Inktober 2026 - 26 - Zip

“Zip me up, please?” the wife asked her husband.

Holding the strapless dress she had just put on to her chest, she was peaking out from the bathroom into the bedroom, where he was tying his bow tie. He looked over his shoulder, away from the mirror and towards her, ogled her up and down, and smiled.

“Hm. I had rather zip you down…” he commented cheekily.

She rolled her eyes and laughed.

“I know. Maybe later, but not right now, or we’re going to be late. A little help, please?”

“Fine!” he finally conceded.

Dropping the narrow band of fabric around his neck, he covered the short distance that separated them, and she turned around so he could access the little slider currently resting in the small of her back. His smile widened as he slowly made it glide up, along her spine. Without even needing to look at him, she could feel him enjoying the task. It was as flattering as it was infuriating.

“Are you done?” she asked, unsure that he had interlocked the tiny hooks at the top of the zipper.

“Almost.”

He engaged the two hooklets with each other, as he knew he had to, and then set aside her ponytail to be able to lay a quick kiss on her neck. She laughed again.

“You are incorrigible!”

"Serves you right for being so beautiful."

“My turn,” she simply replied.

He frowned, confused. She spun around to face him and started grabbing both ends of his still untied bow tie, fully intending to finish that task.

“Two can play that game,” she continued with a brief raise of one eyebrow.

The feeling of her soft hands around his neck, brushing ever so often against his skin while they expertly knotted the fabric, was indeed quite tantalising. Especially since he was freshly shaved for tonight’s occasion.

“Now who’s the one making us late, huh?”

“Behave!” she warned him.

“Yes, Ma'am.”

He straightened himself up, as if standing at attention, and pinched his lips to refrain from more mischief. Once she was done, she checked her work by gently pushing on his chin, making him look to one side then the other, toying with him. He bit his tongue not to crack.

“There. Now, where are my boots?”

“More zippers…”

“You’re just jealous that’s not an option for men.”

“Or disappointed I don’t get to lace them up your legs,” he suggested as an alternative.

“I could lace my own boots, darling.”

“Of course. And I could watch you do it.”

Shaking her head in amusement, she grabbed the pair of knee high boots she had left by the bedroom door and endeavoured to put them on. Leaning on the wall closest to him, he still admired the show with much appreciation in his eyes. She caught him, but raised an index finger at him before he could say anything:

“You better keep that mouth of yours zipped all night, got it?”

Opening big innocent eyes, he simply gestured along his smiling lips to confirm his promise of silence.