Ailin decides.

This has been a slow burn.

Description:

Everything is laid out on the table. And then the shower.

Tags:

NTR, slow burn, strong husband, loyal wife, rough sex, shower sex, interrupt, failed seduction, rimming, standing sex

Disclaimer:

For readers 18+. All characters are 18+. This is a work of fiction; any resemblance to real individuals is purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

Content Warning:

Series explores: Cheating/Cuckolding | **** & Body Betrayal | Pain–Pleasure Dynamics | Power Imbalance & Control

*** *** *** *** ***

Chapter 7

Noah didn’t like taking his cruiser home, but today was different. He had already lost so much time. It was a resonant feeling deep in his soul that something bad was happening or had already happened.

That’s how he justified the three red lights he took when there were no cars coming and the handful of stop signs he ignored. At one point, he almost turned on his lights and sirens, but thought better of it.

It didn’t help that as he drove home he kept placing Ailin into his memories where Navi should have been.

Flushed pale skin pressed against the table. Her wide hips flaring every time they melded with the wood. Sweat matting her hair to her forehead and around her face, framing her gorgeous visage. Flesh rippled while her hands tried to grip the table underneath her.

Ailin’s face contorted with pleasure and pain—her cries crowning every sharp movement. Together, her mounting pleasure and the table legs scraping across the floor were building into a cacophony that Noah couldn’t escape.

Captivated by her chest, the bumps on her areolas, Noah watched them tremble. Then those bumps spread like gooseflesh on her skin when her muscles tensed and her head tilted back to look at Noah just as her orgasm peaked—a ragged sound like skin on leather screeched, breaking through Noah’s thoughts.

The squad car screeched to a stop just short of a couple walking their dogs, pushing a stroller. They locked eyes with Noah as they scurried to the other side of the street, panicked.

“FUCK!” Noah punched the steering wheel and pulled away.

He had been speeding and had forgotten to turn on his headlights in his rush to get home, he hadn’t seen the pedestrians until the last possible moment.

As he pulled into his driveway, he could see the lights all on inside. He jumped out and ran towards the door. The sound of music filled his ears—it sounded romantic. Was he too late?

Noah fumbled with his keys, dropping them twice before he finally put the right one in and turned the lock.

Then he froze.

In his mind, his biggest fear continued to tease him. Ailin in the same way as Navi.

While the tendrils in his stomach stretched out, ready to squeeze the life out of him, he finally found the courage to turn the handle—opening the door to her scream.

*

Ailin

“¡¿Qué fregados le pasa?!” Ailin pushed Reinhard hard and he stumbled back all the way to the wall near the foyer. “What the fuck?!” She screamed as she wiped his drool from her neck.

It was viscous, thick with desire and malice, and her skin felt foul where it had touched. She flung it at the ground.

“What?” His confusion was genuine.

Shocked, Reinhard’s face froze with a snarl on his lips—he was a bruised ego restraining itself from retaliating. All the cooking lessons, all the compliments, all the gentle touches—were all for nothing. Using Madeline and how much he supposedly missed her, building up Noah to tear him down, making himself available to Ailin—being there for her, teaching her recipes, cooking together. Hell, he had even started to learn Spanish to impress her. What had he missed?

But he didn’t really know who Ailin was.

This had only been a fatherly connection to her. Even now, at this moment, the hurt she felt was rooted in betrayal. Her mother was in Mexico, the rest of her family in Arizona, and Noah was too busy avoiding their home—she felt alone. She wanted someone to give her company, not someone to try to fuck her.

Especially not this decrepit imitation of her husband.

“Put your head on my—” the song was nearing its end—the words forever tainted in her mind.

“Como—how? Why?” Ailin’s eyes filled with tears of rage and indignation. “Is this why you were being so kind to me? Because you thought you would just what—fuck me?” Her mind was unable to remember English at the moment. “¿Así nomás como si fuera una puta?” He must have thought her a whore.

Reinhard didn’t recognize her words, but he did understand her rage. He took a step towards Ailin, reaching out. “Darling, I—”

Ailin took a step back, her butt hitting the counter, her hand finding the butcher’s knife.

“DON’T!” she raised her voice just short of screaming, pointing the knife at him. “What kind of fucking…enfermo—tries to do this with his son’s wife? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Madeline—I—” Letting his late wife’s name slip.

“I’M NOT FUCKING MADELINE!” Ailin’s anger finally let itself out.

The front door slammed open and Noah rushed through.

*

Ailin | Noah | Reinhard

It was like he walked into a still freeze frame—both Ailin and Reinhard were staring at him, waiting to see what he would do while he tried to figure out what was happening.

Ailin held her neck with one hand and her favorite butcher’s knife in the other pointed at Reinhard, and Reinhard’s hands seemed to be reaching out to her.

On Ailin’s face there was a hint of fear but her eyes were determined—angry—despite the obvious tears welling in them. Her cheeks were reddening and her nose was flared. While Reinhard looked guilty, like he had been caught sticking his hand in the cookie jar. But just like that, the guilt was gone, in its place lay a mask of indifference.

After what felt like minutes, but had really just been a few seconds, the silence broke.

“Your dad—he fucking bit me!”

Noah’s mind flickered, his vision darkened around the edges—focusing on Reinhard. Noah turned towards the old man, his left hand hovering over his holster and his right hand going over his solar plexus to steady himself.

Reinhard recognized the anger, the rage, the **** promised in Noah’s eyes. Reinhard himself had beaten it into Noah when Noah was younger—only the little shit had never had the balls to turn it against him before. Maybe now—now Noah was finally ready to become a man, ready to inherit what Reinhard had to give him.

Reinhard’s lips slowly stretched over his teeth as he bared them to his son. He was old, but he wasn’t weak and defenseless.

Ailin had never seen that face on her husband. She knew he was a large man, imposing—but she had never imagined him hurting anyone, he was too kind. This man looked like a monster compared to the Noah she knew. But she wasn’t about to step in to protect the lecher.

“Do it.” Reinhard whispered just loud enough for Noah to hear it, challenging him.

Noah had imagined hundreds of times what he would do to Reinhard if the old man ever gave him another reason. He had played those images over and over in his head. He would grab the old fuck by the scruff and slam his head into the wall. Maybe sweeping him and making his head crack against the floor. Grabbing him by his perfect haircut and repeatedly bashing his head against the hard tile.

Old teeth would skid across it, leaving thin, bloody trails until they came to a stop.

Then Brooke’s terrified face appeared in front of him. She kept screaming for him to stop and instead of Reinhard, he found it was James. It was that night from the bar. Looking back to Brooke, instead he found Ailin.

This time he wouldn’t have Captain Ruiz to help pacify those above them. Chief Calderon would be so disappointed and that promotion would be lost. What would happen to his relationship if he did this, if he went to prison for it?

Imagination slipping away with that last thought, Noah grounded himself. He balled his left fist, refraining from letting it pop the holster open. Then he reached into his shirt pocket with his right and pulled out his on-duty pen. And slowly inhaled.

Right here, right now, Dr. Samson’s voice echoed in his mind.

Click click.

“That’s enough.” Instead of walking towards the lecher, Noah walked past him and to his wife. He whispered to her, his hand hovering next to her hands still gripping the knife, “can I?”

She looked up at him, trying to find safety in his eyes. When she was able to recognize her husband, his kindness through his gaze, she nodded. Lowering the knife, she was finally safe.

Gently, he removed it from her grasp and placed it behind them on the counter. He gave her a faint but reassuring smile.

No longer struggling between being a cop and being a husband, he tentatively cupped her face in his hands. “Look at me, did he hurt you? Are you okay?” He searched her eyes with his.

With his thumbs, he wiped the few tears that managed to make their escape over the edge of her eyelids and the confines of her long lashes.

“Estoy—I’m okai.” The flame of her panicked anger eased until it was just embers.

Noah’s presence calmed, the tension slowly seeped out of her body. She hugged him tight, burying her face in his chest to inhale his soothing scent.

Reinhard felt his rage burn—Noah had simply walked past him and now even had his back to him. The old man felt disrespected. How could this cuck just turn his back to him, wasn’t he worried? Scared?

But the answer was obvious.

After several seconds, Noah finally turned to look at Reinhard, still not letting Ailin out of his arms.

“You’re going to pack your shit—I’ll give you thirty minutes. Then we’re taking you to the bus station.”

An incredulous chuckle escaped Reinhard’s lips along with the tension he felt, that was it?

He could have said something in his own defense, but it wasn’t his style to waste his breath. Noah knew exactly who and what Reinhard was, and now he had completely lost Ailin. There was nothing else for him here.

“Are you going to tell your sister?” Reinhard’s real voice—a disinterested, medium timbre that was slightly higher pitched than he usually showed—grated against their ears.

Noah stared long and hard at Reinhard, then finally he shook his head.

“No.”

Reinhard grunted his **** approval, then turned to walk towards his room. He had never begged for anything in his life nor stayed anywhere he wasn’t wanted.

“Baby, I’m going to watch him pack. We’ll talk after we drop him off—there’s a lot we need to talk about.”

Ailin nodded.

*

Ailin | Noah

The entire car ride had been so tense for Ailin. Over and over she kept realizing how Noah had tried, poorly and in vain, to get her to stop trying to reconcile him and his father. How she was being manipulated by the man the entire time. At one point, she asked Noah a clarifying question, one that dispelled nearly all of the lies Reinhard had told her about Noah’s childhood.

“How old were you when your parents separated, amor?”

In the rearview mirror, Ailin caught the glare Reinhard gave her.

“I was eight.” Noah’s response was curt, not because he was upset with the question, but because he was trying to organize what he was going to tell Ailin once they were alone.

“Y luego, when did you see Reinhard again after that?” Ailin stared at Reinhard through the rearview mirror with narrowed eyes—she was unflinching.

Noah looked at her and raised his eyebrow at her in question but she gestured for him to just answer the question.

“Uh, my first year at college, I was eighteen or nineteen I think.”

Pinche mentiroso, Reinhard had lied to her.

