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would be like to have him spank me for punishment rather than pleasure.
    As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I dismissed it. It was stupid to even consider. I wasn’t a child, I was a grown woman! Knowing all that didn’t stop me from thinking about it though.
    “Honey?”
    I leaned i nto the rocker I was sitting in and didn’t answer. I deliberately turned away and looked at the pictures scattered across the coffee table.
    “Alicia?”
    I knew I was being childish, snubbing him this way, but I couldn’t help it. At the sound of his voice, all of the rationalizing I’d done ever since he’d left me here melted away until I was just left with hurt feelings.
    “Alicia, answer me please!”
    I sighed heavily, loud enough for him to hear, an answer of sorts. When Oliver walked into the living room, he surveyed me with thoughtful eyes. He took in the pictures and scrapbook paper before walking over to me, an orange-striped bag in his hand.
    “Are you hungry?” he asked gently as he sat beside me.
    “No,” I said mulishly, refusing to be placated.
    “I brought you a bacon cheeseburger, your favorite.”
    At the mention of it, my stomach growled loudly, betraying me. I scowled at him. “No, thank you.”
    He arched an eyebrow. “What is it with this attitude of yours?”
    I turned away, refusing to answer. I knew that would be the end of it. Oliver never pushed me, or forced me to answer his questions. He let me stew in silence until I sought him out—which I always did. Sometimes, I wished he would demand that I answer him and put an end to this tiring dance we did around each other, always careful to avoid stepping on each other’s toes.
    Sure enough , after a few moments of sitting beside me in silence Oliver rose to his feet, putting the paper sack beside me. “I’m going upstairs. See you at bedtime?”
    “You don’t want to spend any time with me?” I asked, wounded.
    “Honey, you aren’t saying anything, and no, I’m not going to sit here and let you ignore me. I’m sorry.”
    He didn’t sound sorry. In fact, he sounded…I wasn’t sure, but he sounded more confidant and in control than I’d ever heard him in my life. Why did it make my heart do flip-flops? Why did it make me feel excited, as though something was about to change between us?
    I got the feeling that Oliver was tired of this same old routine, this politeness, and careful treading that he did around anything that might upset me. I found myself unconsciously pushing him, trying to prod a different reaction. If I were honest with myself, I would admit that I had been doing it for years now. It wasn’t very mature of me, I knew that, but I couldn’t stop myself.
    Everyone had always told me how much they envied my marriage. Oliver and I were equal partners, and if anything, he usually deferred to my wishes to keep me happy. He was always trying to make me happy. All my girlfriends envied that he was so cool and levelheaded, how polite and gentlemanly he was. He was a good man, and yet, something inside me hungered to be thrown over his knee and paddled with his hand. Some craving lay in wait, praying on my thoughts at every available chance… wishing and hoping for the very thing that made me blush with embarrassment even as my nipples started to harden.
    I stood up abruptly, knocking a few photographs to the ground. I bent to pick them up before heading for the staircase. Before I ’d even made it all the way up, I heard the loud blaring coming from Jonah’s room. I groaned in frustration before heading to his room. I rapped sharply on the door, but of course he didn’t hear me. “Jonah!” I called out, banging on the door. He knew he wasn’t allowed to play video games on school nights.
    When I still didn’t get an answer, I turned the knob and let myself in. To my surprise, I saw Oliver sitting in one of those strange, legless chairs Jonah kept in his room with a video game control ler in his hand. “Jonah!”
    Both of