Thomas
Despite their deliberately slow lovemaking, he was spent, physically and emotionally. This had been what he’d missed for as long as he could remember. In his dreams, he’d hoped their chemistry equated with magic, but the reality shot it to the moon. In his contented state, with a remarkable woman wrapped around him, Thomas dozed.
He jolted awake during one of those falling dreams. Kick still lay alongside him, resting her head in her hand, stroking the feather up and down his stomach.
“How long was I out?”
“Only ten minutes.” She bent and kissed his chest, then his jaw. He turned his head to meet her lips. It wouldn’t take long for him to go again, but knowing how long it had been for Kick, Thomas didn’t want to hurt her. Besides, he still had to feed her. But first he had questions.
“That was amazing. Primal.” Kick turned her beautiful hazel eyes to him. “I swear, I thought the earth quaked.” She giggled and absently ran her fingernails over his pecs. “Did you know you look angelic when you come?”
“Ah, no?”
She looked back up and gave him a shy smile. “I believe you now, Thomas.”
“Thank God. If that was your version of a fuck-buddy romp, I don’t think I’d survive more.”
She swatted Thomas on the shoulder as he laughed hard, then watched her face growing serious.
In a quiet voice, she said, “I thought I could be fuck buddies with you, but I never could.”
He lifted her free hand and kissed it. “We’re not.” He sat upright and said, “Before we move on to the next thing, tell me about your freak-out. Let’s put it permanently behind us.”
“Oh.” A deep blush spread across Kick’s chest as her shoulders fell. She stretched her hands in Thomas’s direction. “Well… look at you.”
“All right.” He hopped out of bed and stood before her. Planting his hands on his hips, he looked down at himself and shrugged.
“Thomas… you’re perfect.”
“Thank you. Still don’t see a problem.” Kick’s frustrated growl delighted him, though he knew it shouldn’t.
She rose to her knees and faced off with him. Thomas’s cock woke back up at the sight. “Not only am I not perfect, I’m a physical mess.”
His brow drew up in honest confusion. “Where?”
She held her breasts, and he almost groaned. “My boobs are asymmetrical.”
Thomas grabbed his balls. “So is my nut sac.” He tilted his head to the side. “Are you going to leave me now?”
“Of course not.” Kick’s words encouraged him, but her frown didn’t.
Thomas held up a finger, then bolted for the closet. This conversation—and what he had planned next—called for robes. He grabbed his summer and winter ones, ran back to the bed, and placed the thick one around Kick’s shoulders. He slipped into the lightweight robe and sat on the bed next to her. His gaze tipped to his semihard cock.
“Isn’t the evidence of what you do to me enough to prove there’s nothing to worry about?”
She leaned into his shoulder as she stared out the window and answered, “The way you turned cold when you broke up with me… Are you sure it had nothing to do with disappointment in me?”
Thomas raked his hands through his hair. “I’m an asshole.” He reached around Kick and pulled her tight to him. “It was all about this thing I’ve been struggling with. You’ve only ever been a miracle.”
“The thing with your research and Bordeaux?”
“Yes.” After the weekend, he would definitely call Alaric. He didn’t agree with everything Banger and Tess had directed. Once he informed Grand-père of his plans—not ask—he would come clean with Kick. He kissed her temple and said, “No more fears about my leaving, all right?”
“I’m still getting used to this, but okay.” She tipped her head back and smiled. “You make me feel good enough. I can go from there.”
Thomas smacked her thigh. “Damn. I’m aiming for perfect.” He jumped up and lifted a finger. “Hold on a sec.” He disappeared back into his closet to the wrapped boxes he’d left there. He grabbed a big one and left another small one.
He pulled one chair close to the bed and sat across from Kick. “When I knew I needed you back, I called Deana to see if I still had a shot.” Thomas hung his head and chuckled. “She told me she knew exactly what you wanted.” He presented the large box to her and sheepishly grinned. “This.”
She carefully undid the bow and ran her finger through the taped seams, trying not to rip the pretty paper. She opened the box and laughed as she lifted a Lord University letterman-style jacket. Kick turned it around and saw the “Harrison” across the back. “Aww.” She held it to her chest. “I told Dee I missed the days when a boy would give a girl his varsity jacket to ask her to go steady.”
