I sat in my office, at my desk, going through the motions like I have for the last three years. I’m stuck in a morass of grief and loss. I’m no longer alive, I’m only existing. I continue though because people depend on me, people that I consider dear friends. Friends that have kept me functioning, if barely, since I lost her. Left to my own devices, I don’t know that I would still be here at all.

Three years ago, my wife Maria was making her normal commute on the freeway, driving in the middle lane, with semi-trailers on either side. The front wheel came off the tractor on the passenger side of her car, and the tractor immediately slammed into her car, slamming it into the other truck. In less than a second, my wife died, crushed between the two trucks. Her amazing beauty destroyed, and her life taken instantly. I didn’t find out until hours after the accident, and I never saw her face again.

We’d been married for ten wonderful years and were ecstatically happy when she died. She’d been my partner in creating my architectural engineering firm and had guided my hand in selecting the right people. That core group of people ended up being much more than employees and spouses. They ended up being our great friends, all thanks to Maria. Maria was the glue that initially bonded us together. She saw the connections between all of us and helped us to see them as well. She completed me, and now I was lost without her.

The knock on my door frame brought my focus back to the here and now. I looked up and was a bit puzzled. Mia was standing at my door. That, in and of itself, wasn’t unusual. Mia is one of the engineering partners in my firm. The thing that puzzled me was that her husband Jack was standing right behind her. Her response to my puzzlement was to smile warmly, “John, please come to the conference room.”

Now I was really puzzled, but rather than ask a bunch of questions that would soon answer themselves, I got up and followed her to the main conference room. I walked in, aimed toward my normal seat, and stopped dead in my tracks. My friends were all there. I got myself back in motion and sat down at the head of the table. I looked to my left and sitting next to me was Olivia, an engineering savant, and my right hand. Even if she was sitting on my left. Next to her was her husband, Chet. Noah, another partner, sat next to Chet, and beside Noah was his wife, Ava. Jack sat next to Ava with Mia to his left. The remaining partner, Owen, sat next to Mia, while his wife, Sofia, sat on my right. Confusing enough? Wait, there’s more.

Before I talk about my friends there is a little background information that should help clarify things. This core group of co-workers and spouses had been friends with Maria and me for nearly ten years before she died. Maria and I had a fun sex life we weren't above fantasizing about our friends. They never knew, and nothing ever came of it. Although, as I remember, Maria and I did a fair amount of cumming. I suspect that if Maria had lived, we probably would have explored those fantasies with our friends by now, assuming they were interested.

It has been more than three years since I last had sex, or any desire to have sex. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate beauty. I don’t have the will to do anything more than appreciate it, and I don’t know that I ever will again. The fantasies Maria and I shared are still vivid in my mind, partly because of the fantasies themselves, and partly because of the person I was sharing them with. Those fantasies forever changed the way I viewed my women friends, and I think that was something that Maria meant to happen. I’m absolutely sure she would laugh her ass off if she knew how I view our women friends.

Take Olivia to my left for example. She is a brilliant engineer and an awesome partner. She also takes it upon herself to keep me organized. I don’t do meetings without her next to me. She is the most irreplaceable person in our firm. She is also somewhat shy and reserved, although she does have a wicked sense of humor. She prefers being in the background providing sage advice, rather than being the center of attention. If the talk got risqué at one of our parties, she would gradually disengage from the conversation and try to meander off. We all knew to watch for that and would tease her when we caught her at it.

Olivia is also very beautiful. She hides her charms well in her business attire, but I have seen her in a bikini. She’s two inches shorter than me at 5’7” with long brown hair framing a face of classic beauty. Her big brown eyes seem to express all those emotions she is trying so hard to suppress. Her lithe body is perfection. Pert c-cup tits, an amazing ass, long legs, and nipples that stand out proudly, make an enticing package. Maria and I used to speculate about whether Olivia got wild in bed or not. I suspected that if she didn’t, she at least wanted to. It would be a waste if she didn’t. She was too damn sexy to be a prude.

Olivia’s husband Chet is just a super nice guy. He’s a lanky 6’ tall accountant and we all love his easy-going way. I don’t remember ever seeing him angry about anything. At the moment he was twiddling with a pen, trying, and failing to hide his nervousness. My puzzlement grew.

