Chapter 33

I scroll through my camera roll, the feeling strangely bittersweet.

Hannah always hated taking photos together, so most of the pictures are of her alone.

There aren’t many photos of us together, and I can’t find a single one where I’m genuinely smiling.

Every image looks forced.

Like I already knew she was only humoring me by posing beside me.

I sigh and upload all my family and friends photos to the cloud before opening my settings and pausing over the factory reset button.

I hesitate for only a second before pressing it.

A fresh start is what I want.

It’s what Raven and I both need.

And in real life, we can’t truly have that.

We don’t have the luxury of starting over without all the baggage from the past weighing us down.

I thought erasing part of my life would hurt.

But the thought of hurting Raven hurts far more.

I should’ve done this a long time ago.

Things between us have been strange lately.

We’ve both been pretending Hannah isn’t a factor in our marriage.

And for a while, it worked.

Until it didn’t.

I’ve already hurt Raven enough.

I can’t risk anything on my phone upsetting her all over again.

Being reminded of my past with Hannah is painful enough for both of us.

I watch my phone reset before smiling faintly and typing in a new password — a combination of Raven’s birthday and our wedding date.

If I’d known deleting everything would feel this freeing, I would’ve done it sooner.

Raven walks in just as I’m grinning at my phone, and her expression immediately falls before she forces a smile onto her face.

I watch her carefully as I set my phone aside.

“You’re home earlier than I expected.”

She nods while rubbing her shoulder.

“I fell on set.”

She exhales softly.

“My back’s been hurting all day, so I figured I’d work on my designs from home instead.”

I jump to my feet immediately and rush over to her.

“You’re hurt?”

My hands instinctively reach for her shoulders.

“How did it happen?”

She smiles faintly and shakes her head.

“I was just being clumsy.”

Her gaze lowers briefly.

“I’ve been absentminded all day.”

She shrugs softly.

“This one really was my own fault.”

I sigh and place my hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently.

I don’t need to guess what’s been weighing on her mind.

I suppose we were never truly going to avoid this situation forever.

Eventually, we had to face Hannah and the history I share with her.

I just didn’t expect myself to feel this much clarity once it finally happened.

I brush her hair away from her face gently, my hand lingering against her cheek.

She’s been distant lately.

And fuck, I miss her.

I cup her cheek softly before leaning down and pressing a kiss against her forehead.

I haven’t dared kiss her properly since the last time.

I’m terrified of asking for too much too soon.

“Come on,” I murmur.

“Take a hot shower and relax your muscles.”

I brush my thumb gently over her skin.

“Then I’ll give you a massage.”

She hesitates briefly before nodding.

She’s been especially distant today.

Normally, she texts me at least a few times throughout the day.

Today, she barely replied at all.

It’s like yesterday’s phone call made her realize she and I can never fully escape the past.

I sigh softly as I go looking for the oil she uses on her body.

And I definitely need to investigate how she got hurt today.

Hell, I may need to hire a safety coordinator to inspect every set she works on before she even gets there.

“Ares?”

I look up and find Raven standing a few feet away with a white towel wrapped around her body.

“Come here,” I tell her while patting the bed.

“Lie down.”

Raven lies on her stomach with the towel still wrapped around her, and my pulse immediately starts racing.

What the fuck was I thinking offering her a massage?

There’s no way I survive touching her for this long.

This was a terrible idea.

And yet it still doesn’t stop me from reaching for the oil.

I kneel beside her and tug lightly at the towel.

“Let me move this aside.”

She nods hesitantly as I pull the towel lower, exposing her shoulders and upper back.

I pause for a moment before lowering it farther until it bunches around her waist.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I was this nervous over something as innocent as a massage.

There’s just something about her that completely destroys my self-control.

When was the last time any woman affected me this badly?

My heartbeat quickens as I pour oil onto her back.

“Are my hands cold?” I ask softly while spreading the oil across her shoulders and kneading gently.

Raven sighs happily.

“No.”

Her voice softens.

“This feels perfect.”

I watch her profile as I massage the back of her neck with my thumbs, my fingertips working slowly into her scalp.

“Oh God,” she moans softly.

“That feels so good.”

Fuck.

My cock hardens instantly.

I grit my teeth and continue massaging her neck while my nails scrape lightly across her scalp.

“Ares,” she moans again.

And fuck, it takes everything in me not to flip her over and kiss her.

The way she says my name is completely unreal.

“I love this.”

“Let me get on top of you,” I murmur.

“I can use more pressure that way.”

I shift until my legs are positioned on either side of her body.

She moves slightly beneath me and slides her arms farther up the bed.

Fuck.

Does she realize she’s giving me a perfect view of the side of her breasts?

Thank fuck she can’t tell how hard I am right now.

I move my hands lower, slowly massaging her shoulders and back while working tension from her muscles.

Gradually, my hands drift lower until my thumbs press against the dimples above her ass.

Fuck.

I’d love to hold her exactly like this while fucking her from behind, my hands gripping her hips.

I already know she’d take my cock like a good girl.

I want more of those moans.

I want my name spilling from her lips while I thrust deep inside her.

I hesitate briefly before tugging lightly on the towel again, silently checking whether she’ll stop me.

Instead of resisting, she lifts her hips slightly and lets me pull the towel away completely.

