The Anniversary Gift

105 Pages·2013·0.43 MB·English

by  Dawson Elle

The Anniversary Gift
by Elle Dawson
The Anniversary Gift © Copyright 2013 by Elle Dawson www.ElleDawson.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either
products of the author's imaginations or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without expressed
written permission from the author.
DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to one of my best friends, who shoved me from my
comfort zone and encouraged me to explore a world of passion and love.

I will forever be grateful.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Books are not written in isolation...there are many people, many memories,
many experiences, hopes and dreams that combine into a flow of thoughts that
finally…finally…become a series of words that transition into a fantasy land for
others.

Thank you to my editor, critique partners and friends – you know who you are –
for sticking with me through the changes and modifications. I couldn’t have
done this without you.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
EPILOGUE
My lips seem to know what they’re doing, as they kiss their way down
her neck. I’m not sure why, as this type of exploration feels so foreign. She
moans, which raises my confidence and I move my fingers to the top
button of her blouse. With my tongue flicking her earlobe, I slip that first
ivory button free and then slide lower to free the next and the next. My lips
are on her jaw now, my tongue tracing a lazy path until it slips into her
open mouth and seeks the sweetness inside. Her legs wrap around me,
causing her skirt to move up her thighs, a welcome invitation for me to
explore what’s hidden beneath.
My heart is beating wildly … can I do this?
Yes!
She’s beautiful … tight, soft flesh … and the puckered nipples peeking
at me through her now open blouse reassure me that I’m doing something
right.
Stepping back, I look upon her loveliness, and push the silk of her
blouse over her shoulders then slide the straps of her lacy bra down her
arms, pulling the cups down to expose her perfect creamy white breasts. I
cup them with my hands, rolling the nipples between my fingers, pulling
softly while pinching the rosy peaks.
“Kate,” she moans.
“Kate.”
“Kate!”
I jump in my chair as my name reverberates in my head. The dream of the
woman I was making love to moments before is now a living nightmare in the
flesh.
“I do not pay you to daydream,” snaps the nightmare, who also happens to
be my boss. With an angel’s face and body, Laura’s beauty is only skin deep.
She has the stinking pits of hell as a personality.
“I expect these reports by five sharp. I also want a preview of your Boston
presentation by tomorrow at noon.” She turns away, leaving me shaken from the
dream and the rude awakening.
Her? I was daydreaming of her? Kissing her? Fondling … her?
What is wrong with me?
I could see it now. Having sex with Laura would be a never-ending litany of
micro-management. “Lick harder … put your fingers here … you’re doing it
wrong.” I shudder. No way would I ever choose Laura to help fulfill my
husband’s fantasy. Besides, no way will I stick my tongue inside of her … there
… when I have to kiss her ass all day!
Not … going … to … happen!
As I watch her disgustingly perfect ass walk away, I shake the daydream
away and attempt to focus on my work. Then, to my horror, my eyes fill with
tears as a flashback from last night and my husband’s words echo in my head.
CHAPTER ONE

The Previous Evening…

“Our ten year anniversary is coming up soon, have you thought of anything
special that you want?” Ethan asks.
Such an innocent question, spoken over a plate of spaghetti and meatballs,
and I am shocked that he even remembers. Honestly, our anniversary hasn’t even
crossed my mind, isn’t even on my radar, is in fact close to two weeks away.
“I’d love a weekend away, just the two of us,” I reply, although my inner
moral compass slides south, shaming me for the lie. My perfect anniversary
present would be a week away from him, alone, at a spa, lying on a beach, alone
… alone … alone.
“That sounds fun, I think we can manage a quick getaway,” he says. “I’ve
been thinking of what I’d like too … a lot. I know things have been strange and
distant between us for a while now and I hate it. I hate the distance, the
coldness. I miss you and I want to change it, and I think I have the perfect idea.”
He pauses, takes a lengthy drink of beer and then a bite of spaghetti.
Is his face getting red? Do I see a bead of sweat?
Another drink of beer and when his fork moves twirl up another bite, I can’t
wait another second.
“What?” I ask.
He takes a deep breath and then lets it out noisily and says “let’s add some
spice to our sex life. Not that you aren’t perfect and amazing and wonderful in
bed,” he was quick to add. “Don’t you think it would be fun if we added another
partner … had a …” he takes another drink of beer, “… threesome?”
Have you ever watched a movie where the camera zooms in on a face, very
quickly, and then retreats just as fast? I swear that was what I saw … a fisheye of
my husband’s red and now sweaty face. My mouth falls opens, my breathing
stops, I can only stare.
A threesome?
Him … me … and who? Another man? Another woman? My mind is racing
as I attempt to assimilate my thoughts. I snap my mouth shut but it falls open
again as my lips work to form a response.
A threesome!
What does this mean? Is he having an affair and this is his way of merging
wife and mistress? Or is he simply tired of me? Has the five pounds I’ve gained
since our wedding put him off? Gravity isn’t kind, so is the slight sag in my
breasts unsightly?
A threesome!
Completely worked up now, I stand and simply walk away. Not a word, I
just turn and leave, walk up the steps, into the bathroom and turn on the water to
the tub.
As I stand there waiting for the tub to fill, tears slide down my face as
feeling returns to my numb body. I turn to the mirror and begin to undress,
scrutinizing myself as each inch of skin becomes exposed during the process.
“What’s wrong with me?” my Inner Goddess sobs. And I don’t know how to
answer her, even as the harsh light of the bathroom fully reflects my nakedness
in the mirror.
I work out and eat a healthy diet, use the latest greatest anti-aging products
and for a 32-year-old woman, I look damn good. Tits slightly south, but ass high
and tight, flat stomach, silky skin.
“Fuck him!” the Bitch in My Head exclaims. A threesome! I sink into the
hot water, far enough down for my tears to be washed away.
How had our marriage come to this … this distant, cold roommate
relationship? We once had so much passion, so much fun. We once were so in
tune with each other.
I remember the first time we met, the pull I felt towards him the instant our
eyes connected. The first date and how romantic he’d been when he nervously
leaned down to kiss me that first time.
I think back to our hikes together, holding hands and talking about our jobs
and sorting through any concerns we might have had. Sharing our dreams with
each other too. Dreams of starting a family, future career moves, and places we
might want to live.
I smile at the memory of his proposal by our favorite waterfall. “I want to
be the man who deserves your love,” he said to me that day. “If you say yes, I’ll