The Separation

Thank you to neuroparenthetical for helping to edit this piece.

** If you enjoy the story, please RATE, because the trolls certainly will. Thank you. **

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The next morning, Sarah awoke to Tom gently nudging her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see him standing next to the bed with a glass of water.

"Thought you may be a little hungover," he said, handing her the glass and two Tylenol tablets.

"Thanks," she croaked, propping herself up onto her elbow. She chased them down with the water, handed the glass back to her husband, and eased back down onto the pillow. She surveyed the room and realized she was in the guest bedroom. The clock on the night stand read 10:20 AM. The events of last night came rushing back as a blur.

She remembered leaving Tom to return to the master bedroom where Jake had been waiting for her. They had had sex again, but it had been nothing like the first time. Jake had crawled between her legs and, after a bit of a struggle, finally worked his cock back inside of her. He hadn't been as firm as he had been; the alcohol had finally caught up to him. After thrusting into her for ten minutes, he'd finally given up, realizing Sarah hadn't been getting nearly the same enjoyment out of the second round.

Jake had apologized, but she'd told him it was okay. She'd been exhausted herself, so she hadn't been overly disappointed. Once she'd heard the front door close behind him, she'd laid back down in the darkness, replaying what had happened. The pangs of guilt had set in quickly. Finally, she'd gotten up and tiptoed back down to the guest bedroom.

She'd been surprised to see Tom turned on his side, fast asleep. The neck tie that had secured his hands had been lying on the edge of the bed. She'd carefully crawled in next to him and wrapped her arm around him, holding him tightly and pressing her breasts against him. She'd soon fallen asleep.

"What -- what time did you get up?" she asked sheepishly.

Tom sat down on the edge of the bed. "Just a few minutes ago."

Sarah struggled to read his expression. "How did you...?" She let her words trail off, glancing down at the discarded necktie.

His smile was soft, and his voice matched it. "By the time you left, it had become pretty loose. I managed to slip out of it."

Sarah looked puzzled. "Why didn't you -- I mean, you could've stopped us before we-- you know."

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I thought about it, and maybe at some point I might have, but it didn't sound like it was going very well anyhow."

Sarah couldn't help but smile. She pulled a pillow over her head, letting out a groan.

"Performance issues?" Tom asked, a knowing smirk spreading across his face.

"Yeah," Sarah replied, sliding the pillow back off her head. "I guess so."

Their eyes met, and despite the uneasiness of the situation, both laughed out loud.

"Oh my god," Sarah said, rubbing her forehead. "Things just got really... out of control."

Tom could hear the regret in her voice. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Tom," she said, sitting up and putting her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. I should never have done that -- not with him."

Tom lowered his head, but said nothing.

"I got way too caught up in everything, and I think I began to get confused about what you really wanted -- how far I should take things. You just seemed so turned on by what happened with James, and even more so how I taunted you about it. I thought this would take it to a whole new level for you, but I shouldn't have gone as far as to involve your friend."

"Right," Tom replied solemnly.

Sarah saw the sadness in his eyes, and her heart ached. "Actually, that's not altogether fair either. I can't say it was just because I thought it turned you on. It was something I wanted as well, and I shouldn't put it on you or say that I thought it's what you wanted. I should have talked to you about it -- certainly before what I did last night. I'm sorry, Tom." Tears began to spill down her cheeks.

Tom reached out and brushed one away with his thumb. "I know," he said softly.

"Things are so fucked up," she whispered. "Please don't be too angry at Jake. He would never have done it, you know... on his own. I -- I told him it turned you on -- that you would like it. I don't know what I was thinking."

Tom took a deep breath and sighed.

"So, where do we go from here?" she asked softly.

He pulled her in closer to him, wrapping his arms around her and nestling her head against his chest. "We've got a lot to figure out. It's not all your fault. I started this, remember, and a lot of this is painful -- and humiliating. Look: the truth is, even though it's hard to wrap my head around it, I can't say I didn't enjoy it in some strange way -- at least most of it... hell, maybe even all of it; I don't know."

