Price to Be Paid

"You obviously enjoyed that tremendously, right?"

Traci looked left, right and then down at the table, completely avoiding eye contact with Marcus. He noticed little beads of sweat appearing above her upper lip.

Five seconds of silence turned into 10 seconds. Traci tried to gauge the look on Marcus' face by glancing at him sideways. From what she could see, he looked impassive, neither hurt nor angry. She wondered if that impassivity might not be worse for her.

She let out a deep exhale. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until that moment.

Marcus put an elbow up on the table, placing his face into his upturned hand. Traci could hear his even breathing. He waited patiently.

Traci took a sip of the white wine Marcus had poured for her a minute earlier. She sighed.

"Yes, I did enjoy that," she finally said. "But you already knew that. You saw me."

"But I wanted to hear you admit it after you had a chance to think about it, play it back in your mind. Sometimes upon reflection the event is not exactly what we thought it was while we were wrapped up in the moment. And then sometimes it is exactly that: the passion, the pleasure are every bit as intense as we experienced."

Traci thought about that for a second and realized Marcus had it completely right. When did he achieve such... zen, she thought to herself.

"So because it was that good, you don't regret experiencing it?" he continued calmly.

Traci finally looked directly into Marcus' eyes. They were dark, brooding. The bright, lively expressiveness that normally lived there was gone.

"I-I guess I don't," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to hurt you, but it was a fantastic experience for me, to be honest."

Marcus watched as Traci dropped her eyes back to the table. She ran a finger down her wine glass.

"And because it was so fantastic, you will want to experience that again... and again," he said, "meaning that I would be hurt again... and again, if nothing were to change."

Traci's head shot up, her mouth gaping, as she finally did the math.

"I love you unequivocally, Marcus. I don't love you any less today than I did the day I married you," she cried.

"That's your conscience talking, Traci. You feel guilty because you cheated on me and hurt me. But physically and emotionally, you want to experience that feeling again, regardless of how it hurts me," Marcus said blandly.

Marcus drained the red wine in his glass, went to the refrigerator and poured himself another. He felt Traci's eyes on him as he sat back down.

"I do want to experience that again, Marcus, to be honest. It was the most intense, amazing sex of my life. But I don't want to give up what we have, what we've had for 16 wonderful years."

Traci choked back a tear as she looked timidly at her husband. She expected to see Marcus looking sympathetic; concerned, at the very least. He looked more like an Easter Island statue than the loving husband she had known all these years.

"You want it both ways, but that won't happen, Traci. I just never thought you could be that selfish."

Traci's head was spinning. She hadn't intended to cheat, to have an affair. Once it happened the first time, she knew it was going to happen multiple times, because she enjoyed it and wanted it to continue. What she hadn't thought out, however, was how to keep the affair secret from her husband. She knew she couldn't lie to Marcus--she couldn't lie to anyone because she hated liars--but cheating was more lying by omission than speaking mistruths. It was a small delineation, she knew, but she was in new territory here.

Traci had never considered herself to be a selfish person until Marcus spoke those words. She blushed and squirmed in her chair.

"But Marc, I don't want a divorce. 16 years, Marcus. Surely we can work out

something

. I love you!" Traci wailed.

Marcus realized he and Traci were talking apples and oranges.

"No, Traci, we can't work out

anything

. We're already done."

The light bulb went off over Traci's head. Her bottom jaw dropped.

"Wait a minute, Marcus. You can't mean that!" Traci wailed. "I thought you loved me. If you

really

loved me as much as you say you do, you'd at least give me a second chance!"

"I did give you a second chance. And a third, fourth, fifth and sixth. I know you've fucked him eight times," Marcus said.

Traci's eyebrows shot up at that remark. How did Marcus know about all eight times she had sex with Will Tolliver?

*****

Will Tolliver had no intention of ever telling Traci Rains' husband anything about their budding affair, but it's funny how a broken fibula weakens a man's resolve. Marcus had caught Will by surprise as the latter left a bar the next night, cracking him in the lower right leg with a metal pipe. Will had shrieked and fallen to the ground hard before Marcus had jumped on his stomach and tapped him on the bridge of his nose with the pipe. Blood spurted into the air and Will put his hands over his face to cover up.