Noah was about as far from your stereotypical engineering nerd with pocket protector as a person could get. He has the engineering brain without a doubt. His looks don’t fit the mold at all. Standing at 6’2” the broad-shouldered black man is extremely fit, and he looks like a linebacker. His pleasant baritone voice was nearly always kind. He knows that he’s found his calling in life and is a consistently happy person.

Then there is Noah’s wife, Ava. Maria and I talked about her a lot. Both of us found her exotic beauty almost irresistible. Her chocolate skin looked so velvety soft and touchable. I had caught myself many times over the years, pulling my hand back, as I reached out to touch her. It was a subconscious thing that Maria assured me she had felt herself. Ava is my height with amazing 38C tits, narrow waist, and a phenomenal ass. Her bright green eyes are absolutely hypnotic. She is a very sexy woman.

Mia’s husband Jack is the perfect yin to her yang. Jack is a laid-back guy and he is used to letting Mia be Mia. He’s pretty much an average guy standing at 6’ with brown hair and eyes. He’s not bad looking, but he’s not really handsome either. He lets Mia shine and is more than happy to sit in the background while she does.

On one occasion we had a drunken pool party and Mia was pretty wasted. She threw her arms around my neck and tried to kiss me. Jack just tapped her on the shoulder. “Mia, did you ask Maria for permission to kiss her husband?” Chastised, she let me go and made a beeline for my wife. I heard Maria laugh as Mia ran back over and gave me a slobbery exaggerated kiss on the mouth. She then turned and grinned at her husband.

Mia is a force of nature. You never have to wonder what she is thinking or what her opinion is. She’s feisty as hell, and I’m willing to bet a real wildcat in bed. She’s a bit of a munchkin at 5’4” with dark brown hair and hazel eyes that are full of mischief. Her 34b tits are perfectly shaped and fit her petite body in counterpoint to her cute little ass.

Owen is a bit of a playboy wannabe. He doesn’t hesitate to ogle women in front of his wife Sofia. To my knowledge though, he has never once hit on any of our women friends. He’s a really good sales engineer and has brought a lot of business our way. I would like to see him be more respectful of his wife, but they have their own dynamic. Who am I to judge?

Owen’s wife Sofia is a bit reserved at first, but once she gets to know you, she opens right up. She’s a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty with an amazing body. Her 5’8” height seems to be all leg until you start appreciating her slim hips and 36c tits. Her ass is stellar and looks amazing in a thong bikini.

Four amazing women, any one of which would be a wet dream, and I felt nothing. I recognized their qualities and appreciated them in an analytical way. I wasn’t interested in them for a variety of reasons. I was numb inside and couldn’t imagine ever holding a woman again. These women are all married, and they are married to my friends. Even if I were interested, it would be the totally wrong thing to do. That’s assuming any of them would be interested in me the first place. I let my train of thought drift off while I waited for someone to tell me what the hell was going on.

Mia stood and got things started. “John, we’ve tried a lot of things over the last three years to get you to come back to us. You always come to barbeques and stuff when invited, but you are never really there with us. You’re stuck in your grief and it has to stop. Maria would be devastated if she knew how unhappy you are. You know her! She would want you happy more than anything. Yet, you still seem stuck in your misery.

“We have all decided it’s past time to do something about it. Everyone here is in agreement with what I am about to tell you. First, you need to know that this is an intervention. You don’t get to refuse because we won’t allow you to.”

That got my hackles up. “What’s to stop me from walking out the door right now?”

“You can do that if you truly want to give up. If you do, we won’t be here when you get back. We are done watching you sink deeper and deeper into depression. If you think your life is really over, we’re not going to stay and watch you die a little each day, until you’re gone.”

Tears were in her eyes and hers weren’t the only ones. I felt an ache in my heart as I looked at her, “Please don’t leave. I need you all in my life.”

Mia wiped her eyes. “Ok then. It’s going to be tough at first, but we need you to remember, John that we all love you. Everything we do, everything we’ve planned, is to help you make it back to the happy person Maria loved.

“You spend entirely too much time alone in your own head. Your house hasn’t been touched since we lost Maria. It’s like some morbid shrine to the end of your world. We’re here to tell you that your world hasn’t ended, and we are going to prove it to you.

