Introduction:

Jeremy cements his relationship with his wife's best friend

[[[-RECOLLECTIONS17.TXT-]]]


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Recollections
Written by: Kaadorix

M/F, F/F and a whole lot more
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Chapter 17: "Merissa"
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-*- Friday, November 7, 2014 -*-
-*- Leawood, Kansas -*-


(Three Years Ago // Flashback)


Carrying Cooper, my precious son with Alexa at ten months
old (just two days shy of it, technically), I stepped into
the public library here in lovely and quaint Leawood, Kansas.
This venerable institution, the _Leawood Pioneer Library_,
was a respected temple to literature and a valuable source of
knowledge and information. I took a look around just inside
the entrance and marveled at how much libraries had changed
in the past 20 or 25 years, especially since I used to
frequent them as a high school student back during the 1990's.

Where was the card catalogue system? Everything seemed to
rely on computer terminals and technology now. The checkout
desk wasn't just automated, but it was actually self-serve.
I harkened back to Mrs. Patterson, the old lady who was the
librarian at my high school back in the day. She had been
about a hundred years old when I was a kid - or so I thought -
and she ran that school library with an iron fist. Those
bony fingers wielded the library stamp like it was a lethal
weapon. Not many classmates I had seemed to like her, either.

Fortunately, the woman - the librarian - seated behind the
information kiosk now did not remind me of Mrs. Patterson at
all. In fact, the woman seated there now, her fingers moving
over the keyboard as she conversed with an elderly gentleman,
had long swirls of caramel-brown hair that were beautifully
pinned above her head. A set of dazzling, pearly-white teeth
gleamed as she seemed immersed in the conversation with the
older man. She had a bouncy personality and a sweet voice,
an elegant, timeless face and a slender, athletic body.

Cooper wiggled about in my arms, so I gently rocked and
bounced my son as I snuck off to the side, just behind the
corner wall. I did not want the librarian to notice me yet.
I wanted to watch her for a bit, in her work environment.

Yet I knew that librarian quite well - in more ways than
one - to be honest. I watched her as she stopped typing and
picked up a pen to write something on a piece of paper, then
handed it across the desk to the elderly gentleman.

The man, probably in his 80s, nodded his gratitude. "By
the way, Annette wanted me to tell you that our granddaugter,
Kaitlyn, is expecting again."

"This will be her fourth, won't it?"

"Fourth and fifth," he corrected her, smiling.

Merissa's eyebrows arched high. "Twins?" When the man
nodded, the woman who shared a bed with my wife and I smiled
brightly at him. "Congratulations to all of you! Wow, that
is wonderful news! Tell Kaitlyn I am very happy for her!"

"I keep waiting for the day when you have some big news
of your own to share with me."

Merissa grinned yet again. "Didn't I just tell you that
the library finally got the latest Brian Stavely book this
morning? There's still copies of it on the shelf now."

The man shook his head. "Marriage plans, Merissa." I had
to suppress a chuckle at those words. I was still hiding
somewhat, and Merissa had yet to notice that I was even here.
I liked what the elderly patron was thinking. I agreed with
him! He thought that Merissa needed to get married.

After four months of being highly intimate with Merissa
and nearly the whole year thus far having her live in our
home, Alexa and I were seriously contemplating the idea of
asking Merissa to marry us. A very unique and perhaps
controversial idea, yes, but it just seemed right. The three
of us got along wonderfully and, with each passing day,
watching the delicate fingers of love lace themselves around
Alexa and Merissa's collective hearts convinced me more and
more that these two ladies simply belonged together. Alexa
and Merissa were born to be together.

"You've been with Annette for close to 60 years now. I
don't see you giving her up to run away and marry me."

The old man's face flushed red. "61!" he said proudly.
"And I most certainly did not mean me. You need to find a
good, caring young man to put a wedding ring on your finger
and then give you some beautiful babies of your own."

Merissa smiled. "Until that happens, Vin, I only ask that
you keep bringing me pictures of your gorgeous grandbabies."

"I most definitely will," he promised.

"Great! In the meantime," Merissa said, picking up a flyer
from the counter, "I hope you are planning on attending our
annual Book and Bake Sale on November 15th. Next Saturday."

"It is on the calendar at home in big, bold letters. And
Annette intends on donating a couple of dozen muffins."

"Hmmmmm," Merissa purred. "I'm getting hungry already.
You have no idea how much I love freshly-baked muffins!"

The elderly man finally ventured off and the line moved
forward. For the first time, Merissa actually noticed that I
was here, and that I had my son, Cooper, with me. Merissa
offered me a shy smile and tucked a strand of loose hair
behind her ear. Yet, I was second as I took my place in line.
There was a young lady ahead of me, definitely a teen-ager.

"Hey, Miss [Last Name]."

Merissa smiled at the youngster. "Hey, Olivia. Seems that
you would be at cheerleading practice this time of day."

The girl, perhaps no older than 15 or 16, shook her head.
"I have a history project that I am working on, and I really
need to get a good grade. It's due on Monday. My teacher
says that it could make or break my overall grade for the
semester, so I skipped cheerleading practice to come here."

"What's your topic?"

"Bleeding Kansas and the Missouri Border War," she said.
Oh wow; that brought back some long dormant memories for me.
I remembered researching during high school what many local
historians believed was the precursor, the starting point,
of the Civil War in the United States during the mid-1800's.

"Would you like to sign onto one of the computers?"

"No, Mr. Lincoln wants us to use real sources - actual
paper books, old newspaper articles, so we can use them as
references, and not rely on the Internet for a quick fix."

"Nonfiction is upstairs," Merissa told her. "Why don't you
go up there? I'll alert Elisabeth, whose in charge up there,
that you're on your way and you're in search of books and any
old news clippings on Bleeding Kansas and its border war."

"Thanks Miss [Last Name]! You're a life saver."

After the girl meandered off toward the elevator, Merissa
made a telephone call, presumably to the librarian upstairs,
to tell her of the impending arrival. Then, with no one in
line behind me, Merissa took a moment to reach out and take
Cooper from my arms, and cuddle with him right at the kiosk.

"Hi, honey!" she swooned at Cooper. "What a surprise! Oh,
I have missed you so much today. Yeah, yeah, I know. I know.
I get off of work soon, and we will go home and play. We'll
hang out with Daddy too, and play with him! I bet you've had
a really fun day hanging out with Daddy, haven't you? Yeah,
Daddy didn't have to work today. You've been with him all
day! Mommy went to visit Grandpa and Grandma, didn't she? Oh,
don't worry... Mommy will be back home with us later tonight."
Merissa hugged Cooper to her and flashed me a warm, glittering
smile. "Hi, Jeremy. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for... what is it called... Baby Book Time?"

Merissa's smile grew even wider. "Really?"

"You've finally convinced me."

"Outstanding! Hopefully, you bring Cooper to it from now
on. Baby Book Time is on the upper floor, and it starts in
20 minutes in the Blue Bird Room." She handed Cooper back to
me, but not before showering him with kisses and earning an
appreciative round of laughs from him. "Now if you'll excuse
me, Jeremy, I need to check on something upstairs. Work duty
calls." Merissa serenaded Cooper with kisses yet again.
"Oooooh, I love you, handsome! I love you so much! I'll see
you soon, sweetie. We will play together later tonight." That
was doubtful. It would be bedtime for Cooper in three hours.

As Merissa got up from the desk and walked away, I found
myself admiring the tantalizing curve of her backside and the
sway of her hips. Not only that, but I also thought that I
would have spent a lot more time in the library as a kid if
there was a librarian like Merissa around to help navigate the
books. Good God, she looked gorgeous in business attire!

Merissa, who had been a devoted patron of this particular
library for literally her entire life, was recently hired on
here as a part-time service assistant. She had been working
as a waitress this past summer, but that job ultimately did not
pan out for her. Merissa then applied for a position at the
library when an opening was available and was accepted.
Merissa was a natural for the job, combining her outstanding
social skills and an unrivaled love for reading.

Since she was Cooper's self-appointed nanny while Alexa
and I worked at our own jobs throughout the week, Merissa's
hours at the library were perfect. She only worked on Friday
and Saturday (two of my three days off from my doctor's job),
so I was always there to keep an eye on Cooper when Merissa
could not. On Saturdays, Alexa was generally off of work
(unless she was asked to go in for overtime) and we generally
made it a point to spend as much time with Cooper as possible.

Merissa did not have any aspirations of forging a career at
the library because she had went to college and earned a degree
in Business Administration and post-secondary certificates in
paralegal studies and advanced word processing skills. In
other words, Merissa ultimately wanted to become a paralegal
secretary. The job market for that was slow at the moment,
though, but she continued to look in her spare time for the
right law firm to apply to and hopefully be hired on at. But
there was no rush, and Alexa and I wanted Merissa to find the
perfect place to work. We were not hurting for money at all.

My live-in girlfriend (and hopefully future wife) was in
the process of getting to know all of the library's regular
patrons (such as the elderly gentleman and the very young,
teen-aged girl she had just spoken to). And, as I had
witnessed first-hand, Merissa was not just learning about
their reading habits and preferences, but was getting to know
some of them on a more personal level. That was quite good,
actually; it allowed Merissa to showcase her cheerful, friendly
demeanor in a setting (the library) that was perfect for her.
After all, she was a voracious reader. She and Alexa grew up
together, just houses apart, with a shared love of books.

By the time I found the Blue Bird Room in the upstairs
level of the library, there were several other parents and
young children already there. In addition to all of her
duties as a service assistant at the library, Merissa led the
stories, songs and games during Baby Book Time every Friday
afternoon. She had been recently prodding me to bring my
little son, Cooper, in for one of the sessions.

Merissa nodded my way and motioned toward an empty place
in the circle. "Have a seat."

Yet, there were no seats. No chairs. All of the mothers -
and yes, they were ALL mothers - were sitting on the lush,
brown carpet with a little baby in tow. I immediately felt
awkward and lowered myself to the floor, yet winced when I
first tried to cross my legs. I was getting old in a hurry!

