pants are gone in seconds, and he moves closer to them, hoping to get in on this action just a little bit more.
Charlotte is splayed on her back across the middle of the bed, Amelia stretched alongside her, head propped on her elbow near Charlotte's hip. Her fingers slide easily in and out of Charlotte's slick folds. Cooper watches them disappear and reappear, disappear and reappear, and then he goes hunting for that cock ring again. It's gotten lost in the sheets as they shifted around, but he finds it easily enough, keeping it in hand, waiting for the right time.
Amelia's experimenting with angle and depth, twisting her wrist, looking for just the right spot. When she finds it, Charlotte's inhale is sharp, her head nodding eagerly, eyes fluttering shut.
"Not too fast, but not too slow," Cooper murmurs to Amelia – he's well-versed in Charlotte's body and what it likes. "Keep it steady, and press hard."
Amelia does as she's told, and Charlotte's teeth sink into her lower lip, her shoulders writhing back into the mattress. Cooper grins, and nods at Amelia, who looks suitably proud of herself.
"Keep it up like that, she'll go off like a rocket in a minute," he urges, and Amelia uses her free hand to give him a little salute.
"Aye, aye, captain," she smirks, and Cooper laughs at her. Did she really just say that?
"Captain?" Charlotte questions. "Who's – unh – who's givin' the orders here?" she gasps, lips curving in a smirk, eyes blinking open again.
"Oh, c'mon, Charlotte," Amelia dismisses. "Professor Cooper over here's kinda cute. Like I've never fingered a girl before." She rolls her eyes a little, and Cooper feels himself flush slightly with embarrassment. That wasn't what he'd meant at all. It's just that he knows how to get Charlotte off better than anyone, and shouldn't he pass along a little of that expertise?
Still, Amelia doesn't seem all that bothered by it, so he lets it go. He's half hard again, and takes advantage of it to slip the cock ring into place, adjusting it at the base of his shaft. Then he dips one hand between Charlotte's legs, tucking it into the slim space between Amelia's palm and Charlotte's skin. He finds her clit easily, and thrums his fingers over it, keeping the pressure light and teasing.
"Coop," Charlotte breathes, and Amelia ups her pace and pressure, prompting an, "Amelia!" from Charlotte. He presses harder with his fingers, moves them faster, and she chokes his name again.
Cooper looks to Amelia and grins. She's close, he mouths, adding, Faster.
Amelia's fingers quicken their pace again and Charlotte lets out a cry, one hand lifting to tangle in Amelia's hair, the other flailing up until she finds Cooper's knee. Cooper knows just how to sweeten the deal, skimming his finger and thumb beneath the lace of her bra and giving her nipple a few practiced tweaks. Charlotte's face screws up with pleasure, and he watches her muscles tighten as her orgasm swamps her. Her belly spasms, her thighs twitch, and she lets loose a sob of pleasure, then a deep moan. Her body is wracked with one more harsh wave of sensation, and then she brings her thighs together, trapping Amelia's arm between them and squeezing it tight.
"Had enough?" Amelia asks her, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Charlotte's belly, then another, one more.
Charlotte nods, and clears her throat. "Yeah… Yeah, that was… mm." She turns her gaze to Cooper, then adds, "But you… are supposed to be watching. Not participating."
"I…" Cooper begins, imitating her intonation, "Want to eat you out. Right now."
If you weren't looking, you might miss the subtle shift in Charlotte's expression at his suggestion – but he is looking, so he catches it, and smirks. He knows how good he is with his tongue – she's babbled about it time and time again while he's used it on her, she's given in on arguments, caved to his suggestions when they make plans, all for the promise of his mouth between her legs. She'll give again this time; he knows she will.
And sure enough, she swallows, runs her tongue over her lips, and tells him, "Only if I do Amelia while you do me. And you watch."
Amelia perks up a little at that, announcing, "I am so totally okay with that plan."
Charlotte laughs, shaking her head and grinning at Amelia, and even if he'd had a protest, it would've died on his lips at the sight of that smile. God, he loves her. In fact, he loves her so much that he can't help bending down and pressing his mouth to hers, drawing her into a kiss that's languid and wet. She returns it happily, sighing slightly into his mouth. He feels her shift slightly a moment later, and cracks and eye open to spy Amelia mouthing her way along the hinge where Charlotte's hip meets her thigh.
It's a particularly sensitive spot for Charlotte, although there's no way Amelia could know that. Lucky guess, it seems, and Charlotte is all too willing to accommodate. She exhales heavily, the rush of air tickling against Cooper's cheek, and then her teeth are digging into his lip, a soft moan working it's way from her throat.