"Now we're even!" Marcus yelled at Will. "That's what you get for fucking a married woman, you piece of shit! But for your knowledge, you fucked her, now she's yours!

"But you need to tell me one thing, fuckhead. How long has this been going on?"

Will glared at Marcus until Marcus raised the pipe.

"About a month," Will rasped. "I fucked her... eight times. Only eight times."

"Eight times too many," Marcus said, raising the pipe again as Will cowered. He then stood up, dropped the pipe and walked away.

Will got his phone out of his pocket and dialed 9-1-1. He was taken to the nearest hospital. When questioned by the EMTs about how he got the injury, Will decided discretion was the better part of valor and told them he tripped and fell.

*****

Twenty-four hours earlier, life was much better for Will and Traci. The 32-year-old was pounding Traci doggy-style in her marital bed while she screamed in ecstasy.

"Oh, yeah, big boy, fuck me! Fuck me harder!" she squealed.

Neither Traci nor Will was aware that Marcus was standing quietly in the doorway off to the side filming the action with his cellphone. He had been standing there for about 10 minutes when Traci had her first screaming orgasm. He pocketed his phone and slowly walked out of his house.

Marcus was trembling as he got back into his car. For a brief moment in the house he considered attacking both Traci and her lover, but then he realized he needed to find out more about the man was who had taken his place in Traci's vagina, if not in her heart.

Marcus wasn't expected home from his business trip until Sunday afternoon. He and his team completed business early and took off for home on Friday afternoon, a full two days early. He decided to surprise his wife and show up unannounced Friday night. Unfortunately for him, he was the one surprised.

Marcus found a near-by hotel for the night. Once settled in, he replayed the video he had captured on his phone. Since he was far less emotional than when he had filmed the action originally, he looked to see if he recognized the man fucking his soon-to-be ex-wife. He had several shots of the man in profile. He was pretty sure he had seen the man at Traci's company picnic earlier in the summer. He opened his laptop and got to sleuthing.

Will Tolliver was an assistant vice president and had been working in the same building as Traci for the past year, Marcus discovered. His photo showed him to be a handsome blond guy, and from what Marcus saw with his own eyes, Will appeared to be very fit with a decent build. At 32, he was 10 years younger than both Marcus and Traci.

Marcus wondered if he was Traci's only paramour.

Knowing he wasn't going to get much sleep, Marcus drove back to his house at about 1 AM. He pulled into his driveway and looked around. The house was dark, so he let himself inside quietly. He went directly to his bedroom and quietly opened the door, half-expecting to see the lovebirds asleep. Marcus saw Traci was in bed alone, although the room reeked of sex. He closed the door, went over to the living room sofa and went to sleep.

Traci staggered out of the bedroom naked and headed for the kitchen to make coffee on Saturday morning. Awakening with the noise, Marcus waited until he heard Traci place a cup on the counter before speaking.

"I'll take a cup, too, Trace," he called in from the living room.

Traci's stomach clenched and she froze in her tracks when she heard the familiar voice.

"Fuck!" she whispered aloud to herself.

Marcus was standing in the kitchen before Traci had a chance to get out of the room. She realized that he was looking at the dried cum on her pussy and thighs.

"I know. It's not what it looks like," Marcus said snidely.

Traci let out a gasp and started to leave the room, but Marcus stopped her by stepping in front of her. He held up his phone and hit play. Traci's eyes almost bugged out of her head when she looked at the screen.

"Where did you get that?" Traci growled.

"Shot that myself last night after I got in," Marcus said smugly. "It's pretty good, considering I was shaking so badly from anger."

"You were here?" Traci whispered as much to herself as to Marcus. "Oh shit."

"And now I'm going," Marcus said blithely. "I will be back tomorrow afternoon, like we had originally planned. That should give you time to clean up and get the bedroom cleaned and aired out, like you would have done had I not interrupted you this morning. So inconvenient, your clueless husband finding out."

