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Love Me Tender

By: kandie



The clock reads 3:00 AM and I am still wide awake. I cannot get used to sleeping alone in this big bed. I lay there letting my thoughts drift towards you my darling. I start to feel warm and tingly inside as if your arms are around me. I miss you terribly and count each moment until we can be together again. 

I roll over and decide to get up and turn on my computer. Maybe I can write a few emails or chat with night owls like me and relax. I feel empty as I surf the net. I reach up and wipe a tear from my eye wishing that you were online right now. Earlier that night we were both online. You mentioned that you had company and were unable to talk to me. We agreed to meet again online at 10 p.m.. I chatted awhile then wrote some emails until my eyelids began to droop then decided to lay down for a power-nap. 

Oh darling! I could have used your strong arms to tuck me in or should I say fuck me...in! I cursed for sleeping through the time we wanted to chat. I then log into my email to write you and tell you my deepest thoughts.

"My Love, 

I am home and miss you terribly. I wish you were sitting on the bed next to me holding me close and kissing me passionately. As we caress, the heat of our desires unfold. Your soft, sensual touch sends waves of electricity to my very soul. You unbutton my blouse and see that I am not wearing a bra. You nibble and kiss me leaving a wet trail of butterfly kisses from my lips to my nipples. You hold me close and whisper in my ear how much you love me and how my beautiful body turns you on. 

My skin tingles from your touch. I feel your eyes ogle my large breasts as my succulent nipples beg for your touch. I tell you how much I love to have my nipples sucked and bitten. 

You lick your lips and suck one of my nipples into your mouth. You hold my nipple between your teeth, flicking it with your tongue then biting it gently. I moan softly as my hands pull your head closer to my bosom. 

My fingers caress your cheek then run down the middle of your back as I purr with delight to your magical touch. You lay me down and remove my slacks and underwear. You bring my panties to your nostrils and inhale the intoxicating aroma. You kiss and lick my belly button as you lap down to my wanting pussy. 

I spread my legs wide, pulling your head close to my cunt, telling you to eat me. You tease the outer rim of my pussy with your fingers making me shake with anticipation. Then you slide your fingers through my moisture-laden slit and cover your fingers with my nectar. You lick them clean. We kiss and I taste my juices on your lips. You lean over and with trembling fingers spread my labia and run your lips across my clit making me gasp in delight!

I shake with desire and tell you I cannot wait to feel your tongue working its magic on my sensitive clit. I tell you to undress quickly. Your eyes watch me play with my breasts as you remove your clothing. I suck one of my nipples into my mouth and bite it as my index finger slides in and out of my vagina. I bring my glistening digit to my lips and lap at it eagerly. I blow you a kiss then return to my other nipple giving it equal attention. 

You take off your shorts then stand before me for a moment letting me admire your sexy body. Your cock stands straight out in front of you, shiny and hard. I spread my legs then run my fingers the length of my cunt and lick them repeatedly. You climb on the bed and grab my fingers eagerly, licking my juices from them. I murmur softly as you move between my legs. You lick your lips in anticipation of tasting my delicious nectar. 

You brush your fingers across my mound then pull my labia apart once more. You gasp in awe telling me that you have never seen anyone this wet before. You move downward, kissing my right knee and then my left one. You work slowly upward kissing everything except for my pussy. Your little cat and mouse game drives me nuts moving my sexy motor into high gear. 

Just when I am about to pull you by the ears down into my throbbing pussy you pull apart my lips and rub your face all over me. You pause and raise your head to look into my eyes. I giggle when I look at your face, shiny with my juices. I feel you quivering as your fingers caress and tease my clit. 

I run my fingers through your hair begging you to finger-fuck me as you suck my clit. I feel the wave of climax building throughout my entire body. I touch your face and tell you to turn around so we can sixty-nine. I need you to taste my juices as your hot cock slides in and out of my sweet lips. 

You straddle my face then lean forward to resume eating me. I grab your cock and rub the precum all over my lips and face. I lick your balls and gently suck them in my mouth, one at a time. Then I slide my tongue up your cock and brush the underside of the head. 

You shiver and tell me that I just found your most sensitive spot. I concentrate on the area and flick it harder with my tongue. 

I utter softly to you that you taste good! I deep throat you, my pace slow then faster and harder as I feel you responding to my touch. I gently drag my teeth gently across the head of your cock making you ooze precum. I take the head of your cock into my mouth and encircle it with my tongue. Your breathing quickens as your impending climax builds.

I pull my mouth off your cock long enough to say that I need to feel your cock deep inside my pussy. I want you fucking me and stretching my hot cunt to the limits when I cum. 

You turn around and position yourself between my legs. Then you begin rubbing the head of your cock across my sensitive clit making me quiver and know I am about to climax. 

All the sudden you shove your cock with one hard thrust all the way inside me. I pull you close and wrap my legs around your waist holding you deep within, milking your cock hard with my vaginal muscles. 

We kiss and our lips part, letting our tongues dance together. You hold me close and fuck me harder telling me to cum for you. I begin to tremble with an earth-shattering climax that never seems to end. 

I suck your nipples into my mouth then hold it with my teeth and bite it gently. You begin to shake and move your head from side to side. You tell me how good it feels and to keep doing your nipples. All the sudden, you go rigid as your fill me with your hot cum, staying inside me until your cock softens and slides from me.

We kiss again then you tell me how great it felt fucking me. 

I nod my head in agreement then pinch you on the ass telling you that next time I want you to fuck my mouth and fill it with your cum. 

You wink at me then hold your cock up and direct me to clean your cum covered cock. I eagerly lick and suck it like a newborn calf at its mother's tit. 

You then tell me to lay back and spread my legs again. You smile then laugh as your part my labia and inform me that its time for your dessert. You eagerly run your tongue in circles around my clit and teasingly inside my whole making me squeal with delight. 

I roll my nipples and pull them hard. I start shaking once more, cumming harder than the time before. You keep your tongue buried inside my vagina lapping hungrily at our combined juices. I climax and you hold the fluid in your mouth and swallow only a portion of it. We kiss deeply and share our combined cum.

We lay snuggled within each other's arms. You pull my chin upward and kiss my cheek softly. When our eyes meet, with a whispering voice you tell me that we have to whole night ahead of us and you are not a bit tired.

When I glance around the room I notice a video camera sitting on the dresser and smile---the real fun has just begun.

Love Me Tender



"How is it even possible for your bed to be this comfy?" I ask as I stretch out across the length of your mattress, wrapping myself in your seemingly endless flannel sheets. "Mine's okay, but this is just heavenly. I swear I'm never leaving."

Smiling, you let out a small chuckle, "That sounds fine to me! Just know that I'm a miniature space heater, so you'd better not get too warm in that pile of comforters you've created. I aim to snuggle, and I won't take any excuses. Now get over here." With a grunt you manage to drag me out of my cocoon and over onto your half of the bed.

"Just so long as I'm not cold. Other than that you'll get no complaints," I assure you.

After giving your cheek a small peck, I roll onto my back and move my arm to give you room. You nuzzle into the side of my chest and throw an arm over my stomach. Sighing deeply, you begin to relax and let the stress of your busy workday seep out of your tired muscles and aching bones.

Resting my cheek against your forehead, I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of you. Running my fingers through your hair, my nails massage your scalp. And every so often I run my fingertips along the ridge of your exposed ear. Making contented noises, you nuzzle into my breast, rubbing your scruffy beard against the silky soft skin, causing my nipples to harden. Taking that as a sign of encouragement, you start planting kisses all along my full, inviting breasts. Your path traces circles that spiral out to envelope my cleavage. Every so often I can feel your tongue dart out to taste my warming skin. By the time you find yourself back at my sore, aching nipples, you're suckling and nibbling my breasts and driving me wild.

"Mmm, baby you're so gentle with me," I sigh softly.

Taking a handful of your thick, soft hair, I lightly tug your head back so you can look into my green, lustful eyes. With one final nip, you move forward and kiss me deeply. Your hands roam my body while our tongues dance between your mouth and mine. Your hands have found their way back to my long, red hair. As we break our kiss I grab my chance to pay you back for all that lovely teasing you'd just done to me.

Kissing the corner of your mouth, I move next to your chin, down your neck, feeling out your heartbeat. I can feel your pulse quickening under the supple skin of my lips. Gliding across your collarbone, centering over your sternum, I follow the trail of chest hair down to your belly button, continuing down even further. Aside from the fact that your cock is already at full attention, I can feel you guiding me with your hands wrapped through great section of my tussled red hair. I know what it is you want.

Settling myself between your legs, I gently take hold of you. Using just the tip of my tongue, I make small flicking motions along your shaft. Every inch or so I backtrack and soothe the freshly fired nerves by running the flat of my tongue over the recently teased sections of skin. Repeating this pattern, I work my way towards the tip of your cock. Once there I slip you into my mouth, working slowly at first. As I continue on moving up and down the length of you, you take over the rhythm and, with a firm hand, force yourself deeper into my throat, knowing that I'll match whatever speed or variance you might need. Just after I manage to swallow the entire length of your cock, you pull my head back with a harsh tug.

"Over," you growl gruffly.

Sliding out from between your thighs, I reposition myself so that I'm on my back next to where you rest. Your lips meet mine with a force that melts into a gentle, all-consuming passion.

"Your turn," you tell me. And with that, you slip down around my hips.

Starting at the inside of my thighs, you alternate between tickling me with your beard and planting fluttering, barely-there kisses across my skin. Your touch is electrifying, and before you can get very far I'm already wet enough to have soaked through the lining of my little blue boyshorts; not that I'm in them for very much longer. With a hand on either side of me, you strip me of the only piece of clothing left on my body.

Wrapping an arm around my leg and over my hip, you spread my dripping pussy lips wide. A tentative lick sends a shiver up my spine, and then you're on me. Working your tongue the best you know how, you tease and lap at my swollen, hypersensitive clit. You can feel my climax mounting, so with a final kiss and a devilish nip that nearly sends me over the edge, you slide up the length of my body. As our lips meet yet again, I can feel you enter me with a palpable sense of urgency.

Bringing my knees up alongside of you, my back arches, forcing my hips hard against your thrusts. Knowing that you're about to reach your peak, I will myself to let go. And as my body tenses and the nerves ring out in ecstasy, I feel you cum inside of me, filling me completely.

You rest your head against my neck, breathing heavily. Slipping my fingers through your hair, I wrap my arms around you and pull you to me. Lying against each other, we try and catch our breath. I can feel the combination of our juices leaking out from between my thighs, still quivering from our climax only moments ago.

"I think I'm gonna need to take a shower. Care to join me?" I ask, as I kiss your temple and wiggle my body against yours.

Without even a pause, you're up and out of bed, heading for the bathroom. The water starts and you reappear at the doorway.

"I love the way your mind works," you say as you lean in to kiss my still-flushed cheeks. And lifting me into your arms, you carry me into the warm, waiting steam. 



Love Me Tender



Lynn stared at her reflection in the mirror one more time. The cream colored satin Rock-a-Billy style dress did its best to accentuate the positives of a body that had seen and given life. Her red hair that was freshly dyed to cover the greys that came with that life was pulled back from her surprisingly youthful face into a ponytail laced with baby's breath and white roses. 

"Mom, quit worrying. You look beautiful," whispered her oldest daughter as she wrapped arms about her from behind. 

In the mirror, Lynn stared into the face of a younger, more beautiful version of herself. This woman was everything she was not. Steady, confident and self-assured. Everything that Lynn had created her to be. A woman of steel that her mother's mistakes had forged her into the fires of love, laughter and life. Lynn felt the tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

"Stop it Mom. You are going to ruin your make-up. It's a wonder we even got you into any at all. We don't need to have to go through all that again because you have huge black steaks running down your face." She matched actions to words, turning Lynn around to face her and dabbing at the corners of her mother's eyes with a tissue. 

Another set of fingers laced through her own and gave a gentle squeeze. She greeted the gaze of another beautiful and strong woman: her daughter. Her tummy bulged and seemed to actually move beneath her dress with the same life that Lynn had brought into this world. But she knew that her son and this magnificent creature would do so much better a job than she ever had with her first grandchild. "Oh, Mama," she chided as she shook her head.

"Gees, Mom, you would think this is your first time to do this and not your third," said the petulant teen sprawled across the chair in the corner with her iPad close at hand. 

Her older sister poked the girl in the shoulder, but ever the honest person that Lynn raised her children to be her youngest daughter stood her ground. "What? It's true, ain't it."

And that was the crux of the matter. Her baby girl always seemed to have a way of stripping all the layers of polite society to the very beating and throbbing heart of the matter...bloody though it was. Lynn loved all her children. She loved all children period. But there was something special about this final precious gift of the goddess that had taught more about life and love than any of her other children had. 

The slow and familiar melody began to drift into the room. It was the signal they had been waiting for. Her girls surrounded her and led her to the door where her beloved son waited to take her hand. She knew that she was fighting a losing battle against the water works and her daughter must have too because she pressed a handful tissue into Lynn's hand along the bouquet of roses. "You just better have gotten your aim right, Mama. Or I'm gonna cutta bitch and I'd hate to get that dress all bloody and send you to the hospital on your wedding night. Besides how many times do I have to tell you, Mama, you are not a pretty crier."

Lynn laughed as the four women formed a circle of love, a girly group hug, Lynn knew one thing: she might have shitty taste in men, but damn did she have amazing children.

As if reading her mother's mine, the youngest voice of reason, the soul that was born old, shoved her mother through the door to her waiting brother, "Quit worrying, Mommy. This time we choose him for you. And we gots good taste in men."

Her son, who had stood at the other end of what seemed like an endless path, less than a year before, tucked her hand into the fold of his arm as his wife heavy with child snuck up the aisle to take her seat. Her daughters preceded her slowly up that path of non-descript reddish-brownish-orange carpet towards the front of the chapel where Elvis Presley stood holding a Bible in one hand and a microphone in the other as he belted out the words to his most famous song...Love Me Tender. 

She chuckled at the odd, unusual, eccentric culmination of her warped fantasies. Her dream wedding...Elvis in Vegas. What more could any girl hope for? Well, maybe that this time...she was not making another mistake.

"Mom, I'll tell you exactly what you told me...there are no guarantees in this life," whispered the man next to her. It was just like him to turn her own words back on her. But then again, he had every right to...her Mister Stability. She smiled as she remembered the other words that she had spoken that day to her daughter-inn-law..."It Is both sad and wonderful that the only 'perfect' man I have ever met is the one I raised."

It was their turn then to begin that endless walk. Each step seemed frozen in time, a slow motion replay of the big play at the Super Bowl. She looked around the small Vegas wedding chapel at the smiling faces...her children, his, a scattering of friends. She looked to the raised dais at the front of the chapel. 

Damn, this Elvis was good. Not the fat, cheesy older one. Not the boyish man-child that had stepped on the world's stage. The man...the mature one in black leather that had ruled this town as its top headliner for almost a decade in the seventies. He had that song down pat. How many times a day did he sing it, she wondered? How many of those were the disasters in the making that her first tow marriages had been? 

Her eyes drifted to Elvis's right. He stood there in a suit. Simple but functional like the man. His shoulders were broad. Broad enough to carry the baggage that she had brought to this relationship. Broad enough to break down the doors...walls...fortresses...that she had built around her heart. 

Lynn smiled and tried to focus upon his face. But the tears must be back because all she saw was a...

***

All she saw was a blur. Lynn sat bolt upright in her bed. The sheets were wet with sweat. But it was a different kind of moisture that collected in a large pool on her pillow. Tears. Tears of a lifetime. Tears of thousand mistakes. 

But what surprised her was that mixed sparingly among those tears of pain were a few of hope and faith as well. She had been having this dream...the exact same dream...every night since her son's wedding over a month ago. 

It was probably just the sentimental rantings of an old woman. Her time was gone. She had her children and they had all turned out wonderful and hopefully soon she might begin to have grandchildren. And if worse came to worse she would fill the whole damned house with cats...let them talk about the crazy old cat woman at the end pf street. It was not like she cared what people thought.

Except for the teeny tiny kernel of hope and faith that still lived in her not-so-old heart. That seed of which miracles are made. That belief in the redemptive power of love about which she wrote every day. That truly miraculous melding of two souls across time and space. The love of a lifetime that had eluded the romance writer for her whole lifetime. 

She sighed and turned over to look at the time on her phone. Five-thirty. A bit early but too late to go back to sleep. She pushed back the covers and headed for the kitchen and a cup of strong, hot, black coffee that fueled her tales of love and hot sex. Two things woefully lacking in her life. Oh well such was the winding path of life. As she hummed off key..."Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfill, for my darling I love you and I always will."



Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 01



This is a story about a husband and a wife who go through some difficult times over a period of several years. I have tried to show their foibles, failures, successes, courage and strength as well as their compassion and love. It is a long story broken into seven parts. If you do not like long stories do not bother to start reading it.

Enjoy,

Kathi

Part I - Karen's evolution

Chapter 01

"Whew, it's hot," she muttered to herself and lifted her arms away from her body to allow a little air to flow through her underarms. 

It was the end of May and it was hot but what would anyone sitting on the deck of the Savannah River House otherwise expect. Her antiperspirant had stopped working nearly an hour ago and the sweat from her armpits was running down her sides and soaking her bra along with her sleeveless blouse. Every time she moved, she could feel more rivulets of moisture trickling down her back.

Without the padding that she used to have, her bottom was hurting from the fancy metal chair seat imprinting its cast-iron, leaf design on her ass. No amount of squirming seemed to help to peel her wet panties away from her ass cheeks. 

Looking carefully around, she saw that the waitress was busy on her order computer and the few patrons eating a late lunch on a Thursday afternoon were not paying her any attention. Standing, she picked at her panties through her linen skirt and gave a quiet sigh of relief as she sat back down.

Her eyes were burning from her sweat and carefully dabbing at them with a tissue she leached the salt filled perspiration from them and automatically checked it for any sign of mascara. Stretching her legs out in front of her, she admired her tanned skin glowing with moisture. 

Wiggling her pedicured and polished toes exposed through the straps of her sandals she thought, "Thank God I didn't wear nylons."

She must have mumbled it loud enough for the waitress to hear because she came over to the table and asked, "Is there something you need, ma'am? Do you want some more sweet iced tea while you're waiting?"

"Yes, thank you. She should be here any minute now."

She was facing the river and no one was between her and the water so she spread her knees and lifted the hem of her skirt to fan her legs. She thought back to another hot day more than two and one-half years ago that set her off on a new course in life that she could never have anticipated.

She couldn't remember the exact date but she knew that it was a Monday morning and it was a warm January day right there in Savannah, Georgia. 

"I can't believe it is this hot in January," she remembered thinking and smiled in spite of her nervousness.

She could visualize that early morning so long ago and she let her mind wander as she recalled the events that led up to her waiting for her daughter in this restaurant on this important day.

She was very nervous on that day so long ago and she had tried to keep her hands from trembling while she waited in the reception area of the New Horizons Real Estate office. There were a dozen or so men and women scurrying around with handfuls of papers all the while talking on their little cell phone headsets hanging from their ears.

The obviously very pregnant receptionist had expected her and offered her a cup of coffee while she waited to meet Mr. Flannery. Her appointment was for ten o'clock and she was a little less than 15 minutes early so she sat and watched the busyness going on around her.

Karen patted her light brown hair for the tenth time in as many minutes to make sure that it was in place. She noticed that she had longer hair than the other women in the office. Most of them were smartly dressed in business suits, some with pants and some with straight skirts and blouses. All wore several little brass pins on their lapels with their names and, she guessed, symbols indicating their real estate educational training or accomplishments or something.

"I should have worn a skirt and jacket," she mused as she smoothed her dress down over her thighs.

Even though she liked the way that this dress draped over her body, she had to admit that it was a little matronly looking. Still, she thought that it made her look slimmer. After nineteen years of marriage and two children her figure had filled out until she was just this side of pleasantly plump.

Her fingers twitched to take her compact out of her purse and check her makeup but she decided that would be too obvious. Sitting back, she settled on wetting her lips and studying and admiring the makeup and hairdos of the women around her. 

Her nervousness increased as she thought how she had arrived at this point in her life. Staying at home was not as enjoyable as it once was to her. The kids were both in high school and soon Melody would be graduating and going away to college. She hardly ever saw Brian with all of his after school and weekend activities and to put it bluntly she was feeling lonely and useless.

She and Ray were in a rut with their lives. He was comfortable with his teaching position and his career and they sort of coexisted in parallel lives. They were still in love but it was more of a comfortable, complacent love after almost twenty years of marriage.

She felt a little twinge of fear at knowing that, if she got the job, she would have to tell Ray and she didn't really know how he would react. He was usually quiet and thoughtful but she had known him to explode in anger when he felt he was being used or not consulted on family matters.

Karen's mind was going a mile-a-minute with all of the thoughts going through it. Her anxiety level increased the more she thought about what she was doing. She almost got up and left the office at one point.

"If I don't get the job I'm not going to tell Ray anything about it," she decided, but at the same time she didn't want to keep something from him. It would be lying by omission.

"I think I'm going crazy!" she admonished herself. "I'm going to be forty years old in a few months and I'm afraid to talk to my husband. I feel like a teenager trying to get away with something by lying to my father. Shit, girl! Get it together!"

Tearing her mind away from her thoughts she concentrated on studying the office and the people in it. 

There were no clients that she could see and several of the women were walking around in their stockinged feet with one wearing what looked like bedroom slippers while the rest wore heels. Reaching up with both hands she ensured that her earrings were hanging straight then she checked to make sure her necklace was centered on her chest. 

"I need to get a tan," she decided while peering down at her nearly white chest and the faint hint of the beginning of her cleavage. 

Squirming around in her chair she could feel the sweat starting to dampen her panties underneath her tight, control-top pantyhose. She bought a size smaller than she usually wore to try and flatten her tummy a little but it also flattened her bottom and she was proud of her bottom.

"I can stand it for a little while longer," she thought and uncrossed and recrossed her legs.

The receptionist's voice startled her.

"Mike will see you now," she said and gestured towards the open office door with the nameplate indicating that it belonged to the Broker/Owner.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Royals," he stood and took her hand. "May I call you Karen?"

"Of course," she replied. 

"I know him," she said to herself.

"Have we met before?" he asked while still holding onto her hand.

"I'm thinking the same thing," she replied.

He stared at her for a moment before recognition lit his eyes.

"Yes! I know where I've seen you before. You were the Vice-president of the PTO, weren't you? You sure ran a tight meeting. I like that in a woman."

Karen withdrew her hand and carefully looked him over. Blushing at his compliment she still couldn't exactly place him, but then, she didn't know everybody who came to the PTO meetings.

"Why, thank you," she responded.

"Nice looking," she thought. "He must be around 50 or so. Good shape, nice tan and I like his hair. I wonder how he gets his shirts so white? They almost glow. They fit tightly around his waist and chest and they're monogrammed. Nice touch. I wonder where he gets them made?"

"Thank you, Karen," he said and gestured towards a chair. "Please have a seat and everybody calls me Mike."

Karen arranged her self in the straight-backed chair and crossed her legs. She noticed that his eyes flickered towards her legs when he heard the sound her pantyhose made when she slid one leg over the other. 

His eyes moved back towards her face.

"How did you hear about our job opening?" he asked. "We haven't advertised it yet."

"Jackie Byrd, one of your agents at the other office told me about it. She goes to my church and she knew I was looking for a job and she thought it was a perfect match for me."

"Yes, I know who you are talking about. Well, Becky, our receptionist is pregnant. I'm sure you noticed that fact and she's ready to have her baby any day now. I'll tell you up front that she is planning on returning in three months so we'll have to play it by ear when she returns. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, sir, I understand."

"You are married and have two teenaged children," he read from her application form. "You haven't worked outside of your home for nineteen years?"

"That's right. Not any paid jobs but I did all of the usual volunteer stuff with the school, the church, and the soccer and baseball leagues but I was, I am, a stay-at-home-mom. I want to change that. I'm looking for a day job so I can be home for dinner and weekends. The kids are able to take care of themselves from the time they get home from school until I will get home. In fact, with their after school activities, they are not always home when, Ray, my husband gets home from work."

"It says here that you are familiar with Microsoft Office and Excel. Any other computer programs?"

Most all of the Microsoft products, including Power Point, and I can get around pretty well in some scheduling and financial stuff like Quick Books. I took some Community College classes a few years ago to help my husband with his university papers when he was going for his second Ph.D. I also used a computer to schedule the cafeteria volunteers and the baseball games at the schools where my children attended."

"Good. Did Jackie tell you that we expect you to work some Saturday's and every Thursday evening?"

"No, I didn't know that. Every Saturday?"

"Not every one, but probably one or two every six weeks or so. We have a part-time receptionist who works some weekends. If you work a Saturday, you will get Monday off and on Thursdays you won't have to come in until noon."

Karen paused for a few seconds. She really wanted the job and with Jackie's recommendation she knew she had a good chance. She felt a little twinge of fear in her chest at the thought of telling Ray. He would be pissed but he was going to be pissed anyway when she told him that she was going back to work when he wanted her to stay home.

"Shit!" she said to herself. "He's going to have to learn to live with it, I'm tired of being cooped up in the house."

"That will be fine," she said and surprised herself with her next question. "Do I have the job?"

"Yep! You can start on Monday and that way you will get about two weeks working with Becky before she leaves. If she pops early you'll have to learn on the job."

"OK, I'm looking forward to it."

"We'll start you off at $24,500. OK?"

"That sounds fine. I was so nervous about applying for the job I didn't even think about the salary. I'm willing to work for whatever you think is fair until I can prove myself."

"You can also expect the agents to give you a bonus when they make a sale. It depends upon how helpful you are to them. They each have their own way of doing things and it will help if you learn their individual quirks."

The intercom buzzed and he picked it up. 

"Thanks, Becky. Yes, I'm finished here. Help Karen with the necessary paperwork and she will be starting with us on Monday. Thanks," to Karen he said, "I have to take this, I'll see you Monday morning."

"Thank you," she replied, shook his hand and walked out of his office to find Becky.

She did not remember the drive home with all of the thoughts churning around in her head. She was worried about how Ray was going to react and she had some fear that she wouldn't be able to do the job. The next thing she knew she was in her driveway.

"Thank God for General Electric or whoever invented air conditioning," she said to no one as she pulled her dress up over her head and hung it on a hanger

Unhooking her bra she tossed it on the bed then wriggled her pantyhose down over her hips and gave a sigh of relief when her hips and belly were allowed to breathe again. She rubbed the red marks left on her flesh from the tight bands of her bra and the elastic waist of her pantyhose. Sitting on the edge of the bed she stripped them off of her feet and tossed them onto the clothes hamper as she walked into the bathroom. 

"I'm going to have to get some new clothes. Those women all looked smart and sophisticated compared to me."

Absently scratching her sweaty butt cheeks, Karen pulled her panties down and sat on the commode. 

"Now I have to figure out a way to break the news to Ray."

Karen spent the rest of her day as she did almost every other day. She ran a few errands, cleaned what had to be cleaned and took a nap while watching Oprah. Her mind was excitedly occupied with her new adventure but her excitement turned to a little tremor of unrest each time she thought of a way to tell Ray.

It was almost time for him to come home so she got dinner going and decided to change into something nicer than her normal sweats and baggy shirt. 

"Not too flashy," she decided. "Just enough to show him that I am more than a housewife and mother."

Fresh from a shower and with new makeup applied, Karen was coming down the stairs when Ray came in the door. He looked up at her standing a few steps up and whistled. 

"Are we going out for dinner?"

"No, I just wanted to dress up a little."

She pulled the hem of her dress up over her thighs. "You like?"

"Absolutely!" he replied and dropping his briefcase on the floor he knelt on the steps and crawled up to where she was standing. Looking up at her he grinned and grasping the back of her knees he stuck his head up under her dress and pressed his face against her thighs.

Karen laughed and tried to get away from him by backing up one step. She couldn't lift her foot with him holding her leg and her high heel caught on the edge of the carpet and she plopped down on a step. 

"Gotcha!" he crowed and pushing her legs apart he nuzzled her pussy through her pantyhose. "Yummy! No panties."

"Stop that!" she squealed. "The kids will be home any second. Get out from under there!"

"Not yet," he growled. "U'mm, it smells sexy under here."

"The kids!" she exclaimed when she heard the sound of Melody and Brian's footsteps on the front porch. "Get out of there! The kids!"

Ray was just able to get his head out from under her dress when the door burst open and two pairs of wide eyes stared up at them.

"Eeyuu! Gross!" Melody yelled.

"Yeah, gross!" agreed Brian.

"Get a room!" added Melody.

Ray looked up at Karen from his perch on the stairs and when their eyes met they both burst out in laughter.

"Why? We like to do it on the steps," he laughed as he helped her to her feet.

"Daaad!" Melody whined in her "You're always embarrassing me!" voice.

"Dinner's almost ready. Go wash up," Karen said and shooed them both up the stairs. "Next time, we'll lock the door."

"Mother!" Brain added his displeasure to the conversation. "TMI-FALK."

"TMI-FALK?" Karen asked. 

"Too Much Information For A Little Kid," he yelled over his shoulder while climbing the stairs two at a time.

"Well, that was almost fun," Ray laughed and swatted her on the bottom as she went by him into the kitchen. "Catch you later?"

"Maybe, if you have enough money. I'm expensive you know."

"You look real nice mom," Melody said when Karen brought in the pot roast and potatoes."

"That's what I said when I tackled her on the steps," Ray laughed.

Karen blushed. "OK, OK. That's enough of that. Let's eat."

"Brian! Don't eat so fast. Slow down. It's nice we can all eat dinner together," Karen offered. "We don't do it very often anymore."

"I have basketball practice tonight. Remember?" he replied and pushed his chair back from the table. Can I be excused? I have to get changed. Brett's dad is picking me up."

"Will Brett be with him?" Melody asked.

"Yes, brat. He'll be there but stay away from him. He's my best friend."

"Mommm," she whined. "Tell him to stop. I just asked a question."

"Be nice to your sister," Karen said to his back as he left the room.

"And I have homework," Melody reported. "Can I use your lap top mom?"

"Yes. Go ahead. I'll clean up. Well, so much for family mealtime."

Ray finished his coffee and pushed back from the table. 

"I'm going to read the paper."

"Ray? I have something to discuss. Try not to fall asleep until I finish cleaning up the kitchen. OK?"

"OK," he replied. "Sounds serious. Is it?"

"No, not really. I'll be there in a minute."

Karen realized that she was preparing a script of her upcoming conversation with Ray while she loaded the dishwasher and washed and dried the pots and pans. 

"Stop it," she admonished herself again. "He can't stay mad forever." 

Ray was waiting for her when she came in from the kitchen. She walked over to his leather easy chair and sat on the arm with her legs crossed. The television was on but when she came in, he muted the sound as he anxiously waited for whatever she wanted to talk about.

"You look beautiful tonight," he told her and turned in his chair so he could put his arm around her thighs and cup her ass. 

"Thank you sweetheart. I'm just happy you still think I'm pretty."

Ray slipped his hand down over her thigh and back up under her dress to her hip.

"I love you in nylon," he said and rested his head on her lap while he squeezed her butt through her pantyhose.

"I know you do. That's why I wore them, you dummy," she said and patted his hair.

"Did Brian leave yet?" he asked while smoothing his hand up and down her thigh.

"Yes, but Melody is still here," she warned, knowing where he was going. "She's on the phone. I can see the extension-in-use light on the handset."

"You watch that light while I explore a little, OK?"

Sliding off of the chair he knelt on the floor in front of it and pulled her down off of the arm and onto the seat.

"Ray!" she admonished. "Melody could come in any minute."

"Keep watching that light," he ordered and pressed his face into her lap.

Karen was torn between the excitement of what they were doing and her need to talk to him about her new job. Choosing the former, she slid down a little in the chair to indicate that she was willing to play.

Sitting back on his haunches, Ray placed both hands on her knees and easily pushed them apart. Sliding still further down, she was now slouched in the chair with her crotch right at the front of the seat with Ray between her legs.

He loved doing this to her. It was one of the techniques that he considered most important in their lovemaking. He knew how much she enjoyed it and it gave him a tremendous sense of satisfaction knowing that fact. 

It was not something that she had always enjoyed. She had let him know on their honeymoon what she thought was a normal part of lovemaking and what she considered to be depraved. She made it clear that oral sex performed by either party was out of the question. 




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 01



They had been married only three days when he tried to change her mind by pleasuring her with his mouth. She attempted to push him away but he forced his face into her crotch with the idea that once she felt how good it was she would grow to like it. 

It did not work and she leaped out of bed and locked herself in the bathroom of their hotel room. He finally gave up trying to coax her out and when he woke up the next morning she was asleep on the sofa. He apologized profusely and they had make-up sex most of the morning.

After that episode he didn't make any overt attempts to go down on her. He would spend time kissing her belly and her thighs without making a direct move towards her crotch. His thinking was she eventually would want to try it and he would be willing when she was ready.

It was not until several years after the birth of Brian that she finally surprised him one night. They had been to a birthday party for one of their friends and she had drunk enough wine to make her giggly and horny. There were a lot of gag gifts at the party including several sets of sexy lingerie. She and the birthday girl and the three other women at the party had disappeared for a while into the girl's bedroom. 

When they emerged they were full of giggles and laughter from modeling the underwear for each other. The birthday girl was wearing a robe and her girlfriends kept trying to get her to show off her new lingerie but she wouldn't do it in front of everybody. The guys then moved to trying to get their wives to model for the group but that did not go anywhere either. The party finally broke up around midnight after some more drinking and horseplay.

His first surprise came when she pulled her panties off from under her skirt on their way home in the car. She hung them by the crotch over the rear view mirror and leaning back against the passenger side door she put one foot up on the seatback behind his head and the other on the floor. 

"Touch me," she ordered and raised her pelvis in invitation. 

Ray was stunned but he didn't waste any time before he started caressing her pussy with one hand while trying to keep his eyes on the road. By the time they got home she had already had one orgasm and she was well on the way to a second one when he pulled into the garage.

She wanted to make love in the car but he was afraid the baby sitter would wonder why they had not come into the house. All they needed was for her to come and check on them or maybe even call the police. He finally convinced her to go into the house with him. The baby sitter lived a few doors down and Ray told her he would walk her home. 

"Hurry back," Karen told him when he was halfway out of the door. He stopped and looked back and she pulled her skirt up to her waist and flashed him.

Ray almost ran back home and locking the door behind him he turned out the lights and took the stairs two at a time up to their bedroom. The only light came from the ceiling light in the closet and Karen was lying nude on the edge of the bed with her feet touching the floor and her panties in her hand. 

"Hi," she giggled and caressed her breasts with the nylon lingerie before moving it down over her belly and between her legs. 

"Hurry," she ordered and rubbed herself with her panties while he quickly shed his clothes.

Crossing to her he fell to his knees and kissed her belly while reaching up and capturing her nipples with his fingertips. He continued to kiss her belly and to run his tongue around and into her navel until she groaned and raised her pelvis up against his chest.

This foreplay position was nothing new to Ray and the raising of her pelvis meant she was ready for him to penetrate her. Rising up he moved to mount her but she pushed against his shoulders to keep him from coming over her. 

Thinking that she wanted some more teasing he lowered his head and began to suck on her breasts and nipples. This elicited a groan from her but she kept the pressure on his shoulders until he stopped resisting and lowered his face onto her belly. Once he was back on his knees she moved her hands from his shoulders to the top of his head and gently pushed him lower. 

It took a second or two for Ray to grasp what she wanted. He thought, no he hoped, that she was asking him to do what he had wanted to do for so many years. Still hesitant about possibly misreading her intentions he was afraid of being rejected again.  

His hesitation drained away when Karen raised her knees and placing her feet on his shoulders she continued to push him down while guiding his head with her hands. Ray still wasn't sure this was going to happen until his face was right above her pubic hair and she raised her pelvis up against his face.

"Do it!" she hissed. "Do it now!"

Ray didn't waste any time. He didn't tease or tantalize her with kisses all around her target. He plunged his wide-open mouth onto her pussy and literally captured it. His tongue and lips were working as fast as he could get them to move in an effort to make sure she did not change her mind. Her musky aroma and sweet lubricating sap inflamed him to the point where he thought he was going to cum without being touched.

Karen let out with a gasp and then her body went rigid as she supported herself on her shoulder blades with her feet on his back. Her thighs were wrapped tightly around his head and her hands pulled on his hair. Ignoring the pain, he kept going until she emitted a long, low guttural wail and collapsed back down onto the bed.

He gave one last quick suck on her clitoris, which made her yelp and squirm and try to push his mouth away from the sensitive bud. Looking up at her, he lifted himself up over her and easily slipped his erection into her vagina. Karen immediately reverted to full orgasm mode and practically broke his ribs squeezing him with her legs. 

Afterward, he remembered, they lay side by side not saying anything until their breathing returned to normal. Ray turned towards her and was about to tell her how much he enjoyed what they had just shared when she gave a little sob, jumped out of the bed and went into the bathroom.

"Jesus Christ, I feel like I'm on my honeymoon again!" he said loudly enough for her to hear through the door.

"Fuck this shit!" he practically yelled, rolled over and pulled the covers up over his body.

Ray didn't remember Karen coming back into the bed that night. She was still sleeping when he awoke on Sunday morning with her mascara and lipstick smeared all over her face. He watched her for a few minutes as she lay there with a peaceful look on her face making a soft, snoring sound.

Ray kissed her on the cheek and was rolling out of bed when she called him.

"Ray, don't go. I'm sorry."

Ray turned around to see her lying there with the sheet pulled up to her neck and tears running down her face. Her cheeks were all squinched up and her lips were curled as she tried to talk through the sobs.

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen," she wailed.

"For what to happen?"

"To ... oh you know what I mean!"

Ray lay back down and pulled her close to him.

Into her ear he said, "You mean for me to eat you?"

"No! I didn't mean to get sick."

"You got sick? From what?"

"From all that wine. What did you think? From what?"

Realization dawned on Ray. 

"There's nothing to be sorry about," he looked at her and bent down to kiss her.

"Don't! I have a headache, my breath smells and I'm a mess. I know it."

"You're a beautiful mess. Now kiss me."

Karen kept her lips together as Ray touched them with his. He kissed her cheeks and licked up the salty tasting tears on her cheek.

"Hmmm, tastes almost as good as your pussy," he said through a smile.

"Please don't talk like that," she pleaded.

"Now stop this right now," he said sternly. Did you enjoy it last night?"

"I don't know," she replied shyly and turned her head.

"Don't lie to me! Did you?"

"Ye ... yes."

"Then what's the problem? We both enjoyed it and that makes it OK. We are married you know."

Stripping the sheet off of her he was surprised to find that she was nude.

"Where's your nightgown?"

"When I got sick in the bathroom last night I didn't want to go in my dresser and wake you to get another one."

"You know you can't drink much," he laughed. "You're definitely not a party girl. Now come here."

Pulling their naked bodies tightly together he kissed her shoulder and neck while squeezing her ass cheek with is hand.

"Ready or not, I'm going to do it again," he said and turned around so he could reach her bottom.

"No, Ray, No," she said and tried to push him away.

"Yes, Ray, yes," he replied and pried her knees apart with his hands. "Now enjoy!"

That Sunday morning was the second time he made love to her with his mouth and it was the first time that she kissed his cock. She didn't take it into her mouth but somewhere near her first orgasm he felt her lips sliding along the side of his cock and circling the head.

The only sounds in the den were Karen's murmurers of encouragement. He pressed his face into the cotton crotch of her pantyhose and then pulled back and looked up at his wife. Smiling, she lifted her knees and hooked her heels behind his shoulders to pull him into her. When his face was almost touching her she reached down and held his head with both hands. She could feel the sweat on his neck before she covered both of his ears and pulled his face against herself.