"Did you bring your pillow?"

"Pillow?" I echoed to Merissa. She had told me nothing
about a pillow. Yet all of the mothers present had a big,
fluffy pillow underneath their respective babies.

"I've got an extra pillow you can borrow," Merissa said,
retrieving a huge pink square with massive flower designs
embroidered all over it. Oh boy; I grimaced as I took the
pillow and put it on the floor, then set Cooper down on top
of it and helped hold him in place. A pink pillow? Really?
Cooper looked up and smiled at Merissa, and even clapped his
hands. He was ready for the instructional class to begin.

Baby Book Time, as it had been explained to me, was for
infants up to 18 months of age. Looking around, I guessed
that my son was one of the youngest in the room. A quick
glance told me that all of the mothers were of various ages,
too. Yet most of them had one thing in common. They were
checking out the lone adult male in the room... me.

Over the next 30 minutes, I learned that Merissa had much
more patience than I had ever given her credit for. Even
when there were multiple babies crying and/or screaming,
Merissa continued to read or sing in the same soothing,
relaxed tone. Halfway through the session, she took a bin
of plastic instruments out of the storage closet and passed
it around so the babies could pound on drums, jingle bells,
or bang sticks together. Needless to say, the little ones
had much more enthusiasm than talent.

"This was a lot of fun today," Merissa told the group when
the session was over. "I'll see you all next Friday. Also,
please do not forget the annual Book and Bake Sale on the
15th. That is next Saturday, the day after. Any donations
you can provide would be greatly appreciated."

Despite the class being over, many of the mothers did not
seem to be in a hurry to leave. They chatted amongst one
another about feeding and nap schedules, as well as teething
issues and diaper horror stories.

Cooper had become a bit animated toward the end of the
session, and I now rocked and coddled him in my arms as I
continued to sit on the floor. Meanwhile, the woman who
had been seated to my right during the class nudged a bit
closer. "Hi, I'm Laura [Last Name]. And this," she said
to me, jiggling a baby in her lap, "is Marianne."

"Jeremy," I simply retorted, with a friendly nod. "This
little guy here is Cooper, my son."

"You're a very brave man to subject yourself to a baby
class full of women," she said, smiling. "In fact, you're
the first father that I've ever seen come to this class."

"It was very... fun."

"I hope you continue to come and be part of the group.
It would be so nice to have another single parent to talk
to, to confide in." Wait. A single parent? Laura thought
that I was a single parent? "Most of these women do not
have any clue how difficult it is to raise a child on their
own. I did not know, either, until I had Marianne. All
throughout my pregnancy, I was so confident and sure that I
could handle this. But the idea of having a baby is a lot
different than the actual reality of having one."

"Very true," I nodded, though I was trying to tune her out.
Off to the side, I noticed Merissa talking to one of the other
mothers as she cleaned the plastic toys and instruments with
disinfectant wipes. Since the babies shared the toys, it was
good they were sanitized. I needed Merissa to come and rescue
me from this single momzilla. Laura was flirting with me!

"It helps that I have a flexible schedule at work," she
added, trying her best to stir up a discussion. "What type
of work do you do, Jeremy? I bet you are a businessman."

"Doctor, actually. An internist."

Merissa waved goodbye to the other woman and her baby, then
carried the bin of instruments back to the storage closet.

"Would you like to go down the street and grab a cup of
coffee with me?" Laura asked, her voice expectant.

I forced myself to look back at her, unhappy with the
hopeful expression upon her face. For six years prior to
meeting Alexa back in 2010, I lived alone in my huge and
spacious home, and I would have given anything for a woman
like Laura to ask me out on a date. Anything at all!

I had originally bought the house in 2003 specifically for
my ex-fiancee (Suzi) so we could eventually start a family
together one day. Obviously, that did not work out. But
living by myself in such a large residence for all those
pre-Alexa years, I knew what it was like to be lonely, to
have that massive void. Yet times were different now. My
life was very, very different than it used to be. And I
certainly did not have any room for another woman in my life.
I had two already! "Sorry, but I need to get Cooper home."

Laura pouted, much the same way Alexa did when she did not
get what she wanted, but the look wasn't nearly as cute or
endearing on Laura as it was when my wife did it. Go figure.

"Well, perhaps we can get the kids together sometime. A
play-date for Marianne and Cooper - and you and me."

"Laura," Merissa grinned with a suspicious, yet mischievous
look, as she approached us. "I see you've met my husband."

The woman's face turned red with embarrassment. "Your...
husband? Oh, my." Merissa? I was her husband? A white lie,
but a good one. Laura was even more embarrassed now, yet I
could tell that there were signs of disappointment too. "I
did not know that Jeremy was your husband." The falsehood
from Merissa definitely served its purpose. I did not want
to shoot the woman down, break her heart. Yet Laura looked at
me, her eyes flaring. "You told me you were a single parent!"

I scoffed at her. "Umm... no, I didn't." And with that,
Laura huffed and stormed off with her young child in a tizzy.

Unable to resist laughing, Merissa raised a playful eyebrow
at me. "Looking to add another woman to the family, Jeremy?
You know Lexi and I aren't interested in other girls at all."

"Umm... no. That woman came onto me. And I most certainly
did not tell her that I'm a single parent." I handed Merissa
the big pink pillow. "Thanks for the loan. My favorite color."

"I thought it would suit you," she smirked, teasing me.
"Thank you for bringing Cooper to the class today. I hope you
will continue to do this for me in the future."

"I will."

"Good," Merissa grinned.

I glanced at my wristwatch momentarily. "You are off work
in 25 minutes? At five o'clock?" When she nodded at me, I
added, "Could you sneak away with me for a cup of coffee at
the diner down the street?" I had absolutely zero interest
in sharing a hot beverage with single momzilla, yet would
love to with Merissa, whom I was very madly in love with.
"Maybe we should grab dinner there. The food is good, too."

"No, I can't. I'm working, Jeremy. I just cannot decide
to leave my job 25 minutes early, no matter how much you want
me to. The work I do matters to the people who come here."

"I know," I relented, smiling. "I'll just hang out until
it's time for you to leave, and we can go home together. Lexi
says that she will be home from helping her mom and dad out in
Overland Park by no later than nine o'clock." I paused for a
moment before adding, "There is one thing I need, though."

"What's that?"

"A library card."

Merissa stared at me for a moment, trying to decide if I
was joking or not. "YOU want a library card?"

"I assume I need one to borrow books?"

"You do," she confirmed.

"So where do I get a card?"

"You hardly read anything outside of medical documents and
journals, Jeremy, and what little you actually do read, you
do it online. Not with books."

"I want a library card."

Merissa eyed me with a sneaking suspicion. She probably
realized that all I actually wanted was an excuse to spend a
little time with her. Why waste 25 minutes doing anything
else, simply waiting for her shift to end? "Follow me."

I did, and with each step, I was conscious of Merissa beside
me - not just her presence but her unparalleled beauty. The
23-year-old was the type of woman who made heads turn and hearts
flutter. Just being near her made my skin feel hot and tight.
I considered myself extremely fortunate to have her in my life.

Taking a seat at the aforementioned information kiosk,
Merissa logged in to create a new account. I withdrew my
driver's license out of my wallet so she could input the
necessary data. I looked at it while she did her thing and
offered myself some quick reminders. My middle name was
Michael and I would not turn 41 until the early part of
next year. The license also indicated that I lived in
Lake Quivira, my favorite little town in the entire region.

"When was the last time that you read an actual book?"
Merissa inquired. "Not from an e-reader or on a website,
but an actual, honest-to-goodness, physical book."

"Two weeks ago."

"Oh really? Which book was it?"

"_The Silkworm_ by Robert Galbraith."

She looked up from the computer screen. "Robert Galbraith?
YOU read a Robert Galbraith book?"

"What's so surprising about that?"

Merissa shrugged. "Do you even know who Robert Galbraith
is? He is actually a she; her name is Joanne Rowling, and
she is a British novelist. Robert Galbraith is one of her
pen names. Another pen name she uses is J.K. Rowling."

"Author of the _Harry Potter_ fantasy series?"

Merissa nodded her head. "Her genre of writing... seems a
little off from your tastes." By this time, Cooper had lost
the battle to keep his eyes open. My son was sleeping quite
comfortably hitched up in my right arm. "Here," Merissa said,
handing the identification card back to me. "All I needed
was your driver's license number. I think I know the rest,
such as your full name, address, birth date, whatnot."

"I would hope so," I playfully teased her. "So, my dear,
what are YOU reading now?"

"Anything and everything," she responded. "I have my list
of favorite authors, of course, but I'm trying to read as much
as I can these days to be able to make recommendations to the
patrons here at the library." She set my newly minted library
card on the counter along with a pen for me to sign it.

"You're very dedicated for someone who only works here two
days a week," I observed, jotting down my signature.

Merissa chuckled lightly. "Well, you know me. I've always
been very serious and thorough in everything I've done."

"You're as meticulous as they come," I agreed.

"Congratulations," she then said. "You're now an official
card-carrying member of the _Leawood Pioneer Library_."

"Thank you." I picked up one of the flyers advertising
the forthcoming Book and Bake Sale along with a monthly
schedule of classes and activities, then slid both into the
side pocket of Cooper's diaper bag. "I'm going to be waiting
for you, Merissa, right over there." I pointed toward a plush
reading chair no more than 15 feet from the information kiosk.
More importantly, very close to Merissa, so I could keep an eye
on her, watch her. "Let's have that coffee at five o'clock
when you get off of work. Grab some food, too."

* * *

The chilly November wind blew through my hair as I stood
in the parking lot just outside the library and watched the
sun make its slow descent beyond the horizon. My hands were
hot and clammy, despite the 26-degree temperature. With Cooper
safe and secure in the backseat of my 2015 _Chevrolet Camaro_,
my stomach swam in circles as I watched Merissa make her way
from the library over to the car. The hem of her elegant and
stylish red coat, which was belted at the waist, swayed in the
breeze. How could Merissa look even more beautiful every time
I saw her? Her natural curls blew across her face, and she
laughed as she tried unsuccessfully to tame them with a hand.

