She smiled to herself as she realized that the day after tomorrow everything would go back to normal. Their lives would return to what once was, and this whirlwind, swept up emotion she felt around him would settle. Life would keep going and so would they. He wanted her to indulge him, to which she obliged, but now she wanted the same from him.
These thoughts had always nagged her in the back of her mind and the curiosity became far too much. Tilting her head back, she stared up at him silently while her hand rested against his chest beneath his, “Simon. Can I ask you something?” she questioned.
His hand settled around her narrow waist and back while the other felt the ends of her hair, “…Yes of course.” He answered.
Falling silent momentarily, she stared at his throat before her gaze drifted to his face, “You said that you felt this way about me for a while, right?” She asked. Her fingers danced against his before she gripped them and swallowed, “I just want to know, when…”
Wetting his lips, Simon tried to find the best way to answer her as accurately as possible, “I think things changed a bit after the funeral and when I went back to work. I’ve always found you attractive and I’ve been attracted to you for a long time, but I suppressed it because I knew it was wrong. I really started to recognize how important you are to me when the babies started to grow and how Jr. looked at you. I get jealous when I try to imagine you with another man who would be Jasmine’s father. The idea of you leaving worked me up and I knew then that I had feelings for you. I just ignored them.” He answered truthfully.
She released a nervous laugh under her breath, “O-oh. I…wow…”
Silence.
Simon couldn’t tell if she was awkward about his answer or if she understood. He knew it was wrong, but it was his truth. As his fingertips swirled circles on her side, he gave in and spoke, “And you?”
Cherish’s jaw tightened before she quietly answered him back, “The day of the funeral, when I was talking to Emily and you came to look for me. Seeing you there and knowing how wonderful you’d treated me in the wake of her death. I think I knew then I was in trouble. I’ve kept it from my mind and my heart because I can’t keep bouncing from man to man but…” He could sense the strain in her as she admitted her real feelings for him and how early they’d started. She nodded softly staring into his gaze, “…I’ve said sorry to her so many times because of how I felt. I encroached on her and you when it wasn’t right.” She whispered hoarsely.
When she back pedaled because of his late wife, a woman who was unfortunately no longer in the world, he couldn’t stand it, “Don’t ever apologize for it…” He cut off whatever contradictions she had with a kiss; whole and strong. Each time the constant stream of kisses broke, he spoke breathlessly against her lips, “You’re not wrong.” He whispered.
Cherish was swept up in the emotion of it all. The way he showered his affection on her was far from what she was accustomed to. Her body shuddered, and she sighed with every press of his lips.
Catching his breath, he pulled her hair away from her ear and kissed along her jaw. His breath was hot against her skin as he stroked down her back, “It’s okay to love. You deserve it.” He murmured kissing into her neck. The grip of her fist tightened on his night shirt while she exhaled weakly beneath him. Her palm fanned out across his chest and down his ribcage as she nibbled on her bottom lip and nodded. They weren’t wrong, it was okay, they deserved it all.
Sitting up, he pulled against her waist into his side and studied her face. Her features in the moonlight captivated him before he melted in kissing her again. Highly addicted to the way she made him feel, he could tell she felt the same. falling into another kiss of his, the sound of the smacks between them only amplified in the silence.
Cherish maneuvered herself onto her knees before she leaned over his body and pushed him against the armrest. Simon had a surge of arousal and excitement thrill his core, but it ended as quickly as it started.
Figuratively and literally, a switch flicked in the hallway of the parents’ bedrooms. Cherish silently broke away from him and rushed across the living room floor on her hands and knees. Jack squinted as he shuffled and stood in the middle of the archway. He glanced around before his gaze settled on Simon, “Hey. Are you alright? I heard crying.” He said, mistakenly identifying the sounds he truly heard.
Sitting up, he turned away from the hallway and thought of an excuse, but his heart was still racing. That and all the blood had rushed from his head to a well-developed, desperate erection. He wasn’t doing well thinking on the fly and it showed, “Uh…yeah. Sorry, I’ll be quieter.” He mumbled while faking a sniff and shaking his head, “I’ll, I’ll go back…back to bed. Just give me a minute.” He replied.
From Jack’s perspective, Simon looked as though he was truly upset. He took a step in his direction but didn’t feel as though he was emotionally capable of handling sadness. He debated with himself before deciding to speak with genuine concern, “Do you need company or something?”
“N-no! No, it’s okay. I’ll be okay. Thank you
