Deliciously Obedient by Julia Kent

would stalk off the second it rang.
    Secretly,
she loved that he took the time to just be a peaceful presence with
her. But she couldn’t tell him that back then.
    As
the silence deepened, she relaxed into it, the scent of the ocean
filling her nose and lungs, cool and salty, the smell of home. Coffee
finished, she bounced her legs against the stones and just watched
the waves.
    “ You
know I love you, Lydia.” Pete’s voice came out gravelly, and when
she turned she caught a tear in the corner of one eye. He wiped it
away and looked at her with a trembling smile.
    “ I
love you too, Dad.” Pete wrapped his arm around her shoulders and
she pulled into the hug, his aftershave the same, her daddy
unchanging, secure and, like the ocean—home.

    Jeremy
woke up alone. In a giant wet spot. And cold.
    It
wasn’t the first time it had happened, but the last time had been
six years ago, in a Malaysian youth hostel, asleep on a wood pallet
on the floor, and he’d pissed himself in his sleep.
    This
time was decidedly better.
    No
Lydia. Where had she gone? No note, no sound of rumbling around, no
gurgling of a coffee maker. Just the cold air, the wet sheets, and a
raging morning boner that called out for her.
    Sigh.
    This
whole sex-twice-a-day thing was all too easy to get used to. Now that
his dick had come to expect it, when it wasn’t happening he was at
attention— yes, sir !
    Grumbling,
he pulled the warm covers back and searched the ground for last
night’s clothes, throwing on a very rumpled set of pants and four
layers of shirts, shivering as he made himself a small pot of coffee,
throwing in extra water and grounds in hopes that Lydia would come
back soon and join him for a hot cup of joe and a hotter taste of
Jeremy.
    That
was a threesome he’d enjoy.
    Speaking
of threesomes, where the fuck was Mike? Booting up his computer, he
checked email quickly.
    No
Mike.
    He
checked his phone.
    No
Mike.
    He
almost called Mike’s mom back in Indiana, but paused. Hiding from
the world was Mike’s call. Once he and Lydia were done here and
back in Boston, though, he’d hunt the asshole down and find out
what the fuck he was up to, because disappearing on Lydia and the
world was bad enough.
    Flaking
out on his best friend was inexcusable.
    A
quick look at CNN showed him nothing about Mike, though there was a
small blurb featuring an unmistakeable picture of Diane, toothy and
tight. “Reality Show Confirmed For CEO’s Plaything.”
    Holy
fuck.
    Dodged
a major bullet with that one.
    Lydia
still had no idea—and if Jeremy had his way, she never would—that
Jeremy had brought Diane into this to become a backhanded savior.
Mike, too. Sometimes secrets mattered. Once in a great while, it was
better to save a relationship through deception than truth.
    As
much as it pained him to think that way, he had to live it.
    And
live with the consequences.
    Dressed,
caffeinated and social media-ed out, Jeremy opened the door and
strode with purpose to the rec hall, assuming he’d find Lydia
there.
    No
Lydia, but Sandy was at the cash register and waved as he walked in.
    “ Latte?
I can make you one.”
    “ No,
thank you.” He patted his stomach like an old guy. “I had some
coffee back at the cabin.”
    She
looked confused. “I just saw Lydia go down to the beach with Pete.”
    He
grinned sheepishly. “I slept in. Slacker.”
    Sandy
laughed. “Just enjoying your vacation.”
    Vacation?
He always slept in. But let the woman think whatever she wanted. “I
think I’ll head down there.” Pete he’d gotten to know over the
past few days, but Sandy remained a bit of a mystery. Polite and
kind, she kept her distance, though he had no reason to think she
didn’t like him. Unlike Pete, though, while she was friendly and
effusive with her kids, there was a guardedness in her that made him
stay on his toes around her.
    “ Can
you grab that empty barrel and take it down for me? Someone dragged
it up by accident and if we don’t leave it