Page 31 of Filthy Rich Temptation

To be able to fix that. To heal it. To wrap her in a hug and tell her that I love her, that I want her in our life…

‘Treasure!’ Lottie shouts, her voice jarring me straight back into the present.

She’s pointing furiously at a delicate, white feather floating on the water.

‘We get it! Get it!’

‘Aye aye, Pirate Captain!’ Theo answers, dipping the oar with exaggerated care and scooping it up like some precious cargo as Lottie squeals her delight, bobbing in his lap.

I laugh at the scene they make – Lottie babbling over her treasure while Theo nods solemnly, playing along – a warmth blooming in my chest. And for a second, just a second, the weight lifts. The ache recedes. And I can almost forget everything that’s brought us to this point now.

But the past never stays buried for long…

An hour later, we’re back on land. The scent of sunscreen and sun-warmed grass fills the air, but the ease of the lake feels like a distant memory already. Almost like a dream. And my heart does that thing again – tightening without warning, my chest following suit.

I scan the park, eyes sweeping the shadows, hunting for something or someone I hope isn’t there. But there’s nothing. Just people laughing, sprawled on blankets, playing with dogs… It’s one of those golden summer days when the world insists on being alive and I want to be here for it. I really do.

‘We can take the picnic back home to eat,’ Theo says, his eyes fixed on me – seeing everything I wish I could hide. Reading it, absorbing it, wanting to fix it.

Even though I’m not his to fix.

And I don’t know what to do with that.

I’m used to a man seeing me as a problem.

But a problem worth fixing? That’s new.

And somehow, it’s enough to steady me. Enough to make me want to try at least.

‘No,’ I say, reaching for his hand without thinking. His fingers twitch in mine, his surprise as plain as my own. But I don’t let go. ‘We should stay.’

‘You’re sure?’

His thumb caresses the back of my hand, and a shiver stirs beneath my skin. Not the kind that warns. The kind that longs for more. Not that I should. Not that I can stop it either.

‘Yes,’ I breathe.

He gives a slow nod. ‘All right. Let’s try the rose garden. It’s usually quieter there, and we can find some shade for this one, too.’ He gestures at Lottie, who’s leaning against my legs, her fingers back in her mouth, eyes wide as she takes everything in.

‘Sounds perfect,’ I say. Because this day, it’s for Lottie as much as it is for me. Maybe even more so.

I let him lead the way and Lottie quickly slips between us again, prising our hands apart so that she can fill them with her own.

I smile. ‘I think you’ve got a new best friend.’

He glances down at her bouncing curls, his grin making my heart take flight. ‘What can I say? I’m irresistible.’

Yeah, you are…

The thought ambushes me, and I look away before he can see it on my face.

Bad track record, remember?

If only I could tattoo it across his forehead…

7

SADIE