“You need a woman in your life and that is what you are going to get. Four of them to be exact. For the next four weeks, beginning on Friday after work, and ending on the following Friday morning, either myself, Ava, Sofia, or Olivia will serve as your temp wife. We drew cards and I will be your first temp wife. My stuff is in my car and since it is Friday, I will be going home with you this evening. For the week I’m with you I’m yours and no one else’s.

“After four weeks, and four wives, we’ll evaluate how you're doing and take things from there.”

I was unable to speak for the longest time and they waited patiently. I looked around the table, “So, each of the women in this room is going to come live with me for a week as my temporary wife. I would think that your husbands might not really go for that idea. I don’t mean that I would try anything, but it would look really bad if people found out. They would just assume that something happened.”

Chet reached around his wife and patted my back. “We husbands are just fine with the plan. We’ve discussed it in depth for weeks now, and we all agree that you’re worth it. Speaking for myself, I won’t spend a moment being jealous when Olivia is with you. You mean a lot to us both, but especially to Olivia. I want her to have her time with you. I think it will be good for both of you.”

Okay, this makes no sense. Would I have shared Maria in this way for one of them? Actually, this is the kind of crazy plan that Maria would come up with. She would certainly want to help, but she would also use such a plan as an opportunity to open up things sexually between all of us. I wondered, Is that what’s happening here?

What made up my mind was the fact that they had all planned this together and were convinced enough that it would work that they button-holed me in my own business. The idea that this was some elaborate practical joke never crossed my mind. My friends all knew how I hated practical jokes. I don’t think surprising and sometimes humiliating people, so you could laugh at their expense, was funny in any way.

I had my doubts, but I thought it would make them happy if I went along. I figured that after two or three days everyone would be ready to call the whole thing off. It was odd though. I felt a stirring of nervousness in my gut. I hadn’t been bothered enough to be nervous in the years since Maria’s death. Then I figured that I had a right to be nervous. I was going to have female house guests for the next four weeks!

I held my hands up in defeat. “All right. I’ll go along with you for now I guess.”

It was weird, but after the meeting, I felt more energy than I had in recent memory. I got caught up on a lot of work and was reaching for the next file when my phone rang. I looked at the clock. The office had been closed for an hour and a half but I answered it anyway rather than let it go to voice mail. The voice on the other end surprised me.

Mia was talking seductively. “Hubby, you need to put away your pens and pencils and come home to me. Dinner will be ready soon. Please, baby?”

I was speechless for a moment. Mia has a very sexy voice when she puts her mind to it. I said I would do it, so I played along. “OK, sweety. I’m leaving now.”

Somehow, I don’t think I pulled off my lame attempt at a sexy voice. My heart wasn’t in it. I did leave and made the short commute to my house. It used to be a home when Maria was there. I saw Mia’s car parked in the driveway as I pulled past it to enter the garage. I grabbed the spare garage door control off the workbench and carried it into the house. I dropped my keys in the usual spot. “Hey, Mia! I have an opener for you to use so you can park in the garage.”

I didn’t hear anything in response, which was odd considering the dining room table was set for dinner. I walked through the dining room on my way to the front room before noticing that candles were providing the only light in the room. I continued my journey a bit more puzzled than I was before. When I walked into the living room Mia stood waiting for me.

She had her back to me and was artfully posed near the fireplace when I walked into the room. The red dress she wore was the perfect combination of sexy and dress-up. Her amazing figure was flattered by the snug fit, and it really showcased her ass when she turned toward me. I hadn’t moved a step into the room and remained motionless as she walked toward me.

She came right up to me and put her hands on my chest. Her hazel eyes met mine and burned into me. I’ve never seen such expressive eyes. There was affection there, but there was also heat. The little smile that grew on her face told me that she had read me like a book. I smiled back. “You look amazing in that dress.”

“Thank you, sir. Now, kiss your temp wife.”

If I’d had time to think it through I would have reached the logical conclusion that I had no business kissing my friend’s wife, or that I should have the thoughts that I was having about another man’s wife. I would have stepped back and tried to talk about the situation. I’m sure I would have if I’d had time to think.

The problem was that I didn’t have time to think. Her lips were on mine and thinking went right out the window. Her kiss was electric. The feisty, passionate, and amazing person she is, came through in that kiss. There was no resisting such a kiss. There was only embracing it for the wonder that it is and enjoying every precious second of it.

