The Return (A Decision of Love Book 1)

by Tzar, Anastasia

  “What are we going to do?”

  “Spy on him. Find out who broke up my fucking family. She’d better look like Angelina Jolie, not some mousy nerd or I’m going to beat his ass.”

  “Really? You want her to be drop-dead gorgeous.”

  “Fuck yes. At least then I’ll understand why his dick was out of control. If it’s some hag, I’ll think it was me.”

  I’d never thought of it in quite those terms. I could chalk up all Josh’s infidelities to a terminal erection. Josh had a weakness for screwing his leading ladies. Articles had been written about his prowess in the bed during location shoots.

  I was warming to this idea. “How do you plan to spy on him?”

  “Will Dan keep Timothy this evening? We also need to borrow his car. The asshole knows yours. We’ll wait for him to get out of work then follow him. One of the women in the accounting office spilled her guts. He hasn’t been working late as much as he told me. It seems all the hospital knows about his little fling with Abby Goodish.”

  I burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Her name. Goodish. Maybe that’s an indication of what she’s like. You know good dish.” My body doubled over laughing hysterically.

  Mary hadn’t picked up on the name. It was good to see her laugh.

  “Hell. I never paid any attention to her name.” Mary had evolved from a weeping mess to an angry warrior. “She has no clue what she’s up against. I’m going to kill Charlie.” She made a face. “Not literally, but after I’m done with him, he’ll think twice before practicing extra-marital fucking ever again.”

  “Why don’t you come to my house when Timothy wakes up? I need to explain this to Dan in person not on the phone.”

  “He’s not going to try to talk us out of this, is he?”

  “Probably.”

  Chapter 7

  Mary stayed behind to pack a bag for Timothy while I headed back to the house. Dan was not going to like Mary’s plan, but he did like her. Against his better judgment, he would agree to babysit for Timothy. Maybe she’d think twice about stalking. We could go to a bar and get trashed instead.

  I gazed at them from the family room entrance. Vivie was playing with her doll house on the floor. Dan was stretched on the sofa reading a book, looking delicious. I planted a kiss on Vivie’s head, then went to lay on Dan’s stomach, burying my face into the crook of his neck. He dropped his book, his hands circled around me, stroking my back.

  “What’s going on with Mary? Is Charlie all right?”

  I felt him get hard beneath me. Giving him an extra wiggle, I pressed down on his growing erection.

  “So not right,” he whispered, nuzzling my neck.

  “Charlie left Mary.” Dan’s arms tightened around me. “He’s been having an affair with a nurse at the hospital. He’s decided he needs space. Flipping moron.”

  He pushed the hair back from my face, looking into my eyes. “Are you okay? How’s Mary holding up?”

  “She’s on her way over with Timothy. Will you take care of him tonight? Mary needs a night out.”

  “Baby, we can get a sitter. You’ll need a driver. I’ll go with you to scare off the assholes who try to steal my wife.”

  “I think Mary needs a night without any testosterone reminding her of Charlie. Do you mind?”

  “Will you call me if you drink too much? Adam can keep an eye on the kids if I need to come to get you.”

  God, I loved this man. He was all hunky hotness and muscle, nibbling on my ear. Could he be more understanding? We sat up when Mary opened the front door. The last thing she needed to see was the two of us groping each other. She cried anyhow, the minute she saw Dan sitting next to me, his arm draped around my shoulder.

  I took Timothy from her arms. Sitting him next to Vivie on the floor, they were quickly absorbed in their play.

  Dan pressed his lips together in a grim line. “I’m sorry Mary.” It started another round of tears. “Is there anything you want me to do?”

  His eyes were like a deer-in-headlights staring at Mary bawling next to him. He patted her back trying to comfort her.

  “Yes. Beat the shit out of him. Charlie’s a wimp. It would only take you a couple of seconds.”

  Dan shifted nervously. “That might not help the situation. I’m sure he’s going to realize he’s made a huge mistake, but if you insist, I’ll do it.” He smiled sheepishly.

