“That’s so great. I love you happy.”
“And this part of the project is pretty small scale. They already said if it goes well, they have two other projects that will swiftly follow.”
Stepping closer to him, she sighed when he automatically wrapped his arms around her. “You’re such a rockstar.”
“Just trying to keep up with my wife.”
“Sweet talker.”
“Every chance I get.” He glanced around her and she followed his gaze to the food cooking on the stove. “What else do we need to do?”
“Cut up bread and butter pickles, and timewise I think we’re pretty good to get the grill on and get crackin’ on those ribs.”
He pulled her close for a kiss. “I’ll go turn on the gas, then. Fuck, I love talking to you.”
“I love doing everything with you.” Not a joke. Not an exaggeration. Each little thing she got to do was better with him.
“Wrecked.” One more kiss and he pulled away to walk toward the back door.
Best unexpected Friday she could remember.
Walking to the fridge, she renewed her vow to make the most of their time together. Maybe this was the beginning of everything getting back on track. And she sure wasn’t going to take it for granted.
* * * *
An hour and a half later, they were seated outside at the table on the patio, next to their garden, digging into dinner, and they were both on their second glass of wine.
Tabitha had forgotten she’d bought corn on the cob for the weekend so they’d shucked it waiting for the grill to heat and the potatoes to cook. Michael had buttered them up with salt and pepper and wrapped them in foil to put on the grill with the ribs.
Michael had been telling her all about his projects, and there were a lot of them to talk about. Him coming home early to have a surprise date with her was even that much more special with everything he had on his plate. The design work was legion and all of the construction crews he headed at the same time? Yowza.
“You do as much work as three regular people,” Tabitha told him.
“It’s a lot, but I don’t think it’s that much.” He took a drink of wine. “At least not on some days. Next week is probably going to be a bit busier than normal.”
Tabitha moved a rib to his plate.
“You do love me,” he told her as he picked it up and gnawed on it. “Delicious.”
After another bite of potato salad, Tabitha asked, “How much busier than normal?”
“Have to find time for the museum guys to come in and talk. Still don’t know when that’s going to happen. No matter how many times I try to shift things around the pieces don’t fit yet. But I also have another big meeting with Wes and his project manager for that new government project.”
“Well, I see it as very simple.”
He paused mid-bite. “How’s that?”
“Go in tomorrow and get some things done. You came home early tonight, which I’m sure put you even farther behind. Go take care of some of it so you aren’t so stressed.”
“But tomorrow’s Saturday.”
“Yes. So?”
“It’s our cooking class.”
Warmth and love filled her chest that he’d remembered. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, too. Ask a favor. I was wondering if you’d mind if I took Robin with me. She can’t boil water and I think Logan could maybe help. Maybe.” She made a face and he laughed. “If you’d be okay with me taking her and broadening her horizons, then I’d say it would be a perfect opportunity for you to get some things marked off your ever-growing to-do list.”
He pulled her close and kissed her mouth. His lips tasted like barbeque sauce and love.
“Like that idea, I take it?”
“Best. Wife. Ever. As in, the history of ever. That would be perfect.” He stared at her very seriously. “But only if you’re okay with me not going. Only if it’s completely one hundred percent not going to upset you.”
“I think it’s perfect. I’d been meaning to talk to you about the cooking class since last night.” She thought about it for a second. “And I’m totally okay with it. You’d actually be doing me a huge favor.” Her gaze dropped to his crotch. “I might even owe you one in thanks.”
“Oh, well, far be it from me to say no to a lady when she wants to say thank you.” He gave her another kiss and they went back to eating.
Then Tabitha smiled and laughed. “And did I hear you say you had a meeting with Wes next week? I believe you’ll need to return some rope to him from our date tomorrow. That's so sexy.” She sighed.
Michael stared at her with a look of love. And lust. “That sigh. Anything you’d care to share, my hot wife?”
“I really liked you walking in to him fucking me the other night. Your face, even though you knew about it? Priceless.”
“All of the blood in my body rushed to my dick in about three seconds. Don’t even remember what I said. I’m sure there was cussing in it. You are so deliciously beautiful. And that you like what I like so much, need it as much as I do? Luckiest man ever.”
“It was hot and dirty to have you walk in on him fucking me. In our bed, but…”
“But what? You know you can tell me anything.”
“I know.” She averted her eyes because she knew she was keeping some things from him. Some feelings. It took her a second to look at him again. She didn’t want to ruin their night by talking about anything negative, but there was something she really did want to talk to him about. “The dirtiness of fucking Wes in our bed and having you walk in was delicious, but it left me feeling a bit off.”
“What do you mean by off?” Michael took another bite of corn and acted as if anything she said was going to be no big thing. That helped her keep going.
“I know he’s been in the house a few times. Fucked me there, and it’s always been fun and easy. Even in our bed. But the other night it almost felt like a violation to us. I liked the concept of it more than the actual act.”