Everything he had said about Noah’s childhood, all the bonding time they had supposedly had was broken apart by Reyna—it never happened. She wondered just how far his manipulations had gone. There was a part of her that was terrified of how easy it had been for him, to lie so much, to manipulate her. She was willing to bet it wasn’t Reyna’s fault at all that Noah didn’t get to know his father.

“Pedazo de mierda.” Ailin muttered under her breath, looking at Reinhard through the rearview mirror again.

But he had wilted under her scrutiny, choosing to pensively look out the window.

*

Noah opened the squad car’s door and sat back in the driver’s seat. “It’s done.”

Ailin turned towards Noah, her full attention on him now that Reinhard was gone. “You’re really not going to tell Amber?” She was fighting to keep the anger out of her voice.

“No, I am. I just didn’t want him to get a chance to talk to her first. I think you might understand what I mean when I say he’s the most manipulative piece of shit I know.” His grip on the steering wheel tightened and the leather complained weakly under his strength.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I—”

“I know, baby doll. I know. That was all my fault—I don’t blame you at all. And we’ll talk about it, let me just call Amber.”

“Okai, amor.” Ailin sat back in her seat.

“Siri, call Amber on speaker.” Noah was done keeping secrets, Ailin was going to hear about everything.

Just about when he was ready to try calling again, the other line picked up. All they could hear was a baby crying, a cacophony of children laughing, and Amber trying to get their attention.

“MOMMY IS ON THE PHONE WITH UNCLE NOAH! QUIET!” Both Noah and Ailin flinched.

“Hi uncl—”

“Jr., Jenny! Go eat, now!” Amber sounded so exasperated and Ailin couldn’t help but feel grateful they didn’t have kids yet.

“Okay—hey Noah. What’s up?”

“Uh—hi, sis.” Noah looked bewildered, he was about to tell this overwhelmed mother she was about to get what she thought was their dementia-addled predator of a father back after only a couple of weeks.

“Hi Amber!” Ailin tried to sound as cheerful as she could manage.

“Oh, hey Ailin! The kids miss your food!”

Ailin winced, considering… “I’ll make them whatever they want the next time we see them.”

“They’d love that! Hold on.” They listened to her struggling with the baby. “Jeremy, take Zach, please.”

“Yes, my love. Hey Noah!”

“Yo Jer! How ‘bout those Bills?” Noah smiled and Ailin rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t suppress her own smile.

Although neither of them had any ground to stand on, neither of their Texas teams had done much in the last few years.

“Hey Noah, fuck you, dude! How about those Cowgirls, huh?” Jeremy laughed, his voice receding into the background.

Noah chuckled.

After some rustling, they heard Amber again. “Okay, what’s up guys?”

Noah sighed, “Reinhard is on his way back. He should get there tomorrow at 10:00 AM.”

There was silence for five seconds.

“What?” Amber’s annoyance was obvious—but it was the desperation that made Noah feel bad. “Why? What happened to three to five months?”

“Amber, Reinhard tried to come on to Ailin.”

“What?! No fucking way…wait—is this like Brooke all over again?”

“Brooke? This has nothing to do with that, Amber.” Amber never knew the details of why they had broken up—all she could gather was it had been due to Noah’s jealousy.

Ailin made a mental note to ask Noah who Brooke was after this.

“Amber, he asked me to dance with him, then he—” Ailin, felt queasy as she touched her neck. “He bit my neck.”

“He bit you? Are you sure he wasn’t confused?”

“He groped me while he did it.” Ailin said, there was a bit of an edge in her voice.

Again, silence for several seconds.

“…maybe the dementia’s getting wor—”

“No. This isn’t the first time, Amber.” Noah finally admitted and Ailin cocked her head to the side and mouthed a shocked what. “You remember Navi? The girl I broke up with when I was living with him for college because she cheated on me? And I moved out immediately after? Yeah. It’s not his dementia.”

“Noah…what ha—” She cut herself off. “I’m sorry, if I would have known—”

“”Don’t feel bad—it’s really not your fault. I didn’t say anything when it happened…that’s on me.” Noah looked directly at Ailin. “But I’m letting you know now. You can’t trust him. I’m going to send you money to put him into a home, just let me know how much it is.”

“Okay. Uhm, shit. Okay.” Amber sighed. “God, I know what just happened to you guys is so—so much worse and it fucking sucks. But God, this fucking sucks. Why can’t he just—fuck. Okay—sorry you two. I’m just…overwhelmed here.”

“We understand, and thank you, Amber.” Ailin jumped in.

“Sigh. I need to talk to Jeremy. I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow, okay? Love you guys.” Amber sounded defeated.

“We love you, too.” Ailin spoke again, stepping in as she noticed Noah was pensive.

Hanging up, Noah turned towards Ailin.

“We really-really need to talk, baby.” Noah felt a lump grow in his throat—this would be the most difficult conversation he would ever have—hopefully.

“Yeah…what do you mean again? Has your—has he done this before?” Ailin’s eyebrows scrunched up and her cute nose flared. “And who—” She took a steadying breath, “is Brooke?”

Noah snorted, smiling.

“¡¿Porque te ries, estupido?!” Ailin smacked his arm. “This isn’t funny.”

It had been so long since he had seen her actually jealous that he had forgotten how easy she was to rile up. It was ironic as he thought about Ailin dancing with the black man from the club.

He had to shake his head to break the thought, he didn’t need that right now.

“I’m sorry baby, it’s just that Brooke—she’s an ex-girlfriend—and very much the least of all the things I need to tell you.” He paused, looking at his wife’s face. She was definitely upset—angry, but more than that, she was scared. Scared of what he would say.

So was he—scared of what he had to say and scared of how she would react. Would she still love him when this was all said and done?

The honest truth was that he wouldn’t love himself after this conversation—or maybe he already didn’t. He hated that he had been such a coward, to be avoidant and let things escalate how they had.

He sighed.

“Yes, it happened a long time ago when I was in college.”

“What happened, exactly?” her tone was apprehensive.

“Maybe…maybe we should go somewhere else for this conversation—somehwere he isn’t.” Noah looked through the windows of the bus station trying to find Reinhard.

The old bastard was reading one of the books he had brought with him. Not a care in the world. Not a single thought for the lives he would have destroyed should his plan have worked.

Noah’s hand clenched on the steering wheel, causing the leather to groan once again. If he kept that up, his fingers would end up permanently imprinted on it.

“Okai amor, let’s go talk somewhere else.” Ailin sensed this wasn’t as simple as she had wanted it to be when she first heard his words to Amber just minutes ago.

Placing her arm on his shoulder, she rubbed it gently, feeling his slight tremble.

They drove in silence for several minutes before finally reaching a park about ten minutes from home. Without any floodlights, without any street lights for a couple hundred yards, the night sky was more visible here than anywhere else.

Noah parked the squad car facing the grassfield—his hands still clutching the steering wheel almost painfully.

After a few minutes of silence, Ailin was the first to speak.

“Noah. Talk to me. Dime algo.” Her husband never really talked about his emotions, his past, but the way his face was straining now—she wasn’t sure what it meant.

She wasn’t sure what he would say to her and that scared the hell out of her.

Noah took a deep—deep breath, counting in to three, then out to three.

“In college, I had a girlfriend. Her name was Navi. We thought we were going to get married—at least we talked about it a few times—we were just naive kids. Both of us had just turned twenty one and we thought we had everything figured out.”

The pained expression on his face told Ailin all she needed to know about why he had never talked about this before. But she didn’t move to comfort him or reassure him, she understood that she needed to let him say it on his own.

“But I didn’t know, she was feeling lonely. And I needed to study. I was too focused on myself, on what I needed—what I had to do for myself—that I didn’t notice she was lonely. Her family was halfway across the country and all she had was me.”

Ailin’s heart fluttered at the familiar situation. Sure, she had some of her friends here, but it was nothing like having her parents. And having not seen her mother in over a decade just compounded the feeling.

“She started spending more time at my—Reinhard’s house. Most of the time she would wait for me in my room, but I guess at some point that changed. They started talking more. He showed her some pictures he had of me—ones my grandparents had sent him mind you. He would make up stories about raising me—”

“Hijo de su puta madre.” Ailin cussed Reinhard out under her breath.

“And Navi of course just wanted to know more about me, to be accepted by this man who was supposed to be my father. But she didn’t know he had never been there…and I didn’t know what he was capable of—not then at least. So one day I came home and found them having sex in my room.”

Ailin’s sharp intake of breath grabbed Noah’s attention. “In your room?”

He grimaced, nodding.

“How could he do that to you?” Ailin’s words slipped out barely above a whisper.

How could you let him get anywhere near us after that? But she didn’t voice it, part of her even felt bad about thinking it.

Everything he had told her about Navi—Reinhard had been doing the same thing with her. She rubbed her neck again. It was starting to feel a bit raw from the repeated attention.

Never in her life could she imagine her parents betraying her in that way, and until tonight she had to admit she wouldn’t have believed Reinhard capable of it either.

That thought made her do a mental double-take.

I would have never believed he would do that.

“I’m sure he’s capable of worse.” Noah thought about that for a moment, realizing how true that was. The only thing that stopped the old man was the threat of lasting consequences. “Anyway, I ran away. I left the house and asked my mom for some hotel money. Told her that things between me and him had reached a boiling point. She didn’t ask any questions, she knew he was a piece of shit. But I made a mistake…” He looked at Ailin knowing the weight of those words were something he also carried now.

“I told him that I was moving out and coming by to pick up my stuff, and when I did…”

Ailin could guess what happened.

A memory flashed through her mind of the first day Reinhard had been at their home, when Noah had nearly burst through the door. If that was on his mind then why hadn’t he said anything?

Her anger flashed.

“If you kept thinking in your head that he might do something—that he was capable of doing something like this—you knew he was—then where were you?” Ailin raised her voice.

Tears she had been holding back since that terrifying moment in the kitchen fell freely now.

“I called you, texted you, but you were doing what?” Pissed off, she wiped her tears.

Her emotions were a conflicting storm at the moment. She didn’t want to feel weak right now by giving him an inch. And she also didn’t want to deny him the opportunity to talk this through.

