You Shouldn't Kiss Me Ch. 01

Sometimes life has a way of influencing my stories. Such is the case with this story. Fair warning, this story will be in three parts. In a way it's a deviation from my normal stories. I hope you all enjoy.

Just to let those of you know, who follow 'The One' and 'She's Special', no I haven't forgotten about them. I will have more chapters posted for both of them later this week. As with all of my stories, any and all feedback is welcome. Good or Bad.

~honeywldcat~

Prologue

Why does it seem that life always has a way of kicking your butt? Denise thought to herself. After being married for ten years, she thought for sure that she knew what to expect from her husband. Cooking his meals, cleaning his laundry, working odd jobs when it was convenient for him, and raising their seven year old son should have been enough, but apparently not.

Denise fumed, "Lying, cheating, sorry son-of-a-bitch!"

After opening the cell phone bill which just happened to list all incoming calls and show an astronomical bill that she had no idea how to pay, she saw the same number listed over and over. Over five hundred text messages were sent from her husband's cell phone to that same number. At first, she tried to convince herself that it was a mix up. Some screw up that the phone company made.

After talking to the phone company, she realized the screw up was her complete and total faith in her husband. It took about thirty minutes to find out who the phone number belonged to. I should have known, played through her head. He had been making trips to a new shop that the company he worked for had opened at least a couple of times a month. She thought it odd when he said that cell phone coverage was iffy at best there, but she trusted him and let it go. Never in a million years would she have thought that Joe would have cheated. He was her best friend, the one person she had always been able to talk to.

Sure he had been acting distant lately, but Denise just thought that was due to stress at work with his new promotion. Not that he was screwing around. She wanted to rant and rave and went to pick up the phone to call a friend, then realized that she didn't have a friend that wasn't a friend of both of theirs. Somehow over the years, she had lost touch with the people she used to be close to. Denise's life revolved around Joe and Michael.

For the first time in years, she felt that familiar feeling of her old self emerge. The person she used to be, the one who spoke her mind and actually wanted to be known as something other than Mrs. McCarty or Michael's mom. How did she just let this happen? How does a person go from being an individual to just being someone's wife or mother?

Sitting on the bed that she shared with her husband, she thought back to when she lost herself, when she no longer felt the need to rock the boat and do the things she wanted. That's when the tears started. Her whole being rocked to the core with sobs tearing through her body, a grief so horrid and strong that it felt like a heavy blanket smothering her. Not only was she grieving for the loss of her best friend and husband, but also for losing herself.

When the phone rang, she had half a mind to just let it ring. The thought of talking to anyone right now, wasn't something she felt like she could do. In the end, practicality won out. It could be an emergency.

Tentatively she answered, "Hello?"

Anger rushed through her veins at her husband's voice, "I won't be home until late tonight. I have to handle a few issues with the shop."

"Well, hello to you too, honey. My day is just perfect, thank you for asking." She sarcastically interrupted.

"Sorry, I'm just busy. Someone is calling in, I have to run. Don't wait up."

"Joe?" She waited to hear him respond before adding, "Do me a favor, will you?"

He sounded exasperated, "What, Denise? I have to take this call."

"Tell Lisa hi for me." When only silence met her response, Denise laughed, "Yeah, your silence just told me the whole truth." With that she slammed the phone onto its base and picked it up, base and all, shattering it against the bedroom wall.

From that point on, her day went to hell. Between crying and trying to go about her daily routine, she felt lost. What was the point? Like it ever mattered what she did or didn't do. Giving up on getting anything done, she walked outside. As a rabbit hopped across the yard, she realized that she would get through this even though it didn't feel like it. Yes, it hurt, but life goes on. Somehow she would pick up the pieces of her shattered remains, if only for her son.

At the end of the day, Denise was bone tired. Her whole body ached. Knowing that she would have to actually speak to Joe at some point didn't help. After making sure Michael had a bath and brushed his teeth, she settled in to read him a bedtime story.

Tears threatened to fall again as her son asked, "Where is Daddy?"

