Secrets and Lies (14 page)

“Congratulations, darling! I knew you could do it!” Niall grabbed her hand and stopped her mid-dance.

“Do you know what this means?” she cried. “This is a huge opportunity. It could be the start of my acting career at long last!”

Her career dreams had reached their pinnacle with her first official acting role in the sitcom “Marmalade.” It was a small role which would mark her debut on the small screen and give her the much-longed for opportunity to flex her acting muscle.

“This calls for a huge celebration,” Niall insisted, holding her hand as they headed towards Chez Jacques where they had dinner reservations for eight o' clock.

“I think a very large bottle of Champagne and lots of loving later is the order of the day,” Hope grinned cheekily up at her husband who immediately bent to kiss her full on the lips.

“I'm very proud of you, darling,” he said, pulling away from her before he lost control.

“I'm proud of me too,” Hope laughed, completely unaware of the effect she was having on her husband.

“Dad
dy's home at last!” Saoirse exclaimed excitedly, jumping up from her comfortable seat on the soft, cream leather couch and running to the door to greet her beloved father.

Kerry couldn't help smiling at her daughter's exuberance. Saoirse and Conor had always had a very special connection. Saoirse was
their much-longed for, yet unexpected surprise baby and Conor had been more thrilled than Kerry when she'd discovered that she was pregnant with their second child.

She followed Saoirse and stood at the front door watching as father and daughter greeted each other. Saoise jumped into her father's arms and he enveloped her in a bear-hug. Kerry felt her heart melt when she saw the look of sheer happiness on her daughter's face as Conor held her close. Saoirse was full of chat for her dad and Kerry couldn't help feeling a small pang of envy to see the close bond between father and daugh
ter.

Sometimes, a small part of her felt that there was an unspoken distance developing in her relationship with her husband. Kerry couldn't quite put her finger on it but deep in her heart she sensed that something wasn't quite right between them. Conor seemed more and more preoccupied recently. Initially, she assumed he was thinking about work, but she had a sense that it was something more than just business that was on his mind. She often caught him staring into the distance, lost in his own world, a world which he didn't seem to want to share with her anymore. It worried her, but she was unsure why.

Admittedly, he was spending more time away on business, but that was the nature of his job and the more senior he became within the company, the more time he had to spend abroad. He'd explained this to her when he'd begun to climb the corporate ladder. At first, she'd accepted that it was a necessary compromise they had to make; less time together to maintain their lifestyle and security when they retired. Conor aimed to retire when he was fifty years old so that was only another ten years. Then she would have him all to herself and she couldn't wait. She hadn't realised that it would be difficult spending so much time apart, and their time apart seemed to be more and more frequent especially in recent years.

She was getting tired of his work commit
ments. What about his commitment to their marriage? It was a lonely life at times rattling around in their big house. Emer was away at university and she was lucky to see her at the weekends, if she didn't already have plans with her new friends. Saoirse was gone most days at school and had lots of after-school activities which she enjoyed. Kerry was of course happy for her daughters but she couldn't help missing the days when they were small children and she'd been too busy looking after them to be bothered with foolish thoughts about her marriage.

She didn't have any concrete foundation for her worries. He was still the same Conor, the same man who she married and loved and adored. She knew he loved her too but she couldn't help the nagging doubts that were creeping into her mind more and more. Her thoughts filled her with unease so she tried to dismiss her worries, not wanting to spend much time dwelling on maybes. Her husband was here with her now and that was all that mattered.

Kerry shook herself and smiled brightly at Conor as he pulled his suitcase from the trunk of his Audi. Saoirse insisted on wheeling it to the front door for him.

“Dad's home,” Saoirse grinned at her mother, brushing past her and wheeling his battered leather suitcase into the hall. “He's brought lots of wonderful presents.”

“That's great darling,” Kerry couldn't help grinning at her daughter.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Conor took his wife in his arms and hugged her close.

It was such a relief to have him home at last. She felt like her partner was back again. Saoirse had been so difficult lately that she was glad to have Conor home to share her parental load.

She sank into his chest and felt all the worries and stresses of recent weeks slowly disappear.

“I'm so happy you're home,” she sighed, leaning into him.

“
Is everything ok?” Conor asked. His face was full of concern as he held his wife at arm's length.

“I'm fine, just glad you're home at long last. I missed you.”

She didn't want to burden him with her worries on his first night home. There would be plenty of time to talk tomorrow.

“I missed you too, love.” Conor brushed her too-long fringe out of her eyes.

“I hope you're hungry,” Kerry said as she bustled about the kitchen.

“I'm absolutely starving.” Conor's stomach growled loudly as if to prove his point.

“Mom's cooked your favourite,” Saoirse joined in their conversation as she settled into the couch beside her father. “Roast chicken, Yorkshire pudding, gravy and mashed potatoes and there's apple pie and ice-cream for dessert.”

“Yum, yum,” Conor shot an appreciative glance in his wife's direction. “It sounds delicious to me. I'm sick and tired of eating bland hotel food.”

“Well, you're in for a treat tonight,” Kerry called from the kitchen.

“Am I indeed?” Conor asked, his eyes suddenly clouding with lust.

Kerry stifled a giggle and busied herself about the kitchen to hide her blushes, hoping that Saoirse wouldn't pick up on his double-entendre.

“Do you need any help, love?” Conor called from his seat on the couch.

“You could open the wine please, darling,” Kerry suggested.

Conor suppressed a groan as he struggled off the couch and went to help his wife in the kitchen. Saoirse was already completely engrossed in one of her favourite television shows.

