John shivered. “Yes. There won’t be any more problems. I promise.”

“Good.”

A click on the other end, and the call was disconnected. Nothing was good. John instinctively knew it. One day soon, the shit would hit the fan, and he would be standing right in front of it. It wasn’t a pretty picture.

“John!” he heard his wife’s voice behind him as she stepped out onto the patio. “Did you not pay the credit card bill last month?”

He turned to her and saw her holding the bill in her hands. She looked more than annoyed.

“Of course I did. I always do.” Had he paid it? He couldn’t remember whether there’d been sufficient money the previous month.

“Then why are they charging us a finance charge and interest on this one? That can’t be right! I’m gonna call them.”

John snatched the bill out of her hands. “I’ll take care of it. I’m sure it’s just some clerical error. I’ll call them first thing in the morning.”

“Good, because I hate it when these credit card companies cheat honest people like us. It’s appalling!”

He watched her go back into the house and ran his hands through his hair. How long could he keep this up? He heard his youngest fussing. If he didn’t have the kids to worry about he would just hightail it out of town with his wife. But with two kids in tow, how far would they get? And besides, who’d say Karen would even come with him once she knew what problems he’d gotten himself into?

EIGHT

Samson pulled out a condom from the box and put it into the pocket of his bathrobe before he turned back to face Delilah.

“You want me to do what?” A grin was already forming on his face. He liked her suggestion. In fact, he liked it very much.

“Catch me, and if you do, maybe I’ll let you rip the robe off me.” She laughed and jumped over the bed and off on the other side. She wore a long robe of dark-green silk he had loaned her. It was too long for her and presented a tripping hazard. Not that he needed the unfair advantage he had over her.

“It’ll be a short chase,” Samson warned her without malice. “And, I always win.”

“I’m fast.”

Damn, she was cute. And playful.

“I’m faster.”

Effortlessly he jumped over the bed as he saw her take off around the armchair and then run over the floor pillows in front of the fireplace. He took a different route but took his time. He didn’t want the hunt to be over too soon. He always kept two steps behind her, making sure she was almost in reach, but giving her the feeling she could get away if she wanted to.

Her giggles filled the room which, for too long, had not seen or heard any smiles and laughter, let alone the intoxicating reverberations of Delilah’s voice.

Delilah rounded the armchair again, and Samson stopped right opposite of her. She made an indication to the right, but then veered left. She jumped over the chaise lounge as if it was a hurdle, and he had to admire her agility. The way she could spread her legs would come in handy eventually. He could think of more than one use for her nimbleness: how her long, shapely legs would wrap around him, how he would draw them up to his shoulders. His cock went rigid at the thought.

Samson licked his lips and went after her as she headed for the bed and jumped onto it. That was exactly where he wanted her. He seized her ankles and pulled her down, making her fall face forward into the soft pillows, almost knocking the wind out of her.

“Got you.” He jumped onto the bed like a tiger capturing its prey, pinning her underneath him. “I’ve come to claim my prize.”

He pulled her hair to the side to reveal her neck and face. She was breathing heavily. Realizing that he was probably crushing her diaphragm with his weight, he rolled to her side, pulling her with him. He neatly tucked her cute ass into his groin and molded his chest to her back. He enjoyed playing with her, yet he’d never been the playful type. Never had a woman’s body felt so good to him. It had to be the fact he was so deprived of sex.

“I let you win,” Delilah insisted, still out of breath.

“I won fair and square.” Samson smirked while he pulled her silky robe aside, exposing her legs. How could a small woman like her have such long legs? He let his hand run down her smooth thigh, admiring her perfect form.

“What do you want?”

It was plain and simple. “You.”

“You already have me.” Did she realize what she was admitting to him?

He eased the robe off her shoulders. “So, all this is mine?” The word “mine” sunk deep into his chest, feeling utterly right as he pressed his lips onto her shoulder. Without bringing out his fangs, his teeth scraped at her skin. He felt her shiver. “Did you know that a lion bites his lioness during mating to claim her as his?”