Ray's muffled grunts and heavy breathing excited her as she twisted her hips to raise her crotch so she could get his mouth where she wanted it. She felt him moving against her in a chewing motion. Raising her legs higher she kicked off her heels and placing her stocking clad feet on his shoulders she raised her bottom higher off of the seat.

She felt him searching for the waistband of her pantyhose but grasping his forearms she pushed his hands down in spite of his muffled protests.

"Rip them," she directed. "Rip them open!"

Quickly getting the idea, Ray attacked the cotton crotch of her pantyhose with his teeth and his fingers. She knew he had succeeded when she felt the cool air hit her wet pussy an instant before his lips touched her.

With his target opened up before him, he attacked it using every trick he had learned during their marriage. If anyone were listening to them, the sound of his mouth on her wet pussy, her squeals and his grunts would conjure up the exact image of what they were doing.

Karen raised her knees and tried to hook her heels on the edge of the seat but the slippery nylon kept sliding against the leather. Jamming her feet down between the chair seat-cushion and the arms solved that problem and released her hands so she could hold his face where she wanted it.

She could not see him under her dress but she tangled her fingers in his short beard and pushed on his head. He pulled back, wondering what she wanted. Guiding him back towards herself she stopped when she felt his lips touch her again and pushed him back a bit. She waited for him to get the idea and when she felt just the tip of his tongue stroke up and down between her labia she relaxed her grip on him.

Her body quivered in anticipation of each tickling touch of his tongue as he made random contact on different parts of her pussy. She felt his tongue trying, without success, to fit itself between the edge of the ripped away cotton crotch and her anus.  

"In me, in me," she hissed and pulled his face tighter against her crotch. 

Taking the hint, Ray slid two fingers inside of her and opened his mouth wide to capture her entire pussy above his fingers. She could feel his teeth tantalizing her and the little nips were driving her crazy. He added to the stimulation when he sucked her lips and clitoris into his mouth and tormented them with his tongue. Breaking the suction he ran his tongue up and under her bud and pursing his lips he suckled on it like a baby trying to get milk from his mother's breast.

Karen felt her body go into overdrive and her nerve endings stand on edge at the sensation of his alternating sucking and releasing along with his fingers twisting around inside of her vagina. She slid farther down on the chair until her ass was hanging over the edge while at the same time she pulled his face so tightly into her that he could not possibly breathe.

His breathing was not her concern at the moment as she tensed and waited for that instant of release that her mind and body craved. Her entire being was concentrated on the rising tide of pleasure that spread throughout her body until she could feel it tingling in her toes. When she could stand it no longer she relinquished her control and allowed herself to go over the edge. The burning took over with an explosion of pleasure so intense it was painful. 

Ray couldn't hear a thing with her thighs clamped onto the sides of his head but he knew when she started her orgasm from the increased pressure and her sudden rigidity. He could taste her fluids as he desperately tried to prevent her from hurting herself against his teeth when she slammed her sensitive pussy up against his face.

Karen could hear herself making "huffing" sounds as her orgasm pulsed through her until she could no longer make her limbs do what she wanted. Releasing his head, she dropped her feet to the floor and lay there with her hands limp at her sides.

Ray sat back and looked up at her with satisfaction. He had made his wife happy and that made him happy. He rose and rearranged his erection from down his pants leg back up towards his belly. He leaned down to kiss her when the door to the office burst open and Melody barged in.

"Mom? Can I ... " she stopped and stared at the sight before her.

She was looking at the back of her father's easy chair. The television was on but no sound was coming out. All she could see was the top of her father's head as he looked like he was doing a pushup using the arms of the chair for support. She spotted one of her mother's high heels sitting on the table in front of the television screen and her nostrils flared from an odor in the air.

"Dad? Where's mom?" she asked. 

He raised his head and sheepishly looked at her over the back of the chair.

"Don't you ever knock, young lady?" he said accusingly and stood up then immediately turned around and pretended he was looking for the television remote.

"I ... I'm sorry," she replied. "Where's mom?"

"I'm right here," a voice came from the unseen depths of the chair. "What do you want?"

"Mom? What ...? What's going on with you two? What's that smell? Are you smoking pot?"

Her mother's hair appeared at the top of the chair.

"Nothing can go on if you keep barging in on us," she answered ignoring the pot comment.

"Mother, stop that! Just because I'm 18 doesn't mean I don't get embarrassed and you're embarrassing me. Eeyuu! I don't believe this! Can I go over to Beverly's? I'll be home by ten."

"Yes, honey. Be good," she giggled at her own humor. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That sort of leaves it wide open, doesn't it?"

Ray and Karen were both laughing hysterically by the time Melody turned and almost ran out of the room closing the door behind her.

"Why are you talking with your back to me and where are my shoes?" Karen asked.

"I didn't want her to see this," he said indicating the protruding front of his trousers. "There's one of them and the other is right here," Ray answered collecting them for her.

"Put them on for me, baby," she purred and lifting her foot up towards him she rubbed the front of his pants.

"I'd rather take them off," he laughed as she slipped first one then the other onto her feet.

"Later, baby, later. Now come here. I want to talk."

"Uh, oh! Is this the 'talk' I'm trying to avoid? Am I in trouble?"

"No, but I may be. Come here."

Ray tried to sit next to her on the chair but they both couldn't fit.

"We used to be able to do this," Karen sighed. "Let's move to the living room."

Ray followed her out into the living room and sat next to her on the sofa. He was still concerned about their "talk" but Karen's good humor allayed his fears that it was something bad.

"Ray, honey," she said and held his hand.

"OK, what is it? It can't be that bad! Can it?"

"It's not bad but I really want to do this and I hope you will support me."

Ray tried to second-guess what she was going to say and several possibilities ran through his mind. 

"She's been concerned with her weight lately. Maybe she wants to go to one of those fat farms or spas or whatever they call them. Is she having an affair and is she going to tell me about it? No, it can't be that. Not after what we just did. God I hope she doesn't have cancer or something," he thought.

"Honey, I want to get a job."

Ray let out a whoosh of air that he was not even aware he was holding in his lungs. Karen looked at him in amazement as he laughed so hard tears came to his eyes. Thinking he was laughing at her she jumped up and started crying. 

"What's so funny about me wanting a job?" she sobbed. "Don't you think I can do it?"

Ray pulled her back down onto the sofa. 

"No, no. I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing with relief. I thought you were going to tell me you were sick or you were having an affair or something."

"Why would I have an affair?" she asked with a serious look on her face.

"I don't know, honey. I'm just paranoid I guess. What kind of job? Where?"

"As a receptionist slash secretary at a real estate agency."

"How do you know there are any jobs like that open?"

Looking at him with concern in her eyes, she said. "Because I already applied for one and I got it."

His eyes widened.

"You went out and got a job without discussing it with me first?"

"I know how you feel about wanting me to stay home and all but I'm tired of doing nothing and I want to get out and talk to someone besides the television and telemarketers during the day and I was afraid that if I told you, you would try to talk me out of it," she said in one continuous, rapid flow of words.

"I guess I would have tried," he replied. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"Yes! I'll be home before you get here and I can have dinner ready and everything. The kids are never home in the afternoon and they take care of themselves anyway."

"If you're sure that this is really what you want I guess it's OK with me. It's your decision and we'll just have to adjust to our working mom."

Throwing her arms around him she kissed him.

"Thank you, baby. I love you. Let's go upstairs and you can take my shoes off again."

"Can't we stop on the stairs?" he laughed.

"Our bed is easier on my back. Let's go!"

Chapter 02

"Oh, my God!" he exclaimed when she finally released his softening cock from her mouth. "Wow!"

"Shhh," she admonished him. "The kids are back home. Be quiet. We've embarrassed them enough for one day."

"I hope they didn't come in while you were yelling 'Harder, harder'."

"Are you done yet?" she giggled and licked him once more.

"Yet!" he exclaimed. "I was done two times ago. I'm too old for this. I have to rest."

Crawling up along side of him, she rested her leg and arm over his body. 

"I love you," she breathed into his ear.

"Me too," he answered in the way he always did.

"Know what?" she said.

"What?" he answered sleepily. 

"I have to get new clothes. The other women at the office are all dressed really nice."

"New clothes? Why not? Since when did you need an excuse to go shopping anyway? What do you mean dressed nice? I like the way you dress."

"I mean more professional looking not like my housewife and mommy clothes."

"Just remember that you are a wife and a mother."




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 01



Karen knew she was a wife and a mother and that was what was making her nervous. She was not sure she could fit into the business world after being out of it for so long. 

A stab of anxiety hit her when her mind fast-forwarded to Monday morning and projected her first day at her new job. She had a visual of herself walking into the office and everybody staring at her. Shaking her head at her depressive thoughts, she became aware of the need to empty her bladder. Sighing, she slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom, backed up to the commode and let her stream go. 

"It was good," she reflected while gently wiping herself with a pad of toilet paper and wincing a little when she touched her swollen and sore pussy. "It hasn't been that good in quite a while. We haven't been that wild in a long time."

Wiping herself made her realize that her hair was sticky with their fluids so she dampened a washcloth and using gentle pressure she cleansed her groin. Standing up she decided against flushing the toilet so as not to wake Ray. Taking her nylon nightgown down from its hook, she paused when it uncovered the full-length mirror and her mature body was reflected back to her. 

She looked at herself with a critical eye. Tossing the nightgown towards the vanity, she stood straight and pulled her shoulders back. Her breasts were not real saggy but they were not as firm as they used to be. Cupping them with her hands she lifted them and moving closer to the glass she intently studied them. She could detect a little redness near the right nipple where Ray's teeth had gotten a little too aggressive.

Ray's easy acceptance of her decision to work outside of their home was a little surprising to her. She expected more of a hassle from him but he sounded like he was supporting her all the way. 

"Maybe he wants something to change as much as I do. We've been together for so long that we finish each other's sentences and anticipate each other bowel habits."

Turning sideways she craned her neck to study her ass. 

"Not bad for two kids," she muttered. 

Placing her palm flat against her butt cheek she shook it and watched it jounce more than she wanted.

Not wanting to look anymore she turned away.

"I'm going to have to do something about that."

Karen slipped her nightgown over her head and turned out the light before opening the door. She slid gently back onto her side of the bed and stared at the ceiling with a thousand thoughts roiling around in her mind. She was excited about her new life and was looking forward to meeting new people with new ideas. She suddenly remembered that she had not told Ray that she would have to work some Saturdays.

Turning towards him, she touched his shoulder. 

"Ray? Honey?"

Ray's answer was a soft snore so she cuddled up to his back and let herself drift off to sleep.

Chapter 03

Melody was almost as excited as Karen was at the thoughts of her mother getting out into what she called "the real world." Friday was a teacher's workday so she volunteered to help Karen pick out her new clothes. She steered her towards business suits with just a few separate skirts and blouses that she could wear in various combinations. They spent hours going from store to store deciding on which shoes to buy. In the end they decided on three high-heel styles and two pair of flats.

"You're going to need some new underwear," Melody told her mother as they walked through the mall. "I see yours when I do the wash and they're all old and yucky."

"They're not that bad!" Karen retorted. "I haven't had the need for any fancier ones in a while."

Karen refused to go into Victoria Secret's but she did allow Melody to help her pick out some new style bras and some high cut panties but she drew the line at thongs. 

"I don't like anything rubbing up against my butt," she said. 

"OK, we'll go with the bikini cuts. You won't be able to see panty lines as much with them," she told her mother.

Melody couldn't convince her mother to start wearing thigh-high stockings instead of pantyhose. She had been wearing them for several years but Karen still felt more comfortable with the control top pantyhose that helped slim her body.

"You feel like you are wrapped in a sausage casing if anyone rubs up against you," she told her mother.

"Why would anyone rub up against me," Karen argued. "I'm going to stay with what I've been wearing. They make me feel more comfortable."

The only downer to the whole shopping trip was that Karen had to settle on size 16 and 18s depending on the style of the clothes they chose. One designer's brand even moved her up to a 20. The business style jackets helped a little by hiding her belly and slimming her hips but she definitely was not happy with her looks.

"I guess I'll just have to live with it until I lose some weight," she sighed into the mirror outside of the dressing room.

"You've been saying that for a long time now, mom. Maybe this time you'll do it."

Ray was not too interested in seeing everything she bought. He looked at the selections and complimented them on their taste. Karen knew that he was more concerned with how much she had spent, but to his credit he didn't complain when she admitted the total. He flinched a little but quickly smiled when she reminded him that she would be earning a salary and she could pay her own bills. He told her she was worth it and if it helped her in her new career, he was all for it.

"I love that he's supporting me," she thought as she hung her new purchases on her side of the closet.

Karen had plans for her and Ray when they went to bed that night. The evening dragged by and both the kids stayed home so she went upstairs and took a shower while the family watched television. 

"Would you like some wine, honey?" she asked when she came down from her shower. 

"Yes, please," he replied without looking up from the program they were watching.

"Is your homework done?" she asked Melody.

"I'll do it after this program is over."

"No, but I'll do mine tomorrow," Brian offered.

"Why don't you get it done tonight and then you can have tomorrow free to do what you want," she suggested.

Brian grunted in agreement and the kids were gone when she came out of the kitchen carrying two glasses of wine.

Ray looked up at her when she handed him his glass and crossed in front of him to sit next to him on the sofa. 

"Is that a new nightgown under your housecoat?" he asked.

"Yes. Do you like it?" she smiled.

"You know I like green on you but all I can see is the bottom of it. Why are you wearing heels?"

"I'm going to be wearing them to work every day and I thought I would start getting used to them so my legs won't ache. Do you like them?" she asked and extending one leg she twisted her foot back and forth so he could see.

"You realize the kids are just upstairs?" he grinned. "They're going to think we're sex maniacs if we keep this up."

"They won't be back down. You didn't answer me. Do you like them?"

"Yes, but aren't they higher than you usually wear?"

Karen stood and walked over next to his legs.

"They make my legs look nice don't you think?" as she pulled the hems of her robe and gown up over her thighs.

Ray pushed himself to the edge of his seat and running his hands up her legs from her calves to her thighs, he pulled her towards him. Karen could feel her body getting warmer. She had been aroused ever since they got home from the mall in anticipation of what was going to happen and it was happening now.

Burying his face into her belly he inhaled and looking up at her he grinned again.

"You smell nice!"

The pressure of his face against her belly kicked off a little twinge in her groin.

"What are you trying to say? Don't I always smell nice?" she kidded.

"Something that smells as nice as you must taste good too. Can I have a taste?"

"Maybe, if you're a good boy," she murmured and pulled his head tighter against her belly.

Untying the bow holding her robe together she pulled the edges apart to expose her gown to his eyes. Ray leaned back to allow himself a better look and Karen almost laughed when his eyes literally bugged out.

"Beautiful, just beautiful!" he exclaimed.

"I bought it just for you," she told him.

Karen backed a step away from him and walked to the middle of the room. She shrugged off her housecoat and dropped it onto a chair. Standing there she slowly turned in place and then posed with her shoulders back and her left leg exposed from her pointed toe up to her hip showing through the opening in the side of her light, green gown.

"Better?" she giggled.

"God, you're gorgeous!" he whispered.

The satin gown was cut so low in the front that it almost went down to her navel. The back was nonexistent and he could see the beginning of the swell of her ass. It was trimmed in black lace that crisscrossed her breasts and continued down over her waist to the bottom of both edges of the slit. 

A black lace rose held the apex of the slit together. The spaghetti straps holding up the top pulled the silken fabric so that it puckered around her erect nipples. The design of the bodice heightened the effect that just enough of her breasts were being offered to his view to cause him the pleasurable torment of expectancy.

Karen could feel the moisture gathering in her pussy as she gently tensed her thighs to tease herself. She smiled and ran her fingertips across her shoulder to her throat then down the front of her gown to her navel. 

"Come here," he said in another whisper.

Glancing towards the stairs to check on the kids, Karen wet her lips and slowly walked towards him. Ray couldn't wait for her to reach him and he stretched out his hands and gathered her to him. Karen looked down at him with his lips kissing her thigh through the slit in the gown. She could see the blush on her chest and feel the heat as her body reacted to his touch.

"I love you," he said into her belly and pushing aside her gown he moved both of his hands to her legs. 

Karen could hear herself breathing almost in a pant as she waited for him to discover her little secret. She felt his fingers caressing her thighs and heard his gasp when he realized she was nude under the gown. 

Her legs were starting to tremble and her knees felt weak but she managed to separate her feet to encourage him to further investigate between her legs. She steadied herself with her hands on his shoulders and arched her groin towards him. 

Ray's right hand cupped her ass cheek as his left hand crept slowly up her inner thigh. She felt the tickle of his fingers on her pubic hair an instant before they made contact with her engorged pussy lips. He was barely touching her but the sensations she was feeling were as intense as if his fingers were already inside of her.

Karen gasped and her body tensed when he gently spread the cheeks of her ass and teased her as she waited for him to touch her naughty place.

"Mom! I'm going to bed now. Good-night!"

Karen shuddered and let out a low moan when Melody's voice, from the upstair's hallway, broke through her passion. Whirling around she teetered on her heels as she hurried to her housecoat and threw it over her shoulders while searching for the armholes to hide her gown from her daughter's eyes.

Ray stood and strode towards Karen with the front of his sweats poked out from his erection.

"Goodnight, honey," Ray answered. "Your mother's in the bathroom. See you tomorrow."

"Night, daddy!"

Taking Karen in his arms he groaned and nuzzled her neck where it met her shoulder. Karen could feel his frustrated passion and extending her neck she tilted her head so he could tease her with his lips. She loved the touch of his beard on her skin and the feel of his lips and the tip of his tongue on her sensitive neck. It sent shivers through her body and she felt little tingles move down over her chest and belly to creep into her groin. Her vaginal area was already swollen with anticipation and its lubricating essence was seeping out and down her legs.

"Let's go up to bed," she whispered through a giggle. "There are too many kids wandering around in this house."

By the time that Ray locked the front door and turned out the lights she was lying on her back on their bed still wearing her pumps. 

"Hurry," she ordered. "Or I'll start without you."

Ray dropped his sweats and pulled them and his socks off with his feet while struggling to get his shirt off over his head.

Her legs were trembling with desire as she held her arms out to welcome him into the cradle formed by her body. Karen treasured the feeling that she always felt when she surrendered herself to her husband. She allowed herself the excitement of feeling safe in the ultimate expression of vulnerability and confidence in her lover by completely opening her body to him. 

At this moment she was not concerned with any doubts that she usually held about her body's shape or beauty. She knew that, in his eyes, she was the most beautiful being on earth and he knew that she was his.

Her tongue passed over her dry lips as she watched him lower his erection towards its home inside of her. Raising her knees, she tilted her pelvis so that he only bumped against her one time before he paused with the head of his cock pulsing between her pussy lips. 

"Now!" she whispered and closing her eyes, she waited for the exquisite sensation that she knew would come when he first penetrated her. 

Delaying the inevitable and building the tension, he waited a few more moments and lovingly watched her face melt into total desire as she held her breath in anticipation. The head of his cock felt burning hot against her wetness and forcing herself to wait she imagined what she could not see when he gently pressed himself slowly into her. 

Widening her thighs as far as they could go, she felt her labia spread at his nudge against them. Willing her muscles to open up, she passively accepted his penetration until she could wait no longer. Hunching her pelvis up to capture his length entirely inside of her, she expressed a long, low moan of pleasure. She paused for a moment to let the sensations wash over her body, and then she came.

Ray could do nothing but hold himself rigid above her while her thighs whipped up and down his ribs as she fucked herself on him to extend her long-awaited orgasm. They had teased each other's bodies to the point where they both reached a peak of passion that allowed no retreat. Emitting a continuous stream of sound, he jetted shot after shot of semen into her through the clenching muscles of her vagina. 

"I love you, I love you, I love you," she repeated in a gasping rhythm that soon died away into a whisper and finally a long, breathy sigh.

They lay still.

"So nice, so nice," she finally whispered into his ear. "I love you."

Ray rolled from between her thighs and flopped down on his back. 

"Whew! That's what I call making love," he groaned.

"We're getting pretty good at it after nineteen years. Aren't we?" she said through another giggle as she rolled over towards him and rested her leg and her arm across his body.

He kissed her.

"Whoops, I think we got my new gown all wet!"

"I think we got the whole bed wet. Let me up and I'll get a towel," he offered.

"No, that's OK. I don't want to sleep in this. I don't want it ruined since it turns you on so much. Take my shoes off for me, please."

Ray reached down and pulling her leg towards him he slid her shoe off of her foot and immediately kissed her sole. Karen giggled again and raised her other leg so he could reach the other one. Repeating his actions, he held both feet together and licked across all ten of her toes.

"That's enough of that! Let me up you pervert!" she laughed and rolled out of bed to dry herself and hang up her gown.

Chapter 04

Today was Karen's second Monday on the job. Her nervousness had quickly evaporated after just a few hours on that first Monday morning. She had no idea that she would be this busy and she wondered how Becky was able to handle it all by herself. The telephones never stopped ringing and she transferred call after call and took message after message for the agents.

Most of the agents were women but she quickly found out that all of them, men and women, were all "Type A" personalities. They were constantly in motion and carrying on several conversations while juggling forms and listings. 

This was only one of three offices that Mike owned and there was a constant flow of agents from the other offices coming and going as they exchanged leads and arranged for their commission splits. She found she couldn't even begin to remember their names or which office they worked in, but she tried to help them in any way she could.

"Does it ever slow down?" she asked Becky during one of the rare moments when they were not both doing something.

"November and December are slow months and sometimes January as well. It starts picking up by the end of February and we are at full speed-plus in the spring. Most of our business is relocation referrals from our franchises in other cities. The military as well as the government and the big corporations try to make their personnel transfers coincide with the end of the school year. It makes for happier employees if their wives or husbands and kids are happy."

"Well, I guess I'll get used to it."

"You never get used to it, you just go with the flow," she laughed. "What time do you want to go to lunch?"

"Jackie asked me to meet her for lunch if that's OK with you? I owe her one for getting me this job. I'll see you in an hour. Can you handle it?"

"Take your time. Mike won't mind if you take a long lunch once in a while. He's really impressed with your work and if he asks I'll let him know where you are. Don't worry, he probably won't even know you've been gone. I've been handling it by myself for a long time now. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that I'm slow. See you later."

Karen sat on a bench in front of the office enjoying the warm southern sun while she waited for Jackie to pick her up. Things had been going pretty well, a lot better than she had expected them to go. Ray didn't seem to mind her sometimes being a little late getting home from work and he often had already started dinner for her. 

The kids lived in their own little world and they didn't seem to even know that she was working. They asked no questions and she didn't bother them with too much information. Melody was looking forward to graduation in late May and Karen knew that she was going to spring a plea for a month in Europe as a graduation present. Brian was so involved with his sports that he barely acknowledged either his mother or his father. His only concern was that he had clean uniforms and socks. 

Up until this time, the only part of their relationship that had really suffered was their sex life. She worked hard and was still not used to it. She was used to taking an afternoon nap when she was at home and now she was too tired to do much at night. She sympathized with Ray's habit of falling asleep after dinner. She found that she dozed right along with him most evenings. 

She had tried to continue her practice of dressing up for him at least one night a week but that had only lasted through the first week. She was so happy to get out of her business clothes and into her sweats when she got home that all of her promises to herself had evaporated.

Ray never said anything directly to her but she knew that he was missing the intimacy that they once shared. 

"I'll do it tonight!" she promised herself and looking up she spotted Jackie pulling into the parking lot.

"How's your new job going?" Jackie when Karen settled herself in the car.

"A lot busier than I thought it would," Karen replied. "And it's all your fault."




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 02



Chapter 21

Ray paused at the open gate leading to the driveway of the Flannery's house. There must have been a hundred cars parked on both sides of the long driveway that led up to what was really a modern McMansion made to look somewhat Romanesque. It reminded him of some of the huge houses he had seen in Italy. He found an empty parking spot not too far from the front door and he could hear the music as soon as he got out of his car.

The front entrance looked imposing so he followed several revelers carrying bottles of beer and drinks in glasses into a side gate and over a small stone patio and into the house. There were people everywhere and caterers dressed in Mexican costumes were walking around with trays of drinks and food. 

Taking a huge margarita from a tray-full offered to him, he wandered around marveling at the size of the house and the furniture and decorations. He did not see anyone that he knew and no one paid any special attention to him so he sat on the arm of one of the sofas and watched the people moving about.

"So this is how someone who drives an R63 lives," he said to no one in particular.

"Yep, nice little shack, isn't it?" a feminine voice said to his side.

He turned and found himself looking at a young woman with short black hair who was wearing what amounted to a few lengths of string attached to some scraps of gold cloth. He tried to move his eyes up to her face but he could not tear them away from her body and breasts.

"Am I as nice as the house?" she asked as she wound her arm around his and continued with her non-stop questions. "What's your name? I'm Tamayra. Do you work in the Savannah office?"

Holding up his hand and showing his wedding ring, he said, "My name is Ray and I don't work for Mike. I'm a spouse. See!" 

"Uh oh, taken, huh? The good looking ones are all taken by the time I get to them. I thought it was against the rules to wear a wedding ring to one of the Flannery bashes."

"I don't know the rules, this is the first 'bash' I've been invited to," he grinned at her. "Are there any other rules I don't know about?"

"Yep! Rule number nine is you have to take me in your arms and kiss me. I like you. What was your name again?"

Tamayra puckered her lips and leaned in for a kiss that Ray barely avoided. She pulled back and pouted at him.

"That's not fair!" she said and patted him on the cheek. "Your wife is probably having a ball, or maybe two, and you want to be a party pooper. See you later." 

Ray watched her ass cheeks, separated by a barely visible gold string, jiggle away and out onto a deck. He followed her and found himself looking down on a huge yard covered with several large tents and directly below him a pool that continued under the deck.

There must have been two hundred or more people milling about. The music was coming from a Mexican band playing near a portable dance floor set up on the grass. The crowded dance floor included several dozen women who were dancing and swirling their skirts for the benefit of the onlookers.

Those women who were not dressed in Mexican costumes wore bathing suits. Most of the younger ones wore tiny, two-piece styles, although none looked as skimpy as Tamayra's. Ray tried to pick out Karen or Donna or one of the other women that he knew from her office but he was too far away to find anyone. It was not yet dark but the tall trees surrounding the perimeter of the property were already blocking out the evening sun and long shadows were forming.

Taking the last swallow of his strong margarita, he went back into the house and deposited his empty glass on a passing tray. Still holding his towel and bathing suit, he roamed through the first floor of the huge home. 

A set of double doors led to a three-story high foyer with dual curving staircases flanking a marble floor with an honest-to-God operating fountain in the center. Opening one of the huge doors along the perimeter of the foyer he found himself looking at a couple having sex against a wall of a coat room that was larger than his bedroom. A woman in her forties or fifties and wearing just the top of a bathing suit looked over the shoulder of the man that was fucking her and smiled at him as he backed out of the door.

"Quite a party," he said and turned only to almost bump into Donna who was standing close behind him with her hand on her cocked hip. 

"Glad you could come," she laughed. "Did they cum yet?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snoop. I was looking for a bathroom."

"Welcome," she said and wrapping her arms around his neck she stood on tiptoes and gave him a welcoming kiss complete with her tongue swiping across his lips.

Ray tried to pull away from her but she clung to him until he finally had to twist his head to get away from her sucking lips.

"Loosen up sailor," she said. "It's fun time! Come on, I'll show you around. How long have you been here? Did you have a drink yet?"

"About twenty minutes or so and yes, I've had a drink. Those margaritas are strong."

"The stronger the better," she replied and holding his hand she pulled him into a room filled with people watching two couples playing pool. 

"Don't you go away now," she cautioned him. "I'll be right back."

Ray watched her walk through a door into another room. She was a fine looking woman with just the hint of a chunky waist and an ass that was barely contained in the high cut bottom of her bathing suit. The high-heeled, platform sandals she wore increased her height and made her legs and bottom stand out to perfection. The scraps of material of her halter-top minimally covered her large breasts. The fabric looked like it was doing its job of holding them up but it could not stop their side-to-side sway as she walked. 

"Nice boob job," he said to himself as he admired her.

A roar went up from the group around the table and a chant of "scratch, scratch, scratch," started. One of the women playing pool put her stick on the table and reaching behind her she unclipped the top of her two-piece bikini bathing suit and released her breasts from the cups.

A cry of "yay" went up from the young crowd as she hung her bra on the light over the table alongside one that he had not noticed before.

"Enjoying the show?" Donna asked as she looped her arm through his and pressed her breast against him. "Let's find a place where you can change into your bathing suit. OK?"

Without waiting for an answer she pulled him through a door and into a tiny elevator. Closing the door she pushed a button and the car began to ascend.

"Where's Karen?" he asked. "I haven't seen her yet."

"Oh, she's around, I'm sure you'll see her soon. Here we are," she said and opened the door onto a large bedroom.

Ray hesitated a moment before stepping into the room.

"Come on, I won't bite, unless you ask me to, " she laughed. "That's about as corny as I get. Now come on, you can change in here."

The bedroom was obviously decorated to suit a woman's tastes. The mattress of the huge canopied bed was about four feet off of the floor. The step stool next to the bed was a necessary piece of furniture to help someone climb onto it.

"I'm going to tinkle. I'll be right back. Go ahead and change while I'm in the bathroom."

Ray waited until she moved through an archway before pulling off his boots and removing his pants and boxers. He was pulling his bathing suit up his legs when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and spotted Donna watching him. 

She was standing in what he now decided was her classic pose of one hand resting on her cocked hip.

"You didn't think I was going to pass up a chance to get a look at you, did you?" she said with a low snicker and passed her hand over her crotch. "Not bad, not bad. In fact, it's very nice. I think I'm wet."

Ray was definitely not used to anything like the experiences he was having each time he was with this woman. She seemed at ease with her innuendos and teasing and he was sure she enjoyed toying with him in his embarrassment.

"Leave the shirt and the neckerchief on," she ordered. "It looks sexy."

Ray folded his pants and tucked his socks into his boots. 

"Leave them here," she said. "This is my bedroom and no one will bother them."

Ray's raised eyebrows at her admission that this was not where both she and Mike slept prompted her to explain.

"Yep, we don't sleep together very much anymore. He likes 'em younger than me. As a matter of fact, I like 'em younger too. Did you bring flip-flops or sandals to wear?"

"No, I never thought about it," he replied.

"Wait here."

Donna returned a minute later with a pair of men's leather sandals and handed them to him.

"These are Mike's but he's got tons of them and he won't miss them. You can keep them if you want. Let's go."

Grabbing his hand, she led him out of the bedroom and down two sets of stairs to the main floor. Stopping one of the tray carrying servers, she handed him a margarita and took some kind of wine thing for herself.

Ray followed her down another set of stairs to the basement pool area. She pointed out the sauna and the steam room and showed him the showers and changing room. 

"This is just like a gym," he commented.

"We hardly use it unless we have guests," she said. "We like to throw parties and that's when they get the most use."

Ray marveled at the indoor/outdoor pool with a wall of glass dipping into the water to separate the inside from the outside. There were a few people in the indoor portion of the pool standing up to their chests in the water around what looked like a rock cliff with a waterfall tumbling down the side.

"That's one of the grottos," she pointed and laughed. "What happens in the grotto stays in the grotto!"

The outdoor portion of the pool was twice as big as the indoor. It featured two diving boards and several floating tables that held drinks for their owners floating around them. He noticed that there were a lot of young Latinos and blacks around but most of the people were white. 

All of the women wore bathing suits and even the mature females wore rather skimpy styles. The older ones wore sheer wraparounds covering their hips and butts. Ray still had not seen anyone he recognized and he asked if the people were all Mike's employees.

"No, they're friends of friends. We franchise a series of gyms around this corner of the state and a lot of them are employees of the franchise owners or their clients. A lot of Mike's agents and secretaries are married and they know our Cinco de Mayo parties sometimes get a little daring so they stay away."

A little two-way radio clipped to Donna's waistband chirped and she picked it up and held it to her ear and then said something into it.

"I've got to go," she told Ray. "Make yourself at home and maybe we can see more of each other later. OK?" 

Holding on to his bicep she pulled him towards her and planted a big kiss on his lips along with a touch of her tongue. 

"Umm," she whispered. "You taste salty."

Ray watched her walk away and felt a little twitch in his cock. Her advances, if they were real, were starting to get to him. He still had not seen Karen and he wondered where she was. He headed towards the sound of the band farther down in the yard but could not find her among the dancers. Everywhere he went the servers were passing out drinks and little canapés to the guests. In addition to the trays of food, there were tables laden with food of all kinds everywhere.

The smell of barbecued meat caught his attention as he passed one of the several gas grills set up around the party area. Ordering a rare hamburger, he filled his plate with some chips and got a beer from the bartender working the tap while he waited. 

The shadows were getting longer and it was growing dark. Strings of glowing lights started to come to life and he could now see the glow of the underwater lights in the pool. He could not believe how many beautiful women were walking around. There were also plenty of men in good shape and many sported six-pack abs that would put models to shame.

Ray was dressing his sandwich with onions and pickles when he overheard two younger men talking about a video they had just seen.

"Did you see the ass on that broad?" one asked the other. "I thought she was going to let him fuck her right there on the dance floor."

"Yeah," the second one answered. "When he pulled her dress up and showed her bare ass cheeks, I almost came in my pants. Who is she? Do you know her?"

"No, but I think she works in the main office. I'll see if I can find out who she is for you."

"She's a little old for my taste but I'll fuck anything that will spread her legs for me."

The two men laughed at the joke and wandered away as Ray finished his sandwich and tossed his plate into a nearby trashcan. He continued walking around looking for Karen or anyone else that he knew when he finally spotted Adele talking to a group of people. She noticed him as he walked towards her and she quickly broke away from the group and approached him.

"I didn't expect to see you here," she said. "Karen said you weren't coming. She told me that you didn't like this crowd."

"Oh?" he replied with an arched eyebrow. "Do you know where she is?"

"Uh, no. Not really," she answered in a hesitant voice. "The last time I saw her she was headed inside to go to the bathroom but that was a long time ago. Maybe she left already. If I see her I'll tell her you're looking for her."

Adele took a step back and cocking her head to one side, she said, "Are you losing weight or something? You look thinner. Good to see you again."

Adele kept track of Ray as he moved away from her. As soon as he was out of sight she turned and hurried towards one of the tents where rock and roll music could be heard coming from inside. The tent was filled with smoke and she could smell the pot mixed in with the cigarette smoke.

It was hard to identify the couples that were dancing since the only light came from some candles scattered around on the little tables. She finally spotted Karen sitting with Trey and several other people around a table filled with empty margarita glasses. 

Trey leaned over and put his arm around Karen's shoulders. He pulled her towards him and whispered something in her ear. She laughed and slapped him playfully on his chest. Neither of them saw Adele and she watched as Karen caressed his chest with the palm of her hand.

"Karen," Adele yelled but the music was so loud she did not hear her. 

Leaning down towards the couple she called again, "Karen." 

Trey's eyes lifted from Karen's and he looked up at Adele and grinned.

Karen looked over her shoulder and spotting Adele, she stood and embraced her. 

"Hey, girl," she yelled into her ear in a slurred voice. "I'm having a great time. Where've you been?"

Adele tried to tell her that Ray was at the party but she could not be heard over the music. Pulling on Karen's hand she led her outside and away from the noise. Karen followed along behind her until they got out and into a place with more light.

Turning around Adele looked at Karen and realized that she was not wearing the top to her bikini bathing suit. She had a gauze-like strip of material tied around her upper body in place of her top. The material was so sheer that Adele could see her nipples and areolas through it.

"Where's your top?" Adele hissed at her. "You're drunk again. I told you to take it easy."

"You're not my mother or my husband," Karen responded with a raised voice. "I'm having a good time and you can't stop me."

"Where's your top?" Adele asked again.

"Trey's got it and he won't give it back to me until I kiss him," she replied with a silly little giggle. "I like his bald head, it reminds me of a big cock and I only kiss his head. He said I give good head."

Karen thought her joke was funny and laughed out loud.

"Well you'd better get it back and get yourself straightened out because Ray is here and he's looking for you!"

"Ray's not coming," she retorted. "I didn't call him and tell him to come. I can't have any fun when he's around."

"He's here, I'm telling you and he's looking for you. Now get dressed and get some coffee or some food or throw up or something so you can sober up before he finds you."

"It's more than booze," she tittered drunkenly. "I tried the pot too. Why is he here?" 

"Remember what you said? I'm not your mother and I'm not going to be responsible for what happens if he finds you like this. Now straighten yourself up, girl!"

Adele turned and strode away from Karen who stood looking at her retreating back. The gravity of the situation finally sunk in and Karen hurried back into the tent to retrieve her top. The group in the tent saw her return and began to clap and chant at her.

"Titties, titties, show us your titties."

Karen tried to ignore them as she searched for her top mixed in with a pile of clothing thrown on a table in the corner of the tent. She finally found it and turned to go only to find Trey blocking her way.

"You promised me a kiss for your top," he said and pulled her into his arms.

"No, I didn't and let me go." 

Karen tried to struggle free but he was too strong for her.

The crowd took up the chant again, "Titties, titties, show us your titties!"

Trey grabbed her face with both hands and held her while he gave her a big, sloppy, tongue-licking kiss. Karen fought to keep her mouth closed but the pressure on her cheeks was too much and she finally relaxed her lips enough for him to force his tongue into her mouth.

Karen thought of biting him but she decided to go with the flow and get it over with. As soon as Trey felt her relax he let go of her cheeks and wrapped his arms around her body. His big, soft lips actually felt good against her mouth and she started to return his kiss.

She nibbled on his bottom lip and capturing it with her teeth she pulled it gently into her mouth and sucked on it. 

"God, why can't Ray kiss like this?" she wondered. "But then, he's only got those little white boy lips."

Smiling at her own private joke, Karen allowed herself to be absorbed by the kiss. It quickly turned from one of compliance into one of passion.  Opening her mouth wider she felt his flattened tongue curved downwards, with the tip tucked behind his lower teeth, filling the front of his mouth. 

This was something new to her and she tentatively touched it with the tip of her tongue. She found she could actually lick his huge tongue and taking her cue from Trey she also flattened her tongue and pressed it against his. The all over contact was startling at first but she liked the feeling and the taste was incredible.

Chills went down her back and warm little cramps twittered in her groin. Karen had gone beyond flirting. She was drawn into a sphere where all of her sensations and all of her body's needs were concentrated on the taste and feel of his tongue. 

She heard herself moan as he started to move his tongue against hers and the duel began. She could feel every nerve ending and taste bud of her tongue sending off signals that flooded her brain with powerful sensations. She tasted him as she had not tasted anyone before.

Before she realized it, or even cared, Trey's hands were inside of her bikini bottoms and he lifted her by her ass until her crotch was at the same level as his. Karen spread her legs and wrapping them around his thighs she helped him pull her tightly against him. She could feel his hands on her bare skin and his hard cock pressing upwards against her pussy.

The kiss took on a wet, sloshing sound mixed with their moans and grunts as their melded saliva dripped down their chins and onto each other's chests. The outside world disappeared as Karen focused on what was happening in that moment. She felt alive and bigger than life. 




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 02



She drew a mental image of herself and Trey wrapped in each other's arms and the thought of what the other people in the tent were seeing only made her want to show them more. She felt like a voyeur looking from a distance and she liked what she saw. 

The crowd was chanting again but more quietly this time. Their chant had changed into a low mantra of sounds "Fuck her, fuck her, fuck her, fuck her." 

Karen clamped herself against Trey with her arms around his neck and her ankles crossed behind his waist. He was lifting and releasing her body so that she slid up and down over their sweat-slickened fronts. She was riding up and down on his erection with only two thin layers of cloth separating her pussy from his cock. 