Cooper pulls back and watches as Amelia laves her tongue from one of Charlotte's hips to the other, then repeats the slow, sucking kisses along that joint as well. His wife's fingers skim lazily over Amelia's spine, and he can see her toes curling further down the bed.
"God…" she moans, all throaty and riled up again, and then Amelia moves back toward center, flicking her tongue against Charlotte's clit once.
"Hey," Cooper teases. "I called that."
Amelia looks up and gives him an incredulous look. "You called that?" she repeats. "What are we, twelve?"
"God, I hope not," he mutters. "Twelve-year-olds definitely shouldn't be doing this."
"Doesn't mean they don't," Charlotte points out, slithering one leg around Amelia.
"Are we really gonna talk about minors while we have sex?" Amelia questions, adding, "Because, ew."
Cooper shifts further down Charlotte's body, suggesting, "Then maybe we don't talk," before guiding Amelia's head toward his for a kiss. He figures he's safe, since Charlotte said kissing was allowed, and he knows that if she really cares, she'll stop him. But she doesn't, so they keep going, tasting, testing. There's a tiny part of him that feels guilty for this, even if Charlotte's allowing it. It feels like the kiss they hadn't managed to fully have a year ago, when he'd been desperate and Amelia had been there, and he'd betrayed Charlotte at the very worst time.
But she doesn't seem betrayed, now. In fact, when he breaks the kiss, she seems entirely nonplussed by the whole situation. She's scooted out from between them and unearthed a bottle of water from God knows where, and is watching them with a vague expression of interest while she sips.
"Can I get some of that?" Amelia asks and Charlotte takes one last sip, then passes it over, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth to catch a drop of water that stayed behind. Amelia gulps deeply and Charlotte twists around, reaches down the far side of the bed and comes back with another bottle, tossing it to Cooper. So that's where she was stashing those.
He unscrews the cap as Charlotte crawls back toward them, tucking herself up against Amelia's side. She reaches back and unhooks her own bra, tossing it over the side of the bed, and Cooper finally gets a proper look at her breasts. Not that he hasn't seen them before, a thousand times, but every time is fantastic.
And then she's doing the same to Amelia's bra, and there's two sets of breasts staring him in the face, and Cooper is a very, very happy man. Amelia tosses aside the now-empty water bottle, and shifts to accommodate Charlotte as she tugs the black panties down and away from Amelia's body, and hey look, they've finally accomplished that whole naked thing they were talking about a while back.
"Everyone hydrated?" Charlotte asks, in a way that makes it clear she's growing impatient with the water break.
"I could go for something to eat…" Cooper says, trailing off suggestively, and Charlotte rolls her eyes with a smile, then plays along.
"Oh, I've got somethin' you can eat," she assures, giving him a light kick so that he scoots out of the way, and she can situate herself the way she wants. She ends up on her back again, and Cooper scoots down to situate himself between her legs, as she mutters, "C'mere you," to Amelia, and helps her swing a leg over.
Amelia grips the headboard, her back to him, and the girls giggle over something – pillows, maybe? – before she lowers herself just a little as Charlotte tips her chin up. Cooper is distracted by the sight right in front of him – Charlotte's still flushed and damp from her orgasm, and when he brings his mouth to her, he gets that all-too-familiar taste that he loves. Now, this is more like it. He settles in, spends a few minutes warming her up slowly, then lets himself look up and really take in the sight of them.
They're like a daisy-chain of oral – he's got his tongue on Charlotte, while Amelia straddles her face, and he can see Charlotte's pink tongue flicker against Amelia's pink clit. His cock throbs, the ring at its base making him even harder than usual, and as if the sight of his wife's tongue moving against another woman's clit (for him, he reminds himself – she's doing this all for him) wasn't enough, he can also see the way it makes Amelia's back arch, and the way she's fisting his pillow. Charlotte's hands are gripping Amelia's thighs, moving up and down slowly, splayed fingers tightening against pale skin every time Cooper does something particularly nice.
He wants to see what she'll do if he does that thing she loves so much, so he adjusts a little, and goes at her with abandon. She jerks, and lets out a shout that gets muffled between Amelia's legs, her fingers clenching tightly mid-thigh. At the same time, Amelia rears up with a harsh moan, looking over her shoulder at Cooper, her mouth open wide.
"What'd you just do to her?" she gasps, and Cooper lifts his head to grin smugly.
