Chapter 3

Jill returned to the living room half an hour later, still flushed, but I put that down to her shower. She had dressed and was positively buoyant, radiant even and the insidious worm of doubt wriggled a little further under my skin.

While she had been gone, Nitro and I had regarded each other silently. I couldn't guess at what his thoughts were, those almost black eyes with their funny brows, gave nothing away. But, it was obvious from his guarded gaze; he was very likely viewing me as a rival to the rights of Jill. I know my thoughts were along those same lines, even to the point of considering making him a stray again. I admit it, I was more than a little jealous, but why wouldn't I be? This animal was replacing me as the object of desire for my wife and it could never fit well, regardless of his species.

"We need to talk Jill." She breezed through, going on into the kitchen to put on some fresh coffee.

"I guess." Her answer couldn't have been more noncommittal if she tried.

"Jill, I'm serious, we have to talk." I hated the sound of desperation that wheedled into my voice.

"Well talk away Robby boy, talk away." This was maddening; I could feel anger welling under the thin veneer of my control.

"What the hell has got into you Jill, I have never seen you so ... so... ?" I searched for the right word. " ... wanton."

"Nitro got into me, in case you hadn't noticed." She laughed at her joke. "He fucks like nothing on earth and his tongue is a killer, and yeah, I fucking love it." Her gaze went passed me to land on Nitro who had followed me into the kitchen. "What's the matter Rob, jealous?"

"No of course I'm not jealous." I lied. "It isn't like it's another man is it?"

"I'm making coffee; we can talk about this later." She dismissed me by turning her back, as if I wasn't there.

"Jill, I need to know where I stand in this." The wheedling returned, replacing the anger with a feeling of desolation.

"Rob, don't let your own insecurities make more out of this than there really is, okay?" She had turned back to face me, reinforcing her words. There was no more to be said, or at least, no more she was going to allow to be said; the subject was closed until she deemed the time to be right.

Faced with her silence and resolute determination not to talk about it any further, I grabbed my coat and left them to the peace of the kitchen.

Why does it always rain when you want some thinking time in the park? I walked along side the canal, blaming myself for my inadequacies, perhaps I could have been a better lover, been more attentive and tried harder to give her kids. Yes a kid; that was the answer. If we had a kid, then this probably wouldn't have happened. It was the first time the lack of children had featured in my thinking. We didn't have any and up to now, that had been okay, or at least, I thought it was.

My thoughts tumbled and jumped from one place to another, no answers came that would make me feel any better, but in the depression I was forcing on myself, it was obviously my fault, my failing and really, why did she stay with me anyway?

My mood hadn't improved by the time the rain beat me into submission and I returned home, saturated to the skin.

Jill was watching the television with the sound down. Nitro was nowhere to be seen. She had the living room to herself.

"Look Rob..." She started as soon as the front door closed. " ... I really like what Nitro does for me, I can't describe the intensity of orgasm he gives me and, having him fuck me earlier was just totally fucking awesome. But, and this is where you listen and you listen good. He does not replace you okay, for some God forsaken reason, I love you and no dog, man or beast will change that."

"Jill I..."

"I haven't finished yet." She cut across me. "I know I'm getting all the fun out of this so far, do you think me that thick, that I didn't consider you? But, this is all brand spanking new Rob, so it will take a bit of sorting out. Now, if you can handle that, then we can go on like nothing has changed, apart from I have a new toy. If you can't, then the dog goes, simple as that." She took a breath. "Now go and take those wet things off and get a shower."

It really was all I needed to hear. Now I knew my place in this trio. Suitably mollified, I did what she had instructed and felt something of a fool for having doubted her. I still had some doubt though, was my entire problem really because she was having all the gratification and I wasn't? Apart from blowing my load in her mouth and getting as hard as a rod of iron, I hadn't had any release, or was it that Nitro was indeed a rival for her sexual favours? I felt fickle

I suppose it was accidental, that the pack order got sorted out eventually. The next day, Sunday is normally a chill out day, when we usually do very little, watch the television, spend some time emailing friends and family, and generally lounging around.

It is also a day when we fool around. Not necessarily sex, but a wind up of each other, touches in intimate parts, tweaks and little suggestions to what we would be doing that night. Sunday is romp night, when we really spent time making love, not the mid-week tumble as a stress relief, but a session when we concentrated on pleasure.

I goosed her and got the surprised reaction I had hoped for. Then rather more than I had hoped. Jill took my hand, pulled me up from the sofa and wordlessly, led me to the bedroom. We spent the whole afternoon playing and pleasing each other until the final act. I took Jill at last in the missionary position that allowed us to cling to each other as the last throes of sex escaped our bodies. It was then and only then, when we had had our fill of each other, that Nitro was allowed into the room.