Waking Up Polyamorous

By Kat Stark

At first, an open marriage seems like the greatest thing in the world to Natalie and Sean. Adding a bunch of new, hot people to their already excellent sex life? What could be better? 

Then they meet Beth, a queer single mum with a lesbian partner, and things become complicated. After some fun dating as a threesome, Beth and Sean fall in love, and Natalie feels pushed to the side by both her former lover and her husband. 

As Sean and Beth begin celebrating new milestones and plan their first trip together as a couple, Natalie is thrown for a loop and longs for a time that being open felt sexy and fun. 

Natalie starts seeking that fun for herself and, after many naughty adventures and a few false starts, finds her own unexpected love... 

Join Natalie, Sean, and Beth in a funny, sexy, surprising story as they navigate the challenges of deciding that when it comes to the amount of love in their lives, they choose more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hump & Circumstance
• Release date: Jul 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393411093

Book preview

1

Natalie

Empty space was all she found when Natalie Simons rolled to snuggle into her husband for 'one last snooze.' Where was Sean? Oh, duh. Last night was Wednesday: Beth's night. A bit grumpy at the lack of her personal human heating pad, she grabbed a pillow to use as a makeshift snuggle buddy and grinned to herself as she heard Sean's voice in her head saying, Oh, pillow. You're the only one who understands me.

She dozed off again until the obnoxiously upbeat chimes of her alarm went off. That misery was followed quickly by a waft of cat breath and face full of grey fur as her cat Gandalf made his way up her chest to head butt her repeatedly; she shoved him away and hit the snooze alarm, pulling the covers up over her head in denial of the reality of morning. She felt him settle next to her head on the pillow as she drifted off for another precious nine minutes. When the alarm chimed again, he burrowed under the duvet to stick his cold nose right in her ear.

Gah! Uncool, dude! she yelled, rubbing at the grotesque sensation in her ear. Git! she added and pushed him toward the end of the bed.

As her furry assailant lay down between her feet, watching her with narrowed eyes, Natalie sat up and reached for her phone on the bedside table. Turning off the alarm she smiled to see notifications for messages from several of her favourite people. She read them in the order they’d arrived so she didn’t feel like she was playing favourites.

g’mornin darlin

Being on Toronto time, her cross-country lover Andre was almost always her first notification and Natalie felt butterflies whenever she saw his name pop up even two years into their relationship. She always smiled at his refusal to use capitalization or punctuation in his messages. She’d tried that herself but it took her longer to consciously not do any of the above—two years of grad school writing relentlessly academic papers meant she couldn’t shake the feeling that her messages were incomplete without all the frills.

Good morning, sexy man! <3

She took a few minutes to think about the gorgeous black man she’d met through a dating app when he was visiting town eighteen months ago, and all the delightfully dirty things they’d done together every time he was in town for business. At 29 to her 38 she hadn’t expected their intermittent flings to become a long term thing, but they’d connected in ways she rarely had with people other than her husband. She waited a moment for his response but knew he was likely already in meetings so she moved on to the next message.

Good morning, my lovely lady wife.

Ah, Sean, always doting and affectionate and never afraid of just the right amount of cheese. She smiled as she pictured him messaging her as he looked most mornings, dark curls sticking out every direction, hazel eyes squinting at the daylight, small cowlick in his short beard swirling in that way she loved.

Morning, my beloved <3 I hope you had a great night.

The next notification sent a surge of blood straight to Natalie’s crotch.

I miss the way you taste

Her friend Syd sure knew how to kick start a morning! Natalie pondered various replies but decided she couldn’t reply right away or she was going to need to delay getting up even longer for a wank session. She squirmed in place considering it, thinking about their tongue between her thighs and she slid her hand between her legs and toyed with the wetness…Shit. She pulled her hand away reluctantly knowing she did not have time and knowing that Syd may have planned their message to keep Natalie feeling charged up without release. They could be a bit sadistic, and Natalie liked it. Unable to help herself she typed a response to the non-binary babe with the artfully messy faux-hawk and the sea green eyes who could turn her into a puddle in an instant.

Oooh, tell me more

She sat up reluctantly and stretched her stiff neck and shoulder muscles before grabbing a cozy hoodie from the end of the bed. Tucking her phone in the pocket she headed downstairs to make coffee and feed the cats, led by an excited Gandalf.

In the kitchen their other cat, Galadriel, sat daintily by the empty food dishes. Elle, as she was normally called, always waited for Gandalf to do the dirty work of getting the humans up while she happily reaped the rewards of his labour. Natalie gave her sleek fur a few quick strokes then went about the business of opening a can of food for the two felines.

She chatted senselessly to the cats as she prepped their meals, knowing she was bordering really close to crazy cat lady territory, but after living with someone for fifteen years, it was simply too strange to not have a little conversation upon waking, even if enthusiastic noshing sounds were all she got in return. Talking to the cats was slightly less unhinged than talking to herself…she hoped.

