Page 110 of Checkmate
Sophie
“Would you hold still?” Alex flinched as she applied aloe to the scratches along his shoulders and back. They might give him a hard time, but she didn’t regret any of it. Alex giving her the go-ahead to do what she wanted had unlocked a new side of their sex life.
And he realised just how much she had been holding back.
She had always been a passionate lover. She liked to bite and scratch, to leave her mark on her partner. Because she wanted to possess Alex deeply, it heightened the feeling. She had never felt like this before, so consumed with another person. So obsessed. She knew it wasn’t healthy, but she couldn’t help it. She craved him.
“Jesus, Soph, you really went to town on me last night,” Alex said as he looked at himself in the mirror. She followed his gaze to his chest covered in long scratches and his neck covered in bite marks. If he thought those were bad, he was lucky he couldn’t see his back.
“Listen, I think a new rule needs to be put in place,” he said seriously, turning to face her. She tried not to pout, but she hated rules. “I still have to go to work and look professional. From now on, all marks stay under clothing. Understand?”
She sighed and nodded. “I understand.” She didn’t like it, but he was right.
He actually had a pretty big client meeting next week, which had the potential to earn him a decent chunk of money. |But no one was going to hire a guy with bite marks all over his neck. She’d have to rein herself in, at least until he bagged the client.
“I’m going to get your breakfast, handsome,” she said, kissing the tip of his nose and jumping down from the bathroom counter. She left him to rub aloe over his chest and made her way through the house.
The last few days had been nothing short of domestic bliss.
She loved this enormous house and being here with Alex. A home like this made her want to put the effort in and become the housewife she knew she could be. Marcus had complained to her here and there about her lack of help with chores. But he didn’t live in a somewhere like this. If he had worked harder and provided, perhaps she would have felt more inclined to help.
Hell, perhaps she wouldn’t have strayed away from him.
She couldn’t lie. Alex’s money was a big part of the appeal. She wasn’t a gold digger or anything, god no. She could, and did, provide for herself. Nails, hair, tan - she paid for them all herself. Never once had she asked Marcus for a handout. But while she treated herself, Marcus was stuck with the bills. Once he had paid everything off, they didn’t have too much left over to put into savings.
That had been their plan. Save enough to find somewhere bigger and give Sophie the walk-in wardrobe she craved. The longer it took, the less attractive Sophie found her husband.
But Alex? He already had the big house.
A house with that many spare rooms he had converted one of them into a closet for Erica.
Sometimes, when he was fast asleep, Sophie would creep into that closet and admire the rows upon rows of beautiful clothes and shoes. This was her dream right here. She’d die before she wore another woman’s clothes, but some of these dresses made it difficult. However, it was only a matter of time before she could fill the closet with her own beautiful clothes.
Patience was the key.
She had just grabbed the eggs from the kitchen when she heard the doorbell. Alex came down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Given his haste, she presumed this was business and paid no attention. She may have to fake an interest in these things at the office. But not here. Not at home.
“What the fuck is he doing here, Erica?”
That made her pay attention. Rushing through the hallway, still clutching the eggs, she saw Erica and Marcus in the doorway. They were still together?
Weird.
Erica’s attention flicked to hers, causing her to bark out a laugh.
“Probably the same thing she is doing here,” she said, replying to Alex’s question. She turned to Sophie and smirked. “Sticking to your guns, I see. The big break-up between you two going well?”
Sophie felt her face flame, glancing down at the floor.
“Let’s not draw this out,” Erica continued. “I just want my things.”
“You didn’t say he was coming!” Anger radiated from Alex as he blocked the entrance to the house. “Why didn’t you say something?”
Why didn’t Alex? He knew Erica was coming and he hadn’t said a thing. Sophie glanced down at herself, still only in Alex’s shirt and very little else. Her hair was a mess. She hadn’t applied make-up since she arrived, and she hadn’t showered since the previous day. Alex said he liked his scent on her, so she hadn’t bothered.
Now face to face with Erica, she wished she had time to prepare.
Even though she was clearly wearing Marcus’ old clothes, she looked incredible. All long legs and simple grace. Though Sophie was confident enough in her own looks, she had always been incredibly jealous of Erica - though that was a secret she would take to the grave. The older woman just possessed that special something that made her stand out above the crowd. Although she couldn’t put her finger on it, Sophie knew it was something she would never possess.
