"I expected you back at two," I said, throwing my jumper across my head. Nick was still laying on the bed, the sheet barely covering him as he typed on his phone. "Nick," I repeated for the second time after he'd failed to hear me the first, or deliberately chose to.

"Huh?" Nick looked over, placing his phone on the bedside table.

"You said you were coming back at two."

"Oh, yeah. Why? You don't sound so pleased, babe," he replied, smirking as he sat up, "and I know you can't be unpleased about the sex." His voice boisterous and alert as he slapped the absent spot on the bed where I was moments ago lying. "Besides, like I told you downstairs. Work didn't need no more of my time. They said I could head on off. So, I caught the train, not telling you cause I wanted to surprise my beautiful wife," he explained, reaching for my hand that was resting below the pillows on the side of my bed. He squeezed it, his matrimonial circle kissing my skin. "Are you disappointed or something?"

The unconvincing appearance of my sweet smile and affectionate tone wasn't a hint to Nick. "Of course, I'm not. I was just wondering. Normally, you've never been able to drop off early. And it's not like you told me where you were going. You could have been in Europe or literally in the city, or halfway around the world for all I knew."

"Ah, yeah. I was just in the city, babe. I'm sorry but hey, tonight, we've got that house warming party so that should be fun. And I'm finishing early all week, and maybe, just maybe, now that I am back home, you'll have inspiration for that book. Huh?" he responded, letting my hand go as he retrieved the vibrating phone from off the beside table. He was intently looking at the screen, giving me the opportunity to think how I was going to come out with it to him. We needed to properly talk.

"Nick—"

"---Yeah, babe?" he interjected, refusing to look towards me.

I didn't personally want to bruise his ego. So, like the coward's route I chose, I opted to not bring up my 'unhappiness' with our sex life and chose safely what I deemed safe to bring up. "Have...have you given any thought to children?"

His fingers stopped almost immediately tapping across the screen as he finally held my curious glaze. "C'mon, babe. We've spoken about this before, it's a conversation we don't have to worry about yet. Besides, you know I do. Just...let's just be patience, okay?" Nick gently argued, something I sensed as the final conversation he wanted between us to occur on the topic of children.

I held my sigh in. At least I tried, I thought to myself. But did it make me feel better? Did it make me feel happy? Not as worried? Would these strange emotions disperse? Would I start loving my husband as I should be. Or was I just destined to feel depressed and out of tune with my emotions.

"I better go have a shower and what not," he began, taking the red duvet cover off his naked legs before he stood up, proudly naked and texting on his phone, still, as he headed out the bedroom. "Why don't you try writing, hun? Perhaps, I've just given you some inspiration," he hollered from out in the hallway.

Unlikely, my inner thoughts scoffed. It wouldn't make a difference.

It was later that afternoon, Nick was on the phone, chatting to whoever needed his attention. I was sat at my vanity table, watching him through the mirror opposite as I gently put my earrings through the lobes of my ears. They were once an engagement gift from him, sliver diamond earrings that I adored to wear. They were also earrings I only wore when we went out on nice occasions which I presumed would be tonight's event.

"Yes, yes, okay, good. Yeah, bye." Nick ended the call, throwing the phone onto bed.

"Everything okay?" I muttered, watching as him through the mirror, moved towards me. His hands slipped onto my naked shoulders just above the low cut straps of my black dress. They continued to rub up and down like he was kneading bread as he shook his head. "Yeah, don't worry. Just business antics. You looked beautiful, babe," he replied, kissing the top of my forehead.

"Are you sure you want to go tonight?" I asked, anxiously hoping he'd say no.

"Of course." He nodded, adjusting his sleeves as he fastened them, "it will be good. I've already have a peek outside. Our new neighbour must have about a dozen people over there. It will be good, Rose. Trust me. Isn't that how writers work? They create characters from the people they meet?"

