Chapter Seven

Lydia stood on the sidewalk holding a large gift bag while she waited for Crystal to pick her up. They were attending a baby shower for Suzy Merimon. She and her husband, Gray, had adopted an adorable little boy they’d named John Nicholas Merimon. They’d actually been present for his birth and had taken him home from the hospital with them almost two months ago. Lydia had liked the outspoken Suzy from their very first meeting, and she couldn’t wait to see her again today. Danvers International wasn’t the same with her on maternity leave.

As she stared off into the distance, her thoughts turned to Jake. They had been living together now for almost three weeks and the most surprising thing had happened. They acted just like a normal, married couple. Lydia had taken to making dinner most evenings, and more often than not, Jake was home to join her. Afterward, they would talk about their day, and if Jake didn’t have work to do, they would watch a movie. And they continued to make love every evening. She’d considerably broadened her horizon and could now add sex on the bathroom counter, against the wall, and in the laundry room.

Jake, it seemed, was insatiable. She had averaged having sex maybe a few times per week before Brett had gotten sick, and after that, it had been almost nonexistent. But since she moved in with Jake, they hadn’t missed a single day. Sometimes more than once. He was surprisingly affectionate and considerate out of the bedroom as well.

Even Chris had been low-key regarding her presence in Jake’s life, which was unexpected. Casey had visited them several times, but her mother had been sullen on both occasions. Lydia had a bad feeling it was possibly the calm before the storm, but she didn’t want to burst Jake’s hopeful bubble. As uncertain as things were, the one thing that Lydia was positive about was that she adored Jake’s daughter. They’d bonded so easily and quickly that it was as if they’d been in each other’s lives for years. She knew that she should try to keep some distance between them, but she just couldn’t. She didn’t know how she would survive not seeing the little girl again when Jake no longer needed her. The mere thought of not being a part of either of their lives was like a knife to her soul.

When Crystal pulled up to the curb and honked her horn, Lydia almost jumped out of her skin. Wow, she hadn’t realized she was that zoned out. She walked around the Mercedes C-Class that Mark had insisted on buying Crystal when they had gotten engaged. He didn’t feel that her other car was safe enough. Crystal had disagreed, of course, because she loved her Volkswagen Beetle, but in the end, it hadn’t been worth the argument, she’d said. As Lydia slid onto the sleek leather, she thought her friend had made the right decision.

“Hey, buddy,” Crystal called out before leaning across the seat to hug her. Even though they had talked on the phone for almost an hour the previous night, they hadn’t seen each other since Crystal had returned from her honeymoon a few days earlier and Lydia had missed her terribly. “How are you?” Pulling back, Crystal studied her intently for a moment. “You look amazing. You’re glowing in a way I’ve never seen before.”

Lydia laughed. “You’re the one who just got back from two weeks with your dream guy. I think if anyone could light up the night, it would be you!”

Crystal smiled dreamily and nodded. “Yeah, I’m beyond happy. I never thought I could feel like this. After being married to someone as reserved and downright cold as Bill, I always thought every relationship was that way.” Wiggling her eyebrows, she giggled. “Boy, was I wrong! Marriage to Mark is the polar opposite. He’s amazing both in and out of bed.” With a sigh of contentment, she added, “I feel like I can be the me I’ve always wanted to be with him. Does that sound crazy?”

“Not in the least,” Lydia assured her wryly. “I feel the same with Jake, and we’re just pretending to be married. Is it totally weird that being with him is as natural as breathing to me? I mean we’re basically strangers who got married for none of the right reasons, but it feels so right.” Before Crystal could answer, Lydia moaned and dropped her head forward. “Don’t bother to answer, that sounds insane even to me.”

“Hey.” Crystal nudged her arm. “Who’s to say what’s normal? I think that’s up to each couple to decide. Are you happy?”

Lifting her head, Lydia couldn’t stop the no doubt sappy smile that filled her face. “The last few weeks have been magical for me. I have a husband who comes home at the end of the day and a daughter that keeps me laughing. Jake and I have developed a routine that seems so easy. Which scares the hell out of me,” she finished with a sigh.

“Because you don’t want it to end,” Crystal guessed accurately.

“Bingo.” Lydia nodded. “I’ve taken to this life as if I were made for it. But there’s a big clock ticking, and as soon as Chris backs off and Jake doesn’t feel threatened anymore, then he’ll be ready to get back to however he was living before I came along.”

