A weight lifts off me, heavy as a king-sized bed. One good thing came from this. Both Max and his dick have been handed restraining orders. It’s hard trying to hide the shit-eating grin threatening to break out on my face, but I keep it under wraps for Lee’s sake.
“Any questions?” The good doctor pans the three of us.
I raise my hand just enough. “So would you suggest that Max move out of the bedroom?” Say yes.
Max leans in and glares. It looks like the penile chastity belt is starting to pinch his balls.
“I highly recommend this.” Dr. Van Guard nods in agreement. “Then again, I can’t enforce any rules.”
“Mitch took the guest room.” He shrugs in my direction. “Looks like you should’ve built a bigger house or never left for China, but then you never make the right decisions, do you Mitch?”
Lee’s eyes expand wide as dinner plates. She doesn’t seem too impressed with the Mr. at the moment. I’ll just keep handing Max some rope, sooner than later we’ll have a marriage to bury, and it won’t be mine.
We head off in separate directions with Max telling Lee he’ll pick up the kids. I’m sure he’ll do the laundry, the dishes, and lick the floors clean with his tongue to get on her good side.
I tell Lee I’ll pick up dinner, but I need to swing by my mother’s first. It’s not until I make the final turn that I see Max’s SUV sitting high on the driveway with both Stella and Eli spilling out of the house.
I park and run up with a smile on my face just for the kids.
“Picture Daddy!” Stella barrels into my arms at top speed. Eli says something that sounds just about the same, and I give an amused smile over to Max.
“That’s very cute,” Mom says, mostly to defuse the time bomb that is Max Shepherd.
“Cute indeed,” Max says without an ounce of enthusiasm. He unlocks his truck, and it burps and squeaks to life. The kids hop on in like they’ve been training hard for the Shepherd circus. God knows once I remove Max from the picture, I’ll spare them of that fate.
“So”—Mom looks from me to Max—“how’d it go?”
“It went.” Max gives her a hug and plants a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for watching the kids.”
“Max has to move out of the bedroom,” I offer. “We’re all booked at Townsend Inn. Maybe you’ve got a few rooms to spare. Why don’t you move here for a while, Max?” My lips pinch into a smile, and I don’t bother holding it back this time.
“Out of the bedroom?” My mother places her hand to her chest as if the thought made her sick. Another man is shacking up with my wife, and she’s stunned he’s been ordered to haul ass off my fucking bed? Obviously the Shepherd spell is much more potent than I give it credit for. We should have steered clear of the entire lot of them from the beginning. I’m sure after giving it some thought, Mom would be the first to agree.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he assures in that calm annoying baritone of his. “In fact, Mitch officially moved into the guest room—we’re all getting along famously.” He glares into me once my mother has her back turned. “You up for a game of Scrabble later?” He taunts me with the gesture.
“You bet.” I wonder how many points I can get for asshole.
The phone rings from inside, and Mom excuses herself as she waves to the kids.
“Chinese okay for dinner?” I ask, mockingly.
“It is if you’re going to China to get it.” He gives a placid smile. “I’m okay if it’s a decade or two late.”
“Fuck you,” I say it low for his ears only.
His eyes steady in on mine. “No Mitch, that’s what life did to you.”
“Nice,” I say as he gets into the car. I wave to the kids as he backs out of the driveway with a tailspin.
Mom speeds from the house and sticks the phone in my hand.
“Mitch?” A familiar male voice booms from the other line. “Kyle Wong.”
“What’s going on?” I breathe into the receiver still amped from the exchange with Max.
“What are you doing tomorrow at three-thirty in the morning?”
“Sleeping.”
“Wrong. It’s time for your fifteen minutes my friend.”
Max
“I’m thinking Eli’s room.” Lee taps her finger against her nose.
“I’m thinking not.” I breeze past her into the bedroom and pull out a pair of sweats and a T-shirt from the dresser.
She follows me in and sits down next to me on the bed. The soft scent of spring flowers trails her—a scent that used to make me happy, and, now, it just makes me uncertain. On more than one occasion when she wasn’t home, I’d take the cap off her perfume just to inhale her scent. It would feel like she was right there with me—Lee in a bottle. And now I wonder if that’s all I’ll be left with once this nightmare is said and done—a bottle, a scent, nothing but perfumed air.
The kids are downstairs, busy with the all important childhood task of watching the tube. Thankfully, for my sanity, Mitch is still a no show. I’d rather starve than have him play delivery boy.
“Max”—Lee pulls my hand to her mouth and holds it there—“you’re not really going to stay in here, are you?”
“Yes,” I say bewildered. “I’m really going to stay in here.” I pull off my jeans and throw on my sweats. I’m hoping it’ll be this easy, and Lee will agree—demand I stay in the bedroom. “We like sleeping together, it’s what makes us, us.”
