What Love Allows Ch. 02 (Official) (Patreon)

Tim sat in the garage a little longer than he needed to. The engine was off, the keys were still in his hand as he stared past the windshield. 

He had told her to go. He had meant it when he said it. But that wasn't what sat wrong in his chest. The part sitting wrong was walking into his own house and not knowing what the first words to Natalie would be.

Asking if it went well sounded stupid. Asking about Bill sounded worse. Tim rubbed his face once and let out a heavy sigh. He tried to remember that whatever had happened in the bedroom stayed there as they promised. Knowing the details would only make things even weirder. He finally got out of the car and stepped inside, unsure. 

The house smelled like garlic and butter, and he heard Natalie’s familiar soft humming from one of those songs she always lost the words halfway through, coming from the kitchen. 

Natalie stood at the stove in one of his old shirts and a pair of sleeping shorts. Her blonde hair was damp from the shower, darker at the ends and still clinging in place around her neck. No glasses yet. Steam fogged the window over the sink as she tapped a wooden spoon over the edge of the pan. She looked like she did any other night, as if their unorthodox arrangement never happened. 

She glanced over her shoulder when she heard the garage door shut.

“Hey, you. Perfect timing.”

Tim set his bag down by the wall and took off his shoes. “Hey.”

She turned the burner off and crossed the kitchen barefoot. Her arms wrapped around his neck first. He caught her by the waist, like he always did. Her shirt was warm from the stove. She smelled like her vanilla-scented soap. Clean. Warm. He couldn't detect anything from what had happened earlier. When she kissed him, it was the same kiss she always gave him after work. Soft and familiar. Maybe it lasted a second longer than usual. 

He kissed her back, melting into her loving embrace.

When they pulled apart, she tipped her head and looked at his face the way she did when she read him without making a speech out of it. 

“You okay?” she asked with a calm smile.

“Er, yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Yeah… long day. That’s all.”

“Mm.” She didn’t want to push. She squeezed his sides once and went back to the pan. “Sit. It’s almost done. I made the pasta you like.”

Tim pulled out a chair at the island and sat. He watched her stir. He watched the damp hair stick to the back of her neck. He watched her shift her weight from one foot to the other as she tasted the sauce off the spoon. He watched her hum again like the afternoon had not happened. 

He wanted to ask. But he also wanted to leave it alone. 

Natalie plated the food and set his bowl in front of him, then sat across from him with hers. She reached for her glasses on the counter and slid them on, pushing them up with her thumb the way she always did, a few loose strands of her hair falling around the frames.

They ate quietly for a bit, simply enjoying each other's company. The sounds of forks against bowls and the fridge kicking on filled the quiet between them. Natalie seemed as calm and unbothered as ever, but not Tim. He kept sneaking glances at her as if trying to spot any evidence of what she did earlier that day.

“You’re staring again,” she finally said, mid-bite. 

Tim quickly blinked to focus and let out a short breath that was almost a laugh. “Oh, uh. Sorry. I’m not trying to.”

“Don’t be sorry.” She twirled pasta around her fork and took another bite. “I figured you’d be thinking about it all day.”

He poked at his food. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say. I know I agreed to this, but I never really thought about what happens after. Well, at least how to approach it with you afterward.”

Natalie watched him carefully over her glasses before setting her fork down. 

“Do you want to know?” she said simply, her voice calm and mindful. 

Tim caught her gaze. His mouth opened, then closed. He shook his head.

“What? No,” he replied immediately. It came out firmer than he meant. He took a quick bite and swallowed before trying again, a bit quieter. “I don’t. I told you I didn’t need to know the details. That’s your business, not mine.”

Her mouth twitched into a small grin. That little spark he knew too well. “Not even a little?” Natalie teased, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hand. 

“Nat, please,” Tim groaned, but it lacked any real edge. 

“What? I’m just asking.” She picked her fork back up, looking all innocent, except she was not. “You keep looking at me like the answer is sitting on my face.”

Tim rolled his eyes and stabbed his pasta. “Zip it. Let’s just enjoy this nice dinner you made for us. Let a man unwind from working all day.”

Natalie hummed, pleased with herself, and took another bite. “Okay, okay. Dinner first.”

He shook his head once, fighting the smile that wanted to show up anyway when Natalie was up to her ribbing antics, and they ate. 

Later that night, the house had gone quiet as they settled into bed together. The bedroom was dark except for a thin strip of moonlight peering from the curtains. Tim lay on his back while Natalie tucked herself against his side, one leg hooked over his, her hair loose on his shoulder. 

He stared at the ceiling blankly, his mind still trying to process everything that had happened. 

Natalie shifted beside him, lazily tracing her fingers on his shirt. 

“You’re still awake,” she murmured, tipping her face toward him in the dark. 

“Hm? Oh, uh, yeah,” Tim said, glancing over to her. 

“You’re thinking pretty loud.” She tapped his chest once with two fingers and kept her hand there. “Do you… want to know?”

The same question from dinner again. Closer now and nowhere to hide. He was quiet enough that she probably thought he would shut it down again. Then he swallowed hard and took a deep, composing breath. 

“I uh… A little?” he finally answered, eyes turning back to the ceiling. “But not everything. No details. I mean it.”

Natalie hummed warmly and slid up until her chin rested on his chest. Her hair spilled softly over his shirt, and she smiled. “Okay. Go for it.”

Tim’s hand found her back and stayed there. “Again, I don’t want the details. None of that stuff. I don’t want to sound like a perv or anything… I just…” He took another deep breath. “Did… Did it go well?”

She thought about it for a moment, then simply nodded against him. 

“Yeah,” she answered smoothly. Then that little spark crept in, and she patted his chest again. “Well enough that I still made you dinner after. You’re welcome.”

Tim groaned and rested his head back into the pillow. “Jesus, Nat. I’m not sure that’s any better.”

She giggled, not mean, just pleased with herself. “What? You asked. I kept it clean as you requested, my good dear sir.”

“That definitely didn’t sound clean at all,” he replied dryly. 

He shook his head, though he fought a smile he didn’t want to admit was there. His arm tightened around her anyway. “Okay. That was all I needed to know.”

Natalie went still against him. Her fingers had stopped moving as she continued to search his face in the dark. “Tim,” she began, her voice losing its teasing edge and softening. 

“Yeah?”

“Do you regret this?” she continued quietly. She kept going before he could fumble it. “Because I will end it. Right now. I’ll tell Bill it’s done, and we never talk about this again if that’s what you want.” Her hand flattened over his shirt. “I mean it. Just say the word.”