Crystal put one hand on the steering wheel, and it was then that Lydia realized they were still sitting in front of Jake’s house. Glancing down at her watch, she cried, “Oh crap! We’ve been talking for so long that we’re already ten minutes late! You know how Suzy is—she might lock us out of her house for this.”

Crystal giggled, but promptly put the car in gear and pulled out onto the road. “Yeah, we don’t want to be the last ones to arrive. Luckily for us, Ella is usually always running late now with Sofia, so we may be okay. Anyway, back to your last comment. You and Jake have been sleeping together every day basically since you moved in. Don’t you think he’s forming some attachments to the living arrangement as well? I mean I know that, like Mark, Jake hasn’t really been involved in serious relationships. But that can change for the right person. Don’t assume that he’s not experiencing some of what you are.”

“You’re saying I shouldn’t keep my suitcase sitting at the front door just in case he decides to keep me?” Lydia joked.

Groaning, Crystal said, “That wasn’t exactly the way I would have worded it, but you’ve got the basic message down. If you’re happy with what’s happening between you two, then keep going with it. Don’t start mentioning some kind of expiration date to him. Why plant ideas in his head, where there may well be none? I read an article in Cosmo the other day that said never to point out your flaws to a man because, eventually, they might start to believe your version over their own.”

“Well, I’m not walking around mentioning the size of my butt to him,” Lydia joked.

Snorting, Crystal said, “That’s good to know. But I think you see where I’m going with this advice. Absolutely enjoy yourself and don’t stress over tomorrow.”

“I’m trying,” Lydia assured her. “Grabbing the bull by the horns and all those other things they say to do as a fearless, modern female.”

“Oh, I think you’ve grabbed on to something,” Crystal sniggered, “but it looks like more of a stallion.” They were both still giggling like teenagers when they reached Suzy’s home. She lived only a few miles away from Jake’s house in Garden City Beach.

As they left the car and made their way up the steps, Claire, the wife of Jason Danvers, the CEO of Danvers International, opened the front door. She was a stunning blonde who always had a ready smile for everyone around the office. Lydia had heard that she’d actually been Jason’s assistant at one time. If that didn’t have fairy-tale romance written all over it, she didn’t know what did. “Hey, guys.” Claire smiled brightly. “I’m so glad you could make it.” Lowering her voice, she whispered, “Little John just barfed all over Suzy so there’s a bit of a commotion. She hasn’t quite gotten used to being drenched when you least expect it.”

“I’m not sure anyone adjusts to that,” said an amused voice as Beth Merimon joined them. “I think it’s pretty funny, though. Because every time Henry spits up or poops, she hands him off as if he’s on fire.” Rubbing her hands together in obvious glee, Beth added, “Those days are over for my sister, though. She gets to experience all the delights that motherhood has to offer!”

As they made their way into the foyer, Ella hustled up with her daughter, Sofia, in her arms. Lydia had always thought that Crystal’s sister was gorgeous, and today was no exception. A certain innocence about her made her even more appealing. She could see why Ella’s husband—former playboy Declan Stone—was intrigued by someone so opposite from him. Lydia knew that an overbearing mother in a very restricted environment had raised both Ella and Crystal. It had taken a lot of courage, but they had managed to break away and, in doing so, had found their soul mates. “I was wondering where you were, sis,” Ella called out as she stepped forward to wrap an arm around Crystal. “I missed you so much.”

“It sure doesn’t look like she was pining away for any of us on her honeymoon,” Emma Davis inserted as she joined their group. Emma was engaged to Declan’s brother, Brant, and was soon to be part of the Stone family. “If that satisfied expression on your face is any indication, then you and Mark had a great time. Did you ever actually leave your room?”

“Oh, good Lord, here we go with the sex talk,” replied Ava Powers, a sleek blonde. Truthfully, it had taken Lydia months to match all of the women with the men at Danvers that they were either married or engaged to. Ava was married to Mac Powers, who ran East Coast Security, along with Dominic Brady and Gage Hyatt. Dominic was engaged to Gwen, who was also close friends with Crystal and Mia. Funnily enough, Gwen had once dated Mac before he finally landed the woman he’d loved since childhood—Ava. It was enough to make Lydia’s head spin just trying to keep the details straight. The fact that they all seemed to be a big, extended happy family was equal parts amazing and downright crazy.

