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“Okay, my
wild daisy scent
then…” I bent over the bathtub and my hand swept through the thick foam that topped the water. “… and bubbles?”

“Half a bottle of Soothing Sensations Bubble Bath.”

I dipped my fingers into the water again and I swirled them around. When I straightened back up my gaze settled on Josh. The candles threw fleeting shadows around the lines of his body. They also danced on his face and I drank in his beauty. The way a curl of his hair fell stubbornly over his forehead and teased his right eyebrow.

“You’re still missing something.” He nodded to where the basin stood. On one side of the tap there was a bottle and on the other were two tall glasses.

“Is that Champagne?”

“Taittinger. I got it when I was in Paris. I hid it for a special occasion.”

I peered at him from the corner of my eye. He hadn’t moved from the doorframe. Still, there was a more fragile vibe coming out from him.

“So let me sum things up: Wild daisy scented candles, check; half a gallon of bubble bath, check; real Champagne from France, check.”

“Yep.” I saw him swallow hard.

“Tell me, Champ: Are you trying to get me in the sack by any chance?”

“Technically, I’m trying to get you in the bath.”

“And we both know how
technical
you can be,” I teased him.

Josh stepped toward me. With each one of his steps, my skin tingled a bit more. When he stood over me, it felt like a blanket of heat washed over my body.

“I’m not trying to be technical right now. I’m just damn plain desperate.”

“Desperate?”

“Desperate to be in you.”

My mouth gaped and I struggled to recover. “What about ‘being ready’?”

“Fuck ‘being ready.’”

“That’s not very technical.”

“No, that’s explicit.”

“I like ‘explicit’ very much.” I eyed the Champagne. “Now please get me
explicitly
drunk by pouring some of that bubbly, will you?”

Josh granted my request and I sipped through my drink holding his gaze. The silence didn’t bother me for once. It was filled with whatever we hadn’t done yet and what we were about to do. That was plenty enough and there was no more to say except…

“Lock the door.”

Once again, Josh obeyed without question. I enjoyed having the upper-hand. I laid my glass on the edge of the basin careful that it didn’t tip over. The Champagne had fuzzied up my brain and my senses. My gaze caught our reflection in the mirror and met with Josh’s. His had turned unreadable. It was like he was letting me write the next chapter.

I cut the bond by lowering my head and bringing my hands around the button at the top of my shirt. My fingers were shaking and I wished I had another glass of Champagne running through my veins. I slowly made my way down, not allowing my eyes to wander anywhere other than my shirt. I’d sounded all cocky before but that had been one-hundred percent bluff.

I let my shirt slide down along my arms and fall on the floor. My nipples hardened under the lace of my bra. I pooled my courage together and looked up at Josh. “Your turn.”

The one-sided smile he gave me was so naughty I wriggled to stick my knees together. Josh’s hands didn’t shake at all when he undid his shirt smoothly and quickly. I licked my upper-lip at the sight of his chest and the sinewy lines defining his shoulders. They were strong shoulders, shoulders I could cry on, shoulders that could shelter me. From anything.

“I love you.” The flatness of my voice clashed with the passion burning inside me.

Josh aligned his body on mine. I expected him to say the words back. Instead he knelt at my feet and his hands circled around my waist. His fingertips brushed my hipbones when he reached for the button of my jeans. I heard the zipper snaking down and felt it against me. Soon my jeans were at my feet and Josh nudged me to step aside. I did.

His palms cradled the back of my calves and then he caressed his way up to the top of my legs, tucking the length of his fingers underneath my panties. Between my legs. They stayed there while my heartbeat plummeted downward. Between my legs too.

He pressed his lips on the fragment of skin between my panties and my belly button, right above my scar. His kiss was healing. It lasted until he spoke, “Undo your bra.”

His gaze burnt me but I didn’t hesitate and, in one move and with steady hands, my bra landed on top of my shirt. I didn’t have time to worry about the scary lack of support because, in the next beat, my panties were around my ankles and, in the next they landed on top of my bra, my shirt, and my jeans.

I didn’t dare to move. I’d never stood naked in front of him—in front of anybody—but I forgot to be self-conscious.

“You are beautiful and I love you.”

“I know.” I knew about his love and, right that second, I felt goddamn irresistible.

Josh stood and he led me like a child to the bathtub. He held my hand while I got into the water. The heat took away any tension left in me. I lay back with the water lapping at my nipples. The steam had left a sheen over my face. I kept my eyes shut the whole time Josh undressed. That was the blushing virgin in me… the virginal mother of one.

He got into the water, facing me, and his legs encased mine. If I stretched, I’d be reaching extra sensitive parts of him.

“You can open your eyes now. I’m presentable.” I did and he chuckled. “You weren’t so prudish the first time in the back of my truck.”

“There was less build-up.”

“Speak for yourself, I was a horny sixteen-year old when we started dating. It took us a year to commit the deed. There were many cold showers, believe me.”

“You never were pushy about it and you made our first time so romantic.” His hands looped around my ankles. “It’s difficult to top tonight though.”

“There were already candles—”

“—and cocoa.”

“We’re old enough now for Champagne.”

“And we’re married.” Okay, now was the time! “Josh, I think, you remember what you said—” Damn, I was rambling. I took a big breath and blurted, “I’m ready now.”

He bent forward, circled my wrists and pulled me over. I straddled him and I welcomed the feel of him against me. “Just in case you haven’t noticed, I’m
very
ready too.”

I chuckled but the sound ended in a rasp. In a flash, his hands shot from my wrists to my butt, cupping it, and pressing me tight against his hardness. I laid my forehead against his and our mouths were inches apart. His lips had never made me so hungry. I worshiped their curves with the tips of my fingers. It was my turn to make a move. So, very slowly, I lowered my mouth to touch his. Its softness made me shudder and I arched my back.