“Ailin, I’m sorry. I really can’t justify it. I don’t have an excuse. Every time I was home, I was trying not to…do something bad. There’s some stuff you don’t know—that I’ve done—that I just…I couldn’t repeat that. And again I don’t have any excuses—but I can tell you where I was and what I was doing.” His eyes pleaded with her.

She looked at him expectantly, “Okai. ¡Dime pues!”

“During the promotion interviews, I had to meet with the department’s psychological evaluator. And I was good, I really was. But then he moved in. I started having nightmares most nights—I had to talk to someone—”

“You could have talked to me.” Ailin needed to sound indignant, annoyed. “You could have tried to tell me!”

“Would you have believed me?” She started to nod her head and say yes, but he kept going. “Be honest. When I tried to talk to you about him, at least to get you to stop trying to fix our relationship, what did you do? Was it enough to know that he was a shit father? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you exactly what he did—I admit that was my fuck up—but you see how bad it was. This is embarrassing, but more than that…it still hurts.” His eyes felt moist at that moment.

“You’re not being fair! Mch! ¡Cómo fastidias cuando haces eso! All you gave me was that he was a bad father. Aldo calls my dad a bad dad because he was always working and didn’t spend enough time with us—you can’t just expect me to know what something means to you when you don’t explain it! I don’t have your experience! So you have to tell me about your experience if you want me to understand!”

“Okay! Okay. You’re right, you really are. I should have told you and I can’t change that. But I’m trying to tell you now.” His eyebrows were furrowed—he knew he hadn’t done things the right way, but still. “I know you didn’t understand, but I feel like you also didn’t trust me. I get that we didn’t grow up the same way, but that’s part of the problem. Any family thing, you think you can just fix—or that you should. Not everything is meant to be fixed. Sometimes things need to stay broken—broken sometimes means we moved on.”

Whatever other argument Ailin had ready died in her throat.

“I guess…whenever Aldo and apá were mad at each other and they didn’t talk…it was always so tense around the house. Everyone else had to be walking on eggshells to not have one of them blow up. I always felt like I had to fix it—and so I thought this was like that. I didn’t believe you. You’re right.” Ailin admitted, having to swallow her pride to do so. “And while I can see that now, it doesn’t change the fact that you didn’t even give me the opportunity.”

“I know—” Noah groaned. “But I was trying. Another mistake was that I didn’t tell you, I know. I went to talk to the evaluator—Dr. Samson,” he clarified, “and she made me understand that this wasn’t something I could just fix in a day. And I kept having the dream. I kept seeing Navi…and him. At every door, before I opened it, I kept imagining I would find them inside…or you. But I was working on it. It took a lot to finally make myself work through it—at least what I’ve been able to work through. It took a lot to open up with Dr. Samson.” He swallowed hard. “And it’s taking a lot more right now.”

“Why, though? Why couldn’t you tell me—taken the time to explain it to me? Why didn’t you at least try?” She kept arguing. “Don’t you think that I have earned that? I’m glad you’re doing therapy, I’m not mad about that. Diosito knows that I’ve been trying to get you to go for years. But I’m upset that you cut me out—you iced me out. No communication. Nothing.”

“Ailin, I’m telling you now.” Noah had finality in his voice—he didn’t want to go into this.

But she felt it was owed to her, especially after today.

“No, I’m not talking about now. You’re not going to do this—I’m talking about then! Tell me. Why? Why wouldn’t you say anything?”

Noah clenched his eyes and placed his hand on his solar plexus. It felt like his stomach was going to spasm out of his chest.

“You don’t understand.”

“Okai, why do you say that? You’re not even letting me try! You can’t keep taking that away from me—let me choose instead of you choosing for me. Protect me by telling me, not by keeping me in the dark! Look what happened by doing that.” She said bitterly.

Noah winced at that but remained silent.

“You can’t do that! Every time it gets hard, you can’t disappear! You can’t shut down the conversation! You can’t shut down! Do you understand me? That has to change, Noah! The next time we have something big—something we have to deal with—we have to deal with it together! You can’t leave me alone while you’re out trying to fix yourself or fix it yourself—that’s something we have to do together!”

Ailin felt like he was still looking for a way out of explaining himself in his silence.

“Tell me. The only way we move forward is by you telling me.” She wanted to be pissed, to be upset, but she could see the struggle inside him. “I need you to trust me with this, Noah. If you can’t trust me, then what do we have?”

She thought he was going to stay quiet when he turned away from her, unable to look her in the eyes. Then he sucked in breath, finally giving her the truth.

“What kind of a man watches his own father fuck his girlfriend and then does nothing about it? What kind of man does nothing when the person he claims to love is being fucked by someone else, his fucking dad—MY OWN DAD! What kind of a man am I?” He struggled to keep his voice even—to keep hot tears from falling. “I was fucking scared! How much of a pussy am I? He scared me!” he screamed. “And on top of that, I couldn’t look away. I was frozen when I saw it. And then I just ran away with my fucking tail between my legs.” He punched the steering wheel, making Ailin flinch. “I’m a fucking coward—”

“Noah—”

But he bulled through. “You married a fucking coward!” After seeing the stunned look on her face at his outburst, he gave a weak, “I’m sorry,” through clenched teeth.

Her eyes wide, her heart pounding, she finally reached for him.

“Noah…I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. Excepto que I don’t think you’re a coward.” She grabbed his face in her hands, caressing his cheeks. “I know you don’t believe it, but I don’t look at you as less of a man because you couldn’t do anything when you were younger. I’m sorry you went through this—but you did something now.” She offered that olive branch. “I’m still upset that you weren’t there for the last two weeks, but I still love you.”

She leaned over and kissed his forehead.

“But from now on, you need to include me. In everything. I’m not just your wife, Noah. I’m your best friend. I should be the person you trust the most. I should be the person that helps you fix problems, and when we can’t do it just us two, we seek help. Okai? Promete me eso. That we’ll do this together! It doesn’t matter how uncomfortable it is, I want to be there for you. Let me be there for you.”

Noah wasn’t a man who cried very much—but when he did, it was very subdued. “Okay. I can do that—we can do that. Thank you. I love you.” He wiped his eyes and continued, “I’m sorry I put you in that position—I really am. I’ll be there now, though. I know even before the promotion I was spending so much time at work…I’m going to stop staying so much.”

“Okai.” Ailin stifled a sob. “That was the worst part, amor—that it felt like you not being there was going to be normal.”

That was a jab to Noah’s heart, he never wanted to hurt her that way.

For a minute, they just sat there, their foreheads together. Basking in the comfort of each other’s presence. There was no danger anymore—no impending doom. It was a moment to take a breath and relax.

And Noah hated that he had to break it.

“There’s more,” he said.

Ailin stiffened, a flash of worry passing through her face and tensing her muscles.

“Not like that,” Noah tried to smile but came out more like a pained grimace. “There’s more we need to talk about. About what I’ve seen the last two weeks—us. And about stuff that happened after—stuff that I’m responsible for and that’s going to explain why—why I haven’t been able to give you what you want…” Noah felt like crawling into a hole.

Talking about his sexual inadequacies was a sore spot for him. He didn’t like talking about that kind of stuff. And he didn’t want to talk about Brooke and James.

“What do you mean?” She was worried—and part of her knew one of the things he was talking about—but she wouldn’t believe that he knew until he mentioned it.

She would cross that uncomfortable bridge when they reached it.

“Tell me about before, what you’re saying you're responsible for.” She slightly cocked her head, remembering the name from earlier. “Does it have anything to do with that woman, Brooke?” she asked.

“Yes. Her…and another girl from my senior year in college. Kacey. They are…the reason that—fuck this is so uncomfortable…”

“Tell me, Noah.” She was as stern as she could manage.

“Every time you ask me to…do stuff to you. When you want me to be rough…I tried that. After Navi, I thought I needed to—fuck.” He clenched his teeth despite his jaw aching. “I thought I had to—I don’t know—reclaim my manhood I guess. I wanted to show…myself—that I was a man. I started to work out—a lot. And I started to date a girl, her name was Kacey.” Noah stopped abruptly, getting really quiet.

Ailin was about to prod him to continue, but he held up a finger—he needed a moment.

After taking it, he cleared his throat. “I was really rough with her. The way—I saw them…I was trying to be that. I thought that was the problem. I thought—” he paused and ran his hands through his hair, “that’s what would make me more of a man. But she cried and then she broke up with me.”

Ailin thought about every time she had asked him to be rougher with her in the last couple of weeks, she had thought he just didn’t want to—but he was thinking about this every time.

“So that’s why you don’t do it? You’re scared that I’ll react the same way?” She really didn’t mean to let the edge into her voice.

“No—that’s—I know that’s what you want…what I’m scared of is going too far. It started out as me playing around with her, trying stuff. I would imagine—” he gulped involuntarily, then cleared his throat. “I would imagine Navi. I wanted to make her feel like-like he did. I was losing myself. And I pushed her too far.”

“But you know better now. You’re not some niño pendejo trying to make up for what happened. And I’m not just your girlfriend—you’re my husband. I know you, I trust you. And you should trust me, too. To know what I want…what I am asking you for when I ask for it.”

His eyebrows rose along with that realization—trusting her to know what she wanted for herself.

“I know it’s going to take some time, but I really need you to trust me.”

“Okay.” He turned towards Ailin and she felt the air shift. “So on that topic. I want you to know that I saw you—” He noticed the brief flash of recognition on her face before she brought it under control. “The day I told you about the promotion. I saw you—in the shower…and then later at the club.”

Ailin felt the blood drain out of her face. She had tried so hard to push what happened at the club out of her mind that she had forgotten about it. And the shower? If he had heard everything…she was a little embarrassed.

She looked away from him then grabbed her phone, remembering the card was still in there.

“I didn’t mean to not say anything—I’m sorry!”

Calmly, he looked at her.

“Why didn’t you tell me what happened?”

“I was going to—I really was. Pero then we got home and the next morning, and the days after that—carajo.” She blushed remembering their intense lovemaking for the next few days after the club. Shaking her head, she continued. “I really just forgot to tell you. And then your sister called, and your—he came to live with us…” She paused when she realized what he had said, that he saw her. “Wait—why didn’t you say anything?”

