Page 198 of The Casualty of Us
I frown. “What, baby?”
“What if it was never completely about the money?”
It takes a second for her words to click, but when they do, it has my stomach twisting hard because that would mean—
“What if for him it’s always been about me?”
“Fuck.” The curse falls from my lips sharply, my body tensing under hers like he’s about to start beating down the door any second, but if she’s right…that definitely would put a whole different spin on things. It has me quickly wrapping both of my arms around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer and dipping my head to her neck to breathe her in before pointing out the fault in her logic. “Why give you back in the first place then?”
“I don’t know,” she admits, blowing out a frustrated breath while reaching a hand back to play with my hair. “Maybe something to do with the other two. I can’t make sense of that part yet.”
“You will,” I tell her, voice dropping as my body tenses up more around hers because I know it’s the truth. “You’ll figure it all out one day.”
And I hate the possibilities that could come from it, but I also know that fighting it would be like trying to stand in front of the train. That me stopping her wouldn’t actually do anything to keep her more safe at the end of the day. It would only remove me from the equation, possibly right as his train was getting there. The only thing I can do is try to protect her as much as I possibly can through it.
The only thing I can do is hope that maybe somehow in the end, I can take the hit for her.
“You sound so sure.” She laughs softly.
“I am.”
She tilts her head back at my quiet words, a grin playing at her lips and blue eyes locking with mine. “Dimples.” Her hand in my hair pulls until I drop my lips to hers with a slow kiss passing between us just as lazily as this entire evening has. “Love you.”
“I know.” My lips lift against hers, and she pulls back with another giggle.
“So humble too.”
I lift a brow at her. “I don’t think you ever liked me for my humility.”
“Nope.” She leans down to bite my chest while looking up at me, making my cock twitch twice before perking right up. Fully ready to give her his undivided attention as she rises up with a mischievous look. “That one I had to teach you personally.”
A laugh escapes on my next breath and I narrow my eyes at her. Quickly moving my hands to her hips and flipping heraround with water splashing over the edge of the tub as I set her back down in my lap. The way her legs wrap around me with no hesitation has that pride unfurling in my chest again. Loving the way she lets me in so easily to see this side of her now.
Loving the way we play.
“Is that right?” I reach for her face before teasing back, “I don’t know if it took, baby.”
The spark that goes through the blue this time blows her pupils wide, and her breath hitches as I lift my hips—
“What’s that?”
Her brows fall, and I tilt my head at her, not catching on until a faint buzz filters through the desire enough to fill my ears.
“Ignore it.” I drop my hands to squeeze her hips with the order, and she rolls her eyes at me before standing. Not giving me any warning and dripping water all over as I drop my head back against the tub with a groan. “That’s fucking cruel, Freckles.”
She steps out of the tub one foot at a time before looking back over her shoulder to toss me a wink. “What are you going to do about it?”
Another groan leaves me at that, and I lift my fist up to bite down on it as she steps her way carefully over to the bathroom counter. Appreciating her tiptoe approach to not slipping on multiple levels as the dimples on her lower back hypnotize me for a moment until she turns back with the phone in her hand.
“It’s Marley.”
“And you’re surprised?” I drop my hands over the side of the tub, sprawling out and giving my rapidly growing cock more room. “You did just FedEx your brother to her.”
She cringes. “True.” Her eyes drop back down to the phone, and she purses her lips before answering casually, “Hey, Marley.” Quickly putting it on speaker and setting it down on the towel that’s folded up on the counter. “Happy Holidays.”
“Don’t you Happy Holidays me, Ophelia Fitzroy!” Marley snaps back, voice low like she’s whispering and continuing as O’s brows lift. “Why is your brother at my house? Why? What have I done to you to deserve this—my god—Ophelia, do you know what you’vedone—”
“Calm down,” O sighs, rolling her eyes. “I’m glad to hear he made it safely.”
