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
She opened her eyes, and he stared at her, his eyes searching hers as if they were windows to what was inside of her. She knew she could get lost in those eyes. He smiled back down at her. "I have waited quite a while to be alone with you like this," he said, his voice a bare whisper.She felt her face flush as she smiled back up at him. "And why is that?""Because, you are one of the most enticing women I have ever met.""So, why did you wait so long to take me?"He smiled as he shrugged. "How was I to know you were serious with all that seductive teasing and taunting?""Well, now you know.""Now I know." He leaned down and swallowed her breath in another kiss, his lips meshing into hers as he held her to him with a grip that didn't seem to want to let go. She hoped he never would.They broke the kiss finally, and both took a deep breath. She watched as he stepped back, his hand sliding into hers. He didn't say a word. He just smiled as he led her out of the sitting room and down the
Selby stared at the front of Tracey's apartment. It was a quaint complex with a rustic feel to it. The buildings were a light brown and the trim a rough chocolate. Giant oaks and pines grew throughout the complex, shading the parking spaces as well as the two-story buildings. Luckily for him, Tracey's was on the bottom floor.He twisted his hands around the steering wheel, his body one giant nervous knot. He wondered if Faith had the same feelings at Edwin's. He hoped so, although he doubted it. She had been too hyped up when she left. He was more nervous, which tainted the excitement. He wanted to be with Tracey, but he always pictured them with Faith and not alone. Teasing at the bookstore was one thing. Meeting at her apartment was quite another.Stop acting like a teenager, you idiot. With a deep breath, he opened the car door and slid out into the cool March air. The breeze tugged at his short hair, making it an even messier nest than usual. He slid his keys into his pocket as he
Selby leaned back against the kitchen counter and watched as Tracey reached up on her tiptoes for a mug to pour him some coffee. She had put his button-less shirt on after they had spent an hour on the floor in one position or another, and now, the bottom cup of her ass cheeks poked out from under his shirt. He couldn't stop himself from smiling as he stared, remembering how her flesh had felt in his hands and against his body. "You know you owe me a shirt.""A shirt? What shirt?" She turned and gave him a confused smile. "This is my shirt now."He laughed, his chuckle bouncing off the cabinets. "You want me to leave here half-dressed? What will your neighbors think?""I don't care what they think." Her eyes twinkled as she said it, and he knew she meant it. He doubted she ever cared what anyone thought. You cannot live your life by other people's perceptions of what is right or wrong.She poured the coffee into two mugs, the steam rising between her breasts, which kept peeking out fro
The one thing Faith truly loved about Florida is that even at its coldest, it wasn't ever really cold. Oh, it had its below freezing moments, but they came and went with the breeze, never lasting long. That Sunday afternoon was no different as she walked hand-in-hand with Selby along the sands of the Atlantic shore. The wind blew in over the white-crested waves, pulling at her light jacket and her quickly tangling hair. The music of the persistent waves drummed its cadence just a few feet away from the path they made in the sand. It was peaceful, just the way she preferred her Sundays.Selby and she had both arrived back home before dinner the previous night, and he had treated her to a meal out. Back home, with glasses of wine and a fire flickering in the fireplace, she told him about her time with Edwin. It had been intense. He had ordered her around and even taken her out into his backyard and fucked her in the grass. There was no privacy fence. He seemed to enjoy the daring aspects
Edwin texted Faith several times throughout the day. Selby hadn't asked, and Faith didn't offer. He could have asked, he knew, but for whatever reason, he just didn't feel like hearing about it. Faith's reaction was probably the reason. Whenever a text came in, she giggled. Giggled! It was beyond annoying. It was as if Edwin's text made her entire day.Tracey sent him a couple of texts but told him she wouldn't intrude on Faith's time with him. If he wanted to talk to her, he was free to text or call her. She would answer; she just would not initiate. Edwin needed that restraint.Selby sat on the back deck, a Terry Brooks' novel resting on his lap and a mug of coffee in front of him. He tried to read inside, but Faith's phone distracted him again. She had agreed to keep their time, their time. Edwin had supposedly agreed as well, but it seemed the newness of their little adventure was too much for either of them to keep their word. He found Faith making excuses to go into another room
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.