Chapter 4I Know My Husband
Chapter Four
I KNOW MY HUSBAND
Emmanuel and Frank had been gone for a while. Those two would get caught up with business and be gone forever. So, Ivy volunteered to find them. It was a surprise to discover as she got closer that their voices were escalated. The two men had been friends for over thirty years. The only time they had ever gotten into it was when Frank discovered Emmanuel was dating Ivy. He hadn’t been on board with his best friend dating his little cousin. Well, it had more to do with Frank finding Emmanuel and Ivy in bed. They hadn’t gotten around to telling Frank their relationship had moved from adversaries to lovers.
The surprise wasn’t over. When she finally glimpsed the two men, they were squared up. Both were in each other’s space. Their shoulders tense, hands balled into fists. Frank was slightly shorter but made up for it with his bulk. After all these years of being out of the league, he maintained his playing physique. Emmanuel didn’t carry as much weight as he used to, but he was in insane shape. They could both cause a lot of damage to the other.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Ivy interrupted.
Both instantly took a step back from each other. Frank turned towards her, a myriad of expressions crossing his features. He was angry about something, but also… Hurt? His expression finally settled on shocked. It filtered into his tone. “Ivy!”
Hostility was heavy in the air. If she was being honest, it was killing the warm and fuzzies her Mimosa and being surrounded by her loved ones had produced. “What’s going on between you two?”
“Nothing,” Frank responded quickly.
Too quickly. She couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t make eye contact with her. That wasn’t the case with her husband, his eyes were trained on her.
Emmanuel walked towards her as he explained, “it is most definitely something. Some woman is claiming I’m the father of her child.”
Well, that was certainly the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.
“I can’t believe you told her that!” Frank sounded outraged.
“Of course, I told Doc. I tell her everything.”
Emmanuel wasn’t lying. They had that type of relationship. If you told one, you effectively told the other. Ivy would have never believed that her closest confidant would be her husband, but that was the way it was.
Kimberlin found their bond annoying. She had complained, “Sometimes it feels like your husband stole my best friend.”
“Maybe not everything,” Frank mumbled.
She was sure her cousin meant well, but his assertion would drive a wedge between the friends. Oh damn. Emmanuel sent Frank a look that had both men returning to their original stance. They were back in each other’s faces.
“Manny,” she called out to him. Ivy held out her hand, and he took it. He didn’t hesitate as he backed away from her cousin.
“It seems, despite all these years, Frank believes some fucking stranger over me. I’ve explained that this is bullshit.” Emmanuel turned imploring blue-grey eyes to her. They gave her an answer she wasn’t even seeking. He was being truthful. Besides, her heart knew that there was no way that he would betray what they had. Over the years, women had thrown themselves at her Manny. Inevitably, they would end up with their feelings hurt. He never used kid gloves when shooting down advances. Someone blatantly making a play for him when they knew he was married was considered an attack on his family.
Ivy squeezed this hand. Wordlessly, she let him know she had his back. Understood, he wouldn’t have jeopardised everything they had built over some woman. Her heart and head were on the same page. Whatever this was, they would face it head-on, as a united front. The certainty of her conviction caused a warm smile to blossom, spreading from her eyes to her upturned lips. He nodded in recognition.
Now she had to deal with Frank. She didn’t like the tension that was going on between the two men. Frank always looked out for her like a big brother, and she suspected it was his protective nature that had him questioning Manny. It was sweet, but totally unnecessary.
With a final squeeze of Manny’s hand, she let go and turned to her cousin. “Frank, you can’t believe this.”
Frank looked skywards and exhaled. She could see that this was tearing him up inside. “Listen, Ivy, I don’t want to believe Emmanuel is capable of something?—”
“Then don’t.” Ivy cut him off. It really was that simple for her.
“Ivs, come on. This accusation had to come from somewhere.”
“Wherever its origin, I know my husband. He didn’t father some woman’s child. It just isn’t possible.”
“Ivs—” Frank looked at her imploringly. She felt bad for him because it looked like this was really hard for him. In her mind, Frank was putting himself through unnecessary angst.
“What was the very thought you had when you read that?” Pointing to the document.
It took him a moment, but Frank looked down. “That it was bullshit.”
“Exactly!” Manny and Ivy said in unison.
“That was before I looked at the matter critically. Things like this…” Frank waved the document. “… do not come out of thin air. The court frowns on people wasting their time in these matters. Roi and Snyder know that. I don’t see them taking the chance.”
“Frank don’t let this come between you and Emmanuel. If you can’t trust him right now, trust me. Okay?”
