Sulky moods like this were no stranger to Austin. After dropping her off at home, the thought occurred that it had been an all too common experience for him before his beautiful Sally entered his life. The prospect of returning to lonely days of despair sank him deeper into melancholy. Though it was a familiar feeling, it was unwelcome nonetheless. His mouth drew into a frown, and he felt the itch of tears as he pulled into his carport.

Sleep eluded him as his mind exaggerated every worry into worst-case scenarios. He tried to pinpoint what had triggered it, and the sight of Deidre’s reddening bottom came unbidden. He’d reached the halfway point of her paddling when he suddenly felt disoriented, like waking from a dream, or was it a nightmare? He thought of his early days with Sally, happier than he’d ever been, while his pillow absorbed the tears.

She was so beautiful to him, perfect in every way, but then she began to change. First it was the risk-taking in the park and the club, then the videos and involving Sky in their fun, and finally tonight, when it was he who took things further by bringing Deidre into it. And all in just a few months. He fervently wished it had been just a dream, waking from which brought him back to his sweet, innocent Sally, who loved him, and having her hiney spanked.

“Hi, kids!” Deidre crowed, having arrived in their office.

“Good morning, Deidre,” they replied as though it were just another day.

“C’mere!” she said, pulling them into a group hug. “I just want to thank you both for your part in an extraordinary evening!”

“Did you have a good time with Sky?” Sally asked while Austin returned to his desk.

“Yes, I did! So good, and she is so sweet, in more ways than one,” she added with a wink.

“I’m glad. We really like her, but felt guilty about introducing her to something she might find hard to get on her own.”

“Are you guys okay?” Deidre asked, noting Austin’s disinterest and Sally’s subdued responses.

“We’re fine,” Sally replied and returned to her desk as well, thankful that they’d decided not to have their desks facing each other. She’d spend the whole day crying if she had to see him all day.

When she arrived, he’d barely said ‘Good morning’ to her, and fighting tears, she tried to get him to tell her what was wrong, but he offered no response at all. She, too, had slept fitfully, trying to figure out what his mood was all about. She’d finally managed to sleep when she looked optimistically to the following day when he’d hug and kiss her at work. But that didn’t happen.

She tried to work, but felt completely useless as she couldn’t stop thinking about Austin. He hadn’t said a word to her all morning, even when he returned from some errand in the office. He walked by her desk with the same sullen expression she’d first seen last night. By lunchtime, she’d had enough.

“I’m going home, Deidre. I’m not feeling well.”

“Okay. Get some rest,” she replied, noting how tired both of them looked.

At home, Sally changed into loose-fitting comfort clothes, wrapped herself in a blanket with a drink, and curled up on the sofa with the TV on, providing background noise only.

Her optimism from last night was gone, and she tried to figure it out on her own. She’d noticed the seemingly sudden change in his demeanor in the final phase of Deidre’s paddling. She knew he wasn’t keen on including Sky in their play, but as he did so often, he gave in to her, letting her have her fun.

Except it wasn’t fun anymore, at least not for her. During the course of the planning and shooting of the videos, she came to love Sky like a sister. When it came to her request to share in their fun, it felt selfish to deny her. Knowing all too well what it was like to want it and have no one to give it, she went along with it, knowing she’d likely be the same in Sky’s position.

She knew Austin joined in just to appease her, and she loved that he insisted on using a paddle, saying his ‘hand was for her bottom only.’ He’d supported her again when she felt guilty about leaving Sky with a desire for what she now knew she wanted, and he’d suggested introducing her to the club.

What really surprised her was his idea for Deidre that he came up with on his own, and didn’t share with her, though she’d had a couple of clues as to what he was planning. She expected to be involved in his play for retribution since her privacy was arguably invaded more than his, but he did it all on his own. She’d watched him and briefly worried about how he’d changed, but then he changed again, rather abruptly, while still paddling Deidre’s bottom.

She was sure all this was somehow related to his change of attitude toward her, but she didn’t know how. Tears flowed again as she blamed herself for putting him in the position of feeling he had to do what she wanted, with little or no objection. With this realization, she also remembered his reluctance to the antics in the park, the club, and even the office. The blame settled in her gut like a stomach ache, and she wished she could have her dear, sweet Austin back like it was in the beginning.

She returned to work on Friday, but receiving the silent treatment from him again forced her retreat, and she left before their morning coffee break.

“I wish you’d tell me what’s wrong!?” she pled.

“I … I can’t, Sally. Not yet,” he said without even looking at her.

She ran out of the office crying and consoling herself with, ‘At least it’s not yet, and not never.’

