Chapter 4

Tim's thoughts were running along the same track as Kate. For such smart people, they had still managed to get wrapped up in their quests for material success, forgetting that their marriage should have been the most important part of their lives. Holding his wife in his arms, he promised her between kisses that he would never take her for granted again. Kate kissed him again, swearing that she would put their marriage before her career this time. Tim stood and took her hand, leading her to the unused bedroom. He pulled the curtains open to reveal the stars above the ocean, as Kate walked to the foot of the bed. She stopped and lifted her leg to remove her heels.

Tim watched Kate as she lifted her leg, and gracefully removed one shoe and then the other. The skirt of her dress rose slightly, enough that he could see her garter and stockings, sending a rush of pure lust through him. He approached her, placing his hands lightly on her bare shoulder. He ran his hand down her bare back to the top of the zipper and started to pull it down. His eyes drank in the creamy skin exposed with every light tug of the zipper as it traveled down to her lower back. Once the dress was completely unzipped, he trailed his fingers back up to the clasp at the base of her neck, kissing the spot he knew would send a shiver down her spine.

Kate lowered the dress to the floor, bending slightly at her waist, pressing her hips against his pelvis. She leaned in against him as his hands came around her. She was so beautiful, gorgeous ... no she was ... he gave up trying to articulate her figure before him in the light of the moon. It was full and cast a bright light through the open windows and gilded her creamy skin with its shine.

She turned in his embrace, looking into his eyes, she brushed her lips against his lower lip, parting hers and slowly exhaling. Her hands stroked his pecs, and then lazily drifted down towards his stomach, unfastening buttons as they went. When they reached the bottom of his shirt she pushed it off his shoulders, then paused when she saw what was underneath. For a moment, she was stunned at the sight of his undershirt. Never in their entire marriage had she known him to wear one, adding an extra level to the changes he had made for her. At any other moment, she might have been amused, but she didn't want to spoil the current mood by giggling.

She let his outer shirt fall to the floor, then pushed his undershirt up and over his head. As she cleared his head, she brought her lips down to his nipple, gently licking and teasing it. She trailed kisses up until she was under his jaw, then slid her tongue out and licked a line from his collarbone up to his adam's apple, making him shudder. She brought her lips back to his, and kissed him hard, pushing her tongue into his mouth. Her hands lowered to his pants, where she removed his belt and pushed them down his hips until they hit the floor.

Tim stepped out of his pants, and when she hooked her finger in the waistband of his underwear, he scooped her up in his arms and kissed her before lowering her gently onto the bed. She sat up as he brought his hands around to her bra, unfastening it and tossing it to join the rest of their clothes. She lay back again, and lifted her hips to allow him to remove her garters and stockings. He pulled them down carefully, kissing each of her calves. When he was done, he pulled back the comforter and top sheet of the bed while she squirmed underneath. Up until this point, she hadn't noticed the cool ocean air that wafted into the house, but now it covered the bed and sheets. She moved her limbs, trying to warm the bed with her body heat as her eyes followed him around the bed. He stopped at the other side and slid into the bed himself.

While it was not late, it had been a very long and emotional day. She moved across the bed, hesitantly placing her hand on his stomach and laying her head on his chest. The sound of the waves crashing on the beach was the only sound, aside from Tim's breathing. Her fingers combed through the hair on his upper chest while she listened to his heart's rhythm under her ear. He looked down at her, his piercing eyes taking her in; the glint from the moonlight making them almost predatory. He opened his lips, but before he could speak, Kate lifted her body and stopped him from talking by kissing him again, conveying everything that needed to be said in that kiss.

Tim awoke to the sound of Kate's light snoring and the crashing waves that almost drowned her out. She was still deeply asleep and he was very careful not to disturb her as he got out of bed. After stretching, he pulled on some swimming trunks and sandals. He went into the bathroom and when he came back out, he repositioned the armchair in the bedroom so he could sit while he watched Kate in bed. She was so beautiful, lying there peacefully while he observed the rise and fall of her chest and her soft, pink lips. After a few moments, he rose, grabbing his cell phone and closing the door to the bedroom behind him. Once out of hearing range, he called in to work, telling them he was taking a much needed vacation.

He padded down the hallway, scratching his chest and yawning. As he rounded the corner into the kitchen, it dawned on him that it might be good to make her breakfast. When he opened the refrigerator, however, all he found were leftovers. Grabbing the wastebasket, he threw out all the old food, leaving the fridge sparkling clean, but on the empty side. Walking out the front door, he deposited the trash in the outside can and jumped into his vehicle, heading to the corner market, where he picked up breakfast food and other items for lunches and dinners. Not sure at this point what to buy for Kate, he kept it simple.

With the fridge stocked, he grabbed some of the vegetables and started to cook eggs for omelets. While those were going, he proceeded to dice tomatoes, avocados and a few other odds and ends. As the edges of the eggs started to solidify, he added broken up pepper jack cheese, following with ham, bacon, and cheddar cheese. He then added mushrooms, olives, the avocados and tomatoes, covered them with more cheese, then folded the omelet and turned it over.

Kate woke to the smell of something delicious. She raised her head and took in the unfamiliar surroundings. It took a few seconds to place the room and everything that had transpired the night before. Rising, she went into the bathroom and used Tim's toothbrush to brush her teeth. Coming out in nothing but her panties, she walked over to the closet and pulled out a t-shirt and sniffed at it, smiling at the way it smelled just like Tim. Running her fingers through her hair, she pulled the t-shirt over her head and walked out the door.

Tim heard her footsteps coming down the hallway as he put both omelets on plates and added more cheese and avocados. He set them on the table and grabbed a fruit bowl when she came around the corner.

As Kate rounded the corner, not paying much attention to where she was going, she ran into Tim, knocking the fruit bowl in the air. His eyes swept slowly from her bare feet to her face, where he stopped, a broad smile on his face and passion in his eyes. Seeing the look in his eyes, her mouth went dry, and she found it hard to swallow. To distract him and refocus herself, she cleared her throat and asked if there was anything she could do to help with breakfast. He didn't reply, just shook his head and sat at the table. She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of orange juice, and two glasses from the cabinet. As she walked over to the table, he stood and pulled out a chair for her, then pushed it in, lightly caressing her shoulders, and sat down across from her. They ate in companionable silence, exchanging smiles and flirtatious glances every so often.

When Tim was nearly finished, he looked across the table at Kate, who was about halfway done. He had not expected to see her so hungry. Finally done, she set down her fork, and wiped her mouth with her napkin. She politely thanked him and complimented his cooking skills. He finished the last few bites on his plate and leaned back into the chair, happily stuffed, and not only with food. The simple act of enjoying a breakfast together was an experience he had not known he was missing until he had it back.