Page 92 of Stolen Kisses

Placing a rough finger over my lips, he smirks at me. “Don’t finish that sentence, Em.” Raising his eyebrows, he continues. “Do I love having sex with you? Abso-fucking-lutely. Do I want to have sex with you again? The answer is unquestionably, yes. Am I willing to wait until you’re completely ready? Physicallyandemotionally ready. You can take it to the bank. I’ll be here, whenever you’re ready—” He looks down at his erect dick. “—and waiting. Take your time, Peaches. I’m in it for the long haul.” He finishes with a searing kiss, stealing my breath and making me dizzy. His dick pressing against my tummy is a reminder that this man has needs. Maybe not today, but soon, I’ll help himout with those.

We finish in the shower, get dressed, and I head in to wake up the kids so they can get ready for school. Lachlan’s lying quietly in bed with his iPad, creating swirly patterns. “Morning, Buddy. How are you doing?”

He looks up at me, noticing me for the first time. “Morning, Mummy. Look at this pattern I made. It’s got Kenny’s favorite colors.”

He tilts his iPad toward me, so I can see it clearly. “That looks great. You should take a screenshot to show Kenny.”

“Good idea.” He busies himself taking the shot while I open the curtains to let the sunlight in.

“Come downstairs when you’re ready.” I kiss the top of his head on the way out of the door.

AsTheo prepares breakfast for everyone, we movearound each other seamlesslyin the kitchenwhileI make the kids’lunches.We make a great team; working together as though we’ve always done this. As Islicethe apples to place in the lunchboxes, I can’t suppress the spread of my lips as the kids settle around the table to be served by Theo without a second glance. They’ve become so used to him and Kenny being here, I’m not sure how they’ll respond when Theo and Kenny aren’t staying here anymore. My mood drops at the thought of them not being here. Not hearing Kenny’s chatter and laughter, or the way she bosses the boys around to play dolls or have pretend cups of tea. Not having Theo’s clothes draped on the chair in my bedroom or his work boots at the back door. Each day they bring across more of their things but never seem to take anything back to their place. Theo startles me with a kiss to the side of my neck as he passes with the kids’ empty breakfast dishes.

“Okay, guys and gal. Go brush your teeth and get your school bags. It’s time to get moving.” He claps his hands together, ushering them out of the kitchen.

Kenny replies as she stands from her chair. “Okay, Daddy.”

Theo freezes in place as his niece strolls out of the kitchen as though her words weren’t life-changing. His head drops low between his shoulders as his hands come up to rest on his hips. His shoulders rise and fall with exaggerated breaths. I move around the kitchen counter, laying my hand gently between his shoulder blades.

Dropping my voice low, I ask, “Youokay?”

His head turns toward me slowly, eyes glassy. “Yeah. That was…unexpected.”

“I’m honestly not surprised. You two are extraordinarily close.”

“Yeah,” he breathes out.

“Are you mad?”

His entire body snaps into place. “Of course not. I … I fucking love that she called me ‘daddy’. I’m not sure I’m deserving of the title though.” We both smile—mine reassuring, Theo’s tight and unsure—and I lean forward, placing a kiss on his bristly cheek. “I don’t think she actually realized what she just said, though.”

I look upstairs, where I can hear the kids in the bathroom. “Probably not. That makes it even better, don’t you think?”

He nods before collecting more dishes. “Absolutely.” We both get back to our tasks, managing to wrangle the kids out of the door in time to get to school.

I pop my head into Kate’s class after dropping my boys off at their respective classrooms. Theo’s still sitting with Kenny as she does her morning reading.I haven’t seenmy friendsince she stopped in to visit me while I was in the hospital. She spots me straight away, walking directly to me.

“Emma! I’m so happy to see you. God, I miss you around here.” She leans in to hug me but pulls away before we can make contact. “Sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”

I wave away her concern. “That’s okay.” I lean forward, giving her a side hug. “How are things?”

“Don’t worry about me, how are you?How is your recovery coming along?” Her denim eyes are soft as she studies me. “You look great.”

“Thanks. I’m feeling okay. Tired. Extremely tired. Which I did not expect, but the doctor says it’s completely normal.”

“You need to make sure you’re resting, Emma. Is there anything I can help you with, so you don’t overdo it?”Of courseshe would ask if she can help. It’s in her nature to help the people around her, but she’s got enough on her plate with Margie and the kids at the shelter. Not to mention her billionaire husband.

“I’m good. I promise I’m not overdoing it.” Theo steps in behind me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder before kissing the side of my head. Looking between us, Kate’s eyes widen comically.

“I’m making sure she rests, don’t worry about that.” Our conversation is cut short by the ringing of the school bell.

As Kate hugs me goodbye, she whispers, “You and I have plenty to talk about at our next coffee.”

* * *

“Right. Come and sit up on the table over here. Please remove your shirt and bra. Let’s take a look to see if we can start filling your expanders.”

Dr. Corrigan is happy with my healing so far. She studies the scars closely, pressing against the swelling and bruising. “How does this feel?” she asks.

---