~Caroline~ 

I was going to go insane. A week had passed since the unfortunate demise of my dear friend and I still didn't want to believe it. The fact that Penelope's body was going to be shipped to her family in England made it so much harder. Sol was sure that not having to attend a memorial would make things easier on me. I was too stubborn to come to terms with that just yet but I knew he was probably right. 

The last two days were especially boring; Chris and Lydia had gone with my mother out of state to visit with her brother for spring break on the beach. Sol was spending long days at the office to make up for the missed time during his recovery-but when he was home, my husband was being extremely dominant. Sucking me back in time to our easy going lives up at the condo. And I'd thought then was hard. 

The only company I had otherwise was Thomas and Tobin...two very quiet, lethal males who took their jobs way too seriously. I'd stared out the window this morning from the master suite, drinking my honey lemon tea to stave off nausea, and had watched them walk the fence line of the property. I thought it was dramatic, Sol didn't mind it and they thought it necessary. Whatever. 

Now, my empty tea cup long left behind on the bedside table, I stood in the very back of the walk-in closet, and was near the point of chewing my bottom lip raw. I didn't know if I was having a hot flash from pregnancy or just extremely flushed and overwhelmed over the collection of long forgotten sex toys I had to choose from.  Why where there so many in just the one long, black case I had pulled down from the top shelf? I hadn't bothered with the actual "toy box." Certainly hadn't went deeper to search for the crops or whips or canes. The thought alone made me shudder.

I'd wanted to beckon my husband back into bed this morning, when he whispered into my  ear that he was going to work, before the sun had even come up. But I'd been tired-these babies were taking a lot of my energy. Waking up was getting hard. Napping at least once a day was a thing now, as was gorging and then throwing up. I swore I was going to lose more than gain if it went on like this the entire pregnancy. 

Thankfully, I didn't feel the need to nap, gorge or throw up right now. I wondered then, if I'd been this fucking horny during my pregnancy with Lydia. My eyes scanned the product before they settled on the very same dildo Sol had made me put in my mouth months ago. Not what I had come searching for but I leaned down and picked it up. 

It was heavier than I remembered, thick and rubbery. It'd done it's job before...and it would do it again, now. I turned around and left the big closet, not even bothering to put the case away, and crossed the bedroom, to the bed. I tossed it onto the middle of the bed and went to my nightstand. The contents in the drawer when I slid it open varied; A novel, a chocolate bar because sweets was so a thing this time around, the TV remote, and my vibrator-that I was clearly growing tired of. I needed a new one. But I searched a little deeper, for the candles in the back and a box of matches. 

I lit one and sat it on the night stand before I went to Sol's side and did the same with the other. By the time I close the drapes, lock the door and get into bed, the scent of lavender is in the air and I'm feeling a bit edgy. Edgy but excited. No, it's not as well-endowed as my husband but beggars couldn't be choosers and I was not going on the hunt again for something bigger. 

I made myself comfy on the bed, against a pile of pillows and let my hands wander over my breasts, down my stomach. My slip slides up when I part my legs, not too far yet-at least not as far apart as they will be in a few minutes. Anticipation and an ache gnaws as my hand glides over my thighs, just brushing the damp fabric of my panties. I want them off...I don't want to take my time. I want to fuck myself and fantasize about my husband. What started as something subtle turned into desperation and I hooked my fingers under the waistband of my lingerie and pushed them down my thighs. 

Once they are kicked off my feet, halfway across the bed, I reached for the toy. I'd think about the night Sol had used it to edge me. Perfect. A perfect way to spend a rainy morning.  I swear, I barely got my hands around it when the sudden rattling of the doorknob had me freezing. "Caroline?" A second later Sol's voice called through the door. 

No way. My heart went wild and I scrambled off of the bed. Out of all days....I unlocked the door and opened it up. "What are you doing here?" I asked as if he didn't belong. Crankiness took over full force as I scowled up at him. 

"We have to go to the bank to sign some things. Get dressed. Are you not feeling well today?" Sol stepped passed me and I frowned. Why wasn't he asking why the door was locked? Or what I was doing? He'd been on my ass all week...with all that dominance. I crossed my arms and he was nearly to the closet when my eyes widened. I barely had time to even think about it when he halted at the opened door. 

