Page 86 of Boards & Betrayal

Tom's grip on my hips tightened, grounding me. "I don't want anything when it comes to Nick," he said, each word clipped.

"You don't mean that," I murmured, wrapping my hands behind his neck. His skin felt warm against mine, contrasting with the cold ache inside me.

"I tried," he said tightly. "Ally, I tried. That's my kid, my son. I wanted so badly… But if he keeps pushing me away, there's only so much I can do." He rested his forehead against mine, his breath mingling with mine in the small space between us. "I'm not letting you go."

His words wrapped around me like a lifeline, and for a moment, I allowed myself to believe them. I closed my eyesand leaned into him, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat against my chest.

"Tom," I whispered, unsure of what else to say. There was so much left unsaid between us—so many layers of pain and longing that neither of us had fully addressed.

He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes again. "I'm not going to let him take you away from me," he said firmly. "Not if I can help it."

"If things get bad between the two of you…"

"They won't," he said. "And if they do, that won't pull me away from you."

I almost argued with him. Because it was nice hearing him say that, but it didn't actually mean anything. My father was supposed to be in my life—my father—and he was gone the second things got hard. Tom was nothing like him, but Nick was his son. And family came first—or it should.

"Do you believe me?" he asked.

I nodded slowly, feeling the truth of his words sink in. Maybe it wouldn't be easy; maybe there would be more hurdles than either of us could predict. But for now, standing here with him holding me close, it felt like enough.

Or maybe that was what I told myself.

Because I wanted to be selfish.

Tom was right. Knowing who he was didn't change anything for me. Maybe it should have. Maybe I was a terrible person. But I liked Tom. I wanted him. I wanted him so badly it hurt.

I tilted my head up and pressed my lips to his, a desperate need coursing through me. His response was immediate, his mouth moving against mine with a fervor that sent shivers down my spine. Our kiss deepened, and I felt the heat of his body meld with mine.

His hands roamed my back, pulling me closer as our tongues danced together in a rhythm that felt both familiar and exhilaratingly new. Each brush of his lips sent sparks of electricity through me, making it hard to think of anything but the moment we were sharing.

"Mine," he murmured against my mouth, his voice low and possessive. "You're fucking mine, Ally. I don't care who came before me. All I care about is that no one is coming after me."

His words sent a thrill through me, igniting something primal and raw inside. He moved his mouth to my neck, sucking on the sensitive skin there and leaving a mark that claimed me as his own. The sensation was intoxicating, and I couldn't help but moan softly in response.

We stumbled backward, never breaking the kiss as we became tangled up in each other once more. His hands gripped my hips, lifting me slightly so that I could wrap my legs around his waist. He carried me over to the desk, setting me down with a gentleness that contrasted with the intensity of our kiss.

My fingers tangled in his hair as he continued to kiss me with a passion that left me breathless. Every touch, every caress felt like it was branding me, marking this moment as something neither of us would forget.

His lips found mine again, and I melted into him, letting go of everything else and just being present with him. It was like nothing else mattered but us and the fire burning between us.

We were both lost in the moment, consumed by a need that seemed to erase everything else from existence. For now, it was enough just to be here with him, wrapped up in each other and forgetting the world outside.

Chapter 26

Tom

Islumped in my office chair, staring at the wreckage around me. Papers, shattered glass, and broken frames littered the floor. My fists throbbed, knuckles raw from pounding the desk in a blind rage. Ally’s words echoed in my head, each one a nail driven deeper into my chest.

I thought back to the night we spent together, how she’d clung to me as if I were her lifeline. I’d felt invincible then, like maybe I could be more than the sum of my failures. But now, knowing what she went through alone—losing our child—stripped that illusion away.

The anger boiled over again, but it was different this time. It wasn’t just directed outward; it turned inward, gnawing at me from the inside. How could I have been so blind? So consumed by my own pain and ambition that I missed what was right in front of me?

My future had been taken from me once before when my knee gave out on that ice. But this—this was different. This wasn’t about lost glory or unfulfilled potential. This was about being there for someone when they needed me most and failing spectacularly.

I saw her face in my mind, those blue eyes full of unshed tears as she told me about the miscarriage. She’d been so strong, carrying that burden alone while I remained blissfully ignorant, wrapped up in my own damn world. The regret hit like a freight train.

All those years pushing Nick to be better than me, hoping he’d succeed where I failed—had it all been for nothing? I couldn’t even protect Ally from my own family’s venomous games. Janet’s involvement only twisted the knife further; she knew how to exploit every weakness.

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