Natalie popped the stovetop espresso maker onto the burner and turned on the flame. The popping sound of gas catching always cheered her because she knew it meant coffee would soon be on its way. When Sean was home, he often took care of this part of their morning routine so it sometimes felt a bit strange to be doing it on her own—not to mention how lovely it was to get coffee delivery while still warm in bed. She was getting used to her solo Thursday morning routine now that Sean sleeping over at his girlfriend's place had become a fixed weekly event a couple of months prior. And while she was really happy that the two of them got to have the extended time together, Natalie was still adapting to not having a full-time live-in partner.

Padding barefoot back to the bedroom, coffee in hand, Natalie looked longingly at the rumpled bed. It called to her like a siren's song. She should really resist climbing under the cozy covers to check in with what nonsense happened in the world overnight and should get right into the shower. She should. Should... 'Oh no! How'd this happen?' she thought to herself as her butt hit the mattress and she pulled the duvet over her knees before grabbing her phone from her pocket.

She felt all squishy seeing a second message from Andre.

i’ll be in vancouver on 30th-2nd? you free that weekend?

Checking the google calendar, she was pleased to see there was nothing scheduled.

I can’t think of anything or anyone I’d rather do ;)

It was tough that she didn’t get to see him all that often since he was her closest partner other than Sean. She’d have liked more time with her...boyfriend? Was that what he was? Certainly not in the same way that Sean was Beth's boyfriend. Natalie and Andre had more of a 'comes into town for a few days every couple of months for work and they bang each other senseless' kind of a vibe going.

But they did care about each other a lot. Andre was definitely much more than a fuckbuddy. He was the only person other than her husband that she'd been comfortable spending the night with in the two years they'd been open—ethically non-monogamous, if she was feeling fancy. And while she didn’t need an official term to know they had something special, she didn't have the ease of a simple word to use to describe her relationship to friends. They'd gotten used to hearing about her...guy (hesitation always included). We’re going to Seattle on the weekend of the 18th. Wanna join us? No, sorry, my...guy is in town.

A notification from Sean letting her know he was on his way home kicked Natalie's butt into gear and she chucked the covers off, disturbing Gandalf, who'd come back for some after-breakfast snuggles and gave her a cranky grunt. She gave him a few pets, apologizing for her thoughtless behaviour, and strode into the en suite, shedding pyjama pants and tank top as she walked.

She checked herself out as she walked past the large mirror, admiring how her dark hair looked great this morning despite the bed head. She scrunched her nose at the freckles that were her constant companion on face and chest thanks to the warring genes of her Chinese birth mother and unknown but likely Caucasian father. She envied the consistent complexions of most of her friends and her white adoptive parents, but knew Sean and her partners found her speckled skin attractive and she did enjoy how it was so specifically her. However, she definitely would love to make it through a week without multiple comments by random dudes about how ‘exotic’ her features were with her skin tone, almost-black hair, and golden eyes.

She flexed her biceps and admired the tone they were gaining from the aerial silks class her best friend Niko convinced her to do, then laughed and made a face at herself for giving herself a ‘gun show’. Turning away from the mirror, she turned on the water in the shower then stepped under the steaming spray, one of life's greatest pleasures, and let the water jets massage away the rest of her sleep fog.

2

Sean

Sean Winchester juggled his overnight bag and the tray of coffee he carried as he slammed the car door with his hip. The salsa lessons he and Natalie had taken last year had paid off with giving him some of the ‘Cuban Motion’ required for such a move. As he walked up the driveway he thought back to Lana, the hot teacher with her long, dark curls, and her sexy partner Marco who'd driven a lot of fantasies and dirty talk during the run of classes. They were sad to finish their sessions—until they ran into their former instructors at a salsa club, and dancing led to flirting which led to the four of them back in Sean and Natalie's king size bed exploring a whole new set of moves.

'We should text them,' he thought to himself, shifting the coffees to his other hand so he could adjust himself surreptitiously as his trousers gripped his thickening cock uncomfortably. He looked around to make sure the nosy neighbour across the road wasn't watching and didn't call the neighbourhood watch on him for performing lewd acts in his driveway. She'd been incredibly difficult to deal with ever since the time one of the couples at a play party they'd thrown decided it would be great to fuck against the sliding glass doors of their living room. He admitted it was bad form on their part, but if Mrs. Nosypants could just keep her eyes glued to Netflix like a normal person, it wouldn't be an issue.

Not all their neighbours were as judgemental as she was and Sean had formed a good bond with the Tomasis, an elderly couple from a few doors down, when he did some physiotherapy home-visits after Mr. Tomasi had fallen on some ice two winters ago. Sean now made it his mission to keep the couple’s driveway and sidewalks free from ice and Mrs. Tomasi kept him well fed with delicious Italian baking. It was a great trade in Sean’s opinion.

Hey, Nat. I'm home, Sean called as he closed the front door shut behind him, kicking off his shoes, and heading up the stairs into their living space. He found his wife in the kitchen piling various food items together into her signature ‘bullshit salad’ that she ate for lunch every day. For someone who purported to hate kale, she certainly ate a lot of it. The fact that she did so resentfully made her different than the kale-mad hipsters in her estimation, though Sean wasn't so sure.