"I suppose." I shrugged my shoulders. "Could you do this for me anyway?" I was referring to the sliver necklace held between my fingertips that I always managed to struggle with to clasp it around my neck. Nick smiled, dropping his hands to the side as he ventured towards me and then taking the necklace. I held my breath. I was hoping that I'd react. And by that, I'd be aroused, or I'd feel a moment's shiver run down my back once his hands touched the back of my neck. But when he did, I felt nothing. The hairs on the back of my neck didn't react, barely moved a muscle. It just felt like how it was and that was just two hands working on the back of a clasp. Nothing. And when he kissed the back of my neck? Absolutely nothing. Was I not attracted to my husband?

"Right, all set, babe. Shall we go make ourselves noticed? I'll meet you down the bottom of the stairs. Oh, and wear that perfume I bought you. It smells so goddamn sexy on you, hun," he said casually, oblivious to the state of emotions worming through my mind as I sat there on the stool.

Nick was right. Our neighbour, Shane, had gone all out. The front of his driveway once home to a single car was now packed with several other cars, and the remaining rest were parked outside the front on the road's curb. I could hear music, conversation which I could only presume was coming from the back garden. Holding onto Nick's arm and carefully treading across the grey pebbled driveway in my black Louboutin heels, I squeezed his arm, quickly speaking. "Nick, I don't feel dressed right. I'm not overdressed, am I—"

"---Babe, you look fine," he cut me off, comforting me as he kissed my right cheek.

There was no turning back. No coming up with excuses as Nick knocked the front door. I wanted to turn back. My stomach was doing backflips. I felt strangely excited, eager and somewhat, doubting that nagging thought that was telling me I was overdressed. Instead, I was secretly glad if that was the case. He was in there. His eyes would be looking at me, hopefully undressing me. It didn't matter how hard I tried to fight those thoughts, my mind was racing with confessions. There was just no escape.

The lofty door opened inwards revealing him. If I hadn't had Nick offering me support, I was certain that my trembling knees would have dragged me down. As if I imagined the scenario earlier, Shane glanced immediately to me, his eyes tumbling in war at quite possibly trying to be discreet as Nick spoke thanking him for our invitation.

"Well." Shane cleared his throat. "Please come in. I have some guests just around the back. There are snacks and whatnot in the kitchen so please make yourself a home," he offered, stepping aside as Nick headed in first, detaching from me, as I headed in last. My stomach clenched feeling those dark and dangerous eyes follow me and quite possibly hunting me.

The sound of my heels clicked against the wooden floorboards as I bit down on my tongue trying as best to walk without feeling like the room around me was suddenly shrinking smaller. He was just behind me, I could feel his lingering presence as we entered the open-spaced kitchen, alongside a dozen individuals commencing in chatter. There must have been about twenty people in the kitchen let alone, besides those I could see outside on the wooden decking, standing under the patio heater.

Nick was ahead already introducing himself, casually pointing his finger towards me as I stood anxiously at the kitchen counter.

"I wasn't sure if you were going to... come." A deep, gravelly voice intruded my ears from behind. He was dangerously close, I knew that from the sudden brush of fingers against my back causing me to tremble at its touch. I held my breath, slowly turning around.

"Nick was on the phone. We apologise if we're a little late," I explained, apologising for what I knew was only half hour late. His tongue slid quickly across his bottom lip, making me instantly notice and regret how he was aware of this.

"No worries." He smiled. "I'm just glad you showed up. Would have been quite disappointing...if you hadn't," he added, his eyes daring to wander towards my lips. "Would you like a drink?"

"Erm." I swallowed. "I think Nick's got me one," I lied, quickly heading towards my husband who at that point was lost in the crowd of people. I just needed to get away. Each second that passed away, I felt my insides clench, my heart hammer and the evidence of arousal, stronger than the days before ensnaring me.

"Babe, there you are. This is Jenny and---" Nick interjected, grasping me by the hand. I was thankful at the point to be welcomed by something I was comfortable with, and that was Nick. It didn't mean as I stood there, listening, laughing lightly when I needed to and offering warm smiles, I was not thinking about him. Him, who stood nearest the kitchen counter, drinking from a whiskey glass and meeting my sheepish glances in return.

