Sorrento Pt. 04

I was glad the darkness hid my tears, but did not think the emotion would be absent from my voice. "Kiss me again," was all I could manage. She kissed me, gently, and slid back down beside me. It was not long before we were both asleep.

I woke early, wrapped tightly into Anna's arms. I wanted to just stay there, but my bladder had other ideas. It was a good opportunity to freshen up a little. I am not sure I had ever had to clean my teeth with my finger before in my whole life, but it seemed inconsequential compared to the happiness I felt.

Being a single bed, it was impossible not to disturb Anna, but it felt so good sliding in naked beside her. She turned onto her side, her back towards me, reached round for my hand and clutched it tight onto her breast. I curled in behind her, spoon fashion, until I imagined every inch of our bodies were touching.

I could not help think about the days when I first started sleeping with Tom. We were both still in college. We always slept naked together; a habit that we only grew out of when the children took to unexpectedly climbing into bed with us at night. Tom was very affectionate and considerate while we were awake, but he always needed his own space when he slept. I never felt that I had shared that part of his life. I had never thought that could be any different, until now.

I know that I drifted into another contented sleep. I awoke next to the feel of Anna kissing me gently on the lips.

"I will have to get up soon," she said. "I am supposed to be at the desk by seven."

"What time is it now?"

"Six fifteen."

I put my arms around her and kissed her long and deep. She pulled away to catch her breath and lay back. I climbed on top of her. My legs were wrapped in the bed sheets, and my movements clumsy, but I did not care. With my legs astride Anna's hips, and my hands free, I Leaned foreword to kiss her again.

I started to move downwards. First kissing her chin, then her neck; taking each inch of her body one at a time. Anna lay back and sighed deeply. By the time I reached her breasts and focused on teasing her nipples with my teeth, I could her breathing quicken, and her body hungrily pushing towards me.

"What happened to the gentle sweet Kat that climbed into bed with me last night," she asked.

I knew what I wanted. I continued to work my way down her body, kissing, licking, teasing and enjoying every bit of flesh of this wonderfully beautiful woman.

"Kat, you are going to make me late." Her voice now sounded jerky, one word between each rapid breath. I took no notice, and started to pull at her pubic hair with my mouth. Her hands reached down to push my head. I took the hint and buried my mouth fully over the edge of her cunt lips, sucking her clitoris in as hard as I could. I bit on it gently and then proceeded to lick on it. Anna arched her back and let out a deep moan.

I reached down further so I could lick the entrance to her vagina. She had such sweet tidy lips. She was already oozing liquid and tasted sublime; I could feel it sticking to my tongue and dribbling down my chin. I could hear her breathing becoming erratic.

"Kat, I want you too." Her voice was now almost staccato.

I turned as quickly as I could manage. I sat astride Anna's chest. As my tongue found it's way back to teasing her now swollen clitoris, Anna started to lick the outer edges of my vagina. It sent shudders down my back. I ached for her.

I knew that I was near that edge and that it would not take much to send me into ecstasy. I continued to lick Anna, tasting her, until I sensed that she too was close. As I let myself go, I sucked hard on her, taking both of us into orgasms that racked our bodies, making us scream with delight.

As the orgasm subsided, I climbed off and collapsed into Anna's arms. She kissed me deeply and longingly. I could taste myself on her lips and on her tongue, as no doubt she would taste herself on me. The whole idea of our bodily fluids mingling that way made me happy beyond anything I could imagine.

"I think you have enjoyed making me late," she teased. Her breathing was finally returning to a more normal rhythm.

"That is because I do not want you to leave me, ever."

She pushed herself up onto an elbow. "If I do not leave then I will fall madly in love with you. If I fall in love with you, I would have to have you here with me always, and you could never have sex with anyone but me."

I already knew that I did not want sex with anyone but her. I already knew that I was in love. Her trying to make it easy for us to part just made me love her and want her more. She Leaned forward to kiss me, climbed off the bed and ran into the bathroom. With her kiss I felt the wet traces of tears from her face. I bit hard on my lip. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. It did not matter; I could not let Anna hear the sobs bursting from deep in my soul.

By the time Anna emerged and started to dress, I knew that I had to leave. I was no longer sure if I had a marriage, but I did know that I had three children and a father that meant the world to me and, for a few more years at least, needed me back in California.

"I am sorry," I said softly.

Anna walked over to the bed and wrapped me in her arms. "There is nothing you need to be sorry for, nothing at all. Nobody can ever take this night away from us. It has been perfect."

I kissed her one more time, and watched her get dressed in the half light from the bathroom. Within a few minutes she was gone.