“God!” Josh muttered against my mouth. He shut his eyes. “Careful, Cass. You want me to last longer than I did at seventeen, don’t you?”

“If my memory serves me well, you over-delivered back in the day.” I didn’t want to think of our night in Oxford because, in so many ways, it hadn’t been us.

“You ain’t seen nothing at all.” Josh’s hands ran along my spine and his lips sought mine, parting them, teasing my tongue.

He made love to my mouth before making love to me.

When we ended in our bed, much, much later, my skin was all pruned and my hair a wet mess. Josh didn’t seem to care. He lay behind me, his chest warm against my back, his hands interweaved with mine.

“Good night, Mrs. MacBride,” he whispered.

“Good night, Mr. O’Malley,” I whispered back.

CHAPTER 18

Josh

The last month had been like saying goodbye to Lucas over and over again. There’d been Thanksgiving and there was now. But now was only for a few days. Cassie and I were on our way to Steep Hill for Woodie’s wedding. After that, we’d be back to Kansas City and Lucas before flying together to D.C. for Christmas. We wanted him to get used to his new home.

“Cass, we have to go.” I tried to ease her away from Lucas as gently as I could. His tight grip on her wasn’t making it easy. They finally let go of each other. “We’ll be back in no time.” I said that to console Lucas but it could have been to Cassie as well.

They nodded, keeping their lips tightly closed, mirroring each other’s expressions. I knelt to level my gaze with Lucas’s. “So, Champ, you have three days to get your bag ready. We’ll be going directly to the airport from here.” I held my hand up and he high-fived me.

“I’ll be ready. Promise.”

I gave him a quick hug. We couldn’t linger on the Sorensons’s porch. It’d only upset Lucas, but it sucked to only be segments of our son’s life. For all our sakes, we had to have him with us for good very soon. Hopefully it’d happen in January.

We returned to our rental car and Cassie let out a heavy breath. The tips of her fingers brushed the area underneath her eyes to wipe away the tears. I was leaning towards her to hug her when my cell rang.

Trisha, Lucas’s caseworker. The call was brief and Trisha wasn’t her usual bubbly self. She wanted to see us ‘as a matter of urgency.’

“What was that about?” Cassie gave me a frown.

“We have to stop by Trisha’s before going to Kansas.”

“Why’s that?”

“No idea. But she wasn’t giving me the option.” I checked my watch. “Her office isn’t too far from here.”

I made sure my voice didn’t betray the concern that had sneaked its way into my guts. I kept the conversation light for the entire drive, but it was impossible to miss the signs of worry from Cassie, starting with the bone-white knuckles clenched tightly around her knees.

She sprang out of the car and I hurried to catch up with her. We’d met Trisha there before and within a couple of minutes we were knocking at the door of her tiny office.

“Come in.” I opened the door and was about to let Cassie enter first when I saw who was sitting opposite Trisha.

I didn’t think twice before stepping forward to stand in front of Cassie. “What are you doing here?”

My father answered with one of his smirks and I knew we were in trouble. For him to be so deadly calm, he must have the upper hand in some devious way.

Behind me I felt Cassie stiffen. She tried to step around me, but I stopped her by wrapping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her back against me.

“Please, Joshua, Cassandra, take a seat.” Trisha waved at the small chair next to the one my father sat in. I led Cassie over to it, moved it as far away from him as possible and made her sit.

“I guess introductions won’t be necessary.” Trisha was a smiling lady, but she was somber today. The way her lips were stuck tight together warned me the shit was about to hit the proverbial fan. “Mr. MacBride,” she cleared her throat, “I mean, Josh’s father here has brought to my attention some disturbing allegations. As Lucas’s caseworker, I can’t ignore them even though we are far advanced in the adoption process. I will also have to share them with your caseworker in D.C… and, of course, the judge if the facts are verified.”

“What are these allegations?” I made a point of keeping my voice neutral. I stood right behind Cassie and laid my hands on her shoulders to reassure her but also to warn my father she was off limits. “Should we have our lawyer with us?”

“It’s up to you. I asked you to come to my office before you left the city because I wanted to hear your side of things.” Trisha cleared her throat again. “You’ve never hidden the marital problems you went through over the past years. You know how important transparency is during the adoption process. However Mr. MacBride told me those problems went far beyond what you’ve shared with me or your D.C. caseworker.”

Cassie squeezed my hand, but I had to ignore her distress and start the fight. “What exactly has he told you?”

His smirk was stuck on his face as he leaned further back into his chair.

Trisha continued. “Apparently only one week before you and Cassie applied for adoption you were still engaged to a certain Miss Carrington. Is this true?”

“I told you I was involved with someone else. I was living with her and we’d even planned to go back to D.C. together. I’ve discussed that with you and our caseworker back home.” I had to make Trisha see who we were now. “We’ve never pretended that our relationship had been smooth sailing anyway. What should matter now is that we are together.”

Trisha stared down at her hands that lay flat on her desk. She wasn’t enjoying it but I knew she’d force her way to the end. “The fact that you were so seriously involved with someone other than your wife such a short time before starting the adoption process does make me question how committed you are to each other and to providing a stable home for Lucas.”

“We didn’t lie to anybody. We didn’t lie to
you
.” Cassie bent toward the edge of Trisha’s desk. I heard despair in her voice. “He had filed for divorce, for God’s sake, it doesn’t shout happy marriage.”

Trisha’s gaze warmed when she focused on Cassie. “You’re right and you never lied about the fact that you and Josh were estranged since Lucas’s birth. The engagement isn’t really the problem… There’s something else.”