"Her favorite," he tells her, as Charlotte lets out a whine and arches her hips toward his face, releasing Amelia's thighs. One hand reaches up and pulls Amelia back down, the other slides in further and toys with her pussy. She dips one fingertip in, then two, and Cooper watches as she slides them in and out, a little awkwardly, considering the angle, then again, again, and then he sees her forearm tighten, and Amelia gasps, and mutters, "Yeah…"
He's mesmerized by the show, until Charlotte kicks him, and he can hear her muffled voice tell him, "Get back to it. You can't tease me with that."
He laughs a little, and apologizes, then brings his mouth back to her again. She lets out another moan, her hips shuddering eagerly, as usual. He knows how much she loves this, and it makes him swell with pride every time. It doesn't take her long to come for him, her abs clenching tight, harsh cries sounding in her throat. Her nails scrape down Amelia's thigh, leaving angry red marks in their wake, but her mouth is still on Amelia – it's gotta be, because Amelia's not protesting, not in the least. She's moaning louder, and louder, and then she starts cursing a blue streak, tangling her fingers in her own hair, the pillowcase, back to her hair, and the she shouts, "Fuck, yeah!" and Cooper watches the muscles in her back cord and twist as she writhes on top of Charlotte.
He eases up on Charlotte, who goes limp under Amelia, and as the brunette tumbles to the bed next to them, Cooper crawls up over his wife's trembling torso and gives her a deep, needy kiss.
His cock bumps against her and he hisses into her mouth. He's swollen and sensitive, and they just gave him a hell of a show. Again.
Cooper can't wait any longer.
He pulls back, onto his knees, and Charlotte rolls her head to the side and smirks at Amelia. Her hand is between Amelia's legs again, but innocently now. She's just swirling her fingertips lazily over the trembling muscle of Amelia's thigh.
Charlotte's own legs are jelly-like and pliant, and he hikes them up easily, intent on lining up and screwing her silly, but she turns her had back toward him suddenly, and tells him, "No," and he freezes. "I'm on top," she says, and he can never get enough of her voice like this – the way it gets when they're going at it for hours, all raspy, her accent gone thick and lazy.
He'll give her whatever she wants if she just keeps talking to him that way. So he pats her thigh lightly, then swings it over until she's on her side, and she sits, shifts, lets him take her place on the bed and straddles him.
Cooper's hands are on her thighs immediately, guiding her toward him, but she clenches them and resists, asking, "What about Amelia?"
"I don't know about you," Amelia drawls, "but I wouldn't mind finding out what Cooper just did with his tongue."
Charlotte considers for a few moments – and it would be easy enough, Cooper figures, she could just straddle his face while Charlotte rides, and – "No," Charlotte declares. "That's just for me." There are limits here – it's a reminder. She nods her head toward the sex toys Cooper can't believe they haven't managed to knock to the floor yet, and tells Amelia, "Pick a toy. Cooper'll help you out with it while I screw his brains out."
Cooper chuckles, shaking his head. "You have a lot of faith in my ability to multitask while I'm inside you," he tells her, while Amelia leans over him to study her choices. Her breasts are perilously close to his face, and he lifts one hand from Charlotte's thigh to cup Amelia, fingers finding a nipple and giving it a little twist and tug.
Amelia hums her approval, and Charlotte doesn't give any sign of protest, so Cooper keeps it up. He rolls the nub between his fingers, squeezes it gently, a little harder, a little harder still as Amelia's mouth drops open, a little harder and her look of pleasure melts into a wince, so he lets go, rubs his thumb over it to soothe.
She sits back and holds up a toy, a vibrator with a hooked end and a flared, nubby ring at the base. "I'm going with this bad boy," she announces, and Charlotte gives her a look of approval.
"Not a bad choice." She lowers just a little, until the slick skin of her pussy is kissing his shaft, sliding over the length of him once, twice. Cooper grinds his head back into the pillows, grits his teeth. God, he can't wait to be inside her; this is torture. And then she's calling him back: "Cooper, give her a hand with it, would ya?"
He can't hold back the desperate sigh – especially when Charlotte rubs wet flesh over him again, lazily. But he does what she asks him to, reaching over as Amelia lays back and helping her guide the toy inside and move it in and out. Cooper starts the vibration, and Amelia's eyes fall shut, an indulgent smile curving her lips.
