Page 99 of The Persistence of Thornes
With a shrug, I turn, anxious to find my girls. “Don’t know what to tell you, man.”
Before I can make it more than a step, he grabs my shoulder. “Hey,” he says in a lower voice as I spin back to face him. “If Casen and Quinn are comfortable with it, they can stay the night. Salem andI talked about it.”
Suspicion has me narrowing my eyes. “Why?”
He shrugs, looking anywhere but at me. The two of us have come a long way over the years, but that doesn’t mean that things don’t get awkward at times. “Salem thought you and Halle might appreciate some alone time.”
I bite back a laugh. Sometimes I’m reminded of just how strange this arrangement is. My ex is meddling in my love life, and I’m not the least bit offended by it. In fact, I’m amused. Not only because she thinks I need her help, but because she might be right.
“Thanks.” I nod. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
A man I don’t recognize taps Thayer on the arm, so while he’s distracted, I slip away, going back to my search.
I nearly groan when I find Seda talking to the two Spidermans. If I know anything about adolescence, it’s that there’s no way this crush won’t lead to my daughter getting hurt. And there’s not much I can do about it.
Annoyed or not, I leave her where she is and go in search of Halle. When I’ve scanned every room downstairs and come up empty, I check the front porch. Despite the chill in the air, she’s wrapped in a blanket, feet pulled up, swaying lazily in the porch swing.
The door clicks shut behind me, garnering her attention. Her head swivels in my direction, a look of surprise on her face. Though when she recognizes me, it morphs into one of relief.
“What are you doing out here?” I ask, the wood creaking beneath my weight as I cross the porch.
She pulls her legs in to give me space, but when I sit beside her, I grasp them and put them in my lap.
“Just needed to get away for a few,” she says softly, her eyes glowing in the orange and purple lights strung around the porch. “It was getting a little too crowded for me.”
“There are a lot of people in there,” I agree, finding her foot beneath the blanket. I press my thumb into her arch and move it in slow circles.
The moan she lets out goes straight to my dick. Holding myself back has been hard, but it’ll be worth it in the end.
“Thayer and Salem said the boys could stay the night if they’re comfortable with that.”
Brows knitted, she peers over at me. “Why would they offer that?”
I cock my head to the side, lips twitching with the threat of a smile. “Why do you think?”
Her mouth slowly morphs into a precious O, and her cheeks go pink. “Oh.”
“We don’t have to even mention it to them if you’re unsure.” The last thing I want is for Halle to feel pressured in any way. The two of us are the real deal, and I’ll wait for as long as I need to.
“I…” She smooths out the blanket, her attention averted. “I’m okay with asking them.”
I put a hand on her ankle, rubbing softly. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She looks up then, holding my gaze.
The moment stretches on, the intensity growing between us. It’s only more clear in this moment that when I finally have her, there will be no going back for me.
Halle ducks her head. “Should you hang out with Seda a while longer tonight?”
I snort, a mixture of heartache and amusement washing over me. “She was busy chatting with your brothers when I came out. Pretty sure the last thing she wants is for any of her parents to invade her space.”
“Ah.” Halle smiles softly, nostalgia deepening the brown of her eyes. “First crushes are something. I’m just sorry it had to be my brothers she’s crushing on.”
I shrug—going for nonchalant and probably failing. “The good news is that the age difference means nothing will come of it. But”—I sigh—“her heart is probably going to get broken anyway.”
Her lips tug down into a frown, a line forming between her brows. “I hope not.”
With a squeeze to her foot, I lift her legs as I stand. “I’ll check on them. If they’re done chatting, I’ll see if Seda wants to dance with me. It’s only a matter of time before she won’t want anything to do with me.”
