Selby reached into his briefcase and pulled out the picture of Chelsea he retrieved from his home office that morning. He wasn't sure why he went and pulled the picture from the album. He just felt compelled. It was probably due to everything that was going on with Faith. As he glanced down at the picture in his hand, he remembered with vivid clarity what overtook him eighteen years ago. Tracey said he hadn't lost himself, but rather had found who he was inside. He struggled ever since with whether or not she had been right. As he thought back to his college years, specifically his time with Chelsea, he knew the sex was extreme and addicting, even the humiliating aspects of it. Yet, it was during those brief months that he had the most intense orgasms.With a sigh, he slipped the picture back into his briefcase. He picked up his Grumpy mug and sipped the lukewarm coffee. Work was the last place he wanted to be. The mood he was in required the sandy beach and a cold beer. Sooner or lat
Faith locked up her desk and shut down her computer. The day was over, and she was ready for her deck and a glass of wine. Cherish had been in another of her mad-at-the-world phases and refused to talk to Faith even if Faith spoke first. When the ice queen finally went home a few moments ago, it was as if a shroud lifted and life could begin again.Locking her office door, Faith went past Edwin's office, which was already locked and dark. She stopped in front of the door, knowing a smile pushed upward on her cheeks. He hadn't even said goodbye for the day. She shook her head, shocked that it mattered."It's just a game," she whispered to herself as she turned and made her way to the back door. One more weekday before the weekend and Faith wasn't sure if she was excited or depressed. While a weekend was a much-needed break from her work and her sister, it was also two agonizing days away from Edwin's hands. She didn't know what he planned next, but she was dying to find out.As she unlo
He smiled at her as she slid from his truck, and then he drove off, leaving her alone behind an abandoned motel with the taste of him on her lips. Her heart did a drum line in her chest as the entire situation cascaded over her, and a grin decorated her face. And then she giggled. And giggled. Then, she busted out in triumphant laughter. She had dared to do something she would have fainted from a few short months ago.Still laughing, she slid back into her small truck and headed home. She contemplated what she would tell Selby about being late. It would excite him she did it, but also upset him at the dangerous location. The adrenaline of what had only been a fifteen-minute adventure still streamed through her when she pulled into her garage.The front of the house was quiet when she dropped her purse and keys on the bench by the front door. Selby's briefcase was already there. Passing into the kitchen, she heard music playing from the back deck. She could smell hot food—lasagna?—but t
Selby straightened a little and kissed the top of her head. Placing his index finger under her chin, he lifted her face and gazed into her eyes. "You'll be great." Softly, he tasted her lips, eyes closed, his breathing heavy. He felt her hand slide up his arm to squeeze his bicep as she tenderly returned his kiss.Selby turned her slightly, his arms wrapping around her. She continued the circle until she knelt on the step below him. Their lips never parted. He slid his tongue between her hungry lips, tasting her passion, her heart. He glided his hands up and down her back, pressing, massaging. He could feel her hands on his thighs, rubbing with the desire that burned between them. With a hunger, he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth.As her lip slid from his mouth, he felt her kiss down his chin and throat as her hands pressed down his abdomen to his waistband, fumbling with the buttons. He leaned back against the wooden steps, giving her more room. She took it, and soon, her hand st
"A dress? On Friday?" Selby finished running the towel through his hair as he gawked at his wife as she put on the finishing touches of a tan business dress. "I thought Fridays were all about being casual and comfy. What gives?"Faith weaved the belt through the loops as she checked herself out in the mirror. Not bad if she did say so herself. "I was told to wear a dress today, so a dress it is.""Told, huh? Edwin is getting into his role, I see." Selby walked over to her with a smirk on his face. The towel dangled in one hand as he lifted the hem of her dress with the other and exposed her bare pussy. His smile widened. "The only reason to ask a lady to wear a dress. Easy access." He let the hem fall back into place as he tossed the towel onto the bathroom counter. "Are we planning some workday frolic?"Faith brushed the dress back into place, smoothing it out where Selby had lifted it. "To be honest, I don't know what he has planned. That's the point of the game, to allow him to call
Selby locked his car and slipped the keys into his front pocket. It was time for a steak bagel from Joe's. Faith had left so early and in such a hurry this morning that breakfast seemed a moot point. As he turned and started across the street, he caught a glimpse of Tracey coming out the side door that led to the kitchen, her arms across her chest. Her face seemed twisted in rage, and Selby wondered what Joe said to her to get her so irritated that early in the morning. However, as Selby continued walking toward her, the man he saw her with the other day followed her out of the bakery, his arms gesturing wildly at whatever he tried to articulate. From the looks of Tracey, she wasn't buying any of it. Selby was about to turn and skip his breakfast, when he saw the tall man grab her and spin her around. It was obvious he yelled at her.Selby sped up his pace. He had left her alone the other day, but not today, not with the man's behavior. "Tracey, you okay?"As soon as the other man hea
