The Transient Wife

Chapter 14

As the kiss deepened, Cassandra felt all her defenses crumble and she let herself fall into a new wave of sensation she forgot she missed. It had been a long time since she ever felt like this.

She felt Philip's hand roam over her body restlessly and she did the same. It must have lasted minutes or hours, but they both didn't care. This very moment they chose to surrender to what their bodies wanted.

And yes, again, thanks to the beer.

But of course, just like in the movies, when everything was just getting better, something or someone always came along to shatter the moment. In their case, it was an old Filipina woman walking with her dog. Who walks a dog in the middle of the night in a place like this?

The dog started barking at their direction, sending them back to reality.

Philip groaned against her mouth before he leaned back, his eyes closed in control. Their breathing had become rapid. Cassandra rolled away from him and sat up, feeling for the strings of her bikini behind her neck. Her eyes had gone wide when she noticed Philip had managed to pull it off from its knot.

"Americans..." the old woman said, shaking her head while pulling her still barking dog away.

When they were alone again in the darkness, Cassandra cleared her throat. She was mentally slapping herself back and forth right now. She couldn't believe she just made out with her husband—her transient husband—on the beach!

"I think I need to sleep," she scrambled to her feet.

"I need to get back to work," Philip mumbled and stood up beside her.

She stole a glance at his face. It had become unreadable and blank.

What was he thinking?

She began to panic. Maybe he was thinking she was going to be easy after all. Maybe he'd do something to her tonight. And she was not so sure if she would try hard to fight him.

Slap! She mentally scolded herself again. That was just the beer, she reasoned. Yes, definitely has to be the beer.

Philip led the way back to their hotel and to their room. No one dared to speak a word. It was more like a silent mutual agreement. They both had to cool down from the heat of their little encounter.

Cassandra almost ran to the bathroom to shower and change. When she got out, Philip was back in front of his computer, his face morphed in a frown. She wondered if he was frowning at what he was seeing on the screen or what happened earlier.

She'd never know unless she asked him and that was not ever going to happen. Sleep would help, so that was exactly what she did.

*****

When Cassandra woke up the next day, Philip was not around. Curious, she called out for him but no answer came.

She got up and found the note near the door. Went out.

Ah, sweet revenge.

Now she felt what it was like to read a note that only said went out.

She came back to the bed and took her phone from the bedside table. She was about to call him when it rang. It was Harrison again.

"Harry," she answered.

"I went to Dennis earlier," he said. She did not bother to answer. "I realized I did miss him and now I'm missing you."

"Harry," she said calmly, "please...don't start with that."

"Look, Cass, it's late here and I haven't been able to sleep. Ever since I got back, you're all I've been thinking about. I know Dennis will understand," he said pleadingly. "I'm rambling," he gave a dry chuckle as he said that. "Okay, let's talk when you get back."