“Oh, come on, Ava, everyone here likes to talk smut except for you. And I see the way you roll into the office some mornings, so I know that you and Mac aren’t sitting around knitting in the evening.” Emma was Ava’s assistant at Danvers, and Lydia thought it was hysterical how they bickered like sisters.

Ava looked down, studying her nails as she said, “Not all of us kiss and tell, Em. You could take a page on discretion from my book. I’m sure my brother would be happy if you stopped telling the world how big his—er, equipment is.”

Mia swiveled her hips as she walked up. “I personally like hearing about pecker sizes. If we could convince the men to do a ‘Studs of Danvers’ calendar, we’d all be rich. I’d even convince Seth to do an honorary appearance.”

“Oh, brother,” Gwen moaned as she shifted her baby boy on her shoulder. Cameron McKinley Powers was named after Dominic’s two business partners and was simply gorgeous. Instead of Gwen’s red hair, he had his father’s dark coloring. The fact that they were co-workers as well turned out to be a very happy coincidence. “She’s already begged me to ask Dom if he and the guys will consider a photo shoot called ‘GI Joes of Danvers.’ She’s mentioned them wearing camouflage Speedos! Somehow, I don’t think my man and his co-workers would want their other ex-military friends to see them that way.”

“You’re no fun.” Mia pouted. “I’ve tried to get Seth and the Jackson brothers and cousins onboard because they are all absurdly hot, but he won’t go for it.”

“What’d I miss?” Suzy demanded as she sidled up with a tiny baby in her arms. Lydia tried her best not to stare, but it was hard. Suzy Merimon was a legend at Danvers. She was a beautiful and hip style icon. Lydia had always figured she could wear a burlap sack and still look like a million bucks. Today, though, she appeared a little frazzled. Her normally flawlessly styled red hair was hanging in a lopsided ponytail, and Lydia wasn’t sure, but it looked almost as if her dress was on inside out. What stood out for Lydia, though, was the utter peace and happiness that seemed to radiate from her. And even as she stood bickering with her sister, she kept darting glances downward at the tiny bundle nestled so lovingly against her body.

Beth’s lips curved into an affectionate smile as she stared at her sister. It was easy to see that she was thrilled that Suzy and Gray had finally created the family they’d wanted for so long through adoption. After suffering with infertility and miscarriages, it appeared that their prayers had at long last been answered. “I think you’ve got your clothing on the wrong way,” Beth gently pointed out.

Suzy shrugged as if she couldn’t care less, which appeared to amaze everyone in attendance. “Yeah, I know. We were just coming from the bedroom when John spit up again. So I cleaned and dried the spot and flipped the dress over instead of looking for a new one. No big deal, right?” she murmured absently as she stroked her son’s cheek.

“Holy shit.” Claire’s sputtered exclamation shocked everyone. When Suzy turned toward her in question, Claire shook her head and grinned broadly at her best friend. “It’s just that I’ve known you for so many years and you’ve always been so particular about your wardrobe. I mean you practically tossed Chrissy out of a moving car while yelling, ‘Get her out of here, she’s going to blow!’ So this is a surreal moment for me. Let me enjoy it, for God’s sake.”

Suzy pointed toward the leather couches and chairs in the living room and motioned for everyone to follow her. “I’m not going to lie,” she began as she settled on the edge of one of the sofas. “I got pissed on the other day, and I damn near lost it. I was full-on crying and gagging when Gray ran into the nursery thinking something dire had happened. When he finally put together what had happened, he started laughing. I was so angry, I threw a tube of baby butt cream at his head. And he just laughed harder. Then it rubbed off on me and I began giggling. Before long, we were both lying on the floor with our naked baby between us rolling around like loons. And I thought to myself, this is one of the happiest days of my life. I have baby pee on my face and probably in my mouth, but I don’t care. I realized at that moment that it was okay not to be perfect. I don’t have to look a certain way or be mother of the year. The only thing I need to focus on right now is my family and doing the best job that I can as Gray’s wife and John’s mother. Those are my two priorities. Everything else is just icing. So yes, I have puke on my dress, and it’s ass-backward, but big deal. I’ll probably have shit on it at some point tonight—although hopefully not my own.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in that living room when Lydia looked around to gauge everyone’s reactions. To hear Suzy speak of the epiphany that she’d experienced had moved them all deeply. And every person there could take something away from her words. For Lydia, it was to find the joy in things that could well appear insane to others yet made perfect sense to her. The world might not understand why she was married to a man she hadn’t even known a month ago, but right now, it brought her happiness, and in the end, wasn’t that worth living in the moment for? She didn’t know Suzy very well, but she found herself clearing her throat and saying, “That was amazing. And I think we’d all wear our entire wardrobes inside out daily to have that gorgeous baby you have. Congratulations to you and Gray. I’m so happy for you both.”

