chapter 2

The wedding was even more beautiful than I could have imagined. It was just one of those days where everything came together perfectly. There were no family squabbles, the weather was gorgeous, and mostly importantly, I ended the day married to the most wonderful man I had ever met.

And I could not wait for our honeymoon. Not just for the carnal activities (although I was planning on enjoying myself thoroughly in that department), but because Thomas had an aunt and uncle that had always treated him like their own child. They couldn't have any of their own, unfortunately, but they were very close with Thomas. And wealthy.

Very, very wealthy.

For a wedding present they gave us a three-month paid trip across Europe.

Europe!

We couldn't wait. Two days after our wedding we were flying out. Having so much time allowed us to plan a very relaxing cross-continental trip, nothing would be rushed. We spent time visiting castles and having picnics and seeing historical sights and everything else you could possibly hope to do.

Including food! Oh my god, the food!

After the first week, Thomas expressed some reservations about the amount that we were eating. He worried that he'd already gained too much weight. I still didn't know what was causing those weird feelings in me every time his weight was brought up, but I vociferously reassured him that it did not bother me at all. I strongly urged him to relax and enjoy our first three months together as husband and wife and to not give a second thought to his weight for the duration of our trip.

He seemed to take it to heart as he indulged fully on each country's wonderful cuisine. I have to admit that as time went on I started encouraging more and more each meal, sharing more of my dish with him, suggesting desserts frequently, and generally spurring him on to enjoy each day to the "fullest".

Just about every day ended the same. I would encourage him throughout dinner to eat "just a little more" and he would end the meal completely stuffed. We'd then retire to our hotel room and I'd be unable to keep from pouncing on him right away. The fact that he was bloated from overeating only seemed to spur me on even more.

We did have to upgrade his wardrobe as his midsection softened and thickened thanks to all our wonderful meals. I have to admit that I may have gained a pound or two as well, but I still fit comfortably in all my clothes when our honeymoon drew to a close.

The trip back was bittersweet. We certainly had enjoyed every moment of our extended trip, but I think we were both excited about starting our "normal" life together and we both loved teaching so we were looking forward to the approaching school year as well.

The flights were long and we arrived home exhausted, barely able to lug our luggage inside before passing out on the bed.

The next morning I woke up first and stumbled into the bathroom to take a shower, half tempted to bring in a huge mug of steaming hot coffee with me. When I got out of the shower, Thomas was just waking up.

He was standing in front of the closet rummaging around for some clean clothes. We were both still tired and jet-lagged so neither of us were thinking clearly yet. I went through my own drawers for some underwear while he grabbed some slacks out of the closet.

"Huh," he said, sounding confused.

I looked up.

My heart stopped.

He stood there, shirtless, with his gloriously round belly sitting stubbornly between the flaps of his pants. He grunted slightly as he tried to suck in and pull them together, but the button remained several inches away from the buttonhole.

My towel hit the ground as I launched myself toward him, lips hungrily pressing against his. He grunted in surprise but reciprocated after a moment and we went tumbling onto the bed. A wild, animalistic lust had somehow been unleashed in me and I could not corral it.

We came together in a bed-shaking frenzy that rivaled any night of our honeymoon. Afterward, breathless and panting, I worried for a moment that Thomas would ask what the hell that was all about.

Instead, when I looked over at him after a few minutes, I saw his chest rising and falling as he slept. I got up, dressed, and made myself some coffee while I tried to figure out what on earth I was going to do about all this.

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