Keeping a distance from his wife

The scent of Cathleen's aroused panties hit him again as the water ran down Xavier's body. He shook himself free of the feeling that was about to take over his entire being. The scent of Cathleen's arousal was a trigger—unexpected and powerful—a scent that should have been a side effect but instead was the trigger for a primal reaction in him. It was the height of madness, he thought, and he had no idea why.

He couldn't make sense of the sudden rush—the visceral need spurred on by a mere whiff of her presence—but it had completely knocked him out. If Cathleen were ever to find this moment of weakness, her sharp tongue would lash out with words like knives, slicing through his excuses with the same precision she wielded in the courtroom.

The water from the shower beat against his skin, hot and punishing, as if it could wash away the guilt that was now mixing with the soap and the sweat. He turned off the tap. The silence was heavy and oppressive. He grabbed a towel and rubbed the dro