Page 43 of I see you Beauty

I look up at him and don’t know what else to say. I’m completely confused by his words, his closeness, and everything that has happened.

He wants to say something else, but the LED lights along the stone path to the pavilion light up and interrupt him. We both look around. I take a step back, and my heart skips a beat.

“Cora?” I hear Thomas’s voice, and the pressed undertone tells me he is anything but thrilled to find me here alone in the middle of the night with our young, single, and attractive neighbor.

“Hello, darling,” I reply, causing Ezra to tense up beside me.

But I ignore him and walk toward my husband with a put-on smile to greet him.

“What are you doing here?” he yells at me, blocking the kiss on the cheek I was about to give him in greeting. Instead, he pushes past me, his face contorted with rage, to stop right in front of Ezra. Oh, boy.

“Nothing. I spent the day with Kelly and was still sitting here alone…”

“So what’s he doing here when my wife sits alone in our garden, apparently getting drunk? I repeat the question: What are you doing here?” Thomas snarls at him and stands a little straighter in front of Ezra so that they are the same height, as Ezra normally towers over him by a few inches. Wonderful…

I glance nervously at Ezra for a moment and shake my head gradually to make sure he doesn’t say the wrong thing. Ezra puts on his usual rakish and more than inappropriate smile as he raises his hands innocently and shrugs his shoulders.

“Take it easy. I have no ill intentions toward your wife, Mr. Shepherd. She had knocked over some bottles, and I wanted to know what that unusual sound was at this late hour. I was worried it could be a burglar. That’s all. But now that your wife is in the best hands, I’ll be going again. Good night, Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd.”

With that, Ezra turns away from us with a knowing twinkle in his eye and jumps over the fence again with an impressive leap.

I’d love to smack my head because of his stupidity. Couldn’t he at least have taken the usual route around the outside of the house…?

Although Ezra is no longer visible, Thomas and I look after him momentarily. Then, I give him a cautious, sideways glance to check his mood. Thomas is standing next to me, completely stiff, and I can see how he keeps tensing his muscles as if trying to calm down.

“Thomas…” I speak up first, but he turns to me abruptly, and I fall silent. I look at him with wide eyes as I press my lips tightly together.

“Do I have to worry about you forgetting who you belong to? Who the man at your side is, Cora?” Thomas asks in a dangerously calm tone.

I shake my head and step a little closer to him. My hand finds his cheek, and I place the other on the center of his chest.

“No, darling,” I whisper as I press my lips to his.

I don’t want to argue with him again, and I certainly don’t want to because of Ezra, especially not after what he said about my marriage.

Anger rises inside me, and I must show Ezra and prove to him I have a happy marriage. I love and desire my husband, and he feels the same way. I know that. Thomas wants me at any time of the day or night. He never turns me down, no matter how exhausted he is from work. When it happens, I’m the one who says no. But I’ve decided to work more on our marriage again.

My hand slides from his cheek to his neck, and I pull him further toward me to intensify the kiss. But instead of responding, Thomas shakes his head and pulls away from my lips. Breathless, I looked up at him and could scream with frustration and anger.

“Don’t do that, Cora. I’ve had a long day, and I don’t feel like it now after what just happened,” he reprimands me and keeps me at a distance.

I try not to show any disappointment. Ezra can’t be right. It’s late. Thomas’s been working late, and the situation with Ezra has upset him. Usually, he’s not in the mood for sex now… I try to convince myself forcibly that everything is fine.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to make love to my husband,” I justify and give him an apologetic smile before grabbing the bottles from the floor and tidying up.

Thomas nods at me before casting another withering glance over to Ezra’s house.

“I’m going to sleep,” he informs me, leaving me alone.

I sigh, feeling the anger and frustration build up inside me. Before Ezra decides to show up again and lecture me about my marriage, I quickly gather the bottles and two glasses and follow Thomas inside. I don’t want Ezra to be right about my marriage because he couldn’t be more wrong!

Chapter Thirty-Two

I’m watching you!

Icould rage with anger again right now at the fact that you made such a shameless pass at him, even though you knew full well I was watching you.

You took my hint before. I’ve been watching you for a while, Beauty. How he doesn’t satisfy you and how he leaves you hanging almost every time you have sex. Except last time, when you were still so horny and wet because of me, you took the initiative and took what you needed from him.

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