“Hear, hear!” Mia seconded as she walked into the room balancing a tray of glasses and a bottle of champagne. “Hang on while I get the orange juice. This calls for mimosas, ladies!”

“And sex talk,” Suzy added. “I might be a mother now, but I’m still the resident pervert around here.” Pointing at Lydia and then Crystal, she added, “And you two need to catch me up. I haven’t heard how the honeymoon was with DeStudo, nor have I gotten an update about Jake. I gather from the contented looks on both your faces that there’s been a lot of banging going on. Let’s start with you, Crystal. How was your tropical love fest?”

“Way to suck the romance right out of it, Suz.” Beth sighed but looked vastly amused.

Suzy rocked back and forth gently with her son. She dropped a kiss onto the top of his head before snorting. “Nothing says love like being pushed up the sheets by a man.” Winking at Crystal, she asked slyly, “Did Mr. Big live up to your expectations?” Lydia couldn’t help giggling since she was the one who first compared Mark DeSanto to a young Chris Noth from Sex and the City. If the way Crystal was furiously blushing was any indication, her new husband definitely knew his way around a bedroom.

Surprising them all, Crystal said bluntly, “We barely came up for air the whole two weeks. I mean, that kind of surprised me considering we’d been all but living together since we met, but something about having the ring on our fingers and the Mr. and Mrs. titles . . . It made us crazy—”

“Horny?” Claire supplied helpfully then blushed. “I know exactly what you mean,” she admitted. “Jason and I were all over each other on our honeymoon. I think it’s the alpha male in them that gets turned on over feeling as if they own you somehow.”

“Those were good times.” Suzy grins. “You wife—me husband, cue the beating on the chest and all the other caveman tendencies. And you, Lydia? How’s that hot piece treating you? If you tell me you’re playing Scrabble every evening instead of crawling him like a tree, I’m going to flipping sob at the waste of such prime man candy.”

“Well—we can’t have you crying now, can we?” Lydia said coyly.

“I knew it!” Emma crowed. “There is no way a woman could be in the same house as a man like that and not do the deed.”

“We certainly know you couldn’t.” Ava snickered playfully. “Plus, we wouldn’t have to guess. You’d take out a billboard and tell us all about it.”

Lydia found herself relaxing as everyone good-naturedly ribbed each other. She’d never had girlfriends she was close enough to share intimate details with, and something about it felt so right. As much as they all picked on each other, there was nothing mean or catty about it. These women would have each other’s backs in a second, and she felt so fortunate to have found a sisterhood like that. “I’m just taking it one day at a time,” she admitted when there was relative silence again. I have no idea if it will work out long term, but I’m enjoying the now very much.”

Suzy studied her for a moment. “Well, you’ve already got the ring, honey. And something tells me you won’t be giving that up.” As Lydia studied the gorgeous diamond that Jake had insisted she not take off back in Vegas, she felt a stirring of hope. Could Suzy be right? Was it here to stay along with her new life with Jake?

If she had anything to say about it, she wasn’t going anywhere other than home to her new husband at the end of every day.

*   *   *

Be careful what you wish for, Lydia thought wryly. She’d been home all of ten minutes from Suzy’s baby shower when there was a knock at the door. Jake had called her earlier to say that it’d be at least seven before he got home as he and Mark were dealing with some labor problems at another DeSanto location. So she knew it was too early for him, and he certainly wouldn’t be ringing the doorbell. When she looked through the peephole, she inwardly cringed as she saw Chris’s frowning face. Lydia stood rooted to the spot, unsure if she should pretend that no one was home or take the opportunity to see what the other woman said without Jake home.

In the end, curiosity won out and she slowly twisted the deadbolt and opened the door to Jake’s ex. “Good evening, Chris,” she offered, trying to sound as if she wasn’t insanely nervous.

“Where’s Jake?” she asked as she tapped her foot impatiently.

“He’s not home yet. He’s going to be late tonight. Was there something I could help you with?” Lydia asked pleasantly, even though she wanted to close the door on Chris and her crappy attitude. This is what I get for being curious.

