In the Loup Boxed Set #1

  Stephanie's advertising business was a little off the beaten commercial path. It was actually located close to the river between some warehouses. The business building itself resembled those large storage warehouses, complete with plain white molding on the outside, but was much smaller. More like normal office size except with a backroom that opened up into a twenty foot tall ceiling with high, drafty windows. She'd chosen that site for two reasons, and one included the price. The place was so cheap she couldn't pass it up, especially after getting sticker shock from looking at rented buildings along the main street. This she could actually buy outright, land, building and all. The second was the relative seclusion. She understood from the beginning a lot of the clients wouldn't be close to the area, so it wasn't a drawback to be far away from any distractions and nosy people.

  To this small, indiscreet building did she drive her vehicle. She was surprised to find the lights on and someone moving about the office. She slowed the car down in front of the business and glanced through the large windows. There was the danger of surprising an intruder and getting herself hurt. Inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized it was only Chuck doing some work. She parked her car and stepped inside the office. He noticed her entrance when the bell above the door rang.

  "Isn't it a little late to be working?" she asked him. He smiled.

  "Never too late to crunch some numbers and make some calls," he pointed out. He looked her up and down. "You look a little better than earlier."

  "Yeah, I had a good nap," she commented. She stepped over to her official desk and grabbed some designs she'd been working on. "Now I feel good enough to work all night."

  "Aren't you supposed to be having some nice meal with Bob?" Chuck pointed out.

  "Yeah, well, we kinda had a fight about that," she sighed. She wasn't sure her bachelor partner wanted to listen to her marriage woes. Besides, she wasn't even sure she wanted to talk about it. "But that just means I can get some work done here."

  Stephanie was just about to go into the tall room in the back when her stomach suddenly grumbled. She blushed a deep red and Chuck smirked.

  "You sure you shouldn't be taking care of that?" he argued. "I can order us some Chinese if you're up for it."

  "To be honest, I'm up for anything," Stephanie laughed. "Even if I have to chase it."

  "Well, I don't think the wild noodles or rice need chasing, so you're in luck there," Chuck smirked. He pulled out his cell. "Now what else do you want besides meat?"

  A half hour later found the partners dipping into a wide assortment of goodies of the Asian variety. Stephanie couldn't get enough of the delicious meats scattered about the general wheat-compromising food stuff. Chuck watched her with horrified interest as she easily consumed her part.

  "If you're not careful, you're going to eat your chopsticks," he teased.

  "If you're not careful, you're going to get a reduction in your paycheck," she countered.

  "Then I'll have to ask to be reimbursed for this dinner," Chuck pointed out. "I can't afford to feed two people on any less."

  "Well, maybe I won't cut your pay quite yet," Stephanie admitted with a smile. She finally dropped her chopsticks and sat back in her chair. She was definitely pull as she rubbed her expanded stomach. "So how late do you stay here, anyway?" she wondered. Between them, she was always the first to leave after a long day's work.

  "Depends on what I'm doing," he shrugged. "Sometimes it's pretty late, and sometimes I'm right after you. Sometimes I wonder if I should just buy a bed and stash it in the back."

  "If that ever happens, I think I'd have to start taking out board from your part of the profits," she teased him.

  "I just think of it as a perk," he countered with a smile. He started to pick up the mess of food boxes. "Besides, shouldn't you be getting home?" he added. "I mean, isn't Bob wanting to spend some quality time with you, or whatever married couples do after being separated?"

  "I'm not sure he missed me that much," Stephanie glumly admitted. She traced her finger over the new sketch designs. "Besides, I...I kind of yelled at him before I left."

  "Oh?" Chuck wondered. "About what?"

  "Something stupid," she conceded with a shrug. "He wouldn't make me dinner."

  "Or even order takeout?" Chuck mentioned as he nodded toward the boxes of food on her desk.

  "Yeah, I don't know what's come over him," she commented as she sadly shook her head. "He just was, I don't know, just lazy. Like he didn't care."