I don’t know how long we would have stood there kissing, but it would have been for a while. The oven timer went off and that was Mia’s cue to pull her luscious lips from mine. She looked up at me hungrily. “Wow! I want more of that, but dinner is ready. Let’s eat.”

She walked around me, pinched my ass, and giggled on her way to the kitchen. Within a few minutes, I was sitting at the end of the table with her right next to me. The dinner was delicious and the company was sublime. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so engaged in a conversation. We finished a bottle of wine and were having cognac with the decadent dessert she had somehow found time to make.

I fed her a bite of my dessert and couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen next. I didn’t want to lose my friend by doing something stupid. At the same time, I found Mia so desirable that I wanted to forget everything except her. I knew that I had to stop right now before I did some serious damage. The thought saddened me. For a fleeting moment, there had been a flicker of light in my world.

Mia was way ahead of me. She swallowed the bite and suddenly she kissed me again. She pulled back and looked into my eyes. “I’ve wanted you for years, John. I even talked to Maria about it. She was going to try to set something up with you…

“Jack has known for a long time as well and is fine with it. There is no reason why you and I can’t be with each other. I want to be your temp wife in all ways.”

She kissed me hard and our tongues met again, and the light came back. Suddenly, I was feeling not just her lips, but her very soul. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and hold her close. So I did, and she held onto me as our passion continued to grow. I was nearly overwhelmed by it all, but not nearly overwhelmed enough to stop.

Somehow, we made the journey from the dining room to my bedroom. It was mostly done by feel because our lips never parted. She began stripping me as I caressed her through the delicate silk of her dress. My hands were shaking as I unzipped the back of her dress. I caressed it off her shoulders and watched as it slid to the floor. After some fumbling on my part, her bra soon followed. Her pert breasts were perfectly shaped and were just begging to be licked and sucked.

I moved my lips to her nipple and began to kiss and lick. I was giving the other nipple equal time when she finally freed my cock. Her hand felt amazing as she slowly pumped my raging erection. She took a half-step back, freeing her tit from my lips, and began to kneel in front of me. “I’m going to suck your wonderful cock until you cum down my throat.”

Her wet mouth enveloped my cock and my knees got weak. I staggered back toward the bed and fell back on it. She crawled after me and took me back into her mouth. Her tongue teased and her hand pumped as I slid in and out of her gorgeous little mouth. Mia’s cock sucking abilities are beyond excellent, and she soon had me groaning and thrusting my hips. Suddenly it was all too much and I exploded into her mouth. I felt like I was going to cum forever as my cock kept spasming. Mia took it all happily and continued to lick me until I had to make her stop.

I pulled her up into my arms and kissed her hard. My cock was spent for the moment, but my lust for her was only growing. I caressed her body everywhere I could reach. I went back to her luscious titties and teased her nipples erect. My focus turned toward her pussy. I wanted to taste her more than anything and I set out to do so. She was so wet that my tongue glided up her labia. Her little clit was begging for attention. I sucked it between my lips and flicked it with my tongue. I was brushing her entrance with my fingertips when she orgasmed. Her moans and writhing body left no doubt in my mind that she was enjoying the experience.

My cock was achingly hard again and I wasted no time in moving up her body. I pressed the head of my cock into her and slowly sank in deep. Our mouths met, building our passion to new heights as I stroked into her. We took things slow at first, teasing each other ever closer to nirvana. Her hips rose to meet my strokes and our groins slapped together as the intensity of our coupling increased. The sounds coming from her as she orgasmed were the most wonderful sounds in the world.

I stopped my thrusting while she orgasmed and began to rain light kisses on her face. A few minutes later she was responding with her own kisses. Soon we were battling our tongues and I was stroking fast and deep into her. When she screamed out her orgasm, I exploded into her. It was sheer ecstasy. It was the first real thing I had felt in years, and it was magnificent.

We continued to kiss in the afterglow. When I began to shrink we broke our kiss and she looked up at me. Her hand came up and she wiped tears from my face. “Are you OK John?”

“I don’t remember ever being better.”

That earned me a loving smile. I hugged her close and kissed her again until my spent cock slipped from her. We cleaned up and snuggled together under the covers. Her head was resting on my chest and her hand was rubbing my arm as I held her close. She lifted her head and looked at me. “I always knew that it would be good between us, but I had no idea it would be that good. You are a wonderful lover John.”

