The Anniversary

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Blurb:

A mature couple, over 40s, BWWM, marriage romance book.

Simone and Toby’s couldn’t be any happier about their 20th wedding anniversary.

However, Toby’s family has never been on board with his choice of partner, having disowned him when he married Simone.

Despite the past drama, it seemed like they were finally in the clear to enjoy their special milestone—until old family issues start to rear their ugly heads.

This time, Toby’s brother hints that Simone might be cheating.

Toby tries to brush it off, but a text from a mysterious man on Simone’s phone makes him second-guess her loyalty.

Simone is actually planning a surprise, but his growing suspicions could spoil her carefully laid plans.

As family tensions flare up again, their anniversary hangs in the balance…

Will Simone be able to keep her surprise under wraps and salvage their celebration?

Or will Toby’s mistrust cause everything to unravel?

Find out in this interracial, marriage, older couple romance story by Erica A Davis.

Chapter 1

“Wakey, wakey, handsome.”

Toby Reynolds groaned and rolled onto his back. He cracked his eyes open and saw the beautiful woman leaning over him with a smile and her eyes twinkling. He thought he had woken up to an angel.

But sleep threatened to pull him back under. It won and Toby yawned and rolled onto his other side, pulling the duvet up to his head.

“Can I have a few more minutes, please, Simone?” He pleaded. “I’m so tired.”

“I’ve given you half an hour already.” Something hot was waved in front of his face and Toby inhaled the special coffee his wife bought for him. “Come on, Toby, smell the coffee. Wake up.”

The smell was delicious. Toby knew it would perk him right up. But the bed was warm and soft. It would be better with Simone in the bed with him but coaxing Simone into bed unless it was bedtime or she was ill was next to impossible. He shut his eyes tighter and pulled the duvet over his head.

“No. Let me go back to sleep.”

Simone sighed and the heat moved away.

“You’re worse than the kids.” She grumbled.

She moved away and Toby thought she had left the room. Satisfied that he had won a small battle, he snuggled further into the warmth of the duvet. This was a way to spend a Monday morning.

No sooner had he relaxed then a hand snaked in under the duvet and tickled the bottom of his feet. Toby yelled and kicked out. He sat up just as Simone pulled out from under the duvet and sat on the floor laughing. Seeing her like this Toby couldn’t be cross at her. He could never bring himself to be angry at Simone.

Nevertheless he tried to glare at her.

“Hey, not fair!”

“Yes, fair.” His wife grinned and stood up. “We’re all up so why should you be sleeping still?”

She was looking very summery in a sleeveless yellow dress, the fit of the dress snug against her chest and hips. It looked very nice against her dark brown skin. Her neckline was up around her collarbone but Toby couldn’t take his eyes away from her bre*sts, which were still perky.

Even after twenty seven years, at the ripe age of forty-one Simone was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He loved her more now than he had done when they first met.

Toby yawned and rubbed at his hair, aware that it was standing up on end.

“I don’t have to go to work.” He complained. “I think I’m allowed.”

He had been lucky enough to make billions at the right time to ensure they had a big house, the children went to good schools and both he and Simone didn’t necessarily need to work if they didn’t want to. They were the idle rich and Toby thought he deserved a few quiet minutes having a lie-in.

“But you’re meeting Emil at the club at ten.” Simone reminded him. “You do need to get up.”

Now he remembered. Toby groaned. He would never live it down if he was late to meet his friend.

“Okay, fine. I’ll get up.” He flashed Simone a sly grin. “But can I have a kiss first?”

Simone rolled her eyes, a smile spreading across her lovely mouth.

“Seeing as it’s you.”

She came around to his side of the bed and leaned over. Toby kissed her, cupping the back of her head as he sank into the embrace. He pulled away slowly, watching as Simone’s eyes darkened. He loved the effect he had on her. Two decades together and they still had the sparks between them that had been there since first meeting in college.

Simone grinned, brushing her fingers across his stubbled cheek, and straightened up.

“Get a move on or the kids will have eaten all the breakfast.”

Blowing him a kiss, she left the room. Toby dragged his eyes away from her backside and threw the covers back. She was right; their children were like trash cans when it came to food. They would eat anything and everything until there was nothing left. Simone always cooked a big breakfast, aware of their healthy appetites, so there was plenty to go around but if Toby wasn’t fast enough he was left with much less than he had expected.

Sometimes telling kids that they had to clear their plates or they wouldn’t leave the table had been a bad idea.

Forcing himself to get up, Toby staggered into the bathroom. After a hot shower and a shave, he began to feel more human. Standing in the middle of the room with a towel wrapped around his hips, he took the time to have a look at himself in the mirror. He didn’t look too bad for forty-two. Topping six feet and still slim from regular visits to the health club with short black hair streaked with gray, the sessions on the squash court were doing their job in keeping his shape. His dark eyes had the start of wrinkles at the corners and there were more lines around his mouth, hidden behind the goatee and mustache he sported. Simone liked the new look, said it made him look even more sexy.

After that comment Toby was not going to change it.

Dressing in a white shirt and tan-colored pants, Toby padded through the house in bare feet to the kitchen. Their younger two sons, Craig and Nick, were at the kitchen table tucking into big plates of fried bread, fried potatoes, bacon, eggs and sausages among other things. A rack of toast was in the middle of the table being refilled by Simone. Carl, their eldest, was sitting in the lounge on one of their huge couches, his earphones firmly in his ears as he ate toast watching the huge plasma TV Toby had purchased the month before.

Simone placed his breakfast in front of him as Toby sat at the table, his plate full. Luckily he had arrived before the food disappeared. Then she filled a plate for herself and sat beside him, giving him a loving smile as she poured coffee for both of them.

“Dad, can I get a dirt bike?” Craig piped up, his mouth full of bacon. “Mom says I can’t.”