‘No?’ I choke.
‘There is no risk. You and Theo are family. My family. Nothingchanges that.’
‘Sex changes everything.’
‘Does it? How many lovers are you still friends with?’
‘Plenty. But it’s not me I’m worried about.’
Not entirely true.
I’m worried aboutus.
Because he doesn’t keep lovers long enough to make friends, so what happens if we… and he…?
I shake the spiral out of my head.
‘And you don’t need to worry about me,’ he says, his voice too low. ‘You want my baby, and I want you in my bed. Our friendship stays intact.’
I want you in my bed…
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. As for our friendship…
‘You say that now.’
‘And I’ll keep saying it.’
‘You can’t be sure.’
‘I’ve never been more sure.’
A slow, heavy thud beats behind my ribs, between my legs…
I should be running – protecting what we are, what we’ve built. It’s safe. It’s known. But this… My God, can we really do this?
‘Clock’s ticking, Tay.’
More than he knows. Literally. Biologically.
But Axel and Theo are the only men I’ve ever depended on.
Is a baby worth risking half of that?
No risk, he says.
But do I believe him?
Iwantto. He’s never led me wrong. But…
I wet my lips, lift my chin, and ask the question still burning a hole right through me: ‘You want me?’
‘I don’t just want you,’ he growls, leaning close enough to catch my breath in his. ‘I want you every which way I can have you.’
His heat presses in, my nipples tightening against the silk.
‘You hear me, Tay?’ He slips past my cheek, his breath feathering my ear and a shiver bolts to my toes. ‘You agree, and you’remine. For as long as it takes.’
Holy fuck.
