He lifted me off the floor, planting his lips on mine, one hand under my bum for support, the other caressing my face. A familiar, lustful tingling twisted my insides when his tongue teased my bottom lip. Thomas deepened the kiss, his breathing hastened.
“Good morning,” he breathed out, his eyes velvet and filled with desire. He brushed my hair away from my face. “Are you glad I’m home, or glad I’ll take you to Amelia?”
“Both.” I kissed him again and stood back on my own two feet. “I love you. I missed you. Can wepleasego now?”
He chuckled, looking over my shoulder. “Good morning, Karen.”
“Hey, Thomas. How was the trip?”
I stomped my foot. “Save the chit-chat. Come on! Mel’s in labour!”
“Stop yelling, baby doll, and get in the car. I’ll be down in two minutes. I just need to get changed.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but he shut me up with another kiss, and took the moment of my inattention to take two steps up the stairs.
Well played.
We shouldn’t have rushed. It took six hours before Amelia was ordered by the midwives to push. Two more hours after that, we were allowed to visit the happy couple.
I held little Jasmine in my arms, unable to look away from her perfect tiny face. She was a spit image of Amelia, apart from her lips; she had Nick’s lips. She was fast asleep, and I could imagine squeezing her a little too tight to show her how much she meant to me. The joy was incomprehensible. Tears welled in my eyes because I never hoped to feel so happy again.
Thomas leaned over my shoulder, resting his hands at the back of my chair. He kissed the side of my head and pressed his cheek to mine, looking at Jasmine.
“She’s amazing.” I whispered ghosting my finger across her cheek.
Amelia was asleep and Nicholas sat in the chair on the other side of her bed, holding Daisy in his arms. He was tired, but he was proud of Mel and in awe of his little girls. He glanced at me long enough to smile and returned his attention back to his daughter.
A nurse peeked into the small room, her face apologetic. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave now. Visiting hours are over, and only the father can stay a little longer.”
“We’ll be out in two minutes,” Thomas said.
He kissed the side of my head and moved away so I could put Jasmine back into one of the plastic see-through cribs. I stood over her, reluctant to move. She was mesmerising to watch despite not doing anything.
Thomas wrapped his arms around my stomach, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Do you want one?” he asked in a hushed voice.
I chuckled covering his palms with mine. “Which one?”
Nick looked up amused, shaking his head a firm no.
“I can make you one.” Thomas brushed his nose over the curve of my neck. “How about we get you pregnant?”
I turned to kiss him. “I don’t think I’m ready to share you just yet.”
“Good point.” He pressed his lips my forehead.
Karen waited by the door while we said goodbye to Nick and the girls. The clock on the wall in the hallway said it was just past eight o’clock in the evening.
Thomas held his hand on my thigh the whole ride back home, his fingers digging into my flesh, his touch impatient. Karen sat at the back, looking out of the window. As soon as we arrive at home, she turned in, complaining of a headache. It was just an excuse to leave us alone, and I was thankful, because desire bloomed in the pit of my stomach the moment we left the hospital.
“I need a shower,” Thomas said, emptying the contents of his pockets onto the breakfast bar. “And I needyou.”
He backed me against the kitchen cabinets, his hand ghosting my neckline, the other caressing my thigh.
“You can have me in the shower,” I whispered.
Thomas was still as thirsty for me as I was for him, although my reasons changed during the eight months. The very first craving I had for him wasn’t as much for his body: it was for the peace and strength he gave me. Since then, the desire turned more physical. I no longer needed his proximity to keep me sane.
The most beautiful thing about us was that despite the drama, despite the time we already had together, the flame that pushed us toward each other in the first place still burned bright.
“For your mother’s sake, you’ll have to be quiet tonight, baby doll.”
I looked into his cinnamon eyes; the same ones that made my heart skip a beat when I first saw them.
“I thought you didn’t like it when I’m quiet.”
Thomas drew me closer, his hands on my hips. “I don’t. I haven’t heard you in two weeks, and believe me, I miss every sound you make, but I also haven’t felt you in two weeks, and I miss that more.”
I pressed my lips to his. “What are you waiting for? Take what willalwaysbe yours.”