She bites her lip, forcing a breath through her nose. Her nipples perk from beneath her bikini top and her heated skin is covered in goose bumps.
“I loved watching you with those kids today.” I trail my fingers down her arms, where tiny grains of sand remain. “You’re going to be an incredible mother. So patient. So gentle. Willing to get down to their level. And the light in your eyes …”
She’s quiet, perhaps thinking about the future child we’ll create someday.
“You really bonded with Sasha,” I add, lips grazing hers. “Kind of makes me hope we have a girl …”
“One thing at a time, Casanova,” she’s kidding around now, which historically has never been a good sign. Something’s bothering her and she’s trying to lighten the mood to avoid discussing it.
“I’ve never mentioned this before. Not even to Broderick.” I cup her face and meet her intense blue gaze. “But the Ameses sold my parents the plane they died on. Taking over their company and rearranging their business model would be a way of sticking it to them. Their family will be furious with me by the time I’m through, and while this makes me sound petty, I’ll take great pleasure in every fucking minute of it.”
Sophie’s expression suspends in time for a moment, and just when I think perhaps she’s judging my little confession, she says, “Good for you.”
We stumble backward, to the bed, and I run my fingers down her stomach. It caves in response and her breathing heavies. Working my way down, I slide my hand into her bikini bottoms—until she stops me.
“It’s been a long day,” she says, growing stiff beneath my touch. “You mind if we just relax tonight?”
Disappointed, I remove my hand from between her thighs and pull her into my arms. My cock pulsates before growing limp. I’ve been waiting all day to have her to myself again, but if she’s not in the mood, she’s not in the mood. If I pressed, I’m sure she’d relent, but I’d never do that to her.
“Everything okay?”
Her eyes light and she swats at my chest. “Of course.”
I don’t believe her—but I know better than to pry when she’s like this.
The sun sets outside our window, coloring the guest room in variations of orange-pink. I could lie like this forever with her in this dream-like trance.
“My mom broke her leg once. Don’t ask me how because I can’t remember. I was quite young at the time.” I breathe her in. “But I remember that for weeks, my father refused to leave her side. He stayed by her side in bed. He helped her around when she needed anything. He cut fresh roses from the garden every day so she had something beautiful to look at when she woke, something to lift her spirits. He loved her to the point of obsession sometimes. And I never understood how someone could be so fixated on anyone else … but I get it now. That level of devotion makes sense, and it’s all because of you, Sophie, that I finally understand it.”
A wince covers her pretty face. Or maybe it doesn’t. It happens so fast.
I think about saying the words that’ve been on my tongue all weekend.
I love you.
But for some reason, I stop. And I take the euphoria that floods me as a consolation prize.
My gut tells me to wait, that she’s not in the right frame of mind to hear it.
Nuzzling into the bend of my arm, she sighs. And a moment later, her breath steadies as she succumbs to the exhaustion of the day.
“I love you,” I say as I watch her sleep, but only in my mind.
I’ll tell her soon enough.
Forty-Nine
Trey
Present
“We’re so glad you could stay the weekend with us.” Anabelle air kisses Sophie’s cheek before turning her attention to me.
Nolan keeps his distance, nodding, scrutinizing before shaking my hand as if completing a business transaction. Cold. Formal. Eye contact that demands the upper hand while simultaneously conveying an unspoken threat.
“It was so lovely getting to know you both,” she adds, practically gushing, oblivious to her husband’s steely countenance. “And you make a beautiful couple.”
A Town Car waits in the circle drive, holding our loaded luggage as the driver stands patiently by the passenger door.
This morning, we enjoyed breakfast in the nook with the children. Sasha asked Sophie to sit next to her and proceeded to tell her all about her teacher, her homework, her best friends, her “boyfriend,” and her favorite Disney movies. When she was done, she begged her parents to let us stay “just a little longer.”
It was adorable.
But I’m ready to get home and back to an ounce of normalcy.
“Bye, Sophie!” Sasha appears from behind her parents and wraps Sophie in a hug around her waist.
“Goodbye, Sasha,” Sophie hugs her back, and for a second I swear her eyes turn glassy.