“I know.” She falls back on her elbows and closes her eyes a moment. “But Dr. Van Guard says we should have you move for a little while. I can bring up an air mattress. Eli would—”
“Eli would wonder what the hell went wrong. So would Stella.” I steady my gaze over her. Lee’s top is slipping off her shoulder. Her lips are parted like a promise. If I didn’t know better, if we were the old Lee and Max, I would swear she was seducing me. “Right now things seem to be working with me in here.” Not really, but I’m not that into details today. “I swear I’ll keep my mitts to myself.” I hold up my hands before collapsing over her on the bed. Lee pants into me, her eyes steady over mine with that wide-eyed innocence I love so damn much. I dip down with a kiss and hold my lips over hers waiting and then she does it, Lee pulls me in by the back of the neck and swipes her tongue over mine, delicate at first then demanding, large and in charge.
“You still want me, Lee,” I moan with a smile sliding up my cheek. “Your tongue just testified to the fact. Let me stay. I’ll behave.”
“Like you are now?” She pushes my finger into her mouth and bathes it between her lips causing my sweats to pitch like a tent.
She’s not behaving, but I’ll be the last person to call her on it. Hell, if she wants to break all the fucking rules I’m one hundred percent on board.
I take her hand and place it over the rock hard protrusion she’s causing in my boxers.
“See what you do to me?” A soft laugh rumbles through my chest. “Let me sleep here tonight. I’ll voluntarily withdraw my weapon.” I place her hand gently by her side. “Although, I can’t be blamed for any actions that take place in my sleep.” I plant a kiss on top of her forehead and linger. “Besides, I broke my back in the fields yesterday.” I roll over onto the mattress and groan under my own bodyweight. “You don’t want me going out on disability, do you?”
“Definitely not, considering it dings my labor report.” She hovers over me, looking at me with those long, dark lashes. A burst of light glows in through the window as her face illuminates from the fuchsia sunset.
I take her in like this—Lee, the golden goddess. She can rule the universe with her smile alone. Her eyes could spark a thousand revolutions. I’m damn lucky I only have one jackass to fight off. Unfortunately, for me, the jackass in question is Mitch.
“You’re so beautiful.” I pull her down and press my lips over hers. We indulge in another mouthwatering kiss and somehow manage to forget the world for the next few seconds. I can lose entire decades just listening to the small mo
ans of pleasure that escape her throat when we’re together like this.
The front door rattles then slams.
“Honey, I’m home!” Mitch shouts up the stairwell with an all too jovial tone.
“Perfect.” I twist my lips.
Lee blesses me with another quick kiss. Somehow that small gesture assures me I’ve still got an in, that I’ve got more than a foot in the door and perhaps a body to lie next to at night.
“Hey”—she whispers, scratching at my chest—“how’d you think it went today?”
“Better than expected.” The fact I didn’t have to yank out my intestines and strangle Mitch with them was a major plus. “But I’m not going to lie, it makes me insane that you feel like you’re married to two people.” I swallow down the tennis ball forming in my throat. “But I get it.”
“Max.” She gives a peaceable smile that quells me far more than words could ever do. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for you, I swear it—and for our marriage. I just need help wrapping my head around the fact Mitch is alive. That’s all, I promise.”
This time I don’t fight it. My eyes brim with tears, and I blink into her several times. “You’re not leaving?”
“No.” She answers so quick—so sure, I’m stunned by this.
“I love you so much it hurts.” I pull her in and kiss her, deep and wide as the unknowable ocean. Lee just spilt an entire sea of assurances.
I have my wife back.
I’m not losing her to Mitch Townsend, not to anyone.
I handle dinner with Mitch just fine. I offer to do the dishes and even manage to whistle while I work to prove I’m not worried about any “date” he’s taking her on tomorrow night. Lee helps Stella with her homework at the table, and I can’t stop stealing glances at her, smiling like an idiot. Of course, I’m not going to rub the conversation I had earlier in Mitch’s face even though it takes everything in me not to. Nope. It’s definitely good enough watching him writhe in all my glory.
He eyes me like a vulture once I tell the kids to get upstairs and brush their teeth.
I get Stella and Eli to bed in record time, promising them both a lollipop if they stay put for the night.
I head into the bedroom where, contrary to Mitch’s greatest wish, I’m still allowed to reside.
Lee comes out of the bathroom, showered with her hair still damp on the ends. She’s wearing the purple silk nightie I bought for her birthday, and I take it as a green light of good things to come—namely me. I don’t need a hand-written invitation. I replace the pillow behind the headboard in an effort to secure the covert opts that are about to take place beneath the sheets. Sorry Mitch, the peanut gallery is closed tonight.
I turn out the lights and pull her in as she crawls beside me.
“Hey,” she bleats.
“Hey.” I lash my tongue up the side of her face as a preview of the many things I have in store for her.
“No, I mean, hey.” She tries to sink my hands off her hips, but I spring right back up again.
I’m aware women are complex creatures. Lee is of their species, so technically I shouldn’t be stunned by her somewhat polarizing reaction, but still. She turns her back to me, so I start in on a slow massage.
“Thank you,” she moans.
I pepper soft kisses over her spine. The taste of her shower sweet skin drives me insane. I would do anything to make love to Lee, for her to show me she still wants me, wants us. It takes another five minutes before I move my massaging techniques south of the border. Lee was never one to let a potential orgasm go to waste. My hand slips into the warmth between her thighs. She’s so wet it takes every ounce of strength in me not to plunge inside her. I plan on keeping my hard-on away from the party. I want this to be all about her.