  Chuck stopped the cleaning up and stared at her for a long moment. She didn't like the look in his eyes, and he punctuated his expression with a sigh. He put down the boxes in his hand and seated himself on the edge of her desk close beside her chair. He glanced straight into her eyes.

  "You want me to tell you the bare truth, or the truth sprinkled with sugar on top?" he asked.

  "The truth about what?" she returned. She was both afraid and curious to know what he was talking about.

  "The truth about your relationship with your husband," Chuck explained. Her heart skipped a beat, but she respected his advice. Whatever he had to say must have been pretty important for him to be so serious.

  "Well, I wasn't one for dare, so how about I choose truth?" she tried to joke, but the amusement fell flat when he didn't laugh. Her smile slid off her lips. "So what's the truth about our relationship?"

  "That he's always been like that, Boss," Chuck pointed out.

  "Been like what?" she asked. She didn't quite get his meaning.

  "Been high-maintenance without much return for your affection," he expanded. "You've been in puppy love since you married him, but I think you're just angry enough with him right now to see the truth."

  Stephanie paused to think seriously about what her partner was trying to bluntly tell her. She mentally listed off all the financial and emotional gains he received from their marriage, and then she tried to think of any benefits she was getting out of being with him. Her counting stopped at one, companionship, but she could get the same amount of comfort from a dog as from Bob. She leaned forward over her desk and cupped her head in her hands.

  Chuck was right. He was absolutely right. She'd been a fool to believe he was just a work-in-progress who would turn around any day and show her the affection and attention she desired. She had been willfully blind to his careless, indifferent attitude toward her. Bob really was getting everything out of this relationship without giving back.

  How could she have been so naive? The only reasons she could think of was the one Chuck had mentioned about the notoriously blind puppy love, and the idea of being alone. Maybe she just hadn't wanted to be alone for the rest of her life. There wasn't exactly a large crop of men in this small town, and Bob had shown the most interest in her. She'd encouraged his attentions and in a year she'd proposed marriage, which he'd gladly accepted. That caught her attention now. He hadn't been the first one to make the move toward marriage.

  All these revelations scared her, though. Like most everyone, she hated change, and this meant change. She couldn't just go back home and accept that maybe he didn't love her anymore. Maybe he'd never loved her. She tried not to sob at that thought.

  "I-I suppose you're right," she hesitantly stuttered out. She was trying not to cry at this sudden strike of reality, and was doing a bad job of it. She glanced up at her partner. "But what am I supposed to do about it?" she wondered with a sigh. "I mean, I don't want a divorce or anything that major. It's just...it'd just throw my whole life for a loop I don't want to be on."

  "Maybe not a divorce, but definitely don't let him run you over like he has been," her partner suggested. "But right now, maybe you just need to let off some steam by doing what you like," he added as he nodded toward the back room. Her favorite workspace. "Maybe draw some new designs for some clients or just draw what you want do."

  "Yeah, a little escape goes a long way," she quietly agreed.

  Stephanie wiped her eyes, grabbed her designs, and hurried
to the back room before Chuck could see her breakdown. He watched after her with a gaze full of regret. He hadn't wanted to tell her that, but it was a long time in coming. Ever since he first met her husband, he knew that man was a parasite. He could also see, however, that Stephanie's affections were true, even if Bob's weren't so real. Thus her attachment to her spouse would have made her reject any advice he would have given about her poor marriage.

  Now, though, this was almost as bad as her living in that fantasy relationship. Now she had to deal with these conflicting emotions of attachment and disgust, and probably end up with the final solution. Divorce. With Bob's needy nature, it would no doubt be messy.

  Meanwhile Stephanie wandered to the back room. She stepped into her sanctuary and firmly shut the door behind herself. Just in case she did start bawling her eyes out, she didn't want her partner sneaking up on her in that embarrassing moment. The young woman turned around and glanced over her workshop.