Traci watched her husband walk out the door looking like he didn't have a care in the world. While that in itself was shocking to her, she had more important things to worry about.

Marcus got in his car and drove back to the hotel room he had taken. He had a lot to get accomplished in a short amount of time, he knew, but first he needed to grieve for the loss of his marriage. He sat down on the bed and sobbed like a baby for about five minutes before hitting the shower.

Several questions haunted Marcus as he showered. He knew he could find the answers to some of his questions, but would he ever know the answers to all? He surmised to himself that the answer to that question was no. The biggest question was "why." Could he get Traci to answer that question truthfully, he wondered.

Until Friday night, Marcus had never questioned Traci's love and commitment to him. He had also never questioned

his

commitment and love for her, but now he was questioning almost everything he thought he knew.

*****

The pair met as juniors in college. They didn't date until they were seniors, but within a month they were practically joined at the hip. Marcus was 6-2, 185, with blond hair and strong, handsome features. Traci was 5-5 with long brown hair to the middle of her back and a lithe athlete's body. Traci was the more outgoing of the two, Marcus the more introspective.

The two married two years after graduating. They quickly moved up in their respective fields and enjoyed all the freedoms and perks of being "Dinks"--double income, no kids. Not having children was not a deliberate choice of either, but the pair figured they would go in whatever direction was natural.

The two always enjoyed a vibrant sex life, using a variety of positions and some occasional toys. They had slowed down some from their 20s, but still enjoyed sex two to three times each week. Marcus always made sure his wife got several orgasms each time they enjoyed each other.

Traci wasn't looking for an affair when Will started working in the same building. Yes, she, like all the other women in her building, had noted that Will was a handsome hunk, practically oozing charisma. She had several occasions to come into contact with him in a professional setting, and always came away impressed.

The pair hadn't worked on a project together until two months previously. The first time Will leaned in to make a point on something, Traci was practically overwhelmed by the man's personal scent, and surprisingly, felt her pussy moisten. The deep flush of her face, neck and upper chest didn't escape Will's attention.

Will was an experienced skirt-chaser, who didn't care if his prey had a wedding ring on her finger or not. For her part, Traci started to look forward to days where she was going to work closely with Will. Her body continued to respond to the young man's magnetism, and she started to dress a little sexier than usual on the days she was scheduled to see Will, wearing tighter clothes and unbuttoning her blouses lower after getting into the office. She was aware she was playing the flirting game for the first time in her married life.

The occasional "working" dinner with Will came soon after. Traci told an unsuspecting Marcus that she was working late and would grab a delivery dinner at the office. Marcus had no reason to not trust his wife of 16 years.

Marcus had a short weekend trip about six weeks after Traci and Will started their collaboration. Traci had volunteered that information to Will, who did the expected and set up a Friday night dinner for the pair.

As Traci expected, it was a flirty dinner, with lots of personal touches by both. Traci felt empowered and excited, and not the least bit guilty. When Will suggested they go to his apartment for a nightcap, Traci didn't hesitate. After not having sex with anybody but Marcus for the past 18 years, she was about to experience something different, something new. In her mind, this was right. It was owed to her.

When Traci awoke, she and Will were entwined in his bed. She felt magnificent, alive, complete, peaceful. The pair had spent several hours in Will's bed, fucking hard the first time, making slow love the second time. Traci thought back to the numerous orgasms she had. Will's cock was a little longer and thicker than her husband's, and it was obvious to her that he had more technique than Marcus, in addition to having more stamina. Her throat was a little sore from her continuous screaming and moaning. To say it was the best sex of Traci's life would be a grievous understatement.

Thinking of Marcus in comparison to Will was the first time Traci had thought about her husband since she and Will entered his apartment. Will swept her off her feet, metaphorically, and completely rocked her world. There would be more of this in the future, she knew.

The future came less than two weeks later on a night when Traci told Marcus she was going to be working late. The pair left straight from work for Will's apartment and got right to it as Traci knew she was on the clock, so to speak.