Sarah hugged him tightly. "Maybe we should just go back to how things were between us, before all of this. It was simpler, don't you think?"

Tom hesitated for a moment before responding. "I don't think that's possible, Sarah -- not after everything that's happened. I also don't know that we want to go back -- at least not exactly to how things were. Can you honestly say that's what you want?"

Sarah thought about his question for a moment. Over the preceding months, she'd felt their marriage becoming stale. When she thought about the past few weeks, everything that had come before seemed conventional and uninspiring. She knew she needed to be honest with her husband for their relationship to stand a chance.

"I guess not," she replied. "So what do we do?"

"I'm not sure. I guess we keep talking about it -- about our wants and needs... our fantasies, but also about our fears and insecurities. Perhaps some boundaries are in order. Maybe in doing that, we can find a way to make this work in a way that makes us both happy. Frankly, I don't think we're that far apart in what we want. It may just take me a bit of time to come to terms with it." He paused to wipe another tear from his wife's cheek. "The most important thing is that I love you, and that no matter how we decide to move forward, we do so together. I don't want to lose you."

Sarah looked up at him. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but the look on her face was resolute. She nodded. "I love you too, Tom, and I want to make this work -- whatever it takes."

They held each other in silence, both enjoying the closeness after the intense days they had just endured. Finally, Tom leaned back from their embrace and patted her leg. "How about you go grab a shower while I make us some breakfast?"

"I guess I could probably use a shower, huh? I feel kind of --" She stopped, realizing the awkwardness of what she'd been about to say.

"Dirty?" Tom finished, raising his eyebrows.

Sarah looked at him with a sheepish smile, unsure if he was annoyed or amused.

"Right," she said, getting up from the bed. She leaned down and took his face in her hands, giving him a soft kiss on the lips. "I love you." She turned and disappeared down the hallway toward the bathroom.

Tom sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought. He was a jumble of emotions as he pictured his wife in the arms of his friend. There was jealousy, anger, betrayal, and humiliation, but also something else -- something so powerful that it scared him. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Finally, he stood, and, with a sigh, made his way to the kitchen.

The couple enjoyed a lazy breakfast together, talking about everything

except

for the events of the past few weeks. Tom joked with Sarah and made her laugh, making her feel normal again. After cleaning up the kitchen, they went for a walk in a nearby park, holding hands and enjoying the beautiful weather. They spent the afternoon lying on the sofa together watching movies and cuddling. Tom even ran his hand up and down her leg under the blanket they shared, and Sarah sighed happily at the casual but loving contact.

They ordered Thai food for dinner, and when they finished, Tom gave her a peck on the forehead, saying he was going to take a shower before bed. It was a low-key Saturday like so many they'd spent together early in their relationship.

Sarah watched him cross the room. "Tom?" she called after him.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning back to look at her.

"Do you -- do you want some company?" she asked nervously.

Tom studied her for a moment before replying. "Yeah. That sounds nice." He smiled, then turned and headed toward the bathroom.

Sarah waited for a few moments, feeling a wash of emotions come over her. Her eyes welled up with tears.

I love him so much,

she thought.

How could I have so carelessly hurt him?

She pushed it from her mind, wiping the tears away before they could fall down her cheeks.

It's going to be okay.

They'd both admitted that something had been missing in their marriage and while she wasn't sure exactly what would come next, she was excited about the possibilities they both seemed open to explore. She sighed and made her way to the bathroom, aching for intimacy with her husband.

She found him standing under the warm spray of water, his eyes closed as it cascaded down his back. Sarah watched him for a moment, feeling a renewed appreciation for his body.

He may have let himself go just a bit,

she thought,

but he is still an attractive man

-- my

man.

She opened the glass shower door and stepped in behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Her breasts pressed into his back, and she placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder blade.

