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Story: Return To Love
He kissed each of her knuckles slowly. “Call it a poor man’s pride.”
“It nearly destroyed us.”
“But you didn’t let me.” He leaned his forehead against hers. The scent and warmth of his skin coiled around her, filling her with a fizzy, giddy joy. “You, my clever, strong, fantasy girl, saved not only yourself but me.”
Pulling her out of the bed, he went to his knees in front of her. “I love you, Mona D’Souza. More than I loved you before. More than I ever thought possible. Thank you for making my life so colorful and sexy.”
Mona half-shuffled and half-fell into his lap, tears and snot running rivulets over her face. “I…I loved being by myself, discovering who I was outside of being your wife and their mother and all the other roles. But…darling, I only needed that because I lost myself. I…stored away all this anger and hurt and it festered inside me and became something else. Turned me into this…bitter, angry woman who resented everyone around her. Not having you by my side turned me intothat, Dom. And I don’t like her.”
“Shh…don’t say that, Mona,” he said, peppering kisses down her temple and cheek, to her jawline and the tip of her nose. “That angry woman saved me, saved us. I love her just as much as I love the sex kitten from last night.”
Then his mouth met hers and Mona abandoned herself to his taste, his claiming, his kiss.
They came up for air minutes later, somehow having rolled themselves onto the thick rug in front of the fireplace.
“Your dream, won’t you tell me about it?” he said, with a crack marking the words.
For a second, she considered teasing him but his earnest expression put paid to that. Pushing up on an elbow, she kissed his jaw. “I’m writing a book,” she said, on a soft whisper, her dream still a fragile thing. “A middle grade adventure novel. It’s mainly set in Mumbai and New York and I had a great time researching both locations.”
“Wow, that’s…wow,” Dom said, wonder filling his eyes. “Can I read it?”
She giggled, pushed him to his back and with a sigh, straddled him. “That’s a privilege you have to earn, Mr. D’Souza.”
He groaned and pulled her down to meet his lips. And Mona knew, in his soft kiss and hard pants that real love had returned to her.
Chapter Seven
They spentthe rest of the morning in the cozy hotel suite, indulging themselves with a round of slow, tender morning sex.
Having decided to spend a couple of days instead of returning home—at Dom’s suggestion, they soaked in the decadent claw-footed tub in the white marble bathroom, dressed in fresh clothes from the bag that Dom had left at the suite, and were discussing where to venture for a late Christmas lunch when a hard knock sounded on the door to their suite.
“Are you expecting someone?” Mona asked, running her fingers through her still damp hair. After the marathon sex of last night and this morning, she’d been too deliciously sore to do much more than sip hot chocolate and lounge about.
“Me? No,” Dom said, a twinkle in his eyes. With his hair wet and slicked back, dressed in a grey V-necked sweatshirt and dark denim jeans, he looked like her favorite fantasy come true.
Feeling like a newly-wed, she grabbed his hand when he passed her and pressed a kiss to the calluses on his palm. A sudden ruckus filled the airy suite when he opened the door.
Huddled at the entrance, her best friends Chaaru and Kash, wearing ugly sweaters and goofier grins, screamed ‘Merry Christmas’.
Mona pressed her palms to her mouth. Wonder and a giddy joy filled her eyes with fresh tears. While she had talked to them almost every day even while traveling, she’d never gone months without seeing them like this.
“I know this is supposed to be your romantic escape,” Char said, reaching her first, “but we couldn’t stay away. We missed you far too much while you were out there having adventures, darling.”
Mona sank into her friend’s strong embrace, her heart overflowing with affection. “I missed you both too.”
“Everything good?” Kash whispered, hugging her from the other side. “You don’t need us to beat some sense into Dom, do you?”
Wiping her tears, Mona laughed and shook her head. “No, he did good. Really good.” Heat streaked her cheeks, which, of course, didn’t go unnoticed by her besties.
Over her head—for she was small and petite while they were tall and graceful, their eyes met. Naughty grins and girlish giggles erupted. Mona could barely breathe—busy laughing at their demands to know how precisely Dom had done good.
Before he himself had to face her squad, Dom’s own friends tumbled into the suite, rescuing him.
Surrounded by their friends and their loud laughter and shenanigans, Mona felt as if she had been inflated, pumped full of joy and abundance. They decided to order lunch in and celebrate the wonderful day, surrounded by love and affection.
Throwing her arms around Dom, Mona said, “Thank you for inviting Char and Kash, for knowing my heart.”
“Always, sweetheart,” he said, and then took her mouth in a kiss that spun her senses and elicited rowdy cheers from their friends.