Faith accomplished quite a bit before Cherish graced them with her crabby presence. She barely spoke to anyone once she arrived and slammed her purse onto her desk, not even offering an explanation as to why she was late. She merely grumbled she was going to have a cigarette. Faith just shook her head. Arrive an hour late and then take a cigarette break. Cherish really was a prima donna. It was after lunch before Edwin arrived at the office. He didn't offer an explanation as to where he had been, either. But then again, he didn't need to. He was the boss. Faith noticed, however, that his mood seemed to match Cherish's and decided perhaps it was best to steer clear of both for a while.However, fate didn't afford her that luxury."Faith, may I see you in my office, please." Edwin stood in the doorway as he spoke but didn't hang around to see if she was busy or available or even if she heard him. He just turned and walked away.Cherish's face seemed to shrivel into a grimace even more a
Faith sat in her truck for a moment as she stared at Edwin's front door. He had a western-style home with a circular drive that curved in front, leading in and out of his street. He lived out in the middle of nowhere, isolated from neighbors, and rarely did people drive by his home. He said he liked it that way. He could walk nude down to get his paper, and no one would even know. Shrubs outlined the house, and a giant oak brought shade to the front yard, making it inviting on a Saturday afternoon, instead of suffocating. Her stomach was in knots, and she thought she would throw up. Not the impression she wanted to give on their first outing alone.Selby and she had agreed that Saturday afternoon would work best for the first date with their new playmates. It allowed them the evening to reconnect and didn't stick them with rising early in the morning. Their weekend was still basically their own. Both Tracey and Edwin agreed, and then, they made the rule it had to be somewhere other tha
Dropping the arm holding the towel to his side, he walked over to where Cherish sat and joined her on the bed. He reached out, placing a hand on her leg and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry you're having to deal with this," he told her. He gave a weak shrug. "I guess we never know the full extent of our actions and their consequences until it's too late." He quickly held a hand up, stopping her from saying anything else. "That wasn't a judgment. Promise."She offered him a weak smile. "I didn't take it that way." She shrugged. "Besides, you're right. I didn't realize while I was...you know...how it would hurt you or Jordie, and I sure as hell didn't realize how it would follow me to another job. I was too caught up in what I was doing to even think of anything else." She reached out, placing her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry I was such a selfish bitch."Glen leaned over and kissed Cherish's forehead. When he pulled away, he grinned. "You're my selfish bitch, so it's all good.
Cherish shoved her phone into her purse, closed the final file folder, and shoved herself away from her desk. This day was over, and she was more than happy to see it go. As she stood, however, she realized the day was not completely over. She stood at the edge of her desk, adjusting her purse on her shoulder, as Mary Overton stepped into her doorway, arms crossed over her chest, looking as if she had a corncob shoved deep up her ass. What Bernie saw in the woman, Cherish would never know. Cherish sucked in a deep breath as she paused, waiting to hear what had brought the grump of a woman to her door. "Is there something I can help you with?" Cherish asked.Mary glanced over the room, scowling as she took in the changes Cherish made to the small office. "I see you've rearranged. Making the place more to your liking." Cherish could have sworn the woman gave a disgusted sniff as she said it. "I thought the way Kim had it set up was quite efficient." She glanced around the room with a sn
Glen soaked in her naked body, making no qualms about devouring her with his gaze. He had always thought Cherish was gorgeous and hated when she started to hide her body in baggy shirts and shorts. He wanted to see more of her flesh, more of her body tempting him under tight clothes or low-cut tops. He wanted her to be seductive, sultry, sexy. Hell, he even wanted her to dress slutty for him.Reaching out, Glen ran a hand over her freckle-covered shoulder, up her neck, and into her strawberry-blond hair. Gazing into her eyes, he sucked in a breath as he stared at her. "You, Cherish Lansky, are beautiful."He saw her cheeks redden with her blush, felt her squirm under his touch as his words embarrassed her, but he didn't care. While he thought the words often enough, he failed to say them out loud for her to hear. She needed to hear them. He needed to say them. They needed to get back to the spark that was them when they first ignited each other's passions. Looking at her right then, he