Not wanting to return home again, she went to the park, hoping that being there would spark some idea that hadn’t occurred to her yet. It felt lonely walking the trail, and worse when she turned off toward their woodland hideaway. She sat on the stump and looked around, still able to see the evidence of his yard work to make the location more inviting, and she smiled sadly at the memory of how she felt when he’d done that. He’d been reluctant the first time, but now, on his own, he’d decided to make it theirs. Was that just another example of him doing something just to please her? She thought he’d enjoyed it nearly as much as she had.

As she drove out of the park, she saw the grassy hill where they’d had their picnic. They’d talked about the club, and she tried to convince him to just go and see it. She remembered using her feminine wiles to push her advantage, finally getting him to agree.

She headed for home with the blame she now shouldered settling in her mind. She could only hope he’d eventually give her a chance to explain. Back home in the afternoon, she settled back on the sofa, lying within the blanket’s comforting warmth, and fell asleep.

Hours later, something woke her, and she rose from the sofa disoriented. She was surprised to see it was dark outside and tried unsuccessfully to calculate how long she’d slept. Suddenly, the dream she’d had came to mind. More of a nightmare than a dream it had been about her and Austin becoming porn stars in the spanking genre and how, despite their popularity, they were tightly controlled by their handlers to just make movie after movie, turning what was once such fun into a horrible career.

The doorbell rang again, and she realized that must have been what woke her to begin with. She grabbed the TV remote and turned it off before walking the few steps to the front door of her tiny apartment.

“Austin!” she cried, surprised and alarmed at the same time. She immediately feared the worst: that he was coming to end their relationship.

“Can I come in?” he asked politely, remembering that usually they’d fall into each other’s arms when a door was opened.

“Of course! Come in … Sweetie!” she added, with a sad smile, and he smiled similarly. “Come, sit,” she offered as she went to the sofa, threw the blanket on the floor, and sat with him joining her, but at a distance. She waited for him to speak.

“I’m … I’m sorry for the way I’ve been the last couple of days, Sally. It’s only an explanation, not an excuse, when I tell you I used to fall into moods like this more often than I like to admit. Before I met you, anyway.”

Sally could feel tears coming again, thinking this sounded like a good beginning with a glimmer of hope returning.

“It’s okay,” she replied in a shaky voice.

“I owe you an explanation. The other night at the club, with Deidre, something clicked in me, like a light switch, and I felt suddenly lost. I wondered what we were doing and how we’d gotten there. When I thought about it, I remembered when we first started. We had fun being together, and it was simple. Then things started to change; it seemed like you started to change!”

“I wasn’t Austin! I …”

“Let me finish, okay?” he interrupted gently, and she nodded. “It began with the risk-taking and playing in the park. Then it was the club, the videos, and finally, Sky and Deidre. I went along with all of it because you seemed to want it so much, but when I included Deidre, it didn’t occur to me that I was doing the same thing. When I was paddling her, I looked over at you just watching, and I realized. It just seemed like we’d gone from our sexy fun together to all this in such a short time.

“I’ve thought about it these last two days, and I did like what we did in the park, and maybe even the club, but you know I wasn’t comfortable with Sky and then Deidre. You know I didn’t want to touch them in that way, but you seemed to enjoy it with Sky! And then I let Deidre in, and I was afraid she’d draw you in too! I’m sorry, I’m all over the place here. I can’t seem to organize my thoughts for you!” he said in a frustrated flurry.

Sally listened intently, getting more comfortable as she realized she’d guessed correctly about what was bothering him, though he was afraid of her changing, not changing himself. He paused, looking down at his hands, or straight ahead, but not at her.

“And it wasn’t just that things changed, but how fast it happened! It was just a few months ago when we first got together! I guess it all hit me at once with my involving Deidre and realizing I didn’t really want to do that, but then I worried that you did!” He paused for a moment before the final statement he’d carefully constructed. “I love you, Sally! Yes, I love your pretty face and sexy body. I love the games we play. I love spanking you and I like it when you spank me, but all that can’t compare with the love I have for you as a person, and I don’t want anybody or anything to affect that!” he said, his tone making it clear he was finished.

“Austin, I love you too much to ever want to do anything that makes you so sad! I don’t want to involve anybody else. I was doing it only because Sky wanted it so badly, and I know how that feels. I shouldn’t have touched her, made her cum, but I guess I got caught up in it. I’m sorry! Really, I am! I want the same thing! I just want you, and for you to want me!”

He looked at her with tears in his eyes, opened his arms, and Sally flew into them, hugging him tightly and knocking him over. Their lips came together with a gentle, loving kiss that turned passionate.

“So why don’t we just slow down a bit, okay?” Sally started, “Some of those things we did were exciting, but the time we spend together, whether it’s just cuddling on the sofa, or sharing our special brand of lovemaking, gives me far more pleasure.”