“Then we change the rules.” He bobbed his eyebrows at her, which made her laugh. “Our extracurricular activities are just that. Pure fun and frivolity and dirty sex. If you have any misgivings about something, then we change them.”
“Just like that? So, if I wanted to change the date this weekend to a hotel?”
“Of course. Absolutely change it. You having any reservations about a date is a red for me. And that goes for any of it. All of it.”
“Awesome. Then I think that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” She may have just wanted to hear him say it. Confirm they were on the same page. The hotel was closer to his office by about ten minutes, which did it for her, too. She kept the last part to herself because she didn’t want him to think she doubted him. Not for a second. Though him not making it for some reason had eaten into her thoughts several times.
Him missing their dinner the other night had left her even more shaken than she wanted to admit.
“Epic Friday dinner,” he praised as he pushed his plate away a few inches. “With the best company a man could ask for. And the sexiest.”
Tabitha wiped her mouth and leaned back in her chair as a gentle breeze ruffled her hair. “So good. I didn’t realize I was that hungry.” Staring at her husband, she sighed.
He reached for her hand, “Yes, my beautiful wife? Happy?”
“The happiest. Ever. As in…ever, ever. I needed this more than I think I knew.” She shook her head and leaned toward him. “You. I needed you.”
Michael’s warm palm cupped her cheek. “Ditto. I know I’ve been working a lot, but it’s all paying off. I honestly never thought the company could be this successful.”
“It’s not successful. You are. You make it successful because you work so hard. You’re dedicated, which is one of the many reasons I fell in love with you so many years ago.”
“And what are some of the other reasons?”
“You have a big cock and you do this thing with your tongue that makes
my panties wet just to think about.”
Laughter burst out of him and a few birds flew away from a tree at the back of the yard. “I love your honesty.”
A bit of unease crawled up her spine and she shoved it back down. “So, how about we clean up and then veg in front of the TV? I also need to text Robin and make sure she sort of knows what she’s in for.”
“Sort of?” he asked as he pushed his chair back from the table.
She joined him and grabbed their plates to carry them back inside. “The hard part will be getting her up and ready by seventy-thirty. That girl is not a morning person. Then I’ll let Logan bring the awesome when she’s actually there.”
Michael followed her inside with their wine glasses and the rest of what had been the table. “Good luck with that. Go ahead and text her. I’ll get things cleaned up and put up and go make sure the grill is taken care of.”
“Great.” Tabitha scraped the plates into the trash and set them in the sink.
As she turned, Michael trapped her between his body and the counter. “Have to pay the toll to pass.” He wrapped his arms around her and she smoothed her palms up his biceps and around to his back.
“Oh, I do, do I? What would this toll consist of?”
He stared at the ceiling for a second before dropping his gaze to her again. “Two kisses. One now and one later.”
“Later? What exactly is that kiss going to entail?”
One of his eyebrows lifted. “Oh, I’ll make sure you don’t miss the specifics of it when I request payment.” Then his lips were on her. Her lips, jaw, throat. And he was all over her, loving her, seducing her.
She jerked against him as if she was about to come and wanted to beg as he rubbed his hardening cock against her pelvis. Just that fast she could go from a little horny to completely desperate for him.
As he pulled away it took her a second to get her eyes open. “Is the other kiss going to be anything like that?”
“Oh, yeah. But wetter. And on another set of lips.” He kept going toward the back door.
“What? I thought I was going to be kissing you on another certain appendage.”
“Only if you’re a very good girl. I have a very big need to lick your pussy until you scream and then I’m going to make love to you till you come again. Or maybe fuck you until you scream again. I’m a little iffy on the specifics. Some things just need to be decided in the moment, you see.”
“I see,” she whispered to his back as he walked outside. She shook her head and put her cool hands on her cheeks. “Hottest. Man. And he’s mine.” With a shake of her head to try to clear it, she grabbed her phone from the counter and shot a text off to Robin. It took her several tries to get all the misspellings out of it. Autocorrect had a field day with her fuzzy brain.
Hey, neighbor. We’re a go for tomorrow morning. Need you up and ready at 7:30 in the am.
Before she could put her phone down it dinged that she had a text back.
WTF.
You must have the wrong number.
Who is this?
Couldn’t be Tabitha down the street because she knows I’m not functional until after 9.
Or 10.
You’ll be just fine. I’ll even buy you coffee on the way to cooking class. Oh, and bring an apron.
Oh, hell, no.
You want me up at 7:30?
In the morning?
And then you want me to cook?
Do you have a death wish?
“How’s it going?” Michael asked as he stepped inside and locked the back door.
“It’s taking some convincing. Hey, come take a picture for me.” She turned the camera on and handed her phone to him. Clasping her hands together beneath her chin, she made an imploring face.
