Page 77 of The Wrong Track

“You can carry Ella over the threshold,” I consoled him, and he laughed quietly. I did, too, from happiness.

But then, once he’d carried her in and I’d walked myself, I wasn’t sure how this was going to proceed. Sex, obviously, because that was what people did on their wedding night, sex and then more sex. Tobin and I hadn’t discussed the physical part of our marriage but I assumed that he’d want it from me and that was fine; I was used to it. I didn’t want him to run around with other women, which was what would happen if I froze him out. This was a small town and if he did, his family would probably find out and that would cause all kinds of problems.

Better that I let him do what he wanted, and I was sure he wouldn’t want anything too weird or painful. It was Tobin, after all.

When he came into the bedroom, I already had Annie’s pretty dress hung up on a soft hanger. I reached for his pants and unbuckled his belt, slipped the button, and unzipped.

“Remy, what—”

My hands were already massaging and he was immediately hard. His words ended in a gasp.

“Where are the condoms?” I asked, because I didn’t want another baby, not right away. I figured that Tobin would want more kids and that was ok with me, someday. I slid my fingers to find his balls and he groaned.

“What—”

I went onto my knees and was tugging his pants down with me when Tobin reached under my arms and lifted me back up to stand.

“Remy, what are you doing?”

“I thought we would do it. Have sex. Where are the condoms?”

“I don’t have any,” he said, and I stepped back.

“Well, we’re playing Russian roulette then.” But it wouldn’t be the first time a customer—I meant, a man, hadn’t wanted to cover up. I’d been tested more times than I could count because Kilian liked his girls clean, so I knew that I was ok and I didn’t have to ask to know that Tobin wouldn’t endanger my health. “It’s all right with me. It would be nice for Ella to have a sister.”

“I don’t want to do this,” Tobin stated. “Not like this.”

I stepped back further. “What? Why?”

“I didn’t marry you to sleep with you,” he said.

Right, he’d married me for Ella. I knew that. And he could have had me anytime even without the rings and he knew that, too. “Ok. Ok, that’s fine.” I had already brushed my teeth so I got into the bed.

“I’m not rejecting you,” he said.

“Yeah, it’s really fine. I don’t care if you don’t want to fuck, but I would appreciate it if you don’t, like, broadcast your activities with other women. It would really hurt your mom and Hazel to know it, and when Ella’s big enough to understand, it will hurt her, too.”

“I’m not going to be with other women!”

And now he sounded angry, so I sat up. “Ok, I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I repeated. “That was a dumb thing to say and I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

“Remy.” Tobin sat on the edge of the bed next to me and I calmed down when I saw his face. He wasn’t going to hurt me; I knew that. “I don’t want us to sleep together like this. I don’t want you to feel like it’s something that you have to do.”

“We’re married. It’s what married people do.”

“Yeah, and we will, when everyone’s good with it. We can do other things, first. I don’t think I really kissed you, yet.”

“You did at the courthouse.”

“Not like this, though.” He leaned forward and nudged with his nose until I tilted up my chin. Then he kissed me, but not like at our ceremony. He pressed against my mouth and moved his lips until I opened mine and then he teased with his tongue, and he kissed, and kissed me. When he pulled back it felt like hours might have passed and I was hardly breathing, but not from asthma. I was breathless with pleasure. His fingers had threaded through my hair and mine had grabbed his shirt and twisted it.

“See?” Tobin bent and nuzzled against my neck, sighing a warm breath that made me shiver. “That’s how I want it to be. And tonight, we’re just going to sleep.” He stood and I watched him strip off the rest of his clothes. He got into the bed and moved the pillow that separated us as he curled against my back.

“I can feel that you still want me,” I said.

He shifted his hips against my ass and moaned softly. “I do.” He moved my hair and kissed my neck again and it felt so good, I pressed back against him and I moaned, too.

“I’m glad you’re my wife,” he whispered.