“I agree,” he replied. “Now, can we go to the bedroom so I can make love to the most beautiful girl in the world?”

“Oh, yes, please!”

He carried her to her bed and slowly, lovingly undressed her with fingers and lips enjoying each new exposure; her neck, tasty tits, quivering tummy, the sparse red hair on her mons, the lucious lips, and, not surprisingly, her perfect little bottom, still blushed pink from her time in the chair.

‘Mmm! You are so beautiful! Delicious!’ were phrases he whispered repeatedly as he slowly unveiled her. “I love you,” he added before taking her face in both hands and kissing her soft lips.

“And I you!” she replied before taking her turn and slowly undressing him; running her hands down his bare chest to take him in hand, her lips and tongue teasing the tip, while another hand fondled a cheek of his cute butt.

Standing in each other’s arms, Austin fell backward onto the bed, pulling her down with him, and both giggling as their bodies mashed together on impact.

Taking her suggestion to ‘just slow down a bit’ quite literally, they touched and licked and kissed each other to ever-so-gradually arouse. She loved how he treated her modest chest like they were the perfect tits he often said they were. Licking his way down her body, he lay with his head between her legs and with light touches of his tongue had her panting, lifting her knees, and pulling his face against her, but with them both somehow knowing they wanted to climax together, he stopped short of making her cum.

Treating him similarly, she held the base of his cock while her mouth took in all that would fit, licking and sucking, while teasing his anus, before turning her body around and planting her puss on his mouth again. She kept him on a slow boil, while having him edge her again, until …

“Do you want to come inside, Sweetie?” she said, turning back around and leaning over to kiss him before lying on her back.

“That’s an invitation I’ll never refuse,” he replied as he leaned over to kiss her, while moving to lie between her legs.

Grinding their bodies together, Sally could feel his hardness pressing against her and reached down to take him in hand to guide him in. Sighing as she ran the tip between her swollen lips a few times before moving to the entrance of her tunnel.

“Ohhhh!” they moaned together as he pushed all the way in with one long, slow thrust.

“Oh, God, Austin! I love you so much!” she cried, and, “Oh yeah!” as he pulled back just as slowly. The feeling of him spreading her, filling her, was even more heavenly, given the loving reunion after a troubling time.

They continued moving slowly together, enjoying the exquisite friction of his veiny shaft within her velvety sheath. Their pace increased slowly at first, but realizing he wouldn’t last as long this first time, he accelerated rapidly.

“I’m gonna cum! Cum with me, Sweetie! Please! Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!” she gasped in time to his pounding thrusts as his grunts proved he could hold on just a little longer, until they exploded simultaneously.

Austins hips jerked with the climax, punching her pussy and deposited his seed deep within her, while Sally’s body shook spasmodically. She moaned loudly when he pulled out, so he could lie beside her and just hold her.

“I love you so!” he whispered in her ear as he nuzzled her neck and planted his soft lips, kissing wherever he could reach.

“Can we just stay right here and do this until we just can’t anymore?” she asked when she could finally speak. “Ooo!” she jerked when she felt his finger slide into her oozing slit. “Mmm! I guess that means yes?”

When the ‘just can’t anymore’ time arrived, they lay their heads on the pillow, expressed their love one more time, and quickly fell asleep, partly from exhaustion, but mainly because neither could imagine anything better than sleeping in the other’s arms.

“Good morning, Love!” he said when her eyes flickered open.

“Good morning, Sweetie!” she whispered and reached for a kiss. “I just had the most wonderful dream! We spent hours in bed making love until we fell asleep together!”

“That wasn’t a dream!” he replied.

“I know. It was a dream come true!” she said as she rolled to her side to kiss him.

Having no reason to get up, they lay in bed for a while just touching and kissing, but it ended with Austin’s phone ringing. He got up, found his pants on the floor, and pulled the phone out of the pocket. The caller ID displayed ‘Sky,’ and he answered with some concern about what she might want.

“Hey, Sky! What’s up?” he answered on speakerphone.

“You, I hope!” she laughed. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No, we’ve been awake for a little while,” he replied.

The ‘we’ in his statement revived a bit of the envy she felt for the couple, but knowing she’d be seeing Deidre again that night, minimized it.

“So, listen. I don’t know how I’d pack up all this stuff to ship it to you. I have a friend who’ll loan me a van. How about I deliver it to you later today!?”

“Yes! The bench!” Sally shouted, sat straight up in bed, and rubbed her naked bottom in anticipation.

--===<<<O>>>===--

I was genuinely sad when I wrote the beginning of this chapter, despite knowing it would have a happy ending. I hope you've come to like Sally and Austin enough to have a similar reaction. Let me know with comments? As always, I appreciate all the 'Likes' and 'Favorites' I can get and ... THANKS FOR READING!