After the storm of their passion had passed, Brett found the energy to change the sheets. The light blue shirt lay crumpled on the floor, drenched in sweat and beyond wearing again.
Orlena curled up at the head of the bed. Her cheeks were still tinged with the faint blush of someone who had cried not long ago.
Brett was busy with the aftermath.
He washed the sheets in the washing machine, dried her delicate lingerie, and even picked up the stained shirt she thought he'd throw away. But Brett was frugal, saying a wash would make it as good as new.
How could he ever wear that again? Orlena was furious with him!
In the laundry room, Brett's eyes were soft and tender. His days were long and not without fatigue, but being with her, holding her close, seemed to wash all the weariness away. What remained was pure contentment.
Once he finished, he handed her the freshly laundered lingerie. She had her own here, untouched and unworn for years, but she was too uncomfortable and didn’t want to touch them, convinced they were infested with bugs! Brett bit back a crude joke, sparing her the words. He passed them to her, and Orlena took them, slipping them on beneath the covers.
The night had grown deep, and Brett brushed her hair gently. "Want to talk for a bit, or should we sleep?"
She turned away silently, laying down to sleep.
Brett smiled to himself. Leaning close, he whispered in her ear with a soft tone, "I'm going to step out for a smoke, then I'll come back and keep you company."
Orlena ignored him.
He didn't take offense and was about to stand up when he felt her grab his arm. The voice of his favored girl was tender and soft, "Don't go out."
Brett looked down at her slender arm. She wore only his oversized shirt, which rode up with the slightest movement, revealing more skin than intended.
His desire, far from sated by their earlier encounters, flared anew. He slipped under the covers once more, his hands rediscovering her body.
Orlena squirmed but couldn't break free. She was held close in his embrace, her face burning with embarrassment as she protested, "Enough already. You should be settling down at your age!"
Her words hit a sore spot—Brett was sensitive about his age. He wouldn't let her off easily.
By the end of the night, she hardly knew how much she had endured. Their night of passion seemed to reset their relationship to its early days.
Brett thought back to how cold she had been on his last visit, but now she was compliant and sweet. In truth, Orlena was easy to please. All she wanted was a home.
Brett made breakfast and returned to the bedroom to find Orlena still sleeping soundly. Despite being a mother, she still clung to things in her sleep, having held onto Brett until early morning when he replaced himself with a pillow.
Brett leaned in to kiss her awake. She blinked open her eyes, looking up at him. Memories of the previous night flooded back. Her cheeks turned red at the thought of how wild they had gotten... and how eager she had been.
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