Now she’s lying naked beneath me.

“Don’t stop,” she whispers softly, snapping me out of my daze.

I continue massaging her lower back while trying desperately not to stare at her ass.

Her body is literal perfection.

My hands knead the top of her ass slowly while my thumbs work into her glutes.

“Oh,” she moans softly again.

“Hurts.”

“Here, baby?”

I massage her glutes more firmly, my hands sliding lower until I’m gripping her ass fully while my thumbs dig into the tense muscles.

“Yeah,” she groans softly.

“There.”

I clench my jaw tightly as my thumbs drift lower, brushing dangerously close to her inner thighs.

Dangerously close to her pussy.

I pause briefly before shifting lower, giving myself a clear view of her smooth pussy.

Fucking hell.

I’d give the entire world to spread her legs and bury my face between them.

I need a fucking taste.

I widen my hands again and continue massaging her glutes while my thumbs press against her thighs.

Raven squirms slightly, shifting just enough for my thumb to brush against her pussy.

Then she parts her legs a little farther, silently inviting my fingers deeper until my thumb presses against her clit.

I pause for one brief moment before smiling when she doesn’t pull away.

Slowly, I continue kneading her ass while keeping my thumb against her clit.

My movements are far more sensual than therapeutic now.

But she clearly doesn’t mind.

I glance at her face and smirk at the sight of her flushed cheeks and tightly closed eyes.

My movements become almost imperceptible as I slowly start circling her clit while pretending to massage her hips.

Her breathing turns into soft panting.

She bites down on her lower lip, clearly trying to hold back her moans.

I press more firmly against her clit and move my other hand closer, pretending to massage her inner thigh.

Her hips shift ever so slightly, silently begging for more.

I brush my fingers against her pussy and groan softly at how wet she already is.

How long has she been turned on?

How far will she let me take this?

Will she let me make her come?

I pull my thumb away and bring it to my mouth, sucking it clean while my eyes fall shut.

Fuck.

I need more.

I want her on her hands and knees while I eat her out from behind.

I move my hands away from her pussy and start massaging the backs of her thighs instead, patiently waiting for a sign that she wants more.

That I’m not crossing a line.

Raven squirms beneath me again before subtly repositioning herself until my fingers brush her pussy once more.

I bite back a grin.

Yeah.

My sweet wife wants more.

“Spread your legs for me,” I murmur roughly.

“Let me work on your thighs.”

I grip her thighs gently and reposition her until she’s kneeling with her ass raised while her upper body remains flat against the bed.

She keeps her eyes closed, pretending to stay unaffected.

But her breathing gives her away.

That…

And the sight of her swollen, soaking wet pussy.

I grin before grabbing the oil and pouring more down the curve of her ass until her skin glistens beautifully.

“Sorry,” I murmur teasingly.

“I think I used too much oil, baby.”

I drag three fingers slowly down her back before briefly pressing my middle finger against her ass as I slide lower.

She moans loudly and buries her face deeper into the pillow, cheeks burning red.

Oh.

She likes that.

I chuckle softly before cupping her pussy fully and pressing the heel of my hand against her.

“I used too much oil,” I complain innocently, pretending there’s a reason for the way I’m touching her.

“It’s okay,” she whispers breathlessly.

“Just rub it in.”

Her voice softens.

“My skin will absorb it.”

“Yeah?”

I slide my hand beneath her pussy as though checking for excess oil before slowly dragging my fingers upward again.

Two fingers slip inside her supposedly by accident.

The moan she lets out into the pillow nearly destroys me.

“So much oil,” I groan.

I start fingering her slowly, deliberately searching for her G-spot.

The second I find it, Raven moans my name.

I increase my pace immediately, using my other hand to rub her clit while my fingers fuck her pussy the way I wish my cock could.

I’ve never been jealous of my own fingers before.

Yet here I am, watching them disappear into my wife’s tight, needy pussy.

“Ares, please.”

I smirk before flicking my thumb harder against her clit.

Her hips start pushing back desperately against my hand.

Fuck.

I want to slide my cock inside her so badly.

I want her screaming my name.

“Yeah, baby,” I groan roughly as her breathing grows faster.

“Just like that.”

Her muscles tighten suddenly around my fingers as she moans my name again.

She says it like a fucking prayer.

And Christ, just hearing her like this nearly makes me come myself.

I slowly pull my fingers away once she comes down from her high before gently repositioning her flat against the bed again.

Then I continue massaging her legs as though I didn’t just make her come apart beneath my hands.

Since she still hasn’t looked directly at me once, I assume she isn’t ready to acknowledge what just happened.

And honestly?

That’s okay.

Hearing her moan my name like that is enough for me.

More than enough.

Especially after days of cold distance between us.

I lean down and press a soft kiss against her lower back.

“You might need another shower, Wifey.”

I grin faintly.

“I got oil all over you.”

“Yeah,” she whispers shakily.

“I… I’ll go shower again in a minute.”

I kiss her skin one more time before pulling away.

“I’ve got a conference call in a few minutes,” I murmur softly.

“So just relax for a while before you get up, okay, my love?”

I lean down again and kiss her shoulder blade this time.

Then I finally climb off the bed and stand.

Before leaving the room, I glance back at her one last time.

The sight of her smiling shyly into her arm is going to haunt every single one of my dreams tonight.