The Amendment (Arrangement #2)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

PETER

I ’d never understood people who claimed fresh air brought them peace. For me, there was nothing more stressful than the moment I traded cell phone service for biting insects and blistering heat.

I much preferred the beach trips we’d once taken over the secluded lake house Ainsley had forced us to fork over our life savings to buy years ago. Even then, I’d known we’d never get much use out of it and, truth be told, we’d probably gotten even less than I’d imagined.

But still, if leaving town meant Ainsley was happy for a few hours, I’d suffer through.

We arrived at the lake house just past noon, when the temperature was sweltering and we had to wear the humidity like a coat. The old house’s air conditioning unit hummed loudly when Ainsley turned it on, dust flying from its vents.

“It’ll just take a bit to cool off,” she said, pulling her shirt away from her chest rapidly to fan herself.

The kids spread out, complaining as much as I wanted to about the heat and the bugs and the smell. Instead, I moved to stand next to her, slipping a hand around her damp waist.

“Come on, guys, it’ll be fun. We can go down for a swim while the place cools off. What do you say?”

Maisy was the first to respond. “Okay.”

“Anything to get out of here,” Riley agreed, panting.

“I’m going to change into my suit.” Dylan dropped his luggage on the dusty couch and began riffling through the bag in search of his swimming trunks.

“What do you say?” I asked, leaning into Ainsley’s hair so close I could breathe in her jasmine scent.

“Sounds good to me,” she agreed. She slipped out of my grasp and approached Maisy to ask her, “Can you help me pick out which suit to wear?”

Maisy’s eyes lit up at the opportunity, and they disappeared down the hall together, bags in tow.

I was sure Ainsley hadn’t meant for it to feel like a snub, but it had. She’d been strange with me since the night Jim had visited, but I didn’t understand why. I’d given her a reasonable explanation as to why he was there.

As I pondered what could be wrong, I lugged my own bag to the bedroom Ainsley and I would share and pulled on my trunks and a T-shirt, examining myself in the mirror.

After everything that happened with Stefan, all the truths coming out about our arrangement and how hard she’d worked to keep me, we’d been at our best.

Something about the ferocity with which she’d fought for me had awakened a hunger in me. A desire for her like I’d never felt before.

For a while, we were more in love than we’d ever been.

Like two lovestruck teens, we couldn’t seem to keep our hands off of each other.

But discovering that she knew the truth about me had changed everything. For a while, we were in a sort of limbo. Trying to decide where we fit. Now, it seemed we were more or less back to our normal selves.

Was this just who we were? Maybe the excitement of what we’d done, the adrenaline of our secrets had caused a slight improvement for a while, but that could only hold out for so long.

I sucked in my gut, fussing with my hair. Maybe she wasn’t attracted to me anymore. I knew I was still attracted to her.

When I found out she knew the truth about who I was, I thought she’d want to leave me. But she hadn’t. She’d stayed and that had landed us…here.

In this…this purgatory of not knowing what was going to happen, not understanding why neither of us had bolted, but being unable to leave. It was worse, somehow.

The waiting.

The wondering.

Worse than the drab existence before.

No matter how hard she tried to convince me she was here to stay, I couldn’t believe it. I was waiting for it to all fall apart again.

That was what I deserved.

Or, at least, not this. I didn’t deserve to feel so normal.

I didn’t deserve her .

“You ready?”

Dylan pushed open the door slightly and I looked away from the mirror, hopeful he hadn’t seen how pathetic I was—checking myself out in the mirror as if I were a teenage girl.

“Yep. Yeah.”

I followed him out of the room, where they were all waiting.

At first sight of my wife, my throat went dry.

Ainsley’s red bikini practically made her porcelain skin glow. My eyes lingered on the deep valley between her breasts, her nipples poking through the material. The ponytail atop her head had me picturing the times I’d tugged at it from behind her, her moaning my name—

I let out a heavy breath, trying to pull myself together.

Jesus Christ.

How long had it been since we’d—

“Okay, let’s go,” Maisy whined, breaking my trance. “What are we waiting for?”

I was sweating.

God, I was sweating.

Mostly from the heat of the house—which was surely the cause of my sudden insanity—but at least partially from my unexpected, insatiable urge to keep my wife home with me.

To take her into the bedroom and—

“What if you three go ahead and go down, and let your mom and me catch up with you in just a few minutes?”

A few minutes was all I needed.

“Why?” they all asked at once .

“It’s a surprise. For dinner.” The answer formed as quickly as I said it, but no one seemed to notice.

“Will you be okay?” Ainsley asked Maisy gently, cupping her shoulder.

Maisy nodded, but didn’t say a word.

“Stay close to your brothers. We’ll be right behind you.”

With that, the kids walked out the front door. I watched their heads move past the window as Ainsley approached me.

“Everything okay? What’s the surprise?”

I grabbed her, a fire igniting in my belly at her shocked expression, and pulled her toward me, pressing our lips together feverishly.

She jerked out of my grasp, eyes wide. “What are you doing?”

I was stronger than her.

Strong enough to hold her close to me, even as she attempted to get away. It was fun for me to feel her struggle against my strength—always had been. I wasn’t stupid, though. I knew when I could get away with it and when it was dangerous to try.

“Let me show you,” I whispered, kissing the side of her cheek, her jawline, and her ear.

“Peter, come on, the kids are waiting…” Her protest turned into a throaty whisper.

“So, let them wait.” She stopped struggling as much as my hand slid farther down her back. I felt her giving in to me, her struggles becoming less and less strong.

She let out a low moan as I trailed kisses across her neck, nipping at her skin gently .

“I couldn’t see you like this and not have you.”

She melted, her body practically limp in my arms as she directed my mouth to hers. She gripped my neck, her nails digging into my skin so hard I knew there’d be marks left behind.

I didn’t care.

Couldn’t.

I wanted—no, needed —her. Then and there.

I led us to the bedroom, refusing to stop kissing her, and pushed open the door. My suitcase was still on the bed, and I shoved it out of the way, making room for us without regard for the mess I’d made.

I pulled the triangles of fabric away from her breasts, heat radiating through me at the sight of her.

Lying there.

Waiting for me.

Wanting me.

I slid my swimming trunks down my legs, tearing the fabric of her bikini bottom to the side without warning. I couldn’t wait any longer. Not even to prolong the ecstasy on her face as she prepared herself for what was coming.

I slid inside of her, feeling her tense against me, watching her eyes roll back, then close, her jaw tight.

I gripped hold of her shoulders, forcing her body toward me, forcing myself deeper inside of her.

She met my eyes, her gaze filled with passion and longing.

There you are, my girl.

I’ve missed you.