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homemade chicken and dumplings along with a bottle of a crisp
white wine, a small apple tart from the bakery with whipped cream and some
croissants.   In the floral and gift
department, she bought several scented candles.   Last, she picked up a sandwich in the deli and returned to Alex’s to put
everything away.   Her original intention
to return to the apartment for the night evaporated, and she ate her sandwich
at the kitchen table.  
    Playing
house, Carisa took a long, delightful soak in the big
bathtub and made a mental note to pick up some scented bath salts for another
time.   She dried off using one of Alex’s
fluffy oversized towels and climbed into his bed.   The sheets emitted his masculine fragrance
and although the bed seemed too large for one, she drifted to sleep with
contentment.
    On
Friday morning, she dressed for work and stopped for coffee on the way to
school.   Keyed up with anticipation,
although Carisa had no idea when Alex would show up,
she wished she’d called in and taken the day off.   She managed to muddle through the finger
painting, story time, and recess.   When
school dismissed, she all but danced to her car and headed straight for Alex’s
place.   
    Carisa spent the next few hours cooking
and didn’t stop until a Dutch oven filled with chicken and dumplings simmered
on a rear burner.   She washed up
everything she’d dirtied in the process, and ate a half a sandwich.  
    After
a quick shower she combed out her hair and let it air dry.   Carisa donned the
lovely rose-colored satin nightgown she’d brought along.   The full-length gown fit her curves and the
lace running from the bosom to the hem accented the overall look.   She’d bought it months ago on sale because of
its beauty and wondered when or where she might wear it.   Carisa spritzed on
just enough French perfume to be enticing and pleasing.   Then she applied her makeup with exaggerated
care, almost as if she were a movie star, not just a kindergarten teacher.   She coaxed her curls and waves into a
semblance of order and settled down to read while she waited for Alex to
return.   She lit the lavender-scented
candles, too. Once in a while she headed to the kitchen to stir the simmering
entrée.
    Hours
crawled by, but when Carisa heard Alex’s key turning
in the front door lock her heart went crazy, beating an irregular rhythm.   She sprawled across the sofa in what she
hoped would be a sensual pose and waited.   He came inside, his collected mail in one hand, and stopped short.  
    Alex
grinned and the expression lit his tired face. “ Carisa ,
you look lovely,” he said and held out his hand.   She rose as if he charmed her from the couch
and crossed the floor to take it.
    “Thank
you,” she said. “How did it go?”
    He
made a face and frowned. “We found the man guilty and voted for a life
sentence.   I’m sure he did the crime .
. . but I’m worn out.   The jury spent hours debating it.”
    As
if she’d done it often, Carisa clasped her hands
around his neck and kissed him. “I hope you’re hungry.”
    As
he bent toward her lips, he nodded. “I’m starved.   I thought I smelled something cooking.   What’d you make?”
    “Chicken
and dumplings,” she said before his mouth claimed hers.   Alex kissed her, his lips fit to her as if
they’d been tailored.   He wrapped her
into an embrace and gave her his mouth, slow and measured.   Her pulse quickened and his cock moved
against her with interest.   The long
smooch promised more to come as he released her.
    “That’s
my favorite,” he told her. “My mom always made it for my birthdays or special
occasions.   Will you think I’m an ass if
I insist we eat first?”
    She
didn’t need to ask what he meant––dinner now, with sex later. “No, not at all.”
    The
late-night meal provided a deep sense of intimacy, cozy and familiar.   Carisa , who seldom
enjoyed her own cooking as much as she did someone else’s, thought