Noah blinked.

He hadn’t intended to interrogate her, but still it felt like somehow this had been flipped on him with that single question.

He stammered, “I-uh-well…I guess I forgot to tell you, too.” He gave her a derpy half-smile that made her laugh.

“Ha. Yeah right!” She smiled back until she thought about it for another moment. “Why didn’t you say anything that night? If you saw me dancing with that guy, you saw…how close we danced—why didn’t you do anything? Why didn’t you stop it?”

“You were having so much fun and I didn’t want to stop you and we never get to go out so I didn’t want to ruin the night for you and you were just so excited about having a baby—” He word vomited until she squeezed his thigh.

“Is it really because of me?” Ailin didn’t want to make him feel like he was shifting blame, he had already admitted so much tonight, but her instincts were telling her he was hiding the real reason.

Noah cleared his throat and looked at his fingernails—they had gotten long in the last few days he had been avoiding spending time at home. And his leg started to shake a little as his nervousness rose.

Ailin kept her hand on it, “¿amor? You can tell me.”

He sighed, “fine.” Opening his mouth and then closing it, he felt himself cringe at the thought. “I think—no. I know—how can I even say this without sounding like a freak…”

“Just tell me, we can figure it out. Were you scared, like when you saw Navi?” Her voice was gentle.

“What? No!” He shook his head. “I mean no about the Navi part…but scared in a way—but not—not like scared of confrontation. Scared of…something else…”

He looked at her, his lips parting as if he was going to speak but then they would close back up. This was something that required the right words and he was having trouble coming up with them.

Finally after a few times of this, “I liked it.”

Ailin turned her body towards her husband.

“What? You liked what?” she asked, taken aback.

“Watching you.” That memory played in his mind.

The way Ailin and that stranger had swayed together, the way they seemed to know the way each others’ bodies would move despite never meeting before. The way the stranger knew how to get her to open up, and to be so close to her—the intimacy.

“Watching me what? Dance? You’ve seen me dance before. We dance together all the time.” Her questions were guarded.

“No. I mean, watching you with that man—how close you were. It’s almost like…” He thought better of what he was about to confess and corrected course. “It hurt to see how good you were together…but it also…felt…good—I liked it.”

“Noah, ¿qué estás diciendo? What did you like?” But he didn’t respond, instead he shifted uncomfortably and averted his eyes.

Ailin’s gaze flickered down from his face to his crotch, she could see him get immediately uncomfortable as he felt her stare on him. Instinctively, she moved her hand to his groin and felt the evidence faster than he could react.

He was starting to get hard with their conversation.

“Noah!” Her hand flew to her mouth, shocked—her mind immediately thought of her parents' arrangement. Reflexively, she was disgusted.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why. I couldn’t help it. I came out of the bathroom and saw you both. I saw how you were so unsure, how you fought the way you felt—I could see it on your face—and then when I came up to you, you were trying so hard to be calm. And then at home—baby that was so hot.”

That was undeniable, Ailin very much agreed how hot it had been. But until this very moment, she had **** herself to believe it was just because she was so attracted to Noah, not because she had relished the attention—the touch—of another man. But it was a combination of it all. How hot Noah is, how gorgeous and in charge Walter had been, and how hot it was to be touched that way by someone else—by another man who wasn’t supposed to.

“But Noah, you’re talking about what? About watching me cheat? About watching me…be with another man? What would you have done if you hadn’t watched it happen and had to find out after?” She fired off questions, flustered—unsure about how she felt about this.

That rocked Noah hard, he felt dizzy—nauseous. “I-I don’t know.” He was as honest as he could be. “Maybe—I don’t think I would like it if I wasn’t there.”

Now that the flood gates were open, Noah continued.

“Seeing you—you are such a-an angel, a goddess—so seeing you with someone else so…beautiful—someone who could match you…I’m sorry baby. But I liked it. And I guess, I was dealing with those feelings I didn’t want to admit, then my dad came along and complicated everything—I wanted to talk to you about this. But it was all too much for me.”

He paused looking for a reaction or a response from her, but she didn’t offer one. She just kept staring at him with wide eyes as if she were searching for a trap.

“Noah, I’m not some pornstar—I’m your wife.”

“I don’t think of you as a pornstar—”

“You seemed to think I was one at the club, how you’re describing it!” She cut him off. “What if something had happened? What if he was dangerous?”

“No, I—look. I was watching, nothing was going to happen—”

“But I didn’t know that!”

Noah blinked. “That’s—okay yeah. You’re right. I know it’s fucked up. But for me, you were safe because I was watching…”

“You can’t keep doing that—keeping me in the dark, Noah. And what if—Dios mio—what if it had gone further?”

“Then I would have wanted you to enjoy yourself—”

“Just like that, you’d want me to just cheat?”

“Well no, because you’d have my permission—”

“NOAH! I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE WATCHING!” Her voice raised uncomfortably in the enclosed space of the cruiser. Taking a deep breath, she tried to collect herself. “It might have been a fantasy to you—something you could just watch and not be a part of! But it was real for me. I had real feelings there. I didn’t know you wanted it to happen…what if—” She stopped herself.

“What if you had liked it…” Noah finished for her. “You’re right. I should have said something. I should have stepped in. Look—I know you enjoyed yourself. I could see it, and I enjoyed it too. But again—and fuck I keep doing this—I wasn’t fair to you. I want you to know that I am not mad at you…honestly, I don’t even know what I am—how I feel about it all. I just know I liked what I saw and—” He cut himself just short of confessing.

“Let me ask you, because I’m still a little confused. What exactly is it you want, Noah? You liked the fact that I was with another man. I think we are pretty clear on that—”

“Crystal,” Noah winced.

“And you like to see me…enjoy myself? Or do you want to just enjoy yourself? Or…do you want to be humiliated?” Even angry, she felt horrible asking him that but she had to make sure.

“NO!” He cleared his throat, his outburst catching them both off guard. “No. No humiliation. I’m 100% sure it’s just about seeing you enjoy yourself. Me enjoying it is automatic—as long as you do.” He clarified.

“So watching me enjoy myself, con otro hombre, but you don’t want to feel bad about it.”

He nodded.

She got uncomfortably close to Noah, her hot breath on his cheek. “I want something to be mas que claro—I want you to get this straight, amor. I don’t ever want to be your whore—you’re not pimping me out. And I’m not your pornstar—I’m your partner. If we—and that’s a big if, okai? IF we ever do something, it’s together. That’s the only way this plays out. ¿Entiendes eso? And you have to tell me everything before, not after.”

Noah understood perfectly—he swallowed hard and nodded.

“Tell me.” She grabbed the collar of his uniform, pulling him closer to her.

“I understand. If we do it, we do it together.”

Ailin sighed and smiled—Noah marveled at how she managed to look so mischievous yet so angelic at the same time.

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She pulled him in for a kiss.

“I have something to tell you—show you—too.” Ailin sat back and pulled her phone out. “I want to be honest with you, too. That I forgot—enserio I did—but since we’ve been talking about this, I remembered—”

“What is it?” Noah furrowed his eyebrows.

“Paciencia, amor.” She chastised him. “This was in my phone case. I was going to throw it away at the club but when I saw you I panicked.”

Noah watched intently as she turned the case over and a card fell onto her lap.

There was a black ace of spades playing card with golden trim and lettering. Noah liked the sleek design. Then she turned it over and he was able to see what was on it.

Don Juan

Test their limits.

Walter de la Perla

His contact information was underneath his name.

“Is that the man from the club?” Noah's heart was racing in his chest.

She nodded, her eyes widened thinking about how she’d unknowingly kept the card—and now they were having this conversation.

“Walter.” He breathed out. The fact that Ailin had kept the card made him both jealous and insanely turned on. “Why didn’t you throw it away when we got home?” He asked slightly breathless.

“I forgot about it. ¡Enserio! When we got home, and it was just so intense—all of that went out the window.” She seemed sincere.

Noah, the cop, looked at her face, trying to find the lie in her words—but he saw none.

“Amor, you take it. Here. You do what you want with it, but I promise you I was never going to use it. I wouldn’t have even remembered it was there until I took off the case. Pinky promise!” She held up her pinky.

Noah took her pinky in his and smiled, then with his other hand he grabbed the card and put it into his uniform trousers.

Ailin almost felt relieved he hadn’t crumpled it up—then she chastised herself for thinking that.

Was she no better than her parents?

“Baby, I have something to say. Now that we are being honest with each other…add it to my list of fuck-ups.” Noah grimaced.

Ailin held her breath, wondering what it could possibly be.

“I know you will probably be upset with me—and I’m not saying I don’t ever want them—I know how much you want this but I don’t think I’m ready and especially everything that just happened with Reinhard—I don’t really think I’m ready for all that…to be—”

“A dad?” Ailin’s big golden eyes shimmered as the lights in the distance caught them.

“Yeah.”

They stayed quiet for a few minutes. Their breathing peaceful, pensive.

“Mi amá, I talked to her. I called her because I had been thinking about us—tu y yo—I asked her how her and apá did it. How they can still be together after not seeing each other for so long—I know it’s silly, we aren’t separated by a border and hundreds of miles like they are—but I felt…no sé, like, panic. How could they still love each other? Despite not being able to be with each other…” She trailed off, her thoughts taking her away from her present.

“What did she say?” Noah brought her back.

“Dijo que, they had an arrangement.”

Noah furrowed his eyebrows at that, “what do you mean? What does that mean? An arrangement of what?”

He watched the way Ailin shifted uncomfortably with the question, how her eyes narrowed slightly at that thought.

“Ailin? Is it an open relationship?”

Her silence answered his question.

“Are you okay?” he asked when she didn’t respond.

Her jaw clenched. “For almost my whole life, I tried to live how they wanted me to—how they taught me I should. Siempre rezándole a Diosito, always putting Diosito primero. They said that breaking my promises to God was the worst thing I could do.” She groaned. “But they do it. They’re so full of shit.” Hot tears trailed down her puffy cheeks, her voice carrying the anger and frustration she had been keeping in.

She started to rub her hands anxiously.

