Page 20 of Under the Mistletoe

“That’s not an answer.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Yes, you do. Now, say it.”

“Fine, my feelings for you have never changed.”

“See, that wasn’t so hard.”

He stepped closer and reached for my waist, gently pulling me towards him. He held me tightly against his chest, the warmth of his body surrounding me, and I found myself longing for more. He brought the palm of his hand to the side of my face, gently brushing his thumb across my cheek. “I should’vetold you. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now... I’m not going to make that same mistake again.”

He slowly lowered his lips to mine, kissing me tenderly. At first, his touch was soft and gentle, but it quickly changed to something more. A deep growl vibrated through his chest while his fingers tangled tightly in the back of my hair, pulling me closer as he took complete control of the kiss.

His tongue brushed against mine, and the world around us melted away as we got lost in each other’s arms. There was no doubt that we had chemistry. I could feel it pulsing through me as he kissed me long and hard, and his possessive hold on me had me eager for more. Without warning, he pulled back, looking at me with an expression I didn’t quite understand.

“Momma,” Ava called out, and we both froze.

And just like that, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over me as I turned and spotted her at the end of the hall. Her little cheeks were red, and her eyes were puffy like she’d been crying. Thomas took a step back, giving me room to rush over to her. “Hey, sweetie. What’s wrong?”

“My tummy hurts,” she whined.

“Did you eat too much?”

She shook her head no, then buried her face in my chest and whimpered. Torch stepped closer, his expression softening in a way I didn’t see often. “She okay?”

“I don’t know.” I shook my head, worry tightening my chest. “She was fine earlier.”

“Maybe it’s something she ate.”

“Maybe.”

Torch placed his palm on her forehead and grimaced. “She’s burning up.”

“Oh, man. I should get her home.”

“I’ll drive.” Torch said firmly, already holding his hand out for my keys.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s not like it’s out of my way, Beck.” He gave me a look that shut down any argument. “Now, give me the keys.”

With Ava whimpering in my arms, I didn’t have the energy to argue. I reached into my back pocket and grabbed my key fob, then handed it over to Torch. I followed him out to the car, and he opened the back door for me. Ava was still clinging to me as I secured her into her car seat. I slid in next to her while Torch climbed into the driver’s seat.

I sent a quick text to Mom and Dad, letting them know that Ava wasn’t feeling well, and we were heading home. By the time I was done, Torch had adjusted the driver’s seat and had started the engine.

The ride was quiet except for Ava’s soft sniffles and whines, and my whispered reassurances. Torch glanced at us in the rearview mirror, and his brows furrowed in concern. “You two okay back there?”

“Yeah.” I brushed the hair from Ava’s eyes and couldn’t help but notice that she looked a little pale. “But I’m not sure for how long.”

“Okay. We’re almost there.”

When we got to my place, Torch parked and was out of the car before I could even reach for the door handle. He helped me out, then reached down and scooped Ava up like she weighed nothing. As he started for the door, he looked down at me and asked, “Where do you want her?”

“Let’s try the sofa,” I answered softly, watching how carefully he carried her inside.

He nodded, and once I’d unlocked the door, he carried her straight to the living room, setting her down gently on the sofa. I followed right behind him, grabbing her favorite blanket and tucking it around her. She blinked up at me, and she was on the brink of tears as she muttered, “I don’t feel good.”

“I know, baby.” I knelt beside her as I said, “I’m going to go grab a few things to help you feel better, okay?”

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