I noticed he was standing stiffly and there was urgency in his reply; he looked like he was in a hurry. I straightened and pursed my lips. "Well, Aedyn. It was nice seeing you again. You must have a lot to do and I'm probably keeping you..." I made a dramatic effort to look at my watch. "I really should get going too."

He laid a hand on my arm and gave a little pat as he moved to push past me. I nearly melted from its warmth. Before he left, he smiled and said, "It was good to see you again, Lauren. Take care now."

I watched him walk out, past Jules and all the way out the door. I ducked into the ladies' room, my pulse running a little faster than usual. Wow, what a difference the years had made.

I came out of the restroom and looked at the round wooden clock on the wall. Everything in this shop was heavy wood-the chairs, the tables-each one lending itself to the idea of thick hearty breads. My lunch hour was almost over and I really would need to leave soon. Jules was going to die when I told her who the mystery man was.

I slipped back into my chair and leaned forward. "Jules, you'll never guess who I just ran into on the way to the ladies' room." I paused for affect, but didn't wait for her answer. "Aedyn Cumberland."

"Really?" I watched her face as she searched her memory banks. "He went to high school with us, right?"

"Yes. He walked right past you a few minutes ago. I bet you didn't recognize him either."

Her jaw dropped.

"Exactly. That hunk of a man was the one I saw getting out of the limo earlier. He's very good looking now, nothing like the last time I saw him."

Her eyebrows shot up and she said, "I did notice him. Who wouldn't? He's quite striking... wait, more like, he's damn hot."

We both laughed and Jules sipped the last of her iced tea, fanning herself dramatically.

"Can you believe how much he's changed?"

"So he's here for a funeral? Who died?"

"His father."

"Oh, that's too bad. He wouldn't have been very old. Did you two date in high school? I don't remember you dating Aedyn."

"No way. I think he had a crush on me though, but he wasn't my type back then."

Jules waded up her napkin and tossed it in the empty sandwich basket. "Well, he looks like every girl's type now. All I can say is, getting out of Granger sure did him good."

"I agree. Hey, I gotta go now, Jules. You're a sweetheart for letting me dump all my troubles on you."

"What about your sandwich? You didn't even eat it."

"I'll have them wrap it to go. I'll give it to the homeless guy in the park."

"Alright. But remember, tomorrow's another day. As far as Chip goes, you need to talk to him. It's probably just a phase he's going through, you know, worried about his business, parent expectations, yada yada yada. Jack's like that too. But you need to address it, stop it before it gets out of hand. Dream or no dream... you deserve better than this."

We hugged good-bye and she left, not seeing me shake my head in disagreement. There were times when I felt this life was all I deserved. I'd made my choices and would live with the consequences. I would make the best of whatever came my way, would work hard to keep it, but I wouldn't seek out anything better.

I watched my friend walk out the door as I stood at the counter, waiting for my sandwich to be wrapped. The girl in the apron handed it to me in a brown paper bag. I looked at the dull, lifeless color of the bag as I walked toward the park in the early summer sun and thought, "I don't want my life to be this drab and simple."

It scared me that I'd felt a rush of excitement when talking to Aedyn. It was like color had dropped into my life, providing a stark contrast to what I had and it was unsettling. I had convinced myself that I had everything I wanted in my life. But now, without my asking, a little seed of doubt had been planted, creating an annoying itch. Should I scratch it or ignore it? That was the disturbing question I was left with when I finally reached the park bench I was looking for.

The homeless man gave me a toothless smile when I handed him the bag. I nodded and quickly walked back to the office. I wanted to be there when Chip got back from his Rotary Club luncheon meeting. I would stop all this thought about having a different life. I would focus on my here and now.

Chapter Six.

Lauren I was totally consumed by a feeling of warmth. The moment our skin touched, when I placed my hand into his, a fire ignited, blazing its way through every cell in my body. I didn't blink. I didn't even hesitate. I gave in completely to his offer to step into the back of his limousine. He pulled me in and shut the door. It was dark inside and there was no driver up front, only him.

I was aware of nothing except him, his body next to mine, and the intense sexual desire that blazed between us. He's in control and with no inhibitions, he pulled me to his lap to straddle him. My knees dug into the seat just as my sex pressed into his. I groan from the desperate need to taste him. Our lips crushed together with a fiery heat. He pushed both hands into my hair and held me to his mouth, devouring my lips, his tongue shooting in and sweeping the inside of mine. His tongue excited me. I knew what he could do with it and I ached for his wet tongue to lick between my folds.