“Baby—” Noah tried, but she continued.

“They’ve been telling me how to live my life for years—every time we talk on the phone, they are always telling me about fulana de tal… ‘Oh why aren’t you like your siblings, all of them have already given us grandbabies.’ And they aren’t the ones that are going to be taking care of those kids, we do, we are. Or ‘mija, why are you going to school and working, you should be taking care of the house and kids.’” She rolled her eyes. “They got me to believe in that—that I should have kids by now—because I thought that these people, who I trusted with knowing what’s best for me, would always want what’s best for me. Because they have faithfully done what they are supposed to—lived how they are supposed to…their whole lives—but they are just unos pinches hipócritas!”

“What is it that you want?” Noah asked, placing his hands on hers to steady her.

“I don’t know. I’ve spent my whole life doing what I thought I was supposed to—according to them…but I do know I’m not ready to have a baby either. Noah, I’m barely about to graduate from the nursing program! How can I start my career if I’m going to have to be worrying about un pinche mocoso? You’re literally about to get a promotion, how are you even supposed to have time for our baby after you come home so tired?!”

Noah offered a solution. “I would make time—”

“But I don’t want that—not yet. I don’t want to come home, already tired and then have to split my time—my love between you and a baby. It’s not fair—I was feeling lonely without you, I missed you, and then we’re going to have a baby that will keep us from spending time with each other outside of taking care of it?” The turmoil she felt inside at the thought—the desperation she could feel clawing inside of her—at the thought of never having another moment alone with her husband without worrying about a baby…she wasn’t ready for that. “I just wanted the baby to make them happy, but I want us to be happy.”

Neither were ready for that.

She looked at Noah, who started to laugh.

“Why are you laughing?” She pinched him.

“Ow! Hey!” He grabbed her hands to keep her from doing it again, but kept laughing. “I was so worried this whole time about that…but you—we’re on the same page.” He sighed, stifling his laughter. “I’m just so relieved.” He smiled at her.

Inside, Ailin’s annoyance and panic were dissipating as she looked at her husband. Her husband who never put pressure on her, who never expected anything other than what she wanted for herself. She felt grateful—she felt loved.

She smiled back.

“Ay amor. I love you so much, whooo.” Her ‘so much’ trembled as she tried to keep herself from ugly crying—she always ugly cried when she was feeling too emotional—and right now she was too happy.

“I love you, too!” He tried to scoop her up into a sitting bear hug.

“¡Ay ya amor! Let’s go home, I’m getting hungry.” They let each other go and Noah started the cruiser.

“You don’t want to hear about Brooke?” He suddenly remembered.

“Eventually. Maybe tomorrow, or in a few days. But I think for tonight, we’ve had enough.” Ailin leaned against his arm. “I just want us to be happy together, spend time together, explore together. I don’t care about the past right now—I think we’ve both had enough of that.”

Noah whistled at that, “damn right.”

“Oh! Can I put music? Like, is it okay if I bluetooth to your work car?”

He thought about it for a moment. “I don’t see why not.”

“I got some new music recently, I really like it.”

Noah put the car into drive as the song started to play.

“Ven y ven y dame tu amor.” The voice came through like a distant echo pleading. “Tuyo, tuyo, tuyo ya soy.”

“What is he saying?” Noah turned the car out of the parking lot.

Ailin smiled. “Give me your love, I’m already yours.”

*

“What’s that smell?” Noah walked behind Ailin. “Is something burning?”

She gasped. “¡Ay, se me olvidaron las pinches fajitas! I’m so—I forgot!” She rushed to the stove to turn off the pilot.

Luckily, she had left it on low heat—but the food was still charred. When she started to laugh, Noah became concerned.

“Are you okay?” He put his hand on her shoulder.

“Es que, like, that’s so crazy. I was making these for your—him—sorry—and now they’re burned. Just like him—it’s trash now.”

Noah smirked, “want to order something then?”

“Some pizza.” She smiled, then she scowled at him, making Noah’s smirk disappear. “I’ll order it.”

But the glint in her eye set him at ease. “Phew.”

Giggling at him, she pulled out her phone to order while Noah worked on removing his boots.

*

When the pizza had gotten there, it was nearly midnight. Ailin had given the driver a twenty dollar tip for still being willing to deliver their pizza after they had closed at eleven. She reminded Ailin of herself when she was a senior in high school—straining to keep up her grades while working until late at night.

“Mmm! Wow! Mmhm! This—” Ailin swallowed her bite. “Is one of the best pizzas we’ve ever had. The tomato sauce is like, spicy and sweet, and the pineapple—ya se que it’s not fresh pero it tastes almost fresh.”

Noah had figured it was going to be really good when he had seen the cheese still so gooey and the oil just barely gleaming off the top.

“Are you sure you don’t want to try my side?” Noah asked, the pepperoni and sausage mixture had always been his favorite.

“Nope!” Ailin took another bite of her’s. “Ahnd yoou cahn’t haave ahny uhf miine.” She managed to say with her mouth full.

“Yours is gross so I didn’t want any anyway.” Noah stuck his tongue out at her and she swallowed, then did the same thing.

After savoring her last bite, Ailin stood up and threw away her paper plate.

“You’re just going to eat one?” Noah was incredulous. This was the best pizza they’d ever had, and she was only going to eat one slice.

“I’m tired and I still need to shower to get that shit off me. Blech!” She clenched her eyes and shook her head, her hand rubbing the side of her neck—making Noah grimace. “I’m going to see if the shower makes me tired—tomorrow I really need to study.”

“Okay baby. I’ll put the pizza away then.”

Noah went to take another bite of his slice but stopped.

The pizza now hovered in front of his mouth unattended, all his attention on Ailin as she walked down the hall to their room. She was so tantalizing, so tempting, the way her small jean shorts gripped the breadth of her hips and did their best to contain her butt, the seams straining to not come apart, was accentuated by the snug fit of the waistband. And then his eyes noticed the teasing hint of skin exposed between those shorts and her tank top…he wanted to lick the small of her back clean for her—he dry swallowed.

Noah placed his pizza down on his plate and stood up—suddenly the best pizza he’d ever had didn’t seem that appealing.

Groaning, he pulled at the collar of his shirt. He felt hot, remembering the night he came home to tell her about the promotion—he remembered walking down the hall cautiously, sneaking into the bathroom scared he would get caught. He had felt like prey that night, felt like he would get eaten up at any point by that sexy woman.

But not tonight.

Letting his uniform fall to the floor where he stood, he walked down the hall in only his briefs and dry-fit.

*

Ailin

“Alexa, play Lost in Translation by Carín Leon.”

With her hair up in a loose bun, Ailin stepped into the shower.

Grabbing her blue loofah, she cleaned her neck first, vigorously scrubbing where Reinhard had licked and bitten her. Luckily, the piece of shit hadn’t left any marks on her porcelain skin. It was already bad enough he had done it, disgusting that he would ever think he could, but if he had left a mark? Ailin’s face grew red in shame at the thought.

But the way Noah had stepped in, the look on his face—they way he remained so calm when he came to her and hugged her—Ailin exhaled. Her tummy had been fluttering since then.

When she finally moved down to her chest, she lingered at her collarbone, while her other hand trailed down her tummy. Running her fingers over her trim pubic hair, she let her hand rest there and moved the loofah to her breasts.

The ruffles roughly dragged across her nipples, the light scratching making her close her eyes.

“Mmm…” She loved the way the texture made the touch just short of painful on her sensitive breasts.

If she called to Noah, told him to come in there to fuck her right then and there, he would do so in a heartbeat. But that would make it too easy for him. So, for now, she would have her fantasies.

Rinsing the loofah and then hanging it back up, she reached for the showerhead and shifted the dial to the strongest setting.

“Hmmm.” She hummed, closing her eyes and letting the near scalding water blast her most sensitive areas.

Breath quickened and the heat between her legs rose. She rubbed her thighs together—the spray both tickled her and gave her steady shocks of pleasure when she let it settle on her clit, before passing it over her labia.

Through closed eyes, she imagined a blurry shadow appear in front of the glass door. Even the veil over her eyes darkened at that moment. Slightly self-conscious, she pulled up the showerhead.

“You’re here again.” She spoke to imaginary Noah, beckoning him. “¿Solo me vas a ver? Or are you joining me?” The stream coated her skin, making her gleam under the bright bathroom lights.

The magnetic clicking sound the door made as it opened in her mind was so vivid, Ailin almost opened her eyes to check if it was real. Instead, her legs instinctively spread as she angled the stream back towards her lower abdomen, her free hand resting on the soft mound above her vulva.

Welcoming the familiar intruder into her steamed sanctuary.

Noah walked up to her, confident. The light framing his naked body.

“Make me feel good, amor.” She bit her bottom lip.

Noah reached out to cup her face. “I will.”

Words and skin touched her at the same moment and she opened her eyes. Finding Noah actually in front of her, naked and ready to please her, sent exhilaration through her body that made her body ache for release. It was the full beard on such a pretty face that set both her heart and her arousal alight, locked around pinky lips slightly lighter than her own. Lips she wanted to kiss every moment of her life. Finally, her eyes rose to meet his. Piercing blue and full of an intensity she had only seen a few times in their joint life.

The fantasy dissolved in her mind and reality settled in its place. And her hand settled on his face, her thumb caressing his cheek.

“You wanted…all of me?” Noah asked and she nodded her head. He gripped her wrist. “Are you sure you want that?” Emphasizing what he meant by tightening his grip.

Recognition flashed through her eyes, but so did a rush up her spine—she wanted this.

“Yes—O!” she cried out in surprise as he pushed her against the wall.

*

Ailin | Noah

Her back smacked into the tile with a wet thud. “Haa—” her yelp was cut off by his lips.

That large hand on her collarbone held her in place while his tongue explored her open mouth, barely recovering from the shock. And she kissed back.

Their lips mashed together—tension and frustration they both had been feeling manifested in frantic passion. Normally, Ailin’s would lead the intensity and Noah ceded to it.

But tonight was different.

Breaking their kiss, his lips brushed her cheekbone and settled next to her ear.

