The Unwanted Swap Ch. 02

It was hard to be mad at her, maybe it was only fair. I had watched as she turned my hard-earned salary into a burgeoning investment. She may not have quite doubled my money, but damn it was close. With that money still working for me, it meant I didn't have to rush into accepting another job. I could be picky and wait for the right one.

I changed into clean clothes and wandered out to the kitchen. Dinner was already sitting on the table. Rose smiled sweetly as I sat opposite her. As I inhaled the delicious aroma of the seared pork chops, my mouth salivated. She picked up her glass and reached across to toast with me.

As our glasses touched with a magical clink, she said, "To new beginnings."

As we sipped, I asked, "So, what happens now?"

She tried to smile, but her face tightened and she replied with a quivering voice, "I guess that's up to you."

"There's a lot to think about, but you did make me a promise that you would move out when I returned."

Cringing, she whispered hoarsely, "Is that what you want?"

"I don't know, I am confused. When I started building this house I had a clear picture of where I was headed. Now I am at a total loss."

"Eddie, I can only speak for myself. I love you, I always have. Yes, I made some mistakes, but we all have. I was hoping that while you were away, you would have changed your mind and come home with a fresh outlook. I want to try again."

"Is that even possible, Rose? I'm not sure it is."

"Just tell me this. Do you love me?" Her eyes were locked on mine, her stare boring into me.

"Yes I do, but I'm not sure it's enough. For love to survive, flourish, grow, there has to be other elements: trust, respect and understanding. I'm not sure that we have those."

"Eddie, I have all of those things for you."

"Do you, Rose? I'm scared because I saw how quickly I was pushed off my perch by Tony. Once you started listening to him, you lost all respect for me. It happened once, what's changed? Why couldn't it happen again?"

"I never stopped respecting you. I am embarrassed to say I let him manipulate me so easily. It was a terrible mistake, but I never once lost respect for you."

"Yeah, well, it certainly felt like it."

The smell and taste of the food took over and we let the conversation sit as we chowed down. The wine was lovely, the perfect choice.

It was afterwards, as we stood side by side washing up, that she got it out. "Eddie, what do we have to lose? I don't want to move out. I don't want to waste another minute. I want to be your wife again. I want to go back to those wonderful times when we were young newlyweds."

She turned me, slipped her wet soapy hands up over my shoulders and her face only inches from mine. "Please, Eddie, let me be your wife again."

Her lips crushed against mine. Her body pressed forward, her breasts squashed against me. Our tongues slithered together, twelve months of lust burst forth and I reached down, grabbing two very firm handfuls of her arse cheeks.

The passion grew quickly, our pounding hearts beating together, my raging erection rubbing her tummy. Any thoughts of anything but carrying her into the bedroom and making wild abandoned love to her evaporated.

Reaching down, I reached underneath her and picked her up. With our lips locked together, I carried her into the bedroom and threw her on the bed.

Before she could speak, I flung myself on top of her and again our mouths collided, and the searing lustful kisses started again.

I quickly unbuttoned her dress, exposing her beautiful flawless skin, her lacy little bra no defence against my marauding hands. I quickly slid my hands up under the flimsy fabric and mashed and mauled, squeezed and massaged her heaving boobs.

I moved my lips, I kissed her cheeks, her nose, her ears. I moved lower, kissing her neck, biting and nuzzling as my lips worked their way down, slowly kissing my way to her now exposed boobs. Sucking her firm nipples into my mouth, I luxuriated in the sound of her moans, her purring whispers. "Oh god yes, oh babe, don't stop."

Stopping was the last thing on my mind. I reached down and unbuttoned more of her buttons, ripping lustfully at the material. I could smell her arousal, and with nothing in the way, I slipped my thumbs under her panties and ripped them down her trembling legs.

She kicked, trying to help me fling them into the stratosphere.

Her glistening pussy shimmered in the light streaming in through the window, encasing us in that magical glow.

Without delay, I dived headlong between her legs. My mouth fastening on her succulent, engorged pussy. The tangy, sweet taste of her juices coated my tongue as I sucked greedily on her slippery sex.

