“Just stay in the car,” Deklan says as we arrive at the Foley place.  “This shouldn’t take long.”

“I was supposed to be at work this morning.  Is it okay for me to call Terry from here?”

“Sure.”  Deklan heads into the house, and I turn on my phone.

“Claire’s Coffee Creations, this is Terry.  How may I help you today?”

“Terry, it’s Kera.”

“Kera!  Where the heck are ya, girl?”

“I am so sorry.  This week has been…insane.  I can’t even begin to explain everything over the phone.”

“I was kinda surprised you didn’t show up this morning.  I figured it was something important.  Business is light today.  I can cover for you.”

“Thank you so much!  I’ll be in early tomorrow.”

“No problem, Kera.  Hope everything is okay!”

“Hey, Terry?”

“Yeah?”

“You know that weird guy who always comes in and reads the newspaper for hours at a time?  I think his name is Charlie.”

“Yeah, I know who you mean.”

“Is he there now?”

“Actually, no.  He was in earlier, but he left without buying anything.”

“Oh.  Okay.  Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See ya then!”

I lean the car seat back and pull my knees up to my chest.  The sun is shining brightly through the windows, and the car is nicely warm.  I pull up a game on my phone and poke around at it for a while.  About thirty minutes later, Deklan returns.

“Well, Sean is pissed.”  He starts the car and pulls away from the house.

“He didn’t know what you and Brian planned.”

Deklan looks at me out of the corner of his eye but doesn’t reply.

“Did you tell Sean?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“No.”

I glare at him, but he doesn’t look back at me.  He reaches toward the dash to turn on the radio, and I grab his hand.

“Do you think I’m okay with being woken up in the middle of the night to watch you get arrested?  And don’t you dare say you didn’t know it was going to happen.  Insisting on me wearing pajamas for the first time ever was a bit of a giveaway.”

“I didn’t know for sure,” Deklan mumbles as he gives up on the radio.  “I didn’t want them walking in on you naked.”

“Bullshit.  You knew they were coming.”

“I had an idea.”

“Then tell me what the hell is going on!  That scared the shit out of me, and you knew exactly what was happening before it even started.  You have to let me in on this.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Dammit, Deklan!”

He ignores my outburst and just stares at the road ahead while I fume quietly in my seat.  He reaches for my hand, but I pull it away.  I don’t want his comfort right now.  I want to wallow in my anger.

“Kera, please don’t do that.”

I peek at his face from the corner of my eye.  He looks devastated, and I’m tempted to give in, but if I do, this kind of behavior will never end.

“I’ve had enough of the secrets, Dek.  You aren’t protecting me—you’re protecting yourself.”

“Don’t hold back.”  Deklan stares hard at the road ahead of him.

“I’m tired of it.”  I turn toward him and try to catch his eye, but he won’t look at me.  “Refusing to tell me anything is not helping.”

“I don’t want you to have to lie for me,” Deklan says with a sigh as he stops for a red light and finally looks at me.

“I’d rather lie than be in the dark all the time.”

“It’s for your own good, Kera.”

“How is that?  Did it protect me from all that shit last night?  Did it protect me from that creepy guy at the coffee shop?  The only reason you didn’t know about him before is because I assumed you’d hired him.  If it weren’t for the secrets, I might have told you about him sooner.”

Deklan lets out a giant breath that ends up sounding more like a growl.  He grips the gearshift until his knuckles go white.

“You really want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Brian fell in love with this chick that lives in the apartment down the hall from him.  He thought she worked at the fast food place down the street, but as it turns out, she’s a hooker.  She wanted to get out of it, but her pimp wouldn’t let her.  He had a bit of a reputation for getting nasty with his girls when they wanted to break ties, and Brian didn’t want to see that happen to her, so we got rid of him.”

“You killed him.”

“I didn’t,” Deklan says. “Brian did.”

“Using your gun.”

“Yes.”

“And you timed it so you would have an alibi even though it’s got your prints on it.”

“I didn’t need to tell you anything.  You already figured it out.  That worries me.”

“Why?”

“Because if you figured it out, Warren might, too.  Doesn’t change the fact that I have an alibi, but accessory to murder still gets me time.”

“Will they be able to connect you and Brian?”

“Easily,” Deklan says.  “Connecting me to Brian to a chick he likes to her pimp, that’s something else.  I’ve never met the guy, and the Foleys don’t do business with him.  All the evidence would be circumstantial at best, and it’s hard to convict on that alone.”

“This isn’t over then.  They could come back and arrest you if they figure it out.”

“Unlikely.  It would never be enough for a conviction.  Sean has police and prosecutors on the payroll, and it would never even get to court.  Those guys know who they’re dealing with.”

“Whom.”

“What?”

“It’s whom, not who.”

“Whom they’re dealing with?  That sounds weird.”

