STEPH
My hands slap against my face as I gasp in horror. A tingle sweeps up the back of my neck and moves over my cheeks, making them excessively hot under my palm. “Teddy,” I shout, then pat my legs to beckon him to me.
“Is your dog always this randy?”
“Yes, he’s as bad as you.” I let out a puff of laughter. Teddy ignores my pleas and continues to rag them around like he would play with his blanket, swishing them from side to side while making a playful growl.
“Teddy, here,” I command, walking towards him, but he runs around the coffee table as if it’s a game. Please let me just teleport now. I cover my face with my hands. Luckily, my shirt covers my arse, so I’m not running around the living room with everything on display. Callum hasn’t stopped laughing, and his usual chuckle has turned into a high pitch squawk as he tries to corner the dog to rescue my embarrassingly big knickers, but Teddy is playing chase.
“Leave them. He’ll get bored soon enough. I’m going to clean up,” I say, grabbing my leggings and running upstairs to get some fresh underwear. After sorting myself out and checking on Cairen, I return to the kitchen, hoping I can retrieve my garment only to find Cal and Teddy now playing tug of war. Standing in the kitchen doorway, I cover my face with my hands again, feeling the heat emanating from my cheeks. Please floor, just swallow me, please.
Eventually, Callum wins the battle of the drawers and holds up my big knickers with a cheeky grin. “These are different.”
“Piss off.” I snatch them from his hands and take them to the laundry room. I catch my face reflected in the glass cupboard and my cheeks have turned a bright shade of purple.
“I like them,” he says, smirking when I return.
“Sure you do.” I swat his chest, and he catches my wrist, pulling me close to him, wrapping his arms around me.
“I like that you wear them at home, forhim. I can sleep easier knowing you don’t wear sexy knickers for him.”
“Only for you, Cal.” I kiss his lips again.
“What have you got on now?” He tugs at my leggings.
“Cal.” I squirm, thinking I wouldn’t be sleeping with him again today. I put on some more comfortable underwear, equally as big and embarrassing.
“Let me see,” he says, grinning, tugging at the elastic of my leggings.
“No.” I swat at his chest again, but he pulls me in for a kiss. His fingers tease my waist, tickling my skin. I squirm as his digits dig into my ribs, making me convulse uncontrollably by his tantalising torture. He pins me against the fridge, feverishly lapping his tongue around my mouth, and his hands wander underneath the elastic as he catches me off guard, distracting me with his greedy mouth.
Squeezing my cotton covered cheeks, a smile plays on his lips against mine, and he seems satisfied that Justin won’t be seeing me in any lace underwear later. Justin will never see my underwear again. Unless he rifles through my drawers.
“Let me make us that drink now,” I say, and he releases me so I can flick the switch on the kettle again.
“How is Cairen doing?”
“He seems to have some colour back in his cheeks, but he’ll most likely be asleep for the next few hours. If he wakes up, you must leave. I can’t have Justin knowing you were here.”
I don't want Cairen knowing that Cal is the reason I want a divorce. The kids would resent him and me for breaking the family up. There’s no point bringing Cal into the equation when he won’t even be here. I pull out two mugs from the cupboard and scoop the coffee from the jar with a teaspoon.
“Why, he knew I worked with you. I’ve met him before. He thinks we’re friends, doesn’t he?”
“No, he’ll go ballistic if he finds out you’ve been here.”
“Why?”
“Because someone he knows saw you kissing my neck in Maccy’s.” I pour the water into the mugs.
“Fuck Steph, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. What did he say?”
“He went mad. I had to convince him she was confused about what she saw, but he still didn’t want me seeing you again out of work and was relieved when I told him you had another job.” I stir the drinks.
“Did he hurt you?” Cal holds my arms, gripping tight, anxiously waiting for my response.
“Do you think if he’d hurt me, I would still be with him?”
“No, cos I would have wrung his fucking neck.”