His Wife

by Ashley Hastings

  He sat me on top of his desk and impaled me with his erection. I gripped the wooden edge of the old desk and prayed it was as sturdy as it looked. He pounded me hard, and I could only make helpless little grunts of pleasure, holding on to him with all my might, trying to absorb his powerful thrusts. His rhythm caused my clit to rub against him. I arched my back, and he sucked my breasts like he was starving for me. That was all it took for me to come, crying out his name. Nathan followed close behind with his own orgasm, and then he held me next to his chest.

  "Let me make all the decisions now. You'll see how much you will love it when I'm in control." His voice was gentle and relaxed, and I panted as I came down from my high.

  I pressed a kiss to his chest. “I’ve liked all the decisions you’ve made for the last twenty minutes.”

  That surprised a laugh out of him.

  He took a monogrammed linen handkerchief from a desk drawer, blotted my tears, and then wiped between my legs without ceremony. I still managed to blush.

  He noticed and smiled. "I'll never get tired of these little blushes."

  Nathan cuddled me closer, pressing feather soft kisses to my face, his tenderness in stark contrast to the spanking and rigorous sex we just experienced.

  "I have what you need, Darby, whether you realize it or not. All you have to do is let go and follow my lead."

  Ten

  Nathan walked me upstairs to show me our bedroom. It was masculine in design, but as over the top luxurious as the rest of the house. There was an oversized, four-poster bed, antique dresser and chest, and a private sitting area.

  Orchids and ferns dotted the space, creating an overall pleasing effect. Despite the age of the house, I found two huge walk-in closets lined with fragrant cedar. Nathan explained that a smaller bedroom had been taken in by the master bedroom. The extra space was redesigned into a master bath and closets.

  I was ready for another shower and maybe even a quick nap. Between getting up early, the emotional stress of arriving at a new home, and the crazy good sex, I was exhausted. One look at the claw foot tub in our bathroom made me decide a bath was just what I needed.

  Nathan took the time to run the water for me and even helped me undress and get in the steamy, fragrant tub. He lit a few scented candles before he headed back to work, and his attention touched my heart.

  By the time I had a good, long soak, and then slept for a while, I was recharged, hungry, and ready to try again with Nathan's mother. I made my way down to the formal dining room and ran into my husband.

  "Ah, there you are, Darby. I checked on you a few minutes ago, and you were sleeping hard." He drew me close for a hug. "We usually eat breakfast and lunch in the morning room and dinner here in the dining room. Ready to eat?"

  "I'm starved. How is work going?” I grabbed his hand as we walked. “Are you working on anything in particular?"

  We continued chatting as we made our way into the morning room. Mother was there, and I was pleased to see Maxwell seated at the table, as well.

  "We eat lunch at twelve every day, Miss Turner." She picked up her napkin as she spoke.

  No need for air conditioning on this hot day. Mother's voice was chilling.

  "Oh, stop it, Mother." Nathan laughed. "We eat when we are ready to eat."

  He pulled out my chair and then seated himself next to me.

  The food arrived, brought in by a solemn-faced attendant in uniform. Plenty of hot soup, which I thought was an odd choice on a sweltering day. I tasted it with some skepticism, but it was salty and delicious. Fancy finger sandwiches and a platter of fruit followed the first course, and iced sweet tea sat next to our Waterford crystal water glasses. A lace tablecloth covered the table, and the silverware was genuine silver, heavy and lustrous.

  Nathan, Maxwell, and I conversed like old friends throughout the meal, but Mother was mostly silent. I noted that while Maxwell was an employee of the estate, he and Nathan were obvious friends. Maxwell seemed welcomed to the table as a friend. I liked that.

  “Darby, tell me about your wild college days. Your husband works me like a dog, and I never get to have any fun. Let me live through you.” Maxwell smirked at me as he was talking, and Nathan snorted with mock indignation.

  “You are the perfectionist when it comes to this estate, and you know it.” I could tell from their banter that this was a running joke between the two of them.