Tim stared at the ceiling a little longer. His hand found the back of her head, then slid over her shoulder before finally speaking his mind. “No… I don’t regret it.” 

Natalie didn’t move. She just waited for the rest of his answer. 

“This is just for you,” he said, his voice careful but sure. “That’s the whole point of this arrangement we agreed upon. I can’t give you what you get from him in the arrangement. I know I can’t. So if this is what you need, then no. I don’t want to stop you just because I’m sitting here overthinking myself to death. I’ll get used to it eventually. So don’t feel guilty about it. This is all for you.”

She let out a small, assured breath, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. “Okay.” Her arm tightened around him. “I just needed to hear you say it. That’s all. Thank you, Tim. Thank you for letting me have this. Love you.”

“Yeah,” he hummed as he kissed her hair. “I love you too.”

They stayed like that for a while. The house was quiet. Her familiar weight was warm against him. The question was answered, even if his mind still hadn’t fully caught up. But he could sleep a little easier knowing that his wife was happy. 

Almost a week had gone by since Natalie’s first time with Bill. 

Nothing major had happened beyond that. No second planned visit. No late texts while they were on the couch together. On the surface, things settled into their normal rhythm. Work. Dishes. The same shows and cute little dates to enjoy each other’s company. Natalie still stole his shirts, and Tim still kissed her cheek every morning before they got out of bed. 

She seemed better. Not in an obvious way. Just looser in her shoulders and very easy to please. She laughed and hummed more often than not; that tight little edge she didn’t know she was used to carrying around after a long stretch of quiet nights wasn’t sitting on her as heavily. Tim noticed, of course. He would be lying if he didn’t. ‘

He almost forgot it had even happened too. 

Not completely. It still crossed his mind now and then when she came out of the shower or when her phone lit up. But the thought didn’t twist his stomach the way it had that first evening. She was home and happy. That made it easier to leave the rest behind. 

One Friday night, they ended up on the couch like usual to wind down. Some rerun neither of them was really watching played in the background. Natalie’s feet were in his lap, her glasses on and her hair tied in a loose bun that was already falling apart. Tim rubbed his thumb along her ankle without thinking as he dozed.

“The garden’s actually starting to look decent,” she said casually, eyes on the TV. “For once. We got the last of those planter boxes replaced today. I thought we’d never get that done.”

“Yeah?” Tim responded while keeping his eyes on the screen. “The ones that were rotting?”

“Mhm. Took forever.” She shifted, getting more comfortable on the couch. “Bill stayed after to help me finish. He’s good with that woodwork stuff. He’s stronger than he looks, too. I had him hauling those boxes for almost an hour.”

Tim’s thumb paused on her ankle. The mere mention of Bill’s name brought back the whole arrangement to mind. 

“Right… Bill,” he trailed off, then tried again, sneaking a glance at Natalie. “Is he… Has he, well…”

Natalie looked over her glasses at him, that teasing spark already flaring. “Hm? No,” she quickly answered, certain. “He hasn’t. Not yet, at least.”

Tim glanced at her again, a bit unsure how to react. 

She shrugged nonchalantly, poking his stomach with her toes. “I can tell he wants to again. I’m pretty sure he’s still a bit conscious about the whole fucking another man’s wife thing. That’s the sign of a good guy. I chose well.”

Tim let out a long groan and tipped his head back against the couch. “God, Nat. Why do you always have to put it like that?”

“What?” She grinned, all innocent except she was not. “You asked.”

“I did not ask you to say it like that. I never do, but you do it anyway.”

“Hey, you started it,” she chuckled, wiggling her toes against his hand. “Relax, babe. I told you. Nothing’s happened since. Oh, and he asked how you were, by the way. I told him you were good.”

Tim huffed, shaking his head, and squeezed her ankle. “You’re impossible.”

“You knew that, and yet, here you are,” Natalie playfully shot back and let her head rest against the couch. “Anyway… the tomatoes might actually survive this year. Miracle. I was almost about to give up on those.”

He looked at her and relaxed a bit more. Talking about dirt, tomatoes, and Billi like it was just part of the week felt strange given what he knew. His body reflected that he was still unsure how to react. The knot in his stomach kept tightening and then easing off. 

“Good,” Tim replied. “I’m looking forward to trying some of those tomatoes one day.”

She grinned and turned the volume up a little. “Watch the show.”

He did. Or at least he tried to. Her feet stayed in his lap, warm and familiar, and for the rest of the episode, he almost forgot again. 

One day, the storage room at the community center was a particular mess. 

Natalie stood on her toes to shove a bin of craft supplies onto a high shelf, glasses slipping down her nose. Bill handled the heavier stuff. Folding chairs. A crate of donated balls. He kept glancing at Natalie like he was taking inventory of her, not the room. 

“You’re staring, Bill,” she said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as she pushed a bin into place. 

Bill caught himself and huffed, setting the crate down. “I’m making sure you don’t fall on your face,” he replied, chuckling.

“Uh-huh. Sure you are.” She pushed her glasses up with her thumb and turned, leaning her hip against the shelf. “That’s very professional of you.”

“I can be professional,” he muttered.

“You can try. But those eyes are definitely giving off something else,” she shot back with a teasing smile. 

The air between them had a charge that had been lingering there ever since the first time they had sex. It wasn’t loud. Just there. The gym door was half open—voices far off, and nobody close enough to listen in on their conversation. Natalie felt the charge in her stomach. There was a warm little pull she had been pretending was just left over from last week. 

Bill wiped his hands on his jeans and nodded at the stack of mats behind her. “Those next?”

“Yeah. Please,” she said, stepping aside so he could grab them. She watched the way his arms took the weight. Stronger than he looked. She had already told Tim that. The thought of Tim flickered through her mind, but didn’t stay. 

They worked for a little longer, bantering again, but the tension remained.

“Are you always this bossy after lunch?” Bill asked, sliding a mat into place.

Natalie smirked. “Only with people who listen.”

“Hm, a dangerous combination,” he murmured back. 

“Don’t give me that. You like it.”

He looked at her then. Really looked. He held his amused grin, but his voice dropped. “Yeah,” he said, eyes locking with hers. “I do.”

Natalie felt her ears go warm as she busied herself with a box of jump ropes that didn’t really need organizing. Her heart fluttered with a thrill that made her aroused. She had been wondering when he’d try to make the next move.

Bill cleared his throat and continued, “I’ve been thinking about us… If we’re going to keep doing this.”