"They have a mind of their own," she joked.

"They're gorgeous. You are gorgeous." I kissed Merissa on
the lips, once, twice. Then I could not help it. I pulled her
closer and let my passion lead me into another blissful kiss.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm sorry, but..."

"It's okay, Jeremy," she assured me.

I admired Merissa and her vast beauty as she slid into the
passenger seat of my brand new car. Why did it feel like I
was taking the hottest and most popular girl in town to the
prom? Contemplating that thought, I stood in the brisk cold,
watching Merissa smooth her skirt underneath the long coat.
My heart swelled and I felt heat bursting all throughout me.

Merissa turned to pull her seat belt across her chest and
caught me staring. She wrinkled her forehead in question. I
hurried over to the driver's side as my smartphone beeped.
It was another random, off-the-wall text message from Alexa,
one of her specialties as of late.

_I may have spilled flaming hot Cheetos on your side of
the bed earlier today. So don't sleep naked tonight, okay?_

Chuckling, I shook my head and sent Alexa a very simple,
four letter response. _Lord._

Still smiling, I hopped into the driver's side and we made
the short trip down the street to the aforementioned diner.
Insisting that she be the one to hold Cooper, I placed my hand
on Merissa's lower back and immediately felt her body tense
once we got out of the car and began walking toward the diner.
I removed my hand and hoped the cozy environment would settle
her nerves after a long (and most likely tiring) day at work.

Even with Cooper hitched in one arm, Merissa pulled open
the door before I could even reach for it, and as I reached
above her to hold the door, she had already walked in.

"This is cute. I've never been here before." She smiled at
the brunette hostess. "Hi. A table for two, please? Three I
suppose, if you count the little guy here." Merissa splayed a
series of angel kisses all along Cooper's forehead.

The hostess, Isabella, smiled, then furrowed her eyebrows at
me. I quickly recalled that I had just been in this diner last
Saturday for a mid-day lunch after Alexa, Cooper and I had paid
Merissa a surprise visit at the library. Isabella, the
hostess, clearly remembered me and probably wondered what I
was doing here right now with a completely different woman
than the one I was with last week, yet still the same baby.

"Good afternoon ma'am. Sir, it's nice to see you again."

"You too, Isabella." I prided myself in being a proper
gentleman. But I was at the point in my life where I
finally felt secure and content, and I simply did not care
what others thought about me (or my decisions) outside of my
inner circle. Let the hostess think that I was a womanizing
player who had one woman draped all over me last Saturday, yet
another right now, if she so desired. Quite frankly, what she
thought really did not matter or have any bearings on my life.

Yet in reality, Merissa was not the type of woman to drape
herself over anyone - not me, not even Alexa.

She and I followed Isabella to a table and when I pulled out
a chair for Merissa, I looked up and realized that she was
already sitting down across from where I held the chair. I
tilted my head in question as she snuggled and bounced my ten
month old son in her arms, but she did not seem to notice that
either as she glanced around the diner. Was Merissa truly
that oblivious to my gentlemanly efforts? Did her ex-fiance
(the dreaded Grayson) never treat her like a true lady?

I handed her a menu. "What's your pleasure?"

"I'll just have a vanilla latte." She set the menu down.

"Then a vanilla latte it will be." I flagged the waitress.

"Good evening, sir. Good evening, ma'am." The young
waitress smiled at Cooper, then focused on Merissa again.
"Awwwww, he's so adorable. How old is your son?"

Merissa giggled, clearly amused at the implication from
the waitress that she was Cooper's mother. "He's two days
from being ten months old." She hugged Cooper and twirled
him about in her arms. "Oh, I love him so much!"

"What can I get for you fine folks?"

"I'll have a vanilla latte."

"I will take a lemon poppy-seed muffin and a black coffee
to start," was my response.

The flickering flames of the nearby fireplace provided
light and warmth, and the private, comfortable table offered
an intimate and romantic atmosphere. I relaxed into my chair
across from Merissa and Cooper once our drinks were delivered
and set my muffin on the table between us.

"I have some time off coming up in a few weeks, at the
start of December," I gently offered. "The only time I've
missed this year at work was the two weeks after Cooper was
born in January, and a few days after the accident back in
May when I broke my wrist, and my car was totaled. Lexi is
forcing me to take a vacation the week of December 7th."

"Oh, nice." Merissa crossed her legs beneath the table and
I felt the tip of her high-heeled shoe touch my leg. Her brown
eyes quickly widened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kick you."

"It's okay. Sometimes I deserve to be kicked. Ask Lexi."

Merissa covered her face with a hand and gently laughed.
"Oh, don't say that, Jeremy."

The waitress returned to the table and offered my coffee cup
a hearty fill-up. "Can I get you folks something to eat?"

"Merissa? Would you like dinner?"

"Oh..." She lowered her eyes from me to her vanilla latte.
"No, thank you. This is more than enough for right now."
Merissa lifted her steaming mug and took a sip.

"Give me a few more moments to look at the menu," I told
the waitress. "I'll probably get one of the club sandwiches."

"This is delicious," Merissa purred.

"I'm glad you like it." I held up my own cup. "To you. I
am glad that you found a job at the library doing something
that you love, even if it is just temporary." We clinked mugs.

"Cooper is really sleepy," Merissa observed, watching him
all but fade in and out within her arms. "We should get him
home soon so he can nap and relax in peace."

"We will," I nodded.

"So what type of vacation policy do you have at work,
Jeremy?" she inquired. "I mean, it's your business and you
own it. You're a doctor. I'm certain that sick patients do
not take a vacation when you do. How does that work?"

"You are right. Sicknesses and illnesses, diseases, do
not pay attention to my schedule. Even when I am on vacation,
or simply away from work, I review electronic health records on
the Internet, look at labs, refill medications, answer e-mails
and texts. You see that every night while I am home, Merissa."

"It seems like a lot of pressure..."

I shrugged my shoulders at her. "It is. A lot of times, I
feel guilty. I feel guilty that I work nine, 10, 11 hour days
when Cooper is at that special age only once in his life. I
feel guilty that I forgot my sister's wedding anniversary a few
weeks ago because I was too busy worrying about my patients. I
feel guilty that I cannot do more for those patients with
difficult diagnoses or limited resources. There is an insane,
tremendous amount of pressure from every angle when it comes
to my line of work. And yet, I feel the most guilty when I
take time off - vacation time - from the practice."

"Seems you may go crazy without it, though, from the stress."

I smiled again. "Which is why Lexi is forcing me to take my
final vacation in December before the year is over. Routinely,
to answer your question, I allot myself four weeks of vacation
every year. This year, I guess it will be three-and-a-half.
Even so, I'll still be on the computer looking at records and
putting plenty of study time in during my vacation. Medicine
is rapidly evolving, as is science, and I need to stay on top
of everything to provide the best care for my patients."

Merissa sighed and leaned forward. The edge of her foot
rubbed against my leg again, but if she noticed, she did not
react. I was hyperaware, however, of her sexy, delicate foot
touching my calf and sliding down it.

"Sometimes you come home with a dazed look on your face,"
she frowned, shrugging off her coat and taking another sip of
her latte. "Lexi says it is because you are still thinking
about what you could do for a certain patient, why the nurse
did not understand your simple orders, which consultant you
should call next. It just seems... you need time off." She
leaned back and her foot slid up and then down my calf again.
"It's good you get three days off every week, at least,
although you spend several hours at the hospital some Fridays."

I forced myself to focus on what she said instead of the
heated sparks her foot was causing. "I haven't done that since
you took your job at the library. Can't with Cooper. But I do
worry a lot. Yet being married to Lexi and now having Cooper,
and even you in my life, I've mellowed out a lot from what I
used to be like. The third day away from the office each week
really helps. It helps keep my sanity, I suppose."

As Merissa spoke, she pulled clips from her hair. "You
definitely deserve some time off, a true vacation. I'm glad
that Lexi is forcing you to take one." Merissa's hair tumbled
down over her shoulders - tousled in _just had a good roll in
the sack_ kind of way - to the middle of her breasts.

Holy hell, Merissa was breathtaking! How could she shift
so easily from prim and proper librarian to sultry seductress?
I averted my eyes to keep her from reading my lewd thoughts.

"Myself, I've had TOO much time off from working this year,"
Merissa pouted. "All those weeks I spent in the hospital
because of what Grayson did to me, the long recovery afterward.
Working at that bar in the summer while trying to find something
in my field, now the library, just part-time. How could my last
boss not like me talking to customers at a bar? I mean, people
come into bars to unload, you know?" Merissa unbuttoned the top
two buttons of her blouse, taking her from luscious, dazzling
covergirl to holy mother of all things sexy.

Merissa had to know what she was doing to me, right? Yet her
eyes were still serious and not at all remotely sexual. How in
the hell was she doing this? I had no earthly idea. Most women
spent years practicing what obviously came so naturally to her.

"Oh, that's better. Much less stuffy. You should take your
coat and tie off, Jeremy. Relax. It's really warm in here."

Wow. If Merissa and I were on a date - and not as close as
we actually were - what she had just said was usually a show
of hand that she was interested. Very interested. Yet again,
Merissa did not seem to have any clue. She was not the type of
girl, quite bluntly, to intentionally put out on the first date.
Not that this was our first date, though...

Of course, she did not give me any time to respond. "Some
of the customers at that bar had heavy stuff going on in their
lives. Divorces, family illnesses, simply down on their luck.
Talking seemed to help get them in a much better frame of mind."

"So you were too empathetic, too much of a good listener, for
your customers at the bar? Did it hold you up from serving
others?" I rubbed the muscles at the back of my neck that had
begun to knot. In recent months, I was starting to become more
and more protective of Merissa; almost to the point where I was
with Alexa. I did not like the idea of anyone disrespecting
Merissa or telling her that she was doing a bad job.

