Page 110 of Snapshot

“I think now’s as good a time as any,” dream Lennox says. “I’ve been saving it for so long.”

“What’s that, dear?” I ask. “A good time for what?”

“I love you, Dex Hessler. There, you old kook, I finally said it.”

Our chairs rock in tandem as we laugh, still holding hands.

The rest of the dream goes blurry as I fall into a deeper sleep.

31

Lennox

On Saturday morning, I’m still in bed, eyes groggy, with a sex hangover.

Dex and I have been doing a lot of exploring. He’s had me in every position. Over the past week, it was the same pattern. He’d come home from the office hours after me, and the moment he was through the door, it was shirt unbuttoned, pants down, his low grumbly growl telling me what a good girl his wife is. We’d fill up on junky snacks for dinner, getting just enough sleep to survive our days at the office. Rinse and repeat. All week. In my opinion, it was our second honeymoon.

I take him wherever he wants it. He’s claimed every part of my body time and time again, and I can’t help but wonder if this is exactly what our bodies were made for. We’re never hiding under the covers, ashamed of our passion. One round is never enough. I’m never left unsatisfied, just stripped and spent, needing recovery. This is exactly what I fantasized about for years. With Dex, sex is an unmarked map. There’s still so much to explore and discover.

It’s where Alan and I fell short. I wanted the peaceful, safe happily ever after. But I also wanted the adventure of getting there, too.

My phone rings from the nightstand, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Hello,” answers the frog in my throat. I quickly cough away from the phone, clearing my voice. “Good morning,” I say, this time sounding a little more presentable.

“Mrs. Hessler, we’re sorry to bother you so early, but there’s a woman in the lobby insisting on seeing you. She says she’s been calling, texting, and emailing, but you haven’t answered your phone.”

Pulling the phone from my face, I check my recent notifications. Dex messaged me letting me know he was in the air safely. Avery sent me a message late last night telling me she misses me and she’s so proud of me, and even though Finn claims he’s relieved I’m no longer mooching, he has kept my pink throw pillows in the guest bedroom. My dad texted me a picture of a for sale sign on my childhood home. His message was:Just saying, baby girl. Would love to have you and Dex a little closer.

But there’s nothing from a strange woman. Is this a Dex Hessler fan girl, wanting to murder me, wear my skin as a costume and my hair as a wig, hoping for her shot at Miami’s formerly most eligible bachelor?

“What’s her name?”

“Katherine…Tearney. Does that ring a bell?” the security guard asks.

I narrow my eyes to the point my vision goes blurry, as if there’s anyone here to see my dirty look. “I’m familiar. Try not to let the door hit her on her way out.” Of course, I haven’t received any messages from Kat. Once a snake bites you, you block them from everything.

“So, you wouldn’t like to see her? She’s saying it’s urgent.”

“No, I would not.”

“Okay, ma’am, no problem. Sorry for disturbing you.”

But I can hear Kat’s frantic shouting in the background.“Lennox, please! It’s about Dex! It’s serious, and I’m just trying to warn you guys.”

“Have a good morning, Mrs. Hessler. We’ll escort her out,” the security guard says before hanging up.

Exhaling in annoyance, I place my phone face down on the nightstand. I try to tuck back under the covers, but my mind starts to race.

Dammit… Kat said it was about Dex.That’s enough to get my attention. Ruin my life, have at it…but my husband’s?Fuck.

I grab my phone and find my blocked contacts. Reluctantly, I remove Kat from the list. Instantly, her blocked messages come flooding in.

Kat

I got an assignment, and we need to talk.

I know you’re upset. Rightly so, but this one is over my head.