Lee turns around and crashes over my lips with a searing kiss. I brush my thumb over her face and feel the hot river of tears covering her face. This is killing her just as much as it’s killing me.
She closes her fingers around my erection and guides me in until I give an involuntary groan. I could die happy like this with Lee. I’d keep our love making a dirty little secret from the moron downstairs for the rest of our lives if that’s what it took to keep Lee in my life. Hell, I’d house Mitch in the downstairs doghouse for as long as she liked, so long as we could end every day in this same manner.
I push into her slow and determined. I don’t think that since our wedding night it’s felt this fragile, this amazingly fucking glorious to bury myself inside her. Lee is the only woman I’ve ever wanted, the only woman I’ve ever enjoyed. There’s no losing her. My entire world would evaporate without her in it.
“Lee,” I groan into her ear.
She pushes me in by the small of my back, and I clasp onto her wrists as I thrust into her with wild abandon.
We test out the pillow wedged behind the headboard for the next several hours. Every inch of her flesh is new again. It was as if almost losing one another brought us closer as we knit together in sorrow. Mitch and his wonderful midlife resurrection backfired—thank God almighty for the biggest miracle of all.
“Shit,” I give it in a heated whisper as my body trembles over hers. Lee lets out a heated cry, her breathing erratic in my ear, letting me know she enjoyed the hell out of the moment, too. Her legs clench around my body, and I hold her there like that.
“I’m changing all of the labels in the morning,” I tease through a sea of heated kisses.
Lee looks up at me with her pale, glowing eyes.
“What’s the label going to say?” she whispers.
“It’s going to say a good year next to the date.” I pull my lips across her cheek in a sweet line. “We’re going to survive this, Lee. I know we will.”
“A good year,” she parrots back.
“The best.”
“Wake up.” Lee rattles my shoulders, and I startle to attention. She lands a series of soft slaps across my cheek as I blink to life.
“What?” I spike up in bed. The alarm reads three-thirty.
“Something’s happening downstairs.” She draws the sheets to her chin. “I hear voices.”
I pull on my sweats and throw on a T-shirt as I hit the stairwell. A heavy stream of light pours in through the shutters—it beacons through the window at the top of the door as if it were trying to direct a ship at sea.
“What the?” I pull the front door open to find an entire Hollywood back-lot set up on the street. Three news vans and an entire slew of people mill around as if they belonged there. “And there he is,” I whisper. Mitch is firmly seated in a director’s chair with a camera pointed in his face.
I storm out on the lawn just as a man with an earpiece strapped to his head stops me cold. “We’ll be done in about ten minutes.”
“What’s going on?”
“Interview. East Coast is live.”
“What network?”
“WKLA, the Breakfast Show. Then FNX news.”
The Breakfast Show? FNX? That’s national coverage. I head back in and herd Lee toward the family room. I flip on the TV, and son of a fucking bitch…
“Right now we’re trying to work things out.” Mitch stretches a smile across his face. There he is in full Technicolor gaping back at me as if he’s got all of the cards in his favor. It’s all starting to feel like a bad dream.
“And what about the company your father built?” The woman interviewing him nods as though anybody cared. “Have you recovered your footing? Are you taking over once again?”
“I can assure you I have an entire legal team helping me navigate my way back to the helm. I ran that company six years after my dad died, and I intend to run it until the day I die.”
“Run it into the ground,” I quip, and Lee jabs me in the ribs.
“So tell us about your daughter. How did she handle the news?” The reporter folds her hands into her lap like it was no big deal because it’s not her life she’s fucking with.
“Can’t Mitch see she’s a wolf
waiting to devour Stella’s privacy?” I’m shocked he would let her go there.
“She’s beautiful—intelligent beyond her years.” Mitch’s teeth glitter unnaturally. “She’s perfectly happy. My wife kept my picture at her bedside, and she recognized me right out the gate.”
“My wife?” I glance over at Lee.
The talking head beams with delight. “My producer tells me you’re in negotiations for movie and book rights, any truth to those rumors?”
“My attorney is fielding all requests. I really haven’t discussed any of this with my wife as of yet.”
“Twice he’s called you his wife,” I say, pinching my lower lip.
“I don’t think he knows what else to call me.”
“And her marriage to Maxwell Shepherd—how is that being handled?” She inquires.
“Handled?” My agitation grows by the minute.
“I’d rather not comment”—Mitch shoots a glance toward the house—“but I will say, we’re working with a great psychologist.”
“Thank you so much for your time, Mitch. We’re all so glad you’re back home where you belong, safe and with your family. It’s been a pleasure.” She extends her hand to him before returning her attention to the camera. “Fascinating story. We’ll be back in just a moment.”
“Nice.” I sag into the sofa and close my eyes. “You think he ever once considered what this might do to our already skittish investors? And you can kiss the European market goodbye.”
Lee bites her lower lip as if she knows it’s probably worse than the rosy outlook I’ve painted.