Page 108 of The Candlemaker

And the moment I shared that with Mom was the moment Frankie had to know I wasn’t going to let her go.

“Is that what you want?” I stroked her cheek with my thumb.

“I want her to know,” she murmured, meeting my gaze. “Don’t you?”

“I do,” I said hoarsely, my throat bobbing as I swallowed. “But I don’t want to just tell her about the baby… I didn’t come back here for the baby, Frankie. I came for you. So if we go, it’s not to tell her this baby is mine. It’s to tell her you’re mine, too.”

Her lips parted, and I took the invitation rather than risk her protest.

It took only a second before her mouth opened to mine and a handful more before her arms wrapped around my neck and her body melted to mine.

“Chandler…”

“I want you, Frankie. I want us.”

She drew a shuddered breath and then, in the softest voice, said, “Me too.”

“Frankie—”

She framed my face with her hands. “I want us, too.”

I kissed her again until we were both panting. Until I had her sitting on the edge of her desk, until her flowy fall dress was hiked up around her waist and my fingers were priming her slick pussy for my cock.

“Tell me you’re mine,” I rasped, stroking her G-spot until she drenched my palm.

She moaned and reached for the waist of my pants. “I’m yours,” she said only once she had my cock in her hand.

I shuddered as she stroked me. Drew me to her. “Say it again.”

She pulled my hand away and replaced my fingers with the head of my cock, finding my eyes as she tipped back onto her hands and murmured, “I’m yours.”

I let out a low growl and drove my cock home.

“Yes,” she moaned and wrapped her legs around me, my hips working slow, deep thrusts all the way to her womb.

This was always my favorite way to end the day, my hand resting on her growing stomach and my cock nestled deep inside her. But today, hearing those words…

“Again,” I grunted, steadily picking up my pace.

“I’m yours,” she repeated over and over, and each time I rewarded her with deeper, faster drives.

When I felt her muscles start to contract and her arms tremble to support her, I snaked my hand around her neck and hauled her lips to mine, sinking my tongue deep into her mouth and tasting her cry as she came.

I fucked her through the peak of her orgasm, torturing myself just so I could savor the way she melted for me, and only then did I finally let the pressure building at the base of my spine go.

I thrust as deep as I could go and let my release take me.

Minutes later, when our breathing steadied, I pressed a kiss to her forehead and murmured, “We can go visit my mom tomorrow.”

She tipped her head back, finding my eyes. “Good. Because I want to tell her you’re mine, too.”

My jaw clenched, and then I kissed her again…and we didn’t leave her store for another hour.

“Tom,” I greeted, and he hugged me.

It hit me that he’d only hugged me since he’d met me at the hospital that day. In all the years I’d known him—all the years we’d worked together—it was always a handshake and a nod. A professional veneer that he’d maintained for me.

“Frankie.” He smiled and pulled her in for a hug. “It’s good to see you again.”

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