Page 38 of Her Holiday Heartthrobs

The warmth filling my belly, making me sleepy and satisfied. How different would it have been had I stayed a little longer? Not that I could have spent the night.

Jackie sits back, arms folded against his chest. “You are a fucking minx, sweet cheeks. Do you know how long it’s been since I had a good romp, let alone between two men? And here you are, going from zero to a hundred with yourthreebosses.”

I flinch. “My dad’s three best friends.”

“Oh, dear Lord, and they’re older and well-versed in this kind of thing, aren’t they?” He raises a sarcastic eyebrow at me.

“I don’t know. Probably.” And the shame creeps in right on cue. Well, maybe a little bit late if I’m being honest with myself. “How am I supposed to even act tomorrow? Oops, I mean today.”

“Well, like you usually do, I suppose. Especially if you don’t want the entire place to know.”

“I don’t.” Shit. I really was stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. It’s like I’m eighteen all over again.

“And you ran away straight after—right? Literally, straight after?”

“Yes,” I groan.

“Then you need to have a reason ready for why, in case they ask. It doesn’t have to be the entire reason, mind you. But you should have something prepared to say so you don’t try to wing it and make a fool of yourself.” Jackie snatches a couple of the fries left on my plate.

“Any more than I already have, you mean.”

He shrugs. “If the shame fits, I guess. I don’t think you’re a fool, but we both know it’s not my opinion that matters.”

I groan again and sink down in my chair.

Laughing softly, he kicks the bottom of my seat. “It’s yours, you git. Your opinion of yourself is what matters. And fuck everyone else who doesn’t see you the way you do.”

Finally, I smile at him.

“Good. Now, come here. You probably didn’t get a lot of this tonight, and you look like you need it.” Jackie stands and reels me into a solid hug. It is exactly what I need.

It’s not like the guys weren’t gentle with me, but I didn’t stay long enough for a real cuddle, or hug any of them goodbye.

Shit. It’s going to be a long night, turning over what I’ll say to them in the morning.

Rubbing circles on my back, Jackie murmurs softly against my wet hair before giving me one last big squeeze. “Okay. Go get what rest you can.”

Nodding, I squeeze his shoulders and slink back into my room. Crawling in behind Paxton, I cuddle his little body against mine and freeze. His back is super warm and a little damp. So is his hair as I push it back.

Pressing my palm to his forehead under his hair, he’s hot. Burning up hot. He hadn’t felt like this when I’d planted a kiss on him little more than an hour ago.

No. No, no, no.

I stumble my way back to the bathroom, where Jackie catches me with a wild look. “What is it?”

“I need the thermometer. Do we still have baby Tylenol?” I scatter too many things from the medicine cabinet as I grab the thermometer and wash it off before rushing back to Paxton.

He doesn’t really wake up as I slide the end into his ear. The heartbeats I wait for it to beep at me take far too long.

What kind of mom am I? Leaving my baby home while he’s getting sick. Getting my rocks off while he’s home suffering without me. I’m the worst kind.

And when the temperature beeps, it reads 102.2.

I’m the absolute worst mother in the world.

HENRY

I check my phone for the hundredth time today, waiting for some kind of response from Paige, but it’s still radio silence. She didn’t come in today, leaving a message in the middle of the night for a family emergency.

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