Chapter 42: 17: Threesome

SHAY

Several weeks had slipped by, and Shay had been diligently working on her healing process. She had managed to stop the tears, confront her grief, and refocus her energy on her relationship with her children.

Adam and Shay were on the mend as a couple. He had become more present and attentive. After their latest disagreement, he seemed more in tune with his surroundings and always responded when she reached out.

The crises had ceased, and they had enjoyed a few weeks of relative calm. Despite not knowing his whereabouts or activities, Shay decided to trust her husband. She chose to stand by him, accepting that he was human and therefore flawed.

Before this, she had only seen him as perfect. Adam Van Acker was flawless. But now, Shay had come to terms with his imperfections.

He wasn’t always there for her, and although she wished it were different, she was ready to accept his unreliability in urgent situations. That evening, Shay and Adam had a date. As part of their relationship rebuilding, they left baby Nate with Adam’s mother and entrusted the twins to Ethan.

Sitting across from Adam, Shay felt a bit out of place. She was all dolled up in one of her older dresses, one she used to wear during their early dating days. The dress was a stunning shade of green, and it hugged her body like a second skin.

She was surprised that she could still fit into the dress. She had put on some weight after having Nate, but she had also lost some due to the depression following her miscarriage.

“Dario is coming over next week. He wants to do a photoshoot for our new line and some product shots. I’m planning to have him crash on our couch for a few days,” Shay shared, recalling a conversation from earlier. She fiddled with the rim of her teacup as she spoke.

“Okay,” he replied, cutting into his steak.

“I’ve been thinking about building a guest house. I’ve always wanted one, and now with Ethan using my studio, I’m convinced we need it. Dario could stay there, and my brothers could visit,” Shay suggested.

Her brothers loved visiting her and the boys, but it was always a hassle because they didn’t have a proper place to stay. Shay had previously filled the studio with products before getting her own warehouse.

“Do you want me to call the architect?” he asked casually.

“No, it’s okay. I still have the number of the guy who did the house before,” Shay responded.

The rest of the dinner was somewhat awkward. Adam seemed preoccupied and wasn’t very talkative. He gave short answers and didn’t seem interested in conversing with her.

So, Shay retreated into her own thoughts, wondering about the state of their relationship and whether she was the problem. Or perhaps it was Ethan’s presence. After dinner, they headed home.

The car ride was quiet. Both of them were lost in their thoughts. He kept his hand on her thigh throughout the drive, and she placed her hand on his as she gazed out the window.

Her mind was elsewhere, thinking about her work and her children. And Ethan was always in the back of her mind. When they arrived home, the house was silent.

The twins were already fast asleep. Shay noticed the light in the studio was still on, indicating that Ethan was awake. She ignored it and headed upstairs to their room to change out of her dress.

“Thank you for tonight,” Shay said, struggling with the zipper of her dress.

Sensing her difficulty, Adam stepped behind her and helped with the zipper. She could feel him behind her. She moved her hair to the side and tilted her head slightly, waiting for him to pull down her zipper.

“Have I told you how amazing you look?” he whispered in Shay’s ear, kissing her shoulder.

The moment his lips touched her skin, she was reminded of their first time.

***

^Flashback^

“You are amazing,” he complimented, kissing her neck.

She could smell his cologne. Her heart pounded in her chest from their closeness. His fingers traced the outline of her dress as he pulled away.

His eyes, filled with desire, locked onto hers. She knew how much he wanted this, and he knew how important it was for her to take things slow. After Ethan, she had been too traumatized to date, and Adam was the only one she could begin to open up to.

“I love you so much,” Adam said, leaning in to kiss her.

The kiss started gently and slowly. She allowed herself to relax and enjoy the moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as a familiar warmth spread through her body.

His finger tugged at her zipper, pulling it down slowly. Shay smiled through their kiss. They had never been intimate before, and she was a bundle of nerves.

“I love you,” Adam said, pulling away.

He looked at her seriously before clearing his throat and stepping back. She raised an eyebrow at him, suddenly feeling exposed despite being fully clothed.

“I have a few things I need to say before we go any further,” Adam began.

Shay nodded and took a step back to sit on the edge of the bed. She crossed her legs and watched Adam, who looked nervous.

“So we both have experience, right?” he started slowly.

She nodded in response.

“I’m pretty laid back, and there’s not much to me. But there are certain things I don’t do. I should’ve brought this up earlier, but I didn’t know how,” he sighed, pacing in front of her.

“Just tell me,” Shay urged, curious about what he was trying to say.

“So, two things. First,” he paused, kneeling in front of her and looking her in the eyes, “I don’t do oral sex. I enjoy receiving it, but I don’t like giving it,” he paused again, letting her process his words.

“I don’t enjoy many positions. I prefer missionary and doggy,” he explained.

Shay nodded as she listened to him explain his preferences.

“I love you.” He paused.

Shay smiled. “I accept you for who you are,” she said, leaning down to give him a soft kiss.

She wanted to reassure him that she accepted him, just as he was. The first time they made love, she couldn’t help but compare Adam to Ethan. Despite this, she found pleasure in their shared intimacy.

She began to understand his quirks, his likes and dislikes, and she respected him for it. In fact, she found herself respecting him even more when he was open about his preferences. It made him seem more real, more human.

***

His lips traced a path down her shoulder, stirring up memories of their first time. As he pushed the fabric from her body, stripping her bare, Shay swallowed hard and closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing.

They hadn’t been intimate since the miscarriage. Even the mere thought of it caused Shay’s body to stiffen with tension.

“Stop,” Shay managed to say, pushing his hands away.

She could feel the onset of an anxiety attack, her body tensing up. Taking a few steps forward, she shook her head.

“What?” Adam’s surprise was evident as she reached for her robe on the bed, suddenly feeling very exposed.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t,” Shay said, continuing to shake her head as she backed away from him, trying to put some distance between them.

“Why?” he asked, his voice heavy with disappointment.

“I’m just not in the mood right now. I’m sorry,” she said, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes.

“You’re never in the mood anymore,” he sighed.

She knew what he meant. He had been trying to initiate intimacy every other day, but she was never receptive.

She was too caught up in her own thoughts, and she knew that was part of the reason their relationship was on shaky ground.

“We need to try something new,” he suggested, running a hand through his hair.

“Like what?” Shay asked, taken aback by his statement.

He was silent, staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. She returned his gaze, raising an eyebrow in question.

“A threesome,” he blurted out.

The words hit her like a punch, leaving her stunned. Never in a million years had she thought he would suggest such a thing.

“What?” Shay exclaimed, trying to process what she had just heard.

“I want us to try having a threesome with another woman,” Adam repeated, his voice steady.

She stared at him in disbelief, scoffing at his suggestion. “So, we’re having marital issues and your solution is to bring another woman into our bed?” she asked, starting to pace the room. “Let me get this straight. I’m struggling with intimacy and your answer is a threesome?”

“Just think about it. We bring someone in to spice things up, then they leave and we go back to how things were. It’s something different, something exciting. It could help us focus on each other and our bodies, instead of our problems. From there, we can figure out how to move forward,” Adam explained, clearly having given this some thought.

She wondered how long he had been considering this. How long had he been planning to bring it up? Had it been on his mind all evening?

She had so many questions, but no answers.

“Just promise me you’ll think about it,” Adam pleaded.