I kissed her in response. “You are an amazing, sexy, and desirable woman Mia. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a wonderful friend and lover. Thank you.”

She grinned at me. “I love you too. Now, go to sleep. You’re going to need your rest because you and I have a lot of fucking to do.”

She was right. Over the next few days, we fucked like bunnies all over the house. It was great fun and I found myself smiling and laughing, something I hadn’t felt like doing for ages. There were also some rough spots.

The roughest by far was Saturday morning. We woke up and snuggled until nature called. We returned to bed and were soon in the throes of ecstasy yet again. Afterward, we showered together and I was smiling as we dried off. Mia went into the bedroom and stooped over her suitcases where they lay on the floor. It was obvious to me that she couldn’t live out of her suitcases for a week. She needed someplace to put her stuff, and right next to her was Maria’s dresser. The dresser and wardrobe were still full of Maria’s clothes.

Mia understood and had planned for the situation, “John, I brought some boxes with me and put them in the garage. Would you please get me a bundle of them?”

I wandered down to the garage and got the boxes. I returned to the room and stood holding them. I still hadn’t quite put it together yet. I think my mind refused to accept it. Mia looked up at me with sympathy, “John, I’m going to pack up Maria’s clothes. She doesn’t need them anymore and they are a constant reminder to you of what you lost. I’m sorry sweetheart, but it’s time to move on. Will you let me do this for you?”

I just bowed my head and left. I stumbled into the guest room and sat on the end of the bed. I knew I had to let go, but God, I didn’t want to. I knew that she wasn’t coming back, but I had never accepted it. Now I had to, and it was breaking my heart all over again. Eventually, Mia finished, and she came to me. She lay next to me on the guest bed and held me as I finally let go.

Somewhere around Tuesday, things began to change. We transitioned from recreational fucking to making love and it scared the hell out of both of us.

We had woken early because our need to connect, to feel each other intimately, demanded it. Our lovemaking was tender, yet frantic. I wanted to burn every inch of her into my memory. At the same time, I wanted to hold her and keep her near me always desperately. When she orgasmed against my tongue the taste of her was exquisite. Our slow fucking as I penetrated her soon became a desperate need to express the depth of our feelings. Our bodies slapped together in a building tempo until our orgasms took away thought for a while. It was the most intense orgasm she had with me. In the afterglow, I was kissing her face when I felt her tears on my lips. “Mia, what’s wrong, sweetheart?”

She shook her head trying to fight off the tears. “I never expected this. I knew that I wanted you and that I loved you as my great friend. I never expected to fall in love with you and I’m afraid that’s what's happening. I love my husband. It isn’t fair to either of you for me to feel this way.”

I kissed her lips. “Part of me, a strong part of me, wants to keep you to myself forever. I made a promise to myself when you started this that I would do nothing that would harm my friends. Selfishly trying to keep you to myself would hurt a lot of people, especially you. I won’t do that. I have been blessed to have been with you and I wouldn’t take that away from us for anything. Besides, you know that you love Jack, and when you are back with him, you’ll quickly remember why. I’m at best a pleasant distraction. Please know that I love you, even though we can’t be any more than friends come Friday and I will never ask you for more than you can give.”

She sighed, and I continued. “Hell, you’ve given me the most wonderful gift in the world. You showed me that my grief wasn't all I would ever know again. You showed me what a true friend is, and most amazing of all, you shared your body and affection while you were doing it. There is no greater gift."

I paused for a moment to kiss her sweet lips. "I think that you need to reconnect with Jack. Why don’t you go to lunch with him today and spend some time with him?”

She frowned through her tears. “But, I promised to be totally focused on you this week.”

“This isn’t just about me. It’s about all of us and that includes you. Do you think I can be happy if you aren’t? Talk to him. Spend some time with him. Hell, fuck his brains out! Do whatever it takes to make you happy. I promise that’s the way to make me happy.”

When I got home from work a smiling Mia was waiting for me. She ran to me and threw her arms around me. Our lips met in a hot kiss and dinner was forgotten for the next hour. We were naked and cuddling while she talked. “I met Jack for lunch today at our house. We never got around to lunch, but we surely did reconnect. He told me that he had been spending a lot of time with Noah and Ava. A lot of that time with his cock buried in Ava. I mean, Ava and I talked about it, but I wasn’t sure that it would ever happen. I was so relieved. I’d been feeling really guilty about having sex outside our marriage while he waited at home. Now that I know he is having some fun too I feel so much better. I realized that I do still love my husband, and I also love you. I may not be able to have you both, but I am able to love you both. I won’t be able to turn off my feelings on Friday so, I guess I will have to learn how to live with them.”