He stood for a moment, admiring the way the sun shining through the drapes hit her hair, notes of gold standing out amidst the darkest brown. Her hair was pinned up in braided circles and he could see the shaved undercut that always drew his fingers to stroke when they lay together on the couch. He loved seeing the length of her neck exposed when her hair was up, and he strode forward to plant a kiss and a small sharp bite at the nape of her neck.

Mmmm, she groaned and leaned back against him.

Giving her neck another kiss, he slid his free hand down to give her round bottom a light tap before moving beside her to bestow his caffeinated gift.

A latte for my lady love, he said, presenting her the coffee with a flourish.

Oh, am I glad to see you, she said to the paper cup, taking a sip and closing her eyes in bliss. Sean waited, one eyebrow cocked. And you too, of course, my heart, she added, putting the coffee on the counter and giving him a kiss. She sighed happily and enveloped herself in his arms and he kissed the top of her head as they held one another.

He felt a warm, soft pressure against his leg and looked down to see Galadriel looking up at him. Hey, fluffy cat, he cooed and, stepping away from Natalie, picked the small grey cat up off the floor. Elle purred happily and settled herself in his arms as he stroked a line up her forehead between her eyes. He heard a ‘Mrrow’ from the kitchen doorway and acknowledged Gandalf. Hey to you too, mister. I hope you didn’t torment your mum too much this morning.

Natalie chuckled and glared jokingly at the naughty cat as she sipped her coffee contentedly and continued preparing for her day. Sean watched her as he continued to snuggle Elle. It was getting less and less strange coming home to his wife in the morning after his weekly nights at Beth's place, and the small rituals they'd developed such as him bringing coffee meant re-entry was smoother.

It had been tougher initially when he was working the early shift at the hospital and he'd needed to go straight there from Beth's place in the morning. It had meant that by the time Natalie got home from the office it had been almost two days since they'd seen each other, and that had led to a lot of stress and strain in his nesting relationship. Nat hadn't been sure she was willing to continue with such an arrangement but thankfully, one of the other Physical Therapists with more seniority had retired and Sean had been able to switch to a day shift that was compatible with Natalie's hours.

How was your night, love? she asked stepping back and stroking his lightly bearded cheek as she smiled up at him.

Nice, he replied, though Erin kicked up a helluva fuss at bedtime and Beth and I didn't actually get any real solo time until nearly 9:30. It was a watch Vikings and pass out kind of night.

Beth's seven-year-old daughter, Erin, was still getting used to Sean being around more and often went into overstimulation tantrum mode when she wanted to stay up, since it was completely unfair that they were going to continue to have fun without her. Beth would retire with Erin, reading some stories and reminding her how important and loved she was while Sean loaded the dishwasher, scrubbed pots, and wiped down counters after dinner.

Once Erin was asleep (or at least calm enough to get to sleep on her own), Beth would return to sit with Sean in the living room, sipping wine and catching up on all the things in their weeks they hadn't managed to communicate over text during their regular daily chat sessions. When they'd unwound enough, they'd head up to shower together, taking turns washing the cares of the day off each other and using soapy hands to explore and prepare for further intimate fun. It was a rare night that Beth hadn't had at least one orgasm before they headed into the bedroom.

Some nights, such as the previous one, they didn't make it past the wine on the couch phase. Instead, they snuggled up together with whatever series they were currently bingeing until they were dozing off where they sat, then stumbled up to bed together. Sean chuckled a little when he thought of his friends who imagined he had a non-stop crazy sex life with two women when instead, although he did have a pretty great one, much of his time was spent in the same exhausted intimacy they all had with their wives. He just happened to have it with two women instead of one.

Oof. Sounds like a tough one, Natalie replied. I'm glad you were able to get some good time together once Erin was down.

Sean and Natalie hadn't been sure if they wanted kids when they got married and decided to play it by ear. When she’d reached 33 and all their friends were settling into parenting roles, they decided to give it a shot. After three heartbreaking miscarriages Natalie decided it was simply too painful to endure the ecstatic heights and devastating lows again and Sean agreed with her. They took some time—and did a fair amount of therapy—to heal before moving forward with their family of two (plus cats).

It was a little strange to be in a minor parenting position with Erin, but he was enjoying getting to know an amazing kid with all the challenges that came along with it. He wouldn't say it out loud but he was always a little relieved when he got home to the quiet of his and Natalie's place, even with the 2 a.m. antics of a couple of rambunctious cats. He'd worried initially that Natalie might feel threatened by him having a child in his life with Beth, but she assured him she'd truly moved on and wouldn't change anything about their life together even if she could.

Natalie continued to bustle around the kitchen as they chatted about their evenings and as she bent forward to put the salad fixings back in the crisper drawer he noticed how amazingly the pencil skirt she was wearing framed her curvy ass and he found his pants getting snug for the