  Mary’s eyes blazed with unshed tears. “So what, if he realizes he’s made a fucking whopper. How could I trust him after this? It’s over. I’ll set up a time for you to knock the shit out of him.”

  Dan blew air through his lips. “He’s a fucking fool. He’s going to regret this as soon as he comes to his senses.”

  His eyes smoldered capturing mine.

  “We know that, but he probably thinks he’s a freaking stud. Stupid moron.”

  I went upstairs to get pajamas for Vivie. Dan watched me sit crossed legged on the floor trying to get them on her. He mouthed, “I love you,” when our eyes met. Vivie fussed and twisted wanting to do it herself.

  All I wanted to do was put Vivie to bed then drag him to our bedroom for torrid sex. The episode with Charlie made me want Dan more than usual, and my usual was a lot. Instead, I asked Mary if she was ready.

  Dan walked us to the door. His fingers gripped my waist when he kissed me. “Call, if you need me.” He held out his car keys.

  “I will.”

  We high-fived each other in the car. We were like Thelma and Louis going after the bastard.

  “Let’s get this done. He’ll pee his pants if he sees us.” I put the key in the ignition. Dan’s BMW purred into action.

  I looked at Mary. “What are you going to say? Are you going to confront them?”

  Mary started laughing. “I’m not going to get us arrested if that’s what you’re worried about. Dan would kill me. All we’re going to do is get pictures of them together. He says he’s not staying with her. I want proof that he is.”

  In the hospital staff parking lot, we parked next to all the other BMW’s. The majority were identical, sleek and silver, parked in a line, the symbol of success. We both hunkered down for the wait.

  “We should have ball caps to hide our faces.”

  “Just so happens I have two.” Mary dug into her bag pulling out two Cub's ball caps.

  “Hell, you’re on top of it, lady.” Smashing the ball cap on my head, I pulled my hair through the back opening. With the visor pulled low, no one would recognize us. Until we opened our mouths, that is. Charlie had better run fast if that happened because we were in the mood to tear off his balls.

  “He’s going to be another Josh, fucking sorry he did this.”

  “Oh great, we can compare notes.” My heart sunk once she mentioned Josh. I had a hard enough time disconnecting from the familiar memories.

  “What’s going on with him?”

  “He’s moving to Chicago.”

  Mary twisted her face to me. “You’re kidding?”

  “No. He should be here by the end of the month. Dan knows he called me.” My teeth bit down on my lower lip to stop it from trembling.

  “Holy fuck. What did he say?”

  “It’s not what he said, exactly, it’s what he did. Let’s just say he’s not taking any chances with my sexual needs. He’s determined to keep them well satisfied.” The comment brought a smile to my face. That was Dan, my lifesaver.

  Mary held her hand up. “Any other time I would want every sexy detail, but tonight I might hate you.” She sat up. “Here comes the bastard with his new ho.”

  “His new ho? Has he done this before, or are you referring to yourself?” My comment at least made Mary smile.

  Charlie still looked like Charlie. Stocky, and a bit nerdy looking, but he had his arm around what could only be described as an amazon of a woman. She had to be at least six-foot or taller. We looked at each other stunned.

  “Do you think she’s a he?”
Mary asked, starting to laugh.

  “Oh, my God. I don’t know. She’s a large woman. Maybe he’s into domination. She has at least three inches on him.”

  My eyes were glued to the woman. We burst out laughing, tears running down our faces.

  “Are you referring to the length of his dick?” Mary smirked.

  I looked at her, my lips trembling, trying to muffle my laugh. “Damn, I’d submit in a fucking heartbeat if she came at me with a whip.”

  Mary shook her head wiping the tears from her face. “She looks mean. I’m not worried about Charlie, but what if she beats us up?”

  A chuckle passed my lips.

  “Hurry start the car. They’re pulling out.” Mary craned her neck to track their movements.

  Zipping through traffic to catch up, we still giggled.

