Page 151 of Unexpected Redemption

Answering his unspoken question, I kiss the tip of his nose and explain, “I’m taking care of you. You deserve to be cherished.”

His stupefied expression gradually shifts into a shy grin, and his cheeks grow ruddy. My heart pitter-patters as I scan his face, sweeping my gaze from forehead to chin and back again.

I swipe the sponge from his still-raised hand and pour on his manly shower gel. With tenderness, I clean his neck and shoulders, then swipe it over his chest, watching the suds coat his skin. He rests his spread arms on the tub’s ledge, looking at me with wonder.

Instead of kneeling beside him, I shift onto his lap, straddling him. His hands rest on the swell of my hips, holding me in place.

“You came for me,” he whispers.

Despite knowing what he’s referencing, I channel my inner brat. “And I’ll do it again after our bath, assuming you’re up for some more fun.” I pump my brows and shimmy my shoulders.

His chest vibrates with a soft chuckle. “That’s not what I meant.”

Flashing a wink, I drop the sponge. “I know what you meant, silly.”I curve my hands, scooping water to rinse the lather off his chest and shoulders.

“Why did you come for me?”

A giggle escapes me. “Because your cock is an amazing pleasure wand.”

He feigns annoyance, curling his upper lip and squeezing my hips.

“Stop setting me up, babe.”

“The brat must brat,” he quips. “Jokes aside, why did you come to the scene tonight?”

Having finished washing him, I scooch closer toward him and wrap my arms around his neck. “I’ll answer that by asking you this.”

“That’s not how answering works, but I’ll allow it.”

“You said something like that the day we met. In the coffee shop.”

He nods. “Stop evading the question.”

“Why did you come for me that night at Bask? The first night we made love?”

Without hesitation, he says, “You needed me, and it gave me the final push. I was done letting circumstances stop me from being there for you. Claiming you. And loving you.”

My throat clogs, but I force out my response, giving him the answer he’s been fishing for. “That’s why I came for you tonight. You needed me. And I won’t let anything stop me from being there for you or loving you.”

Dressed in only a beaming smile, he lifts one hand out of the water. My eyes catch on the drops of water cascading into the bath. Holding his hand flat like a board, he bends it, rocking it up and down several times.

Then he stops the motion, locking it in place so it’s perfectly horizontal once more.

My breath catches when it dawns on me what he’s hinting at—the seesaw.

At precisely the same time, we utter a single word.“Balance.”

Our combined voices echo off the tile walls, making their way to my ears.

The same way our hearts clattered around until they found their way back together, slowly but surely fusing into one.

Two souls. Soon to be three.

One love.

Perfectly balanced.

Chapter 34

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