I gasped as I came up for air from his demanding kisses. I was hungry for him and I didn't want to think about anything else right now. How could I think straight with visions of what I wanted him to do to me swimming in my head?

I struggled to get a good look at his face, but I couldn't. I was too close, pressed against him by his firm, strong hands, ravaging my body, locking me to him so that I couldn't pull back enough to see his face. After a moment, I no longer cared who it was. I didn't want to stop. I had to have more. His hands were on my breasts, pushing and kneading as he kissed my neck. My dress was loose and stretchy, the kind of dress one wears in the summer with no bra and very small panties to alleviate the heat of the day. The dress made it easy for him to push it aside, for his mouth to reach my nipples, already hard and sensitive to the touch.

I grabbed his hand as he pulled my breast into his mouth and shoved it between my legs. Fire raced through my body. I was aching to feel his touch down there. I was already near the top of an orgasm and I knew it wouldn't take much to push me over the edge. His hand slid under the edge of my panties and I felt his fingers touch my folds. I jerked with excitement, but he didn't say a word, just groaned in a thick hoarse voice. I felt his erection between us, pushing at the fabric of his pants. When he finally spoke he growled, "Take them off. Turn around."

"Chip?" I whispered, barely registering that I said the word.

There was another growl, accompanied by the sound of his zipper. I turned around to sit on his lap as he demanded. As I bent forward, my ass hovered in front of his face, I felt his lips on my butt cheeks then a sharp nip of his teeth as he gave a love bite that shot my senses soaring. It didn't hurt, but made my blood race all the more. I lowered myself and felt his hard cock against my skin. He held my hips and moved me up and down, his cock caressing my butt gently for a few strokes, tracing along the lace of my thong panties. Then, before I knew it, he grabbed the lace and pulled hard. It hadn't taken but a tug and the thin lace ripped, the panties no longer a barrier.

Was he angry with me again? No, this was hot desire and the shock of his actions merely stoked the fire already burning between my legs. I wanted him to fuck me now. This teasing was torture. I needed to come soon before Chip found out.

Why would I think that?

Then I knew with certainty. This wasn't Chip. This man created a feeling inside me I couldn't describe, made me feel heady and hot. I knew this was dangerous territory, but that only added to the fire.

His legs were spread wide and he used his hands, still on my hips to guide me on top of his cock. With one hard movement, he was inside me, thrusting with an exhaled breath on each stroke. I could feel how big he was, it sent more heat to my already ripe clit. I felt the tingle from my skin stretching as it took him in.

With each hard thrust, he repeated, "Lauren, you're mine," and I reveled in the words, even as my mind screamed, "No, I'm with Chip." This man's voice won out, drowning Chip's name until he no longer existed.

"Lauren, you're mine," he said again, another thrust penetrating my soul.

"Yes," I screamed and was immediately washed with guilt. This was Aedyn and I shamelessly wanted him. But the guilt stung sharply, nearly ruining my blissful euphoria, so I pushed it aside. I was driven to continue. I'd face the consequences later. I couldn't stop. I didn't want it to end.

I wanted to scream out, "Fuck me, Aedyn," as I was getting right to the top, right to the edge of exploding. He pushed harder, his hands still on my hips, slamming into me, driving his cock deeper and deeper with each stroke. I felt him thicken, knew he was about to come too. With a gasp of air, I opened my eyes... and nearly sat up in bed.

My body was still humming, but unsatisfied. This wasn't the first dream I had about Aedyn. Ever since I saw him going into the funeral home, I'd been having erotic dreams about him. But this was the first I'd had one while sleeping right next to Chip. Damn. What was wrong with me?

Although I woke up frustrated and still horny, I couldn't shake the wonderful feelings from the dreams. The connection I had with Aedyn was more powerful than sex. It was as if Aedyn and I shared a deep kind of knowing, like we were soul mates. At least that's how it felt in the dreams, then it would linger for a while and only fade once I got out of bed. The sad thing was, the dreams were like a talisman, a reminder that I'd never had that kind of intense connection with the man beside me.

"What's the matter?" Chip propped himself on his elbows and looked at me from his side of the bed. He always slept on that side when I came over. It was close to his clock and a drawer full of condoms we never used. I didn't know why he even kept them. I'd been on the pill for years.

I was still a little breathless and felt like my cheeks were getting pink, like I'd been caught doing something I shouldn't. "Just a bad dream, that's all."