  “It’s kinda hard to take this seriously. I should be crying or screaming, at the brink of a mental collapse.” Her eyes were glued to the car ahead of us. “After all, he is having an affair, but it’s not at all what I expected. Holy fuck, it’s hard to get jealous, she freaking towers over him.” She started laughing again. “She looks strong enough to carry me and Charlie. One in each hand.”

  The car in front turned onto a residential street in Oak Park. I flicked the turning signal, waiting for an opening in traffic. Mary sat forward stretching her neck to see their movements. They stopped in front of a bungalow identical, except for the green trim, to the others lining the street. Oak Park was a quaint older suburb filled with brick bungalows that appeared small on the outside, but were surprisingly spacious inside.

  Charlie ran around to open the door for Goodish extending his hand to help her out.

  “What the hell. He fucking ran to open the door. He never opened my door. He’s helping Goliath out of the car as if she’d fucking break. He’s definitely the submissive.”

  We sank down in our seats. Peaking over the dash, we watched them walk to the house, then disappear through the front door.

  Mary turned to me. “Let’s get something to drink. We’ll come back as soon as it gets dark.”

  A groan choked me. I cast blazing eyes at Mary. “Tell me you’re kidding. Oh geez, we’re going to get arrested.”

  Mary had the look of a demented stalker, her eyes bugged out, and her lips drawn into a thin line. If I didn’t know her, she’d frighten me with her intensity. “You can stay in the car and be the lookout. If anyone gets arrested it will be me, but he won’t do that. He’s not going to call the cops or press charges. He won’t want the publicity.” Mary snickered giving me a thumbs up. “If I weren't so devastated at the collapse of my marriage, this would be fun.”

  We went to a small bar on Oak Park Avenue. Inside we sat in a dark corner. The waitress brought us two beers. “How exactly are you going to get pictures?”

  “Haven’t figured that out, yet.”

  My phone rang. I answered without looking at caller I.D. thinking it was Dan wondering what we were up to. “Hello.”

  “It’s me.”

  Josh. My heart dropped like a boulder. How did he get my cell-phone number? What if Dan saw his number on my call log? My hand nervously twirled my bottle of beer.

  “How did you get this number? Josh, you can’t call me on my cell-phone.” Panic filled me. My breathing was ragged. My eyes scanned the bar, sure Dan would appear at any moment. “Why are you calling?”

  “Adam said you and Mary went out. Is she there?”

  “Yes. She’s here. What are you doing?” I could hear the agitation in my own voice.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “How did you find out?”

  “Let me say hi to her.” Mary stared at the phone in my extended hand, her big eyes round and questioning.

  “Hello.” A huge grin broke out on her face. She laughed.

  Why was she laughing? My stomach was in knots.

  They talked for a while and then, “I miss you too.” She handed the phone back, a dreamy look on her face.

  “Josh.”

  “Yeah, baby. I wish I were there with you. It would be like old times, the three of us.”

  What the fuck, was he having a breakdown? Did he not remember we were divorced? I was married to another man?

  “I’m hanging up, now.”

  “I love you, Lar. Don’t get into any trouble, but if you do get arrested, call me. My PR will get you out.”

  My eyes rolled in my head.

  “Bye.” After hanging up, I was going to turn it off, but remembered Dan had Vivie and Timothy. Not a good idea. Mary still looked all dreamy, but it was better than the look of devastation she’d had earlier.

  “He’s still the same,” Mary said almost swooning.

  “Yep. He probably still screws everything in skirts.”

  “He loves you Laura. It’s so romantic.”

  “Oh God, don’t start, it’s not a movie. Remember Dan, who’s at home right now watching your child. That’s romantic.” Wrinkling my forehead, I couldn’t resist asking. “What did he say?”

  “He told me that men were all fucking assholes. Always thinking with their dicks, until it was too late. He said Charlie would end up like him, losing the only woman he’d ever loved for a piece of ass that meant nothing. Oh! He also said not to sell myself short, that I deserved better.” She had the nerve to sigh. “We’re going out to dinner when he gets here. Fuck. People will see me with Josh Gavin. If we go out, I’m going to call the newspapers so Charlie will see what he lost.”