"Goodness, no. I can multitask easily. My boss at the bar
was just a jerk. I could not stand working for him any longer.
That's why I put my two weeks notice in back in July and quit."

"Anyway," I said, "getting back to that vacation thing. Lexi
is forcing me to take off the week of December 7th. You're in
our lives now, Merissa, and we obviously want you to stay."

She held my gaze at those words just long enough for the
space between us to sizzle, before dropping her eyes. "As do
I. I want to stay too, and build a life with you and Lexi.
I... I'm happier right now than I've ever been before."

"Anyway," I repeated, "Lexi and I have been talking, and we
think it would be a cool idea to take a family road trip over
to Atlanta for that entire week so you could visit your mom
and two brothers. You deserve time with your family."

"Really?" Merissa could not keep the surprise, the sudden
rush of happiness, from her voice. "You actually want to go
on vacation to Atlanta, so I can see my family?" She clenched
her jaw, presumably to keep any further emotions in check.
"And Lexi wants to go, too? Cooper?"

"You're family now," I informed her. "You're family, and
we love you. You need to see your mom, Rick and Colton. I
actually need to MEET your mom. You have told her about us -
Lexi and me - what the three of us have together."

"I would LOVE to go to Georgia and be able to spend an
entire week with my family!" Merissa gushed. "Wow, thank
you, Jeremy. But I... Mom is so confused right now with
everything that is going on between me, you and Lexi. She
does not understand how I can be so heavily involved with a
married couple. It's really... confusing to her. She says
it is not right to be fooling around with married people."

"Maybe you should marry us then," I playfully nudged her.
"Perhaps that would put an end to your mother's confusion."
I then smiled as the heat of a blush rushed up her cheeks.
"It's only a ten hour drive to Atlanta, right?" She coyly
nodded at me as I continued, "Would be a fun trip. We could
stay in a nice hotel and do some sightseeing. Plus, the
weather will be much nicer there than here late in the year."

"Mom says it's 60, 70 degrees there in December."

"We can talk about it sometime this weekend with Lexi," I
advised her. "But make no mistake, Merissa. We want to go
to Georgia. You're a part of this family now, too."

Merissa pouted. "My older brother, Rick... he says that
he never thought that Lexi and I would turn out to be
lesbians." She closed her eyes and shook her head, clearly
full of frustration. "Rick just doesn't understand..."

"You're not a lesbian," I reiterated for the umpteenth time.
"You're not even bi-sexual. You're simply in love with Lexi
because of who she is, what she has meant to you over the
years. It just so happens that she is a girl, a woman, just
like you. But that doesn't mean that you're bi-sexual.
You're just... Lexi-sexual. You're also in love with me."

She smiled. "Oh, yes. I'm definitely in love with you.
And I'm Lexi-sexual? Hmmmmm. I like that."

Instead of ordering food, I asked the waitress for our
check. There was nothing wrong with the diner, of course,
but since Merissa was not in the mood to eat quite yet and
Cooper was having difficulty staying awake, I figured that
it would be best that we leave. I paid for our drinks and
the lone muffin, but this time when we reached the door, I
made sure I got there first and held it open for Merissa.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure." I settled my hand on the curve of her
back and felt her tense beneath my touch yet again.

We waited by the curb to cross the road toward the diner's
parking lot. An elderly man stood with a cane, squinting in
the direction of the crosswalk sign. When the street light
changed, indicating it was time to cross, the man remained
still. I was about to ask him if he needed assistance when
Merissa tapped his shoulder.

"One second," she whispered, handing Cooper over to me.
She moved beside the old man. "Sir? Are you crossing? The
light has changed."

The elderly gentleman looked back at her with a confused
gaze, but suddenly his eyes widened. "Yes. Yes, I am."

Merissa walked with him, protectively holding one of his
arms as they crossed the street. When they got to the other
side, the man thanked her, and Merissa rejoined Cooper and
yours truly without a word.

"That was nice of you."

"What?"

I shook my head. "Helping that man."

"Oh, anyone would do it. If I didn't, you would have."

Would they? I was not quite so sure. I mean, how many
23-year-old women like Merissa would even give a single
thought of doing such a random, simple act of kindness for
someone quite possibly four times her age?

"Let's walk back to the library so you can get your car,"
was my suggestion. "You can even drive Cooper home if you
like. I will follow behind you in my own car. We can have
dinner later, or even wait for Lexi to get home from helping
her mom and dad in Overland Park today."

When Merissa accepted my hand and allowed me to guide her
toward the library, I smiled.

"You're a pretty nice guy," she eventually offered.

"I am?" was my chuckle-filled response. "I'm not quite so
sure that everyone who knows me would agree with you."

She shifted her brown eyes to me with a playful grin.
"Because you're a workaholic or because you're a womanizer?"
I drew back and could not hide my wide-eyed surprise at her
brazen question. Did she really just ask me that? "I saw
you putting the moves on Laura earlier after Baby Book Time."

Now, I was laughing. It was a joke, a good one.

"Did Laura give you the _single parenthood is so much
harder than most people realize_ speech?"

I nodded at her.

"Laura is a very pretty girl and a loving mother, but all
she is looking for is a man to be a father for her child.
That's all she wants. Being in love does not matter to her.
She approaches every man in the library in the 25 to 40 range
unless there is another woman attached to their arm."

I frowned my disapproval. "That's sad."

"There are a lot of lonely people in this world, Jeremy."
Merissa slowed by a grassy knoll underneath the canopy of a
large tree. "Do you mind if we sit for a few minutes? I
like it out here." She tilted her head and smiled. "Cooper
is sleeping. He looks warm and comfy enough in your arms."

Before sitting, Merissa used my shoulder for support and
slipped off her high-heels. She took a seat in the grass
with her knees to one side, shifting the majority of her
weight to one hand on the ground. The grass was a bit frosty
with the frigid temperature, but Merissa did not seem to mind.
Perhaps the high-heels were that uncomfortable for her to
wear, especially after being in them for so long today?

I sat down beside Merissa and kept Cooper tightly bundled
up nice and warm within my arms, my long, heavy trench coat
over him as well. Indeed, he was snoozing again.

"I think the last time I sat in the grass was after
fighting and wrestling with my brothers."

"When you were a kid?"

"No," I laughed. "Hudson and Carl pretty much wrestle
with me whenever the three of us are together."

"Really? How fun. You need to get out to Salt Lake City
to visit Carl again too, Jeremy." An easy smile lifted her
lips and she sighed, seeming much more at ease than earlier.
"I remember when I was growing up, I used to rough-house play
with Rick like that. Wrestle. Sometimes Lexi would help me.
But Rick was older and so much bigger, and he always won."

I thought back to the last time I was together with my two
brothers, at Hudson's house when Carl drove over for a family
reunion this past summer. Merissa, unfortunately, had to
stay home while Alexa, Cooper and I went. I was still trying
to figure out how to explain to my family that there were two
women in my life now - not just one - and I loved them both.

Regardless, Carl jumped me the minute he seen me this past
summer at the reunion, and Hudson was quick to join in on the
fun. We rumbled on Hudson's lawn like wild teen-agers until
we were covered in grass stains and laughing like idiots.
Even Carl's own children said we were immature and crazy, but
it was our _thing_ as brothers. Our quirk.

"I always felt bad for Lexi when we were little," Merissa
sulked. "She would have given anything to have brothers and
sisters to watch over her, grow up with. But Bob and Angela
were SO YOUNG when they had her - 16 and 17, still in high
school - and they could never afford to have another child.
They had to get help from others just to properly raise Lexi."

"Lexi did not NEED any brothers or sisters," I calmly said.
"She's told me that several times. Lexi had you."

Merissa winced. "Lexi did have me, yes, but she never knew
what it was like to grow up with actual brothers and sisters.
Me?" Her voice cracked. "I grew up without my father. Dad
passed away when I was just seven years old."

I inched my fingers over and settled them on top of hers in
the grass. She lifted her eyes to mine. The air between us
heated, but not with the burn of desire, but with something
more spiritual, more ethereal. It tugged at my chest and made
the pit of my stomach churn. My protective urges kicked into
high gear and I reached out with that same hand and cupped her
cheek, my thumb brushing the column of her neck. Her skin was
soft and cool, and I felt her swallow against it. I did not
move to kiss Merissa and make the pain go away, although I badly
wanted to. I simply held her cheek, silently conveying that I
was sorry that her father passed away so young and she had to
grow up without him, and to let her know that she wasn't alone.

"That's what I don't understand about life," Merissa pouted.
"The people we love - the good people - are taken away forever,
yet the ones many of us could live without - like Grayson, for
example - they're still here. Dad was only 40 when he died."

Her words sent a chill down my spine. I was 40 right now.

"It isn't fair!" she screeched. "Everyone I knew in school,
all my friends, they all had both a mother and father. Some of
them may have been divorced, yes, but they were still ALIVE and
generally there for their kids - my friends - whenever needed.
Even if it had to be a phone call to another state."

"I'm sorry, Merissa." I lifted her chin with my index
finger so I could see her eyes. "I cannot pretend to know
exactly what that was like for you growing up. I'm close with
my mom, very close with my dad. I do not even want to think
about how devastating it would be to lose either of them."

She drew her shoulders back. "Thanks, but I'm okay. It
was hard, but you know, Mom was really strong and wonderful,
and kept our family together. She raised us alone, all three
of us. Rick and I have already graduated from college, and
Colton just started his freshman term two months ago. I
think... I think my family has done pretty good for itself."

A genuine smile crossed Merissa's lips and the balls of her
cheeks rose. "I love Mom more than anything. I am so very
thankful to her for everything she did for me and my brothers.
Now that I'm getting older, I'm just now starting to realize
all of the sacrifices she had to make as a single, widowed
parent, having to raise three kids. It blows my mind."

I could barely keep up with the emotional undercurrent,
the torment she had experienced, but damn did I want to.