"Oh, that's good…" she murmurs. Cooper lays back and finds Charlotte still looking at him expectantly, so he reaches over and guides Amelia's hand with his. The angle is clunky, but she steadies it with her hand, and Cooper realizes that all he really has to do is control speed and force and she can deal with keeping it straight. So he does just that, their hands moving together to pump the toy in and out of Amelia, and soon she's moaning eagerly, and he's dying.
"Char," he pleads, and she finally smiles mercifully at him, and reaches down to guide him inside of her.
"The cock ring," he reminds, but she shakes her head and sinks down over him, and his mind goes blank.
"Not yet, baby," she soothes. "You're too close for me to let you go quite yet."
He resists the urge to whine again – he's put up with more delicious torture than this from her before being allowed to come. He can make it a few more minutes. He focuses on the way she feels – slippery and hot and tight. He loves fucking her after she comes, loves the feel of her, loves how easily she gets riled up again – and sure enough, she's tangling her fingers in her hair, lifting it off her neck, and riding harder, harder, her face starting to screw up with pleasure.
She glances at Amelia, then looks at Cooper and nods her head to the side. His hand has stopped moving, he realizes – Amelia's fucking herself all on her own. He shifts, ignores the way the weird angle is making his fingers start to tingle, and starts guiding the toy again, pushing it faster, harder, and watching the way Amelia writhes into it.
"How ya doin', Amelia?" Charlotte pants, and he can hear the smirk in her voice without even looking.
"Amazing," Amelia replies, looking to Charlotte. "I gotta get me one of these."
Charlotte chuckles, and hisses, and Cooper looks back to find her fingers between her legs, rubbing at her clit as she rides him. He can't take this anymore; it's too much.
"Char," he pleads, and she looks at him, and grins.
"Yeah?"
"Please."
"You need it?"
"Yes."
"How bad?"
"So bad."
"How bad?" she asks again, shifting the angle slightly and increasing the pace.
"Char, please, I can't – I need to – please!"
She lifts off him on her next up-stroke, and the lack of stimulation is jarring. But she reaches next to them and grabs a little silver bullet, dropping it unceremoniously onto his belly. Then she oh-so-carefully guides the cock ring off, and Cooper's toes curl at the sensation.
So close to release. So close.
"I need a few more strokes. Hold out for me." It's almost a question, but not quite, and she flicks the bullet to life and presses it against her clit, closing her eyes and holding it there for a second, the vibrations buzzing loud and strong against her.
Next to him, Amelia curses, and claws at his hand, and Charlotte looks at her, and orders, "Finish her off. Then you."
She's right there, he knows she is, so Cooper gives in and turns slightly, so he can grab the toy in his good hand and fuck it into her hard and fast. She comes immediately, crying out and grimacing and scrabbling at the sheets. He draws it out for a ten-count, then leaves her to her own devices, reaching for Charlotte again.
His few minutes with Amelia have given Charlotte and the bullet some more quality time, and she's trembling now, on the edge, just as ready to pop as he is, so he doesn't have to beg or plead or any of that. He's inside her in a moment, and they thrust together once, twice, a third time, and then he's gone. Finally, finally he gets to come again, and it's incredible. His whole body goes haywire with pleasure, he feels it from the tips of his toes to the roots of his hair, and he's sure he's making some ridiculous noises, but he doesn't care. He doesn't care about anything but this.
When he finishes and opens his eyes, Charlotte's still coming – helped along by Amelia, who has rolled just enough to lend a hand. She's holding the bullet against Charlotte's clit, while Charlotte rocks against him – or, really, the buzzing metal pressed up against her – her mouth open, eyes scrunched shut, fingers curling in his chest hair. She goes from satisfied moans to short, plaintive mewls, and he knows she's gone from blissed out to over-sensitive. He also knows he can get another one out of her if she gets just a little more.
But he's already going soft inside her, so he murmurs to Amelia, "Keep that on her," and reaches down to guide Charlotte's hips up and off him. Then, he reaches between them and eases a finger into her. She's tight and clenching with near-orgasm, but he manages to slide a second in as well, then crooks them just so, and she cries out, nodding. He's got just the right spot, and he thumps his fingers against it steadily, watches the flush of her skin deepen, watches her drag her fingers through her hair and fist them there.
"Come on, sweetie, give me one more," he urges, and Amelia's knee bumps against his. This is a team effort, he reminds himself, saying again, "Give us one more, we know you've got it in there."
She nods, frantically, her breath quickening suddenly, deep, quick inhales, and then her back bows and, God bless her, she screams for him. Shrieks her pleasure and shoves hard at Amelia's hand, her muscles squeezing rhythmically against his fingers as he keeps pressing them inside of her.