“I missed you,” Conor whispered as he stood behind Kerry who was carefully stirring the gravy. He moved his hands along her body and gently cupped her small but perfectly formed breasts in his strong hands. He playfully tweaked her nipples which immediately stood to attention under his touch.

“Are you cold or just happy to see me?” he teased, kissing the back of her neck.

“Of course I'm happy to see you, darling,” Kerry smiled, continuing to stir the chicken gravy in slow rhythmic circles.

“Umm, I'm happy to see you too,” Conor said pushing himself against her buttocks.

Kerry smiled a secret smile as she felt him growing hard against her.

“All in good time, my love, all in good time,” she reluctantly moved away from him to finish her dinner preparations.

“I'd love a glass of wine, sweetheart,” she said, glancing pointedly at the refrigerator where two bottles of Pinot Grigio were cooling,

“Your wish is my command,” Conor swept dramatically to the refrigerator and removed the first bottle of white wine. He poured himself and his wife each a large glass.

“To us,” he said, raising a glass in a toast to Kerry.

“To later,” she replied, flirtatiously batting her eyelashes at him.

Conor almost choked on his first sip. It wasn't like his wife to be so forward.

Dinner passed off uneventfully. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal and panned out on the couch to digest and watch a movie together. Saoirse dozed off early and Conor carried her to bed, tucking her in securely just as he had done when she was a tiny girl. He stood at her bedroom door and watched her as she slept so peacefully and was suddenly overcome with how lucky and blessed he felt to have his wife and daugh
ters in his life.

“Alone at last,” Kerry smiled up at her husband as he sat down beside her on the couch.

“Indeed,” he agreed, leaning in to kiss her.

“I've missed you,” he breathed, looking lustfully into her eyes.

“I want you,” Kerry said, overcome with longing for her husband. She wanted him right there and then.

He took her wine glass from her and carefully placed it on the table in front of them. Then he pulled her top over her head and unhooked her bra. Her small, pert breasts sprang forward and he sighed at the sight of her. He fondled her and sucked each nipple tenderly. She moaned in pleasure and unzipped his trousers. His huge erection immediately sprang out to greet her. She leaned forward and stroked his hardness, longing to have him buried deep within her wetness.

She climbed onto his lap and sank onto him, moaning as he filled her completely.

“Oh my!” he gasped, savouring how wet and ready she was for him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips, probing his mouth with her hot, wet tongue.

He ran his hands along her body and grabbed her buttocks, pushing himself deeper and deeper into her.

“I've missed you so much,” Kerry gasped, gyrating her hips against him,

“I've missed you too, darling, more than words can say.”

They lost themselves in the purely ecstatic pleasure of each other's bodies. Kerry closed her eyes and pulled Conor close to her heaving breasts. They rocked against each other, lost in their rhythmic pull. They knew each other's bodies so well that it took them mere minutes to build to their wonderful crescendo.

“Please, not yet,” Kerry begged, desperately wanting to prolong her pleasure. She didn't want their lovemaking to end so soon.

“Oh, baby,” Conor breathed, trying to hold back, fighting the explosion that was quickly beginning to build within him. “It's too much.”

Afterwards, they lay nestled in each other's arms, whispering softly like they always did when they'd made love.

“Saoirse's looking a little thin,” Conor said.

Kerry could hear the concern in his voice.

“I know, she's obsessing about her weight, I'm sure. She won't admit it to me, but it's a struggle to get her to eat much these days.”

“I noticed she spent more time pushing her food around her plate than actually eating,” Conor agreed. “It's probably just a teenage phase.”

“Hopefully,” Kerry replied. She didn't want to ruin their wonderful evening by any more talking. Tonight was about her and Conor; everything else could wait until the morning.

~~**~~

Saoirse yawned loudly and rubbed the sleep from her tired eyes. The rain was pounding loudly and incessantly against her bedroom window. It had woken her from her deep slumber. She hated the dark mornings and shorter days of winter. It was even more difficult than usual having to get up for school when it was still dark outside and totally depressing coming home in the gloom too. It wasn't quite light outside yet. She reached across to check the time on her mobile phone; it was ten past seven, much too early to get up on a Sunday. She stretched luxuriously and settled further under the duvet for another snooze, smiling to herself that her father was home.

She was glad he was back. She was getti
ng tired of her mother's moods, which were becoming increasingly worse. All her mother seemed to want to do lately was control everything she was doing and Saoirse was getting bored of it. It felt like she couldn't blink anymore without her mother wanting to know why. She missed her sister but Emer was too busy with her own life at university and her new friends to even be bothered coming home every weekend anymore. It was boring being at home with just grumpy mom for company.

At least she had an ally in her dad now that he was home again. Hopefully he w
ould stay for a while, although she didn't blame him for wanting to leave sooner if mom was as grumpy with him as she was with her.

Her phone beeped loudly, jolting her from her half-doze. It was Milo, her best friend, Abigail's, older brother. She squinted to adjust to the bright light of her mobile phone as she read his text.

R u awake? Can't wait to c u! Xx

She dropped her mobile on
to her pink, cotton pillow and dived under the safety of the duvet, covering her head, suddenly overcome with embarrassment. She was glad that nobody could see her deep blushes. The very thought of Milo made her whole body tingle from head to toe. It was strange to see Milo in such a new light. She'd always regarded him as Abi's annoying older brother until very recently and had done her best to stay out of his way. He was constantly irritating Abi and her friends; teasing them, pulling their hair and stealing their sweets.