forgotten a thing.
Exquisite pleasure builds, a rolling thunderstorm before the torrent is released. I twist the sheets until one edge jerks free of the mattress and lightning explodes across my vision.
“Simon!” I manage to temper my volume at the last second to keep from waking the kids. Ecstasy cascades over me as Simon carries me over the edge and far past it.
He doesn’t surge up right away after I’m done. His lips feather across one thigh, then the other, before he leisurely makes his way back up my body.
I widen my legs, ready to have him inside. But he pauses over me, his weight held off me.
“Remember the time in my dorm?”
We had sex a lot in the dorms, but I know exactly which time he’s talking about. We’d just started sleeping together and went at it as often as possible. He was nothing like my clunky high school boyfriend. Simon studied my body as thoroughly as he prepared for exams—long hours for as many days as possible.
One time, we fell asleep, spooned together in a little twin bed. When we woke, he rolled me on my side, with my top leg higher, and we had sex. That position hit all the right spots at the right times in a way that hadn’t happened before. I went wild bucking against him and we broke the box spring. I used my birthday money to help replace it.
After that, our cost-conscious selves were cautious about using the position.
“We know this bed can take it,” I reply.
He puts me in the same position and pushes in. Our groans mingle. There’s nothing like being filled by my husband.
This isn’t like the rest of the night has been. He doesn’t take his time. Thrust after thrust, he stokes my pleasure like only he knows how, like only he’ll ever know how, until I crest again and press my face into the mattress to muffle my cries.
He jerks his hips and grinds out my name as he comes. The only downside to this position is that I can’t hold him while he climaxes. But once he’s done, he withdraws and collapses next to me, curling me into him.
“The bed’s a mess,” he mumbles.
I giggle. “Good thing we took our showers first.”
“Solid planning, Mrs. Gainesworth.”
My smile wavers. I thought of him as my husband, but the ex part is still there. Yet, I don’t want to rain melancholy on this moment. “Good thing you’re here, Mr. Gainesworth.”
I wiggle away from him and dip into the bathroom and clean up. By the time I’m done the bed is made. He has a towel slung around his hips and an apologetic smile.
He scratches the back of his neck. “I, uh, don’t want to go, but…”
“The girls.” Finding him in bed with me would make them ask harder questions.
He nods and drifts closer. Tipping my chin up, he gives me a sweet goodnight kiss. “Sleep tight, Natalie.”
“Goodnight, Simon.”
He leaves the door open when he goes. We never wanted to be closed off from the girls with their rooms across the house. Tonight, I don’t want to be shut off from Simon.
Soon. If things keep going this well, he’ll be going to bed with me every night again—and if he’s really changing his ways, it’ll stay that way.
Chapter 14
Natalie
The agreed-upon arrangement regarding Simon staying at the house lasted one whole week before Wednesday nights and every other weekend turned into him staying at the house every night.
I can’t complain.
He’s usually home by the time I have to tuck the girls in, and he’s kept his Wednesday workload from encroaching on his normally scheduled night with the girls and I’ve been able to keep my personal training appointments.
Once the girls are tucked in, I get almost no work done. Simon and I sneak everywhere in the house where we can close and lock a door. The sex is off the charts. I wake up sore in the mornings from whatever position he bent me over in the night before.
I puff my hair out of my face.
It’s Friday and the Fourth of July is on Monday. My parents are messaging me about our plans and whether we want to go over there for the day.
I haven’t told them about Simon yet. The girls talk about him, but haven’t mentioned that their dad’s staying with us full-time. I think Mom and Dad suspect something’s changed in our post-divorce schedule.
Simon’s not home from work yet and I just kicked the girls outside. I slip onto