Forty-Five

POV

Tessa

While I was immersed in this moment of calm, I heard light footsteps approaching the front door. Curious, I went over and saw Max, with his messy golden curls and a beaming smile on his face, standing next to his neighbor Sarah, a girl his age who lived next door.

"Hi, Sarah! Hi, Max! What are you planning today?" I asked, smiling at them both.

Sarah, with her typical shyness, answered first. "Hi, Tessa! Max wanted to know if we could play outside for a while. We're going to ride bikes and play ball in the yard."

Max nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, we're thinking of setting up a bike race track! May I, Mom?"

I smiled, looking at Max. "Of course, darling! Have fun out there, but remember to be careful."

"Thanks, Mom!" Max said cheerfully before running with Sarah to her backyard, where their morning adventures would soon begin.

I returned to the kitchen with a smile on my face, happy to see Max so excited and enjoying time with his friends. As I finished preparing my coffee, my thoughts turned to the last two years we had spent in this coastal town. Moving here brought a new tranquillity to our lives, a refuge after the turbulent times we had faced.

However, even with this peace, there were challenges. Bennett's demanding career at the multinational often kept him busy and away from home for long periods. I admired his dedication and hard work, but sometimes I missed him more than I'd like to admit. Mason's constant presence was what lightened my heart a little."Good morning, darling," Mason greeted, entering the kitchen with a discreet yawn. His eyes, still half asleep, lit up with an affectionate smile as he approached to give me a kiss.

"Good morning," I replied, returning the smile as he pulled up a chair next to me. "Coffee's almost ready."

He nodded, settling himself comfortably. "Bennett's not back yet?"

"Not yet," I explained, feeling a knot of worry form in my throat. "He had an urgent call earlier."

Mason sighed softly, expressing understanding. "His job always brings these challenges. It's hard sometimes, I know."

I shook my head in agreement, but the worry remained. "Yes, I know."

He put his hand on mine and kissed my neck. Max was playing with the neighbor's children at the time and I could soon guess where this was going. Our sexual moments had become a little rarer due to Max's birth and Benett's absence.

He lifted me up onto the kitchen worktop, bringing me face to face with him and as he pulled my dress aside, he inserted two fingers into my pussy, which made me moan loudly.

"Shhh, the neighbors don't live that far away," he said in a whisper and with a smile.

As he slipped his fingers in and out of my pussy, I got wetter and wetter. Mason had the power to make me completely numb in a matter of seconds. He was intense and hot.

"Are you going to come? Yes, do it." he whispered as he penetrated even harder.

I felt the wave of orgasm coming and scratched his back when I heard the door slam shut. It was Benett, who had just arrived and was watching us.

The expression on Bennett's face was emotionless, cold. His eyes fixed on us with a disturbing calm, more frightening than any outburst of anger.

"Bennett..." I tried to speak, but my voice failed.

He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, observing the scene with a chilling detachment. Mason quickly moved away from me, trying to compose himself.

"Bennett, you were late, we thought you’d be back yesterday," Mason began, but his voice wavered.

"I'd say it looks exactly like what it looks like," Bennett said with glacial calm. "No need for explanations."

I got down from the counter, trying to approach Bennett. "Do you want some coffee, anything?"

"Not now, Tessa," he said, raising a hand to stop me. "I don't want anything right now. Where's Max?"

"He's playing at the neighbor's."

The atmosphere in the kitchen grew tense, the silence broken only by the distant sound of the waves crashing.

"I'm going to the office," Bennett finally said, his voice cold and controlled.

Mason tried to intervene again. "Bennett, please, you didn't get upset about this."

Bennett looked at Mason with a look of disdain. "No, maybe I'm just a little envious of the good life you have."

He turned, leaving the kitchen with determined steps, leaving Mason and me standing in suffocating silence.

I stood up and headed towards the office, each step feeling like a monumental effort. When I arrived, the door was slightly ajar. Bennett was sitting at the desk, looking out the window with a distant expression. He looked tired, worn out, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"Bennett," I began, my voice soft but firm. "We need to talk."

He turned slowly, his cold eyes meeting mine. "What do you want, Tessa?"

I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "We need to talk about what's happening between us. About your absence."

Bennett sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "Tessa, I work hard to support this family. You know that. My absences aren't because I want to, but because I have to."

"I know, Bennett, but it's not just about work. You've distanced yourself from us, from me, from Max. We're living together, but we're not really together."

At that moment, the door opened and Mason entered the office, closing and locking the door behind him. He looked at both of us, and the tension in the air was palpable.

"We need to resolve this now," Mason said, his voice firm but full of concern. "We can't go on like this."