Page 54 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 1-4

He moved further back, but her hands clasped onto his arms. ‘Please, don’t leave me yet, Quin.’

Quin gritted his jaw. He’d ignored the temptation to come to her after Sol had fallen asleep earlier; he knew he would never be able to move on if he touched her again. But now his resolve was fast melting into the heat haze clouding his brain and the rising of his blood.

Sadie whispered, ‘Can you just stay with me for a bit, please?’

Quin said, ‘Move over.’

Sadie scooted into the middle of the bed and Quin lay down behind her, wrapping his arms around her. Holding her. Her backside nestled into his groin, fitting like a missing jigsaw piece. His body responded to her proximity at once, but he exerted every ounce of control to keep it at bay.

Eventually he could feel Sadie relaxing against him, her breaths evening out. He told himself he’d move soon...once he was sure that she was asleep. But, frankly, it felt so familiar and good to hold her like this that he gave in to the impulse and let his own muscles relax...until he too found himself drifting off.

Quin was gone when Sadie woke the next morning. But her body was still humming in the aftermath of what had happened when they’d both woken in the night to find themselves entwined. They’d moved to turn face to face. Sadie had pressed a kiss to Quin’s mouth—athank youfor comforting her as much as anything else. She’d craved his touch so much after that awful dream...she’d felt so cold.

When she’d kissed him, she’d half expected him to pull away—because it had been clear he’d had no intention of staying earlier in the night, until she’d begged him. But after a long moment he’d kissed her back, and a slow but intense frenzy had overtaken them as they’d mutually combusted.

She’d told him she loved him.

She waited for a sense of regret and embarrassment, but it didn’t come. She felt lighter. There was no way she could have kept those words inside—not here in this place where they’d been so happy. Where they’d made their beautiful son.

She knew she faced certain heartache now, but it would be nothing compared to the agony she’d endured for four years.

Birds tweeted outside. Sadie could hear Sol’s voice downstairs, and she revelled in a brief moment of appreciating where she was, in spite of the realisation that since they’d arrived here whatever accord she’d reached with Quin had taken about four steps back.

She got up and showered in the generous en suite bathroom and dressed in a pair of indigo blue shorts and a matching sleeveless shirt. Sara had packed her bag in Sao Paulo before they’d come here, and it was still such a revelation to be wearing clothes that weren’t falling apart at the seams from over-washing.

Tying her hair back roughly, Sadie went downstairs to find Sol seated at the dining table, with his mouth full and a delicious smell of...

‘Is that pancakes?’

Sol swallowed his mouthful with comic facial expressions and said, ‘Papa made them—they’re amazing.’

Quin was behind the kitchen island in a T-shirt, avoiding direct eye contact with Sadie. Her face grew hot just remembering the previous night...

Sol addressed his father. ‘Papa, can Mom have pancakes too?’

Sadie’s heart stopped and Quin’s hands stopped. Now he looked at her, but she couldn’t read his expression. She looked at her son, who had no idea what he’d just done by calling herMomfor the first time.

Sol looked from her undoubtedly shocked face to Quin. ‘What’s wrong?’

Quin recovered first, saying briskly, ‘Of course she can—and you can have one more and then you need to change for the match.’

A lock of Sol’s hair fell forward and he pushed it back. ‘Stupid hair... It’s getting in my eyes, Papa.’

‘You need a trim. We can find a barber shop here later on.’

‘I can cut his hair,’ Sadie offered, without thinking. She’d used to cut kids’ hair all the time.

Sol’s eyes bugged. ‘You can cut hair?’

Sadie nodded. ‘I’m a hairdresser...among other things.’

Jill of all trades... She’d had to be to blend into different places.

‘Wow! Papa, did you hear that? She can cut my hair. That’s so cool!’

Quin was looking at her. ‘Are you sure?’

Sadie shrugged. ‘Of course. We can do it after breakfast if there’s time. It won’t take long.’

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