The next few hours passed in a haze. I know that I dressed and returned to my suite. I know that I showered and changed into fresh clothes. I know that I went down to the restaurant for an early breakfast, but very little of the detail of that time registered. I was preoccupied. Not with thoughts of what might happen with my life, but just holding on to the feelings and memories that I had shared with Anna.

Before I knew it Tom returned from Rome, and I slipped back into being the dutiful wife, interested only in his trip and his meetings. We spent the last of the morning walking the streets, enjoying coffee and pastries. I was genuinely pleased that dinner with the chairman had sealed the negotiations and he was able to return with a substantial new contract for the company.

Tom did apologize that he had neglected me. I know that in his mind he was concerned only with his unforeseen trip to Rome, but my thoughts were on the generality of the last twenty years. I had become a good housewife and a good mother, but I had stopped being the lover that Tom wanted to come home to at night. I had stopped being a woman. I accepted what Tom said with as much grace as I could manage, but somehow it left an unpleasant taste.

When it was time to leave, Anna came to find us. She told us that our taxi was waiting and our cases had been taken care of. I watched her intently. I could see the pain behind her eyes. I could sense the flood of emotion that she was going through. I understood it. It was no different to how I felt.

"You must have left this at the restaurant last night. One of the staff found it and brought it back this morning."

She handed me a small brown paper bag. I felt baffled; I had never seen it before, but at that moment I could think only of Anna. I admired her calm and professional manner. I was on the brink of breaking down.

She turned to Tom and kissed him, Italian style, on both cheeks. "It has been a pleasure to have taken care of you both. I hope you will come and stay with us again."

When Anna turned to me, I could not bear the idea of a perfunctory peck. I threw my arms around her and wrapped her into me as tightly as I could. She responded without hesitation. "I love you, Anna. I will never forget you." I hoped my words were quiet enough that Tom had not heard, but I was not sure I cared if he had.

She pulled herself from my grip and held my hands. "Ditto," she said.

"I am pleased that you enjoyed yourself and made friends," Tom said after. We were on the way to the airport.

"Anna was kind enough to keep me company last night. We had a very nice meal in town together."

"She seemed very nice."

"She is."

"What is in the bag?"

It was still gripped tightly in my hand, and I had no idea. Realizing that I was unable to describe whatever it was, I opened the bag. Inside the bag was a small box and inside the box, a necklace; a small mounted diamond, on a thin silver chain. I had seen it several times before, hanging around Anna's neck. Tears filled my eyes. I bit hard on my lip.

"It is beautiful," Tom said.

"Yes." It was all I could manage at first.

"I saw it and thought it would be a nice memento to take back with me. It was not especially expensive."

Tom took it from my hands and placed it around my neck. I wrapped my hand around the diamond so that it pressed into my skin. I had no qualms that I had just lied to my husband, but I did regret having said it was cheap. I had no doubts that it was a real diamond, but that hardly mattered. It had a value beyond money; my diamond in a brown paper bag.

"We should come back; you seem to like the place and the people."

"Perhaps one day." I hesitated. It felt like there was a dam about to overflow, and I had no idea where the flood was going to take me. "We should go to more places, take more vacations together."

"We do have more time, so yes, we could."

"I do not mean with work, or with the kids, or going away with friends, I mean just me and you. I mean romantic vacations." I could see the taxi driver watching me in the mirror, smiling.

"Okay," Tom said, clearly unsure where the conversation was going.

"I am serious Tom, we need to try to find that spark again. I want to be wanted." The taxi driver's eyes were wide and glaring.

"Kat, this is not the time or place."

I knew he was right, but I feared that if I did not speak now, I would never say what I felt. "I know, and I am sorry, but I cannot help that we are in the wrong place. I need to feel like I matter; matter as a woman. I want to be loved."

"You are loved Kat. I do love you."

"You love me for being a good wife and a good mother, but I am a woman too. I need to be desired and wanted. I need you to want to make love to me and not just have sex now and again." I glared back at the driver and forced him to look at where he was driving.

Tom was embarrassed. "I am sorry. I did not know our lovemaking was so disappointing."

"I am sorry too. This is all coming out hurtful, and I did not mean to be hurtful. You have been a good husband and an even better father, but I have realized that I need something more. There is a huge hole in my life that I need to fill. Our lovemaking doesn't have to be disappointing. It can be different. I just need you to be willing to change."

"Okay, but I am not sure I know how to change."

"We can learn. If necessary we will buy books and watch movies. We can do it if we try, if we both try; together. Just promise me you will try."

"I promise," he said, and lapsed into a thoughtful silence.

As Sorrento slowly faded into the distance, I sat and thought about my life. I had no idea if I could ever fall in love with Tom the way I needed to for our marriage to last, but for his sake and the sake of our kids, I thought I should try.