When Love Comes Late

Longing for the moment to stretch on, Stella reached up, attempting to unbutton Matthew’s shirt.

But after a few clumsy tries, she fumbled and sighed, her frustration plain.

“Why can’t I get this right… What do I do?”

“Hey, don’t stress,” Matthew murmured, his voice thick with desire.

Taking Stella’s hand, he guided her, showing her how to work the buttons and unbuckle his belt.

In a flash of passion, Matthew tore at Stella’s clothes, his lips finding their way to her soft curves, kissing her full breast with tender intent.

The room seemed to swirl with heat, the air charged with something palpable and sweet.

They tumbled from the sofa to the bedroom, and from there, to the bathroom, wrapped up in each other like nothing else existed.

After they had rinsed away the remnants of the night in the bathroom, Matthew scooped Stella up and carried her back to bed, where the irresistible pull of desire took hold yet again.

By the time the clock struck three, Stella was spent, her body drained, her eyelids far too heavy to fight.

Sleep claimed her swiftly.

Matthew watched her for a moment, her breath steady and deep.

He finally let her be, rolling off with a contented sigh, though faint scratches trailed across his back-marks Stella had left in the heat of passion.

In the dim light, he studied Stella, his gaze intense.

There was something hauntingly familiar about the evening’s events, yet his mind offered no explanation.novelbin

No memory of how, or why, it all felt like déja vu.

A shadow crossed Matthew’s expression.

Slipping out of bed, he dressed in silence.

Heading toward the wardrobe, he opened it, intending to grab a fresh tie before leaving.

But something caught his eye-a document tucked away inside.

The date on it startled him.

It was from a year after he and Stella had registered their marriage.

The next day, a soft, steady drizzle fell outside, enveloping the world in a gentle mist.

Stella felt a dull ache throughout her body, her head throbbing painfully from the excesses of last night’s drinking.

She struggled to open her eyes, momentarily disoriented as the world around her swirled into focus.

Blinking, Stella slowly registered that she was in her own bed, a wave of confusion washing over her.

Then, sensing something was amiss, she cautiously lifted the quilt to take a look underneath.

What she saw took her completely by surprise.

She was naked and couldn’t fathom why.

Panic surged through Stella as she shot up, her heart racing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the figure of a man on the sofa, and a chill ran down her spine.