Playing House Ch. 01

A/N: Hi everyone. This is my first Literotica series. Chapter 1 is probably as low-heat as the series is going to get, lol. Needless to say, this does fall in the reluctance category, so if you're not into that, maybe this isn't the story for you. Planning on writing a couple chapters a week. I'm not sure how long this is going to go yet. Always open to productive feedback. Thnx, and happy reading ;)

--

"Veronica?"

Theo's heart stopped the moment he said her name. The moment he saw her. Three years she'd been gone...and now, here she was. Veronica, his wife, was standing in the manor's greeting hall. As if she'd never left at all.

She wrung her hands behind her, a nervous tick she apparently hadn't gotten rid of during her three years gone. Normally Theo wouldn't have been able to see it, but as he descended the curving staircase down into the greeting hall, he was gifted with a perfect all-around view of her.

"Hi Theo." Veronica's voice quivered lightly, but she kept her posture confident. "It's been a while."

Theo barely heard her. Or rather, the words he did hear were more like soft bells ringing in his ears. How many times had he imagined he heard that voice echoing down the manor's halls? Calling to him from the shower? Whispering him awake, just like she used to do. More times than he could count over the last agonizing three years. Over the last year he was just starting to come to terms with the fact that he might not ever hear it again. But now, all that progress was gone in an instant.

Theo felt his mouth was open, probably embarrassingly so. He nearly tripped down the last marble steps, taking them two at a time. When the maid interrupted him during his conference call, he couldn't imagine her giving any excuse that wouldn't result in her immediate firing. But in one sentence, she had Theo ending the call and racing to the front doors.

"Mrs. Henrys is back."

Theo stopped only a few feet away from Veronica, his eyes racing up and down her. She was even more dazzling than he'd remembered. Her usually wintery skin was bathed in a sun-kissed hue now, and those adorable little freckles she usually only got during the hottest summer months smattered her cheeks. They dripped across her arms as well, likely trailing all over her body. Her sunset orange hair was shorter than he remembered. When she left, it hung nearly to her waist, but now, even pulled back into the braid as it was, it clearly cut off somewhere just past her shoulders.

Her shape had changed. She was always so skinny with him—which he hadn't minded, of course. But now, having put on a little weight, it was like her curves had filled up in the way nature had always wanted them too. Her hips flared like they never had before, begging to be held. And her bust. If she'd been a bit of a less-endowed woman before, now her breasts looked almost as full has they had when she was breastfeeding Damien. All this tucked into the wispy white dress tied with the braided brown belt she was wearing, it might have been enough to let Theo stare forever. But as she looked up at him, his gaze was inevitably pulled back to her eyes. Those beautiful, chocolate brown eyes, watching him with a tremble from under her winged orange lashes.

"You're...you look..." Theo sounded like an idiot, fumbling around his words like this. To hell with words then. Before she could react, he closed the distance and pulled her into his arms. Her warmth burned into him, somehow sinking past the layers of his vest and button-down. And she was even softer than he remembered. Softer than he imagined. He could hold her forever, if only to make sure she didn't leave again.

Veronica let out a short laugh. "Okay, um...maybe a little much." She wiggled in his grasp, forcing him to reluctantly free her. Still, his kept his hands on her arms.

She looked away for a moment, and brushed a free strand of her hair behind her ear. "I see the place hasn't changed." Her eyes flew over the arches of the greeting hall, over the marble stairs and the crown molding of the high ceiling. "It's just as grand as I remember."

"Where have you been?" The words flew out of Theo's mouth. Of all the things to talk about, the manor was not at the top of his list of questions. "Not that it matters..." he added, though it obviously did, but they would get to that eventually. "I'm only glad you're back, and safe."

Even through all the rush of awe, shock, and overwhelming love he hadn't realized was still as fresh as ever for her, a small bead of anger couldn't help but bubble up in him. He tried not to let it twist his face. "I...was very worried that something had happened to you."

Veronica took an annoyed breath. "I wrote postcards. And I called my mother every week—I was fine."

Fine? All but disappearing after an argument one night and refusing to have contact with anyone but her mother for three years, and he was supposed to think she was fine?