Thursday night our lovemaking was frantic with need. We were almost out of chances to express everything we felt. We devoured each other. I wanted so desperately to tell her how much I loved her over and over. I fought the urge as hard as I could. I succeeded until Friday morning.

The rush that went through my body when I penetrated her for the last time brought home to me that this was an ending. My emotions were all over the place as we orgasmed together. I couldn't leave things like this. I looked into her eyes and whispered, “I love you, Mia.”

We held each other as tight as we could and let the tears fall. We showered together and forced our pending loss aside as we played and teased until we were out of time. I carried her suitcases out to her car, retrieved the garage door opener from her visor, and came back inside. Our last kiss burned into my brain. I’m feeling again, but it isn’t the way I would have chosen to feel. I found love again, but it was gone as soon as I found it, and I didn’t want it to be.

~~~~~{}~~~~~

Week 2 Ava

I managed to avoid seeing everyone except Olivia that Friday morning. I always start my day with a short meeting with Olivia. I needed the time to get my head on straight. Mia stopped by my office just before lunch. She closed my door and locked it before walking over to me. She leaned down and kissed me and I was lost again. Her hand caressed my face as our lips parted, “John, I know that we can’t be like we were this last week, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you. I love my husband and I won’t give him up. Is it too much for me to want you too?”

I knew what I had to say, “I’m afraid it is. I don’t see how you and I could continue to be together without our love growing. In the end, it would only bring pain to the ones we care about. I want you; I need you, and I love you, but we just can’t. Honestly? I can’t say that I trust my emotions. I had none for so long and you woke me up. You made me feel again and I owe you everything for that. Right now, I’m still broken, and I’m not fit for anyone to love.”

She read me like a book. “I see what you are doing John and it’s not going to work. We do care for each other, and we will find a way to be together at least once in a while. I’m not ready to give up on us just yet. I’ll be telling Jack everything, including my feelings for you. If I can’t make both of you happy, then I will let it go. Anyway! You have a new temp wife today and guess who it is?”

I had thought of little else all morning. “Oh hell! How am I supposed to be with someone else after you? I can’t do this.”

Mia gave me a stern look. “You will do it and you will like it. These women are giving you their greatest gift, and you will do your best to show them your appreciation. You were a wonderful lover to me. Don’t they deserve that too? So, guess.”

I couldn’t make her unhappy and I certainly didn’t want her mad at me. “Oh, I guess Owen?”

She snorted out a laugh. “Not unless he’s had a sex change recently. Fine, it’s Ava. Don’t stay late tonight.”

She gave me another smoldering kiss and left my office. I sat there in a daze for who knows how long. The afternoon moved in fits and starts, then slowed to molasses as five approached. I finally pulled into my garage, grabbed the spare garage door opener, and walked into the house. “Ava! I have a garage door opener for you.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin when her hand fell on my shoulder. I hadn’t seen her when I walked in and had walked right by her. I turned toward her and immediately fell into those amazing green eyes of hers. She gave me an enigmatic smile and in her husky voice just said, “Hello John. I’m glad you’re home.”

Then her lips were on mine and they were so soft and welcoming. Suddenly, all the tension left me. The fears I had obsessed over all day fell away and I pushed every other thought aside as I let myself enjoy her wonderful plush lips. Our kiss was wonderfully romantic and promised much more. Ava had long been a fantasy of mine and to hold her against me as we kissed was fantasy made real, and we spent several minutes enjoying the hell out of it.

When our lips finally separated it was like I had just received the best ‘welcome home’ in the history of welcome homes. Our faces were both lit up with smiles as we walked to the dining room. Ava had managed to put together a perfect meal and we enjoyed sharing our meal. After dinner, we sat on the couch with our wine in hand and talked for several hours. I love Ava’s intellect and her unique worldview.

As we talked I was constantly catching myself caressing her skin. My hands were drawn like magnets to the side of her arm, her hand, and her neck. I hadn’t made the deliberate decision to touch her, I just instinctively did it. She seemed to enjoy it if her goosebumps and erect nipples were any indication. I was looking into those amazing eyes as she talked while my finger was caressing her neck. My finger reached her earlobe and circled it, and she suddenly brought her face close to mine. “You're making me so fucking hot. I need you to take me to bed.”