Chris brushed past her and swept into the house as if she owned it. When she reached the foyer, she spun around and snapped, “You think you’re the queen of the manor now, don’t you? Don’t tell me you’re buying into all those empty promises that men like Jake are so good at making. Trust me, that’s how I ended up sleeping with him.”

Lydia took a moment to close the door and regroup before turning around. She attempted to take the high road by saying soothingly, “I really don’t think now is the time to discuss this, Chris. If you have issues with Jake, then you should call him and arrange a time to talk out your concerns.”

“Stop patronizing me!” Chris hissed. “I’m not some empty-headed bimbo that you can speak to like a child.”

At that moment, it became clear to Lydia that Chris was spoiling for a fight and wasn’t about to leave until she’d gotten one. Never one to back down, Lydia straightened her spine and leveled the other woman with an unflinching stare. “I’ll speak to you like an adult when you act like one. If you’re going to stand there and continue to insult Jake and me, then you can just leave.”

Lydia could tell from the tiny flinch that Chris had been unable to hide that she’d scored a direct hit. She had little time to enjoy it, though, before she was once again under verbal siege. “He’s not going to stay with you. I mean look at you. Jake is completely out of your league. Regardless of his seeming confidence that he’ll get joint custody of Casey, I think he panicked and married you. He figured he’d get me off his back if he were already taken and I’d just let it go. Of course, if that happens, he’ll have no reason to keep you around. How long do you think you’ll be Mrs. Hay then?”

Even though Chris’s barbs were getting to her, Lydia refused to let her see the impact they were having. If the other woman sensed weakness, it would be all over. She’d go for the jugular. “Isn’t this whole tirade because I’m married to the man you want? Haven’t you been badgering him to marry you for months? But he wouldn’t. Why do you think that is, Chris? He loves his daughter dearly, so how badly must he dislike you not to consider a move that would give him more permanence in Casey’s life?” Direct hit, Lydia thought as the other woman’s face paled. Lydia wanted to feel more pleasure in Chris’s pain than she did. Possibly because she knew she might well be the next one devastated when she no longer had the right to be the woman of the house. Dropping her head, she sighed. “I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t want to fight with you. In the end, we all want the same thing and that’s for Casey to be happy.”

So the wrong thing to say, Lydia thought as Chris’s face went from white to a vivid shade of red.

“You know nothing about my daughter! Jake would leave you in a second if I held Casey over his head. There’s no way he would ever choose you over her!”

Lydia was fast losing her temper with the insane woman in front of her. She’d never been driven to violence against another person before, but she had to clench her fists at her sides to keep from wringing Chris’s neck. “Casey shouldn’t be a bargaining chip for any of us. She loves you both and wouldn’t understand suddenly not being able to see her father. No matter how angry you are at him or how you feel about me, she doesn’t deserve to be jerked away from a father who loves her more than anything.”

Bracing for the attack, she was shocked when Chris shrugged her shoulders as if she’d suddenly lost interest in the argument that she’d started. “Whatever. I really don’t have time for this. I need to pick Casey up from my parents’ house.”

As she made a beeline for the front door, Lydia said, “I’ll have Jake call you.”

“Don’t bother.” Chris snorted. “I don’t have a problem finding him when I really need to. For that matter, he’ll come to me when I snap my fingers. He always does.” And that was her beautifully lobbed parting shot as she slammed out of the house. Lydia was almost certain she heard Chris chuckling as she walked away.

With her head still spinning, she went directly to the kitchen and took out the leftover wine from dinner last night. If there was ever a time that she needed a drink, it was now. She grabbed a glass and stood propped against the counter as she finished one off in record time. Then without pausing, she poured a refill but forced herself to sip it at a more leisurely pace. She wandered through the house and ended up in Jake’s favorite recliner in the living room simply staring at the walls. She was still in that position when she heard keys rattle then the front door open and close.

Jake appeared before her a few minutes later looking too handsome for a man who had worked twelve-plus hours that day. He leaned down and ran a finger over her cheek before brushing a kiss across her lips. “Hey, sweetheart, how was your baby shower? Did you have fun with your friends?”

Lydia smiled wearily at him as he hunched down beside her. “It was amazing. Suzy is so happy and much more relaxed. Motherhood agrees with her in a major way. I’m thrilled to have Crystal home as well. Was Mark as giddy as she was after their honeymoon?”

