Somewhere Far Away

by E. L. Todd

  “Because I was depressed,” I snapped. “Not because I was in pain.”

  She stilled at the venom in my voice but didn’t react overtly. She pressed the locks on the wheelchair and waited for me to sit down.

  Now I felt like a dick. I never talked to her like that, even when I was mad. I knew it was the pain driving me forward. “Baby, I’m sorry…”

  She didn’t look at me so I knew she hadn’t forgiven me.

  “I didn’t mean to snap…I’m just in pain.”

  “You don’t handle pain very well.” It was a subtle jab but the insult went deep.

  Since I deserved it, I didn’t counter. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you in front of him.”

  “You shouldn’t have yelled. Period.” Even though I was nothing but an amazing husband to her, Scarlet wouldn’t put up with my shit when I slipped up. She never let me get away with it, and I respected her for it.

  “You’re completely right.” I didn’t mind admitting fault—to her.

  “Don’t do it again.” She stood behind the wheelchair and waited for me to sit down. Not once did she look me in the eye.

  “Baby, look at me.” I knew she wouldn’t do it unless she’d really forgiven me.

  After a few seconds, she lifted her chin then met my gaze.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I forgive you.”

  The strain left my chest when I knew she wasn’t angry with me anymore.

  “Now let’s get you home.”

  ***

  The road to recovery was difficult. I didn’t like being injured and weak. When I wasn’t on pain medication, the agony consumed me. It was so powerful that I couldn’t think of anything else. While I wanted my family over to keep me company, I hated letting them see me like this. I knew it hurt Skye and Roland the most.

  Scarlet was patient with me and put up with my bad temper when I didn’t deserve her grace. She took care of me every moment of the day. When the pain came on, she ran her fingers through my hair the way I liked. When I couldn’t sleep, she would tell me a story while rubbing me gently everywhere. Her beautiful voice and gentle touch soothed me like nothing else.

  I really wanted to be with my wife—sexually. But that wasn’t really an option. I couldn’t be on top because I was afraid I would rip my wound open again. And I couldn’t be on the bottom either because the pressure from above might penetrate it. I didn’t have any options. It made me feel useless that I couldn’t satisfy my wife. I knew she needed me the moment the accident happened, and it seemed like making love was the only thing that could truly fix both of us.

  Scarlet sat beside me on the couch while the game was on. The new medication was much better than the old one, but it made me feel slightly high. But as long as I wasn’t in pain, I was good.

  Scarlet had one leg over mine and she leaned closer to me, her head on my shoulder.

  It was nice to do something normal, something we used to do when I was whole and well. To other people, my life was pretty boring. I didn’t go out to strip clubs or bars when I was off of work. Instead, I went straight home to my wife and had dinner with her. Then we would watch TV or read together. I did the same thing every night but I loved every moment of it.

  Scarlet leaned into me then pressed a gentle kiss on my neck.

  Just the innocent touch sent shivers down my spine. I hadn’t been with her in three weeks and I was going a little crazy. She looked sexy in everything she wore, and the way she swayed her hips when she walked was cock throbbing. I’d been trying to put the thoughts out of my head since there was nothing I could do about it, but when she kissed me like that I struggled.

  Scarlet kissed me again, trailing her lips up to my ear. Then her tongue moved slightly over my ear, lighting me on fire.

  I released an involuntary moan.

  Her hand glided passed my thigh and over my crotch. She found my hard-on through my jeans like she already knew it was there. She massaged the definition gently as she nibbled on my earlobe.

  I wanted to ask her to stop but I couldn’t.

  Then she unbuttoned my jeans and pulled down my fly. Her hands grasped my length under my boxers and pulled it out so it was visible and approachable. Her fingers wrapped around my length and squeezed it gently.

  Now I didn’t care about my injury. I wanted to take her right on the couch and bury myself in her.

  Scarlet leaned over me and pressed her lips to my tip. Then she moved her tongue over the head, licking it.

  Oh my fucking god.

  She opened her mouth to take me in, but I gripped her neck and stopped her. She looked at me with confusion in her eyes.

  I had no idea where I found the strength to stop her, but I found it somewhere. “No.”

  “Why not?” She unbuttoned the top of her blouse with a single hand.

  My eyes immediately went to her cleavage line. She had the nicest rack I’d ever seen. Even if she were deaf and blind I would have married her for that reason alone. “It’s not fair to you. I want to be with you…not just enjoy you.”

  “I don’t mind.” Her hand massaged my shaft.

  A moan escaped from deep in my throat. “No.”

  She released an irritated sigh. “I know you’re frustrated. You deserve to be satisfied and relaxed.”

  “After what happened…I can’t be with you like this. It has to be the real thing.” I couldn’t explain why. To me, a blowjob was something a woman did to please her partner. But I didn’t want to be pleased. I wanted to combine my soul with hers like we always did, especially now that we knew, beyond a doubt, that the universe made us just for each other.

  The desire left her eyes and her lips fell in sadness. “I don’t want to wait. I would rather have some of you than none of you.”

  I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to completely recover from what happened but it could be weeks, even months. How could I turn down my wife, the sexiest woman in the world? I had to figure it out. “I have an idea.”