He nodded. “She told me about your talk. Took a bit of work to pull it off so quickly. Fortunately, I did a favor for a coach last year. He hooked me up.” He rubbed his chin. “Would you really wear it?”
Kick tipped her head back in an angelic laugh. “You bet your ass.”
Thomas felt his smile stretch across his face. Christ, he was a goner. Soon he’d get to the tricky part when he gave Kick the small package. But it had to wait. Thomas had a special moment in mind to give it to her. “Happy New Year’s Eve-Eve.” He kissed her deeply and declared, “We need to eat.”
“Yes, we do. After I clean up.” Kick stood, smiled when she caught Thomas staring at her fabulous ass, and sashayed into the bathroom. The confident vixen had returned. His first goal had been accomplished.
After they filled up on food, Kick reached into one of the shopping bags she had brought and pulled out a present for Thomas. She removed his place setting and set the box on the island.
“Happy New Year’s Eve-Eve, sweetheart. This is your first present.”
He lifted an eyebrow and smirked. “The first?”
“The other one was too heavy. I barely heaved it into my trunk and couldn’t get the right leverage on it to take it out.”
Kick fidgeted from foot to foot, piquing Thomas’s curiosity. He ripped into the paper with gusto. On the counter sat a polished hickory box, a work of art on its own. He lifted the lid and found a Shinola Runwell Chronograph watch with a blue face and a dark brown band.
“It’s gorgeous, baby.” He held it up and examined it from every angle.
“It reminded me of your eyes,” she said shyly. “I also wanted to give you something from Detroit—my original hometown.”
“I remember,” he whispered as he smiled down at her. Sometime soon he’d plan a trip there so Kick could show him all her favorite places.
These moments of proof of Kick’s feelings before this weekend let Thomas know he’d done the right thing in fighting for her. Making her a priority the first time had been an emotional decision done out of fear. This time he let himself jump with the clearest of intentions and would do whatever it took to keep Kick happy as well as safe. He couldn’t wait to give her the last present.
He kissed her on the cheek and clipped the watch around his wrist. “It’ll track our time together.” Funny, Thomas had been planning to buy a watch to wean himself off his phone.
She answered with a slight nod. “So, how are we supposed to get your other present? The wind is still strong, and the temperature is dropping.”
“I’ll bring it in after we dress. I still have two surprises to show you while there’s daylight, and we’ll have to leave the house for them.”
They dressed quickly, as Thomas’s interest in his other present grew.
Once outside, she popped the lid to reveal another, much larger, box from Shinola. He carried it into the house.
“Before you set it down,” she said, “let’s take it into your music room. That’s a hint, by the way.”
“Music, huh?” Thomas raised his eyebrows out of curiosity and took it into the downstairs office. The room was large enough to have one wall devoted to his instruments. An adjacent cabinet was command central for the Angel network, along with various components for amateur recording and mixing. He gingerly set the box down, snapped apart the tape from Kick’s repacking job, and stared at what sat before him.
“Well, pull it out,” she coaxed, antsy like a child.
He carefully extracted a Runwell turntable, speechless. Thomas wasn’t a sucker for toys. In fact, he was picky about which new gadgets he indulged in. This piece was a work of art. When he looked at Kick, her tongue worried the inside of her cheek and her brow furrowed.
“Is it stupid?”
He whispered in awe, “It’s amazing.” Thomas cleared his throat. “Banger’s going to be jealous as hell. He has the toy addiction.”
“I liked the retro feel of the wood trim.” She chuckled and said, “Liam saw it and thought he’d stumbled upon one of his presents. The poor boy almost had a coronary, which rebounded when I told him it was for you.”
Thomas rested it on the coffee table since it would need to wait until he could clear a spot for it. It would make a fabulous focal point in the room. He stood and held his arms out. When Kick stepped into them, he engulfed her in a bear hug, lifting her off her toes, then set her down and nuzzled her neck.
“Your thoughtfulness and desire to see me happy humbles me, but having you here is the best present. It’s what I’ve wanted most.”
She stretched her chin and kissed a spot underneath his jaw. “I agree.”
Thomas became distracted and held her for a few minutes until the clock over the door caught his attention. “Shit. It’s getting late. He’s going to be mad.” He pulled Kick into the mudroom.