Her fingers knotted quickly in my hair. Her legs raised and she wrapped my head in her shivering thighs, the firm supple flesh crushing my head in an almost painful death lock.

I didn't care; her pussy squelched in a sodden squishy mass of aromatic tangy juice. I sucked wildly, my tongue lapping, licking, probing as it slid into her molten centre, her labia clamouring to get more of my aching tongue inside her.

I could feel the walls of her pussy clenching, sucking. Her hands tugging viciously on my hair as she tried to jam more into her depths.

It was quick, her body shuddered, her hips jerked wildly. The pressure on my neck by her strangling legs announced her submission. I moved my mouth to allow my fingers entry to her palace. I jammed three fingers up into her. Her pussy accepted them with delight, the squishy salivating noise overpowered my senses.

I moved my mouth quickly to accept her wriggly little clit. Like a worm making a wild run for escape, I sucked it into my hungry mouth, sucking and nibbling as my fingers plunged frantically into her heaving body.

Her body twisted wildly under a vicious spasm, her thighs crushed, her back arched and she pulled harder on my hair.

The shuddering trembling started deep in her body, her hips jerking and thrusting as she searched for traction. "Fuck me, fuck me, babe."

Her orgasm was brutal, her body stretching tautly.

Her body softened and her legs unwound, allowing me to lift my head and kiss her tummy.

I lifted my weight until I was kneeling. I ripped crazily at my clothes and Rose sat up and helped. She grabbed me by the hair, fell backwards and dragged me with her. There was no going slow, no pretence of lovemaking. She grabbed my steely erection and guided it to her sweltering sex. I slid in, easily engulfed by her pulsating pussy as she milked my raging throbbing shaft.

Oh god, she was so hot, so juicy, as I slipped in and out, I could hear the squishy sounds of her sloppy pussy sucking me, milking me. "Fuck me, babe, fuck me." She yelled. "Do it, make me yours, I want to be yours, fuck me."

I was lost already, the warmth of her moist body too much to stifle. I gave up to the burning desire that was now centred in my balls.

I thrust brutally and her legs raised up, I felt her ankles lock together as I battered her succulent body. A human battering ram, I ploughed her faster and faster, my hips rising and falling in an impassioned assault.

Our flesh collided, the slap, slap, slap of our bodies smacking together in frantic desire. Rose's razor like fingernails were clawing at my back like some enraged beast.

My orgasm was fast. There was no way to slow it down. It exploded like a tsunami of sperm.

Rose's hips jerked and shuddered beneath me, our bodies saturated with sweat, slippery and slick.

The kiss was slow, gentle as we lay side by side, rejoicing in the afterglow of a powerful eruption of emotion, passion and yearning need.

I guess I was tireder than I thought. With Rose's warm body cuddled up in my arms, I was asleep before I knew it.

I slept the sleep of the sated. It was late when I woke. Sun flooded the bedroom. Rose was already gone. I stumbled out into the living area to find Rose cooking breakfast. I snuck up behind her, my arms circling her waist, my building erection prodding her bum. She was dressed in the flimsiest nightie. "Good morning, handsome," she whispered.

"Good morning to you, my love. God this smells delish."

"So, I'm not getting fired then?" she asked whimsically."

"No, I've decided to keep you on. In a purely probationary role, of course. One mistake and you're out the door."

"If you don't get out of my way, we are going to have an accident, so move it, mister."

I stepped back to let her dish up the eggs. Although once she had them slopped onto a plate, I spun her and kissed her. She peered up into my eyes. "I do love you so much, you know?"

Breakfast was filling and refreshing. "What happens now, then?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. I guess we take one day at a time. Try and figure things out."

"Eddie, I have done a lot of thinking while you were away. I hoped beyond hope that when you returned you would feel as I do, that we could actually make a go of this."

"I have tried to come to terms with the inescapable fact that I love you, Rose. I do want to do exactly as you say. To start afresh, try not to make the same mistakes again."

She walked around the table and sat on my lap. Her eyes staring at me. "Eddie, I want to quit at the recruitment agency. I can make more money playing with investing, and it would allow me to work from home which is important."

"Why so?"

