sleep clouding his eyes. The partial moon and neighbor’s porch light bled into the space. She swiped the warm tear away.
“What’s wrong?” he croaked in a whisper.
“Nothing.”
“Something.” He leaned in to sneak a peek at the sleeping baby. “Let me put her back in bed.” Without waiting for her to reply, he swept her up in his embrace. She liked that about him. Jade liked too many things about him. But she wasn’t Candy and he wasn’t Bob. This wasn’t a fairy tale. Their marriage was built on a multi-level foundation of lies and deceit.
Rick headed for the bathroom after placing Coral in her crib. Jade heard the toilet flush and the water run. He surprised her by coming back, taking a seat on the opposite end of the futon. She’d expected him to return to bed. Wedging his feet under her bum for warmth, judging by the feel of his icy toes, he took her foot in his hand and began massaging her heel.
“Tell me what’s bothering you.” He gently rubbed her toes. “Was it the sex?”
Feeling too choked up to talk, Jade shook her head. The sex was a welcome diversion from her problems. He was a welcome diversion. His foot rub was a welcome diversion. She did not want to get used to him.
“Do I snore?”
How could she tell him that men paid her to leave? She comes, and then she goes. She does not stay all night and canoodle. She’d been right about Rick. He was a cuddler, spooning her after sex, trapping her in a tangle of arms and legs. Never had she received a foot massage except when paying for a pedicure, for which, by the looks of her toes, she was overdue.
“You have gorgeous feet.” He pressed his lips to her instep.
Shaking her head, Jade pushed him away with her words. “You’re one sick fuck, Rick.”
Squinting in her direction, he asked, “I didn’t cross a line tonight, did I?”
Rick was naive. Her line was so far off in the horizon he couldn’t see it with binoculars, much less cross it. The line he’d crossed was the line between attraction and infatuation. He was closing in on love, and she needed to shut that shit down.
“I had fun,” she admitted. “But I want to know how you won. You cheated somehow.”
He swapped feet to rub the other. “I’m that darn good.”
“No. The truth.”
“I beat off earlier,” he admitted with a one-shouldered shrug.
“Ah!” That explained part of his sexual talent. The longevity part. She’d sneaked into his room the night before, not expecting much, only the warmth and touch of another human being. She’d wanted an orgasm but hadn’t pinned her hopes on him. He’d surprised her then and again tonight, or last night, as it was now well after midnight. “How did you…you know…win?”
“I’m not a wealthy man,” he confessed. “I’m not particularly cool. I’m not a stud. I’m a regular guy. If a regular guy wants pussy, he’s got to bring it .”
“You brought it all right.” She looked away, out the window. “And you’re not a regular guy.” He was the least regular guy she’d ever met. He made her want to laugh and cry, although she held both outbursts tightly inside. Every day, he became better-looking. “I’m sensing there’s more to the story.”
He breathed in, as if pondering. “I had a girlfriend who needed special attention in bed in order to cross the finish line. I got into the habit of making it happen, whatever it took. I’m dedicated.”
Jade laughed, but felt the unfamiliar twinge of jealousy for a woman in his past. A woman he’d probably adored and treasured like she’d never be treasured, not by him or anyone else. Jade had never been that important to any man that he’d do “whatever it took.”
“I always had the opposite problem.” She wrapped her arms protectively across her chest. “Look at me funny and I’d come. Clients love it. Loved it—past tense. Made them feel good in bed. Truth is I could squeeze my legs together on a public park bench and come. Or I used
“What’s wrong?” he croaked in a whisper.
“Nothing.”
“Something.” He leaned in to sneak a peek at the sleeping baby. “Let me put her back in bed.” Without waiting for her to reply, he swept her up in his embrace. She liked that about him. Jade liked too many things about him. But she wasn’t Candy and he wasn’t Bob. This wasn’t a fairy tale. Their marriage was built on a multi-level foundation of lies and deceit.
Rick headed for the bathroom after placing Coral in her crib. Jade heard the toilet flush and the water run. He surprised her by coming back, taking a seat on the opposite end of the futon. She’d expected him to return to bed. Wedging his feet under her bum for warmth, judging by the feel of his icy toes, he took her foot in his hand and began massaging her heel.
“Tell me what’s bothering you.” He gently rubbed her toes. “Was it the sex?”
Feeling too choked up to talk, Jade shook her head. The sex was a welcome diversion from her problems. He was a welcome diversion. His foot rub was a welcome diversion. She did not want to get used to him.
“Do I snore?”
How could she tell him that men paid her to leave? She comes, and then she goes. She does not stay all night and canoodle. She’d been right about Rick. He was a cuddler, spooning her after sex, trapping her in a tangle of arms and legs. Never had she received a foot massage except when paying for a pedicure, for which, by the looks of her toes, she was overdue.
“You have gorgeous feet.” He pressed his lips to her instep.
Shaking her head, Jade pushed him away with her words. “You’re one sick fuck, Rick.”
Squinting in her direction, he asked, “I didn’t cross a line tonight, did I?”
Rick was naive. Her line was so far off in the horizon he couldn’t see it with binoculars, much less cross it. The line he’d crossed was the line between attraction and infatuation. He was closing in on love, and she needed to shut that shit down.
“I had fun,” she admitted. “But I want to know how you won. You cheated somehow.”
He swapped feet to rub the other. “I’m that darn good.”
“No. The truth.”
“I beat off earlier,” he admitted with a one-shouldered shrug.
“Ah!” That explained part of his sexual talent. The longevity part. She’d sneaked into his room the night before, not expecting much, only the warmth and touch of another human being. She’d wanted an orgasm but hadn’t pinned her hopes on him. He’d surprised her then and again tonight, or last night, as it was now well after midnight. “How did you…you know…win?”
“I’m not a wealthy man,” he confessed. “I’m not particularly cool. I’m not a stud. I’m a regular guy. If a regular guy wants pussy, he’s got to bring it .”
“You brought it all right.” She looked away, out the window. “And you’re not a regular guy.” He was the least regular guy she’d ever met. He made her want to laugh and cry, although she held both outbursts tightly inside. Every day, he became better-looking. “I’m sensing there’s more to the story.”
He breathed in, as if pondering. “I had a girlfriend who needed special attention in bed in order to cross the finish line. I got into the habit of making it happen, whatever it took. I’m dedicated.”
Jade laughed, but felt the unfamiliar twinge of jealousy for a woman in his past. A woman he’d probably adored and treasured like she’d never be treasured, not by him or anyone else. Jade had never been that important to any man that he’d do “whatever it took.”
“I always had the opposite problem.” She wrapped her arms protectively across her chest. “Look at me funny and I’d come. Clients love it. Loved it—past tense. Made them feel good in bed. Truth is I could squeeze my legs together on a public park bench and come. Or I used
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