She could feel herself driving towards a climax and pulling her mouth away from his she buried her face into his neck and bit down hard on his shoulder. Trey let out with a yell from the pain at the moment when Karen's body spasmed into an orgasm that shook them both with its intensity. She held on for dear life as the ripples in her body slowed and finally stopped with one last shiver. Her legs relaxed and she slid them down his thighs until she was standing on the grass.

The crowd had quieted to only a few murmurs and scattered applause when Trey broke the near silence, "You fucking bitch, you bit me!"

"You deserved it bro," came from someone in the crowd.

"You got your kiss now give me my top," Karen demanded and grabbing it out of his hand she turned to leave.

Trey took a hold of the gauze covering her breasts and yanking on it, pulled it away from her body, exposing her breasts to the crowd who immediately let out a roar.

"Titties, titties, titties," they chanted to her back as she stumbled out of the tent through a flurry of groping hands fondling her breasts and her ass.

The last thing she heard was Trey shouting, "I'll get you, you bitch." 

Hurriedly replacing her top, she moved carefully along the perimeter of the party in the near darkness. It was getting colder and her body was covered with goose bumps. When she reached the dark end of the pool, she sat on the edge and slid down into the warm water to wash their combined sweat and fluids from her body.

"You've got to sober up," she told herself. "If Ray sees you like this he'll shit."

Pulling the crotch of her bathing suit to the side she swabbed her pussy with her hand to clean herself. Slipping two fingers up into her vagina she felt another twinge and a momentary thought of Trey's erection pushing against her almost set the waves of an orgasm sweeping back over her. 

"Shit," she said in a low voice. "One more minute and I would have let him fuck me. I wonder how it would feel."

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she relaxed for a few minutes in the nearly dark water. Finally feeling a little less shaky, she gently swam towards the house and the indoor portion of the pool. Ducking under the glass wall, she floated to the shallow end and walked up the steps and towards the showers.

Donna was coming down the stairs when she saw Karen go into the ladies section of the dressing rooms. She had not seen Ray for some time and she was looking for him.

Donna continued walking towards the back yard when Trey walked up to her.

"Do you know where Karen is?" he asked.

"No, why?" Donna lied.

"That bitch bit me. Look," he pointed to his neck.

"She got you good, didn't she? What were you doing or don't I want to know?" she laughed.

"Never mind, I'll find her," he snorted and stomped up the stairs to the living area.

Donna found Ray sitting in the video room watching a video of the party taken before he had arrived. There were several cameras mounted around the house and the big screen was showing the one focused on the dance floor. It had obviously been recorded much earlier in the day since the sun was high in the sky. She figured it must have been mid-afternoon. 

She stood and watched as the camera panned in on several couples dancing the Salsa. The women were in their fiesta costumes and swinging their skirts as they danced. Most of the men had already changed and were wearing some type of shirt and their bathing suit trunks.

Ray intently watched the dancing couples. He was looking to see if Karen was on the dance floor but he could not make her out. Since he did not know what she was wearing he tried to concentrate on their faces but if she was there he could not find her.

He was about to give up when she came into the picture with her back to the camera. An Hispanic looking young man led her towards the dance floor. As soon as they got their feet onto the solid floor they swung into the Salsa steps.

"She's good," Ray thought to himself as he watched her strut and sway in time to the music's beat. "I wonder where she learned to dance like that?"

She was wearing a flowing skirt that she lifted with her hands to expose her legs as she danced. Her breasts were bouncing free underneath her off-the-shoulder peasant style blouse. The elastic band around the neckline was not tight enough to keep the tops of her breasts from showing when she leaned forward.

A circle of men and women formed around her and her partner and at one point she lifted her skirt high enough to show that she was wearing the red, mesh panties she took with her that morning. The circle clapped and cheered at the sight. She soon caught on to what they were cheering about so she did it again. More clapping and cheering ensued but she did not raise it high enough to show anything that time.

It was when she turned her back to her partner that Ray realized who the two guys at the hamburger grill had been talking about. As soon as her back was to her partner he reached down and taking a hold of the hem of her skirt he lifted it up over his head and everyone could see that the red panties were really a thong with the back strip hidden between her ass cheeks.

The crowd erupted into a roar but Ray did not think she even knew what was going on behind her back. Her partner moved against her and began to hump against her bare ass in time to the beat. She did not try and pull away from him but she moved herself up and down in a counter rhythm to his movements. Her ass was soon sliding up and down against his groin.

Having seen enough, Ray suddenly stood up from his seat and turned to leave the room. Donna intercepted him at the door and wrapped her arms around him, trapping his arms against his body. 

"Hey gorgeous," she smiled and kissed him on the lips. "She was just having a little fun. She's not doing anything wrong. Loosen up a little. OK? You have to admit she's a great dancer. She just had a little too much to drink."

"I'd better get going," he said. "She must have gone home by now. I called but there was no answer."

"OK. Come on and I'll show you where you left your clothes."

Donna guided Ray to the elevator and when he got in she pressed the button for her bedroom floor and told him she would follow him because she had something to do. She went looking for Karen and found her in the shower room. 

She was not sure what she was going to tell her but she wanted to get her pissed off so that she would get drunker and not go home any time soon. Donna had other plans for Ray and she wanted to keep him in her room until she could get up there and carry them out.

Karen was just emerging from a cool shower that helped to clear her head when she saw Donna walking towards her. 

"Ray's been looking for you and he's pissed off," Donna told her.

"Why, what did I do?" she asked.

"He saw the video of you dancing with your skirt up over your head and he stormed out of the video room."

"There's a video?" she cried. "I didn't know that."

"It's OK. I got him out of there before you pulled down your top and your partner kissed your boobs."

"Oh, shit. How do I get myself into these things? I'm going to quit drinking starting right now. Where is he?"

"I don't know but Trey's looking for you too. He's really pissed. You did a job on his neck. Was he good?"

"I've got to get out of here."

"Look, why don't you wait here and I'll find Ray for you. You can talk it out rather than avoid each other. OK?"

"Maybe," Karen said warily. "I'm not sure he wants to talk right now."

"Why don't you go into the grotto and I'll find Ray. I'll tell him you want to see him in there. It's quiet and you can talk without anyone bothering you. OK?"

"OK, but don't be too long. Is anyone else in there?"

"I don't think so, they are all out watching the Salsa contest. I'll go look for Ray."

Karen slid into the water and swam over towards the grotto. She ducked under the waterfall and found herself in an imitation rock cave with dim lighting that made everything glow with a bluish tint. A deep hum filled the air along with the sounds of the waterfall outside. She could just touch the bottom if she stood on her tiptoes.

"This must be where the filter and the pumps are," she thought.

A gentle current moved around her and she relaxed and let it massage her body. Feeling along the wall she discovered that there was a shelf or a bench, made out of the same rock as the walls, lying just under the surface of the water. Hanging on a protrusion from the wall, she could barely make out several women's bathing suit bras and bottoms giving an indication of some of the fun that must take place in this hidden love nest.

Leaning on the bench, Karen rested her cheek on her arms and let the gentle currents swirl around her. She was feeling better physically but still quite upset emotionally. She had gone a little too far this evening and her recent episode with Trey had left her with mixed feeling that she could not reconcile.

She knew that she had come as close to being unfaithful to Ray as she ever had in their entire marriage. A few more minutes of their sexual play and she knew she would have let him have her. 

That thought caused another twinge in her belly and sent her mind into another swirl. Even though she did not feel it was fair to Ray, she kept trying to compare the feelings and sensations she had just experienced with Trey against those she had when she was with Ray. Her thoughts were all jumbled and it did not help that she was still feeling the effects of the booze and the pot.

"Why do I do these things?" she asked herself. 

She was talking out loud but the gentle sound of the waterfall kept her from hearing her own, almost sobbing, voice.

"I've loved Ray for all of these years and now look what I've done. If he had seen me doing that he would have kicked me out. I haven't been paying attention to my marriage and my kids. What the fuck is wrong with me?"

The last sentence was spoken in a wail that could be barely heard over the sound of the water.

"Nothing, that I can see," a voice said in her ear.

"Ray?"

Before she could turn around she felt warm arms wrapping around her and lips nuzzling her neck. At first she tried to twist and get away but the feeling of the beard brushing against her shoulder let her know that it was Ray.

"I'm so sorry darling," she said loud enough for him to hear. 

"It's all right," he whispered directly into her ear.

"I'm going to stop drinking right now and pay more attention to our marriage."

"That's good," the voice said and his tongue licked her earlobe and then sucked it into his mouth.

He had both his arms around her waist and was pulling her against his body. She could feel the tip of his erection prodding her between her legs and she relaxed her thighs to allow it to move up against her bikini-covered pussy. She could feel his legs treading water to keep her pressed against the side of the grotto. Sliding his hands up her sides and onto her back, he unclipped her bra and pulling it off, he tossed it up on the bench next to her head. His hands went to her breasts and Karen was content to give herself up to him.

Even his wet beard did not bother her as much as it usually did. She was willing to do anything to let him know that she was sorry. The light in the grotto was so dim she could hardly see his hands when she looked down at them cupping and fondling her breasts. She surrendered herself to the sensations and squirmed her bottom against his erection. 

Releasing one of her breasts she felt him push his bathing suit down and release his cock before pressing it back up between her thighs. He next worked at pushing her bottoms down and she helped by holding onto the seat with one arm and pushing at the opposite side until they slid down her legs and over her knees. 

Reaching down, Karen pulled her suit off of her feet and tossed it on the bench next to her top. His hands were already back on her breasts and his lips and tongue were working on her neck and shoulders. 

Spreading her legs as far as she could, she reached down between them and grasping the head of his cock in her fingers, she guided him into her pussy. The water had washed away her lubrication from her entrance, but as soon as the head popped in, the interior juice was still there.

"Oh God, that's nice," she moaned as he glided up into her until she could feel the coarse hair of his pubes on her ass cheeks.

Releasing her breasts he put his hands next to hers on the rock seat and with the buoyancy of the water helping him, he literally lifted her chest up and out of the water using his hard cock. The pressure against the top of her vagina and her clitoris was powerful and Karen had never felt so full in her life. They had never made love in the water before and the natural floatation of her body helped her to achieve new plateaus in sensation every time he moved in or out of her.

She wanted to cum. She wanted to show him how important he was to her and how sorry she was for what she had done. The thought crossed her mind that she should tell him of her near slip from her marriage vows. It was quickly banished by the strength he was showing as he overpowered her with his own lust.

"You've never felt so hard," she said, not sure if he could hear her over the waterfall. 

Grasping his muscular forearms with her hands she levered herself up a little and tilting her head back so he could hear her over the noise, she repeated her compliment. He responded by jamming himself even harder into her pussy and somewhere finding the leverage to increase the speed of his movements. 

Karen moved her hands up to his hard biceps and held on for dear life as he pounded into her. She could feel her orgasm fast approaching. Reaching down between her legs, she held his balls in her hand and pushed them up against herself each time he was fully inserted in her.

"You got it now," he growled into her ear. 

The words startled her for a moment but they were soon forgotten in the intensity of their fucking. His beard scraped roughly against her shoulder and the force of his driving cock was hurting her as his hard belly slapped against her ass. Instead of enjoying it, the pain was causing her to lose her climb to her orgasm. Releasing his hands from the rock seat, he grabbed hold of her breasts and squeezed her nipples between his thumb and fingers so hard that she thought they would pop off.

At first there was intense pain but it immediately morphed into an even more intense pleasure as her orgasm flooded back into her and thrashing her legs, she screamed out her release. 

"Oh, God! Oh, sweet Jesus!" she said over and over. "I can't believe how good that was."

They stayed coupled with her lying back on his chest. She wanted to turn and hold him in her arms but when she moved they could not stay together in the water and he slipped out of her and let loose of her nipples. The pain returned as the blood flowed back into them and she groaned and massaged them to get rid of the ache.  

She could feel him following in the water behind her as she paddled back towards her handhold. He came up behind her and once again reached around and pulled her flush against his body. Turning her around she felt his beard graze her cheek a moment before his lips found hers and his still-hard cock again found her opening.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she greeted him with her mouth open and her tongue searching for his. She held onto him with her hands on his solid biceps before sliding her arms up and over his shoulders. He pulled back a little from the kiss and she sucked his big lower lip into her mouth before opening it again only to meet his flattened tongue waiting for her. 

Her mind flicked back to her kiss with Trey a short time ago and for a second she wondered when Ray learned to kiss her like that. Her mind was analyzing the last few minutes and it clicked on the extra hard cock that was in her. Next, it wrapped itself around her painful nipples, before settling on the solid forearms and biceps that she was holding. 

Her body tensing with a new awareness, she hesitated before sliding her hands up over his shoulders and onto his head fearing that she would find nothing but a shaved scalp. 

"No!" she screamed when her fears were affirmed. It was not her husband she had just had sex with, it was Trey. 

"Thanks," he said into her ear. "That was one of the best fucks I ever had with a white woman."

Karen panicked and tried to scream but he captured her mouth with his and began to pump himself into her pussy. He had her pinned up against the wall and he was moving himself in and out of her with short, rapid strokes. Still trying to get away from him, Karen tried closing her legs but she could not get any leverage in the water and his slippery body prevented her hands from getting a good enough hold to push him away.

His tongue was in her mouth and he was sucking on both of her lips. She tried to keep her tongue away from his but she was getting lost in the act. The rubbing of his wet pubic hair against her clitoris and the pressure from his hardness on the top, inner wall, of her vagina was getting her mind all muddled again.

Trey knew he had her when, giving an extra hard push, he lifted her up with his cock and she groaned in passion. Her pushing and twisting changed from movements of escape to a frantic grunting and a tightening of her arms and legs around him. She was now trying to fuse their bodies together instead of pulling them apart. 

Karen felt him pause for a moment before he gave one last thrust up into her that told her he was again cumming. She moaned a long, low cry and thrashing her legs out on each side of his hips, she matched his climax with one of her own.

Suddenly, he was gone. 

She was left empty and floundering in the water. In her panic to get out of the grotto, she lost her bearings for a moment and could not find her bathing suit in the near darkness. She finally located her bottoms but could not find the top. Slipping into the bottoms she again frantically felt around the grotto for her top but she still could not find it. 

Struggling to see in the dim light, Karen grabbed a top from the several hanging on the peg and slipping it on she clipped the front closure and swam out of the grotto and into the light of the indoor pool.

There were only a few people in the large room and they were not paying any attention to her. Several more were in the pool but they were too involved with their companions to notice her. Climbing out of the water, she held the too-big top up over her breasts and practically ran to the dressing room to get her clothes. She could feel liquid running down the inside of her thigh but she was too afraid to stop and see if it was pool water or Trey's cum.

Reaching her clothes locker she ripped off her bathing suit and quickly pulled on her underwear and the clothes she had worn to the office without bothering to dry off. She stuffed her fiesta costume into a bag along with the bathing suit and her shoes and hurried out into the pool area only to practically run into Donna standing near the entrance.




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 02



"Leaving so soon?" Donna said with a little smirk on her face. "The evening is just getting started."

"Have you seen Ray?" Karen practically begged.

"No, not lately. Why? Wasn't he in there with you?" she asked while indicating the grotto with a nod of her head.

"No, no, it wasn't him ... I mean no, he wasn't," Karen stuttered and turned to leave.

"I saw Trey come out of there and I thought you guys were having a little threesome or something," Donna laughed. 

Karen's eyes widened and her face darkened with a violent blush.

"Just kidding, just kidding," Donna continued. "What happens in the grotto stays in the grotto. Drive carefully and give Ray a kiss for me. OK?"

Donna watched Karen dash out of the door to find her car. She smiled and gave herself a mental pat on the back for being so clever. Ray should still be up in her bedroom and she was going up there to find him.

While Donna waited for the elevator to come back down to the basement level she smiled with satisfaction that it was pure luck that she had seen Trey come looking for Karen. She had planned on leaving Karen in the grotto while she went upstairs and tried to seduce Ray. She knew Mike would not disturb them since she had seen him go into the guesthouse with one of the young Hispanic girls that someone had brought to the party.

When Trey asked her if she had seen Karen, she told him that she thought Karen was in the grotto and why didn't he go in and see if she was still there. She had waited and watched and about fifteen minutes later he swam out from under the waterfall. She could see his still, swollen cock through his wet suit when he climbed out of the water and went into the men's dressing room. He was carrying what looked like the bra top for Karen's bathing suit.

The elevator chime sounded and Donna got in and pressed the button for her bedroom. The door opened onto an empty room with Ray's towel and bathing suit lying on a chair. She heard him in her bathroom and walking towards the door to see what he was doing she found him standing at the toilet unzipping his trousers and getting ready to take a leak. 

Sneaking in on her bare feet she got within a few feet of him when he caught a glimpse of her in the vanity mirror.

"Shit, Donna, you scared me. I almost peed on the floor," he said. "I'll be out in a minute, OK?"

Donna did not take the hint and she walked up behind him and reaching around she slid her hand under his and held his cock in her thumb and two fingers. As soon as she touched him his stream stopped as he tried to move her hand away. 

"Uh, uh," she admonished. "This is my bathroom and my rule is that only I can pee in here. Since you've already started and I think you are hot, I'll bend my rule this time but I must insist on directing the operation."

Her laugh was accompanied by her putting her left hand around his waist and holding him tightly against her front. 

"Go on, go on," she said with another laugh. "Don't stop on my account."

"I can't go like this, please get out of here," Ray said and again tried to move her hand away.

"It's not too hard to pee, is it?" she laughed at her joke and squeezed his hardening cock with her fingers. "Here, let me make it harder."

Ray felt himself getting an erection that he could not stop.

"My, my, look at that. Your thingy is growing in my hand. Oh, my, it's getting bigger and bigger. I thought you had to pee? You can't pee when it's like that can you?"

"Please, Donna, don't," he pleaded and again tried to move her hand away.

"Why? What's your hurry? Karen's already left."

"She's gone?" he asked. "I've got to get home."

"Not until you pee for me," she told him while continuing to run her hand up and down his erection. "Are you going to pee for Donna?"

"No, now let me go," he insisted and pulling her hand off of him he tucked himself into his trousers and zipped his fly as he walked out of the bathroom. 

Scooping up his bathing suit and towel, he quickly checked himself in the mirror and walked out of the door and into the hall.

"Thanks for inviting me to your party," he said sarcastically as he walked away. 

"You bet," she said to his back. "I'll get you yet. Donna always gets what she wants."

Opening another door leading off of her bedroom, she walked into a room that joined with Mike's bedroom. There was a large screen television against one wall and settling down into a sofa facing it she clicked it on with a remote. The screen lit up and displayed nine individual frames each showing a different part of the house from the vantage point of a mounted video camera. Selecting one of them, the image filled the screen with a night vision view of the inside of the indoor pool grotto.

A few more clicks and the view flowed backwards in time as the recording reversed. She stopped when an image of a barely visible, shaved black head appeared behind a white woman floating in the water. She could not hear their voices over the waterfall noise but after brightening the image, she watched as Trey fucked Karen. While she watched, her hand slipped inside of the crotch of her bathing suit and she came at the same time that Karen and Trey did.

Smiling to herself, she set a "protect" symbol next to the recording listed on the menu and left the bedroom to go back to her party.

Chapter 22

Karen was freshly showered and wearing a nightgown and a robe when Ray walked in the door from the garage. She was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a piece of toasted roll. Her hair was still damp and she wore no makeup. He paused in the doorway when she looked up at him and smiled with what looked like a forced smile on her face.

"Hi, honey. Where have you been? I tried to call you on your cell phone but your voice mail picked up and I didn't leave a message."

"I was at the party, didn't Karen tell you?"

"You were there?" I didn't see you. Why didn't you find me?"

"I looked but I never saw you except on the video."

"What video? I wasn't on any video."

Ray walked over and sat down across from her.

"Yes you were. It was a video of you dancing the Salsa. You're pretty good you know that? A little too sexy for my liking, but still pretty good. Where did you learn to dance like that?" he asked with a suspicious tone in his voice.

Karen misinterpreted his tone and thought that she detected a little release of tension in his voice. Figuring that she was home free and he was really interested in the answer to his question, she almost sighed with relief.

"At one of our little parties. There was a bunch of ..."

Ray interrupted her by slamming his fist down on the table.

"Do you really think I'm interested in how the fuck you learned to dance and rub your cunt all over some strange guy's leg with dozens of people watching you?"

"Ray, I ..."

"Do you really think I am OK with you showing your ass and pussy to those same people? Do you think I'm some kind of a fucking fool? What the fuck's wrong with you? Have you gone mad? You've got a husband and a family and you're out fucking around with strangers."

"Honey, I ..."

"Don't honey me, you slut! Did you really think I was going to continue to sit around and let you do whatever you want? You're my wife for God's sake! I expect you to act like it and not like some teenaged skank who shows her body and opens her legs to whoever she feels like!"

Karen was sobbing. She could not figure out whether or not he knew about her and Trey or if he was just guessing. For an instant, she thought of confessing what she had done but she knew he was so angry that he would not even listen to her explanation. 

Getting up from her chair she crossed over to him and leaning down she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his hair. 

"Honey, honey?" she begged. "Please don't be so angry with me. I'm sorry it happened and I'm sorry you saw it. I didn't mean anything by it and I won't ever let it happen again. I've made up my mind that I'm not going to drink as much anymore. I'll be careful. You know I love only you. Please, please forgive me. Please?"

Karen could feel Ray relaxing a little and lifting his chin with her fingers she kissed his forehead, than his eyelids, his nose and finally his lips. At first he did not respond but when she turned and sat on his lap without breaking the kiss he held her in his arms and let her sob quietly against his shoulder.

"You are driving me crazy. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I'm losing you and I can't stop it."

"No, no, honey, you're not losing me. I've just gotten a little crazy myself. I'll make it up to you, I promise. Now let's go up to bed and I'll show you how much I love you."

Karen lay in their bed waiting for Ray to come out of the shower. She felt like she had just dodged a bullet that would have killed their marriage. Instead of being thankful for the reprieve she found that she was congratulating herself for wriggling out of the situation. She rationalized that she had not really lied about anything and what he did not know would not hurt him or their marriage.

She made a sincere promise to herself that she would not drink as much as she had been. She knew that if she was not high, she would not get herself get into situations like the one in which she had earlier found herself. 

Despite her promises, the thought of Trey and her in the grotto came back to her with a rush. She started to relive it and began to recapture the feelings she had felt when she found out who he was and she let him do it a second time instead of getting out of there.

She had to admit, it had been good and his steel-hard cock and bodily strength had made it even better. She wondered if his overweight wife appreciated what she had and if she felt as good as she had felt at the moment he lifted her with his cock. Rather than being painful, the pressure on her vagina and her insides had multiplied the pleasure of her orgasm a hundred times. 

"Too bad I can never feel like that again," she murmured just as Ray came out of the bathroom and over to the bed.

Ray's loving was predictable and Karen was able to anticipate everything that he did. She reciprocated but did not try to go too far since her indiscretion was still fresh in her mind. As he lay on top of her and slowly moved himself in and out of her pussy she wondered if she felt any different to him. 

She did not normally douche so she had to use the hand shower to clean herself when she got home earlier. She suspected that she was possibly looser than usual and she tried to make up for it by clenching the muscles in her vagina to hold tightly onto him. She kept assessing him but she could not detect any indications that he thought something was different.

She tried to get him to put more pressure on the top, inner wall of her vagina. Since he did not know what she wanted, every time she cocked her hips down to increase the angle, he lifted her legs higher and kept right on going.

"I'm almost there," he panted and raising her legs she spurred him with her heels to give herself some leverage to achieve her own climax.

They lay side-by-side on the bed with Ray caressing her belly with the back of his hand. Karen's body was not feeling his caresses because her mind was comparing what she had just felt with her experience earlier that evening. Before this moment, she had not had anything against which to compare her sex life against what she had with Ray. Now she had at least one event and as she weighed them she found that they did not match up.

The buildup and eventual climax with Trey when she thought he was Ray was her first attempt at a comparison. Her heightened sensations and eventual explosion could only be attributed to Trey. She could never remember Ray taking her to such a plateau and when she shivered with the memory Ray asked her if she was cold.

"No, I'm not cold," she replied and turned on her side away from him. 

"Goodnight, honey," he said and kissed her on the back of her shoulder. "I'm sorry I got so upset with you. I'm sorry I called you those names."

"That's OK," she responded. "I deserved it and I'm sorry too. Goodnight."

Karen lay in bed and listened to Ray's steady breathing. She resisted the urge to slip her hand down between her legs and bring on another orgasm. 

"I don't think I've ever had three orgasms in one day before," she mused. 

Her mind went back to Ray and Trey and her attempt to compare her two lovers.

"Two lovers?" she thought and smiled in the darkness. "Could I have two lovers? Could I get away with it? Why am I even considering it?"

A short time later she awoke with a start. She dreamed she was lying on a table and Trey was fucking her while Ray watched television next to her.  

"Ray, honey?" she had asked him. "Can I fuck Trey?"

"Of course you can, sweetheart. Now go on, I'm watching the game."

Reaching down she felt her pussy but could not tell if it was still wet from Ray or from her dream.

Chapter 23

Sunday was quiet in the Royals' house. The kids were home but spent much of the morning in their rooms. Karen made breakfast and Ray read the paper while watching the Sunday morning news programs on the television. 

He was already downstairs having a cup of coffee by the time Karen woke up that morning. She had hoped that they could make love again in the morning to allay any lingering suspicion he might have but it did not work out.

Her first thought as she awakened had been of Trey in the grotto. She must have been dreaming again right before she woke up, but she could not remember anything about it. 

"Could I have two lovers?" she asked herself. "Do I want to jeopardize my marriage for the thrill and the excitement? Karen, you shit, you don't want just two men you want an excuse to experience other men besides your husband."

She knew Ray was not going anywhere as a college professor. Sure, he had tenure but that just meant that he could be confident of his job being there. He would eventually retire with a nice annuity and they could live happily ever after. She shuddered at the thought of retiring. It brought up images of people sitting around playing Canasta and talking about their aches and pains. As her sleep wore off and her mind cleared she mentally slapped herself for her thoughts.

"You just broke your marriage vows for the first time and you are already planning to do it again? Does Ray deserve this? Has he ever done anything to make you the least bit suspicious of his fidelity? Why would you want to hurt Ray and Melody and Brian? Is the thrill worth it?"

Sitting on the toilet, Karen suddenly started sobbing. The guilt feelings that she had been suppressing suddenly flooded through her and she broke out in tears. 

"He's right, I am a slut more than he knows" she accused herself. "I'm going crazy and I'm talking to myself more and more and I can't even believe what I'm telling me. I've got to talk to someone. Maybe I need a counselor? I wonder if I can start going to one without Ray knowing about it?"

Digging into her purse, she took one of the little pills that she had started using. They helped calm her down and made her feel better. She reminded herself that she was going to have to get some more very soon.

After composing herself, she dressed and went downstairs to join Ray in their Sunday morning routine. Later on in the afternoon, the family made plans for Melody's graduation while Ray mostly sat there and agreed with what they wanted. 

He made up his mind that money was not going to be an issue. Karen did not seem to be worried about it and he was not going to get into another fight over it. They only had two weeks to get everything ready but the two women did not seem to be concerned, so he stayed out of it. 

Ray's mind was working overtime as he processed the happenings over the past few months. He had gone over them dozens of times. Even though he had almost convinced himself that Karen was not cheating on him he kept having lingering doubts that he could not shake. 

He noticed that Karen had been adamant about a band when they talked about the graduation party a few weeks ago. During this planning session, she had not mentioned a band. He wondered if it had something to do with him seeing her dancing at the party the night before.  

"You worked Saturday, are you working tomorrow?" he asked after they had gotten the plans made and the assignments made for getting it all together.

"Yes, I promised them I would come in and help out. Maybe I can get off early and we can do something," she offered.

"I'm going to get the clothes ready for washing," he said. "Monday's my wash day."

"I'll help," she offered.

"No, that's all right. I'm used to it," he replied.

Ray did not let on that he knew she had not worked all day on Saturday. When he asked the question he thought she would tell him that she had left early. He was disappointed that she lied to him by omission by not correcting him when he asked the question. 

"Why would she lie to me about something as simple as that?" he reflected as he pulled the sheets and pillowcases off of the beds and gave the kids their clean sets. 

"What are you going to do when you go to Baseball Camp?" he kidded Brian. "I won't be there to take care of you, you know."

"I'll just never change the sheets," Brian laughed. "I'll take a shower every night and everything will be all right."

Melody was listening to music and typing on her computer when he knocked on her door.

"What are you doing, honey?" he asked.

"Just sending my schedule and addresses to my friends. I wish I could take my laptop with me."

"You'll have access to the Internet and email when you get there. You won't be out of touch."

She looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Dad? Are you and mom going to be all right?"

Ray was a little stunned by her question but he tried not to let her see it.

"Of course. Why would you ask something like that?"

"I heard you yelling at her last night. Is she really fooling around with someone else?"

Ray could see Melody's eyes filling with tears as she tried to control herself.

"No, no, honey. I just got upset and got carried away a little, that's all."

Ray hugged his daughter and tried to soothe her. He looked over her shoulder and into the mirror behind her and the face he saw reflected back at him did not show the conviction that he hoped his voice carried.

Ray shook the clothes out of the hamper and from the bag that Karen had brought home from the party. He tossed the white clothes into the washing machine as he sorted through everything. The bottom to her bathing suit was there but he could not find the top. 

There was a top from another suit but it looked several sizes too large for her.  Tossing the suit into the pile of mismatched clothes, he made a mental note to ask her about it. Without giving it another thought, he continued with the chores that he had assumed as his own since Karen started working.

Karen and Melody finished their plans for the evening and Karen went up to take a shower and get her clothes ready for work on Monday. After her internal debate last night and this morning, she had decided to skip going for a workout for a few days. 

She considered changing to another gym so she would not have to face Trey. Even though she had resolved to remain faithful she still had some doubts as to whether she would be able to keep her promise to herself. She was getting into her robe when Melody knocked on her door.

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey, come on in,"

"Some guy named Trey called while you were in the shower and he wants you to call him. His number is on the Caller ID. I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow. Love you."

Karen managed to squeak out a, "Goodnight, honey," before she almost collapsed on the bed. 




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 03



Part III -- Ray's epiphany

Chapter 32

It was after midnight before Karen came home on Tuesday. Ray heard a car pull up and when he looked out of the window he watched as she got out of her SUV and retrieving her bags from the back, she headed towards the front door. Ray got back into bed and watched as she crept into the room so as not to awaken him. 

He watched her hang the garment bag in her closet and then carry her overnight bag into the bathroom. From what he could see in the dim light, she was wearing different clothes than she wore when she left that morning.

He lay quietly when she came back out in her sleep tee and crawled into bed with a tired sigh. He could smell alcohol on her breath and she had distinct body odor when she raised her arm to stuff her hand under her pillow in her usual sleep position. Waiting until her soft snores indicated that she was asleep, he slid out of bed and went into the bathroom.

A black dress was hanging on the back of the door and her underwear was piled on top of the hamper. He sorted through them looking for any signs of sex. He could not find anything that gave him any indication that she had had sex that day. Her panties were slightly stained and smelled only of sweat and urine but there was no semen or anything that he could detect.

"I must be nuts," he laughed silently when he caught his reflection in the mirror. "Sniffing my wife's underwear to see if she's fucking around. Go to bed fool."

It was a little after nine o'clock the next morning when Karen came rushing down the stairs and into the kitchen. Ray was sitting on the patio reading the morning paper and enjoying a cup of coffee. When she spotted him through the screen, she came stomping out onto the patio in her bare feet. 

"It's after nine! Why didn't you wake me up? You know I have to be at work."

"I know no such thing," he calmly replied. "I have no idea what you do with your time. Your appointments and your life are not of my concern. Remember?"

"Don't pull that shit on me," she retorted. "I'll talk to you when I get home."

"Uh, honey?" he called after her in a sarcastic tone, again emphasizing the word honey. "Any idea of when that might be? Thursday? Friday? Remember the party on Saturday. Try and make it, OK? Oh, never mind, honey. The kids and I will take care of ourselves. Have a nice day."

She turned and opened her mouth as if she were preparing to say something. After a few seconds, she just glared at him, turned, and left.

Melody and Brian were still asleep so he did not bother them as he went about his daily chores. He enjoyed keeping the house clean and he hummed to himself as he vacuumed and dusted. At one point, he realized he was singing aloud. Stopping for a moment, he marveled at how relieved he felt now that he was sure, or almost sure, of what she was doing. It was the unknown that had bothered him up until now. 

"I've got to think of every detail just like I'm writing a script," he said into the noise of the vacuum. "I want it to be a big surprise and I want it over quick."

While making the bed in their bedroom he paused with the pillow in his hand. 

"It's not our bed anymore," he thought. "It's just a bed now."

Deciding to continue to look for evidence, he searched the overnight bag that Karen had carried with her on her trip to Tybee Island. There was nothing in it that suggested she was not on a business trip. The garment bag that she hung in the closet was his next target. He unzipped it and pulled out the clothes she had worn when she left yesterday morning. 

The last hanger held a sheer blue, nightgown. It had a string of elastic just under where her breasts would be and it did not even pretend to try and hide the flesh underneath. The flimsy spaghetti straps looked as if they might break under the slightest strain. 

Hanging on the same hanger was a matching, sheer blue g-string panty that was really just a totally see-through little triangle of mesh. Both the nightgown and the panties still had the Victoria's Secret tag on them. The bottom of the bag contained a pair of high-heeled mules with a little fluff of matching blue on the open toes. The last item in the bag was a still-packaged pair of Victoria's Secret sheer, blue stockings.

"She was really planning on having an exciting night. I wonder what happened?" he muttered as he replaced the items in the bag and hung it back up where he had found it.

With his chores finished, he started to put his plan into action.

Donna answered the telephone by calling him by his name after the third ring. She seemed out of breath but pleased to hear from him.

"Caller ID is a wonderful invention," she laughed. "I'm naked. I just got out of the shower after working out. How are you? I haven't seen you in a long time. What can I do for you? I hope it's the same thing that I want to do."

Ray could hear her chuckling at her own joke and for a split second, he considered taking her up on her offer before coming to the point of his call.

"I'm sorry to bother you but I'm trying to track down the top to Karen's new bathing suit. She thinks she left it at your house the day of the party. Did you happen to come across it?"

"I didn't but someone else may have," she said laughing loudly at her own joke. "What makes her think she left it here?"

"She can't remember where she left it, that's all."

"I don't remember her wearing it when she came out of the grotto," she said. "Maybe she left it in there. Do you want me to look?"

"The grotto? Why would she leave it in a grotto?" he responded. "Where's that?"

"In the pool," she answered. "Why don't you come over and we'll check it out. You won't need a bathing suit. No one else is here. Remember what happens in the grotto, stays in the grotto."

"Donna, please stop talking like that. It embarrasses me. OK?"

"I've got a movie I'd like to show you some time. Maybe we can watch it together when Karen goes to Vegas. In the meantime I'll check around for her bra but I don't think its here anymore."

"Thanks, Donna. Good-bye."

He heard another laugh as she hung up the phone.

"What's she talking about? A grotto? A movie? I've got to stay away from her. She's bad news and I don't need any more bad news."

He could hear music and that meant the children were getting up. He waited until they came down and while they ate their breakfast, he got them lined up for their chores. There were a few things that still had to be done in order to get ready for the graduation party on Saturday.

After the kids left on their errands, Ray sorted the material he had retrieved from the safe. His list included everything he could think that would be necessary to start the divorce process. He would wait until the kids were gone and if he could not talk her out of going to Vegas, he would continue with his plans. 

The problem was that he had no real proof of anything. Vincent would have to advise him on what the next step should be. He felt strangely calm but he was still worried. As a final thought, he changed the combination on the safe so that she could not open it.

Karen came home from early. She was carrying bags of stuff she had bought for the party. They acknowledged each other but there was no hug or welcoming kiss offered by either one of them. Melody showed up with pizza for dinner again but Ray was tired of pizza so he opted for a cold luncheon meat sandwich and a glass of milk. 

After a quiet dinner with the conversation centering on the upcoming party and the trips, Ray went into his den to watch television. He heard the front door close and got up to investigate to find Karen lugging a cardboard box full of folders and binders. He took it out of her hands and put it on the dining room table for her.

"What's all this?" he asked glancing through the papers.

"It's an operations manual that I've been working on for the past few months. Mike and the others reviewed it and made some minor edits. I'm going to do give it one more pass before I get it printed. The office never had one and since I won't be the secretary anymore I suggested getting the duties and the processes down in writing."

"I didn't know you could write anything like that," he commented.

"I'm not stupid, you know," she responded with sarcasm.

"I didn't mean you were stupid. I just meant that I ... I mean you ... I mean I didn't know you could do anything like that."

"You meant that I'm stupid. That's what you meant and now you're trying to get out of it."

"No, no. Oh what the hell. You're not going to believe me anyway," Ray stomped out of the room towards his den.

"I've got a lot of work to do. Will you clean up the kitchen?" she asked.

Ray was relieved that she was giving him a way out of the no-win argument so he quickly agreed.

"It's not like this isn't what I do anyway," he muttered while crushing the pizza boxes to put in the trash.

They spent the rest of the evening in the same house but without any conversation. He got tired of watching television and went out into the garage to putter around. When he came back in after about an hour, he found that Karen had gone to bed. 

She was either asleep or doing the same thing that he had taken to doing -- pretending to be asleep so they would not have to talk to each other. He lay quietly on his side of the bed listening to her breathing. His mind started to dredge up everything that had been happening for the past few months. Each thought led to another and he was afraid that he would be up all night thinking and worrying again. Making a conscious decision to go to sleep he felt his mind start to quiet down and before he knew it, he was asleep.

Chapter 33

It was raining when Ray woke up on Thursday morning. He listened to Karen in the shower and wondered if he was doing the right thing. He was afraid of jumping the gun without proof to back him up. After a few minutes of indecision, he convinced himself that he had to stop waffling and to get on with what was the only way he knew to resolve the mess that his marriage had become.

Melody drove Brian to school since she had to attend graduation practice that afternoon. Both she and Brain were excited about the end of school and even more excited about their upcoming vacations away from their parents. He gave them permission to go to the mall with their friends after school. The fact that Melody was always willing to have Brian tag along with her made him feel good. 

"We must have done something right if our kids get along so well," he thought.

While the kids were gone, Ray did all he could think of to get the house ready for the party on Saturday and when he finally had a chance to sit down he fell asleep in his chair in the den. Sometime later, he awoke to the sound of something being dropped onto the floor behind him.

He was about to sit up when he heard the distinctive sound of Karen's cell phone ring tone followed by her voice. 

"Hi, I'm glad you called. No, it's OK. He's not here. He must have taken the kids somewhere," followed by a pause to listen to the person on the other end.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out. I didn't realize who she was. I'm sorry."

Ray could only hear her side of the conversation and he had to guess at what the other party said. 

"Yes," she laughed. "I guess I was more embarrassed than you were. Mike and Donna saved my ass when they volunteered to drive me back to my car. Did they say anything after I left?"

"Good. If I'm going to work there I don't want to start off on the wrong foot."

"No, I can't. My daughter is graduating on Saturday and we are having a party for her. Why don't you come up?"

"No, don't worry about it. It'll be all right. He won't suspect anything. The house will be full of people."

Her voice lowered to a husky whisper.

"Me too. It was fun. I really enjoyed it even though it wasn't in the best place. I felt like a teenager again. A forty-year old woman making out in a car."

"He was really pissed off but I think everything's OK now. See you Saturday?"

"Good. Bye, bye."

Ray listened as her cell phone clicked closed and he heard her walking up the stairs to the bedroom followed by the sound of the kids coming in the front door.