I felt like a hot, flustered mess and was more concerned with the current state of emotions that when Jenny, if that was her name, piped a question to me, Nick had to nudge me.

"Sorry," I apologised.

"---Writers, ay?" Nick joked, "when she's distant, it cause she's plotting her next plot."

Jenny smiled. "I've read some of your books, Rose. Do you think I could get it autographed?"

"Sure, sure. Just sent it through the post. I don't mind that at all," I replied, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen from my loose, low back updo.

"Great. God, if I knew Shane was living next door to a famous author—and might I add my personal favourite, I would have bid for me and Andrew here to have snagged this place from him," she said, her blonde straight hair shimmering down onto her shoulders as she moved.

I chuckled, something that I didn't have to fake. I was thankful to hear her compliment, I loved my readers. It made the rest of the conversation more interesting that it must have been an hour or so, that my bladder decided after a couple of gin and tonics, and glasses of red wine, I needed to pee. Either the alcohol had me happier than I was feeling before because I wasn't as too shabby when I kissed Nick on the lips.

"I'm just going to head to the toilet, babe," I muttered, squeezing his hand before I dropped it as I headed off. Maybe Nick was right. Maybe I just needed a night out. Maybe tonight, I'd feel more adventurous, bold and daring that I'd take charge tonight. Our sex would be solved, and I would start writing dozens. Maybe, I just needed to be tipsy to get a couple sentences going.

I had suspected the toilet was upstairs as I had seen others follow out of the kitchen towards, so I followed my instinct and headed up. It wasn't hard to miss, it was the door opposite as I reached the top. Nor, did I spend that long after managing to zip up my dress once I'd peed.

What I hadn't expected, and whom I'd managed to barricade from my thoughts was him.

"You found the bathroom then?" he spoke softly, his towering frame above me, and yet again inches from me.

"Yes," I replied, "doesn't take a genius." I held my breath hoping he would slide past and let me carry on forward. I didn't want to experience those thoughts again. I was married. And I knew I loved Nick. An attractive man wasn't going to side track me.

"Enjoying the party?" he asked coolly.

"Yes, it's...okay." I paused, pausing for the second I dared to look him in the eyes. It was a huge mistake. They were studying mine, sometimes briefly changing course as they dared to devour every inch of my body. "I—I better go down---"

The abrupt touch of his fingers caressing my cheek interrupted my words, sliced them in half that they became replaced by a soft gasp escaping my lips. It felt like I'd gotten shocked a live wire, instantly dispersing across my skin to the tip of my toes.

"I-I—"

"---You're looking very beautiful tonight, Mrs Stanton," he whispered, brushing his finger towards the bottom of my lip, "you deserve to be worshipped tonight," he gently added, his eyes not once leaving mine.

"I'm." I swallowed. "I'm married." The weight my words were weak as I stood there allowing his fingers to touch my skin, a form of intimacy that I should have not given permission to. It felt like my tongue had been sliced off with a clean sharp cut because the more I didn't do anything, the more his fingers adventured elsewhere. Now, his right hand was slithering towards my waist, burning through the fabric of my dress.

"I know you're...not happy," he muttered, leaning in slowly as he wet his bottom lip. A sensuous act that made me even more question the arousing heat below.

I almost squealed when his hand squeezed my ass but instead I let out a breathless gasp, knowing very well as did he that I was hyperventilating. I couldn't help how my thighs clenched together nor could I stop myself as I watched him lean in. I expected him to kiss my lips. It appeared like he was going to but instead he pressed his lips towards my ears as he spoke in a hushed tone.

"I'd fuck  you right, baby."

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE! Let me know what you think of this story so far! What do you think of this possible affair? Also, if you haven't heard, BOSS UNDERCOVER (Book One) published with Limitless Publishing is now out in Paperback and e-book on Amazon! Please if you can, support me on the journey as a published author!

VAMP

xxx