“Show me what you imagined last time.” Noah’s voice was lower than normal, breathy—making her neck feel flushed. “Where do my hands go?”

Gulp, she swallowed reflexively. “Estas—are you sure?” The confidence she normally had was muted, overpowered by submissive arousal and Noah’s imposing presence.

He drew closer, snaking his tongue into her ear in response.

“Ay amor…” she sighed—goosebumps rising across her skin.

Noisely, he released his breath as he licked her porcelain skin—his touch a trail of fire inside of her. He ran his hands through her hair and lightly gripped it, tilting her head so he could run his tongue down to her neck—erasing the dirty feeling that her scrubbing hadn’t been able to.

Ailin felt her knees tremble when his large hand replaced hers above her vulva. Slowly, painfully so, he reached her labia and curled his thick middle finger into her and she gasped.

“H—ah—” the sound caught in her throat.

They could both hear how slick and ready she was as Noah played with her.

“Show me.” He insisted, dragging the tip of his finger inside her, pressing that rough patch of skin inside her that made her weak.

“¡O por Dios!” Slight tremors made her shake, she had to clench her eyes to keep her mind clear. “Sí, ¡lo que tú quieras!” She was ready to do anything at that moment.

Grabbing his hand that was inside of her, she pulled him out—her body complained, **** for his touch—and brought his hand to her mouth, sucking on his middle finger while looking into his eyes. Just a tiny flash of the succubus she hid inside shown in her eyes before it was gone again—hidden once more behind a wall of submissiveness.

“Asi.” She **** his hand around her throat, showing him how she wanted him to do it.

Noah almost asked if she was sure, but he caught himself.

“Like this?” He squeezed slightly, just enough to make her voice strain.

“Yesss…” she whined.

It was light but she still struggled to breathe. Exactly what she needed—what she craved.

She then grabbed his other hand and put it on her tits, making him grip her nipple between his fingers, then she pushed his hand away as he gripped her—

“Hnnng! Mhm! Asip papi.” she strained. “Talkk dirrty too nmee.” Her words struggled to escape her pressure.

Using both her hands, she reached between them and gripped his cock, tugging him towards her. She found him fully hard, waiting to take her.

When she pushed his foreskin almost back to the base of his cock, Noah groaned and tightened his grip around her neck and tits.

“Fuck. You want this, don’t you?” The words felt so foreign to Noah.

“Yes! Yes, I want it!” Ailin pouted—reassuring him.

“You need this, don’t you? Badly.” He leaned in and licked her cheek, slightly loosening his grip on her neck.

“Ay si, so bad—I need it so bad.” Noah let go of her nipple, letting it fall painfully as the blood rushed back into it. “¡Aah!” she cried out.

“But do you deserve it?” His deep voice rumbled in her ear—just above the rush of water.

“O papi, si, I deserv—” SMACK. “Hn—¡AUU!” SMACK.

Two red handprints instantly appeared on the pale skin of her tits. She looked at him with wide eyes.

“This is what you wanted.” He challenged—a final out before he allowed himself to let loose.

Her response was a moaning and ****, “YESSS!”

SMACK.

“OHH!” Ailin moaned as Noah smacked her chest again.

“Show me you deserve it.” He let go of her and she found herself sliding to her knees without his support.

“Mmmm!” Ailin groaned and gripped him in her hands.

Having his cock at eye level was one of her favorite views. It was like him, beautiful, big, thick—and always ready to please. She gave him a few loving pecks and he closed his eyes, tilting his head back.

“Look at me, amor.” She waited until his eyes locked onto hers. “Is this what you want to see me do…with someone else?”

“Fuck, babe.” He almost let himself clench his eyes to imagine it.

But the feeling of Ailin leaning in and french kissing his cock made him snap to attention.

“Mmm–uhmch–hmm–mchk! Mmmmm—¡qué rico!” She wrapped her mouth around him, then swirled her tongue around his crown—feeling his slight tremble through it.

“God that’s so gooood.” Noah grabbed her head.

She popped him out of mouth, “fuerte, do it hard!” She tightened her grip on him, making him squirm.

He pulled her long, blonde hair into a high ponytail and wrapped it around his fist. “Like this?”

“You’re not going to hurt me, usame.” Her eyes narrowed and she lifted his cock, licking it from base to tip, “lahhmm,” and wrapped her mouth around him again, but didn’t take her eyes off of him.

“Fuck, you’re so good at that.” Noah didn’t dare break eye contact. “Are you ready?”

Ailin nodded her head with him still inside of her mouth. She wasn’t worried about how rough he would be, she wasn’t worried about how big he was, she was worried that he was going to hold back.

“Put your hands behind your back. Together—yeah just like that.”

Ailin felt butterflies in her stomach as he took charge. Her core was getting warmer, she was starting to feel the familiar tingles run through her body.

“If it gets to be too much, let go and tap me, okay?” Noah caressed her hollowed out cheeks and her jaw as she stretched to accommodate his girth.

When she nodded, he let his grip rest on her neck while his other hand still gripped her hair tightly.

Ailin relaxed herself in preparation.

“Let’s go slow, okay? Here, little by little.” He pushed into her, getting about halfway in.

“Grrk.” She inhaled through her nose as he hit the back of her throat.

But he didn’t pull out. Instead, he pulled her forward until he was holding her up by her throat and hair. He widened his stance.

“Whenever you want me to stop, let me know.”

And with that, he pushed into her throat.

“Rrgghh!” Ailin’s throat tried to clench around Noah.

She wasn’t used to having him go into her throat. It was almost completely blocking her air. But it didn’t scare her—she trusted him.

He pushed in, centimeter by centimeter. “Still okay?”

He was relying on the little air he could feel around him and glancing at her hands every few seconds. But she didn’t move her hands, so he kept going.

With nearly his entire cock in her throat, Ailin’s hands started to shake—but she maintained her composure. Fists balled and tears stinging her eyes, she clenched them, moaning.

Her throat had never felt so full.

Ailin wasn’t sure if it was the water streaming down her body or if it was her pussy gushing, but she could feel a tremble in her lower abdomen that she hadn’t felt since her first stint in college.

“Almost there baby, almost there!” Noah groaned. “You’re doing so well. Fuck!” Most of his hesitance to be rough was set aside—he was losing himself in the enjoyment of the dominance he had worked so hard to forget.

Ailin felt her nose touch Noah's skin and she opened her eyes—everything was obscured by his body. With the ache in her throat from being stretched mixing with the burning of her lungs and the hazy feeling in her head from the lack of oxygen while her pussy ached to be fucked, Ailin felt an exhiliration she had missed deeply.

It was a sense of pride, being able to take Noah completely.

“Oh God, babe! You’re taking it all—I can’t fucking believe it!”

Finally, she brought her hands to his thighs and tapped him. Slowly to not hurt her, he pulled out. Oddly enough, he was proud of both of them. He had been able to appropriately hold back while she had taken him all in—she had never done that.

Actually, no one had.

“Ah mi quijada.” She rubbed her jaw and slapped Noah’s thigh, complaining, “you’re too big!” But her devilish smile belied her complaint. “Dame esa verga,” she growled and opened her mouth again.

Noah obliged.

She grabbed his ass and fondled him, pulling him to her mouth.

“Gluh-gluh!” Every time his crown hit the back of her throat, her eyes watered—but she maintained eye contact.

While Noah’s hands still gripped her neck and hair as he fed her his cock, Ailin pinched her nipples and rubbed her clit.

“Gluh-gluh—” She rubbed faster and pinched harder.

“That feels so fucking good!” Noah moaned, breathless. “You’re amazing, baby!” He praised.

A warmth emanated from her chest—Ailin felt proud of herself, proud of her ability.

A small orgasm rolled through her, making her body weak. “Mmmrr-gluh-mmm-guuurk!” The wall caught her as she slumped back—releasing Noah with a wet pop.

“Mmmm…eso si que estuvo—mmm.” She looked up at him through heavy lids. “Are you sure you want me to do that for someone else?” she teased.

With that, Noah’s eyebrows furrowed, his jealous tendrils in his chest and arms flexed. He wasn’t going to let her relax now.

“We’re not finished, yet.” He grabbed her by the hair with one hand and briskly pulled her by the tit to stand.

“¡Ah culero, achhhh!” Ailin whimpered, grabbing onto his wrist.

“You’ve earned your reward, baby.” Noah leaned in. “Do you still want it?”

She glared at him, her lust momentarily overpowering her submission and she hissed through clenched teeth. “Sssiii.”

“I don’t believe you, I need to check.” He roughly stuck his fingers inside of her, making her gasp.

“Ah!”

Lifting his hand to their faces and spreading his fingers, they could both see just how wet she was. His fingers were almost dripping. That made him smile and Ailin blush.

Noah licked his fingers, making her shudder.

“Lift your leg. Higher—higher!” He barked. “Good girl.” He smoothed out her hair lovingly.

She looked up at him and she had to restrain herself from moaning by biting her lip. The look in his eyes drew out a lustful hunger from her chest. She felt her hamstring stretch as he lifted her leg higher, putting it on his shoulder. That hunger expanded to her core when he started to rub her pussy with his cock.

There was nothing in life she craved more than his cock in that moment.

And yet he made her wait—wait until she was shaking while he kept rubbing up and down her slit.

“Amor, no seas malo…” she pouted. “I need it.”

Noah smiled fiendishly, placing himself at her entrance and grabbing her wrists above her head in one of his hands.

“Go on. Fuck yourself on it.”

She furrowed her eyebrows at him and looked down. There was no resistance in her, the urge she felt was too much. She had to try.

Ailin struggled. First she tried to wiggle her hips, hoping his cock would slide in, but he was too thick to just slide in without any assistance.

Frustration manifested in a guttural groan from her throat, “rrgggh!” She tried to wrench her wrists from his grip.

But he just laughed and leaned in, “beg for it.”

She looked up at him, pouting, “don’t you want me, too?”

“You know I do, always,” he grinned, “but I have more self control.”

Reaching down with his free hand, he circled her clit, making her tremble. Then he kissed her neck.

