Page 122 of Someone to Watch Over Me

Smiling, I kiss him some more. One kiss becomes two, which becomes six, and then we’re straining against each other once again. Sometimes I still want to pinch myself that I’m rolling around naked in Tom Hammett’s bed. Every time he pushes his hard cock into me, I gasp from the sheer pleasure that overwhelms me. I’d forgotten what it was like to be carried away by desire, and now I’m addicted all over again.

It’s so good between us, so perfect, sort of like we both knew it would be way back when. But we had lives to lead before we found each other in this new chapter, and I’m incredibly thankful for what I have with him and how cherished he makes me feel all the time.

“God, Lex…” he whispers when he’s deep inside me. “I can’t get enough of you.”

I hold him tight against me. “Same.”

He pushes up so he can see me. “Love you.”

I bring him in for another kiss. “Love you, too.”

“Best words I ever heard from anyone.”

I’mhigh on life after the best week I’ve had in years when we arrive at Iris’s for the get-together with the new Wild Widows. I hope we don’t overwhelm them with our sheer numbers, but Iris said both were interested in including their kids in the group. So we’re taking our lead from them.

Tom is wearing a light blue polo shirt that makes his eyes look crazy blue, with khaki shorts in deference to the warmer-than-usual autumn we’re having in Northern Virginia. He’s handsome and relaxed after our afternoon in bed, and I can’t wait for him to really get to know my best friends. Other than the day they helped me move into his place, he hasn’t spent time with them. On the ride to Iris’s in his truck, we reviewed each of them and their stories.

“Christy is the one who founded the group with Iris, right?”

I love how he pays attention to the details that matter to me the way Jim did with my students. “Yep. The third founder isn’t active in our group since she remarried.”

“Do people tend to stick around after they connect with someone new?”

“So far, only Taylor has moved on. I hope the others will stay with us. They’re like family to me.”

“So you’d stay involved even if we got married?”

I look over at him. “I always want to be involved with them. They’re like the siblings I’ve never had. I hope you understand that even if I’m remarried, I’ll always be Jim’s widow.”

“Of course I do. I was just wondering.”

“Say what you want to say, Tom. It’s fine. I promise.”

“It’s just that I worry about it being so heavy sometimes.”

“That’s life, though, right? Sometimes it’s heavy. And like with the new job, I have wisdom now that I can share to make things easier for new widows. Not that anything can make it easy for them, but the support we’ve found in our group has been essential to each of us. I love them.”

“I know you do, honey. And I’ll always support whatever you want to do.”

For a second, he scared me by making me think he might not want me to continue to be part of the Wild Widows once we get married.

“Don’t be over there thinking I’d ever ask you to give up something that means so much to you. I wouldn’t. My only concern is for you taking on the grief of others.”

“I’ll be okay. I promise.”

He brings my hand to his lips for a kiss. “That’s all that matters to me.”

When we arrive at Iris’s, bringing the buffalo chicken dip and brownies I made to contribute, we’re greeted by a wild scene of screaming kids running through the house. I recognize Iris’s three—Tyler, Sophia and Laney—as well as Derek’s daughter, Maeve, Roni’s son, Dylan, Brielle’s son, Charlie, and a couple of others I don’t know being chased by Christy’s daughter, Josie.

“Josie, we paid you to watch them, not incite a riot,” her mother calls from the kitchen.

Josie, whose dark hair is in a ponytail, gives me a sheepish grin and a shrug as she runs by me.

“Welcome to the loony bin,” I tell Tom.

I get the usual feeling of homecoming that comes with every visit to Iris’s home, where I get to be with my people.

Holding Tom’s hand, I lead him to the kitchen, where Iris, Gage, Roni, Derek and Christy are with a few others I don’t know.

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