She tried to smile at Michael, but new it was weak at best. Rubbing his hair away from his face, "He had to work late. Do you want to call and tell him goodnight?"

Michael shook his head no and asked, "Why doesn't he want to be with us?"

Denise couldn't stop the tears that fell from her face, "Oh, baby. Your daddy loves you, don't ever think he doesn't." It's me he doesn't want.

"Don't cry, Mommy." She wanted to stop, but couldn't. How could Joe do this to them? His actions not only destroyed her, they also hurt their son. For the first time, instead of her soothing her son's pain or sadness, she held on to him like he was her lifeline.

A few hours later she awoke to hear someone walking through the house. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was going on midnight. Denise placed a gentle kiss on her son's forehead and quietly left his bedroom. Once she pulled the bedroom door shut, she took a deep breath. She hated the thought of what she had to do. It was time to face her husband.

As she made her way to the kitchen, the sound of cabinet doors slamming echoed throughout the house. Leaning against the kitchen island, she pointed out, "Michael is asleep, you know."

When Joe looked at her, she saw the hatred radiating from his eyes to her. His tone was clipped, "And?"

Denise wrapped her arms around her waist, "I'd rather him not hear what is said between us right now."

He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. Twisting the cap off, he tossed it on the counter. She watched as he drank half of it in one gulp. Denise waited until he set the beer down before she asked probably the dumbest question of her life, "Why?"

His response hurt her more than anything anyone had ever said to her before, "I love you, Denise, but I'm just not in love with you anymore."

That was a non answer if she had ever heard one, so she asked the second dumbest question of her life, "Are you in love with her?"

Another non answer, "I barely know her." He sighed, "Listen, this has nothing to do with her. It's us. I should have left four years ago when you lied to me. I shouldn't have let things go this long. I don't want us to hate each other and that's what will happen if we continue."

Confused she asked, "Four years ago? What are you talking about?"

"You lied to me over the car insurance. You said it was paid and you didn't pay it."

Denise recalled that argument. He knew she had forgotten to pay the bill. At the time money was tight and she had gone grocery shopping, not realizing until it was too late that she had forgotten to pay the car insurance. "Are you joking? That's really why you started screwing around?"

He sighed, "It's more than that. I know you had an affair, all those late night calls. You telling me that it was your mom calling at four in the morning."

"What are you talking about? I never said it was my mom calling. It was my cousin. Are you accusing me of having an affair with my cousin?" Denise couldn't believe what he was saying. Was he really trying to put this off on her?

Numbly she listened to all of the offenses he spouted off that she supposedly committed. From what he was saying it was all her. Denise thought back to the time when her cousin called just about every night for six months. He had been going through a horrible time in his life. The woman he was married to had a miscarriage and left him. Not to mention that his sixteen year old son was staying in trouble, acting out. As Denise listened to Joe with half an ear, she couldn't believe that she did as Joe asked back then, when he told her that he didn't want her to have anything to do with David anymore. To please her husband, she broke all ties to her cousin. She hadn't spoken to him in almost four years. At the time when David was going through hell and needed someone, she turned her back on him. How could I have done that to my own family?

She really looked at Joe, trying to see some resemblance of the man she once knew and loved. Over the years he had really let himself go. He had gained at least a hundred pounds since they married. Finally, she spoke up, "So, in other words, to sum it all up, I'm a lying, cheating whore, that you no longer love. Good to know. There is one problem with all of this. You can't stand people who lie, right?" She could she his face turn blood red, which meant his temper was getting to him. Good, makes to of us. A laugh escaped her mouth, "How can you live with yourself, then?"

The look he gave her would have scared most grown men. He towered a foot over her five foot two frame and weighed at least a hundred and fifty pounds more than her, but she wouldn't back down. She refused to back down and just let him do this to them, to their son.

When no answer was coming she pointed out, "After all, what have you done for the past four years? Every time you told me you loved me and would never do to me what your dad did to your mom, you lied. The card you gave me for our anniversary, all of it. Everything you've said and done has been nothing but lies for years." Shaking her head, "I can honestly say that I have always loved you and could never hate you. Still to this day, even with all of this...I'd try to get past it. Try to make it work. I don't know if we could, but I'd at least try. For some reason, I doubt you would though, so what would be the point?"