Her lips met mine with a hunger and I responded with my own. A jolt went through me as Mia entered my mind. My heart fell and I almost recoiled. It occurred to me that Mia would be very disappointed in me if I did. Giving up on this temp wife plan of theirs’ is giving up on my friends. Mia loves sex and has a lot of fun in bed. She didn’t have a problem with Ava fucking her husband. Why should I think she’d have a problem with Ava fucking me? There was only one real response to this, and that was to make love to this amazing black woman in my arms. That's the kind of guy I am. No matter how hard the sacrifice I'll do what needs done. You know, climb any mountain, swim any ocean, etc.

It turns out that having sex with Ava was not that much of a burden at all. As a matter of fact, it was the experience of a lifetime. Her skin felt as good as it looked, so silky smooth and utterly kissable. The first time I tasted her I knew I could live the rest of my life with my tongue in her pussy and be a very happy man indeed.

The intensity of entering her for the first time almost undid me. I stopped moving as I fought my urge to cum and kissed her deeply. I kissed her until I was back from the brink and began to move in her. We started slow and romantic, but Ava is not a passive woman. Soon she was rocking her hips to meet my thrusts while her hands moved non-stop caressing my back, ass, and face. Ava orgasmed in soft violence, thrashing and moaning, her arms wrapped around me, and her nails digging into my back. She was out of control, but her nails never penetrated my skin. A soft violence indeed.

Her obvious pleasure in our coupling was the last straw and I saw stars as I exploded in her. Her Kegels gripped me and milked me of my cum and my energy. I managed to hold my weight off her while we both gasped for breath. Once our oxygen needs were met, our lips did, and we enjoyed that post fuck intimacy for long minutes.

We showered together and went back to bed to snuggle up naked. I caressed her face and looked at her lustfully. “You are an amazing lover and so very beautiful.”

She smiled while those green eyes smoldered. “I thought it would be good with you, but I never dreamed it would be that good. Can we do it again?”

I grinned. “I insist, just not right this second. I need a little more time to reload.

“While we’re waiting why don’t you tell me about the Ava I'm just discovering? Not the friend Ava, but the sexual woman Ava.”

Her mouth quirked. “I’m not sure exactly what you mean, but I think you are asking me to talk about my sex life. Yes?”

I nodded, “I know from Mia that you and her husband got together last week. You’re with me now and seem to be having a good time, yet you’re married. I’m going to assume happily. How do you make that work? How does that work?

“Oh shit! I’m so sorry Ava. I must sound like an insensitive asshole. None of that is any of my business. My curiosity got the best of me. Please don’t get mad and leave.”

I’ve never been so relieved to hear someone laugh in my life. She settled down and smiled at me. “Sweet John, we’ve been friends long enough that you know you can ask me anything. To answer your question, I need to explain some things. Noah and I have a somewhat open marriage. I know and approve of who he fucks, and when he fucks them. He does the same for me. That’s the way our relationship has been from when we started dating. We both have high sex drives and love new sexual experiences. We also love each other very much. Jealousy doesn’t enter the equation because it’s just sex. Our love is reserved for each other. I won’t be falling in love with you, but I will love falling in bed with you. Will that work for you, John?”

My answer was nonverbal and required the use of her lips, then the rest of our bodies got involved. Soon enough we were fucking each other with abandon. I managed to pound her through two orgasms before succumbing to her charms. We spooned together in the afterglow and fell asleep.

My week with Ava was fun, sex-filled, and without drama. While I felt love for Ava, I didn’t feel the pressures of being in love with Ava. I was a much lighter person after that week. Many of the burdens of grief that had weighed me down were lifted. I found myself smiling for no reason and without having to force it. I was more focused at work but lived for the nights with Ava.

Of course, things changed. Much like with Mia, I was falling in love with Ava. I couldn’t help it. As much as I wanted to play by Ava’s rules, my heart had a mind of its own. This time I was better prepared for the emotions. I was coming from a much happier place, and while I knew that Ava and I could never stay together, I set out to enjoy every moment I had with her.

Thursday evening when I got home Ava was on me as soon as I walked in the door. We were in the bedroom within moments and she was frantic during our first coupling. Her lips were constantly kissing me wherever she could reach. Her hands were all over me, rubbing, touching, and squeezing. Her orgasm was the strongest one I had seen her have. She collapsed back onto the bed and didn’t move for ten long minutes.

