Leaving Venice was a real heart wrenching moment. Although we had but a few days there It was as though it had defined our whole lives together.

I felt I had learned more about Philip in that time than in the whole of the last twenty-five years.

We didn't have a great deal to say on the flight but sat arm in arm, each of us deep in our own thoughts.

It had been a wonderful few days, almost perfect one might say, and to me at least, felt like a real honeymoon.

I looked at Philip and he smiled at me. I hoped that what I could see on his face was also what he was feeling inside.

Unlike with the outward journey, there were no hitches with the border officials, perhaps they had less sensitive equipment, I don't know, but we passed through along with our bags and now, here we were back at the airport where we began.

On the train from the London I went to the toilet and whilst there I rang Penny.

It wasn't that I didn't want Philip to know, but I would have found it difficult with him there whilst I tried to talk.

“How was your trip?” she asked as soon as the greetings and pleasantries were completed.

“Fantastic!” I gushed, “Philip is a changed man, so attentive!”

“Then I am really pleased for you,” she said but there was something in her voice that made me wonder whether she really was as pleased as she said she was.

“What time does your train arrive back here?” she asked. “I will pick you up.”

“Oh, no, Penny! I wouldn't hear of it. We'll get a taxi.”

“I don't mind,” she insisted. “Honestly.”

“No, I wouldn't dream of letting you come out so late. We'll get a taxi.”

“Well, all right. If you are sure.”

“I'm sure,” I told her. “I'll see you tomorrow when I've unpacked, yes?”

“All right,” she accepted.

There was a moments silence before I asked, “Penny, are you all right? You sound a little... I don't know, stressed maybe?”

“I'm fine,” she replied but with a lack of conviction. “See you tomorrow.”

“All right, I said. “See you, bye.”

When I returned to my seat Philip had ordered dinner on my behalf.

“I hope you don't mind,” he said. “You were gone a little while.”

“No, that's fine,” I assured him.

I paused for a moment.

“I rang Penny, she offered to pick us up at the station.”

“Ah, I see. Did you accept?”

“No. I told her we would get a taxi. To be honest I really wanted to finish our trip without seeing anyone else.”

He smiled.

“Me too,” he said.

I never have understood why but the journey home always seems to pass more quickly than the outward trip, and this one was no exception.

It was dark when we finally arrived home, and Philip opened the door and stood back to allow me to enter.

The semi darkness of the hallway was strangely relaxing, and when he reached out to the light switch I stopped him.

“No, leave it off,” I whispered. “I somehow like the dark.”

He frowned and shrugged.

“Oh, all right,” he said and dragged the case inside.

I took his arm.

“Leave it there until the morning, let's just go straight up.”

“Don't you want a drink or something?” he asked, seemingly confused.

“No,” I whispered, “just you.”

I waited briefly whilst he turned the key in the front door and then led him up the stairs to our room but before we entered I turned to him and gazed into his eyes.

“I don't expect to make love everyday as we did in Venice, you know.”

He smiled and I thought I sensed a little relief.

“I do love you, Philip and I know you love me too, the fact we are still together proves that. I will never hurt you again, I promise.”

Again, he smiled and this time took me in his arms.

“You broke my heart,” he whispered. “I couldn't bear to be without you, without your love”

“I never stopped loving you, Philip,” I reassured him. “I just lost my way a little. I wanted to die when I realised what I had done.”

He pressed a finger to my lips.

“Sshhh...” he hissed. “It is behind us now. Let's just concentrate on the future.”

“Together?” I asked through restrained lips.

He nodded.

“Together.”

Philip opened the bedroom door and guided me inside.

“It smells nice in here,” he said. “Fresh.”

“I sprayed some fabric freshener on the bed before we left,” I replied. “I always do.”

“Ah, that will be it,” he responded.

His comment, however made me think. The smell did seem somewhat stronger than it usually did after almost a week away, but I dismissed it thinking that maybe, in my haste, I had used a little more than normal.

The romance was still with us as, in the dark we slowly undressed each other.

He began to release the buttons of my now travel crumpled blouse, and I put my hand on his, holding him gently and stopping his progress for a moment.

“I have had a wonderful time, Philip,” I whispered in the darkness. “As I said, I don't expect you to make love to me in that way everyday. I love you just as much for being just you.”

His eyes twinkled in the moonlight that illuminated the room through the undraped window as he smiled.

“I know but tonight at least, I want to.”

My heart leapt as he leaned forward and kissed me gently.

My lips opened to accept his probing tongue, and I released his hand which immediately resumed undoing my buttons.

He didn't release them all though.

About half way down he stopped and slipped his hand inside the soft fabric and cupped my breast inside my bra.

Again I put my hand upon his, not to stop him this time but to hold him against my flesh, my rapidly stiffening nipple pressing into his palm.

“I can feel your heart beating,” he said between our pressed lips.

All I could managed was a breathless nod and pressed his hand harder against my breast, the rhythmic, pounding pulse at its strongest between my thighs.

I released him then and lowered my hand to his trousers, feeling the rigid bulge of his manhood straining against its constraints.