Natalie glanced over her glasses, that playful spark already showing. “Keep doing it?” she repeated with an amused chuckle. “We did it once, hotshot, and it was fun. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Bill let out a laughing exhale, rubbing the back of his neck. “Once. Right. That’s what I mean… I was wondering if there’s ever a next time… Are you open to that, or was it just the one time?”

She let the box rest against her hip. “Go on.”

“This is a first for me,” he said a bit quieter now. “But I’d like to keep seeing you. Something like an affair, I guess…” He paused, running his hands down his face as he realized what he said. “Wow, that sounds worse now that I said it out loud. Augh, I haven’t done anything like this before, sorry.”

Natalie tilted her head to the side, watching him with clear intrigue. “An affair,” she said, as if testing the word out. “That’s the word you’re going with?”

“Well, what else would you call it?” he asked.

She shrugged, smiling a little. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking. You mean sneaking around? Secret meetings behind my husband’s back? You want me coming over when nobody’s looking?”

Bill swallowed anxiously. “I mean… yeah. That’s what we would be doing if we were to continue this.”

“And you think you can handle that?” she asked, poking at it now. “You’re standing here looking like you might pass out just saying it.”

Bill let out a rough breath and rubbed the back of his neck again. “I can handle it,” he answered. “I’m just not trying to pretend this is something smaller than it is.”

Natalie kept her eyes on him, her heart racing. “Okay,” she said. “So say it.”

He looked at her, eyes wide as he composed himself. The gym noise stayed far away on the other side of the half-open door.

“Alright. Do you want this?” he inquired firmly, officially proposing his offer to her. “An affair. You and me. And are you okay with cheating on your husband? Because I need to hear that from you, Nat. Not the joke version.”

The word sat between them. Cheating. She felt it land lower than she expected. Not in her chest first. Lower. A warm, traitorous pulse that made her press her thighs together behind the box. Even with Tim in on it all, letting her have this relationship with Bill, the thrilling fantasy was more than enticing.

Natalie set the box down on the shelf. “Tim’s good to me,” she said softly. “He’s the best thing I have. That doesn’t change.”

Bill’s mouth tightened. “That’s not what I asked.”

“I know what you asked.” She pushed her glasses up with her thumb, then let her hand fall to her side. “I’m okay. I wouldn’t be standing here if I wasn’t.” She paused, smiling as she leaned further into this little fantasy. “I’m willing to keep doing it if that’s the answer you were looking for.”

He searched her face like he was waiting for her to get cold feet and take it back. She didn’t.

Natalie nodded once. “So… now that we’re going to have an affair, I suppose we should set up another meeting soon, shall we? What about after my shift tomorrow? Sound good?”

Bill’s shoulders dropped a little. Relieved but still nervous. It was almost surprising how willing she was, knowing how well she spoke of her husband. Perhaps something was clearly lacking in her marriage that she sought elsewhere. It stroked his ego to theorize what that reason could be. But that didn’t really matter to him. He got the answer he desired.

“Okay then. Sounds good. Tomorrow then,” he murmured, his voice lifting with satisfaction. “Of course, I’ll be careful. No one here finds out. I mean that.”

“Hm, I know you do,” she replied cheerfully. “Wouldn’t want to ruin what we have going on, would we?”

The wet heat between her legs had not gone anywhere. If anything, hearing him make his intentions with her clear made it worse. She shifted her weight and reached for another bin she did not need, just to have something in her hands. 

“Help me finish this,” Natalie added, glancing toward the door. “Before somebody walks in and wonders why you look like you just committed a crime.”

Bill shook his head and let out a weak laugh as he moved in beside her, close enough that she could smell the outside air on his shirt. Close enough that the tension made it almost impossible to ignore.

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered dutifully. 

Natalie smirked at the shelf, her cheeks slightly flushed, and did not look at him when she answered. “You’ll have me all to yourself tomorrow, hotshot. Try not to act up before then.”

Later that evening, Natalie was in the kitchen. She had already changed into one of Tim’s shirts. Her glasses were on as usual, hair down around her shoulders. She leaned against the counter with a glass of water while Tim loaded a plate into the dishwasher. Things were ordinary for the most part, but he could sense she was waiting to reveal something. 

“Sooo,” she drew out innocently, but it felt anything but. 

Tim looked over. “So,” he echoed curiously.

“Bill and I talked today while I was at the center,” she began, turning the glass in her hands. “In the storage room. About us. About keeping this going.”

The whole arrangement came rushing back at once. Just remembering it again made his stomach twist a little. Bill. The first afternoon. The deal they made at the kitchen island weeks ago. Tim had almost gone a full week without thinking about it. 

He shut the dishwasher and leaned onto the sink for a moment. “Okay,” he slowly replied, not entirely sure how to respond. For now, all he could do was follow along. 

Natalie glanced up at him over her glasses, with that little glint he knew all too well shining in her pretty blue eyes. She didn’t say anything else and just watched, waiting. 

Tim blinked, waiting too. Then he sighed. “Are you going to tell me what he said, or are you just gonna stare at me?”

She made a face like she almost didn’t want to. Then she finally did. “So, basically… He wants to have an affair with me,” she said, teasing the words out like she was testing them on her tongue. “That’s what he called it. An affair. He even asked if I was okay with cheating on you. That was kinda sweet of him. I knew Bill was the right guy.”

Tim made a face and groaned. “Jesus, Nat.”

“What? Oh, uh, sorry. I’m just quoting him. That’s what he said, not me. Don’t get mad at me.”

He rubbed his temple. “And what did you say?”

“That you’re good to me. That I want it. I also said I’d see him tomorrow after my shift,” she continued, casually shrugging one shoulder. 

Tim leaned back more and crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in thought. His stomach twisted again. Tomorrow. He didn’t even have time to prepare himself mentally. Then again, this was her business. Whatever happened in the bedroom stayed there.

“Should we still tell him?” Tim carefully asked. “The truth. That I know? That this isn’t him sneaking around my back or something?”

Natalie’s eyes went wide. She looked down at the glass, then toward the dark window over the sink. He could see her weighing her options. There was the version Bill had. Then the version they had. How those two things would look if they got put in the same room. She wasn’t sure which version was right. 

She thought about it long enough that the only thing she could hear was the fridge kicking on. 

Then she shook her head.

“No,” she said rather firmly. “It would make it weird.”

Tim let out a short breath through his nose. “Uh, this is already kinda weird.”

Natalie let out a little laugh and set her glass down. “I know, I know. That’s different, though. He’s already guilty. If he finds out you signed off on it, he may not want to stay. Or he may start treating it like some arrangement he’s performing for you. I don’t want that. I want him how he is.”

