Slowly

Rolling slightly, Andreas moved away from Vlora’s body and lay down next to her. He took in as much air as he could to ease his ragged breathing.
Andreas needed time. The climax that hit him was devastating. His bones seemed to crumble into dust.
The same was true for Vlora. Her situation was not much different from Andreas’. Her breathing was still chaotic and her disorder was beyond help. Her hair was a mess with the sensual traces Andreas had left all over her body.
No one made a sound. Probably Vlora and Andreas had agreed to give each other time to calm down for a while. Ehm, that was not really exhausting. But of course, it was also full of sensations.
What a worthwhile exchange. Maybe even more than worth it. The exhaustion was worth the pleasure.
A moment passed. Andreas slowly opened his eyes. He turned around and smiled broadly at Vlora’s condition. There was a rose petal on Vlora’s cheek and he picked it up.
Andreas’ fleeting touch caught Vlora’s attention. Her eyes opened as well, then she turned her head.
Two tired looks met. Andreas asked.
“And now? Is it enough?”
It was not enough to just ask a teasing question; Andreas didn’t even forget to wink. Seriously, he knew how to create a buzz even after the hot romance was over.
“Enough?”
Vlora squinted. Repeating that one word, she would not answer Andreas’ question. Instead, she delivered a weak punch to Andreas’ broad chest.
A very weak blow. So weak that Vlora’s hand fell helplessly.
Andreas laughed. He took Vlora’s hand and kissed her fingers.
“Looks like someone is tired,” Andreas teased. “So, I’ll call it good enough.”
Vlora rolled her eyes lazily, then closed them again with an unusual impression. Andreas frowned. Did he catch Vlora’s spoiled attitude?
“Don’t argue with me now, Reas. I think I’m going to die soon.”
Die? In pleasure? That seemed to be an interesting point.
Vlora did not think there was any truth in what people said. It was possible to die in happiness.
Wait! Something flashed through Vlora’s mind. Could it be that she felt happy right now?
Vlora was not sure. But she had to admit that her feelings were completely wrong. Using the analogy of flying into the sky felt very appropriate. Andreas had taken her so far that she thought she would never return to earth again.
“Request accepted. I don’t want to get into an argument with you right now. After all, what kind of husband would argue with his wife after such a heated romance? Um.”
Andreas cleared his throat rhythmically. His hand rose and smoothed Vlora’s disheveled hair.
“After making love, I should kiss you.”
Andreas lifted Vlora’s chin and leaned forward. His face came closer.
Vlora opened her eyes when she felt Andreas’ kiss. The next moment she closed them again.
The kiss was incredibly tender, like an ice cream dessert. It was sweet and soothing.
Heat enveloped them, coursing through Vlora’s cheeks. Andreas’ kiss managed to warm her body, which had cooled from the slowly drying sweat on her skin.
Andreas stroked Vlora’s face and then lowered himself. He followed the movement of his hand with a satisfied look.
Many red rose petals clung to Vlora’s body, creating an incredibly sensual sight. A sight that Andreas had eagerly embraced for the rest of the day.
Vlora rested her face on Andreas’ chest. The blanket enveloped her, and Andreas’s embrace held her in place.
Now it was time to sleep, the right time to rest their bodies. That’s how it should have been. Vlora should have used the few remaining hours to sleep. She had to work, but strangely enough she had not slept either.
Vlora blinked when she heard Andreas snoring softly. Slowly she raised her head and watched.
They were indeed newlyweds. Vlora did not know all of Andreas’ habits yet. But she could make one assumption.
Making love had exhausted Andreas. So much so that he snored.
Vlora shifted slightly in Andreas’ embrace. She stroked his chest and decided to test the assumption.
“Reas.”
Andreas did not stir. His snoring could still be heard.
This time Vlora went a step further. It was not just a caress and a call, but she pulled away from Andreas’ embrace. She got out of bed.
Standing innocently, Vlora looked at Andreas. She waited.
The result was the same. Andreas continued to sleep.
*
A beautiful morning. It was strange indeed. Considering the little rest they had, a newlywed couple should have felt exhausted at the start of the day. But the opposite was true.
Look at Andreas. His face was radiant, and now he even whistled as he opened the car door for Vlora.
Vlora stared at Andreas with a puzzled expression. Andreas’ behavior that morning was unusual.
Andreas laughed. “What is it? Do you still mind if I drive you to the office? Are you still uncomfortable?”
“It’s your whistling that makes me uncomfortable.”
Andreas laughed even harder while Vlora shivered. To be honest, she had not expected Andreas to be in the habit of whistling in the morning.
“You’re not very lucky with that, Vlo,” Andreas said after he had fastened his seatbelt. “I have a habit of whistling when I’m happy. So, it looks like you’re going to see me whistle quite a bit.”
