“Trust me.”

My tongue touches her first. It prowls around her clit, and after a few clockwise passes, digs it’s way between her lips and into her hole. I grin when I hear her gasp. She lowers her hips in an attempt to escape any further breathless indulgence.

“It’s a treat, isn’t it? My thick, soft tongue causing a sensation so extreme you have to fight to keep your eyes from rolling back, battle your lungs to take a deep breath, control your hands from burrowing into the bed like a dog digging for a bone.”

“I’ve become a savage beast because of you. More please,” she begs and pulls the comforter up to her chest, enfolding me inside.

I lick her sweet-smelling pussy like it’s the whipped cream melting on top of a warm latte. I can’t get enough of the taste in my mouth, or the feeling of running my tongue between her tender folds. She squirms, then releases loud moans when my fingers nudge inside. Those sounds, the gasps, I’ll be surprised if I last more than two minutes inside of her tonight.

“Oh,” she cries out. “That tongue of yours is always too much and you know it.”

I’m dying to hear her cum and do everything to get her there, stimulating that clit of hers until she’s about to pop, and yet enjoying the moment so much that I don’t want to rush so that it’s over too soon. My tongue playfully drives her mad, makes her laugh and then... there it is, the swell, the flood, and she’s consumed.

“Fuck!” she screams.

“Yes.”

I slide my dick inside and hold her firmly in my arms as each beat of her orgasm pounds into my flesh.

“I love you,” I whisper in her ear. “I love you so much, Beautiful Dove.” Her mouth is open and her muscles stiffen as the lightning that passes through her body matches the flashes outside our bedroom window. She’s brilliant. Stunning. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

My kisses cover her neck and chest and I touch her until a slower heartbeat and flow of steady breath emerges underneath me. She opens her eyes and a loving smile appears on her face.

“How was it?” I tease.

“Fabulous.”

“You ready for me?”

She nods and wraps her legs around my waist. “Always.”

“Are we okay like this? Me on top, or are you in need of a thrill?”

“Does it matter if the outcome’s the same? Your call.”

“If it’s my call then I want our eyes and our hearts to be as close as possible tonight.”

I watch her face as my body drifts over hers. She keeps her eyes open and steadily gazes into mine, craving me, wanting me to feel her love. I do. I notice her. She’s my fire, the light that warms my soul and keeps me alive.

Our closeness, her proximity to my face... it’s more satisfying than my dick stirring deep inside.

“I lust for you, every inch of you, Soph.” She’s quiet, fixed on my words, and the air passing between her lips and the appetite in her eyes seduces me. “That beautiful face you’ve been blessed with appears in my dreams. And your heart is my biggest shield from evil; knowing it’s mine, and that you love me as much as I love you gives me strength to fight my demons.”

I put my forehead against hers and we exchange soft kisses. The storm’s passing, the thunder further away, and the rain has diminished to a slow drizzle. I’m ready.

“Fuck, I’m close. You okay with that?”

She wraps her arms around my back and takes my mouth in hers. Her tongue circles mine while our sweaty bodies slide on the bed in synchronized thrusts. I lose control and primal sounds escape from my throat. Yeah, I guess she’s okay with that.

I collapse over her; my hips remain in motion with short, quick drives. “Ah,” I repeat until my dick ruptures and cum coats her pussy. “Sophia.”

The fireplace snaps and a bright burst of embers float into the air. My wife’s eyes are radiant from the afterglow of a loving fuck. I fall next to her and gasp for air.

“Whoa, that was absolutely wonderful. I thought we weren’t doing anything thrilling tonight?” she says.

“Uh,” is the only sound I can muster as I wipe the sweat from my forehead and laugh.

“Nice one,” she stands and disappears into the bathroom. Her time cleaning up, or whatever the hell she’s doing, gives me a chance to recover. That one was nice, as she put it. Emotional sex takes more out of me than hard fucks, believe it or not, and I’m spent.

She returns and curls up beside me with a look of satisfaction on her face. I run my fingers through her hair and we give one another a final deep kiss.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve felt a strong love from you. Your heart opened tonight, Cove. I’ve missed it,” she whispers.

“I know. I’m fucking stressed and I hit rock bottom at the Scarlett earlier. It made me rethink a few things in my life.”

“What? The situation with Ivy?”

“Maybe. I guess that was part of it, seeing her almost die before my eyes and feeling helpless. I pictured my own body lying on the floor in her place. It could have just as easily been me.”

She puts her elbow on the bed and leans on her hand with her eyes set on mine. “Don’t say that,” she whispers. “You’re not suicidal, you’re just depressed.”

I stare at our ceiling, unsure how this will turn out, or where to even begin. “We need to talk,” I sigh. “I need you to know some things about me. It’s time.” She’s perfectly still while she listens. “Next week my shrink wants to start our session with how I became a part of your father’s business. You know this is hard on me, and I get it that it’s just as difficult for you to hear, but I need the support of my wife before I speak to a stranger about my past. Can you help me through this?”

She kisses my hand then holds it close to her chest. “I’m here for you, Cove. You know that.”

I close my eyes and rest my free hand over my heart. It’s pounding so hard I think my chest may explode. Fuck, am I ready to speak these words to another person? I know she already has a sense of what I went through with Paul, but with her, like everyone else in my life, I’ve always refused to admit the fact that he molested me. My story was that he never touched me, never laid a finger on me sexually. But that’s the lie that’s kept me from being free. I want to change, especially for her.

“Are you sure this is the time?” she asks softly.

“There’ll never be a better moment than right now.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Swallowing hard, I begin. “Your father... he...” I take a deep breath and exhale. “He touched me, Soph. A lot of people did, but he was the first.” I brace for her reaction but she stays silent; the only way I know she heard me is by the tightening of her hand around mine, and a tear that lands on my flesh. “I’m sorry,” I say.

She lays her head on my chest and more tears drop onto my body. She’s holding back some of her emotions, a silent cry, and I wish I hadn’t upset her.

“Should I stop?”

“No,” she sniffs. “I had a sense that’s what happened. It’s just so hard to hear you say it, but you need to, I want you to be able to let it out.” She releases my hand and wraps her arms around my body, holding me close to her in a way that I sense I’ll never be released. “I know people did awful things to you, I just... you know... someone should have protected you.”

I caress her bare shoulder and continue my gaze at the ceiling, thinking about her father.

“You’re trembling,” she says.

“Bad memories. Horrific, actually. Paul forced me to perform for him and in his company at an age and point in my life when I didn’t even know such things existed. But he was always the first to get his hands on me, show me what he wanted, how I should carry out scenes, said it was practice for the camera. Sick bastard. And he laughed too, thought it was all big fun to see a young teenager cry and vomit before him. He scared the shit out of me and I was full of anxiety that I’d say or do something wrong. I’d tremble like I am now, and beg him not to touch me, but nothing I could say would stop it... I was sure he was going to kill me so I told him he owned me, forever... I said I’d do anything he wanted if he’d just keep me alive. He laughed, of course, and said he already owned me. The fucker... he... God, the threats from him were relentless, and then the dunks in the tub and in the lake, I never knew when he was really going to hold me underwater until I was dead. My heart raced every second for an entire decade.”