"I feel fine today," I shrugged and watched him turn halfway to look around the room. Candles, closed drapes, flustered wife...couldn't forget I had our things laid out in the middle of the closet. 

"Yea...I see that." Finally his eyes settled on me and they narrowed. There it was, he wasn't Sol anymore he was Sir. He stuck his hands into his pockets and started back towards me. Shit got serious when Sol Specter stuck his hands in his pockets. "Enjoying yourself?" 

"Didn't get that far...Go away." I didn't hide the irritation as I stepped around him to go to the closet. 

"I told you, we have to go to the bank." 

"Fine. Let me get dressed then..." Get that look out of your eyes. I went to my side, ignored the opened case in the floor and started looking through my clothes. Something appropriate for the rain. I grabbed a pair of denim skinny jeans from a hanger and tossed them onto the chaise. I was going for a blouse when Sol appeared in the doorway...with that missing dildo from the collection, smirking. 

"Seems I've interrupted your morning. What were your plans with this?" 

I rolled my eyes, told myself I suddenly became hot from pregnancy hormones, and kept searching my tops. "Leave me alone. We're going to the bank." I shouldn't have been so surprised when he went to the case. I didn't watch him put it away but I heard it being snapped closed and glanced behind me as he was sliding it back where it belonged. 

Should have known better. I was grabbing a simple v-neck from a hanger when I felt his breath hot against my ear. "You know your're suppose to ask when you want to fuck yourself with my things, Caroline. Don't you?" When I turned to face him, I was prepared to tell him to cut it out, but his hand disappearing into his pocket was a distraction-especially when it came back out with a buttplug in it. "Don't you?"

I glanced from it to his brow that was popped and licked my lips. "Yes, Sir."

~

I couldn't even move or sit the wrong way without swallowing a moan. So I settled with deep sighs and constantly re-positioning myself. I must have done it fifty times during our time in the bank. I felt like I was going to explode. It was not how I had pictured my morning going an hour ago, lighting candles and closing drapes. 

Sol was enjoying the show; giving me sideways smirks and smiles. I wanted to be happy that the boutique was mine but I was too preoccupied by the fullness of the plug...and the dampness between my thighs. Nick was waiting in the lobby of the bank when we came out. I went ahead of them, in a hurry to get back into Nick's SUV that was parked in front of the bank. The rain had stopped but a light mist wet my face. It did nothing to cool me down. 

"Take me to the office, Nick. And then I think Caroline needs to stop by Penny's for a few things..." I heard my husband telling his employee as I opened up the backdoor and slid inside. "You're going to look over the applications today?" Sol asked me, once he too was out of the nasty weather and in the dry, warm backseat. 

I ignored his question and flipped the little switch that rolled up the dividing window between the front and back seat. Where had his smirks gone? Now, his eyebrows dipped as I shrugged out of my jacket and one by one, unzipped and took off my leather boots. "What are you doing, Caroline?" It was another question I ignored as I lifted my hips from the leather seat. "You're something else." Sol chuckled. I couldn't get out of those jeans fast enough. "Nick's going to hear you." 

"I don't care!" He was crazy if he thought I was going to let him go to work and leave me like this. A long time ago, acting this way was something he wouldn't have tolerated. Straddling him and greedily going for his belt would have been unacceptable behavior. I would have been so brave. 

As if he was reading my mind, he gave me a devious look. "I'm going to handle you ass for this later. Do you understand? It's not to late to stop acting like a deprived little whore." The belt was free. Did he think those words were going to stop me? They did everything but. Would I have stopped to give it some thought back then? 

Probably not. My husband would have made the task easier; unbuttoned and unzipped his slacks for me. But my Sir was watching me, jaw ticking, struggling to do it by myself. The only aide he offered was sliding his hips further towards the edge of the seat. "You better hurry up, girl. You only have a few minutes." He tsked. I didn't have to be told twice. Finally his cock was out, hard and ready at my disposal. 

