Free Moonlight (a Melanie King Affair 4 Part Mini-Series - Part 1) by Lisa Sumil, T.M. Williams Page A

n’ s favorite time of the day.
    I reached my car and felt him still standing behind me. Would Zack be wondering where I am yet? Would Sophia be wondering where Warren was? I shivered in the cool air thinking about our spouses, something I tried not to, but their faces always cruelly invaded my thoughts at the worst times.
    When I turned to face Warren he still had that look on his face - a mixture of hunger and knowingness. A drug addict wanting their fix but knowing it would only make it more difficult to break. Then I saw something else.
    “ Are you going home ? ” he asked.
    My heart leapt in my chest. When had a simple question become so complicated?
    The sound of a door creaking open startled me. I turned back toward the diner and saw one of the workers throwing a garbage bag into the dumpster. The boom of the bag hitting the bottom of the dumpster echoed back to us. The worker never noticed us standing in the shadows of my car and I watched the door close behind him. We were alone in the parking lot again.
     
    I did n’ t answer Warrens question. I just faced him again and leaned my back against the car and he stepped forward, closing the distance between us. He trailed his finger along the low neckline of my dress, just barely grazing my skin with the back of his knuckle, raising goosebumps on my flesh.
    “ Do n’ t go home , ” he said.
    My phone chimed.
    Warren slipped the strap off my left shoulder and tugged it down, exposing my breast to the cool evening air. My breathing became heavier and I felt my insides warm and throb in response. I dared a glance at my phone and saw a text from Zack. Warren slipped the other strap off my shoulder, leaving me topless in the parking lot. The cool air felt foreign and welcoming against my skin.
    He lowered his head and took a taste of my skin and perking me with his lips, nibbling softly. I could n’ t help myself. The moan escaped and my body pressed against him reflexively, begging for more. In the distance I could hear the creaking of the diner door opening again but did n’ t care. Let them watch.
    Warren pulled away and the cool air did wondrous things against the moisture he left behind with his mouth. He pulled the straps of my dress back up, covering me again.
    “ I have a lot of work to do at the office this weekend , ” he said as he took my hand in his .“ You should stop by and visit me . ”
    I could barely manage a nod. My body still reeling from the heat and yearning.
    “ I wish you were coming home to me instead , ” he said and then pressed his lips hard against mine. My heart ached.
    He walked me to the drivers side of my car and opened the door for me.
    “ But, I’ ll settle for a visit this weekend instead , ” he said as I slid in behind the wheel.
    “ I’ ll text you later , ” I said - knowing I’ d probably go another night without sleep as we would text back and forth throughout the night, again.
    As I pulled out of the parking lot I opened the message from Zach.
     
    Picked up your favorite, i t’ s getting cold.
     
    I cried nearly the entire way home. As I pulled into the driveway my phone chimed again. I looked down to see a text from Warren.
     
    It was never just an affair
     
    My heart soared. I reluctantly deleted the text and glanced in the mirror, seeing my puffy eyes and puffy lips. Lust and emotions never mix.
     
    Lilian came bounding down the front steps and jumped in my arms as I got out of the car. I pressed my face against her soft blonde curls and could smell the strawberry shampoo she loved. Zach stood barefoot on the red brick steps of our home, smiling.
    “ How was your day ? ”
    “ Fine . ” I carried Lilian up the walkway .“ Allergy issues all day, though . ”
    “ Your eyes do look a little bloodshot . ”
    I just nodded. I hated that it was so easy to lie to him.
    “ Did you guys already eat ? ”
    “ Lilian had pizza at school so she was n’ t very hungry when she got home . ”
    “ Sh e’ ll