Tom opened his eyes and turned to face her. He smiled down at her. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey yourself."

Tom leaned down to kiss her, gently parting her lips with his own. Her hands wandered to his chest and ran slowly over his muscles. She deepened their kiss, feeling the complicated emotions of the past few days fading away as their bodies pressed together.

Tom grabbed her ass, pulling her in tightly. Sarah moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and grinding her hips against him. She could feel the heat from his hard cock against her stomach. She longed for him to be inside of her.

Tom abruptly broke their kiss and spun her around to face the shower wall. Sarah gasped. Her hands instinctively reached out to brace herself against the tiles. He reached around her and placed his hand between her legs, feeling the heat radiating from her. She moaned, grinding her sex against his hand. He rubbed her swollen clit and slid his finger up and down its sensitive flesh, making her squirm. Tom's other hand roamed over her curves, pinching her nipples and making her shudder with pleasure. Sarah couldn't remember the last time they had made love in the shower, but she was quickly reminded of how much she loved it.

Tom removed his hand from between her legs and grabbed her hips, pulling her back towards him. His hard cock slid between her thighs, teasing her entrance. She reached down, grasping his shaft and guiding it inside her. Tom sunk himself deep into her.

"Oh god," she groaned, tossing her head back. "Fuck me, Tom. I want it hard."

Tom obliged, fucking her hard and fast, their wet skin slapping together under the warm spray. Sarah spread her legs further to steady herself against his powerful thrusts, her back arching as she pushed herself against him. "Fuck, yes!" she cried out.

Memories came flooding back of the noises she had made the previous night -- how he'd her all but beg Jake to fuck her; how she cried out in sheer ecstasy while cumming on his friend's cock. A jolt of jealousy coursed through him. Tom's thrusts became more urgent. He reached up and grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her head back as he continued to fuck her relentlessly from behind.

"Yes, fuck me -- just -- like that!"

Tom closed his eyes, imagining the scene from last night play out in front of him. He imagined his friend pushing his cock deep inside Sarah and her face contorting in pleasure. He pictured her legs locked around his waist, pulling him deeper inside her - deeper than Tom ever could --before he began to hammer himself into her welcoming pussy. It all played out in Tom's mind like a pornographic fantasy.

His breath came quicker; he reached down, impatiently grasping Sarah's hips again. He slammed into her mercilessly, part of him wanting to reclaim her, another wanting to punish her.

Sarah looked back over her shoulder, shocked by his aggression. Her husband was not a rough lover, and she sensed what was running through his mind. It was deliciously painful.

If this is my atonement,

she thought,

I welcome it with open arms... well, okay, legs.

She gritted her teeth, studying the determined look on his face. "Oh -- Jesus -- Christ -- Tom!" she cried out between violent thrusts.

"Oh fuck, I'm gonna cum," he grunted, his eyes still tightly closed. His body spasmed erratically while hot jets of cum filled his wife's womb. Sarah's gaze remained locked on her husband's face, and she tried hard to imagine what was going through his head as he came.

Tom's chest heaved. He gradually slowed his thrusts, spent and breathing heavily. Sarah leaned against the wall, her knees trembling. She could feel his cock shrinking inside of her and some of his cum trickling down the inside of her thighs, where it was quickly washed away by the cascading water.

Tom slowly withdrew from her. She turned to face him, then leaned back against the shower wall, the water cascading over her breasts and belly. She was almost as winded as he was. "Damn," she murmured, a half smile playing at her lips. "That was intense."

Tom leaned forward, bracing himself with a hand against the wall behind her shoulder. He lowered his head, letting the water spill over his brow, still panting heavily from the exertion.

"What brought that on?" she asked, trying to get him to meet her gaze. "You're not usually so... aggressive. What were you thinking about, baby?"

He hesitated and shrugged. "You know what I was thinking about," he muttered, still avoiding her eyes.

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "I do?" Her voice was soft. She suspected what he'd been thinking about, but wanted to hear him say it.

