Page 53 of Redeem Me

‘But—’

He raises a hand in a stop gesture. Normally, I’d never allow a man to silence me, but it’s the pleading look in his pained eyes rather than his hand that renders me quiet.

‘Nobuts, Ivy,’ he resumes stroking with the cloth. ‘We both know what we signed up for. You promised me you wanted my penis, not a proposal. Please don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind.’

‘You’re a good ride, but you’re not that good.’ It’s a lie. He is the best I’ve ever had. Or am likely to again. I’ve got it bad for him, but if he gets even a whiff of that, it’ll be game over.

‘Is that right?’ He tosses the cloth to the floor and drops to his knees, his face in line with my crotch. ‘Let me remind you exactly how good I am.’

I inhale a lungful of air and use my hands to steady myself against the wall as he sweeps his tongue languidly over my centre before taking it away again.

‘Don’t make me call Rian,’ I joke.

‘Don’t make me bend you over the kitchen table,’ he warns.

‘Pass my phone,’ I goad, and he springs to his feet. I shriek as he scoops me into his strong arms and carries me towards the dining room.

‘By all means, call Rian,’ he says smugly, placing me on the table. ‘He can watch while I fuck that smart mouth of yours.’

‘Now we’re talking.’ I reach for his cock again.

By the time Caelon leaves to collect the kids, we’ve had sex four times. First in the hall, then on the table. Then on the plush Italian imported rug on the living room floor, which leftme with carpet burns as a souvenir. Then on the kitchen counter. He insisted on pouring me a glass of Beckett’s Gold, which I drank while he went down on me again. I swear Daddy Caelon is a pleasure dom and I am so here for it. I might not be able to walk tomorrow, but who needs to walk when you can float?

I help myself to a glass of water and wander aimlessly around the house, taking it all in. My eyes stray to a framed family photo on the marble mantelpiece. In the picture, Caelon’s eyes are bright and his smile wide enough to see his molars. His arms are wrapped around Isabella in a loving embrace, while Orla and Owen sit on their knees.

‘I’m sorry,’ I whisper to Isabella, even though she can’t hear me. ‘I hope you don’t mind me taking care of him. Of all of them.’

The front door opens and slams with a bang that makes me jump out of my skin. I leap away from the mantelpiece like a kid caught with her hand in the sweet jar.

‘Ivy!’ Orla calls. ‘Ivy, where are you?’ The pitter-patter of tiny feet approach from the hall.

‘In the sitting room,’ I call, snatching up the remote. ‘I was just looking to see if there’s a movie we can watch before bed.’ I open the Disney app as she runs in and wraps her arms around my legs. Heat spreads through my chest. She looks adorable in a pink summer dress and pink Nike runners.

‘We met Nanny at the graveyard, and she took us to her house,’ Orla beams up at me. ‘We baked brownies. I had two!’

The graveyard.

So that’s where they go every Sunday.

‘They were so yummy.’ Owen speeds in with his teddy tucked under his arm. ‘I put coloured sprinkles on mine.’

‘They sound delicious, guys! Do you want some supper? Cereal? French toast?’

‘Cereal,’ they both yell, running towards the kitchen.

I swivel to see Caelon leaning on the doorframe, watching from a distance. ‘It’s your day off,’ he reminds me. ‘I’ll take care of them.’

‘I want to.’ I cross the room, following the noise. ‘I missed them today.’

His lips curl upwards in a small but significant smile. ‘Could have fooled me.’ He slaps my ass as I pass by, and I bite back a yelp.

As soon as the kids have eaten, I send them up to get their pyjamas on. Caelon disappears into his office and a sinking sense of gloom sets into my stomach.

Is he freaking out again? Avoiding me?

I set up a movie, a new Pixar one about emotions. Out of all of us, Caelon is the one who could benefit from watching it, but I won’t hold my breath.

‘You guys got your pyjamas on?’ I jog up the stairs, feeling the stiffness creeping into my legs that only multiple mammoth sex sessions or running a marathon can inflict.

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