Gwenyth frowned into her wineglass as she sipped from her Merlot. “That’s different. Sam and I share a colorful past,” she muttered defensively.
“True.”
Gwenyth sighed. She had shown up at Candy’s door and nagged her to spend the afternoon together to take her mind off of her impossible husband, yet her thoughts kept straying back to him. The man could behave like a big, dumb oaf at times, but she still loved him desperately. There could never be another love in her life that held a candle to Sam. Therefore, she could only hope that her husband’s recent primeval attitude did a complete 180—and soon—preferably before she checked into the insane asylum.
Determined not to dwell on Sam while spending time with Candy, Gwenyth quickly changed the subject from the topic of relationships altogether. They spent the next hour sharing a bottle of wine and laughing uproariously with a group of tipsy businessmen at the next table who were clearly doing their best to impress the women.
When a handsome corporate lawyer named Devin asked Gwenyth for her phone number, she thanked him for flattering her, but held up her ring finger and grinned. “As my Grandmama would say, this cow’s been bought.”
The group of business associates laughed. Marc, a friendly accountant with aspirations of opening up his own restaurant, gestured toward Gwenyth animatedly. “That’s right. I think I saw your picture in the paper. Aren’t you the woman who married Sam Tremont from the New England Crusaders?”
Gwenyth smiled sweetly, though the last thing she wanted was to be embroiled in yet another conversation that revolved around her husband. “One in the same.”
Devin whistled through his pearly white teeth. “Damn. I never even stood a chance.”
The group laughed again and this time Gwenyth joined them. The conversation turned to other things after that, and before she and Candy were aware of it, another half-hour had passed.
When Gwenyth next glanced toward the street, her eyes zeroed in on the sight of Sam alighting from his rental car and heading toward the group she was seated with. Her stomach lurched, knotting up at the prospect of her husband committing a big and embarrassing display of jealousy over her having shared wine with a gaggle of men he wasn’t acquainted with.
Sam surprised her though. Rather than rudely pulling her to her feet and forcing her to follow behind him as she was half expecting, he smiled engagingly at Gwenyth, then leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Hi honey. Did you and Candy have a good time?”
Her eyes wide with disbelief at the sincerity in Sam’s voice, she nodded her head up and down emphatically. “Y-yes, thank-you. We had a great time.” Gwenyth smiled tremulously at her husband, then introduced him to the others at the table.
For the next forty-five minutes, Sam talked and laughed with Candy and the businessmen. He even seemed to take a genuine liking toward Marc. And even though half of the conversation revolved around sports talk, Gwen was delighted with her husband’s behavior. She simply couldn’t get over how charming he was being. He had even signed several autographs for the café’s various patrons.
Stunned, Gwenyth threw a look Candy’s way to get her reaction. Her best friend smiled back at her, a dreamy, romantic look that spoke volumes. He’s trying, the smile said. He loves you, the smile proclaimed. Meet him half way, her eyes implored.
So a few minutes later when Candy made her excuses and Sam asked Gwen if she was ready to go home, she relented with a nod and stood up to leave. Gwenyth thanked the gentlemen at the table for the bottle of wine and great conversation, then laced her fingers through her husband’s and walked toward the rental car with him. Sam opened the Lexus’ door for her, then closed it gently after she slid in.
The ride home was a quiet one, though it took only two minutes at best to get there. Sam parked the car in front of their apartment, but rather than suggesting they go inside when he shut off the ignition, he turned in his seat to face his wife.
Sam ran a bedraggled hand through his black hair with a sigh. “Listen Cupcake, I want to apologize for the way I’ve been behavin’ lately.” He smiled with an air of self- depreciation as he reached for Gwenyth’s hand and clasped it gently in his own. “I know I’ve been actin’ as bad as you said and then some. I’ve been jealous, demandin’, overbearin’, and downright rude, but I’m here to tell you that I’m really workin’ on it.”
Sam reached over and pulled Gwenyth onto his lap. It was a tight fit in the car, but they managed. “I need you, baby. Don’t ever think I’d rather have some fawnin’ fan for a wife than you.”
Gwenyth wrapped her arms around Sam’s neck and smiled wistfully. “I love you, Sam Tremont.”
Burning sapphire eyes met sparkling jade ones as Sam searched his wife’s gaze. He wanted to say the words, almost felt as though he needed to give them to her, but couldn’t quite bring his lips to form the sounds yet. “Then kiss me, Gwen Tremont.” His Southern lilt was gruff, his tone hoarse. “I missed you so much today.”
Gwenyth turned her body all the way around in the seat to straddle Sam’s lap. The car horn let out a groan of protest when her backside accidentally brushed against it. Sam laughed, patted her lovingly on the rear, then hit the latch to the recliner and laid back. Gwenyth followed him, her pelvis grinding into her husband’s as she leaned forward to kiss him properly.
Their lips came together in a sweet, agonizingly slow assault. They both needed this tonight. Slow and sensual, as opposed to fast and wicked. Tender and loving, as opposed to two animals rutting. They kissed for what could have been five minutes or an eternity and neither of them would have noticed the difference. Their mouths explored, enjoying the sweet, Merlot taste of each other’s tongues.
Sam tugged at Gwenyth’s top, indicating he wanted her to rid them of the barrier. She sat up long enough to comply, pulling it over her head and throwing it into the passenger’s seat as she visually confirmed the windows were well-tinted. Sam sucked in his breath. “Mmm baby, I’ve been wantin’ to see these all day long.” He grabbed one heavy breast in each hand, rubbing his thumbs over their crests. His eyes narrowed in a haze of longing. “Put them in my mouth, Gwen.”
A knot of arousal coiled in Gwenyth’s belly. Not only were Sam’s words provocative, but there was something altogether sexy about sitting topless before a fully clothed man. Highly aroused, she lowered her breasts toward Sam’s mouth, shivering as his tongue curled around one taut nipple. He suckled first one peak and then the other, long and leisurely, causing Gwenyth to gasp and moan. She clutched the back of his head and shoved it more forcefully to her chest. Sam reached for her jeans and unzipped them. “I want these gone,” he gritted out.
A minute later, Gwenyth straddled her husband’s lap fully naked. Groaning, Sam tugged at her nipples, his need growing stronger. “Unzip my pants,” he whispered thickly.
Gwenyth complied immediately, her own need gaining momentum as she watched Sam’s hard length spring free of his jeans and jut out. “Touch him,” she heard Sam groan. His breathing was choppy, the muscles in his arms and neck corded tightly.
Gwenyth did. She touched and caressed his shaft with one hand, while her other hand gently kneaded the sac below it. Sam sucked in his breath and placed his hands behind his head, enjoying the feel of his wife’s silky hands feathering over and around him. He closed his eyes and groaned, then opened them to watch.
A minute later, when the sensation became unbearable, Sam pulled Gwenyth’s hands away from his erection, not wanting to spill himself anywhere but inside of his wife’s body. Reaching around her to cradle her buttocks in his palms, he arched his hips up meaningfully. “Put him inside of you, Gwen. I can’t wait anymore.”
Sam gritted his teeth as his wife’s velvety wet opening lowered onto him, inch by agonizing inch, until her pussy was at last wrapped snugly around his erection. There was no feeling quite as pleasurable in the whole world. And when Gwen began to ride him, her succulent breasts bouncing in time with her thrusts, he could have sworn he’d died and gone to someplace better than heaven.
The sight of Gwen naked, writhing, and moaning on top of his all but fully clothed form gave Sam a feeling of domination and heady power. He extended his thumb to her clitoris, swirling it around and around the hard nub while he watched his wife’s nipples harden further and her breathing grow more and more labored.