Jake chuckled before taking the glass from her hand and pulling her to her feet. He relaxed backward onto the sofa cushions and tucked her into his side. “You wouldn’t believe it. He was on cloud nine. Normally something as serious and costly as a labor dispute would have him chewing out everyone far and near. But he actually told the general manager in Boston that ‘these things happen.’ Hell, I don’t know who was the most surprised by that. His assistant, Denny, literally lost it. I didn’t think he’d ever stop laughing. I know it’s a bit crude, but the term ‘pussy-whipped’ has been making the rounds among the men.”

Punching his arm, Lydia giggled. “You’re right, that is bad. I think it’s wonderful to see two people so blissfully in love that everything else in their lives seems better. I don’t believe there is much that could get to Crystal either at this point.”

“Don’t get me wrong, babe, Mark definitely needed to de-stress some and she’s made that happen for him. When I first started with DeSanto, he was a control freak. He wanted to be in every place at once and handle even the smallest problem. But when she came into his life, that began to change. He no longer wanted to do all of the traveling or spend eighteen hours a day on the phone. He was finally able to delegate some of that to Denny and me. And even though Denny was perfectly happy being his driver and assistant, Mark has named him as co-vice president along with me. And I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving. Plus, it gives me someone to split travel with, as well, giving me more time at home with my daughter and my wife.”

Lydia felt like she’d been hit by a bus as his words sank in. He’d included her with Casey as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Did he really want to be in the position to be home more because she was here? She could detect humor and playfulness behind his statement. Going out on a limb, she replied, “I know Casey will be happy to have you around more. And even though you haven’t been on a trip since we’ve been married, I’d certainly miss you if you were gone.”

She let out a surprised squeak when he abruptly picked her up and resituated her on his lap. She ended up with her legs around his waist and her core pressed against his growing hardness. “That’s better,” he hissed as he took her lips. They kissed for what seemed like hours as he devoured her mouth. Her lips were swollen and tender by the time he pulled back enough to stare into her eyes. “I like hearing that you’d miss me, sweetheart, because I find that I can’t get through the day now without wanting to see you. Knowing you’re going to be here when I walk in that door at night does something to me that I never expected.”

“And what’s that?” she asked shyly.

“It makes me long for my wife. For the woman who has been sharing my bed and riding my cock every night.”

Lydia started choking in shock at his raw, sensual words. He rubbed her gently on the back until she’d gathered her wits. “I like all of that,” she admitted.

“That’s real good, baby, because I need to be inside you now. I’ve been thinking about that perfect moment when my dick slides into your hot tightness all day. Trust me,” he added wryly, “Mark isn’t the only one walking around at the office with his little head doing the thinking instead of the one on his shoulders.”

In what was an embarrassing display of enthusiasm, Lydia practically leaped from his lap and pulled her clothing off. When Jake could only stare at her naked form, she tugged him by the hand until he stood as well. Then she proceeded to help him undress until they both stood before each other completely naked. She watched in confusion as he turned to toss a couple of throw pillows from the sofa onto the floor. “Should I sit there?” she asked as he moved closer to her.

“Put your knees on them, baby, and get down on all fours. I’ve been dying to take you from behind, and tonight, I’m going to do that.” When she hesitated, he reached his hands around to grab her ass, kneading it firmly. “You’ll love it, sweetheart. I’ll be deeper than I’ve ever been.”

She knew that he’d make it good for her; he always did. Jake never took his pleasure until she’d found hers at least twice. She couldn’t imagine there being a more unselfish lover out there. He got down onto his knees next to her and helped her find the position that he wanted. When he was finished, her ass was in the air and her face rested on another pillow. He began caressing her backside, seemingly obsessed with it. Then without further warning, he slid a finger through the moisture that had gathered between her legs. “Ohhh, Jake,” she moaned as her sex contracted from the sensation. He lazily circled her clit until she could hear the embarrassing sounds of how wet she was.

“You are so fucking beautiful, baby—absolute perfection.” Finally, he stopped tormenting her and pushed one of his thick fingers into her channel. It felt different from this angle, more intense, and she knew she wouldn’t last for long. When he slid the second finger inside and pushed deep, she came so quickly that she lunged forward in surprise. Jake caught her by the hips, keeping her upright until she’d found her balance once again. “I’ve gotta be inside you now. I’m going to go hard and fast. Let me know if it’s too much and I’ll slow down,” he said raggedly.