"Denise..."

"Don't, Joe. I think we've both said more than enough tonight." She stopped at the kitchen door and looked over her shoulder at him, "The really horrible part about this is that not only am I losing my husband, but the only person in the world that I truly trusted not to hurt me, my best friend. Add to the fact that I'll have to be the one to explain this to our son, because let's face it. You won't. I just wish you would have tried to talk to me, but you took that option away when you went to her. I just hope she is worth it." Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Do you want a divorce?"

Joe didn't hesitate, "Yes."

"File for the divorce, Joe. I won't pay for it. This is what you want after all."

Denise went into the bedroom and changed into her nightgown. She looked down, disgusted with herself. When did I start wearing frumpy clothes? She wondered. It seemed like Joe wasn't the only one who took their marriage for granted. Denise couldn't help but wonder if he would have continued on, not saying anything if she hadn't confronted him. Part of her wished she could go back to the beginning of the day and just ignore the phone bill. Not say a word and pretend life was the same as it always was.

As she got under the blankets, Joe walked into the room. She heard him undress and felt the bed shift slightly as he got into bed. Laying with her back to him, she wondered how he could get into bed with her after all the things he said. Her eyes hurt from all of the crying she had done throughout the day, yet another tear managed to slip down her face.

Denise felt Joe curl up against her. She didn't have the strength or will to pull away from him. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her to him. His lips grazed her neck and she felt his teeth tug on her ear. She cursed her traitorous body for responding to his actions. It had always been this way with him. It didn't matter that he had just turned their lives upside down, moisture pooled in between her thighs and her nipples pebbled against her nightgown. Her body readied itself for his touch. Even though her mind screamed, don't let him touch you!

Hope was a dangerous thing. She hoped that he had second thoughts. That he didn't want to leave her and their son. That he realized he still loved her and didn't want to lose the life they had created together. She wanted to believe in them, in their love, so she didn't pull away from him as he lifted her nightgown up.

Denise felt the frantic need course through her body and his, his touch igniting a heat in her that she couldn't deny. She turned in his arms and ran her hands up his arms as he lifted above her. She could feel his erection digging into her hip. She saw the slight hesitation in his actions before his lips met hers. She gasped into his mouth as his hand cupped her mound. Their kiss turned from gentle to all consuming. The need she felt for his touch, outweighed her common sense, all thoughts of their lives together being over slipped away.

As he kissed his way down her neck, she cupped his head in her hands. Her fingers tightened their hold in his hair as his mouth, tongue, and teeth devoured her breasts. She arched into his mouth wanting more. It had been too long since she felt this kind of heat and need between them, so she lost herself in him. Denise allowed him to bend her to his will, to take her wherever he wanted her to be.

He licked his way down her stomach to her pussy. She opened her thighs for him, ran her hands over her breasts cupping them as his tongue snaked up her slit. She moaned as his lips closed over her clit, sucking her. Her hips thrust against his mouth as he thrust two fingers into her heated core. Her orgasm was closing in on her faster than ever. She felt goose bumps cover her skin as her thighs tensed. Gripping the sheets she begged, "Please...harder, Joe!"

When his tongue flicked and lapped at her clit she broke apart. Waves of pleasure crashed through her body. Vaguely she was embarrassed by the amount of fluids that poured from her. She felt like she soaked the bed. She felt Joe moan against her as he lapped up as much as he could.

Trying to catch her breath, she felt her body clench with delicious aftershocks from the biggest orgasm she'd ever experienced. Joe flipped her over and pulled her to her knees. As he gripped her hips and spread her thighs, he growled, "Dammit, Denise!"

The force of him impaling his cock into her forced the air from her lungs. He fucked her hard and fast. Within moments he was tensing and she felt the hot jets of his cum erupt inside her. His hands gripped her so tight that she new she'd have bruises come morning, but at the moment she could care less.