  “I don’t know about wild college days. Mostly I studied, and I worked in the university library three afternoons a week. If shelving dusty books gives you a thrill, well, there you go.” The men laughed with me, but I caught Mother rolling her eyes.

  “At least tell us you snuck alcohol and boys into the stacks with you. Lie to us if you must.” Maxwell grinned at me.

  “Stop it right now!” Nathan was laughing almost as much as I was at Maxwell’s silliness. “I don’t want to hear about my wife having wild adventures with college boys, thank you very much.”

  Nathan knew very well I remained a virgin throughout college, but I still wanted to reassure him. “I promise you, there were no boys and no alcohol during my work shifts. I was a hard worker. I needed that job!”

  “During your work shifts? Does that mean after hours was a different story?” Maxwell wasn’t giving up, and Mother looked furious.

  We ignored her, and continued our light conversation, bantering back and forth.

  All too soon, Nathan had to return to work, leaning down to kiss me with great ceremony before he left. I looked up from his kiss, pink-cheeked and smiling, and saw Mother glaring at me. My smile faded quickly, but I found my courage to speak.

  "I really love your son, more than I could ever find the words to express to you. It would be great if we could find a way to be friends. I'm sure it would mean a lot to Nathan, as well." I drained the last of my sweet tea, and tried to look calm. I was frustrated and unsure of what to do next to build my relationship with this woman.

  "I don't have anything against you, Miss Turner. You are simply too young to be mistress of Peacock Alley. I am disappointed my son did not take the time to find someone more suitable to take as his wife. You are certainly nothing like Savannah."

  Ouch.

  But she wasn't finished.

  "Savannah was perfection personified. She knew what to say, what to wear." Mother scoffed at my attire. Her eyes trailed over my yoga pants before continuing. "This estate and all that it entails is a huge responsibility. You simply will not do, Miss Turner. Time will show Nathan the truth."

  She stood as regal as a queen, folded her lace napkin neatly, and glided like a spooky and malevolent ghost out of the room.

  I sat stunned for a moment. What was so wrong with me that she couldn’t even pretend to like me? Then I laughed. Although this wasn't the start of my relationship with my new mother in law that I would have wanted, I had definitely never before been told off in such a dignified, formal way. "Mistress of Peacock Alley?" Who talked like that?

  Lost in my thoughts, I jumped when Maxwell spoke. I had forgotten he was still there.

  "Give her some time, Miss Darby. She will come around. She just doesn't handle change very well, and you were certainly a surprise to us all." His eyes twinkled at me as he made his exit, letting me know he thought I was a happy surprise.

  Determined not to let Mother dampen my good spirits, I spent the rest of the day in a lazy exploration of the house. I spotted a formal hedge maze through one window and made note to explore it later. It was just too hot to leave the house right now. My time in the courtyard earlier had proven that to me. Instead, I gazed at the impressive stained glass windows and looked at all the beautiful art on display as I made my way from room to room.

  I was particularly interested in the rooms on the eastern side of the house, as I was looking for a potential art studio. I needed an area with lots of good light. However, I didn't want to remove furniture that might have been in the same spot for almost 200 years. Tapping my toes as I thought it over, I
decided to consult Nathan about it later.

  Suddenly the back of my neck tingled as if someone had entered the room and was standing behind me. Whoever had come in, they had brought with them a faint scent of jasmine and lily perfume.

  Turning swiftly, I searched the room and saw that no one was there. I frowned in confusion. I guess this old house had my imagination running wild after all.

  Eleven

  Over the next few weeks, several of Nathan's friends and clients came over to the house. Word was getting out that he hadn't only remarried but had taken a much younger bride. I imagined I was the subject of many conversations around town, and there was probably a lot of wild speculation going on, but I did not mind. I was eager to meet his friends and to get to know them.