"Anybody home?" Melody called.

"I'm up here," Karen answered. "Where's your father? Is he with you?"

"No, we left him here. Isn't he around?"

Ray stayed in his chair until he felt, rather than heard, someone enter the room behind him.

"Ray? I didn't know you were home," Karen said in a quiet voice from the side of his chair.

"Oh?" he asked trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"Uh, yes. Did you just wake up?"

To Ray, her voice sounded fearful.

"No, I've been awake for awhile. Why?"

"Uh, nothing. I was just wondering. I brought Chinese home. Do you want some?"

"That sounds good. Let me wash up first."

Ray pushed the footrest down and stood up facing Karen who took a step backward as if she was afraid of him. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt and carried her cell phone in her hand.

"Expecting another call?" he asked indicating her cell phone with a nod of his head.

Her face blanched.

"Uh, no. I ... I'm going to put it on the charger in the kitchen. I'll get dinner on the table. Melody? Brian?" she called. "Dinners ready."

"Yeah, the battery doesn't last long when you talk on them a lot, does it? What's this?" he asked looking at a cardboard box near the doorway of the room.

She searched his face for some hint of whether or not he had heard her telephone conversation but she could not read anything on it.

"That's the operations manual I wrote. They printed up some sample copies today. Everybody loves it. I got a lot of good comments today."

"I'll bet you did," he snorted and went upstairs to change.

Karen was shaken by the realization that Ray may have overheard her conversation with Montrell. She remembered to put her phone on the charger and she set out the cartons of food before sitting down to wait for the rest of her family. While waiting, her mind drifted to what had happened with Montrell and she thought back to her new relationship with another man outside of her marriage. 

"Relationship," she mouthed the word as she said it in her mind. 

She did not consider her incidents with Trey as a relationship. They were more of an impulse thing, an experiment. She trembled a little when she remembered how degrading it was for her when Trey physically hurt her in the gym that morning. 

Fast-forwarding her thoughts to the episode with Ray the other night, she admitted that she had overreacted and had used it to put him on a guilt trip. Her ass had really hurt but some Neosporin soothed it and helped it to heal. 

Her feeling of regret quickly went away when she thought of Montrell.

"The Mountain," she said quietly feeling a warmth move through her belly and spread through her body. "He's like a mountain, all right. Solid rock."

She had never heard the name Montrell before and when he told her the meaning of his name, she was awed at its appropriateness to him.

"I weighed fifteen pounds and four ounces at birth," he told the group sitting around the table in the restaurant that night. "My mother said she knew things were big in Texas but she felt like she had pushed a mountain out of her body and that's where my name came from."

After Mike and Donna had left, Montrell held her hand on the way to his SUV. He opened the door and when she moved to climb up onto the seat, he turned her to face him. Holding her by her hips, he lifted her bodily onto the seat. He was so tall that they were face-to-face and sliding his hands up and gently grasping her arms, he urged her forward until their lips met.

Letting the alcohol and her infatuation with him take over, Karen kissed him. His lips were soft and when he touched her lower lip with his tongue, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sucked it into her mouth. 

The kiss took on more intensity and she allowed him to pull her towards him to the edge of the seat and move his body between her legs. Her skirt stopped her legs from spreading all the way and she broke the kiss to pull the hem up over her thighs so their groins could meet.

Their kisses continued and she was almost at the point where she was willing to pull the crotch of her panties aside and let him into her when a voice, followed by a rapping on the side of the van, said, "Get a room! This is private property and you can't do that here."

Montrell pulled back and they looked at a security guard standing there with a nightstick in one hand and the other hand on his hip. 

"Move on kids," he said, turned, and walked away.

"I haven't been called a kid in a long time," Karen giggled into his mouth as Montrell leaned forward for another soft kiss before swinging her legs into the vehicle and closing the door.

They leaned across the center console and shared another kiss after he started the engine and got ready to pull out of the parking lot. Karen held his face with her palm on his cheek and stared into his eyes as their lips parted. She flattened and curled her tongue for him and when his tongue encountered hers, he stopped for an instant to understand her offering. 

"Shit, where did you learn that?" he whispered and matched her tongue with his. 

Karen giggled.

"Goddamn that's hot," he said into her mouth and moved back in to continue their necking.

"I don't know if I should be doing this or feeling like this but on one level it feels right and I haven't felt like this in a long time," she admitted when they finally broke from the kiss.

"If it feels good and it feels right than it must be right," he reassured her.

They shared some more kisses and she let him feel her breast while they sat in her driveway. She knew it was dangerous but she figured Ray would be asleep and what he did not know would not hurt him. 

Karen remembered the feel of his body against hers as they stood in front of her door and continued their necking. She was not thinking when she turned for one more goodnight kiss after she got the door open. Taking her shoes off so she would not make any noise, she was creeping up the stairs when she caught sight of Ray sitting on the steps. She was so startled she almost lost her balance and fell backwards.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Melody and Brian walked into the kitchen and started talking about their day. Ray and Karen were silent during dinner as they listened to the kids chatter about the upcoming graduation and their upcoming trips. She caught him observing her several times but when she tried to read his face, she could not tell what he was thinking. He volunteered to clean up the kitchen again and she did not protest. She volunteered that she wanted to do one more quick read of the manual before approving it for the printer.

Karen spent the next several hours working on the final edit of her manual and when she finally came up for air she realized that it was almost ten o'clock. Collecting the marked up pages she put them back into the box and turning out the lights in the den she walked out into a silent house. Ray was not out on the patio or in the garage and going upstairs, she found him asleep in their bed.

Chapter 34

Lying awake in bed on Friday morning, Karen reminded herself that she had taken the day off to get ready for the party. It was barely light outside but she felt wide-awake and rested. She looked back on the last few months and felt a sense of pride and satisfaction at what she had accomplished. Intermixed with her happiness she felt a sense of anxiety for what was happening with her marriage and family. She knew she was on shaky ground with Ray and deep down she knew that she deserved it. 

The latest episode with Montrell had shaken her more than she had at first realized. She felt torn between the excitement and unbridled lust she felt when she was with him and her commitment to Ray and to their marriage. 




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 03



Her problem was that all thoughts of her marriage and the fact that she was someone's wife disappeared when she was with Montrell. Her mind and body concentrated on him and the anticipation of what she was sure was eventually going to happen between them.

She had not made any real plans for their trip to Tybee Island but in the back of her mind, she was ready to take the next step and sleep with him. The make out session in the car had left her wet and trembling but not fulfilled. When he picked her up yesterday morning, she was determined that if he made any moves they would be welcomed. 

He did not disappoint her when he openly stared at her legs while she climbed up onto the seat of the SUV. His next move surprised her but she just watched when he put his hand on her knee. He paused and waited for her to protest. When she did not, he continued up the inside of her thigh almost to the point where his fingers were touching her panty crotch. 

"Was hubby mad last night?" he asked, glancing towards the house while his hand squeezed her thigh.

"Yes, but I talked him out of it. Don't worry about him, it's OK," she said with a wave of her hand.

The feeling of his hand on her upper thigh stayed with her after he gave it one last squeeze and closed the door of the car. Her leg felt like it had a burn mark on it and she knew the crotch of her nylon panties was wet with her juices. No amount of squirming served to reduce the itching. She fanaticized about what it would have felt like if he had touched her there. 

They talked about business on the way down and the plans for the day. Every once in a while he would reach over and squeeze her hand or her leg. She wanted him to touch her more intimately, but he seemed content to just tease her.

It was a busy day and Karen found herself enmeshed in the details of what was going to be her new job. Mike wanted to meet alone with Montrell that afternoon and Donna suggested she and Karen do some shopping. They ended up in a Victoria's Secret shop and Donna steered her towards the nightwear section.

"Are you staying the night?" Donna asked while holding up a sheer, baby doll nightgown.

"I don't know," Karen replied. I'm waiting to see how long we're at dinner." 

"Did you bring any sexy nightclothes?"

"No. Why would I?" she replied while wondering what Donna was after.

"Have you talked with Montrell about it?" she asked.

"About what?"

"About staying here of course. He can make the motel arrangements for you. That's all I meant."

Donna laughed at Karen's squirming. She was sure that Karen was wondering how much she knew about what had gone on between the two of them. Donna was just guessing and feeling her out but she knew she was on to something.

"He's quite a hunk, isn't he?" Donna smirked. "His hands are huge. You know what that means, don't you?"

"Uh, yes. Look Donna, I'm uncomfortable talking about this, I'm married and I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

"I got the right idea way back when you and Trey were in the grotto," she said with a harsh tone in her voice. "Don't fuck with me, my dear. I know what's going on and I'm not condemning it, I'm just commenting on it. Is Ray OK with this?"

"What do you mean in the grotto? We didn't do anything. What are you saying? Ray doesn't have anything to worry about."

"Uh, huh," Donna replied sarcastically and changed the subject. "Let's buy something sexy."

Karen was stunned by her comments and afraid of what she knew and what she would do with the information. She went along with the shopping and, at Donna's insistence, ended up buying the nightgown and panty set and adding the shoes and stockings to it. She convinced herself she was getting it for Ray but she knew she was lying to herself.

Donna and Mike invited Karen to their condo to change and freshen up for the evening ahead. She showered and changed into her dress and was just finishing with her makeup when Montrell arrived to go to dinner. Three more people met them at the restaurant. Another couple from the agency and a young looking, pretty girl who stayed close by his side.

After dinner, they went into the lounge for drinks and the young girl, Misti, grabbed Montrell and pulled him onto the dance floor. She proceeded to mold herself against his body and continually moved against him regardless of the beat of the music. Mike danced with Karen and asked how she was doing and was she ready for the Vegas trip and her big move to Tybee Island.

"Yes, I'm excited about the future. Thank you for your confidence," she replied and kissed his cheek.

"How's Ray with the change," he asked.

"I haven't told him everything yet. He's not going to like it but we'll work it out," she replied and then continued in a lower and less confident voice. "I hope."

When she finally got to dance with Montrell, she asked what his plans were for the rest of the evening and should she plan on getting a room for the night. 

"Misti is getting drunker by the minute. I feel responsible for her and I'm going to have to drive her home. I'll call you later. OK?"

"I guess so," she said in a disappointed voice. 

Back at the table, she listened as Montrell convinced Misti that it was time to go. He told Karen that he would call and get her a room at the nearby inn but Mike interrupted and volunteered to drive her back to the office to get her car. 

"By the time we get back you'll be OK to drive," he volunteered. "Let's get going, it's getting late."

She could not very well tell Mike that he had ruined her plans so she went along with them. 

Donna gave her a smile that looked more like a smirk and when they were getting into Mike's car, she whispered, "There'll be other chances. Don't worry," and laughed so hard Mike asked her what was so funny.

Karen sighed and rolling over onto her side, she studied her still sleeping husband. She knew she loved him but it was different than when they were first married. It was sort of a complacent and safe feeling rather than the passion that she once had for him. She was not sure if he could satisfy her physical and emotional needs anymore. She had to find a way to enhance her career without hurting him or the kids. 

"First of all be more careful you idiot," she told herself. "You're out of control and you have to keep your two lives separate from one another. One more mistake and your marriage is over."

Sitting up she pulled off her sleep tee and shifting over to his side of the bed she gently scratched his exposed chest above the sheet covering the rest of his body. She watched as he murmured and stirred in his sleep. Gently using her nails, she scratched down under the sheet and onto his belly.

He felt a little soft and she unconsciously compared him to Montrell. From what she had felt while they were dancing, Montrell's body was solid and toned and as different from Ray's as unbaked bread dough and bagels.

Pushing the comparison to Montrell out of her mind, she slid her hand under the elastic of his underwear until her fingertips touched the top of his pubes. 

Combing her fingers through his hair, she felt the first stirring of his body as it drifted from sleep to wakefulness. Sliding her hand farther down into his shorts, she ran her fingertips lightly over his cock. She was pleased that it reacted to her touch by firming under her fingers.

Holding herself up with one hand, she leaned her body over his and brushed her breasts back and forth across his chest. Her nipples engorged from the sensation of his hair stimulating them as she dropped her head to touch her lips to his.

"Good morning sleepy head," she said as she nibbled on his sleep-dried lips. 

Pulling away, she studied his face while applying more pressure to his erection beneath the sheet. 

Ray's eyes fluttered and he looked bewildered for a second before his face changed and his eyes opened all the way. 

"What?" he asked in a confused voice.

"I said, good morning," she replied and squeezing his cock, she closed her lips over his nipple and gently licked and sucked on it.

Ray placed his hand on the back of her head and let her toy with him. A part of him wanted to push her away and call her names but he still harbored doubts as to his conclusions. The problem was that he did not want what he suspected to be true. He wanted everything to be all right again. He did not want to know if she had had sex with another man or even if she came close. 

The image of her kissing that big guy swam before his eyes and filled them with tears. The kisses were tearing him apart and he could not get away from them. His marriage was in grave danger and he did not want to just sit back and let it collapse but he was unsure as to how to win her back.

"Win her back?" he thought. "Why should I have to win my wife back?"

He was amazed that she could still get him aroused. She knew where to touch him and how to manipulate him both sexually and emotionally. He could feel her warm breast flattened against his belly and she pulled back slightly to let it dangle with the nipple playing around his navel. 

"You think it still fits?" she asked and let it drop down into his belly button. "Remember when I was pregnant and it wouldn't fit in there?"

Ray's heart lurched at the mention of her pregnancies. The memories of their good times together came flooding back to wash out the waves of doubt that were drowning him. Reaching down he surrounded her breast with his hand and gently pushed it farther into his belly button. This was a game they had played many times over the years and all of the movements came back to him.

Rotating it with his hand, he began to sing the silly little song that they had made up in their younger days. 

"Put it in and pull it out, put it in and clean all the fuzzies out."

Karen lifted her leg up over his waist and settled down on top of him. Her breasts felt like silk pillows on his chest and he could feel the wetness from her pussy coating his stomach. She nibbled and licked at his earlobe and down along the side of his neck to his shoulder where she gently nipped at his flesh.

"Want to clean the fuzzies out of my pussy?" she husked. "It's getting dusty in there and it needs a good scrubbing."

All thoughts of her possible infidelity were replaced by pure lust as he wrapped arms around her lower back. He pushed gently on the tops of her buttocks to encourage her to move down to where his erection waited. 

She continued to play their little game as she wriggled her pussy back and forth across his belly to spread more of her slippery moisture on him. He tried to move himself up while pushing down on her but she resisted and held herself tightly against him. 

"Well?" she whispered into his ear. "Are you the pussy cleaner or not?"

"No, ma'am. The regular pussy cleaner is gone to lunch. I'm the new guy. What do you want me to do?"

"First thing you have to do is to check and see if it needs cleaning. Can you see it from there?"

"No, not quite. It's too far down."

She sat up on her haunches and shuffled up until her knees were under his arms.

"How about now?"

Ray placed both hands on her breasts and flattened them against her chest so her nipples pointed down.

"Let me see if I can shine your headlights on it."

This always got a big laugh from her and today was no exception. It excited Ray to hear the little tinkle in her laugh. He had not heard that sound in a long time.

"Better?"

"No, you'll have to bring it closer so I can see."

Karen shifted her knees outside of Ray's arms and scooted up over his chest until her pussy was almost touching his chin.

"How about now?"

"I can't quite see but I can smell it. You must have a lot of fuzzies in there. I'll get busy right away."

That was the cue for her to move up over his face and hover just out of reach of his tongue.

"Better?"

"Oh, yes. I can see it quite clearly now. Let me see if my fuzzy remover can get to it."

He lifted his head and licked her from as far down near her ass as he could get and then back up between her lips until he reached her clitoris.

Karen responded with a whimpering sound and her breasts swayed as her body shuddered.

Ray continued pleasuring her by sucking each of her lips into his mouth. He would suck and release in little nibbling jerks until he got to the apex before stopping. She wanted him to move to her clit but he resisted her efforts by holding onto her ass and dropping his head when she tried to move herself onto his mouth.

They were not playing their little game anymore but they were both moving along their well-charted road to completion. Karen's whimperings got louder and louder until Ray finally released her and allowed her to settle down onto his face. 

His mouth and nose split her lips and he wriggled his tongue as far inside of her as he could get. He could feel her hard little clit on his nose and he moved it from side to side to stimulate it. Each time he moved, he elicited another whimper from her. The timbre of each sound got lower and lower until the whimper changed into a groan.

"Oh, shit! Oh, shit! I'm cumming, I'm cumming!" she gasped.

Grabbing the back of his head, she rocked herself against his face and mouth until, with a final lurch, she went into a spasm, and the groan morphed into a long, drawn out moan.

Ray could feel her secretions running down over his face. The taste did not change but the aroma increased and the amount was tenfold from what it was when they started. She was still humping against him and he was having trouble breathing. He was about to pull her off of him when, with a final surge, she pulled away from his mouth and collapsed down over his head and onto the bed with her belly on his face.

He gently massaged the cheeks of her ass and ran his fingernails up along her back while her movements slowed. Her panting tapered off and her little aftershock spasms dissipated. When her body went limp on top of him, he knew that she had completely relaxed.

After a moment, she pushed herself up on her knees and rolling over onto her back, she pulled at his arm for him to come over her. 

"Your turn," she said and smiled up at him as he lowered his still pussy-wet face to hers for a kiss. 

Wrinkling her nose and she said, "You smell and taste like pussy. Whose is it?"

"It's never been anyone's but yours," he replied and touched his lips to hers.

Karen lifted her ass from the bed and together they maneuvered his erection into her opening without using their hands. They held their breath while they arranged themselves so that she could welcome his penetration. They paused when their pubic bones met and waited until, in unspoken agreement, they began to move against each other in their long-practiced act of love.

"If it could only be like this forever," Ray thought as he caressed her face with his lips and tongue. 

Karen's thoughts were a little different and she found them centering on the feeling of warmth and gentleness as compared to Trey's rape. 

"Here you go, comparing your husband to someone else again. If only he could fulfill all of my needs as well as he fulfills this one," she thought and arched her body to let him know that she was nearing another climax.

Ray broke the silence.

"I've been thinking," he said and moved up to support his head on his hand.

"About what?" Karen replied dreamingly.

"About us."

"What about us?" Karen's voice took on a slightly more alert tone.

"About our marriage, where we are and where we are going."

"What's wrong with our marriage?" she countered in an even more questioning tone.

"I don't really know," he replied.

Karen pulled away from him and lay on her back looking at the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" she said in a quieter voice.

"I've been thinking about what you said," he replied.

"What I said? When?"

"The other day when you told me that I wasn't going anywhere as a professor and that you didn't respect me."

"I never said I didn't respect you and I'm sorry for whatever I said. I was mad at you."

"I know that, but the way it all came out you must have been thinking about it for a long time before you said it."

"I didn't mean it that way."

"I think you did. I guess I deserved a lot of it but I'm willing to change if you are."

Turning her head to look at him she asked, "What do you mean change?"

"I mean I'm willing to look for a working architect's job and quit the college. My retirement will stay there until I reach retirement age and I know that I can make a lot more money working as an architect."

"How do you know that?"

"I've been approached several times over the last year or so but I told them I wasn't ready to make a move. I'm sure they're still interested. I do have a good reputation for being creative and pragmatic at the same time, you know."

"You never told me that."

"I didn't think that I had to tell you. I thought you appreciated and respected me for what I was doing. I never realized that you were ashamed of me."

"I never said I was ashamed."

"You may have never said it in so many words but you sure implied it when you went off on me."

"What's going on? Why did you have to ruin a perfectly good morning of good sex with this discussion?"

"I didn't know I was ruining it. I'm sorry if you think it is ruined but we have to talk."

"Well you did! What do I have to change?"

"Your job," he replied and waited for her explosion.

"I knew it!" she said and sat up in bed with her legs hanging over the side. "I knew there was a catch to it."

"Look, if we both change at the same time, doesn't that mean that we're both willing to start over at something new and help each other along the way?"

"Look, the last few months have been the first time in my life when I felt appreciated and needed. More than that, I feel wanted. Do you understand what that does for my ego and my pride? I feel like I'm on top of the world when my co-workers and people I barely know tell me how much they admire me. I never got that here at home and I still don't."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," he said while rolling across the bed and sitting behind her with his legs straddling her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her.

"I'm sure I can make enough money to give us everything we need or want. It may take six months or so but I know I can do it. I never had the incentive before but now I see what my complacency has done to our marriage."

Twisting away from his embrace, Karen stood up and turned to face him.

"What's your incentive now? Destroying my new career?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant. My incentive is to help bring our marriage back. Make us a family again and help us to fall back in love."

Ray reached out to pull her back towards him but Karen stepped back out of his grasp.

"We have a family and our marriage has reached the point of many marriages that last twenty years. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just always the same. Look, I'm still wearing the ankle bracelet you and kids gave me for Mother's Day. Doesn't that mean something? Didn't we just have great sex? Doesn't that mean anything?"

"Yes, but I'm talking about the long-term. I'm afraid of what is going to happen to us if you keep denying that we have a problem."

"That's because I don't think we have a problem. I think you are jealous that I'm not here to cook and clean like a good little wifey. I think you are afraid that someone is going to lure me away. If you're afraid why don't you do something about it?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do. Goddammit, Karen! Why can't you see what's happening?"

"Because there's nothing to see. Nothing's happening except for the fact that you ruined a perfectly good morning with your wild accusations and your paranoia. I'm going to get dressed I have things to do."




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 03



Ray's shoulders slumped and he hung his head. He was at a loss as to what else to do. Whatever he tried, he got kicked in the nuts and he was tired of it. 

"Shit!" she said and Ray looked up to see her cupping her crotch.

"Now I'm dripping and I'll have to wear a damn panty liner half the day. Shit!"

"You used to tell me you liked the feeling of me seeping out of you. You said it gave you the shivers to remember how good it was getting it in there."

She did not even acknowledge his comment and he waited until she went into the bathroom before putting on his robe and going downstairs to start the coffee.

"Shit! How could he expect me to just throw everything I've worked for into the toilet," Karen said aloud. 

Her voice was louder than she had meant it to be in the tiled bathroom. She decided against a shower since she would be spending the day getting ready for the party tomorrow. Fitting a pad into her panties, she pulled a pair of old shorts up over them. Taking her gardening shirt down from the closet shelf, she tied the tails under her breasts and slipped her feet into her Crocs. Running a brush through her hair, she went across the hall and knocked on the kids' doors. 

"Time to get up," she called and knocked again. "We have a big day ahead of us. Everybody up."

"This is not working out the way that I want it to," she said to herself. 

Chapter 35

Karen was sitting alone at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and some toast trying to work things out in her mind. The sex that morning was great and it brought back memories of better times when she and Ray had enjoyed real intimacy. 

As she turned over the events in her mind, she realized that she was looking for more than complacent intimacy. She wanted excitement and she was sure Ray could not provide it. She wanted that thrill that went with fooling around in secret and she realized she was becoming addicted to it. 

"Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him," she rationalized. 

Realizing that she had to divert his suspicions she walked out on to the patio where Ray was reading the morning paper.

"Look, I'm sorry I went off on you again. I know you are only trying to help but I don't see the problem. I haven't done anything really wrong and I can't see why you're afraid."

Ray did not reply but sat there looking up at her over the top of his paper.

She continued, "The kids are going to be gone in a few days and I'll be in Vegas for a few days. Maybe the time apart will give you time to think through whatever is bothering you and when I come back it will be just the two of us. How does that sound?" 

"Whatever is bothering me," he asked in astonishment putting the emphasis on the 'whatever' and the 'me.'

"Yes," she replied, not understanding what he meant.

Putting the paper down in his lap, he said, "You have really turned into someone else, haven't you? What is it you're after? A divorce? Are you having an affair? I'm the one who doesn't understand."

"Stop accusing me, I haven't done anything wrong. Well, no one can say I didn't try," she said in exasperation and turning she went into the kitchen.

Cleaning up the breakfast dishes, she mused on the last few hours and came to the realization that she did not get that guilt feeling anymore when she lied to Ray. It was becoming easier each time she deflected one of his worries. 

The rest of the morning was filled with preparations for the party. Ray took Brian down to the rental store to pick up the folding chairs and tables while Melody and Karen rearranged the furniture in the house to make room for the guests. 

They all worked together but mostly in silence. Ray and Karen only exchanged the words necessary to get the job done. The children quickly realized that something was amiss with their parents and they wisely kept quiet.

They ate hamburgers from the grill for their dinner and the conversation could only be described as cordial. It focused on the next day's graduation plans and the upcoming trips for the children. Ray listened carefully and he could detect a certain guardedness on the part of Melody and Brian. He felt that they did not want to say anything that might set their mother off.

"This may be the last real meal we have as a family," Ray thought with sadness. 

He was sure Karen was lying to him and his only job was to keep her from suspecting anything before she left. 

"I'll have to call Donna on Sunday and feel her out for some information," he decided. "She knows something and I wouldn't put it past her to use it to get to me. Maybe, I'll let her seduce me. Tit for tat."

They all went to bed early and there was no kiss goodnight offered by either Ray or Karen. They went about their bedtime routine without speaking. They were careful not to bump into each other as they maneuvered around the bathroom and the bedroom.

They both lay quietly with their backs to each other until sleep overcame them.

The next morning was more of the same. Neither spoke and there was no touching as they got dressed for the graduation ceremony. The kids knew they were not speaking and they wisely stayed out of their way again. 

Melody was glad she had to leave early and the traditional family photos were taken in haste. She wasn't sure if anyone smiled and she was becoming anxious about what was happening to her family. Once she got into the car with her friends, the anxiety disappeared and she was absorbed into the excitement of her graduation day.

The graduation exercise was like any other he had experienced. It was long and boring and the football field seats were hard. The only saving grace was that he was not expected to wear a coat and tie since it was held outside. Brian escaped by pleading he had to go to the bathroom early in the ceremony and did not return until the last minute. 

It was a thrill to see their daughter graduate and Karen held his hand when they called Melody's name to receive her diploma. It was almost as if they were a family again but Ray did not feel the unity that they once shared. 

Her hand in his did not bring the warmth and connection it used to bring. His thoughts wandered and images of what she might had done with her hands on another man flashed through his mind. He pulled away from her with the conscious thought that her hand was dirty and not the hand of the woman he had married.

When they got back to the house from the graduation, the caterers were already there and everything was set up. There were two bars and a DJ was arranging his lights for the afternoon and evening party. The guests started arriving at two o'clock and the valets that Karen had hired scattered the guests' cars throughout the neighborhood. Ray had no idea how many people were invited beyond his and her families and their few close friends. 

"Come to think of it, we don't have any close friends anymore," he thought. "Ever since she started working she hasn't had time to do anything with our old friends."

Some of their old bowling league couples showed up and Ray spent some time chatting with them and promising to come back to the league in the fall. Karen had changed into a short denim skirt and a halter-top. She wore flip-flops and her skirt was so short you could see her panties every time she sat down or bent over.

He chose to ignore it rather than start an argument but her aunt mentioned it to him and told him that she was going to say something to her. Ray watched as she cornered her and after only a few seconds, Karen's voice could be heard above the DJ's music when she yelled at her aunt to mind her own business.

Ray gave it a second try but she dismissed him with a wave of her hand and told him that she was fine and this is the way she wanted to dress. Her co-workers all came after the office closed and as the afternoon moved into evening, he noticed that the younger ones came from the Tybee Island office. 

He never understood why Mike had hired so many young agents to work down there since the area was not known for its party atmosphere population. He was sure Mike had something up his sleeve that would make him a ton of money some day.

The numbers at the party ebbed and flowed throughout the day and into the evening. Some people stopped by for a drink and to give Melody a gift before leaving. Those who stayed were the heavier drinkers and the partiers. As the evening wore on, Ray noticed that he knew fewer and fewer of the people who were there. They were all Karen's friends and coworkers and many of them he had never seen before. 

Karen had not been drinking during the afternoon but she was now drinking with her friends and Ray noticed she was starting to get high. He stopped her in the hallway after she came out of the bathroom and suggested that maybe she should take it easy on the booze.

"I'm fine! I'm having fun with my friends, just leave me alone," she almost spit into Ray's face and slopped the drink she was carrying.

"You know what happens when you drink too much," he told her.

"What? What happens?" she retorted with her hand on her hip.

"You get a little crazy and you start acting like you're not married, that's what happens."

"There you go again. Your paranoia is showing through. Now let me pass. I have friends to take care of."

"Karen, please," he begged to her back when she brushed by him.

Her answer was a raised one-finger salute showing up over her shoulder.

Ray sighed and went into the kitchen to clean it up a little. He collected the empty cans and bottles for the recycling bins and threw the paper plates and cups into the trash. The caterers had cleaned up their stuff before they left. The leftover food was wrapped and in the refrigerator so he did not have to worry about that.

Earlier that day, he had given Brian permission to leave to stay with a friend for the evening. Melody had gone off with some of the other graduates to a pool party for the night. Ray's parents left before it got too dark to drive and Karen's father did not drive so he volunteered to take him home. 

Looking for Karen to tell her where he was going, he found her dancing drunkenly with some guy out on the patio. When he interrupted their dancing to tell her where he was going, her partner pushed him away and told him to go find his own girl.

Ray grabbed him by the arm and was about to punch the idiot when Karen stepped in front of him. She told him in no uncertain terms to not embarrass her in front of her friends. Ray stood there shaking his head in disbelief before turning and walking away from her. He heard laughter as he passed in front of a group of guys and caught the end of a comment, "... pussy whipped."

Ray dropped her father off at his condo and the solitary drive back home gave him a chance to think through his plan one more time. He still was not sure if Karen had actually been unfaithful to him since he did not know if she had really had sex with anyone. 

He knew that he could not get her to confess to anything and that she would deny any accusation of her being too friendly and flirty with other men. Even if she had not strayed over that invisible line between her marriage vows and infidelity, she was heading in that direction. 

He had no doubt that she would eventually find herself in a situation where she would violate them. Her heavy drinking and her desire for validation and praise would overcome any vow that she had taken. He was certain that she would end up on her back with some guy between her legs.

Ray continually surprised himself with his detached approach to the whole mess but he knew he was wavering. He did not want to be right in this case. He frequently lapsed into melancholy and became full of forgiveness for whatever she had done. Each time he found himself willing to give her another chance, she did something that showed she did not give a shit. He would then take a step back and the objectivity would again take over.

The gulf between them was getting wider and wider. He admitted that she used sex to get her way with him. He was afraid that she was also using it to get her way with other men.

He saw no real hope for them unless he could make her face what her actions were doing to her family. It all seemed to revolve around her drinking but he could not blame it all on the alcohol. Somewhere, deep down inside of her she must be unhappy with him and their marriage. 

He needed her to tell him what he was doing that was causing her to pull away. If he knew, he could make some attempt to rectify the situation. He was determined to give it one more chance and not to give up on his marriage so easily. 

He would continue to try and make her see what she was doing until the last minute. He was sure he could forgive her for any indiscretions, barring actual sex, and that with counseling they could bring their marriage back to where it belonged.

His plan was to let her know that he had made an appointment with an attorney on Monday morning. He would let her see him take the folder he had prepared out of the safe. He wanted to scare her by keeping her in the dark as to what he was actually doing and maybe she would come around so they could talk.

If she were not willing to talk by the time she was supposed to leave for Vegas, he would have Vincent prepare the separation papers. He would change the beneficiaries on his life insurance and his retirement death benefits to the children. 

He thought about getting a restraining order keeping her away from him and the children but her name was on the deed to the house. As far as he knew, he could not legally keep her from entering it. He knew he would have to prove adultery in order to come out on the good end of any divorce but as yet, he could not come close to proving that.

He still held onto the faint hope that she would not go to Vegas and that they could work something out. She could even continue to work in real estate and he would quit the college and get a job in private industry. They were his plans and he felt pretty good about them. He felt certain that she could not deny his sincerity when she was presented with the facts of what he planned to do.

He could hear the music blasting as soon as he pulled up to the house. There were two cars already parked in the driveway so he parked on the street behind them. He figured he could move when whoever owned the cars got ready to leave. Getting out of his car, he looked around to make sure none of the neighbors were out on their front lawns talking to the police about the noise. 

Skirting the cars in the driveway, he passed in front of the garage door and through the window he noticed that the laundry room door was open. The light silhouetted someone on the steps leading down into the garage. 

Peering through the window he realized that it was Karen standing on the top of the steps and the big guy from her office was holding her in his arms. With her up on the step, she was only a few inches taller than he was and they were kissing.

He watched in horror as their heads turned back and forth in the motions of sharing a passionate kiss. Her one hand held onto his shoulder and the other pressed on the back of his head to hold him against her. His hand was up under her short skirt and it was clearly kneading her ass. 

His vision suddenly blurred when tears filled his eyes. He wiped them away with the back of his hand and he could see her lift her leg and wrap it around the back of the guy's thigh. Her flip-flop fell off and he watched it fall silently to the step and tumble down to the garage floor.

Their kiss continued but now her lover was shifting his feet and Ray watched as he picked her up and turning them both around he pressed her against the side of Karen's SUV. He had both of his hands on her ass and she was sloppily kissing his face with her mouth and tongue while caressing his neck and the back of his head. She had her legs clamped around his thighs and she was hunching herself against his body as if they were fucking through their clothes.

The last thing Ray remembered seeing before he screamed and punched out the window glass, was her arching her head back to allow him to slobber kisses over her neck. 

A dull roar like that of a distant, wounded animal came through to Karen's lust filled mind. She paused for a second and heard the sound of breaking glass and, louder now through the broken window, a piercing growl of anger. The lovers froze in their position for a second before Karen's eyes snapped open. They focused on Ray's snarling face with his hand and arm protruding through the broken windowpane.

Montrell dropped Karen onto her feet and they both stared in shock at the broken window with Ray's arm sticking through it. Ray pulled his arm back through the window and disappeared towards the front door. The full realization of what had happened did not register until Karen heard Ray's voice yelling from inside of the house.

Ignoring the blood pumping out of his arm, Ray had pulled his hand back through the broken window and started running. He pushed people aside as he ran up the sidewalk and threw open the front door. He continued through the house and into the kitchen to get to the laundry room door leading into the garage. 

His wild shouting of obscenities and flailing arms cleared a path through the frightened people in his way. Tables and chairs were overturned as guests jumped back from the madman charging through their midst.

Karen was already in the kitchen before he got there and she tried to stop him from going into the garage after Montrell. 

"No, no! Don't go in there. It was a mistake, you don't understand. It was a mistake!" she shouted as she grabbed his arm to try and stop him.

Ray emitted an angry growl and pushed her aside with enough force that she stumbled backwards against the kitchen counter scattering dishes and food onto the floor. Shrieking madly, he rushed through the door into the garage to find a terrified Montrell standing with the SUV between him and Ray. 

Montrell's larger size was not an issue at this point and he knew that he was in trouble. He realized that he had violated someone else's territory and all he wanted to do was to get out of the way of this madman.

Ray continued screaming threats at Montrell who tried to keep the car between them. Ray picked up a hammer from the workbench and threw it across the hood of the SUV at Montrell's head. 

Montrell ducked out of the way and moved farther back behind the vehicle. Grabbing a shovel, Ray started stalking him in the hope of trapping him against the door. He was about to corner him when the garage light came on and the automatic door started rising.

Karen had come out onto the steps and pushed the button to raise the door to allow Montrell to escape. The door was only a few feet off of the ground when he rolled under it and gained the outside. Ray followed and when he swung the shovel at him, Montrell grabbed it and pulling on it, he whipped Ray around and slammed him into the light post next to the driveway.

Wiping his hands on his trousers, he stopped for a second to look down at Ray lying on the ground. Turning around he sprinted to his car and took off down the street while the people from the party gathered around in little groups talking about the commotion.

Chapter 36

There was a bright light shining in his eyes and Ray could smell hospital. His arm and head and shoulders hurt like hell and there was a mask of some kind covering his face. Through blurry eyes, he could see an IV bag hanging on a stand next to where he was lying. Every few seconds he heard what sounded like the beep of a smoke detector signaling a low battery.

He tried to remember what had happened but his head hurt and everything was hazy. He tried lifting his head but he cried out with pain. He remembered lying on the ground and Montrell running away. Bits and pieces of conversation started coming back to him.




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 04



Part IV -- Ray's suspicions confirmed

Chapter 43

The ringing of his cell phone brought Ray far enough out of his stupor to where he could read the caller ID. The words "Nevada Call" appeared so he left the phone on the table until the voice mail picked up. The phone rang several more times but he never fully awakened enough to know the time. 

An urgent need to empty his bladder finally forced him out of bed. On the way back from the bathroom, he stopped in the kitchen to wash down some aspirin with several glasses of water. His cell phone was chirping and the Missed Calls list indicated there were four calls from Nevada. Calling his Voice Mail, he listened to Karen's voice telling him that she could explain what happened. It was one o'clock, which meant it was only ten in Vegas.

Ray dialed the hotel and punched in her room number at the prompt. The phone rang about five times before transferring to voice mail. He told her what time it was and if she wanted to talk, she could call him back. He waited and dozed in his chair for another hour or so before giving up and going to bed.

Another intense need to piss woke him at about the time the sun was rising. Staring at himself in the bathroom mirror, he was surprised at how refreshed he felt until he realized that he had slept off and on for about ten hours.

After showering, shaving and brushing his teeth he felt like a new man. While waiting for the coffee to finish, he picked up the phone and dialed Karen's room again. Just as before, there was no answer and it switched over to voice mail. Ray did not bother leaving a message but hung up and dialed Karen's cell phone.

Someone answered her phone but immediately hung up. He called back he got the message saying that the phone was turned off. 

"What the fuck is going on?" he yelled at the inanimate phone as if it could answer his question.

Standing there, staring at the silent instrument in his hand, Ray admitted to himself that he definitely was a fool and an idiot. As he put the phone back on the table he realized that the emotion he felt was sadness rather than anger.

He had already discovered that anger was not going to solve his problem as evidenced by Saturday's phone call fiasco. Going about the business of making coffee and toasting a bagel, he started to make a mental list of things to do. He already had the papers ready but he still had to decide when and where he would confront her. He knew he could not get a restraining order since he had no real proof that would convince a magistrate.

The home telephone rang just as he was preparing to leave the house to go to the hardware store. The caller ID told him it was "Out of area" so he answered it hoping it was one of the children and it was Melody calling from London.

She was all excited and gave him a rundown of her last few days without pausing for breath. She asked if Brian had called and he told her yes. He dreaded her next question about how her mother was doing but managed to get away with it by telling her he was picking her up at the airport that evening.

"There's absolutely no reason to get her upset," he rationalized about his avoiding an answer to Melody's question about her mother.

Walking through the aisles of the hardware store, he picked up replacement locksets for the front and kitchen doors. The only other outside door was the sliding door leading in from the patio and there was no key lock on that door. He could fix it so she could not get in through the kitchen door from the garage by changing the code on the garage door opener.

On the way back to the house, he decided against stopping for more beer. He knew that if he were going to be able to contain his anger when he saw Karen, he would have to be sober. Collecting the necessary tools from the garage, he changed the locks and the code on the automatic garage door opener.

He had just settled down into his chair when Brian called. He was doing fine and from the sound of his voice, he had not missed his family at all. He never asked about his mother and the Ray did not volunteer any information.

A NASCAR race was on the television but Ray's mind was absorbed in writing scripts in preparation for all of the scenarios that he could come up with when he confronted Karen. There was no use trying to pretend that it was all a mistake and that she could explain everything away.

That Sunday afternoon was one of the longest days that Ray had ever lived. No matter what he tried to think about, his thoughts always came back to the same problem. He found himself vacillating between blaming himself and blaming Karen for their problems. In the end, he always came to the conclusion that he may not be the perfect husband but that he was not at fault for her craziness.