“I need you so much,” I whispered as I released the button and zip of his pants and slipped by hand inside the elastic of his shorts.

“Take me now!” I breathed. “Just as we are.”

He didn't need a second invitation and, releasing my breast, turned me around and bent me over the bed.

I didn't need to do anything but wait as he lifted my skirt and pulled down my tights and panties.

I was soaking already so when he penetrated me he slid into me easily, and I felt every inch of him as he pushed deeply and began to thrust hard against me.

Me legs were weakening, and I rested my knees against the edge of the mattress, arms stretched out in front taking my weight, hands gripping the duvet.

All my senses were alive now, focussed entirely on our combined pleasure.

It wasn't long before I could hear his breathing becoming laboured, building to his release, his thrusts becoming slower but harder accompanied by a low grunting until he pressed hard into me one final time and groaned uncontrollably.

I felt every pulse as he released his hot seed into me and that was the trigger for my own orgasm. I howled with pleasure as wave upon wave of joy pulsed through my tense body, and I clenched tightly around his pulsating flesh.

When the moment was over and my muscles relaxed once more, my arms could no longer hold our combined weight, and we fell forwards onto the bed with him still inside me.

We lay for a moment, half on and half off the bed. Me face down with him on top of me as I breathed deeply trying to regain my composure.

“I love you,” he whispered into my ear, pressing his face into my hair.

“I love you too,” I replied with utmost sincerity for I now knew that there could be no other for me.

Shortly after, Philip stood up.

He remained for a moment, just looking at me.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you look lying there like that with your pants around your knees and that sexy bottom of yours so exposed?”

Had it not been so dark he would have seen my bottom, indeed my whole body change to pink as I flushed with pleasure and a little embarrassment. Even after twenty five years of marriage he still had the power to make me feel self conscious.

I went to get up but he stopped me and bent down to gently kiss my exposed buttocks.

“You truly are beautiful,” he said and then helped me up and took me in his arms once again.

We didn't bother to unpack anything, we were too tired so we just dropped our clothes where we stood, pulled back the duvet and slid onto bed naked and sticky.

He put his arm out and I lay my head on his shoulder.

“That is a strong scent you used, Anna,” he whispered into my ear, and I was beginning to agree with him.

I had freshened the sheets before we left, but it still smelled as strong as when I first sprayed them.

There was another aroma too, very faint but somehow familiar.

“They must have changed the formula,” I agreed after a pause.

“I shall use less next time.”

It was still dark when I awoke and looked at the clock.

Four-thirty.

My mouth and throat were so dry that I decided to go down to the kitchen for some water.

I usually kept a glass by the bed but, of course, we had come straight in and up the stairs.

Philip was sleeping soundly, his breathing deep and regular so I left the light off and went downstairs in the darkness.

I have always liked the dark, preferring it, in fact to the harsh glare of the electric lights and as soon as I opened the kitchen door I felt a cold chill.

I wasn't surprised, the house had been empty for a few days and I was also naked apart my slippers.

In the fridge I kept a bottle of water but I needed a glass.

Now I did consider a light but I found one easily enough and returned to the refrigerator and pulled open the heavy door.

The light and bright, white interior made we wince as the glare hurt my eyes momentarily but when they had become accustomed, a mere second later I caught sight of something from the corner of my eye, the back door was open!

It was only ajar but, nevertheless it was open! 

"Philip!”

I screamed loudly enough to wake the dead and almost instantly, he appeared at my side.

“Anna! What's wrong?” he said asked urgently.

I pointed to the back door and we stared at it for a moment, unsure of what to do next.

“Did we forget to lock it before we went?” he whispered.

“No. I remembered locking it because I gave the key to Penny before we left.”

“Well, maybe she left it open,” he suggested.

“But why? She wouldn't need to come here unless there was a problem, and she would have said... wouldn't she?”

Philip flicked the light switch, and I physically jumped.

The kitchen looked just as it had before, nothing touched, no cupboards open.

“Should we call the Police?” I ventured.

“I don't know,” he replied. “We will look a bit silly if we did just forget to lock it.”

“I am sure we didn't,” I insisted and shivered at the thought of some stranger in my home whilst we were away.

“Let me get your robe,” Philip said suddenly. “You must be frozen!”

For the first time I realised that I was standing naked in our brightly lit kitchen discussing the possibility of an intruder. An intruder who could be lurking in the darkness just beyond the window.

I covered myself instinctively.

“Oh, yes, thank you,” I simply replied.

He was only gone a moment, running all the way whilst I hid behind the tall fridge.

Once covered I relaxed but only a little.

“You... you don't think there might be someone in the house do you?” I asked slowly and received an equally slow shake of the head in reply.

“I don't think so,” Philip answered. “We have been home several hours...”

His voice trailed off as though he didn't quite believe his own words.

Finally, I closed the door with a broom and levered up the handle which automatically locked it. I didn't want to disturb any fingerprints just in case.

We spent the next few minutes checking every room in the house.

Everything seemed undisturbed but after that we just couldn't settle and lay snuggled together until about seven.

“Coffee?” he whispered and I nodded. I never did get the glass of water I originally went down for.

