"I only did it because I love you, Bob." She sat a few feet from him an the side of the bed, taking a forkful of egg into her mouth.
"Great." He swallowed his food rapidly, hunger rowing as he ate. "Real nice. Thanks, honey."
"Thank you, Bob." They finished the meal quickly, Bob almost wolfing down the food, not speaking until Linda took the empty plates and got refills for their coffee.
"More coffee, Bob?" Linda stacked the dishes on the fray.
"Uh, no. This is fine. Thanks a lot, honey." He swallowed a mouthful of coffee.
"Sure. I'm just glad you liked it."
"I did." He set the coffee cup on the nightstand. "I… uh, well… about last night."
"I thought we were going to forget that?" She picked up the tray.
"I think we should talk about it, Linda." Bob stood up. "It was… pretty awful for you, wasn't it?"
"It… yet it was. But it's over. I'm okay, and you're okay, too. So we forget it." She turned to take the fray downstairs. "Forget it ever happened."
"I won't. I can't. I'll never forget what they did to you. I won't forget that I couldn't do anything to stop them, either. I was helpless."
"Bob, you tried everything. I saw how hard you tried to get out of those chains. It wasn't your fault. Not at all."
"But I should have protected you." Bob pulled on a pair of jeans. "That's a man's job. A husband's duty to his wife."
"No. You tried. That's all anybody asks. And you got us both out of there. If you hadn't, we might still be there. Tied up like… like pigs for slaughter!" She went to the door. "Besides, it's not your fault." Linda started down the stairs, then turned and looked at her husband. "They tricked us. Both of us. We thought they were friendly people and they turned out to be… well, what they turned out to be." She went down to the kitchen.
Bob followed in a moment. He leaned against the kitchen door. "Honey, there's more. About last night. I… I… it's scary, but I liked some of it. Yeah." He looked at the floor.
"I know. I saw you." She spoke very softly, stacking the dishes in the sink.
"I… it felt good, Linda. Not all of it just some, at… at the end."
"Yes." She splashed some water on the dirty dishes, notable to look at him. Her hand shook as she started to wash.
"Maybe… maybe men are different… like that… about sex. Maybe… well, just like it anyway, whatever is going on."
"Maybe so." She rinsed a cup and put it in the drainer.
"I never… I didn't plan it, Linda. It just happened. And I tried to… to get out of it. You saw that."
"I saw it Bob." She set down a plate. "I saw the whole thing." Linda turned toward him. "Bob, I saw you with her, with that… that Janet creature. I saw you take her. And I saw your face when you came. You loved it. I watched you… you, my husband… fucking another woman and… and…" Her voice broke and she choked back a sob. "Oh, God. You liked it. You want it that way." Tears ran over her cheeks. "She was right. You are one of them!" She stood beside the sink weeping, shoulders shaking as tears coursed freely.
"No." Bob went to her. "No. That's not true. I'm not like that. I'm really not." His arms went to her shoulders.
"Yes, you are." Linda turned away.
"No. Listen to me." He turned her to him, holding her firmly with both hands. "I'm a man. I like sex. I like sex a lot. Hell, you know how much I like making it with you. I… I love you, Linda. I always will love you."
"I… I can't do… what she did. I can't Bob. I've thought about it and I can't. If that's what you want, you'll have to… to get someone else." She yanked herself from his grasp and ran to the living room.
"Linda." Bob ran after her. "Linda. Listen to me. I love you. I… I love your body." He grabbed her wrist and turned her to him. "I do. I love you." He kissed her firmly.
"Bob. No." She wrenched away.
"Linda, look. It's not easy for me to say this. I've had other girls, before we were married. You know that. I told you about that."
"Yes. That's different." She sat on the couch, facing the front door.
"Not really." Bob sat beside her. "I liked… liked the sex I had with those other girls. I liked it a lot. But I didn't love them. And I love you." He took her hand. "That's, what makes the difference. It makes all the difference."
"Bob, I… I don't know." She looked at the door. "I love you. You're my whole life. But I can't give you the kind of sex you want."
"I don't want it. No. I want you. I want to love you. To make love to you. To have the kind of sex we had before. That's what I want, Linda. Really it is. Believe me. Please."
"I… Bob, I want to. I do want to."
"Then do it. It's easy because it's true. I don't lie to you, Linda. I never have. I never will. I love you. I want you. Only you." He took her in his arms. "Please love me." He kissed her as tenderly as he could, just holding her mouth to his until he felt her relax.
"Bob, I… I love you." She returned his kiss, brushing her lips to his as she leaned against his bare torso.
"You are so beautiful. I love you so much." Bob added some feeling to his kiss, pressing just slightly more on her lips.
"Hold me. Hold me!" She ran her arms around his chest.
"Yes. Linda, I love you!" He drew her close, turning to let her snuggle to his body.
"Mmmmmm." She ran her hands over his back.
Bob sat very still, just holding her lightly. The moment was suddenly perfect and he wanted it to last. He had his wife in his arms, safe and warm in their cabin, all alone.
"Beautiful," he murmured.
Linda let her hands rest high on his back. She wanted to offer herself to him but was afraid to take any initiative, waiting to see if he really meant it about wanting her body. She wanted his, but he would have to make the first move, he would have to show her that he was sincere about his desire for her.
As so often in his life, Bob listened to his balls. A small stirring crept out of his nuts and he tightened the grip of his hands on Linda's back and began another slow kiss. He paid close attention, ready to stop the first hint of resistance from the woman. He wanted her, wanted her very much, but he was afraid that an approach too soon after her ordeal might frighten her away.
Linda sat very still, hoping that the new kiss was a prelude to his desire. She did not move, fearful of scaring him if she did not do what he wanted her to do. His tongue probed at her lips and she let the moving tongue inside, parting her teeth slightly, still not moving to touch him or hug him.
Bob advanced gradually into his wife's mouth, waiting for some sign that she wanted him to continue. His hand went about one inch lower on her back. No stirring from her. He dared another inch, then another, sliding one hand down her back.
A tiny whiff of passion entered her cunt, just enough so she could tell it was there. It was a relief to her to know that a man could still arouse her.
"Yes." A smile took possession of her face. Linda knew that he really loved her and that she could hold him, hold him with her body and with her love. Hold the man forever.
"I love you, Bob." She kissed him, spreading her thighs and dissolving in delicate desire as he began to fuck again.