He snapped the picture with a chuckle and handed the camera back. “Having to pull out the big guns, I see.”
“She’s just playing hard to get.”
His lips on her neck as he moved around her to the sink made her shiver and she had to try even harder to concentrate. Attaching the picture, she added, Come on. It’ll be fun.
Ugh.
The pretty please face.
Is that a yes? ☺
Meh.
Fine.
7:30.
Do I need to pay for the class?
Other than with the life force you’ll obviously be sucking out of me?
Ha!
Nope. The life force will be payment enough.
This will change your life. You’ll see.
Uh-huh. Sure, it will. That coffee better be HUGE when you get here.
We’ll go once I pick you up so you can get whatever size you like.
Deal.
Now I’m going to bed.
7:30. In the morning.
I must really love you.
SMH.
Night.
Night!
Tabitha added a ton of heart and kissing emojis to seal the deal before she put her phone back on the counter.
“I take that slightly evil mwahaha you just spouted was proof she said yes.”
“You are correct. She’ll be half-asleep until her caffeine kicks in, then she’ll be ready to rock and roll.”
Michael loaded the rest of the dishes in the dishwasher and dried his hands. “I think you’re just a few percent sadist.”
“Me?” she asked with mock offense.
“You, my darling wife. Okay.” He grabbed her hand and went toward the living room. “What do you want to watch? TV, movie, something recorded?”
“Not a movie. I’m already getting tired and don’t want to fall asleep in the middle and not know how something ended. Ooh, can we watch that tiny house show I recorded? Those fascinate me. I could never do it, but…it’s so fascinating.”
“Perfect.”
They collapsed on the couch and she grabbed the remote control. Less than a minute later the show she’d recorded earlier in the week was playing on the TV.
Michael got up.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yep. Just gonna kill the lights.” He flipped off the switches for the living room and cast the space into darkness, but for the light from the television.
Tabitha glanced outside. “Got dark.” She glanced at the clock. “Nine-thirty? Really? I wondered why Robin was talking about going to bed.”
Michael pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it at the floor by the end of the couch. His shorts followed. Then he pulled Tabitha to her feet and flicked open her shorts.
Fuck, she loved it when he handled her.
He stripped off her shorts and pushed her panties off with them. “Panties? Naughty, naughty.” He tsked as he helped her step out of her clothes.
Elation filled her as she tugged her tank top over her head. “In my defense, you said you were going to be late.”
“Mmm. Sans bra. No wonder I could see your nipples get hard earlier. I’ll consider it an even trade. Such a good girl.” He climbed onto the couch with his head on a pillow and his body along the full back of it.
Tabitha stretched out in front of him and snuggled into his chest.
His warmth enveloped her immediately and he grabbed a thin blanket from the back of the couch to cover them with.
“I love you,” she whispered in the near dark as he pulled her closer.
“Love you. So much.” He kissed her hair and they settled against each other to watch the show.
A couple minutes later, she speculated how long he was going to be able to stay awake. He’d had another early morning and now they were full and they’d had wine and—
Michael’s cock jumped against the flesh of her backside.
She froze, wondering if he was going to do something about it.
Then he settled against her and kissed her shoulder.
Another couple of minutes went by and his cock twitched once more. No more than a minute and it happened again.
The purr came from somewhere deep inside and she tilted her hips agai
nst him.
“Fuck. You so do it for me.”
She lifted up a couple of inches to put herself at the right angle for him to take her, but he moved the other way, toward the opposite end of the couch.
“What are you doing?”
“There is a certain matter of a kiss that someone owes me.”
“Oh.”
He maneuvered her, rolling her onto her back, and settled between her thighs.
“I love it when you put me where you want me.”
“Good. ‘Cause I love putting you where you belong. Beneath me.”
“Uhhhhh,” she breathed out as he used the tip of his tongue to trace the outer edges of her pussy.
“So sensitive. So tasty.” He flattened his tongue and licked her straight up the middle.
“You’re not playing around tonight.”
“I’m hungry, Tabby. Hungry for you.”
“Ditto,” she mumbled as he licked her again.
After pushing his hands beneath her thighs, he wrapped his arms around her until he could place his palms flat against her stomach. “You’re already shaking. Do you like paying your toll, my pretty wife?”
“Love. It,” she panted. She palmed her breasts and pinched her nipples.
“Need a little bit of an edge tonight?”
“I need exactly what you’re doing. Huh,” she huffed out as he moved lower and tongued her ass. He pushed the tip of his tongue through her tight muscles, throwing her even closer to coming on his mouth.
“I completely agree.”
Tabitha nibbled her lip then spoke up, “Can I ask for something? A small something?”
“Of course.” He licked her again and she almost forgot.
“Teeth marks. I’d like a few, please. Would love to have some reminders for a few hours when I sit down.”
He kissed across to the inside of her thigh and gave her a bit of a nibble.
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