Page 89 of Worth the Fall

I swallowed hard. “You thought about me?”

“Since the day you took the job. You and that damn mouth of yours,” he said.

I smirked at what he’d just admitted. I loved knowing that.

“So, what did you fantasize about?” I pushed, my curiosity getting the best of me.

“You. Like this.” He spun my body around and moved me toward the built-in bench. Placing a hand on my back, he pushed until I was bent over, ass up in the air, hands gripping the marble. “Hold on, baby,” he warned as he coaxed himself inside of me from behind and started pounding like he was a damn carpenter and I was a piece of wood in need of nailing.

Between the hot water spilling between us and Thomas moving in and out of me, the friction built quicker than I’d anticipated. For both of us, apparently. When it was done, I forced my body upright and turned around to face the man that I had very strong feelings for already. Thomas kissed me, spilling all of his unsaid emotions into that kiss. We were tethered together, he and I, in a way I couldn’t explain and didn’t want to overanalyze.

“I guess you can do something in under ten minutes,” I said once we broke apart.

“Don’t get used to it.” He kissed me again before getting out and wrapping his body in a towel.

I followed suit, not wanting to be naked and in the shower when Clara got home. I’d just finished putting on the same clothes that I had worn yesterday for dinner when I heard the front door open and Clara’s little voice shouting from downstairs.

“Daddy! I’m home!”

“We’re upstairs!” he shouted back, and I didn’t miss the way he’d saidwe’re.

Clara came running into the bedroom, her eyes growing wide when she caught sight of me. “Miss Brooklyn! You’re still here?”

“I’m still here,” I said, mimicking her tone as she ran to me with open arms, and I bent down to give her a hug.

“Did you have a sleepover too?” she asked once she let go of me.

I shot Thomas a look that said I was unsure how to answer this, but he gave me a subtle nod that told me it was okay to tell her the truth.

“I did. We missed you though.”

“It’s okay. We can have another sleepover together. Right, Daddy?”

“Of course,” he said as he scooped her up in a hug. “Is Uncle Patrick downstairs?”

She shook her head. “Nope. He had to go build the barn.”

“How was your night?” he asked as he put her down.

“Jasper slept in my room with me. On my bed.” She covered her mouth like maybe that was bad somehow. “I love him.”

“Sounds like he loves you too,” Thomas said softly. “Go get ready for school. We’ve got to take Miss Brooklyn home on our way there.”

“How come?” she asked, her little head cocked to one side.

“She needs her car,” he said, and Clara looked at me, her head nodding in understanding.

“And to change her clothes,” I whispered as soon as Clara bounded away.

And just like that, the three of us slipped into a routine that not only felt normal, but comfortable as well. Shouldn’t this have been a little more difficult to adjust to? Shouldn’t I have felt more like an outsider when it came to their firmly established dynamic?

All I knew was that I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong. I felt wanted. And included. It should have been weird, but it wasn’t. And that should have scared the hell out of me...but it didn’t.

---