KARMA

7. JEALOUSY

A Note from Ashleigh

This chapter is brand new.

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LISA

"Lisa! What the fuck are you doing?" Ryan shouts.

Ah, the snakes are back. I stare at them, ranged against me, the two little shits. Not too happy, though. Ryan's face is red and furious, his hands balled into fists at his sides. Susan's mouth is hanging open, her jaw slack, her eyes shocked, her face white.

Maxim's hands remain on my hips. His face, as he stares at the cheaters, is unreadable.

There is an absolute, frozen silence.

The room feels electrified.

Slowly, I slide off Maxim's lap.

His erection is very much evident. His pants are tented. Ryan and Susan's eyes are trained on his arousal. Ryan swallows hard, his breaths noisy, rasping; Susan's face is a tense mask.

"Careful," Maxim murmurs to me, "don't fall now." His hands steady me, as my hips glide off his lap. I take my time. I am enjoying the looks on the cheaters' stupefied faces too much. And also because I miss the warmth, the solidity, the hardness of that deliciously decadent lap of Maxim Chamberlain's.

"Lisa, answer me." Ryan's voice is tight. He has stepped toward me, glaring at me. "I demand an explanation."

I shrug.

"I was bored waiting for you. I decided to entertain Maxim."

"With a lap dance?" Ryan says through his teeth.

"Maxim says he's unpredictable. I'm unpredictable, too. I felt like performing a lap dance. On Maxim's lap. It was fun. I enjoyed it. Did you like it, Maxim?" I smile dazzlingly at Maxim.

"It was absolutely delightful. You are a natural lap dancer, Lisa."

"Maxim, you do say the loveliest things," I giggle. "I am soooooo jealous of you, Susan. Ryan, you should learn from Maxim --- "

"I'm glad you're finding this amusing, Lisa, because I find it utterly shocking to find my wife gyrating on another man's lap." He stares hard at me, then at the glasses of wine on the coffee table.

He eyes me warily, as if I've suddenly gone crazy. Maybe, I have.

"Are you drunk, Lisa?" he says, his voice filled with disapproval.

"No. I'm not drunk. I just took a sip of that lovely red wine."

"Max, your shirt is unbuttoned," Susan cuts in, her voice stiff.

"I was feeling a bit stuffy. It's a bit warm tonight," Maxim says nonchalantly.

"I unbuttoned the third button, because it was sweltering. I wanted to make Maxim more comfortable."

I laugh softly, and Maxim's mouth curves.

"Yes, thank you, Lisa. For being so understanding."

"You're welcome." He grins at me, and I burst into a fresh gurgle of giggles.

"Lisa," Ryan begins, in that annoying, self-righteous voice.

And suddenly, I've had it. Enough of the sanctimonious bullshit, you piece of shit.

"You were taking a long time, and I was bored. I could go cavewoman on you and demand why you were taking so long. But I'm not, because I trust you, Ryan, and you, Susan." I stare at them, hard, unsmiling. Their faces flood with guilt at once. "Enough of this interrogation. You were taking a long time. I did a lap dance on Maxim's lap. I did it because I was bored. It's done. That's it. End of story. Leave it."