It was midnight when she started screaming.Ellen groaned. Stephen sat up but she grabbed his arm. “No!” she said. “We agreed.””Honey, for God’s sake listen to her. She’s terrified!” Ellen turned on the beside lamp. “I don’t care. She has to learn. If you go in there it’ll be like every other night. You’ll look under the bed and in the closet and tell her nothing is there and then in two hours she’ll start again.”Sarah’s screams became higher and more frantic Stephen threw up his hands. “What do you suggest, we just sit here and listen?””If that’s what it takes,” Ellen said. “We have to start drawing lines.”Stephen glared at the door. Ellen could feel him shaking. She touched his shoulder but he pushed her hand away. Sarah was still shrieking down the hall. Ellen could tell that Stephen was counting silently. When he reached thirty, he got out of bed. “That does it,” he said.”No!”He ignored her. She considered going after him, but it was too late. She heard his footsteps padding down the hall. Voices came through the wall, muffled. Stephen said, “What’s wrong kitten?”Sarah’s little voice was choked with tears: “The monster! The monster is in my closet again!””Oh, kitten, there’s nothing there.””Will you look and see?””There’s nothing there baby, I promise. Remember your mom and me are right down the hall, okay?””Okay,” Sarah said, sounding unconvinced.”Now give me a kiss. Good night, Sarah.””Good night, Stevie.”The sound of Sarah’s door closing preceded footsteps returning down the hall, and then Stephen’s weight sank down on the bed next to her. Ellen turned the light off and glared at him in the dark. “Well? Are you happy now?” she said.”Happy that we didn’t leave her to give herself a fit? Yes.””Children need boundaries.””Children need you to be there for them.””She’s my daughter,” said Ellen, and regretted Ankara bayan escort it immediately. Before Stephen could reply, the sound of Sarah’s screams interrupted them. “See?” said Ellen. “Responding just encourages her. It’s what she wants.””She’s not manipulating us, she’s five.”The screaming stopped. Ellen was about to say something, but they both heard the bedroom door creak open. “Mommy?” “You should be in bed, Sarah,” said Ellen.”There was a monster. He was in the closet.””It was just a bad dream, kitten,” said Stephen.”Can I sleep in here tonight?” said Sarah. “No!” Ellen said before Stephen could reply.”Can you come look in the closet?””Sarah, go to bed. You’re too old for this.”Silence for a moment. Then: “Can I get a drink of water?”Ellen sighed. “Yes, but then go right back to bed, all right?””Okay.” They heard the door close and Sarah’s little footsteps down the hall, and then the sound of the faucet running in the kitchen. Stephen rolled over and put his back to her. Ellen touched his shoulder again and again he repulsed her. She rubbed her temples. A headache was coming on. “I know you want what’s best for her,” she said. “But we can’t hold her hand over every little thing anymore.””This isn’t even about Sarah, this is about that weird hang-up over your ex again.”Ellen opened her mouth for an angry reply, but swallowed it. There was no gain in pushing this. “Maybe you’re right,” she said, though she didn’t mean it. “Let’s forget about it tonight. We’ll deal with it in the morning, when we’re both less tired.”Stephen was a silent at first, but finally he rolled over and put an arm around her, kissing her lightly.”Are you tired?” she asked.”God yes,” said Stephen.”Me too. But I can’t sleep.””Me neither.” She grinned. “Well, since we’re both up…” Escort bayan Ankara Her hand crept up his shoulder.”Hon, if Sarah comes in again–“”We’ll keep the light off. It’ll be fine. She sees scarier stuff in her room anyway, to hear her tell it.”Stephen laughed. Ellen snuggled closer to him and kisses his chest. “I still don’t know…” he said.”Stephen…” she whispered, “I’ll let you do it in the back door…”She shrieked as he pounced on her, laughing and beating at him with the pillows. He buried his face against the neck of her nightgown. “Help, help, there’s a ravenous beast in here!” she said.”I can’t help it if you bring out the animal in me,” he said, pushing the nightgown’s straps down her shoulders and kissing one round arm. She gasped.”My, what big teeth you have!” she said.”All the better to nibble on you with.””And what big hands you have…”He squeezed her ass through the silken nighty with both hands.”And what a big–“”Don’t get ahead of me,” he said.Ellen wriggled out of her gown before Stephen’s enthusiasm could damage it. She shuddered from the cold air and dived under the comforter, dragging him after her. She ran her hands over his chest as she kissed him, tickling his tongue with the tip of hers. He tried to put his hands on her naked body but she slapped them away playfully. He tried again and she squirmed out of the way, nearly rolling out of the bed. He caught her ankle and pulled her back as she shrieked and laughed.”Shhh, we’re supposed to be keeping it quiet, remember?” Stephen said, and then kissed her hip, tongue darting over her bare skin. “Ooh!” she said, and then gasped as he bit her. “Hey!” she said, “how do you expect me to keep quiet when you go doing that?””Do what? This?” he said, and nipped her again, giving her a lightning-sharp Bayan escort Ankara thrill.”Yes, that!” “I’m still not clear, do you mean doing thi–“She grabbed hold of a handful of his hair and pulled him up to her, where she met him with an open-mouthed kiss, tongue passing into his mouth, circling her arms around his waist and repaying him by dragging her nails over his bare back. He responded by pinning her wrists to the bed and kissing with full force, those deep, penetrating kisses that always took her breath away and turned her knees to jelly. He buried his face into the side of her neck, sucking at the spot where her neck and shoulder curved to meet, and the little butterflies jumped up inside her stomach. Then he cupped her breasts with both hands, rolling her erect nipples against his palms and squeezing, and she started to shake. “And you wonder why I tried to get away…” she said, voice suddenly throaty.”Ah ah,” he said, “you made an offer, no backing out now.””Mmm, I guess I’ve gotta back into it then?”He took hold of her by the hips and dragged her toward him.”Wait! Where’s the lube?””In the naughty drawer.””Well get it.”She heard him fumble in the dark. “Shit!””What?””I think some spilled.””Dear, that stuff stains!””Then I guess we’ll always have something to remind us of this night. Now, assume the position.”She sat up on all fours, biting her lip and whimpering a little as she felt Stephen’s hand spread the cold, wet gel around her sensitive hole. It warmed up after a second, and she sighed, then squealed as Stephen’s hand slapped the side of her ass.The bedsprings creaked and she felt him moving behind her. She gripped the headboard with both hands, bracing herself, promising that she wouldn’t cry out when the next one came, but then unable to stop a small “Oh!” when Stephen’s strong hand came down on her backside.She bit her lip harder and counted silently to herself: One, two, three four–SMACK! “Oh!” One, two, three, four–SMACK! “Ohhhh! One two–SMACK! “FUCK!” She covered her mouth with both hands.Stephen squeezed her cheeks together, and she closed her eyes and bit down on the pillows.