Page 53 of Somebody's Watching Me
“Um, yes.” She shifted in her seat. “Let’s not talk about them. Tell me about you. How did you end up becoming a science teacher?”
Devon wanted her to relax, and it seemed that discussing herself wasn’t going to do it, so he indulged her with the boring history that was his life. Raised by a single mom in Birmingham, he’d gone to college on a band scholarship, and pursued his teaching degree from there.
“You play the tuba?”
He grinned. “I do.”
Simone fell back in her chair as if seeing him for the first time. “You’re a tuba playing, bow tie wearing, science teacher?”
The smile on his face spread so wide his cheeks hurt. “I wear the bow ties for the kids, and I’m only wearing one tonight because I thought Selah would be joining us.”
Her eyes dropped to his bow tie, and as they returned to meet his own, lingered on his mouth long enough to send a clear signal. “You can wear them for me, too.”
Because of her roommates, they went to his place, and somewhere in the middle of their second round of earth-shattering sex, his goddess let go of her inhibitions.
“Give me one of your bow ties.”
The one he’d been wearing had thankfully landed on the nightstand and he passed it to her. “What are you doing?”
With a smile, she fastened the bow tie around her neck and, gripping the headboard firmly, rode the ever-loving hell out of him while wearing it. Lost in the feel of her body, Devon held on for dear life and swore he would never be without a bow tie again.
Simone insisted on leaving when midnight struck, ignoring his pleas to stay. They continued to see each other, until it became an almost nightly thing, with her sneaking over once Selah was in bed.
A month into the relationship, she allowed him to spend time with Selah. Those dates often consisted of going to the park or a public beach over in Port Michaelson, but when it was the two of them, they never left his apartment. By the time fall break hit, he was hopelessly in love. And yet, while she knew everything there was to know about him, he still knew very little of the enigma that was Simone.
He made plans to change that and on one of their nights alone, he plied her with food, wine, and the dirtiest, sweatiest sex possible. Only when she was dozing off after being thoroughly ravished did he ask questions. It took one or two before she opened up, but when she did,the first things he learned was of her mother’s death, and how her father hadn’t wanted her or her brother, so he sent them to live with their Aunt Maudie.
“And that is how,” she sucked in a deep inhale as they laid facing each other on the bed, “I came to work for the Fairweathers.”
“Whoa.” The rumors involving that crazy family ran rampant. “The Fairweathers are kind of scary. Like the mafia or something.”
“Don’t be silly. I mean, they’re awful people, for the most part.” She snuggled closer. “But, um… how do I say this? Ben Franklin? Yeah, it’s not Franklin. It’s Fairweather.”
Devon laughed. It was unintentional, but she couldn’t possibly be serious. “You’re telling me Selah is a Fairweather?”
“My house? It’s a Fairweather house. An old one. I live there pretending to be the housekeeper while Ben and I work at keeping Selah a secret.”
She shot straight into the entire story. Ben. Haven House. The Fairweathers. Rebecca. Laura Jean. Devon liked to pride himself on being easy going, with not much able to shock him. But this? This shocked him. The Fairweathers were notorious. Evil. Awful. Horrible people. Everyone knew it, and everyone steered clear.
“I want to meet Ben.” He planned to spend the rest of his life with Simone, and if he had to go through hell to have her, he would. “And don’t shake your head so hard. It might fall off.”
Rushing from the bed, Simone dressed as if his apartment were on fire. “This was a mistake. I should never have—“
“Tried to have a little happiness of your own?”
“It’s not that. Ben can be difficult.”
Difficult was probably an understatement, but Devon knew what he was getting himself into. “I can handle him.”
“Many men have thought the same.” Some sort of deranged laugh erupted from her. “And he’s destroyed every single one of them.”
“Well, I’m not most men.” Devon cleared his throat, ready to take the leap. “I’m the man in love with you. The one that wants to spend the rest of his days doing nothing but making you happy.”
Simone froze, one pant leg on, and her mouth hanging open. When she remained speechless, he rose to stand in front of her.
“No one is going to take you from me.”
“You love me?” She sounded as if the very idea was terrifying. “Love? Me?”