"Because, I want us to start a family. We always said once we have a house, we would. I want that more than ever. Now we have this beautiful home that you built for us. Well, I hope for us."

Her look was so hopeful, her eyes pleading. I kissed her succulent lips. "It's a big step, Rose. A family, children. I will have to find a job."

She smiled warmly before kissing me and muttering. "Yes, but this time, I want it to be here, local."

"Yes, no more travelling."

"Eddie, I talked to Gordy a lot while you were away. He made me a suggestion. You know these beautiful lattice like beams you made?"

I nodded. "Yes..."

"Hon, he thinks you could make money from them. He has been talking to lots of the other farmers and they all have ideas about building new barns, extensions and improvements. He thinks if you were to hire a workshop somewhere and manufacture these things, you could make money from it."

"Work for myself; bloody hell, that sounds wonderful."

"You can do it, hon, you're so clever. Your own business, our business, a family business."

I had a sudden flash of inspiration. "You know, you wouldn't have to be the only one working from home. If I was actually going to do this, I could build a workshop right here. There's a ton of room."

A smile so wide it almost swallowed her face spread as she squealed, "Oh god, yes. We could do it."

There was a pause in transmission as we both started to envisage and imagine what we were talking about. To be honest, her comment of a family business went right over my head, but as I glanced at her, I sensed she was disappointed, disillusioned.

As the silence widened, she rasped, "You did understand what I meant, didn't you?"

"Of course I do. You mean, we could start our own business."

She grinned with a nod of her head. "A family business, one that is handed down through generations."

I was still lost. She growled. "Christ, Eddie, are you that thick? Do I really have to spell it out, or are you winding me up? Children... We have everything we need. A home, money, both of us working from home. Eddie, I want to start our family now. Not next week, not in a years time. I want to start now. This house is so beautiful. Can't you picture it with our children running around wildly?"

I frowned, not at her smart comment, but at the implications. "Rose, are we ready for that. Bloody hell, we have barely reconnected ourselves, and you want to add children to the mix."

"Yes, Eddie, children, our children. It's time."

I have to admit, I wasn't enamoured with the suggestion. Yes, I loved her, or at least had strong emotional attachments to her, but kids...

Over the next couple of days we focused on rebuilding our relationship. We talked late into the night, planning and making notes. I talked to Gordy, who introduced me to some of the local farmers who showed interest in the concepts I had used in my own home and Gordy's barn. By using the fabricated beams, they could widen the spans, open up their sheds and barns. That allowed them to be far more useful.

Meeting people who were interested encouraged me, and I talked to Mark. He agreed that the beams were a great idea and he could see many uses for them, if I could price them right.

Later back at Gordy's, we found ourselves sitting out in his barn drinking some cider that he made himself. Cider, Christ it was more like rocket fuel. It carried a mean punch.

As we started on our third bottle and the conversation was warm and comforting, I blurted out, "Gordy, how did you know the time was right to start your family?"

He gave me a penetrating stare. "Young un, I can't answer that. All I can say is I just knew. Now if you're thinking about starting a family with young Rose, well Laddie, do it. Because if you don't, somebody else will."

When I didn't answer, he snapped, "Laddie, she's a fine young girl. Why the hell you fucked around with Claire when you had her for a wife, I'll never understand. But I heard her talking to Beth, and she is keen to start. If you dally, she will not wait. You'll lose her, son."

I blushed, and he laughed. "Cor blimey, Laddie. Claire is a very sexy woman, and we were all a bit envious when we found out you were shagging her, but Rose is a very fine young woman."

I staggered home late that night and Rose was curled up on the sofa with her laptop. She tried to explain the program she was using, but I was drunk, giddy with excitement and I couldn't wait any longer. "Rose, let's do it."

Her face changed from the scowl to a smile. "Are you talking about what I hope you're talking about?"

"Yes, let's start right now. Let's make a baby."

"Hon, it's not that simple. I have to stop taking the pill, it won't happen over night."

"I don't care, we can practice can't we?"

She giggled crazily. "Yes, we can practice, but you're so drunk you won't be able to get it up."

I paced her hand on my bulging groin. "Don't you worry about me young lady."