  Unfortunately, Mother was also often present during these gatherings. When Tom Nolan, Nathan's financial planner, stopped by, she was the one to bring him and his wife, Beth, into the parlor. I trailed behind, feeling out of place.

  How could I jump into this conversation? Just say “Hey. I’m Darby, Nathan’s wife.” That sounded so awkward.

  Mother greeted Tom right away. “Nathan is on a call right now. Perhaps he will join the three of us in a few minutes. In the meanwhile, let’s have a seat and chat.”

  I noticed her choice of words excluded me from the conversation, and I searched for a way to join in without looking obvious. I thought back to the beginning of my morning with my husband, and had an idea.

  Nathan and I had begun eating breakfast in our bedroom, a cozy little ritual where he would read articles of interest from the New York Times aloud to me, and discuss the day-to-day operations of his company. I was learning a lot about Nathan’s daily affairs as a result. I had quickly started to cherish those early morning moments with him, although a part of me had wondered if he had enjoyed that same routine with his first wife.

  “Tom, Nathan was just telling me this morning about your latest stock recommendation. I believe he said it was a new startup company that is working on a flying car.”

  Tom’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes. Nathan gave me hell about that. Said it sounded like science fiction. We’ve been investigating it closely, however, and it seems like a good find. Nathan bought quite a few shares of their stock.”

  “Yes! I teased Nathan about it. I told him it seemed crazy, but then we were reading in the paper about how Uber was investing in this same company.”

  Cook brought in an antique silver tray and set it before Mother. The tray held coffee and all its accompaniments, including sugar and creamer. I reached over and grabbed the carafe before Mother could pick it up. I poured Beth a cup of coffee and offered her the sugar bowl.

  Mother frowned at me. I ignored her, and offered Tom his own cup of coffee.

  “Right. Whether or not they actually succeed with their ideas, the announcement about Uber has already made the stock price jump significantly. It’s looking like he made the right decision after all.” Tom stirred a little creamer into his cup.

  We continued chatting about the future of this particular stock, and I had no problem contributing to our talk as I poured a cup of coffee for myself.

  Mother seemed occupied in a discussion with Tom’s wife about the dry weather. However, Mother couldn't allow me to have a successful conversation with one of Nathan's associates. That just would not do. As soon as she realized the discussion was going well, she decided to speak up and put me in my place immediately.

  "Mr. Nolan, you really shouldn't confuse her like that."

  Mother always spoke in an ice-cold voice, devoid of all emotion, at least when she was talking to or about me. For the first time, I considered the possibility that she was jealous of the attention I was getting.

  Tom and I paused our conversation and turned to her. Beth leaned toward Mother, too.

  “How am I confused?” I tried to laugh it off and not show how much her words bothered me.

  Mother ignored my question.

  "Miss Turner is barely out of school. She's not ready to talk about grown-up subjects like the stock market." She laughed her trilling laugh that irritated me so much, and fingered her pearls, another of her habits that I was increasingly finding annoying. I would like to snatch that necklace off her neck, just to see her reaction.

  Disgruntled, I didn't know what to say in reply.

  Tom considered her for a moment and then said in reply, "Nathan certainly seems impressed with her abilities. He has talked my ear off about how quick she is to discuss his business dealings, and how eagerly she is learning how his business operates.” He turned back to me. “Now that I've met you, Darby, I can see for myself why he is so taken with you."

  Smooth. My eyes lit up when I realized he was defending me. I was really finding that I liked Tom.

  Mother looked sour with her pursed lips and perpetual frown. Although now that I think about it, that seemed to be her usual expression, at least when I'm in the room. I was riding high on this small triumph until Beth joined the conversation.

  "Darby, I have to ask. Will you be hosting parties now that you have moved into the house? We haven't had any parties here since Savannah died. She was a wonderful host! Full of charm and wit. We had so much fun, didn't we, Tom?" Her voice was light and carefree.

  Tom had the grace to look uncomfortable. Mother almost purred in her satisfaction.