“O por Di—plis, amor!” Ailin tried to get closer, but with her arms pinned above her, her leg elevated on his chest, and her only connection with the floor on her tippy toes, she had no leverage. “No seas cruel, I need it!” she begged.

“What do you need?” Noah asked between tongue lashings.

“You! I need you!”

“Mmch,” kissing her neck noisely, “what specifically? Mmmch—do you need?”

“I need you to fuck me!” She turned her head to try and kiss him back, but he lifted his head. “Arrrggh! Plis fuck me! Cogeme, duro, fuerte, como quieras, just fucking do it beibi!” she begged.

Noah reached down and grabbed his cock, “let me know if I'm as good as your fantasy.” He penetrated her without further warning.

His thickness slowing his entry nearly dampened the effect he wanted to achieve, but her reaction assuaged him.

“Si si si—aaahh!” She gasped when they connected and he grazed her depths.

Despite her leg starting to cramp, she laughed from the relief of finally having him inside after all his teasing.

“You feel so good, so hot.” Noah breathed, biting her earlobe.

“Are you sure you want someone else to do this to me?” It was her turn to tease.

Noah groaned and roughly rubbed her clit, withdrawing his cock a few inches.

Ailin threw her head back as the familiarly painful pleasure of her pussy trying to cling onto his cock made her core spasm. She was starting to understand how to push Noah’s aggressive buttons.

“¡Asi, asi!” She cried out as he slammed back into her, the sound of their skin clapping against each other became the percussion in the song that was playing in the background. “¡Dame mas!”

“You—” CLAP. “Want—” CLAP. “More?” His ass squeezed every time he bottomed out in her, trying to reach her depths from this position.

Ailin’s legs were shaking. Her toes ached and her pussy quivered. Her eyes were glassy, her lids growing heavy as she lost herself in the intensity of the uncomfortable pleasure—the strain on her body made the inevitable pleasure feel earned.

She was steadily climbing that cliff with Noah leading her there—the precipice was near.

“More—more—bei-bi! Da—me—mas…PLIS!” Ailin could feel the low heat growing to a fire inside of her core—every crash of their bodies fueling her. “¡Dios! Are you—aaahh fuck!” Her voice trembled, but she tried to continue, “you sure—AYYY—that you want—Walter to—fuck ME?!” She cried out as the first explosion of pleasure released inside of her.

The desperation inside of Noah built up, he needed to feel more than just in control—he needed to show her he wasn’t intimidated by someone else. Taking her hands and placing them on his neck, he lifted her other leg.

Even in her building delirious euphoria, Ailin had enough presence of mind to cling onto his neck.

Now with both of her legs on his shoulders, her feet bouncing in the air with Noah’s thrusts, he grabbed her ass to hold her up—spreading her obscenely. He dug his fingers roughly into her flesh to hold her steady while he gave her what she wanted.

“Ay—ay—ay!” her moans came breathlessly.

“Fuuuck!” They groaned together as he repeatedly sank himself into her, slamming her against the wall with his thrusts—nearly folding her in half.

“You’re—being—such a—bad—fucking—girl!”

As the streaming water was just starting to cool—washing their slick perspiration down the drain—their bodies relished the heat they felt inside of them.

And Noah relished in taking Ailin. If instincts hadn’t been driving him, he would have faltered as he witnessed her face in bliss. Eyes closed just above freckles that danced along the bridge of her nose from cheek to cheek. Hair matted to her forehead—water and sweat—but she still managed to look ethereal. And those sweet, plump pink lips that were invitingly open at the moment.

Ailin opened her eyes, her vision shaking every second—and looked into Noah’s. In them, she found the ocean at the bottom of the cliff as they crested the peak.

“Nomas—porque—tu quie-res.” She breathed between poundings.

At this point, her legs had slid down to his biceps. Her toes splayed and curled as her core tightened.

Struggling to focus on the crashing waves, she could feel herself tilting over the edge of the cliff—it was now or never.

Noah closed the gap between their chests and squished her tits against his pecs, and rested his forehead against hers.

“I—love—you—” He strained.

It was the roughness of his treatment combined with the gentleness of his love for her that finally pushed her over—

“I—lo-ove—yoooh—ooh—NoooaAAH!” For a moment, she swore she was falling into that ocean.

Her eyes involuntarily rolled back and her tummy spasmed between them—crashing into the deep waters. “HHNNNGA—AM—PLIS—DIOS MIO—” Her voice was cut off as her lungs struggled to inhale.

Noah had to hoist her higher when her strength gave out, but still her nails fought to cling on. And still, he kept pounding through her orgasm—far from his own.

“¡Paa—rraAH—p-p-rraaa!” Ailin cried out.

But Noah didn’t understand, for all he knew, she wanted more—and he obliged.

“Par—a…s-s-t—beib—st-t—” she squealed incoherently—she was fighting the involuntary muscle contractions and her gasping lungs while feeling Noah bottom out inside of her—her breath being fucked out of her.

“S-S-STOP!” She finally heaved the words out of her chest.

Noah stopped instantly, worried.

“Are you okay, baby?” His face morphed to the caring husband he was.

“Fuck! Demasiado—so fucking…intense.” She tried to open her eyes but she couldn’t—so she smiled weakly instead. “So goooood.”

He smiled at that. “Let’s take a break. I’ll wash you.”

Placing her on the bench while her legs were still shaking, he cupped her face.

“Are you okay?”

Ailin opened her eyes as much as she could and tried to focus, but they refused to cooperate.

“I just need a few minutes—that was—I can’t even—Dios amor…” she sighed.

“Just relax baby.”

Noah grabbed the shampoo and lathered his hands, then ran his fingers through her hair, making sure to help clear any knots she had—especially after his rough treatment of her.

Next, he dug his fingers into her scalp, eliciting a deep, rumbling moan from Ailin’s depths.

“Que rico amoorrrr…” she purred.

He massaged her head for a minute or two before continuing down to her ears, gently going into the grooves and then behind them.

On her face, he alternated between gently rubbing in her face wash and giving her big smooches, “muaah!” —which made her smile, then pout when he didn’t give her a kiss, then smile again when he remedied it with another, “muah!”

When he got to her neck, he switched to her body wash. He could feel how relaxed she was.

“How’s school going?” Noah asked.

“Sigh, almost done. Three more months.” Ailin opened her eyes, looking up at her husband—moaning as his hands roamed over her shoulders and arms with the loofah.

He applied pressure at the ridges of her muscles, giving her a light massage.

“Are you going to keep working at Mary’s Embrace?”

“Ay no se. Mr. Victor, he’s…odd. He already promised me a position once I finish the program, pero I think I’m going to go somewhere else.” Noah would have to ask her later about that.

“You okay to stand up, baby?” He asked her.

“No creo que I’ll be able to stand up right for a day or two.” She laughed. “Mmm.” Her hand rested on her clit and she gently massaged it.

Noah kissed her deeply, “let’s finish the shower.”

Helping her stand up they washed each other, paying special attention to their favorite parts. Ailin was especially focused on Noah’s legs and groin. She smirked at him, he was still hard.

“Are you going to take care of yourself, amor?” She asked innocently, teasing.

“What do you mean?” His eyebrows arched and he had a wry half-smile on his face.

“Well…” She stroked his cock with the lathered up loofah, “I’m already finished, sooo…”

“Is that so?” Noah looked down at his wife, still smiling.

“Uh-huh.” Ailin arched her own eyebrows and started to scrub her hips—playing coy.

Noah placed his hand on hers, stilling her. “Let me get that for you, baby.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t get any ideas!” Her eyebrows furrowed menacingly at Noah.

“Of course not.”

But Noah had several ideas. He leaned in close, giving Ailin goosebumps when his breath tickled the back of her neck.

“Bend over and put your hands up against the wall.” He couldn’t hide the hoarseness of his arousal—but he tried, using his stern on-duty voice.

“Oh! Of course, officer.” Ailin was caught off guard, but played along and did as he commanded. “Is this what you do to all the women you stop?” Her long eyelashes fluttered and her pouty lips frowned at him, but underneath that, she dared him to say yes.

He rolled his eyes. “Of course not baby, just you.” He poured body wash onto the loofah.

She warned him, “¡Más te vale que no! You better not, amor—”

Slap, he spanked her

“Ah, estupido—” Slap! Harder. “Noah!”

Noah chuckled, “okay-okay—I’ll stop.” But he could see her breaths getting heavier—she liked this.

With the loofah, he began to clean her butt, but not before groping each of her cheeks in his strong hands.

“Oooh fuck!” Ailin moaned when he squeezed hard enough to make her stand on her tippy toes.

“I love your ass so much, baby…God damn!” SLAP!

Distracted, Ailin began to scold him, “Hijo de tu pu—oooohhh!” She covered her mouth as she felt Noah’s face descend between her cheeks.

His tongue travelled from her swollen clit and labia all the way to her asshole.

“Noah! That’s so gro—oooohhh cabron—” She tried to clench her ass but he held her cheeks in an iron grip as he **** his tongue in as far as it would go despite the ache it caused him.

“¡Eso noo—ooohh— se a—aaahhh—se!” She objected because of her own reservations, but she couldn’t deny what it was doing to her—what it was making her feel.

Noah took advantage of that and released one of her cheeks to shove two fingers into her pussy.

“Amooorrr…que me estas haaaah—ciendo—OOH?!” She was confused—how could something so dirty make her feel so good?

Noah worked her pussy, rubbing her most sensitive area with the tips of his fingers—feeling the rough patch of skin and how it made her twitch every time he stroked it. With his thumb, he circled her clit lightly, teasing her.

He came up for a breath, “fuck you taste so good!” he managed before hungrily diving back in—obscenely worshipping her ass as she tried to get a grip on the wet tiled wall.

“You’re going to—hacerme veni—IIIIRRRR—” SLAP!

Another orgasm was wrenched from her from the pain of another spank at Noah’s hand.

Watching her trembling legs and lack of strength, he decided it was time to take her to the bed. Normally he would have picked her up, but he had something else in mind, something she might like—their shower would have to wait.

Turning it off, Noah reached for Ailin.

“Noah…where—AY!” She cried out in surprise when he grabbed her by the hair and led her out of the shower to their bed.