  “Yeah?” Her eyes sparkled in interest.

  “Let’s go upstairs.”

  She looked more excited than I did. She immediately left the couch and headed to the stairs.

  I walked slowly so I wouldn’t pull anything. My legs didn’t hurt but my back was extremely tender. When I made it into our bedroom I pulled my clothes away. I had large gauze wrapped around my torso. It covered my belly button.

  Scarlet sat on the bed then undid her remaining buttons. Then she pulled her top off, revealing her slim waist and perky tits. The black lacy bra showed a small amount of her skin and I wanted to kiss it everywhere.

  I kicked my jeans and boxers off then climbed on the bed. I moved slowly so I wouldn’t strain myself but I didn’t notice the pain at this point. My dick was too hard and my mind was in the gutter.

  I undid her bra with a single hand and kissed her neck as I did it. Scarlet melted at my touch immediately, moaning into my ear. My hands moved to her jeans and I pulled them off her tight ass. When her panties were revealed, I kissed the skin of her hips.

  I couldn’t handle any more foreplay because I was so desperate for her. She was ready long before I was so I knew she was ready to go. I lay on my side that was furthest away from the injury then pulled her close to me. She was on her side as well like we were about to go to sleep.

  Scarlet was flexible so I lifted her knee to her chest then placed her leg over my shoulder, nowhere near my back. Our bodies were directly in line and it would be the easiest way to be together without injuring myself. We could have done it doggy style but that wouldn’t have felt right. I wanted to look into her face and kiss her. That was my favorite part.

  I inserted myself within her slowly, wanting to crumble the moment we were united. She felt a million times better than I remembered. I slowly rocked into her as her leg was pressed against my chest. My lips found hers as I kissed her slowly.

  She moaned the entire time, and I knew it wouldn’t take long to get her off.<
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  I gripped her as we moved together, and I felt a distant thud in my chest. It was on the opposite side of my heart, and the sensation radiated everywhere. It burned slightly, and sometimes I couldn’t tell if it was painful or pleasurable.

  Scarlet moved her hands to the area on my chest. It was like she knew it was there. “Do you feel that?” she said through her heavy breathing.

  “Yes,” I said as I moved into her.

  “That’s my soul.”

  My hand moved to her chest automatically. “And this is mine.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Arsen

  “Where are my clothes going to go?” I crossed my arms over my chest as I stared at the closet. It was packed with women’s shoes, clothes, and jewelry. There wasn’t any space left for anything else.

  Silke shrugged. “In the guest closet…?”

  “Why don’t you put half your things in the guest closet and I’ll put my stuff here?”

  She pressed her lips tightly together. “But then everything will be separated…”

  I forced myself not to roll my eyes. “Fine. You can have the closet.”

  She grinned from ear-to-ear. “Yay.”

  I opened the drawer to my dresser so I could put my t-shirts inside. But it was already stuffed with clothes. I opened the other drawers and saw them equally packed with dresses and tank tops. “Um…Silke?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Is there room for any of my things?” I turned around and gave her an incredulous look.

  “Of course there is.” She opened the drawer on the bottom left. “All yours.”

  I stared at it blankly. “You expect me to fit all my clothes in there?”

  “No,” she said quickly. “You can hang up the rest of your things in the other closet.”

  Since she was so cute and I loved having her around, I decided not to complain. “Whatever.”

  Triumph came into her eyes when she got her way.

  I put an offer on the house a month ago and I finally got it. The three of us moved our stuff in the second I had the keys. Ryan co-signed the lease for me and now I was officially a homeowner.

  Abby loved it. There was a small backyard where she could run around and play in the grass. I got her a small jungle gym and she thought that was the coolest thing in the world.

  Her room was much larger than her old one. Now she had large windows with a small nook underneath it where she could sit. There was plenty of room for her toys, and she had an adult-size closet all to herself.

  The house had hardwood floors, and the walls were painted gray with white trimming. It was definitely a house I could picture us in for a long time. Abby would spend every Christmas before the fire next to the tree, and the lights would flicker through the window. I knew she would be happy here.

  Silke loved the place too—particularly the closets. She hogged a lot of my space, but I didn’t complain because having her there made me really happy. When we moved in and Silke brought her things, Abby didn’t seem to think it was odd. I feared she might say something like she was uncomfortable with the new living arrangements, but thankfully she didn’t.

  “I love it here.” Silke moved to the bed then plopped down on it. She bounced slightly on the new mattress. I got a king size so we would have plenty of room. When our kids came into the bedroom on Sunday mornings, I wanted there to be plenty of room to cuddle.

  “I love it too. “I sat beside her and stared at the room.

  “You know what it’s missing?”

  “Hmm?”

  “A dog.”

  “You want to get a dog?” The idea amused me.

  “I think Abby would like it.”

  I smiled at the thought. “She would.”

  “After she gets settled, maybe we should pick one out for her. It would be a great edition to this house.”

  I rested my hand on her thigh. “To this family.”

  She scooted closer to me then pressed her face into my neck. “I’m so excited to live with you.”