"Mom and I were always close. I miss her now. I hate it
that she had to move to Georgia because of her job." Yet
Merissa had given up the opportunity earlier this year to move
to Georgia, to be reunited with her mother and two brothers,
because of her friendship with Alexa. And then ultimately,
the love they developed together, and Merissa's new-found,
budding relationship with me. Talk about making sacrifices...

"We definitely need to spend our vacation next month in
Georgia," I nodded. "Lexi has that week off from work, too.
I'm sure just being part-time, the library will give you off.
Especially for a holiday visit out-of-state with family."

"Mom never dated after Dad died, rarely went out with
friends. I remember Bob and Angela - Lexi's parents - had
to drag Mom out of the house to get her to go anywhere with
them. Mom gave up her entire life for me, my two brothers,
and making sure we had the best childhood possible. Mom was
a single parent, just like Laura - the woman from Baby Book
Time - is now. I feel for Laura. I know what she is going
through. Her husband died even before their baby was born."

I narrowed my gaze. "That's awful."

Merissa ran a finger along the seam of her pencil skirt.
"I just don't like what Laura is doing. She throws herself
at any available man, desperate to find a father for her
little girl. It's not fair to her, not fair to the baby."
She now rubbed her thumb along the seam of her skirt. "But
Laura needs to stay away from you. You belong to me and Lexi."

"I like the sound of that."

"I didn't mean to bum you out tonight and go on about my
dad again. I'm sorry." Merissa shook her head. "I talk
about him a lot, but it is always the same. I just miss him.
I feel... ROBBED... that I had to grow up without him."

I sat up and took her hand in mine. "You could never bum
me out by talking about your father, Merissa. Your thoughts,
your feelings. I'll always be here to listen to you."

"Whenever I talked about Dad with Grayson, he would get
mean and surly, and tell me to stop living in the past. He
always told me... I... I went on way too much about the past."

"Well, I'm not Grayson." How exactly was it that Merissa
dated that jerk for six years and eventually got engaged to
him? Things came to a screeching halt between them back in
January when Grayson beat Merissa unconscious and put her
in the hospital for three weeks with multiple broken bones, a
concussion and damage to her neck (from where he choked her).
Yet there were issues brewing between them long before that.
What did Merissa see in him for them to date for six years?

"No, you're definitely not Grayson."

Suddenly, Merissa fisted her hands in my coat and sealed
her lips over mine with Cooper still gently wedged between us.
Her kiss was sudden and full of need, her tongue lapping over
mine. Good Lord, Merissa tasted of flavored coffee and sheer
strength, despite everything she had been through in her
young life. I wanted more of Merissa. So much more. Her
kisses tasted very different than Alexa's, but they were just
as sweet, just as intoxicating. It is difficult to explain.

Indeed, I wanted more of Merissa. I wanted everything.
I wanted to touch her firm, exquisite breasts, run my tongue
across the long, tender slope of her neck, to taste every
square inch of her tight, little body. I certainly did not
want to draw back and take her hand in mine again, yet that
was exactly what I did. I had to. We were sitting near a
busy public street just adjacent from the town library.

Yet Merissa licked her lips and nearly came back for more.

"Sorry. I'm sorry." She tried to pull her hand from mine,
but I held on tight. "This isn't the right place for..."

"Merissa, there is no need to apologize." Jesus, I should
be the one to apologize. I broke the kiss! I then stood,
still cuddling Cooper close, and pulled Merissa to her feet.
"Let's get you and the boss man back to your car before you
try to take advantage of me again. Save that thought for later."

Without her high-heels, Merissa was a good three inches taller
than my wife at 5-foot-4, yet she was still quite small and
diminutive compared to me. Holy hell, Merissa looked incredibly
sexy staring up at me with a highly vulnerable, inquisitive
expression. In my experience, most women Merissa's age were
very aware, self-conscious, about their public appearance (none
moreso than Alexa (trust me on that)). Merissa did not primp
or suck in her stomach the way I noticed many other women do.
She did not fiddle with her clothing or do any of the other
things that signaled worry, or insecurity. Unlike Alexa,
Merissa seemed to pay no mind to her feminine charms while
in public, and that confidence made her insanely desirable.

I wanted to kiss Merissa again, but I held back, and
simply brought her close with one arm. Her body stiffened
and I held her tighter, but then she giggled while placing
a tender kiss upon the crown of Cooper's head.

Merissa did not have anyone but Alexa and I in Kansas,
along with Cooper, but just the mere mention earlier in the
diner of possibly spending our vacation in Georgia seemed
to put a sparkle in her eyes. It made my heart warm that
she was willing to forego what she had found comfort in for
her entire life - the safety and security net of her family,
her mom, her two brothers - for a chance at happiness with
Alexa and me. God, she was giving up everything to try and
make this work out. What if she secretly felt scared? What
if things went south, and everything crumbled? Did Merissa
lay awake at night and worry about that possibility?

"Lexi and I are going to take care of you for the rest of
your life," I promised, pressing a kiss to the crown of her
head as well. "You're never going to have to worry about
anything. And Lexi and I, we will not let anyone hurt you
again. Ever. You're ours now, and we love you."
After another full minute, perhaps two, I felt the tension
in Merissa's arms ease. Her hands then slid around my back.

"Let's go home," I suggested, motioning toward her car,
still in the library's parking lot, with my head. "Crank up
the heat and let Cooper snooze in his baby seat in the car.
If you're not hungry yet, I know you will be soon. I'll cook
dinner. I'm a wicked good cook."

Merissa stifled a laugh. "That's debatable."

"You can't discredit me on the grill, woman. You know that."

"True. You ARE a pretty good cook on the grill."

I handed Cooper to Merissa and gathered her high-heels,
then went down to one knee. She pressed her fingers to my
shoulders as I put a hand on her calf, which sent a hot
shiver straight up my arm. I slid her stockinged foot into
her shoe, and then I gently set that foot down and ran my
hand back down her calf as she lifted her other foot. How
was Merissa turning me inside-out by simply putting on her
modest heels? My other hand grazed the back of her knee.

Glancing up at Merissa's face, judging by her expression,
she was in a similar predicament. It seemed that she was
imagining me doing all sorts of hot, lustful things while
kneeling before her. Simply helping her put on her heels
seemed powerfully erotic to her. Of course, my mind began
to drift. If Merissa and I made each other feel so good
right now, how glorious would it be in the bedroom later?
Especially if Alexa was in a similar mindset, and joined us...

"Umm... I..." Hah! Merissa could not even talk clearly
with me gently touching and fondling her feet beside the
busy street. "Actually, we should..." I slid my hand down
her calf and then rose to my full height again. Merissa was
trembling with desire. "Go home. Yes, go home. Cooper
needs his baby seat in the car, and eventually his crib."

I smiled at her, my voice all steamy, seductive. "And
then I get to tuck you into bed later, my dear."

Staring at me, Merissa gulped her throat.

* * *

Once Merissa and I returned to our home in Lake Quivira,
after a bit of coaxing, I was finally able to get Cooper to
actually doze off in his crib without Alexa here to assist me.
I then slowly meandered back down the steps and found Merissa
in the living room. She was standing near the fireplace, at
the stone mantel, admiring some of the photographs that were
arranged there. More specifically, I soon realized, Merissa
was looking at a beautiful, framed 8x10 portrait of Alexa.

I stayed silent as I watched Merissa, with an undeniable
yearning in her eyes, run her finger over the image of Alexa.
She blew out a breath and even let loose with a soft smile.

"I finally got Cooper to fall asleep."

Startled, Merissa glanced up and realized my presence,
and quickly put the framed photograph back atop the mantel.
"Oh! You scared me. I was just, I don't know..."

"Thinking of how pretty Lexi is, how much you love her?"

Merissa blushed. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I was."

"I find myself doing that a lot, too. No harm in it."

To our left was an arched opening into what was, at one
point, a dull and drab room. But Alexa and Merissa had put
their magic touches on it recently, and now the arched
opening led to the home library with two full walls of books
and a blue sofa that twined in a half-circle. As noted
earlier, Alexa and Merissa both loved to read. The picture
window here in the living room almost ran floor-to-ceiling,
and on the far side was the gorgeous fireplace with a slate
hearth and the stone mantel decorated with family portraits.

"Lexi still says we have plenty of work to do to spruce
this house up and make it pop with pizzazz more," Merissa
noted. "I must admit, before Lexi moved in and you married
her, Jeremy, this house was quite dull and boring inside.
It's BEAUTIFUL on the outside, but had no personality inside."

"Like I had time for any home renovations or projects. I was
putting in 60, 65, sometimes 70 hours a week between my practice
and the hospital before I met Lexi." Actually, Suzi was supposed
to be the one - back in the day - who chose all the colors and
the themes for the house. I was never good at such things. Nor
did I really care to be. As long as I had a roof over my head, I
was fine. The colors of the walls did not matter much to me.

I placed my hands on either side of Merissa's hips. I loved
the feel of her. She was so beautiful. I would die a happy man
if I spent the next 40 years with Alexa and never laid a finger on
another woman. Alexa was, after all, my personal Miss America.
But now? Now, I had TWO Miss Americas in my life. Even better,
Miss Photogenic and Miss Congeniality were all over each other
like hot tamales. What did I do to deserve this amazing life?

"Would you like a glass of iced tea?"

I was standing so close to Merissa, my lips a breath away. I
could pucker mine and they would probably touch hers.

"Sure," she managed. Merissa stepped away and I wanted her
back, touching her again, looking at her like she was gorgeous,
and sexy, and...

"How was your day?" Merissa asked, as if we had been married
for years. "Did you enjoy your day off from work?"

"Actually, I did. Cooper and I went to _Home Depot_ in search
of some REAL MAN things. He's my partner in crime."

Merissa raised an eyebrow. "Real man things?"

"You know. Tools, equipment for the next home project. You
know Lexi is wanting me to do something with the family room
downstairs. It's her next little project."

"I thought you didn't have time for stuff like that."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Now that she and I are married, I
need to MAKE time. Otherwise, Lexi will kick my ass."

Merissa broke out into a wild rage of laughter. "Oh, stop it!"