Tom hesitated again, his eyes still closed as he let the water pour over him. "You... and... Jake."

Sarah could hear the self-reproach in his voice. She waited for him to continue, but when he remained silent, she prompted him softly. "What about Jake and I?" She glanced down at his semi-erect cock and saw it twitch. A small smile formed at the corner of her mouth.

"I don't know. Just... what you sounded like last night, I guess."

Sarah's eyes remained on her husband's penis. As she expected, it began to stir to life once more. She reached to the shelf, pumped a generous glob of body wash into her hand, then brought it down to the space between them. She grasped his cock and slowly began to stroke it. Tom let out a low moan.

"And what did we sound like, baby?" she asked, her voice low and sultry. She watched Tom's expression carefully through the corner of her eye. She knew she needed to tread carefully. Tom was visibly aroused, but last night's events were still raw. Despite her self-admonition, however, she found that she couldn't resist prodding him. She continued to stroke him, tightening her grip. "Did you like what you heard?"

Tom's breath hitched as her hand continued to work him over. He leaned forward, pressing the side of his head against hers, his lips brushing her ear. "Yes," he whispered, his breathing becoming more ragged.

Sarah's smile widened. She felt herself getting more aroused by the second. She ran her hand lower and cupped his balls, massaging them lightly. "Did you like how I cried out when he put his cock inside me? I couldn't help it, baby. He felt so big."

"Oh god," Tom panted against her ear. His cock was fully erect and it felt hot and heavy in Sarah's hand.

"Was I too loud, baby? I couldn't help it; it felt so fucking good. Do you wish you could have watched your friend fuck me?" Sarah felt him begin to spasm in her hand.

Tom let out a low groan just as she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into a deep kiss. His cock begin to convulse in her tight grip and he moaned loudly into her mouth. Sarah could feel his hot jets of cum shoot against her belly, followed by several more rapid spasms. She milked the last of his orgasm from him and felt his body give a final shudder.

Finally, Tom pulled away from their kiss and rested his forehead against her shoulder. Sarah gently released his softening cock and wrapped her arms around him, rubbing her hands up and down his back. She felt him begin to relax in her embrace.

They stood there like that for several moments, neither speaking, basking in the intimacy of the moment. The water continued to cascade down around them, washing away the remnants of their lovemaking.

Finally, Tom looked up and met Sarah's gaze. A small, satisfied smile played at the corner of her lips. He leaned in to kiss her again. Sarah melted into him, her arms tightening around his neck while their kiss deepened.

He finally pulled away and brushed a wet strand of hair from her forehead.

"Wow, twice in a row," she said playfully. "Impressive." She grinned, reaching down to give his cock a playful tug.

Tom smiled back at her, his expression almost bashful.

After they'd dried off, they exited to the master bedroom. Sarah walked to the bed and continued to dry her hair with her towel. Tom walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Um, well... I was going to go to bed."

Sarah looked at him quizzically before it dawned on her. Her expression softened, and she smiled warmly. "

This

is your bed."

Tom stared at her for several seconds before smiling back at her. "Okay." He crossed the room and climbed into the marital bed that he hadn't slept in for weeks.

Sarah threw her towel to the side and crawled in beside him, snuggling closely. She could feel the warmth emanating from his body, and it called forth memories of their more intimate moments together. She missed him. She missed the connection they used to share earlier in their marriage. For the first time in weeks, she felt like their relationship could be strong again -- that it could in fact be even better than it ever had. The new sexual discoveries had caused a whirlwind of emotional turbulence in the preceding weeks, but for Sarah, it felt like they were coming out on the other side of it -- that they might be able to explore their new urges together in a safe and open-minded relationship. It did still scare her, but the line between fear and excitement was getting blurrier all the time.

She couldn't help the smile that crept across her face. Her eyes were heavy, though, and so, for the first time in weeks, she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep in her husband's arms.