A Happy Marriage?

Chapter 13: Hard

Her family didn't leave for at least two hours. The whole time, Daryl had to sit at the office door, scratching and using Beth's phone as a sound machine. His arm eventually tired and the phone battery died.

When saying goodbye to her family, Beth shuts the door and quickly jolts to the office. Unlocking the door, she rushes in and looks around, and by the door, slumped over using her sweater as a blanket, Daryl pathetically sleeps against her book case in his boxers. She feels bad that he had to stay in here. She could have just told him to go to his room.  Crouching in front of him, she brushes away his hair from his face and realizes that when he sleeps, he looks angelic and content. She smiles softly and touches his stubbled cheek. Leaning forward, she kisses his forehead and then stands and exits her office.

Coming back in, she has the fleece blanket and a couch pillow. Pulling his head away from the bookshelf, she places the pillow under his head and lays the blanket over top of him. Backing up, she holds herself and just stares him. He looks so peaceful. He was a life saver today. Although now, she has to go get a Great Dane to fill in the lies.

His back is aching and his neck is too, but when he opens his eyes, he smiles as he finds himself cover up with a blanket and a pillow under his head. Stretching, he pauses mid stretch as he finds a sweet aroma fills up his nose. The smell is that of pastries and sausage. When he hears her coming to open the door, he goes "back to sleep" and she enters. With a tray in her hand, she puts it on her desk and then turns back towards Daryl. Going to him, she kneels down and touches his cheek. Inwardly smiling, he keeps his eyes closed and says nothing.

"Daryl...wake up..." He wants a sleeping beauty kiss. He's hoping she'll kiss him. Suddenly he feels presence on top of him. He tries so hard to hide a smile and he gets ready to pucker his lips when a big wet slobbery tongue slathers up his face and his eyes burst open. On his lap is basically Marmaduke. A big tan and blacked face Great Dane inhabits his lap and pants in his face now. Beth giggles from by the desk and Daryl just sits there dazed and confused. "Good evening. He's so happy to see you."

"What the hell?"

"Well, you made it seem like I have a dog, so I adopted one. This is Mouse!" She happily claps her hands together and Daryl just looks between her and the dog. Cursing himself and Beth for this big ball of fur.

"You said it was a dog. A big dog. Not me. I just played along with the charade. You can't keep him." Beth pouts and the dog does too. Daryl doesn't know how they could possibly look any more pathetic.

"But Daryl...he looks so..."

"No. You're not keeping him Beth. This poor dog will just end up neglected because you work to much." She pouts even more and Daryl looks away from her and to the big dog on his lap. "You're not staying. She can't take care of you and you're too big."

The dog whimpers as if it understands and puts its head down. Between the both of them, his heart melts.

"I thought you could..."

"Nope! Not happening. I am not taking care of your dog. It's going back to the pound."

"Daryl...please!" Coming over to him, she basically sits on top of him as well and wraps her arms around his neck. Her eyes flutter and her bottom lip jets out. Daryl can't ignore her beauty. Especially as he realizes that she's in shorts and a crop top shirt. She was fully prepared for this. But Daryl isn't buying it...not yet. "I'll take care of him."

She kisses his neck and his eyes widen.

"I'll feed him...water him...take him out..." In between each sentence, she kisses him on different parts of his neck. He once more is excited and now she can feel it instead of see it. It stops her in her tracks and Daryl just looks at her as she goes away from his neck and looks into his eyes.

They say nothing and just when he's going to lean forward and kiss her, the dog intercepts it and Beth finds her time to exit from his lap. She goes to her desk and grabs the tray of food. She hands it to him and grabs Mouse by his collar and tugs him out the door so Daryl can eat. He's so confused by her leaving that he almost forgets that he was so turned on by her.

Walking across the flat, she lets go of Mouse and heads upstairs to her room. Once inside, she shuts the door behind her and locks it. Her heart is pounding out of her chest. She's thankful the dog intercepted the kiss that would have done her in. She felt him. In all his glory. She felt how hard he was and it made her beyond wet. She hasn't felt a man like that...ever. She's never actually had a boyfriend besides Jesus, but they never had a physical relationship. So closing her eyes, she feels her stomach flopping over itself and all she can do is try to ignore it. She can't feel this way. She won't. She has a business to run and Daryl is just a distraction.

After a few minutes, she goes down stairs and finds Daryl sitting on the couch with Mouse beside him. They are watching Animal Planet, Too Cute to be precise, and Daryl is scratching Mouse's ear. Going to the kitchen, she notices the tray and plate are washed off and drying. She didn't expect him to do that. Watching him from the kitchen she knows in her heart that she's starting to do the one thing she promised herself that she wouldn't.

Fall in love with her husband.