  The high ceiling overhead was dotted at equal intervals opposite the entrance with long, squat windows that gave her a great view of the night sky. They allowed enough light she didn't even need to switch on any artificial lights until she needed to work. Down below on the hard paved floor sat four roughly hewn wooden tables spread out in a square area. On each of their tops was a specific project for a specific client, that was as organized as she could get herself. All the final work was designed on a computer, but she still did the initial layouts using good old-fashioned drawing tools. Hanging florescent tubes lit enough of the center of the room that she could work all night if she wanted.

  Right now, though, she just tossed the plans onto the nearest table and leaned her butt up against the rough wood. She looked down at the floor, but her eyes showed she was in deep thought about her predicament. She didn't want the divorce, but she knew any sort of messed up, take-only relationship wouldn't last much longer with the cloth pulled from her eyes.

  "Maybe I should give him a second chance," she softly mused to herself. She was willing to try anything to avoid the final decision. "Maybe he'll change..."

  Stephanie didn't sound so convinced, even to herself. She sighed and shook her head. That's when she noticed her shadow on the ground. She smiled and raised her arm to wave at herself. The waning moon was still bright enough to cast the dark reflection of her hand moving on the ground.

  Stephanie turned around and glanced up at the musty old windows. They hadn't been cleaned in a while because they were so high up, but tonight they could have been crystal clear, so bright was the moon to her eyes. Her eyes reflected the crescent orb in the sky and she felt that pull build up inside of herself. She pushed off from the table and slowly stepped closer to the windows.

  They were too high for her to reach the sills and if she stood just beneath them the wall was tall enough it would obscure her view of the outside. Thus she stopped at the final row of tables and placed her hands down upon one of them. She leaned over and gazed at the enticing moon.

  Stephanie basked in those soft rays of light, and the sensual heat in her body swelled to an agonizing height. She groaned and leaned forward still further to rub against the stiff, hard wood of the table. Her pants filled the air as she felt her clothes stretch and tighten. Each passing moment she grew closer to the fulfillment of pleasure, and a wide, ecstatic smile spread across her panting lips. She tilted her head back and exposed her firm breasts to the moon in sacrifice to its majesty. She could feel herself sliding toward the edge of oblivion as she pushed faster against the table. So close. She could feel that wonderful tightening.

  Then there was a knock on the door. She almost cried out in frustration, but she managed to shut her mouth just in time. The hot, sweaty young woman glanced over her shoulder at the door.

  "Yes?" she breathed out.

  "I was just wanting to ask if you had any other receipts to give to me," Chuck called through the portal. "You know, so I can finish billing that trip."

  "No, I gave you all of mine," she panted.

  Stephanie couldn't stop herself as her hips started to move again. Neither hell nor interruption would stop this joyous lust. Her hand reached up to massage her pert, sensitive breast. She had to bite her lip to keep from moaning at the luscious feeling of self-gratification.

  "All right," her partner replied, and she nearly laughed for joy when she heard his footsteps walk away.

  She glanced back up at the moon, and those beams shot back down to her. With her free hand she gripped the table and rubbed faster against the corner.

  "Yes. Yes," came her soft mantra. Her voice grew hoarse and her tongue seductively slid out to wetten her parched lips.

  The ache deep inside of her grew stronger. The stronger it became, the more she desired the finish. Her hand snaked inside her shirt and she clutched at her breast as she felt the end come nearer. Her eyes opened wide to take in all the glorious view of the moon as she felt the heat rise to an unbearable level.

  Then a blinding light flashed across her vision and her mouth opened in a silent cry of wonderment. Her legs buckled and she barely caught the table as she suddenly fell to the ground. It slowed the sudden stop as she hit the hard floor. Her breathing was rapid and her heart rate was out of control, but her flushed face and shining eyes told of her delight.

  Stephanie felt sticky from the sweat, and she was also exhausted from the delicious trial. She used the edge of the table to struggle to her feet, and she felt her strength slowing returning as she stood. Her eyes glanced over the plans for work, but she knew she wouldn't be able to focus. Not after that wonderful experience. With her focus destroyed, the only other option she had would be to return home. Now, with her mind swimming with joy, she felt she could face her indifferent husband.