When he returned with a tray, I sat up and he placed it on the bed I front of me.

He had been gone a short while and I was curious.

“Anything different in the cold light of day?” I asked him.

“Nope, just as it was,” he confirmed. “We must have left it that way.”

I smiled and sipped at my hot coffee.

“Or maybe Penny did. I will ask her later.”

After breakfast, when we had cleared away the dishes and put them in the washer, I returned to our room, having showered and went to the draw for some clean underwear. When I slid it open I stopped and stared, a little confused for there, on top of all my other things were the electric blue pants I had purchased in Birmingham.

The bra and suspender belt were pushed out of sight at the side, but the pants were on top.

I hadn't worn this underwear since that last time with Sam and had folded it neatly and placed it at the bottom of the drawer so how did the panties get to be there?

Tentatively, I reached down and picked them up, holding them to my nose.

They smelled vaguely of sex, which was odd anyway as I washed them before I put them away, but there was another smell.

I sniffed again.

It was the same aroma that was mixed with the fabric freshener on my pillow.

“Are you all right?”

Philip had appeared behind, and I jumped visibly as he spoke.

“Erm... Yes, I think so...”

He looked down at the blue and black lace panties in my hand and his face seemed to drain of colour.

I followed his gaze and then sharply back at him.

“Oh! I hope you don't think...” I spluttered.

“Think what?” he asked. “What should I be thinking?”

“Look, there is something wrong here.”

I was a little offhand with him, and I immediately felt guilty. He was right, what else could I expect in the circumstances.

“No, you're right, sorry,” I said quickly, seeing the alarmed look on his face.

I held out the pants.

“I put these away months ago and yet now they are at the top of the pile.”

He softened then.

“I expect finding the door open has spooked you,” he replied gently. “You probably disturbed them when you packed for the holiday.”

“Maybe,” I conceded and left it at that but, deep down I wasn't convinced.

Once dressed and made up, I phoned Penny.

“Hello,” she said. “What time did you get back?”

“Oh, not too late,” I replied somewhat non-committed. “Penny, was the house all right when you checked it?”

“Oh gosh, I'm sorry!” she said. “I didn't realise you wanted me to check it. I drove past a couple of times, but I didn't go inside!”

I didn't reply. My mind was whirring with worry now that we had indeed left it open all the time we were away.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

“I think we left the back door open when we left. I found it last night. We had a good look round and again this morning but I don't think we were burgled.”

“Oh, thank goodness but it's not like you. You are both normally so particular.”

“Hmm...” I mumbled.

“Anna? Are you sure you are all right?”

I took a deep breath,

“I expect so. I think it has just rattled me a bit. Anyway,” I changed to a more upbeat tone, “how about you?”

“Oh, I'm all right,” she said. “But I think I should tell you about Sam.”

I frowned.

“What about her?” I said slowly.

“I didn't want to spoil your holiday, but she has become a real pain lately. Kept ringing at all sorts of times, wanting to know about you. I think there is something wrong with her. Like she is obsessed with you or something.”

There was silence.

“Anna?”

“Do you need me to speak to her?” I really didn't think it wise but I didn't know what else to say.

“I don't think you should, Anna,” Penny replied. “I am not sure that she is well.”

“What do mean, well?” I asked, feeling a little panicky now.

“She wanted to see you and keeps telling me that you should be with her and not with Philip.”

She paused,

“Or him as she called him.”

“You think she means to harm him?”

Now I was scared!

Another short pause.

“Penny?”

“I don't think so,” she replied slowly. “She has never indicated that, but she wanted to know where you live.”

“You didn't tell her did you?”

“No, of course I didn't!” she replied somewhat curtly. “Anyway, she has visited me twice this week, pleading at first and then suddenly becoming all sweet and demur when she realised she was getting nowhere. The second visit she apologised and promised she wouldn't trouble me any more.”

“Do think she meant it?” I asked her.

“I don't know, but I haven't heard from her for three days now so maybe.”

“Then let's hope so. Is that why you were a little subdued when we left?”

“I wasn't going to say anything, but I thought you would be angry with me if I didn't tell you. I didn't want to spoil your holiday.”

“Oh Penny, of course I wouldn't. Why do...”

She cut me off

“Not about that,” she said quickly. “I lost your keys but found them the following day.”

“Where were they?” I asked brightly, glad that she was not telling me anything more serious.

“I found them between the sofa cushions when I was clearing away after...”

She went silent.

“Penny? After what?”

“Oh my Lord!”

“Penny, you are scaring me. After what?”

My heart was beginning to pound.

“After Sam left,” she answered slowly.

All of a sudden I felt sick. That was it. That was the perfume I recognised... Sam!

“Anna, Anna. Are you still there?”

“Erm, yes I am, Penny.”

I paused for thought and then,

“You don't think...”

“That she took your keys? I am beginning to.”

“But she doesn't know where I live does she?”

“She didn't but...”

“Penny?”

“I drove past your house everyday this week. She could have followed me...”

“But you didn't stop so how would she know?”

“She knows your car, Anna. You left it in the drive.”