“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” I swoop down and scoop him up before he can bolt. He shrieks with laughter as I tickle him.
“Ohhh, Uncle Jaxon,” he giggles breathlessly. “You can come too.”
“Well thanks a lot,” I deadpan, setting him back down. He sprints to Ash, and Ash lifts him effortlessly, spinning him once before settling him on his hip.
“Catch up later,” I say, and Gina and Ash wave as they head out—beautiful, messy, comfortable family of four. Something warm and aching twists deep in my chest as I watch them go.
Then I turn back to the woman I can’t stop thinking about.
“Ready?” I ask, stepping close, close enough that my hand finds the small of her back like it’s always belonged there.
She nods, soft and sure now, and leans into my touch like she’s been waiting for exactly this.
And just like that, everything in me settles. God, it’s good to be home, not because home is a place. But because it’s her.
She nods, and I guide her toward the airport doors, my palm warm against the small of her back. “You didn’t have to come,” I tell her softly.
That flicker of uncertainty flashes across her face again—like she’s still trying to decide whether she belongs in my world, whether she’s allowed to show up for me. I hate that she even doubts it.
I grin. “But I’m damn glad you did.”
Her smile tips into a wink that hits me square in the chest. “Please. How would it look if I didn’t show?”
“True,” I say, that reminder curling around my ribs, and reminding me what this is. What this isn’t. “But I was actually thinking about what it would look like if you weren’t wearing any of these clothes.”
She throws her head back with a laugh and presses a hand to my chest. “That can be arranged.”
The automatic doors slide open, letting in a gust of cool night air. I swallow a yawn, but she catches it anyway.
“You’re tired,” she murmurs, biting her lip like she’s trying not to say the next thing. “Maybe I should head home and let you get some real sleep.”
“The only way I’m getting a good night’s sleep is by putting my cock in you first.”
Her breath stutters, her body reacting before she even answers. I love that. Love that I can unravel her with one sentence. Love that she doesn’t hide what she feels.
“Do you mind if we stop at my place first?” she asks, voice a little shaky. “I need to grab some papers. I rushed out of work so I could be here when you landed.”
“No problem. Do you have to work tonight?”
Her shoulders slump—so subtle most people would miss it, but not me. The spark dims in her eyes. “No, but I’m watching Grant tomorrow morning so Gina can get through rush hour. I thought…”
“You thought you could squeeze in some work while he watches cartoons,” I finish for her.
She gives a small shrug.
“They love you, you know,” I say.
Her smile glows, quiet, real, full of something tender that grabs me by the throat. “They’re great kids.”
I let it go, even though I can tell there’s more beneath the surface. We reach her car and I toss my bag into the back.
“Want me to drive?” I ask.
“Nope. You rest. I’m taking care of you.”
“Oh, now that,” I say, dragging out the words, “sounds like something I can get behind.”
She smirks, and I slide into the passenger seat. “Feels weird being over here,” I admit.