Page 31 of I see you Beauty

My hands find their way to his belt, and I undo it. But when I reach for the first button of his pants, Ezra grabs my hands and interrupts our kiss.

Breathless, we look at each other, and I try to understand why he’s stopping me. My brow furrows more and more the longer he looks at me.

“I’m going to drive you home now. Or to Kelly’s. Wherever you want.” His voice is soft, yet I hear that unmistakable, sensual rasp.

I look at him, a little taken aback. Does he want to stop? Now?

After a moment of me looking at him uncomprehendingly, Ezra grabs my face with his hands, a gentle grin adorning his face, and pulls me close to his lips. We lean against each other, forehead to forehead. I close my eyes and enjoy his touch and scent once more.

“You don’t know how hard I must stop right now. But it would be best if you didn’t regret it. I don’t want you to regret anything when we’re together, Beauty,” he murmurs against my lips before he kisses me again in such an engaging and hot way that it’s a complete contrast to what he said.

I sit breathlessly on his lap when he releases me a moment later. The violent throbbing that comes from his hard-on beneath me almost drives me mad, so I climb back into my seat with shaking limbs.

We don’t say a word for the entire journey, yet it’s not an awkward silence. It’s just… our silence? And I really enjoy it. With Ezra, I don’t have to explain myself, justify anything, or be unsure of what I can and can’t say. I hardly know him, yet it’s as if we’ve known each other forever. That sounds wild, but I don’t question it because Ezra is good for me. Why shouldn’t I act selfishly just once in my life? Think only of myself and not have a guilty conscience?

He turns into our street because I asked him to take me home. I don’t want to go to Kelly’s only to tell her that Thomas has fallen back into old patterns. Besides, I’m certain he’s not home—after what happened, I expect he’ll be drinking and wallowing in his office.

“Are you going to be okay?” asks Ezra, looking toward my house.

As I predicted, my husband isn’t home. Everything is covered in darkness.

I nod weakly because I’m not sure if it’s true. Tentatively, my eyes meet his. I don’t know what to say. It’s different between us, and yet it shouldn’t be, even if the voice of reason is getting weaker and quieter in my head. But I can’t turn it off completely… can I?

I swallow hard as Ezra leans toward me.

“Don’t,” I breathe because we’re still outside my house, even though I want nothing more than for him to kiss me now.

Our neighbors might see us, and I don’t want them to witness me like this. As a married woman, my personal issues with Thomas are private matters, and I don’t want them to speculate about anything, including whether I'm involved in an affair. I need to reflect on that situation myself…

But despite my warning, Ezra plants a gentle kiss on my cheek, not on my mouth as I thought he had intended, but on my cheek. I smile sincerely at this kind gesture.

He takes the key out of the ignition and hands it to me before we both leave the car. We stare intensely at each other over the hood.

“Good night, Mrs. Shepherd,” Ezra bids me farewell with a little bow that makes me smile again.

“Good night, Mr. King.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ienter the house with a soft smile when I see that I’m alone. I haven’t heard from Thomas, and I don’t care. Indeed, he will shower me with presents and little gifts over the next few days, which will be expensive.

I wonder what he would have done in the past when money was still an issue and we had to think about how much we could spend each month and still be able to cover the rent and his student fees. Thomas’s change in behavior didn’t start until June was about five years old. Before that, he never hit me. Never. He was always bossy and possessive but never violent.

I keep wondering what my daughter’s life and mine would be like if I had left him the first time.

But that ‘what if’ game ends quickly because I couldn’t have taken my daughter away from her father and given her the life she deserves without his financial support.

I knew for a fact that he would have stopped supporting her immediately if I had left him. And he knows June is my weak point. No matter what happens, I must ensure my daughter and her future are safe.

Still, I wish the terror would finally stop, and he would return to be the man I fell madly in love with all those years ago. I still love him, even though everything is so complicated between us. And then there’s this confusing thing with Ezra… I can’t worry about that right now, or my head will burst.

As I check the outside doors to ensure they’re all locked, I switch on the alarm system before heading upstairs. I glance at my cell phone to see if June has texted me, but there’s nothing there. I feel even angrier at Thomas for dragging our daughter into this mess.

He’s revealed his dark side to our daughter— the side that should have been left behind, based on his empty promises. His words mean nothing to me now.

Thomas was my first love, my first in every sense, and I believe that kind of love shapes you in ways that can lead you down unexpected paths. I still love him, but I can’t continue living like this. Unfortunately, I don’t see a way out until June finishes college.

I’ve just come out of the bathroom, ready for bed. As I’m about to close my window and draw the curtains, a melody catches my attention and stops me. A guitar playing. Ezra.

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