"My son is my business."
"Well my sex life is not."
"Jill, you're like a daughter to me, you know that, right?"
Jill barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She could not, however, resist a sarcastic
laugh. "Sure, Arlene."
"Of course you are. And if you're having some issues now, some problems, I'm here for
you."
"Issues?"
Arlene took a step closer, her voice low. "If you're seeing another man, it's only fair that
you let Craig know."
Jill took a deep breath, hating the fact that her heart was pounding nervously. "Arlene, as
you said, this is none of your business. But rest assured, there's not another man involved."
"Then what is it?"
Jill glanced to the ceiling then closed her eyes. "I'm not having this discussion with you. If
Craig has questions, he can ask me. But I refuse to go through you." She opened the door
wider. "Now, if there's nothing else."
Arlene walked past her to leave but paused at the door. "You best be careful," she said
quietly. "A man like Craig may find he's wanted elsewhere. What you won't give him,
someone else will."
She turned and walked away before Jill could reply. She stood there, watching her motherin-
law as she moved down the driveway. She finally went back into the kitchen, lifting the
lid and stirring the soup without thought, wondering what in the world she was going to do.
She couldn't go on like this for long. Craig would demand answers. Answers she wasn't
prepared to give.
In fact, she and Carrie hadn't spoken at all about their lives, their husbands, their
families. What in the world were they going to do?
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Jill lay still, lazily watching Carrie's hand as it moved across her skin, inching closer and
closer to her breast. Her eyes slid closed when it reached its destination, a smile forming
as she felt Carrie's thumb lightly rub across her nipple.
"Your skin is so soft," Carrie whispered, her mouth replacing her fingers upon her breast.
"God, I love when you do that," Jill breathed, her chest arching against Carrie's mouth.
Such an intimate, gentle gesture, something she was not used to in her marriage.
"I love the way you taste," Carrie said as her lips moved across her skin.
Jill spread her thighs, her hands at Carrie's hips gathering her close again. They didn't
have time, yet Jill couldn't deny her body, couldn't forsake her desire just because the
clock ticked closer and closer to two.
But Carrie's hands stilled, her mouth left Jill's breast, returning once to place the
briefest of kisses there.
"It's time," she whispered.
Jill groaned, searching for Carrie's hand, pulling it quickly between her legs, holding it
there. She arched against it, loving the feeling of Carrie's fingers as they entered her.
"We've got to have a Saturday," Carrie said against her lips. "I could spend hours loving
you."
Jill lay still, letting Carrie's fingers slip from her, knowing they didn't have time. She
rolled to her side, resting her head on her hand, watching Carrie, waiting for the pale blue
eyes to travel over her body, pausing at her breasts before meeting her own.
"You're so incredibly beautiful," Carrie whispered.
"You make me feel beautiful."
As if she couldn't stop it, Carrie's hand moved, softly touching Jill's breast, watching as
her nipples hardened from her touch.
"Isn't it amazing how much life we can cram into an hour every day? Then the weekend
comes and I die a little each day I don't see you."
"I know. What about Saturday after next?"
"Can you get away?"
"There's a baseball tournament. Angie is going too. Apparently some boy on the team is
really hot," she said with a laugh.
"So we could spend the day together?"
"Yes, the whole day."
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Jill noticed the nights were getting warmer as she walked silently across the deck and
slipped onto the swing. Most of the trees had already budded out, obscuring the night sky.
She smiled, remembering Carrie's excitement at lunch as they sat at the pier, the sunshine
warm upon them. The green was returning and Carrie talked animatedly about all the
different things she wanted to paint.
"I want to do you in the flower garden and right here on the pier."
Jill had laughed. "Do me, huh?"
Carrie smiled wickedly. "Yes, do you in watercolors."
Jill put the swing in motion and her thoughts, as always, lingered on the other woman. It
scared her to admit it but she knew she was falling in love with her. And she didn't have a
clue as to what she was going to do about it. They were just so connected on every level, it
was as if their souls had called out to each other, not resting until they were joined.
But they were both married, both with children. What were they going to do? How long
could they continue this affair?
How long could she go before Craig demanded answers, demanded she be a wife to him in all
ways? How long could she avoid him?
Because that was one thing she was sure of. She could endure sharing his bed, she could
even endure the chaste good night kiss on the few occasions they actually went to bed at
the same time, but she could not—would not—endure his touch.
And eventually he would demand it. Oh, she could put him off for awhile. It was baseball
season. He had an activity to keep him occupied. But in little more than a month, school
would be over with and summer would be upon them. And he would be home more unless she
convinced him to join a fourth Softball team.
She sighed and sipped from her glass of wine. It was becoming too much to think about. So
she pushed all of it aside and closed her eyes, remembering Carrie's touch upon her skin
instead, her lips upon her breasts, her hands as they parted her thighs.
Oh my.
She took a deep breath, still amazed that the touch of another woman could bring her to
such heights, could bring her such complete satisfaction. And amazed that her own touch
had the power to make Carrie tremble in her arms, make Carrie beg for release, make
Carrie scream her name.
"Babe?"
Jill jumped, nearly dropping her wineglass. She was so lost in her thoughts, she never heard
Craig come home.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said. "Thought you heard me."
"No. I was... I was far away, I guess. What are you doing home already?"
"It's nine thirty."
Her eyes widened. "I had no idea it was that late. Did Angie ride with you?"
"Yeah. She's upstairs already." He walked closer, finally sitting down on the swing beside
her. "Do you feel like talking?"
She wondered if she said no, would he leave it at that. But she nodded. "Sure."
"I know my mother came over the other week. I just want you to know I didn't ask her to
do that."
"It's none of her business."
"I know. But I've always been able to talk to her about stuff, this was no different." He
shrugged. "You say it's not another man, and I want to believe you, but it's the only
explanation we can come up with."
"We? You and your mother?"
"Yes." He stood up and walked to the edge of the deck. "Please, Jill, just tell me. This
speculating about who he is just makes me crazy."
"I'm not seeing another man, Craig. I don't know what's going on with me, I really don't. I
only know I don't have the... the desire to sleep with you, to be intimate with you. I'm