Her Secret Sex Life by Willie Maiket Page B

remember!"
    Rachel had turned scarlet, bent her head and then meekly nodded. "I'll keep my word, Heather," she had finally managed to say after regaining her self-control. "Just you keep yours."
    "Okay, okay, but it's down to three weeks, Mummy. Come on, you're slowing me down," the taunting redhead had mocked her crestfallen stepmother…
    This Friday night, Tim Woodling had determined to try again. He just couldn't understand what was happening between himself and Rachel. There wasn't any question about his not desiring her; she had a beautiful body and such a lovely face, and she was so sympathetic and gentle and understanding. Lots of women would have laughed at him for all these signs of impotence so early in the marriage. Damn it all, it wasn't as if he couldn't get it up at all; with that girl Eleanor, he had felt like an adolescent full of endless sap and juice, wanting to set a record. And even the next night, even in bed with lovely Rachel, he'd had an erection and a very satisfying one and there was still plenty of juice left in him to satisfy her. Only everything had gone wrong and it was beginning to worry him.
    He'd thought half a dozen times of having a private chat with young Tim and Heather, trying to make them understand that he loved their new mother very dearly and that he wanted them to try to show a little more affection even if they had to force it for the time being. But of course with sophisticated kids of this generation, such an appeal would be much too square and it might only make them lose respect for him and deride Rachel all the more.
    Tonight, he had watched TV with Heather and his son, Rachel having excused himself about an hour ago on the grounds of a headache. He'd tried to look pointedly at Heather, because she was the older and the one who could probably control young Tim, but every time he'd done that, she'd just smiled and looked back at the TV set. At last the movie ended, and he yawned and walked over to the set and turned it off. "I'd better hit the sack, you kids, because I've got to get down to the office tomorrow. I'll be going to New York probably right from the office on Tuesday, looks like. But I ought to be back by Friday night anyway, so maybe the four of us can plan a weekend together. How'd that be, Tim, Heather?"
    "Sure, fine, Dad," the gangling blond teenager had nodded, glancing at his red-haired sister with a curious little smirk in his face that made his father want to slap him. "Maybe we can go to the zoo or something."
    "I can think up something better than that for both of you," he forced back his impulse to rebuke the boy for his sarcasm. "Well, good-night. There's just one thing-I wish you both would be a little nicer to Rachel."
    "Did she complain about us or something, Dad?" Heather quickly asked, rising from the couch and eyeing him with watchful interest.
    "Of course she didn't. She's a lady, Heather. The sort of lady I'm hoping you're going to be one of these days. You know, it's sort of strange that with your good looks and your quick mind you aren't out dating tonight instead of staying home with your old father and watching TV."
    "I happen to like being with you, Dad," Heather instantly flared back, her nostrils dilating and her face coloring. "And I suppose because I'm twenty, you're already marking me down as an old maid. I just haven't found the right guy, that's all. Now if you don't mind. I think I'll go to bed. Come on, little brother, you could stand a good night's sleep for a change yourself."
    They both swept out of the living room and he shook his head despondently. What was getting into them both? There was an undertone of hostility he had caught, and he didn't like it one little bit. But that wasn't the real problem. And he was going to have to solve the real one all by himself before this marriage went on the rocks…
    Rachel had taken a quick shower and pulled on a black satin lounging robe, determining to read herself to sleep. The book