  I gathered myself. "I'm sure we will have a party before too long. Right now, Nathan is staying busy working, and I'm still getting settled in." I smiled with exaggerated sweetness at the group. "We are still on our honeymoon, after all."

  OVER THE WEEKS TO COME, I had several encounters like that. Nathan's friends were wonderful people who seemed welcoming and friendly to me, but I kept overhearing conversations where they were comparing me to Savannah. I guess the comparison was inevitable, just a quirk of human nature. I would probably do the same in their shoes. Unfortunately, I heard all about her incredible beauty, the wild parties they were still laughing over, how funny she was, and the fun pranks she liked to pull on people, and on and on. It stung even though I tried not to let it show.

  Two women, in particular, had me again questioning what Nathan saw in me. They had dropped by unexpectedly to meet me. They both volunteered in the school system, and Nathan frequently donated money to make improvements to the local elementary school. In fact, he had recently made a donation to the school library in my name.

  I had gone to the kitchen to fetch some more sweet tea for my visitors, and when I returned to the parlor, they were conversing in low murmurs. I stopped in my tracks outside the door when I heard my name. I stepped back from the doorway so they wouldn’t see me.

  "Darby is so very different from Savannah, isn't she?"

  Jennifer was the one speaking, I think. Curly hair and fake boobs. She was also the wife of one of Nathan's business associates. I couldn't remember the other woman's name at all.

  "Yes, she is so shy and doesn't seem to have much to say. Savannah would run all over her." There was a nervous giggle. "I wonder why Nathan chose someone so quiet to marry."

  "And so young!"

  "Right. It is very odd. I thought when Nathan did not start dating again, it probably was because he wasn't over Savannah's death. Maybe he married Darby because she was so different from his first wife? Maybe he didn't want someone who reminded him of his true love." Her voice was catty.

  "Hush! She should be back any minute." More nervous giggles followed.

  Their voices dropped to mere whispers, but it was probably better for me that I couldn't hear what they were saying. I had heard enough.

  Crushed, I clutched the pitcher of tea to my chest and willed myself not to cry. I waited for a beat before I entered the room, so they wouldn't realize I had overheard them.

  I couldn't help but think that Savannah would have known just what to say to these women to put them in their place. Or perhaps she wouldn't have even cared about their opinion. She would have just tossed her long hair back and
went on about her business without another thought.

  Not me. For days afterward, I would be engaged in some small task, their words would come back to me unbidden, and I would feel embarrassed and uncomfortable all over again.

  Twelve

  The late summer heat was unbelievably oppressive. I was unable to explore the grounds of the estate very much at all. The high temperatures stole the breath right out of my lungs and made me light-headed, so I tried to stay inside as much as possible.

  However, one early morning before the heat of the day really kicked in, Maxwell took me for a ride in a golf cart to check on the irrigation of the pecan trees, and I was impressed with the sheer size of the property. I eagerly looked forward to a break in the weather so I could get out and walk around.

  “Do you think the heat will ever drop enough that I can start taking some long walks? I really want to get to know the property.” I fanned myself with one hand. Even though it was early, the humidity was already high.

  "There's certainly a lot to see outside of the house, Miss Darby. In fact, if you look closely enough, you might find relics of the Civil War in some of these fields. There weren't any battles fought on the property, thank goodness, but both Union and Confederate soldiers occupied the house and camped in the surrounding fields at different points in the war.”

  Maxwell stopped the golf cart to let a wild turkey hurry across our path. It disappeared into the brush without a trace.

  “They camped here? That’s incredible.” I grew up in a subdivision where all the houses looked exactly alike. I couldn’t imagine stumbling across a relic from the Civil War in my backyard.

  “Fortunately, the commander of the Union troops that marched through here had once been entertained at Peacock Alley before hostilities broke out. He fell in love with the estate, so he didn't allow his troops to burn the house or the surrounding crops. Most of the plantations in this area were burned to the ground during the war, and were never rebuilt."