"I had top people looking for you," Theo said. "They couldn't get a location."

"I know." Veronica ripped her arms out of Theo's grasp. "Believe me, it was quite annoying to keep moving because some P.I. kept showing up, asking around with a picture of me."

She looked over Theo's shoulder, then started through the greeting hall and towards one of the living rooms. "Where is Damien? It's Saturday, he can't be at school."

Damien. Theo's heart twisted. How was he going to deal with Veronica's return?

"He's at a school camp with some friends. They'll be back in a couple days."

Veronica stopped walking, only a few steps into the main living room. She sighed and dropped her hands over the back of one of the velvet settees, one she herself had picked out when they first moved in. "Oh."

Theo, having kept only a step behind her, took her hand and swooped them both around to the front of the settee. He sat and pulled her down with him. Veronica sat with a short huff. Her eyes darted around for a moment and she fumbled, as if she didn't know where she wanted to put her hands before settling them in her lap.

"Ver..." Theo brushed his fingers over her cheek, instantly pulling her attention back to him. Just her glance alone sent a wave of weakness through him. It made his heartbeat tremble.

"I have so many questions," he said softly. A shade of red tinted her cheeks. "But before I say anything else, please tell me, are you here to stay?"

Veronica matched eyes with him, completely unblinking. "Yes."

Theo's shoulders relaxed. He hadn't even realized how tense they were. But that one word fixed it all. Yes, she was staying.

It didn't matter what she said next. They could work from here. The last three years had been a nightmare, but he was finally awake.

"Then—"

"I know, I know, where was I?" She repeated the question for him, then laced her fingers tightly over her lap, pinching them together until they flushed white. "It's more like where wasn't I. California, New York, Montreal, Paris, The Bahamas. I just needed to find myself, you know? See who I was in all these different places."

Theo clenched his jaw on instinct. "We could've gone any of those places together."

"I needed to see who I was without you, Theo." The words snapped out of her mouth. No hesitating. No remorse. They cut deep into Theo.

Veronica's lips pinched together for a moment before she went on. "We got married so young. I'd barely finished my degree. I feel like I went from being my parent's daughter to your wife instantaneously. I never figured out who I was in-between." She sighed again, and brought her hands up to rub her temples, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. "I was Mr. and Mrs. Kempton's daughter all the way through college, and then I was Mrs. Henrys. I needed to just be Veronica for a while."

Theo gripped the backside of the settee. He'd always given her a chance to be herself. He knew some of the other husbands who ran in their circles. Half of them didn't let their wives leave the house without knowing what she was wearing, where she was going, and who with—all things they'd patronized him for not doing once his wife was gone. But he'd always loved Veronica too much for that. He gave her freedom to do whatever she wanted, and with however much of an allowance she liked. Anything for the only girl who'd managed to beat him during his college model UN days, stealing his heart from their first tournament together.

She could always be Veronica with him, he'd never told her not to be. But now she was making it sound like he'd tried to cage her. No, this couldn't really be about that. But maybe it was about the one thing he had pushed on her.

"Did it have anything to do with...our last talk?"

Veronica shifted uncomfortably, but managed not to blush too hard. "No. I mean, that wasn't the crux of it. But I think it was that fight made me realize I needed to go."

He took her hands in his, running his thumb over the delicate skin atop her hand. "I wasn't trying to force you. And I admit, I made a bad call."

Even thinking about that night now sent a shudder of pain and disappointment through Theo's chest. They'd been so happy before. Their son, Damien, was the most adorable little boy Theo could've dreamt up. Fair skinned and freckled like Mom, but with his thick brown hair and pensive blue eyes. The perfect product of their love. Him alone was enough for a while, their charming little accident after less than a year of marriage. And since he'd been unexpected, Theo didn't push Veronica for any more kids right away.

But six years in, and Damien was still an only child. Theo had been an only child, always jealous of the kids with little siblings to run around with. He swore he'd never let his child grow up without at least one brother or sister. But even discounting that, it wasn't just about Damien. Theo wanted another child. Desperately.

