Holding On

Fifty-Nine

As the words left George's lips, the jolt in it had Emma pausing in her steps towards him, and for a moment, she couldn't feel her heart beat. Regaining enough composure, she surveyed his perfect face for any sign, any telltale, any twitch of muscle to indicate vindictiveness. But who was she fooling?

If anything, she had firsthand knowledge that her husband was a man who would never do something deliberately just to cause hurt, and even in that moment, his eyes gleamed with an apologetic honesty that made her breaths laboured.

But wait. Last week? That would mean...

He moved away from her from her, and as if reading her thoughts, he said, “Yes, Emma. I nearly cheated on you.” He looked back at her, seemingly trying to gauge her reaction, resignation threading his voice, like he'd already given in to the possibility of their marriage falling in shambles.

While Emma still stood rooted to her spot, unable to ascertain how she felt, he elaborated. “It was on Sunday, last week. You were growing more distant and yet wouldn't talk about it, and it hurt being around you knowing you had a secret you refused to share. That's the actual reason why I decided to go to the office that day. My secretary had taken some files home in order to sort them out which I also had to review. So I went to her apartment after calling to check her presence so that I wouldn't inconvenience her by asking her to bring them to me.”

He snorted, seemingly in reminiscence. “I was disappointed to find that she hadn't even begun with sorting them out, and they were a lot. I wanted to just take it to the office with me so I could it myself, but she said she would feel guilty if I did it alone since it was her duty and suggested that we did it together in her living room.”

Emma was feeling sick to her stomach, but the only thing she could do was just clamp the side of her nightdress tightly as he poured his words out.

“She brought us coffee which we sipped and refilled several times as we did the work which must've lasted an hour. That was when I realized that I was having an erection which was very unusual because I'd never thought of her in a sexual way, and besides with the work we were doing my mind was on nothing sexual. Also I felt too sensitive. My skin tingled at the barest touch and I felt. . . aroused.”

Emma urged him on with her gaze, even while the jealousy dug through her skin. Sliding his hands into the back pockets of the pants he wore, he huffed.

“At that time, I didn't want her to notice how uncomfortably aroused I was, so I'd wanted to just grab the files and leave. But she locked the door. Thinking back, I'm sure she must've mixed something in the coffee that got me frisky, because it took hours after I'd left her apartment for my dick to cool down.”

Clenching her fist as anger coursed through her, Emma watched the regret as it wove through his impassive expression.

“She came on to me, also obviously under the effect of whatever she'd mixed the coffee with - if my suspicions are true, that is. She begun kissing me wildly even though I tried to resist her, and I'm ashamed to say I gave in for a bit. But...”

“But you didn't let yourself be influenced by the ecstasy and you resisted her before things could get out of hand.” Emma completed for him as her legs finally served useful, helping her step more closer to him as admiration for this man filled her.

She knew George enough, and she didn't doubt her own conclusion even before he nodded to confirm. He would think of her, and the effects of the ecstasy would pale in comparison.

While she on the other hand, gave in to Zain's kisses even when she was physically sober. He was so much better than her. Blinking back a surge of guilt, she looked away. “Is that why you were acting all strange that night and two days after before I left for California?”