“Who’s going to be mad?”
“One of your surprises.”
“My surprise is a he?”
“Come on.” Thomas held Kick’s new coat out, then zipped her in it. “You’ll see. Wear your hood up.”
He wore an oilskin duster and matching hat.
“A drover coat?” she laughed. “Are we exploring the outback?”
“Sort of. It comes in handy on days like this.”
“Do you have chaps to go with it?”
“Actually, yes.” He ushered her out to the kitchen garden and down the back path.
“Hold on… Are you saying you’ve been to the Outback?”
Thomas shrugged. “Maybe.”
She raised her hands. “How the hell many things have you done?”
He arched an eyebrow, mocking her, and answered in a falsetto, “A few.”
Then he wrapped an arm around her as they walked the trail past the barn and around the west side of the pond. Grateful it was wide enough for them to travel side by side, he savored this new reality, aware it could end too soon.
“How long do you think an orgasm can last?” Kick’s question saved him from falling into a thought funk. Her giggle piqued his curiosity. Her curls’ attempts to burst from her hood were also a welcomed distraction.
“Want to run some experiments?”
She bumped Thomas’s shoulder. “No, Professor. It feels…” She sighed and said in a rush, “It feels like aftershocks keep running through me. I don’t remember this happening before. Then again, I can’t remember the last time I had sex in the daytime either.”
“No kidding?”
She twisted her lips in thought. “Yup, can’t remember. The loud thing was pretty amazing too. I mean, with no one around it just… seemed to explode, but still.”
Thomas crooked his elbow and pulled her into his chest with a resonant growl. “You have no idea.” A few silent minutes later after he replayed their romp on a loop in his mind, he said, “What was it you said to me the morning we met? You purr… you growl… but you don’t prowl. Baby, you should’ve mentioned the roaring. I would have dropped to my knees on the spot.” He thoroughly enjoyed watching Kick turn a delicious shade of pink.
She slugged him on the shoulder. “Don’t remind me. It’s embarrassing.”
“No, darlin’. It’s hot as hell. You should roar for me every day.”
“I would love to.” She sighed.
“Why do I hear a but in there?”
“Not a but.” She slowed and shrugged. “We haven’t talked about what happens after this. Will we still struggle to schedule our time together?”
“Come over here.” This would be the perfect time to give Kick her last gift. He walked her to an old, southern live oak tree sitting about fifty yards from the path. The trunk was wide enough to provide full shade and shelter, while the view was incredible. From the small clearing on top of a hill, they had sight lines to Thomas’s house in one direction and the farms in the other three. It had been the center of a tobacco plantation back in the day. Based on the number of initials carved into the tree, this had been a favorite spot for many lovers. Some carvings looked to be over a hundred years old.
“How do I picture us from now on?” He entwined their fingers, Kick’s sweet face consumed his thoughts, and the words came from the place in his soul she’d unlocked.
“Let me be your Atlas, darlin’. Let me hold you up as you direct your world. I’d say loved ones, but it’s obvious how you adopt strangers who walk into your life and make them your own.” Thomas laughed and shook his head, having a hard time believing this could be true. “Counting myself grateful to be a stray.”
Tears welled up in her eyes as they laughed together.
“Let me support you so all those who rely on you can continue their orbit around you.”
Kick sighed and looked around. She tucked some errant hairs into her hood.
Thomas jostled her hands. “What?”
“I love this.”
“I still hear a but.”
She shook her head. “As much as I love warm and attentive Thomas, I still have burns from your hot-and-cold routine. How do I know it’s really gone so quickly?”
“Ah.” She gutted him. Thomas pulled Kick close and leaned his forehead against hers. “It hasn’t been fast for me, though you’re right about the back and forth. It’s a battle I’ve been waging inside myself since we met. I’m used to being alone, Kick. The icy part of me is a protective measure. I can’t promise I’ll never revert to it since this is new for me too. I can promise I’ve thought hard about what I want, and you’re it. Can you call me on my bullshit if I do shut down? Can you see my request as proof I’ve changed?”
“I can do that.” Kick wrapped her arms around his waist and tipped her head back to speak. “And what do you want from me?”
“From you?” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the last present. “How about this for a start?”
