“Something about her does it for me.” I spoke casually though I felt anything but when it came to Wicked.
The faintest smile tinted her lips. “Extra olives.”
“You got it.” I held open the door for her. When she’d made it to the sidewalk, I caught her by the chin. “I don’t see any overnight bag.”
“That’s because I haven’t been home yet.”
I brushed my lips against hers. “I suppose it’s all right for you to wear more of my clothes.”
“Don’t act like you don’t love it.”
I kissed her again, this time slipping my tongue in her mouth. She met me back with all that fury and fire I craved so much. I wound an arm around her waist, pulled her flush against me. She tangled her hands behind my neck and held me in place.
“Where were we on my list?”
“The floor. Then the wall.” I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth. Her nails dug into my skin. “Both of those. Tonight.”
“Not if you don’t bring pizza.”
“I’m on it.”
Once I placed an order at the bar, I sauntered back over to the table.
“Is she okay?” Mr. Dixon asked, worrying his hands in front of him.
“She’s the toughest person I know. She’ll be fine.”
“Why do you always take off after her? She doesn’t want to be fixed.”
Because someone needs to stay by her side.
“She isn’t broken. She’s hurting. Alone. Angry. But not broken.” I threw a few bills down on the table and focused on Andrew. “Maybe, as her brother, you need to give her a little more grace.” I looked at the rest of them. “Maybe all of you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Marlow isn’t perfect, but none of you are either.”
“Do you want to know what she said to me today?” Andrew hissed.
“Not really.”
“She asked me if I was worried Ella would end up like her father.”
Trish gasped. Baker slapped her hand over her mouth. That was pretty bad. Awful, really.
“Something’s got to give,” I said.
“Her. I’m tired of being the one to apologize.” He put an arm around his wife, who had gone pale.
“Then you might want to get used to not having a sister or a nephew.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Patrick
“What happened after I left?”
She tore at a slice of pizza with her teeth.
“Andrew’s pissed about what you said.” I canted my head. “He’s got a legitimate reason.”
“It just came out. And what if she does end up like that creep?”
“Wicked, they don’t know who the father is.”
She dropped the crust. “Oh shit. I never thought about that.”
I rubbed her back. “I’m proud of you.”
“Why? I am a first-class bitch.”
“What you said to Baker and Holt. I know it wasn’t easy.”
“Andrew told me my mother was at the wedding.” She glazed over my compliment.
“She was?”
“I didn’t know either. Between me and her, it was a disaster.” She picked up another slice.
“The important thing is they’re married. So what if a few fireworks went off?”
“What if I’d done that at your wedding?” She poked me in the arm.
“You just got sauce on my shirt.”
“Did I?” A smile crept up her cheeks.
“You won’t have a panic attack at my wedding because I’ll know better than to have it in a church.”
“I’m surprised we didn’t both incinerate.”
“Speak for yourself.” I feigned indignation.
“You’d really not have your wedding in a church so I could come?”
“Why are you so interested in my hypothetical wedding?” I twirled a lock of her hair around my finger.
“Because then I’ll be rid of you.”
I touched her stomach and pressed my lips to her ear. “You’ll never be rid of me.”
She shivered, but kept eating like it didn’t happen. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“He asleep?” she whispered, peering into my room at Blake in his portable pen.
I held my finger up to my lips and grabbed her hand. We tiptoed downstairs to my study.
I sank down on the floor by the bay window and pulled her between my legs. She leaned against me, hands splayed on my thighs while I rubbed her belly underneath her shirt.
“That feels good.”
“Think Gummy likes it too?”
“She likes how her daddy wants to know her. Though that’s going to change in a few years.” Was she teasing me? It was so rare, but I hoped eventually she’d do it more often.
“I can’t even think about her being a teenager. She’s never going out with a guy like me.”
“I hope not.”
I nipped her earlobe hard, and she yelped.
We were quiet a minute, watching the traffic go by.
“I like our thing.”
This woman continuously knocked the wind out of me. Her admission that she liked being in my arms felt like I’d conquered my Everest.
“I haven’t been this relaxed since the last time we did it.” I propped my head on the glass, content. “I’ve decided to take the case.”
She twisted around. “Why?”
“You think I should.”
“Don’t do it because of me.”
“I need the closure.”
“You’re quitting?”
“Did I say I was?”
“Kinda?”
“How would you feel if I didn’t bring in any money?”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Child support.”
“Shut the hell up.”
“I’ll take care of the three of you. We’ll have enough coming in off investments.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“How are you making it?”
“Jack had a life insurance policy. Not much, but it’s something.”
“What about your job?”
She tensed. “I couldn’t concentrate after . . . so I got fired.” There was an indifference in her voice but I didn’t miss the disappointment.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t exactly have you on speed dial.” No. I guessed she didn’t, but I hated that she’d dealt with that burden on her own. She wiggled in my hold. “I thought we were going to fuck.”
“Is that all you want?”
“Isn’t that all you want?”
“Does it sound that way?”
“How should I know?”
“Are you listening to me?”
“Could you try to make sense?”
I brushed her hair back from her face. “There’s enough legal work to do for the ladies at Paths of Purpose to keep
