Blurring the Lines (Book Two - ManxMan ManxManxWoman)

Chapter Five

He was a mess as his wet feet slapped across the tiled surface of the apartment heading from the spare bedroom ensuite and it's drunken showering occupant to his own room.

"Darling?" Melissa's voice echoed across the hallway between them. He looked up, water in his eyes and saw her standing at the end of the hallway by the kitchen bench just beyond and stopped.

It was after 5am already, otherwise she wouldn't be here. How would he explain this to her?

"Who is it?" She was smirking with suggestive glee. At least until his face came into the light as he moved towards her. "What happened?" She was holding him at once, concern across her beautiful face.

He just shook his head and buried it into her shoulder breathing the smell of her in deeply. His arousal was already thoroughly squashed and the way he held onto her now was the comfort his other sexual partners couldn't give him. The comfort of a life partner.

"Talk to me, baby" she crooned not shrinking back from the water that covered him and now her also.

"I will," he said after a moment but didn't let her go, "just not yet,"

"Mel?" Josh was standing in the hallway too now, a towel clung low around his waist revealing his glistening abs and framed by his v-line. "This isn't what it looks like," he said defensively but didn't take a step towards the kitchen.

"It looks like you two finished off a two litre bottle of vodka without eating your dinner first," she said calmly and without malice, "it looks like you were just about to go to bed,"

Josh stood there looking at her for a moment and then started up the hallway with his head down, "I'll go,"

"No you won't," she said sharply and Josh stopped in his tracks. Blake pulled his head out of her shoulder and looked at her with a hint of betrayal.

Why would she make him stay? Blake wanted him gone.

"No, I think-"

"You are drunk, and therefore not thinking," she added looking from Josh to Blake sternly.

Blake looked back at her and then to Josh whom looked devastated in his guilt. It crushed him to see that look on Josh's face.

And now he felt guilty too.

"Seeing as neither of you are capable of thinking for yourselves I will take it upon myself to do it for you," she pointed a firm finger at Josh. "Go back into that bedroom, get back into that bed."

Back into the bed? Oh no. She thought...

"You," she looked at her husband stalking his thoughts by placing a tender hand either side of his devastated face. "Go and shower, I'll be in soon."

Blake walked past Josh but couldn't look at him. His feet continued to leave watery footprints all the way to their bedroom door and he entered it feeling like an utter fool.

What was Melissa saying to Josh right now.

He knew better than to spy though. He also knew his wife well enough that whatever she was saying to Josh now, she would come and say to him at length.

That didn't stop him from halting at the cracked bedroom door to listen into the hallway.

"Our front door has an electronic alarm that will go off if it's opened without being disarmed," he heard her voice, it broke no nonsense. "You're not a prisoner here, but if that alarm wakes me up you're dead meat."

So he could leave anytime he wanted, but she'd kick his arse. Hopefully Josh knew better than to test her.

He quickly slipped into the bathroom and stripped off his still soaked skinny jeans and the boxer shorts which were still rolled up at the top of his legs.