her mirror, amusingly written in red lipstick in that utterly familiar, masculine handwriting:
Jack was here .
***
Because they were behind schedule, Grace had to log in extra hours, working late. She was tempted to call Jack but didn’t want to say what she had to over the phone.
What he’d said last night, what he’d done today, meant a lot to her: he wanted to be a part of her world, not just married to it, as she had told him a few days ago. He was starting to understand what she really meant.
When she saw his car parked in the driveway, she smiled.
After she walked in, she heard his voice and saw him standing outside on the patio, talking on his cell phone. His back was to her, one hand in his pocket, nodding and giving clipped, one-word answers. She stopped at the patio door, watching him, raking her eyes from his broad back to his tapered waist in his crisp, button-up shirt and dark slacks. She didn’t know how she’d been able to bear it this long.
Her heart raced with nervousness as she came to a decision she felt was right.
She wanted to be close to him again. Wholly. Completely. She yearned to surrender herself in Jack’s arms, and fly.
If they made love, her rules would be null and void; there would be no turning back. Not only because it would feel too good to go back, but because it wouldn’t be fair. Things would have to be different from this moment forward and she couldn’t allow their physical relationship to become their only bond, as it was before they separated. Back then, there was no talking, no arguing, just cold silence until their loneliness for each other begged to be noticed in the bedroom.
It felt different now. They were talking; they were both making an effort.
But she was tired of talking now.
She wanted him.
She was done denying him her body, done denying them both something that was absolutely organic between them.
He gave a hearty laugh at whatever the person on the other line had said, and it made Grace smile to hear it. Just then, he turned around and noticed her standing there, and he smiled softly. He took a step toward her, but then seemed to remember her no-touch rule and gave a short wave of greeting. “Look, Tom, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you on Monday.” He hung up.
Her stomach fluttered with fire-winged butterflies as he grinned at her. Would that feeling ever go away when he did that? “Welcome home.”
“Thanks. It felt like a long trip even though I was only gone one night.”
She couldn’t agree more. “The girls told me about your visit to the studio today.”
“Yeah….” He tucked his cell phone in a back pocket. “It was quite the experience.”
“So I heard. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“That’s what I get for being spontaneous.”
“Well, you certainly made an impression on everyone.”
He leaned back on the railing and crossed his arms with a small shrug. “I wasn’t looking for any attention, I swear. I just couldn’t help myself when I saw that actor handle the actress like a clumsy teenager.”
Her laugh was soft. Suddenly unsure how she was going to go about this, she clasped her hands behind her, feeling like a teenager herself, waiting to be kissed. Jack had no idea. “I…I was hoping you could show me…how you did it.”
His brow lifted. “Oh…all right.” He took a hesitant step toward her with his arms out. “Come here.” She met him halfway.
His eyes smoldered, his expression turned serious. He slipped his right arm tight around her waist, his leg sliding between her knees, causing her to lean back with her hands gripping his forearms for balance. The late evening air swooshed around them. Her hair blew in her face, but Grace didn’t make a move to brush it away, spellbound by the passionate heat in her husband’s eyes. He was going to kiss her. He was searching her gaze and she silently tried to tell him yes. Yes. I want you to .
He moved in, his face inches from hers. So close. Her
Jack was here .
***
Because they were behind schedule, Grace had to log in extra hours, working late. She was tempted to call Jack but didn’t want to say what she had to over the phone.
What he’d said last night, what he’d done today, meant a lot to her: he wanted to be a part of her world, not just married to it, as she had told him a few days ago. He was starting to understand what she really meant.
When she saw his car parked in the driveway, she smiled.
After she walked in, she heard his voice and saw him standing outside on the patio, talking on his cell phone. His back was to her, one hand in his pocket, nodding and giving clipped, one-word answers. She stopped at the patio door, watching him, raking her eyes from his broad back to his tapered waist in his crisp, button-up shirt and dark slacks. She didn’t know how she’d been able to bear it this long.
Her heart raced with nervousness as she came to a decision she felt was right.
She wanted to be close to him again. Wholly. Completely. She yearned to surrender herself in Jack’s arms, and fly.
If they made love, her rules would be null and void; there would be no turning back. Not only because it would feel too good to go back, but because it wouldn’t be fair. Things would have to be different from this moment forward and she couldn’t allow their physical relationship to become their only bond, as it was before they separated. Back then, there was no talking, no arguing, just cold silence until their loneliness for each other begged to be noticed in the bedroom.
It felt different now. They were talking; they were both making an effort.
But she was tired of talking now.
She wanted him.
She was done denying him her body, done denying them both something that was absolutely organic between them.
He gave a hearty laugh at whatever the person on the other line had said, and it made Grace smile to hear it. Just then, he turned around and noticed her standing there, and he smiled softly. He took a step toward her, but then seemed to remember her no-touch rule and gave a short wave of greeting. “Look, Tom, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you on Monday.” He hung up.
Her stomach fluttered with fire-winged butterflies as he grinned at her. Would that feeling ever go away when he did that? “Welcome home.”
“Thanks. It felt like a long trip even though I was only gone one night.”
She couldn’t agree more. “The girls told me about your visit to the studio today.”
“Yeah….” He tucked his cell phone in a back pocket. “It was quite the experience.”
“So I heard. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“That’s what I get for being spontaneous.”
“Well, you certainly made an impression on everyone.”
He leaned back on the railing and crossed his arms with a small shrug. “I wasn’t looking for any attention, I swear. I just couldn’t help myself when I saw that actor handle the actress like a clumsy teenager.”
Her laugh was soft. Suddenly unsure how she was going to go about this, she clasped her hands behind her, feeling like a teenager herself, waiting to be kissed. Jack had no idea. “I…I was hoping you could show me…how you did it.”
His brow lifted. “Oh…all right.” He took a hesitant step toward her with his arms out. “Come here.” She met him halfway.
His eyes smoldered, his expression turned serious. He slipped his right arm tight around her waist, his leg sliding between her knees, causing her to lean back with her hands gripping his forearms for balance. The late evening air swooshed around them. Her hair blew in her face, but Grace didn’t make a move to brush it away, spellbound by the passionate heat in her husband’s eyes. He was going to kiss her. He was searching her gaze and she silently tried to tell him yes. Yes. I want you to .
He moved in, his face inches from hers. So close. Her
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