Traci was in a bad mood when she got home a little after 8 PM. The sex was otherworldly, but in her mind she blamed her husband for she and Will not being able to go at a more relaxed pace, and not having time for a proper wind-down. When she walked into her house, Traci never acknowledged Marcus and headed straight to the shower, knowing she smelled like Will and sex. Traci knew her unsuspecting husband would have no clue that she had just spent several hours having better sex than she ever had with him.

Marcus had another weekend trip planned for two weeks later. Traci gleefully made plans with Will, this time setting the tryst for her own house. She knew she would feel especially comfortable in her own room and her own bed. For his part, Will took the location choice as Traci aggressively moving their relationship to a new level by cuckolding her husband in the couple's marital bed.

Traci's comfort level definitely helped her enjoyment of the festivities that Friday night. She was in full voice when Marcus showed up midway through the second coupling of the night for her and Will.

*****

Although Marcus thought he was pretty straightforward with his desire for a divorce, Traci fought the action. Her attorney suggested and the judge agreed to a half-dozen marriage counseling sessions.

"What do you expect to gain from these sessions, Mrs. Rains?" the counselor asked Traci at the start of the first session.

"I want to keep my marriage, Dr. Albertson. I know Marcus loves me and I love him. I made a mistake and I want to show my husband that I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep him," Traci said.

The counselor then asked Marcus for his response to Traci's statement.

"First of all, let me state that I do love my wife. However, I disagree that she made a mistake. A mistake in my mind is a one-off. When you keep repeating the action you call a mistake, it is a deliberate action and no mistake; especially when you go back to the well to slake your thirst, so to speak," Marcus said.

"There would be no more trips to that well, Marcus. It would just be you and me from now on. Forever," Traci said.

"Once you went to that well the first time, there was no more you and me, Traci."

Traci smiled brightly during the exchange like she knew something he didn't, Marcus thought. He noticed the counselor seemed to be picking up on Traci's vibe and smiled back at her.

Marcus reached into his pocket, took out his phone and started the video he had recorded of Traci and Will having sex in his marital bed. Traci suddenly looked stricken, and the counselor tried vainly to get Marcus to stop. Marcus sat calmly watching the entire 10 minutes before finally stopping. Both women looked incredulous.

"That was incredibly rude, Mr. Rains," admonished the counselor. "Another display like that and I will report it to the judge, who could then cite you for contempt."

"I certainly wouldn't mind spending a couple of days in jail, Dr. Albertson. That would certainly steel my resolve to end this marriage," he said. "But I think you missed my point entirely, Doc. You heard things today you didn't get from the court briefs. Traci's lawyer didn't lie to you, but she didn't exactly tell you the whole truth, now did she? Did you hear Traci having what she admitted to me was the best sex of her life? She has said she doesn't regret the action, which tells me that she would gladly do it again if she felt she could get away with it. Hell, she'd still be doing it if I hadn't caught her. She's never apologized for cheating. She's only apologized for hurting my feelings. I could never trust her again. That's not what I call a marriage."

"But I would give him up for you, Marcus!"

"How magnanimous of you, Traci. You'll give up your lover to keep your husband.

"You talk to her, Doc. I'm done wasting my breath."

The counselor sat quiet, looking more stricken than concerned. Marcus had made his point.

Epilogue:

The counseling sessions ended that day. The divorce was final in six months.

Marcus wound up going to a mental health counselor for several months in an attempt to put his life back together and come to grips with his lack of trust of women.

Traci didn't wait for the divorce to be final to jump back into bed with Will. Marcus being out of the way upped the frequency of sex for the pair, and by the time the divorce was final, Will was living in Marcus' old house with Traci.

Traci was entwined with Will after a couple of sessions of enjoyable but far from amazing sex. While enjoying the afterglow, Traci had to admit the days of amazing sex were few and far between these days. She wondered if it was simply a case of becoming familiar with her partner, or was it that without being married there was no longer the thrill of the illicit. She definitely knew that unlike with Marcus, there was no love involved. Maybe, just maybe, she admitted to herself, she might have traded a lifetime of love for a small amount of amazing sex.

A tear slid down her cheek.