Page 301 of The Grand Duel

He opens the lid and dips his finger into the ice cream, holding it out to me. “Do you want some?”

An offering.

Ofpeace.

And maybe something a little more.

I go to pull his hand to my mouth, but he quickly snatches it away, putting it behind his back as his face inches closer to mine. “Lissie girl,” he rasps, and I know exactly what he’s going to say.

I search his eyes. “I love you, too,” I tell him, beating him to it.

His eyes spark.

“More,” I add.

His lips part as he lifts his hand to my mouth, letting me lick the ice cream off.

“That,” he tells me. “I was saving it for that.”

He pulls me to the edge of the counter by my hips, putting my body flush with his as his hands rove up my neck and into my hair. His mouth takes my lips in a deep kiss, his tongue tangling with mine the second I let him in.

He groans into my mouth, and I grasp his forearms, his shoulders, in my need. Needing more. Needing all of him. I start on his buttons, not being able to get them undone quick enough with our lips fused.

My wineglass falls to the countertop, smashing.

“Shit.” He smiles against my lips.

“Charles,” I rasp, his cock hard and rubbing against me perfectly.

“I know, baby.” He rolls his hips, flicking his tongue through my mouth when it drops open. “I’ve got you, Lissie girl.”

FIFTY-FOUR

Charlie

Two weeks later…

Iwatch Lissie’s hands shake as she ties the giant blue bow, the bouquet of flowers she’s put together from the garden as abundant and full of life as she is.

Her eyes narrow as she moves each stem, dragging out each second of the ticking clock above the mantle.

“Lis,” I try. “It’s perfect.”

“Is it too much? Do you think the flowers will stay fresh?” She places her hand on her stomach, turning to look up at me. “Are you okay?”

I smile at her.

Stepping into her space, I take her chin between my fingers and kiss her. “I’m okay,” I whisper. “But you’re freaking out a little bit.”

Her eyes dart between mine. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Emily had the baby late last night, a healthy little boy, and we should have the results to the paternity test this morning.

She didn’t want either Jack or me at the birth, choosing to have her sister with her instead. Lissie woke me up on the sofa at eleven o’clock to tell me that Emily had messaged, that I’d missed the text.

I knew the second I told her what the message read that it broke her inside. No matter how incredible she’s been, coming to appointments, extending herself to Emily as a friend, she couldn’t pretend in that moment.