Beautiful Redemption (The Maddox Brothers #2)(52)
Author: Jamie McGuire

With every thrust, his thick fingers dug into my thighs, guiding me to the very edge of pleasure. I bit my lip, forbidding myself to cry out, and just as a thin sheen of sweat formed on my skin, we tumbled over together.

Chapter Eighteen

I REACHED ACROSS THOMAS’S BARE CHEST to turn off the obnoxious noise coming from his cell phone. The movement made evident the soreness and swelling between my legs from the hours of sex the night before, and I rested my head on his rippled abdomen, smiling at the memories flashing in my mind.

Thomas stretched, his legs too long for the bed. The sheets rustled as he stirred, and I ran my fingers over his soft skin, surrounded by the trinkets and trophies of his childhood.

With sleepy eyes, he took one look at me and smiled. He tugged on me until we were face-to-face, and then he wrapped both of his arms around my shoulders, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

I kissed the crown of his head and hummed in total satisfaction. No one had ever made me feel so right about being wrong.

“Morning, baby,” Thomas said, his voice sounding strained and hoarse. He rubbed his feet on mine as he carefully raked my ratted hair away from my face. “I probably shouldn’t assume, but being a woman married to her career…”

“Yes,” I said. “Birth control is in place and good for five years.”

He kissed my cheek. “Just checking. I might have gotten a little carried away last night.”

“I’m not complaining,” I said with a tired smile. “Flight leaves in four hours.”

He stretched again, still keeping one arm hooked around my neck. He pulled me to him and kissed my temple. “If this weekend wasn’t so important, I’d make you stay in bed with me all day.”

“We can do that when we get back to San Diego.”

He squeezed me. “Does that mean you’re finally available?”

I hugged him back. “No,” I said, smiling at his reaction. “I’m with someone.”

Thomas pressed his head back against his pillow to look me in the eyes. “Last night, I realized when I was talking to Camille…those relationships didn’t work out, but it wasn’t because of the job. It’s because we weren’t invested enough in them.”

I eyed him, feigning suspicion. “Are you invested in me?”

“I’m pleading the fifth but only in the interest of not scaring you off with the answer.”

I shook my head and smiled.

He touched my hair. “I like this look on you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”

“I’m completely serious. I’ve never seen you so beautiful, and that’s saying something. The first time I saw you…I mean, the very moment I looked over from my barstool and saw your face, I panicked, wondering how in the hell I was going to get your attention and then worrying how I would keep it when I did.”

“You got my attention at work the next day.”

Thomas looked ashamed. “I don’t get surprised very often. I was probably more of an asshole than normal, trying to keep everyone from knowing, and then when it hit me that I’d put you in danger—”

I touched his lips with my finger, and then I realized I could kiss them if I wanted. Immediately, I took the opportunity. They were soft and warm, and I had trouble pulling away, but even when I tried, Thomas placed his hand on my cheek, holding me while he caressed my tongue with his.

My God, he was perfection. I silently scolded myself for waiting that long to allow myself to enjoy him.

When he finally released me, he only pulled away a few centimeters, brushing his lips against mine. “I’ve always been a morning person, but I have no idea how I’m going to get out of this bed with you in it.”

“Tommy!” Jim yelled from downstairs. “Get your ass down here and make your mom’s omelets!”

Thomas blinked. “The idea just came to me.”

I pulled on a loose-fitting tank top and maxi skirt. Thomas pulled a white V-neck T-shirt over his head and then slipped on a pair of khaki cargo shorts.

He rubbed his hands together. “Holy shit, it’s cold,” he said, sliding his arms into his sport coat. “But I don’t want to sweat my ass off when we get off the plane in Charlotte Amalie.”

“I had the same idea,” I said, pulling on my sweater.

“I might have a…” He opened his closet and pulled something off a hanger before tossing it to me.

I held up the gray hoodie with navy writing that read ESU WILDCATS. It was a men’s medium. “When did you wear this? As a toddler?”

“As a college freshman. You can have it.”

I took off my sweater and pulled his hoodie over my head, feeling extremely foolish about how giddy it made me.

We packed the few things we’d removed from our luggage, and then Thomas carried our luggage downstairs while I brushed the sex tangles from my hair. I made the bed and gathered the dirty laundry, but before leaving, I took one last longing look at the room. This was the site of the beginning of what was to come, whatever that was.

I descended the stairs, grinning at Thomas standing in front of the stove, his father holding the salt and pepper.

Jim shrugged. “No one else but Tommy can make omelets like Diane, so I get them when I can.”

“I’m going to have to try it one day,” I said, grinning even wider when Thomas turned to wink at me. “Where is the laundry room?”

Jim put the spices on the counter and walked over to me with his arms open. “Let me.”

I felt weird about handing Jim those towels, mostly because it was the last thing Thomas and I had each worn before having the best sex of my life, but I didn’t want to argue or explain, so I handed them over.

I walked over to Thomas and slipped my arms around his middle. “If I’d known you could cook, I would have spent more time upstairs.”

“We can all cook. Mom taught me. I taught the boys.”

The butter in the pan popped, striking my hand. I yanked it back and then shook it. “Ow!”

Thomas dropped the spatula on the counter. He took my hand in both of his and inspected it. “You okay?” he asked.

I nodded.

He lifted my knuckles to his lips, tenderly kissing all four of them. I watched him, in awe of how different he was here than the man he was at the office. No one would believe it if they saw him standing in his dad’s kitchen, cooking and kissing the hurt from my hand.

“You’re one of the boys, too,” I said when he turned to check the progress of the omelet.