Tim studied her for a second, then nodded slowly. He did not love it, but he trusted her anyway. This is for her, he reminded himself. 

“Plus I don’t want to go through the effort of finding another guy. I know Bill already, which makes it easier. Though… I’m sure I could get another if I really wanted—” Natalie continued, not really minding her words. 

Tim quickly cut her off before she could ramble more. “Okay, Nat, okay. I get it,” he said over her. “It’s your call. I trust your judgment.”

Natalie donned a bright smile and crossed the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his shirt. “Thank you for trusting me,” she hummed. “Tomorrow after my shift. I’ll come home after.”

Tim’s mouth pulled into an uneasy grin, but he still exuded warmth. “Yeah. Come home after.” He then kissed her hair and held her there. 

He could hardly believe this was happening. His wife having an affair he knew about? It still felt questionable, but he knew he’d eventually get used to it. 

Today was the day, and Natalie couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Her actual job at the law firm only helped so much. She sat through meetings with her phone face down on the desk, smiling when she had to, nodding along like she was actually there. Of course, her mind was elsewhere, sliding back to her plans after work. Bill’s house. An affair, as far as he knew. By the time she got to her car, her panties were already damp. She shut the door and started the engine, sitting there for a moment as she pressed her thighs together, feeling that warm, restless ache she had been carrying all afternoon. 

She made sure to call Tim before she pulled out. 

He picked up on the second ring.

“Hey,” he said. “You done with work?”

“Hey,” Natalie replied, her voice coming out a little softer than usual. She tipped her head back against the seat and stared at the car’s interior roof. “Yeah, I just got in the car, and I’m about to head over to Bill’s… I’m probably going to get home a little late. So don’t wait up for me.”

There was a short pause on his end. She could hear him moving around the kitchen, probably making dinner. A small pinch of guilt tightened in her stomach at the thought of Tim eating alone tonight. She should be there with him, but instead, here she was, heading over to fuck another man. 

“Alright,” he finally said, his tone calm. 

She smiled and crossed her legs, that little devious spark showing even though he could not see it. “Depending on how things go… there’s a chance I might spend the night. Who knows. I’ll text you if that happens.”

Tim let out a long, exasperated sigh. “I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that, Nat.”

Natalie giggled and shifted in her seat. The slight movement only made her more aware of how wet she was getting from the anticipation. “Hm, noted.”

She glanced at her phone for a second, thumb hovering, then brought it back to her ear. “Do you want another update photo?” she asked. “Or was the one I sent last time too much?”

Tim went quiet again. She could picture that stern look he made whenever she pushed a little too much. “The first one you sent was plenty,” he answered dryly. “I don’t need another one. Remember how we agreed that what happens between you two stays in the bedroom?”

“That’s not exactly a no, Tim.”

“Nat.”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” She bit her lip, still smiling. “But who knows, after the sex I feel all good and happy, so I might just send you one anyway. I’ll make sure it’s safe for work just for you.”

She could hear Tim grumble. “You’re impossible. Can you just hurry up and go before you make me hang up on you?”

Natalie chuckled, rolling her eyes behind her glasses. “Yes, sir, commander boss, I’m going right now,” she said in a mock, dutiful tone, giving herself a playful salute. “Okay, I’ll text you when I get there. Love you.”

“Love you too,” he said, laughing a bit. “Come home. Eventually.”

“I will.”

She hung up and sat there for a moment longer with her phone in her lap. Her pulse was up, and her underwear was practically soaking. The drive to Bill’s was only a few minutes, and she already knew how it would feel walking through that door again. The thrill made her so aroused. She put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. It wasn’t long before she began pressing her thighs together as she headed over to meet her “secret” lover.

The drive was faster than expected. Maybe it was because she’d been speeding a few miles over the limit to get here. Pulling into Bill’s neighborhood, Natalie made sure to park further down the street. Not in front of his house. A few doors over, under a tree where her car would not sit so obviously in his driveway. 

She texted Tim from the driver’s seat before she got out. 

Nat: Here.

She locked her phone and sat there for one more second. A little scandalous kick hit her stomach. This was the part where Bill thought she was sneaking around on Tim. The walk up his sidewalk. The careful knock at the door. A married woman on another man’s porch when she shouldn’t be there. Her panties were unbearably slick. Once on the porch step, she took a deep, composing breath, clenching her thighs before finally knocking. 

Bill opened the door like he had been waiting near it.

He had changed out of whatever he had worn at the center. A faded henley with the sleeves pushed up his forearms, the top buttons undone. Soft dark jeans. Bare feet on his own floor. His peppered hair was a little flattened, like he had run a hand through it too many times waiting. He looked like a man who had been thinking about this all day and then tried to act like he hadn’t. 

“Hey,” he said, clearing his throat a bit as he smiled.

“Hey,” Natalie replied warmly. 

He let her in and shut the door behind her. They hugged in the entryway. It wasn’t a polite hug, however. His arms went around her waist, hands spread at her back as he pulled her close. She pressed her face into his shoulder and breathed him in. He smelled good. He smelled like clean soap, laundry, and a house that wasn’t hers. He was warm, and she could feel his solid frame under his shirt. When they pulled back, his hands stayed at her sides a second too long, thumbs resting above her hips like he was deciding whether to pull her in again. 

“Good to see you. How was work?” Bill asked politely, hands still on her. 

Natalie pushed her glasses up with her thumb. Her heart raced with excitement. “It was fine. Long. But I wasn’t thinking about work… You?”

Bill smirked a bit. “Eh, it was fine. I could say I was in the same boat as you. It was hard to focus all day.”

They stared at each other for a moment. The living room was quiet. Too quiet. She watched his throat move as he swallowed. His eyes dropped to her mouth and came back up. The affair he had named in the storage room was suddenly just them standing there, close enough that she could have kissed him without taking a step. 

“This is really happening,” Bill murmured, his voice a little uneven from the nerves.

Natalie nodded. “Yeah.” She tipped her head up and watched his face. Then she grinned playfully. “You getting cold feet?”

He broke into a chuckle and shook his head, gripping her hips tighter. “No,” he answered with conviction. “I’m not.”

She bit her lip, then she glanced past him, down the hall toward his bedroom. That was enough. Bill understood. 

Natalie slipped off her shoes by the door and left them next to his. They headed down the hall without saying much. In his bedroom, she set her bag and keys on the dresser, then her phone, screen down. Bill shut the door and locked it. The click sounded louder than it should have, turning her on even more. 