Mona sank into the languid kiss, her limbs trembling, and her heart full.
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“It nearly destroyed us.”
“But you didn’t let me.” He leaned his forehead against hers. The scent and warmth of his skin coiled around her, filling her with a fizzy, giddy joy. “You, my clever, strong, fantasy girl, saved not only yourself but me.”
Pulling her out of the bed, he went to his knees in front of her. “I love you, Mona D’Souza. More than I loved you before. More than I ever thought possible. Thank you for making my life so colorful and sexy.”
Mona half-shuffled and half-fell into his lap, tears and snot running rivulets over her face. “I…I loved being by myself, discovering who I was outside of being your wife and their mother and all the other roles. But…darling, I only needed that because I lost myself. I…stored away all this anger and hurt and it festered inside me and became something else. Turned me into this…bitter, angry woman who resented everyone around her. Not having you by my side turned me intothat, Dom. And I don’t like her.”
“Shh…don’t say that, Mona,” he said, peppering kisses down her temple and cheek, to her jawline and the tip of her nose. “That angry woman saved me, saved us. I love her just as much as I love the sex kitten from last night.”
Then his mouth met hers and Mona abandoned herself to his taste, his claiming, his kiss.
They came up for air minutes later, somehow having rolled themselves onto the thick rug in front of the fireplace.
“Your dream, won’t you tell me about it?” he said, with a crack marking the words.
For a second, she considered teasing him but his earnest expression put paid to that. Pushing up on an elbow, she kissed his jaw. “I’m writing a book,” she said, on a soft whisper, her dream still a fragile thing. “A middle grade adventure novel. It’s mainly set in Mumbai and New York and I had a great time researching both locations.”
“Wow, that’s…wow,” Dom said, wonder filling his eyes. “Can I read it?”
She giggled, pushed him to his back and with a sigh, straddled him. “That’s a privilege you have to earn, Mr. D’Souza.”
He groaned and pulled her down to meet his lips. And Mona knew, in his soft kiss and hard pants that real love had returned to her.
Chapter Seven
They spentthe rest of the morning in the cozy hotel suite, indulging themselves with a round of slow, tender morning sex.
Having decided to spend a couple of days instead of returning home—at Dom’s suggestion, they soaked in the decadent claw-footed tub in the white marble bathroom, dressed in fresh clothes from the bag that Dom had left at the suite, and were discussing where to venture for a late Christmas lunch when a hard knock sounded on the door to their suite.
“Are you expecting someone?” Mona asked, running her fingers through her still damp hair. After the marathon sex of last night and this morning, she’d been too deliciously sore to do much more than sip hot chocolate and lounge about.
“Me? No,” Dom said, a twinkle in his eyes. With his hair wet and slicked back, dressed in a grey V-necked sweatshirt and dark denim jeans, he looked like her favorite fantasy come true.
Feeling like a newly-wed, she grabbed his hand when he passed her and pressed a kiss to the calluses on his palm. A sudden ruckus filled the airy suite when he opened the door.
Huddled at the entrance, her best friends Chaaru and Kash, wearing ugly sweaters and goofier grins, screamed ‘Merry Christmas’.
Mona pressed her palms to her mouth. Wonder and a giddy joy filled her eyes with fresh tears. While she had talked to them almost every day even while traveling, she’d never gone months without seeing them like this.
“I know this is supposed to be your romantic escape,” Char said, reaching her first, “but we couldn’t stay away. We missed you far too much while you were out there having adventures, darling.”
Mona sank into her friend’s strong embrace, her heart overflowing with affection. “I missed you both too.”
“Everything good?” Kash whispered, hugging her from the other side. “You don’t need us to beat some sense into Dom, do you?”
Wiping her tears, Mona laughed and shook her head. “No, he did good. Really good.” Heat streaked her cheeks, which, of course, didn’t go unnoticed by her besties.
Over her head—for she was small and petite while they were tall and graceful, their eyes met. Naughty grins and girlish giggles erupted. Mona could barely breathe—busy laughing at their demands to know how precisely Dom had done good.
Before he himself had to face her squad, Dom’s own friends tumbled into the suite, rescuing him.
Surrounded by their friends and their loud laughter and shenanigans, Mona felt as if she had been inflated, pumped full of joy and abundance. They decided to order lunch in and celebrate the wonderful day, surrounded by love and affection.
Throwing her arms around Dom, Mona said, “Thank you for inviting Char and Kash, for knowing my heart.”
“Always, sweetheart,” he said, and then took her mouth in a kiss that spun her senses and elicited rowdy cheers from their friends.
Mona sank into the languid kiss, her limbs trembling, and her heart full.
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