Page 72 of Before Broken Vows

Theo looks at me for a moment and smiles.

"He has your laugh," Theo continues. "And the way he scrunches his nose when he's thinking. That's all you."

I hadn't noticed that similarity. The fact that Theo did, after just one day, makes my chest ache.

And then his demeanor shifts. "I kept thinking today," he says, staring at the floor, "about all the firsts I missed. His first word. First steps."

The guilt rises in me like a tide. "I'm sorry," I say, the words feeling pathetically inadequate. "If I could go back?—"

"Don't." He cuts me off. "It's something I know I need to figure out on my own. About my father's role. It's all so complicated.I'm not saying it's all on you, I'm just being honest with what I'm thinking."

I nod, accepting the boundary. "Well, I appreciate your honesty. It's all I want. No more secrets between us."

There will be time for endless apologies later. For now, this tentative peace between us feels too precious to risk.

"On that note... How did you feel," I stop and lower my head, "being with me today?"

He's quiet. I look up to meet his eyes, those impossibly blue, beautiful eyes.

"I don't know yet, Stassi. Honestly, I'm fucking lost."

I nod. I get it. I would be too. I've come storming back into his life with news about unknown threats, details about his dad, oh, and a son he didn't know he had. Saying it's a lot doesn't even begin to cover it.

"And yet..." Theo's eyes flick down my body, to the hem of the robe riding up my thigh, then back to my face. "I never stopped wanting you. Not for a single goddamn minute," he says and rubs his face. "Damn you for making me love you so much it felt like losing a limb when you left."

The room tightens.

Heat swirls between my legs. "I know the feeling. I… I never stopped loving you either. I thought of you every day. Hell, every time I look at Xander, I see you in him."

Theo moves in closer, our faces inches apart.

His fingers make contact with my skin, cupping my cheek as his thumb brushes over my bottom lip. The touch is so light it's almost not there, but it burns through me like wildfire.

"I don't know if I can do this again," he warns, voice rough. "I don't know if I can survive losing you twice."

"You won't have to," I promise, my voice trembling. "I'm not running anymore."

His eyes search mine, looking for lies, for traps. I hold his gaze, letting him see everything—my fear, my regret, my longing.

"I want to move forward and live this life with Xander and you. Even if I have to spend the rest of my life making up for it. I will," I say, breathy under his sudden lustful gaze.

Suddenly Theo leans in and finally kisses me. Deep and passionate. Tasting him again almost makes me melt.

His mouth is exactly as I remember, demanding, consuming, perfect. His tongue slides against mine, and I whimper into him, years of longing breaking free.

I press closer, hungry for more, desperate to erase the years between us. My robe loosens as I arch against him, my nipples hardening, seeking his touch.

When he pulls back, I see his eyes are wild, lustful.

I'm breathless, trembling for more.

His mouth curves in his dangerously beautiful smile. "You've been a bad girl, Stassi."

I suck in a breath. The words trigger something primal in me again, something we left behind years ago. Something I've missed so desperately.

His hand grips my hair, tugging just enough to make my scalp tingle, sending electricity through my body. "And you know what happens to bad girls, don't you?" he asks.

My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my throat.