Page 188 of Broken Bonds

The irony that if I brought her home as a girlfriend it would still send my father into an apoplectic fury because she’s a witch does not escape me.

I immediately open a text to Sam. Overthinking it, agonizing over the perfect wording, I rewrite it several times until I finally force myself to hit send.

Hi, Sam! This is Mal. I’m looking forward to meeting you! Can we have you over for dinner? Maybe this weekend?

Hopefully, I can nudge them into doing something and alleviate my guilt. I meant it when I told Todd I didn’t want him to give up his time with Sam. The thought of maybe being able to be part of it is…

Well, it’s hot, and frankly, I shouldn’t be thinking about it because now I’m fucking hard again and struggling not to whip it out and jerk off.

I lightly poke myself in the stomach. “Tempted to nickname you ‘Bad Timing.’”

I forgot I’d texted Sam when my phone buzzes in my back pocket later that afternoon. It’s his reply.

Possibly this weekend, unless the kids need me.

I reply I’ll leave it to him to let me know what works. By the time Todd returns home late that night, I’ve forgotten about it again. Tonight I don’t feel guilty about no sexy time because he looks exhausted and we both fall asleep early.

The next morning, I mention it over breakfast. “Sam might come over for dinner this weekend.”

He sets his fork down and sits back. “Baby, we’ve talked about this. I don’t want to?—”

“Alizée stopped by yesterday morning and gave me his number. He asked her to.” I explain, and his scowl lessens.

“If you’re trying to push me and him together for sex, it won’t work.”

“Why not?”

“Well, for starters, unlike us, he doesn’t get horny in a stiff breeze. He has to be in the mood. Secondly, I’m not in the mood to be with anyone but you right now.” He reaches over and takes my hand. “Baby, I’m not ‘suffering’.”

Time for me to play the arched eyebrow. “So that wasn’t you grinding against me this morning?”

“I can’t help it what my cock does when I’m asleep.” He smiles. “Take me at my word, okay? Ask him over for dinner this weekend, sure, but it’ll just be dinner. Nothing else.” He winces. “Actually, it’d just be the two of you. I told Chaz I’ll take night shifts this weekend to relieve one of the other guys.”

“Oh.”

He easily hooks an arm around me and pulls me into his lap. “You two should get to know each other. I think you’ll get along well. You need to make more friends around here anyway, and I know he’ll be happy to be that for you. He never has problems just hanging out with friends.”

He isn’t wrong about me needing more friends. “Okay.”

Todd brushes a kiss across my lips and eases me back into my chair. “Not to mention I’ve got a lot on my mind right now.”

His reluctant tone grabs my attention.

“What’s going on?”

He thinks about it for a moment. “I can’t tell you yet.”

My guts churn. “Is it about Mom?”

He kisses me again. “Trust me?”

I stare into his brown eyes, forever eyes, mahogany and oak and sweet promises. “I do.”

The only answer I can utter. Because I absolutely trust him.

“You’ll know when it’s time. Until then, all you need to do is trust me.”

Chapter Seventy-Three