He finally couldn't stand it any longer and left for the airport a good three hours before her plane was due to arrive. After parking the car, he roamed around the baggage claim area, watching people as they greeted each other and collected their luggage.

It was a few minutes after seven before her plane finally touched down. Ray watched the escalator and it was another 20 minutes for the passengers on her flight to start coming down to the claim area. 

He sat back away from the baggage conveyors keeping an eye out for her. At first, he did not recognize her and she was halfway down the escalator before he realized it was her. Her hair was short and it was a few shades lighter than her normal dark brown. The bright lights showed that it was streaked with even lighter shades of blond highlights.

His anger rose to the surface when he recognized Montrell riding a few steps in front of her. She was carrying a purse and a clothing bag and Montrell was carrying a briefcase. Montrell reached the bottom first, then turned and waited for her to step off of the escalator. Karen stumbled as she reached the floor and Montrell put his hand out to steady her. She pushed him away and balanced on one leg while she adjusted her shoe.

After fixing her shoe, she moved to walk away but Montrell grabbed her arm and pulling her tightly against him, he tried to kiss her. She appeared to resist and push away from him. After saying something to him, she walked ahead of him to the conveyor where they stood waiting for their luggage to appear.

The unfriendly interaction on Karen's part caught his attention and he held back and continued to observe them. Finding a spot next to the conveyor, Montrell picked two large suitcases off of the belt and set them down next to him. After ten more minutes or so there were only a few bags left on the conveyor and none of them apparently belonged to either Montrell or to Karen.

Ray continued watching as they apparently discussed their options for a few moments before locating the lost and found luggage office. Montrell led the way with Karen staying a few steps behind him.

"God, she's beautiful," he thought to himself. "She looks ten years younger than she did when she left."

A Customer Service Representative examined their luggage stubs and after entering some information in her computer, she gave them several forms to complete. After filling out the forms, they turned away from the counter and Ray rose from his seat and walked towards them. Montrell spotted him first and said something to Karen. She looked up and started walking to meet him, but Montrell turned and picked up his two suitcases. Karen never looked back as he headed off towards the taxi stand without acknowledging Ray.

Karen looked as if she were about to faint as she hurried the last few steps to reach Ray. She did not try to embrace him but stood in front of him with tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, Ray, thank God you're here. After our phone call I didn't think you'd come."

She was making little fluttering motions with her hands as if she was trying to make up her mind whether or not to touch him. Ray could smell the alcohol on her breath and she seemed to be having trouble balancing on her heels.

Except for her tear-streaked face, she looked like a new woman. She wore an off white, linen sundress with a tucked bodice that showed the tops of her breasts and her cleavage. She had developed a dark tan set off by a heavy looking gold necklace with matching bracelets and dangling earrings. Her gold-colored, high-heeled shoes were held onto her feet by a few thin straps around her toes and up over her ankles. She was not wearing her wedding or engagement rings nor was she wearing the ankle bracelet that the children had given her.

Ray did not return her greeting but asked, "Where's your luggage?"

"It never arrived with my flight. They said it's probably on its way to Florida and they will get them to me as soon as possible."

"How many do you have?"

"Just one, but I let Montrell send one on my ticket since we're each only allowed two."

"OK, let's go. Do you want to wait here while I go get the car?"

"No, I'd rather come with you if it's OK."

Ray did not reply as he turned and walked towards the door. After a few steps, he stopped and took the clothing bag from her. She hurried to catch up with him as he strode across the road. Ray could hear her heels clicking on the pavement a few steps behind him.

Suddenly the clicking stopped and he turned around to see where she was. She was leaning against a concrete pillar and struggling to remove her shoes. He patiently waited until she had them in her hand dangling from the straps.

"These were not made for walking, that's for sure," she said as she caught up to him.

She slid her hand into the crook of Ray's elbow and they walked along side-by-side.

"You look really great," Ray said turning his head to look down at her. "You look like you really enjoyed yourself."

Karen looked up at him and a sob came from her throat. She squeezed his bicep so hard that it hurt him. Stopping in her tracks, she opened her mouth as if to say something but all that came out was a whimper and her face fell apart into a look of total despair.

Ray saw her look and he desperately wanted to take her into his arms and make it all better. His anger at his belief that she had betrayed their marriage kept him from following through. Turning, he continued walking towards the car while practically dragging her along beside him.

Ray let her climb up into his van without his help while he hung her clothes bag on the rack in the back. He no sooner started the car and backed out of the parking spot when Karen waved her hand at him to stop. She fumbled with the door latch and leaning out she vomited on the floor of the garage.

After retching a few times she sat back in the seat with her eyes closed and her breathing ragged. Ray handed her some tissues that she used to wipe her face.

"Are you all right now?" he asked

"Yes, I feel much better. I shouldn't have had those drinks on the plane."

"So much for the promise not to drink," he muttered.

Karen pushed the button that reclined her seat and leaning back and crossing her legs, she closed her eyes. Ray glanced at her several times on the drive home but she appeared to be asleep. 

He noticed that there was a lighter tan line on her ring finger that meant that she had worn her rings at some point while she was away. Her face was not peaceful and whatever was bothering her continued to upset her even in her sleep. The muscles in her face kept twitching and she muttered some unrecognizable words every once in awhile.

The rocking of the van going over the speed bumps on their street woke her up.

"Oh God," she said. "It's so good to be home."

Ray's new key opened the door and he stepped aside as she walked in and went directly to the kitchen to get a glass of water from the refrigerator dispenser. Ray continued up the stairs and hung her clothing bag in the guestroom closet.

Turning around he was surprised to find her standing in the doorway of the bedroom.

"If it's OK with you I want to lie down for little bit. I don't feel well," she said

Ray nodded and left the room closing the door on his way out.

Chapter 44

Ray was still sitting on the patio as darkness fell. He was determined to go forward with his plan but he was still undecided on how he was going to confront her. He held on to a tiny hope that she had not been totally unfaithful to him but deep down inside he knew he was a fool for trying to rationalize her behavior.

It was starting to rain so he collected the seat cushions from the patio furniture and put them under the overhang to keep dry. He realized he was hungry and settled for a luncheon meat sandwich and a glass of milk. Halfway through his dinner he noticed her purse sitting on the kitchen counter.

He had never felt the need to delve into her private belongings until now. Carrying it back to the table, he sat down and looked at it for a moment. It only took him a few seconds to decide that her recent suspicious actions gave him the right to invade her privacy. He tipped her purse on its side and started sorting through its contents. He was not sure what he was looking for but her cell phone seemed like a good place to start.

Pulling it out of its little pocket, he checked the incoming call list and found the calls he had made while she was in Vegas but she never answered. There were other calls on it but he did not recognize any of the numbers and her contact list did not help to clarify anything.

Her wallet had the usual stuff in it including several hundred dollars in cash and several ATM receipts for withdrawals at several casinos. He soon had a pile of lipsticks, emery sticks, business cards, meal receipts, and wadded up tissues sitting on the table in front of him. Unzipping a side pocket, he reached in and pulled out three foil-wrapped condoms.

Staring at the condoms in his shaking fingers an image of a naked Karen lying on her back with her legs spread popped into his mind. He clenched his teeth so hard that he heard his jaw pop as he unconsciously crushed the condoms into an unrecognizable ball of foil.

Dropping the ball onto the table, he fished around in the same pocket and retrieved three tiny little baggies containing white powder and another, slightly larger, baggie with several different types of pills in it. His only reference as to what drugs looked like came from watching COPS and other crime programs on TV. He was sure he was either holding cocaine or meth amphetamine. He had no clue as to what kind of pills the other baggie held.

Ray sat at the table with his head in his hands staring down at the evidence in front of his eyes.

"At least she practices safe sex," he tried to laugh but it came out as a sob through a throat hurting with grief.

He practically ran up the stairs and opened the door to the guestroom. The light was on and Karen was sprawled on her back across their bed wearing only a pair of bikini panties. Her breasts showed evidence of red, bite marks and hickies and one nipple looked like it had dried blood on it.

Her panties had twisted to one side and he could see that she was completely devoid of pubic hair.

"It wasn't too long ago when that would have been a real turn on," he thought. "But she obviously decided to show it to someone else first."

The wings of a panty liner were visible stuck to the crotch of her panties.

"She must have been dripping cum all over the place. So much for that safe sex hope," he said loud enough for Karen to stir in her sleep.

Ray was so angry that he was afraid he would physically hurt her if he confronted her and she tried to deny anything. He flew back downstairs and taking his keys from the rack near the garage door he got into his car and drove off.

Karen heard Ray's voice come through her sleeping brain but by the time she could get her eyes open and focused, he was gone. Grabbing a robe from the closet, she hurried downstairs only to hear him roar off down the street.

Going to the kitchen to get a drink for her parched throat she stopped at the table and her knees buckled under her. Holding onto the back of a chair for support Karen looked in horror at the contents of her purse spread across the table. Sitting right in the middle of the table were the little baggies that she knew contained her cocaine along with her pills.

Her mind was already developing a plausible reason for having them as she sat down and stuffed everything back into her purse. She felt certain that she could lie her way out of this one with a little luck. It was not until she discovered the crushed condoms mixed in with the tissues that she realized it was hopeless.

Robyn had handed them to her on the way to dinner on Friday evening. They were in the crowded elevator when she felt Robyn pressing something into her hand. She glanced down and discovering the condoms, she immediately tried to give them back to her.

Robyn smiled and shook her head and whispered into her ear, "Keep them, you may need them later. Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

Snapping the purse closed she rested her forehead on the cool tabletop and cried so intensely that her tears formed little salt patterns on the wood. She prayed that what was happening was all a dream but when she lifted her head, the world that she had created was still there.

Hurrying back upstairs she quickly dressed and threw the clothes from her drawers into a suitcase and a plastic bag. She carried them down to her car and returned to take armloads of clothes on hangers and pile them into the back without even trying to hang them on the rack.

After loading everything that she could fit into her SUV, she sat down at the computer and wrote a letter. Sealing it into an envelope, she left it on the kitchen table with Ray's name on it. As she walked out of the door she turned and looked back with the awareness that this might be the last time she would ever see the inside of her home.

Closing the door behind her, she heard the lock catch with a finality that echoed loudly through her head. Collecting her briefcase, purse, and a few bags of odds and ends that she had left on the porch, she walked down the sidewalk to her car. 

There was a blouse, still on its hanger, lying on the ground where she had dropped it on one of her hurried trips. She stopped and decided it was not worth trying to pick it up, so she kicked it off into the grass and left it there.

Karen had no trouble finding a motel room on a Sunday evening. She checked in and sat in the chair staring at the wall. She was alone and she was not sure where she was going to go or what she was going to do.

Chapter 45

After aimlessly driving around in an effort to corral his rage, Ray stopped in a diner and ordered a coffee and a piece of pie so he could sit and think. An hour and several cups of coffee later he still felt the anger that coated his mouth and throat with a sour taste from his feelings of betrayal. Making up his mind that he could not continue waiting to confront her with her infidelity he left his money on the table and drove back home.

As he pulled into the driveway, he noticed that Karen's Cadillac was not there. Wondering where she was, he picked up her discarded blouse from the grass next to the sidewalk and holding it up in front of him he answered his own question -- she was gone.

A quick check of the bedroom revealed her lingerie and other items were missing from her dresser drawers as well as most of her clothes from her closets

He found the letter on the kitchen table and sat down to read it.

My Dearest Ray:

I am so deeply sorry for what I have done. I realize that I have totally screwed up our marriage, our family, and our lives. I do not have the words to tell you how sick I feel about betraying you and allowing myself to turn into somebody that I despise.

I cannot tell you when or exactly why it started but as I look back on the past few months, I see myself as becoming a totally selfish and self-centered person.




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 04



The excitement and thrill that I got from listening to people tell me how great I was doing in my new career and their confidence in my future as a winner overcame me. All I can say is that I became addicted to their compliments and I craved more and more of them. I was never satisfied but I was always looking for ways to get the next accolade that I knew was just around the corner.

It became my obsession and in order to concentrate on it, I pushed you and our children farther and farther away from me. I guess I found that if I put you out of my mind I did not feel the guilt or the remorse that was welling up inside of me. The less I considered you and your feelings the more comfortable I became doing what I thought I had to do.

For reasons that I cannot go into in this letter, the shame that I had so successfully buried resurfaced while I was in Vegas. The flight back from Vegas gave me time to think and I came to realize how much hurt I had caused you. I was happy that I had finally gotten some insight into myself and I thought I could go on from there. I felt that if you never found out what I had done, I could make it up to you without you ever knowing what had happened. I made a sincere promise that I would do what ever was necessary, including leaving my new career, in order to get my life and our relationship back on track.

I know what you must think of me after finding those things in my purse. I cannot deny their existence nor can I find any excuse for having them. They are what they are and they are the proof of my betrayal of you.

I started using the pills a few months ago. It was after one of my so-called "friends" gave me one to help me through a difficult day. A few days later, I asked for another one and she gave it to me along with a name where I could get more without a prescription. I have tried to pace myself and use them only when I thought it was absolutely necessary, but I soon found it was necessary almost every day.

If you have not already figured it out, that was cocaine that you found in my purse. The first time I used it was on last Friday night, actually Saturday morning, after we had the argument on the telephone. I was blaming you for trying to undermine my career and not appreciating what I had accomplished. I did not go out looking for drugs but when they were offered to me, I took them.

I know I promised you that I would not drink while I was there, but I did and after the first one, there was no stopping me. I am sure that my drinking had a direct connection with me becoming willing to take drugs but that is not an excuse for my behavior. There is no point in hurting you more than you are already hurt by describing the circumstances or who gave them to me, but once I tried them they became my new obsession.

I was so relieved when you met me at the airport that I convinced myself that everything would be all right. I figured that I could lie my way out from under your suspicions and regain your trust and the love of my family.

It did not occur to me to clean out my purse and I never considered the possibility that you would look in there. Truthfully, I was so sick that I simply forgot the stuff was there.

I do not think you can understand the sinking feeling of horror and absolute despair that I felt when I saw the evidence of my betrayal spread out over our kitchen table. It was at that moment that I came face to face with the realization that it was over.

I knew that it had gone too far to recover. I know that your discovery was the end of us in your mind and that there was no possibility of me reasoning with you or for you to forgive me for what I have done to us.

After I find a new place to live, I will let you know so that you can contact me if you want. Please allow me to talk to Melody and Brian and to try and explain to them what I did and what has happened.

No matter what you may think about me and what I have done to us, I will always love you with all of my heart. I never intended to hurt you.

I love you and I am sorry,

Love,

Karen

Tears filled Ray's eyes as he read the letter. His hands were shaking so much that he had difficulty focusing on the words until he placed the paper flat down on the table and held it there. After finishing the letter, he carefully refolded it and placed it back into its envelope. A deep, sad sigh escaped his lips and he slouched down into the chair and stared at the letter he held in his hand.

Chapter 46

The sound of the trash truck in front of the house woke Ray on Monday morning. He could not remember what time he finally fell asleep but he knew it was only a few hours earlier. One side of him was still trying to find excuses for Karen's behavior while the other side wanted to punish her for what she had done.

At one point in his half-awake, thinking-state during the night, he actually considered blaming Mike and his Real Estate Agency for their problems. That thought came back to him as he lay listening to the sounds of the world waking up.

"She is a big girl and she is responsible for her own actions," he said aloud as if he was waiting for validation from an invisible source.

By the time he finished his breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, showered, and shaved, he figured he could reach Vincent at his office. He was surprised to hear Vincent personally answer the phone. Explaining that his secretary was not in yet, Vincent listened silently while Ray's voice, filled with emotion, told him what had happened.

Vincent explained that he would file the papers and have Karen served but that it would be difficult to get a restraining order to keep Karen away from the house and Brian. She has as much right to be there as he did unless he could show proof that she had, in fact committed adultery. As Ray already knew, Melody was an adult and would be allowed to make her own decision as to whether or not she wanted to see her mother.

Vincent went on to say that, after hearing Ray read Karen's letter, he did not think that she would try to do anything with the house so why not forget a restraining order. Ray agreed and asked him to file the separation agreement that would start their six months waiting period as required by Georgia law. Vincent told him that there would have to be some changes made and he would have to come down and sign the finished product.

When Ray returned to the house after signing the papers at Vincent's office, he found the lost luggage sitting on the front porch. Ray carried the bags inside and was getting ready to call Karen's office and leave a message for her. He stood there with the phone in his hand for a moment before deciding to look through Karen's bag. He justified it by reminding himself of what he had found in her purse.

Carrying the bags into the kitchen, he lifted Karen's up onto the table and opened it. Karen was always a stickler for neatly packing her suitcases but this bag was unlike any he had ever seen her pack. The mess of clothing and other articles haphazardly thrown into it took him by surprise. Most of the clothing on the top consisted of dirty laundry. He was surprised to find several pairs of G-string panties and thongs and some exotic looking bras.

There were several books that were obviously course materials from her classes and five pair of brand new shoes. Underneath the dirty laundry, he found the rest of her clothes looking like they had just been stuffed in to the bag. Her tops and slacks along with several pair of shorts, three bikini style bathing suits, and an opened package of panty liners were all jumbled together. 

Down in the side pocket was a plastic baggie containing her wedding and engagement rings along with the ankle bracelet that the kids had given her for Mother's Day. The ankle bracelet was broken as if it had been yanked off of her leg.

Keeping the jewelry, Ray closed the bag and set it by the front door. Placing what must have been Montrell's bag on the table, he did not even hesitate before opening it to search its contents.

Envelopes full of the course material filled most of the bag but Ray was surprised to find two pairs of women's bikini underwear. By the looks of the stiff, crotches they had been soaked with sexual juice and semen before put into the bag.

There was an assortment of pills in unlabeled bottles and several baggies, larger than the ones that he found in Karen's purse, containing what he now knew were prescription drugs. Opening a fabric case, he discovered a Digital Camcorder and an assortment of DVDs. Turning on the camera, he began replaying the scenes recorded on the disk.

It appeared to be a recording of the inside of a hotel meeting room but it was hard to tell on the little screen. Using his camera already hooked up to his television set, he clicked it on and it displayed a list of recorded scenes.

Starting with the oldest one, it showed the interior of a typical hotel meeting room with Montrell standing at the front and pointing out the details of a projected image of a computer display. The camera was steady and must have been attached to a tripod. Every once in a while, the operator scanned the room and it showed that the observers were all women.

Ray recognized Karen, Adele and several other faces that appeared to be familiar. Skipping to the next scene he found it was similar to the first one as were the next few that he selected. A woman instructor took Montrell's place in several of the scenes and it appeared that someone was recording the entire course. He did not bother to pay any attention to the sound since most of it was real estate technical talk.

Expecting to find the same thing on the last scene on the DVD, he selected it anyway. After he oriented himself, he figured out that the screen showed a sideways view of the inside of a hotel room apparently illuminated only by the hallway or bathroom light. He could hear voices and after a figure crossed in front of the camera, the scene brightened when someone turned on another light.

The figure passed in front of the camera again going the other way but the lens was not pointed high enough to see a face. He could see a king sized hotel bed with several stacks of documents and books scattered about it. Several more bodies crossed by the camera and one, obviously a female, stood directly in front of it as she adjusted the neckline of her low cut dress.

A woman's voice called out, "I have to pee," and as the figure moved away from the camera, Ray realized he was looking at a mirror reflection of a hotel room with the camera lying on its side.

The voices were muffled because the camera's microphone faced the mirror. He was trying to understand what they were saying when the view of the bed was again blocked by a woman adjusting her necklace. Another woman's arm appeared and he was startled to hear Karen's voice. It was louder than the background talk since she was standing near the camera.

"I've got to get out of here," she said in a loud whisper to the woman standing next to her. "I'm in enough trouble with Ray already. I don't need any more grief."

Both women turned and faced towards the same way as a man said in a loud voice, "OK, ladies! Here are your presents."

There was much ooing and aahing and cries of, "They are so beautiful, thank you."

The girls crowded in front of the mirror adjusting what must have been Montrell's presents of necklaces and earrings. Ray doubted that they were real diamonds but they looked impressive even if they were a little flashy for his taste.

"It's party time!" Montrell's voice called out and the women moved away amidst the sounds of much chatter. He listened to the sound of doors opening and closing and then silence except for the whir of the air conditioning fan. Ray continued to watch and listen but all he saw was a still image of the hotel room until the screen went blank.

Clicking on the next scene, an image of the same room appeared on the screen along with the sounds of voices. He figured out that the camcorder must be set to activate on sound or motion and each of the scenes was a separate, automatic activation. There was no date or time stamp on the images so he was not sure when it all took place.

A male stood in front of the camera and placed several bottles of what looked like champagne on the dresser. The bottles were slightly out of focus since they were so close to the camera but he was sure of what they were. Turning his back on the camera the man removed his jacket and passed out of camera range.

Ray recognized Montrell's voice when he heard him say, "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right out."

Ray recognized the sound of what was probably the bathroom door closing and then a woman in a sequined, blue dress stood in front of the camera and set her purse down next to it. The dress had a halter-top that was not much more than a fancy demi-bra. 

The halter straps were attached to the sides of the cups and pulled her breasts up and together to better put them on display. Narrow strips of cloth with silver hoops on each end linked the bra with the skirt. There was more skin exposed than covered. The waist of the dress was cut low and he could see her hipbones above it.

The woman reached into each of her bra cups in turn, and pulled her breasts up in the cups so that their inner slopes were more exposed. From the overlapping sound of their voices, it sounded like there were three women in the room including the one standing before the mirror. He wondered if Karen was there but he could not pick out her voice from the chatter.

The woman in the mirror bent down in an apparent effort to see what her breasts looked like to other people. Ray found himself staring into Karen's face as she cupped her breasts and pushed them even farther up. Satisfied with the way her cleavage looked, she licked her lips and wetting the tip of her finger on her tongue, she smoothed her eyebrow.

When she turned to walk away, Ray could see that her back was bare except for a silver chain just below her shoulder blades holding the two sides of the halter-top together. The skirt itself barely covered her hips and it dipped so low into a vee in the back that he could see the beginning of the crease of her ass. He was not sure that she wore panties underneath the minimal skirt.

She spoke as she walked away and now Ray could distinguish her voice, "I shouldn't have had those drinks, Adele. You're supposed to stop me."

Another female's voice piped up, "Yeah! Like anyone can stop you when you set your mind to something."

"What time is it anyway?" Karen's voice got louder as she approached the camera. "Are we going clubbing or what?"

"It's not even one o'clock," a voice answered. "The night is young even if we are older."

"Well I'm not older and I'm not ready to go to sleep yet. Let's go."

Ray watched as Karen twisted her wedding and engagement rings from her finger and dropped them into her purse before she turned and walked out of the view of the camera.

"I don't believe you did that," he yelled at the screen. 

Next, he heard the sound of someone knocking on a door and shouting, "Hurry up Montrell, we're ready to go. We'll meet you down in the bar off of the lobby."

The women's voices faded and he heard the hotel room door slam closed. The room was silent for a minute or two before Montrell came out dressed in a pair of boxer shorts and sat on the edge of the bed to put on his socks. He moved back and forth in the room as he completed dressing.

Ray expected him to leave the room but instead he watched as his hand lifted the camera and the screen went blank. There were no more scenes listed on the menu and Ray figured that Montrell was putting a new disk into the camera.

Ray flipped the two-sided disk over and selecting the next scene, he watched as the camera was placed back into position facing the mirror. The sound of Montrell's voice quietly singing something in Spanish was the last thing that Ray heard before the hotel room door shut behind him. Ray sat staring at the empty bed until the camera timed out.

Chapter 47

The next scene started out, as had the others, with the sound of people talking and a hotel room door closing. People passed back and forth in front of the camera and a constant chatter of voices made it hard to pick out any one person. More lights came on and he recognized Karen's blue dress and Montrell's large frame as they passed back and forth in front of the camera.

A woman's voice said, "I'm exhausted! I have to get to bed. My feet hurt from dancing in these shoes."

He could hear Karen's voice as her blue dress passed in front of the lens. "I've got to take a piss, I'll be right back."

That same woman's voice said again, "I'm leaving. Are you coming Robyn?"

"Yes, me too. Tell Karen goodnight for us. We'll see her tomorrow."

He could hear Montrell's voice saying something away from the camera just before the hotel room door closed followed by the sound of the chain lock being secured.

"Where is everybody?" Karen's off screen voice asked Montrell who was now standing next to the bed.

"They left. They're just party-poopers. They can't handle Vegas. How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired too. I'd better be going. I shouldn't be here."

"Stay and help me finish the wine, there's only a little bit left."

"Look Montrell, I told you while we were dancing. I'm a married woman and I would like to stay that way. Now, I've really got to be going. Good night."

"OK, OK, but I've wanted to talk to you and this is the first chance I've managed to get you alone," he said.

"All right, but just for a minute. What do you want to talk to me about?"

"Actually it's not so much talking as just wanting to tell you how pleased I am with the way that you picked up the training in the software course. It not only validates my training techniques but it also proves that our high opinions of you are correct."

Ray watched as Karen came back into view and stood directly in front of Montrell. He could not see her face but she appeared to be looking up at him.

"Do you really mean that?" she practically gushed.

"Yes, of course I do. In fact, I'm considering asking you to co-teach future courses with me after you get some practice under your belt."

Placing her hand on Montrell's arm she said, "I would like that. I think I'd really enjoy it. Are all of the classes held here in Vegas?"

"No, we hold them all over the country in cities like Dallas, San Diego, LA, Chicago, Seattle, and New York City. All of the big cities."

"Are they all just the one day course like we just had?"

Montrell moved out of view as he continued talking.

"No, this is just an introductory course. The advance courses last three days and if we have enough registrations, we will hold two or three courses back to back during a week or ten day's trip."

Montrell came back into view carrying a full glass of wine.

"Here, help me finish this."

"Thanks," she said and drained the glass. "But what about the real estate part of it. How would I do that too?"

"With your personality and talents you should have no trouble forming a team of assistants to keep the sales going while you are traveling. That's what I do. I don't think you realize just how brilliant you are. You will be an incredible asset to our organization and I only hope you'll never leave us."

"Thank you, Montrell. You don't know how much your praise means to me."

"I know I'm not the first one that's ever told you that. I'm sure you hear it from your husband all of the time." 

"No, not really. I don't think he wants me to be a success. He tells me he does but he doesn't give me the support that I need, like you do."

"Well, it's not empty praise, it's fact and you have earned every bit of it."

Karen held onto Montrell's arm and raising herself onto her tiptoes she leaned in and Ray heard the sound of a kiss.




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 04



"I don't know if I can stand up in front of a class to teach it," she said in a worried voice.

"I wouldn't worry about standing up in front of a class if I were you. Your problem is going to be trying to keep the attention of the men in the class focused on what you are saying. I'm sure their tongues are going to be hanging out from watching you."

"Oh, come on, I know that I look OK but I'm not what you would call beautiful or even pretty."

"Karen, why are you so down on yourself? You have everything it takes. You're intelligent, congenial, well spoken and to round out the package, you're beautiful. You are a gorgeous woman. Accept it as fact and use it."

"You're making me blush," she said and held her hands up to her face.

"Look at yourself. Go on! Go and look in the mirror at yourself."

He steered her towards the mirror and stood behind her. The contrast between Karen's lithe figure and the huge bulk of Montrell's body was never more apparent to Ray than at that moment. Because of the camera angle, Ray could only see Montrell's arms and Karen from the neck down.

Montrell's large hands caressed her arms while she stood and apparently studied her reflection. 

"See! What did I tell you? You are exquisite. You are an angel. Did your husband buy you this dress?" he asked as he ran his thumb and fingers up and down the side strap. 

"Are you kidding? He would never let me buy anything like this or even let me wear it. I'm going to have to give it to somebody before I leave."

Ray watched as Montrell's hands gently grasped Karen by the sides of her waist. His right hand moved around to her bare belly and poking his finger into her navel, he lightly tickled her with the tips of his fingers. She reached over and placed her hand over his, keeping it there while he moved it back to her side.

The room was quiet as Montrell inserted his hands under the straps that connected the top to the skirt. Squeezing gently he pulled her back against his body. A sound, almost like a whimper, came from Karen's throat. Ray watched as Montrell's face came into view when he touched his lips to the side of Karen's neck. In response, she tilted her head and stretched her neck to expose her flesh to his moving lips.

His hands continued upwards slipping under her halter-top and encircling her breasts.

Ray had been leaning sideways on the sofa to orient himself with the sideways picture displayed on the large screen just a few feet in front of him. When Montrell cupped her breasts, he sat up and leaned closer to the screen as if he could help her escape. Amazed at Montrell's seduction technique, he hoped against hope that Karen would see it for what it was.

He was surprised when she did not struggle or try to move away from his groping hands. She moaned and reached up with one hand to grasp the back of Montrell's head to hold his lips against her neck. 

Ray watched the scene in front of him unfold like a porno movie. Karen shifted her body and the bottom half of her face came into view. She turned her head so that their lips could touch and her wide-open mouth locked onto his. Montrell's hands continued fondling her breasts and she placed her free hand over his to show him how to increase her pleasure.

Removing his hands from the inside of her dress, he turned her to face him without breaking their kiss. Their kiss continued as Montrell's hands roamed over her naked back in a gentle, caressing motion. He could hear Karen breathing through her nose as the kiss continued. Montrell fumbled with the halter strap on the back of her neck and it came apart and hung down over her shoulders. He next moved down to the vee of her skirt and pulled the tab on a hidden zipper.

Turning her around, he faced her towards the mirror while he unhooked the chain holding the sides of the dress together. Karen still made no effort to stop him but she stood quietly and unmoving with her hands down at her sides. Holding the ends of the halter strap in his hands, he slowly lowered the top of the dress before letting it fall and hang from her waist.

Karen's hands came up to shield her breasts but he gently pulled them away and held them behind her back with one hand.

"No, my angel, no," he whispered over her shoulder. "Look. Look at the perfection reflected in our magic mirror."

Releasing her hands, he pushed the tightly fitting dress down over her hips and allowed it to fall to the floor revealing a tiny pair of blue panties that matched her dress.

"Don't move," he ordered. "I'll be right back."

Karen raised her hands as if to shield her breasts but instead of covering them, she fondled herself and pinched and pulled on her nipples. Montrell returned and Ray could see that he was now naked when he passed in front of the camera. He offered Karen a small glass of what looked like wine and told her to drink it and she did without question. 

He again pulled her back against his body and she raised her face and turned her head so that they could kiss.

"I have something special for you," he said and reaching around her with both arms, he held what looked like a round, compact mirror out in front of her."

"What is it?" Karen asked speaking for the first time in several minutes. "It looks like drugs."

"Not exactly," he assured her. "It's a special potion so my angel can fly."

"Are you sure?" she asked with doubt in her voice. "What do I do with it?"

"It's not only you, babe. It's us. We snort it. Watch I'll show you."

Montrell moved side by side with Karen and bending over he raised the mirror to his face. Ray could not actually see what he was doing because of the angle of the camera. The sound of him inhaling what was on the mirror left no doubt that Montrell had just snorted cocaine or a drug of some sort.

Montrell stood up and exhaled a loud sound of pleasure.

"Here babe," he said and handed her a little glass straw. "You try it. Don't be afraid, it'll give you a rush like you've never felt before."

Montrell held the mirror while Karen bent down and mimicked Montrell's actions. Her breasts swayed as she raised her arm to hold the straw between her nose and the mirror. After inhaling the drug her head snapped back and her eyes widened in surprise as its impact burned through her brain.

"Oh, wow!" she screamed. "That is incredible! My head feels like it's going to explode and stars are going to come out of it!"

"I told you, I'd take care of you, didn't I? Now, you take care of me!"

Karen screamed and laughed when he picked her up. Holding onto his neck, she wrapped her legs around his waist and, still giggling with joy, she rained kisses all over his face. Ray could see Montrell's semi-erect cock rubbing against her bottom as he carried her to the bed and dropped her down onto it.

She was still hysterically giggling when she lifted her legs straight up in the air so Montrell could remove her panties. Putting her feet back down onto the bed she spread them wide apart and arched her pelvis up into the air in an invitation that Ray thought was reserved only for him.

"Oh, that's dirty!" she giggled when Montrell held the tiny piece of fabric up to his face and noisily inhaled its scent before tossing them onto the dresser next to the camera.

Crossing back to the bed, Montrell grasped both of Karen's ankles and pulled her towards the edge of the bed.

"Oh, smooth. I like that," he said referring to Karen's hairless pussy.

Giggling almost hysterically, she palmed her crotch and rubbed her hand up and down over it.

"You like, yes? It's my new Brazilian wax job. She even waxed the hair off my asshole. Whoops, did I just say that? What did you put in that drink?"

"Something to help you to have a good time."

"Well what ever it is it's working. I'm having the time of my life."

Her giggling was almost nonstop now and she seemed to be in another world.

"I'm going to lick you like an ice cream cone," Montrell said as he knelt on the floor between Karen's upraised legs.

Ray thought that he was going to be physically sick as Montrell positioned himself while holding her legs up and spread. He kissed and licked her legs behind each knee in turn and was starting to move down her thighs when her cell phone rang.

Ray jumped along with the two figures on the screen when the ring tone broke into the wet sounds of Montrell's kissing. Ray recognized the opening bars of Elvis Presley's "Love me Tender" as his personal ring tone. He realized that what he was seeing on the screen had occurred at the moment that he called her early on Saturday morning.

Ray was always pleased with Karen's choice of ring tones for him but he used to tease her about how hokey it was. The sound, under the circumstances, tore at his heart and made him want to reach into the television set and crush the phone.

On the screen, Montrell stood and walking over towards the dresser, lifted Karen's purse from it and fished out her phone. 

Karen was up on her knees on the bed when Montrell reached her phone.

"That's my husband," she said with alarm. "Don't answer that."

Montrell ignored her and flipped open the phone.

Ray's lips moved in sync with Karen's as she repeated on the video what he had heard in his ear Saturday morning.

"I told you not to answer that," she said as Montrell laughed before closing the phone and turning it off.

"I told you not to answer that," she repeated. 

Clambering out of the bed, she reached for the phone that Montrell had thrown on the top of the dresser.

"No, baby, you don't need him. It's just you and me tonight so let's have some fun."

Pulling her up and into his arms, he held her tightly against him with one hand on her ass while he ran the other one up and down her back in a soothing motion. She was sobbing as he continued to caress and quiet her. She finally quieted down and started to respond to his caresses.

"Let's get my angel some more angel food. OK?" he said and backed her towards the dresser.

Karen started giggling again and allowed him to move her backwards until they were standing sideways in front of the mirror. Retrieving another little baggie from somewhere on the dresser top he opened it and gently sprinkled some of the contents on Karen's right breast.

"It's better coming from the breast of an angel," he said holding her breast up and snorting the drug.

When he was finished, he licked the remaining dust off of her skin and sucked her nipple into his mouth. Karen moaned and put both hands on the back of his head to hold his mouth more tightly against her breast as his cheeks hollowed with the vacuum of his sucking.

Karen held him there for a few moments before she placed her palms against the sides of his face and lifting him up she looked into his eyes and said in a baby voice, "Where's mine, daddy?"

"Right here, baby girl," he said as he carefully sprinkled some on the top of his erection.

"You are nasty," she said admiringly and kneeling down she held him while she snorted her share from his penis.

Her body twitched and her face pulled back into a spasm when the drug hit her. Shaking her head like a dog shaking the water off of its body she let out with a loud scream of pleasure.

The giggles followed and looking up at him she stuck out her tongue and slowly ran it from the base of his penis to the tip before enveloping it with her lips. Still looking up at him, she sucked the head in and out of her mouth until he pulled himself out.

"Uh, uh, I'm saving that for someplace else," he said and lifting her he carried her to the bed and dropped her onto the mattress.

Holding both of her feet in one hand, he snagged his finger under her ankle bracelet and with one twist broke the fine chain.

"You won't need this anymore," he said and tossed the broken charm onto the dresser.

Karen did not seem to care that he had destroyed her children's present but she willingly spread her legs as he lowered himself down onto the bed. Her giggles turned into moans of pleasure while he ate her pussy and she pounded her heels on his back until her moans morphed into a keening wail when she reached her climax.

Without giving her a chance to recover, Montrell moved up over her body and lining himself up with his hand he plunged into her. His large body completely obscured Karen from view. The only parts of her that Ray could see, were her legs flopping wildly in the air as he pounded into her so hard that their bodies slapped together.

Placing her feet flat on top of the mattress, she grunted each time she raised her body to meet his thrusts. It did not take long for him to dump his load into her and when he shouted out his conquest, Karen joined in with screams of pleasure.

Pulling out of her with a wet, slurping sound, loud enough to be captured by the camcorder, Montrell let her legs drop to the mattress as he got out of the bed. After a moment, she rolled onto her side and curling up she appeared to fall asleep.

Glancing down at Karen's form, Montrell walked towards the camera and fiddled with something on the dresser before disappearing from view. Returning a few minutes later, he turned out the lights in the room and crawled into bed next to Karen. Covering them both with the covers, he reached up and clicked off the bedside lamp.

The camera continued to run for a short time before turning itself off.

Chapter 48

Ray sat staring at the screen long after it had gone dark. His hands hurt from clenching his fists and his head was pounding. It was one thing to suspect that Karen was having an affair, but to actually watch her fucking somebody else made him feel a hurt like she had stuck a knife in his gut and twisted it.

He wondered why she felt she needed someone else for sex. She seemed convinced that he did not love or support her goals, but that was no reason for her to spread her legs willingly and let another man fuck her. Her taking the drugs was a whole different matter and he cringed at the thought that she may have been taking the pills for some time and he was not even aware of it.

He wanted to hurt somebody and he considered getting his gun and going after the two of them. It was an honest, but stupid thought, and he knew better than to try it. Getting up, he paced while he tried to figure out his next step.

He knew that his crazy thoughts of killing them were not the answer, but he wanted revenge on both of them. He wanted to punish them physically, financially and emotionally. Except for the legalities, his marriage was over and Karen was out of his life. He was not sure how to get at Montrell but he knew he would find a way to get that bastard.

"If they're calling me "King of the Mountain" now, my new name is going to be "Mountain Killer!" he said aloud.

Steeling himself against what he was sure he was going to see, Ray clicked on the next scene and sat down to watch.

The near dark screen showed Montrell sitting up on the edge of the bed for a moment before standing and walking past the camera. Karen appeared to be still asleep under the covers. Montrell returned in a few minutes and turned on the bedside lights before he crawled into bed behind Karen. Reaching around, he fondled her breast and nuzzled her neck.

She made a sound of annoyance and twitched her body to push him away.

"Oh, no you don't," he said and roughly rolled her onto her back.

She grunted and pulled the covers up over her head.

"Come on, baby girl. Your daddy needs it."

"No! Too tired," she mumbled.

"Nobody tells Montrell, no," he growled and ripped the covers off of her.

Reaching over to the bedside table, he produced another little baggie. Holding it up in front of Karen's face, he waved it enticingly.

"Want another taste?" he said and kissed her nipple. "This'll wake you up."

"Uh huh, gimme," she said nodding her head but keeping her eyes closed.

"You're going to have to work for it, sweetheart."

"What do you mean?" she asked turning on her side and resting her head on her hand.

"Just what I said, sweetheart," he said and lying on his back he waved his almost hard cock back and forth.

Karen did not hesitate but got up on her knees and replaced his hand with hers. She examined his cock before rubbing it with her hand as if to clean it off and lowering her head she took it into her mouth.

Ray wanted to turn away but he watched intently as she sucked it hard while playing with his balls. He mentally compared the size of Montrell's cock to his own and for a split second, he was pleased that it did not appear to be any longer or fatter than his own.

His pleasure quickly turned to anger for even making the comparison in the first place.

"It's not the size of my cock," he reminded himself. "It's the lack of respect she has for me and for our marriage."

