Page 73 of Thorns That Bloom
My eyelids grow heavy under the weight of his sweet pheromones slipping out. “You shouldn’t look at me like that, you know,” I say quietly and follow the urge to come toward him as well.
A smirk that makes my heart hiccup pops up on Sam’s face. It creates a small, adorable dimple on his cheek. “Like what?” He moves closer. I feel his minty, tangy breath against my face.
“Like you did before. Like you want to kiss me.”
“Maybe I want to,” he whispers, narrowing his eyes now aimed at my lips.
I gulp. “Are you sure? What if it’s a mistake again?”
“Did I say it was a mistake last time?” he asks, looking up like he’s thinking hard about it.
Walking my fingers gingerly toward him across the table, I lean in even more. “You…were upset after. I don’t like making you upset.”
“Mhm… I’m not sure how I’ll feel. Maybe I want to find out.”
The throaty quality of his voice makes me shiver. He’s so close, his lips are so close, and his eyes seep into my soul. I want to drink him in. The good, the bad, every single facet of thischarming man in front of me and—
A gasp gets stuck in my throat when Sam reaches for my shirt, grabbing it to pull me in for a kiss. I moan softly, tasting lime juice and mint and sugar.Ah, the sugar. He’s so sweet. Every breath he pushes into my mouth, each sticky smack of his lips against mine, and his tongue twisting around mine… It’s everything I was singing about and more.
We pull away, both drawing out a desperate exhale.
Sam rests his forehead against mine while he licks his lips and meets my gaze. He stays quiet for a moment, just looking at me. There’s no fear that I can see, like I did last time. No hesitation or regret. Only flushed satisfaction.
“So?” I ask.
He purses his lips and leans back, a wicked spark in his eye. “So far, so good. I’ll let you know what the verdict is.”
Chapter 18
Sam
“There you go,” Kristoff says after moving away from my computer with a victorious expression. After an hour of the damn program crashing and refusing to work, we finally figured out where the problem was, with some more help from some senior office workers. “Crisis averted!” He grins, showing me a thumbs-up.
“Thank you. I don’t know why it kept saving there and constantly overwriting.” I lean back in the chair, letting out a huff of relief.
“I think that version was corrupted or something. It’s good we could repair it without losing any of the data. Well, besides the overwritten files. Did you lose a lot of work?”
I wave my hand with a smile. “No, not really. I should be able to catch up, no problem.”
As he’s resting with his hip against my desk, Kristoff crosses his arms and studies me with a narrowing gaze. “You’re all smiles today, you know? Some good news?”
“Do I need good news? I’m just happy.”
Kristoff seems surprised by that. Am I usuallythatgrumpy? “I’m glad to hear that. Well, I gotta get back. Shout if you need help again.”
“I will. See you later.”
Alone once more, I move in my seat, groaning softly. She’s on a kicking spree again. I see my stomach moving and shifting even through my sweater. I won’t know until my next appointment, but it feels like she’s changed position, hopefully the right way down. My belly seems to sit a little lower now.
Besides the discomfort of growing an entire new human being inside of me, I feel…contented. Perhaps for the very first time since the incident.
My heart is light for once. Light and slowly, cautiously, opening up again.
It might be irresponsible or foolish, but I find myself considering letting Theo in. Giving him a real chance. Allowing myself to have this. Because why the hell can’t I? It feels good feeling good with Theo. To have his adoration and care. And I fucking deserve it.
The thought of us being intimate crossed my mind, too, once or twice… Kissing him made me feel safe. More than that, it made me feel like myself again. Isn’t that the best thing I can do for my child? Try to get as close as I can to the person I was before, while growing from what happened? Otherwise, what would’ve been the point of all that anguish?
I lower my eyes, staring down at my hand that he so tenderly touched last night. Every time Theo touches me, I want to press that sensation deeper into my flesh, rather than shy away from it like I did a few months ago when even the most ordinary, brief contact with anyone sent a wave of anxiety through me.
