“Yeah. He’s a hypocrite. Wouldn’t talk to me because I was talking to her. He was doing the same thing.”
“That’s rough.” I furrowed my brow. “Wait. Are you sure they’re talking? Maybe she’s just calling.”
She seemed to consider that a moment. “Maybe, but he could’ve said something. I don’t understand how they can all expect me to act one way when they don’t do the same.”
“I think when you’ve had some time to process, you should talk to him. Get his side of the story. Didn’t you want them to give you the same courtesy?”
“Yeah, but—”
“No buts. You want them to treat you differently, show them how it’s done.”
A little smile curved her lips up. “I’ll think about it.”
“You should also think about bringing some of your and Blake’s things over. That way you don’t have to keep doing this back and forth.” I wanted them here for reasons I didn’t fully understand.
“He can’t keep sleeping in the bed with us.”
“We’ll get him his own then.”
“Patrick—”
I put my finger up to her lips. “That was as close to an agreement as I’m ever going to get from you. Let me have my moment.”
“I’m not agreeing—”
“Shh. We should use our mouths for something better than talking.” I nibbled her neck before I turned her, pulling her flush.
“Patrick.”
“Stop talking, Wicked.” I shut her up with my lips on hers. They were rigid until I coaxed them apart with my tongue. “Kiss me back. Give me all that fury.”
She attacked my mouth, her nails clawed into my neck. Those awful words she was so good at spouting off weren’t so bad when that energy was directed in a kiss.
My hands wandered over her ass, underneath the T-shirt to her warm skin.
“This needs to go.” I tugged the shirt up.
“I thought we weren’t talking.” She pulled my head back to hers, fusing our lips together.
Her tongue slipped in my mouth, demanding more. Our bodies melded together, but it still wasn’t close enough. I ripped her shirt over her head and dropped my mouth to her nipple.
She wove her fingers through my hair. I moved to the other breast, licking and kneading as she writhed against me. I kissed up her sternum back to her mouth.
“So fucking sexy, Wicked,” I murmured against her lips.
She pushed at my chest. I pressed her against the counter. She pushed harder. Ripped her mouth from mine.
“Marlow?”
“Move.” She elbowed and clamped her hand over her mouth.
She darted around me and hit her knees in front of the toilet.
Chapter Twenty-One
Marlow
“I think you’ve got a stomach bug.”
Patrick rubbed my back as I rested against the toilet.
“Thanks for holding my hair,” I said, my voice scratchy.
“Stupid question, but do you feel any better?”
I shrugged, too tired to talk.
“I’ll be right back.”
I clamped a hand on his thigh. He shifted to sitting and pulled me in between his legs.
“Should I be worried that kissing me makes you sick?”
I slapped his leg half-heartedly.
“Is this becoming our thing? Hanging out on the floor?”
I nodded and rested my head against his chest.
“Okay.”
Green eyes and blue eyes greeted me.
“How do you feel?”
It was odd to have someone else’s concern first thing in the morning. I didn’t know how we’d gotten to bed. Last I was awake, we were on the floor.
“Tired.” My throat was so raw I had to try again to get the word out.
“We’ll stay here today. I can work from home while you rest.”
I sat up on my elbow. “What time is it?”
“Almost seven.”
“I have to go.” I threw off the covers. “You’re sure you don’t mind keeping him? I can pick him up this afternoon.”
Patrick propped Blake against the pillows and caught me when I had almost reached the closet.
“You need to take it easy.”
“I’m fine.” I waved him off and realized my state of undress. I covered my breasts with my hands.
“Marlow, you’re pale. You can’t keep anything down.”
“I haven’t been sick since Trish’s food made me throw up.”
He scowled at me. “You think she poisoned you?”
“Probably.” I faked strength, though it took all I had to get dressed.
“Dino did too?”
“You put something on it. I noticed you only had one bite.”
“Because I’d just eaten a plate of lasagna the size of my head.” He ran a hand through his hair. “What about Blake? Was I trying to make him sick too?”
“You only put it on the side I was eating.” I knew exactly how ridiculous I was being, but the walls were closing in on me.
I felt like shit. Couldn’t handle Patrick and his kind eyes. Arguing? I knew what to do with that.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
“The boyfriend I have on the side.”
He caught me by the arm, fire blazing down at me. Surely to God he didn’t believe that. And there was no side. There never would be.
“Answer me.”
I pried his fingers off. “None of your business. Now stop being a shithead asshole fucker.”
“I believe you’ve taken over that role this morning.”
Because that was something I was comfortable with. Well, not comfortable, but I was accustomed to.
“I’ll take Blake. You’ve got other things to do.” And I shouldn’t be dumping my child on him, even though they seemed to be getting along fabulously. I didn’t want to take that from Blake.
“Like hell you are. We have plans.”
I didn’t know how he made it work with as busy as he was, but I couldn’t ignore the fierceness with which he wanted hang out with my son. He deserved as many people like that in his life as he could get.
I stared at him, a little in awe. “Fine. I’ll text you to check in.” He picked up Blake and moved toward the door. “Where are you going?”
“None of your business,” he shot back.
Yeah, okay. The taste of my own medicine hurt.
“Did you do this?”
Holt pointed to the walls of his office as I slung my bag on