So when Damien turned six, he brought up the idea to Veronica. First on their anniversary, while they were having rooftop dinner under the stars at one of their favorite restaurants in Barcelona. He'd honestly thought she'd be as ready as he was, and hoped to start trying for their next child that night.

She didn't say no, but she didn't say yes either.

"I don't know about now," she'd said, tapping her wine glass. "Let's wait until after the holidays. I don't want to be that couple sending out annoying pregnancy announcements with our Christmas cards."

He was disappointed, but he put the thought away like she wanted, and didn't bring it up again until New Years'.

"Are you sure you need that?" He'd asked, when she paused in the middle of trailing wet kisses down his bare chest to take her birth control pill.

Veronica snorted a laugh. "Why wouldn't I?" She'd paused, as if only just remembering her promise, then immediately popped the pill into her mouth. "Ask me for Valentine's Day. Isn't that more romantic?"

Again, Theo was disappointed, but he resigned to wait again. After all, what was a couple more months?

Then Valentine's Day came. She pushed it back again. Then their summer retreat. Then Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. An entire year passed and there was no new baby. Not even a single day had passed that Veronica hadn't been adamant about taking her birth control.

Any time Theo asked about it, Veronica wouldn't really engage the conversation. She'd just say, ask me later dear, then move on like it wasn't an issue at all. As if his desire to hold a new child in his arms weren't of any concern, or even worth a serious conversation.

And Theo may have gotten a bit too resentful about it.

The head housemaid Linda was responsible for filling all of the house's prescriptions, among other duties. Theo paid her quite well, compared to the other maids in the neighborhood, and she was beyond loyal. So when Theo told her not to pick of the next month's prescription for Veronica's birth control, she obeyed.

One by one each night Theo watched Veronica's remaining pills disappear. Every night right at 9 P.M. she'd pop one into her mouth. It didn't matter if she was half asleep, had to hop out the shower to grab one, or pushed him off of her right in the middle of a passionate love-making session, she'd be sure to take that pill. And surely, like always, she'd expect her refill to magically appear in her drawer when the old prescription was all used up.

Theo knew the exact day she'd run out.

It was only a week after Damien's seventh birthday. He sent their son away to grandparents for the weekend. Though Damien's room was on the other side the manor—close to his nanny's and placed there exactly because Theo never wanted to be worried about having to keep it down while making love to his wife in their own bedroom—It felt like they should be properly alone for night as special as that night. The night he'd hopefully give his son another sibling.

They spent the evening at a house party hosted by one of their neighbors. Theo watched Veronica the entire night. The way her hair fell around her face while she was laughing, how her tight red silk dress hugged her hips. Her flat belly, ready to host a new life. Just imagining that soon she'd be pregnant again was almost enough to make him cum right there in the midst of all their friends. But for the sake of decency, he managed to keep his hands off his beautiful wife until they got home.

The second they passed through the doorway, and handed the Benz keys off to the butler, Theo scooped Veronica up into his arms with so much force her heels flew off.

Her eyes widened in delighted surprise. "What are you—"

He crushed his lips against hers. Veronica quickly fell into the kiss, opening her mouth and twining her tongue with his. She tasted like cherry and candy, always her favorite party margarita flavor.

Veronica looped her arms around his neck, pulling herself close to him as he used memory alone to carry her back up the stairs, down the halls, and into their bedroom suite. He kicked the door closed behind them in grand fashion, sending a shudder through the walls that couldn't even match his own excitement.

Finally, he felt his knees hit the edge of their bed. He pulled away from Veronica's lips, now puffy and beautifully swollen from his attention.

She took a shallow breath. "I haven't been kissed like that in—"

"A week? Two weeks?" He gently laid her back on the bed. She sunk into the plush bedding with all the grace of an angel. His angel. "If it's been longer, let me know. I'll do better."

She rolled her eyes playfully. Not wanting to waste any more time, Theo climbed over her, and began trailing soft kissed from her ear, down her jawline. They were so soft, so delicate in comparison to their last kiss, it was enough to make Veronica loose herself. She shuddered underneath him.

