An hour later, the couples were on their way back home. It was a quiet drive, punctuated by occasional rings and notification beeps from either of their phones. When they finally arrived, they alighted and walked together wordlessly into the house.
Alice had been tucked in to bed by the nanny, and was fast asleep, so they went up to their bedroom together. No word had passed between them since after the dance, and Colin went straight to the shower. When he came out of the bathroom, he saw that she had cleaned off her make-up, wore her weirdly high necked sleeping clothes and was just settling in bed. He watched her, wondering how she could wear clothes that showed off plenty skin in public, yet be so annoyingly modest in the confines of their matrimonial home. How she was mostly dressed in loose, high necked, unattractive clothings recently. How she couldn't get changed in his presence anymore and usually turned her back towards him when changing.
Suddenly, he was overcome with a desire to declare his territory, in case she had forgotten who he was to her, he would remind her tonight. She was his. Not for the green eyed annoying blond she had danced with. Not for the public she allowed to feast their eyes on her beauty. She was his.
He wore his pyjamas and climbed onto the bed, watching her lying form as she laid with her back to him. Hesitating, like he always did before touching her, he reached out and caressed her arm, tenderly. She stiffened. This was it. The worst part of their intimate relations. They had been married for five years now. And they had made love quite a number of times. Yet she always, always, stiffened at his touch. How much he hated this.
"What are you doing?" She asked, in more of a hoarse whisper. He leaned in closer, his lips almost brushing her neck.
"Of course, what a husband is entitled to do." he whispered back and placed a finger under her chin, turning her face gently towards him. She looked up at him, her expression blank, her full pink lips slightly parted, looking inviting. Even with the plain expressionless look, she looked drop dead beautiful that he couldn't resist crushing his lips on hers, and, quite surprisingly, she kissed him back, with more passion that he had ever known her capable of, her hands on the sides of his head, pulling him lower, closer.
His hands reached down and untied the sash of her sleeping gown and it fell apart. Thankfully, she wore nothing else under.
His kisses trailed down and she squirmed under his touch, her breath coming in short gasps. Suddenly, she realized he might notice her midriff looking slightly bigger and she hastily sat upright, holding him tighter as she kissed him back feverishly, her hands roaming with even more fervor around him.
"You are mine!" He groaned with every thrust he made, as though it was a confirmation they both needed to know.
"I am...I am yours..." She returned in between gasps till they finally climaxed, together, breathing heavily, totally spent.
He rolled off her onto his back, panting heavily, feeling satisfied. And of course, victorious. She was his. Nothing could change that. Obviously, she was also beginning to accept the fact because tonight, he noticed she had done much more than just lay down and let him do everything. She had reciprocated. Passionately.
Maybe this was a turning point for them, he thought, a smile appearing on his face as he snuggled closer to her and held her in his arms, and kissed the top of her head tenderly. Few minutes later, he had drifted into sleep.
Elaine, on the other hand, lay awake and quiet after their rather passionate activities few minutes ago. She had a smile on her face. But it had little to do with happiness. It was a smug sly smile.
She had noticed Colin's surprise as she did things she rarely ever did in their marital relations. She was usually just receptive, and rarely ever reciprocative. Tonight, he had foolishly thought it was because she had finally began to love and accept him that she had done all she did. Little did he know that it was Chris's presence, earlier, that had fuelled her passion.
That she had pictured him as Chris all through, which was why she had reacted the way she did. She started to laugh at his naivety then quickly checked herself and glanced sideways to see if he was asleep. He was. With a contented look on his handsome face, and an arm wrapped around her bare shoulders.
She gently extricated herself from his embrace, making sure not to rouse him, and got up, wrapped the robe around herself then went to the bathroom where she stood in front of the mirror, watching her reflection, a smirk on her face. Even though it was almost not noticeable now, she had filled out considerably and her cheeks were fuller, her bosom too, and her midriff was slightly bigger. She wondered if Colin had not noticed. Or if he had, and thought nothing of it. It had been four years since she last had a baby, so she wasn't surprised how ignorant and naive he was in that regard, that he had missed the signs. His busy schedule made everything much easier for her, as he was usually out at work during her morning sickness episodes, so he never found out. And she intended keeping it that way, until she had made up her mind on what her next line of action would be.
"Maybe tonight, I'm yours, Colin. And a few other days,"she said aloud then placed her hands on her slightly protruding belly, which no one could possibly have noticed yet, all thanks to the loose clothes she had recently adopted as her dressing style while indoors. She rubbed her belly in circles, very tenderly, as though more pressure could disturb the tiny being growing within. A child conceived with love and passion. A child she couldn't wait to have, and to hold. "But not for long, Colin. Not with another man's child in my belly." an evil smile spread across her face.