Page 73 of All Our Secrets

I shrugged. “I’ll take either.”

The second we’d dropped our luggage inside our suite, Devin had rushed everyone out to eat. We’d been out and about shopping since then. I was exhausted, but it had more to do with my thoughts than being out in the scorching sun all day.

“Where’s the bathroom? I think I’m going to shower first if that’s okay with you.” I said. “Do you mind watching—”

Before I could finish my sentence, Silas strode toward me and plucked my son from my arms. “Go on. I got him.”

My stomach knotted. “Are you sure you’ll be okay with him? Maybe I should ask Sarah—”

“Go bathe before I smack your ass for not having any faith in me.”

My breath quickened as my heart raced. “You don’t have to threaten me. I—”

“You worry, I know, but I’d never let any harm come to any child, especially yours.”

I studied him as he placed his finger in T.J.’s grip and smiled at him. My gaze lingered on his scars. It was strange. I never noticed them unless I tried. They were a part of him. Seeing him interact with my son reminded me that Silas was really good with Gavin’s kids too. It had been surprising to me when I saw him playing with them, since he was just so…him.I wondered now if maybe his own childhood made him sweeter toward kids than adults. Then I remembered poor Timmy at his shop and sighed. Okay, maybe that didn’t extend to teenagers.

“You’re really good with kids, aren’t you?”

He raised his head, his dark brows knitting together. “Only you would think that.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.” When his attention went back to my son, something stirred in my chest. Something that hurt as much as it felt good. Backing away abruptly, I caught my hip on the table and winced. Silas quirked a brow at me, so I said, “I’m going to go bathe now.”

When I entered the restroom, I gasped and rushed toward the jacuzzi. Silas’s loud steps sounded outside the open door as I twisted the knob. Worrying something was wrong with T.J. already, I whipped around to check on them.

Silas groaned as I faced him. He was still holding T.J., one finger gripped tight in my sweet boy’s fist. “Could you not gasp so frantically? I should have known it was because of a giant tub.”

I laughed. “I could have been naked.”

“With the door still open?”

I shrugged. “I’m regretting all these wasted years. How am I supposed to go back to a standard hotel room now?”

His entire face lit up when he smiled. Something he’d done several times lately, catching me off guard. But I liked that he didn’t show his weapon to people often. Like it was special. For me. Even if his beard concealed a good portion of it.

When he stood there, still staring, I forgot about the luxury of bubbly water and fixated on the man I’d been preoccupied with for way too long.

His presence stole the oxygen from the room. I loathed him for it, but also wanted to breathe him in, starting at his neck…

When it was clear he would stare and stare and stare until I was a blubbering mess, I cleared my throat. “I’m going to bathe now.”

Like quicksand, Silas pulled me in further. The big lug still hadn’t moved.

“Do you have any of his milk pumped right now?” he asked.

“We switched to formula completely. Two scoops. Water is already in his bottle, but I doubt he’ll be hungry before I get out.”

“You switched?”

I looked away, focusing on the tub filling instead of him. “Yeah.”

“Peyton.” There it was. That stern tone of his coming out to play.

“What?”

“Ain’t nothing wrong with that. So don’t start your sulking.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wow. Great pep talk. Ten out of ten.”

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