Her amazing eyes gradually opened and she looked up at me. “John, I broke my rule and I’m falling in love with you.”

I kissed her as passionately as I could before laying down beside her. “I love you too.”

She smiled at first, then her mouth settled into a thin line. “What do we do about that?”

I caressed her cheek. “Enjoy the feeling and show each other how we feel, while remembering that there are others that we love as well. I want to be with you when you can be with me. You have other people in your life that love you, especially your husband. He deserves to be first in your life. I will be happy with any time I get with you after that. If that means I can never see you again after tomorrow, then so be it. I don’t like it or want it that way, but I understand my place in your life. Right now, I’m trying to balance being in love with two amazing women, neither of whom will ever be mine. I am coming to realize that I need to accept the love I’m given for what it is. I can’t force love into a mold that fits my needs. That’s a surefire way to make sure it dies.”

Ava didn’t cry because that just isn’t her. She held onto me for dear life and her lips were trembling when she kissed me goodnight. I held her close as I lay awake next to her. A long time later I fell asleep.

We were two hours late getting to work on Friday. What started out as casual affectionate touching escalated into us madly coupling all over the house. It was like we were trying to cram all of our love and need for each other into one last physical expression. We were both exhausted when we finally got into the shower. I washed her body and dried her off, then escorted her to the bedroom where I helped her dress. I wanted to touch her just a little more before she was gone.

I carried her suitcases out to her car, took the garage door remote from her visor, and dropped it on the workbench. I went back inside and she nestled in my arms like she had always belonged in them. Our last kiss was long and full of our passion for each other. The kiss ended as it we knew it had to and we left, Ava for her job, and me for mine.

I was pensive that morning, unlike the previous Friday when I was depressed. I decided that accepting things as they are was the only way forward. Anything else was just fooling myself. Whatever happens with the four temp wives now, and in the future, will be in their control. Given my track record so far, I expected that things would be no different with Sofia and Olivia than they were with Mia and Ava. Apparently, I couldn’t do casual fucking for a week without developing real feelings.

That afternoon Mia walked into my office. She closed and locked the door before sitting on my couch. She patted the couch next to her and I walked over and sat down next to her. I kissed her and nuzzled her neck. “I love you, Mia.”

She gave me a tentative smile. “I love you too. So, now there are two of us?”

I kissed her again, then looked into her hazel eyes. “Yes, and if past performance is any indicator, it will soon be all four of you. Should we stop this now before someone gets hurt?”

She started. “How can you… No, I know how. I’m doing it myself. Of course, you can love all of us. You feel what you feel, but it sure does make life complicated. And, no, we are not stopping. Everyone can see the change in you. You’re not there yet, but you’re waking up and beginning to live again. Plus, I think that Sofia and Olivia would be very disappointed if they didn’t get their time with you.”

I was surprised. “Really? You think that they want to be with me? They’re happily married too, right?”

Mia just shook her head. “Clueless, simply clueless. None of us came right out and admitted it, but we have all fantasized about being with you John. Maria wasn’t shy about sharing intimate details. It was almost like she was planning something… Anyway, Olivia and Sofia are happily married, but that doesn’t change the fact that they want to help you and be with you. Sofia needs just what you have to give. She has let Owen have sex with other women for most of their marriage. Now she wants a turn,”

She paused before continuing. “Olivia is so obviously in love with you it isn’t funny. Everyone can see it except for Olivia, and you, Mr. Oblivious. Chet has known for years and is constantly encouraging her to make a move on you. He finds the idea of her fucking you exciting. Olivia told me that it had become almost an obsession for him. I don’t think he will fully realize what he is asking for until it’s way too late to matter. That’s for them to work out, not you. Like I said before, we’ve all had weeks to talk this through and everyone said yes without hesitation.”

I didn’t know what to say to that so, I kissed her some more. She finally pulled away from me. “We can’t John. Not yet. You’re going to see your new temp wife in a few hours. Sofia needs your undivided attention. We’ll talk about you and me when the temp wives are done. Just know that I want you every bit as much as you want me.”