“Grammatically, it would be ‘with whom they are dealing.’”

“Whatever.  I didn’t have your schooling.”

Deklan clenches and unclenches his hand a few times.  He’s gone from angry to upset, and I feel bad about being so pissy.

“Sorry,” I mumble.  “It’s been a long day already.”

This time when he reaches over, I take his hand.  He interlocks our fingers and pulls my knuckles to his lips, kissing them gently.

“I’m sorry, too.  Don’t worry though, okay?  It will all be fine.”

I consider his words before relaxing back into the passenger seat.  Deklan’s jaw is tight when he releases my hand to change gears, and he’s still gripping the knob too tightly, but I’m relieved to finally get some information out of him.

“I’m glad you told me.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about it,” Deklan says.  “I’m afraid anything I tell you just puts you in danger.”

“I think I’m already in danger, Dek.”

“Your stalker.”

“Yes, him.”

“Did you get ahold of your manager?”

“Yeah, I called.  Terry said I was covered.  I need to be in first thing in the morning though.”

“Good.  I don’t want that guy following you anymore.”  Deklan reaches over and squeezes my hand.  “I told Sean I needed to take care of some other business over the next couple of days, so I can focus on that.  I don’t want you scared.”

“I need a shower,” Deklan says as soon as we get back to our apartment.

“Shall I join you?”  I smile sweetly as I reach up to wrap my arms around his neck.

Deklan places his hands on my hips but keeps his head up and out of my reach for kissing.

“No.”  Deklan runs his hands from my hips up my sides and down again.  “I need a few minutes to myself.  You are going to get undressed, lie in the center of that bed with your legs spread, and wait for me.”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are.  I’m still annoyed with you for pestering me and making compelling arguments against my better judgment.  You’re going to lie there and think of what I’m going to do with you when I come out.  You are not going to touch yourself.”

I bite down on my lip.  I have a dozen retorts, including suggesting that I get myself off if he takes too long, but the look in his eyes silences me.  Instead, I nod.

“Good girl.  Now get in there.”  He smacks me on the ass to get me moving.

I squeal and scuttle down the hall.  As I hear the shower start up, I quickly undress and climb into bed on top of the duvet.

Checking left and right, I try to place myself in the exact center.  I lie back and spread my legs apart.  I place my palms against the duvet and stare at the ceiling.

As I listen to the water pelting the shower tiles, I can feel my heart rate increasing.  I pull my knees up and spread my legs a little wider.  Glancing down, I check myself over, wondering how Deklan will view me when he gets out of the bathroom.  I imagine the look on his face and the way he’ll runs his hands over my skin and realize I’m biting my lip almost hard enough to break the skin.

I take a deep breath through my mouth.  My nipples are getting hard.  I’m tingling everywhere, and my clit is beginning to throb.

He hasn’t even entered the room yet.

I lick my lips, adjust my position slightly, and look over to the bedroom doorway.  There’s still no sign on Deklan.

I really, really want to touch myself.

I consider the consequences of getting caught in the act.  I’ve read enough mommy porn to know some of the various options, and none of them sound all that bad—not if the punishments were dealt out by Deklan.  However, he might decide to just leave me squirming and sleep on the couch, and I can’t risk that.

I need his warmth.

Deklan comes into the bedroom wearing absolutely nothing.  He moves to the head of the bed on my left but doesn’t join me.  Instead, he starts to walk around the bed.  Actually, he doesn’t walk—he stalks.  He looks like a large African cat going after an antelope or, in my case, a compliant deer.  His gaze drifts up and down my body until I can practically feel invisible fingers stroking me everywhere his eyes roam.

“Put your hands up over your head,” he says softly.  He nods when I comply.  “There you go.”

He reaches with a single finger to stroke the palm of my hand, then my wrist, and then down my arm.  I squirm a little when he reaches my armpit—it tickles—and he grins at me before running his fingertip down my side, over my hip, and all the way down my leg.

When he reaches my ankle, he switches sides and goes all the way back up to my wrist.

My nipples are pointing straight at the ceiling.  It’s becoming more and more difficult to keep my legs spread.  I want friction so badly, I can feel sweat collecting at the hairline around the back of my neck.

Thankfully, Deklan moves to the end of the bed and crawls on top of the duvet, right between my legs.  I’m familiar with this move—he’ll now run his hands over me as he crawls the rest of the way up, kiss me hard, and then slowly push inside of me.

I look down at him, waiting for him to continue crawling over me so I can kiss him, but he stops.  With his gaze locked with mine, he leans over and kisses my stomach—just his lips at first, and then open-mouthed.  He circles my navel with his tongue and then moves lower, still staring right at me.

Deklan licks his lips and then tilts his head to kiss the inside of my thigh.  He glances down before sliding both arms under my legs and angling my hips up until he’s staring right between my legs.

