Page 52 of The Doctor's Surprise Family

“I didn’t bring anything,” I said.

She jerked her head at the nightstand.

I rummaged out a condom and she rolled it on, checking it over just to be sure. Then she pushed me back and sat on my lap. I moaned as she rode me, not caring who heard. I held her tight to me and buried my face in her neck. Breathed in the summery scent of her hair.

“Pinch me,” I said. “So I know you’re real.”

She pinched me hard on my wrist. I nipped her earlobe. Our rhythm turned frantic, jerky with need. I pitched over the edge almost without warning, vision exploding with a sky full of stars. I felt her go too, tensing against me, her nails digging into the meat of my arms. She murmured my name, and I shouted hers. We collapsed together across the crushed sheets.

“I should go,” said Claire, when she’d caught her breath.

I grabbed her finger. “Don’t go.”

“No, I’ve got Oli.” She untangled herself from me, but didn’t sit up. Her shoulders shook with sudden laughter. “Oh, shoot. Our cars.”

“Mm? What about them?”

“They’re still outside Sam’s.”

“He won’t notice,” I said. “And if he does…”

“What?”

I yawned, feeling sleepy. “He’ll think we were drunk and we took a cab. And even if he does suspect, who cares what he thinks?”

Claire sat up reluctantly. “I can’t stay,” she said. “But this — this was nice. I’m not running away.”

“I know. You’ve got Oli.” I sat up and kissed her. “Call when you get home?”

“You’ll be sleeping.”

“Call anyway. So I know you’re okay.”

“You’re sweet,” said Claire. She stood and got dressed, and I watched, half-awake. It felt like a dream, but in a while she would call me, and I’d ask if she might want to go out again. And after that, after that, who knew what came next?

CHAPTER 18

CLAIRE

Iasked myself the day Blake showed up at my door, where would he even fit into my life? The answer was anywhere. Everywhere. Easy.

We took Oli to Playland for the long-promised date, along with a few of his Little Bugs friends. I thought five three-year-olds might be four too many for Blake, but he didn’t bat an eye when they all climbed up on him.

“Hold on, hold on. They’ve got their own horseys!” He pointed at the carousel. “You kids want a ride?”

“You gonna ride with us?”

“Do those horseys bite?”

“Can I ride the red one?”

“No,Iwant the red!”

Blake crouched in the middle, the eye of the storm, two shrieking toddlers clipped to each leg. Oli had clambered halfway up his back. He eased Oli loose and tried to stand up, smiling from one eager face to another.

“There’s two red horses,” he said. “And I’m too big to ride.”

“But, do theybite?”

---