She heard a rip and knew he was putting a condom on. She had no idea where he’d gotten it. Maybe he carried a stash all the time now. Then she could feel him there, pushing his wide tip against her slit. Without thinking, she rocked backward and gasped as she impaled herself on his big shaft. “Oh God!” she moaned. “It’s too much, Jake.”

“Shhh.” He stroked her back soothingly. “Let me know when you’re ready for me to move. I’ll give you time to adjust, sweetheart.” As she wiggled experimentally, she heard him take a ragged breath. The pressure was easing, and in its place was a hunger that she knew only he could extinguish.

“I’m ready,” she whimpered as her need continued to grow. She gripped the pillow under her head and held on as Jake made some shallow thrusts before plunging deep. “Yes!” she cried out. Before long, they’d established a rhythm as she met him thrust for thrust. The sound of slapping flesh and their groans of bliss as they raced toward the peak together filled the room. When her knees began to wobble, Jake pulled her backward and wrapped one arm around her chest and the other hand went between her legs, rubbing her clit. After only a few strokes, she was screaming his name as she came around his cock. Her contractions pushed him over the edge, and with a harsh shout, he found his release as well.

After that, they were a leaden tangle of limbs on the floor for several minutes. Jake had pulled out of her and was now laying draped over her back as they both fought to quiet their breathing. She felt like a sated, but sweaty, mess. If she had any energy at all left in her body, she’d go clean up, but that wasn’t an option right now. Since Jake was also damp and sticky, she figured they canceled each other out. “You okay?” he asked as he rubbed lazy circles on her thigh.

“Mmm, I’m great,” she assured him as she enjoyed the afterglow closeness. Even though they’d been together for only a short time, he never treated her as if she didn’t matter. He touched and kissed her for a long time after most sexual encounters. A few quickies hadn’t left time for that, but otherwise, Jake liked to take his time with her. It was then that she recalled the earlier confrontation with Chris. She hated to ruin the moment, but she needed to tell him what had happened in case he wanted to do some type of damage control with the mother of his child. Clearing her throat, she said, “The reason I was inhaling a glass of wine when you came home was because Chris came by earlier under the pretense of talking to you.”

She felt him stiffen behind her before he asked, “You think she actually wanted to see you?” She noticed he didn’t seem surprised in the least by that.

“I think so, yes. She did ask where you were at first, but I got the feeling that wasn’t the reason she stopped by. I think she wanted to feel me out and to let me know that she has the inside track with you.”

“For fuck’s sake,” he bit out. “I knew things had been entirely too quiet on that front lately.” He moved to lie on his back and pulled her to his chest. Cupping her cheek, he asked, “Did she upset you, sweetheart?”

“She made me a little angry, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I think she knows or, at least, guesses that we married because of your concern for Casey. She mentioned it while she was telling me that you wouldn’t have any use for me after she backed off on her threats.”

“I’m actually surprised it took her this long to seek you out,” he said, sounding exasperated. “And please don’t take anything she said seriously. She’s pissed that you have what she wanted. It’s that simple. She doesn’t care at all about the people involved.”

Doing exactly the thing that Crystal had warned her against, Lydia found herself asking, “But do I really have that, Jake? You have to admit we haven’t talked about what’s going on between us and I’m a little confused about where we’re going. Especially if Chris does back off and the threat of losing Casey isn’t there for you.” What am I doing? Me and my big mouth!

He studied her intently for a moment before asking, “Are you not happy with how things have been since you’ve been here?”

“What? No—I mean yes! It’s been amazing. I love living here and being with you.” Crap, why did I toss out the love word?

“I feel the same,” he stunned her by admitting. “So please disregard Chris and her jealous rage.”

“Okay,” she whispered softly. It wasn’t until she was dozing in bed later that she realized he’d never answered her question. Other than him admitting to enjoying their current situation, he’d made no promises or mentioned anything about the future. Had it been a mere oversight or had he ignored that part on purpose? She couldn’t bring it up again anytime soon without looking like some kind of insecure clinger. For now, if she wanted to be with Jake, she would have to take each day as it came and hope he saw her as more than someone to warm his bed.

For the first time since she’d taken the plunge and moved in with him, she missed her old life. Sure, she’d only been half-alive, but her stress level had been so much lower. Really, when you had nothing left to lose, what was there to worry about? Life as the neighborhood cat lady? These days it felt like she suddenly had a lot on the line that she stood to lose.