  She tried to fix herself up as well as she could manage, and then she braved the front office. Her partner's scrutinizing gaze looked her over as she walked passed to her own desk.

  "You feeling okay?" he slowly asked. "You look, well, different."

  "Yeah, not bad," she truthfully replied. She grabbed her wallet and car keys off the desk. "And I think I'm ready to go face Bob."

  "You sure? He'll probably try to get into your good graces again," Chuck warned her.

  "I know, but I think I can handle it," she reassured him. "See you tomorrow, bright and early," she repeated her teasing warning from earlier.

  "Ugh, don't remind me," Chuck groaned. He would never be a morning person like her.

  Stephanie was laughing when she stepped out into the cool night air. She tilted her head up and sniffed the breeze which blew passed her just then. It smelled like the bitter scent of the pine trees along the mountains. She wrinkled her nose, though, when the smells of trash and sewer from the city interfered with the natural scents. With some disappointment she slipped into her vehicle and drove home. The light inside the house were still one when she suddenly spotted something moving in the yard.

  It looked like the next-door neighbor's dog, the one they refused to keep chained up in their back yard. The creature was sniffing around the center of the grass, and she suspected it was up to no good. She stopped the car in the driveway and rolled down the window to glare at the offending pooch.

  "Get the hell out of here!" she growled. She hung her arm out the window and made to shoo it.

  The dog didn't even turn around to look at her as he assumed the position. She threw up her arms in frustration as the pet deposited a large load of processed food on the lawn. Then for good measure the dog kicked its hind legs, setting dirt and grass all over its marked spot. The neighbor's pooch glanced her way, as though to mock her efforts, and then it leisurely trotted back to its own home.

  Stephanie sighed and slid the car into the garage. Then she stepped the main portion of the house and tossed the car keys on the counter. She was surprised to find the couch unoccupied and her husband now at the dining table. He was munching on a bowl of cereal. Probably his dinner.

  "Where you been?" Bob asked throu
gh a mouthful of milk. "I was getting a little worried."

  "I just went to check up on some things at the office," Stephanie vaguely explained. She sat down with him at the table. Here was the big talk they needed to have between them. "So about when I left..." she began, but he cut her off.

  "Yeah, I know what you're gonna say," he interrupted. He looked up and smiled at her. "And you're right. I should have noticed you more and made you some dinner. It would've been the least I could do for your long trip."

  "Well, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that," she apologized. She was glad he was taking responsibility like a man. "I shouldn't have lost my temper." She leaned back and shrugged. "I guess maybe I was just tired from that overnight stay at the lodge."

  "You know, I got your message about that, but you were a little vague about why you needed to stop," Bob spoke up. He pushed aside his empty bowl and leaned forward. "Want to tell me about it?"

  "To be honest, I haven't been feeling well since that animal attacked me," Stephanie admitted. Just thinking about it made her blood run cold, but also sent a shiver of excitement up her spine. Those dark, glowing eyes of the beast she had literally ran into still captured her attention. Her husband noticed the heated look on her cheeks.

  "So what exactly happened there?" he persisted. "Was it a dog or a cat?"

  "I'm not really sure," his wife informed him. "It was so dark, I swear the thing was a wolf. It was just that big." She held out her arms to exaggerate the size. "And it had some big teeth on it, too."

  "Interesting," Bob mused. "So that thing attacked you?"

  "Well, there might have been two of them," Stephanie sheepishly added. "But it happened so fast, I'm just not sure anymore." It was true. The few days that had passed had bungled her memory a bit, and she still wasn't sure if maybe the lights and her foggy brain hadn't played her for a sucker the entire episode. "But I know something scratched me, and I just felt bad enough that Chuck decided we needed to stop off at the lodge for the night."

  "So it was Chuck's idea?" her husband nearly interrupted, so quick was his question.

  "Yeah, I didn't want to stop, but he insisted, she explained. "I figured it was pretty nice of him to do that, and kind of surprising," she admitted. "I mean, he's pretty tight with the office's wallet."