Page 29 of Wishing Stone

Iarrived home just a few minutes after four o’clock and found Krystina rummaging in the closet off the foyer. Her back was to me, and she was bent over, appearing to be looking through a small storage bin. I took in the sight of her tight, blue jean-covered ass. Unable to help myself, I walked up to her and slid my hands over the curves of her behind. She gasped when I squeezed, then caught her hips and pressed into her.

“That better be my husband standing behind me,” she said with a giggle.

“And if it’s not?”

“Hmmm… those hands feel way too good. If it’s not my husband, then I may have to trade him in for this stranger with the magic touch,” she toyed as she pushed against me, giving her ass a little wiggle. My cock twitched from the tease, and I nearly groaned. My wife was so goddamn sexy, and she didn’t even know it.

“Is that so?” I whispered. Sliding both hands under the hem of her shirt, I grazed over her ribs and cupped each breast. Her nipples tightened beneath the fabric of her bra, and I felt her shiver beneath me. “Tell me. Are these the hands of a stranger?”

“I’m not sure,” she said breathily, promoting this titillating little game further. “My husband wouldn’t stop there. If he really wanted me, he’d give my ass a good smack, then order me to the playroom.”

My length hardened at her words, even if I had no intention of granting her subtle request. The customized playroom would be off-limits for the foreseeable future, but that didn’t stop me from envisioning her tied up and breathless after experiencing the sting of my flogger.

Stepping back, I chuckled with amusement and turned her to face me. “It seems as though my angel is a little sexed up today.”

“Maybe just a little,” she said with a small smile as she ran her fingers down the length of my tie.

“As much as I’d like to spank that perfect little ass of yours until it’s a nice rosy shade of red, we’ll have to save that for later. Like I said in my email—I have a surprise for you. I’m just going to change out of this suit, and then I’ll meet you back here. Be dressed warmly and ready to head out in five minutes.”

Krystina eyed me curiously, and I knew a million questions were swirling in her head.

All in good time, angel. All in good time.

As promised, I had changed into jeans and a Brunello Cucinelli quarter-zip and was back in the foyer a few minutes later. Krystina stood waiting for me, wearing a white wool hat and the Canada Goose parka that I’d bought for her last year before our trip to Vermont.

“Where are your gloves?” I asked her.

“I’ll just put my hands in my pockets. I’ll be fine.”

I pursed my lips in annoyance.

“When I said dress warmly, I meant it. I don’t want you to catch a chill.” I ignored her petulant eye roll and crossed the foyer to the same bin I’d found Krystina rummaging through when I first came home. It only took me a minute to find a pair of gloves that matched her hat. I handed them to her. “Put these on.”

“Yes, sir!” she said mockingly, then took the gloves from me.

I raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re asking to be punished. You know that, right?”

“Please,” she said with a playful wink, and I had to smile.

Satisfied Krystina would be warm enough, I grabbed my own coat and gloves and we headed out. The air was crisp in the low-hanging sun, the last few warm rays slowly disappearing to make room for the night. I took Krystina’s gloved hand in mine, and we walked around to the back of the house. When I continued past the garage, she angled her head curiously.

“I assumed we would be driving somewhere. Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” was all I said.

We followed the shoveled path that extended from the house to the large pond near the back of the property. I’d made sure to instruct the grounds maintenance crew always to keep the path clear for my mother. She enjoyed small outings, and when the weather permitted it, her nurse would take her out in her wheelchair and push her around the pond.

I’d noticed that the long walks had become more frequent as of late, and it reminded me of what Krystina had said regarding my mother’s staff not being allowed to leave the house. Now I wondered if the walks they took my mother on were really for her or if it was their attempt at getting out. A pang of guilt hit me, knowing my demands were slightly unreasonable, but it didn’t matter as long as there were still dangerous risks to those I loved.

I looked up at the tall pines that lined the path. Endless branches seemed to go on forever, their needles piercing the sky and blocking any wind by creating a shielding wall. We were a reasonable distance from the house, but I could still smell the smoke from the chimneys. It mixed with a burst of pine from the surrounding trees, creating the perfect winter scent. The only sound that could be heard in the protective cocoon was the crunch of our boots in the tracks of snow left behind by the snow removal crew.

Everything was peaceful, and I could easily see why both my mother and Krystina loved coming here so much. So far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it was the ultimate time out. I found the tranquility of the space to be similar to what I’d felt when I tookThe Lucy, my yacht, out to the New York Bight during the summer months.

Just before we reached the pond, the sun had set entirely, giving way to a dark, moonless night. I stopped walking and stepped in front of Krystina. Then, reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the red necktie I’d been wearing earlier that day.

“Close your eyes, angel.”

Krystina’s curious expression was back, but she did as I asked without question. Moving closer to her, I placed the tie over her eyes. Positioning it so she couldn’t peek, I wrapped it around to the back of her head and secured the ends in a knot. Looping my arm through hers to guide her, we continued on until the trees opened up to reveal the big open space surrounding the pond. Losing the protective cover of the trees, the temperature seemed to drop in the light wind that swirled around us.

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