In the kitchen, I poured Merissa a glass of iced tea and handed
it to her. "Lexi texted me a little while ago, saying she opted
to go out to dinner with her mom and dad, but should still be home
by nine." I looked at my wristwatch. It was 6:22pm. "I believe
that gives you and I the green light to have dinner on our own.
I hope you are in the mood for rib-eye steak."

She smiled. "I'm not a picky eater, a vegan, like Lexi is.
I'd love to sink my teeth into a juicy steak right about now."
Merissa was so easy to be with. I loved how that she was
generally much more serious and straitlaced than Lexi was, yet
I could break through that cloak and get her to laugh, to be wild
and spontaneous, on occasion. Plus, the way Merissa looked at me
made me feel special. Would I seriously have two wives one day?

And how could Grayson have possibly hurt her? She was a doll.

Merissa tucked several wayward strands of brown hair behind
her ear and watched as I opened the refrigerator and withdrew a
glass dish full of fresh, marinating steak. I set it atop the
kitchen counter and then returned to in front of Merissa.

"It's good to be able to cook a big, hearty steak for a special
lady in my life." I stepped closer and placed my hand upon
Merissa's hip again. "With her job at the health club, Lexi is so
conscious of what she eats. She's a vegan, like you said, and has
not tasted any red meat since she was 15."

"She does cheat, you know," Merissa reminded me. "Lexi loves
eggs and drinks milk on occasion, which vegans aren't supposed to
do. But you're right. She does have a strange diet. No meat,
no animal or dairy products whatsoever - besides eggs and milk.
Some of those concoctions Lexi makes in the blender and then...
actually drinks them, I could never do. They tend to look really
funky. But you know what? Look at her. She is the poster girl
for health and fitness. And that strict diet, which she has been
on since the age of 15 - when she was horribly sick in the
hospital with anorexia - helped save her life."

"Oh, it's working for her," I countered. "I have no complaints
or whatnot about that. I'm just always keeping an eye on Lexi and
her diet, specifically her weight. Her mom asked me to do that
before we were married. We certainly do not want Lexi to start
losing weight and go into a relapse with the anorexia."

"Angela asked you to keep dibs on Lexi's weight?"

I nodded my head. "Every day. Lexi asked me, too. A relapse
can happen so easily, and it is very difficult to recover from.
Lexi steps on the scale every day for me. I make her. Even if
we are arguing and not talking, I still make her."

"Did she weigh herself today?"

"102 pounds at two o'clock," I confirmed.

"The same, exact weight she was before Cooper was born. You
cannot even tell that the girl was pregnant. It's incredible.
She's all sleek and sexy, like a _Corvette_, with all that muscle
tone. She was so skinny as a kid... there was nothing there.
She was nothing but skin and bones."

"Lexi does not want to fall below 100 pounds," I added. "To
her, that is the danger zone. I think she will always be small,
petite, and maintaining her desired weight is going to be a hard
struggle for her. Especially, you know, as she becomes older.
Anorexia is a deadly disease, but most people do not realize that.
It is a HORRIBLE, deadly disease if not taken care of properly."

"Sometimes I just wish Lexi would throw on a pair of sweatpants
and eat a pint of chocolate ice cream without self judgment,"
Merissa frowned. "Like she and I used to do when we were kids."

I grinned. "I've seen Lexi sneak an ice cream in a few times
over the years. Very rarely, but it has happened." I ran my
index finger down Merissa's cheek and then touched the ends of her
hair. "I love Lexi, no doubt, but I am really enjoying this time
alone with you tonight, Merissa. You and Lexi know each other
inside-out. I want to get to know you more, too. I have to."

She eyed the glass of iced tea, then drew her gaze back to me.
"Tonight has been fun. It was a big surprise earlier, actually;
you showing up at the library unannounced like that. But, trust
me when I tell you - I want to get to know you better, too."

I squeezed her hand and gathered the two rib-eye steaks, took a
plate of shrimp kabobs from the refrigerator and handed Merissa
the jug of iced tea. "Come on, let's talk outside by the grill."

One flick of a switch illuminated the backdoor patio and flood
lights lit up the surrounding trees. Despite the brisk, chilly
temperature, I fired up the grill (I used my awesome _Traeger_
pellet grill year-round), put the steaks on and then refilled
Merissa's iced tea glass. Soon, the scent of barbeque-flavored
steaks was wafting by us and on into the night sky.

"Sometimes, if I really, truly sit and think about it, I feel
like I am intruding on your marriage with Lexi."

I flipped the steaks and set three shrimp kabobs on the grill
beside them. "Why would you feel that way?"

Merissa winced. "You and Lexi are so happy together. Sometimes
I wonder... where am I supposed to fit in? Why am I needed?"

I shook my head, but smiled. Merissa had valid concerns, but
we had been through all of this in the past several times already.
"You're needed because we want you, we love you, we want to take
care of you." I couldn't help but to reach out and softly grasp
Merissa's chilly, little hand, and give it some warmth. "You want
honesty? It's been a transition for me too, sweetheart. All of
this - what we have together, the three of us - was spearheaded by
Lexi. Everything we have is so unique. Lexi has been in love
with you longer than she has even known me, but honestly did not
realize it - or maybe accept it - until earlier this year."

Merissa chuckled gently. "She had to look past the whole
lesbian stigma. And then maybe get to a point in her marriage
with you where she felt it was secure enough that possibly
bringing me in would not... it would not... not... hurt it."

"You've done nothing but make our marriage stronger. I've
known you for as long as I've known Lexi, Merissa. Longer,
even, because you once came to see me as a patient even before
Lexi and I met. And along every step of the way, you've been
Lexi's best friend. Every time I went out with Lexi, every time I
saw her, I knew you were never far away. I've always liked it
that from day one, Lexi has told me that you and her are like
sisters. I liked it that she had someone who cared about her,
looked after her. I never worried about Lexi when she was off at
college because I knew you and her were dorm-mates. You kept her
out of trouble and she kept you out of trouble, too."

Merissa giggled. "Not all the time..."

"And when my wife comes to me - my wife, who I would lay down
my life for if needed - and says that she is in love with you,
Merissa; she wants you as part of our family? What else could I
say? I would do ANYTHING to make Lexi happy. Anything at all.
That, and the fact that you and her have been BEST FRIENDS since
the age of four! FOUR! That's 19 years and counting. You
weren't some gal she just recently met at the health club and
said things that made her question her sexuality. No, you're
Merissa [Last Name] - her life-long best friend. Someone I have
known and felt comfortable around for four years and counting
now myself. It was an easy decision on my part. If Lexi wants
you as a part of our lives, perhaps even our marriage, I had
absolutely no issues giving it a try." I hesitated for a moment,
then shook my head. "Any other human being on the face of the
planet - besides you - this would not have worked. I am so
protective of Alexa. I'd feel insanely jealous if she was
interested in anyone else but you."

Merissa's eyes swelled. "Why is that?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I've known Lexi for four years.
You and her have known each other for 19. She loved you long
before she even met me. _I_ should be the one trying to fit
in. Not you, Merissa, but me."

"That's silly."

"But it's true."

She smiled. "You know what? I've been in love with Lexi
for that long of a time, too. Since she was in the hospital
back in 2007, I think, when I almost lost her. I did not
realize how important our friendship was until she was sick.
I... I already lost my dad. I did not want to lose Lexi, too."

"Before you ask, Merissa, I'm well past the _I'm willing to
try this stage_ with you and Lexi. You know that I'm in love
with you now, right?" She nodded her head at me as I continued,
"I want you to spend the rest of your life with me. With us."

"I do, too."

After I finished grilling and we set the dining room table
indoors, I retrieved two candles in stylish, elegant wooden
candle holders. "Want to do the honors?" I handed her a match
and Merissa lit them. When she reached for a chair, I gently
touched her arm, effectively halting her. "Please. Let me
have the honor of doing that for you."

Now it was Merissa's turn to tilt her head and gaze at me,
looking a bit confused. She did not realize that I was making
reference to what happened in the diner earlier. No matter. I
pushed her chair in and then crouched beside her.

"Sweetheart, I've always been very possessive when it comes to
my wife. It's worked out well, I think, because Lexi feels the
same way about me. She is possessive, very protective of me,
too. But you're special, a very unique... case. A unique
person with a unique background - your history with Lexi - as
it fits into everything. Now, I feel like being a bit greedy.
Selfish, even. I just want you and Lexi all to myself now."

Merissa took a deep breath and seemed to soften more to me.
I was not throwing out lines or giving a rehearsed speech or
even practiced words. I was simply speaking from my heart,
giving her my real, honest-to-goodness feelings. Whether it
sounded cheeky or ridiculous, I do not know, but being honest -
saying things like this to Alexa four years ago - helped me
land Miss America as my wife. Being open and honest was the
only way I knew how to be in a relationship. It had gotten
me into trouble in the past and ended more first or second
dates than I could count. But hey, I'm me. This is who I am.

"Thank you, but you don't have to keep explaining. I get
it." Merissa smiled and added, "I'm glad I'm here, and it's
actually refreshing to know that you've never looked at me as
just a hot piece of ass."

I kissed her hand. "Oh, you have that wrong, my dear. You
ARE a hot piece of ass, but you're not JUST a hot piece of ass."
I rose to my feet and Merissa promptly smacked my backside.

"You're not so bad yourself," she giggled.

Dinner was delicious and, as could be expected, conversation
came easily. All was quiet on the Cooper front; he was still
sleeping, as there was not a peep of sound from the remote baby
monitor. After Merissa and I ate, we carried the dishes into
the kitchen and she seemed intent on helping me clean up.

"Leave the dishes for now," I said against her cheek. "I
will get them later. I want to spend more time with you." I
proceeded to wrap my arms around Merissa from behind and simply
engulf her in my embrace, then kissed the back of her neck. I
closed my eyes and felt my head spinning with an even mixture
of love and desire. God, things were still complimented, but I
wanted this three-way relationship to work out so much.