Sol slid his hands up my thighs as I pulled my lingerie to the side. Greed, desperation and lust had me underestimating the part of him that I knew so well. The penetration was almost painful. I only allowed myself a second to accommodate him...plus the plug. The sensation was overwhelming. Something I hadn't felt in so long. 

This was no love making. It was a sub getting off on her Sir, fully aware of the consequences that would come later. He knew this wasn't for him and by the way he watched me, I knew he didn't mind. Every time the car would come to a stop and then accelerate again, it would throw off the hard, steady rhythm of my thrusts . I'd moan in frustration, Sol would smirk. 

It wasn't until the car stopped for the final time, in front of Sol's building, that I felt the familiar tight, warm draw in my belly. I pictured how this all would have went down had the car ride been longer. Asking him to replace that plug with his cock. "Oh, God!" I wailed, not caring about Nick or the people walking along the sidewalk. We could see them but they couldn't see us and it was erotic. 

"Come. I have a meeting." Sol growled and my nails nearly broke on the leather from the hold I had on the back of the seat. When he reached around to wiggle the plug around it was enough. The orgasm had built up all morning. It was intense. I screamed and shook and cursed the whole way down until I was panting and spent against his body. "Mmm." Nothing was gentle about the way he took my hips and tossed me off of him across the backseat. 

I watched Sol, with a blush on my cheeks and smile on my face, while he fixed his clothing back to something suitable for the office. Good for him, he kept extra clothes up there, for days like this when I came on the crotch of his slacks. "Thank you, Sir." I spoke up as he was reaching for the door handle. Sol leaned over and kissed me. It promised the handling of my ass later...taking care of the erection he was leaving with, when he got home. My poor husband. 

"You can take that out when you get home. I love you." 

"I love you too." Cool wind from the rainy morning rushed into the backseat when he opened the door and my exposed skin prickled. I shivered and it took the backseat a moment to warm again after he was gone and Nick was pulling away. 

The boutique wasn't far from Sol's office, so I dressed quickly and by the time we got there, it was raining again. I grabbed the umbrella I had left the house with and got out with my purse clutched tightly against me. I hurried to the front doors, Nick not far behind and unlocked the doors. 

It was cold and dark inside. A sadness quickly fell over me as I flipped the lights on and went to the thermostat. "I just have to grab some things from the back." I told Nick, refusing to meet the male's eyes. I was convinced we were going to drive the guy to quitting; throwing up and fucking in his backseat. He stayed close to the door while I hurried to the office in the back. 

I stood in the middle of the room once the lights were turned on and looked around. It was Penelope's space. It smelled like her. The cup that she drank coffee out of every morning was sitting beside the pot in the far corner. I went to the desk, to find the applications she had told me about, but didn't get as far as searching when a handwritten note by her caught my eye. I couldn't stave off the tears as I picked it up and read it:

Caroline, 

You have no idea how grateful I am that you came to help me with the boutique. Thank you for accepting me into your family while I was so far away from mine. I don't know when I will be back but I know that you will do right by the thing I have worked so hard to create. Tell Lydia goodbye for me and give her a million kisses with it. I'll call as often as I can. 

Your dearest friend, Penelope. 

"Oh, Penny." I sat down in the chair and cried like a baby for five minutes before I sobered. I stuck the note into my purse before opening up a folder that was on the desk. It was the applications. There were many and looking over them would take awhile. I left my purse and the folder on the desk and went back to the front where Nick was still waiting. "I think I'm going to stay for awhile." 

"Sure. I'll call Tobin." Nick replied before he pulled his cellphone out. By the time he got there and Nick left, I was finally warming up. I settled behind the counter after opening the store, with a cup of coffee, and started looking through the applications. It was a lot harder than I'd expected, finding the right person to call back. After all, I was a college dropout, who'd spent a lot of my adult life mothering and I'd only worked in retail for a little while. 

It all gave me one big ass headache. By the time I got out of there with Tobin, I was emotional. What made me think I could run a business and succeed in it? I guess I would just have to meet with a professional about it all. Sol Specter. 

