Forbidden Fantasies Read Online Free PDF

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    The woman he loved more than anyone else in the world stood by the fireplace, touching the family photos on the mantel. Her hand hesitated over their wedding photo but didn’t touch it, and his stomach clenched. Did that mean something?
    Frustration zinged through him as he paced around their living room, waiting for her to speak. But she said nothing, so he came to a dead stop in front of her. Come hell or high water, he was going to have his answers. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to voice the question that had been torturing his vivid imagination for weeks.
    “Have you been unfaithful to me?” His words were blunt, his voice raw, and his body and heart and soul hovered on the edge of fight or flight.
    Jessica flinched as if he’d raised his hand to strike her. Her face drained of color, and her eyes filled with those damned shadows he so often saw in them these days. Not a word came from her open mouth. Not a refusal, not an angry outburst demanding to know how he could ask her that, nothing but an indrawn gasp that seemed ripped from her chest. Instead of words, she simply dropped her gaze to the floor, and then looked back up at him, tears welling in her eyes.
    He’d thought he’d guarded himself against whatever she might reveal, but he’d never been so wrong in his life. Horrified incredulity leached into his muscles and turned his body to stone. “Son of a bitch.”
    That seemed to startle a reaction out of her. “Alex, no!” she cried, dismay overlaying the guilt on her face. She started toward him, but he stepped back, away from her, putting out his hands out to ward her off.
    “Don’t touch me.” The pain of betrayal shoved a knife through his gut and made his voice a low growl. “Not right now.”
    Jesus, he needed to get out of here before he did something he’d regret. He grabbed the keys he’d tossed on the coffee table and stalked to the front door. The last thing he heard before he slammed the door behind him was the sound of his wife’s tears as she begged him not to go.
    He didn’t drive far. As a state trooper, he’d seen enough accidents caused by emotional distress to know he was in no shape to be on the road. His phone vibrated against his waist every few minutes, but he ignored it. On autopilot, still hearing Jess’s sobs and seeing the guilt on her face, he drove to the park where Ben played baseball. It was late afternoon, and the fields were empty now. He got out of his truck and headed toward the footbridge that ran over Carroll Creek.
    His phone vibrated again. He looked down at the display, at Jess’s smiling face in the picture next to her name, and wanted to hurl the damn thing into the creek. But he didn’t, and instead forced himself to look at the missed call log. She’d called several times and left voice mail.
    He wasn’t interested. Not now, while he felt as raw as the spring wind that had kicked up. He needed to punch something. Or throw up.
    His phone vibrated again, and he swore. Loudly, and graphically, words he rarely uttered around his family. He went to turn it off but found a text from Jessica instead. His hand nearly crushed the phone when he saw the first two words. I’m sorry. Another text. It’s not what u think. They started coming faster, and he stared at her words in disbelief. I’m not cheating . And then, I swear .
    His heart wanted to believe her, so badly it ached. But all he could see was the guilt on her face, and the way she hadn’t denied being unfaithful, and his stomach heaved.
    Pls come home. I’ll explain everything .
    He sat on a boulder next to the creek and stared at the words on his phone. Had he jumped to the wrong conclusion?
    I love u, Alex. Pls.
    He closed his eyes and swallowed down the bile burning his throat. He hit reply on his phone, and typed his own message back. Can’t talk 2 u right now. Need time 2 calm down . He hit Send, then added one more line. Don’t know what 2 believe. He hit Send again, and