Ray's attention was drawn back to the screen when he heard Karen tell Montrell that she had to pee.

Ray watched her disappear from view. While she was gone, Montrell carefully poured the contents of the baggie onto his belly and, chuckling to himself, he lay there waiting for her return.

"Umm," she said when she spotted the powder on his belly.

Crawling across the king size bed, she was just lowering her head to get the drugs when Montrell stopped her.

"Start from the top and end up here," he said and pressed his erection against his stomach so that the head rested at the end of the line of powder. 

Karen laughed and without hesitation, she held her hair away from her face and inhaled the powder.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed as her whole body shivered with the effects of the drug.

Montrell laughed and pushed her head back down to his cock.

"Suck it, bitch, suck it," he said and held her head while she ministered to him.

Ray recoiled when he heard Montrell call her a bitch and his instinct to protect his wife came to the surface. It only took a split-second for him to remind himself that his wife had her mouth full of another man's cock.

"That's enough, baby," he said pulling her head away from his groin. "I want to save it for your pussy. Come on up here."

Karen straddled him and tried to maneuver herself to help him penetrate her. Montrell sat up so that she was straddling his waist with her knees alongside his hips. 

Holding her by her ass cheeks, he effortlessly lifted her up until her pussy was even with his mouth and her legs were over his shoulders. Karen squealed and grabbed onto his head for balance.

"Don't drop me, don't drop me," she said through a fit of giggles that turned into a moan when he buried his face in her crotch.

Ray was having difficulty trying to absorb what he was watching play out on his television set. This woman did not act anything like the Karen that he knew. She was completely out of control and so entirely alien that he was not sure he could believe his own eyes.

He wanted to blame it on the drugs and the pills but he knew he could not keep rationalizing her behavior. For a fleeting moment, he understood why some husbands would want to see their wives in bed with another man. 

He felt himself becoming physically ill as the scene played out in front of him but he could not tear his eyes away from it. Karen was holding onto the back of Montrell's head and using it as a lever to force her pussy tightly against his face. Each time she bounced herself against him she yelped like a dog in heat.

"Oh my God, don't stop, don't stop! I'm almost there! I'm cumming, I'm cumming!" she screamed.

Montrell reached up over her back and pulled her away from him by her shoulders until her head almost touched the bed between his legs. Ray let out a groan of anguish as Karen's upside down face, contorted into an obscene grimace, stared unseeingly into the camera while she rode out her climax.

Montrell did not give her time to recover but throwing himself on top of her, he forced her legs up until she was bent double and jammed his cock into her in one cruel, pounding stroke. Karen screamed in pain but he kept hammering himself into her flopping body until her head was hanging off of the end of the bed as he bellowed out his release.




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 05



Part V – Moving on

Chapter 52

It was almost two years later that Ray came across the DVDs stored in his safe. He considered playing them again but he did not want to reignite the anger that he felt that day. He did not have to replay them to bring up the visions of what they contained. They were embedded in his memory.

It had been a difficult time after Melody and Brian had both come home from their vacations that summer. Brian refused to talk about it and although Melody never directly told him, he knew that she felt that he was somehow at least partially responsible for what had happened.

He started going to counseling and tried to get Melody and Brian to go along with him but after four sessions, they decided they did not want to continue. Ray stayed with it and found it helpful to have someone to talk to who was not judgmental. He spent the first few sessions, after the children left, venting his anger at Karen.

The counselor patiently listened to his ranting before putting her foot down. She told him that if he wanted to get beyond this phase of his life, then he had better start learning to accept what had happened. 

It was not easy, but with her help, he learned to detach from Karen's actions and to keep her from living in his head.

One thing that pleased him was Melody's decision to attend Georgia Tech's College of Architecture. She asked for his help to gain admittance and he was able to use his contacts so that she could join the freshman class that September. She was coming up on the end of her second year and she was doing well.

All indications were that she was happy with dorm life and her grades were excellent. She often came to him for advice and from what she said in normal conversation, he knew that she was in contact with her mother. She dropped little bits of what she knew about her, but he carefully avoided probing her for any information. Their truce seemed to work well for both of them.

All he knew was that she was somewhere in Texas. He realized that Karen was either very successful or she had found herself a new man when Melody showed up one Friday afternoon driving a new car. He was in the driveway washing his car when she pulled in with a big smile on her face.

"Mom gave it to me," she said in answer to his unasked question.

"It's very nice. Congratulations."

"She's paying the insurance too so you can take me off of yours."

"Oh, that's nice," he replied as he admired the car. "Love your vanity plate."

"Do you like that? I got that in honor of you," she said giving him a hug. "You're my BIG BLDR."

Melody's admission of her respect for him took some of the sting of his jealously out of her mother's largesse. What he did not know was that there was more to come.  

Brian was all excited about the new car and he wanted to take it for ride as soon as he got home. Melody was hesitant about letting him drive but she finally agreed to let him take it to pick up their dinner.

He and Melody were sitting on the patio in silence. They had run out of things to talk about for the time being.

"Dad?" she asked for his attention.

He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was trying to broach a subject that made her uncomfortable. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows to let her know that he was listening.

"Dad, there's something I want to tell you but I don't want you to get upset about it."

"Why would I get upset?" he said as calmly as possible while visions of her telling him that she was pregnant or that she was going to get married or some such thing ran through his mind.

"Mom sent me a check for my tuition for next year including my books and my living expenses. Is that OK with you?"

Ray's mouth opened but no words came out. His first reaction was anger at the thought that she was trying to buy her way back into their lives. Was she trying to send a signal to Melody, and to him, that she could afford what a poor professor could not? She must know by now, through Melody, that he was no longer a professor and was now a partner in a large architectural firm.

He actually gave Karen credit for the impetus to make this major change in his life. Her public disrespect of his profession ate at him so much that his counselor suggested he consider a change. It was the best thing that he had ever done and it had opened up a whole new life for him.

He had a new and broader circle of friends and he had even dated quite a few times over the last year. He was apparently looked upon as a good catch and several of his dates had actually ended up in bed when he spent the night at their apartments. 

He enjoyed the sex with several of them but even though they assured him that they were on birth control and were clean, he still felt it necessary to wear a condom. He and one lady had gotten rather serious before he backed away after she started talking about marriage. 

The letter that he had received more than two years before proved to be a false alarm after his test came out negative. A second test three months later confirmed that he was not infected with an STD but he still held that fear and he felt that he could never trust a woman again.

"Dad?" Melody's voice broke through his reverie.

"Oh, I'm sorry I was just thinking. No, no, I'm OK with that. I'm happy that she is doing well."

Both he and Melody realized that this was the first time that they had mentioned Karen in a conversation in nearly a year. Neither knew where to take the conversation from this point but they were saved by the appearance of Brian delivering their dinner.


Brian rattled on about the car and how nice it was while they ate their dinner. Thankful for a few moments to consider his discussion with Melody, Ray was afraid that she had come away with the thought that he objected to her talking to her mother.

Brian disappeared into his room after dinner and Ray helped Melody with the cleanup. As she was wiping the countertop, Ray put his arm around her and pulled her into him for a hug. She let him cuddle her and she hugged him back.

"I love you, sweetheart," he said into her hair. "I'm glad that you've developed a relationship with your mother. She's always done her best with you kids and she loves you. I only wish Brian was closer to her."

"Thank you, daddy. I love the both of you. I don't know what to do about Brian. He still blames mom for everything."

"He's right, for the most part," Ray thought to himself.

Aloud, he said, "Maybe someday ..."

The house was quiet and Ray sat in his favorite chair out on the patio listening to the soothing sound a light rain made on the roof. After Karen left, he had a Lanais installed with a translucent roof so he could use the patio even if it was raining.

The mention of Karen during his conversation with Melody once again brought up an issue that had been rattling around in his brain for several weeks. He could not decide whether or not to invite her to Brian's upcoming graduation. When he mentioned it to Brian, he was told that he did not care one way or the other.

Her surprising gift of Melody's car and tuition has left him realizing that Brian was missing out on a relationship with his mother. Not because of the possible financial gain, but Ray felt that a mother/son relationship was important and he hoped that it was not too late to salvage it. He blamed himself for not pushing Brian to communicate with her. When he looked at it objectively, he realized that he was using Brian to punish her.

Ray was proud of the way he had stepped up to the task of being a single parent. He had worked hard at being both a mother and a father to them. He gave his own mother a lot of credit because she was the one he went to for advice before she started showing her age. Both Melody and Brian appeared to be normal, well-rounded children although Melody had reached the point where she was no longer a child. He admired her maturity and her intelligence and he hoped someday that they could work as a team.

He was not sure that his ex-wife would even show up for the graduation even if she were invited. He was also not sure what his reaction would be upon seeing her again. 

A sudden thought crossed his mind.

"What if she's in a relationship and wants to bring him?"

His question to himself caused him to stop and consider its source. Looking at it honestly, he recognized that it revealed a modicum of jealousy that he did not know was in him.

"Maybe I should watch those videos," he muttered. "If nothing else, it'll remind me of what she did to me."

Shaking off that thought, he knocked on the door to Melody's room and asked her to invite her mother to Brian's graduation ceremony and party afterwards.

"Oh daddy, that's wonderful," she said jumping up and giving him a hug. "Does Brian know about this?"

"No, and don't you tell him. I want it to be a surprise."

Chapter 53

Kari Keeler sat in her office and reread the invitation for the tenth time. She had cried when Melody texted her and told her that Ray was inviting her to their son's high school graduation. She had spent the next week waiting for the written proof.

She was aware of the event and she had made tentative plans to attend. She decided that she would not intrude on her former family, but she wanted to at least see him receive his diploma.

She had not spoken to Ray since that day she left. The divorce was handled through her attorney and she did not appear in court. She remembered every detail of that Sunday when she walked out of her home and her marriage of nearly 20 years. She knew it was over and she also knew that it was entirely her fault that her marriage had disintegrated.

She managed to get through that night and the next day without using any drugs or alcohol. When she had showed up to get the suitcases, she had been shocked into reality at finding that Ray had changed the locks on their home.  

The final straw that almost sent her over the edge and into suicide was when she viewed herself with Montrell on the television screen. Once back at her motel, she called the office and told them she was taking a leave of absence and she would contact them with her new address when she got to wherever she was going.

She spent the next week ingesting as much alcohol and drugs as she could stomach. She remembered appearing at the cell phone store in such a disheveled and drunken state that they almost threw her out. They demanded that she show an ID before they would accept her American Express card for new phone service.

There were a dozen or so calls on her voicemail that she listened to and deleted. The only message that she answered was the one from Vincent, their family lawyer. His secretary gave her the number of an attorney that they told her she would need.

The maid at the motel knew where she could buy more drugs and Karen paid her to keep her supplied with cocaine and alcohol. She did not even remember eating during that week. The one thing that she lived with was the hazy memory of rolling over on Sunday morning to find a stranger in her bed and knowing that they had been intimate during the night.

At that moment she realized just how low she had allowed herself to fall. She lay there trying to get her fuzzy mind to figure out a way to get out of the mess that she had created. After insisting that the hung over guy leave her room, she sat on the toilet and considered her options. No matter how much she tried to rationalize her actions she knew that she was lying to herself. 

While brushing her teeth and trying not to gag too much, she noticed her razor sitting on the bathroom sink. The answer to her problems came to her and dropping her toothbrush, she started filling the tub with water. 

While the tub filled, she tried to write a note telling Ray and the kids that this was the only way out for her. She begged them to try and forgive her for what she had done to them. She could barely read her own shaky handwriting but she sealed the letter in an envelope and left it in her purse. 

"Funny," she thought. "I've only written two letters to my family and both of them are apologies for my actions."

It took some time to pry the razor blade out of the little holder that it was in but she finally got it out, cutting her fingers in the process. Stepping into the almost scalding hot water in the tub she carefully sat down and waited for it to cool a little. Sliding down she rested her head on the back of the tub and wondered how long it would take for her to die. 

She had always heard that hot water would keep the blood flowing and she hoped that she would not feel any pain but would just go to sleep. Everybody would be better off with her dead. The horror that she had inflicted on Ray would be dissolved along with her life.

Sitting up she picked up the razor blade and studied it. When she looked down, she saw the blood from her cut fingers already coloring the water and that brought a moment of sanity. She knew that killing herself was not the answer and that she had to find a way to stop her descent into madness. 

Wrapping her fingers in tissues, she was finally able to stop the bleeding. She stumbled around the room picking up all of the evidence of her debacle before sending out for a sandwich to fill her shaky stomach. She managed to make it through the night without alcohol or drugs. When the sun came up on Monday morning, she could at least think a little clearer.

The only person that she could imagine that would help her was the attorney recommended by Vincent. She called the number and found out that Morgan was also a woman's name. 

Vincent had filled Morgan in on all of the details of what had happened over the past few months so she did not have to repeat them. After talking to her, she realized that Ray had been suspicious of her and had taken steps to end their marriage several weeks before it all blew up in her face.

Morgan and her secretary arranged for her to enter a rehab called The Life Center in southwest, Virginia. She drove herself to the place and spent the next six weeks in their care. Her attorney was the only one who knew where she was and Karen heard the news of Montrell's arrest from her. Morgan also informed her that the police wanted to talk to her. Morgan apparently took care of everything, because she never did have to go for an interview.

Six weeks later, she left the TLC. It was a sunny, Friday afternoon and she called Adele from the parking lot. She told her that she could be contacted through her attorney. After assuring her that she was OK, she refused to answer any of Adele's questions but she promised to call her sometime in the future.

She put the car into gear and started driving west without a destination in mind. Four days later, she found herself sitting in a parking lot in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was a calming feeling to watch the gentle waves of the Gulf of Mexico lap at the white, sandy beach.

She located a broker willing to take her on once her license was transferred to Texas. That process took about three weeks and she used the time to find a place to live and to familiarize herself with the agency and the city.

One of the other agents let her use a condo she owned at minimum rent. It was furnished and the agent preferred that it be occupied rather than sitting vacant. It had two bedrooms and a secluded balcony that overlooked the Gulf. She spent a day getting her clothes in shape from being in the back of her SUV for two months. After straightening out that part of her life, she finally had a chance to settle down and think about who she was, where she had been and where she was going.

She almost cried when she had to sell her Escalade but she could not come close to affording the payments on it. Her money was just about gone and until she started making commissions again, she had no other options.

She loved her used little car and soon got used to the other agents kidding her about it. They called it Kari's Kiddy Kar.

Alcohol and drugs were no longer a part of her life and she had promised her temporary AA sponsor that she would find an AA meeting as soon as she got to wherever she was going. She did not exactly follow her instructions to the letter but, the day that she moved into her condo, she did call and find out where the meetings were in her area. After a week or so, she started going to regular meetings and asked a woman with over fifteen years of sobriety to be her sponsor. She and Corey would become best friends over the next few months.

Sitting on her balcony with a sweet iced tea, she watched the sun move across the Gulf and tried to put some semblance of order into the last few months of her life. She barely remembered the motel where she lived on cocaine and alcohol for a week, but she clearly remembered the TLC and what she had gone through while there.

The first four days were spent in a locked, detox ward where they helped her get the drugs and alcohol out of her system without going into DTs. Once her mind started to clear, she was assigned to a group that met twice a day with a counselor to discuss their problems and to find solutions.

At first, she rejected the idea of discussing anything with a stranger but Maggie, her counselor, slowly gained her confidence and they quickly became friends. Karen still talked to her and she was the one who suggested Karen come back and share her experience with the new people coming into the rehab.

Later on, the staff took her and the other patients to AA and NA meetings outside of the TLC. She learned to like going and listening to other people tell their stories. It did not take her long to start sharing and to realize that she was not unique. Her experiences were not much different than many of the others in the groups.

The darkest days in the TLC came when she had to write what they called a Fourth Step. It was a history of her life so that she could see where she had been so she could try to find out where she was going. The most embarrassing part was the last few months of her life before sobriety. 

That was her bottom, as they called it. During that time, she decided that success depended upon sex, drinking and drugging. She opted to shatter her marriage vows for a few, quick words of appreciation, illicit pleasure, and phony promises of a bright future.

"Well, my bright future ended me up in bed with some smelly slob in a motel room filled with empty bottles and baggies," she said to the afternoon sky. "The only things bright about me were my red eyeballs and the hickies on my tits."

Karen could look back on some of it and laugh at her own mistakes and stupidity. Some of it was still too painful to be funny and it probably never would be, at least to her. 

She would frequently think about Ray and the tears would come because of how much she had hurt him. The children did not know the details of what had happened so that made it a little easier on them. Melody seemed to be accepting and forgiving but she did not believe she could ever repay or make amends to Ray for her selfish actions.

The week in Vegas was still fresh in her mind and she let her mind float back to that final week of craziness that took her to her bottom. 

"I guess it was the only way to get me to admit that I was killing myself and that I had already killed my marriage," she whispered in despair. "I hope Corey was right when she told me that ‘When one door closes, another opens but you have to look for it and be ready to walk through it'."

Going back inside of her condo, Karen located the journal she wrote during the time she spent in the TLC. Sitting on the sofa, she started leafing through it. The first dozen or so entries were filled with confused writing and many lies. 

She was justifying everything that she had done with the wildest rationalizations. She was not willing to accept personal responsibility and blamed everything and everybody for her craziness. 




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 05



It was almost dark by the time she got to the pages on which she had written the inventory of her life. She considered closing the book without rereading it but something told her that this was the right time to continue.

It was not a neatly written saga. Many of the entries corrected by lining through the original rationalizations and noting what really happened. As her recovery progress, she had to stop pretending what had happened. 

Corey had told her that she should refresh her memory by reading it from time to time. She told her that as she felt the need, she should take some time with it. 

"You'll find that more memories will surface and you should add the new thoughts, feelings, and episodes to it. It is a chronicle of your life and you must make it as accurate as possible."

My first few weeks in my new job had been some of the happiest that I had known for many years,"  she had written. "Ray and the kids were supportive of me and I was so proud of myself that I thought I would bust."

Thinking back on those times, she realized that she had used sex as a means of getting Ray to go along with her idea of working again. She probably did not have to go as far as she did but she was enjoying the excitement of their newfound intimacy. The playfulness was back and it made it that much more exciting for them.

It did not take long for it to wear thin and for her to become so busy that she forgot about her marriage and her children. Ray was making it easy for her by being backing her in her efforts but as she looked back, she realized that it was forced and he was not as happy as he pretended.

My attitude started to change when I began receiving compliments on my clothes and on my work,"  she wrote.  "The evening when I slipped and fell in the office and Mike peeked up my skirt made me feel sexy and excited. I liked it!! I was worth looking at!

She had not realized it at the time but that night was the first time that she had lied to Ray. It was not an out and out lie but it was an omission of the truth about what had happened with Mike. Even though he had not actually kissed her, she was thrilled that he had tried. What she had not known was that Ray saw the little scene outside of her car and became suspicious and that is why he started questioning her about her relationship with him.

The handwriting in the next journal entry was hard to read because of the crumpled sheet of paper. She remembered writing it and then balling it up because she admitted something she did not want to admit.

I knew Ray was pissed when I forgot about the couples' bowling league the next night. He left me sleeping on the sofa and went to bed without trying to wake me. That was the first time that I drank a whole bottle of wine all by myself. Was that the start of my addiction??

It was about that time that she started attending the parties and the little celebrations that her coworkers seemed to have all of the time. With the prompting of her counselor, she had examined her motives for going to the get-togethers. When she thought back to those days, she realized that everyone did not attend every party. It was only her and a few other drinkers that were always there.

I was not getting the attention that I thought I needed at home. Once I started going to the gym and losing weight, I looked at myself as a different woman. I forgot that I was still a wife and a mother.

Ray still carried a grudge about her buying her Cadillac without his participation. She knew he was upset that she had used their joint income to qualify but had listed herself as the sole owner. 

He did not like the "touchy-feely" and "kissy-face" flirting that went on at the parties. He was not buying the idea that they were friendly gestures. She knew that some of them were blatant, sexual advances. Her lying to Ray about them allowed her to reinforce the subterfuge within her own mind.

It felt good to be looked upon as a sexy, desirable woman," the journal entry read. "I did not mind the touching and the quick feels because Ray was pulling farther away from me each day and I was looking for affection.

They seemed to have formed a pattern of settling their arguments with sex. Looking back, Karen realized that she had developed a new sexuality that did not fit the mold of a wife and a mother. Having sex with Ray to soothe him and to stop the fighting gave her a sense of power stemming from her new point-of-view as to her status as a woman.

My classes were the turning point in our relationship. My narrow, telescopic view of my future eliminated any sense of my responsibility to my husband and to my family. I seemed to have enough time for my drinking and my parties but no time for my family.

Ray tried to keep it all together but I was happy in my new life and I was not about to let anything interfere with it. I never stopped to realize how much of my former responsibilities were taken over by my family and I never even thought to thank them for it.

The blowout when Ray and the kids forgot her birthday was a turning point. She went from being depressed all day because she thought they forgot it, to reaching a high when Ray walked in with what she thought was her present. The letdown came when she found out it was really a gift for Brian. It made her feel that she could depend upon her co-workers more than she could on her family.

Wearing Mike's shirt home from her birthday party was a big mistake but she was too drunk to make any decisions that made any sense. She looked forward to her margaritas more than she looked forward to food.

Looking through the journal, she saw how Ray could very well feel that she was being physically unfaithful to him. He had caught her in several compromising situations. Even though, up to that time, she never had sex with anyone but him, she was reaching the point where it was bound to happen.

The signs were all there for him to see and interpret. The wearing of Mike's shirt, the handprints on her slacks and on her blouse, the episode with Mike in the parking lot of the restaurant and the mark on her breast from the ironing board that he thought was a hickey.

For a husband who was suspicious that his wife was cheating on him, they all added up to evidence that proved him right. The final straw was when she was called in to work for her surprise party. Instead of letting him know what was going on, she ended up getting drunk again and doing the Salsa with some guy who tried to fuck her on the dance floor.

That was the night that I realized how much power I had over men. My worries about Ray finding out were pushed aside if I took my little pills and drank. I thought that alcohol solved all of my problems. Drinks at lunch and as many after work drinks that I could down was my way of solving the problem of my failing marriage. I never thought to stop drinking and work on my problems with my husband and family. I just kept drinking.

The handwriting was clearer now as her body detoxed and the shakes went away. She was eating better and she was more serene without the stresses she had brought upon herself. She looked at the little entry that she had written somewhere on practically every page of her diary. 

It read, "I'm sorry Ray!!!

Naomi had introduced her to the pills after she came back from lunch a little tipsy one afternoon. She followed her into the ladies room and mentioned that some of the other agents were talking about her drinking.

Karen explained that she was under a lot of stress and that she needed the alcohol to relax. Naomi gave her a couple of pills and told her not to take them with alcohol but to wait until tomorrow morning and try one and see if it helped.

The pills were wonderful. Before pills, I would wake up each morning and my opening thought would be how to keep everything together. I was worried about my upcoming test and keeping Ray from finding out about my flirting and a host of other things. I only took a half of a pill the first morning and that seemed to do the trick all day long. 

I could still drink later in the afternoon and the evening but I did not have to worry about someone smelling alcohol on my breath in the morning or early afternoon. The pills also helped me in dealing with the guilt and remorse I was feeling from time to time. I soon found out that the more I flirted with the bounds of my marriage and did not get caught, the less shame I felt and the easier it was for me to do it the next time.

Karen bought the pills from the contact that Naomi gave her. She considered their cost simply as another business expense. She found that she had to increase the dosage every few weeks since they did not seem to work the way they did in the beginning. She was getting worried about the quantity she had to take so she started to experiment. She found that if she took a little vodka with them, no one could smell it and she could reduce the amount she was using. 

There was very little in her journal about the Cinco de Mayo party since a lot of it was a blur. She had taken some pills to get through work that morning after her fight with Ray. The pills were still affecting her when she got to the party early in the afternoon.

The margaritas really helped and she was soon floating in what she liked to call her "never-never land." It took discipline to stay in that state, since a few drinks too many and she would start getting slobbery and too few and she would have to play catch-up.

The party was the first time that she had tried pot and she discovered that it helped her to maintain her high and it made her feel good. Between dancing the Salsa with the guys and flirting with them in the tent, she was soon on a sexual as well as a drug high.

The dancing got to her and the crowd yelling their appreciation and goading her on made her feel important. She liked being the star of the show. Letting the guy suck on her breasts was a mistake when she looked back on it. At the time, it seemed the right thing to do to satisfy the crowd.

The next journal entry looked like it was written in haste.

I was passed around like a joint and on every lap that I sat on, each guy I hugged felt my ass or my breasts or fingered my pussy. One guy got his finger up my naughty place before I could stop him and that was when Trey took my top off. 

I was lying face up across the laps of four guys and they were feeling me all over and kissing me. One of them got his finger in me and when I protested, Trey saved me. After he pulled me away from them, he unhooked my bra and would not give it back to me.

Karen remembered most of that part of the party. She had been telling Trey that his head looked like the head of a circumcised cock and he did not take it very well. He did not think it was as funny as she and some of the other people did so he was trying to get back at her. 

Taking her bra, gave him the upper hand and she walked around the tent with her hands covering her breasts until she found the piece of gauze. Another woman tied it on for her and even though it was see-through, she felt protected.

Adele's appearance and the information that Ray was looking for her gave her a sick feeling. She did not believe her at first but when Adele warned her to sober up, she realized that she was telling the truth. She had not had a drag on a joint for some time but she had been drinking wine and the pot smoke filling the tent was as bad as smoking it.

When she finally agreed to kiss Trey, she was not ready for the impact it would have on her drunk and high body. She felt a rush of sensation that carried her away and the next thing she remembered was masturbating herself on his cock through their clothes. She did not mean to bite him, it just happened when she had her climax.

She was terrified that Ray was going to see her before she got her head cleared and when she saw Donna she thought she was helping her instead of setting her up. 

It was Donna that hooked me and Trey up in the grotto, she had written. If it was not for that damn beard of Ray's I would not have let him do me.

Part of the entry was scratched out and an additional line squeezed in and written along the margin after the cross-outs. 

I have to stop kidding myself if I am going to get sober. I knew it was Trey and I let him fuck me like the slut that I am. The time I went to the gym and let him do it again was all my fault too. I had this idea that I could have my cake and eat it too but all I got was an STD. I am sorry I had sex with Ray after that and gave it to him. It never occurred to me that I could catch anything. I can not imagine the look on his face when he opened the letter from the health department. I am so sorry Ray! I am so sorry!!

The TLC tested Karen when she arrived and that is when she found she had contracted gonorrhea and chlamydia. Providing a list of her sex partners, including her husband, was one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. She knew she would probably never again see the nurse who accepted the list, but she knew she would be remembered as a slut.

With the help of the nurse, they figured out that she probably got it from Trey. As far as she knew, she did not have any symptoms. The doctor told her that she was on the verge of realizing something was wrong when they caught it. She expected to be subjected to a lot of needles but the treatment was just a few doses of antibiotics for ten days.

I sincerely believed it when I told Ray and myself that I would stop drinking and pay more attention to him and the kids. Now, when I look back on it, I realize that I knew I was keeping the secret of my pills from him. I rationalized that I was not lying since I told him I would quit drinking and that did not include pills. I remember saying I would not drink ‘as much'? Another copout!!

It was late and the television, had not yet been hooked up, so Karen decided to go to bed. She was going to call Melody again but the last few calls were a little tense. Melody had a general idea of what she had done. Although she sounded like she wanted to continue to have a relationship with her mother, she was torn because of her loyalty to her father.

She had been warned about this very thing while in TLC and even though she did not like it, she had to let it go until Melody came to terms with it herself.

"I love you Melody and Brian and I love you and I'm sorry Ray," she said just before dropping off to sleep.

Chapter 54

The morning's heat and humidity predicted another typical hot, August day in Corpus Christi. The new realtor on the block was ready to start beating the streets looking for listings and selling anything that did not move. Her license had finally come through and she was now officially able to work in the State of Texas.

Holding her new brass nametag up for inspection, she read it aloud. 

"Kari Keeler. That's a nice name with a nice ring to it. People will remember me."

Sitting at the little table on her balcony, she drank her morning coffee and watched the waves roll in from the Gulf. A lot had changed in just a few months and she had mixed feelings of anxiety and optimism about her future.

Deciding to take her maiden name back after the divorce was final was a first step. Changing her first name was another signal to herself that she intended to get her life back. She needed a clean start. She was now Kari Keeler.

Corpus Christi was good to her and she quickly became known for her ability to sell condos in the new markets of the area. She hit the boom at the right time and found herself on the top of the list with offers from several builders to handle their buildings on an exclusive basis. 

By the time a year had passed, she had formed a partnership with a broker and hired a staff of assistants to take over the paperwork. She would have liked to get her Broker's license but she needed another year as an agent in order to qualify. She had not touched alcohol or drugs in that time and she had no intention of ever doing them again.

A friend of her partner invited them to go to Florida and get into the booming Condo market down there. Her partner was not willing to leave his family so she drove to South Florida and jumped into the frenzy. It only took a few months of flipping Condos for her to amass a fortune and get out of the market just before it slumped and the bottom fell out.

Back in Corpus, she concentrated on buying and selling upscale residential and commercial real estate. It did not take long for she and her partner to practically have a monopoly on the market. They were the firm to go to if you were buying, selling or leasing anything over a million dollars.

Karen, now Kari, was back on top with money, prestige, power, and recognition. She was happy but she missed the family life that was no longer a part of her existence. Melody has slowly come around and they spoke often. She yearned for a relationship with Brian but he was cool to her during their infrequent telephone conversations.

Mother and daughter did not discuss Ray or the events leading up to their divorce as a part of their unspoken agreement with each other. She assumed that Melody would mention if Ray got married or was dating but the subject never came up.

Her own social life was nil and she refused any invitation that sounded like a date. She worked out twice a week at a gym where she stayed away from the trainers as much as possible. She only attended business functions and those social functions that would enhance her business. The rest of her time was spent working or at her recovery meetings and playing with her newfound hobby of sailing on the Gulf.

Her closest friends were other professional women. They often accompanied each other to business functions while making it clear that they were not in any kind of a relationship. They had a few men that they used as escorts when the need arose, but it was made clear to them that Kari was out-of-bounds and to not try anything.

Her sex life consisted of her fingers and a toy that she bought. No man or woman had touched her since that creep she found in her hotel bed back in Savannah. She wished that Ray had been her last lover but that was never to be.

She had been back through Savannah a few times on her way to Virginia for follow-up consultations with the TLC. She was friends with the staff and they often asked her to come back and speak to the patients. It helped her as well as the patients. She shared her story with them and gave them hope that they too, could get their life back.

Her last trip through Savannah was only a month before. Except for Adele, she never made any effort to meet with Ray or any of her former friends or business associates. Adele was the exception and they met for lunch or dinner when they could. Adele was one of the few people who knew what had actually happened. 

During her visits, they did not speak of Ray or the breakup of their marriage but she did find out that Donna and Mike were back together and doing well. She laughed when she heard that Mike had also been in a rehab and as far as anyone knew he was clean and sober.

No one knew what happened to Trey. He was generally regarded as the source of the STDs that had suddenly infected several of the women and subsequently the men in their lives. Adele knew of the episode in the grotto and the gym tryst, but she had no idea of what had happened in Vegas. 

She was pleased to find out that Montrell pleaded guilty but he was sentenced to only eight months in prison and five-years probation. He was already out of prison but no one knew what happened to him. 

Since no one except Kari knew about Sean's involvement in drugs, there was no discussion of him and Kari never brought the subject up. 




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 05



She made it a point to drive down the street where Ray and the kids lived. The house looked the same and there was no car in the driveway but she only slowed down and did not stop. The front yard looked neat and there were even flowers in the box on the porch railing. 

"Was it a woman's touch?" she thought. 

"Maybe he has a girlfriend," she said aloud and felt jealous at the thought.

There was a garland of some kind hanging on the yard light pole and it brought back the memories of the fight Ray had with Montrell when he caught them making out in the garage. She remembered that it had been another of her record-breaking margarita consumption days. The excitement of the graduation party and her upcoming trip upped her intake to the point where she lost control and the fight was the result.

Corey laughed when she read the entry in the journal where Karen admitted that, When I drank or used cocaine it went right to my pussy and my pussy took control over my life.

Their house, his house now, did not look any different then it had the day she had returned to pick up the suitcases. She wondered what it looked like inside. Did it have any memories of their 20-years together left in there?

Now, almost two years later, she sat on her balcony and let the memories roll by like the waves lapping at the beach. Taking a sip of her coffee, she noticed the invitation sticking up out of her purse and pulled it out to read it again.

Raymond Royals and his daughter, Melody are pleased to announce the graduation of his son and her brother, Brian R. Royals, from Savannah High School on Saturday, May 20. Ceremonies will be held at the school's athletic field. Casual attire is suggested.

Inside was a card inviting the recipient to a post-graduation party at the Royals' home. It included Ray's telephone number for an RSVP but Melody asked her not to call since it was to be a surprise for Brian.

The date was only a little over a week away and on the spur of the moment she decided to drive up to Savannah early. It would be good for her to look around at what was happening in the city where she had spent most of her life. She wanted to buy a graduation present for Brian and it would give her time to shop. Melody would be out of school by then and they could meet for lunch or something.

Chapter 55

It took a few days to arrange her schedule so that she could leave. Her staff was well trained to take over and she was always available for any questions that they may have. She left early in the morning for the two-day drive to Savannah.

She stopped for the night at the Argosy Casino in Baton Rouge and after eating dinner, she tried her luck on a few of the slot machines. She dressed in heels and Capri pants and a mid-riff baring camisole top and she knew she looked good. 

She had carefully chosen her clothes to be attractive without looking slutty. She was no longer a young chick and she accepted that fact. She also knew that she was still attractive and, even though she barely admitted it to herself, deep inside she hoped that Ray would find her that way.

She quietly ate up the admiring stares and comments she got from the men who saw her. It made her feel good and gave her confidence a boost. The prospect of seeing her former husband in a few days was making her nervous and excited at the same time.

Several men attempted to start a conversation with her as she sat at the machines, but she rebuffed them without making them feel bad about it.

One younger-looking man was clever enough to get her to open up a little and she agreed to move into a piano lounge with him. He was surprised when she told him she did not drink but she was happy with a diet soda with lemon. She enjoyed flirting and several times over the next two-hours she gently rebuffed his suggestions that they change clothes and go somewhere where they could dance.

They shared enough of their stories for her to find out that he was 28-years old and recently discharged after eight years in the Marine Corps. He worked with his father, a Mortgage Banker, to try and rebuild New Orleans and the other hurricane devastated areas.

He obviously had plenty of money and he tipped the waitress enough to where she spent most of her time making sure that he and Kari were happy. Kari finally decided to go back to her room and she allowed him to walk her to the elevators. While waiting for the elevator, she thanked him for a nice evening and gave him a gentle kiss goodnight.

Watching him watching her as the elevator doors closed she smiled at him and relished the feeling that he made her feel desirable. She was not sure how Ray would look at her. 

"If only, God, if only," she whispered in the empty car.

A short time later she lay quietly in her bed enjoying the afterglow of solo sex. Using the corner of the sheet to wipe her lube and scent off of her toy, she put it back into its bag and set it on the nightstand. Curled up under the covers, she felt alive and attractive and for the thousandth time, she wished that Ray was lying next to her. 

"Let's not go there, girl," she laughed and tried to get into a comfortable position to get some rest for the long drive she had the next day. Her thighs were still wet from her orgasm and rather than be uncomfortable she finally gave in and getting up she wiped herself with a damp washcloth.

Back under the covers in the nearly dark room her last thoughts, as they were every night, were, "I love you, Ray, and I'm sorry," just before dropping off into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter 56

The sun woke Ray in Savannah a short time before it reached Kari's room in Baton Rouge. Kari was already awake and anticipating the ten or eleven hour drive to Savannah when that same morning light peeped through the crack in her hotel room's curtains. 


Both of their thoughts were on each other and both were anticipating their coming meeting with anxiety and more than a little trepidation. She wondered what he looked like after two years. She wondered if she should shake his hand or to try and hug him for the sake of their children.

"Who am I kidding?" she laughed at her rationale. "It's for my sake, too."

She shivered with the thought that he may reject her and make her feel uncomfortable. 

He wondered what she looked like after two years and whether he should shake her hand or try and hug her for the sake of their children. His mind flashed back to the image of her being fucked by Montrell. He wondered if he would be able to face her without getting angry at what she had done.

He was surprised when the expected surge of anger and the urge for revenge at the thought did not surface. He wondered if time and counseling had dulled the edge of her betrayal. 

"I wonder if she's had sex since we split up?" he asked the bathroom mirror.

As Kari showered and got ready to check-out, she wondered if he dated much or even if he had a steady girlfriend that Melody did not know about.  

"Do you suppose he's had sex since we were together?" she wondered.

Collecting a bagel and coffee from the breakfast bar, Kari ate while she drove out of Old Town and onto the Interstate. By the time she had gotten to her car, Ray had already been up and eaten breakfast and was trying to concentrate on reading the morning paper.

"It's just four days until Brian's graduation," Ray thought, "Four days before we see each other after two years. It doesn't seem to be that long."

Traffic was light as she clicked the miles off on I-10 and her thoughts wandered back to the night before. That Marine had stirred something in her that she had forced into dormancy. He had made her feelings of sexuality bubble up to the surface again. Corey had told her that before she could truly recover she would have to face her repressed feelings and she now knew what she meant. 

Long periods of being alone always made her look back on her life and she remembered the time leading up to her trip to Vegas. She had looked forward to the week in Vegas for months. She was afraid that Ray would make such a stink about it that she would be forced to cancel it. 

She looked in the rear view mirror to make sure no other cars were close to her before she squirmed around to try and get more comfortable. She still was not used to the seat in her new, black Escalade. She felt a little cramp in her ass cheek and it brought back memories of the time she and Ray had tried anal sex.

Reflecting on that incident, she realized that she used it as a way of making amends for her indiscretions but it backfired when it hurt too much. When he forced himself on her she refused to believe his reasoning that he thought she was enjoying it. 

His explanation was logical when she honestly considered it. At the time she was more than willing to use the episode as an excuse to drink and look for approval some place other than from him. The congratulations she received when she walked into the office that morning more than validated her decision and her resolve not to let him interfere with her career.

By the time the plane landed in Vegas, she was already high from anticipation. She was looking to have fun and maybe one last fling. She did not think she would learn anything from the etiquette school and she viewed it as just an excuse to get a free vacation in Vegas. 

She surprised herself with all that she learned and the spa treatments and pampering made her feel like a new woman. They talked her into cutting her hair and adding some highlights and when she looked in the mirror, she did not recognize herself. By the third day, she felt twenty years younger and she could not stop touching her newly tanned and silky smooth body.

She wanted to let everybody see the new her and when she shopped with the girls, she let it all hang out. She bought the sexiest underwear, dresses, and shoes that she could find. Standing in front of the mirror in her new, blue dress, she fell in love with what she had become. The first night that she wore it to dinner and then to the casino, she must have been hit on fifteen times. 

When they talked her into going to the dance club she was hesitant but after having that little tiff with Ray she went anyway. The celebratory champagne she had at their graduation luncheon was the first drink she had in over a week and it set her off. 


Ray's attitude when she called him while she was changing to go to the dance club pissed her off. She wanted him to be happy for her but all she got from his tone of voice was that he was suspicious that she was drinking again. 

His sleazy comment about girls getting pregnant on graduation night was uncalled for and she was not going to let him deny her a good time. Changing into her new dress, she admired herself in the mirror and readjusted the halter-top to show off her breasts a little more. 

The dress was fitted with a built-in bra that only covered the sides of her breasts and barely concealed her areolas. To her delight, it made her look like she had a lot more than she really did have there. Her ego amped up and she squared her shoulders to emphasize her chest. After touching up her make-up she went down to meet the girls.