~    ~

"Slow down," He told me. Those eyes that were two different shades warned. His hands were resting on my naked hips as I rode him hard. I had no intention of doing that. I was so so close. I bit my lip and gave him a pleading look when his hold gripped me harder. It was a gesture I knew all to well...he was going to slow me down himself if I didn't. "Damnit," It came out in a growl and I knew I was frustrating him when I didn't let up.

"I'm gonna come, baby...please!"  I whined. Normally he was generous. Something wasn't right today. He'd barely let me pull him down my hallway into the bedroom. Hadn't really been into the blowjob. Was it the rainy weather? Was he hangry or something? 

My blonde hair fell around us when I leaned in...so close."Stop acting like a tramp,"  He said and it took little effort for him to throw me away. I gasped and watched him get up from my bed. 

"What the hell is your problem today?" I demanded, glaring at his naked ass as he disappeared into the bathroom.  I didn't get an answer. Frustrated, I leaned over to the nightstand and grabbed a cigarette from the drawer. I was halfway through it when he came out, fully dressed. I stabbed it out into the ashtray and crossed my arms under my naked breasts. "Well?" 

"I'm going out," He said on his way to the door. Of course he was. He was so obsessed with Caroline Specter that it was disturbing. I knew of his plans for the woman...and if he didn't act them out I would do it myself. 

"You do that...and please hurry up and kill that bitch already. You're fucking cranky!" I called after him before the door slammed and I was alone. I got up from the bed and went to the window to close out the wind that was cooling the room. I went to the bathroom and turned the shower on. 

I thought about my own hate towards Caroline Specter. She'd taken Sol from me even though we'd been over when he'd met her. I'd convinced myself back then that I would not stop until that man was in my grasp again. But that was back then...Now I had found him; someone who hated her more than I did. I'd entertained his hate for awhile but now I was getting frustrated. 

How hard could it be to get it over with so we could leave this city and go somewhere else. I fantasized about marrying him, moving into a home with him-not like this apartment. Swelling with his babies. He was a beautiful lover. I could get passed his evil antics. We could be normal and happy. 

~Caroline~ 

I was going crazy. Or I was having some serious flashbacks. After leaving the boutique, Tobin drove me to the grocery store for supper. I'd seen him, Mitchell Larson. No, the perfect replica of Mitchell Larson; Tall, handsome, deadly. Those eyes...It had me freaking out. He'd gone away. Harrison Marsh had told me they'd sent him away forever. 

By the time Tobin had helped me put everything into the car, I'd convinced myself I was just going crazy. Until we were pulling out of the parking lot and he was there, standing in the rain, watching. I knew the right thing to do was tell Tobin about it and then tell Sol about it when I got home, but I didn't open my mouth. 

"Will you take the groceries in for me, Tobin?" I asked the male once we were parking in front of the house behind Nick's SUV. 'Yes, Mrs.Specter.' I jumped from the front seat and hurried through the opened garage where both mine and Sol's vehicles were parked. Thomas was in the kitchen, sitting at the island with a paper when I entered. "Sol's already home?" 

"In the study." 

"Where's Nick?" I asked next as I went to the stove and lit the burner under the waiting kettle of water for some tea. 

Thomas lifted his brow at me over his newspaper and huffed. "Where do you think Nick is?" 

I listened closely, passed the sound of the rain beating against the house, and heard the beating of a punching bag. This was a regular thing for him every evening. I left the kitchen, passed through the big dining room to the back door and went out onto the back patio. Nick was half dressed, condensation mixed with sweat beading his skin and I went to him. "Nick." 

He stopped at the sound of my voice and stilled the swinging bag. "Yes, Mrs. Specter?" He asked through his panting and I stepped closer. 

"I need your help with something." I spoke softly as if someone could hear me from inside. You never knew around here. 

"Sure. What's up?" Nick shrugged and wiped at his sweaty brow. 

"I think someone is following me and I need you to find them." That previously wiped brow dipped down with the other into a deep frown. I couldn't trust Thomas...I'd tried to in the past. And although I adored Tobin, his one job was to report back to Sol about me. The police wasn't even a thought...and neither was Lenny Baker. 

"You haven't told your husband? Or