The Widows Harem

Chapter 17 - Fun

Jocelyn

I woke up sometime later.

It took me a moment to orient myself and find my bearings. I was laying down on the couch with my head in Riley's lap. It was a bit odd how the roles were reversed here. Usually his head was in my lap, though I wasn't going to complain. The room was dim. No lights were on. Just the remnants of whatever light was outside. Which meant it was getting late.

I quietly studied him as the minutes wore on, watching as he played aimlessly on his phone in the darkened room. His other arm rested across my torso, his fingers deftly stroking the fabric of my dress, below my breasts. The caress was gentle, and something he probably didn't realize he was doing. It was nice, getting this glimpse of him without his mask on. He was handsome. A heartthrob just like the rest of them were. But I could see the strain and toll life had taken. A few more moments passed before he realized I was awake. His eyes instantly lit up, and a smile split his face. He reminded me of a golden retriever. "Well, good morning sleeping beauty."

"Hi," I chuckled in response, reaching up to rest my hand over his. "Where did everyone go?"

"They all decided to take off. Said something about starting the process of moving. Who knows," he shrugged. "Vince wanted me to tell you to text him sometime after you woke up. He didn't want to wake you when he was leaving. You were out pretty hard there for a while."

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked, slowly sitting up. I noted how my body was aching and sore in certain spots. I was also dressed again, which meant they had taken care of me even when I had been dead to the world. They were keeping their end of the bargain, taking care of me and protecting me.

He checked his phone's clock before saying, "A solid four hours. It's about six now."

Wow, it had been a while since I'd had such a long nap in the middle of the day.

Riley suddenly went quiet, and I turned to look at him. He was a bit on edge and seeming to be arguing with himself over something. "What's up, Irish?"

He balked at the nickname. "No no. It's Red. Not Irish," he corrected.

"Whatever you say," I purred, knowing I was going to stick with my nickname just to mess with him. I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to answer my initial question.

He squirmed for a moment before saying, "This is going to sound weird, but this was worth the wait and all the heartbreak. You... You were worth the wait. You're perfect, Jocelyn." His heavy gaze met mine and I felt the electricity arcing between us.

I blushed at his compliment, not sure how to respond. My gaze dropped at the intensity I saw radiating in his gaze. "Thank you for thinking so, but I should warn you that I am far from perfect."

"Okay," he rolled his eyes. "You keep telling yourself those lies, but I know better. You can't fool me. You're our own personal goddess," he winked.

I started giggling at his response and the way he said it with a goofy, yet serious, note.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" He blurted.

It was so sudden I paused and studied him again. I noticed the vulnerability instantly in his body language, along with the 'oh sh*t, I said that out loud,' look. My gaze softened on his, and I reached out, taking his hand. "Yes, I would like it if you stayed the night. But..." I added. "I don't know if I'll be up for anymore shenanigans tonight, my leprechaun." I couldn't help it but throw out another silly nickname. I reached over and bopped him playfully on the nose, a grin gracing my lips.

"That one's even worse!" He accused. "What is it with you and the weird pet names?"

I shrugged, an impish gleam in my eye. "Don't deny it, Riley," I purred his name, dropping my voice to a seductive note. "You like it, you just don't want to admit it."

The look he leveled me with the instant his name rolled off my tongue was one of mixed yearning and adoration. "Say it again," he commanded on a whisper.

"Riley." I obliged.

"F*ck," he huffed, running a hand down his face. "That's so not fair. How can you be graced with such a superpower to just say my name and I get all hot and bothered?"

"Well, you said it yourself. I am a goddess," I sassed.

"Damn straight you are," he agreed. Then, in a more serious tone said, "I figured you would be sore after what happened earlier. I am more interested in the snuggles tonight."

"Mmmhmm. That's what they all say."

Riley rolled his eyes, not disputing it. "I didn't say I wouldn't want to, miss sassafras. Jeeze, you're going to be the death of me."

"Yep. I'm going to suck your soul right out of your d**k," I teased and then screeched when he lunged for me and started tickling my sides.

This was what I had been missing. This, the fun, the joy, and teasing... These moments were what made life worth living. After I cried uncle, he stopped. Once we had calmed back down, I told him to order something to eat, and we would eat it in bed. "Do you mind waiting for our food while I go get freshened up and ready for bed?" I asked.

"I don't mind at all, baby," he said, kissing my temple before settling back down on the couch to wait.

"Thanks!" I threw over my shoulder as I made my way back to my room. The house was a huge, one-story. It had five beds and five and a half baths. The master was huge with a small nook. I stopped to stare at the vast space. It was big and empty. I had gone through the process of getting rid of most of my late husband's possessions. Most went to his side of the family, especially the heirlooms. There were no children for me to pass them along to. And I hadn't allowed myself to fill in the spaces. Maybe, I could start doing that. I was sure the guys wouldn't mind helping me with some projects around the home.

While I was alone, I messaged Vincent. "Hey handsome, how are you?"

"I'm good. Did you get some rest?"

"I did. Literally just got up."

"You needed it. How are you doing?"

I knew what he was asking. It wasn't a surface question. "I'm doing rather well, to be honest."

"Did you like what happened earlier? How the dynamic played out?"

"I did, surprisingly enough. Though, I didn't have any expectations per se going into this," I admitted.

"Would you want to do it again?"

"Absolutely!" I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. "Did you enjoy it?" My gut twisted a little, wondering if he was having second thoughts about this.

"More than I had anticipated. I loved watching you and Riley. It was a different, more intimate and intense tease than I've experienced before. I can see why Tristan like's to watch and stage the scene." He was definitely good at commanding a room, I agreed with him. "Is Riley still there?"

"Yes. He's staying the night."

"Good. I'll let you go then, sweetheart. Hit me up tomorrow when you're awake."

We said our good nights and then I was in motion. Grabbing one of my moo-moos from a drawer, I bee-lined for the shower. While Riley had seen me naked and had already done some unspeakable things to me, I wasn't comfortable being alone and naked with him. Not like I was with Vincent anyway. I rushed through the shower and was just finishing up my nightly routine when Riley knocked on the door.

"Come on in!" I called back to him.

He sauntered in with a bag of Chinese food. It smelled absolutely delicious. My stomach growled and I realized none of us had eaten lunch. Or, maybe, they had viewed me as their entrée.

We laid out the feast, turned on a movie and sat in companionable silence, just enjoying each other's company. I made the first move after dinner was cleaned up, and the leftovers were put away, scooting over until I was curled into Riley's side. He rested his arm comfortably around me as we continued to watch the show.

By the time the movie was over, we were both beat. Crawling under the covers, Riley didn't hesitate. He took what he needed. Nestling on top of me, he rested his head in the valley of my breasts and sighed in contentment as my hands stroked his head, neck and shoulders in soothing, rhythmic movements. I could tell he was hurting, but knew tonight wasn't the time to press. "Goodnight," I breathed, starting to lose my battle with sleep.

"Goodnight, my goddess," he whispered back as I drifted into the dreamworld.