Page 71 of Before Broken Vows

But no matter how I feel, one thing is for certain: there's no turning back. Not now that Xander spent the day calling Theo "Daddy" like he'd been saying it his whole life. Or how he asked Theo to read him a bedtime story. I could never separate them again. And that leaves a hole in my chest.

Because of what I don't know.

Does Theo see this the same way I do? Has today melted some of the ice around his heart, or has it only reminded him of what I took from him? Has it made him more determined than ever to punish me, or give me grace?

The bedroom door handle jiggles and then swings open.

The thought that was forming in my brain vanishes completely.

Theo stands in the doorway. Nothing but a white towel wrapped low around his hips, water still dripping from his freshly showered body. His hair is slicked back, darker when wet. I watch as droplets race down his neck, over his collarbones, traveling the sculpted terrain of his chest, sliding down the ridges of his abdomen.

I forget to breathe.

My eyes linger on the little knot holding the towel in place and then I blink, suddenly aware of my staring and flushed arousal.

I see his eyes are locked on me like he knows exactly what I'm thinking.

"You—" I stop and clear my throat, fighting back the redness I feel creeping up my neck. "You didn't bring clothes in?" I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

He smiles. "Sorry. I left my bag in the car. I'll have one of my men bring it in," he says, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. "Guess you'll just have to put up with me like this until I get them."

"I think I'll survive," I say without thinking, lips turning into a smile.

I can't get over how much better he looks.

Like, how the hell is that possible?

He always had a great body, but it's harder now, more defined. The muscles of his shoulders and chest are more pronounced, tapering down to a narrower waist. And that damn towel, riding dangerously low, revealing that V-shaped cut that disappears beneath the fabric...

It makes me want to...I bite my lip and stop myself.

"I came to get my phone,” he says pointing to the writing desk in our room, “I just need to text someone to bring my bag,” he says walking past me, and I see his perfect back muscles flexing, his dimples just above where the towel sits.

"Wait," I say, pulling myself together, my heart beating as fast as it can against my ribs. "I know it's late, but can you sit with me for a minute?"

He stops and looks at me. Studying me like I'm trying to trick him into something.

"Please. Something's on my mind and if I don't talk to you right now, I'm going to explode."

"Well, I wouldn't want that, Stassi," he says with a smile and walks over to me. "Think of the cleaning bill," he adds as he takes a seat.

Even with the joke, I can see a bit of stiffness.

I pull my robe tighter around me, suddenly aware that I'm completely naked underneath. With him now beside me, the air feels charged, crackling with an energy that's both familiar and terrifyingly new. Gone is the faint citrus smell from the surrounding trees. Now, all I can smell is Theo, and that alone is making a heat pool deep inside me.

"Um, first, I want to say," I begin, trying to focus on his face rather than his defined shoulders. "Thank you. For being so good with him."

He nods. "He is my son."

"Yes, yes. I know. And you probably need time to process all of this, meeting Xander, me back in your life, but I... I just wanted to know." I swallow. "How did it feel for you? Today. With him?"

Theo leans forward, elbows on knees, rubbing the back of his neck. "Like my world just tilted and now I'm trying to figure out which way is up."

I laugh, because if I don't, I might cry. "That's honest."

He looks at me. "He's incredible," he says and sits up. "Smart. Observant."

"Like you," I say, the words flowing without my thought or input.