  “He’s such a jerk. He’s the last person you should take advice from.”

  What came out of my mouth and what lived in my heart were very different. Josh and I had a history. A long history. I’d spent the majority of my life with him. It wasn’t something that was easy to push away. What we had was hard to forget. The tears pressed on my eyes.

  The vision of the two of us snuggled on the hammock in his backyard swept into my mind. We were seventeen. It was the first time, I’d touched his penis. It was late at night. I’d snuck out of the house to see him. We’d cuddled together on a hammock in a dark corner of his backyard exploring each other’s bodies.

  I’d worn Winnie the Pooh pajama bottoms and a tank, deliberately forgetting underwear. He’d worn sweats with nothing under them. Even at seventeen, he’d had a hot body equal to any I’d seen in the movies or magazines. His hand slid inside my pajama bottoms. He kissed me, threading his fingers slyly between my legs. My muscles clenched remembering.

  It didn’t take long after the initial shock to realize how much I liked his touch. I’m sure it was barely seconds before his fingers made me writhe with the spasms of my first orgasm. When my eyes opened, Josh was staring at me, smiling. I must have been mortified, but he kissed my embarrassment away.

  “I love you, Lar. I want to please you.” He wrapped me in his arms, kissing my cheeks, my forehead, and my lips. “We belong to each other. That includes our bodies.”

  That should have been a dead giveaway that his major talent would be fucking women. There weren’t many seventeen-year-old boys who cared about pleasing a woman.

  I took his hand returning it between my legs, whispering, “Can you do it again?”

  He took my hand slipping it inside his sweats showing me how to hold him and what to do. My heart pounded in my chest. He left my hand there, lifting my tank top to suck on my breasts. My fingers trembled. My hand tentatively ran the length of his erection. It seemed so big. Later, I realized it was big, bigger than most. Where did he keep it? I’d never noticed it in his pants before. At least not this monster that twitched in my hand. His groans gave me confidence. My only thought was to please him the same way he pleased me.

  His breathing intensified, but so did mine, matching his. As his fingers reached into me, I panted, jerking my hips. His penis pulsed in my hand. He groaned, the sound setting off butterflies in my stomach. My hips pushed down on his fingers wanting him deeper. Moaning sounds escaped my lips. My only thought was the sensati
ons that teased me, knowing they would get better if I pushed harder with my hips. It didn’t take long for me to enjoy squeezing and stroking his erection when I saw the look on his face. His hips thrust up and down, sweat beading his forehead, his eyes glazed.

  Oh God, my nerves were on fire. The heat traveled to every part of my body. This second time was more intense than the first. The pace of my hand working his erection quickened.

  Electricity jolted through me. My mind and my body separated. All I felt were his fingers sliding in and out, and his penis throbbing in my hand. The rest of our bodies had disappeared. My mind floated, his fingers taking me to another dimension, the pleasure coursing to my brain in rapid fire. I bit down on my lip to stop the scream that threatened to escape my mouth. He groaned, exploding into my hand. I loved him so much.

  He held me in his arms, stroking and kissing my face. “I love you, Lar. I will always love you.”

  We fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms, our legs entwined. The sun peaked over the horizon.

  “I love you,” he whispered when our eyes opened.

  He had kissed me, stroking my face with his hands before I snuck back to my room.

  Later that day, walking the halls in school, I was sure the glow of womanhood emanated from me. Everything changed after that. The way we touched each other, the kisses we stole when no one looked, the look of desire in our eyes became a constant in our lives. Little did we know, there was so much more we’d yet to experience.

  “Earth to Laura. What were you thinking about?”

  My mind floated back to Mary.

  “Nothing important.” My cheeks flamed with heat. I gulped my beer to cool down my insides.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “About Josh. What are you going to do?”

  “I’m not going to do anything. Right now, I’m going to help my best friend put the screws to her cheating bastard of a husband. No one messes with us.”

  We high-fived. The people from the next table glanced at us curiously.