I tucked the sheet around my breasts to cover them. I didn't want him to see that my nipples were still hard and erect.

Chip frowned and laid back down. "Bad dream, huh? You act like you're hiding something." He rolled to his side and reached for my hand and shoved it onto his hard cock. "Feel that? You need to take care of that for me, baby. I can make that bad dream sweet. This is reality. This is where you belong, right here in my bed. I love you, Lauren and this is what men do when they love someone. Now take care of me like you always do, baby."

He leaned in and kissed me and guilt spread through me as I kissed him back, the dream images of Aedyn still permeating my brain. It didn't feel right to have sex with Chip when I had another man stuck in my head.

To cover my thoughts, I smiled and said, "You're right. It was just a stupid dream."

I was over analyzing. The dream was only a reflection of my mixed-up emotions, my worry about Chip and our future. Chip was right. I had better take care of his needs. He was real, after all; not some illusion. As my fist began to stroke him, I became more resolved to forget the fantasy and focus on the here and now. This was Chip, the man I'd wanted. Without him, what would I do? Shrivel up and become some bitter, disappointed truck driver's wife? I didn't want that.

As he approached me further and climbed on top of me, I felt his erection slide in easily. I was so wet from the dream, wet from wanting Aedyn that it sent a fresh wave of guilt rushing through me. I turned my head to the side and closed my eyes.

I tried to enjoy it, tried to stop thinking and embrace the man in my arms, but I couldn't, the lingering effects of my erotic dream left me feeling confused. Suddenly, having him on top of me made me feel suffocated, and all I really wanted to do was go back to my apartment and put some space between me and this dick. I stifled a laugh, which almost turned into a sob. Chip had been such a dick lately. It was overwhelming, but the other side of my brain kept telling me to stop being so ungrateful, be happy to have the best this town had to offer.

He rocked on top of me, grunting and breathing heavily. I laid there, fighting back the urge to say, "Come already!" I bit my lip. I was so confused. Emotions that shouldn't be there were barreling through me full throttle. What was wrong with me? I just wanted to shove him off. Instead of a pleasurable orgasm building inside, an agitated and scratchy feeling was building in my soul.

His head was buried in my neck and his back was rounded as he continued. The whole bed moved with his thrusts; he was pushing so hard, pounding into me over and over. I kept my head turned to the side and tried to block this reality from my mind, but my emotions were running the show now. It felt like someone had hit the download button and everything was happening out of my control. There was no abort button; crazy wild emotions all came crashing down to swallow me up. I was outside of myself, watching it all happen, a weird mixture of fantasy and reality. Somewhere in between the two, I could smell the familiar scent of Chip's expensive cologne.

When it was over, Chip rolled off me and he could tell I hadn't had an orgasm.

"Well, that was uneventful," he said with annoyance and got out of the bed.

Chapter Seven.

Lauren I didn't know what to say. I laid there, staring at the ceiling, trying to come up with the perfect reply that would stop the dreaded inquisition I knew would come next. But it was like Chip had a window into my mind and could read every thought I was thinking. I felt so exposed. Then a cheap lie arose in my mind. "Sorry. I'm not feeling so great. I think it was the food we ate last night. Sometimes seafood bothers my stomach. It did smell kind of fishy. Maybe it wasn't fresh." I mean we live in the Midwest. There's no sea around here. Maybe he'd buy that story.

Chip snorted a short laugh. Not the "ha-ha, funny," type, more of the "yea, right" variety.

"You've been acting distant. I'm no fool. What's going on?" Chip paced next to the bed and reached for the bottle of water on his night stand.

"Distant?"

"Yea, like you got something else on your mind all the time. You're always staring off into space. You take extra-long lunches at work and now, in bed, your mind was somewhere else. You weren't even into it. I'm no fool, Lauren. What's so damn important that you can't pay attention to me when we're together?" He stopped pacing and gave me a piercing look. "Or should I say, who is so important?"

I sat up and got out of the bed so I could turn my back and he couldn't see my face. "I don't know what you're talking about. I told you, I just don't feel well. That's all."

"Don't pretend with me, Lauren." He put down his water and followed me as I walked around the bedroom, looking for my underwear to put on. I was stalling. I didn't know how to answer him. There wasn't anyone else, except a fantasy, and that didn't count.

If I went on the defensive and started an argument now that his manhood was challenged, it wouldn't end well, I knew. I had witnessed Chip's rages and his erratic behavior was draining me. Although, from the looks of all the clothing strewn around the room, I must have been feeling pretty amorous toward him last night.