“So, how long do we have?” he asked. 

Natalie pushed her glasses up and looked at him. “Long enough. I told my husband I’d be working late. You have nothing to worry about.”

Bill nodded and let out a relieved breath. The room was dim except for the lamp on the nightstand. The shades were already closed—a late-day quiet. The bed was neatly made, but she knew those sheets would be soiled soon enough. Everything smelled as fresh as he did, as if he’d taken extra care to make a room she already knew presentable. Charming. 

They got close again. 

He lifted his hands and cupped her face, thumbs on her cheeks, looking at her like he still couldn’t believe she was standing in his room again. 

“I’ve been wanting you all week, Natalie,” he murmured, voice rough with desire. 

The words went straight through her. Her pussy got even wetter; that warm, sudden pulse made her press her loins together. She desperately needed to lose the panties ASAP. 

“I felt that same way about you,” she replied softly, her alluring blue eyes locking onto his. 

Then they kissed. 

There was no point in easing into it. It started sloppily. Open mouths. His hands stayed on her face, then slid into her hair. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in, making a small needy moan against him. He kissed her like he had been holding it since the storage room. She kissed him back the same way, leaning into him, done pretending this would stay polite. 

Bill walked her back to the bed without breaking the kiss. The backs of her legs hit the mattress. His hands slid down her sides, over her ass, squeezing her plush cheeks over her jeans. Natalie moaned into his mouth and pushed her hips against him. She could feel him getting hard, thick against her stomach. 

They started to get each other naked without much ceremony. She sat down on the edge of the bed and stayed there while they got undressed. 

Natalie leaned back just enough to take off her glasses and set them on the nightstand. Then she crossed her arms, grabbed the hem of her top, and pulled it over her head. The fabric caught on her hair for a second before coming free. She dropped it beside her. Bill watched from between her knees. She reached back, unhooked her bra, and let it slide down her arms. The cool air hit her perfect breasts. Her nipples were already tight from the heat of it all. 

Bill made a low sound and kissed her again, standing over her, hands on her waist. He popped the button on her jeans, dragged the zipper down, and tugged them over her hips. Natalie giggled when they stuck to her thighs, only adding to the arousal, and she had to lift herself off the mattress to help him. He got them down her legs and off her feet, jeans inside out on the floor. 

She sat on the edge of the bed in just her socks and panties now. Bill went to one knee, hooked his fingers into her sock, and pulled it off. Then the other. His rough hands warmed her ankle. Natalie nibbled on her lip and lifted her hips again, tugging her soaked panties down herself while he was still there. The damp fabric peeled away from her skin. She worked her panties off her feet and let them drop to the floor. 

Bill stood, taking in all her naked beauty, sitting naked on the edge of his bed with her hair still half tied before pulling his own shirt off, then his jeans and boxers in a hasty move that was less graceful than hers. When he dropped his underwear to his feet, his cock sprang free, already hard and leaking at the tip. She couldn’t help but feel her chest flutter with pure hunger watching him throb for her. 

Natalie reached up and pulled her hair tie free, letting her elegant blonde hair fall over her shoulders. 

“Come here, hotshot,” she said, her tone low and sultry. 

Bill wasted no time. 

Natalie fell back onto her elbows as he climbed onto the bed between her knees. They locked lips again. The kiss was eager and stayed that way. Open mouths and twirling tongues. His chest against hers. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in, moaning into him. His cock dragged against her stomach as they moved, then lower, pressing thick and hot against her wet pussy as he humped her in slow, dirty rolls. 

“Hmm… ah… hah… Bill,” she purred amusingly against his lips. 

“Natalie… Fuck, you’re soaked.” He kissed her again, messier as his throbbing shaft slid along the opening of her cunt, looking like a hotdog between two buns. 

Every grind smeared her juices over him. The head of his cock caught against her clit, then slipped through her folds, not penetrating her, just applying slick pressure that made her hips lift from the edge of the mattress. He could have slid in so easily, raw, skin on skin. The idea of it was dangerously enticing. 

But rules were rules.

They moved further up the bed, groping and grinding, their lips barely separating. She pushed back on her hands until her head found the pillows. He crawled with her, finding her lips, still rolling his hips so his cock kept sliding against her. The lamp cast a dull golden haze over them, adding to the arousing atmosphere. Her hair spilled over the sheets, and her legs opened wider for him without being asked. 

Bill danced tongues with her one more time before moving to her jaw, then down. 

He made his way to her throat, eventually reaching the middle of her heaving chest. He mouthed her breasts, giving her tender kisses, then greedy sucks that made her gasp and giggle with pleasure. Natalie watched him go, one hand finding his hair. When he settled between her legs, he slipped his hands beneath her knees and pushed her thighs apart. She was glistening, flushed, and dripping onto the sheet under her ass. 

Her eyes were wide with need, and her lips slightly parted as she panted softly. His hot breath brushed over her moist folds, sending a shiver down her spine. He met her gaze with a hungry stare, then he leaned in. 

Natalie’s head dropped back into the pillow the second his mouth met her pussy. Her eyes fluttered; the first lick dragged deliciously and broadly through her middle. 

“Ouhhh…. God—” she let out a raspy sigh, her free hand curling into the sheets. 

He did it again, firmer, moving his tongue through her thick juices and then sealing his mouth over her clit. She moaned even louder, and her fingers tightened in his peppery hair. He spread her pussy lips with his thumbs so he could lick deeper, causing her hips to twitch and her toes to curl. 

“Ah! Mm! That’s it… Hah… don’t stop. That feels so good. Just like that Bill—” Her back arched off the mattress every time he licked a sensitive spot or sucked her clit. The sudden jolts of pleasure were unbearably good.

He groaned against her, satisfied with her taste. He licked her messily; the wet sound filled the dim room. Spit and her wetness were mixed on his chin. His tongue slipped lower and pushed inside her, thick and hot, fucking into her in slow strokes. Natalie’s hips jerked even more at the sensation of his tongue wiggling and curling inside her. Her thighs tried to close, but he held her open with his strong, rough hands. 

“Ah ah ah… Mhmm… B-Bill… Bill… Fuck,” Natalie moaned needily. She’d occasionally lift her head to watch. The sight of another man eating her out made her heart race, and her pussy got even wetter. Bill was good at this. Dangerously good. He made her forget she was even married. Her head immediately dropped back as another fresh wave of pleasure crashed over her. 