She agreed to one drink at the dance club, but more drinks followed. She finally gave in to the girls' teasing and danced with a couple of guys. They all tried to get a feel and she let a few of them squeeze her ass. One even got his hand down the back of her dress before she stopped him.

She could not believe how open everybody was and she could see couples grinding together on the dance floor without regard for the people around them. One guy, barely over 21, flat out asked her if he could take her back to his room. 

"I want to make love to you," he whispered in her ear and pulled her belly into his erection. "I love older women and I will make you love me."

"How old do you think I am?" she asked expecting him to lie and say 35 or so. 

To her surprise, he told her that he and his friends figured she was 30 or 31-years old.

When she informed him that she was over 40 and married, he held her hand up and asked why she was not wearing her wedding rings. She laughed and told him that it was against the law to wear wedding rings in Vegas.

Montrell's appearance in the hotel bar where they stopped for a drink after leaving the dance club caught her by surprise. She had managed to stay away from him during the classes but it was more difficult in the club atmosphere. She was not sure how to react but she knew that she had to keep her distance and not drink anymore.

"If Ray knew he was here he would shit," she told herself. "Nothing I could say would make him believe that this was not planned."

"Hey, girls," he said when he walked into the bar. "Fancy meeting you here."

Everybody but Karen rushed to greet him but she remained seated and only nodded when he looked over at her.

"Do we have a party pooper here?" he laughed. "Is she our chaperone for the evening?"

Karen was embarrassed at his comment and immediately went on the defensive. 

"The girls laughed and when they urged Karen to join them in another drink she gave in so as not to look like a mother hen. They stayed in the bar for a little while before Montrell invited them up to his room for a surprise. 

"C'mon girls, I've got something for each of you," he said and they headed for the elevators with Karen tagging along behind.

Once in the room, Karen tried to figure out a way to leave without making a scene. Before she could get away, he gave them each a box with a necklace and earring set in them. Even Karen was impressed and taken by his generosity. They tried them on in front of the mirror and the next thing she knew she was going down the elevator to a limousine hired by Montrell.

She managed to stay away from him and the two other men who were already in the car but at the club she could not refuse to dance with any of them. One was named Sean, but she could not remember the name of the other one. The men danced with all of the girls and at times, the entire party was on the crowded dance floor. 

Karen did not know who was feeling her up on the floor but she was enjoying herself and letting go to the music. During one of the dances, she felt someone's arms wrap themselves around her from the rear and she knew it was Montrell even before he whispered into her ear.

"Do you know that you are the most beautiful creature in this club?"

Karen let herself continue to move with the music as she ate up the words that were filling her head. She felt his lips touch her neck and she tilted her head to give him better access. When his hands came up and squeezed her breasts she tensed and tried to move away. He quickly released her and backed away to continue dancing with the group.

She did not know how many clubs they went to but it was at least three and at each one of them she had a drink or two. By the time they headed back to the hotel, she was not feeling any pain. She found herself sitting next to Montrell in the limo and he offered her a pill that he took from a little plastic bottle. 

"Want to fly?" he asked. 

Karen was at the point of refusing when she noticed Sean passing out identical tablets to the rest of the girls in the limo. They all took one and washed it down with champagne.

"Stick out your tongue," he said and when she did, he placed one on it and offered her his glass.

Whatever was in the pill took the edge off of the booze and made her feel loose without feeling drunk. She joined in the laughter and the innuendoes and told them about Ray's comment about getting pregnant.

They all laughed and someone made a joke about a college professor who stuffed his pants with a sock to make it look like he had a decent sized wiener. One day it fell down his pants leg and his whole class laughed at him and called him Dr. Wiener from then on. 

Karen found herself laughing along with the crowd at Ray's expense.

Going along with the group, she ended up in Montrell's room again but found she was alone with him when she came out of the bathroom. She knew she had to get out of there or she would end up doing something she was not supposed to do. It did not work and when Montrell talked her into having some more wine and then told her how great she was, she stayed to hear more of his praise.

The sound of a car's horn warning her that she was drifting out of her lane brought her back to the moment. Focusing back on the road, she started concentrating on her driving as she neared the turn to get on I-65 towards Montgomery. Stopping at the first rest area, she stretched her legs and went to the ladies' room. It was a beautiful afternoon and she sat at one of the picnic tables drinking a soda and watching the people go by.

Several men stared at her and one made a move to come over to talk to her but she gave him a cold stare and he thought better of it. 

"I've still got it," she smiled to herself and thrust her chest out a little. "I wonder if Ray will notice."

Getting up she tossed her empty can into the trash and walked back to her car. 

"Stop it you fool," she admonished herself. "You're acting like a drunken slut again."

Back on the road, her mind wandered back to Vegas.

She remembered Montrell offering her something to drink while she looked into the mirror and admired herself. His compliments fed her ego and she loved having him touch her and talk to her. When he offered her the cocaine, she was not going to take it but she did not want to disappoint him and maybe not get the training job he talked about.

Once he started making love to her in front of the mirror the thought never crossed her mind to make him stop. The final straw came when she tried the cocaine and lost all reason. She remembered feeling like her head was going to explode. 

As soon as the powder hit her nasal membranes, the lights in the room got so bright that her eyes ached and she felt like she had developed a thousand new nerve endings all over her body. The touch of his hands and lips was like fire on her skin and the feeling remained even after he moved away. 

Kari's hands tightened on the steering wheel when she felt her nipples engorge as she remembered how she felt when he touched her breasts and fondled her nipples. 

She squirmed in her seat and the voice of Corey came to her mind.

"We have all had some wonderful times while we were using alcohol and drugs. That's why we used them. They took us to places that we never knew we could reach. You'll remember those good times and it's OK to do that. You also have to remember that you don't need drugs or alcohol to reach those same places once you learn who you really are."

She remembered looking at herself in the mirror in that Vegas hotel room and thinking that she had never seen anything as erotic as the images reflecting back to her. She watched his hands move over her body and her flesh seemed to anticipate his touch and become ultra-sensitive. She expected to find a mark where he had touched her before he moved on to another, even more sensitive, place. It was like watching a movie but she could feel what the woman in the movie was feeling.

Thankfully, there were no other vehicles near her when her cell phone started vibrating followed by Ray's ringtone. She had not heard it since that night in Vegas two years ago and it jarred her so much that she swerved into the other lane. At the sound, the vision of she and Montrell naked on the bed flashed in front of her eyes. For an instant, she was back there with Montrell between her legs.

Trembling with fear at her near accident, she pulled back into the right hand lane and saw "Ray's Cell" displayed on the cars GPS screen. 

Pushing the button on the steering wheel, she answered it.

"Hello," she said haltingly.




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 06



Part VI - The past intrudes

Chapter 62

Kari's emotions remained mixed as she drove to her hotel. She would have stayed if Ray had made any sign that he wanted her, but she realized that it was for the best. They needed to cool it a little until they could each get their heads around what was happening to them. 

"We'll see how we feel tomorrow," she said aloud. "I think I'll call and ask him if wants to meet me for breakfast."

Instead of a shower, Kari took a relaxing bath when she got to her room. She was planning on starting her trip back home early Sunday afternoon and driving until she reached Baton Rouge where she had a reservation for the night. 

Wrapped in the fluffy robe provided by the hotel she slipped her feet back into her sandals and sat looking out of the window of the darkened room. The lights on the river looked pretty and she lost herself in going over the events of the past few days.  

She admitted that she was aroused for most of the day and she had caught him looking at her several times as they moved among the guests. When he kissed her in the den, she got so wet it was like she peed her pants. If Melody had not come in, she would have gladly let him take her on his desk.

The thought of the desk triggered a faint teasing at the corner of her brain. A memory bubble burst and resurrected the image of her and Trey on the desk in his office. 

Forcing the thought out of her mind she relived the taste of Ray when they kissed. The thought of her lying on the desk with Ray between her legs and of Melody barging in and finding them, caused her to chuckle at the image. Getting up out of the chair, she took a bottle of water from the refrigerator bar and she was selecting a peach from the complementary fruit basket when someone knocked on her door.

Thinking it must be someone from the hotel she peered out of the peephole and was startled to see Ray standing there. He stepped back with a sheepish grin on his face when she opened the door. 

Holding her high-heeled sandals out to her, he said, "You forgot these and I thought you might need them tonight."

"Oh, thank you," she said sarcastically. "I was planning on wearing them to bed."

Reaching for his hand, she led him into her room. 

"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done without them," she laughed and put them on the floor near the dresser. 

Ray continued across the room and stood looking out of the window. 

"I'm not sure why I'm here," he said. "I mean, I know why I'm here but I'm not sure that I should be."

Kari followed him across the room and wrapping her arms around his waist from the back she squeezed him and rested her cheek on his back.

"You should be here and I'm happy you're here," she reassured him.

Turning around in her arms, he looked down at her upraised face and their lips met in a cautious kiss that continued until their mouths opened and their tongues slipped against each other. Raising her arms, she curled them around his shoulders with one hand pulling his face into hers by the back of his neck. Ray soon realized that she was naked under the robe and he ran his hands up and down her back.

The bottom front of her robe had separated and Kari could feel his erection as it grew down his pants leg. Breaking the kiss, she took a step back and untying the belt on her robe, she opened it to expose herself to him. Ray admired her body for a moment before he grasped her by her hips and pulled her back for another kiss.

"Get undressed," she whispered against his mouth. "Hurry, I want to feel you against me."

Kari fumbled with his belt while he pulled his shirt up and over his head. She was unbuttoning his pants and pushing them down over his thighs at the same time he was prying his shoes off with his feet. He only got one leg out of his pants before she plastered herself against him and rubbed his erection against her belly.

"Oh, God, that feels good," she moaned and lifting one leg, she pushed his erection down and captured it between her thighs. 

Ray groaned at the contact and grasping her ass with both hands, he moved himself back and forth against her very wet and very hot pussy. Their mouths and tongues were all over each other's faces as he walked her backwards towards the bed. When the backs of her legs touched the edge of the mattress she sat down down. Spreading her legs and using her heels, she pulled him down on top of herself.

Their lips remained together as they maneuvered their hips until they both felt the tip of his cock spreading her open. There was a pause in their sexual dance until, as if on command, they both pushed against each other until he was fully sheathed inside of her heat.

"I'm not going to last long," he grunted. "I can't hold it back."

"Neither can I," she assured him. "I've waited so long for this. Now, now, now!"

Holding himself as deep into her as he could, he felt her legs gaining leverage on his waist. She squirmed and wiggled against him until they were both crying into each other's mouths with the pleasure of their coupling. It did not last long and their climaxes were as intense and as quick as any that they had ever enjoyed together.

Ray's erection stayed firm even as Kari's legs relaxed and fell limply to the bed. He gently moved himself in and out of her with little twitches to prolong the sensations. Kari hummed softly into his neck while she made little pecking kisses on his moist skin. 

"H'mm nice! I'm sure you cleaned all of the fuzzies out with that one," she said and tightened her pussy around him.

Ray froze at the words and the vision of her taunting Montrell with what he thought was their exclusive word play infused his brain like a roaring fire. His body stiffened and he let out an involuntary low howl of pain. His head snapped up as the images flashed by like an old time movie showing Montrell eating Karen's pussy before she begged him to fuck her.

"What's wrong?" Kari asked, looking up into a face that was suddenly contorted into a horrible mask. "What's wrong? What happened? What did I do?"

Ray struggled to get out of her grasp and freeing himself, he stood at the side of the bed looking down at her in the room lighted only by the night sky. Tears streamed down his face as he fought the compulsion to grab her and shake her for what she had done to him.

"I can't do this," he sobbed and stumbling around he collected his clothes and put them on without even bothering with his underwear. 

Kari watched his frantic attempts to get dressed and kept asking him what was wrong but he acted as if he did not hear her questions. She attempted to hold onto him but he brushed her aside and without waiting to button his shirt, he grabbed his shoes and almost ran out into the hallway letting the door slam behind him.

Kari had no idea what had happened since she had no recollection of using that same little ditty with Montrell in the hotel room in Las Vegas. Throwing herself on the bed she wailed out her misery that she almost had what she had wanted for so long but lost it again.

Frantically straightening his clothes, Ray managed to get his shoes on and his shirt buttoned by the time the elevator reached the lobby. He practically ran out the door and frightened the valet when he screamed at him to get his car. Traffic was light on the drive home otherwise he may have had an accident as he sped through the streets with blurred eyes hampering his sight. 

He fought helplessly to rid his head of the images but they kept coming back to haunt him. The tape in his head replayed over and over. He pounded the steering wheel with the frustration that he could not control his mind and wipe the heart-wrenching images from it. 

Zooming up his street, he saw that Melody's car was parked in the driveway and he hoped she was already in bed because he did not want her to see him in his pain. Quietly opening the front door, he was glad to see that the only illumination was the nightlight in the hall receptacle. 

Going to the kitchen he found a bottle of bourbon and deciding against a glass, he carried it into his den and closed the door. The liquid burned as he gulped several swallows down his throat. He got no immediate relief. Taking another swallow, he knew that if he drank it fast enough he would be able to blur the images that were haunting him. In his tired state, it did not take too much alcohol or time for him to fall asleep in his recliner.

Chapter 63

The morning sun provided barely enough light for him to see when he awoke after a surprisingly restful sleep. His thoughts went back to the previous night. He waited for the anger and disillusionment to return but it did not. His mouth and throat were parched but he did not have a hangover and after making a pot of coffee he sat on the patio and watched the sun come up.

He knew he had to get over what had happened over two years ago but he did not know how he was going to keep the thoughts from coming back. His coupling with Kari felt right and wonderful and it made him realize that he was still in love with her and he wanted to be with her. 

The horror of the images she provoked in him had frightened him and shaken him to his core. He could not control himself and he was afraid of hurting her and the only way he could avoid it was to escape.

He had to get back to her and explain what had happened.

Stopping only to brush his teeth, he left a note for the kids and drove back to the hotel. He easily found an empty parking space since it was not quite seven on Sunday morning. The ride up in the elevator was interminable. He rushed through the doors before they opened all of the way but stopped in his tracks when he saw that the maid was already cleaning Kari's room.

He startled her when he popped into the room and asked, "I'm looking for the lady that had this room. Is she here?"

"No! Senorita go," the maid replied with a Spanish accent. "Senor, ropa interior? Senorita, shoes, si, yes?"

The maid tittered behind her hand when Ray picked up his underwear lying on her cart and accepted the pair of heels that he had carried to the room just a few hours ago. Stopping at the desk, the clerk told him that Kari had checked out just after midnight. He tried calling her on her cell phone but she did not answer and he decided not to leave a message on her voice mail. He was not sure what state of mind he left her in when he rushed out of her room the night before. He was positive he had her confused and he was unsure as to how to explain his actions to her.

"Better think it over," he told himself on the way home. "Maybe this is a good time to back off and figure out what I want and if there is any future in this relationship."

Opening his safe, he retrieved the DVDs that had been safely hidden away and studied them as if he could visualize what was on them. Sorting through them, he considered looking at them again but decided against it and put them back into the safe.

The kids' charm bracelet and Kari's wedding and engagement rings were still in the envelope along with the DVDs. Taking them out of the plastic bag, he held them and reflected that they were once a sign of their commitment to each other. He felt another pang of resentment in remembering her studied action when she removed them. He wondered if she had left them on would they have given her a kind of strength to resist her impulses and remain faithful to him.

After storing the envelope back in the safe, he closed and locked it with a sigh that floated somewhere between relief and remorse. 

"Well, that's that!" he said and started preparing breakfast for himself and the children.

Kari did not turn her cell phone back on until she crossed the border into Texas a day and a half later. She had taken it easy on the trip back to Corpus to give herself time to reflect on what had happened. She did not know what she was going to do with her life now that any chance of being with Ray seemed to be remote.

She noted that she had several messages about business and one call showing Ray's phone number with no message. Steeling herself against getting rejected and humiliated all over again, she deleted his call and started returning her business calls.

Chapter 64

The Royals household returned to its normal routine on Monday and everyone continued with their lives. Even though Melody worked at the same firm as Ray, he rarely saw her during the day since they were both on the road. Brian was enjoying what he called his "last days of freedom" and spent most of his time over the next month with his friends. 

They were scheduled to visit TSU after the Independence Day holiday to see the school and to meet the coaches. Two weeks after that he was to report to baseball training camp. Based on his time trials, the coaches were talking about the possibility of also using him in some role on the track team.

Kari's life settled back into her routine and, except for her weekly telephone talks with Melody, she tried, usually unsuccessfully, to put all thoughts of Ray out of her mind. Melody tried to get her to talk about what had happened, but Kari refused to say anything except that things just "didn't work out." She cautioned her not to get her hopes up for any kind of reconciliation.

As the time for Brian's visit to TSU came closer, Ray realized that he would soon be an "empty nester" and he was not sure he wanted to stay in his big house. He considered renting it and moving into one of the condo's he had designed since he could get one for almost nothing from the developer. 

He was also looking at his other options and he was seriously thinking of striking out on his own and forming his own firm. He knew he could leave on good terms with his current partners and that they could work together in the future. He had some ideas that he wanted to pursue and he felt he would have a better chance of success if he did not have other people looking over his shoulder.

The beginning of July came quickly and father and son took their time on the drive from Savannah to San Marcos. They had not talked about anything personal in several months. Ray found that Brian had matured in his viewpoints and looked forward to working hard at school. He was surprised to find that Brian had been talking with his mother. She had told him that she would love for him to visit her when he could get a few days away from classes and sports.

A little touch of jealously popped up when Brian told him about his conversations with Kari. He realized that he had some fear that she would take Brian away from him. While thinking through it, he realized that, at eighteen, Brian could not be taken away from him. He was no longer his little boy anymore and he would have to accept sharing him with others.

They were scheduled to be at the campus for three days so Ray booked a hotel room in Austin just thirty minutes away. After checking into the hotel, Ray was coming out of the shower when he saw Brian talking on the hotel phone.

"Brian," he whispered. "Don't use that phone, it costs a fortune. Use your cell phone."

"It's alright, dad. I'm just talking to mom, she's here too."

Ray's mouth dropped open at Brian's revelation and he stood there looking at him with a questioning look on his face.

"Just a minute, mom," he said and held his hand over the mouthpiece. "I invited her to come too. I'm going to meet her for dinner. Do you want to come?"

"I'm not sure she wants to see me," Ray replied. "You'd better ask her."

"I already did and she said you're invited too," he replied and then spoke into the phone. "We'll see you in the lobby in about half-an-hour. OK? Bye."

"Well, that was a surprise," Ray admitted as he started getting dressed.

"You're not mad, are you, dad?"

"No, no, I'm not mad. Just surprised, that's all."

"Melody suggested it and she told me not to tell you. Is that OK?"

"Yes, it's OK," Ray, laughed. "Melody would have been a Shadchen if we were Jewish."

"What's that?"

"A Jewish matchmaker. Melody is still trying to get your mother and me back together."

"Me too," Brian admitted. "What's wrong with you two getting back together?"

"Nothing's wrong with it," Ray responded. "I'm not sure your mother will go along with the idea. That's all."

"Well, we'll soon find out because there she is," Brian pointed to her as they got out of the elevator. 

Kari hugged Brian and fussed over his high-and-tight haircut for a minute before turning to Ray who stood a few steps away.

"Hello, Ray."

"Hello, Kari. How are you?"

"I'm doing great. How about you?"

"We sound like two former friends dancing around each other," Ray laughed. "It's great to see you again."

"Oh? Can I have a hug?"

"Sure," Ray responded and closing the gap between them, he took her in his arms and whispered in her ear. "It feels wonderful to hold you again."

He felt her stiffen and pull back from his embrace to stare up into his eyes. 

"That's not the impression you left me with a few months ago."

"I'm sorry about that. We have to talk. After dinner, OK?"

"OK."

"Where are we going to eat," Brian asked since food was always on the top of his list of things to do.

"I'm treating and taking you to a special place. I know you'll love it."

Capturing their arms with hers, Kari pulled them to her sides and marched through the lobby.

"This is neat," she laughed. "My two strong men protecting me from the wild Texas cowboys."

Brian was embarrassed at her public show of affection and he looked around to make sure that no one that looked like a TSU student saw them. He tried to gently pull away from his mother but she knew what he was up to and she held tightly onto his arm.

Ray sat up front with Kari in her SUV and they chatted about the children and the coming visit to the college on the drive to the restaurant. 

The restaurant was busy but they were soon seated in a booth with Ray and Kari on one side and Brian across from them. The waiter started telling them of their extensive wine list but Kari just smiled and said she would have water. Ray and Brian ordered iced tea and after choosing their entrees Brian excused himself to go to the men's room.

"I'm really happy to see you again," Kari said and looped her arm into Ray's and held his hand. "Do you want to talk now?"

"Look, Kari. I'm sorry for what happened," he started but stopped when he saw Kari's face fall.

"Oh! No, no, I don't mean I'm sorry for that. I mean I'm sorry for the way I acted, after ... after we ... oh, you know what I mean."

The waiter served their drinks and they waited while he set up the table and went over the specials.

"Well, that clarifies it, sort of. What happened? What did I do?"

"It was not what you did. It was what you said that freaked me out."

"Freaked you out?" she laughed. "I never heard you use that term before. You're spending too much time around Brian."

Brian reappeared and they had to cut their discussion short.

Brian offered to drive back to the hotel after dinner and Kari easily agreed. The sun had gone down, and she and Ray settled into the back seat after Brian assured them that he knew how to work the GPS. 

"This is nice," Kari whispered and leaned against Ray's side. 

He put his arm around her and they held hands in her lap. 

"Ready to talk? He can't hear us with the radio blasting," she said.

Glancing at Brian who seemed to be concentrating on the road, Ray slouched down a little in the seat so that their heads were at the same height.

"What I meant to say before was that when you said that thing, you know, about the fuzzies and all that stuff ..."

"You mean, '... clean all the fuzzies out'?"

"Uh, yeah."

"What's wrong with that? We always used to say that."

"Yes, but you said it to your Mountain Man in the hotel room. It's on the video."




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 06



Kari recoiled in horror at the thought of the pain it must have caused him when he heard the words. 

"You mean ... oh, I'm so sorry Ray. I'm so sorry. I had no idea that I said that. I don't remember too much of what happened there. Oh, Ray, please forgive me. I'm sorry."

Reaching up, she held his face in her hands and looked imploringly into his eyes. 

"Please?" she begged and kissed him.

Ray pulled her towards him and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed a romantic kiss, not one of lust and passion, but one of quiet pleasure with their lips moving easily against each other.

Slowly breaking the kiss, Kari snuggled her face into the crook of his neck and pecked little nibbles on him. He heard her give a quiet sob and felt the tears on her cheek wet his neck.

"It's OK, it's OK," he assured her and squeezed her a little tighter into him. "It was me, not you. I know you didn't do it on purpose. It's forgotten."

"Oh, Ray. I don't want to hurt you ever again. I know how much that must have torn at you. I don't know if we can ever be the same again. I'm afraid that I will keep on doing things that make you remember what happened and what I did."

"We'll just have to work things out as they come along. After I went home that night, I had a few drinks and fell asleep on my recliner. Actually I had more than a few drinks and I guess I passed out. When I woke up at dawn on Sunday morning, I realized that I had to forget the past and to try and start all over again. 

I never told you this but I kept the DVDs in my safe. I hated you for your infidelity. Somewhere, deep down inside of my head, I probably wanted to keep them to remind me of what you had done to me. I planned to watch them whenever I wanted to feed my anger but I never did."

Kari flinched when she heard him say the word but when he felt her pull away, he pulled her back into him.

"I'm sorry but that's what it was and that's how I felt. It was not until you came to the house on Saturday and I saw the real changes in you that I realized I felt comfortable with you being back. I also came to the conclusion that I was no longer angry but I was more disappointed than anything. Some of that disappointment is still there. It's fading and I think it will eventually disappear."

"Thank you," was all she said and kissed his cheek. "Where are they now? The DVDs, I mean."

"They're still there. I left them there."

"Are you going to keep them forever?" she asked.

"No, I'll take care of them."

"Thank you," she said and pulled his lips down to hers.

"All right you guys. That's enough. Get a room. We're back at the hotel. Whoops! You already have one. Which one are you going to use? I'll sleep in the other one."

"Watch your tongue, young man," Kari chided him. You're not too old to spank."

"Yeah, sure!" he retorted and backed the car into a parking slot.

"I'll be right back," Ray told Brian when they reached their floor. "I'm going to take your mother up to her room. Here's some money, the soda and snack machines are down the hall somewhere."

"Don't make me come looking for you," Brian said over his shoulder as he left the elevator. "You be home by midnight."

"Do you want to come in?" Kari asked when they reached her room.

"Yes, but I better not. I think we had better take this slowly. Let's not mess it up again. OK?"

"OK," she nodded her head in agreement. "Good-night. I'll see you tomorrow. Call me when you're ready to leave and we can ride together."

"OK."

Several teenagers, probably college students, giggled at the older couple kissing in the hotel hallway. One called back after they had passed Ray and Kari, "Get a room."

"How many times have we heard that today? We're causing a scene out here. I'll talk to you later. Good-night," he said and left her with one more, lingering kiss.

Chapter 65

Brian was watching television when Ray got back to their room. He had loaded up on sodas and snacks and looked like he was going to make a night of it.

"I didn't expect to see you back here tonight," he said with a smirk on his face. "I thought you and mom would get it on."

"OK, smart aleck. That's enough. Go take a shower and get some sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow to be at the campus and seated by eight."

Ray took his shower after Brian was finished and when he came back out, Brian was watching a movie. Settling down in a chair, he read a newspaper while just glancing at the television now and then. He could not concentrate on either the television or the newspaper. His mind was on Kari and their future. 

He felt that he could forgive or at least forget the past but he was afraid that he would replay the videos in his mind forever. He had no idea how to get around that part of the deal but he was determined to try. The problem was that he did not want to get hurt again and he did not want to hurt Kari.

"Funny," he said to himself. "I wanted to kill her, or at least hurt her, not too long ago and now I'm afraid of doing just that."

Looking over at Brian he saw that he was asleep with a can of soda in one hand and a bag of potato chips open on the bed next to him.

"This kid never stops eating and never gains any weight," he said in amazement. 

Taking the soda out of his hand, he picked up the bag of chips, muted the television and turned out the lights in the room. With the only light coming from the television screen, he walked to the window and stood looking down at the city.

"Not near as beautiful as Savannah," he thought to himself as he remembered the night he stood in Kari's room looking out over the river.

"Shit! This is stupid," he said in a low voice and gathering some clothes, he went into the bathroom to dress.

While dressing, he was arguing with himself as to whether or not to call her or just appear at her door. 

"What if someone is with her?" he asked himself then responded to his own internal question. "You're being stupid again!"

Quietly closing the door, he walked towards the elevator and while waiting for it to arrive he got an idea. Pushing the down button, he exited the lobby and found his car in the parking lot. Opening the trunk, he found Kari's heels right where he had left them after going to her hotel room that Sunday morning. He felt a little bit awkward walking back through the lobby with a pair of high-heeled sandals dangling from his hand, but if anyone noticed him they did not say anything that he could hear.

Hesitating in front of her room, he was still debating whether to call her or not when the door opened and Kari stood there in a hotel robe. 

"I thought I heard someone out here," she said. "I could see you through the peephole."

"You forgot these," he said and held her shoes out to her.

"Oh, that's where they are. How did you get those?"

"You left them in your room in Savannah," he replied. "I went back there on Sunday morning but you had already gone."

"Oh, my God! You went back there? If only I had stayed and not run away. Don't stand there in the hall, come in."

Pulling him by the hand she led him into her room and closed and locked the door behind her. Ray stood looking at her, fresh from a shower with wet, uncombed hair and no makeup.

"God, you're beautiful!" he said.

Kari inhaled sharply at the compliment and said, "Thank you but you're just prejudiced. Are you going to hold onto those shoes all night?"

"No, I forgot I had them. Here," as he held them out to her.

Kari did not take them but she walked towards the bedside table and switched off the light. Moving towards the floor-to-ceiling window, she turned to face him and sat on the chair. Reaching down, she held her slippered foot up to him. 

"Put them on for me, please," she said in a husky voice. "I want to feel your hands on me."

Ray knelt down in the subdued light and removing her slipper, he lifted her foot to his lips and kissed her sole before moving to her arch. Sliding his lips up and over her instep he kissed little kisses all over it. Slipping the shoe onto her foot, he buckled the strap and repeated the process with her other foot. He could hear her breathing rate increase as he got the reaction that he wanted from her.

Holding her legs together he knee-walked towards her and kissed her knees before licking up her thighs towards the top of her legs. She was almost panting and he could smell her scent as he teased her. She was trying to open her legs but he kept them closed by wrapping his arms around them.

The lapels of her robe were separated and he could just see her groin when she put her hands on his head and urged him forward. Resisting her encouragement, he stood and holding her hands in his, he lifted her and turned her towards the window and stood behind her with his palms flat against her stomach. 

Kissing her behind her ear, he held himself against her and whispered, "If I remember right, high-heels bring you to just the right height."

Kari attempted to turn but he held her in place.

"Wait. Don't move," he said and releasing her he stepped back and stripped off his clothes before moving back against her and again pressed his hands low on her belly.

When Kari felt his arms come around her, she reached back and felt the bare skin of his waist and hips. She could feel his erection against her butt and untying her robe, she opened it and together they pulled it from between them and tossed it aside.

Squatting slightly, Ray moved his erection to the juncture of her legs and Kari helped by lifting her leg to open herself up to him. They both sighed in pleasure when their organs slid against one another, slippery in their shared lubrication. 

They looked down and watched as his cock protruded between her legs every time he slowly pushed it forward. Reaching down she cupped her fingertips and caught and held it for a few seconds before letting it slip out from between her fingers. They continued to play with each other and she repeated the touch each time it appeared and then disappeared. As if on some signal, they both raised their heads and studied their reflection in the darkened window. 

Guiding his hands with hers, she slid them up her sides and placed them on her breasts. The movement brought back another memory and an image crackled through Ray's mind accompanied by another jolt of emotional pain. His mind transformed her reflection in the window as she appeared in that Las Vegas mirror. He saw her in her blue, sequined dress with Montrell standing behind her. Kari realized that something was again wrong when she felt Ray stiffen and heard him give a strangled gasp. 

Turning her head, she rested it against his chest and said, "I love you and only you. Please make love to me."

Her words cut through his thoughts and brought him back to the present. Cupping her breasts, he kneaded them and drew her nipples gently outward with his fingertips. Kari turned slightly and their lips met in a gentle, almost whisper like, kiss. 

Pulling her lips a fraction away from his, she said, "I'm really enjoying this but I'm getting chilly with the air conditioning blowing on me. Let's get on the bed."

Releasing her, he took her hand and led her the few steps to the bed where they climbed under the covers and turning towards each other they molded their bodies together. No words were spoken as they nuzzled and nipped while their hands refamiliarized themselves with barely remembered contours of each other's bodies. 

Throwing her leg over his hip, Kari pushed down on his erection so that it fit between her legs and up against her pussy. She was as wet as she ever remembered and she used her moisture to tease herself against his cock. 

"God, that feels nice," he whispered and pressed his lips to hers with his tongue probing her mouth. 

Hungrily returning his kiss, she met his tongue with hers. Pulling back slightly, Ray curled and flattened his tongue and pressed his mouth back against her lips. When her tongue found his again, it was her turn to dredge up her past. Trey had taught her that technique and instead of feeling erotic, it caused her to shiver.

Moving away from his lips, she pressed her face into the crook of his neck and said, "Let's not do that. OK? I have some bad memories too."

At first he did not realize what she meant, but it quickly dawned on him that his action had reminded her of something that she did not want to think about. He remembered that she was the one who taught him to do that and for an instant he froze wondering where she had learned it. 

"I have to face reality," he reminded himself and pursing his lips, he pecked her on the nose.

"Thank you," she murmured and licked his neck.

Pulling her tighter against himself, he said, "OK. It looks like we both have issues we are going to have to deal with if this is going to work."

Tugging on his shoulder, she urged him to come over on top of her.

"Yes, but let's deal with what's happening down between our legs first. I don't know how you feel, but I'm about to scream if you don't make love to me. Love me tender, please?"

Rolling both of them over, he held himself above her and looked down at her face. Running her hands up his straight arms, she grasped his biceps and used the leverage to raise herself up so that her pussy touched the tip of his cock. 

"Oh, God! Now! Do it now! Don't tease me any more."

Ray answered wordlessly by gently lowering himself and, between them, they adjusted so that the head of his cock slipped between her blood-engorged lips. Kari kept her hips arched up off of the bed but he continued to torment her by only allowing a tiny bit of penetration.

"Damn, you," she grunted. "Put it in! All the way!"

Wrapping her legs around his hips, she pulled him down with her as she lowered herself to the bed. Ray felt her hotness and he slowly let his hips follow hers until their pubes were pressed against each other.

"Yes, yes," she hissed. "This is what I want, I missed you so much."

"Is it all about lust or is there love in here too?" he asked out of the blue.

Kari's eyes flew open in disbelief. 

"This is a hell of a time to ask me a question like that, isn't it? Right now it's about fucking, later on we can talk about love. Now do me, dammit!" 

Despite all of their intense passion, they managed to make love at a relatively leisure pace. Instead of trying to satisfy their own needs, they concentrated on each other and brought themselves to the point where their nerves were screaming for relief.

Kari was the first to succumb and she announced her release with a long, keening sound that Ray had never heard before. He kept himself pressed tightly against her while she contracted herself around his cock in spasmodic waves. 

Unable to hold back any longer, he pulled back until he felt his ridge tugging against the tight, elastic opening of her pussy. Pausing for a moment, he savored the feeling before pushing back into her heat and moisture where he finally discharged his pent up tension and ejaculated into her welcoming body.

They held their positions as they waited for their hearts and their breathing to return to a normal rhythm. Ray kept his weight up off of her until she urged him to cover her.

"H'mm," she said and pulled him down on top of her. "It's OK. I want to feel you on top of me. You have to keep me warm after making me stand in front of the air conditioner."

"Ha, ha," he pretended to laugh. "I kept you there so your nipples would stay hard and it worked."

"It wasn't the cold air making my nipples hard, it was you and you didn't seem to have any problem staying hard, cold air or not."

Ray did not answer for a moment until he lifted his head and looked down into her eyes. 

Smiling at her, he said, "This is nice, isn't it?"

She let out with a sob of happiness and throwing her arms around his neck she pulled his head down and smashed her lips against his.

"Oh, God, yes. I've missed you so much. I love you."

Ray's response was on the tip of his tongue but he could not bring himself to say it. There was still some pain and distrust mixed in with his emotions of the moment and he contented himself with holding her in his arms. Kari was hoping he would express his love for her, but for the moment, she was satisfied that he was willing to accept her love for him. 

She remembered Corey's words of warning that she would have to gain back the trust of those she had hurt through her actions.

They lay in each other's arms and talked like lovers who are comfortable with each other. They laughed and cried a little and teased and tormented each other. At one point, the heel of Kari's shoe dug into Ray's calf and he yelped in pretend pain.

"When did you start wearing shoes to bed?" he asked. 

"Ever since my lover put them on for me," she answered. "Take them off please."

Turning himself around, Ray lay on his side and after unbuckling her shoes he kissed and caressed her feet until he got a murmur of satisfaction from her. Kari reciprocated by gently massaging his feet until they both moved to the other's genitals and began playing with them. They progressed from playing with their hands to using their lips and tongues until Kari finally pulled her mouth off of his new erection.

"I can't take anymore. Come up here."

Ray turned around and pushing him onto his back, she sort of slithered up over his body until he could feel her moist crotch resting on his erection. Pushing his legs together with her feet, she carefully shifted herself until she captured him between her swollen lips and slid back and forth over it.

"Umm," she murmured and threw her head back in the pleasure of the moment. "For an old man, you sure managed to get hard again pretty fast."

"Old man?" he retorted. "The only thing old about me is my underwear. Keep doing that and you'll see just how old I am."

"Are you sure? You're closer to fifty than I am. Will this help?" she asked and slid up over him until her left nipple was tickling his nose. 

Ray tried to capture it in his mouth but she giggled and pulled back out of his reach. She repeated the teasing and when he tried to pull her down so he could reach it, she grabbed his hands and held them on the bed next to his head.

"You're mine to torture," she giggled and swiped her nipples across his lips. 

Pretending to be too weak to escape her grasp, Ray whined and cried each time she tantalized him with the engorged tip of one breast and then the other. She dropped a little too low with one pass and slapped her breast against the side of his face. They both paused for a second before he took the initiative and pleaded that he could not stand the pain of her torture.

"Be good or I'll slap you silly," she laughed and continued the game by slapping her breasts back and forth across his face.

Each pass got a little harder and they both soon realized that this new game was immensely erotic. They stopped laughing and concentrated on the sensations it was causing. Kari released his hands and he placed them on her waist and held her tightly against him until she stopped. Holding her breast in her hand, she placed against his lips.

"Suck it," she whispered. "I've missed that so much. Suck it for me."

Starting with the tip of his tongue barely touching her nipple, he swirled around it until it was coated with moisture before gently kissing it. Kari released her hold on her breast and held her breath as his kissing and gentle suckling escalated. She was trembling with anticipation until he took as much of her breast as he could into his wide, open mouth and sucked hard.

Letting out with a little scream, Kari frantically tried to position her pussy so she could capture his cock but she was too high up on his body to be able to reach it. Ray helped by releasing her breast and urging her down his body until his tip probed against her crotch a few times. She wriggled and it slipped in to where she could envelop it as far as it would go into herself.




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 06



Simultaneous groans of deep satisfaction came from their throats as they relished their coupling. They paused for a moment before Ray moved his hands from her hips and let her slide herself up and down his body made slippery by their combined perspiration. 

Kari was nearing orgasm long before Ray was stimulated enough to cum. She buried her face in his chest and sucked on his nipple as she covered and uncovered his cock with her pussy. 

"I ... I'm cumming," she whimpered in a little voice. "Oh, God, I'm cumming again!"

Ray helped her by raising his hips and pressing down on her lower back to embed himself as deep into her as he could get. Kari's muscles contracted around him and Ray could feel her body quivering with the explosive release of her nerve endings. Her trembling continued until she finally collapsed onto him with a long shudder.

She remained on top of him as they lay silently together. Every few seconds she would move a little and contract her vaginal muscles to prolong the pleasure. After a few minutes, she raised her head and looked into his face. 

"I love you," she said again. "I still love you. I have always loved you and only you."

Ray pulled her up so that he could kiss her on her lips. 

"I think I know that," he said. "I'm beginning to understand."

Kari felt a thrill go through her as she counted up each little centimeter of his coming back into her life. 

Turning his head, Ray looked at the bedside clock and said, "I've got to get back to my room. I left Brian asleep."

"He's a big boy," she admonished him gently. "He can take care of himself."

"I know, but I don't want him to wake up and see me gone. I'll see you in the morning."

Rolling Kari off of his chest, he sat on the edge of he bed for a moment before standing up and gathering his clothes. Kari watched as his still-hard erection bobbed out from his groin.

"You didn't cum that time, did you?" she gasped. "Oh, Ray! Why didn't you tell me? Come here and let me take care of you."

"No, I'm OK. Honest. I'll see you tomorrow. Do you want me to call you in the morning?"

Kari was out of bed and holding him in her arms. Kissing him on the lips, she hugged him as if she did not want to let him go.

"You're not wearing shoes on a hotel room rug. That's a change," he laughed.

"You make me crazy, do you know that," she replied and tiptoed the few steps back to the bed.

"You'll have to sterilize your feet," he joked. "Boiling water should do it. See you tomorrow. Good night."

