LITTLE BIT STRONGER | A COUNTRY ROMANCE

Chapter Three

Kate was home for more than an hour before Brian finally walked through the door. She called him for a kiss and he told her he was sweaty and dusty from the job.

"Let me shower and I'll be right in to love on you."

Kate gave him a chuckle around her clenched jaw. The video was already done - complete with sound she'd uploaded from the transmitter.

She emailed a copy to her cousin Roberta - a family law attorney - with a short email saying to prep divorce papers. She wanted to pick them up around noon.

The sun would be coming up in a couple of hours but Kate was restless.

Fifteen minutes later, Brian emerged from their bedroom freshly showered and wearing sleep pants. His bare chest caused a small shiver through her womb but she clamped it down, furious at her physical reaction.

He leaned down to kiss her and she knew he'd carefully washed away the physical traces of his mistress with soap and mouthwash.

"You're up late, Kit Kat. Did you sleep?"

"Actually, I fell asleep right after you left. The silence must have woken me up - it's always strange when Caleb isn't here. I got up a little while ago. Decided to check my email and Facebook. I'm having breakfast with Krista and Kyle. I was about to go for a run before showering to meet them."

"Mm...I have a suggestion for some exercise, Mrs. Deltona. Skip the run and come back to bed for a couple of hours." The shock must have shown on her face but he misinterpreted it. "Aw, we're getting too predictable. Caleb has us on a tighter schedule than we have him on."

Then he laughed and ran his fingers along her neck and into her hair. The other hand moved down to cup her breast through her sweater.

"Come on, pretty girl, come to bed."

Appalled at the fact that he'd sleep with her a mere hour after fucking another woman, Kate released a tight laugh. "You need sleep. You're off the rest of the weekend. I have an evening planned for us. Lots of excitement."

"Sounds kinky, Kit Kat. Alright, I'll wait. It won't be easy. I miss our old habits...I've been dying since we had time together last Sunday. You know how much I want you all the damn time. No one fires my pistons like you."

He straightened with a wink and tweaked her nipple. She wanted to slap him across the face but managed a smile.

"I'm headed to bed, honey. The job ran longer than it should have. The team missed a whole section in the count and we had to go back. I'm beat."

"I imagine you are. Sleep well, Brian. I'll see you later."

He planted a kiss on her lips and returned to their bedroom. In a matter of minutes, she heard him snoring through the door.

Kate sat in stunned silence, listening to him sleep so peacefully. Not an ounce of guilt weighed on his conscience.

She stood and went into the guest bathroom. She dressed in running clothes and left the house. She ran almost three miles before turning back. Her MP3 blasted a collection of rap and metal - every song was high-energy.

In her car, especially with Caleb as a passenger, she listened to country and light pop for the most part. On her runs, she listened to heavy beats that kept her rhythm and pushed her harder.

When she got back to the house, Brian slept on as she showered and changed. She threw her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her keys on her way out the door.

It wasn't even light out yet, but she'd always been a person who required very little sleep. It had been a godsend when she had her little boy.

She dropped off her last-minute vacation request at the hospital and strolled through Wal-Mart to kill time.