Bill kept fucking her with his tongue. Deeper. His nose pressed flush against her clit. The obscene, slick noise of him eating her filled the locked room. She kept running her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, moaning at the ceiling, then down at him when she could stand to look. His mouth was slathered. Her pussy was a mess against his face, clenching every time he pushed his tongue in. 

“Mh! You’re so good. Right there… Right there… Fucking give it to me,” she whispered, utterly wrecked. “You’re making me lose my mind. Keep going.”

He gave her what she asked for. Tongue buried in her, then back to her clit, sucking until her legs started to shake and her wetness ran and dripped down his chin. Natalie kept pulling him deeper, threatening to drown the man in her own arousal. This is what both of them had been thinking about all week, and they were finally indulging in their lust. 

“Ah— Bill— I’m gonna— I’m gonna—” Natalie’s fingers twisting, feeling him push her to an orgasm she’d been desperately aching for since their last meeting. “Don’t you dare stop! Fuuuuckkk… please… please!”

He didn’t. He went back to sucking her clit, and slipped his tongue inside until her thighs broke his hold and squeezed his head. A broken moan tore out of her as she finally climaxed. “FUUUUUCCKKK! OUUHHHH!” She shuddered hard and arched off the mattress, pussy pulsing against his mouth in tight, wet waves. Her toes curled, and her head pressed back into the pillow. He licked her through it, groaning as her sweet nectar flooded him and her thighs squeezed his head.

Natalie dropped back down, panting, chest heaving, hair stuck to her temples. “God… Bill,” she rasped, legs still shaking. 

Bill carefully pried her thighs away and knelt between her legs. His mouth was obscenely wet with her. His cock stood thick over her smooth mound, throbbing angrily and dripping from the tip onto her skin. Wiping his mouth with the back of his arm, he reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out a foil pack. Natalie managed to catch a glimpse. A new box. Different from last time. “Magnum Ultra Thin” was printed along the wrapper. 

She watched him tear it open, still trying to catch her breath. He pinched the tip and rolled the condom over himself in one slow pass. It was almost see-through. It stretched tight over the head first, then down the thick length of him, hugging every ridge and delicious vein he had. The flushness of his cock still showed through the latex. A little shine of lube caught the lamplight. When he let go, it sat snug at the base; his cock looked even heavier dressed like that. 

Natalie gave it another good look before lifting her eyes to meet his gaze. “Those are new. I can see you prepared for the occasion,” she said, her voice still a little husky. 

Bill glanced down at himself, then looked at her. “Hm, you know me well. I figured if we’re going to do this, I might as well get something to make us feel closer.”

Natalie let out a small, breathless laugh. “Hm, how thoughtful of you, Bill. You came very prepared.”

“You could say I was motivated.” He leaned over her, one hand planted by her head, lining himself up. The thin latex kissed her folds first, easily sliding through given how wet she still was. “You still want this?” he asked one last time.

She hooked a leg over his hip and pulled him in. “You’re asking that now? After you just went down on me like that? Of course I want this, Bill. Now come here.”

Bill slid in. 

A long sound left Natalie the second he slid in and filled her. She could immediately tell the difference between the condom and the one he used the last time. The thin layer made it feel like there was nothing there at all. The heat of him, the shape, the way he stretched her until he was buried to the hilt, hips flush against her. Her other leg came up around him. Her hands found his back. 

“Ah… God, Bill. Mhmmm,” she gasped.

“Fuck… Yeah,” he muttered before leaning down to kiss her. “I missed being inside you, Nat.”

He started to move. Slow at first, giving her deep, steady strokes. The bed creaked under them, a quiet complaint that got louder every time his hips met hers. Natalie moaned into the kiss, then against his jaw when it got too sloppy to keep kissing his mouth. Every thrust dragged that slick stretch through her. The condom came out shiny when he pulled out, then disappeared as he slid into her depths again. 

“Ah ah ah… Uh uh uh… Hmm! Ouuhhh! Ouuh… Bill, you feel so good,” Natalie said, her voice needy and breathless as she used her legs to pull him deeper with every thrust. 

They kissed with sloppy, open mouths the entire time. Her fingers found his hair. His weight on her. Another man’s cock inside her while Tim patiently waited at home for her until she finished her fun. The thought felt so taboo, but in a good way that made her clench around his cock even tighter. 

“Augh… That’s it… Fuck, yes… yes… you’re so wet,” Bill growled against her flushed cheek. “Been like this all day?”

Natalie's soft lips parted in a long moan, feeling his cock reach deep within her, pressing against her cervix. “Ah— All fucking day… I couldn’t stop thinking about fucking you again. Hah…”

He kissed her, sliding his tongue around hers for a filthy second before leaning back onto his knees. 

His hands found her hips and held her there, using his strength to pull her onto him as he thrust. Natalie grabbed his forearms instinctively. They felt solid under her palms. Thick. Working. Slightly hairy in that masculine way. Stronger than Tim. The difference sat in her body, pulling something primal buried from within. She moaned louder and held on as she let this man take her in a way her husband couldn’t. 

“Argh, fuck, that’s it… You feel so good,” Bill muttered between heavy grunts, watching where he disappeared inside her. “So tight. I still can’t believe you’re letting me fuck you.”

They got sweaty fast. The lamp was too close, and the air was stale because the ceiling fan was off. A drop ran down his temple and onto her glistening navel. Her hair stuck to her neck and cheeks in messy strands. The steady slap of his heavy balls against her ass with every stroke and the wet rhythm under the creaking bed was all that could be heard in the quiet room. 

“Ah ah ah—Fuck… Hm… fuckkkkkk. You’re so deep, Bill. I can feel you in my stomach… Ouhhhh.” Her nails dug into his forearms. “I needed this… I needed you.”

Bill groaned and smirked proudly, his ego stroked thoroughly. He gripped her hips harder and looked at her like he still could not believe she was under him. Like a part of him was thinking about the man she was going home to. To him, she was the very epitome of never judging a book by its cover. From everything he knew about her before this, he would have never guessed she’d cheat on her husband. But who was he to complain? He was reaping the benefits. 

He gave her one deep thrust, burying himself balls-deep inside her and giving her slow, mind-melting rolls with his hips to spice things up. Natalie broke into a heavy moan, feeling his cock nudge every weak spot she had and his tip smash flush against her cervix. Her glazed, lust-stricken eyes rolled back, and she arched off the bed from the sudden rush of pleasure. 

“Holy fuck—” she yelped, but in a good way, legs trembling at his sides. 

Bill winced, feeling the squeeze of her pussy around him. “You okay?” he asked, still holding himself deep inside her.

