Page 118 of Better Late Than Never

“For the record,” I said, “I did have good times while your mom and I were married. It wasn’t nonstop misery or anything like that.” I paused. “I loved her, and I still do. We’re just not compatible for the long haul.”

My sons nodded.

“Yeah, we get that,” Landon said. “Mom told me more or less the same thing. So… I’m just glad the divorce is over and you guys can live your own lives.”

“Yep,” Quinn said. “It’s all good, Dad. It really is.” He tilted his beer bottle toward the house. “How are you and Alex going to do this, anyway?”

“Do what?”

“I mean, if the Navy says you can’t date—what happens if you want to get serious with him? Like move in together or something?”

“Oh. Uh.” I stared into my drink for a moment. “There isn’t much we can do right now. But Alex is retiring in a little over a year.”

“Oh, that’s not bad,” Savannah said. “So just wait it out, and then see each other in public?”

I shrugged. “Basically.”

I didn’t remind them that we weren’t serious. Or that when Alex retired, he’d be sent back stateside. I didn’t mention that this was probably a short-term thing, or that I was cool with that because it was all I’d wanted with him from the start.

My silence was partly because no one needed to think about their parent seeing someone casually. No. Just no.

But the other part…

The other part was that all sounded like a lie.

After the way Alex had looked at me in the hallway, and what we’d both said about how we weren’t what we’d been when we’d started out—calling us casual or suggesting we’d fizzle out when Alex retired didn’t ring true.

My sons and future daughter-in-law could see the way he made me feel.

My heart did ridiculous flippy, fluttery things whenever I saw him, or even when his name appeared on my phone.

My whole world felt a million times better and brighter with Alex in it.

My own words echoed in my head:“I don’t think what we’re doing is what we set out to do in the beginning.”

No, we’re definitely not.

And my God, Alex—I can’t wait to see where this thing with you goes.

CHAPTER34

ALEX

“Holyfuck.” I dropped onto Connor’s bed beside him, still vibrating all over from my orgasm.

He was trembling too, and he ran a shaking hand through his sweaty, disheveled hair. “I needed that.”

“Me too.” I caught my breath for a moment, then levered myself up. “Let me get rid of this. Be right back.”

He murmured something in acknowledgment as he reached for the tissues beside the bed. I took care of the condom, and then we shared a shower, which turned out to be something I’d missed almost as much as the sex. His hands all over me. His lips against mine or skating up the side of my neck. Hot water sliding through the tiny sliver of space between our bodies. We were too far past thirty to be getting turned on again this quickly, but that was fine. I loved everything about this, and I didn’t care that neither of us was in any danger of getting hard.

I pulled him in close and buried my face against his neck, ostensibly to kiss him in those places I knew he liked. That was part of it, but mostly I just needed to be close to him. I’d missed him, and I’d missed the heat of his body, and now I couldn’t get enough.

I want you so much more than you realize, and not just when we’re turned on.

That spooked me. It had since the first time it crossed my mind, and it still did even after we’d both admitted this was becoming more than casual. But I couldn’t bring myself to pull away. Yes, this scared me, but not enough to make me put any space between us.

“We should get out,” Connor murmured. “I think my butano tank is low.”

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