Partners in Life

"You see! That's what I'm talking about. You are simply gorgeous! You make it look so easy, and yet I know how much real skill and talent went into this look."

She smiled at him seductively as her heels clicked on the hardwood floor. She walked slowly towards him; her hands outstretched beckoning him into her arms.

"You are a sorceress," he whispered.

Her eyes sparkled with delight. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I do love you so very much my darling husband, for this moment and so many more. You are the most wonderful man in the world and I'm lucky to have you."

He whispered in her ear. "No luckier than me. Shall we eat?"

"What's for dessert?"

"Something served best in bed," he murmured as they walked arm in arm to the dinning room.

The dinner was every bit what he had promised although she only had eyes for her husband.

He stood up as she set down her fork and walked over to her, extending his hand. She placed her hand in his and he led her to the stairs, then up to their bedroom.

What followed was a night that neither of them would forget as he slowly removed her satin robe and lingerie. Tonight was to be a night devoted solely to her pleasure.

He caressed her lovingly. His hands and tongue grazed across parts of her body that, under his caress, became incredibly sensitive.

Her first orgasm exploded filling her eyes with stars, and yet he hadn't touched her sex. She barely had time to recover and another orgasm shook her body. His tongue settled between her thighs like a feather that had fallen from the sky. His touch was delicate, gentle, and elusive. She yearned for more, so much more. Her body craved another caress, a subtle touch, a dainty kiss on each nipple. Her mind soared with infinite pleasure.

Who was this man...this husband...this lover? How had he discovered the secrets of her body? How can he be so tuned into her? And then a thought struck her like a thunderbolt. Laura. He understood her through Laura! She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight. She didn't know what she did to deserve such a beautiful gift as the man in her arms tonight.

She smiled blissfully and thanked the stars above for Jeff, her husband, her lover and her new best friend.

=FOUR=

The following weekend, Ashley's sister decided to take follow up on Ashley's offer to visit. It had been a long time since she'd been to the city and an invitation to go shopping with her sister was too much to pass up.

It was the middle of an afternoon by the time she arrived at her sister's house. She knocked on the door but no one answered. She peeked through the sidelight by the door but the house looked empty. A bit flustered she pulled out her cellphone and sent her sister Ashley a text.

It read: Hi Sis, I decided to take you up on your offer for a day of shopping in the city. Call me so we can meet up, I'm at your house.

Two blocks away at the Fair Grounds coffee shop Ashley and Laura sat sipping cappuccinos and listening to soft jazz in the background when Ashley's cellphone buzzed.

Ashley retrieved it from her purse and swiped the screen to read the text. Her eyes grew large as she read what her sister sent her. "Oh shit."

Laura leaned forward. "What? Bad news?"

"It could be, Susan is in town, at our house! She wants to spend the day shopping."

Laura sat back in the overstuffed chair by the fireplace and shrugged. "That sounds like fun. How about I disappear for a little bit and then I'll meet up with you guys later for dinner."

"That sounds good, except..."

The color in Ashley's face went white as she watched her sister walk into the coffee shop.

"Hi Sis," Susan said as she flopped down in a chair next to a somewhat shocked Laura. "I was driving down to get some gas at the corner station when I saw your car. Lucky, huh? She reached over and offered Laura her hand. "Hi, I'm Susan Billings, Ashley's sister."

"Hi," Laura gulped as she took Susan's hand. "Laura Benson."

Susan glanced back and forth between Ashley and Laura. "I didn't interrupt anything did I? I always do that. My husband Robbie tells me I do it all the time."

Laura set her cup down on the side table and smiled awkwardly. "No, no, don't worry, I was just leaving."

"Laura dropped in just before you did. We were just catching up," Ashley volunteered. She glanced at Laura with a subtle smile.

Laura returned her smile and stood up. "Ash, it's been fun. I'll talk to you later, have fun shopping." She turned briefly to Susan. "It was nice meeting you, Susan." Then she walked around the corner and out the door.

"I hope she didn't leave on my account," Susan sighed watching Laura go.

"I don't think so, Laura told me she had a ton of things to do. She just happened to catch me like you did."

"She's a pretty thing, is she married? I saw the wedding band on her hand so I wondered."

"Yes, happily so," Ashley sighed contentedly. "Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"No, I had some before I left Eastville," Susan said as she stood up. "I want to check out the new outlet shops you raved about a couple of weeks ago."

Ashley set her cup down on the side table next to Laura's and stood up. "You want to take my car or yours?"

"Oh, let's take yours. You know how to get there and I hate driving in the city. Do you want to follow me to your house so I can drop off my car there?"

Ashley mind raced through the possibilities. Most likely Laura was walking back to their house. Susan might see her and suspect something. "No, let's not bother. We can just pick it up on the way back, okay?"

Susan nodded and smiled as Ashley let out a sigh of relief. It was a good thing Laura was so pretty, most people overlooked the telltale signs with such a pretty face to admire. Still, she knew what Jeff was going to say. It might be weeks before she could coax her best girlfriend out for coffee again.

She grinned sheepishly as she followed Susan out the coffee shop door. It was fun watching him squirm when Susan sat down.

She'd make it up to him, he was easy to please and she loved pleasing him as much as he loved pleasing her.

Susan chatted on about the drive into the city, the traffic, the rude drivers and how many times she was sure she almost died. Ashley loved her sister but she was glad she was only around in small doses.

As she stood in the checkout line at TJ Maxx it occurred to Ashley that she was falling in love with the feminine side of Jeff. Even though Laura was only a feminine personification, deep inside was Jeff, her husband and her best friend.

Later that night, with her sister on the interstate safely heading west, Ashley confided in Jeff that she really cherishes the times she spends with Laura, nearly as much as she cherishes her time with him.

Jeff sighed as he took her hand and looked into her eyes. "I'm worried that I might be losing out to Laura, Ash. That you might want to spend more time with her than you do with me."

But Ashley assured him that it's just the opposite...that she has fallen more in love with him because of her.

"We'll find a balance, I know we will. I love Laura as much as I love you, my dear sweet husband. She's taught you how to love a woman. For that I can never thank her enough."

=EPILOGUE=

Today, Jeff and Ashley are still together as their marriage has moved past the critical seven-year itch into a lasting relationship built on love, understanding, and mutual respect.

Ashley still loves to spend time shopping, dinning out, and going to the movies with her best girlfriend Laura, but now more than ever it's her time with Jeff that she cherishes the most. They truly have become partners in life.