“Mom! Rowan licked my hand,” Ophelia called, nose smashed against the window.
Paxton opened my door and I got into a silent car. I didn’t hear the arguing going on in the backseat, the stern way he told them to knock it off, or the weather update on the radio. A tropical storm was scarcely away from getting hurricane status, expected to hit land in four days.
That night was the first day of the rest of my life. The girls settled down by seven, both sound asleep on the sofa by eight. Rowan slept with her legs over mine and Ophelia slept in some sort of twisted pretzel position, curled beside her dad. Paxton repositioned her to keep her from waking with a stiff neck. Her head hit the pillow with dead weight and her fell, right between Paxton’s legs. He grunted and grabbed his nuts while moving her foot.
My fingers laced with his and I leaned into him. His lips met my forehead and he questioned my state of awareness. “What’s on your mind, Gabriella?”
I sighed a heavy breath and traced each of his fingers with mine. “I’m not ready to hand over my happy. I feel like it’s my turn. Like I deserve it. Ya know?”
“You do deserve it, Gabriella. Where was this girl six years ago?”
I shrugged, sputtering air from my lips. “Would you have given me the time of day had you met this me?”
“I don’t know. I only gave you what you wanted.”
“I don’t know what that means, Pax.”
“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just wait and see what he has. It’s probably nothing.”
I knew that wasn’t the case. It couldn’t be. How many Isabella Delgardo’s could there be? My Clyde. It was Izzy, it had to be Izzy.
“It does matter Paxton. What if it’s her? My sister?”
“Stop, Gabriella. I don’t even know how to comprehend that right now. You told me there was no one but you.”
“Why did I tell you that? Why, Paxton?”
“I don’t want to talk about this around the girls. Talk about something else.”
Defeated air fell from my lungs. Another puzzle piece that didn’t fit. That didn’t make a bit of sense.
“I’m going to shower,” I said with a heavy heart. I was exhausted, and my head hurt. Maybe I would take one of my pain pills and knock myself out. Maybe it would keep me from remembering the next piece.
Paxton pulled back on my hand and made me look back at him. “I want you in my bed.”
I smiled, my hand place to his hand. “I want to be there, too.”
I went to my own shower, finishing in record time. The water was far from being hot. I didn’t need to be mechanically inclined to know there was no hot water. I did a quick drive-by on my legs, skipping my sex altogether. I dried off with chattering teeth and sprinted up the steps to Paxton. I didn’t even stop and look in on the girls. I couldn’t. My bones were frozen.
“Oh my, God. Warm me up. There’s no hot water.”
My shivering body instantly settled when Paxton wrapped me in his arms. My eyes landed right on his relaxed package, hanging to the right of his sack. My back pressed against his chest and he shoved into my ass with his hips.
“Stop it. I just told you I had to take a cold shower and you don’t even care.” My teeth chattered again and I shuddered, praying for warmth.
“I’m sure it’s the breaker again. For some reason it trips it when I open the left garage door. I’ll check it in the morning. How’s that?” he questioned while wrapping an arm around me, blanketing me with his body.
“Hmm, amazing, but now I’m mad at you.”
“I know what will warm you up, and make you not mad.”
I rolled to my back and parted my legs. “Okay,” I agreed.
“That’s not what I was about to suggest, dirty girl. I wanted you to bend over my lap. That’ll warm you up.”
I pondered what I thought about, dirty girl. I didn’t mind it. It was way better than, slut. I did however mind the latter. “No way am I getting out from under these covers. I’ll freeze to death.”
“You won’t. I promise.” Paxton pulled himself up and leaned against the padded headboard. “Come here. Let me warm your ass.” The rasp in his tone, the twitch in his cock, and the look in his eyes did me in. My body temperature went from an alarming cold, too fevered in heat. Point seven seconds.
Paxton flattened his hand on my stomach when I tried to lay across his lap. “No, no, baby girl. Stay right like that.”