The Second Chance Lover

CHAPTER 2: TOGETHER IN DENIAL

Anita quickly rushed out of the bedroom when she heard her phone ringing. It did not occur to her that Lloyd was in the room. As she grabbed her phone, he saw the naked Llyod trying to reach the phone too.

They both stood there, frozen from their shock. Anita's towel fell off her chest and both of them stared at each other's complete nakedness.

I - - I thought you were supposed to be taking your bath,” Llyod finally spoke.

“Why were you reaching out for my phone?” Anita asked.

Llyod looked at Anita properly as her naked body stared at him for the first time.

Anita was a beauty to behold, the perfect shape with completely nice pointed breasts pointing directly at Llyod. It was when he saw that his thing was gradually pointing toward Anita's direction that he grabbed something and covered himself.

Anita looked at her phone. It was her mother. She sent her a text informing her that she was okay and would call her back. She went back to the bathroom as she stepped on her wedding dress which was still on the floor.

“Excuse me, I need to finish taking my bath,” Anita said.

“Take your time,” Llyod replied rudely.

Anita could not get over the picture of the naked Llyod from her mind. “Wow! That's so big,” she thought to herself.

She took her bath and quickly changed into one of Lloyd’s nightmares. They were so big and fluffy, and she loved them, but instead of wearing them, she put them on the pillow. She felt like being free for a while.

Lloyd was looking for his favorite nightwear. He thought he had taken it out before he went to take his bath. He lifted the duvet only to see Anita's naked body with open legs. It was the most beautiful thing he had seen on any lady.

“I am so … S …. S …..sorry,” he stammered.

“You can tell me what you are looking for, maybe I can find it for you,” Anita said so calmly.

“I was looking for my nightwear, the blue one, I thought I took it out before I went to the bath,” Lloyd replied.

“Oh, this one,” Anita said, coming out of the duvet stark naked with the nightwear in her hands.

“Thank you,” Lloyd said.

“So what am I going to wear tonight?” Anita asked.

“Thought you wanted to sleep naked, anyway you could take one of my shirts over there,” Llyod said as he placed a pillow under his head," I'll be lying down on the floor.

Anita could not get off her head that on her wedding day, there would be no love or cuddles. When Llyod approached her, he sold her the premise that they would act on loving each other without falling in love. It seems like he hates her now for agreeing to do this.

She had grown up longing for love from almost everyone, but the kind of background she had meant work first love later.

Anita had always envisioned love as a warm, embracing entity that had eluded her through the years.

The arrangement was practical, born out of necessity rather than romance. Both she and Lloyd were in this because of the results. The money was too much to neglect and Lloyd needed her before his sick father dies. It could have been anybody but Llyod chose her. She promised herself to make use of this opportunity, whether it led to love or not. In eight months she would be in millions. It looked too good to be true.

As she lay in bed, unable to sleep, her mind drifted to Lloyd. He had taken to sleeping on the floor, giving her the bed out of a sense of detest rather than morals or standards.

Despite the unconventional nature of their marriage, she had hoped that Lloyd was going to treat her like a gentleman, but he was always respectful of her space. The sight of him lying there, vulnerable and exposed, stirred something within her.

Anita couldn't ignore the growing feelings she had for him. It wasn't just the physical attraction, though Lloyd's lean, muscular form did make her heart race. It was more than that. She admired him. She hoped to bridge the gap between them and prayed to transform their marriage from a mere arrangement into something real and meaningful.

Her thoughts kept returning to the image of Lloyd, naked and asleep on the floor. The thin blanket he had pulled over himself did little to hide his form, and Anita felt a flush rise to her cheeks.

“Come on, Anita, you can do this, there's no need to insult yourself,” she whispered to herself.

Unable to resist any longer, Anita decided to act on her feelings. She slipped out of bed, her bare feet making no sound on the hardwood floor. Her heart pounded in her chest as she made her way over to where Lloyd lay.

She hesitated for a moment, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. He looked so peaceful, so at ease, and she wondered what he was dreaming about.

Just as she was about to reach out and touch him, she felt a gentle movement behind her. Startled, she turned around and found herself face-to-face with Lloyd. He was awake, his eyes soft and warm as they met hers.

"Anita," he said softly, his voice a low rumble in the quiet room. "What are you doing?"

She swallowed hard, searching for the right words. "I... I couldn't sleep," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I kept thinking about you."

Lloyd's expression softened further, and he pulled her into a gentle embrace. The warmth of his body against hers was both comforting and exhilarating. "I've been thinking about you too," he confessed, his breath tickling her ear. "I didn't want to, but I want you to know that this is just a contract between us."

"Lloyd, it's like I want more than that. I want us to be more than just two people sharing a house. I want us to be a real couple, to share our lives and our hearts."

Lloyd's response was to kiss her softly, “Go to bed Anita, it’s just a contract, okay.”

As Anita crawled to leave, Lloyd grabbed her hand gently and turned her towards him as Anita obeyed every leading of Llyod like a child.

His kiss was gentle and passionate as his hands were, gently expressing themselves on every contour of her body. She moaned gently as he kissed her every part and wished he would continue and not stop.

Every kiss was deliberate, and every touch was intentional. She felt he wanted it more and decided to hold him tighter to herself.

All of a sudden, Llyod stopped, and she was wondering why he did that and what she did wrong.

“Anita, Anita, Anita, get up! get up!” Llyod said.

Anita woke up from the dream annoyed.

“Why?” She questioned Llyod. “You just woke me up from the best dream I have had in years,” Anita said.

“Okay, but you need to dress up. My mother is at the door,” Lloyd said, looking concerned.

Anita was surprised. “So?” She asked Llyod. “Does she know about the contract?”

Llyod looked at her with disdain. “No, and I intend to keep it that way.”

“Well, I thought you were the smart one. Let her in, she would be more surprised if she came in seeing us fully dressed in different moods,” Anita said as she went back to thoughts of the dream she just had, making love to Llyod.