Cherish took a deep breath, deciding to tackle the topic of Rutherford even if Glen hadn't brought it up. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Jed. It's been a pretty emotional week all around, and I swear, it just slipped my mind."Glen cocked an eyebrow at her. "A lot of things have slipped your mind lately. I should probably do something about that, eventually."She bowed her head. "Yes, sir," was all she said, but she couldn't deny the tingle between her legs at the thought of Glen punishing her again. She would never have thought the idea of him spanking her would have such an effect on her.He took a sip of his coffee as he studied her, and Cherish just stood there under his scrutiny. After a stretched-out moment, he said, "So, tell me about the conversation now. You said you weren't interested in returning. Is that the truth?"She shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest. And, in the way of full disclosure, it was sort of a mixture of him asking if I would want to return and me aski
Cherish placed the last of the glasses back in the cabinet, her back screaming at her due to the lengthy day she just endured. Jordie was already sound asleep in his bed, his tired little body crashing as soon as everyone left, and the constant energy faded away. She could relate as exhaustion tugged at her as well. She had to admit, however, Glen's idea of having the party at their house opposed to her parents' was definitely a winner, minus the cleanup part afterward. Jordie loved every gift he opened, and he and the other kids made full use of the bounce house. Even a few of the adults climbed inside to get their inner youth on while they made the little ones stand outside the giant inflatable while they took over. The children, of course, were far from happy about not being permitted inside, but they laughed like crazy as they watched their parents bouncing around, trying to do flips, and falling on their asses.Valerie surprised Cherish with how she interacted with everyone else a
Cherish felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, felt the anguish clutching at her heart as she sat there, staring at her mother, the woman crying openly now as she stared back at Cherish. How could her mother ever doubt Cherish's love for her? Because I did a shitty job of showing it. I pushed her with everything I did. Cherish reached out, taking her mother's hand in her own, squeezing it tight. "I've always loved you, Mom. You did nothing wrong. It was all me; I was the selfish bitch who never seemed satisfied and happy. I'm so sorry I ever made you feel that way." She squeezed her mother's hand again. "I should never have treated you that way."Her mother gave her a weak smile, squeezing her hand back before pulling it away. "I love you, too, and I'm sorry I ever made you feel as if you couldn't tell me you were pregnant." She shook her head. "Not a very good mother, huh?"Cherish settled back in her chair. "I think we both made mistakes, but that was then. This is now. I need to
Cherish left the others and walked over to her mother, taking one of the remaining chairs beside the other woman. "Why don't you come join the rest of us? Has to be better than sitting over here all by yourself."Her mother didn't even look at her, keeping her gaze on the children. "Why is she here?" she asked, her back stiff, hands clasped in her lap."There are a lot of shes here," Cherish said, even though she knew to whom her mother referred. "You'll have to be a little more specific.""Your sister's new friend," her mother said, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Why did they have to bring her to a family event? It's rude."Cherish glanced over and watched as Tracey Williams laughed at something Arni said, her feet barely touching the ground from where she sat in the chair. "She's close to Selby and Faith," Cherish said with a shrug. "We permitted Brent to bring Bonnie; why wouldn't we allow Faith and Selby to bring Tracey? She seems to be getting along with everyone all right."
Glen stepped back out into the yard, two camp chairs in his hands. Valerie Driscoll was accustomed to calling all the shots, and he knew she set up her area far away from his mother to try to force a division in the party, drawing the crowd to her, so she could show off. That was one of the reasons he wanted the party at his house, so she wouldn't be able to pull a stunt like this. Yet, she still wrecked division wherever she went.Glen moved to the middle of the yard, close to the bounce house, and set up the two chairs. He turned to find Cherish near her mother, two beers in her hand as she watched him, one eyebrow raised and a smirk turning up the corner of her lip."Excuse me," he heard her tell her mother. "I think I'll go join my husband." She then left her mother's side, Valerie's mouth ajar as she gawked at her daughter's retreating back. When Cherish reached him, she handed him his beer as she slid into her chair. "Your beer, sir," she said, smiling at him.He glanced over at
Glen just needed a few minutes to calm his temper. He knew he had acted rude since returning home, and he didn't mean to snap at everyone, taking out his frustration with Cherish on everyone but her. He shoved his way inside the house and headed for the bedroom at the back of the house. Just a few minutes, that's all he needed.However, what he needed and what he received were two different things. As soon as he plopped down on the bed, his hands clasped together as he rested his elbows on his knees, doing his best to take deep breaths, Cherish walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. He didn't even turn to look at her. He couldn't right then. She had lied. Again. That's all she ever did lately.Cherish walked in front of him and dropped to her knees, sitting back on her heels, her hands on her thighs as she stared up at him. She said nothing. Just knelt there, waiting.Glen closed his eyes, taking another fortifying breath. Before opening them again and staring at his wife.