"Drop it?" Amelia asks him, and he nods, tells her, "yeah," and the buzzing stops.
After a couple more seconds, Charlotte reaches between her legs and grabs Cooper's wrist, her nails digging in hard as she shakes her head. She's done. She's had enough. He stills his fingers, eases them out slowly, and her whole body trembles slightly as she collapses on top of him with a satisfied grunt.
"Wow," Amelia announces from beside him, suitably impressed. Charlotte lets out a breathy chuckle against his chest, and Cooper suddenly feels all sorts of proud.
"Come here," he urges, wrapping an arm around Amelia and tugging her in close. She may have agreed to be the third in this little scenario, but he wants to make sure she doesn't feel like she's just some convenient body. Charlotte shifts clumsily to his side, making more room, and soon they're a messy tangle of sated limbs.
All is silent for a few minutes, and then Charlotte lifts her head, and grins at him. "Merry Christmas."
He laughs, nodding his head. "Yeah. Definitely."
Both of the women pressed against him (God, he's lucky) chuckle, and Charlotte lets her head rest on his chest again. Her voice is soft and sincere when she says, "Thank you."
He knows it's not for him. He can see the way her fingers as tracing lazily along Amelia's arm.
Amelia nods, then points out, "Not like it sucked for me."
Cooper can't help it – he laughs again. He gets the feeling this is a private conversation, but what's he supposed to do? Not hear it? Not be amused?
They seem to be done talking, though, and it's another few, long moments before Charlotte announces, "I'm tired."
"I'm hungry," Amelia counters, and that's a sentiment Cooper can certainly get behind.
"Me too."
"I want pizza. Is it too late to order pizza?" Amelia questions.
Pizza sounds incredible right now, so he's disappointed that he has to tell her, "Yeah, nearest pizza delivery is closed by now. But there's a diner that still delivers, we could order something in, or one of us could go and pick something up."
He feels Amelia's laugh more than hears it, and she says, "I'm not sure I can pick up myself right now, much less drive a car and play delivery guy."
"I'll be lucky if I can get to the phone," Cooper agrees, smirking, and drawing his fingers down his wife's arm. "How about you, Char?" She doesn't answer. "Charlotte?"
Amelia lifts her head, then and smirks at him, then shakes it slowly. "Looks like we wore her out."
He realizes, then, that she's deadweight against him, heavy and limp. She's sound asleep. As if to prove the point, she lets out a soft snore, and he and Amelia both have to stifle a laugh.
"Guess we're on our own."
.:.
The next thing Charlotte's aware of is darkness, a dry throat, and a heavy, screaming bladder. She rolls, and hits a body, rolls the other way, and finds the same thing. What the hell? She kicks her way out from under the covers, then scoots down the bed and stumbles to her feet. She's still sleepy-headed and disoriented, but nature calls and she hustles it to the bathroom.
She pees, gulps down a cup of water, and by that point it's all come back to her. She cracks the door open enough for a strip of light to illuminate the bed. Amelia is still there, sacked out on her stomach, in one of Cooper's t-shirts, and a pair of his boxers. Cooper is on the far side behind her, dressed the same.
She's the only one left naked as a jaybird. Not that she minds.
She doesn't remember falling asleep, doesn't remember much of anything after the three of them collapsed in a satisfied, sweaty heap. But that's okay, she can't have missed much.
She can't quite believe this all worked out. It was fun, it was sexy, everyone got their jollies and nobody got their feelings hurt. It's the kinkiest thing they've done in a while, and it feels right – gettin' back to that. Back to the freaky stuff, even if it's just the introduction of another person into the bedroom for a night for some fairly vanilla sexual escapades.
Cooper's made a lot of sacrifices for her in the bedroom in the last year or so, and she's more than happy to make one for him. And besides, she's pretty sure she got the best end of the deal, here. Not that she was counting, but if memory serves (and if the slight ache of certain parts can attest), she got more orgasms out of the whole arrangement than anybody.
So she decides to consider the evening a resounding success, and flips the light off, letting her eyes adjust before heading back to the bed. She crawls in between them again – her husband, and her best friend – and works her way into the cocoon of warmth beneath the covers.
There's just enough light through the blinds to make out the profile of Cooper's face, and she runs her finger lightly down his jaw, and whispers, "Merry Christmas," before letting her eyes close again.
Sleep doesn't come immediately, but that's okay – she spends the time coming up with her own naughty Christmas wish for him to grant, and falls asleep smiling.
