“Oooh,” the ladies sighed, clearly pleased with Adam’s answer.
“Let’s celebrate!” Stol cried.
The laboratory’s staff seemed relieved as our group tromped out of the facility. Cormac shot me a glance, and I gave him a nod. Oh yes, my big plans were still in play. Now for the reason I’d intended: to seduce Hana into marrying me.
No way was I waiting any longer to link her to me—as my wife, the exact place she should have been for the last three years.
Chapter24
Hana
Isat on the couch in my spot in Paxton’s—our—living room, totally sauced and grinning. Paxton and I shared family, but we were not related. I gulped as I realized, once again, now close I’d come to losing Paxton the way I’d always wanted him: as my lover. My partner. If that test had reached different results, I would have lost this chance Paxton had given us.
And I’d almost lost it anyway because of the fear that he’d hurt me again—because I’d conflated physical pain with emotional pain, and it was hard to let that go. But I wanted what these amazing women I’d met had with their partners. I wanted to receive what Pax was offering me. Desperately. And that yearning was finally stronger than the fear.
Keelie sprawled next to me like a starfish, seemingly boneless. “I can’t handle all this drama,” she muttered. “Y’all are too much. I thought my daddy leaving us for another family was bad, but Naese’s father fathering your brother?Gross!”
“You know, sharing a brother is awesome,” I said. “I plan to get to know him again, now that he’s clean.”
“He’s in prison, Hana.”
“I know. But I want a relationship with him, I think. But we’ve decided Paxton’s father needs to step up—actually be a dad to Aiki. That’s not something he’s had since he was small.”
“Maybe that’ll help Aiki stay sober and find purpose,” she said.
I shrugged. “Maybe. But I know I need to be a better sister, no matter what Sawyer does. Aiki’s been mean and lashed out, but at least now I can kind of understand why.”
“Nothing gave him the right to endanger people’s lives.” Scrunching her nose, Keelie reached for her glass and downed the dregs of her drink. With a sigh and a smack of her lips she rose unsteadily and headed toward the kitchen. “These are way better than mocktails,” she said with a faint hiccup.
Cormac intercepted and tucked her under his protective arm.Good call. She was plastered. But then again, so was I. At least I thought I was. I’d never been drunk before, but this light-headed feeling—almost floating—was delicious. I giggled.
Paxton plopped down next to me, and I blinked up at him. He grinned indulgently. “You look shattered.”
“I am. But in the best way, Pax.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded, and my mind seemed to continue rolling.Weird. I struggled but managed to refocus on Paxton’s face. He stared at me intently, waiting.Oh, right!“I was terrified you’d hurt me, but you haven’t. You won’t. My mind made up those scenarios because I thought I should protect myself.” I touched his cheek. “I don’t need to. You keep telling me you love me, showing me you love me, and I know you do. You’ve proven it often.” I inhaled. “I’m not going to be afraid anymore, Paxton. I know what’s on the line, and our happiness matters.”
His eyes lit up, and a smile bloomed across his face. “You matter, Hana. Your happiness.”
I blinked, and my eyelids tried to glue together. I shook my head.What are we talking about?“So does yours, Pax. We deserve a future. A happy one, now that the way ahead is clear.”
He wrapped his arm around me and gently folded me closer to his large, warm body. But something was weird. Finally, the strangeness dawned on me.
“I can’t feel my lips,” I said against his neck.
“Not even if I do this?” he asked as he kissed me.
“Mmm... I like that,” I mumbled against his mouth.
“Me, too,” he said.
“And, yes, I can feel that, but maybe you should kiss my neck to see if that’s numb.”
Paxton’s smile grew, and I knew he liked this game. I wasn’t an exhibitionist, normally—but the cocktails Ida Jane and Paloma had made had eased my usual inhibitions. Paxton trailed his lips from the corner of my mouth across my cheek, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. I shivered and bit my lip to keep from moaning aloud. Paxton’s dark chuckle caused another shiver to race along my spine and build a deep heat in my belly. My hands found his shoulders as my world began to spin.
He nipped my earlobe, eliciting a gasp as pleasure exploded through my body, shooting outward from my fingertips.