Natalie pulled him in with her legs. “Shut up— Keep going, Bill. Please.”

He did.

Those slow rolls turned into real thrusts again, deep and heavy, hips snapping against hers with wet slaps. The bed kept creaking in rhythm with them. Natalie held onto his forearms and took every inch he gave, moaning every time he bottomed out against her cervix. Sweat slid between them. The thin condom enhanced every sensation between them. It was as close to raw as they could get without crossing that line. 

“Ah ah ah! Bill— More… Harder! Keep going— right there, I’m—” she moaned desperately, her voice cracking a bit.

He rose a little higher on his knees and kept that angle, fucking her through it. Her toes curled hard against his back as that tight coil in her core wound to the brink of release again. One hand stayed on her hip. The other came up and grabbed her breast, palming her, thumb brushing her nipple as he pounded her. She arched into it and tightened her hold on his arms until a broken sound tore out of her as she came again. 

“Fuck— F-fuck! Cumming—”

Her pussy clamped around him in tight, milking pulses that dragged a ragged grunt out of his chest. “Augh… holy shit, Nat—”

He held still through the worst of it, buried to the hilt, hand still on her supple tit, jaw tight, letting her ride the orgasm out on his cock. She shuddered under him in spurts, eyes fluttering. When it finally eased, they just stayed there panting. Slick with sweat. Staring. His cock twitched inside her. As much as he wanted to cum, he wasn’t done yet. 

Natalie swallowed hard, still catching her breath. That little spark crept in, wrecked and pleased. “If you keep fucking me like that,” she whispered. “I’m going to start sneaking out more often.”

Bill let out a heavy laugh that was mostly air. “Don’t say that.”

She smirked. “I just did.”

She pulled him down by his arms and kissed him before he could get careful about it. It was sloppy. Warm. She was still pulsing around him, and he kissed her back like he did not want the night turning back into the rest of the week again. 

Across town, Tim sat on their bed with his laptop open. 

He read through some boring work emails he had read twice and still didn’t answer. The house was quiet in that way it only got when Natalie was not humming in another room. No shower running. No late-night TV show playing in the background. Just the ceiling fan spinning above and the dull glow of the screen in his hands. 

He checked the time in the corner of his screen. 

Almost nine.

She had texted him at six.

That was it. Three hours. He had eaten something simple he made while standing over the counter. Washed the pan. Walked into this room and sat down like sitting would make the clock move differently. 

Tim looked at his phone on the nightstand and picked it up. He opened her name and just stared at the text chat he had typed, waiting. You okay? Heading back soon? Love you. It all sounded bothersome to him. Like he did not trust what he had already agreed to. 

His thumb hovered over the keyboard. 

He shook his head and locked the screen.

She was probably still busy.

The thought landed, and he immediately kicked himself for thinking it. Busy. He knew what that meant. He could see it whether he wanted to or not. Her phone, face down on someone else’s nightstand. That look she got. She'd joked about spending the night, and he had told her he was going to pretend he didn't hear it. 

He set his phone down again. 

This was her thing. She would text when she was done. That was the deal. Dinner first. Details stayed in the bedroom. Come home eventually. 

Tim closed the laptop and set it on the dresser. He turned off the lamp, lay down on his side of the bed, and closed his eyes. The clock on the wall was too loud. He stared at the dark long enough to feel the emptiness on her side of the bed, then forced himself to close his eyes anyway. 

She’ll be back, he thought.

Back across town, they had not stopped. 

A couple of used condoms lay on the nightstand, tied and sloshing with his thick loads, shiny under the lamp. The box of ultra thins sat open beside them. The sheets were a wreck, with a dark, wet patch in the center of the bed where they had been for the past few hours. The air was thick and humid, laced with the smell of sweat and sex.

Natalie was face down, ass up. 

Bill had her like that, knees between hers, one hand planted by her head, the other grabbing a handful of her plush ass as he fucked her from behind. He was deep and steady, stretching her with his cock. The thin layer of the condom shone with every pull, before slamming back in until his hips clapped against her ass. She pushed back onto him, meeting his thrusts; her cheek turned on the pillow and her hair stuck near her mouth. 

“Ah ah ah… Bill— fuck yes. Give it to me… Fuck me harder,” she gasped with pleasure, her eyes half-lidded and glassy with lust. 

He squeezed her ass and pulled her onto him. Her pussy made a filthy, wet sound around the condom. His heavy balls slapped against her with every deep stroke, a thick, rhythmic tap that made her moan into the pillow. She was so wet and horny; a string of her juices ran down the inside of her thigh. 

Natalie pushed back harder, arching so he could get deeper. “Don’t you dare slow down. Ah! God… Right there. Use me! Ouuuuhhhh!”

Bill’s breath hitched. He gripped her tighter, thumb sinking into her soft cheek, and drove until she felt him in her stomach. “You feel so fucking good,” he muttered, which was about as far as he would go. 

She did the rest of the moaning and dirty talk. “I needed this. Need you in me. Ah ah ah! H-harder! I can’t get enough of this cock. Hah! Keep giving it to me. Give me what I deserve!”

He kept at it. He held her ass and fucked her into the soaked sheets; the head of his cock kissed deep on her cervix with every thrust. Natalie clawed at the pillow and took it, moaning filthy little things between slaps. The filled condoms sitting an arm’s reach away were proof of how long they had already been at it. Her wet walls clenched around him every time she pushed back, milking his cock, dripping onto the already damp spot they had made. 

Bill let go of her ass and grabbed her arms, pulling her wrists back behind her so she had nothing to brace herself with. Natalie gasped into the pillow as the new angle allowed him to drive even deeper into her pussy. 

“Ah! Bill— Fuck, yes—” she moaned, her body shuddering from the pressure coiling inside her. 

“Like that?” he got out, breath rough, using her arms to haul her back. 

“Yes. God. Don’t let go. Ah ah ah! Uh uh uh! You’re so fucking deep. Hm!”

He watched her cream around the thin condom, white slick clinging to the latex every time he drew out and vanishing when he drove back in. Her back stayed arched. Blonde, damp hair stuck around her flushed face and neck. Her eyes rolled as he gave it to her like that for several long, mind-numbing minutes. 

“Fuck, look at you,” he grunted, hips snapping against her ass. “Soaking for me. You must really love this.”

“Yes! I fucking love it,” Natalie replied, her voice dripping with need. “I love this cock… So fucking b-big— Oh my god— You’re gonna ruin me, Bill—”

He groaned and slammed in, the bed creaking under them. “And I love this pussy, Nat. So tight. Wet. Way better than my ex-wife. Augh!”

