chapter 1

He lowered himself onto the couch beside her, his sweatpants already on, and his T-shirt straining. She looked across. Her eyes danced across the plate in his hand, settling upon the large slice of cheesecake upon it. Her decision to bake a second that week had now been vindicated. She smiled contentedly to herself, and watched on intently, as mouthful after fattening mouthful began to leave his plate. She was amazed he had room left after the restaurant, less than an hour or so ago. Now a willing voyeur to his greed - his inability to resist the temptation she'd lain in his path - she felt an urge to interject.

She leant over, kissed him on the cheek, and patted his belly. "Wow, someone's hungry tonight."

He put down the spoon, adjusted the volume on the remote, and looked across at her.

"Just a pre-bed treat, you know me."

His chubby cheeks broke into that broad smile of his.

"Oh I do," she said, as she slid her hand beneath his belly and jiggled it for him. "Intimately."

"But the restaurant was meant to be your pre-bed treat, remember?"

Sighing pleasurably to her playful touch, he hoped her hand might wander south. It did not, so he picked up the spoon again.

"Don't be like that," he said, as he greedily shovelled another large spoonful of cheesecake into his mouth.

"I'm meant to be gaining, aren't I? ... Besides, it's only 'one' little slice."

He grasped her hand in his and used it to pat his belly once again.

"No one ever got fat from 'one' slice before, now did they?"

A wry smile appeared upon his lips.

She bit her own lip in return. He was such a tease.

"No," she answered. "You're quite right."

"But you know what they say."

She leant in close to him.

"Lots and lots of little slices."

She crept her fingers across his belly.

"Will end up ..."

"Making you ..."

"Fat."

She jabbed her index finger deep into his gut.

"Very, ..." she poked him again between her words.

"Fat, ..."

"Indeed."

She was grinning at him like a Cheshire cat.

"Oh, you're calling me fat now?" he said, in mock surprise, but smiling at being in on the joke, as he swatted her index finger away.

"That's charming isn't it? I come here to enjoy this cheesecake with you," he lifted his plate for show, "only to be insulted instead."

Her eyes flashed mischievously.

"Well," she said, pausing to let her words linger, "seeing as you're so sensitive about your growing weight problem tonight, let's just say you're not so slim anymore, are you?"

"And who's fault is that?" he quipped, accusingly, knowing full well her constant baking had got the better of him.

She slid over to his side of the couch.

"The one who's greedy enough to eat cheesecake right now, that's who," she whispered triumphantly in his ear.

She ran her hand around his waist toward a thickened love handle. She sank her fingers deep into his silky-soft flesh.

"Mmm," she hummed seductively, "definitely not thin anymore, are we?"

His chubby cheeks began to fill with colour. She smiled, knowing that she'd hit her mark. Her ability to read him like a book never failed.

"Well you're the one who baked it," he sneered at her playfully, motioning to the cheesecake in his hand, and sticking out his tongue.

"So sue me," she replied, smiling back at him. "It's not my fault I like baking." She patted his belly. "Nor that calories have consequences; didn't you know about that?"

"Or did it come as a shock?"

She winked at him.

" 'Ha' ... 'ha' ...," he replied, sarcastically.

He scooped up the last spoonful of cheesecake and popped it in his mouth.

"Well," he handed her his empty plate as he chewed.

"Seeing as delicious as this cheesecake of yours is, I think I'll forgive you for calling me fat if you go get me another slice."

Before he had a split-second to reconsider, she was already on her feet and heading for the kitchen, empty plate in her hand.

"Deal!" she shouted back at him. "But promise me I get to feed it to you."

"Promise," he replied. "But only one slice, remember!?" he shouted after her as she walked away.

"Because I wouldn't want to end up getting fat, now would I?"

She halted in her tracks by the kitchen door and turned to face him.

"Oh no, we wouldn't want that!"

She smiled at him.

"But let's face it ..."

"... I think we both know you're way past that."

She winked at him and disappeared into the kitchen.

"One more slice it is," she shouted, reaching for the cheesecake from the fridge.

'To make you even fatter,' she whispered beneath her breath, with a deviant little smile upon her lips.


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