Ivy didn’t think that he would answer. A minute went by and then a next. His gaze drifted from Ivy to Emmanuel. Finally, he nodded. “Okay.”
It was a start.
“Listen, Manny.” Ivy turned towards Emmanuel. “Just take the test so we can put this behind us.”
“Doc, I guess I will stop by your lab Monday morning.”
Technically, it wasn’t Ivy’s lab. It belonged to the hospital’s research department. However, Ivy was the directress of the department.
“You have to go to the court-mandated laboratory,” Frank interjected, as he pointed to the paternity request.
Of course, the courts would want an impartial party to run the test.
Ivy looked over the papers. The facility mentioned was a federally funded laboratory. “Helix is a good lab.” In fact, Ivy had gone to school with the directress Clara.
Emmanuel shrugged. “As long as we get this over with.”
Ivy nodded in agreement. She was eager to get back to the festivities, but she felt that Manny and Frank needed to clear the air. “I’ll head back in there. I’m going to give you two a moment, okay?” Although it was phrased as a question, it was clear she wanted the two men to work it out.
Manny pulled her to him and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Stop worrying Doc. Frank and I will work it out.”
“See that you do.” Was Ivy’s parting comment before she left.
When the two returned to the dining room. There was no visible tension between them. Manny sat beside her and put an arm around her, taking a bite from her plate. She couldn’t help but ask, “everything okay?”
“Yeah, we are okay.” He looked up then, and the men caught each other’s eye. They gave each other a brief nod. Frank went back to chatting with the kids.
They set aside concerns about the test and spent quality time with their loved ones. Who could complain about that? There were cakes. Chocolate fudge. It was Sage’s favourite, which meant her father had let her have her way. Ivy smiled as a slice of cappuccino cake appeared in front of her. She turned and looked at her husband. He winked at her before placing a chaste kiss on her lips.
It was thoughtful things like that that still filled her with warmth. Manny looked after them all. Made sure that they were taken care of.
The rest of the weekend went by quickly. Before they knew it was the start of a new week.
“The last thing I want to do on a Monday is go do a stupid blood test,” Manny griped. It wasn’t just the situation. Her husband wasn’t a fan of needles. Ivy wished she could accompany him, but she had important meetings until well after two. The lab stopped taking samples at one p.m..
Manny wanted this over sooner rather than later. He was determined to get it done, especially when he found out that it would take seven to ten business days for the results to be determined. The findings would be first filed with the court and then shared with the plaintiff and defendant. So, it would be close to a month before he was exonerated.
“I know you aren’t looking forward to your appointment with the needle.” They stood at their vanity, brushing their teeth. His whole body was rigid and tense. One hand gripped the counter, as the other vigorously brushed his teeth. His gums were going to feel it later. He was really working that brush.
“I gotta say that isn’t helping Doc.” He groused as he spat into the sink.
“Would it help if I joined you in the shower?” Ivy asked, stepping behind him and running her hands along his Adonis belt. She loved the feel of the deep ridges. From the way Manny groaned, he appreciated her touch.
“Most definitely.” Their eyes met in the mirror. Although she stood behind him, she had poked her head out. He eyed her as he rinsed his brush and placed it in the cup. “Want me to jump in first?”
Ivy nodded. It was part of their routine. He would jump in, and she would put her hair up in a bun and slip on a shower cap. This was a workday, and she had done her haircare routine the night before. For some people, it would take them out of the mood. Not them, they discovered early on that they loved shower play.
To that end, they designed a state-of-the-art shower that rivaled a luxury hotel. Not only was it visually stunning with cream marble and light green highlights, but there were also many functional features. It made for an immersive experience. By the time Ivy entered the shower, it was nice and steamy. Emmanuel preferred a colder shower, but he put her comfort first. Once she entered the shower and closed the door behind her. She took a second to admire the view. The ass on this man. Firm and muscled. It made you want to take a bite out of it.
The water fell from the ceiling like a gentle rainfall. Water also streamed from various locations. Ivy made her way to the built-in bench. The level was set at just the right height. Perfect for all kinds of naughty play.
“Hey,” Manny greeted as Ivy took her seat.
She hadn’t even touched him yet and his voice was affected. Husky. His eyes hooded as his gaze raked over her. He ran one hand over his head as he stalked towards her. A seductive smile took over her features. Her own perusal stopped at his veiny thick member, already semi-hard, curved slightly up.