A few moments later, I watched Merissa as she stood at the
fireplace mantel and once again inspected some of the wide range
of photographs that were there. She looked so relaxed, so
tender, so feminine. I studied her even more intently. It was
getting to the point where I was just as interested in Merissa as
I was Alexa. That was shocking to me, because I never believed
that I could look at another woman the same way I did Alexa.

Merissa turned with one of the framed photographs in hand.
"This is your family?" she half-asked, half-stated as fact.

"Yeah. You've met my mother and father before, though they
are under the impression that you're just a live-in friend of
mine and Lexi's. But the others? My sister, my two older
brothers." I pointed at each of them as I spoke, because
Merissa had yet to meet any of my siblings. Again, how was I
supposed to go about telling my family that I may be adding a
second wife here soon? "This is Hudson. He has his own farm
in Pleasant Grove, where I grew up. Carl is a bit younger
than Hudson - 48 to 51 - and he's the one who lives in Utah
and works as a professional artist." I pointed at my sister.
"This is Janae. She rolls her eyes at us a lot, especially
when we wrestle and fight like kids."

"Janae is the one person in your family who looked past the
differences in age for you and Lexi when you first met her. She
saw past the fact that you were 36 at the time, and Lexi was 18.
The only one in your family who initially did, Lexi says."

I leaned in close, wanting to kiss Merissa. To glide my
tongue along the pink swell of her upper lip. Merissa's eyes
darkened, and it took all of my willpower to remind myself to
slow down. I was actually trying to pass time until Alexa
finally got home, and the three of us could go to bed. I
wanted Alexa involved if anything sexual happened tonight.

"Yes, Janae was the only one at first." I moved my lips a
little further away from temptation.

"She's really pretty."

"Really bossy, too."

Merissa put the frame down. "I like her already."

"Sit with me." I led Merissa to the sofa in the living room.

She slipped off her high-heels and tucked her legs beneath her
on the couch, which only made the 23-year-old even more appealing
to me. I mean, seriously. How sexy and sweet was this girl? She
was comfortable in her own skin and was not trying to impress me
at all. That was remarkable. Her knees nudged against my leg
and that dark, saucy pencil skirt inched higher, revealing the
curve of her thigh. Merissa had one arm stretched against the back
of the sofa and I promptly settled my own arm over hers. I slipped
off my shoes and realized that the stress I often felt at night was
gone. Merissa had made me forget my nightly ritual of looking at
patient files and doing medical research on the computer. I
honestly could not remember the last time I spent an evening
without those thoughts - those concerns - looming over my head.

I brushed Merissa's hair from her shoulder. It felt so soft and
silky that I held onto a small clump and ran it over my fingers.

"I'm just really glad you're here." The truth came easily.

Merissa smiled. "Me too."

Anxious cries that only increased in volume soon came through
the nearby baby monitor. Chuckling, I tilted my head back on the
sofa and sighed. Wow, Cooper had to wake up and start crying NOW?
At this precise moment, when I felt closer with Merissa than I
ever had before? Yet, I knew what the priority had to be here.

Welcome to life as the parent of a ten month old child.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," I promised Merissa. "At
least, I hope. Please, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry for having to take care of your son," she
advised me. "Take as much time as you want. You want help?"

"No," I insisted. "I got him. You stay here and relax."

I ventured upstairs and rushed into the nursery that was
adjacent from the bedroom that I shared with Alexa and Merissa.
Cooper was quite fussy and I was quick to sweep him up into my
arms and try to soothe whatever issues he had. Unfortunately,
Alexa was much better at this sort of thing than I was. She had
the mother's touch. Cooper did not need a diaper change and he
all but batted away the formula bottle when I tried to give it
to him. So, he wasn't hungry, either. I simply held and rocked
him within my arms for several, long moments, offering my softest,
most gentle words of encouragement. Perhaps Cooper had a scary
nightmare and just needed to settle down?

Soon, my smartphone rang.

"Hey Lexi," I said, having glanced at the caller ID. "Where
you at, girl? I want you home with us tonight."

"Hi, babe. Hey, don't worry about me. What's going on there?
Merissa has been texting me for the past ten minutes. What are
you doing to that girl, Jeremy? What's going on?"

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I don't know," Alexa deadpanned. "I mean, Merissa texted me
and says that you've made her fall fives times deeper in love
with you tonight - and tonight alone - than she was previously.
You slipping some magic pills into her drink, or something?"

"I was just talking... being nice."

"Ahhhhh," Alexa giggled. "I get it now! The poor girl
doesn't stand a chance. It's just Jeremy... being Jeremy."

"Huh? I don't quite understand."

"I know what it is you're doing," Alexa explained. "You're
being all nice and honest, super nice, and you're laying on the
charm as only you can. I get it. You have this way of making
others around you feel important, special; like a million bucks.
That's why I fell in love with you myself four years ago. You
do it, yet you don't even realize it. Jeremy being Jeremy. You
still make me feel warm, special, wanted... to this very day."

"What else did Merissa say about me?"

Alexa laughed again. "Don't worry about it. Just keep doing
what you're doing with her."

"What time will you be home?"

"Sounds like neither of you even NEED me to come home tonight!
Jeremy, Merissa texted me and claims that she is ready to marry
you. Right now. I don't know how you do it, but keep doing it.
We are SO CLOSE to making this marriage a reality with her!"

"When will you be home?" I insisted.

"I'm going to stop by Sarah and Matthew's apartment," she said,
referring to two of her friends from college who were now married,
"for a bit. So I will be home by ten o'clock at the latest." I
grunted in frustration as Alexa cheerfully added, "That will give
you and Merissa more time alone together to talk and connect."
She paused and then concluded, "What is this Merissa tells me
about Cooper being all loud and cranky?"

When I explained the situation to her, Alexa had a solution
that I found unique, but interesting. Again, there was a reason
why she was the mother and had that _Midas touch_. "Lay Cooper
down in the crib, on his back, and bicycle his legs. Do it
gently. Sounds to me like he may have a few gas pains."

Once I got off the telephone with Alexa and, after I followed
her instructions, Cooper was sleeping again within ten minutes.

When I returned to the living room, I found Merissa still on
the sofa, but with her knees up and pulled tight to her chest,
and her smartphone in both hands. Her skirt had ridden much
higher now in this position, bunched around her upper thighs.
She even had a writing pen tucked behind her ear.

It took me ten seconds before I realized that I was standing
at the entryway, opening staring and gawking at her. It was
difficult not to, quite honestly, when she looked hot, sexy and
smart all at once. Not to mention, the things Alexa told me that
Merissa had said about me tonight.

"You texting, hon?" I casually asked Merissa, who jerked about,
clearly startled. She glanced my way and took a deep breath as I
then teased her, "Or are you playing _Candy Crush_ again?"

"I'm texting Lexi," Merissa answered. "She asked me to tell
you that she'll be home around ten o'clock now. Going to drop
something off at Sarah and Matthew's place for them."

"That's fine." I was not going to tell her that Alexa called
and told me about their text exchanges. That would be wrong.

"Cooper better now?"

I sat on the sofa by her feet, and Merissa tucked her toes
underneath my thigh. Damn, I liked that as much as I liked the
way Alexa would curl her leg over mine when we sat side-by-side.
"I got Cooper to fall asleep." I tried like hell to focus on
Merissa's face as she furiously typed away on her smartphone
instead of noticing how her skirt was now gathered at the base
of her ass or how adorable she looked when she crinkled her nose
and blinked her eyes as she typed. Merissa did not say a word,
but just having her there felt good. She had to finish off her
text discussion with Alexa, and I was more than willing to wait.

Merissa wiggled her toes beneath my thigh and, without any
thought, I massaged her calf. A nice, comfortable silence
settled in all around us, and I found myself focusing on a
nearby magazine (sports) cover. Why did the Royals have to lose
the World Series? I was at games six and seven last week. Game
seven, when they barely lost to San Francisco, was heartbreaking.
The Royals came so damn close to winning the World Series...

"Okay, sorry about that." Merissa leaned forward and touched
my shoulder. "Lexi has a mouth on her that just doesn't quit.
But you know that." She set her smartphone off to the side and
wrapped her arms around her knees. "Oh, Lexi'll be home at nine."

I grinned at those words. "Nice." It was 8:03pm. "And I
know all about that mouth. She sends me wild, random texts
all the time. A lot of it is pure comedy."

"You have to take her to Sarah and Matthew's place tomorrow,
though," Merissa informed me. "I told her you'd have lunch with
them. That made her happy, and made her agree to come home early.
Whatever she has to drop off, she's going to do it tomorrow with
you. I know you're looking forward to her coming home tonight."

I slid my finger down the column of Merissa's neck and along
the ridge of her shoulder, touching the places that I was dying
to kiss. "I wish you didn't have to work tomorrow, sweetheart.
I'd be happy to stay in bed with you and Lexi all weekend."

Our eyes caught, and I gently moved her legs across my lap,
buried my hand beneath her hair, and brought her lips to mine.
I kissed her slowly, deeply, savoring every second, every
sweet stroke of her tongue. Merissa grazed my cheek, and I
swallowed a deep groan at the simple touch.

Yet when I pulled away, Merissa seemed a bit stunned, loopy
even, and was gulping her throat as well.

"Is there something wrong?"

Her eyes glazed over, Merissa shook her head. "No. Nothing
is wrong. That's the thing that gets me... absolutely nothing
is wrong in my life right now because of you and Lexi. Jeremy,
I... I see my whole future, years of happiness... in your eyes."

Oh, my...

I took Merissa in another kiss, wanting to disappear into the
scent of her, her addictive, delicious tenderness. She ran her
fingers through my hair, kissing me hard and ravenous, then soft
and subtle, constantly switching things up. When Merissa slid
onto my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck, I sighed and my
body contorted with passion. She traced my lips with her tongue
and our gazes locked. Merissa's eyes were dark and seductive
now, yet also teasing, playful and controlling, all at once.

There was no way I could possibly wait until Alexa arrived
home. I needed to have this woman RIGHT NOW.