My expensive, lace-edged bra was flung over a chair and the matching panties lay on the floor near the door. Glad that I had long hair to hide my expression, I let it fall around my face as I picked up my panties and pulled them on. I was a horrible person, lusting after one man while fucking another. Especially since I thought I was fucking the man of my future children.

"Tell me," he snarled. "What's going on? What have you been doing behind my back?"

I contemplated just telling him the truth, be honest with him about my feelings. When I didn't answer fast enough, he snapped, "Look at me when I talk to you." He took my arm and backed me against the door. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that nothing is going on. And remember, I'll know if you're lying."

Still holding my arm and pinning me to the door, I glanced down at the hand digging into me. This wasn't the time to explain anything. He was too ramped up and he wouldn't even hear what I had to say. "Let go of me. You're hurting me." I demanded.

His eyes were dark with anger. "Tell me. You've been flirting with someone else, haven't you? Were you getting all turned on when you talked to him? Did he make you wet while you threw yourself at him in public?"

"No! What the... no..."

"Don't lie to me." His voice was louder now and angrier. "I went to the sandwich shop, Lauren. Right after you were there. I wondered why you were gone so long and went looking for you. The girl behind the counter told me all about it, how you were talking to some guy. She said you looked like you were having a really good time, talking to him. Laughing. Flirting."

My eyes widened. I couldn't breathe. I could barely get the words out. "I literally bumped into an old friend..."

"I bet you were even thinking of him just now. Something wasn't right when we made love. I can tell. You're lying to me. You're fucking hiding something from me."

Chips face was so close I could feel his breath on my skin as he spoke. "I know you didn't orgasm and I can always make you come, even if you don't want to." His free hand trailed down my stomach and he flicked his finger over my clit. He pressed hard through the fabric, painfully so.

"No! There's no one. I wasn't doing anything wrong. Jesus, Chip..."

"Does he have a large cock like mine to satisfy you? You're a dirty girl, Lauren, if you're thinking of any other man but me. Do you want me to tell your father, the good doctor, that you're nothing but a nasty little cheat? He already knows you're a little slut, it probably won't surprise him. But what about everyone else? All the other upstanding citizens in this town? How would that make you look?"

My eyes grew wider and all I could think about was the shooting pain as he squeezed. "Let go of me. Stop this. You're hurting me."

"You'd look like a whore!" He continued, screaming now and let go of my arm. But it wasn't to release me I realized. He balled it into a tight fist and drove it into the thin wood of the door, punching a hole right beside my head.

I shrieked as I jumped and covered my face with my hands.

"Stop. Please stop."

"You're mine, Lauren. Just remember that." He said in a low voice and turned, walking away from me.

I let out my breath and rubbed my sore arm. "You're crazy; you're out of control." I couldn't believe it, yet why was I surprised? He'd turned into a brute lately and I knew a part of it was my fault. I should've been more interested in our lovemaking. I shouldn't be dreaming about Aedyn, wondering about all the "what if's" that had me so distracted.

Watching him pace the room, I felt a fresh wave of guilt. It was my fault, he had a right to be upset. I was thinking about another man, of course he'd felt my withdrawal. This was just Chip's macho man way of showing how threatened he felt. In a strange way, it showed how much he didn't want to lose me, I justified for him. I just wish he'd say it instead of punching the door for emphasis.

What was I supposed to do now?

Chip snatched a clean pair of underwear from his bureau drawer and put them on. When he turned around to look at me, the expression on his face had softened. He walked over to me as I was slipping the strap of my bra onto my shoulder. I was shaken by his outburst, but he looked calmer now.

Chip took me, gently this time, by my arms and looked into my eyes. "I'm sorry, Lauren. I didn't mean to scare you."

He looked sincere, but knew I couldn't let him off the hook this easily. "Well, you did. I need you to promise never to do that again. That hole could have been my face."

"No, sweetheart. Never. I would never hit you. I'm so sorry. It'll never happen again, I promise."

I stared at him, saw the guilt in his eyes. "Promise?"

"Yes, I have this under control."

"Really? Cause it doesn't seem like it."

Anger flared in his eyes for just a moment, then he took a deep breath and tamped it down. "I told you. I promised. It will never happen again."

Chip looked at me with such sincerity, maybe he was telling the truth. Guys were like that. They have anger and bad tempers built into them. They don't know how to get it out and sometimes shit happens.