  “I am too.” My arm moved around her waist.

  She pulled away and looked at me. “Since you bought me this beautiful house, I want to do something for you.”

  “Yeah?” I couldn’t remove the expectant look off my face.

  “Yeah.” Her hands moved to my jeans and began to unbutton them. “How about a nice blow job then a grilled cheese?”

  “Mmm…sounds very nice.”

  She moved to her knees on the floor and pulled down my jeans along with my boxers.

  I gathered her hair in one hand then watched her lips inch closer to my tip. I couldn’t hold back the unstoppable moan that escaped my lips. The moment her lips touched me I would be lost.

  And it would feel fucking amazing.

  ***

  I was signing the checks for the employees when my office phone rang. I immediately grabbed it and put it to my ear as I continued adding my signature to the checks. “Arsen.”

  “Silke.” Her feminine voice came through the receiver.

  I immediately dropped my pen and a smile stretched my lips. “What a nice surprise.”

  “Is it really that surprising that I call you and distract you from work?”

  “Nope…you are good at distracting.”

  She chuckled. “So…I got a late lunch break today and I’m not hungry.”

  “Yeah?” I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

  “How about I swing by and you bend me over your desk like a naughty girl?”

  I loved it when she was kinky like this. It took us a long time to get back to where we were before after our bad fight, but it seemed like we managed it. Silke was particularly playful with me when she was secure. “You are a naughty girl…you did take up all the closet space.”

  “And I deserve to be spanked.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” This conversation was making me hard.

  “I’ll be there soon. Try not to start without me.”

  I leaned back in my chair and smirked. “I never start without you.”

  Without saying goodbye, she hung up.

  I returned the phone to the receiver then stepped out of my office. If there was anything I could take care of before Silke arrived, it was the best time. I headed to the register and collected the receipts and cash to put in the safe. Then I looked out the window, hoping to see Silke approach.

  Instead, I met the gaze of someone I didn’t know. She had bright blue eyes like mine, and her face had premature lines, like she’d been out in the sun way too long. She stood in the rear of the building, not in line but not waiting for anything.

  It was odd.

  Those eyes caught my attention and I wasn’t sure why. Why couldn’t I turn away?

  She never removed her gaze. Then abruptly, she turned away and left the building. Once she disappeared from the sight of the windows I stopped staring. I turned to my assistant. “What did that woman want?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “She just came in here and stood there. When I asked what she wanted, she didn’t say anything. She was there for about five minutes before you came out.”

  That woman rubbed me the wrong way but I didn’t understand why. When I looked at her, I immediately thought of cigarette smoke and booze. It left a bad taste in my mouth, like ash.

  The door opened and Silke walked inside, wearing a purple dress that showed her long and lean legs. “I know I’m beautiful but you don’t have to act totally shocked every time you see me.”

  I hadn’t noticed she was there until she spoke. I quickly wiped off the suspicious look on my face then forced a smile. I pushed the odd woman from my mind and headed to the office. “Thanks for stopping by. Is there something you wanted to discuss?” I kept it professional in front of my workers.

  She gave me a mischievous look. “Yes, there’s something we need to have a long and hard talk about.”

  ***

  “How are things?” Ryan asked from across the table. He was eating
a slice of pizza with his elbows on the surface. There was a large hole in the sleeve of his t-shirt.

  “Alright. Everything would be much better if Silke didn’t hog every drawer and closet.”

  Ryan chuckled before he took another bite. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

  “Other than that, everything is pretty great.”

  “Abby likes the new place?”

  “She loves it.” Making my daughter happy made me happy. I loved watching her climb on the jungle gym in the backyard while I sat on the patio furniture and watched her. Silke usually read in her chair beside me, her nose in her kindle.

  “Awesome,” Ryan said. “It’s probably a good change for Abby.”

  “Yeah…” I hated Lydia but I wish she were still here. It was nice having Abby to myself but my daughter didn’t deserve to lose her mother at such a young age. I didn’t always approve of Lydia’s tactics, but I knew she loved Abby with everything she had.

  “How’s she doing?” Ryan asked with a somber look in his eyes.

  “She’s doing better. I can tell she still thinks about it though. She gets this look in her eyes over dinner or when she’s playing with her toys. I know she misses Lydia.”

  “It’s understandable.”

  “I wish I could take the pain off her shoulders. But I just don’t know how.”

  “She’ll heal in time. You can’t put a Band-Aid on her heart.”

  But I wish I could try.

  “Abby doesn’t mind having Silke there all the time?”

  “It doesn’t seem like it. Letting Abby get used to her being around was a good idea. When everything is settled, I’ll finally ask Silke to marry me.”

  Ryan smiled. “Good. The fact Slade married before Silke is something Janice and I can’t wrap our heads around.”

  I laughed. “It’s a miracle, isn’t it?”

  “I guess he just happened to find the right girl at a young age. It didn’t happen for me for a very long time.”

  “I remember the first time I saw Silke…” It seemed like yesterday when she walked into that bar. I was talking with two blondes about a threesome, and they were into the idea. But when I saw Silke I couldn’t care less about them. Somehow, I just knew.