This sudden delicate touch entraps me as it moves from my hip and towards my chest. It tiptoes across each crease across my chest, shaping it and relaxing each muscle in my body.

This is the type of touch that melts the Grinch's cold heart, snatches the soul out of your body, and takes control of your mind. This tender feel is all I've craved for. Her warm body against mine as she makes her presence more known with a few soft kisses on my shoulder.

This feeling here is that feeling I've craved for a long time. It's a feeling you can get nowhere else. No matter how hard you search for it, you can't find it. It just comes to you.

A lightly lit, quiet room filled with passion, sensitivity, openness, and intimacy, letting all of our emotions and body parts do the talking for us. It's a moment that I could live in forever.

My heart rate rises, beating so fast, as she uses the tip of index finger to read my body like her favorite book. She studies it over and over, entertaining herself, and taking in all the information she needs. She knows me all too well.

Maybe too much but who am I to stop all of this? She's already seeped through my skin, wrapped herself around my mind, and made homestead in my heart. Can't turn back now. Plus, how can you stop something that genuinely makes you happy?

My hand follows hers as it trickles down towards my thigh, entangling her fingers with mine. As our palms connect, her love rushes through my veins and her eyes glow, mirroring the shape of the crescent moon outside of the suite.

Watching her eyes dance with the night sky moves me to turn towards her and wrap my hands around her waist. My face buries itself into her neck with my nose taking in that sweet smell of peaches and crème. The smell of her excites me and I pull myself closer to her, as if the gap between us isn't closed off already.

My head moves back to the soft, satin pillows just to watch her lips form into this pure, affectionate smile when her eyes catch mine. I would rewind that moment and play it back over and over again if I could.

Everything plays its role in this moment and my senses activate even more. Everything she does and doesn't do has me fall for her even more. The way she looks at me, the way she touches me, teases me, the way she smells, etc. She has me in a daze.

She's something extraordinary, out of this word...

Special.

"You're doing it again."

The sound of her voice even sends me and I don't know what she's talking about. My mind is thinking of other things. Her chuckle, the beauty in her eyes, her instant touch again giving me goosebumps and an oncoming erection.

"What are you talking about, love?" I ask breathtakingly. She has me in a chokehold.

She rolls her curvy self on top of me, putting the wrong parts in the right places. I grow harder as she leans closer to me, directing our faces to come centimeters apart from each other.

Breathing deeply and in sync with each other, we look into each other's eyes and she whispers...

"Tripp, you can't keep doing this to yourself."

And that's where my heartbeat stops, the smile on my face fades, and my pulsing bulge shrinks.

It's like I'm falling through the bed and into a dark hole. The man in me grows so small and I can't say anything because she's right.

This wasn't Tampa anymore. Those two weeks in the sandy beaches with her just buried itself in its own sand. Everything's different now and coming back to reality is a pain in the ass.

It was fun while it lasted, I guess.

She rolls off my suddenly cold and still body, leaving me to feel dead inside. She stands up, showing off her beautiful nude skin, and sighs while looking out the window.

"Can you promise me something, Tripp?"

I can't even bring myself to look at her after that revelation. My pride holds me back from showing any true emotion now.

The room grows so cold and slowly shatters little by little. My body shivers as the suite shakes and my final words are "Anything, sweetheart".

"Mr. Buckingham's dinner is tomorrow night so I need for you to dress up sharp, okay? You know how he is so I expect you to be on your best behavior. Promise me, Trippy."

Her voices changes to a familiar pitchy, nasally tone and I immediately open my eyes. My soul jumps from my skin as soon as I see it's Kyra leaning over the bed and touching my junk.

I make my retreat from her hold and roll to the other side of the bed in fear, forgetting that she's my reality.

When she goes from that look of concern to pissed off, that's when I realize that I fucked up again.

Oh shit. Here we go again.

"So, I scare you again, huh? Tripp, I don't know what the hell is wrong with you but you need to get it together before Safari and I bounce."

My eyes roll at her empty threat as I sit up on the side of the bed. She's throwing on one of my old shirts over her naked body. Does that mean we fucked last night or am I tripping?

Damn it. So, that's who was really banging me in my...never mind.

"I'm for real, Tripp. Let me tell you, I can have any man that I want in this world, Tripp. I could be with A-list celebrities with four children, a million-dollar mansion, eight luxury cars, and a dog named Kisses..."

This whole speech has implanted itself in my brain. I can repeat every last word she says. Sometimes, I wish she meant every last word she says.

"But no, Tripp. I chose to stay and be with you because you mean that much to me. We have so much history together. Plus, nobody can love you like I can."

She goes on and on while I go back to my dream, wondering why it felt so much like reality. Lately, it's been like this. Every time I look in the mirror, I see her and it's like we're still together. Two damaged souls still fighting to keep our love alive.

"Are you even listening to me, boy?" Kyra forcefully taps my shoulder and I get pissed off.

Instead of arguing with her or even acknowledging her, I get out of the bed and move past her. It's almost time for work anyhow.

Looking through the closet, I find a nice casual outfit to wear to work and listen to Kyra babble angrily again. You wouldn't believe me if I told you this is an everyday thing.

"You better be fucking around with me because avoiding me and shit won't get you anywhere. I betcha there's another bitch you're thinking about, isn't there? If there is, I'm putting the paws on her! Stop playing with me! Let it be that Journee hoe! I been ready to deck her ass since the day you fucking met that bitch!"

After following me into the closet with her loud antics, she sharply turns on her heel and walks out. Before I know it, I hear...

"And cut! Nice work, Kyra!" Here comes the director to congratulate her on her bullshit.

Look, I'm cut from a different cloth, alright? This reality tv shit ain't for people like me. The drama for likes, laughs, and money, being followed all around town, taping whoever I talk to, watching us around the house, and telling us what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. This has been my life for the past eight years.

You'd think I'd be used to it by now.

"Now, Tripp, you gotta pop off on her sooner or later. Ignoring her ain't gonna give us ratings, alright? Bring the fire, Tripp. Even if you gotta smack her, I wanna see you out of your element."

Hell nah, man. I'd never disrespect my wife in front of everybody just to make a quick few stacks. That ain't even in my blood.

Shaking my head at the thought, I finish putting my clothes on and remember that we were both naked in front of the camera. We got other things that need to be addressed besides how I treat my wife.

"Uh, that's cool and all, but-"

"Listen, man. This is your family now. We are your family. We just stay on the sidelines and watch you guys grow into the industry, okay? You just got to act like it...literally."

He turns his back towards me and swiftly walks out of the closet. I overhear him directing the cameramen to film Kyra at her first day of filming for this new movie.

Talk about acting. I feel like I've been doing that since I married Kyra.

****

So what do you guys think?

Tripp may not want to disappoint anybody...yet.