She fell against the mattress on her stomach as Joe let go of her. His breathing was still ragged and she sighed as he ran her hands down her back and patted her bottom. Feeling content and sated she mumbled, "I guess we aren't getting a divorce after all."

Dread and shame filled her as she felt Joe tense beside her. Clearing his throat, "I still want a divorce, Denise."

Jumping out of bed and pulling her nightgown back on, "What? Then why did you just make love to me?"

At least he had the decency to look ashamed as he said, "We are still married. Why shouldn't we have sex?"

Denise felt dirty and used. Like a whore. Never in her life had she felt that way. She couldn't hold back her anger any longer, "Fuck you! You will never touch me again!"

Joe yanked on his boxers, "What in the hell is wrong with you?"

Gasping, "What in the hell is wrong with me? You decide that you want a divorce, but think it will be ok to fuck me? And then you have the nerve to ask me what's wrong with me?" Tears flowed down her cheeks, "You know how I said that I could never hate you? I was wrong. I hate you with every part of my being!"

"Don't do this, Denise."

"You're telling me not to do this? Me? Let's get a few things straight right now. YOU are the one who fucked around on me! YOU are the one who has lied to me! YOU are the one who decided that WE weren't worth fighting for! YOU were the one who decided to treat me, YOUR FUCKING WIFE, like a common whore!" She was so mad that her whole body shook. Clenching her fists she told him, "For the first time in our marriage I'm going to tell you something that I never thought I'd say to you."

Joe stormed to her, standing within an inch of her body, "Just what do you have to say?"

"Pack your shit and get out."

Denise flinched as Joe punched the wall beside her. She held herself tight as she watched him turn the bed over and toss a dresser across the room. When she heard her son yell for her, Denise ran from the room. Grabbing her son in her arms, she took him back into his bedroom where she closed and locked the bedroom door. Silently she begged Joe, please just leave!

* * * * *

Chapter One

Damien was lost in thought as he waited in the reception area for his appointment with a woman named Denise McCarty. According to everyone he spoke to, she was the best at event planning and catering in the area. Damien thought back to how he ended up in Lexington, Kentucky. His wife had just left him and he was in dire need of a change six months ago. He couldn't blame her for leaving. They never really loved each other and both of them had entered the marriage with their eyes wide open.

They respected each other and cared for each other, so it was a logical reason to marry. Both of them were in their late thirties, time to settle down and start a family, or so Damien had thought. Too bad for him that starting a family wasn't what Sarah had in mind, she never intended to have children. Only wanted to marry Damien for what she thought would come of the union. Sarah had thought his family had money, but they didn't. Not after his father had gambled it all away before he finally took his own life. So, when he heard about the opening at Software Solutions he jumped at the chance. Change of scenery and the opportunity to start over was the major appeal.

Even with the move, he still felt a void in his life. Damien cringed at the thought of his thirty-ninth birthday coming up next month. He had set a goal to at least find someone that could possibly help fill that void, someone to enjoy life with. He had lived here for two months now, but hadn't had the time to start dating or even going out. Settling in and adjusting to his new role at the company hadn't left much time for him to explore the possibilities. Maybe after the company party and send off for the current CEO to the next, he'll be able to do that.

The receptionist broke into his musings when she spoke up, "Mr. Richards, Ms. McCarty will be with you in a moment."

Damien cleared his throat as he realized that the twenty-something receptionist batted her eyelashes at him. He nodded to acknowledge what she said, but silently prayed Ms. McCarty would hurry up. He didn't relish the thought of the receptionist's attention. Sure, she was very attractive in a fake, superficial way, but not someone he wanted. Not to mention that her voice was high-pitched and whiny.

He heard the click of heels on tile coming towards the reception area and sat up straighter. Finally, he thought. He glanced at his watch and realized that it wasn't Ms. McCarty's fault that he showed up early for their appointment. Damien waited for her appearance around the corner in anticipation. With all that he heard of Ms. McCarty he was expecting a tall, gorgeous woman, with impeccable organizational skills. More than likely a fake blonde with fake breasts that is all about partying, he guessed.