Theo's hand cupped under her thigh. His nails dragged delicately up her skin until they touched the fabric of her lacy hip-huggers. He's always hoped he'd find his wife wearing a thong one of these days, but still, he'd much rather see her in nothing at all.

Theo hooked his fingers into the hip of her lace undergarment, and slowly started to tugged it down. The satisfying bump of the fabric slipping over her ass sent an unexpected rumble through his chest. It was always those little things that reminded him just how excited he was just to touch his wife.

Ver's fingers were busy as well. She made quick work of his shirt, popping the buttons away one by one. Without the fabric between them, she ran her hands over his bare chest. The warmth of her palms brushed across Theo's chest. He groaned in delight.

"You're stunning, Mrs. Henrys," he said playfully.

Her hands slowed. She looked up at him. With her sunset hair splayed across the grey satin pillow, and those dark honey eyes practically glowing from under her matching orange eyelashes, Theo had to stop and admire her for a moment. His Veronica. What would their next child look like? Damien looked more like him than her—something he'd loved. A son that was undeniably his. But he hoped the next baby had hair and eyes like hers.

Veronica opened her mouth to say something, but a tell-tale alarm blared from her smart watch.

She pulled her wrist between the two of them. "It's nine o'clock." She tapped the alarm away and wiggled her legs under Theo's. The squirming alone made his cock twitch. He wanted to keep her where she was even more than before. But like always, he let her go.

Theo slid off his unbuttoned shirt while Veronica hopped off the bed and opened up her nightstand drawer. He didn't give anything away. Instead, he too rose from the bed as she popped open the little pill container. The empty one.

Veronica froze for a second, then started rummaging through her drawer, pushing through little notebooks and books. "Did Linda forget to get my prescription?" She threw the empty box back into the drawer, then laced her hands into her hair. "She's never this forgetful."

Theo came up behind her. He wrapped his hands around her waist, running his hands over her stomach and up to cup her breasts. He pressed his hips into her ass. Even through his pants, his quickly hardening cock settled between the then fabric of her dress, finding the perfect home in the nook of her cheeks. He couldn't help but let out a satisfied moan as he started to grind himself against her. "I'll send her to get it when the pharmacy opens Monday..." he dipped down and started nipping at her ear.

Her body was so warm. So fit. So his. Finally, he had the night he'd dreaming about for over a year. They were going to conceive their next child.

Veronica jerked her arms out of his. In a blur of motion, she spun around and unbuckled his belt. It was so lightning fast, Theo hardly had time to realize what she was doing. A frustrated look pinched her features, and before he knew it, she slid her hands into his pants, not even bothering to take them off.

Her warm hand ran down his length, then started pumping like a machine.

A wave of pleasure ran up his core. Her fingers squeezed and played with him. He wanted to start thrusting in her hand on instinct, but he still had enough consciousness to not be distracted.

"What are you doing?" he breathed.

Veronica frowned, looking down at his member like it was a job. "Jerking you off."

He grabbed her hand. She pursed her lips, looking up at him with an unexpected irritation. "We can't have sex tonight, Theo. Unless you have a condom somewhere." She looked around like one randomly appear in thin air.

Still grasping her wrist, he pulled it up until her hands was out of her trousers. She was serious about this.

Now he was getting irritated. "I told you when we got married I don't ever want to wear a condom when I'm making love to my wife."

"Then I guess you won't be making love to her tonight then," she snapped. In a huff, she strode towards the bathroom. "Whatever. I offered. Jerk yourself off then."

What was she doing? She really wouldn't sleep with him without her precious birth control.

A pounding anger started to ball in Theo's chest. The pulsing, unattended to cock trying to poke through his trousers probably wasn't helping the situation.

"Just say it." He followed her into the bathroom. Veronica was running a bath in the large tub sitting adjacent to their two-person shower. She held her hand under the water pouring from the gilded faucet, waiting for the temperature to reach her liking...and still not looking at him. But the mirrors adorning the walls around the tub let him see her face. Completely emotionless. "You've been stalling for a year," he said. "Just say you don't want another baby." Hearing the words struck him hard. Saying it made them real. A possibility.

And it was a possibility he couldn't deal with.

"I don't have anything against another child." Her voice was a whisper.