“Deklan…”  My voice is nothing but a breathy whisper.

He looks back at me with dark, eager eyes.  He pauses, and I wonder if he’s waiting for me to protest.  I say nothing.  I just stare at him wide-eyed and apprehensive.  He grips my thighs, holding my legs apart and my hips firmly against the mattress.

Without breaking our stare, Deklan leans forward, reaches out with his tongue, and licks my folds from bottom to top.  I gasp at the warm, wet sensation.  The pressure against my clit as Deklan circles it with the tip of his tongue sends flutters up my spine.  I try to sit up, but he pushes me back to the bed.

“Be still.”  Deklan looks up at me with a wicked grin.  “I’m just getting started, and I won’t stop until you come all over my face.”

“Ugh!”  I can’t even attempt any kind of verbal answer.  I let him hold me down with one hand placed between my breasts and the other one still wrapped around my leg.

He starts slowly, exploring every bit of me with the flat of his tongue, then doing it all again with the tip.  Flicking his tongue against my clit makes me shudder every time, and I find myself biting my lip again just to keep from screaming.

Deklan moves faster, repeating a pattern of circling my clit, moving down, then back up to circle again.  He holds my leg down with his arm and reaches for my clit with his thumb.  I feel his tongue entering me, then pressing against the walls of my pussy.  I can hardly stand it.

“Deklan!  Please!”  I don’t even know what I’m begging for, but Deklan continues until there are tears running out of the corners of my eyes.  I try to twist and turn, my body moving of its own accord.  Deklan holds on tightly, forcing me to stay still as his tongue lays siege to my most intimate parts.  He licks, sucks, and kisses until I can’t take any more.

Short, high-pitched sounds come from my throat.  My whole body tightens so much that it’s shaking.  With a final shudder, the tension releases, and it’s as if everything inside of me has turned to mush.  I simply melt against the bed, sweat running down my neck, and my breath coming in quick pants.

But my husband isn’t done with me yet.

He sits up, still holding on to my legs, and moves backward off the edge of the bed, dragging my body with him.  He positions my ass right at the edge while he stands between my thighs.  Deklan then grabs my leg just behind my knee and hauls it up and over his shoulder.  Positioning himself at my opening, he moves forward slowly.

Usually, it takes a little while for Deklan to get completely inside of me.  He always goes slowly and carefully, stretching me and waiting until I’m ready to take all of him.  This time is different.  This time, he slides into me easily with the first penetration.

 “Oh, yeah…”  Deklan’s moans cause me to clench all over. “So fucking wet.  You loved having my tongue all over you, didn’t you, Kera?”

He leans forward, impaling me as I cry out again. I try to respond in some coherent way, but I only manage to mumble the word “yes” a couple of times.  Deklan smiles and starts moving faster, pulling nearly all the way out before diving back in again.

I stare at his form, silhouetted by the light from the hallway.  His shoulders and arms flex as he holds me right where he wants me.  Sweat collects on his forehead as he clenches his teeth and rams into me repeatedly.

I extend my hand toward him, but I can’t reach him at the edge of the bed.  I whimper, and Deklan pulls out suddenly, leans over, and slides me back up the bed.  He positions himself again, pressing his lips hard against mine as his cock throbs inside of me.

I press my heels to the bed, lifting upward as he thrusts downward.  I can barely keep up with his pace.  With my arms around his neck, I hold his mouth to mine, stroking his tongue as his cock strokes inside of me.

He breaks the kiss and leans his forehead against my shoulder.  He slows down, making every thrust long and deep.  His quick, audible breaths tell me he’s close.

“Sweet Jesus, Kera…”  Deklan’s words are hot against my skin.  He pulls back and slams forward two more times before he lets out a final, growling grunt, and I feel him empty inside of me.

Deklan collapses on top of me, nearly knocking my breath away.  I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold him tightly, welcoming the sensation of his weight on me even though it’s difficult to breathe.  I can feel his heart beating, and I close my eyes as I concentrate on the rhythm.  As it slows, Deklan nuzzles his nose against my neck and lets out a long, deep breath.

I feel his weight shift, and instinctively inhale deeply now that I can again.  My husband leans slightly to one side, holding his weight up on his elbow as he uses his other hand to stroke the side of my face.

“I have no idea what I ever did to deserve you,” he says.  “I wish I knew.  At some point in my life, I must have done something pretty awesome.”

“Maybe it was just the act of saving me from marrying Sean,” I say, and Deklan nods once.

“Maybe.”  He strokes my face again.  “I love you, Kera.”

“I love you too, Deklan.”

“I will take care of all of this,” he says.  “I will keep you safe.  Whoever the creepy stalker guy is, I will find him, and he will never bother you again.”

For a moment, I consider asking him what he would do if Sean were the threat, but I think better of it.  I’m afraid I might not like the answer.