“I didn’t know that driving me to the office could make you so happy.”
“Is that what you think?”
Andreas’s looks and tone suggested something different from what Vlora had in mind. Oh dear. Vlora shook her head.
“Okay!” Andreas said amused. “I enjoy driving you to the office and I hope you enjoy it too. After all, I can’t always do it like this. So just enjoy the moment.”
Vlora understood and could accept it. She also realized something. Being driven to work by Andreas was not a bad thing. The conversations during the ride were a novelty for her, and it turned out to be quite pleasant.
There were many topics to discuss between Vlora and Andreas, not limited to Andreas’ temptations. One of them was about family.
“Do you remember my plan to invite my immediate family to our home?”
Of course. Vlora would not forget something as important as that.
“Yes. So have you set a date?”
“The sooner the better, in my opinion. How about next Saturday night? Do you mind?”
Vlora shook her head. “Not at all. I think that’s a good time. Is there anything I need to prepare?”
“No need. You don’t need to prepare anything. Desmon can take care of everything,” Andreas replied, turning around with a meaningful smile. “It’ll be a delicious dinner, I’m sure.”
Vlora picked up on Andreas’ implied meaning. Even without saying it, she could already sense what would happen. The dinner would not be a warm family gathering.
At least Vlora was aware that she was an unwelcome daughter-in-law. Just like in a soap opera with hundreds of episodes.
That was why Vlora was curious. What would happen in the end?
Vlora took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. Her curiosity was momentarily overshadowed by Andreas’ attitude when they arrived at Greatech.
A short distance from the Greatech office parking lot, Andreas parked the car. He quickly unbuckled his seat belt and opened the car door for Vlora.
Vlora was surprised. She gaped and could only think to herself.
Typical Andreas.
Vlora got out of the car and Andreas greeted her with a light kiss on the forehead. Then he whispered, “I’ll pick you up tonight.”
Vlora nodded and then walked away, leaving Andreas standing there for a moment.
Andreas watched Vlora leave with a smile on his face. His eyes reflected admiration as he watched her retreat.
Vlora’s sturdy figure. Her confident strides. Oh my! Andreas had never imagined that a woman could be as attractive as she was.
Andreas only started driving when Vlora was completely out of sight. He drove on and contacted Frans.
“Good morning, sir.”
“Good morning, Frans,” Andreas replied as he passed through Greatech’s security gate. “How is the job from last night? Is it done?”
“It’s almost done, sir. There were a few things that caught my attention while working on your orders last night. I’m checking them out right now.”
Andreas furrowed his brow and shook his head. “I’m not sure, but Jonas isn’t playing around with the company’s taxes, is he?”
“That’s exactly what I’m investigating, sir. Along with some of the Progun cooperation files, of course.”
Andreas was silent for a moment, trying to remember something. But he wasn’t sure.
“I seem to have forgotten, but who is responsible for Progun’s taxes now?”
“I’m not sure, sir. As far as I know, everything is managed by Alex.”
Another furrow appeared on Andreas’ forehead. The name sounded familiar.
“Alex Walker? Jonas’ personal assistant?”
“Yes, sir.”
The answer offered a glimpse of the possibilities. But Andreas reminded himself not to be too hasty. He had to wait for the right time for everything to explode together.
“There is one more thing, sir.”
“What is it?”
“I would like to remind you that the annual general meeting will be held on June 24th.”
It was just around the corner.
A broad smile spread across Andreas’ lips. He chuckled and thought for a moment.
Was this the effect of making love with red rose petals? Everything seemed more pleasant this morning.
Andreas remembered that he needed to schedule special intimate sessions with red rose petals. Once a month? Well, maybe every four times a month?
“But there is a possibility that the meeting could be brought forward if there are urgent matters. The shareholders are getting restless.”
Andreas’ smile disappeared, replaced by a grimace. “In that case, you know your job, don’t you?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Let Ariel have some fun this time,” Andreas said with a sigh. “Make sure Lostic’s sales increase significantly.”
“Understood, sir. I will do it.”
“I’ll wait for the next good news, Frans. And don’t forget to investigate Alex. I have a feeling he’ll be useful to us in the future.”
The conversation ended. There was no further discussion and Andreas continued whistling.
“What should I do now?”
Going home was clearly not Andreas’ first choice. He’d be like an unemployed husband if he returned home so early in the morning.
A place popped into Andreas’ mind at the right moment. He nodded and tapped the steering wheel.
The journey continued. This time, Andreas’ destination was his family’s home, the Sanders residence.
The atmosphere there was the same as the last time Andreas had visited. Everyone greeted him with joy, except for one person.
However, Andreas still had a big smile on his face when he said, “Is Saturday night a good time for us to get together? We can have dinner together. Of course, I will invite your favorite son, Dad.”
*