Kick carefully unwrapped the box like she’d done with the first one. She opened the lid and lifted the bracelet within. “Oh, Thomas,” she gasped. “It’s stunning. Truly. Are these… This is your birthstone, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “With yours.” Her reaction thrilled him, but he wondered how she would take the meaning of it.
“Wow.” She clicked her cheek and observed, “You know, this roping design between the gems reminds me of the old handfasting traditions. It’s beautiful.”
Thomas laughed at his short-sightedness and should’ve known she’d see it. “It is.” The jeweler had created a braided effect from rose gold, wrapping around fire opals and moonstones. “When Deana told me you needed a commitment, I knew I did too.”
He clasped the ropelike bracelet around her wrist. “I’m a modern scientist, but the old ways have always held a special appeal.” My ways, he meant.
Kick cocked her head to the side. “What exactly are you saying?”
Here was his chance. Either way, Thomas knew he would jump off one hell of a cliff when he eventually let the cat out of the bag. If he knew she loved him deeply already, it would make the leap easier. “Deana mentioned a class ring, but I don’t have anything like that to give you.” Thomas fingered the bracelet. “Can you consider this an ask for tomorrow—like a mature version of a class ring?”
“Are you asking me to go steady, Thomas?”
“Grown-up going steady? Sure.” He grinned before bringing Kick’s fingers to his lips and kissing them. “I wanted to give you something so you knew I’d changed. I want more than a casual arrangement with you.” Kick beamed and Thomas kissed her nose. “We suck at casual.”
“Word.” Kick’s shoulders bounced as she laughed.
As a rule, Thomas never ruminated on what he wanted. He had goals. He helped others. That was it. After speaking with Deana, one word announced itself like a speaker blasting in his head, telling him to grab ahold before it slipped away—home. “Without my noticing—or it could’ve been by design, I don’t know—life had become a dark and cold, postfamilial existence.” He pushed Kick’s hood back and slid his hands to the back of her neck, running his thumbs along her jawline. “Would you be my home for now? Wherever you are, I want to be with y’all. With you and your amazing kids. One day at a time? We can figure out the details as we go.”
“You know, you’re more than an adopted stranger.” Kick placed her hand on Thomas’s chest. “If you’re saying what I think you are, you’ve become my heart too.” Her fingers traced up to his shoulders. “It’s funny how you mentioned Atlas. I’ve noticed a melancholy about you, like you carry a great weight around. But every so often, I see your weight lift. Sweetheart, if I can ease those burdens at all, I promise I’ll do what I can. If it’s an opinion, my talents, or my body you need, I would be honored to be the soft place where you rest.” She lifted her wrist. “I’ll gladly wear this as long as you’re through with thinking temporarily. I don’t need big promises, but I don’t want to make this jump with you if you already plan to leave.”
Thomas remembered how angry Kick had become with the things he’d said after the gala. He stroked her cheek and tucked a curl behind her ear. “There’s no expiration date for me. It’s just… I thought this might seem fast. It was inappropriate to ask for a commitment when I don’t even know if you want one. One day at a time seems fair though. Don’t you think?”
She unbuttoned his big coat and snuggled inside as the wind practically whipped the flaps back together. “Silly man. So we’re going steady grown-up style?”
“Exactly.” Since they were making vows of a sort, he asked, “What do you want from me?” He listened to Kick breathe while he waited on her answer. Thomas marveled at how quickly their heartbeats synced.
“I’ve had champions before—men who emotionally tucked me behind their bodies and kept me out of the line of fire psychologically. It was necessary then, but not anymore. I want you to walk with me. When needed, you can stand against my back as we fight like hell together.” A fierce, challenging gaze gave way to the familiar signs of insecurity as she worried her cheek.
“My butterfly.” He brushed back the curls on her face.
“You do get it.” She stretched up and kissed Thomas under what would henceforth be their oak tree. “Thank you for this.”
“Anything for you.” Feelings this deep had eluded him for so long Thomas couldn’t remember the last time his heart had been filled with such gratitude. He knew Kick had come to his house with casual intentions. He had hoped he could convince her of more, even the smallest of commitments before their weekend ended. To find out they were of the same mind so quickly was a gift. He led her back to the path with their hands linked and checked the time on his new watch. “Good, I can still get his exercise time in.”
“Whose?”
“Patience, baby. We’re almost there.”