Moonlight Window Ch. 03

Lara sobbed a little laugh.

"I love you dearly. More than life itself. I can't explain it, but when she's with you I love you even more. She frees you to be the woman you have only fantasized about 'till now. I love her because she's smart and fun to be with, but I love her all the more because she's able to fulfill desires in you that I could never fulfill.

"When she does that, I look at you and see a different woman. Still the woman I love, but complete, fearless and fully at peace with the world.

"If I never touched her again, I would love her as much for what you have discovered in each other.

"Does that help?"

Lara looked at me with wide round eyes. She nodded.

"I was a little scared until you said that. Now I know you understand me completely. I know I have had desires to make love to a woman since that day at the office. I know now that it wasn't just having them watch me; I wanted to do it with them while you watched.

"Bill and Beth are great. God, the sex was really, really great. I love them as friends . . . dear friends and sexual partners. I love Deb in another way. When I look at you when she and I are together, I know in my heart that we are pleasing you. It's more than just the sex, too. You enjoy the emotion we share. You share it with us.

"I could never leave you for her, just as I know you could never leave me for her. The two of us with her, though, are somehow so much more.

"Tell me this is real."

"This is real."

I held her and kissed her for half an hour. The time passed as if it were seconds.

"Sweetheart, sit down for a minute," I said.

We sat, and she looked at me expectantly.

I reached out and took her hand.

"There are some other realities we have to face. Are you okay to talk some more?"

"Yes."

"Good. This has happened really fast. So fast, the last five days have blurred into a dream. Our affair with Deb has been amazing. She is wonderful, and she is genuine. But she is only twenty-four, and she is facing the real world for the first time. She is opened the door to life, and she found us standing there.

"I hope this is not just an infatuation on her part. I hope this lasts. We have to face reality, though. She may fall in love with someone else, or want to have kids. In loving her, you are putting yourself at risk. We both are. I don't think she would ever want to hurt us, but the truth is that she has her whole life to live, and anything can happen.

"The last few days, everyone, me included, has been emotionally charged. Think about what has happened. Take a minute and mull it over. Are you willing to risk your emotions with Deb?"

I got up and poured two glasses of wine. I sat down and handed one to her. Lara had a distant look on her face. She took a sip of wine and then held the glass with both hands.

As I watched her face, I saw her emotions change. Pensive. Doubtful. Fearful. Resigned. Calm. When I saw calm, I knew what the answer was going to be.

She looked up into my eyes and took another sip of wine.

"Yes. I'm willing to risk it. If this fails next week or next year or in five years, it will be worth it for the time we will have with her. Are you okay with that?"

"Honey, I'm with you whichever way you want to turn. My biggest concern is that you don't get hurt. And there's something else I need to say. You may not like it."

Her eyebrows raised and she asked, "What?"

"I had her checked out."

"You what? When?"

"The day after we met her. I texted Ray, you know, the guy we use at the company to do backgrounds on suppliers, applicants and that kind of stuff. I told him you were considering a grad student as a possible resource."

"You sneaky little shit! What did he find?" she said, smiling.

"She's the real deal. Exactly what she says. Parents, siblings, education. The whole ball of wax. I compared what Ray emailed me to what she's told us, and she hasn't lied once.

"I did it because up to that point we were in a relationship with a young waitress who told us some stories about herself that we couldn't verify. She said this was a resort that catered to swingers, and the thought crossed my mind that there might be some hanky-panky.

"There is none. I had Jay check out the resort. Since she had been working here for years, it was natural to check it out as her employer. He said there is nothing shady about the resort, with the exception that search engines show that it is mentioned with a high frequency on swingers' forums as a nice place to meet. Good ratings on TripAdvisor and other travel websites. Stuff like that.

"I'm a little miffed that you went behind our backs to check her out, but I understand what motivated you. Thanks for thinking of it to protect me."

"You're welcome. I was hoping you wouldn't be upset. We can talk more tomorrow. And tomorrow at five we have a date with your 'Angel.' For now, we have each other."

We undressed and Lara put on a nightgown. I turned off the lights and opened the heavy drapes. There was a little more than a half moon now showing through the privacy curtain.

"Parlez moi d'amour?" Lara whispered in my ear.

I couldn't resist. I gave her a grin like Gomez Addams of the Addams Family.

"Oh, Morticia, French!" I leered, and then kissed up from her hand to her shoulder.

She laughed and playfully punched me on the arm.

"Say it again," I said.

"Parlez moi d'amour."

Then, sincerely and honestly, I looked her in the eyes and said, "Lara, I love you."

She smiled that same smile that always melts my heart.

We were exhausted emotionally, and we simply got into bed. We cuddled and went to sleep in each others' arms, bathed in the light the Moon cast through our window.

Why three esses at the end of PanesOfGlasss? One of my favorite sounds when responding to a touch or caress is "yesss." It is a word and a sigh all in one.

Why PanesOfGlasss? The world is our window, and we see our lovers differently through the light of each pane. Each moment brings hope of a new view.

This is a copyrighted original work of fiction. All rights reserved.

All characters featured herein are at least eighteen years of age, even if not expressly stated. Any resemblance between actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

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