Kari lay on the bed and watched him go out the door with his shirt still unbuttoned. For a moment she felt like she had just had a one-night stand with a stranger she had picked up in a bar somewhere.

"He's not a stranger. He was my husband and he's going to be my husband again," she promised.

Pulling the rumpled bedclothes up over herself, she quickly fell asleep while looking out of the window at the night sky.

Ray was not so lucky. When he returned to his room, he found that Brian had barely moved and he was sure he was not aware that his father had disappeared for a few hours. Lying in bed with the lights out, Ray's mind was in turmoil over what had happened. He tried to sort out how he felt and his fear of being hurt again.

He knew he loved Kari. He had accepted that fact when they stood looking out the window. The vision of her standing in front of the mirror with Montrell had violated his senses until her expression of love wiped it out. When the image vanished, he realized that his fight with the past was mostly over and that he could move on into the future.

The children played into his thoughts and he knew that they would be happy if he and Kari got back together. 

"Children!" he said aloud and sat upright in bed. "He had not used protection with Kari. He hoped that she was on the pill. He did not want an unplanned pregnancy to make the issue any foggier. 

Another thought crossed his mind.

"Why would she be on the pill unless she's been with other men?"

His anger rose for a moment and he sat in the darkness. He felt his face flush until he reminded himself that he had been active with a few women. Since they were no longer married, she had every right to her own pleasure. He tried to reconcile that fact but his jealously boiled up. It took a few minutes for him to come to terms with her presumed lifestyle.

Lying back down, he smiled at his own uncertainty. He realized that if he were capable of being jealous of her boyfriends than he was in fact emotionally tied to her whether or not he wanted to admit it. 

"Was it just sex?" he mulled over the thought. "No, it was more than that and I'm willing to pursue it."

Turning over, he finally fell asleep looking at the same night sky as Kari.

Chapter 66

The sound of Brian taking a shower woke Ray up the next morning. He sat on the edge of the bed and once again he turned the last evening's events over in his mind. He wondered how Kari would feel this morning and he wondered where they would go from here. 

"I've got to figure out a way to ask her about birth control," he muttered to himself while tuning in the news on the television.

"It's all yours," Brian said as he came out of the bathroom. "Sleep well? I sure did. I don't remember anything."

"Yep, except for your snoring," Ray, joked. "I'll be ready in a few minutes."

Brian was on the house phone when Ray came out of the bathroom. 

"See you in a few minutes, OK? Bye. That was mom. We're meeting for breakfast. Is that OK with you?"

"Yes, it's fine. I'll be ready in a minute."

Kari was sitting in one of the lobby chairs reading a newspaper when Ray and Brian stepped off of the elevator. Ray studied her as they walked towards her chair. She was wearing a square-necked summer dress that showed a hint of her breasts. As she swung her crossed leg, a flat sandal dangled from her toes and he wanted to kneel down and kiss her feet again.

"God, you're a pervert," he said to himself before moving to greet her. "Good morning. You look very nice this morning."

"So do you. I like that shirt. Did Melody pick it out?" she said as she arose from her seat.

"No, I buy my own clothes. I'm not completely helpless, you know."

Kari took a step forward and kissed him on the lips. 

"I found that out last night," she whispered. 

Ray felt himself start to blush and was about to hug her when Brian's voice broke through their little private conversation.

"Hey, how about me? I'm here too, mom."

"Good morning sweetheart," she laughed and hugged him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, but I'm beginning to wonder if I slept through something last night. You two seem awfully friendly this morning."

"It's all in your mind," Ray told him. "Let's eat!"

Brian was anxious to get to the college and he left most of his breakfast on his plate. When they walked up to the sports center on the campus, there were dozens of proud parents and hopeful students milling around the sports training building. Ray was impressed with the facility and he and Brian inspected all of the equipment and looked at the trophies and photos lining the walls and displayed in glass cases.

The players had been given name badges at the reception desk and one of the coaches approached them and stuck out his hand in greeting.

"Good morning, Brian. I'm Coach Griffon, nice to meet you. Are these your parents?"

"Yes, sir," Brian replied.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Royals. Your son has a lot of potential. We've been watching him."

Brian opened his mouth to tell the coach that his mother and father were no longer Mr. and Mrs. when Ray spoke up.

"Thanks, coach. We're very proud of him and thank you for your confidence in his talents."

Kari looked up at Ray and slipping her arm through his, she gave it a squeeze and smiled while Brian stood looking at them.

"Brian, why don't you come with me and we'll go over some details. OK? We'll all meet a little later in the training room. It'll be announced when it's time. See you folks later. Come on Brian."

"Thank you," Kari said to Ray.

"For what?"

"You know, for what? For allowing me to be introduced as your wife."

"It was easier to do that than to try and explain," Ray replied but she could see that he had a little smile on his face. "Don't you agree?"

"Yes, but thank you anyway," she hugged his arm tighter to her body. "Let's take a walk outside. I'm sure they'll let us know when it's time to go to the meeting."

They strolled over to a stone bench and sat down. She kept her arm looped through his and stared off into the distance for a few moments before turning to look at him.

"Ray, thank you for last night. I haven't been this happy in a long time. I don't want to spoil any of what we've regained but I have to know how you feel about us. Where are we going? Do you know or are you feeling the same hesitation as me?"

Turning towards her, he took her hands in his.

"Last night, I came to a realization that I still have strong feelings for you. I tried to deny them for so long that they surprised me when they popped up in my face. I admit that I have a lot of issues about us and what happened, but I'm willing to try and take things slowly. 

I enjoy being with you as long as I don't start letting myself think about what happened. That's what I call it. I don't know how to put a name on it so I just call it 'what happened'. That's how I've learned to cope with it. If I keep it in its own little box, there are no details that I have to fight against."

Kari smiled and said, "I understand and accept that but my hesitation is different than yours. I know that I will always be faithful to you. I also know that I don't want to hurt you in any way. If my being close to you, like we were last night, causes you the pain of remembering what happened, then I can understand if you want to back away from me."

"I appreciate that but I don't want to pull us apart again. My thoughts are jumbled where you are concerned. I don't know who you are anymore. You are not the same Karen I married and you are not the Karen that hurt me. You are someone else now. You are now Kari and I am trying to learn what makes you tick. Every time I try and compare you to Karen, you keep coming up with things that make me feel even closer to you. I like you and, in fact, I think I love you again but I'm afraid to let it happen. I can't keep my head clear and if I allow what you did to surface, it still hurts me like someone is sticking me in the gut with a hot poker."

He paused and thought to himself, "It's now or never."

Continuing, he plunged in, "For instance, last night I realized that we had not used any protection and I wondered if you were on the pill or something. Logically, to me anyway, that means that you have been with other men or you are planning on being with them and you are protecting yourself. I know that it is unreasonable for me to even think that you have been or will continue to be celibate. Even though I know that I have no business even considering it since we are divorced, it still bothers me."

Kari pulled back and studied his distraught face. 

Giving a little laugh, she said, "You don't know me as well as you think you do. We have a lot of catching up to fill in the blanks. First thing is that I have not been with any men since 'what happened'. Secondly, I have no desire to be with anyone but you, and thirdly, I'm not on the pill or anything. We don't have to worry about getting me pregnant because I had some female problems and had a partial hysterectomy a year ago. Does that clear things up?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that. I didn't notice a scar or anything. Does Melody know? She didn't tell me. See! Ever since Brian's graduation, I go crazy thinking about you and what you have been doing since we split. I can't help wondering if I can fit back into your life again and for that matter if you can fit back into mine."

Leaning towards him she kissed him on the cheek.

"Scars? You are behind the times. They don't cut women like they used to, there are other ways and no Melody doesn't know. I'm willing to try and fit if you are."

"We'll just take it slow. Agreed?"

"Only if you come to my room again tonight where you can take me as slowly as you want."

"If I can get away from Brian I will."

Laughing together they stood and, hand in hand, they strolled back into the building to look for their son.

The rest of the morning was filled with briefings and films of past players and championship games. The school's cheerleaders made an appearance that sent the young men into a frenzy. They put on a program to show off their high-kicking style in their short skirts and exposed bellies. Lunch was catered into the facility and the three of them sat outside on the grass while they ate.

"Dad? Mom?" Brian asked. "Is it OK if I spend the night in the dorm tonight? There is a dorm just for athletics and they want us to check it out. OK?"

"Sure," Ray replied. "Are the cheerleaders considered athletes?"

"Dad!" Brian yelped. "What do you think I am?"

"Well, if you're like your father, you're a dirty old, oops I mean, young, man," Kari laughed.

"Mom! Please! Someone might hear you."

"Calm down. We're just jerking you around. Whoops! Speaking of cheerleaders, here comes some now."

They watched in silence as a group of young ladies smiled and waved at them as they swished by in their short skirts and tight tops. Brian pretended not to be affected, but Ray and Kari could see him blush and return their smiles.

"How about if I sleep in the dorm tonight with you?" Ray teased. "I think you are going to need protection from them."

"You wish," Kari pulled on his arm. "There's no way you could even keep up with them for ten minutes. Let's go back inside."

The afternoon consisted of pep talks and bragging about the college's records and the players that had gone on to bigger and better things. There were also talks about money and about how much the college appreciated the parents and alumni helping with travel and lodging costs for the players. They stressed the fact that it gave the players a boost to their ego to see that they were being treated equal to or better than their rivals.

After a quick trip back to the hotel to gather up Brian's toiletries and a change of clothes they drove him back to the campus and told him they would see him for lunch the next day. On the way back to the hotel, they decided to go out to a nice place for dinner and Kari insisted they stop in a shopping mall so she could pick up a few things. She did not want Ray to shop with her so he waited on a bench and watched the girls go by for over an hour before she finally returned.

"A few things," he said when she unloaded her packages on the bench next to him. "It looks like you bought enough for a month."

"Stop complaining. We're not married anymore remember," she laughed. "I'm still single and supporting myself so I can buy whatever I want. Anyway, they're for you."

"What do you mean for me? What did you get me?"

"A shirt and a sport jacket. I still remember what size you wear and I figured you had some decent pants and shoes to go with them. The rest of the stuff is so I don't embarrass you. I want to look good next to you."

"That could never be a problem even if you were dressed in rags."

"Flattery will get you whatever you want. Now let's go. I've got a lot of primping and painting to do before you take me out tonight."

"Where am I taking you?"

"It's a surprise but it's very expensive so be sure and bring your credit card."

Ray helped her carry her purchases up to her room but she would not let him inside. She made him stand at the door while she selected a bag from the items she bought and handed it to him.

Kissing him on the cheek, she told him, "Don't open this until you are ready to come and pick me up. OK? Promise?"

"I promise. What time?"

"Seven o'clock, now go," and she pushed him out into the hall.

Ray spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone with his office. There was a message from Melody but when he tried to return her call she was not answering her cell phone or the home phone so he left messages at both places.

After taking a nap, he showered and shaved and dressed in his new clothes. Checking himself in the mirror, he had to admit that she had good taste and he looked good. Thankful that the hot weather made ties unnecessary and unwelcome he was about to go up to Kari's room when he remembered the package.

Opening the bag, he was puzzled to find a shoebox. Inside was a pair of black, high-heeled, patent leather shoes with an ankle strap decorated with glittering rhinestones. The heels also had a fine line of rhinestones swirling around the heel. Holding them up he chuckled to himself at her humor. Shoes had become a new tradition that they could share.

"It's time to start some new traditions," he said as he walked out the door swinging the shoes by the straps.

He and the shoes got a few sidelong stares from the other passengers in the elevator as they chugged up from floor to floor. At one point he smiled to himself at the thought that he could tease the two older ladies standing opposite of him. He was going to tell them that the shoes were too tight and he was going to take them back but he chickened out. They were whispering to themselves as soon as he stepped through the open door onto Kari's floor.

Her door was propped open with the night latch mechanism stuck between the door and the frame.

"Please come in," she called when he gently knocked.

Opening the door he was greeted by the sight of Kari sitting on the bed with her legs crossed at the knees. She was wearing a black dress with rhinestones decorating the thin straps going over her shoulders. The full skirt was spread out on each side of her. A diamond necklace encircled her neck and was matched by her dangling earrings.

Her hair was teased up higher than it had been earlier that day and her makeup highlighted her face perfectly. In short, she was stunning.

"Come in," she repeated as he stood looking at her. "Close the door please."

Closing the door he walked over to where she was sitting and stood admiring her.

"You are beautiful," he gushed. "I'll have to fight the men off tonight."

"No you won't because I don't have any intention of even acknowledging any of them. As you can see, I'm stuck here. I don't have any shoes and I don't walk barefoot on hotel carpets."

"I have just the thing to help you. I found these and thought that you might need them. May I put them on for you?"

"Please do, my gallant knight. You have saved me. Thank you."

Ray knelt and held her offered foot with his hand behind her ankle. Raising her leg higher, he kissed her arch and the pad of her foot before lowering it and slipping on her shoe. Repeating the process with her other foot he scooted closer and resting her foot on his lap he began to fiddle with the strap and buckle.

He could feel himself hardening as he smoothed his hands up and down her nylon-covered leg before threading the strap through the buckle to fasten it. By the time he moved to fasten the strap on her other foot his erection was pushing down his leg and was becoming uncomfortable.

"Wait a minute," she said with a giggle. "Let me check something."

Taking the shoe off, she found his erection through the leg of his trousers with her toes. Running her foot over it a few times, she then squeezed it by curling her toes down towards the sole of her foot. Ray groaned with the eroticism of the sensation as she teased him and slid his hands up the outside of her legs and under her skirt. 

"Uh, uh," she said and pushed his hands back down. "It's too early for that and I'm hungry."

"I can't go out like this," he said and indicated the state of his cock. "You're not helping me. I won't be able to get into a restaurant."




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 07



Part VII - The future

Chapter 68

Ray awoke early the next morning and quietly watched Kari sleep. He slipped out of the bed and went to his suitcase to retrieve the little box that he had brought with him. Opening it, he took out the set of rings that he had custom made from her original wedding and engagement ring set. The wedding ring was still intact but now was connected to a new band. The original diamond engagement ring was now set side-by-side a new one. 

Studying the rings his thoughts flitted through the last two years at fast-forward speed. As each image flashed by, his mind responded with happiness or sadness and at one point he felt the pangs of the terrible hurt that she had caused him. A rising feeling of happiness eroded the hurt as the little movie running in his brain slowed to a normal speed until it stopped at the present.

"The end and the beginning," he whispered.

Slipping back into the bed he gently slipped the engagement ring onto her finger and kissed her on the cheek. 

"I love you," he murmured and getting up he went into the bathroom to take a shower.

Ray had completed shaving the left side of his face when he heard a loud scream come from the bedroom. The door to the bathroom flew open and a naked Kari stood there holding out her hand with the ring displayed.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" she repeated and flung herself against him. "Do you mean it? Are you sure?"

"Do I mean what?" he pretended to not know what she was talking about. "Am I sure about what?"

"Stop it!" she ordered and grabbing his shaving cream covered face she kissed him. 

"Well, will you?" he asked when she released him. 

"Huh?" she said confused.

"Will you?" he repeated.

Suddenly comprehending what he was asking she screamed, "Yes! Yes! Oh, God yes!"

The sound of the telephone interrupted their celebration and Ray picked up the bathroom phone. Melody's voice came through the phone loudly enough for Kari to also hear what she was saying.

"What's going on? We heard mom scream. Is everything all right?"

Taking the phone from Ray, she said into the mouthpiece, "Yes, sweetheart. Everything's OK. It's perfect. Are you dressed? Good, come on over, I've got something to show you."

Ray recognized Melody's voice as another scream filled the air a few minutes later. He quickly put on his shorts and a robe before going out to greet his excited daughter and, trying to act nonplussed, son.

"Oh, daddy! You did it! We were wondering if you would. I love you," she said and threw herself into his arms.

"Congratulations, dad," Brian added. "Mom told us how you did it. That's pretty good, I'll have to remember that one."

"You are supposed to be married before you wake up in the morning with a woman in your bed," he cautioned him with a smile on his face.

Kari grabbed onto Ray's arm and held onto him. 

"Now go, you two, so we can get ready for breakfast. We have to check out by eleven so get your stuff packed. We'll see you in a few minutes."

"You're amazing," she said to Ray when the children left. "I thought I was dreaming when I woke up and saw the sun glinting off of my ring. It's beautiful and so creative. You are the best! Thank you, I love you."

After they got dressed and packed, Ray asked Kari to sit down because he had something he wanted to talk to her about. She nervously sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him to speak. She fully expected him to lay down some ground rules for their engagement and she steeled herself as she waited to hear what he had to say.

"Kari, I've decided to try and go out on my own," he said. "I've talked it over with my partners and they are supportive of my decision. What do you think?"

Kari gave a silent sigh of relief before she spoke.

"I think, no I know, that you are absolutely capable of making it on your own. You have always been a creative thinker and a fine architect. I don't see any reason why you can't be successful owning your own company."

"Thank you," he responded. "There will have to be some changes ..."

"Yes. I know, I understand," she interrupted him. I'll need some time to get everything in order. I'm sure I can sell my business pretty quickly. In fact, I had a buyout offer from a nationwide company six months ago and they are probably still interested. I can move ..."

"Wait, wait, wait," it was his turn to interrupt her. "Who said anything about you moving? I was going to suggest I move here."

"Here? In Austin?"

"No, no, I mean with you in Corpus Christi. That is if you think it's a good idea."

"You would do that?" she said and leaping on him she pushed him down on his back on the bed and straddled his legs. "I think it's a wonderful idea! I have a lot of contacts and you, or we, if you want me, can work together. We would make a good team."

The last words were muffled as she clamped her mouth against his and gave him a ferocious kiss. 

"OK, OK," he laughed and rubbed his lip where she had pushed it against his teeth. "The kids will think we had a fight and you punched me."

"Let's go tell them right now. That is unless you want to stay here and fool around first."

"You're mighty horny for a 42-year old woman," he laughed and pinched her ass. 

"Only with you, my love. Only with you."

Ray let Brian drive on the long trip back to Savannah. Melody sat in the front seat and he got comfortable in the back. The two of them teased him unmercifully about them having to almost pull he and Kari apart from their goodbye kisses. He didn't bite and they soon tired of their game and he dozed in and out of a light slumber. At one point she asked to borrow his cell phone because hers had a low battery. Other than that there was very little conversation on his part for the first hours of the trip. 

Melody took over the driving in Louisiana and the two siblings switched back and forth and Ray didn't have to drive at all. He used the time to make some tentative plans and a schedule of how he hoped everything would work out.

They were just pulling into the outskirts of Savannah when Ray's cell phone went off and he was startled to hear the "Love Me Tender" melody playing. Looking towards the front of the car, he found Melody giggling at him and Brian watching him through the rear-view mirror.

"I bet I know who that is," Melody said. "Answer it."

"Hello, honey," he said into the phone. 

"Hi, mom," Melody yelled. "Dad has a new ringtone."

"Yes, it's the 'Love Me Tender' tune. Your daughter messed with my phone."

There was a pause as he listened to Kari and started laughing.

"She's only my daughter when she's good. Yes, it's OK. She'll be going back to school soon and I won't have to put up with her for a while."

"You're going to miss me," Melody sing-songed and stuck her tongue out at him before turning to sit back down in her seat.

"Why would I change my mind?" he said into the phone.

He laughed again.

"Well, don't worry about it. I've made up my mind and I'm going to go with it."

Looking up he realized that the kids had turned the radio down and were eavesdropping on his conversation.

"Mind your own business," he admonished them and waved for them to stop listening.

"I'll talk to you later," he told Kari. "Love you too."

The next few months flew by. Ray was kept busy wrapping up his association with his architectural firm and getting Brian set for college. The whole family managed to get together for Thanksgiving in Savannah. 

Ray knew a little about AA and NA and he wondered if he should go with Kari when she attended her meetings while she was in Savannah. She explained that she was more comfortable without him being there. She added that she would like him to go with her to her regular meetings when he was in Corpus.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to get drunk and run away on you," she promised.

It was a good Thanksgiving with many moments of laughter as they told stories of the good times they had enjoyed. It also had moments of sadness when the realization hit that it was probably the last time they would be together in the house that they had called home for so many years. Kari kept trying to get Ray to come down and stay with her in Corpus for a few days but he begged off saying he had a lot of things to get straightened out. 

The evening ended after they made plans to celebrate Christmas in Kari's home in Corpus Christi. Eventually everyone had to go and Ray was left alone as he watched his family drive off to their separate destinations the Saturday after Thanksgiving. 

Ray had just returned from a late breakfast buffet on Sunday morning when the doorbell chimed and he opened the door to find Donna standing there.

"Hi. Happy Thanksgiving. Are you alone?"

"Hi, Donna. I wasn't expecting anyone. Come on in."

"You especially weren't expecting me, is that what you mean?" she laughed.

"No ... well, yes. Where's Mike?"

"I don't have the slightest idea and I really don't care. We're not together anymore. You obviously didn't know that did you?"

"Uh, no. I'm sorry to hear that. By not 'together' do you mean divorced?"

"We've been separated for nearly six-months now. I'm just waiting out the time for our divorce to become final."

"Mike never mentioned anything to me and you were here together at Brian's party."

"That was just for show. Mike insisted that we appear as a couple for the sake of business and I agreed. After all, the more money he makes the more I get. Do you have any wine?"

Ray poured a glass of wine for her and carried it out onto the patio.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked her.

"I've got the house up for sale. I can't live in that huge place. I'm thinking about moving but I just don't know right now. I see your house is for sale. How about you?"

"I've left the partnership and I'm moving to Corpus Christi. Kari and I are back together."

"I thought I detected something at the party. I honestly can't say I'm glad for you. How's it going?"

"Pretty good. I realized that I missed and still loved her and I think she's back on track now. I gave her a ring while we were in Austin visiting Brian at TSU."

"Are you sure? I'd hate to see you get hurt again."

Ray's eyes narrowed for a moment as he digested her statement.

"Why would you say that? What do you mean?"

"Look, I didn't come here to cause any trouble. I didn't know you had gotten this serious with her. The reason Mike and I finally split was because we each got tired of making a mockery of our marriage. We made a deal the last time when he was in rehab. It turns out, he couldn't keep his end of the agreement and started screwing around again. I caught him with Karen or Kari or whatever she calls herself now."

"No!" Ray said in an anguished voice. "That can't be true. When? How long ago?

"About six months or so. I think they are still seeing each other. He goes on a lot of trips and I think they might meet in New Orleans. At least that's where my PI caught them."

"Caught them? What were they doing?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary but it was strange that they happened to be there at the same time. The PI lost them and finally gave up. I know that Mike is back on drugs. How's Kari doing?"

Mike's brain was in a spin and he didn't answer for a few seconds.

"Uh, OK, I guess. I think so anyway. I'm having a hard time believing this. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure about Mike fucking around on me and doing drugs again. I can't say for sure about your ex."

Obviously trying to get her to leave, Ray said, "Look, Donna. It was nice of you to stop by and thanks for the information but I have things to do and I'd better get busy."

Donna stood and moved so she was standing between Ray's knees.

"Why, Raymond. I was hoping we could spend some time together. I mean since we are both single or at least nearly so."

She pulled Ray's face into her belly and rubbed her body back and forth against it. 

"I'm so horny I'm dripping. I've been thinking about you and me all morning. I'll bet you can smell me, can't you? Want a taste?"

Ray pulled his head back and standing, he forced Donna to move back so that she could keep her balance.

"You were never one to mince words were you? I'm sorry, Donna but I really can't and I really don't want to. I'll see you out."

The door closed behind her and Ray stood in one place as he tried to figure out what had just happened. Should he continue to trust her and just dismiss Donna's assertions or should he confront her with what he heard. 

"If I confront her and it's not true she will think I'm just being paranoid again," he thought.

That little voice in his head continued with the argument. "Well, hell stupid. You deserve to be paranoid after what she did to you. Maybe you should hire someone to watch her. Maybe she is screwing around again."

"The fact that she was seeing someone while we were divorced is none of my business," he countered. "After all, I dated a few times. But, Mike? That's strange."

"What's so strange about it?" his counter-voice asked. "Maybe she was getting her drugs from him."

"Christ, I'm going nuts. I'm talking to myself," he said aloud and laughed. 

Ray had a restless night but he slept well enough to be OK the next morning. He went into the office for a few hours and that helped him to stop his head from running around in circles. Regardless, he still could not banish the fear that Kari was lying to him. He finally left work and on the drive home he decided to take Kari up on her offer and visit her in Corpus.

Kari was surprised when he called and told her that he was going to come down for a long weekend. He could get away from work because he was basically cleaning up some loose ends. He was not involved in any start-up projects so his time was almost his own.

Instead of driving down he opted to fly and the second week in December found him on a plane from Savannah to Corpus Christi. He hardly remembered the three-hour flight that included a stopover in Houston. His mind was still swirling around Kari's possible involvement with Mike. Up until he settled into his seat in Savannah, he had kept himself busy and didn't dwell too much on why he was making the trip.

Kari was waiting at the baggage claim area and when she saw him coming down the escalator, she ran up and waited at the bottom for him. He was no sooner off the step then she was in his arms and kissing him as if they hadn't seen each other in a year.

She was wearing a winter-white, linen dress with a box neckline and a flared skirt that showed off her tanned legs and slip on sandals. She was beautiful and he felt a pang of guilt that he mistrusted her based upon Donna's information. As far as he was concerned, Donna was not the most trustworthy person he had ever known.

"Oh, I'm so glad you decided to come," she gushed hugging his arm fiercely to her side as they walked to the baggage claim belt. "I can't wait for you to see my, I mean our condo. How was your flight? Did everything go OK?"

Ray grinned at her non-stop talking that he attributed to her excitement at having him there. He lost himself in her obvious happiness and some of his fears were allayed for the time being. He was surprised when she indicated a Lincoln Town Car as their transportation and as soon as they walked up to it, a uniformed driver jumped out and took his bags.

She explained that it was easier to hire a car than to depend upon a taxi and her company used this service when they had potential buyers come to town. Once in the back seat, she moved closer to him and pulled him to her for a long kiss. 

"I missed you. It seemed more like two months than two weeks. When do you think you can move here? I've already made some contacts and I think I have a great idea that we can work on together. Interested?"

"Do I have a choice?" he kidded.

"Oh, you," she pouted and pulled him in for another long kiss. "I hope there's no traffic, I can't wait to get you to the condo."

"Are you sure you are the Karen that I used to be married to? She would be around 42 now and you act much younger. I'd better ask the driver to stop the car and let me out or I'll be arrested for sex with a minor."

"You'll see how young I can act when we get there. Now stop talking like that or I'll throw you out."

It felt good to be able to joke with her and Ray was relieved that he couldn't detect anything the matter with the way she was acting. 

"You're a jealous old fool," he told himself. "Stop worrying about getting hurt again and go with it. Since when is Donna a good source of information? You've got a good thing going here."

"Here we are," she reported and jumped out of the car before the driver could open the door.

"Well? What do you think?" she asked him as they stood on the balcony overlooking the Gulf. 

"Wow!" Ray said. "What a great view. You can watch the hurricanes come in across the water."

"Oh, stop it. Do you want to live here with me or not?"

"Is that an offer," he turned to her and held her gently in his arms. "Are we ready for this?"

"I'm ready," she snuggled into his chest. "I've been ready for a long time. You are the first and will be the only man to share my bed here. C'mon, I'll show you the bedroom?"

It was quick, almost too quick, but totally satisfying to both of them. They lay on their backs holding hands. 

Looking out through the sliding doors at the puffy clouds scudding past, his mind wandered to Donna's comment. Deciding to bite the bullet he rolled onto his side towards her.

"Guess who stopped by the Sunday after Thanksgiving?"

She turned her head and looked at him.

"Who?"

"Donna."

"Donna? What did she want?"

"I think she wanted to get into my pants."

Kari's eyes narrowed.

"Did she?"

"No!"

"Did she tell you that she and Mike are split?"

"Yes. I figure that's why she wanted my body. She hadn't had sex in a while."

"I know Donna and she never goes without sex for too long. Speaking about getting in someone's pants, I saw Mike about six months ago in New Orleans. I'm sure he was back on drugs and he was hinting that we should get together."

"What were you doing in New Orleans?"

"I was on my way up to the rehab center to give another one of my talks and I saw him in the hotel where I usually spend a night. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"I think he was meeting someone else there because he kept looking at his watch."

A sense of relief flooded Ray.

"Probably so. C'mere!" he said and pulled on her shoulder to turn her towards him.

"Again? Are you sure you can get it up old man?"

"No, I just want to cuddle. Are you OK with that?"

"I'm OK with anything you want to do," she sighed and melted into him with her face in the crook of his neck. Anything."

Later, Kari showed him around the area and they ate dinner in a food court at a shopping mall. 

"I'd like you to come with me to a Chamber of Commerce party the day after tomorrow," she told him.

"Party? I didn't come prepared to go to a party," he complained. "Why don't you just go without me?"

"Because this is the annual Christmas Party and I want to show you off to my friends and I want you to meet my AA sponsor," she replied. "There's a formal shop in here and we can get you a tux to wear. Why don't we just buy you a new one since the one you have back in Savannah is probably ratty looking by now. It's old."

"Can I get one with a white tie?"

"White? Why would you want a white tie? White ties are for weddings."

"Yes, I know. I want it to wear to our wedding."

"Our wedding?" she looked up at him with wide eyes. "When is our wedding?"

"As soon as you can arrange it," he replied. "Tomorrow if you want."

"Oh, my God! I love you!" she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him to the amusement of the Christmas shopping crowds in the mall. "Why didn't you warn me?"




Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 07



"I was afraid if I gave you time to think about it you would say no."

"No chance of that!" she replied. "There's a bench over there. Grab a seat while I call Melody. Oh, my God. She'll go berserk."

Chapter 69

"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart," Kari said after they kissed with the sounds of their friends' applause in the background.

"Happy Wedding Day," he added and kissed her again.

"I now present Mr. and Mrs. Ray and Kari Royals," the minister said as they turned around to face their guests standing on the beach. "Congratulations."

The casually attired guests broke into another round of applause, whistles, and screams as Ray and Kari walked down the aisle formed by the two groups of guests. Ray was wearing a tuxedo shirt complete with cummerbund and white tie but sans jacket. His legs were bare from below his black, tuxedo-styled shorts to his bare feet.

Kari wore a strapless, ivory-colored wedding dress that came to her knees and she too was in bare feet displaying her treasured ankle bracelet. Her veil blew in the breeze coming in from the Gulf as the guests shook their hands and kissed them on their way through the crowd. Melody and Brian who served as the Maid of Honor and the Best Man, and Corey and her boyfriend as the Matron of Honor and Groomsman followed them.

She was still crying from the joy she felt when Ray slipped her original wedding ring, with the new ring attached to it, onto her finger. She had no idea that he had saved it and modified it to celebrate the beginning of their new life together.

They continued the celebration at a reception held at a nearby hotel. By the time February had come, he had met many of her friends in the real estate and building industries and he was comfortable with them. He was also aware that many of her friends were recovering from drugs or alcohol and were in the AA and NA programs with her. He found them to be mostly upbeat and some of the happiest people he had ever met.

There was no alcohol served at the reception but no one seemed to notice or to mind. They toasted with sparkling grape juice and the huge buffet proved to be a hit with everyone. They had planned to go back to their condo that night but Melody and Brian surprised them with a reservation for the honeymoon suite in the hotel. They suspected that Corey or Adele, who was there with her boyfriend, had something to do with it. They offered to repay them but they denied any involvement with a twinkle in her eyes.

They ate breakfast with the kids the next morning before taking them to the airport for their flights back to their schools. It had been a whirlwind two months or so since Ray had proposed that they get married. They had spent Christmas in Corpus with their children and over a period of a few weeks he had moved all of his personal items and some furniture from Savannah to Kari's, now their, condo. 

The unit next door to theirs was going up for sale and they planned buy it and to enlarge theirs by opening up the wall between them. 

In addition to the wedding plans, which were mostly handled by Kari and her friends, he leased an office for his new architectural firm and arranged to transfer his certification and licenses to Texas. The house in Savannah was still on the market and they were discussing renting it out until the market improved.

Life was good!

Chapter 70

Work on refurbishing the condo building was going well. The proceeds from the house sale in Savannah helped and they bought it for a decent price, Ray turned it into a luxury building with condos that were going to go on the market for $1.4 million and up. They had already sold about half of the units and the word was getting around that this was going to be the new "in" address.

Ray and Kari were standing near the construction trailer going over some details with the superintendent when Ray heard Kari gasp and say "Oh, no!"

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Oh ... nothing. I thought I noticed something but it's OK. Now where were we?"

Kari tried to concentrate on the information that the super was trying to show them but she could not. Her body was trembling and her mind was in a whirl. She had just seen someone who looked like Montrell drive a pickup truck in through the gate and head towards the back of the site. 

"What's he doing here?" she asked herself. "How did he get here? Maybe it wasn't him."

After trying unsuccessfully to focus for another few minutes, she excused herself and told them that she was going to go check on something. She picked her way through the maze of equipment and material until she could see the truck that had come through the gate. 

Staying out of sight as much as possible she got closer to the truck and watched two men studying a large blueprint spread over the hood. It was Montrell. His muscles and huge shoulders bulged out of the wife beater shirt he was wearing. 

He suddenly raised his head and caught sight of her before she could duck behind a stack of material. His eyes widened when he spotted her under her safety helmet and pushing the other man aside he started towards her.

"Karen, Karen!" he called and reached her before she could turn and move away. 

Karen did not respond but she could not get away from the huge hand holding onto her arm.

"Well, well, well!" he smiled. "If it isn't my little fuck buddy that got me put in prison. How have you been you coke snorting bitch? Getting any in the ass lately?"

"What are you doing here? Let me go, let me go," she yelled and tried to pull away.

"I got out early for good behavior," he laughed. "I wondered where you had gone. I couldn't find you back in Savannah. I wanted to have another go at your pussy. It was fine, fine, fine. It wasn't worth the trouble I got into but I lived through it. C'mere, baby!"

"Montrell!" his companion yelled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Get your ass out of here or I'll stomp you," he snarled at him.

Pulling her by the arm he half dragged her around the corner of a masonry wall to where they couldn't be seen.

"Want some good stuff?" he sneered into her face. "I'll bet you're still a coke whore. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I ... I own it," she replied. "Let me go or I'll scream and have you arrested."

"You own it? Who did you have to fuck to get it? Stop fighting. No one can hear you over all of this racket," he warned and roughly squeezed her breast. "Are you still married to that wimp? You want a real man to fuck you? You do remember our fucks, don't you?"

"You're out of your mind. Now let me go or I'll scream!"

"You would have screamed already if you really wanted to get away," he sneered at her again. "You want some more of me, don't you?"

Another voice came to them over the sound of machinery and tools.

"The lady told you to let her go!"

Montrell's head snapped up and his eyes locked on Ray standing at the edge of the wall.

"Ray!" Kari yelled and tried to pull away from Montrell's grasp.

"Well, well, the wimp is still around. She's a good fuck, isn't she? Does she suck your cock as good as she sucked mine?"

Ray advanced towards the pair carrying a long-handled spade in his hand.

"Let her go!" he ordered and spoke into a hand-held radio he pulled from his belt. "I'm back near the pool and I need help! Call the police and come back here."

Holding onto Kari's breast with one hand and her waist with the other, Montrell pulled her back against his chest. 

"You're not going to let me have my fun, are you? I've already fucked your wife and I'll bet she likes my cock better than your wimpy one. Don't you?" he said to her and squeezed her breast so hard that she screamed and tried to pull his hand away off of her. 

Dropping his hand to her crotch he cupped it and bodily lifted her up in the air in front of him. 

"She feels wet already. All I had to do was promise her some coke and some cock and she was ready."

Ray kept advancing and Montrell kept retreating to maintain the distance between them.

"You try anything with that shovel and I'll snap her neck like a twig. Remember what happened the last time," he threatened and leaning back he peered around the edge of the wall to see if anyone was nearby. 

Ray stopped advancing and waited for help to arrive.

"You remember the last time you tried to hit me with a shovel, don't you? This time I'll take it off you and cut your head off with it. Now I'm going to put her in my truck and we're going to go someplace where we can be alone. I'll let you know when I'm through with her. Not that she'll ever want you again."

"Let her go and you can drive out of here and we won't say anything to anybody. Don't hurt her."

"It's too late for that. I'm already wanted back in Georgia for skipping out on my parole. I had to get back here to my roots where I have friends and family that could hide me. Now she's fucked that up. What a surprise to find my favorite pussy down here in Texas. Now stay away or she gets hurt!"

"He's back here somewhere," a voice shouted from near them. "Look around behind the wall."

Ray was already moving when the voice distracted Montrell. When he pulled her back with him to look around the edge of the wall again, Ray swung and the sharp edge of the shovel caught him just behind the ear. He didn't make a sound as the blood spurted out of the slice in his skull. 

Kari fell to the ground and scrambled away from him. They watched as Montrell's eyes widened and his mouth opened as he tried to gasp for air. His body was just hitting the concrete floor when the super and some of the men came running around the corner. They stood and watched in horror as Montrell's body flailed in what looked like a seizure before it went limp and lay on the ground with open eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Sweetheart, sweetheart? Are you all right?" Ray pleaded as he knelt and cradled her in his arms.

"I'm OK," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck. "My King of the Mountain."

"What were you doing back here?"

"I thought it was him coming through the gate but I wanted to make sure before I told you so I followed him back here."

The police arrived and were closely followed by a television reporter with a cameraman who happened to be in the area and heard the radio call. They recorded the scene and interviewed the witnesses. Ray and Kari didn't volunteer any information that might reveal their past association with him.

Later reports indicated that he had been jailed for transporting drugs while back in Savannah but no mention was made of any connection with Kari or Ray.

Cocaine and meth amphetamines were found in the truck. It took over a week, but the results of the lab tests showed that were also in Montrell's blood.  It was considered to be a random attempted abduction and rape by an addict high on drugs.

There were enough witnesses to testify that Ray had acted to save Kari's life and no charges were filed. The publicity didn't hurt his reputation and he found doors opened and investors coming out of the walls wanting to hire him to design their projects. It was a heady time for them and they enjoyed the notoriety and the publicity that went along with their success. 

They enjoyed time on their new sailboat and they became closer to each other than they ever had been. After Melody was graduated, she joined her father in his firm. Brian started talking about getting a law degree and they kidded him about going into real estate law so he could join in what was now the family business. His baseball career didn't take off as he had planned but he was good enough to earn a starting role on the TSU team.

He and Madison were no longer a couple. Their long-distance relationship didn't survive their first year of college but his new girl friend was a "keeper" as Ray called her. They wondered if their youngest child would be the first one married. 

Ray was just leaving his office in the building his company shared with her firm when the sounds of "Love me Tender" came from his cell phone.

"I love you," he said into the mouthpiece.

"If you love me so much how come we haven't made love in five days," she pouted into the phone.

"It's actually been four days and eight hours. I'm counting."

"Well hurry home before it gets to nine hours. We're slipping."

"That's because we're an old married couple who are tired of each other," he kidded.

"Yeah, right!" she replied. "Well, I'm on my way home and I need a new pair of shoes. Do you happen to have any?"

"Yep! I always keep a pair handy just for an occasion such as this. I'll be there in a jiffy."

"You'd better or I'll slap you silly!"

"I can't wait," he laughed and climbed into his car.

The End and The Beginning.

Thank you all for your patience and your comments on the Royals' story. I am trying to answer all of the emails that I received but it will take time. I'm overwhelmed at the responses. Don't expect an answer if you demeaned my husband or if you attacked me personally by calling me a whore, a slut, an asshole, or all of the other names. I will try and answer all of the others. Kathi