Am I taking it too far? Noah hesitated in his mind.

But he remembered their conversation—he had to trust her to know what she wanted and to stop him if he was going too far.

At their bed, he pushed her face first, her butt jiggling as she tried to catch herself but her arms felt drained. Not wanting to let her steady herself just yet, he grabbed her ankles and pulled her legs off the bed until she was **** to kick at the ground with her toes to try and find purchase.

Making her arch her back by pulling her hair—her muscles contracting almost painfully to accommodate the position—Noah made her look up at him.

“You still want it rough?” He asked her—ready to stop at any moment despite his painfully hard erection.

“Yesss, plis pa—AHH!” She gasped as he pushed himself in as fast and roughly as her pussy let him—wasting no time and pounding into her from behind.

While Ailin was clenching her eyes and biting the sheets to keep from moaning as loud as she needed to from Noah’s insatiable lust, he was entirely focused on her. The way his hands sunk into her wide hips—how smooth and soft she felt in his grip. But his favorite part was obsessively watching her ass bounce every time their thighs slapped together.

“Ggaaahhhh!” Her muffled cry came out as her another orgasm exploded from her core.

Noah let go of her hips and leaned over her, mashing his crotch into her backside, making his cock grind inside of her pussy to milk her orgasm as much as he could. He **** his hand into the crevice of her neck and placed it on her throat—squeezing just hard enough to strain her breathing. With his right hand he caressed her face gently.

“I’m only doing this to you because you want it, baby.” He groaned into her ear, feeling his scrotum tightening.

He was still trying to go in as deep as he could, needing to push into her as far as he could go to claim every inch of her before another man would enjoy her—he hoped that would be soon.

“This is what I want Walter to do to you!” He groaned, tightening his grip on her throat. “And I’m going to use your mouth while he does!” He stuck his fingers into her mouth, open in a silent scream as she was **** into the longest orgasm of her life.

Ailin could feel him deep inside of her, almost too thick—painfully so—but that’s what she wanted, what she craved. To be taken to the edge of her limit, just far enough so that her senses could shut down. To lose control of her being and experience bliss.

And she was feeling it now.

“I’m so fucking close baby! So…close!” Noah groaned into her back.

Feeling herself rapidly approaching another orgasm, trying to speak while Noah’s fingers hooked her cheek and his other hand gripped her throat. “¡Sijh! ¡Sijh! Aghdeghntroh—insaih, aghmor!” Her whimpers came out incoherently.

Her muscles were tired and aching, she could already feel the soreness beginning between her legs—but it was just making the pleasure that much more intense.

Taking his fingers out of her mouth and grabbing her forehead—his fingers roughly pulling the hair matted onto her forehead—he tried to pull her back towards himself.

“This is what you wanted, baby, right? You wanted to bring this out of me?” He challenged her—his own voice strained as he fought his own body’s response. “I’m so fucking close!”

“Ooo! ¡Cogeme papi! Just like thaaaht!” Wave after wave crashed inside of her until she couldn’t breathe.

Noah flexed his cock inside of Ailin as he continued his deliberately rough grind into her backside, the movement pushing her harder against his grip around her throat. Her normally porcelain face was completely red and sweaty, her exhales came out in near gargled bursts.

“Fuck! I’m goi—” Noah’s orgasm cut him off.

Despite her exhaustion and lack of oxygen, Ailin gyrated her ass on Noah, forcing him to continue fucking her through his own orgasm.

They both felt as his come fought for space inside of her, sneaking past his cock and finally collecting around the base of his girth before it travelled down their bodies. It coated his scrotum while running down her spread and swollen lips, and toward her clit.

With the last of his strength, Noah pulled them to their sides and collapsed. But he refused to withdraw himself from her.

“That was fucking amazing.” He kissed and nibbled on her shoulder, then nuzzled into her neck.

“Mhmmm…” Ailin hummed, already drifting—but a thought popped into her mind.

After a minute, Noah opened his eyes—feeling the shift in Ailin’s breathing from complete relaxation to slightly alert.

“Baby? Are you okay?”

She scrunched up her nose, debating whether or not to ask. Making her decision, she turned towards Noah.

“Do you really want Walter—anyone really…to be that rough with me?” Ailin asked, her sleepy eyes momentarily widened in worry—****.

She needed to know how far this fantasy of Noah’s went before she allowed him to believe it was a possibility. Before she allowed herself to give in.

Noah didn’t hesitate.

“Of course not—it was hot at that moment, but no…not rough at least.” He gave her a sheepish smile.

Satisfied, she closed her eyes. “Good. Porque I only want you to do that.”

Noah kissed her forehead. “I love you.” He whispered.

With a sleepy smile and her breathing slowing down, “I love you, too.” She yawned.

In his arms, she was finally able to sleep profoundly for the first time in days.

*

Ailin had been awake for thirty minutes. She kept looking over at Noah, waiting for him to wake up. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.

Whispering, “amor.” to no avail.

“Rrrronk.” he snored peacefully.

“Mrrm.” she protested, scrunching up her eyebrows at her husband. With a little more **** but not trying to startle him, “¡amor!”

“Rrrronk.”

“Noah!” she practically barked, smacking his shoulder.

“Rnk—huh?” He looked around, tired eyes trying to adjust coming out of a dead sleep. “What’s going on? What time is it?”

“Nada, amor. I—it’s just you’ve been asleep for sooo looong.”

Noah wiped his eyes and reached for his phone.

7:45 AM

He looked back at Ailin, raising an eyebrow at her over his sleepy eyes.

“Okaaaii, maybe you weren’t asleep that long. Es que, I woke up like at seven and I’ve been waiting this whole time.” she whined.

Noah chuckled at that, closing his eyes.

After a minute, “did you fall asleep again?”

“Sigh. No.”

“So…how was last night…for you?” Ailin asked cautiously—her hands ready to start rubbing together.

She wasn’t sure if she had pushed Noah too far in what she had asked him to do.

“It was amazing.” He smiled at her reassuringly. “Can’t say I want it to be like that every time, but every other time maybe—I can do that.”

Ailin felt relief and butterflies in her stomach. She wiggled her toes and scrunched up her nose, “me too—I agree. Completely.”

It was such a shift from two weeks before, when he had rejected her request for him to be rougher with her. Now, he had really tried for her—no, more than that—he had embraced it. And she wanted to reward him for that.

If he was willing to push his own boundaries for her and ended up liking it…maybe she could do the same for him. Who knows, she might like it, too…

“I have an idea…” She let her fingers dance on his chest to keep from rubbing her hands together—she was nervous but determined.

“An idea? For?” Noah could see the hesitation behind her eyes.

“You said you wanted to watch…me…and maybe…someone else.” she finally said.

“Yeah…” He lifted himself onto his elbows.

Releasing a shaky breath, “hoo…okai, how about, we go back to the club—tomorrow tonight?” Ailin looked up nervously at Noah’s face—and found he was trying really hard to suppress his excitement. “Do you…do you still have the card?” Card came out in a whisper.

The corner of his mouth fought not to twitch into a smile.

Bolting up from the bed. “Yeah, let me go get it.” Ailin watched his bubble butt shake as he speed walked out of the room.

She still wanted to take a bite out of it—and she would.

“Got it!” He called from the kitchen. “Do you want some water?”

“Sure!” She called back, biting her knuckles.

Was this a good idea?

Noah walked back in with two water bottles. The card was tucked between his and his palm. The second bottle he handed to Ailin.

“What do you have in mind?” he asked—he had an idea but he needed her to say it.

He laid down facing her and she grabbed his phone.

“Well, if you really want to do this, we can call him, to make sure he’s going to be there.” She suggested

“Or convince him to go,” he countered.

It slightly terrified Ailin how ready Noah was to do this.

After their conversation last night, he seemed so much more confident.

“Okai, pero we need a plan. This can’t just be some random fuck where we have no control over what happens. And I don’t want to be some pornstar you watch from far away, I need you there with me. Otherwise, this doesn’t happen.” So that Noah wouldn’t misunderstand, she added, “I’m not your personal pornstar and this isn’t porn, I’m your wife—you’re my husband. We do this together.”

She expected him to hesitate, but that part of him seemed to be gone since last night.

“Of course, together, always baby.” Noah held his pinky out to her and she took it.

“Bueno, then what do we say?”

“I think you should just talk to him over the phone. Don’t let on that I know, or that I’m involved. We don’t know him, we don’t want to scare him off. Let’s just get him to go—tomorrow? You’re using my phone?”

“I don’t want him to have my number.”

“Okay, yeah. You’re right. Good point.” Noah showed her the card, “Ready?”

She nervously exhaled, “foooo. Okay.” She dialed the number and called.

The phone rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Ailin looked at Noah, both were worried Walter wouldn’t answer—until finally he did.

“¿Alo? ¿Quién es?”

“Hola Walter, soy Ailin, la muchacha del club—hace dos semanas. Do you remember me?”

There was silence for a few seconds before his suede voice came through.

“How could I forgetch-you. You’re that guera hermosa.” Ailin blushed.

Noah’s heart raced—he was only catching a few words when they switched to Spanish. Ailin would need to translate the whole conversation for him later.

“¿Le quería preguntar si va a estar en el club mañana?”

Noah heard her say club and tomorrow—he knew what she was asking. If Walter was going to be there tomorrow night.

“I’m there almost every night. ¿Quería verme?”

The couple could practically hear the cocky smirk through the speaker.

“Si, quería bailar otra vez.” Dancing had been Walter’s in, and now it was hers.

“¿Eso es todo?” He asked her, expecting there to be another reason for her call than just dancing.

Ailin paused for a second, looking at Noah—then a wicked smile formed on her lips.

“Quisas. Quisas no. Nos vemos mañana entonces.” Maybe that was the only reason she was calling him, or maybe not—but he wouldn’t find out unless he showed up.

Before Walter could respond again, Ailin hung up.

Noah felt like his chest was going to burst, but he calmed himself by repeating Dr. Samson’s words in his head.

Right here, right now.

“Fill me in, and then let’s plan what we’re going to do tomorrow.”