You wouldn't think that those simple words would change much, but it did. Our lovemaking became deeper, more intense, more loving in some weird way. It was purposeful, it had meaning.

There were other things happening, as well. I put in planning applications for a monster shed/ workshop. I purchased proper welding equipment and I started to hunt down cheap steel suppliers. I wasn't going to use a kitset shed. I was designing and building my own. I was determined to showcase all my design ideas. The shed would be my advertising.

To add to that, I knew Rose still saw Claire on pretty much a daily basis, but I hadn't seen or spoken to her since my return. I wanted to, I just didn't know how to approach it. I was concerned that Rose might get the wrong impression about why I wanted to see her.

I needn't have worried, because it was Rose who raised it with me. "Hon, I spoke to Claire today. She wants to come over and visit, but she's worried that you will react badly. She is scared."

"She has no need to be frightened. I want to see her, as well. Not for any other reason than to say hi, I do want to try and recapture our friendship."

"Good, because, she's going to be here any minute. Please be gentle; she has been very worried about meeting you."

Claire walked in about fifteen minutes later. She breezed in looking as gorgeous as ever, her golden hair cascading down her milky smooth skin, her eyes bright, the flowing lime green wispy dress flowing elegantly, exposing her sexy long legs.

How do you greet an ex, in front of your wife? It was awkward. She struggled as much as I did. We did eventually hug. As our arms tightened around each other, I felt her body melt into mine. The kiss was quick, nothing more than a peck.

The embrace though went on for much longer. I glanced guiltily across at Rose, but she had a warm understanding smile.

Claire eventually let go and whispered wistfully, "Hello, Eddie my love. Golly, it's so lovely to see you again." She gave me a once over. "You look so healthy, so suntanned. I am envious."

"Don't be, you look as beautiful as ever." The words were out before I could stop them. Again I glanced at Rose, but if she was angry, she hid it well.

Claire picked up on my unease quickly. "Eddie, darling, I can't apologise enough for what happened between us. I acted selfishly."

"Claire, it's okay. I think it's probably turned out happily. Rose tells me you are head over heels in love."

She blushed a little herself. "It was still wrong. I should have spoken to you first, but the whole thing caught me totally unawares. Howard is a wonderful man."

"Good, I'm glad you met somebody who you can love."

"Eddie, I loved you, I still have strong feelings for you. Maybe not love in the romantic sense, but I feel connected to you. I want what is best for you."

"Thanks, Claire, I feel the same way. I think what we shared was incredible, and will remain with me as one of the most amazing experiences of my life. For that, I thank you. I'm not sure I would be where I am if it wasn't for you."

She pulled me back into a hug. Rose intervened. "Shall we go out onto the deck for a wine?"

Just like that, Claire slipped back into my life. There were some tricky moments. Meeting Howard, my replacement, was a bit weird, but he turned out to be everything Rose said: a charming good-natured guy. A successful businessman, much like Tony, but he didn't have the domineering personality.

He actually became an ally as I worked towards starting my business.

The day Rose announced she was pregnant was a landmark day for me. She came out to bring me lunch. I was busily welding up some structural support beams for the new workshop. She placed my lunch on the bench, adding a bottle of my favourite beer.

"What's the beer for?" I asked

"You might like to celebrate," she said, "when you see what I have to show you."

Confused, I asked, "Well, if we're celebrating, where's yours?"

"In my condition, doctors recommend that I don't drink." She handed over a little test strip.

I dropped it in shock when I realised, and we embraced. I twirled her round and round, her feet waving wildly in the air.

The birth was an amazing event all its own. I stayed with her the whole time. I even cut the umbilical cord.

Claire waited impatiently in the waiting room, and when she picked up little Avalon, our daughter, the look of total love that coloured her face was a picture.

I thought she might feel jealous because she was unable to conceive, but it was the opposite. Claire was in love, and Avalon had her very own godmother. A fairy godmother, because Claire spoilt her rotten. She wanted for nothing and it was difficult to prise Avalon from her clinging arms.

The love seemed equally returned, though. There was an immediate bond between them.

Funny how life turns out.