That earned him a small giggle from Natalie before she broke into another string of needy moans as she finally reached the brink. “Ah ah ah! Ouuhh! Mhmm! Please, ah! Don’t you dare stop. I’m getting close… I’m—”

She came hard. A broken sound punched out of her as her toes clenched in the sheets. “FUCK! B-Bill! OUHHHH!” Her pussy locked down around him in tight, fluttering pulses, soaking their crotches. Bill winced and groaned, feeling her milk him; his grip tightened on her wrists so she couldn’t collapse fully. 

“Ah ah… Argh! Nhg! Fuck… Nat… You’re gonna make me cum… Fuck—”

“Come on,” she barely managed, still twitching. “Do it. Cum. Give it to me. I want it, baby.”

That set him off. He buried his cock inside her tight pussy, giving her a few deep, grinding thrusts as his balls drew up and filled the condom in heavy spurts. Natalie felt every pulse through the thin layer and moaned into the pillow, filthy and satisfied. “That’s it… That’s it… God, I can feel you cumming… Mhmmm…”

Bill let out a low growl as he spewed out a few last ropes into the rubber, hungrily biting his bottom lip as he felt her shudder against him. When it was over, he stayed there for a second, panting, still inside her, the condom sloshing at the tip. He looked down at her back. Sweaty. Shining under the lamp. A drop running the line of her spine. Then his eyes traveled up to her face, turned on the pillow. Flushed. Lips parted. Eyes half-lidded with an intoxicated, blissed-out look like she had not come all the way back yet. 

“Jesus,” he said lowly, voice husky as he caught his breath. 

Natalie let out a wrecked little laugh against the sheet. “Hmm… that was better than last round.”

Bill let go of her wrists and slipped out. 

Natalie made a small sound at the loss of his cock and stayed face down for a second while he sat back on his heels. He peeled the condom off, tied it, and tossed it toward the nightstand with the others. Then he carefully lay down beside her. 

She smiled, tired and pleased, and climbed over to him. One leg draped over his. Her hand settled on his chest, feeling it rise and fall. The sheets were a mess beneath them; the dim lamp still glowed, casting an oddly romantic light despite the circumstances. 

“Hi,” she murmured rather fondly. 

Bill huffed a quiet laugh and covered her hand with his. “Hi.”

They stayed like that for a minute. They felt no rush and just enjoyed each other’s company. His heartbeat slowed under her palm. Natalie traced a lazy circle through the hair on his chest and let her eyes close halfway. 

“You good?” he asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Mhm.” She tipped her face up. “Better than good. Don’t start fishing.”

“Wasn’t fishing,” he replied, his thumb moving over her knuckles. “Just checking. That got… well. Intense.”

“That was the point,” she shot back, pinching him lightly. “You saying you want a complaint card?”

“No, ma’am.”

Natalie grinned into his skin. The scent of sex was more apparent than ever. She couldn’t help but flick a look at the tied, shiny condoms under the lamp, then at the box, then back around the room that wasn’t hers. 

“I should probably get going soon,” she said, already shifting as if she meant it but not quite leaving his chest just yet. 

Bill nodded, his chin brushing her hair. “Yeah. I figured.”

Neither of them sat up.

“Tomorrow’s a work day,” she added, drawing another idle circle. “If I stay much later, I’m going to start making the kind of decisions that end with me doing the walk of shame in yesterday’s jeans.”

“Worse than this?”

“Don’t get cute.” She flicked his chest and finally pushed up onto an elbow. “This was a good decision. Walking into my kitchen at two in the morning looking like I got hit by a truck is a bad one. Plus I don’t want my husband to get any ideas, you know? It would be bad for the affair we just started.”

Bill smirked. He watched her feel around the edge of the bed for her glasses, but she missed them. “Fair enough.”

She found them on the nightstand, almost knocked a condom off, and slid them on. The spark behind the lenses was softer now, worn down. She sat the rest of the way up and reached for her underwear on the floor with her toes. 

“So,” he began carefully, eyes on her. “When am I seeing you again?”

Natalie hooked the panties and dragged them up her legs. She thought about how to respond as she searched for the rest of her clothes. “Well, I’m always at the center on Wednesdays. So that’s easy. After that…” She shrugged one shoulder and reached for her bra. “Later in the week, probably after work. I’ll text you.”

“What about earlier in the week?” Bill asked. 

“Hmm, probably not. I’m usually busy.” She turned her back to him so he could hook her bra, like they had done this enough times for that to be ordinary. “Later in the week or on the weekends when I’m off and Tim is working will work best for us to get together again. I’ll figure it out.” 

Lying about sneaking around behind Tim’s back brought a strange feeling of exhilaration that made her heart race a bit. Even though he was in on it, something was thrilling about keeping an affair under wraps. She kinda understood why some women did it. 

Bill sat up behind her and fastened the clasp with two fingers. “I’ll be sure to keep an open schedule then.”

“Hm, look at you. Pencil me in like a dentist,” Natalie chuckled.

“Worse than a dentist.” He kissed her shoulder once, then reached past her for his underwear from the floor. “Be careful, Nat.”

She knew what he meant. The drive. The house. The husband who “thought” she was working late. She pulled her top over her head and smoothed her hair out of the neck hole with both hands. 

“I will,” she responded lightly, glancing at him over her glasses, honest more than teasing. “My husband won’t catch a thing. Trust me.”

Bill let out a short breath and slipped his underwear up his legs. “That’s not as comforting as I want it to sound.”

“You’re being dramatic,” she said back, finding her jeans inside out, and shook them right. “He’s good. He’s home, probably sleeping right now. He doesn’t map out my night. I’ll shower, I’ll put my face on, and I’ll kiss him and act like I just came from the office. That’s the whole trick.”

He watched her button her jeans, then sat on the edge of the bed.

“I mean it,” he said, quieter, elbows on his knees. “If something feels off, don’t come over. I’d rather wait than have this blow up on you.”

Natalie stopped between his knees, took his face with both hands, and leaned down to kiss him. It was brief and warm, her soft lips lingering on his. 

“I know you would. That’s why I keep coming back.” She rested her forehead against his for a second. “Five more minutes. Then I’m actually leaving.”

Bill’s hands settled on her hips over her jeans. “Five,” he repeated.

Natalie let him have the five minutes standing there, glasses crooked, bag still on the dresser. This felt like the beginning of something good from what she was feeling. And this was all thanks to her loving husband. She couldn’t wait to see where this went.

To be continued…