Lover

Piper“What’s wrong, Pipes? You look like you’re a million miles away.”I slap on a smile and turn my head toward my husband, surprised he even noticed something was bothering me. He’s been so checked out lately that I could scream, and he probably wouldn’t hear me.“I’m fine, Cannon. Just thinking.”His crystal-blue eyes search mine, and I almost tell him, but I’m afraid. This trip is supposed to bring us closer together. When I booked it, I thought that time away from his job and the office would help him focus on our marriage again. But the week is almost over, and we’re still as disconnected as when we arrived.Cannon has been taking phone calls the entire time even though he promised he would leave his work back in Florida. Each call comes with an apology and time locked away in the bedroom, away from me.I don’t know what else I can do. I’ve Googled ways to bring the spark back into our marriage. Each day, I’ve worn sexy dresses and tiny bikinis to the pool. I scheduled romantic

It takes a few seconds before I realize the faces staring back are ones I recognize. It’s my team. They’re holding out their fists, waiting for me to pound them, just like we do on our way through the tunnel as we head toward the ice.I went to practice the day after I talked to my agent and told the team I wasn’t returning. And, now, they’re here to send me off.My final walk through the tunnel.The last time I’ll ever be a part of a team.I whisper the name of each player as I pass him, and when I reach Viktor, he pulls me in for a hug.“I’ll be down to visit as soon as we hit the off-season,” he says.“I know.”“You’d better have a hell of a tan and a wicked golf game by then.”“I hate golf.”“Learn to like it because I’m going to challenge the hell out of your handicap.”I say nothing.I can’t.“You’re going to knock her up and take your son to daycare and coach little league. You’re going to be all right.”I nod, not wanting any of the things he mentioned, still unable to say a w

When his muscles relax, I wait for him to pull out and cuddle me against his chest, like he always does. But his phone rings inside the beach bag, and he stands up, running his fingers through his hair, as he looks around for it. I don’t know why I’m surprised he’s going to answer the call. I guess I hoped that, just this once, he’d put us first.I watch him dig into the pocket of the beach bag, pull the phone out, and then glance at the screen. And then he holds up a finger, letting me know he needs a minute. Normally, I’d give him all the time in the world, but it’s Saturday, and the office is closed. Only dire emergencies are handled on the weekends, and considering we’re in another country, Cannon couldn’t be much help.Something inside me snaps, and I get up from the bed and storm across the room. Without thinking, I grab the phone out of his hand and hang up.He glances back and forth between the phone and me and then stares at me in disbelief. “What the hell, Piper? That was a

A couple of weeks ago, one click led to another, and before I knew what was happening, I’d joined a forum online. It’s moderated by a marriage expert who answers any and every question, no matter how off the wall or mundane it is.I would take my time browsing through each of the responses, hoping that one of them would relate to my own marriage, leading me toward some much-needed answers. Some of the posts I came across were helpful; others were completely ridiculous. But, when one particular response hit a little too close to home, I realized there were other couples in the same boat as we were and that this forum was right where I belonged.That one helpful response had me so hopeful that I was devouring every stitch of information I could get my hands on. I was even curious enough to explore the questions that didn’t have anything to do with my situation. The advice was fascinating, and some of the methods were so completely unconventional that I had to dig deeper.Swinging for in

She knew so much because I used the same screen name on the forum as I did on the website, not thinking I’d actually use the profile on the swinger site. It was only there, so I could look around—not because I wanted to find a couple to play with, but to help me gather information. But, now, my mistake has caused an even bigger problem.“I sent her a picture of us. She asked. I felt like I had to because I’ve seen them. You saw the comments; she wants you. Maybe you want her, too, now that you’ve seen her.”“Tell me you don’t want him,” he says. “You’ve been all over their profile. Unless you’re suddenly into chicks, it has to be because of him.”I could lie all I wanted, but the proof is in the numbers. There’s no denying the fact that I have been drawn to this couple—the sexy, bearded man next to the beautiful blonde—from day one.“It doesn’t matter, Cannon. Not unless you want to actually swing. Do you?”He runs his fingers through his hair and adjusts his sunglasses. I wish he’d t