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“You know what? You’re pretty lucky both your parents love you so much and I know they won’t hold it against you. They know how much you love them.”
He seems to think about it for a minute, then nods. They hug again and Violet squeezes extra tight, making Theo laugh.
“All right, you ready to go back and have some fun at your party? I was just about to bring your cake out when you ran in. Want to see what it looks like?”
He rolls away from her and off the bed. “Yeah!”
I quickly back away from the door and make it to the stairs before they emerge from the bedroom, but they catch me at the top of the stairs.
“Everything okay?” I ask nonchalantly.
Theo doesn’t seem to clue in that I was eavesdropping, but Violet gives me a little grin and I know I’ve been caught.
“Yep. I’m taking Theo down to get a look at his cake.”
“C’mon, Daddy.” Theo grabs my hand as he passes me.
I head downstairs with him, Violet right behind us. When we reach the landing, I look over my shoulder and mouth “thank you” to her, but it doesn’t feel like words are enough to express the feeling burning inside me.
Twenty-seven
Violet
Theo crashes shortly after all the presents are opened, the cake is eaten, and the guests have left. I’d say the party was a success except for the one hiccup after he talked to his mom.
The poor little guy. I saw him run past the kitchen in tears and there was no way I couldn’t go after him. I felt as if my heart was bleeding out of my chest seeing him like that.
I know Brady overheard me talking to Theo in his bedroom. While I don’t think he would have an issue with anything I said, he’s been looking at me strangely all night. I’ll look in his direction and find him watching me, studying me almost as if he’s trying to figure me out. So when I knock on his bedroom door an hour after Theo went down, as per our usual routine, I’m a little nervous, though I can’t explain exactly why.
“Come in.”
I open the door and find Brady lying in bed watching the sports channel, shirtless, wearing a pair of lounge pants. If I snapped a picture right now, he’d look as if he was in an ad, he’s so effortlessly handsome and sexy.
“Hey,” he says and picks up the remote and clicks off the TV.
I close the door and lock it.
“Hey. How do you think today went?” I crawl onto the bed and rest my back on the headboard beside him. For whatever reason, I’m nervous to hear his answer. I just want him and Theo to think I did a good job, I guess.
“I think Theo had a sixth birthday party he’ll never forget. Thank you for everything you did to make it happen.” His gaze darts around my face as though he’s searching for something.
I smile. “I think Theo had fun. Except for that one blip, but he got back into the swing of things quickly.”
“Thank you for that.” His voice is as soft as worn leather. “He was missing his mom and you stepped in and made him feel better. I can’t convey how much that meant to him, how comforted he was by your touch and your words.”
My cheeks heat. “I just did what anyone would do.”
He shakes his head and shifts so one shoulder is leaning against the headboard and he’s facing me. “No, you went above and beyond, just like you have the entire time you’ve been here.” Brady cups my cheek and I lean into his touch. “My son is lucky to have you in his life and so am I.”
My chest swells with a sensation I’ve never felt before. It’s almost like a rolling wave of warmth cascades through me.
Brady brings his lips to mine and kisses me slowly, his hand still on my cheek. He’s never kissed me this slowly, this languidly, as though we have all the time in the world. As though he’s pouring every emotion inside him into our kiss.
After a few minutes, he pulls me onto his lap so that I’m straddling him. I feel his hard length against my core, and we both moan at the friction when I gently rock my hips.
Brady weaves his hands into the hair on either side of my face, gazing up at me with hazel eyes spilling over with what I think is love. “I knew there was something special between us the night we first met. I just didn’t know it could be this good.”
His words are a balm to my soul, and until he said them, I didn’t realize how badly I needed to hear them. I lean in and kiss him, trying to tell him without words how much he means to me.