“Hey,” Ivy finally responded, as he stopped right in front of her. His hardening length was mouth level. Her breath caressed his bulbous head. He groaned in response. She looked up at his smouldering stare before engulfing his head completely. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the time to tease this morning. Ivy sighed in contentment at the feel of her mouth being stretched. She waited a moment before taking more of him into her hungry mouth. The feel of him filling her mouth made her feel like a sexy goddess. Especially when he allowed her to take the lead like this.
Their sounds of pleasure melded, amplified by the acoustics of the shower. Her head bobbed up and down, his hardness encouraged by his growls of praise.
“Fucck yeah, Doc.”
Ivy loved the feel of his length in her mouth. She could feel her core become wetter as her rhythm increased. He tasted so good. God, she wanted him to flood her mouth with his essence. Her tempo increased, drawing her closer to that goal.
“Not like this, Doc.” Manny stepped away, and the loud pop echoed against the walls as he fell from her mouth. Ivy didn’t have time to pout. He was already drawing her to her feet.
“Up,” he commanded.
The way he spun her around so quickly made her head spin. Ivy felt a giddy feeling as one of his hands gripped her hip. The bite was delicious, a promise of the pleasure that was to come. She could feel his hard cock pressed against her backside. He leaned closer and spoke directly into her ear.
“I’m going to fill my pussy with my cum.”
That was all the warning she received before she was pushed, causing her to bend forward, offering her aching core to him. He slid into her with a quick, hard thrust. Filling her completely.
“Argh,” she cried out as the mix of pleasure and a slight bite of pain overwhelmed her senses.
Manny pounded into her, causing her to become even wetter. The feeling was delicious. Whack, whack. The sound of their flesh meeting accompanied by their laboured breathing was so hot.
Manny was close. She could feel him expand within her walls. Then he lifted one of her legs. Holding it in the crease of his arm. This was why Ivy never missed a Pilates or yoga class. Her husband didn’t seem to understand her extra padding, as he twisted and moved her at will. So Ivy took extra care to maintain her body so she could enjoy moments just like this.
In an effort to keep things nice and even, she squeezed her Kegel muscles, clenching around him in a death grip. He halted all movement momentarily.
“Cock Killer,” Manny growled.
Ivy smiled the dirtier his mouth the closer he was to coming. The first time he had called her Cock Killer, she was certain she had heard him wrong. Before that, her boyfriend had whispered nothing but the sweetest, sexiest words to her. She’d been shocked at first. Eventually, Ivy came to wear it as a badge of honour. Despite her lack of experience, she was able to bring a man with prowess to his knees. The fact that she still could—well, it added to their passion.
Excited. If he was close, hell, so was she. So very close. The telltale tingling began in her lower back.
“Fuck Doc, can’t last long.” He released the grip on her hip and played with her slickened pearl. They both were driven over the edge as they called out each other’s names. He pulled out quicker than she would have liked him to.
“I love you, Doc.” He delivered gentle, tender kisses to her shoulder. Ivy turned slowly in his arms. This feeling of belonging was something of which she would never tire.
“I love you too, Manny.”
Manny’s smile was big and bright. Everything else was forgotten at that moment. He cradled her face in his large hands and raised it to meet his lips. Maybe she was feeling dramatic, but she could live on his kisses. Her eyes fluttered close as he made his descent. After all this time, stars still exploded behind her eyelids as his mouth capture hers. It was so achingly tender. She sighed in contentment.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t linger. Ivy had a busy morning ahead of her. Manny finished up his shower. She would be annoyed by how quickly it took him to get ready, except he used that extra time to make sure her morning was better. By the time she made it downstairs. Her coffee was in her travel mug. Her English muffin was toasted, packaged, and ready to go. They had staff that certainly could handle this, but Manny liked the personal touch. He’d prepared it himself.
“Thank you, Sweetie.” She pecked his cheek in thanks.
“Anything for you, Doc. Wanna give Roy the morning off? I can drop you to the office. It’s close by.”
Ivy shrugged and nodded. It didn’t make much of a difference to her. Either way, she wasn’t driving. She hated driving. Her husband didn’t like her unhappy. Their first wedding anniversary gift was a personal driver.
Manny, on the other hand loved driving. He actually disliked not being behind the wheel. “I like being the master of my own ship. Being in control of where I am going.”
The ride to work was quiet. Neither were big talkers in the morning. Well, unless they were engaging in certain activities. As he pulled into the parking garage of the hospital, the look that crossed Manny’s features pulled at her heartstrings. Her tough husband really, really hated needles. She unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned toward him. “It won’t be too bad. It is a quick sample. You will be in and out before you know it. Then all of this will be behind us. Okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Doc.” He winked at her before kissing her goodbye.