I gripped Merissa's slender, trim waist as she licked at my
earlobe, then took it between her teeth. I moved both hands up
to her face and looked deeply into those alluring brown eyes.
"Talk to me, honey," I pleaded. "I want to flip you onto your
back and make love to you right now until every square inch of
your body, your very soul, is satisfied. But what I want even
more is to watch Lexi put a wedding ring on your finger. I want
you and Lexi in bridal gowns, exchanging your vows, but I want
in on some of the fun, too. I want you to marry BOTH of us."
Every breath that Merissa took seemed laced with anticipation,
and her cheeks flashed as I added, "I also want you pregnant. I
want to put many babies in your tummy. I want them to grow up
with Cooper and with any other children Lexi and I may have, as
brothers and sisters, and for all of us to be a family. I want
you to love those kids the same way your own mother loves you."

"Oh God, wow," she said, caught off-guard at my proclamation.

I wrapped one thick, powerful arm around her, and in the next
instant Merissa was beneath me, the firm cushions of her breasts
pressing against my chest, her hips writhing against mine. I
seized total control with a deep, probing kiss. Soulful sounds
of surrender seeped from deep within her lungs into mine.

My mouth descended upon her long, delicate neck. "I could
kiss you all night long. I think I may just do that."

Merissa pulled my lips back to hers and I felt the two of us
spiraling out of control as we groped and pawed for more. I
undid the buttons upon her blouse and was somehow able to whisk
it from her shoulders in such tight quarters. Her bra was next.
I tugged it downward, to her midriff, exposing two perfect mounds
that I simply had to have.

"You're just as beautiful to me as Lexi is," I said honestly,
lost in the moment, filling my palm with one breast, flicking my
thumb over its nipple repeatedly as my mouth had its way with the
other. Merissa's breathing was ragged as she fumbled with my own
shirt buttons. I rose up and made quick work of my shirt as
Merissa fully disposed herself of the bra. She lay beneath me
in that same stylish pencil skirt from earlier at the library
that I now wanted to tear off with my teeth. Merissa was more
gorgeous than mere words could ever do her justice. I traced the
small, stenciled tattoo (her lone tattoo) that was on the right
side of her neck - the letters _RSR_. Her father's initials.
The tribute that she would carry around for the rest of her life.

"I cannot imagine a day without you and Lexi in it anymore,"
Merissa confessed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she curled
slightly to the side and literally melted within my arms. It
was an emotional reaction to me touching Merissa's tattoo,
acknowledging her father, his sacred, treasured memory.

"I love everything about you, Merissa. The way you look at
me, your touch in the morning. The way you smile, the sparkle
in your eyes every time you and Lexi kiss each other. I love
how you've taken such an important role in Cooper's life. You're
like a second mother to him, always willing to watch him for us.
I also love the way you look at other babies when we're in the
grocery store or simply walking through town, and the way you
helped that old man across the street earlier today. Like it was
nothing, no big deal. Because to you, it wasn't. Do you know
how incredibly kind and gracious, how sweet, that was of you?"

"Jeremy." My name left her lips in a whisper. I felt her
heart beating as fast as mine.

"Marry me, Merissa. Marry us. Let's quit talking about it
and just make it official. Marry us."

She nodded.

"Yes?"

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you and Lexi! There's no one else in
the universe that I could possibly love as much as you and her."

I lowered my mouth to hers and could barely contain myself at
the ramifications of what she and I had just said to each other.
Again, nothing was rehearsed or even thought of beforehand. My
emotions were laid bare, and I spoke from the heart in asking
Merissa to marry me. To marry us.

Overcome with the magnitude of everything, I sat up and took a
deep breath. Merissa was still lying beneath me, her hair spread
out across the sofa cushions, her bare breasts calling out to me.
I shook my head in amazement, then settled back down and hugged
her again. Merissa's body was familiar and warm. It felt good.

"God, I love you so much, Merissa. Lexi and I... we're going
to make you the happiest woman alive. Yeah, we are. I promise!"

I kissed Merissa again, turning her onto her side and moving my
hand down her spine and to the tight, wondrous curve of her
backside. After I unzipped her skirt in back and was able to get
rid of it, Merissa thrust her lower abdomen upon my pelvis and
rolled onto her back. She spread her legs, making room for me as
I splayed kisses along her neck, her shoulders, her arms. She
tasted scrumptious and smelled of lingering perfume. I slid my
hands down her sides and saw to it that her panties became a
distant memory. My trousers and boxers suffered the same fate.

I again focused on her breasts and brought each nipple to hard,
rigid points with my lips and tongue. Merissa was writhing
beneath me. Her breathing quickened again, and then she pulled
my hand between her luscious, creamy thighs.

"Touch me," my fiancee begged.

Oh wow, she was hot. Wet. Ready. Every stroke drew a gasp
from her lungs, every flick of my tongue upon her nipples brought
a rocking of her hips. I was aching with the need to be inside
her. She grasped my waist, urging me to continue. I reached for
my wallet, on the nearby coffee table, to retrieve a condom.
Merissa grabbed my wrist and looked into my eyes, her lips curving
into a smile. She shook her head. Suddenly, I felt overwhelmed.

"I want to give you another Cooper too," she barely whispered.
"Don't wear a condom with me again. Ever."

I lowered my forehead to Merissa's as I slid deep inside of
her. Feeling the full intensity of our love as an engaged couple
for the very first time, Merissa and I momentarily stilled.
Buried deep, my heart so full it was set to burst, I laced the
fingers from my right hand with her left and smiled down at her.
My lips brushed against the tattoo on her neck again. She gazed
up at me with adoration in her eyes, pure devotion, and I felt
myself falling deeper in love with every passing second.

Tonight was not going to be about lust and passion. Certainly
not anymore; not with the promises we had just made to each other.
I wanted Merissa to feel special, cared for. Cherished.

Gently, I began to thrust. Oh, Merissa felt good. Soon, she
reached up and touched my cheek, now openly crying tears of joy.

I grinned. "Why are you crying, honey?"

"I was going to ask you and Lexi to marry me on Sunday!" she
confessed, wiping her tears with the pad of her thumb. Sunday?
She was? Really? That was just two days from now. "Please,
Jeremy! PLEASE don't tell Lexi that you asked me to marry you
tonight. Please!" Merissa was actually begging me. But why? "I
had something special planned for Sunday, when we are all together.
Please don't tell Lexi, okay? I want to surprise her."

"You're going to propose to Lexi on Sunday?"

"Yeah," she confirmed. "I have something planned. God only
knows how special that girl has been to me for my entire life. I
want to show her. Please, Jeremy. Please let me surprise her."

I chuckled and cleared my throat. "It is going to be damn near
impossible to keep the big news from Lexi until Sunday. But yes,
honey, I will. Whatever you have planned, I will keep it a secret.
Just know that I am going to be videotaping the moment with my
cell phone when it happens, though. I want to forever remember
the looks on your faces' when Lexi says yes to you."

"Oh, I want you to videotape it. I know Lexi would never in a
million years think that _I_ would be the one to propose between
us. Lexi is convinced, I'm sure, that SHE will be the one asking
ME some day in the not-too-far-off future. I want to surprise
her... make it really special. It will be special."

I smiled yet again. "God, I love your lips, Merissa. They are
so soft, so sexy." I kissed the ridge of her jaw. "And your
neck." I kissed my way down between her taut, beautiful breasts
and squished them together. I took both nipples into my mouth as
I continued to lovingly thrust my way hardness in-and-out of her.

"Jeremy, oh God, that feels so good."

She pushed at my shoulders, silently pleading for more.

I picked up the speed and tempo of my churning hips, but only
slightly. Merissa pulled my mouth down to hers and again writhed
beneath me, spreading her legs further, opening up to me as best
she could. I thrusted my hips and kissed her mouth, her cheeks,
as we gasped in an uneven chorus for one breath after another.

"Oh God! Oh God!" Merissa was panting. "It's been... I must
have been - OH GOD - waiting for you. You and Lexi. Why did I
wait so long? But you and her... worth the wait."

Merissa wrapped those toned, athletic calves of her around me,
then flexed them. I was very close to the edge of release. I
quickened the pace once more, driving my shaft deep as she bucked
against me, squeezing my fingers tight, in pulse after spellbinding
pulse. She then clawed at my shoulders and when I lifted my head,
Merissa pushed it even further back with an open palm. Holy hell.

My entire body shuddered as Merissa and I then experienced the
blissful joy of dual, shared orgasms. I emptied my seed into her
womb, thinking to myself how phenomenal and stunning Merissa would
look, all swelled up and gorgeous, my baby inside of her. Oh, wow.

Once the amazing sensations of orgasm began to crest and then
fade away, Merissa reached for me with a trembling arm, breathing
heavily, eyes closed, and a gratified smile on her lips. The
fire I built earlier in the fireplace was blazing nicely, warming
the living room, its sounds cozy, crackling, romantic.

"Lie with me," I said and Merissa complied, rolling onto her
side upon the sofa as I moved into the tight space behind her,
spooning my own body around hers. I glanced at the grandfather
clock in the corner. 8:46pm. Alexa would be home soon.

Merissa snuggled in against me, her bare back pushed tight
against my chest. An easy, content sigh slipped from her lips.
I closed my eyes and listened to the peaceful cadence of her
breathing as she quickly eased into sleep. She often felt quite
tired and content after having sex, so I found no fault with it.
My hand moved carefully, not wanting to rouse her, as I covered
us both with the throw blanket from the back of the sofa. I
would wake her when Alexa got home, which should be any moment.

I closed my eyes as well, but meant to do it for only a few
seconds as my mind contemplated what the next 40 or 50 years may
be like for me. For us, for our family. Cooper, our kids. Our
grandkids! The possibilities were limitless! Yet I felt so
satisfied and comfortable right now, so marvelously happy, that
somehow, I drifted off into an unexpected slumber of my own...


<<<- End of Chapter 17 ->>>


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"Recollections"

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