Premonitions | ✓

thirty-seven

 "Palace" -Sam Smith

New years had passed and was gone in the blink of an eye. 

     The locket her husband had made and gifted her was constantly around her neck, perfectly fitted. Anna looked over at him, how his beard had thickened and grown, how his blonde locks were now to the nape of his neck, no longer shaved down, and how the crow's feet at his eyes were beginning to show his age.

      Anna rolled onto her side slowly, lifting a hand to trace the lines of her husband's aging face. He continued to stay deep in sleep as she lightly ran a finger along his hairy jaw, pausing at his lips. There, Anna had placed the pad of her thumb on the edge of his bottom lip, making him hum in his sleep. 

     Anna gave a small smile from the sound.

      She moved her hand away, down his neck, and to his chest where she had her arm draped over. This made her lay her naked chest atop him slightly, her large breasts sandwiching his rib cage as he lied on his back. 

     One of his large arms rested on his stomach lazily as the other was under Anna's neck so she could use his bicep as a pillow. His face was turned in her direction, even in his sleep he was always looking out for her.

      Anna looked down at his left hand that rested on his toned stomach. His wedding band shined from the morning sun that peeked in through the windows of their bedroom. She ran her thumb over his knuckles lightly, wishing she could pick his hand up and kiss it, but he would most likely wake up from the action.

      Where Anna was a deep sleeper, Lars was not. Anna could be quietly talking on the phone on the front porch with all the doors and windows closed, and he would still come downstairs checking on her, wondering what all the noise was about. Anna smiled at the thought.

     When a long breath left Lars' nose, Anna knew he was waking up, so she decided to coax him out of his sleep. On his bare chest, she ran a dark-colored nail down his side, creating goosebumps along his skin as she reached up to her best ability to gently kiss his cheek. Lars let out another sigh before he reached over Anna, pulling her closer as he turned on his side.

     Once comfortable, Lars stuck his nose into her curls and neck, eyes still closed, "You lookin' to get lucky, Anna bear?" He mumbled.

     Anna couldn't help the laugh that left her as she wove a hand under his neck and brought her other one to tangle her fingers through his messy hair, hugging him close. Anna squealed in delight when his lips began to leave a trail from behind her ear, to her neck, collarbone, and then landing on the valley of her breasts.

      Anna's body gave her the immense urge to hug his head tightly to her chest, almost suffocating the man, but she let go quickly, butterfly kissing all over his face. 

     He laughed at her antics, "Damn, was I that good last night?"

     Anna broke away from him, playfully flicking his forehead. He moaned in mock pain, rubbing the assaulted area before rolling them over so that Anna was flat on her back and Lars was above her. He smiled wide as he rested his elbows on either side of her, helping to keep him up so his entire body wasn't crushing her.

     "Can I ask you something?" Lars whispered, playing with a curl. Anna nodded, "I don't know how to ask this in a romantic way or the right way, but...do you want to look into buying a house?"

     Anna stared up at him blankly as he avoided her gaze, focusing on the strand of dark hair he was playing with. It made him nervous, her answer, whether she wanted to stay in her small cottage or move into their own home that had room, expansion, one made for a family.

     She gave him a small smile as she nodded. He saw her head move from the corner of his eye, a smirk growing just as he looked over at her. He kissed her lightly, watching as her eyes closed instantly, and then he followed.

     Anna didn't know, but Lars had started saving since he thought of marrying her. He was afraid of losing the family business, and if they were planning on having as many kids as they talked about, they needed money.

      Just because Anna was a professor, it didn't mean she was swimming in cash. Her books helped, but not by much. Sales had started slowing down since she began her doctoral program at the college, she was too busy to write, and her publisher had put her on the back burner.

      The moment they got married, Anna had shoved all of her numbers at her new husband, telling him that he was the one responsible for everything that had to do with their income, bills, and so on.

     Anna wasn't in debt, college was paid for by the military, scholarships, plus the promise of her working for Humboldt State. Whatever was leftover, her book sales paid for. Money and numbers made her nervous. Lars enjoyed math though, so he had no problem taking over.

     What Anna also didn't know was that Lars had taken up a second job. When he wasn't running the store, doing commissions, in his spare time, he was a handyman for the neighbors. He did all the quick and easy stuff to make a little extra on the side. Every last cent was put in their joint savings account.

     Although Anna was terrified of numbers, so terrified in fact that she was able to convince herself that any day, the federal government was bound to knock on her door, put her in handcuffs, and put her away for life. All because she forgot to pay her taxes. That was never going to truly happen of course, but Anna was convinced.

     But, although she was terrified of numbers and money, that didn't mean that she was going to hand it all away. No offense to her husband, but he wasn't allowed to touch her funds with a ten-foot pole. The only way was if she was gone for good and Lars had signed the dotted line of her will. The only thing Lars did was keep Anna and her money on track.

      He was her unpaid accountant.

     Anna and Lars were so excited once he asked her about finding a house of there own, that in all her naked glory, Anna sat up in bed and opened her laptop, finding listings in the area. The rest of their day was spent naked in bed, taking turns looking at house prices, watching superhero movies, and ravishing each other's bodies.